Bottle carrier

Abstract

A paperboard carton for carrying a plurality of bottles. The carton has a base panel, side panels, and handle panels extending upwardly from the side panels. Each handle panel includes a first handle sub-panel and a second handle sub-panel. The handle sub-panels are folded inwardly so that the second handle sub-panels are in a face-to-face relationship.

1 . A paperboard carton for carrying a plurality of bottles arranged in two or more rows and each having a neck portion topped with a closure, said carton comprising: oppositely disposed side panels; base panel means hingedly connected to the side panels and extending below the bottles; oppositely disposed top panels connected to the respective side panels, each top panel incorporating one or more openings for receiving said neck portions; handle panels extending from the respective top panels and being hingedly connected to each other at the top of the carton remote from the base along a top fold; the handle panels having aligned handle openings, each defined by first and second elongate handle sub-panels which are cut and folded out of the respective handle panel, each first handle sub-panel being hingedly connected to the handle panel along a first handle fold which is parallel to said top fold and each second handle sub-panel being hingedly connected to its associated first handle sub-panel along a second handle fold which is parallel to the first handle fold, the handle sub-panels being folded such that the two second handle sub-panels are folded inwardly to lie next to each other in face-to-face relationship.  
     
     
         2 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the two second handle sub-panels are adhesively secured together.  
     
     
         3 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the free edges of the second handle sub-panels remote from the second handle folds engage in the inside apex of the top fold between the two handle panels to form a first, carrying configuration having a generally triangular section handle.  
     
     
         4 . A carton as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the distances between the top fold and the first and second handle folds correspond on each handle panel so that the two handle panels can fold generally flat in a second folded configuration with said free edges of the second handle panels spaced from the inside of the top fold.  
     
     
         5 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein portions are cut and folded from the handle and/or top panels and glued to the inside of the handle panels.  
     
     
         6 . A carton as claimed in  claim 5  wherein two of said portions are provided on each handle panel and overlie the respective areas adjacent cuts which produced the end edges of the first handle sub-panels.  
     
     
         7 . A carton as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said portions also overlie inside areas of the respective handle panels adjacent both ends of the first handle folds.  
     
     
         8 . A carton as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said portions also overlie further inside areas of the respective handle panels at both ends below the spaces vacated by the folding of the second handle sub-panel.  
     
     
         9 . A carton a claimed in any one of  claims 5  to  7  wherein each of said portions is hingedly connected to its handle panel along a fold which is aligned and adjacent to the second handle fold.  
     
     
         10 . A carton as claimed in  claim 9  wherein each of said portions is generally L-shaped.  
     
     
         11 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 5  to  8  wherein each of said portions is hingedly connected to its handle panel along a fold which is aligned and adjacent but reversed relative to an upper fold between the handle panel and the top panel.  
     
     
         12 . A carton as claimed in  claim 11  wherein each of said portions is generally C-shaped.  
     
     
         13 . A carton as claimed in  claim 11  or  claim 12  wherein said portions are cut from paperboard from the openings for receiving the neck portions of the bottles.  
     
     
         14 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 5  to  13  wherein upper extremities of the portions, when folded and glued lie adjacent the inside of the top fold which connects the handle panels.  
     
     
         15 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  14  wherein one or more securing tabs extend between the two side panels and between adjacent necks of bottles in a row.  
     
     
         16 . A carton as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the securing tabs have contoured edges to compliment the shapes of the bottle necks.  
     
     
         17 . A carton as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the securing tabs are formed from paperboard from between the openings and are hingedly connected to the respective side panels.  
     
     
         18 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  17  wherein the base panel means comprises a pair of base panels hingedly connected to respective side panels and adapted to be secured to each other below the bottles.  
     
     
         19 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  18  wherein the junctions between the side panels and the base panel means comprises apertures/formations for retaining heel portions of the bottles.  
     
     
         20 . A carton as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  19  wherein the side panels have an upper sub-panel adjacent the associated top panel so as to follow better the contours of the bottles.  
     
     
         21 . A paperboard carton for carrying a plurality of bottles, said carton comprising: 
 oppositely disposed side panels;    at least one base panel connected to at least one of said side panels;    oppositely disposed top panels, one top panel being connected to each side panel, each top panel having at least one opening; and    oppositely disposed handle panels, one handle panel being connected to each top panel, wherein said handle panels are operatively connected at a top of said carton, wherein    each handle panel has a handle opening at least partially defined by a first handle sub-panel and a second handle sub-panel cut and folded out of said handle panel, and    said first and second handle panels are folded such that said second handle sub-panels are folded inwardly in a face-to-face relationship.    
     
     
         22 . The carton of  claim 21 , wherein each first handle sub-panel is hingedly connected to its associated handle panel along a first handle fold.  
     
     
         23 . The carton of claims  21  or  22 , wherein each second handle sub-panel is hingedly connected to it associated first handle sub-panel along a second handle fold.  
     
     
         24 . The carton according to any of claims  21 - 23 , wherein said top panels are connected at a top fold.  
     
     
         25 . The carton of  claim 24 , wherein said first and second handle folds are parallel to said top fold.  
     
     
         26 . The carton of according to any of claims  21 - 25 , wherein said side panels are connected to said top panels by upper side panels.  
     
     
         27 . A paperboard blank, comprising: 
 a first handle panel including a first handle sub-panel and a second handle sub-panel foldably connected to said first handle sub-panel;    a second handle panel operatively connected to said first handle panel and including a first handle sub-panel and a second handle sub-panel foldably connected to said first handle sub-panel;    a first top panel operatively connected to said first handle panel and having at least one opening;    a second top panel operatively connected to said second handle panel and having at least one opening;    a first side panel operatively connected to said first top panel;    a second side panel operatively connected to said second top panel; and    at least one base panel operatively connected to at least one of said side panels.    
     
     
         28 . The blank of  claim 27 , wherein each first handle sub-panel is connected to its associated handle panel along a first handle fold, and wherein the first handle fold is parallel to a top fold connecting the first handle panel to the second handle panel.  
     
     
         29 . The blank of claims  27  or  28 , wherein each second handle sub-panel is hingedly connected to it associated first handle sub-panel along a second handle fold, and wherein the second handle fold is parallel to the first handle fold.  
     
     
         30 . The blank of according to any of claims  27 - 29 , wherein said at least one opening in said first top panel comprises two openings, the openings being adjacent to opposite ends of the second handle sub-panel of the first handle panel.  
     
     
         31 . The blank of according to any of claims  27 - 30 , wherein said first top panel is connected to said first side panel by a first upper side panel.  
     
     
         32 . The blank of according to any of claims  27 - 31 , further comprising a plurality of heel receiving formations adjacent to the at least one base panel.