Insert for a carrier bag

Abstract

The invention provides an insert for inserting internally into a carrier bag having side walls and a base, the insert comprising a container stand portion, adapted, in use, to abut with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag and having a base portion; and connected to said base portion, an upper container receiving portion to receive and hold at least one container having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion; and at least two opposing support members, each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion spaced from, and above the base portion so that said container can be inserted into said upper container receiving portion so that the at least one container cannot substantially move relative to the stand portion and at least part of the at least one container extends above the stand portion. The insert may further comprise an item support stand portion having an item support portion on which an item can be carried and at least one leg portion, the item support stand being arranged, in use, to stand upon the container stand portion, by extending past the at least part of the at least one container extending above the stand portion, the item support portion, being arranged to form a barrier between the item and the top of the at least one container so as to support the item when the bag is carried. The insert may be used to carry one or more containers containing liquids and/or food items whereby the container is maintained in a substantially upright position relative to the bag and the food item or items are held separately from the container(s).

1 . An insert for a non-rigid receptacle for safe accommodation and transport of comestibles, such as edible food products, between a point of supply for the comestibles and a location of consumption, 
 comprising:    a collapsible box structure for placement within the receptacle for displacement between a fold-flat configuration and an erected configuration in which it assumes a substantially rectangular cross-section and defines a region for accommodating a beaker-type beverage container, the structure being adapted to receive and hold the beverage container in a substantially upright disposition.    
   
   
       2 . An insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the box structure is open-ended and adapted to lie substantially flat in substantially contiguous juxtaposition to a side wall of the receptacle in the fold-flat configuration, this configuration representing a storage disposition of the insert.  
   
   
       3 . An insert according to  claim 2 , wherein the box structure cooperates in an erected condition with side walls of a substantially pliant receptacle, such as a bag, to stabilise at least a lower region of the receptacle in use.  
   
   
       4 . An insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the top panel of the box structure includes an aperture substantially adapted to the cross-section of the beverage container, the periphery of the aperture being adapted to engage the periphery of the container in a releasably retentive manner.  
   
   
       5 . An insert according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a partition for separating a region within the receptacle for accommodating a non-liquid comestible from the region for accommodating a beverage container,    wherein    i) the region for accommodating a non-liquid comestible is located in use above the region for accommodating the beverage container, and    ii) the partition extends substantially horizontally in a disposition of use and is located, in use, over the top end of the beverage container.    
   
   
       6 . An insert according to  claim 5 , wherein the partition is defined by a foldable panel located at the upper end of an upward continuation of a side wall of the box structure and the foldable panel is displaceable between a fold-flat disposition and a disposition in which it extends generally transverse to the upward continuation and is spaced above the top end of the beverage container in use of the insert.  
   
   
       7 . An insert according to  claim 5 , wherein the partition is defined by the top panel of a second collapsible box structure which is displaceable between a fold-flat configuration and an erected configuration in which it assumes a substantially rectangular cross-section.  
   
   
       8 . An insert according to  claim 7 , wherein the second box structure overlies the box structure defining the beverage container accommodating region and the bottom panel of the second box structure includes an aperture adapted to overlie the top end of a beverage container received in the beverage container accommodating region and side walls of the second box structure are dimensioned so that the top panel of the second box structure is spaced above the top end of a beverage container received in the beverage container accommodating region.  
   
   
       9 . An insert according to  claim 7 , wherein the second box structure is open-ended.  
   
   
       10 . An insert according to  claim 8 , wherein a side panel of the second box structure is defined by an upward continuation of a side wall of the box structure defining the beverage container receiving region.  
   
   
       11 . An insert according to  claim 8 , wherein the second box structure is adapted to lie substantially flat in substantially contiguous juxtaposition to a side wall of the receptacle in the fold-flat configuration, this configuration representing a storage disposition of the insert.  
   
   
       12 . An insert according to  claim 8 , wherein each box structure being independently erectable from its fold-flat configuration into its erected configuration and the box structures are defined by separate regions of a single blank.  
   
   
       13 . An insert for a non-rigid receptacle for safe accommodation and transport of comestibles, such as edible food products, between a point of supply for the comestibles and a location of consumption, 
 comprising:    a collapsible open-ended box structure for placement within the receptacle for displacement between a fold-flat configuration and an erected configuration in which it assumes a substantially rectangular cross-section and defines a region for accommodating a beaker-type beverage container, the structure being adapted to receive and hold the beverage container in a substantially upright disposition; the box structure being adapted to lie flat in substantially contiguous juxtaposition to a side wall of the receptacle in the fold-flat configuration, this configuration representing a storage disposition of the insert;    and further comprising:    a partition which is defined by a foldable panel located at the upper end of an upward continuation of a side wall of the box structure and is displaceable between a fold-flat disposition and a disposition in which it extends generally transverse to the upward continuation for separating a region within the receptacle for accommodating a non-liquid comestible from the region for accommodating a beverage container,    wherein    i) the region for accommodating a non-liquid comestible is located in use above the region for accommodating the beverage container, and    ii) the partition extends substantially horizontally in a disposition of use and is located, in use, over the top end of the beverage container.    
   
   
       14 . An insert for a non-rigid receptacle for safe accommodation and transport of comestibles, such as edible food products, between a point of supply for the comestibles and a location of consumption, 
 comprising:    a collapsible open-ended box structure for placement within the receptacle for displacement between a fold-flat configuration and an erected configuration in which it assumes a substantially rectangular cross-section and defines a region for accommodating a beaker-type beverage container, the structure being adapted to receive and hold the beverage container in a substantially upright disposition;    the box structure being adapted to lie flat in substantially contiguous juxtaposition to a side wall of the receptacle in said fold-flat configuration, said configuration representing a storage disposition of the insert;    and further comprising:    a partition defined by the top panel of a second collapsible open-ended box structure which is displaceable between a fold-flat configuration and an erected configuration in which it assumes a substantially rectangular cross-section for separating a region within the receptacle for accommodating a non-liquid comestible from the region for accommodating a beverage container,    wherein    i) the region for accommodating a non-liquid comestible is located in use above the region for accommodating the beverage container, and    ii) the partition extends substantially horizontally in a disposition of use and is located, in use, over the top end of the beverage container, and    iii) a side panel of the second box structure is defined by an upward continuation of a side wall of the box structure defining the beverage container receiving region.    
   
   
       15 . A blank for an insert according to  claim 14 , comprising four panels, respectively top, bottom and two side walls interconnecting the top and bottom panels, and a further portion for linking end panels of the blank in an assembled condition to define a box structure having a rectangular cross-section in an erected condition.  
   
   
       16 . A blank according to  claim 15 , wherein said further portion is a flap extending from one end panel to be placed adjacent to the opposite end panel of the blank to establish said assembled condition, such as by adhesive action.  
   
   
       17 . A blank according to  claim 15 , wherein said further portion comprises interengaging means, such as tabs, to be inserted through slits in the blank to establish said assembled condition.  
   
   
       18 . A blank according to  claim 15 , comprising an upward continuation of a side wall of the box structure and a foldable panel located at an upper end of the upward continuation for displacement between a fold-flat disposition and a disposition in which it extends generally transverse to said upward continuation.  
   
   
       19 . An unitary blank comprising two blanks according to  claim 15 , wherein a single planar panel defines one of the side walls of a first of said two blanks and one of the side walls of the second of said two blanks.  
   
   
       20 . A blank according to  claim 15 , wherein the or each box structure formed on erection of the blank is open-ended.