Bottle shipping system with multipurpose insert

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for an improved bottle packaging system and shipping container, and more particularly to a container wherein a common insert design is employed to stabilize the bottle(s) and to provide padding therefore during shipment to resist breakage and damage. The improved insert design permits a common insert to provide stabilization to the bottom and shoulder of the necked bottle(s) used for shipping chemicals and the like.

1 . A packaging system for at least one bottle, comprising:
 a carton having paper board panels defining a space, the panels meeting to define a plurality of interior corners; and   at least three inserts, each of said inserts having a common design, including
 a bottom insert receiving a bottom of the bottle and supporting the bottle in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with the bottom, sides and interior corners of the carton, 
 a middle insert receiving a neck and shoulder portion of the bottle and supporting the bottle in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with the sides and interior corners of the carton, and 
 a top insert for maintaining the middle insert in position relative to a top of the carton. 
   
   
   
       2 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said carton is of a generally rectangular cross section. 
   
   
       3 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two sides of said carton include hand-holes, and where the hand-holes are cut at a position such that a hand inserted therein is supported by a lower portion of said middle insert. 
   
   
       4 . The packaging system according to  claim 1  wherein said inserts are made of a recyclable material selected from the group consisting of: cellulose, paper pulp, sugar cane, palm waste, and expanded starches. 
   
   
       5 . The packaging system according to  claim 1  wherein said inserts are made from re-cycled fibrous material consisting of recycled paper products. 
   
   
       6 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said inserts each include a cell for receiving the bottle, said cell comprising a generally cylindrical wall that terminates in a segmented shoulder. 
   
   
       7 . The packaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein said inserts further include a skirt in contact with the sides of said carton. 
   
   
       8 . The packaging system according to  claim 7 , wherein said cell is maintained in a spaced-apart relation to said skirt, and thereby the wall of said carton by a plurality of ribs. 
   
   
       9 . A packaging insert, comprising:
 a cell including a generally cylindrical depression, the bottom of which includes a shoulder extending in segments about the bottom thereof, said shoulder segments providing contacts points for a bottle partially inserted into said depression, and a generally circular hole therein;   an outer skirt, extending substantially around the entire periphery of the cell; and   a plurality of ribs connecting the cell and the skirt, such that said ribs maintain the spatial relationship between the cell and the skirt.   
   
   
       10 . The packaging insert according to  claim 9 , wherein said skirt has a taper such that at least a portion of the skirt contacts a container in which the insert is used. 
   
   
       11 . The packaging insert according to  claim 10  wherein said ribs resist compaction and thereby prevent the bottle from moving the container. 
   
   
       12 . A method for packaging at least one bottle, comprising:
 positioning a bottom insert, having at least one bottle-receiving cell therein, within a bottom of a carton;   inserting at least one bottle in the bottom insert;   placing a middle insert within the carton in an inverted orientation relative to the bottom insert, the middle insert fitting over the neck of the bottle;   placing a top insert within the carton, above the middle insert; and   securing a top surface of the carton.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein each of said inserts are of a common design. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further including placing an intermediary insert in the carton between the bottom and middle inserts. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further including producing each of said inserts from a common mold design. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said inserts are produced using a fibrous material. 
   
   
       17 . A bottle packaging system, comprising:
 a carton having paper board panels defining a space, the panels meeting to define a plurality of interior corners; and   a plurality of inserts, each of said inserts having a common design including cells to support bottles therein in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with respect to the bottom, sides and interior corners of the carton.   
   
   
       18 . The bottle packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein said system further includes a divider to separate the cells, and bottles therein, during bottle loading and unloading. 
   
   
       19 . The bottle packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein said system includes at least two inserts for shipment of bottles. 
   
   
       20 . The bottle packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein said system includes at least three inserts for shipment of bottles.