Article carrier

Abstract

An article carrier may include a handle, a collapsible article holder with a pop-down base, and one or more support columns vertically connecting the handle to the base of the collapsible article holder. The collapsible article holder may have a number of openings for accepting articles. Material cut from the carrier to form the openings may form the support columns. Moreover, tabs that are connected to the material from the openings may also be cut from the carrier so as to provide a surface for gluing or otherwise affixing the support columns to the base. For openings on the extreme ends of the article holder, material cut from the carrier to form the openings may be folded towards the ends of the article holder so as to form end flaps. The end flaps facilitate preventing accidental reading of UPC barcodes or other indicia on the articles carried in the article holder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article carrier, comprising:
 a handle; and   a collapsible article holder comprising:
 a base, 
 a surface comprising a defined area that is adapted to form an opening to support an article when the collapsible article holder is set up, and 
 a support column connecting the handle to the base, wherein the support column is formed from material that is removable from the surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the support column is formed from material that is removable from the surface within the defined area. 
     
     
         3 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the defined area on the surface is defined by a perforated line in the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the support column further comprises a tab, wherein the tab is affixed to the base. 
     
     
         5 . The article carrier of  claim 4 , wherein the tab is integrally formed as part of the support column. 
     
     
         6 . The article carrier of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the collapsible article is a top surface and the collapsible article further comprises a side wall. 
     
     
         7 . The article carrier of  claim 6 , wherein the tab is formed from material removable from the side wall. 
     
     
         8 . The article carrier of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the article holder comprises a first area and a second area, wherein the support column is formed from material removable from the first area and the tab is formed from material removable from the second area. 
     
     
         9 . The article carrier of  claim 8 , wherein the surface is a curved surface coupled between the base and the handle, and wherein the first area of the surface is between the handle and the apex of the curved surface and the second area of the surface is between the base and the apex of the curved surface. 
     
     
         10 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a riser coupled between the handle and the collapsible article holder.   
     
     
         11 . The article carrier of  claim 4 , wherein the base comprises a first surface and a second surface foldable with respect to one another along a central fold line such that exterior surfaces of the first and second surfaces touch each other when the collapsible article holder is collapsed. 
     
     
         12 . The article carrier of  claim 11 , wherein the tab is affixed to the base along the central fold line. 
     
     
         13 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the surface further comprises a second defined area at an end of the collapsible article holder, the second defined area is adapted to form an opening to support an article when the collapsible article holder is set up. 
     
     
         14 . The article carrier of  claim 13 , wherein the collapsible article holder further comprises:
 an end flap formed from material that is removable from the second defined area, wherein the end flap is attached to the surface and rotatable towards the end of the collapsible article holder.   
     
     
         15 . A method of making an article carrier, comprising:
 cutting a perforation in a single sheet of material for each of a plurality of pairs of openings, each pair of openings being equidistant from a central fold line in the sheet of material;   wherein the perforation for at least one of the plurality of pairs of openings comprises a pair of tabs integral with material within the perforation;   folding the sheet of material about a first fold line in a z-fold;   affixing a first of the pair of tabs to the folded sheet of material along the central fold line;   folding the folded sheet of material in half; and   affixing a second of the pair of tabs to the sheet of material along the central fold line.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 knocking out a portion of the material within one or more of the plurality of pairs of openings.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the perforation for at least one of the plurality of pairs of openings is at an end of the article carrier and is perforated such that material within the perforation folds toward the end of the article carrier when removed from the pair of openings. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 cutting a pair of perforations in the sheet of material for a hand hold on a handle of the article carrier.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pair of perforations for the hand hold are at a point further from the central fold line than the perforation for each of the plurality of pairs of openings. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the perforation in the sheet of material for each of the plurality of pairs of openings defines an open shape.