Paper-based container carrying device

Abstract

Apparatuses and embodiments related to container carrying devices. A container carrying device that includes paper-based materials has a number of apertures, each with a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a container. The container carrying device can have a mechanical release strip that enables a portion of the container carrying device to be torn off, such as along a tear line that passes through one or more apertures. When a mechanical release strip is torn off, the container being held by the aperture through which the mechanical release strip passes is freed. The container carrying device can further have a tab, such as a marketing tab, which can be used for a number of purposes, such as for a marketing surface. The container carrying device can further have one or more handles which can be used to carry the container carrying device.

1 . A six-pack packaging device for carrying six cans or bottles comprising:
 a carrier, formed from a sheet of a paper-based material, that includes six apertures for receiving six cans or bottles, each of the six apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material;   six neck-engaging locking mechanisms formed from the sheet of material, each of the six neck-engaging locking mechanisms associated with a different one of the six apertures and configured to hold one can or bottle of the six cans or bottles; and   a zip-release that is delineated by a tear line that passes through a particular aperture of the six apertures, the tear line configured to enable the zip-release to be torn from the six-pack packaging device to cause the particular aperture to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, and to enable a can or bottle of the six cans or bottles to be removed from the six-pack packaging device.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle formed from the sheet of material, the handle including one or more holes to enable a person to grasp the handle.   
     
     
         3 . The packaging device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a marketing tab formed from the sheet of material and delineated by a fold line, the fold line configured to enable the marketing tab to be bent at an angle substantially equal to 90 degrees resulting in the marketing tab covering a can or bottle of the six cans or bottles.   
     
     
         4 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a carrier, formed from a sheet of a paper-based material, that includes a first plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of containers,
 each of the first plurality of apertures including a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a container of the plurality of containers, 
 each of the first plurality of apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, 
 the carrier including a mechanical release strip to enable the container carrying device to be broken or torn apart to cause each aperture of a subset of the first plurality of apertures to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, and to enable containers received by neck-engaging locking mechanisms of the subset of the first plurality of apertures to be removed from the container carrying device. 
   
     
     
         5 . The container carrying device of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the mechanical release strip is a zip release that is delineated by perforations in the sheet of material, the perforations being arranged to create a tear line that passes through the subset of the first plurality of apertures, the tear line to enable the zip release to be torn off at the tear line to cause each aperture of the subset of the first plurality of apertures to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material.   
     
     
         6 . The container carrying device of  claim 5 , wherein the tear line is not a straight line. 
     
     
         7 . The container carrying device of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the mechanical release strip includes a marketing tab that is delineated by a fold line, the fold line enabling the marketing tab to be bent at an angle substantially equal to 90 degrees resulting in the marketing tab covering a first container, the first container being one of the containers being held by the neck-engaging locking mechanisms of the subset of the first plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         8 . The container carrying device of  claim 7 , wherein the marketing tab is adhered to the first container. 
     
     
         9 . The container carrying device of  claim 7 , wherein the marketing tab includes a peel or scratch off label that covers any of a game piece, a quick response (QR) code, an instant-win game code, or a coupon. 
     
     
         10 . The container carrying device of  claim 7 , wherein the marketing tab has a surface on which machine readable indicia is printed. 
     
     
         11 . The container carrying device of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a handle formed from the sheet of material, the handle including one or more holes to enable a finger to grasp the handle.   
     
     
         12 . The container carrying device of  claim 11 , wherein the container carrying device is folded at three substantially parallel fold lines to form the handle. 
     
     
         13 . The container carrying device of  claim 10 , wherein, when a second container carrying device that is fully populated with containers is stacked on top of the container carrying device with the second container carrying device being placed on top of the handle, the handle fits between containers being carried by the second container carrying device. 
     
     
         14 . The container carrying device of  claim 11 , wherein the a first hole of the one or more holes is larger than the top of a container that is being held by a neck-engaging locking mechanism of a first aperture the first plurality of apertures to enable the top of the container to pass through the first hole when the handle is folded to be substantially parallel to the carrier. 
     
     
         15 . The container carrying device of  claim 4 , wherein the paper-based material includes any of solid bleached sulfate, bleached Kraft, clay coated news back, clay coated recycled, solid unbleached sulfate, coated solid unbleached Kraft, bending chip, uncoated recycled board, or uncoated unbleached Kraft. 
     
     
         16 . The container carrying device of  claim 4 , wherein the paper-based material includes any of solid unbleached sulfate or coated solid unbleached Kraft. 
     
     
         17 . The container carrying device of  claim 16 , wherein the paper-based material has a caliper thickness range of between 0.024 and 0.030. 
     
     
         18 . The container carrying device of  claim 16 , wherein resins are added to the solid unbleached sulfate of the coated solid unbleached Kraft. 
     
     
         19 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 an upper carrier formed from a sheet of paper-based material, the upper carrier including a first plurality of apertures,
 each of the first plurality of apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, 
 a first aperture of the first plurality of apertures including a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a first container of the plurality of containers; and 
   a lower support carrier formed from the sheet of material, the lower support carrier including a second plurality of apertures,
 each of the second plurality of apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, 
 a second aperture of the second plurality of apertures configured to support the first container, 
 the second aperture being larger than the top of the first container to enable the second aperture to slide over the top of the first container. 
   
     
     
         20 . The container carrying device of  claim 19  further comprising:
 a zip release, the zip release formed from the sheet of material and delineated by perforations in the sheet of material,
 the perforations arranged to create a tear line that passes through the first aperture, 
 the perforations enabling the zip release to be torn off at the tear line to cause the first aperture to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, and to enable the first container to be removed from the container carrying device. 
 
 
     
     
         21 . The container carrying device of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a marketing tab formed from the sheet of material and delineated by a fold line, the fold line enabling the marketing tab to be bent at an angle substantially equal to 90 degrees resulting in the marketing tab covering the first container.   
     
     
         22 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a carrier, formed from a sheet of a paper-based material, that includes an aperture to receive a container of the plurality of containers,
 the aperture including a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold the container, 
 the aperture being surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, 
 the carrier including a zip release that is delineated by perforations in the carrier,
 the perforations arranged to create a tear line that passes through the aperture, 
 the perforations enabling the zip release to be torn off at the tear line to cause the aperture to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, and to enable the container to be removed from the container carrying device. 
 
   
     
     
         23 . The container carrying device of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the zip release includes a marketing tab that is delineated by a fold line, the fold line enabling the marketing tab to be bent at an angle substantially equal to 90 degrees resulting in the marketing tab covering the container.   
     
     
         24 . The container carrying device of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a handle formed from the sheet of material, the handle including one or more holes to enable a finger to grasp the handle.