A container carrying device

Abstract

Apparatuses and embodiments related to container carrying devices. A container carrying device includes a plurality of full or partial apertures, each with a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a container. The neck-engaging locking mechanism can include a mechanism to assist to hold and retain a container in the container carrying device, such as a clamping finger, a vertically oriented flange, a locking tab, etc. In some embodiments, a 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.

1 . A six-pack packaging device for carrying six cans or bottles comprising:
 a carrier, formed from a substantially planar sheet of material, that includes six partial apertures for receiving six cans or bottles, none of the six partial apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the material; and   six neck-engaging locking mechanisms, formed from the sheet of material and being part of the carrier, each of the six neck-engaging locking mechanisms associated with a different one of the six partial apertures and configured to hold one can or bottle of the six cans or bottles,
 each neck-engaging locking mechanism of the six neck-engaging locking mechanisms including two clamping fingers that are formed from the sheet, each of the clamping fingers being configured to apply force to a neck region of one of the six cans or bottles to hold and retain the one can or bottle in the packaging device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The packaging device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the six cans or bottles include a first can, wherein the first can has a cap on a first end, wherein the first can includes a neck region that is adjacent to the cap and that is narrower than the cap, wherein the cap includes a protruding flange that extends beyond a surface of the neck region, and   wherein the two clamping fingers of one of the six neck-engaging locking mechanisms are configured to slide over the protruding flange when the first can is inserted into the packaging device, and to exert pressure on the neck region of the first can after the first can is inserted into the packaging device.   
     
     
         3 . The packaging device of  claim 1 , whereby a partial aperture is an aperture that is not surrounded in two dimensions by material that forms the aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a first can or bottle is substantially radially symmetric around a centerline of the first can or bottle that extends in a first direction from a cap on a first end of the first can or bottle to a second opposite end of the first can or bottle, and   wherein each of the six neck-engaging locking mechanisms includes a vertically oriented flange that is formed from the sheet of material, the vertically oriented flange being configured to provide a positive locking mechanism to prevent the first can or bottle from being removed in substantially the first direction when the first can or bottle is being held by the neck-engaging locking mechanism with the positive locking mechanism engaged.   
     
     
         5 . The packaging device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle, formed from the sheet of material and being part of the carrier, the handle including one or more holes to enable a person to grasp the handle.   
     
     
         6 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a carrier, made from a sheet of material, that includes a plurality of partial apertures for receiving the plurality of containers, none of the plurality of partial apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the material; and   a plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms formed from the sheet of material, each of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms associated with a different partial aperture of the plurality of partial apertures and configured to hold a container of the plurality of containers,
 each neck-engaging locking mechanism of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms including a clamping finger that is formed from the sheet of material, the clamping finger configured to apply force to a surface of a first container of the plurality of containers to hold and retain the first container in the container carrying device. 
   
     
     
         7 . The container carrying device of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the clamping finger is configured to slide over a cap of the first container and to lock under a protruding flange of the first container when the first container is inserted into the container carrying device to cause the container carrying device to hold and retain the first container.   
     
     
         8 . The container carrying device of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first container has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first container includes a mechanism that is configured to enable contents of the first container to be released from the first container, wherein a centerline of the first container extends in a first direction from the first end to the second end,   wherein each of the neck-engaging locking mechanisms includes a plurality of locking tabs that are formed from the sheet of material, and wherein a locking tab of the plurality of locking tabs is configured to provide a positive locking mechanism to prevent the first container from being removed in substantially the first direction when the first container is being held by the neck-engaging locking mechanism.   
     
     
         9 . The container carrying device of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the first container is a can that includes a cap with a protruding flange on the first end of the can, wherein the locking tab is configured to provide a positive locking mechanism by being configured to lock under the protruding flange on a first side of the protruding flange, the first side of the protruding flange being closer to the second end of the container than a second opposite side of the protruding flange.   
     
     
         10 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a three dimensional molded carrier, molded from a material, that includes a plurality of partial apertures for receiving the plurality of containers, none of the plurality of partial apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the material,
 the carrier including a plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms formed from the material, each of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms associated with a partial aperture of the plurality of partial apertures and configured to hold a container of the plurality of containers,
 each neck-engaging locking mechanism of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms including a clamping finger that is part of the carrier, the clamping finger being configured to apply force to a surface of a first container of the plurality of containers to hold and retain the first container in the container carrying device. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The container carrying device of  claim 10 , wherein the material is any of type 1 molded pulp, type 2 molded pulp, or type 3 molded pulp, or is a type of plastic. 
     
     
         12 . The container carrying device of  claim 10 ,
 wherein a centerline of the first container extends in a first direction from a cap on a first end of the first container to a second opposite end of the first container, and   wherein a first neck-engaging locking mechanism of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms includes a vertically oriented flange that is part of the molded carrier, the vertically oriented flange being configured to provide a positive locking mechanism to prevent the first container from being removed in substantially the first direction when the first container is being held by the first neck-engaging locking mechanism with the positive locking mechanism engaged.   
     
     
         13 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a carrier, made of a material, that includes a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of containers,
 each of the plurality of apertures associated with a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a container of the plurality of containers, 
 each of the plurality of apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the 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 plurality of apertures to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the paper-based material, and to enable containers received by the subset of the plurality of apertures to be removed from the container carrying device. 
   
     
     
         14 . The container carrying device of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the mechanical release strip is a zip release that is delineated by perforations in the carrier, the perforations being arranged to create a tear line that passes through the subset of the 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 plurality of apertures to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the material.   
     
     
         15 . The container carrying device of  claim 13 , wherein the material is a substantially flat sheet of rolled material. 
     
     
         16 . The container carrying device of  claim 15 , wherein the material is any of paperboard, pressed pulp, (r)PET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), or PLA (polylactide). 
     
     
         17 . The container carrying device of  claim 13 , wherein the material is a type of paper or is a type of plastic. 
     
     
         18 . The container carrying device of  claim 13 , wherein the carrier is formed in three dimensions from a molded material. 
     
     
         19 . The container carrying device of  claim 18 , wherein the molded material is any of type 1 molded pulp, type 2 molded pulp, or type 3 molded pulp, or is a type of plastic. 
     
     
         20 . The container carrying device of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the container includes a removable unit that is delineated by a perforated seam in the carrier,
 the perforated seam including perforations arranged to create a tear line that enables the removable unit to be torn off at the tear line and separated from the container carrying device, 
 the removable unit including an aperture of the plurality of apertures and a neck-engaging locking mechanism of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms. 
   
     
     
         21 . The container carrying device of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the removable unit includes one aperture of the plurality of apertures, and   wherein the removable unit includes a dedicated zip release that, when the zip release is fully removed from the container carrying device, causes only the one aperture to no longer be surrounded in two dimensions by the material.   
     
     
         22 . The container carrying device of  claim 20 , wherein the carrier includes a tear away coaster lid that is delineated by perforations in the carrier. 
     
     
         23 . A container carrying device for carrying a plurality of containers comprising:
 a carrier, formed from a sheet of material, that includes a plurality of partial apertures for receiving the plurality of containers, none of the plurality of partial apertures being surrounded in two dimensions by the material; and   a plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms formed from the sheet of material, each of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms associated with a different partial aperture of the plurality of partial apertures and configured to hold a container of the plurality of containers,
 a neck-engaging locking mechanism of the plurality of neck-engaging locking mechanisms including a clamping finger that is formed from the sheet of material, the clamping finger being configured to fit in a female locking channel of a first container of the plurality of containers, and being configured to apply force to the female locking channel to hold and retain the first container in the container carrying device. 
   
     
     
         24 . The container carrying device of  claim 23 , wherein the female locking channel is a u-shaped channel that encircles the first container. 
     
     
         25 . The container carrying device of  claim 23 , wherein the clamping figure is configured to fit in the female locking channel of the first container by being shaped to fit in the u-shaped channel of the first container.