Bottle shipping system with top and bottom inserts

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for an improved bottle packaging system and shipping container, and more particularly to a container wherein top and bottom inserts are employed to stabilize the bottle(s) and to provide impact resistant cushioning during shipment of liquids and the like. For a 4-bottle (quad) pack embodiment the improved insert design includes a fiber-molded bottom insert placed on the bottom of the carton for receiving the bottoms of a plurality of bottles and top insert fitting over the caps, necks and shoulders of bottles placed into the carton.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging system for a plurality of bottles, comprising:
 a carton having paper board panels defining a space, the panels meeting to define a plurality of interior corners;   a bottom insert receiving bottoms of the plurality of bottles and supporting the bottles in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with one another and with the bottom, sides and interior corners of the carton, said bottom insert including a well for each bottle bottom where each of said wells includes a plurality of vertical ribs along at least a portion of a well wall; and   a top insert maintaining the position and cushioning the tops of each of the bottles relative to one another and to a top of the carton, said top insert including a plurality of generally conical recesses, one for each bottle top, said recesses having a series of shoulders corresponding in size to at least the shoulder, neck and top of a bottle.   
     
     
         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 said bottom insert further includes a set of primary ribs along the bottom thereof, said ribs crossing at a generally perpendicular angle at a position off-center in the bottom of each well. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging system according to  claim 3 , wherein said primary ribs extend to the walls of each well and transition to a similarly sized vertical rib that extends for at least a portion of the well height. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging system according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one primary rib associated with each well extends along a diagonal of the bottom insert. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said top insert further includes a pair of primary ribs, said ribs crossing at a generally perpendicular angle. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein said pair of primary ribs extend along the walls of each recess for at least a portion of the recess height. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging system according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said pair of primary ribs associated with each recess extends along a diagonal of the top insert. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein each conical recess in said top insert further includes a crush ring. 
     
     
         10 . A bottom insert for use in a packaging system for a plurality of bottles, the insert supporting the bottles in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with one another and with the bottom, sides and interior corners of a carton, the bottom insert comprising:
 a well for each bottle bottom, where each of well includes a plurality of vertical ribs along at least a portion of a well wall; and   a set of primary ribs along the bottom of each well, said ribs crossing at a generally perpendicular angle at an off-center position along the bottom of each well.   
     
     
         11 . The bottom insert according to  claim 10 , wherein said primary ribs extend to a well wall of each well and transition to a similarly sized vertical rib that extends for at least a portion of the well height. 
     
     
         12 . The bottom insert according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said primary ribs in each well extends along a diagonal of the bottom insert. 
     
     
         13 . A top insert for use in a packaging system for a plurality of bottles, the insert retaining the bottles in a spaced-apart and padded relationship with one another and with the top, sides and interior corners of a carton, the top insert comprising:
 a plurality of generally conical recesses, one for each bottle top, said recesses having a series of shoulders corresponding in size to at least the shoulder, neck and top of each bottle, said shoulders maintaining the position and cushioning a top of each bottle relative to one another and to the top of the carton; and   a pair of intersecting primary ribs, said ribs crossing at a generally perpendicular angle relative to one another.   
     
     
         14 . The top insert according to  claim 13 , wherein said primary ribs extend along the walls of each recess for at least a portion of the recess height. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one primary rib associated with each recess extends along a diagonal of the top insert. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein said top insert further includes a crush ring adjacent the smallest diameter of each recess.