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United States Patent Application	20080099544
Kind Code	A1
Skolik; Bernard	May 1, 2008

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Foreign Application Data

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Date	Code	Application Number
Nov 25, 2004	DE	20 2004 018 649.7

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Claims

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1. A container carrier made of cardboard, witha bottom wall (2),side walls (5, 6), connected to the longitudinal sides of the bottom wall (2) via first creasing lines (3, 4),bottom wall flaps (9, 10), connected to the transverse sides of the bottom wall (2) via second creasing lines (7, 8),side wall flaps (15 to 18), connected to the transverse sides of the side walls (5, 6) via third creasing lines (11 to 14),corner connections (74 to 77) between the second and third creasing lines (7, 8; 11 to 14), comprising a layer split-off from at least one cardboard layer of the bottom wall flaps (9, 10) and/or the side wall flaps (15 to 18), wherein the layer split-offs are present between first scribing lines (61 to 64), which are introduced from the outside between adjacent regions of the side wall flaps (15 to 18) and the bottom wall flaps (9, 10) and which are extended up to the corners between the second creasing lines (7, 8) and the third creasing lines (11 to 14), and second scribing lines (65 to 68), which are introduced from the inside into the bottom wall flaps (9, 10) and which are extended between the second creasing lines (7, 8) and the sides of the bottom wall flaps (9 to 10) neighbouring to the side wall flaps (15 to 18), and/or third scribing lines (69 to 72), which are introduced from the inside into the side wall flaps (15, 18) and which are extended between the third creasing lines (11 to 14) and the sides of the side wall flaps (15 to 18) neighbouring to the bottom wall flaps (9, 10), andglue tracks (78 to 81), which are extended departing from the corner connections (74 to 77) away from the second creasing lines (7, 8) and which end in a distance above the second creasing lines (7, 8).

2. A container carrier according to claim 1, wherein the glue tracks (78 to 81) end in a distance from the second creasing lines (7, 8), which makes sure that the melt water of an amount of ice filled in for cooling about a period of time in the range of about one half to several hours is retained.

3. A container carrier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third creasing lines (11 to 14) have cuffing lines which have a greater distance from the second creasing lines (7, 8) than the end of the glue tracks (78 to 81).

4. A container carriers according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has at least one handle (35, 36),

5. A container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which has a top wall (25, 26) connecting side walls (5, 6) with each other.

6. A container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has at least one handle in the top wall (25, 26) and/or in a side wall.

7. A container carrier according to claim 6, which has a pre-punched handle in the top wall (25, 26) which can be pulled out.

8. A container carrier according to claim 7, wherein the handle (25, 26) is extended up to into the side walls.

9. A container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which has at least one opening region in the top wall (25, 26), delimited by a tear-up line (55 to 60) and/or creasing line (23, 24).

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Description

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[0001]The present invention is related to a container carrier made of cardboard.

[0002]Container carriers made of cardboard are used for storing and transporting bottles or cans, in particular For this purpose, the container carriers have a bottom wall, side walls standing up from the longitudinal sides of the bottom wall and side walls standing up from the transverse sides of the bottom wall. Preferably, they have a handle for carrying in addition. For instance, the latter is formed by several grip-in openings in side walls or by one grip-in opening in an intermediate wall standing up between the side walls. But it may also be a strip-shaped handle portion, bridging the distance region between two side walls. Further, there are container carriers which are closed at the top by a top wall which is connected to side walls at its edge side. The handle is formed by at least one grip-in opening in the top wall, for instance. In known realisations, there are two grip-in openings spaced apart from each other through which a strip-shaped portion of the top wall arranged between them can be grasped. Further, the handle may be formed by a portion that can be pulled out, delimited by punching lines in the top wall and, as the case may be, in adjacent regions of side walls. Further, container carriers are known in which the bottom wall, two side walls and as the case may be the top wall are connected by creasing lines on their long sides and which are glued together in overlapping regions. The pre-glued blank can be set upright to a wrapper with openings at the transverse sides. Additional side walls are formed by bottom wall flaps, which are articulated on the transverse sides of the bottom wall, side wall flaps which are articulated on the transverse sides of the side walls, and as the case may be top wall flaps which are articulated on the transverse sides of the top wall. The side wall flaps, bottom wall flaps and as the case may be top wall flaps are collapsed into the openings of the container carrier at the transverse sides and are glued together with each other. It is known to fill in ice, in the form of ice cubes for instance, when buying container carriers which are filled with beer bottles or beer cans for instance, in order to cool the containers on the way from the point of sale to the point of consumption. In this, it is a disadvantage that the ice melts in the transportation, at least partially, and melt water leaks out of slits and other openings of the container carrier.

[0003]Departing from this, the present invention is based on the objective to provide a container carrier made of cardboard which prevents or at least reduces the leak-out of melt water.

[0004]The objective is resolved by a container carrier with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the container carrier are indicated in the subclaims.

[0005]The container carrier according to the present invention has [0006]a bottom wall, [0007]side walls, connected to the longitudinal sides of the bottom wall via first creasing lines, [0008]bottom wall flaps, connected to the transverse sides of the bottom wall via second creasing lines, [0009]side wall flaps, connected to the transverse sides of the side walls via third creasing lines, corner connections between the second and third creasing lines, comprising a layer split-off of at least one cardboard layer of the bottom wall flaps and/or the side wall flaps, wherein the layer split-offs are present between first scribing lines, which are introduced from the outside between adjacent regions of the side wall flaps and the bottom wall flaps and which are extended up to the corners between the second creasing lines and the third creasing lines, and second scribing lines, which are introduced from the inside into the bottom wall flaps and which are extended between the second creasing lines and the sides of the bottom wall flaps neighbouring to the side wall flaps, and/or third scribing lines, which are introduced from the inside into the side wall flaps and which are extended between the third creasing lines and the sides of the side wall flaps neighbouring to the bottom wall flaps, and [0010]glue tracks, which are extended departing from the corner connections away from the second creasing lines and which end in a distance above the second creasing lines.

[0011]The critical points of a container carrier made of cardboard through which melt water can leak out are the corners between the bottom wall, the side walls and the bottom wall flaps and the side wall flaps of the additional side walls. As the side wall flaps and the bottom wall flaps are collapsed one upon the other and are glued together with each other, small openings remain at the corners, through which melt water leaks out. These openings are avoided through the corner connections of the container carrier according to the present invention. As the corner connections are unhinged from the bottom wall flaps and/or side wall flaps by layer split-offs, the bottom wall and the side walls are connected to each other above the corners connections without joining or gluing spots, respectively. Further, the bottom wall flaps and the side wall flaps are connected to each other and with the corners connections via the glue tracks in a liquid-tight manner. As a consequence, a tightness of the container carrier which corresponds to the tightness of the cardboard material is also made sure at the corners.

[0012]In principle, it is sufficient for realising the present invention to perform the layer split-offs only at the bottom wall flaps or only at the side wall flaps. When the corner connections are split off from the bottom wall flap only, they are folded between them when the bottom wall flaps are collapsed against the side wall flaps When the corner connections are split off from the side wall flaps only, they are folded between them when the side wall flaps are collapsed at the outside against the bottom wall flaps. Preferably, the corner connections are split off from the bottom wall flaps and the side wall flaps. This makes it possible to swivel the bottom wall flaps and the side wall flaps, respectively, far to the outside, in order to facilitate thrusting in a group of containers. In order to close the container carrier at the transverse sides, the bottom wall flaps are swivelled against the side wall flaps from the outside, a portion of the corner connections interposing itself or vice versa. Through the coiner connections and the glue tracks, the container carrier is sealed at the corners in the vicinity of the bottom wall. The height of the glue tracks is decisive for the amount of melt water which can be retained by the container carrier. In principle, the glue tracks can be realised as narrow strips. A broad or plane-like realisation of the glue tracks, respectively, i.e. with significant expansion parallel to the second creasing lines, is also incorporated Preferably, the extension of the glue tracks away from the second creasing lines is dimensioned such that the creasing lines can receive the melt water of an amount of ice which is typically filled in. As a consequence, openings of the container carrier situated above them do not lead to any loss of water

[0013]According to one embodiment, the third creasing lines have cutting lines at a greater distance from the second creasing lines than the upper end of the glue tracks. As a consequence, the melt water is retained in the container carrier, provided it does not rise above the height of the glue tracks. The cutting lines situated above them facilitate collapsing the side wall flaps when setting upright the container carrier.

[0014]According to one embodiment, the container carrier has a handle in its upper region. The handle is formed by grip-in openings in side walls or by the grip-in opening on an intermediate wall extended parallel to the side walls, for instance. According to a further embodiment, the container carrier has a top wall connecting several side walls with each other at the upside, wherein a handle is realised completely in the top wall or partly in the top wall and partly in side walls. According to a further embodiment, the top wall has top wall flaps articulated on the transverse sides, wherein top wall flaps, side wall flaps and, as the case may be, bottom wall flaps are collapsed one upon the other and connected with each other.

[0015]The handle is formed by grip-in openings in the top wall, for instance. According to one embodiment, the top wall and optionally two side walls or the top wall flaps, respectively, have a pre-punched handle which can be pulled out. For carrying, the handle is pulled out of the top wall. In doing so, any contact of the carrying hand with the upper regions of the containers is avoided.

[0016]According to one embodiment, the container carrier has at least one opening region in the top wall, delimited by at least one tear-up line and/or creasing line. After opening the opening region by tearing up the tear-up line and/or collapsing off the opening region, the container carrier is opened and ice can be filled in or containers can be taken out, respectively.

[0017]The present invention is explained in more detail by means of the attached drawings of an example of its realisation. In the drawings show:

[0018]FIG. 1 a blank of the container carrier according to the present invention, flatly spread, in a top view;

[0019]FIG. 2 the same container carrier, partially set upright and filled with bottles, before closing the side wall and bottom wall flaps, in an enlarged partial view;

[0020]FIG. 3 the same container carrier with closed side wall flap and a glue track, in an enlarged side view;

[0021]FIG. 4 the same container carrier opened and with lifted handle in a perspective side view.

[0022]According to FIG. 1, a blank 1 has a bottom wall 2, on which side walls 5, 6 are articulated at the long side via first creasing lines 3, 4.

[0023]Bottom wall flaps 9, 10 are articulated on the transverse sides of the bottom wall 2 via second creasing lines 7, 8.

[0024]On the transverse sides of the side walls 5, 6 lower side wall flaps 15, 16, 17, 18 and upper side wall flaps 19, 20, 21, 22 are articulated via third creasing lines 11, 12, 13 14, Outside of the lower side wall flaps 15, 16, 17, 18 the side walls 5, 6 taper towards the outside. Correspondingly, the third creasing lines 11 to 14 have a break between the lower side wall flaps 15 to 18 and the upper side wall flaps 19 to 22.

[0025]Via fourth creasing lines 23, 24, a lower top wall 25 and an upper top wall 26 are articulated on the outer longitudinal sides of the side walls 5, 6. The top walls 25, 26 have lower top wall flaps 31, 32 and upper top wall flaps 33, 34 which are articulated on their transverse sides via fifth creasing lines 27, 28, 29, 30.

[0026]In the top walls 25, 26 and the top wall flaps 31, 32, 33, 34, lower and upper handles 35, 36 are delimited by punching lines, The handles 35, 36 have strip-shaped central portions 37, 38 and fork-shaped end portions 39, 40, 41, 42, which extend departing from the top wall 25, 26 up to the top wall flaps 31, 32, 33, 34.

[0027]The handles 35, 36 are shaped to be substantially coincident. Substantially inside the top wall flaps 31, 32, 33, 34, the end portions 39, 40, 41, 42 have punching lines delimiting tongues 43, 44, 45, 46 which can be collapsed down between the fork arms.

[0028]On both sides of the handles 35, 36, there are lower creasing lines 47, 48 and upper creasing lines 49, 50, which substantially bridge the distance region between the end portions 39, 40 and 41, 42 of each handle 35, 36.

[0029]In addition, in the upper side wall 26 there are cutting lines 52, 52 between the handle 36 and the upper creasing lines 49, 50, which also bridge the distance region between the end portions 41, 42.

[0030]The regions of the side walls 25, 26 on both sides of the handles 35, 36 can be separated off and swivelled towards the side along tear-up lines 53 to 60, which are arranged on the fifth creasing lines 27 to 30.

[0031]The bottom wall flaps 9, 10 and the lower side wall flaps 15, 16, 17, 18 are originally connected to each other in the lower region which is adjacent to the creasing lines 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14. By first scribing lines 61, 62, 63, 62 introduced from the outside (with respect to the ready container carrier), which extend up to the intersection points of the creasing lines 7 and 11, 7 and 13, 8 and 12, 8 and 14, they are separated from each other in an outer layer.

[0032]Furthermore, there are second scribing lines 65, 66, 67, 68 in the bottom wall flaps, which departing from the second creasing lines 7, 8 extend up to the neighbouring outer sides of the respective bottom wall flaps 9, 10. The second creasing lines 65 to 68 ate introduced into the blank 1 from the inside (with respect to the ready container carrier). The second creasing lines 65, 66, 67, 68 have two straight portions which hit each other in an obtuse angle.

[0033]Furthermore, there are third scribing lines 69, 70, 71, 72 in the lower side wall flaps 15, 16, 17, 18, which are also introduced into the blank 1 from the inside (with respect to the ready container carrier). The third scribing lines 69 to 72 extend between the third creasing lines 11, 12, 13, 14 and the sides of the side wall flaps 15, 16, 17 18, which are facing the bottom wall flaps 7, 10. Even the third scribing lines 69 to 72 have two straight portions, which hit each other in an obtuse angle. The second scribing lines 65 to 68 and the third scribing lines 69 to 72 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first scribing lines 61 to 64.

[0034]Before filling with bottles, the upper top wall 26 is collapsed against the outer side of the lower top wall 25 and glued together with it. The gluing takes place in the region of the handles 35, 36 and outside the lower creasing lines 47, 48 and the upper creasing lines 49 50 for instance, in the shape of a plane, a line or a point, respectively, for instance.

[0035]In order to fill in bottles, the pre-glued blank 1 is set upright and a group of bottles 73 is inserted via an opening at the transverse sides. In doing so, the side wall flaps 15 to 22, the bottom wall flaps 9, 10 and the top wall flaps 31 to 34 are swivelled far to the outside. In this, cardboard layers separate from the bottom wall flaps 9, 10 and the lower side wall flaps 15 to 18, which form corner connections 74, 75, 76, 77. The group of bottles 73 can be easily inserted into the opening. This situation is represented in FIG. 2.

[0036]According to FIG. 3, the side wall flaps 15 to 22 are subsequently collapsed into the openings of the blank at the transverse sides, and glue tracks 78, 79, 80, 81 are attached on the lower side wall flaps 15, 16, 17, 18 at the outside, parallel to the third creasing lines 11, 12, 13, 14, departing from the corner connections 74, 75, 76, 77. With the glue tracks 78 to 81 it is dealt with tracks of a hot melt glue. The glue tracks 78 to 81 extend on the corner connections 74 to 77 up to below the second creasing lines 7, 8 when the bottom wall flaps 9, 10 are collapsed somewhat below the plane of the bottom wall 6.

[0037]Thereafter, the bottom wall flaps 9, 10 are collapsed upward and are glued together with the lower side wall flaps 15 to 18 along the glue tracks 78 to 81. Furthermore, the upper side wall flaps 19 to 22 are also provided with glue tracks and also the upper edge regions of the bottom wall flaps 9, 10. Thereafter, the top wall flaps 31 to 34 are collapsed against the upper side wall flaps 19 to 22 and the upper edge region of the bottom wall flaps 9, 10 and glued together with the same in doing so. Then, the container carrier is ready.

[0038]According to FIG. 4, the handle 35, 36 is pulled out of the top wall 25, 26 towards the upside for carrying the container carrier 82. In this, the fork arms of the end portions 39 to 42 penetrate between the closures of neighbouring bottles 73. The flaps present adjacent to the strip-shaped portion 37, 38 are folded below the handle 35, 36 and prevent any cutting-in of the handle edges into the hand of the carrying person, The legions of the top wall 25, 26 on both sides of the handle 35, 36 are separated away along the tearing lines 53 to 60 and are swivelled to the side around the fourth creasing lines 23, 24. Thereafter, ice can be filled in from the upside into the container carrier.

[0039]The corner connections 74 to 77 and the glue tracks 78 to 81 prevent the melt water from dropping out of the corners (in FIG. 4, the front corner is circled) of the container carrier 82. Undesired penetration of moist is avoided through this. The user can dispose the water into a sink as soon as he/she does no more need the package.

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