FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to beverage packaging. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The packaging of beverages consumes law amounts of raw materials. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus for use with a plurality of beverage containers forms one aspect of the invention. This apparatus comprises a cradle for each of said plurality of containers, each cradle, in use, supporting the container for which it is provided in the manner in which a clay wine cooler supports a wine bottle, the cradles being operatively secured to one another in use to define a tote for transporting said containers. This apparatus further comprises, for and secured to each cradle, at least a pair of resilient tabs. The tabs for each cradle, in use, collectively stabilize the container supported by said each cradle.

According to another aspect of the invention, each tab, in use, can extend, from the cradle for which it is provided, towards the container supported by said cradle, and downwardly, and exert force against said container.

According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus can be adapted so as to permit a plurality of the apparatus to be stackable upon one another in nested relation such that, in a stacked pair of the apparatus, the cradles of one of the pair are supported by the cradles of the other of the pair.

According to another aspect of the invention, the tote can be defined by:

• a generally planar platform portion having at least one slot defined therethrough and, for each cradle, and leading thereto, an aperture; • projecting from one side of the platform portion, a carrying handle for and bridging each slot; and

• for each cradle, a cradle bottom disposed opposite the one side of the platform portion, and at least a pair of sidewall portions extending from the platform portion to the cradle bottom, said each cradle tapering in girth as the sidewall portions so extend.

According to another aspect of the invention, the sidewall portions and the tabs can be offset such that, in the stacked pair of apparatus, the cradles of the one of the pair are not stabilized by the tabs of the other of the pair.

According to another aspect of the invention, the at least one slot can be a single, central slot.

According to another aspect of the invention, for each socket, there can be three tabs and three sidewall portions.

According to other aspects of the invention, the apparatus can be

• sized and dimensioned such that each cradle can support, and such that the tabs for said each cradle can stabilize, a beverage cup which ranges in size from 8 oz to 24 oz; or

• sized and dimensioned such that each cradle can support, and such that the tabs for said each cradle can stabilize, a wine bottle which ranges in size from 750 ml to 1.5 litres.

According to another aspect of the invention, the tote and the tabs can be injection-molded as a single piece of plastic.

According to another aspect of the invention, the tote can be defined by a bin part and an insert part. According to another aspect of the invention, the bin part can be:

• watertight and have a drain plug; or • adapted to be constructed on a snap-together basis from a substantially planar blank. According to another aspect of the invention, the insert part, in use, can comprise

• a plurality of parallel, vertically orientated, substantially planar, partitions, disposed inside the bin part;

• a plurality of platform segments interleaved between the partitions, each platform segment being associated with at least one of the cradles and having an aperture defined therein for and leading into each of the associated cradles, the platform segments being substantially coplanar and horizontally orientated; and

• the tabs.

According to another aspect of the invention, in use:

• the partitions can include an outermost pair of partitions and at least one inner partition;

• the outermost partitions can be defined by a single partition segment connected to the adjacent platform segment along a respective first fold line; and

• each of the inner partitions can be defined by a pair of partition segments, the pair of partition segments being disposed in horizontally stacked relation and secured to one another along a respective second fold line and each of the pair being secured to a respective one of the adjacent platform segments along a respective third fold line.

According to another aspect of the invention, the insert can have an expanded configuration, wherein the platform segments are coplanar and spaced apart from one another and each platform segment can have the adjacent partition segments extending therefrom in the manner in which the legs of a sawhorse extend from the bed.

According to another aspect, the insert can be injection-molded as a single piece of plastic.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention will be appreciated on review of the claims and detailed description, with reference to the drawings, the latter being briefly described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top, front isometric view of apparatus constructed according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom, front isometric view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in use;

FIG. 8A is a view, similar to FIG. 1, of apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment; FIG. 8B is a view of a stacked pair of the apparatus of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the structure of FIG 9, with a beverage cup positioned above one of the cradles;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the structure of FIG. 9, with the beverage cup positioned in one of the cradles;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 Is an assembly view of the structure of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is an assembly view of the structure of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an exploded view of a structure similar to FIG. 14;

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is an assembly view of the structure of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a view of another exemplary embodiment of the structure of FIG. 15;

FIG. 23 is a view of the structure of FIG. 22, in a closed configuration;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the structure of FIG. 23 in use with the structure of FIG. 20;

FIG. 25 is an end view of the structure of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a top view of the structure of FIG. 24; FIG. 27 is a view along C-C of FIG. 25; and FIG. 28 is a view along A-A of FIG. 24. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A tote 20 which forms an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and will be seen to take the form of an injection-molded plastic part comprising six cradles 22 secured to one another.

The tote 20 is defined by a generally planar platform portion 24 having at least one slot 26, specifically, a single, central slot, and having, for each cradle, and leading thereto, an aperture 28.

Projecting from one side of the platform portion 24 is a carrying handle 30 for and bridging each slot 26 from end to end.

For each cradle 22, a cradle bottom 32 is disposed opposite the one side of the platform portion 24 and three sidewall portions 34 extend from the platform portion 24 to the cradle bottom 32, the sidewall portions 34 being orientated such that each cradle 22 tapers slightly in girth as the sidewall portions 34 so extend.

Also provided, for and secured to each cradle 22, is at least a pair, specifically three, resilient tabs 36. The tabs 36 are spaced apart about and each extending inwardly from the outer periphery of cradle 22 and also downwardly, towards the cradle bottom 32.

The apparatus 20 is shown in use with FIG. 7 with six beverage containers, namely, wine bottles 38 varying in size from 750ml to 1.51, wherein it will be seen that each cradle, in use, supports a respective one of the containers generally in the manner in which a clay wine cooler supports a wine bottle, and each tab, extends, from the cradle for which it is provided, to the container supported by said cradle, and downwardly, and exerts force against said container, such that the tabs collectively stabilize the container supported by said each cradle. FIG. 8A shows another embodiment 20', similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, but differing in that (i) it includes modified tabs 36' , similar in function to tabs 36 but extending first upwardly and then inwardly and downwardly; and (ii) it includes modified cradle bottoms 32', similar in function to bottoms 32 but having stepped portions 32A, 32B, to accommodate bottles of differing diameters.

As seen in FIG. 8B, this apparatus 20' is adapted so as to permit a plurality of the apparatus 20' to be stackable upon one another in nested relation such that, in a stacked pair of the apparatus, the cradles of one of the pair are supported by the cradles of the other of the pair. In this regard, it is notable that the sidewall portions and the tabs are offset such that, in the stacked pair of apparatus, the cradles of the one of the pair are not stabilized by the tabs of the other of the pair; this allows the totes in a stack to be readily removed from one another. [When stacked, the handles pass through the slots of other totes.]

Persons of ordinary skill will readily recognize that, whereas the devices of FIGS. 1-8B are sized for use with wine bottles, the apparatus can be readily adapted for use with other beverage containers. By way of example, only, FIGS. 9-11 show another embodiment 20A, functionally similar to the structures of FIGS. 1-7 but which is sized and dimensioned such that each cradle can support, and such that the tabs for said each cradle can stabilize, a beverage cup 40 which ranges in size from 8 oz to 24 oz. The device of FIGS. 9-11 could, similarly, be constructed with the modified tabs and modified cradle bottoms of FIGS. 8A, 8B.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show further variants 20B, 20C along the same lines, adapted for use with containers of different sizes and shapes. These variants are notable in that they show cradles provided with four resilient tabs 36, disposed at 90° to one another, in contrast to the 120° orientation in the FIGS. 1-11 variants.

An alternate embodiment 20D of the invention is shown in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, the tote 20D is defined by a bin part 42 and an insert part 44, and the apparatus is adapted to transport over long distances, for example, 12 x 750 ml bottles of wine, in the manner of a shipping carton. Bin part 42 will be seen to have side apertures 43, forming handles. As indicated in FIGS. 15-16, in this embodiment, the bin part 42 is adapted to be constructed on a snap- together basis from a substantially planar blank 46.

With reference to FIGS. 14 and 17, in this embodiment, the insert part, in use, comprises:

• a plurality of parallel, vertically orientated, substantially planar, partitions 48',48", disposed inside the bin part;

• a plurality of platform segments 50 interleaved between the partitions, each platform segment being associated with at least one of the cradles and having an aperture 28 defined therein for and leading into each of the associated cradles, the platform segments being substantially coplanar and horizontally orientated; and

• the tabs 36.

In use:

• the partitions include an outermost pair 48' of partitions and at least one inner partition 48";

• the outermost partitions 48' are defined by a single partition segment 54 connected to the adjacent platform segment along a respective first fold line 56; and

• each of the inner partitions 48" is defined by a pair of partition segments 54, the pair of

partition segments 54 being disposed in horizontally stacked relation and secured to one another along a respective second fold line 58 and each of the pair being secured to a respective one of the adjacent platform segments 50 along a respective third fold line 60.

For ease of manufacturing, the insert 44 will be seen in FIG. 18 to have an expanded configuration, wherein the platform segments 50 are coplanar and spaced apart from one another and each platform segment 50 has the adjacent partition segments 54 extending therefrom in the manner in which the legs of a sawhorse extend from the bed of the sawhorse. This insert 44 is injection-molded as a single piece of plastic and folded, as shown in FIG. 17, for use. Whereas FIG. 14 shows this tote 20D in a format suitable for long distance shipment of wine in 750ml bottles, simply by removing the 12-aperture insert and replacing a 6-aperture insert, as suggested by FIG. 19, this tote 20D can be converted into a shipping carton for a half-dozen 1.5 litre bottles.

FIGS. 20-23 show yet another variation, suitable for shipment of 12 bottles of beer. In contrast to the bin of FIGS. 14-19, in this embodiment, the bin 42' is an injection-molded plastic structure, made watertight, and provided with a drain plug 62. This variation allows the beer to be placed on ice by the user, using the shipping carton as the cooler.

Further variations are possible.

For example, only, whereas variants with three and four tabs are shown, it will be appreciated that greater or lesser numbers of tabs are possible; all that is required is that the tabs be placed and sized sufficient to stabilize the containers of interest.

Similarly, in totes of the type shown in FIG. 1, whereas a single handle is shown, two handles, spaced apart from one another could readily be provided.

Accordingly, the invention should be understood as limited only by the accompanying claims, purposively construed.