Background of the Invention

This invention relates to an article carrier of the so called top gripping type which is particularly, although not exclusively, suitable for holding together a plurality of bottles at the neck portions of the bottles in two or more rows.

Top gripping carriers for bottles are well known. For example, U.S. Patent No. 2,823,063 discloses a top engaging carrier having an internal double ply reinforcing partition. One of the partition-forming panels has a glue flap that extends from the bottom wall and is attached to the top wall of the carrier.

U.S. Patent No. 4,318,476 discloses a top- engaging carrier having a so called billboard panel depending from one of the side walls. The billboard panel is normally used for carrying sales information and/or for advertising. In blank form, the carrier has its billboard panel at one end of the blank. U.S. Patent No. 5,135,104 discloses a top engaging carrier having a billboard panel and an upstanding reinforcing structure formed from a pair of mutually hinged panels. When the carrier is in blank form, the hinged panels are located between a pair of wall-forming panels. Accordingly, so called billboard panels per se or partitions per se are known in the art as is shown in the above references. However, none of the references alone or in combination suggest forming a partition from a pair of hinged panels for the purpose of providing a top engaging carrier with a partition together with a billboard panel.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of the present invention provides an article carrier for holding together a plurality of articles such as bottles. The carrier comprises opposed upper and lower walls interconnected by spaced side walls

to form a tubular structure. The lower wall includes a pair of wall-forming panel portions connected respectively to the side walls and disposed adjacent to each other. The upper and lower walls each has a plurality of articles receiving apertures. The apertures in the lower wall are in register with apertures in the upper wall. The carrier also has a billboard panel depending from one of the side walls and an internal partition structure interposed between the side walls and extending between the upper and lower walls. The partition structure is formed from material disposed and connecting between the wall-forming panel portions of the lower wall.

According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, the partition structure may comprise a pair of first and second interconnected panel elements foldably joined respectively to the wall-forming panel portions. The panel elements may be disposed in flat face contacting relationship with each other and provide an upstanding part of the partition structure when carrier is in a set up condition. Preferably, the partition structure further comprises a third panel element foldably joined to the upper edge of one of the first and second panel elements. Such a third panel element is secured to the upper wall.

According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, one of the wall-forming panel portions may have an outer side edge disposed along the one side wall to which the billboard panel is joined, and the one wall- forming panel may be provided with a glue flap foldably joined thereto along the outer side edge of the one wall- forming panel portion. The glue flap is secured to the one side wall and thereby the one wall-forming panel is connected to the one side wall.

Another aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming an article carrier of a tubular structure suitable for holding together a plurality of articles such as bottles. The blank comprises a series of foldably interconnected wall panels for forming the tubular

structure. The series of wall panels includes a pair of end panels located at the opposite ends of the blank. The blank also comprises a billboard panel foldably joined to one of the end panels. One of the wall panels comprises a pair of wall-forming panel portions and a pair of foldably joined panel elements disposed between the wall-forming panel portions to form a partition structure for dividing the internal space of the tubular structure. The panel elements are foldably joined respectively to the wall- forming panel portions.

According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, the series of wall panels may include a pair of upper and lower wall panels and a pair of side wall panels. The series of wall panels are disposed in the sequence of one of the side wall panels, the upper wall panel, the other side wall panel and the lower wall panel. The one side panel comprises the one end panel to which the billboard panel is joined, and the lower wall panel comprises the one wall panel which has the wall-forming panel portions and the panel elements.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a paper board blank from which an article carrier according to the invention is made; and Figure 2 is a schematic vertical cross-section of the article carrier showing it applied to a plurality of bottles.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the drawings, an article carrier 10 of the top gripping type is formed from a blank 12 of paper board or similar foldable sheet material, the blank comprising a series of panels hinged one to the next along transverse fold lines. Thus, the blank comprises a billboard panel 14, a first side wall panel 16, a top wall panel 18, and a second side wall panel 20, a first wall-

forming panel portion 22, a composite partition structure S which comprises panel elements SI, S2, and S3, a second wall-forming panel portion 24 and a glue flap 26 hinged one to the next along transverse fold lines 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 respectively. This particular article carrier is intended to be applied to a group of four bottles arranged in two rows of two bottles each as depicted in figure 2 by references Bl and B2, respectively. Thus, the top wall panel 18 includes an array of so called sun-burst apertures A1-A4 in which the upper neck portions of the bottles are to be received. As is known, such sun¬ burst apertures each include an annular array of tabs "t" which engage beneath the rim of the crown cork or other top fastener of the bottle to secure the neck of the bottle in the carrier.

Each of the base panels 22 and 24 include a pair of apertures A5; A6 and A7; A8, respectively which, when the carrier is put into its set up condition as shown in figure 2, are brought into register with respective pairs of the apertures in the top wall panel 18. In order to facilitate carrying the loaded carrier the top wall panel 18 includes a finger hole H and the panel element SI also includes a finger hole HI.

In order to form the carrier from the blank shown in Figure 1, the glue flap 26 is adhered to the lower portion of side wall panel 16 adjacent the billboard panel 14 and the partition structure S is set up so that the panel element SI is upstanding parallel to the glue flap 26, the side wall 16 and the panel element S3. The panel element S2 is foldably joined to the uppermost edge 38 of the panel element SI and is folded through approximately 90 about fold line 38 and secured to the underside of the top panel 18. The panel element S3, which is foldably joined along interrupted fold line 40 to the panel element SI on either side of the panel element S2 is folded downwardly through approximately 180 into face to face contacting relationship with the lower portion of the panel element

SI. Hence when the panel elements of the partition structure are set up, the two wall-forming panel portions 22 and 24 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, are brought together whereby the internal partition structure S is disposed between them.

When the carrier is in its set up condition as shown in Figure 2, the billboard panel 14 is able to depend downwardly against the shoulders of one pair of bottles to provide a panel on which sales and/or advertising material can be displayed to view. The internal partition structure, which is of multi-ply form, is thus formed from material disposed intermediately between the ends of the blank but is strong enough to brace the carrier for use.

The carrier is able to fold into a flat collapsed condition for transport and supply in a direction to the left of the observer as viewed in Figure 2 of the drawings.