Special receptacle or package – For plural beverage-type receptacles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-14
2001-05-22
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For plural beverage-type receptacles
C206S141000, C206S201000, C220S519000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234309
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bottle package which allows bottles to be transported by carrying them, the bottles comprising a bottom, body, neck and mouth, of which the neck comprises a projecting annular collar, the package comprising a base for receiving and supporting the bottoms of the bottles, the base comprising a seat for each bottle to be placed on the base, and a frame and a handle which are attached to the base and enable carrying of the package.
The above described packages which allow bottles to be carried have typically been different crates which have been carried by holding either the handles on the sides of the crate or the grip or handle provided in the middle of the crate. The most significant advantage of such crate-like packages has been the fact that they can be stacked one on top of the other and thus the crates can be transported from the producer to the retailer for example by stacking the crates on pallets. Such crates are rather practical when the size of the bottles to be placed therein is for example 0.33 or 0.5 liters, in which case the number of the bottles to be placed in the package is 24 or 16, respectively, the packaged liquid weighing approximately 8 kg. Such crate-like carrier packages are, however, out of the question when bottles of 1 liter or larger are used. Nowadays bottles of 1.5 liters are rather common and their transportation from the producer to the retailer in crates which could be stacked one on top of the other and which the consumer could also carry is not practical. In that case only 4 to 6 bottles could be placed in the crate, and thus the number of crate-like packages would be unreasonably large compared to the amount of goods to be delivered. Furthermore, the height of the bottles of 1.5 liters is such that it would be difficult to carry the crate needed for them.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a package the structure of which is so light that for example 4 bottles of 1.5 liters can be packed in it and which can nevertheless be stacked on top of other packages for transportation on pallets. This object is achieved with a package of the invention which is characterized in that on the surface opposite to the bottle seats the base of the package supporting the bottles comprises sockets for receiving the mouths of the bottles and possible caps up to the annular collar of the bottle neck, the sockets being arranged centrally with respect to the bottle seats, whereby the packages stacked one on top of the other rest on the collars of the bottles in the lower layer of packages. Thus in the package of the invention the weight of the bottles is no longer received through the sides of the crate like in the conventional bottle crates, but the collars of the bottles in the lower layer receive the weight of the upper packages when the packages are stacked one on top of the other. Such collars are typically used in plastic recyclable bottles known as RefPET bottles. The annular collar round the bottle neck is a conventional component of a bottle of this kind, the collar being utilized in the different handling steps of the bottle, such as washing, filling and packing for transportation.
In a preferred embodiment of the package of the invention the socket for receiving the bottle mouth and a possible cap comprises a sleeve. The sleeve edge away from the bottle seat forms a countersurface to the annular collar of the bottle neck. The sleeve preferably comprises an opening on the side of the bottle seat, which renders the package lighter and facilitates cleaning of it. The sleeve may also be conical, tapering towards the bottle seat. This conical shape helps to guide the mouths of the bottles to their sockets.
In order that the package of the invention would be as practical a carrier package as possible and that the bottles placed therein would reliably stay in their seats when the package is carried, the package of the invention is further characterized in that the package comprises a lid which is attached to the frame and handles and is substantially parallel to the base at the height of the bottle necks, the lid being provided with slots which open towards the edge of the lid and receive the bottle necks, and with protrusions at the edges of the slots, the protrusions acting together with the annular collar of the bottle necks and preventing a bottle placed in the package from tilting in the opening direction of the slot. It is also advantageous that the bottle seat of the base comprises means acting together with the bottom of a bottle and preventing a bottle placed in the package from moving in the direction of the plane of the base. Depending on the size of the bottles to be placed in the package one or two or even more bottles can be placed in each slot provided in the lid.
The protrusions preventing a bottle placed in the package from tilting preferably comprise a substantially vertical step in the direction away from the opening direction of the slot. This allows a bottle placed in the package to be removed only by slightly lifting the bottle, whereby its neck and the annular collar can move over the edges of the protrusions of the slot in the opening direction of the slot. Instead, the protrusions may preferably become lower in the opening direction of the slot like ramps. This facilitates placing of a bottle in its seat since after the bottle bottom has been placed on the base, the bottle being in a tilted position, the collar of the bottle neck can be made to slide over the ramp-like protrusion behind the protrusion simply by pushing the bottle into an upright position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3693830 (1972-09-01), Oglesbee
patent: 3888348 (1975-06-01), Frey
patent: 3913778 (1975-10-01), Oglesbee
patent: 3951259 (1976-04-01), Oglesbee
patent: 4130200 (1978-12-01), Iepson et al.
patent: 4204617 (1980-05-01), Hirota
patent: 4560064 (1985-12-01), Peterson et al.
patent: 0 604 863 (1994-07-01), None
patent: WO 96/09220 (1996-04-01), None
patent: WO 97/18141 (1997-05-01), None
Bui Luan K.
OYJ Hartwall ABP
Young & Thompson
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