CARRIER HAVING STABILIZING TABS
Apparatus for use with a plurality of beverage containers is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a cradle for each of said plurality of containers and, for and secured to each cradle, at least a pair of resilient tabs. Each cradle, in use, supports the container for which it is provided in the manner in which a clay wine cooler supports a wine bottle. The cradles are operatively secured to one another in use to define a tote for transporting said containers. The tabs for each cradle, in use, collectively stabilize the container supported by said each cradle. The cradles can have stepped bases to accommodate containers of varying girth.
The field of the invention relates to beverage packaging.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe packaging of beverages consumes law amounts of raw materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONApparatus 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:
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- 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
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- 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:
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- 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
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- 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.
A tote 20 which forms an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in
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
As seen in
Persons of ordinary skill will readily recognize that, whereas the devices of
An alternate embodiment 20D of the invention is shown in
As indicated in
With reference to
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- 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:
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- 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
Whereas
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
Accordingly, the invention should be understood as limited only by the accompanying claims, purposively construed.
Claims
1. Apparatus for use with a plurality of beverage containers, the apparatus comprising:
- 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; and
- for and secured to each cradle, at least a pair of resilient tabs,
- wherein the tabs for each cradle, in use, collectively stabilize the container supported by said each cradle.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each tab, in use, extends, from the cradle for which it is provided, towards the container supported by said cradle, and downwardly, and exerts force against said container.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is 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.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tote is 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.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein 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.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one slot is a single, central slot.
7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, for each socket, there are three tabs and three sidewall portions.
8. Apparatus according to claim 5, 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.
9. Apparatus according to claim 5, 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.
10. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tote and the tabs are injection-molded as a single piece of plastic.
11. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tote is defined by a bin part and an insert part.
12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the bin part is watertight and has a drain plug.
13. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the bin part is adapted to be constructed on a snap-together basis from a substantially planar blank.
14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the insert part, in use, comprises
- 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.
15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in use,
- the partitions include an outermost pair of partitions and at least one inner partition;
- the outermost partitions are defined by a single partition segment connected to the adjacent platform segment along a respective first fold line; and
- each of the inner partitions is 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.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the insert has an expanded configuration, wherein the platform segments are coplanar and spaced apart from one another and each platform segment has the adjacent partition segments extending therefrom in the manner in which the legs of a sawhorse extend from the bed.
17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the insert is injection-molded as a single piece of plastic and folded for use.
18. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tote is 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 having stepped portions which reduce in girth as the sidewall portions so extend.4
Type: Application
Filed: May 25, 2011
Publication Date: Mar 21, 2013
Inventor: Michael Allan Ralph (St. Catharines)
Application Number: 13/699,106
International Classification: B65D 25/22 (20060101);