Separable article carrier

• US 4,913,291 A
• Filed: 12/29/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Riverwood International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schuster, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/291,722
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 206/602, 206/611, 206/620, 229/120.03, 229/120.08, 229/120.11, 229/120.17
• US Class Current: 229/120.011
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5495 for separating interconnected containers

Abstract

An article carrier which has an interior partition dividing the carrier in half. The partition is comprised of two unconnected face-to-face sheets of material, one being connected to a first top panel section at the center of the top panel and the other being connected to a second top panel section adjacent the first top panel section. The bottom and end panels contain weakened areas. When the weakened areas are separated the adjacent unconnected partition sheets become side panels in two smaller carriers. End panel flaps include weakened areas for allowing the end panels to separate when the carrier is broken down into two separate carriers.

Claims

1. A separable article carrier, comprising:

top and bottom panels connected along the length of the carrier to side panels;

one of the top and bottom panels containing a weakened area extending along the length thereof;

the other of the top and bottom panels being comprised of first and second panel sections;

a first partition connected to the first panel section along a first fold line intermediate the side panels, the first fold line extending throughout the length of the first panel section;

a second partition connected to the second panel section along a second fold line intermediate the side panels, the second fold line extending throughout the length of the second panel section;

the first and second fold lines and the first and second partitions being adjacent each other;

means connecting the first and second partitions to said one panel in the interior of the carrier in generally parallel relationship to the side panels and an opposite sides of the weakened area of said one panel;

end panels connected to the top and bottom panels along the width of the carrier;

each end panel being comprised of two end flaps, one end flap of each end panel being connected to said one panel and the other end flap of each end panel being connected to said other panel, the flaps being connected to each other;

said one end flap including a weakened area extending from the weakened area of said one panel completely across said one flap, the weakened area of said one flap being substantially parallel to the adjacent first and second partitions;

said other end flap being comprised of first and second independent flap sections having adjacent edges substantially aligned with the weakened area of said one end flap;

a relatively narrow tab on one of the first and second flap sections near an outer edge thereof and extending across the adjacent edges of the first and second independent flap sections, the tab being connected to the other of the first and second flap sections; and

the tab including a weakened area aligned with the weakened area of said one end flap;

whereby the carrier can be separated along the weakened areas thereof into two smaller carriers, each of the first and second partitions thereby forming a side panel of one of the two smaller carriers.

2. A separable article carrier according to claim 1, wherein the tab is integral with one of the first and second flap sections and is glued to the other flap section.