Packaging device and packaging assembly
First Claim
1. A packaging device for retaining a plurality of containers, said device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of means for gripping containers integral therewith, each of said gripping means comprising a pair of opposed resilient gripping members with opposite sides of said longitudinal central section having at least two of said paris of gripping members extending therefrom, each gripping member of each said pair of gripping members having a gripping surface and each pair of gripping members forming an opening for receiving and retaining a container, each said opening having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest gripping members, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by any next adjacent pairs of gripping members is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of gripping members, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A packaging device for use in retaining a plurality of containers comprises a longitudinal central section and a plurality of means for gripping containers. Preferably the gripping means comprise pairs of resilient flexible prongs, with these pairs of prongs arranged along opposite sides of the longitudinal central section. A packaging assembly for retaining and distributing containers, which packaging assembly includes the packaging device, is also disclosed.
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Citations
23 Claims
- 1. A packaging device for retaining a plurality of containers, said device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of means for gripping containers integral therewith, each of said gripping means comprising a pair of opposed resilient gripping members with opposite sides of said longitudinal central section having at least two of said paris of gripping members extending therefrom, each gripping member of each said pair of gripping members having a gripping surface and each pair of gripping members forming an opening for receiving and retaining a container, each said opening having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest gripping members, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by any next adjacent pairs of gripping members is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of gripping members, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
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9. A packaging device for retaining a plurality of containers, said device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of pairs of opposed resilient prongs arranged along opposite sides of said longitudinal central section and integral therewith;
- each prong of each said pair of prongs having a gripping surface that is concave with respect to the other prong of the same pair such that each pair of prongs forms an opening for receiving and retaining a container, each said opening having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest prongs, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by any next adjacent pairs of prongs is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of prongs, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
- 10. A packaging device for retaining a plurality of containers, said device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of pairs of prongs integral therewith, said longitudinal central section comprising a peripheral wall and an interior support portion, said peripheral wall comprising a top, a bottom, an inner face and an outer face, said interior support portion comprising a planar sheetform member which communicates with the inner face of said peripheral wall intermediate said top and bottom of said peripheral wall, a plurality of said pairs of opposed resilient prongs which are integral extensions of the peripheral wall are arranged along opposite sides of said longitudinal central section, each prong of each said pair of prongs having a gripping surface that is concave with respect to the other prong of the same pair such that each pair of prongs forms an opening for receiving and retaining a container, each of said openings having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest prongs, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by an next adjacent pairs of prongs is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of prongs, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
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12. A packaging device according to claim 12 wherein for each pair of prongs the gripping surface of each prong has an end that is distal from the longitudinal central portion of the device and each prong extends laterally outwardly beyond said distal end, and beginning at the distal ends of the gripping surfaces the distance between the prongs of said pair, as measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of said longitudinal central section, progressively increases as the distance from the longitudinal central section increases.
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15. A packaging assembly comprising a packaging device and two rows of containers, said packaging device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of means for gripping containers integral therewith, each of said gripping means comprising a pair of opposed resilient gripping members with a plurality of said pairs of gripping members disposed along opposite sides of said longitudinal central section, each gripping member of each said pair of gripping members having a gripping surface and each said pair of gripping members forming an opening having a container retained therein, each of the openings formed by a pair of gripping members having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening formed by a pair of gripping members located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest gripping members, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by any next adjacent pairs of gripping members is twice as large as the distance between each of said longitudinal ends and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of gripping members, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
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16. A packaging assembly comprising a packaging device and two rows of containers, said packaging device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of pairs of opposed resilient prongs disposed along opposite side of said longitudinal central section and integral therewith;
- each prong of each said pair of prongs having a gripping surface that is concave with respect to the other prong of the same pair such that each pair of prongs forms an opening having a container retained therein, each of the openings formed by a pair of prongs having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening formed by a pair of prongs located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest prongs, and the distance between the centerlines of the opening formed by any next adjacent pairs of prongs is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of prongs, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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17. A packaging assembly comprising a packaging device and two rows of containers, said device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of pairs of prongs integral therewith, said longitudinal central section comprising a peripheral wall and an interior support portion, said peripheral wall comprising a top, a bottom, an inner face and an outer face, said interior support portion comprising a planar sheetform member which communicates with the inner face of said peripheral wall intermediate said top and bottom of said peripheral wall, a plurality of said pairs of opposed resilient prongs which are integral extensions of the peripheral wall are arranged along opposite sides of said longitudinal central section, each prong of each said pair of prongs having a gripping surface that is concave with respect to the other prong of the same pair such that each pair of prongs forms an opening having a container retained therein, each of the openings formed by a pair of prongs having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening formed by a pair of prongs located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest prongs, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by an next adjacent pairs of prongs is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest paris of prongs, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
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18. A packaging assembly comprising a packaging device and two rows of containers, said packaging device comprising a longitudinal central section and a plurality of pairs of opposed resilient prongs arranged along opposite sides of said longitudinal central section and integral therewith;
- the prongs having top surfaces which are a continuation of a top surface of the longitudinal central section and bottom surfaces which are a continuation of a bottom surface of the longitudinal central section, each prong of each said pair of prongs having a gripping surface that is concave with respect to the other prong of the same pair such that each pair of prongs forms an opening having a container retained therein, each of the openings formed by a pair of prongs having a centerline that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said central section and is colinear with the centerline of an opening formed by a pair of prongs located on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal central section having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends which are each disposed longitudinally outwardly of the nearest prongs, and the distance between the centerlines of the openings formed by any next adjacent pairs of prongs is twice as large as the distance between each said longitudinal end and the centerline of the openings formed by the nearest pairs of prongs, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal central section.
Specification