초록 ▼

The carrier has a central vertical support panel structure, and a pair of foldable receptacles extending outwardly from opposite sides of the vertical support structure. The receptacles have automatically-opening bottom walls with symmetrical bottom panels which overlap to even-out the strength of t

The carrier has a central vertical support panel structure, and a pair of foldable receptacles extending outwardly from opposite sides of the vertical support structure. The receptacles have automatically-opening bottom walls with symmetrical bottom panels which overlap to even-out the strength of the bottom walls and minimize areas of reduced strength. At least two opposed bottom panels are shaped to interlock with one another to hold the carrier open once it has been unfolded. Elongated, connected reinforcing flanges strengthen the carrier in the vertical direction.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A carrier comprising a central support structure including two vertical support panels, each having a lower portion and an upper portion with a handle structure, a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from said lower portion of one of said vertical support p

What is claimed is: 1. A carrier comprising a central support structure including two vertical support panels, each having a lower portion and an upper portion with a handle structure, a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from said lower portion of one of said vertical support panels on opposite sides of said central support structure when said carrier is unfolded, each of said receptacles having four side-walls, with one of said side-walls being formed by a portion of said central support structure, said upper portions of said vertical support panels extending a substantial distance above said receptacles, a bottom wall structure for each of said receptacles, said bottom wall structure comprising a flange extending outwardly from the lower edge of each of said four side-walls and being secured thereto along a fold line, one of said side-walls being parallel to but spaced from said central support structure, said flanges being interconnected with one another so as to fold flat inside of said four walls of said receptacle, and unfold automatically when said side-walls are spread apart to unfold said carrier, and at least one automatically unfolding divider member in each of said receptacles, said divider member extending from one of said vertical support panels and being secured between said one side-wall and said one vertical support panel, said divider member being shaped and positioned so as to enable the unfolding of said flanges during unfolding of said carrier. 2. A carrier as in claim 1 including a first one of said flanges extending from said one side-wall and a second one extending from said central support structure, each of said first and second flanges having an outer edge and a recess, said first and second flanges being shaped to interlock with one another when said carrier is unfolded, in which each of said recesses forms a lateral edge transverse to said outer edge, said recesses being formed in opposite portions of said flanges, with said lateral edges being located to engage one another when aid carrier is unfolded. 3. A carrier as in claim 1 in which each of said divider members is located at a distance above said bottom wall structure of the receptacle in which said divider member is located to ensure clearance between said divider members and said flanges of said bottom wall when said carrier is being unfolded. 4. A carrier as in claim 1 including a pair of reinforcing panels formed from the same sheet of material as said vertical support panels, each being folded over onto and secured to said upper portion of one of said vertical support panels. 5. A carrier as in claim 1 in which the four flanges of each of said bottom structures includes first, second, third and fourth ones of said flanges, and each of said third and fourth flanges has a base flange area with an enlongated tab secured thereto along a diagonal fold line, with said diagonal fold lines being located at opposite corners of the bottom structure, with each of said enlongated tabs being secured to one of said first and second flanges. 6. A carrier as in claim 5 in which each of said enlongated tabs extends outwardly to approximately the same length as the width of said bottom wall structure, and said base flange area has approximately the same width as the width of the side wall portion to which it is secured. 7. A carrier as in claim 2 in which each of said outer edges has a substantially curved corner at the beginning of said recess to ease the passage of said corners over one another during unfolding of said carrier. 8. A carrier comprising a central support structure including two vertical support panels, each having a lower portion and an upper portion with a handle structure in said upper portion, a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from said lower portion of one of said vertical support panels on opposite sides of said central support structure when said carrier is unfolded, each of said receptacles having four side-walls, one of said side-walls being formed by a portion of said central support structure, a bottom wall structure for each of said receptacles, said bottom wall structure comprising first, second, third and fourth flanges, each extending outwardly from the lower edge of one of said four side-walls and being secured thereto along a fold line, one of said side-walls being parallel to but spaced from said central support structure, said flanges being interconnected with one another so as to fold flat inside of said four walls of said receptacle, and unfold automatically when said side-walls are spread apart to unfold said carrier, said first of said flanges extending from said central support structure and said second of said flanges from said one side-wall, each of said first and second flanges being shaped to interlock with one another when said carrier is unfolded, in which each of said first and second flanges has a portion which extends to adjacent the side-wall opposite the wall to which the flange is secured and overlaps the other one of said first and second flanges, and a pair of reinforcing panels, said vertical support panels and said reinforcing panels being made from a single sheet of material, with each of said reinforcing panels being secured to one of said vertical support panels along a fold line, and being folded over onto and secured to one of said vertical support panels. 9. A carrier as in claim 8, a first one of said flanges extending from said one side-wall and a second one extending from said central support structure, each of said first and second flanges having an outer edge and a recess, said first and second flanges being shaped to interlock with one another when said carrier is unfolded, in which each of said recesses forms a lateral edge transverse to said outer edge, said recesses being formed in opposite portions of said flanges, with said lateral edges being located to engage one another when aid carrier is unfolded. 10. A carrier as in claim 9 in which each of said divider members is located at a distance above said bottom wall structure of the receptacle in which said divider member is located to ensure clearance between said divider members and said flanges of said bottom wall when said carrier is being unfolded. 11. A blank for making a foldable carrier, said blank comprising a single sheet of material forming: a pair of vertical support panels, each having an upper and a lower portion, a pair of side-wall structures each comprising a series of side-wall panels, each being secured to one another, each side-walls structure being secured to a side edge of one of said vertical support panels in said lower portion of said vertical support panel, a bottom flange extending from the bottom edge of each of said side-wall panels and said vertical support structures, said bottom flanges being formed so as to enable them to be secured together in an automatically-opening, inwardly folding bottom structure for each of said sidewall structures, a side-wall securing flange extending outwardly from a side edge of an end panel in each of said series of side-wall panels, and including at least one divider cut out of each of said vertical support panels at a location vertically spaced above said bottom flanges sufficiently to ensure clearance of said bottom flanges while unfolding, said divider extending through one side edge of said vertical support panel, said side-wall securing flange being securable to cover said one side edge.