A Carrier

This invention relates to a carrier. In particular, the invention relates to a carrier for beverage cups especially those provided at sporting or entertainment events and therefore will be described in this context. However, it would be appreciated that the carrier may be used to carry a variety of other containers that are conical in shape or have a lip such as ice cream cones, hot chip containers or the like.

Live sporting and entertainment events entertain millions of people each week throughout the world. Most people who attend these events come in a group of two to eight people as these events are also social gatherings. Accordingly, many of the venues that stage these events will also provide a food and beverage service. The food and beverage service is typical of a canteen style where food and beverages are collected by individuals and taken back to their respective seats for consumption.

It is desirable for an individual to buy and transport a round of drinks back to friends during an entertainment event. This enables drinks to be consumed by all whilst minimising the amount of the event any one person misses. Unfortunately, most people find it difficult to carry more than two beverages especially if they are placed in large cups.

To enable a person to more readily carry than two beverages, the providers of the food and beverage service often make available carriers, at a cost, that can carry four beverages. These carriers are typically made of cardboard and are disposable. Normally the carriers can only be used a few times because once wet, they often lose their dimensional stability and fail to cause beverages to be lost. Further, as the carriers are disposable, they are not environmentally sustainable.

To address the environmental sustainability issue, re-use carriers have been produced to carry multiple beverages. Unfortunately, many of these types of carriers lack stability, are bulky to carry to and from an event, are expensive to purchase and are aesthetically unappealing.

It is an object of the invention to overcome and/or alleviate the abovementioned problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides in a carrier able to carry beverages, the carrier comprising:

Normally there are a multiplicity of carrier elements. Typically there are between three and eight carrier elements. Preferably there are between four and six carrier elements.

Typically, each carrier element has only a single holding aperture. Normally, the holding aperture is fully enclosed but may be partially enclosed.

Each carrier element is typically made of the same material. Normally, the carrier element is made of plastics. However, other materials such as metal may be used. Further, each carrier element is normally identical in shape.

Usually, all carrier elements are pivoted about the same axis. Each of the carrier elements may be mounted for rotation by a mounting member. The mounting member may include a pin or shaft. The mounting member may be located adjacent to an end of each of the carrier elements. The mounting member may be integrally formed with one or more carrier elements. Typically, adjacent carrier elements may be stacked adjacent to each other on the mounting member. Carrier elements may be added or removed as desired. Typically, the carrier elements do not extend beyond 270 degrees when in an open position.

Each of the carrier elements may be formed from a carrier body that is substantially planar in nature. Each carrier element is substantially sector-shaped.

One or more ribs may be located on the carrier body to provide strength to the carrier. Typically, there is a single rib that is located on one side of the carrier body. The rib may be inclined at between 30 and 60 degrees with respect to the carrier body. Preferably, the rib is inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the carrier body.

The carrier elements may be moved relative to each other between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, two or more beverages are typically able to be carried. In the closed position, all of the carrier elements may overlap reducing the overall surface area of the carrier enabling easy transportation of the carrier.

An open stop may be formed between two carrier elements that stops one carrier element from moving past a predetermined position with respect to an adjacent carrier. The open stop may be formed from an open stop edge on each of the carrier elements that contact each other to prevent further movement in one direction. The open stop edge on each of the carrier elements may be formed by one or more projections and/or one or more recesses. Preferably there is a single projection located on one carrier and a single recess located on the adjacent carrier. More preferably, an open stop is formed with the projection located on a lower carrier element and the recess is located on an upper carrier element. The projection may be in the form of a rib and recess may be in the form of arcuate recess.

A closed stop may be formed between two carrier elements that stops one carrier element from moving past a predetermined position with respect to an adjacent carrier. The closed stop may be formed from a closed stop edge on each of the carrier elements that contact each other to prevent further movement in one direction. The closed stop edge on each of the carrier elements may be formed by one or more projections and/or one or more recesses. Preferably there is a single projection located on one carrier element and a single recess located on the adjacent carrier element. More preferably, a closed carrier stop is formed with the projection located on a lower carrier element and the recess is located on an upper carrier element. The projection may be in the form of a rib and recess may be in the form of a chamfered recess.

When in the open position, a portion of one carrier body may overlap a portion of the adjacent carrier body. When in the closed position, all of the carrier bodies may be substantially in alignment.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below.

show a carrierused to carry up to four beverages, with the beverages typically placed in plastic cups. The carrieris made entirely from recycled plastics such as high-density polyethylene.

The carrieris formed from four carrier elementsas shown in more detail in. Each carrier elementis formed from a carrier bodywhich is substantially planar and substantially sector-shaped. Each carrier elementis made from integrally formed plastics and is identical in size and shape.

A holding apertureis located through each carrier bodyand located adjacent a larger end of the carrier body. The holding apertureis sized dependent on the size of the containers that are to be carried by the carrier. The holding aperturehas a large arcuate endand a smaller arcuate endthat are interconnected by straight intermediate sides. The shape of the holding apertureenables a range of different-sized cups to be able to be carried by the carrier.

Each carrier elementincludes a strengthening ribthat extends along a side of each carrier body. The strengthening ribextends outwardly at 45 degrees with respect to the side of the carrier body. A chamfered recessextends along the underside of the strengthening ribalong the side of the carrier body. The corner between the strengthening riband the carrier bodyis sharp whilst the corner between the chamfered recessand the carrier bodyhas a small radius.

Each carrier elementalso includes an arcuate recessformed within the side of the carrier bodyadjacent a narrower end of the carrier body.

A pin holeextends through each carrier elementadjacent a narrower end of the carrier body.

A mounting memberis used to pivotally mount each of the carrier elements. The mounting memberis constructed from a pinand a circlip. The pinhas a rodand a base. The pinis formed in halves but may be formed in a single piece. A channelis formed adjacent a top of the basefor location of the circlip.

The carrier elementsare attached to the mounting member. To achieve this, the rodof the pinis passed through each of the pin holesin each of the carrier elements. The circlipis then pushed over the channelon the rod. The headof the pinprevents the carrier elementsfrom falling off the rodat one end and the circlipprevents the carrier elements from falling off the rodat the other end. The carrier elementsare therefore able to be rotated with respect to the mounting member.

The carrieris able to be moved from an open position in which all of the carrier elementsare fanned out with respect to each other, as shown inand a closed position in which the carrier elementsare in alignment, as shown in. To move the carrier elements from the closed position to the open position, the top (or upper) carrier elementis rotated in a clockwise direction. After the top carrier element is rotated through approximately 60 degrees, an end rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the second top (lower) carrier element, contacts an end arcuate recess edge, located on the top carrier element, to create an open stop. That is, the top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the second top carrier elementin a clockwise direction.

Once the open stopis engaged, this causes the second top carrier elementto rotate with respect to the third top carrier element. After the second top carrier element is rotated through approximately 60 degrees, an end rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the third top carrier element, contacts an end arcuate recess edge, located on the second top carrier element, to create a further open stop. That is, the second top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the third top carrier elementin a clockwise direction.

Once the further open stopis engaged, this causes the third top carrier elementto rotate with respect to the bottom carrier element. After the third top carrier element is rotated through approximately 60 degrees, an end rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the bottom carrier element, contacts an end arcuate recess edge, located on the second top carrier element, to create yet another open stop. That is, the third top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the bottom carrier elementin a clockwise direction.

At this position, the carrieris in the open position. Sides of adjacent carrier elementsoverlap which provides additional strength when carrying beverages. The strengthening ribslocated on an upper carrier elementoverlaps a lower carrier elementwhich again provides reinforcement.

To move the carrierfrom the open position to the closed position, the top carrier is rotated relative to the second top carrier through approximately 60 degrees in an anticlockwise direction. This causes the chamfered edgeof the chamfered recess, on the second top carrier element, to contact a side rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the top carrier element, to create a closed stop. That is, the top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the second top carrier elementin an anti-clockwise direction.

Once the closed stopis engaged, the top carrier element and second top carrier element are rotated relative to the third top carrier through approximately 60 degrees. This causes the chamfered edgeof the chamfered recess, on the third top carrier element, to contact a side rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the second top carrier element, to create a further closed stop. That is, the second top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the third top carrier elementin an anti-clockwise direction.

Once the closed stopis engaged, the top carrier element, second top carrier element and third top carrier element are rotated relative to the bottom carrier through approximately 60 degrees. This causes the chamfered edgeof the chamfered recess, on the third top carrier element, to contact a side rib edgeof the strengthening rib, located on the second top carrier element, to create yet another closed stop. That is, the third top carrier elementis unable to move with respect to the bottom carrier elementin a clockwise direction.

At this position, the carrieris in the closed position. The carrier elementsare all in vertical alignment. Hence the carriercan easily be located with a user's pocket or bag.

The carrierprovides an easy way in which many beverages in cups can be carried at entertainment venues. Further, the carriercan be carried easily by a user to the entertainment venue given its relatively small size when in the closed position. It can be reused and is made from recyclable plastic and hence has a low carbon footprint.

shows alternate carrier elements. Like numeral have been used to describe like components. In each of the alternate carrier elements, only the difference between the alternate carrier elementsand the carrier element shown inis the holding aperture.

Inthe holding aperturein this embodiment has a large arcuate endand a smaller arcuate endthat overlap adjacent a middle of each arc. The shape of the holding apertureenables a cup or a can to be carried. The large arcuate endis used to hold a cup. The smaller arcuate endis used to carry a can by locating the smaller arcuate endunder the rim of the can.

Inthe holding aperturein this embodiment has a large arcuate endand a smaller arcuate endthat overlap adjacent a middle of each arc. However, the location of the larger arcuate endand smaller arcuate endhave been swapped with the larger arcuate endso that the larger arcuate endis closer to the pin hole. The holding apertureenables a can to be carried. The large arcuate endis used to position the can adjacent the smaller arcuate endto align the rim of the can with the smaller arcuate end.

The smaller arcuate endis used to carry a can by locating the smaller arcuate endunder the rim of the can.

shows a holding aperturethat is similar in shape to the holding apertureshown in. However, the holding aperturehas two catches located adjacent each side of the entrance of the smaller arcuate end. The catchesare pivotally movable with respect to the carrier body. The holding apertureenables a can to be carried. The large arcuate endis used to position the can adjacent the smaller arcuate endto align the rim of the can with the smaller arcuate end. The smaller arcuate endis used to carry a can by locating the smaller arcuate endunder the rim of the can. The catchesdeform as the can is pushed into the smaller arcuate endto hold the can more firmly within the smaller arcuate end.

It should be appreciated that the carrier elements that have different holding apertures may be located within a single carrier.

In this specification, the terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising” or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely but may well include other elements not listed.

In this specification, terms such as upward, downward, horizontal and vertical, and their grammatical derivatives, are used to describe the invention in its normal orientation and are not to be construed to limit the invention to any particular orientation.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.