Insert for a Carrier Bag

Abstract

The invention provides an insert ( 1 ) for inserting internally into a carrier bag having side walls and a base, the insert comprising a container stand portion ( 3 ), adapted, in use, to abut with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag and having a base portion; and connected to said base portion, an upper container receiving portion ( 6 ) to receive and hold at least one container having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion; and at least two opposing support members ( 7, 8 ), each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion ( 6 ), the support members ( 7, 8 ) being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion ( 6 ) spaced from, and above the base portion so that said container can be inserted into said upper container receiving portion ( 6 ) so that the at least one container cannot substantially move relative to the stand portion ( 3 ) and at least part of the at least one container extends above the stand portion. The insert may further comprise an item support stand portion ( 4 ) having an item support portion ( 18 ) on which an item can be carried and at least one leg portion, the item support stand ( 4 ) being arranged, in use, to stand upon the container stand portion ( 3 ), by extending past the at least part of the at least one container extending above the stand portion, the item support portion ( 18 ), being arranged to form a barrier between the item and the top of the at least one container so as to support the item when the bag is carried. The insert ( 1 ) may be used to carry one or more containers containing liquids and/or food items whereby the container is maintained in a substantially upright position relative to the bag and the food item or items are held separately from the container(s).

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the insert is fixable to an interior side wall of the carrier bag. 
   
   
       4 - 23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . An insert for inserting internally into a carrier bag having side walls and a base, the insert being of collapsible fold-out form and being adapted, when folded out, to accommodate one or more beverage-containing containers each having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion, said insert comprising:
 a container stand portion including a container receiving portion having at least one container engaging opening defined therein and arranged to grip a container at a position on an intermediate body portion thereof;   wherein the container receiving portion is an upper portion of the container stand portion and the container stand portion has a base portion which is connected to the upper container receiving portion by at least two opposing support members, each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion spaced from and above the base portion so that a said container can be inserted into said at least one container engaging opening such that it cannot substantially move relative to the container stand portion and that at least part of a container received in said container stand portion extends above the container stand portion and is thus maintained substantially upright relative to the carrier bag; and   wherein the insert is adapted to be inserted in flat-packed manner into a foldable carrier bag in a stored-flat condition and folded out into an extended position in which the base portion of the container stand portion abuts with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag.   
   
   
       25 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the container stand portion comprises a box-like rectangular structure. 
   
   
       26 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one container engaging opening comprises a plurality of slots adapted to grip a container. 
   
   
       27 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the insert is shaped to match a carrier bag of rectangular shape. 
   
   
       28 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the insert is further adapted to maintain a folded-out form by tensioning itself within the carrier bag. 
   
   
       29 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the insert comprises material selected from the group consisting of cardboard, plastics or moulded fibre. 
   
   
       30 . An insert according to  claim 24 , wherein the insert is further adapted when folded out, to comprise:
 an item support portion for carrying food items, the item support portion being arranged in use to form a barrier between food item(s) carried on the item support portion and the top of a container held in the container stand portion so as to support said item(s) when the bag is carried, said item support portion having an upper surface thereon on which said item(s) can be carried so that in use said item(s) can be held separately from a said container within a carrier bag; and   an item support stand portion arranged, in use, to be above said container stand portion,   wherein the item support stand portion includes said item support portion and a leg portion and is arranged, in use, to stand upon the container stand portion by the leg portion extending past a container held in the container stand portion;   wherein the item support portion is connected to the container stand portion by means of said leg portion of the item support stand portion; and   wherein the container stand portion of the insert is adapted to be folded out into said extended position in which the base portion of the container stand portion abuts with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag, and, after optional placement of a beverage container into a container engaging opening of the container stand portion, the item support stand portion being adapted to be lowered to extend over a said container, and the item support portion being then arranged so as to support food item(s) placed thereon.   
   
   
       31 . An insert according to  claim 30 , wherein the item support portion is arranged in use to stand upon the container stand portion by means of a plurality of said leg portions, said leg portions defining support members of the item support stand portion. 
   
   
       32 . An insert according to  claim 31 , wherein the item support stand portion has a base portion and at least two opposing support members, each of said support members connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the item support portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the item support portion spaced from and above the base portion; the base portion having at least one container receiving opening defined therein which is arranged to allow insertion of the top end of a container held in the container stand portion into the space between the base portion and the item support portion so that the item support portion is held, in use, above the container stand portion in a table-like manner and does not rest on the top of a container held in the container stand portion; the top end of said container being received within the space between the base portion and the item support portion of the item support stand portion. 
   
   
       33 . An insert according to  claim 32 , wherein the item support stand portion comprises a box-like rectangular structure. 
   
   
       34 . An insert according to  claim 33 , wherein the item support stand portion is adapted to abut side walls of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag. 
   
   
       35 . An insert according to  claim 34 , wherein the upper surface of the item support portion further comprises a layer of insulating material. 
   
   
       36 . A blank for an insert according to  claim 24 , comprising at least one region having four panels, respectively top and bottom panels and two side walls connecting said top and bottom panels, and means for connecting end panels of said region to define a box-like rectangular structure in an erected configuration. 
   
   
       37 . A blank for an insert according to  claim 36 , wherein said connecting means comprises a tab provided on a free end panel of the blank and attached to a side wall of the blank in said erected condition. 
   
   
       38 . A blank an insert according to  claim 31 , comprising a container stand portion region and an item support stand portion region, wherein a single, optionally planar, panel defines a side wall of said container stand portion region and a side wall of said item support stand portion region. 
   
   
       39 . An assembly comprising:
 a carrier bag having a plurality of side walls and a base; and   an insert that inserts internally into the carrier bag, the insert being of collapsible fold-out form and being adapted, when folded out, to accommodate one or more beverage-containing containers each having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion, said insert including:   a container stand portion including a container receiving portion having at least one container engaging opening defined therein and arranged to grip a container at a position on an intermediate body portion thereof;   wherein the container receiving portion is an upper portion of the container stand portion and the container stand portion has a base portion which is connected to the upper container receiving portion by at least two opposing support members, each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion spaced from and above the base portion so that a said container can be inserted into said at least one container engaging opening such that it cannot substantially move relative to the container stand portion and that at least part of a container received in said container stand portion extends above the container stand portion and is thus maintained substantially upright relative to the carrier bag; and   wherein the insert is adapted to be inserted in flat-packed manner into a foldable carrier bag in a stored-flat condition and folded out into an extended position in which the base portion of the container stand portion abuts with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag.   
   
   
       40 . An assembly according to  claim 39 , wherein the carrier bag comprises a foldable paper bag. 
   
   
       41 . An insert for inserting internally into a carrier bag having side walls and a base, the insert being of collapsible fold-out form and being adapted, when folded out, to comprise a container stand portion for accommodating one or more beverage-containing containers and an item support portion for carrying food item(s), wherein:
 the container stand portion has a container receiving portion having at least one container engaging opening defined therein and arranged to grip a container having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion at a position on the intermediate body portion; and   the item support portion is arranged in use to form a barrier between food item(s) carried on the item support portion and the top of a container held in the container stand portion so as to support said item(s) when the bag is carried, said item support portion having an upper surface thereon on which said item(s) can be carried so that in use said item(s) can be held separately from a said container within a carrier bag; and   
     and wherein also
 (A) the container receiving portion is an upper portion of the container stand portion and the container stand portion has a base portion which is connected to the upper container receiving portion by at least two opposing support members each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion spaced from and above the base portion so that a said container can be inserted into said at least one container engaging opening such that it cannot substantially move relative to the container stand portion and that at least part of a container received in said container stand portion extends above the container stand portion and is thus maintained substantially upright relative to the carrier bag; 
 (B) the insert has an item support stand portion arranged, in use, to be above said container stand portion, 
 (C) the item support stand portion includes said item support portion and has a leg portion and is arranged, in use, to stand upon the container stand portion by the leg portion extending past a container held in the container stand portion; 
 (D) the item support portion is connected to the container stand portion by means of said leg portion of the item support stand portion; and 
 (E) the container stand portion of the insert is adapted to be folded out into an extended position in which the base portion of the container stand portion abuts with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag, and, after optional placement of a beverage container into a container engaging opening of the container stand portion, the item support stand portion is adapted to be lowered to extend over a said container, and the item support portion being then arranged so as to support food item(s) placed thereon. 
 
   
   
       42 . An insert for inserting internally into a carrier bag having side walls and a base, the insert being of collapsible fold-out form and being adapted, when folded out, to comprise a container stand portion for accommodating one or more beverage-containing containers and an item support portion for carrying food item(s), wherein:
 the container stand portion has a container receiving portion having at least one container engaging opening defined therein and arranged to grip a container having a base, a top end and an intermediate body portion at a position on the intermediate body portion; and   the item support portion is arranged in use to form a barrier between food item(s) carried on the item support portion and the top of a container held in the container stand portion so as to support said item(s) when the bag is carried, so that in use said item(s) can be held separately from a said container within a carrier bag;   
     and wherein also
 (A) the container receiving portion is an upper portion of the container stand portion and the container stand portion has a base portion which is connected to the upper container receiving portion by at least two opposing support members, each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the upper container receiving portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the upper container receiving portion spaced from and above the base portion so that a said container can be inserted into said at least one container engaging opening such that it cannot substantially move relative to the container stand portion and that at least part of a container received in said container stand portion extends above the container stand portion and is thus maintained substantially upright relative to the carrier bag; 
 (B) the insert has an item support stand portion arranged, in use, to be above 
 
     said container stand portion, 
     the item support stand portion having 
     a base portion; and, connected to said base portion, said item support portion which has an upper surface thereon on which said item(s) can be carried; and 
     at least two opposing support members, each support member connecting one of opposing sides of the base portion with respective opposing sides of the item support portion, the support members being arranged, in use, to hold the item support portion spaced from and above the base portion; the base portion having at least one container receiving opening defined therein which is arranged to allow insertion of the top end of a container held in the container stand portion into the space between the base portion and the item support portion;
 (C) the item support stand portion is arranged, in use, to stand upon the container stand portion, the support members extending past a container held in the container stand portion so that the item support portion is held, in use, above the container stand portion in a table-like manner and does not rest on the top of a container held in the container stand portion; 
 (D) the item support portion is connected to the container stand portion by means of a support member of the item support stand portion; and 
 (E) the container stand portion of the insert is adapted to be folded out into an extended position in which the base portion of the container stand portion abuts with the side walls and base of the carrier bag so as to maintain a substantially fixed position relative to the carrier bag, and, after optional placement of a beverage container into a container engaging opening of the container stand portion, the item support stand portion is adapted to be lowered to extend over a said container, the top end of said container being received within the space between the base portion and the item support portion of the item support stand portion and the item support portion being then arranged so as to support food item(s) placed thereon.