Container carrier

Abstract

This invention relates to a package of a plurality of containers unitized with a flexible carrier. The carrier is constructed from a plastic planar sheet having a plurality of container receiving apertures and a panel or handle positioned with respect to the planar sheet. The panel or handle are die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design.

1 . A carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
 a planar sheet of a plastic material, the sheet having a plurality of container receiving apertures arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks;   a panel integrally formed with the sheet, the panel extending outward from an edge of the sheet, the panel die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design.   
     
     
         2 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein a longitudinal panel length is less than a longitudinal sheet length. 
     
     
         3 . The carrier of  claim 1  further comprising an integral handle positioned between longitudinal rows of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The carrier of  claim 3  wherein the integral handle is die cut to form a corresponding at least one of the product name, the product property, the promotional shape, the trademark, the tradename, the alpha-numeric characters, symbols and the fanciful design as the panel. 
     
     
         5 . The carrier of  claim 1  further comprising a handle integrated with the panel. 
     
     
         6 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein the die cut comprises an asymmetric shape. 
     
     
         7 . The carrier of  claim 1  comprising at least two panels, each panel associated with a container receiving aperture of the plurality of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         8 . The carrier of  claim 7  wherein two or more die cut panels are each associated with one rank of two or more transverse ranks of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         9 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein the panel is die cut to form an outline of the container. 
     
     
         10 . The carrier of  claim 1  further comprising a handle positioned between the panel and the longitudinal rows of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         11 . A package of a plurality of containers, the package comprising:
 a planar sheet of a plastic material, the sheet having a plurality of container receiving apertures arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks;   a plurality of containers positioned within a corresponding one of the plurality of container receiving apertures;   a panel integrally formed with the sheet, the panel extending outward from an edge of the sheet and across one or more containers of the plurality of containers, the panel die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design.   
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the panel includes one or more weakened areas to provide a hand hold when grasped therein while still providing billboard space on the panel prior to purchase. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 11  wherein a two or more panels are positioned across the package, each panel corresponding with a rank of the transverse ranks of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 11  further comprising a handle. 
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the handle is die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design. 
     
     
         16 . A carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
 a planar sheet of a plastic material, the sheet having a plurality of container receiving apertures arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks;   a handle integrally formed with the sheet, the handle extending from the sheet, the handle die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design.   
     
     
         17 . The carrier of  claim 16  wherein the handle extends from between longitudinal rows of the container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         18 . The carrier of  claim 16  further comprising a panel extending from an edge of the longitudinal rows of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         19 . The carrier of  claim 18  wherein the panel includes a corresponding die cut to that of the handle and forms at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design. 
     
     
         20 . The carrier of  claim 18  wherein the panel is separable along a removal element to release individual containers from the carrier wherein the removal element forms an integral portion of the product name, the product property, the promotional shape, the trademark, the tradename, the alpha-numeric characters, the symbols and the fanciful design.