GB2373781A

GB2373781A - Containers for Bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2373781A
Application number: GB0215347A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Concah
Original assignee: Smurfit Corrugated Ltd
Current assignee: Smurfit Kappa Corrugated UK Ltd
Priority date: 1998-12-16
Filing date: 1999-03-16
Publication date: 2002-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-16
Also published as: GB0215347D0; GB2373781B

Abstract

A container 50 is provided for protecting a bottle during transit. The container 50 comprises a single sheet of material which is foldable into a cylinder having a number of longitudinal panels 48. The container 50 is provided with two bottle base engaging panels, 68 and 70, which together form an abutment for the base of the bottle, and two sets of bottle neck engaging panels, 84 and 86, and 304 and 306, which together form an abutment for the neck of the bottle. The abutment for the neck of the bottles includes a downwardly and outwardly extending portion, when the container is upright, arranged to engage with an upwardly and inwardly extending portion of a bottle. The downwardly and outwardly extending portion is defined by at least two folds that extend from a common region downwardly and away from each other, the downwardly and outwardly extending portion of the abutment including two portions extending outwardly at different angles, and defined by two pairs of spaced folds that extend downwardly and away from each other. The container is further provided with a locking means which is inserted behind the neck abutment and over one end of the container 50 further securing the bottle in place.

Description

CONTAINERS FOR BOTTLES

The present invention relates to a container for a bottle, a container having a bottle mounted therein, flat sheet adapted to be formed into a container for a bottle and a method of forming a flat sheet into a container for a bottle.

According to one aspect of the present invention a container for a bottle is provided, the container comprising a hollow container formed from a single sheet of foldable material, the material comprising a plurality of sides extending along at least part of the length of the container and an abutment also formed from the single sheet of material which, in use, assists in preventing a bottle from sliding through the hollow container in one direction.

Reference in this specification is largely made to the container and bottle being upright. However, it will be appreciated that the container and bottle could be laid on their side and the present invention is intended to cover a container that is only to be used on its side.

The plane of the sheet defining the abutment may extend upwardly when the plane of the sides of the container extending upwardly.

The abutment may be formed by at least two portions that are connected to sides of the container and that are connected together by a fold that extends upwardly when the sides of the container extend upwardly with the two portions extending inwardly with respect to the container.

The two portions may be directly connected.

The two portions may be connected by a strip that is connected by a fold at each side to the two portions.

The two portions, when viewed from an end of the container, may include an angle at their connection that is less than 180'on the outside of the container.

The two portions may be arranged to automatically move into the position at which they comprise the abutment when a single sheet of material is moved from being a flat sheet into a formation in which the sheet comprises the plurality of sides.

The two portions may be arranged to be pushed from a position in which their connection has an angle of more than 180'on the outside of the container to a position in which the portions comprise the abutment and the angle is

less than 1800. The two portions may be a snap fit from the position in which that angle is more than 180'to the position in which it is less than 1800.

The two portions may be connected to adjacent sides of the container.

The fold of the two portions, when the single sheet is flat, may be coincident with the fold of two sides of the container or may be offset from the fold of two sides of the container.

The extent of one portion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extent of the container may be less than the extent of the other portion. At least one portion of the abutment may be of the same width as one side of the container or may be of a different width or may be of a smaller width.

The abutment may be a snap fit into position. For instance, two panels may be connected together by a fold with substantially parallel folds connecting each flap with

a different adjacent portion of the container, the distance between the substantially parallel folds being less than the combined length of one parallel fold to the fold that connects the two panels and the distance from the other parallel fold to the fold that connects the two panels whereby the panels are stable when the fold that connects the two panels is located to one side or the other of a plane passing through the two substantially parallel folds.

Locking means may be arranged to retain at least one abutment in position. The locking means may be arranged to urge an abutment towards a bottle located in the container. The locking means may be arranged to extend in a direction whereby, going along that direction, a first part of the container is located on one side of the locking means and is engaged by the locking means to resist movement in a first direction, then a second part of the container is located on the opposite side of the locking means to resist movement of the locking means in a second direction, opposed to the first direction by engagement of the locking means with the second part and then, optionally, with a third part of the container then being engaged to resist movement of the locking means in the first direction. The second part may comprise the abutment.

The locking means may comprise a member which may be formed from a single sheet of foldable material. The foldable material may be folded to form a locking member of two layers of thickness. The locking member may lock two spaced portions of the container at different side regions thereof in position. The locking member may extend over an end of the container and may extend to be within or generally flush with the general end extent of the container defined by the single sheet.

The abutment may be located at an end region of the container. Alternatively or additionally the abutment may

be spaced from an end region of the container. The sides of the container may extend beyond the abutment when the abutment is spaced from the end region.

The abutment may comprise at least two overlapping layers of the single sheet of material.

The abutment may include a downwardly and outwardly extending portion, when the container is upright, arranged to connect with an upwardly and inwardly extending portion of a bottle. The downwardly and outwardly extending portion of the abutment may be defined by at least two folds that extend from a common region, downwardly and away from each other. The downwardly and outwardly extending portion of the abutment may include two portions extending outwardly at different angles. The downwardly and outwardly extending portions of the abutment may be defined by two pairs of spaced folds that extend downwardly and away from each other and at least one fold in each pair may be parallel to at least another fold in the other pair.

The container may include at least two abutments that are spaced from each other, one of which is arranged to cooperate with the bottom of a bottle to prevent movement of the bottle in one direction and the other of which is arranged to be contacted by a bottle to prevent movement of the bottle in the other direction.

The container may include at least two abutments at one longitudinal extent of the container. The two abutments may extend from opposite sides of the container.

The sides of the container may each be arranged to extend in a vertical direction in use.

There may be six sides to the container.

The sides of the container may be connected together to make the periphery continuous by a mechanical connection or by an interlocking connection or by an adhesive connection or any combination thereof.

The container may be arranged to be laid on its side.

The container may include at least one projection extending outwardly from the main extent of the container and it may include two such projections spaced from each other either along the length of the container or, alternatively or additionally, around the container. Where two projections are spaced from each other around the container these may project from fold lines extending along the length of the container, which fold lines from which the projections extend may be adjacent to each other.

At least one of the projections may serve as a buffer for the container when the container is upright. At least one of the projections may serve as buffer when the container is on its side, either as a support for the container or as a buffer against adjacent parts such as further packaging.

The present invention also includes a flat sheet adapted to be formed into a container as herein referred to.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of forming a container as herein referred to from a flat sheet comprises folding the material to comprise a plurality of sides that extend along at least part of the length of the container and forming an abutment from the single sheet that is arranged to prevent a bottle from sliding through the hollow container in one direction.

The present invention also includes a container having a bottle mounted therein. The bottle may be tubular in shape and may have a narrower neck portion that is joined to the main tubular extent by a curved portion.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but two examples will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flat unfolded blank; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing flanges at one end folded in; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing longitudinal panels folded to form a hexagonal sleeve shape; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the hexagonal sleeve shape and a locking tab fastened; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the sleeve fastened with base buffer flanges folded in; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the fastened sleeve and the base buffer flanges folded in with neck retaining flanges also folded in position; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the further embodiment of a flat unfolded blank; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the flat blank shown in Figure 7 in its finished position;

Figure 9 comprises a perspective view of a third embodiment of a flat blank ; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 9 in the assembled configuration; Figures 11 and 12 are views of the embodiment of Figure 10 with a locking member partially and then fully inserted, respectively; Figure 13 is a perspective view of a flat blank used to form the locking member in Figures 11 and 12, and Figure 14 is a view of the locking member of Figure 13 folded and ready for use.

The drawings illustrate a sheet of cardboard that can be used to pack up a bottle, such as a wine bottle or a whisky bottle. Such bottles generally have a main cylindrical portion with a narrow neck towards the top.

They are vulnerable to damage in transit and it is an object of the packaging material to provide an easily formed container that protects such a single bottle, particularly during transit.

Referring first to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 6, a flange 10 at what, in use, would be the lower end of the container is folded over to the position shown in Figure 2.

The flange 10 comprises a series of base panels 12 to 26. The panels 12,18, 24 and 26 are connected to the main body of the flat pack by fold lines. The remaining panels 14,16, 20 and 22 have a slit between those panels and the main body of the flat pack for reasons that will become apparent later. Any of the fold lines referred to in the

specification may comprise simply scored lines or may comprise weakened lines that may have a series of cuts through the fold lines. Both cuts and score lines are envisaged along the fold lines.

When the end flange 10 has been folded over the body of the pack is folded about longitudinal fold lines 28 to 38 to bring longitudinal panels 40 to 52 round upon themselves so that they each face inwardly to define a generally hexagonal closure. The panel 40 overlaps the panel 52 and a hinged tab 54 formed on the exposed edge of the panel 40 is tucked into a slot 56 extending from the fold line 38, adjacent to that line but generally along the panel 52.

At that stage the arrangement shown in Figure 4 is arrived at.

It will be noted that the mid point of the panel 52, along its exposed side, includes a recess 58. This recess 58 corresponds in shape to the hinged tab 54 whereby two flat packs can be cut from adjacent portions of cardboard having a width defined by the accumulative widths of the panels 40 to 52 without the width having to be increased by the sideways projection of the hinged tab 54 from the exposed edge of the panel 40.

The flat pack could be supplied to customers in the form shown in Figure 1 for their subsequent folding as indicated above. Alternatively, the arrangement as shown in Figure 4 could be supplied to customers and this configuration may allow itself to be folded into a flat configuration, for instance by folds taking place along lines 28 and 34 such that the pack is generally flat, although it is of a width of at least two thicknesses of the cardboard.

If desired the tab could be glued to the slot or alternatively the abutting faces of the panels 40 and 54 could be connected together, for instance by glue or other fastening means.

The base panels 14,16, 20 and 22 may be caused to move such that they extend inwardly with respect to the general hexagonal shape such that fold lines 60 and 62 between the respective panels 14 and 16 and 20 and 22 are closely spaced from each other within the container. This movement may be occasioned when the flat pack is rolled up from the position shown in Figure 1. Alternatively movement may be effected by pushing the panels inwardly before a bottle is located in the passage.

The longitudinal panels 42,44 and 48,50 also have further locking panels 64,66 and 68,70 formed adjacent to the flange 10. The panels 64 and 66 are connected by a fold line 72 and the panels 68 and 70 are connected by a fold line 74. The panels 64 to 70 have respective cuts 76 and 78 extending parallel to the longitudinal extent of the flange 10 at the junction of those panels with the longitudinal panels 42,44, 48 and 50 and cuts 79 and 81 at the junction of the panels 64 to 70 with the end flange 10.

Thus the panels 64 to 70 are located on the outside of the container, adjacent to the flanges 14,16 and 20,22 that can project inwardly of the container to provide a stop for the base of the bottle.

The flanges 64 to 70 can remain in the general hexagonal form of the majority of the container.

Alternatively they can be pushed inwardly such that the fold lines 72 and 74 extend inside the general extent of the container with the panels 64 to 70 being parallel with the other panels that project inwardly to provide a stop for the base of the bottle. The panels 64 to 70 could

project inwardly automatically upon folding of the longitudinal panels 40 to 52 into the hexagonal shape.

Thus it can be seen that the base of the bottle is supported by a single or double thickness portion of cardboard with the reaction force to the weight of the bottle being in line with the plane of the cardboard which is extremely strong and is not likely to compress or buckle.

It should be noted that the fold lines 60,72 and 62, 74 are offset from the longitudinal fold lines 30 and 36 and the fold lines at the transverse ends of the locking panels are, respectively, in line with the fold lines 32 and 34 and offset between the fold lines 28 and 30 and 36 and 38. This allows the panels that project inwardly to be longer than one side of the hexagonal shape but shorter than the cumulative length of two sides of the hexagonal shape to ensure that the base of the bottle is engaged, even if the diameter of the bottle varies and also to provide panels that are not too long in extent such that they may be more prone to buckling under weight.

With the bottle located on the base panels, neck engaging panels 80,82, 84 and 86 can then be pushed inwardly. These neck engaging panels have respective folds 88 and 90 that are coincident with the longitudinal folds 30 and 36 at the centre of the neck engaging panels and folds parallel to the folds 88 and 90 midway along adjacent panels. Cuts 92 to 98 separate the neck engagement panels in a horizontal direction when the packaging is upright. Accordingly, the neck engaging panels can be pushed inwardly to cause the folds 88 and 90 to extend inwardly with respect to the general volume of the container.

It will be appreciated that the neck of the bottle can have an angled portion where it diverges downwardly and

outwardly to join up with the major cylindrical extent of the bottle. To that end the panels are provided with perforations and fold lines 100, in a generally chevron shape to extend, from the fold lines 88 and 90, downwardly and outwardly. Thus the lower part of the neck locking panels can take up the general shape of the downwardly and outwardly extending part of the bottle by the portion between the chevron lines taking up one downwardly and outwardly diverging angle and the remaining portion below the lowest line 100 taking up a greater angle to the vertical.

The arrangement of the neck locking panels allows bottles having slightly different extents of length or neck contours to be able to be engaged and held in the container.

It can be seen that the hexagonal portion of the container projects a significant way above the neck engaging panels to ensure that the top of the bottle is not going to be exposed to knocks either from the side or from above.

The arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8 corresponds largely to that shown in Figures 1 to 6 and the formation and folding and cooperation with the bottle is as previously described.

The differences will now be described below.

In place of the hinged tab 54 and the slot 56 that are present in the first embodiment, a longitudinal flange 140 of reduced width is folded over on top of the other panel 152, in hexagonal form, and the abutting surfaces of those panels 140,152 are glued together.

As shown in Figure 6 and 8 particularly, flaps 200 may project from the container. These flaps are each formed by cuts extending into the panel 46 or 146 from the fold lines 32 and 34 or 132 and 134. When the container is folded up the flaps 200 project in the general extent of the planes of the panels 44 or 48. These can serve to act as a buffer protection by holding the panel 46 away from the outer packaging. Alternatively or additionally the flaps 200 may provide the support for the packaging when laid on its side. Indeed any of the packaging embodiments may provide support for a bottle when laid on its side. This is particularly advantageous for wine as the cork will remain moist, preventing the ingress of air and the packaging can be turned, if desired, from time to time.

The base panels include a further panel 165 and 169 between the main panels 164,166 and 168 and 170. This allows the panels 164 to 170 to be more closely aligned with the adjacent panels that project inwardly and impose less strain on the cardboard when in the bottle retaining position. The flanges 165,169 have fold lines that extend either side of the adjacent fold lines 130 and 136 respectively.

The arrangement shown in Figures 9 to 14 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 6 and like panels have been given the same reference numbers. The differences will now be described.

The base of the container omits the flange 10 shown in Figure 1. Consequently when the blank is folded from the position shown in Figure 9 to the position shown in Figure 10 the locking panels 64,66, 68 and 70 provide a single layer resistance to the base of a bottle leaving from that end of the container.

The neck engaging panels 80, 82, 84 and 86 are present, as previously described, and they are pushed in, when assembled. In addition though what, in use, will be the top of the container, includes loop engaging flaps 300,302 and 304,306. These are connected by a fold that is aligned with the fold 30 and 36 connecting the panels 42, 44 and 48,50 respectively. Each flap is connected to a panel to each side of the folds 30 or 36 by parallel folds.

Each flap is also separated from the adjacent panels by a cut 308 and 310 respectively, which cuts extend perpendicular to the folds 30 and 36.

Accordingly, the flaps 300, 302, 304 and 306 can be pushed inwardly to the position shown in Figure 10. When viewed from what, in use, will be the top end of the container, it can be seen that parallel passages are provided going down each side of the box. The passage at one side, on the outside of that passage is provided by the portions 50A, 50B and 48A and 48B shown in Figure 12. The inside of that passage is provided by the flaps 304 and 306 and the neck engaging panels 84 and 86. The passage at the other side is provided by the corresponding portions flaps and panels.

With a bottle located in the container, as previously described, a U-shaped lock 312 is pushed in from the end of the container such that parallel arms 314 and 316 of the lock are guided through the spaced parallel passages, ultimately pushing or maintaining the locking panels against the neck of a bottle. An additional function of the lock 312 is that outward movement of the locking panels, 80,82, 84,86 even accidentally past their over centre snap in arrangement, is prevented by the arms 314 and 316 engaging the portions 50A, 50B and 48A and 48B both above and below the panels 84 and 86 and occupying the space that the locking panels would have to move through to snap out of their locking arrangement.

The U-shaped lock includes a top member 318 that connects the arms 314 and 316. This does not project beyond the top of the container and is located in recesses 320 formed in the free top side of the flaps 300,302, 304 and 306.

The U-shaped lock 312 is shown in detail in Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 shows the flat blank from which the lock 312 is made. A central fold 322 runs along the length.

All panels are initially folded about that line to give a double thickness lock. Then the arms 314 and 316 are folded about folds 324 and 326 to occupy the position shown in Figure 14. In that position, and in particular when the lock is in position on the container, the lock cannot move about any of its folds. Thus it is retained firmly in the correct configuration.

The free ends of the arms 314 and 316 include chamfered portions 328 to assist in the ease of locating the lock in position.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container for a bottle, the container comprising a hollow container formed from a single sheet of foldable material, the material comprising a plurality of sides extending along at least part of the length of the container and an abutment also formed from the single sheet of material which, in use, assists in preventing a bottle from sliding through the hollow container in one direction wherein the abutment includes a downwardly and outwardly extending portion, when the container is upright, arranged to engage with an upwardly and inwardly extending portion of a bottle, the downwardly and outwardly extending portion of the abutment defined by at least two folds that extend from a common region downwardly and away from each other, the downwardly and outwardly extending portion of the abutment including two portions extending outwardly at different angles, and being defined by two pairs of spaced folds that extend downwardly and away from each other.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the downwardly and outwardly extending portions of the abutment are defined by two pairs of spaced folds that extend downwardly and away from each other.
3. A container according to claim 2, wherein at least one fold in each pair may be parallel to at least another fold in the other pair.
4. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the plane of the sheet defining the abutment extends upwardly when the plane of the sides of the container extend upwardly.
5. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the abutment is formed by at least two portions that are connected to sides of the container and that are connected

together by a fold that extends upwardly when the sides of the container extend upwardly with the two portions extending inwardly with respect to the container.
6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the two portions are directly connected.
7. A container according to claim 5, wherein the two portions are connected by a strip that is connected by a fold at each side to the two portions.
8. A container according to claims 5 to 7, wherein the two portions, when viewed from an end of the container, include an angle at their connection that is less than 180'on the outside of the container.
9. A container according to claims 5 to 8, wherein the two portions are arranged to automatically move into the position at which they comprise the abutment when a single sheet of material is moved from being a flat sheet into a formation in which the sheet comprises the plurality of sides.
10. A container according to claims 5 to 8, wherein the two portions are arranged to be pushed from a position in which their connection has an angle of more than 180'on the outside of the container to a position in which the portions comprise the abutment and the angle is less than 1800.
11. A container according to claim 10 wherein the two portions are a snap fit from the position in which that angle is more than 180 to the position in which it is less than 180 .
12. A container according to claims 5 to 11, wherein the two portions are connected to adjacent sides of the container.
13. A container according to claims 5 to 12, wherein the fold of the two portions, when the single sheet is flat, is coincident with the fold of two sides of the container.
14. A container according to claims 5 to 12 wherein the fold of the two portions, when the single sheet is flat is offset from the fold of two sides of the container.
15. A container according to claims 5 to 14, wherein the extent of one portion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extent of the container is less than the extent of the other portion.
16. A container according to claims 5 to 15, wherein at least one portion of the abutment is of the same width as one side of the container.
17. A container according to claims 5 to 15, wherein at least one portion of the abutment is of a different width to one side of the container.
18. A container according to claims 5 to 15, wherein at least one portion of the abutment is of a smaller width to one side of the container.
19. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the abutment is a snap fit into position.
20. A container according to claim 19, wherein two panels are connected together by a fold with substantially parallel folds connecting each flap with a different adjacent portion of the container, the distance between the substantially parallel folds being less than the combined

length of one parallel fold to the fold that connects the two panels and the distance from the other parallel fold to the fold that connects the two panels whereby the panels are stable when the fold that connects the two panels is located to one side or the other of a plane passing through the two substantially parallel folds.
21. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein locking means is arranged to retain at least one abutment in position.
22. A container according to claim 21, wherein the locking means is arranged to urge an abutment towards a bottle located in the container.
23. A container according to claims 21 and 22, wherein the locking means is arranged to extend in a direction whereby, going along that direction, a first part of the container is located on one side of the locking means and is engaged by the locking means to resist movement in a first direction, then a second part of the container is located on the opposite side of the locking means to resist movement of the locking means in a second direction, opposed to the first direction by engagement of the locking means with the second part and then, optionally, with a third part of the container then being engaged to resist movement of the locking means in the first direction.
24. A container according to claim 23, wherein the second part comprises the abutment.
25. A container according to claims 21 to 24, wherein the locking means comprises a member which is formed from a single sheet of foldable material.
26. A container according to claim 25, wherein the foldable material is folded to form a locking member of two layers of thickness.
27. A container according to claim 26, wherein the locking member locks two spaced portions of the container at different side regions thereof in position.
28. A container according to claims 26 and 27, wherein the locking member extends over an end of the container and extends to be within or generally flush with the general end extent of the container defined by the single sheet.
29. A container according to any of claims 1 to 5 or any of claims 6 to 27 when dependent on any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the abutment is located at an end region of the container.
30. A container according to any of claims 1 to 5 or any preceding claim when dependent on any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the abutment is spaced from an end region of the container.
31. A container according to any of claims 1 to 5 or any preceding claim when dependent on any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the abutment comprises at least two overlapping layers of the single sheet of material.
32. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container includes at least two abutments that are spaced from each other, one of which is arranged to cooperate with the bottom of a bottle to prevent movement of the bottle in one direction and the other of which is arranged to be contacted by a bottle to prevent movement of the bottle in the other direction.
33. A container according to claim 32, wherein the container includes at least two abutments at one longitudinal extent of the container.
34. A container according to claims 32 and 33, wherein the two abutments extend from opposite sides of the container.
35. A container according to any preceding claim wherein there are six sides to the container.
36. A container according to any preceding claim wherein the sides of the container are connected together to make the periphery continuous by a mechanical connection.
37. A container according to claim 35, wherein the sides of the container are connected together to make the periphery continuous by an interlocking connection.
38. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sides of the container are connected together to make the periphery continuous by an adhesive connection.
39. A container according to any preceding claim wherein the container is arranged to be laid on its side.
40. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container includes at least one projection extending outwardly from the main extent of the container.
41. A container as claimed in claim 40 including two such projections spaced from each other along the length of the container.
42. A container according to any preceding claim wherein the container includes at least one projection extending outwardly from the main extent of the container and

includes two such projections spaced from each other around the container.
43. A container according to claim 42, wherein where two projections are spaced from each other around the container.
44. A container as claimed in claim 43 wherein the two projections project from fold lines extending along the length of the container.
45. A container as claimed in claim 44 in which the fold lines from which the projections extend are adjacent to each other.
46. A container according to claims 40 to 45 wherein at least one of the projections serves as a buffer for the container when the container is upright.
47. A container according to claims 40 to 45 wherein at least one of the projections serves as a buffer when the container is on its side, either as a support for the container or as a buffer against adjacent parts such as further packaging.
48. A container as claimed in any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.
49. A flat sheet adapted to be formed into a container, as claimed in any preceding claim.
50. A method of forming a container as claimed in any preceding claim from a flat sheet comprises folding the material to comprise a plurality of sides that extend along at least part of the length of the container and forming an abutment from the single sheet that is arranged to prevent

a bottle from sliding through the hollow container in one direction.
51. A method of forming a container from a flat sheet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
52. A method of forming a container when the container is as claimed in any of claims 1 to 48.
53. A container according to claims 1 to 48 wherein a bottle is mounted therein.
54. A container according to claim 53, wherein the bottle is tubular in shape and has a narrower neck portion that is joined to the main tubular extent by a curved portion.