AU2007231783A1 - Drink Holders - Google Patents

Description

0 Drink Holders SThis invention relates to drink holders.

This invention has particular application to disposable drink holders C' adapted to contain one-serve beverage containers such as cans and bottles 00 for beer, mixed drinks and soft drinks, and for illustrative purposes reference N will be made to this application. However, it will be envisaged that this invention will find use in other applications, such as providing an insulating sleeve for hot drinks and other foodstuffs.

In hot (and especially humid) climates, a refrigerated, prepackaged beverage, when served, draws heat rapidly from the environment and may become untenably warm before the contents have been consumed. The principle heat sources are the steep temperature gradient between the ambient air and the product, the latent heat of vaporization as moisture condenses on the package from the air, and the hand heat of the user.

Insulative tubes, sleeves, wallets and the like have become universal in warm climates as drink holders for prepackaged, single serve, refrigerated beverages such as canned or bottled beer.

In the retail environment, a drink holder as described above may be provided either gratis or at cost. The drink holder may be essentially disposable as in a moulded EPS sleeve, or may be reusable, such as EPS sleeves inside a plastic abuse layer, and tailored expanded neoprene drink holders. The cost (and collectability) of reusable drink holders is underwritten by advertising printed or embossed on the holder. Such holders are also purchased by users for home consumption of such beverages. However, the drink holders are rarely carried about opportunistically.

2 0 In one aspect this invention resides broadly in a disposable drink z holder including a unitary body of laminated corrugated-core sheet material having a corrugation direction, and having opposed side edges aligned in the 00, corrugation direction, opposed top and bottom edges disposed across said oO corrugation direction, and an engagement tab formed on the body at one of Nthe side edges and adapted to engage engagement means associated with the other of the side edges to form the body into an open ended cylinder.

The laminated corrugated-core sheet material may be selected from carton board or other Kraft or recycled paper product, or polymer based material such as hollow fluted plastic board that is manufactured from, e.g.

lightweight extruded polypropylene.

The body may be formed by any suitable means such as by die cutting. The body may be formed as singular pieces from a flat panel.

Alternatively, the body may be formed as one of multiple bodies from a single sheet. The cutting may be associated with lithographic, pre print or post print action to provide a body that fulfils an advertising function at least in use, and also in the blank.

Where carton board is used, this may be selected from any carton cardboard. The carton board may be coated on one or both major surfaces to provide at least a measure of moisture resistance. In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface is provided with a size or other coating to provide a non-slip surface. For example, a rubberized or tacky polymer stripe may be rolled onto one side of the stock from which the apparatus is formed.

The engagement tab may take any suitable form and will be dictated S3 0 in part by the form of the corresponding engagement means. The c engagement tab may comprise a T- or arrow head-shaped die cut shape formed concurrently with the formation of the body and adapted to engage a C' die cut slot or slit respectively. Alternatively, the tab may be formed with a 00 plastic press stud connector adapted to engage a complementary press stud c portion forming the engagement means. The engagement tab may be adapted to engage the engagement means by a twine tail.

Beer cans and bottles, premixed drinks and "coolers", soft drinks and the like are generally bulk-sold in carton packaging. This invention has particular application to the consumption of carton-packaged beverage, where one of more apparatus in accordance with the present invention are formed in the material of the carton itself. The advantages of this embodiment includes benefits for the producers of beverages and cartons as a tool to ascertain greater market share from a simple and cheap idea utilizing an existing material already present. Examples of suitable packages for use in the present invention include corrugated boxes such as multi stackable corrugated containers eg beer cartons, boxes for cans, bottles or PET, wine casks, 6 12 bottle wine boxes, "bag in box" containers, cardboard carry packs or the like.

Accordingly, in a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a beverage bulk package formed of carton board and including a removable drink holder formed in a major surface, the drink holder having opposed side edges aligned in the corrugation direction of the carton board, opposed top and bottom edges disposed across the corrugation direction, and an engagement tab at one of the side edges and adapted to engage 0 engagement means associated with the other of the side edges to form the Sdrink holder into an open ended cylinder upon removal of the drink holder from the surface.

C' One or more of the surfaces of the beverage bulk package may oO include one or more of the drink holder forms. The printing that is usually associated with the surface of a beverage bulk package may be particularly configured to be in index with the drink holder forms. Particularly, the printing may serve to advertise the packaged product or another product or event in the manner of "stubby cooler advertising" when the drink holder is in use.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention and where: FIG. 1 is a plan of a beer carton blank; FIG. 2 is a plan of a beer carton blank incorporating drink holders in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a representative drink holder excised from the carton of FIG.

1; and FIG. 4 is the drink holder of FIG. 2, assembled for use.

In the figures there is provided a beer carton blank 10 formed of corrugated core cardboard carton sheet. The sheet has an internal layer of corrugated paper with the corrugations aligned in the direction of the arrows.

The blank 10 has fold lines and is cut to form major panel surfaces 11, side panel surfaces 12, a long closure 13 and side closures 14.

One major panel surface 11 has four drink holder blanks 15 precut by die cutting. Each of the drink holder blanks 15 has a main body portion 16 0 and a tab forming extension 17. Two blind cut lines 20 cooperate with fold z clines 19 to form a tab from the tab forming extension 17. A corresponding rectangular cut out forms a tab-engaging slot 21, retained at short side 18.

SIn use, the carton blank 10 is folded up and glued into a carton, to oO receive four 6-packs of beverage, as is typical. On purchase, the user may c remove one or more of the drink holder blanks 15. The user then folds up the tab extension 17 at the cut lines 20 and fold lines 19 to enable the tab extension 17 to be folded up. The user then bends the main body around until the folded up tab extension 17 passes into the slot 21, and the side portions of the tab 17 deployed to retain the tab 17 in the slot 21 to form a substantially cylindrical drink holder.

Apparatus in accordance with the embodiment has the advantage of being a promotion-adapted modification of an existing carton using existing techniques for its production and without requiring undue application of additional manufacturing steps or materials. There are no waste chads or the like.

Claims (16)

1. A disposable drink holder including a unitary body of laminated corrugated- C' core sheet material having a corrugation direction, and having opposed side 00oO edges aligned in the corrugation direction, opposed top and bottom edges Sdisposed across said corrugation direction, and an engagement tab formed on the body at one of the side edges and adapted to engage engagement means associated with the other of the side edges to form the body into an open ended cylinder.

2. A disposable drink holder according to claim 1, wherein said laminated corrugated-core sheet material is carton board.

3. A disposable drink holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body is formed by die cutting.

4. A disposable drink holder according to claim 3, wherein the body is formed as one of multiple bodies from a single sheet.

A disposable drink holder according to claim 4, wherein the cutting is associated with lithographic, pre print or post print action.

6. A drink holder according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the carton board is coated on one or both major surfaces to provide at least a measure of moisture resistance.

7. A drink holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body in use forms an inner surface and wherein the inner surface is t' provided with a non-slip surface. 0

8. A drink holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein engagement tab comprises a T- or arrow head-shaped die cut shape formed concurrently with the formation of the body and adapted to engage a die cut slot or slit respectively forming said engagement means.

9. A drink holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the unitary body is formed in the major surface of a carton package.

A drink holder according to claim 9, wherein the carton package is beverage carton package.

11. A drink holder according to claim 10, wherein the package is a multi stackable corrugated beer carton.

12. A beverage bulk package formed of carton board and including a removable drink holder formed in a major surface, the drink holder having opposed side edges aligned in the corrugation direction of the carton board, opposed top and bottom edges disposed across the corrugation direction, and an engagement tab at one of the side edges and adapted to engage engagement means associated with the other of the side edges to form the 0 8 O drink holder into an open ended cylinder upon removal of the drink holder from the surface. 00 c

13. A beverage bulk package according to claim 12, wherein one or more rO of the surfaces of the beverage bulk package includes one or more of the N drink holder forms.

14. A beverage bulk package according to claim 13, wherein printing associated with the surface of the beverage bulk package is in index with the drink holder forms.

A drink holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A beverage bulk package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.