AU756446B1

AU756446B1 - A carton containing at least one rip off portion to hold a drink can or bottle

Info

Publication number: AU756446B1
Application number: AU23196/02A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gary William Clarke; Lorraine Jeanette Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-08
Filing date: 2002-03-08
Publication date: 2003-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-08

Description

A CARTON CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE RIP OFF PORTION TO HOLD A DRINK CAN OR BOTTLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a carton that is typically made of cardboard, and where the wall of the carton is provided with at least one rip off portion which can be torn away and folded to form a container holder (for instance, for a drink can or drink bottle). The rip off portion can be of a special design. The carton is typically used to hold a plurality of beverage bottles or beverage cans such as beer bottles and beer cans.

BACKGROUND ART Beer cartons are typically formed of cardboard. A cardboard sheet is folded and glued to form the carton. The carton is typically boxlike in configuration and has six walls. The end walls of the carton usually contain fold over tabs that can be opened to access the beer cans/beer bottles etc.

Such cartons are used for beer cans typically holding between 300-500 ml of beverage, small beer bottles (known in Australia as stubbies), and which have a similar volume of beverage, and larger beer bottles which typically hold between 700-1000 ml of beverage. A carton will typically hold between 20-30 cans or stubbies and about a dozen larger bottles.

Another type of carton is used for boutique beers and typically holds six bottles of beer. The carton can also be used for small wine bottles, mixtures of spirits etc. These cartons are much smaller and typically comprise a rectangular box that has an open top. Dividers are usually provided in the rectangular box to provide six separate compartments, each compartment being able to hold a single bottle. The dividers are used to keep the bottles in an upright position and to stop the bottles from rattling against each other. The carton is provided with some sort of handle.

Each of these cartons has a bottom wall and to stop the bottles/cans from falling through the bottom wall, the bottom wall needs to be quite tough. For the larger cartons, the bottom wall typically comprises a pair of inwardly folded cardboard flaps or tabs that are glued. These flaps or tabs form a fold line or a crease line with respect to the rest of the carton.

Similarly, the smaller cartons also have a fold line or a crease line between the bottom wall and a side wall. The cartons have relatively large sidewalls.

Mostly, the beverages in the cartons are of type that are drunk chilled. Therefore, it is known to store the cartons in large refrigerators.

When a can or bottle is removed from a cold carton, the contents very quickly warm up. As well, the outside wall of the can or bottle quickly forms condensation. For this reason, it is well known to provide a can/bottle holder, otherwise known in Australia as a "stubby cooler". A well-known type of cooler comprises a rigid polystyrene cylindrical container into which the can or bottle can be placed. Another well-known type of cooler is made of a "wetsuit" type material that is flexible. A disadvantage with existing coolers is that the cooler can be lost, damaged, and is sometimes simply not available at the place where the beer or beverage is to be consumed.

Therefore, it would be an advantage if the carton itself could be provided with some form of rip off portion which could be bent or otherwise configured into a cooler. It is found that the cardboard of which the large carton is formed is typically a corrugated or fluted cardboard which provides the required strength and durability, and this type of cardboard also provides a degree of insulation making it suitable as a cooler. However, it may not be sufficient to merely have a rectangular rip off portion to form a simple tube as the tube is open ended at both ends and a can/bottle can slide out of the bottom of the tube and smash. Also, if the tube does not contain some form of attachment means, holding the can or bottle in the tube may be difficult.

Therefore, it is envisaged that a special design of the rip off portion and/or a special assembly technique may be required for the cooler in order to provide the cooler with sufficient strength.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a carton which has at least one rip off portion which can be formed into a holder for a beverage can or beverage bottle which is stored within the carton.

In one form, the invention resides in a carton having at least one rip off portion which can be formed into a holder for a beverage can or beverage bottle which is stored within the carton, the rip off portion being configured to allow it to be formed into a tube into which the beverage bottle or beverage can can be placed.

In one form, the rip off portion may be in a side wall or end wall of the carton. The rip off portion may be substantially rectangular and may be defined by a line of weakness in the carton wall that facilitates removal of the portion from the remainder of the carton. The line of weakness may comprise a series of perforations, slits, or a reduction in the wall thickness of the carton.

It is envisaged that a number of such portions may be provided in the carton to enable a number of coolers to be formed.

The length of the portion is typically sufficient to allow the portion to form a tube which has a diameter sufficient to accommodate the beverage container housed within the carton. Similarly, the width of the portion is typically sufficient to allow the formed cooler to substantially cover the side wall of the beverage container.

In order to more properly define the cooler, the rip off portion may be provided with attachment means to allow one edge of the -rip off portion to be attached to an opposite edge of the rip off portion, thereby forming the tube. Various types of attachment means are envisaged. In one form, the attachment means may comprise a physical locking attachment means. This may be in the form of at least one tab on or adjacent one edge of the rip off portion and which can locate in a recess or slot adjacent the other edge of the rip off portion. The at least one tab may comprise a rounded head with a neck portion which extends into a rounded slot.

Alternatively, the at least one tab may be "arrow" shaped and can be pushed through a slit adjacent the other edge of the portion.

In another form, the attachment means may comprise an adhesive. For instance, one edge of the portion may be provided with an adhesive that can stick to the other edge of the portion when the portion is ripped off the carton and curved to form the tube. A press stick adhesive is considered suitable and various types of press stick adhesives are available in the marketplace. If an adhesive is used, it may be initially protected with a protective peel off layer. The peel off layer can be removed after the portion has been ripped away from the carton to expose the adhesive that can then stick to adjacent the opposite edge to form the tube. The peel off layer can be entirely removed, or may have a zone that remains attached to the rip off portion to minimise littering.

It is considered that other types of attachment means could also be used.

The rip off portion may be formed in, or comprise an end tab of the carton. This can make it easier to rip off the portion as the tab is already designed to be lifted open to access the cans/bottles in the carton.

In order to reduce the possibility of the beverage container slipping out of the cooler, one form of the invention has the cooler formed such that it can grip the sidewalls of the beverage container. This form of the invention is particularly suited to the corrugated or fluted thicker cardboard which is traditionally used for cartons that house the large number of bottles/cans. In this form of the invention, the attachment means is designed such that the portion needs to be initially compressed or squeezed about the bottle/can to allow the attachment means to cooperate and attach together.

The compression can then be removed from the portion which expands the portion and which results in the attachment means attaching together quite tightly and typically still providing some grip to the side wall of the bottle/can.

Another form of the invention provides a cooler having at least part of a bottom wall to further support the can/bottle within the cooler. The bottom wall should preferably be formed such that it can at least partially support the weight of the can/bottle.

After much research and experimentation, it has now been discovered that a fold line or crease in the carton can be advantageously used to assist in the formation of a bottom wall in the formed cooler.

Therefore, another form of the invention resides in a carton of the type that has at least one crease line, and at least one rip off portion, the rip off portion including at least part of the said crease line. In this form of the invention, the rip off portion does not comprise only the side wall of the carton but instead comprises part of two walls which are interconnected by a crease line. It is found that the crease line helps in the formation of.a base in the cooler.

Suitably, the crease line comprises part of the cardboard tabs which form the end walls of the carton. The reason for this is that the cardboard tabs are already designed to be opened to access the can/bottles in the carton and this form of the invention takes advantage of this property of the cardboard tabs. Other edges or crease lines can also be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1. Illustrates a carton of larger design to hold between 12-30 bottles/cans of beverage.

Figure 2. Illustrates a carton of smaller design to hold about six bottles of beverage.

Figure 3. Illustrates a rip off portion according to a first embodiment of the invention and which contains attachment tabs.

Figure 4. Illustrates a rip off portion according to a second embodiment of the invention and which contains an adhesive.

Figure 5. Illustrates an end wall of a carton showing the folded tabs and illustrating a rip off portion which takes advantage of a crease line.

Figure 6. Illustrates the ripped off portion from the carton of Figure Figure 7. Illustrates the ripped off portion in top view forced into a tubular configuration and forming a side wall and a base wall.

Figure 8. Illustrates a smaller carton showing how a cooler can be formed from the smaller carton.

BEST MODE Referring to the figures and initially to figure 1 there is illustrated a known conventional cardboard beer carton 10. Carton 10 is typically designed to hold between 24-30 375 mil cans or bottles of beverage, or 12 750 mil cans or bottles of beverage. The carton is formed from an initial flat blank of cardboard material which is typically corrugated and which is folded and glued to form the carton. The carton has four sidewalls 11-14 (only walls 11 and 12 being illustrated)-and a pair of opposed end walls 15, 16. The end walls are formed with a pair of folded in tabs 17, 18. These tabs can be pulled open and will hinge about crease lines 19 and Figure 2 illustrates the smaller carton 21 which is used to hold six bottles of beverage. This carton is substantially boxlike and has an open top 22 into which is fitted a series of dividers 23 to divide the carton into six individual areas to hold the six beverage bottles. A handle 24 is provided to allow the carton to be carried. This type of carton is entirely conventional.

Referring again to figure 1, there is illustrated two rip off portions 26 and it should be appreciated that the place and size and number of the rip off portions can vary. These rip off portions are defined by a peripheral line of weakness which may comprise a series of perforations, slits, or a reduced wall thickness. Figure 3 illustrates rip off portion 25 and figure 4 illustrates rip off portion 26. Rip off portion 25 comprises a substantially rectangular body having a length which is sufficient such that when the portion is formed into a tube the internal diameter is slightly larger than the external diameter of the beverage container which is housed within carton 10. Portion can be bent to form a tubular shape and can be held in the tubular shape by a physical locking arrangement which in this particular embodiment comprises a pair of extending tabs 27 extending from one edge of portion which can lock iRto corresponding recesses 28 extending into the other edge of portion In a variation illustrated in Figure 4, rip off portion 26 is also substantially rectangular. One edge of the portion is provided with a press stick adhesive 29 which is initially protected with a peel off layer 30 which can be peeled away to expose the press stick adhesive. The portion can then be curved into a tube and the press stick adhesive can stick to the other end of the portion to hold the tube together. In a slight variation, peel off layer 30 can have a zone which remains attached to portion 26 to reduce littering.

Figures 5-7 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention, this embodiment taking advantage of a crease line in the carton. Referring initially to figure 5, there is illustrated a rip off portion 31 which is also illustrated in figure 6. Rip off portion 31 comprises tab 17 and part of side wall 11 and the part of side wall 11 is defined by a line of weakness 32. When this portion 31 is ripped away from the remainder of the carton, it will have a configuration illustrated in figure 6. The configuration includes crease line 19 and thus the rip off portion is substantially L shaped. Portion 31 can be bent into a tube in the direction of arrow 33. During this operation, tab 17 (which becomes part of the base wall of the cooler) will become deformed and squashed and there will be some effort required to form the tube. To facilitate this process, it is envisaged that further fold lines or lines of weakness 34 may be present on tab 17. Conversely, the base wall may be defined by the other part 35 or portion 31, and in this variation, further fold lines or lines of weakness may be present on part Once portion 31 has been pushed into a tubular configuration, a plan view will look like that illustrated in figure 7 and it can be seen that the cooler now has a base wall which has some strength due to the base wall (typically tab 17) being crunched and compressed during the process of forming the tube. If desired, a beverage container can be pushed into the formed cooler and onto a hard surface to form a flatter base wall. The base wall comprises a compressed/squashed wall that can add strength to the base and can form an interlocking plane. Optional slits may be provided to facilitate formation of the base.

Figure 9 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention where a rip off portion 14 is provided with a pair of extending locking tabs 41 which can locate within corresponding slits 42 to hold the form tube together.

Although the embodiment illustrated in figures 5-7 use a crease line, it is also envisaged that the carton may be formed with a longitudinal rib that does not form a crease line but which can be used as part of the rip off portion to form a cooler is illustrated in figure 7. However, it does appear more convenient to use an existing crease line of the carton.

The larger carton illustrated in figure 1 is formed of a-corrugated or fluted material and therefore can be slightly compressed. This feature can be used as a further advantage of the present invention by providing a better locking together of the cooler. For instance, the projections 27 and recesses 28 in figure 3 can be designed such that they only properly lock together when the formed tube is initially compressed around a beverage container to bring the projections and recess into proper engagement. The tube can then be released to expand the cardboard which results in a tighter and more positive locking arrangement and which can also provide some grip to the side wall of the beverage container.

Figure 8 illustrates a cooler according to another embodiment of the invention and which is particularly suited to the smaller carton of the type illustrated in figure 2. In the embodiment, the portion has a side wall 50 and a base wall 51 these two walls being substantially L-shaped relative to reach other. Base wall 51 is provided with a plurality of tab portions 52 and each tab portion is separated from an adjacent tab portion by a line of weakness or a line of perforations 53. Extending transversely across each of the perforations 53 is a V. shaped slit 54 the purpose of which will be described in greater detail below. The top of side wall 50 is provided with a pair of spaced apart rather large locking tabs 55 which can be made to clip on the top of a bottleneck when the cooler is wrapped around a bottle. This can provide extra installation. In use, the portion as illustrated in figure 8 is ripped away from the remainder of the carton. The perforations 53 can then be slit open with a fingernail, sharp instrument, or may also be left alone. When the portion as illustrated in figure 8 is bent to form a tube, tabs 52 begin to overlap each other and slits 54 interlocked to form a stable base. If perforations 53 are large enough, the tabs may simply tear away from each other upon the curving process. Otherwise, the tabs can be initially cut as described above.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance the invention can extend to two coolers nested in each other to improve the insulation efficiency.

Claims

1. A carton having at least one rip off portion which can be formed into a holder for a beverage can or beverage bottle which is stored within the carton, the rip off portion having attachment means to allow the rip off portion to be formed into a tube into which the beverage bottle or beverage can, can be placed.

2. The carton of claim 1,wherein the rip off portion includes a crease line in the carton.

3. The carton of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carton is provided with a folded tab which defines part of the end wall of the carton, the folded tab having a crease line adjacent one edge, the rip off portion comprising at least part of the folded tab and at least part of the crease line.

4. A holder for a beverage container, the holder comprising the rip off portion as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3.

5. The holder as claimed in claim 4 which is formed by bending the rip off portion as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 into a tube, at least one part of the rip off portion forming a base wall in the formed tube.

6. The holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tab comprises the base wall in the formed tube.

7. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rip off portion is substantially rectangular and is defined by a line of weakness in the carton wall that facilitates removal of the portion from the remainder of the carton.

8. The carton as claimed in claim 7,wherein the line of weakness comprises a series of perforations, slits, or a reduction in the wall thickness of the carton.

9. The carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of said rip off portions.

The carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rip off portion is provided with attachment means to allow one edge of the rip off portion to be attached to an opposite edge of the rip off portion, thereby forming a tube.

11. The carton as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment means comprises at least one tab on or adjacent one edge of the rip off portion and which can locate in a recess or slot adjacent the other edge of the rip off portion.

12. The carton as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one tab has a rounded head and a neck portion which extends into a rounded slot.

13. The carton as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one tab is "arrow" shaped and can be pushed through a slit adjacent the other edge of the portion.

14. The carton as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment means comprises an adhesive.

15. The carton as claimed in claim 14, the adhesive is initially protected with a protective peel off layer.

16. The carton as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment means comprises a first part of adjacent one edge of the portion, and a second part adjacent the other edge of the portion, the two cars being attachable to each other when the portion is formed into a tube, characterised in that the tube material is initially compressed around a hard surface such as a beverage container to enable the two parts to be attached together, and the tube material is then released to cause the two parts to firmly lock together.

17. A carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 1 st day of November 2002 Gary William Clarke and Lorraine Jeanette Clarke By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. i "i