DE212021000459U1 - System for grouping and transporting bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

System for grouping and transporting bottles (B), in particular bottles for food, the system (10) comprising a single sheet (12) of corrugated cardboard, forming as a whole a lower area (14) and an upper area (16), and on each of the two opposite sides of the lower area (14) of the flat sheet (12) at least one adhesive element (18) configured to ensure the adhesion of a respective bottle (B) to the sheet (12), the lower one Section (14) and the upper section (16) of the sheet (12) are each separated by a respective dividing line (L) about which the upper section (16) can be folded over from one side to the other with respect to the lower section (14) such that the sheet (12) can assume a first configuration in which the upper section (16) is respectively coplanar with the lower section (14) to allow the operator to separate the sheet (12) and to hold the bottles (B), and a second configuration in which the upper portion (16) is orthogonal to the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) of the arch (12) has a plurality of openings (26) each located and sized to allow the neck (C) of each bottle (B) attached to the lower portion (14) of the arch (12) to be pierced in said second configuration of the arch (12). corresponding opening (26) of the upper area (16) of sheet (12) to be used.

Description

TECHNICAL SCOPE

The present invention relates to a system for grouping and transporting a plurality of bottles, in particular bottles for foodstuffs, such as bottles for milk, fruit juices and other beverages, etc.

More precisely, the invention relates to a system for grouping and transporting bottles that requires less material, can be easily transported even with just one hand, and allows groups of bottles to be stacked on top of each other without any problem.

STATE OF THE ART

Systems for grouping bottles are known which allow the user to transport them as a whole. Thus, components made of plastic are usually used, which enclose the bottles to be transported and are provided with a handle at the top to enable transport by the user. Also known are cuboid cardboard boxes in which the bottles to be transported are housed. Furthermore, systems are known which connect a cardboard base on which the bottles to be transported stand with a plastic film which encloses the bottles themselves; these systems can also each have cardboard partitions between each row of bottles to be transported.

However, these known systems are distinguished by the need for a considerable amount of material, which consequently leads to high production costs and consequently to corresponding environmental pollution. In addition, these known systems are quite bulky, which is why they take up an unnecessarily large amount of space after the bottles have been removed.

In addition, the bottles can only be stacked on top of each other with difficulty with this system.

SUMMARY

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for grouping and transporting bottles which is optimized compared to the known technique and which, in particular, does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional technique.

This and other aims are fully achieved thanks to a system which is described in the appended independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the system according to the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

In essence, the invention is based on the idea of using, as a system for grouping and transporting bottles, a single sheet of corrugated cardboard comprising a lower part with two opposite sides, each of which has at least one adhesive element to allow the respective bottle to be stuck to the lower part of the sheet. Since the system consists of just one sheet of cardboard, it requires only a small amount of material, is space-saving and also very light.

The bottom and top of the sheet are each separated by a dividing line around which the top can be folded from side to side relative to the bottom so that the sheet can assume a first configuration in which the top is coplanar with the bottom to allow the operator to grasp the sheet and with it the bottles attached to the bottom of the sheet, and a second configuration in which the top is perpendicular to the bottom. In addition, the upper portion of the arch has a plurality of openings located and sized so that, in the second configuration of the arch, the neck of each bottle secured to the lower portion of the arch is inserted into a corresponding opening in the upper portion of the arch. In this way, in the second configuration mentioned above, the arch does not protrude upwards with respect to the bottles and therefore does not constitute an obstacle to the stacking of the groups of bottles.

The number of bottles that the system can carry can be selected depending on the type of application: for example, the system can be configured to transport four, six or more bottles at a time. Preferably, the number of bottles should be an even number so that they can be divided equally between the two sides.

Preferably, at least two gripping elements should be provided on each side of the lower portion of the flat sheet for each individual bottle to be transported, so as to ensure that each bottle is securely held on the flat sheet.

The adhesive elements of each individual bottle are preferably arranged in rows, that is to say they are each aligned perpendicular to one another. Each side of the lower section of the fla In this case, the sheet has groups of adhesive elements arranged in a row, so that the bottles can be arranged next to one another on each side.

According to one embodiment, for each bottle that is to be transported using the system, an upper unit is provided with two or more adhesive elements, each of which is aligned perpendicular to one another, and a lower unit with two or more adhesive elements, each of which is aligned perpendicular to one another and is aligned perpendicularly with adhesive elements of the upper unit. The adhesive elements of each unit are thereby at a smaller distance from each other than the distance between the upper unit and the lower unit (understood as the distance between the lower adhesive element of the upper unit and the upper adhesive element of the lower unit).

The adhesive elements are preferably configured so that they have a stronger adhesion to the paperboard from which the sheet is made than the adhesion to the bottle material. This ensures that when the bottle is removed from the cardboard sheet, the glue remains attached to the sheet and thus no residue of glue is left on the bottle, which would be a nuisance when using it.

The adhesive elements are advantageously made as removable elements in order to be able to be removed from the sheet and reattached there, for example in a different position than before, in order to be able to adapt better to the different bottle format.

Other characteristics of the system according to the present invention will be made clearer in the following detailed description, which is to be understood as a pure and non-limiting example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein the and 12 are perspective views, respectively, showing a bottle grouping and transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, with and without bottles, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the and a system for the grouping and transport of bottles B, in particular plastic bottles for foodstuffs, according to an embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated at 10.

The system 10 comprises a single sheet of corrugated cardboard 12 to the opposite sides of which bottles B are intended to be adhesively secured, respectively. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the system 10 is configured to group and transport four bottles B, two attached to one side of the arch 12 and the remaining two to the opposite side, although the system can of course be configured for a different number of bottles B (more than or less than four). Preferably, although not necessarily, the number of bottles B should be an even number so that the bottles B can be distributed equally on either side of the sheet 12, respectively.

In the illustrated embodiment, sheet 12 is rectangular in shape, having a horizontal bottom side 12a, a horizontal top side 12b parallel to horizontal bottom side 12a, and a pair of vertical sides 12c perpendicular to both horizontal sides 12a and 12b. Preferably, the horizontal upper side 12b is connected to each of the two vertical sides 12c by means of a respective bevel or joint 12d. In the example described here, a bevel is provided, ie a straight segment inclined at 45°, for example, with respect to the horizontal top face 12b, but alternatively a corresponding joint could be provided, ie an arc of a circle.

The sheet 12 completely comprises a lower area 14 and an upper area 16. The lower area 14 serves as a holder for the bottles B, while the upper area 16 serves as a grip segment for the user.

The lower part 14 and the upper part 16 are separated by a line L, at the height of which a fold area is provided in sheet 12 to allow the user to fold the upper part 16 on one side or the other with respect to the lower part 14 in order to reduce the height of the system occupancy, in particular to allow the stacking of several systems 10 with the respective bottles B. The arch 12 can therefore assume a first configuration (not shown in the figures) in which the upper portion 16 is coplanar with the lower portion 12 to allow operators to grasp the arch 12 and therefore the bottles B which are attached to the lower portion 14, and a second (in Figs and shown) config ration in which the upper section 16 is arranged at right angles with respect to the lower section 14 in order to be able to stack the groups of bottles B one on top of the other.

On both sides of the lower portion 14 of sheet 12 are provided adhesive elements 18 (while the upper portion 16 does not have these elements) by means of which each bottle B can be removably attached to sheet 12. The adhesive elements 18 are preferably configured in such a way that they adhere more strongly to the sheet 12 than to the bottles B.

At least two adhesive elements 18 are preferably provided on the lower region 14 of sheet 12 for each bottle B to be transported, so that perfectly firm adhesion of bottle B to sheet 12 is ensured. In this case, the adhesive elements 18 belonging to each bottle B are advantageously aligned perpendicular to one another. Each side of the lower portion 14 of sheet 12 thus has corresponding sets of adhesive elements 18, each arranged in rows so as to allow the bottles B on each side to be juxtaposed.

In particular, as in the exemplary embodiment shown, for each bottle B an upper unit 20 with two or more adhesive elements 18, each of which is aligned perpendicular to one another, and a lower unit 22, with two or more adhesive elements 18, each of which is perpendicular to one another and perpendicular to the adhesive elements 18 of the upper unit 20, can be provided. The adhesive elements 18 of each unit 20 and 22 are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the distance between the upper unit 20 and the lower unit 22 (understood as the respective distance between the lower adhesive element 18 of the upper unit 20 and the upper adhesive element 18 of the lower unit 22).

As can be seen from the figures, the bottles B are preferably placed with their respective side surfaces in contact with one another in order to minimize the overall space occupied by the bottles carried by the system 10.

The arch 12 has a greater height than the bottles B, so that the upper portion 16 of the arch 12 in the above-mentioned first configuration projects upwards with respect to the bottles B and can thus be grasped by the hand of the user for the transport of the system 10 and with it the bottles B.

In the above second configuration, as in the and As shown, the upper portion 16 of sheet 12 is folded perpendicularly at the level of the corresponding line L with respect to the lower portion 14, on the side of a first face of that portion. In this configuration, upper portion 16 of sheet 12 extends horizontally while lower portion 14 extends vertically. The top portion 16 of arch 12 has one or more openings 26, in particular circular in shape, into each of which the neck C of a bottle B, which in turn is fixed to said first face of the bottom portion 14 of arch 12, is inserted. Of course, the apertures 26 are positioned so as to each align with a respective bottle B, particularly the neck C of the bottle when the bottle is attached to the lower portion 14 of the arch 12 by means of the adhesive elements 18.

The present invention has been described herein with reference to a preferred embodiment. It is understood that other embodiments can be envisaged which have the same inventive concept as that described herein, as determined within the scope of the protection of the claims set forth below.

Claims (7)

System for grouping and transporting bottles (B), in particular bottles for food, the system (10) each comprising a single sheet (12) of corrugated cardboard, forming as a whole a lower area (14) and an upper area (16), and on each of the two opposite sides of the lower area (14) of the flat sheet (12) at least one adhesive element (18) configured to ensure the adhesion of a respective bottle (B) to the sheet (12), the lower area (14) and the top portion (16) of the sheet (12) are each separated by a respective dividing line (L) about which the top portion (16) can be folded over from side to side with respect to the bottom portion (14) such that the sheet (12) can assume a first configuration in which the top portion (16) is respectively coplanar with the bottom portion (14) to permit the operator to manipulate the sheet (12) and therewith to hold the bottles (B), and a second configuration in which the upper portion (16) is orthogonal to the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) of the arch (12) has a plurality of openings (26), each positioned and sized to allow the neck (C) of each bottle (B) fastened to the lower portion (14) of the arch (12). is intended, in said second configuration of arch (12), to be inserted in a corresponding opening (26) of the upper portion (16) of arch (12). system according to claim 1 , wherein the openings (26) have a round shape. system according to claim 1 or 2 , the arch (12) having a rectangular shape with a lower horizontal side (12a), an upper horizontal side (12b) parallel to the lower horizontal side (12a), and a pair of vertical sides (12c) perpendicular to the lower horizontal side (12a) and the upper horizontal side (12b), respectively. system according to claim 3 , the upper horizontal side (12b) of the arch (12) being connected to each of the two vertical sides (12c) by a respective joint or bevel (12d). A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesive elements (18) are made as elements removable from the lower portion (14) of the sheet (12). System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesive elements (18) on each side of the lower region of the sheet (12) are arranged in rows in groups of at least two adhesive elements (18) each, each group of adhesive elements (18) being respectively intended for fastening a corresponding bottle (B) on the sheet (12). system according to claim 6 , wherein each group with at least two adhesive elements (18) arranged in rows comprises an upper unit (20) with two or more adhesive elements (18) which are each aligned perpendicular to one another, and a lower unit (22) with two or more adhesive elements (18) which are each aligned perpendicular to one another and perpendicular to the adhesive elements (18) of the upper unit (20).

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