EP0232670B1 - Bundling packaging with a strap handle, and method of making it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to group packaging for the packaging in sales units of a plurality of containers grouped together in a compact batch and held in contact with one another by a tight belt link carrying out the strapping of the batch of containers. , packaging as specified in the first part of claim 1 and known, for example, from documents EP-A 0 042 711 and EP-A 0 066 029.

The invention also relates to the method for making the above packaging.

The strapping by link-plan with integrated handle of a grouping of containers and more particularly of a grouping of small bottles of drink allows the good cohesion of the grouping as well as its taking and its carrying easier by keeping the packaging in the strapping plan.

Maintaining by strapping alone is not, however, sufficient in practice, since it cannot by itself ensure cohesion of the group, but also for reasons of industrial production of the full packaging which requires, for its training, to have a container reception plan. In addition, general protection is sought by opaque and closed packaging: light, dust and others. Indeed, a group of simply rimmed bottles would in no way be suitable either for technical requirements of group cohesion or at the level of the consumer who would immediately feel insufficient support.

We already know tight-link packaging surrounding the grouping of bottles inside a box or a cardboard cover. The tight link presents for some a semi-integrated handle.

It is the European Application _No. 0,042,711 filed by the US company The Mead Corporation.

According to this invention, a cardboard box contains a batch of bottles of which only a part, for example the first group, is encircled by a tight link and comprises a semi-integrated handle.

This handle consists of a loop folded against the group of bottles and held inside the packaging. When entering the packaging, with a view to carrying it, this handle is extracted from the packaging and it is deployed outside the protected volume.

When wearing, the handle communicating only with the link enclosing the first group of bottles, the cardboard packaging must support the entire weight of the second group which is not maintained by the link.

This is a major drawback which leads either to the risk of destroying the packaging and leaving the bottles of the second group maintained only by the carton during the wearing phases or which leads to significantly strengthening the carton of the packaging.

There are other known types of packaging with integrated handle to the package as described in European Application _No. 0,066,029 filed by the Continental Corporation Corrugated.

On the handle is laminated a reinforcement strip, so as to correctly improve its mechanical resistance. Unfortunately, to resist the mechanical forces generated by the weight of the bottles, the anchoring of this handle must be notably resistant. This also and necessarily leads to the production of packaging using strong cartons, therefore expensive.

The object of the present invention is to remedy two drawbacks mounted on page 1 by allowing, thanks to a tight strapping and a handle fully integrated into the link, to be satisfied with a packaging of low mechanical resistance, the batch of bottles being maintained. enough by strapping.

Furthermore, the proposed packaging has a dissociated bottom of the tray type to which a cap of geometric shape relates, after the product to be packaged has been strapped by plane link serving as a handle at a determined location.

For this purpose, it is a group packaging for the packaging in sales units of a plurality of containers grouped together in a compact lot kept in contact against each other by a tight belt link carrying out the strapping of the batch of containers, the packaging comprising on one of its lateral surface faces an opening for the passage of a handle, in connection with the link, packaging characterized in that the batch of containers thus belted rests on a bottom of the tray type with raised edges forming a border used as a shaper for grouping the containers into a compact batch, and in that said batch is covered by a cap secured in the lower part to the edges of the tray, the handle which crosses the opening provided on at least one of the main faces of the lateral surface of the cap is integrated into the link, said handle being formed with the link in the form of a return loop of cer clage or in the form of a loop attached to the strapping loop.

• - existence d'un plan de soutien des bouteilles coopérant avec le lien de cerclage en vue de la cohésion du groupement;
• - protection lumière et poussière et masquage du lien de cerclage;
• - possibilité de réalisation du fond en matériau différent notamment en matière plastique;
• - individualisation de la fonction poignée;
• - résistance exceptionnelle de la poignée dans toutes les formes d'exécution;
• - précision du positionnement de la poigne;
• - confort de prise et de maintien
• - facilité de mise en oeuvre.

The present invention has numerous advantages, the main ones of which will be mentioned below:

• - existence of a bottle support plan cooperating with the strapping link for the purpose of group cohesion;
• - light and dust protection and masking of the strapping link;
• - possibility of making the bottom in different material including plastic;
• - individualization of the handle function;
• - exceptional resistance of the handle in all forms of execution;
• - precision of the positioning of the handle;
• - comfort of grip and maintenance
• - ease of implementation.

• . la figure 1 est une vue en perspective de la version de base de l'emballage selon l'invention dans sa forme parallélépipèdique dressé ouvert, dissocié entre la coiffe et le fond;
• . la figure 2 est une vue en perspective, emballage semi-fermé avec matérialisation de la poignée et du plan de cerclage;
• . la figure 3 est une vue partielle de l'emballage en perspective montrant plus particulièrement la face avant et l'une des faces latérales en transparence;
• . la figure 4 est une vue en plan de la découpe à plat;
• . les figures 5 et 6 sont respectivement des vues en perspective et en plan de la découpe à plat de la coiffe concernant une version à pans coupés;
• . les figures 7 et 8 sont respectivement des vues en perspective et en plan concernant une version à pans coupés et à coins coupés.
• . la figure 9 est une vue en plan de la découpe à plat d'un type de fond pouvant convenir aux deux variantes ci-dessus;
• . la figure 10 est une vue générale schématique en perspective montrant un type de poignée formée avec le lien;
• . la figure 11 est une vue de détail de la même poignée pourvue de deux plis intermédiaires de rabattement;
• . la figure 12 est une vue en perspective du même type de poignée représentée sur un cerclage par lien plat d'un lot de bouteilles;
• . la figure 13 est une vue générale schématique en perspective montrant un type de poignée constituée par le rabattement des deux extrémités du lien;
• . la figure 14 est une vue de détail de la même poignée pourvue des deux plis intermédiaires de rabattement;
• . la figure 15 est une vue en perspective d'un mode de réalisation de base d'un autre type de poignée intégrée montée sur le lien;
• . la figure 16 est une vue en perspective d'un mode de réalisation élaboré de l'autre type de poignée intégrée montée sur le lien représenté sur la figure 15;
• . la figure 17 est une vue en perspective d'un emballage semi-fermé avec figuration de la poignée conforme à la variante de la figure 16;
• . la figure 18 est une vue en perspective d'un emballage à pans coupés et à coins coupés comportant la poignée conforme à la variante de base représentée sur la figure 15, avec agrandissement de la zone de préhension;
• . la figure 19 est une vue schématique en perspective illustrant le procédé de confection de l'emballage autour d'un lot de bouteilles.

The technical characteristics and advantages of the invention are recorded in the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• . Figure 1 is a perspective view of the basic version of the packaging according to the invention in its parallelepiped shape erect open, dissociated between the cap and the bottom;
• . Figure 2 is a perspective view, semi-closed package with materialization of the handle and the strapping plane;
• . Figure 3 is a partial view of the packaging in perspective showing more particularly the front face and one of the side faces in transparency;
• . Figure 4 is a plan view of the flat blank;
• . FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively perspective and plan views of the flat cutout of the cap concerning a version with cut sides;
• . Figures 7 and 8 are respectively perspective and plan views of a version with cut sides and cut corners.
• . FIG. 9 is a plan view of the flat cutout of a type of bottom which may be suitable for the two variants above;
• . Figure 10 is a general schematic perspective view showing a type of handle formed with the link;
• . Figure 11 is a detail view of the same handle provided with two intermediate folds of folding;
• . Figure 12 is a perspective view of the same type of handle shown on a strapping by flat link of a batch of bottles;
• . Figure 13 is a general schematic perspective view showing a type of handle formed by the folding of the two ends of the link;
• . Figure 14 is a detail view of the same handle provided with two intermediate folds of folding;
• . FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a basic embodiment of another type of integrated handle mounted on the link;
• . Figure 16 is a perspective view of an elaborate embodiment of the other type of integrated handle mounted on the link shown in Figure 15;
• . Figure 17 is a perspective view of a semi-closed package with figuration of the handle according to the variant of Figure 16;
• . FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a package with cut sides and cut corners comprising the handle according to the basic variant shown in FIG. 15, with enlargement of the grip zone;
• . Figure 19 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the method of making the packaging around a batch of bottles.

The general inventive idea consists in providing a bottom of the tray type playing the role of conformator in the grouping process at the time of the first phases of constitution of the packaging, bottom on which come to regroup the various containers before the strapping operations.

The final phases of making up the packaging are facilitated by the handle integrated into the link, previously threaded onto the link.

The packaging with a dissociated bottom according to the invention consists of a bottom 1 of the tray type and of an enveloping cap 2, of determined geometric shape imparted by the foldable material used: for example compact or corrugated cardboard.

The bottom is made for example also of corrugated or compact cardboard, but can also be made from a rigid or semi-rigid sheet of flat plastic, stamped or thermoformed according to the shape of the bases of the containers for example bottles 3.

In the case of cardboard, the bottom 1 is in the form of a tray with a rectangular central flat area 4 bordered by longitudinal flaps 5, 6 and lateral 7, 8 articulated by fold lines 9, 10, 11 and 12 to the central zone 4. These flaps constitute a peripheral closure hereinafter called an edge formed by the suction of the longitudinal and lateral flaps raised and assembled together. To do this, they are joined at the end by securing lugs 13, 14, 15 and 16.

These funds constitute a material support base for the containers after their concentration and individualization into groups such as 17 in packaging machines, the edge playing the role of bulwark for maintaining cohesion of the groups before and during the mechanical strapping operations. .

The cap 2 covers the grouping 17 previously circled by a link, for example a plane 18 with an integrated handle 19 made with the link or attached to the link in a similar material or any other equivalent form of handle, for example threaded on the link like the variant shown in Figures 10 and 11 which will be described below.

The cap gives complete cohesion to the packaging and provides complete protection from light and dust. As can be seen in the figures, it forms with the bottom an entirely closed envelope from which comes out, by a rectilinear opening, the handle 19.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the cover 2 has an upper face 20 conventionally having pre-cut access hatches 21 and 22 with flaps with gripping opening by central circular precut 23 for the passage of the finger.

The upper face 20 is extended by four longitudinal panels 24 and 25 and lateral 26 and 27 articulated to said upper face 20 by the fold lines of the panels called to form in the upright position the lateral surface 28.

The longitudinal panels are extended on each side by connecting tabs 29, 30 and 31, 32. These connecting tabs do not occupy the entire width of the panels. A lower recess 33, 34, 35 and 36 determines the width of the joining zones 37 and 38 on the longitudinal panels but also 39 and 40 on the side panels, joining which is carried out by covering the bottom tabs with the side surface panels .

The cap has on one of its lateral faces or on its two faces an opening 41 for the passage of the integrated handle 19 formed with the link 18 or attached to the link or any other equivalent form.

This passage is preferably formed on at least one of the lateral faces, that is to say in one of the lateral panels 26 or 27 or longitudinal 24 or 25 by a cutout located at the right of the passage of the link, for example a slot 42 with central oblong recess 43, for example symmetrical with respect to the slot, intended to facilitate the passage of the hand for gripping the handle 19.

This handle 19 can also remain pressed behind the corresponding lateral surface during transport and during the presentation for sale and extracted from the slot 42 when the parcel is picked up by the consumer.

As indicated, the geometric shapes of the headdress may change.

Thus, the cap will affect in one embodiment, a parallelepiped geometric shape with vertical cut sides 44, 45, 46, 47 (Figures 5 and 6) in the form of oblique planes at the vertical edges.

In this variant, the opening 42 may be arranged on one or the other of the main lateral faces.

According to an elaborate variant, the cut sides 44 to 47 are connected to the upper face 20 by a cut corner, of trapezoidal or triangular shape, 48, 49, 50, 51. It is the same for the main side face panels 24 to 27 which are connected to the upper face 20 by lateral oblique sections 52 and 53 and longitudinal 54 and 55.

In this latter variant, the width of the lateral and longitudinal oblique sections must not exceed a limit value determined by the onset of fragility of the lateral face provided with the opening 42 for passage of the link.

Of course, in the above variants, the bottom 1 of the tray type, intended to receive the batch of containers may be common to the variants represented in the figures from 5 to 8. This bottom will have a corresponding symmetrical octagonal flat cutting shape such, for example, that shown in FIG. 9, with longitudinal edges 56, 57, transverse 58 and 59 or oblique 60, 61, 62, 63, capable of being lifted around fold lines delimiting a central octagonal plate 64 in view of the constitution of a border by securing the edges using connecting tabs which are provided, for example, the oblique edges.

The traction on the link being effected on the handle 19 in the longitudinal direction of the packaging, it turns out to be preferable to place the two welds 65 and 66 of the strapping link on the longitudinal faces, preferably in the middle part. Thus, the main tensile force at the welds is longitudinal. There is therefore no risk of separation of the link at this level.

We will now examine the different embodiments of the integrated handle 19 with reference to the figures from 10 to 16.

We can first of all form the handle 19 with the link as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.

According to this variant, the link is sectioned at a length greater than the circumscribed perimeter 67 so as to have a free extension 68 which will be used to make the handle 19 by folding down and then joining its end 69 to the link.

After surrounding and tightening of strapping then joining by welding or gluing at a first point 70 closing the perimeter circumscribed with the link, the end 69 of the free extension 68 is attached and then joined by welding or gluing to the link at a point 71 nearly symmetrical with point 70 with respect to the middle zone of the adjacent portion 72 of the link so as to determine an open loop 73 connected to the link by its ends, used as a handle 19.

Of course, the strapping can be carried out in one direction or the other and thus, the free extension 68 called to constitute the handle 19 comes to cover the adjacent part of the strapping link as well from left to right as vice versa.

A direct variant of the above handle formed with the link is shown in Figures 13 and 14.

According to this variant. the connection points 74 and 75 previously located on the adjacent portion 72 of the link crossing the face equipped with a handle, are moved on the large contiguous faces so as not to stress the welds in the direction of separation.

Indeed, the significant forces encountered when wearing the packaging are directed in a direction parallel to the faces. Thus, the location of the welds in this case avoids the risk of tearing off when picking up the package or during port.

The handle loop 76 occupies the entire width of the adjacent face. It can nevertheless be considered that it is an embodiment equivalent to that described above.

In order to avoid the discomfort represented by a protruding loop on the transport and presentation pallets for sale, one can imagine making the handle retractable, that is to say allowing it to affect a shape or take a folded position in which the handle link is placed as best as possible against the facing portion of the link crossing the adjacent side face (Figures 11 and 14).

This configuration can be achieved for example by two successive transverse folds 77 and 78 made in the loop 73 of the link constituting the handle.

This fold is thus pressed against the portion 72 of the link crossing the adjacent lateral surface during transport and handling to avoid any danger of snagging and any discomfort.

To see the handle well, we may prefer to make it in a different color from the rest of the peripheral link.

Of course, this alternation is carried out from the start in the case of a packaging for a color that is perfectly contrasted with that of the link.

Another variant consists in practicing an additional securing point offset from the closing point 70 of the strapping in order to better center the link forming the handle 19 relative to the side face which is provided with it. This variant is perfectly equivalent to a simpler variant which would consist in interrupting the planar link and practicing the two securing points 70 and 71 in a phase subsequent to the actual strapping in the manner of an independent attached handle, immobilized on the strapping link at each of its two ends.

Another variant consists in providing a composite strapping using two link half-loops for each half perimeter so as to have a handle at each of the ends, formed by the free end of one or the other half-perimeters with corresponding securing points.

Another variant concerns a handle to be threaded on the link (Figures 15 and 16).

This handle is constituted by a flexible sliding part producing a loop-handle projecting outwardly passing through a side wall of the package through the slot 42 of the opening 41.

According to the basic embodiment of the present improvement shown in FIG. 13, a flexible strip 79 of greater width than the link is engaged on the strapping link, provided, in the vicinity of each of its ends, with a transverse slot 80 and 81 serving as a link passage.

The flexible strip can also be produced by a link of greater width.

The band thus engaged forms a handle loop constituting the handle 19, partially immobilized by pressing the end zones 82 and 83 by the link against the bodies of the adjacent containers, thus making a real wedging.

This immobilization allows the handle to remain in place, but also to deform very little under the effect of the traction operated by the consumer on the handle when entering and carrying the package.

According to an elaborate variant shown in FIG. 16, the passages of the link are double, in the form of two close parallel slots 84, 85, 86 and 87 of the same configuration, further improving the immobilization of the handle on the link by the 'increased range areas 88 and 89 of the link at the end of the handle.

The method of making the packaging according to the invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 19.

The invention also relates to the process for shaping the packaging, a process the general idea of which consists in using the bottom 1 in a tray as a conformator for the batch or group of containers, 3 in order to allow its formation and then the easy installation of the link and tight strapping, the tray and the edges of the tray providing the stability and cohesion necessary for grouping.

More specifically, the method consists in forming a group or batch of containers, bringing it to the central zone of a tray 1 with liftable edges, raising the edges around the group and joining them together in order to constitute a border. adjusted to the dimensions of the containers 3, border forming a bulwark for the units of the grouping, thus achieving the cohesion of the grouping, said homogeneous and compact grouping being easily amenable to strapping by a planar link while keeping its initial cohesion throughout the strapping operations as specified in claim 8.

You can proceed before or during the strapping to the formation or the installation of the handle.

As a variant, the border can be formed which is adjusted to the dimensions of the containers before the grouping is introduced into the space delimited by said border using suitable mechanization means. The border plays the same role in this case of maintaining the grouping during strapping operations. The tray is thus also used as a conformator.

The packaging operations are completed by fitting the cap, the edges of the side panels of which are joined to the raised edges of the tray by closing the rear face and by bonding the front face closure panel.

It is understood that the above invention cannot be limited to the means described only, but that, on the contrary, direct variants, simple modifications, additions, deletions and substitutions without any inventive contribution fall perfectly within its scope, as specified in the claims. following.

Claims (9)

1. Multiple-item pack for packaging into sales units a plurality of containers grouped together into a compact batch and maintained in contact against one another by a tight lashing strap encircling the batch of containers, said pack comprising on one of its lateral surface faces an opening (41) for passage of a handle (19), joined to the strap, characterised in that the batch of containers thus lashed together rests on a tray-type base (1) with its edges turned back, the rim of which is used as a shaping device to group together the containers into a compact batch, and in that said batch is covered by a cover (2) secured in the lower portion to the edges of the tray, the handle (19) which passes through the opening (41) provided on at least one of the principal lateral surface faces (24 to 27) of the cover is integrated into the strap, said handle being constituted with the strap in the form of an encircling loop or in the form of a loop directly attached to the encircling loop.

2. Pack according to claim 1, characterised in that the cover (2) is a parallelepiped.

3. Pack according to claim 1, characterised in that the cover (2) has vertical cants (44 to 47) flush with the edges.

4. Pack according to claims 1 and 3, characterised in that the cover (2) possesses corner cuts (48 to 51) respectively connecting the vertical cants (44 to 47) to the upper face (20), and lateral (52 and 53) and longitudinal (54 and 55) oblique cants connecting the lateral faces (24 to 27) and the upper face (20).

5. Pack according to claim 1, characterised in that the opening (41) is a slot (42).

6. Pack according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (19) is formed with the encircling strap in the continuation of the encircling loop by welding one of the ends of said continuation onto the strap at a point situated in the frontal plane of the batch of containers or in one of the lateral planes and in that said loop forming the handle has two transverse folds to enable it to be placed in a retracted position against the frontal plane of the group.

7. Pack according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (19) is constituted by a flexible piece mounted so as to be able to slide along the encircling strap via one or two slots provided through the ends thereof, said piece being immobilised by the clamping action resulting from the tension of the encircling strap.

8. Method of producing the pack according to claim 1, wherein the container group is tailored to specific requirements, placed onto a tray-shaped base (1), the edges of the tray are turned back around the group, secured to one another so as to form a rim adjusted to the dimensions of the containers, said rim forming a rampart for the units of the group so as to produce a homogeneous and compact group which readily lends itself to being encircled by virtue of its stability and its cohesion, proceeding next to the operations involved in encircling the container group, forming the handle with one end of the strap by immobilising the encircling loop of the strap on the strap at two different points, placing the cover in position and securing the cover by its lower portion to the edges of the tray.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterised by forming a tray rim specially adjusted to the dimensions of the group of containers before placing and introducing the group onto the tray in the space delimited by said rim.

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