Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/40—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks
  • B65D71/46—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks formed by folding a single blank into a tubular element
  • B65D71/48—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks formed by folding a single blank into a tubular element characterised by the handle
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/40—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks
  • B65D71/46—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks formed by folding a single blank into a tubular element

Definitions

• the invention relates to the technical field of transport, presentation and grouping packaging for cans or any other equivalent product.
• grouping packaging is meant here a secondary packaging designed so as to facilitate the handling or transport of a certain number of sales units, whether it is sold as such to the final consumer or is used only for garnish sales displays.
• cans here is meant a small can, generally metallic, of cylindrical shape with upper and lower walls substantially flat or concave, these cans being called beverage can, drink can or simply can in Anglo-Saxon countries and drink box or drink box in French-speaking countries.
• cans or any other equivalent product is meant herein containers, metallic or not, provided with substantially planar or concave upper and lower walls and comprising a hem or a rim projecting transversely. These products considered here as equivalent to cans are for example: - jars provided with a transverse annular projection near their opening;
• the cans have been used for a few years for the packaging of very varied products, more or less distant from carbonated drinks and "soft drinks".
• cans are mainly used for "soft drinks", some breweries have been offering 50cl or even 75cl cans for a few years, this packaging method representing for France only 7% of total beer sales.
• the cans are made of aluminum alloy or steel and are therefore easily recyclable;
• the cans are light; - the metal cans allow rapid cooling of their contents;
• the cans in particular offer much less grip and support surface than bottles or containers with necks.
• Several solutions are known in the prior art for transporting cans in groups.
• an intermediate packaging is implemented: cardboard of six in particular of the enveloping or “wrap-around” type, container holder of six in plastic, or cellular grouping device.
• Wrap-around packaging has many drawbacks. First, they hide the product from view, which does not meet the expectations of some users who are tempted to partially open the pack, sometimes tearing it, hence the risk of accidental opening of the pack.
• the cardboard blanks used for wrap-around are heavy and therefore expensive, especially since they must be printed over a large part of their large area.
• secondary packaging is used: cardboard boxes for 12 or 24 cans, corrugated cardboard trays for 12 or 24 cans.
• the corrugated cardboard boxes are heavy and unsightly, and their use is often limited to professional uses (supplying cans of vending machines known as "vending machines").
• tertiary packaging possibly combined with the first or the second, tertiary packaging is used: stretch film, plastic strapping.
• Stretch films when torn for the extraction of a first can generally do not allow the maintenance of other cans in a group. The same goes for strapping.
• the cans are connected together by a detachable strip or a blank called "can-clip carrier".
• a detachable strip or a blank called "can-clip carrier”.
• the cans are grouped using a flat upper panel provided with side flaps.
• Can clip carriers and equivalent products do not allow easy handling of groups of cans. Indeed, the user must, at best, pass the fingers through holes passing through a horizontal flap of the blank, which is uncomfortable when the blank is made of substantially rigid material, the edge of the holes being fairly sharp.
• the passage of the fingers during porting can give rise to a tearing of the blank, especially when the cans are stored in a humid environment.
• the cardboard or polymer material blanks used are designed so as not to hinder the stacking of the cans on pallets, which does not is not without posing many difficulties in gripping packs or groups of cans.
• the invention aims to provide a means of transport, presentation and grouping of cans which do not have the drawbacks of those known in the prior art and which allow in particular:
• the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a blank for producing a bar for carrying cans or similar products, this blank comprising a main panel and at least two flaps hinged to this main panel around longitudinal fold lines, the volume of said blank forming a carrying bar of cross section inscribed in a substantially triangular envelope.
• the blank has the following characters, possibly combined: - at least a first flap is articulated to the main panel around a first longitudinal fold line, at least a second flap being articulated to the main panel around a second longitudinal fold line, the distance between the two longitudinal fold lines corresponding to the width of the main panel;
• the first and the second part are provided with means allowing their mutual assembly
• the means allowing the mutual assembly of the first and second flaps are chosen from the group comprising the stapling means, in particular staples tabs and slots, the bonding means, in particular pressure-sensitive adhesive;
• the main panel is articulated, along only one of its two longitudinal edges, to a first flap, itself articulated, around a longitudinal fold line, to a second flap, the second flap and the main panel being provided with means allowing their mutual assembly;
• the means allowing the mutual assembly of the second flap and the main panel are chosen from the means comprising the stapling means, in particular stapling tabs and slots, the bonding means, in particular pressure-sensitive adhesive;
• the main panel is provided with at least one through hole, the free edge of each of these holes comprising deformable means capable of coming to bear against the hem of a can;
• the deformable means comprise at least two support legs, each of the support legs being delimited by:
• the section of the free edge of the through hole is substantially straight and perpendicular to a diameter of the through hole;
• the lateral edges are curved, in particular in an arc;
• the articulation zone is a fold line substantially straight and perpendicular to a diameter of the through hole
• the articulation zone is a fold line in an arc of a circle concentric to the section of the free edge;
• At least one of the flaps articulated to the main panel is provided with a means of visualization of the space delimited by the blank set in volume, this means being chosen from the group comprising the through holes, the through holes closed by a translucent film or semi-transparent, the through holes closed by a peelable cover or a cover that can be torn or cut along a line of weakness, the through holes closed by articulated tabs; - At least one tab articulated on a transverse edge of the blank is arranged to allow the closure of at least one lateral side of the support profile obtained by volume setting of the blank.
• the invention relates, according to a second aspect, to the support profiles obtained by the setting in volume of blanks as presented above, the material used for the realization of the blank being chosen from the group comprising flat cartons, micro cartons -channeled, polymer materials such as polypropylene (PP), in particular cellular polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, high density polystyrene (PS), and their copolymers, as well as multilayer materials based on polymers and cellulosic materials.
• PP polypropylene
• PVC polyvinyl chloride
• PS high density polystyrene
• multilayer materials based on polymers and cellulosic materials.
• At least one of its large side faces is inclined at an angle between 30 and 60 ° relative to the plane of the main panel.
• the invention relates, according to a third aspect, to the assemblies formed by the installation of at least one can or any other equivalent product in a profile as presented above, the width of the main panel is substantially equal to the maximum transverse dimension of said can.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 a partial plan view of a main panel of a blank provided with through holes, according to an alternative embodiment
• FIG. 3 is a detail view of a through hole arranged on the main panel of a blank, two types of support legs being shown in the left and right part of Figure 3, respectively;
• FIG. 4 is a detail view of a through hole disposed on the main panel of a blank, according to another embodiment of the support legs;
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of another embodiment of the support legs
• FIGS. 20 to 22 are perspective views of profiles or bars for carrying cans or equivalent products, according to various embodiments;
• FIGS. 23 and 24 are front views of one of the large side faces of a profile or bar for carrying cans or equivalent products, according to two embodiments.
• FIG. 25 is a partial top view of a bar or profile for carrying cans or equivalent products
• FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a bar or profile for carrying cans or equivalent products.
• FIG. 27 and 28 are views similar to Figures 6 to 19 of alternative embodiments of a carrying bar.
• the expression “fold line” may designate, as will be understood by a person skilled in the art, any articulation line obtained by creasing, upsetting, folding, grooving, half-cut (c ' is at say partial notch for example using a tracing net), or any other method of thinning or perforation for example by punching.
• fold line may also denote the arrangement of at least two lines for creasing, grooving, half-cut or punching, so as to form an accordion-type joint.
• blade designates a piece of flat cardboard material, or micro-fluted, polymer material such as polypropylene (PP), in particular cellular polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, polystyrene (PS). ) high density, and their copolymers, as well as multilayer materials based on polymers and cellulosic materials, or any other equivalent material.
• PP polypropylene
• PVC polyvinyl chloride
• PS polystyrene
• the blanks which will be described below may in particular, in certain embodiments, be formed from semi-transparent or translucent polymer materials.
• the technique used to produce the fold lines may be chosen by a person skilled in the art depending on the type of material used and the thickness of the blank.
• the terms “longitudinal”, “length”, will be used with reference to a first direction D1
• the terms “transverse”, “width”, will be used relative to a second direction D2 substantially perpendicular to the direction D1.
• the blanks will first of all be described seen flat, in a plane P defined by the directions D1 and D2. When the blanks will be described after their volume, the directions
• the blank 1 seen in FIG. 1 comprises a main panel 2 on either side of which extend two flaps 3,4.
• the flaps 3,4 are hinged to the main panel around longitudinal fold lines 5,6.
• the first flap 3 carries, on its free edge 7, latching lugs 8 intended to be housed in latching slots 9 disposed on the second flap 4.
• the main panel is provided with through holes 10 whose edge 11 is of generally circular outline.
• This general circular outline is intended for the use of the blank, after setting in volume, as a bar or profile for carrying conventional cans, the upper transverse edge of which is circular.
• Conventional cans have a neck obtained for example by applying a shrinking disc before crimping the cover. This neck is intended to come into abutment against the free edge of the holes 10, as will appear more fully in the remainder of this description.
• the general outline of the holes may be other than circular, and in particular elliptical or polygonal, to take account of other geometries of cans or equivalent objects.
• the edge 11 comprises an alternation of substantially rectilinear sections 12 and of sections in an arc of a circle 13.
• the edge 11 of the holes 10 comprises eight substantially identical sections 12 and eight sections of substantially identical arc 13, the edge 11 of each hole thus having symmetry with respect to two planes, namely a longitudinal plane P1 and a transverse plane P2.
• the edge 11 comprises substantially rectilinear sections and elliptical sections, arranged alternately.
• the rectilinear sections and the curved sections can be eight in number, with octagonal edges, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, or in a lower or higher number.
• straight sections and curved sections can be arranged in hexagon.
• the holes 10 are substantially identical and equidistant and are arranged at half the width of the main panel, so that the edges 11 of each of the holes 10 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a transverse plane P1 center panel 2.
• the holes 10 are not of identical shapes or dimensions, the bar formed by setting up the blank is configured for carrying in a group of products of different shapes.
• the main panel 2 is provided with four holes 10.
• the main panel has less than four holes or more than four holes.
• substantially circular sections 13 makes it possible to avoid concentrations of stresses and notch effect which can lead to localized rupture of the blank during porting. This arrangement is particularly advantageous when the blank is made of a fairly rigid material such as polypropylene.
• the holes 10 are, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, arranged in such a way that the nearest circular sections 13a, 13b13c, between adjacent holes 10, are not arranged in the longitudinal direction D1.
• the contiguous holes are devoid of circular or curved sections in the area where their free edges are closest.
• the tabs 8 are inserted into the slots 9, thus forming a profile or bar of cross section inscribed in a substantially triangular envelope.
• the flaps 3,4 are substantially the same width, so that the profile obtained will be of isosceles triangular section.
• the flaps 3, 4 and the main panel 2 are of widths such that the profile obtained is of equilateral triangular section, or even any type, scalene.
• the assembly of the flaps 3, 4 can be carried out in such a way that the free edge of the flap 3 is disposed on the external face or on the internal face of the flap 4, it being specified that by "external face”, is meant here the most apparent after volume setting of the blank.
• the flaps 3,4 can be assembled by stapling, gluing, welding, and in particular high frequency welding, ultrasound, or heat sealing, the assembly method being chosen, as those skilled in the art will recognize, depending in particular on the material. used for the blank 1, its thickness and the mechanical forces provided for the blank set in volume.
• the blank has, in the embodiment of Figure 1, an overall symmetry.
• the blank flattened has a substantially rectangular outline and forms, when set in volume, a profile of substantially triangular cross section, open at its two lateral ends. It is thus possible to accommodate various objects such as notices, advertisements, promotional objects in the space thus delimited. These objects can, if necessary, be partially seen by the consumer by one or more of the following provisions:
• the blank is made of a semi-transparent or translucent material
• the internal space in the profile of the can carrying bar can be, in one embodiment, closed at one or at its two ends by a closing tab hinged the transverse edges of the main panel
• closing tabs can be provided with first opening indicators such as adhesive tape, such an arrangement being advantageous when the closed volume internal to the carrying section contains a promotional object.
• radial notches 20 are disposed beyond the free circular edge 11 of the holes 10. So that the support tabs 21 are each delimited by:
• the articulation zone 23 can be located, if necessary, by a fold line of the blank. In other embodiments, this articulation zone is formed during the forced insertion, into the holes 10, of the ends of cans or equivalent products.
• the radial notches 20 are arranged in such a way that the closest notches between contiguous holes are not aligned.
• a notch 20a of a first hole is opposite a section 22a of the contiguous hole. This avoids embrittlement of the blank which could be observed if the notches 20 of neighboring holes were aligned.
• the free edges of neighboring holes do not have radial cuts in the area where these holes are closest.
• support legs 24 are delimited, as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, by:
• the articulation zone 23 is formed, for each tab, by a substantially straight fold line 25 belonging to a polygon inscribed in a concentric circle in section 22 of the free edge 11.
• the fold lines 25 are substantially perpendicular to the diameters of each hole 10. This arrangement facilitates the folding of tabs 24 of large dimensions.
• the radial distance separating the articulation zone 23 and the section 22 of the free edge 11 is greater, for the tabs 24 shown in FIG. 3, than for the tabs 21 shown in FIG. 2.
• the free edge of the holes 10 is provided with two projecting tabs 26 in the form of a meniscus, placed opposite one another.
• the free edge 11 in addition to the two tabs 26 in the form of a meniscus, the free edge 11 includes tabs 27 with a shape close to those shown in FIG. 1.
• FIGS. 6 to 19 can be implemented with each of the embodiments of holes 10 described previously.
• Figures 6 to 8 illustrate embodiments in which the profile is of triangular section, and is obtained by folding a single blank around longitudinal fold lines.
• the folding is such that the main panel is articulated on a single transverse side, with three successive panels 3a, 3b, 3c, the main panel
• the folding is carried out in such a way that it is the two flaps 3,4 which are doubled in thickness, by the presence of additional panels 30,31, articulated on the flaps 3,4.
• Such an embodiment allows for example a decorative effect when the flaps 3,4 are provided with a print or a pattern appearing through cutouts formed on the panels covering 30,31.
• a handle 32 is attached to the profile obtained by volume setting of the blank.
• This handle can be assembled to the profile by welding or gluing.
• the profile is also provided with a handle, but this handle is formed by assembling panels 33,34 articulated longitudinally to the flaps 3,4. This assembly can be made by gluing, welding, stapling or any other equivalent means.
• one of the flaps 3, 4 is provided with three articulated panels 35, 36, 37, two of these panels forming, after folding one over the other, a carrying handle, the third panel 37 being fixed on the external face of the other flap.
• one of the flaps 3,4 is articulated to a panel 38 forming a handle, this panel 38 being seen in a folded state of support against said flap 3,4.
• This support can for example be obtained by a repositionable adhesive, a Velcro type fastening strip.
• the main panel 2 is doubled by an added reinforcement panel 39, a reinforcement blank with two panels 40,41 being, if necessary, assembled with the flaps 3,4.
• Such an implementation makes it possible, on a standard profile obtained with a blank of low grammage, to obtain a profile of greater resistance, for its base panel and / or for its side flaps 3, 4.
• FIG 13 is shown an alternative embodiment of the mode of Figure 10, the flaps 3, 4 and reinforcement panels 42, 43 being provided with longitudinal fold lines 44, 45, 46, 47 such as the profile obtained by placing volume of the blank, while remaining of triangular overall section, has a thinned upper part.
• the profile for carrying cans or equivalent products can be obtained by assembling two parts.
• a part 50 closes a profile 51 at C.
• the closure part is fitted onto the free edges of a profile
• the closing part of the C-shaped section is provided with a reinforcing foot 52 coming substantially at right and pressing against the main panel 2.
• the closing part is provided with two reinforcement legs 53,54 bearing against the main panel 2.
• a reinforcing foot 55, coming to the right and bearing against the main panel, is formed by folding panels hinged to one of the flaps 3,4.
• the blank may have only one through hole 10.
• the container walls are hot or cold, for example when transporting cryogenic products;
• the containers contain toxic, aggressive or sterile products, the user's hands must not be in contact with the walls of the container;
• the carrying bar has a cross section inscribed in a substantially triangular envelope, this cross section being able to be formed of a substantially planar section, for the main panel, and of:
• arched arch we mean here semi-circular arches, flattened arcs, horseshoe, chain, blunt miter.
• the cross section of the bar will comprise, in addition to the main panel, a broken arc of the ogive type in a third point, raised or lowered ogive, or even an angular arc of the miter type, broken angular or truncated angular.
• FIGS. 27 and 28 can be implemented with each of the embodiments of the holes 10 described previously.

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• 2001
  • 2001-04-05 EP EP01921495A patent/EP1373088A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-04-05 WO PCT/FR2001/001035 patent/WO2002081324A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

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