GB2086350A

GB2086350A - Carrier for containers

Info

Publication number: GB2086350A
Application number: GB8111541A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Europa Carton AG
Current assignee: Europa Carton AG
Priority date: 1980-09-09
Filing date: 1981-04-13
Publication date: 1982-05-12
Also published as: FR2489788A1; DE3033773A1; DK399481A; BE890258A; NL8102218A

Abstract

A carrier for containers such as bottles (70) has a carrier casing folded from a one-piece blank to form four wall portions and a bottom portion with an open top, and a separate carrying and separating member (30) providing internal walls and a handle (35) which member can be fitted into and fastened to the casing. A carrier member 30 may be lowered into separating position between the members of a group of bottles (70) prior to erection of the casing around the group. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carrier for containers It is known to assemble a predetermined number of containers such as bottles, cans, or the like, with the aid of suitable carriers of sheet material such as plastics foil, carton or plastics straps, to form a package. Such bottle carriers accommodate 2, 4, 6 bottles or more and are used in this form especially in shops, starting from the consideration that a customer for reasons connected with transport often wishes to carry with him only a limited number of bottles.

Advantageous carriers of carton for carrying bottles have become known perhaps from the German utility models 7 145 518 and 7 503 830.

The last mentioned carrier is in addition suited to be combined advantageously with specifically designed bottle crates.

The described known bottle carriers envelope a group of containers like a sleeve under tension, the containers normally lying against each other and being prevented from falling out by circumferential portions of the containers projecting outwards through slots of the envelope. Although such container carriers are being widely used, they yet suffer also from some disadvantages. So, it is necessary to destroy the container carrier in order to remove one container.

Thereby, the container carrier itself is rendered useless and can no longer be used perhaps to safely transport the remaining bottles in the carrier or even to transport all the bottles back to the selling place after they have been emptied.

Another disadvantage resides in that the containers are lying in contact against each other and, therefore, due to impacts or shocks may be subjected to friction between themselves, which may lead to destruction of labels or imprints thereon or even to destruction of the material proper, especially, if the containers are made of glass.

Because of the above mentioned drawbacks there have been known for a long time beside the above-described container carriers alternative carriers which accommodate the containers loosely in top open compartments. A handling means provided at the upper end of a longitudinal web or a center wall enables convenient seizing and carrying of such a container together with its contents. Container carriers of this type are used in the first place wherever high safety requirements are to be met during transport, for instance, in connection with the export of been The beer bottles are placed into the compartments of the container carrier which in their turn are then packaged in suitable folding boxes.

Same as is the case with the above-mentioned container carriers enveloping the containers like a sleeve, the last-mentioned carriers insofar as they are made of carton consist of a one-piece blank.

With folding boxes and similar containers a onepiece blank is indeed preferred normally for reasons in connection with material saving and manufacturing, however, in connection with the known container carriers this has proved to be a disadvantage. The one-piece blank requires relatively much material. Furthermore, the bottom due to the one-piece formation of the blank has a central fold which will lead to a sagging bottom whose stability leaves much to be desired.

The invention is therefore based upon the problem of providing a carrier for containers, especially bottles, which will do at a minimum expense of material and yet have improved stability and which will offer to the accommodated containers a higher degree of protection.

The invention is based on the insight that a saving of material may be achieved only if the previously usual one-piece formation of the blank is dispensed with. The carrier in accordance with the invention consists of at least two foldable blanks, the first of which making possible the erection of a usual top open folding box (carrier casing) while a member separated therefrom (carrying and separating member) is capable of being inserted into the folding box and of being connected thereto, preferably by adhesion.

For reasons connected with transport the blanks for the folding boxes and thus also for the carrier casings here in question are as a rule supplied to the consumer in a flat condition, the consumer then effecting erection of the blanks within the framework of the filling and packing process with the aid of a suitable machinery. With the carrier according to the invention the blank for the box-like carrier casing may likewise be erected at the consumer's. Added to this is, however, the erection of the carrying and separating member forming the compartments and the supporting handle which is likewise supplied to the consumer by the manufacturer, in a flat condition. The additional labour cost which lies in the connection of the carrier casing and the carrying and separating member is offset by the saving 'of material achieved with the carrier according to the invention.

The previously usual pre-pasted blanks for such carriers, as already mentioned, comprise a bottom with a central fold. The carrier in accordance with the invention, in contrast thereto, possesses a stable bottom. Besides, the entire construction comprising the box-like carrier casing and the compartment-forming insert member may be designed to be of a construction which is more stable than is the case with known carrier casings despite the saving of material.

For the erection and the filling of the carrier casing according to the invention there are two possibilities presenting themselves. The first provides for the erection of the carrier prior to being filled with bottles, for example, i.e. the boxlike carrier casing on the one hand and the carrying and separating member on the other hand are first erected and connected with each other. The second possibility may consist in the groups of bottles being first assembled with the carrying and separating member, while the boxlike casing is subsequently erected around this assembly. Especially in the latter case there is obtained a substantial increase in the packaging rate because an entirely automatic handling may take place.

The fastening flaps may be adhesively connected to the carrier casing and thus are effective to bring about an improved stability of the entire carrier. The articulated connection of the transverse wall sections at the double-layered center wall offers the advantage that the fabrication and the erection of the carrying and separating member is simplified.

So that the fastening flaps with the carrying and separating member in the erected position thereof may extend vertically on either side of the center wall they may be actuated by suitable devices, having actuating elements engaging at opposite sides thereof bringing the fastening flaps into the end position as mentioned.

The carrying and separating member is preferably double-walled, with the transverse wall sections disposed on one side of the center wall being respectively formed by the associated wall, that means by one layer. The double-walled portion may be made of one, or of two blanks.

To obtain an extremely material-saving doublewalled carrying and separating member, the two layers may be formed essentially identically and may lie one on top of another in inverted lateral arrangement. Thereby, the advantage is furthermore obtained that only one tooling arrangement consisting of cutting, grooving and slitting tools will be required. When using a onepiece blank, however, the tools must be applied in a 1 800 offset arrangement.

The predominant number of such carrier casings is designed for the accommodation of six containers, such as bottles, for example. For such a carrier casing the transverse wall sections may be articulated to each other via connection webs at the free ends thereof in such a mannerthat the pivotal movement of one transverse wall section is effective to cause at the same time the pivotal movement of the three other transverse wall sections. The transverse wall sections are forming with the connection webs a pivotable parallelogram, as long as no adhesive connection has taken place in the carrier casing.

An increased carrying stability is obtained when two oppositely disposed sides of the bottom portions of the carrier casing are leaving a slot vis à-vis the associated side wall and the fastening flaps have a supporting flap extending downwards over the center wall which, when inserted through the slot may be folded against the bottom portion of the carrier casing from below and may be fastened thereat.

The carrier according to the invention guarantees a particularly good carrying capacity of the carrier casing with a most favourable material exploitation. This is obtained through the supporting flaps which upon connection of the carrier casing and the carrying and separating member are placed against the bottom of the carrier casing from below and are connected thereto, preferably by adhesion.

The blank of the carrier casing must provide a slot for the supporting flaps at two oppositely disposed sides. This may also be obtained in that two oppositely disposed sides of the bottom portion of the blank remain free so that, when assembling to two parts of the carrier the supporting flaps may without any further ado be pushed through between the side wall and the free side of the bottom portion. The supporting flap is preferably formed respectively out of a wall of the double-walled portion. In this manner, there is not more material needed than for an insert member having no supporting flap.

The stability of the container carrier is also improved by the fact that the fastening flap is articulated to the end of the center wall and is adapted to be connected to the side wall of the container extending normal to the center wall, and the fastening flap has an upper portion preferably converging upwardly in the shape of a triangle partially projecting from the carrier casing. With the aid of such a fastening flap the center wall, in particular, is stabilized vertically.

Container carriers of the type according to the invention are often used on long routes of transport. They must therefore guarantee that glass containers, for example, are not damaged during transport by being knocked against each other or even destroyed. In this connection, provision is made in one embodiment of the invention for the center wall and the transverse wall sections articulated to the center wall to be formed as double-layered walls in regions in which they get into contact with the container wall. With the aid of the double-walled regions a sufficiently strong buffer is provided which will prevent containers being damaged even with the strongest occurring impacts. Preferably, two double-walled regions are respectively arranged one above the other, spaced through a vertical distance.With cylindrical containers the regions are preferably at the top and at the bottom so that they cannot knock against each other when being shaken.

The transverse wall sections are preferably hingeable from out of the.center wall for the formation of the compartments. They are furthermore preferably interconnected with each other at the ends thereof by means of a connection web, in order to obtain a parallel hingeing out simultaneously and to be able to fix the transverse wall section at the associated side wall. The transverse wall sections may be interconnected with each other by means of a T-shaped or double-T-shaped web. Such a design enables a particularly favourable cutting line configuration for the blank with a view to the carrying and separating member such that the above mentioned double-walled regions may be obtained for all the transverse wall sections and the center wall regions.

It has already been mentioned that the carrier according to the invention makes possible a particularly advantageous packaging process. It is particularly advantageous when the unfolded and erected carrying and separating member is sort of slipped onto a container group kept in readiness, from above. The previously filled containers such as beer bottles, for example, arrive on a transport belt in a predetermined grouped arrangement, so that the previously unfolded and erected carrying and supporting member may be simply slipped onto the group of bottles kept in readiness.

Following this, the blank for the carrier casing is erected around this arrangement and the fabrication thereof finished. Such a process is particularly suited to be carried out by an automatic packaging system. The blanks for the carrier casing and the carrying and separating member may be stored in a flattened position in the magazine of the packaging system and supplied to a transport belt in a series for the purpose of being processed in the manner as described.

With respect to the container carrier according to the invention it has to be remarked conclusively that in spite of the rational exploitation of the starting material such as carton, for example, an excellent carrying capacity and safe protection for the containers during transport are guaranteed.

A particularly preferred example of embodiment will be described in the following by way of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a blank for a carrier casing according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows another embodiment for a carrier casing according to the invention, Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment for a carrier casing according to the invention, Fig. 4 shows a blank for a fourth embodiment of a carrier casing according to the invention, Fig. 5 shows a side view of a prefabricated blank for a carrying and separating member according to the invention, Fig. 6 shows a side view of the carrying and separating member opposed to that of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 shows the carrying and separating member according to Figs. 5 and 6 inthe unfolded and erected position, Fig. 8 shows a side view of the container carrier according to the invention, Fig. 9 shows a bottom plan view of the container carrier according to Fig. 8 taken in the direction of the arrow 8, Fig. 10 shows a diagrammatic representation of a process for the production of a container carrier according to the invention and for packaging containers in the container carrier.

Prior to enlarging on the details shown in the drawings let it be stated that each of the features described is essentially important to the invention either by itself or in connection with the features of the claims.

The blank A according to Fig. 1 comprises a bottom portion 10 having wall sections 11 and 12 articulated thereto at the opposite sides thereof.

End wall flaps 13, 14 and 15, 16, respectively, are articulated to opposite sides of the wall sections 11, 12. As indicated by the glued seams 17, 18, the end wall flaps 13 to 1 6 are adhesively connected along the longitudinal center line of the carrier casing.

The blank B for a carrier casing according to Fig. 2 differs from the one according to Fig. 1 only by the slightly modified end wall flaps 1 5', 1 6', which are provided with recesses 1 9, 20 at the outsides thereof. The purpose of these recesses 1 9, 20 will still be dealt with in the following.

The blank C according to Fig. 3 again possesses the bottom portion 10 and two oppositely disposed wall sections 11, 1 2. Articulated to the wall portion 11 are short end wall flaps 13" and 14", respectively, while to the wall section 1 2 long end wall flaps 1 5", 1 6" are articulated. The connection of the end wall thus is effected laterally.

The blank D according to Fig. 4 differs from the one according to Fig. 1 in that the end wall flaps 13 to 16 have reinforcing flaps 21, 22, 23, and 24 articulated thereto, with a glued seam 25 and 26, respectively, applied to the flaps 21,22. During fabrication the reinforcing flaps 21 to 24 will come to lie one upon another against the bottom portion 10 from below, where they are adhesively connected, in order to obtain a reinforced strength of the bottom, especially in case of condensed water formation.

The carrying and separating member 30 shown in Figs. 5 to 7 consists of a one-piece blank essentially comprising two mirror-symmetrically arranged cutting line configurations for the formation of two layers 31 (Fig. 5) and 32 (Fig. 6), respectively, which are fittingly placed one on top of another while being folded about the grooved line 33 and adhesively connected to each other in the obliquely hatched regions. The layer or section 32 is slightly longer in an upward direction than the section 31, so that a reinforcing section 34 may be folded over the upper surface of the section 32 and adhesively connected to the layer 31, as shown in Fig. 5.

The carrying and separating member according to Figs. 5 to 7 comprises a double-layered center wall 34, designed in the upper region thereof to form a carrying handle provided with a gripping opening 35 defined upwards by a gripping lobe 36 articulated to the center wall 34 via a grooved line 37 and capable of pivotal movement about the grooved line 37 normal to the plane of the center wall 34.

Articulated to the center wall 34 on oppositely disposed sides via grooved lines 38, 39 are fastening flaps 40 and 41, respectively. A rectangular cutout from the layer 31 of the fastening flaps 40 and 41, respectively, respectively forms a supporting flap 42 or 43 which, as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, projects downwardly. Let it be mentioned at this juncture that it is the straight-hatched regions in Figs. 5 to 6 that are the respectively visible regions of the respective lower layer.

In the upper region the fastening flap tapers as shown at 44 and 45, respectively. In the layer 32 (Fig. 6) there is a cutting line 46 and 47, respectively, extended in such a manner that the fastening flap 40 and 41, respectively, in the upper region enlarges in the form of a triangle as shown at 48 and 49, respectively. Upon a pivotal movement of the supporting flaps 40, 41 in a plane normal to the center wall 34, the portion cut out from the layer 32 too will also perform a hingeing movement and will in part become adhesively connected to the associated inner wall of the carrier casing, as will still be described in the following.

A first transverse wall section 51 is cut out from layer 31 by means of a cutting line 50 and is articulated to layer 31 via the grooved lines 52, 53 which are disposed in one line. A secondary upper transverse wall section 56 and a secondary lower transverse wall section 57 are respectively formed of layer 31 by means of cutting lines 53 and 55, respectively, which are respectively articulated to layer 31 by a grooved line 58 or 59. A double-T shaped connection web 63 is articulated to the first transverse wall section 51 and to the secondary transverse wall sections 56, 57 via -respective grooved lines 60, 61, 62. As will be seen from Fig. 6, the stratum or layer 32 is built up mirror-symmetrically with respect to the described parts. Like parts are therefore designated with like reference numerals but primed.

As already mentioned, the two strata or layers 31,32 are adhesively connected to each other in the regions shown obliquely hatched, so that after the erection of the thus formed carrying and separating member 30 a condition will be created as shown in Fig. 7. The transverse wall sections 51, 51' and 56, 56', respectively, are pivoted about their grooved lines normal to the center wall portion 34, with the pivotal movement being in parallel due to the connection of the center wall portions to the connection web 63, 63'. The regions exposed thereby in the center wall 34 are shown in dotted lines for illustration as is the gripping opening 34. It will be recognized that the carrying and separating member respectively defines three compartments on either side when inserted in a corresponding carrier casing.This is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8. The carrier casing according to Fig. 8 is formed from the blank according to Fig. 1. The carrying and separating member 30 erected according to Fig. 7 is adhesively connected to the carrier casing according to Fig. 8, especially via the supporting flaps 40, 50 and the connection webs 63, 63'.

The regions 48, 49 extending partly beyond the upper edge of the carrier casing are likewise adhesively connected to the associated inner wall of the carrier casing in the lower portion. The supporting flaps 42, 43, on the contrary, are pushed through the slot which is left free by the free sides of the bottom portion 10, so that they may be laid against the underside of the bottom portion 10 from below and adhesively connected here, as shown in Fig. 9.

It goes without saying that the carrying and separating member shown in Figs. 5 to 7 may be connected in the same manner to the carrier casings formed according to the blanks shown in Fig.2 to 4.

Owing to a corresponding cutting line configuration there are double-walled regions respectively formed at the top and at the bottom on one side of the transverse wall sections 51, 51' and 54, 54', respectively, for special protection of the containers. So that double-walled regions of protection may be formed also at the other two diagonally opposed regions, two cutouts 64, 65 spaced one above the other have been formed in the transverse wall section 51 for the formation of lobes which are pivoted back onto the inner surface of the transverse wall section 51, as is indicated in dotted lines at 66 and 67, respectively. The stratum or layer 31 is thus visible around the region hatched with vertical lines.The lobes 66, 67 doubled back on themselves and connected to the transverse wall section 51 are forming double-walled regions with respect to a transverse wall section for improved container protection.

For mere reasons connected with strength there is only one lobe 68 formed in the transverse wall section 51, which is connected to the back surface of the transverse wall section 51 '. Here as well there is insofar a double-walled region available. Therefore, all the transverse wall sections as a whole (four in the present case) and also the center wall portions forming the compartments comprise double walled regions, in order to make it sure that the containers will not knock against each other during transport.

Fig. 10 shows diagrammatically the packaging of bottles in a darner composed of the carrying member and the carrier casing surrounding it. A group of bottles 70 comprising six bottles arranged in two lines of three bottles each is moved along the arrows 71. The bottles are already filled and closed. A carrier member 30 either prefabricated or formed of a flat blank in the packaging system (not shown) is lowered onto the group of bottles 20 in the direction of the arrow 72 while in the erected condition according to Fig. 7 and slipped onto the bottles, as may be recognized from the center portion of the representation according to Fig. 10. The bottles are thus arranged in the carrying and separating member 30 already in such a manner as the will be found again later on in the completed carrier.

With the aid of mechanical means (not shown) the carrier casing is then erected around the central assembly as shown in Fig. 10, and adhesively connected, with blanks being suited for use such as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, for example. This condition may be recognized in the right-hand representation according to Fig. 10.

The described process may also runoff fully automatically, without any manual activities.

In connection with the blank according to Fig. 2 it is still to be remarked that the recesses 1 9, 20 make it possible for the glued seam 1 7, 1 8 applied to the end wall flaps 13, 14 simuitaneously with the other recessed end wall flaps 1 5', 1 6' to cover the supporting flaps 40, 41, in order to provide an additional safe adhesive connection.

Claims

1. A carrier of foldable sheet material for containers, especially bottles, comprising four wall portions, a bottom portion, transverse wall sections and a center wall which define top open compartments within the wall portions, as well as a handle at the upper end of the center wall, characterized in that the wall portions and the bottom portion which are formed of a one-piece foldable blank, define a top open box-like carrier casing, and in that a separate carrying and separating member forms the transverse wall sections, the center wall and the handle, and is adapted to be inserted into the carrier casing and to be fastened therein.

2. The carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the transverse wall sections are articulated to the center wall and in that fastening flaps are articulated to the free ends of the transverse wall sections which come to lie closely against the inner surface of the carrier casing.

3. The carrier according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that fastening flaps are articulated to the ends of the center wall which come to lie ciosely against the inner surface of the carrier casing in a position normal to the center wall, and are fastened thereat.

4. The carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the fastening flaps have an upper portion preferably tapering upwards in the form of a triangle partially projecting from the carrier casing.

5. The carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper portion is formed in part by hingeing away a part cut out single-layered from the double-layered center wall.

6. The carrier according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the supporting flaps are double-walled.

7. The carrier according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the center wall and the transverse wall sections articulated to one layer of the double-walled center wall are designed to be double-walled in regions in which they come into contact with the container wall.

8. The carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that two double-walled regions are respectively provided in vertically spaced arrangement one above the other.

9. Thë carrier according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the double-walled regions in the transverse wall sections are formed by folding over a lobe cutout from the transverse wall section onto one of the sides of the respective transverse wall section.

10. The carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrying and separating member is formed of two flat blanks which are partially connected to each other, preferably by adhesion.

11. The carrier according to claim 1.

characterized in that the carrying and separating member is formed of a one-piece blank.

12. The carrier according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the one layer or stratum of the blank is designed to be higher than the other and the projecting region of the higher portion is folded down over the lower one into the plane of the latter.

13. The carrier according to claim 12, characterized in that there is a gripping opening extending through both strata or layers beneath the downward folded portion.

14. The carrier according to any one of the claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the strata or layers of the blank for the carrying and separating member are shaped essentially identically and are placed one on top of another in a laterally inverted arrangement and are partially connected to each other.

1 5. The carrier according to any one of the claims 1 to 14, characterized in that with six compartments the transverse wall sections are connected to each other at the free ends thereof.

1 6. The carrier according to claim 15, characterized in that the transverse separating wall sections are connected to each other by a T-shaped or double-T-shaped web.

1 7. The carrier according to any one of the claims 1 to 16, characterized in that two oppositely disposed sides of the bottom portion of the carrier casing leave a slot vis-g-vis the associated side wall and in that the fastening flaps have a supporting flap projecting downward beyond the center wall which, being inserted through a slot may be folded against the bottom portion of the carrier casing from below and fastened thereat.

18. The carrier according to claim 17, characterized in that the supporting flap is respectively formed of a layer of the double-walled insert member.

1 9. The carrier according to any one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the opposiny end walls of the carrier casing are formed by end wall flaps articulated to the associated wall portions.

20. The carrier according to claim 19, characterized in that the pair of end wall flap articulated to one wall portion is provided with a recess at the free side thereof.

21. The carrier according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that reinforcing flaps are articulated to the sides of the end wall flaps facing each other which are folded against the bottom portion from below and are connected to the bottom portion in common with the supporting flaps.

22. A provess for the production of a container carrier and for packaging containers in the container carrier, especially a carrier according to the claims 1 to 21, characterized in that separately fabricated sheet blanks for a carrier casing and a carrying and separating member are supplied to a packaging system, the prefabricated carrying and separating member or a carrying and separating member fabricated in the packaging system is unfolded and erected and assembled with a container group, and subsequently the carrier casing blank is folded to form the carrier casing around the assembly of container group and carrying and separating member, and is connected thereto.

23. The process according to claim 22, characterized in that the unfolded and erected carrying and separating member is slipped onto a container group kept in readiness from above.