GB2136760A

GB2136760A - Carrier device for containers

Info

Publication number: GB2136760A
Application number: GB08405449A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Wade
Original assignee: Waddingtons Ltd
Current assignee: Waddingtons Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-23
Filing date: 1984-03-01
Publication date: 1984-09-26
Also published as: GB8405449D0

Abstract

A carrier device for carrying and holding containers (10) together comprises a sheet of material to the opposite sides of which the containers are adhered. The carrier includes a handle portion (18) and may be of plastics, cardboard or a laminate of different materials. The containers may be cans or boxes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carrier device This invention relates to a carrier device for the holding together, and permitting the manual carrying, of a group of containers, such as boxes or cans and containing liquid products. These two types of container are given only by way of example and it is to be stressed that the invention can be applied to any suitable container regardless of the contents of such containers or indeed, within limitations, the shape of the containers.

Various carrier and holding devices constructed from sheet material blanks are known, some of which fit round the containers or portions thereof and grip same or hold same in order to provide a pack comprising a plurality, typically 4 or 6, containers held by the carrier, which carried serves the dual functions of holding the containers together and enabling the group of containers readily to be carried.

The present invention provides an simple arrangement for the holding together of containers, and in accordance with the invention the carrier and holding device is a blank of sheet material to opposite sides of which the containers are adhered by means of adhesive, the blank having a portion serving as a handle or finger grip, enabling the group of containers to be lifted and carried thereby.

The handle or finger grip may be provided with an aperture forthe insertion of the fingers therein, and the said finger grip portion may be adapted to be folded to a flattened condition so that it does not interfere with the stacking of groups of containers on top of each other.

In one arrangement, a package of cans containing liquid, for example beer, comprises four cans arranged two to each side of the device according to the invention, the cans being glued to opposite sides of the device along lines which extend axially of the cans on the periphery thereof.

Where the containers are for example small box-like containers of the type which contain soft drinks such as orange juice, the faces of the said containers may be glued to opposite sides of the blank in an array which forms a package which is also box-shaped but of larger dimension, the handle or finger grip portion extending above the level of the top of the box-like pack.

The sheet material which is used for the pack according to the invention may be plastics or cardboard material or may be a laminate comprising layers of different materials, depending upon the load to be supported by the device, and the environment in which the device will be located or used.

The invention also provides a pack comprising a plurality of containers adhered to opposite sides of a flat sheet material blank, which is provided with a carrying portion.

In the manufacture of the packages, the said devices may be fed individually or as portions of a reel of the sheet material, in synchronism with the feed of the containers to be adhered thereto, the blanks or web being brought into surface contact afterthe application of adhesive to the blank or containers, or both, as required.

Any suitable adhesive may be used, but we have used hot melt adhesive which is sprayed onto the sheet material to form the blanks, with good effect. It will be appreciated that the adhesive preferably will be of such bonding strength to enable the container to be carried by the device, but weak enough to enable the containers to be detached from the device individually by breaking of the adhesive bond, for use.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing four cans of beer and a device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the device and cans of Figure 1 when glued together to form a pack according ot the invention; Figure 3 is an exploded view of four brick-like containers and a device according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows the containers and device shown in Figure 3 when in adhered condition forming a pack according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 four cans 10 of beer are shown, and also shown is a device 12 according to the invention, the device being a simple blank sheet material having a fold line 14 defining an adhesion portion 16 and a handle portion 18, the handle portion 18 having an aperture 20forthe insertion therethrough of the fingers for the purpose which will be clear hereinafter. To form a pack comprising the device 12 and the cans 10, the cans are adhered to opposite sides of the blank, and to this end adhesive is applied along the lines 22 on opposite sides of the glue portion 16, making four glue regions 22 in all. To the respective glue regions 22 the cans 10 are applied tangentially so as to become adhered to the glue portion 11 and form the pack as illustrated in Figure 2.When the glue has set, the pack can be lifted by the handle portion 18 by the insertion of the fingers through the aperture 20. A simple and effective pack results, and the pack has the advantage that the handle portion 18 can be provided with printed matter for advertising the product contained in the containers or for advertising free offers or special offers or the like, giving the holding and carrying device advantage over the most popular form of beer can holding device which is in the form of plastic web having apertures therein and through which the tops of the cans are friction fitted. For stacking storing and transporting purposes, the handle portion 18 can be folded over as illustrated by arrow 28 in Figure 2 so that the handle portion 18 lies on top of a pair ofthe cans 10.

As regards the embodiment of Figures 3 and.4, the only differences between the Figures 1 and 2 embodiment are that the containers 30 are brick-like containers for holding for example soft drinks such as orange juice, and the glue portion 32 of the device 34 extends for the entire depth of the brick-like containers 30, and it is not necessary that there be only a line of glue which with the glue portion 32 and the faces of the brick containers 30 are adhered together, but rather the glue can be applied over as big an area as required. Again the handle portion can be folded over as indicated by reference numeral 28.

In either embodiment, when the glue has set, the group of containers can be lifted by means of the device according to the invention. A neat and easily handleable pack results.

The invention also provides a pack of containers held together by being adhered to opposite sides of a flat blank carrier and holding device, and the method of assembling the blanks and containers may be mechanised, operating in a continuous or intermittent basis.

The pack of containers may contain more or less than four containers, although best resuts are obtained with groups of an even number of containers therein.

Claims

1. A carrier and holding device comprising a blank of sheet material to opposite sides of which the containers are adhered by means of adhesive, the blank having a portion serving as a handle or finger grip enabling the group of containers to be lifted and carried thereby.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein a handle or finger grip is provided with an aperture for the insertion of the fingers therein.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the finger grip portion is adapted to be folded to a flatened condition onto the top of a container or containers when the containers are connected to the device, so that the device will not interfere with the stacking of groups of containers on top of each other.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the material of the device is plastics, cardboard or a laminate of different materials.

5. A carrier and holding device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A pack comprising two or more containers and a carrying and holding device according to any preceding claim, wherein the containers are adhered to the respective sides of the carrier and holding device.

7. A pack according to claim 6 wherein four containers in the form of cans are secured two at each side ofthe carrying and holding device.

8. A pack according to claim 6, wherein four brick-like containers are secured two at each side of the carrying and holding device.

9. A pack comprising a carrying and holding device and containers secured to opposite sides thereof, substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 4 or Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.