GB2170470A - Carriers for containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A package assembly comprises two or more containers 14 such as cuboid containers containing milk or orange juice or the like which are adhered to a carrier device 26 formed of a cardboard blank folded in two to a flat condition. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to package assemblies and devices for use therein This invention relates to package assemblies comprising groups of containers and packaging and carrier devices for the holding together, and permitting the manual carrying, of the groups of containers which may be 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 of cardboard, plastics or the like are known, some of which fit round the containers or portions thereof and grip same or hold same in order to provide a package assembly comprising a plurality, typically 4 or 6, containers held by the carrier, which carrier serves the dual functions of holding the containers together and enabling the group of containers readily to be carried.

According to the invention there is provided a package assembly comprising side by side containers between which is a carrier holding device which is formed of a flat sheet material blank folded so as to bring two extremity portions together and to the outsides of which portions the containers are adhered on further portions of the carrier and holding device serving as a handle portion by which the containers may be lifted and carried.

The handle portion may be provided with aperturves or slits for the insertion of the fingers therein, and the said handle 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.

The device will preferably comprise simply a blank of sheet material folded in two.

In order to provide a device whereby the containers can be removed and detached readily, in a preferred form the device is a flat sheet structure folded in two and to the respective halves the containers are to be adhered or otherwise secured at respective locations thereof, and the device is provided with lines of weakening enabling the extremity portions of the device at said locations to be detached from the device along with the container secured thereto, when the container is removed after the adhering together of the device and containers to form te package assembly.

More usually, the device will be designed for use with cuboid brick or box type containers so that a face of the container can be secured to a face of the device at a location over a reasonably sized surface area, having regard to the weight of the container.

The adhesion may be by means of welding or adhesive. In a specific example, the packaging device comprises simply a sheet of material folded in two. The containers are glued to the outside of the device, and lines of weakening are provided in the device to enable the containers to be removed individually. The device will usually connect two containers together, but may connect more than two.

In a specific embodiment, the inner faces of the device are preferably adhered together in the region of the fold in the device.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure lisa plan view of a device for use in a package assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;; Figure 2 shows the device of Figure 1 in folded condition; Figure 3 shows how the device of Figure 1 is inserted between several containers arranged in an array and which are to be adhered to the device; Figure 4 shows the containers and device of Figure 1 when firmly adhered together to form the packaging assembly; Figures 5to 8 show in views similar to Figures 1 to 4 a package assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;; Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, the device comprises a blank 10 of sheet material such as cardboard or plastics, and it is folded in two about the central crease line 12 so that the device takes up a flat form, and the thus folded blank is positioned between two brick like-containers 14 which make contain for example orange juice or other beverage.

The device is positioned as shown in Figure 3 so as to project above the tops 16 of the containers, and as shown in Figure 1. the blank is provided with lines of weakening 18 defined by perforations, skip cuts or the like to define removable extremity portions 20 of which the outsides are glued or otherwise secured to the containers 14 as shown in Figure 4. Additionally, the folded blank 10 has glue applied on the inside thereof in the region 22 adjacent the perforations 18 in order to hold the two halves together in such region thereby to complete the package. The skip cut lines 18 are located fractionally above the tops 16 of the containers 14 in the completed package position shown in Figure 4 so that the projecting portion can be folded down (as shown in Figure 4 by arrows 24) onto the top 16 of either container for transportation and storage.Finally, the projecting portion has slots or slits 26 whereby said projecting portion can be used as a carrying handle.

The advantage of providing the tear lines 18, is that when it is required subsequently to detach individual ones of the containers from the pack, the user simply tears along the tear line 18 whereby the containers 14, with portions 20 remaining attached thereto become separated and there is no fracturing or rupturing of the container wall as can sometimes occurwhen as in the prior art removal of the container involves tearing of same from a carrier along a glue surface or line. A further advantage is that the bar code of a single container can be hidden by the device either under the hidden portion or between the containers, but a multipack bar code can be printed on the device, thus ensuring that at checkout stations, the operator will not check out single containers when a multi-pack is to be checked out.

Another advantage of the device of the Figures 1 to 4 embodiment is that when it is printed, as it will be in a production version of the device, printing need only be on one side, and the folding of the blank will conceal the unprinted side of the blank.

A package assembly having the principles of operation of the Figures 1 to 4 device can take any suitable form, and in another example for the holding together of four containers, the blank is double the width shown, and in addition to the two tear lines 18, there are additional tear lines at right angles to the said tear lines and extending to the blank edges, so as to define four seperable extremity portions of the blank which are glued to the respective containers.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8, a blank 30 is shown in Figure 5, and it is symmetrical about a crease line 32, so that each half of the blank comprises a handle portion 34 and a glue tab portion 36, these portions being connected by a narrow waist portion 38.

As shown clearly in the drawings, in order to attach this device to two containers 40, which may be for example box containers containing soap powder or the like, the device 30 is folded about fold line 32, and then the glue tab portions 36 are placed between the containers 40, wherein said containers are arranged adjacent and in register, and the tabs 36 are simply glued to the respective opposing faces of the containers 40 to provide the package shown in Figure 8, which can be lifted by lifting the handle portions 34. The handle portions 34 may be provided with finger apertures or slots if required.

In this embodiment of the invention, no specific line of perforations are provided for the detachment of the individual containers, as the device can be torn at the neck portions 38 for the removal of the containers from the pack individually, but if required suitable tear lines can be provided as can fold lines to enable the handle portions 34 to be folded down onto the tops of the containers as described in relation to the previous embodiment.

The present invention also provided for a method of making the packs comprising the taking of devices according to the invention, the folding of same and the bringing of the containers into operative position in relation to the devices, and the securement of the containers to the respective sides of the inverted V, for example by adhesive or by welding or sealing. It is envisaged that the method will be carried out on a continuous basis involving movement of the device and containers, but it is within the scope of this invention to effect the method on an intermittent basis.

The invention also provides a pack of containers held together by being adhered to opposite sides of a flat sheet structure as a 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 results are obtained with groups of an even number of containers.

Claims (15)

1. A package assembly comprising side by side containers between which is a carrier and holding device which is formed of a flat sheet material blank folded so as to bring two extremity portions together and to the outsides of which portions the containers are adhered on further portions of the carrier and holding device serving as a handle portion by which the containers may be lifted and carried.

2. A package assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the carrier and holding device is a flat blank folded in two and is flat when so folded.

3. A package assembly according to Claim 2, wherein the blank is symmetrical about the line about which the blank is folded.

4. A package assembly according to claim 3, wherein the blank comprises a fold line being a line of symmetry of the blank, two panels on opposite sides of the fold line which form the handle portion and the two extremity portions respectively on opposite sides ofthe panel from the fold line.

5. A package assembly according to claim 4, wherein the said panels are glued or otherwise adhered together to form said handle portion.

6. A package assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein said handle portion is connected to the extremity portions by tear lines whereby the handle portions can be torn from the extremity portions enabling the containers and respective extremity portions to be separated.

7. A package assembly according to claim 6, wherein there are two containers of cuboid shape and these are respectively secured to the extremity portion so that the handle portion can be folded over onto the top of either container about said tear lines.

8. A package according to any preceding claim wherein said handle portion has apertures or slots enabling the fingers to be passed through the handle portion for the lifting of the package.

9. A package assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said container has a code identification mark to identify a single container such mark being concealed by virtue of its location within the package assembly.

10. A package assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the carrier device has a code identification mark to identify the assembly, as opposed to an individual container, such mark being visible for checking.

11. A package assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A carrier and holding device for use in the package assembly according to Claim 1, comprising a blank of cut and creased sheet material having a fold line therein about which the blank can be folded in two, and to each side of the fold line is a panel and connected to the side of the panel opposite the fold line is an extremity portion, each extremity portion being connected to its panel by a line of weakening so that the said extremity portion can be readily torn from its panel.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the blank is symmetrical about the said fold line.

14. A device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the two panels are glued or otherwise adhered, but the extremity portions are not.

15. A carrier and holding device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.