GB2271974A

GB2271974A - Holder/carrier for flanged or chimed containers

Info

Publication number: GB2271974A
Application number: GB9222816A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Miles
Original assignee: CREST CARTONS Ltd
Current assignee: CREST CARTONS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-30
Filing date: 1992-10-30
Publication date: 1994-05-04
Also published as: GB9222816D0

Abstract

A holder for holding containers (50) each having a flange or chime at its top comprises a top panel (10) a skirt (12, 14) depending from the top panel, retaining slots (30, 32) in the side panels (12, 14) of the skirt, and supporting panels (24) between retaining slits (26) in the top panel (10). The slits and slots may be either straight or shaped. <IMAGE>

Description

HOLDER/CARRIER FOR FLANGED OR CHIMED CONTAINERS This invention relates to a holder/carrier for chimed containers, such as beverage cans, or flanged containers, such as yoghurt pots etc.

Drinks cans are commonly supplied in packs of four or more. The cans are held together by a thin web of resilient, flexible polymeric material, such as low density polythene. The web takes the form of integrally coupled loops which are designed to fit tightly around the upper portions of the cans and to grip the cans under the chimes at the top of the cans.

Owing to the flexibility of the web, such a holder does not retain the cans in a fixed orientation relative to one another. When the pack is picked up by someone holding the web or holding one of the cans, the cans are free to swing relative to one another and to clatter together. This can be both annoying, since the pack may be difficult to carry, and undesirable, particularly for cans which contain carbonated drinks. Nevertheless, the flexibility and resilience of the web are essential requirements of that design to enable the web to be fitted tightly around the cans.

In an attempt to overcome these drawbacks, the web is sometimes supplemented by a sleeve of card which fits around the bodies of the cans. The sleeve keeps the cans together to prevent clattering and also provides surfaces on which information can be presented. However, such a two-piece design necessitates an extra stage in the packaging process and therefore increases costs.

Yoghurt pots and cream cartons are often sold either separately or in packs of four, six or more. When sold separately, the cartons will often include an additional clip-on lid, which protects the underlying peel-off lid from being removed accidentally or from being reached by inquisitive wildlife which manages to get to the milkman's delivery before the intended recipient. When sold in packs, the pots or cartons may be joined together at their flanges by frangible links or may simply be boxed up into a package.

When the flanges are connected by frangible links, there is always a danger that separation of the individual pots or cartons may result in inadvertent removal of one or more of the peel-off lids. Such an arrangement is therefore not to be preferred.

Owing to the fact that yoghurt pots, cream cartons, etc.

are typically tapered and widest at their upper regions, it is not practical to utilize a carrying web as described above in relation to drinks cans. It is with the above problems and disadvantages in mind that the present invention has been devised.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a holder for containers, each having a flange or chime at its top, comprising a top panel, a skirt coextensive with and depending from the periphery of the top panel means to cooperate with and retain the flange or chime of each container adjacent the top panel.

This design enables the holder to be constructed entirely from material such as card, without suffering from the disadvantages discussed above. In the case of a multican holder, the skirt not only stiffens the top panel against flexing but also restricts the movement of the cans relative to one another, restraining them from swinging or clattering together. The skirt also provides a surface on which promotional material may be presented.

In the case of a holder for yoghurt pots, cream cartons etc., since such pots and cartons are usually very much lighter than beverage cans, the depending skirt stiffens the top panel to a sufficient extent to enable the holder to take the weight of the pots or cartons with which it is used. Thus, in such cases the holder doubles as a carrying clip for yoghurt pots, cream cartons etc.

Preferably, the skirt comprises side panels which are formed integrally with the top panel. This provides a very convenient one-piece construction of the holder with the side panels preferably being hinged, one to each edge of the top panel.

Preferably, the retaining means comprises a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel slits in the top panel, the pairs of slits being arranged in one or more longitudinal rows, in one or more transverse ranks, or in both. Preferably also, the retaining means comprises a plurality of slots in the skirt adjacent the top panel, each slot being positioned at a point where a longitudinal row or a transverse rank meets the periphery of the top panel.

In the case of flanged containers, such as yoghurt pots and cream cartons, which include a peel-off lid, the present invention addresses the problem of accidental opening of the lid, for example by careless handling, or breach of the lid by inquisitive wildlife. In a second aspect, the present invention therefore provides a holder for one or more containers, each having a flange at its top and a peel-off lid secured to the flange, comprising a substantially planar top panel having means to cooperate with and retain the flange of each container and a side panel depending from the periphery of the top panel, in which the retaining means includes a slot in the side panel adjacent the top panel and the top panel includes a peripheral extension substantially coextensive with the slot and projecting beyond the plane of the side panel.

The peripheral extension covers that portion of the peel-off lid which would otherwise project through the slot in the side panel, therefore providing a degree of protection against careless handling and covering the container's peel-off lid so as to prevent wildlife from gaining access to the contents.

Preferably, the side panel forms part of a skirt coextensive with and depending from the periphery of the top panel.

Preferably, the retaining means comprises a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel slits, the pairs of slits being arranged in one or more longitudinal rows, one or more transverse ranks, or both. Preferably also, the retaining means comprises a plurality of slots as discussed above, each slot being positioned at a point where a longitudinal row or a transverse rank meets the periphery of the top panel.

The present invention also provides a blank of sheet packaging material which is adapted to be formed into a holder according to the invention by means only of folding along predefined bend lines and of gluing.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank according to the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank according to the second aspect of the invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a holder assembled from the blank of Figure 2 and a holding four yoghurt pots.

The blanks of Figures 1 and 2 are each stamped from sheet packaging material such as sized card. The blanks consist of a top panel (10), left and right side panels (14) and front and rear side panels (12). The side panels (12,14) are attached to the top panel (10) at respective bend score lines (18,20). Each of the left and right side panels (14) includes a pair of glue tabs (16), one at either end, which are attached to the side panels (14) at a bend score line (22) which forms an extension of the bend score line (18) at which the front and rear side panels (12) are attached to the top panel (10). The blanks are assembled by bending the side panels (12,14) down through 90 and attaching the glue tabs (16) to the front and rear side panels (12) by a suitable adhesive.

Each blank is provided with two pairs of substantially parallel slits (28) in the form of cut scores which extend from the bend score line (20) of respective left or right side panels (14) towards the centre of top panel (10) to terminate at a respective inner bend score line (26) which joins the slits (28) of each pair. The slits (28) may be parallel, may be slightly angled with respect to one another, may be straight as illustrated in Figure 1 or may be curved as illustrated in Figure 2. Defined by each pair of slits (28) and lying between them is a flange support panel (24), the function of which will be explained below.

In the blank of Figure 1, the left and right side panels (14) are each provided with a pair of stamped out slots (30). Similar slots (32) are provided in the front and rear side panels (12). When the blank is formed into a holder, the flange or chime of the containers being held projects through the slots (30,32) in the side panels (12,14) and a portion of the flange or chime passes through a slit (28) in the top panel (10) so as to lie above and be supported by the flange support panel (24). An advantage of having slits (28) slightly angled with respect to one another, as illustrated in Figure 1, is that it discourages the containers from slipping out of engagement with the slots (30,32) in the side panels (12,14) of the holder.

In addition to the curved slits (28), the blank of Figure 2 differs from that of Figure 1 in that rather than having stamped out slots (30,32) in the side panels (12,14) the blank includes a series of part circular cut scores (40,42) which define a corresponding series of peripheral extensions (44) of the top panel (10) at the expense of the side panels (12,14). When the side panels (12,14) are bent down to form the holder of Figure 3, the peripheral extensions (44) of the top panel (10) project beyond the planes of their respective side panels (12,14).

Correspondingly, a slot (30,32) is formed in the side panel (12,14) owing to the absence of the material which makes up the peripheral extension (44) of the top panel (10). The peripheral extensions (44) cover the lids of the yoghurt pots (50) or other containers being held and therefore provide a degree of protection. The slots (30,32) act in the same as those in the blank of Figure 1.

As has been explained above and is illustrated in relation to yoghurt pots in Figure 3, in use, a portion of the flange (52) of each pot passes through one of the slits (28) in the top panel (10) so as to overlie and be supported by the flange support panel (24). The combination of flange support panel (24), slots (30,32) and a depending skirt formed from the side panels (12,14) enables the holder to take the weight of a number of yoghurt pots (50) and therefore to act as a carrying clip as well as a stabilizing holder.

It will of course be appreciated that the above description is given purely by way of example and that modifications of detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A holder for containers each having a flange or chime at its top, the holder comprising a top panel, a skirt coextensive with and arranged or arrangeable to depend downwardly from the periphery of the top panel, and means to co-operate with and retain the flange or chime of each container adjacent the top panel.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprise a plurality of slits or slots in the top panel through which a portion of the flange or chime of a container can project.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining means comprise one or more slits or slots in the skirt, through which a portion of the flange or chime of a container can project.

4. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the slits or slots in the skirt are located substantially at a join between the top panel and the skirt.

5. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of side walls which are hinged one to each edge of the top panel.

6. A holder according to claim 5, wherein the side walls are secured relative to one another at the corners of the holder.

7. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the top panel is substantially square.

8. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprises a plurality of pairs of slits or slots in the top panel being arranged in one or more longitudinal rows or in one or more transverse ranks, and wherein the retaining means further comprises a plurality of slots in the skirt adjacent the top panel, each slot being positioned at a point where a longitudinal row or a transverse rank meets the periphery of the top panel.

9. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means comprises means for retaining four containers in a square arrangement, Qnd the retaining means engage the flange or chime of each container at three angularly spaced positions around the periphery of the flange or chime.

10. A blank for forming a holder for containers each of the type having a flange or chime at its top, the blank comprising a top panel area, at least one skirt wall area hingedly connected to the top panel area, and means on the top panel area and the skirt wall area defining container retaining means, in use, the holder being formed by folding the skirt wall area to form a skirt depending downwardly from the top panel area, and the retaining means on the top panel and the skirt wall co-operating with the flange or chime of the or each container to retain the flange under and adjacent to at least a portion of the top panel.

11. A blank according to claim 16, wherein the skirt wall area comprises a plurality of side panel areas hinged one to each edge of the top panel area.

12. A blank according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the means defining the container retaining means comprises one or more slits or slots in the top panel area.

13. A blank according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the means defining the container retaining means comprises one or more slits or slots in the skirt wall area.

14. In combination, a holder as defined in claim 1, and a plurality of containers, each container having a flange or chime at its top, and being retained by the retaining means of the holder adjacent to the top panel of the holder.

15. A holder for containers, the holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A blank adapted for forming a holder, the blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.