GB2287448A - A carrier for pot-like containers;forming a pack therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrier 10 comprises a sheet of material 11 having openings 12 to receive lipped containers 17 which are hence located by the carrier 10. Smaller datum apertures 14 are engageable by projections of a transport mechanism so as to locate the carrier during insertion, filling and closing of the containers 17, the bed of the transport mechanism having openings (28, Figure 5) with which the carrier openings 12 are aligned. A handle 15 is defined between the rows 13 of openings 12 by parallel cuts 16 in the sheet 11. Such carriers 10 can be used during processing, transport and sale of food stuffs (e.g. yoghurt) contained in pot-like containers. <IMAGE>

Description

CARRIERS This invention relates to a carrier for pot-like food containers and in particular, but not exclusively, to packs of yoghurt or the like and to packs and methods including such carriers.

Many products, such as yoghurt, fromage frais or even pot noodles, are now commonly bought in packs of four or more items. For bar coding, and other purposes, it is desirable that these items should remain connected during the purchase procedure, but should be readily separable thereafter. Even when the items are to be sold singularly it is desirable during handling processes that the pots are not simply loose.

Currently there are three major approaches. Where the products are simply to be sold singularly they are located in recesses in a lightweight tray and displayed on the shelves in this tray. Where the products are to be sold in batches then they are either wrapped together, for example in a cardboard sleeve, or the pots are formed in a single moulding operation, so that they are interconnected by flanges surrounding their mouths. These latter pots are then closed by a single piece of foil.

The trays are only applicable, of course, to items which are to be sold on an individual basis. The cardboard or other form of sleeve involves exclusive handling and has an increased packaging cost. The moulded array can only be formed on an extremely expensive machine, which could only be funded by a major producer, and there are problems with printing the actual pots without causing the array to fracture along the pre-prepared score lines which are an integral part of the design. Further the use of a single foil for closing the different pots produces its own problems.

From one aspect the present invention consists in a carrier for pot-like food containers having an enlarged dimension at or adjacent their mouths, comprising a sheet of material defining a plurality of spaced openings for receiving the containers and for engaging the containers at their enlarged dimensions to hold the containers in predetermined relative positions.

The nature of the sheet of material will depend upon the particular use to which the carrier is being put. Thus the carrier can be used simply for locating the pots relative to one another whilst they are being filled and closed, in which case the conveyors associated with the machinery will take much of the weight. Indeed if the carrier is held under tension by the conveyor, such location could be achieved with a flexible membrane. More usually the sheet will be rigid or semi-rigid, particularly when the pots have been received. In this condition it can serve to locate the pots both during transport and purchase.

Preferably the openings are undersized relative to the dimension of the container which locates in the opening at the engaged position and at least part of the periphery of the openings is defined by deflectable portions which deflect on insertion of the container to lock the container in the engaged position. The portions may be defined by generally radial slits or by projecting segments.

The sheet may be made of cardboard, plastics, or any other suitable material.

In a preferred embodiment the carrier has at least one reference aperture or formation for defining a datum position of the carrier relative to machinery for handling, filling or processing the containers. For example the carrier may have a number of reference apertures or formations for receiving projections on a transport mechanism.

The carrier may include a handle formed in or on a sheet and in particular the handle may be formed by suitable cuts or scores extending in the sheet between rows of openings.

The invention also consists in a pack formed of a carrier and pot-like food containers mounted in the respective openings in which case the containers may contain dry or liquid food stuffs, such as noodles, yoghurt, fromage frais or cream. The containers may be individually closed with lids or foil.

The invention still further includes a method of forming a pack of food stuffs including locating pot-like containers having enlarged dimensions near their mouths in respective openings of a carrier of the type hereinbefore described and filling and/or closing the containers whilst they are located in the carrier.

From a further aspect the invention consists in container filling apparatus including a track having openings in its bed for receiving containers, means for moving the track past a succession of stations, the stations including a carrier loading station for loading apertured carriers on the track with their openings in register with sets of track openings; a container loading station for inserting a container into the track through a pair of registered openings; a filling station and a sealing station.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a carrier; Figure 2 is a perspective view from above and one side of a pack including the carrier of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of an alternative carrier; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a container filling machine; Figure 5 is a partial schematic view of the track of the machine of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is an enlarged side view of a container location of the machine of Figure 6.

A carrier 10 comprises a sheet of material 11 having openings 12 arranged in rows 13 and smaller datum apertures 14. A handle 15 is defined between the rows 13 by parallel cuts 16 in the sheet 11.

The openings 12 are dimensioned to receive a particular size of container 17, so that a container 17 can be inserted in an opening 12 but retained therein by its enlarged lip 18, or other dimension, causing it to engage within the opening 12 or on the sheet 11. Additionally or alternatively radial slits 12a may be formed in the peripheries of the openings 12 so that the peripheral arcs 12b become deflected by slightly oversized containers 17 which are then jammed in the opening 12. Figure 3 illustrates an alternative opening format, wherein segments or portions 12c project into the openings 12 to provide deflectable flaps which serve to jam the containers 17 into the openings 12. Once so inserted the sheet of material 11 can both serve to interconnect the containers 17 and to locate them in predetermined relative positions. The first feature enables the carrier 10 to form a purchaseable pack 19 with the containers 17. The second feature enables them conveniently to be handled during processing so that for example the containers can be presented in position to be filled by nozzles of filling machines.

Thus in a typical operation pre-printed pots will be automatically located in the openings 12 of a carrier 10 which conveniently will already be mounted on a transport mechanism, such as a conveyor. Projected lugs or the like can engage in the datum apertures 14 so that the position of the carrier 10 and hence the containers 17 are known. In this condition the assembly of carrier and empty pots can be passed through both filling stations and pot closing stay onus with great simplicity. T-he filled and closed containers located in that carrier can then readily be packed for transport to the supermarket cold cabinet where they will be displayed.A purchaser then removes the pack 19 using the handle 15 and places it in their trolley where it will be taken to the check-out and the single bar code marked on the carrier or one of the containers can be read.

When the purchaser wishes to consume the food stuff contained in a container 17 it can simply be withdrawn from the carrier. When empty the carrier 10 can be disposed of.

The advantages of the system have already been indicated, but they also include the fact that the carrier 10 represents almost a minimum of packaging which can be easily printed. It can also be made of the minimum thickness of material appropriate for the particular product being packaged, and it provides a way of forming a pack which does not require significant machine investment and therefore opens up the multi-container pack market to smaller independent packagers.

Turning now to Figures 4 to 6 a container filling machine is schematically illustrated at 20. It includes an apertured track 21, a carrier-loading station 22, a container-loading station 23, a filling station 24 and a lid applying and sealing station 25. As can be seen in Figure 5 the track 21 defines container locations 26, each of which include a plate 27 having a central opening 28 which is surrounded by pegs 29. The openings 28 are sized to receive and retain containers 17 whilst they are being filled and sealed.

In use, the carrier loading station 22 loads a carrier 10 onto the track 21 so that it overlies four locations 26, with the openings 12 in register with respective openings 28. This can be achieved by using the pegs 29 to locate the carrier 10. Containers are then loaded at 23 through the aligned openings 12, 28 so that the container 17 sits more or less as shown in Figure 6 although it may not be fully pushed home at this stage. The containers 17 are then filled at 24 and sealed at 25. The downward pressure imposed during sealing ensures that the containers 17 are fully rammed into the openings 12 so that they become locked by segments 12b or 12c. The carriers 10, containing filled and sealed containers 17, can then be ejected from the track 21 and sent to the retailer after being boxed. Subsequent handling is relatively straightforward because the containers 17 are firmly held in the carriers 10, but they can be withdrawn by holding the carrier 10 and pulling the container 17 upwards.

It will thus be seen that the provision of the carrierloading station 22 transforms a 'single' container machine into one which can make four or even six-packs. Previously a separate packing machine would have been required. Even the expensive moulding machines mentioned previously do not have this degree of flexibility.

Claims (20)

1. A carrier for pot-like food containers having an enlarged dimension at or adjacent their mouths, comprising a sheet of material defining a plurality of spaced openings for receiving the containers and for engaging the containers at their enlarged dimensions to hold the containers in predetermined relative positions.

2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier has at least one reference aperture or formation for defining a datum position of the carrier relative to machinery for handling, filling or processing the containers.

3. A carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein the carrier has a number of reference apertures or formations for receiving projections on a transport mechanism.

4. A carrier as defined in any one of the preceding claims further including a handle formed in or on a sheet.

5. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the openings are undersized relative to the dimension of the container which locates in the opening at the engaged position.

6. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least part of the periphery of the openings is defined by deflectable portions for deflection on insertion of the container to lock the container in the engaged position.

7. A carrier as claimed in claim 6 wherein the portions are defined by radial slits or by projecting segments.

8. A carrier substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A pack comprising a carrier as hereinbefore defined and pot-like food containers mounted in respective openings.

10. A pack as claimed in claim 9 wherein the containers contain dry or liquid food stuffs.

11. A pack as claimed in claim 10 wherein the food stuffs are one of noodles, yoghurt, fromage frais or cream.

12. A pack as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the containers are individually closed.

13. A pack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of forming a pack of food stuffs including locating pot-like containers having an enlarged dimension near their mouth in respective openings of a carrier of the type as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, and filling and/or closing the containers whilst they are located in the carrier.

15. A method substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. Container filling apparatus including a track having openings in its bed for receiving containers, means for moving the track past a succession of stations, the stations including a carrier loading station for loading apertured carriers on the track with their openings in register with sets of track openings; a container loading station for inserting a container into the track through a pair of registered openings; a filling station and a sealing station.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one station includes means for pressing the container firmly into the carrier.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the carrier loading station is arranged to load carriers as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein the track includes projections on formations for locating the carriers relative to the track openings.

20. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying drawings.