IE47669B1 - Packaging coupler for bottles - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to packaging couplers for bottles, and to blanks for forming such couplers.

In accordance v/ith the present invention from one aspect there is provided a packaging coupler for a plurality of bottles arranged in two row formation in pairs of laterally disposed bottles, which is formed from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material folded and glued to provide upper and lower panels each having two rows of holes extending longitudinally of the coupler for receiving therethrough the necks of the bottles to be packaged, two side panels connecting the edges of the upper and lower panels together to form a tubular structure with the upper and lower panels in generally parallel ---- .relationship and having the holes therein substantially vertically aligned 'in associated bottle-receiving pairs, and a divider panel to form a central divider extending between the upper and lower panels with the side panels in equally spaced and parallel relation thereto, the coupler being erectable from a flattened form in which the side panels are individually in coplanar ...— relation vJith-respective ones of the upper and lower panels and the divider panel is sandwiched between the two composite panels so formed, the peri- 2 47669 pheries of the holes of the upper panel being adapted to resiliently engage under projections on or adjacent the closures of said bottles received through the holes whereby to attach the bottles individually to the coupler, and the lower panel having a plurality of independently movable, resilient teeth which extend intrusively into each hole from integral attachment to the lower panel around a part only of the hole periphery and which are adapted to engage bottles held by the said projections so as by resiliently biassing the bottles transversely of the coupler to substantially prevent intermittent mutual engagement and disengagement of the bottles when carried or lifted by means of the coupler.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a plane blank for erection to form a packaging coupler as defined above.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;Fig. 1 shows a plane blank adapted to form a coupler in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a view of the erected coupler in side elevation, with one bottle in position; and Fig. 3 is a view of the coupler similar to Fig. 2, but taken in section along the line III-III in the blank of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a coupler is provided for coupling together four beer bottles in two rows of two bottles each. The coupler is erected from the plane paperboard blank of Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the blank 10 is rectangular and internally subdivided by fold lines 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 each of which extends transversely of the blank perpendicular - 3 47669 to its longitudinal axis SS (about which the blank is symmetrical).

The fold lines form the blank vrith (upper) panel 17, side panels 18 and 19, vertical divider 20; (lower) panel portions 21 and 22, and glue flap 23 for the erected coupler. These items 17 to 23 are disposed in the sequence 23, , 21, 18, 17, 19, 22, from left to right of the blank as seen in Fig. 1.

The side panels 18 and 19, the vertical divider 20 and the glue flap 23 are, vrith the exception mentioned below, plain and rectangular (although they may, of course, carry printing). The (upper) panel 17, however, has four identical circular holes 24 (Fig. 3) disposed on the corners of a square and defined by circular fold lines 25 (Fig. 1). Teeth 26 formed from the paperboard material of the blank project inwardly from integral attachment at the fold lines 25 so as to intrude into, and partly close, the holes 24 in the plane of the blank. The teeth are separated from one another by radially extending cut Tines 50 so as to be movable independently of one another by pivotal movement at the fold lines 25. The free terminal edges 27 of the teeth form free circular edges lying within, and concentric with, the holes 24.

In addition to the holes 24 partly closed by the teeth 26, the (upper) panel 17 has a pair of opposed finger apertures 28 closed by integral flaps 29. The flaps are severed from the remainder of the blank along generally C-shaped cut lines 30, but are integrally attached to the blank along straight fold lines 31 lying in parallel relation to one another and to the fold lines 17 to 22.

The (lower) panel portions 21 and 22 are arranged so as together to form an essentially plane (lower) panel for the erected blank (Figs. 2 and 3).

Each panel portion accordingly has two circular holes 31 with their centres at the same mutual separation as that of the holes 24 in each row. Like - 4 47669 the holes 24, the holes 31 are partly closed by intrusive teeth 32 projecting inwardly of the hole from mutual attachment to the blank along fold lines 33. However, whereas the teeth 26 extend around the complete peripheries of the holes 24, for the purpose later to become apparent the teeth 32 are arranged to extend around only part of the peripheries of the holes 31, being confined to an arc subtending about 210° at the hole centres. The cut lines separating the teeth 32 and enabling them to move independently of one another are denoted in Fig. 1 by the reference numeral 34.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the coupler which is erected from the blank of Fig. 1.

As can be understood from those drawings, the blank is folded through 90° along each of the lines 11 to 16, the foldsalong the lines 12 to 16 being made in one direction and that along the line 11 being made in the opposite direction. The folding forms the blank generally into a figure-of-eight constituted by two rectangles arranged side-by-side and sharing the vertical divider 20 in common. The glue flap 23 engages, and is glued to, the inside face of the (upper) panel 17, and a free marginal end region 35 of the (lower) panel portion 22 correspondingly engages, and is glued to, the outside face of the other (lower) panel portion 21.

The coupler is dispatched by the manufacturer to the user in the flattened form (not shown) in which it is manufactured from the blank. In this form the side panel 18 and the (upper) panel 17 are generally coplanar with one another, as are the side panel 19 and the (lower) panel formed of the portions 21, 22. The two composite panels so formed are superimposed and in face-to-face contact except where they are separated by the divider 20 which is sandwiched between them. They are joined along the fold lines 13 and 15, which form the edges of the flattened coupler.

To apply the coupler, the user erects the coupler to the figure-of-eight confirguration shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby bringing the holes 24 in the - 5 4766S (upper) panel 17 into alignment with the holes 31 of the composite (lower) panel. In this form the coupler is located above a group of conventional beer bottles arranged in a regular array of rows and columns, and is moved down on to the bottles so as to bring the necks of four of the bottles upwardly through the aligned pairs of holes 31 and 24, to the position depicted for one bottle only in Figs. 2 and 3. This bottle is denoted by the reference numeral 40, its crown closure (shown only in ghosted outline in Fig. 2) being denoted 41.

The relative movement of each bottle neck through the respective pair of holes 31 and 24 causes the crown closure 41 of the bottle to force the intruding teeth 26 around the hole 24 upwardly by hinging at the fold line 25. The movement is continued until the crown closure clears the teeth 26, so allowing them to spring resiliently back into engagement at their free terminal edges 27 with the underside of the peripheral bead 42 conventionally provided around the bottle mouth. This engagement thereafter holds the bottle firmly in position within the coupler until required for use.

Preferably, vertical tear strips (not shown) are formed down the side panels 18, 19 in correspondence with the pairs of holes 24, 31 to allow the bottles to be freed individually for removal.

In addition to the deformation of the teeth 26 as described above, the movement of the coupler on the bottle necks also causes upward deformation of the teeth 32 around the holes 31. For each hole the circular arc formed by the teeth 32 is centred on the innermost point of the hole 31, that is to say, the point nearest to the corresponding hole of the other (lower) panel portion 21 and 22. Thus by virtue of their resilience the teeth 32 have the effect of resiliently biassing the adjacent bottle away from the corresponding bottle on the other side of the divider 20 and into firm engagement with the periphery of the hole. - 6 47669 As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, where it is denoted by the reference numeral 32' the centre one of the teeth 32 of each hole 31 is preferably of increased width so as to provide increased resistance to bottle movement in its direction. Likewise, and also as shown, the two teeth 32 lying at opposite ends of the hole 31 diameter which is directed longitudinally of the coupler may be of increased width so as to counteract swinging movement of the bottles in the bottles in the longitudinal direction. These latter teeth, which are again denoted 32', are located at the end of the arcs of teeth 32 in the arrangement shown.

It will be appreciated from the drawings and the foregoing description that the diameter of the holes 24, and likewise of the holes 31, is such that when the bottles are held in the coupler the holes form a clearance with the part of the bottle necks which they encircle.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 in particular, the holes 31 are disposed so as partly to extend into the side panels 18, 19. The coupler width is thereby reduced, resulting in economies in material, and the area of engagement of the bottles with the hole peripheries on the outside of the coupler under the resilient action of the teeth 32 is increased, so leading to improved location of the bottles within the coupler.

The coupler is arranged so that, after application to a group of four bottles as described above, it may provide a carrier for the bottles. To that end the coupler is provided with the finger apertures 28. The mutual spacing of the holes 24 and of the holes 31 is such that the bottles are normally held out of contact with one another when the coupler is stationary, with the bottles resting on a horizontal supporting surface. Due, however, to the undesired ability of the coupler under the weight of the bottles to deform and so sag on either side of the divider 20, there is a tendency when the coupler is being carried or lifted up, for opposing bottles on either side - 7 47 66® of the divider to clink together, so leading to noise, disturbance of the bottle contents and possible bottle breakage. The resilient biassing provided for the bottles by the teeth 32 counteracts this tendency by cushioning the inward movement of the bottles. The tendency to clinking is further counteracted by the slight inclination to the vertical at which the bottles are held in the coupler, as manifest from Fig. 3 where the central axis LL of the bottle shown is seen to be inclined outwardly through a small angle in the downward direction in relation to the vertical V. Typically the angle is 2°.

One mode of application of the coupler is to bottles which are held in a crate at a depot (rather than at the plant itself). The crate has a matrix of partitioning members one of which, shown in cross-section at 44 in Fig. 3, serves to segregate the bottle shown from the corresponding bottle carried by the coupler on the other side of the vertical divider 20.

If desired, the coupler may be one of several couplers integrally formed from the same sheet of paperboard and attached by lines of weakness along their upper and/or lower edges as seen in Fig. 1. The couplers are applied as one, and separated after application for individual retailing.

In a modification of the described arrangement the holes 24, 31 are located closer together, so that the bottles are held in contact with one another, and the teeth 32 are disposed diametrically opposite the positions shown in relation to their holes 31. The teeth thereby bias the bottles inwardly towards one another so as substantially to prevent clinking by maintaining the bottles in permanent contact.

Claims (13)

1. A packaging coupler for a plurality of bottles arranged in two row formation in pairs of laterally disposed bottles, which is formed from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material folded and glued to provide upper

2. A packaging coupler according to Claim 1, wherein for each hole of the lower panel the resilient teeth are confined to an arc of the hole periphery which is centered on the nearmost point to the other hole of the

3. A packaging coupler according to Claim 2, wherein for each hole of the lower panel the resilient tooth located on the said nearmost point to the

4. A packaging coupler according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, arranged so that when, in use, the bottles packaged by the coupler are supported on a horizontal supporting surface, each bottle is inclined to the vertical by a small angle 5. 10. A packaging coupler as claimed in any preceding claim when in said flattened form.

5. A packaging coupler according to Claim 1, wherein for each hole of the lower panel the resilient teeth are confined to an arc of the hole periphery which is centered on the furthermost point from the other hole of 15 the respective pair, the teeth of the inner panel being adapted to bias the bottles of each pair into contact with one another. 5 other hole of the respective pair is of increased width so as to provide increased resistance to bottle movement in its direction. 5 and lower panels each having two rows of holes extending longitudinally of the coupler for receiving therethrough the necks of the bottles to be packaged, two side panels connecting the edges of the upper and lower panels together to form a tubular structure with the upper and lower panels in generally parallel relationship and having the holes therein substantially

6. A packaging coupler according to Claim 5, wherein for each hole of the lower panel the resilient tooth located on the said furthermost point from the other hole of the respective pair is of increased width so as to 20 provide increased resistance to bottle movement in its direction.

7. A packaging coupler according to Claim 1, wherein for each hole of the lower panel the resilient teeth located at the ends of the hole diameter which is directed longitudinally of the coupler are each of increased width so as to provide increased resistance to bottle movement in their direction. 25

8. A packaging coupler according to any claim of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the holes in the lower panel are arranged so as partially to extend into the side panels.

9. A packaging coupler according to any preceding claim, wherein the peripheries of the holes of the upper panel are adapted to resiliently engage the said projections at a plurality of independently movable, resilient teeth extending intrusively into the said holes of the upper panel. - 9 47669 respective pair, the teeth of the lower panel being adapted to bias the bottles of each pair away from contact with one another.

10. Reference to the accompanying drawings. - 10 47669 10 such that the bottles of each laterally disposed pair are mutually divergent towards their bottom ends. 10 vertically aligned in associated bottle-receiving pairs, and a divider panel to form a central divider extending between the upper and lower panels with the side panels in equally spaced and parallel relation thereto, the coupler being erectable from a flattened form in which the side panels are individually in coplanar relation with respective ones of the upper and lower panels and 15 the divider panel is sandwiched between the two composite panels so formed, the peripheries of the holes of the upper panel being adapted to resiliently engage under projections on or adjacent the closures of said bottles received through the holes whereby to attach the bottles individually to the coupler, and the lower panel having a plurality of independently movable, resilient 20 teeth which extend intrusively into each hole from integral attachment to the lower panel around a part only of the hole periphery and which are to engage bottles held by the said projections so as by resiliently biassing the bottles transversely of the coupler to substantially prevent intermittent mutual engagement and disengagement of the bottles when carried or lifted by 25 means of the coupler.

11. A plane blank adapted on erection to form a packaging coupler as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A packaging coupler substantially as hereinbefore described with

13. A plane blank, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.