JP2007532436A - Carton semi-finished product with carton and access means - Google Patents

Abstract

A carton for containing bottles, has a top closure (20). The top closure (20) has a plurality of apertures (56) each to receive a bottle neck. At least one of the apertures (56) has a tear feature which comprises at least one group of short slits (37). The short slits (37) are offset from one another and arranged such that removal of the bottles causes the tear feature to break and the one aperture (56) to be enlarged.

Description

  The present invention relates to a carton containing a plurality of similar items, such as bottles, and means for holding the bottles in the carton, and in particular, means for accessing the items.

  A carton for wrapping a large number of items serves to allow the consumer to acquire and carry the required amount of individual items such as soft drinks or other beverages. Such a carton needs to be strong enough to hold a large number of items, especially if the item is a bottle. It is also desirable that such cartons are easy to handle and portable.

  It is often desirable to be able to see the items contained in the carton and that the carton also has a large area on which advertising drawings can be printed. It is often desirable that the item be easily accessible (accessible), and the item is safely held in place in the carton, especially if the item is fragile, such as a glass or bottle. It is also preferable. However, it is undesirable for an item to be accessible too easily, for example before being purchased.

  It is also desirable to have a carton that can be used to return empty items to a recycling location after the contents of the items have been consumed.

  The present invention provides a means for displaying an item or a portion of an item in combination with an access means for removal of the article, and the access means exchanges the goods for return to a recycling location. Is to leave enough integrity in the carton.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is an upper closure panel for closing an upper portion of an open container, the panel being at least one for receiving a portion of an item held within the container, respectively. An aperture (aperture) and including a splitting mechanism for expanding the size of the or each aperture, the splitting mechanism having at least one separate group of short slits, the short slits being Propagating (proliferating) the splits extending radially from the aperture and arranged substantially perpendicular to the virtual radial line so that removal of items through the aperture diverges from the virtual radial line Thereby gradually increasing the size of the opening.

  Preferably, the or each group of short slits has at least two short slits, in which situation the short slit furthest from the opening is longer than the short slit closest to the opening.

  Preferably, the or each separate group of concentric short slits is arranged so that the short slit closest to the opening overlaps with at least two short slits further spaced from the opening. Have

  Preferably, the end of one short slit is separated from the end of an adjacent slit in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm.

  Furthermore, the upper closing panel is prevented from being completely released from the upper open container by the holding means provided by the upper open container.

  Preferably, it can have a starting cut substantially disposed on a virtual radial line. The short slits can be of substantially equal length.

  Preferably, the short slit furthest from the opening is larger than the short slit closest to the opening.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blank (blank semi-finished product or unfolded body or dough) for forming an upper closed panel that closes an upper portion of an upper open container, and the panel is a container in use. Each having at least one opening for receiving a portion of the article held therein and including a splitting mechanism for expanding the size of the or each opening, the splitting mechanism comprising at least one short slit; Having two separate groups, the short slits are arranged substantially perpendicular to the virtual radial line, so that the removal of items through the opening diverges from the virtual radial line , Thereby gradually increasing the size of the opening.

  Preferably, the or each group of short slits has at least two short slits, in which situation the short slit furthest from the opening is longer than the short slit closest to the opening.

  Furthermore, the splitting mechanism can have initiating means extending perpendicularly from the edge of the opening towards the group of short slits.

  An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 show the first and second portions in a two-part blank to form a carton 30 made from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material. It is envisioned that a single blank can be used instead without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the two blanks 10 and 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively formed in a cylindrical crate (frame box) and a cover. The said cover is inserted in the cylindrical crate which forms the carton 30 of 1st Embodiment, as shown to FIG. 1C.

  A few variants to the present invention can form, for example, a crash bottom type known in the art and can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. is assumed. Although the present invention is designed to accommodate similar items such as bottles, it is envisioned that the present invention may be utilized to accommodate other items without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  A blank 10 for forming a cylindrical crate is shown in FIG. The blank 10 is arranged in order along the first and second side panels 12, 16, the front and rear panels 14, 18, and the crease lines 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b, 48a, and 48b. Each corner panel 90 is swingably attached. A glue flap 88 is provided for securing the rear panel 18 to the first side wall 12, and in this embodiment a recess is provided towards the end of the glue flap 88.

  Handle apertures 54 are cut from the first and second sidewalls 12, 16 to provide finger gripping tabs 58. The finger gripping tab 58 projects inwardly from the upper edge of the handle aperture 54. The finger tabs allow the raised carton to be easily gripped and lifted by the handle aperture 54. Top end flaps 76 are swingably attached to the front, rear, and corner panels 14, 18, and 90, respectively, and when the blank 10 is stood on a cylindrical crate, the front, rear, , And the top end reinforcement of the corner panels 14, 18, and 90.

  Moving from assembling the cylindrical crate from the blank 10, a series of continuous folding and gluing operations are required, which can preferably be done with continuous line equipment, and the crate and / or blank 10 is assembled. It is not necessary to rotate or turn over to complete. The folding process is not limited to that described below and can be modified according to specific manufacturing requirements.

  The first step is to apply the glue to the outer edge of the glue flap 88 and then fold it 180 ° at the crease line 48 so that it lies in the plane of contact relative to the inner corner panel 90. That is. Next, the front panel 14 is folded at a crease line 44b so as to be flat on the inner surface of the second side panel 16. This causes the first side panel 12 to be in planar contact relationship with the rear panel 18 and the glued outer edge of the glue flap 88 so that the first side panel 12 is affixed to the glue flap 88 and 1 side panel 12 and rear panel 18 are connected. The blank 10 can then be erected into a cylindrical structure and the bottom flaps 72, 74 are secured using similar steps of folding and gluing to form bottom end closure means.

  The second blank 20 shown in FIG. 2 can be formed as a cover for the cylindrical crate formed from the blank 10 of FIG. The blank 20 has a main panel 22, and the main panel 22 is swingably attached to the inner handle panel 24 on either side. A handle aperture 54 is cut from the inner handle panel 24 and a finger gripping tab 58 projects inwardly from the upper edge of the handle aperture 54. The inner handle panel 24 is swingably attached to the outer handle panel 26, and the outer handle panel 26 includes finger gripping tabs 58 formed integrally at its edges. The outer handle panel 26 is recessed and formed to complement the shape of the handle apertures 54 cut from both inner handle panels 24 and those cut from the front and rear panels 14, 18. The cover end flap 28 is swingably attached to the main panel 22 and can provide structural rigidity and even aesthetic appeal to the carton 30 during assembly.

  In this embodiment of the invention, the main panel 22 is provided with 12 apertures (openings), each arranged in three rows vertically and four rows horizontally to accommodate a portion of the bottle. After the bottle is accommodated in the cylindrical crate, a cover formed from the blank 20 is incorporated while being assigned to the neck of the bottle. Next, the inner handle panel 24, the cover end flap 28, and the tab 92 are secured to the inner surfaces of the first and second side panels 12, 16, the front and rear panels 14, 18, and the corner panel 90, respectively. The The outer handle panel 26 can be fixed to the outer surface of the first and second side panels 12, 16. In this way, a handle structure reinforced with three layers is formed at opposite ends of the carton 30, one of the layers being provided with the first and second side panels 12, 16, and two layers. Are provided with inner and outer handle panels 24,26.

  A carton formed from blanks 10 and 20 is shown in FIG. 1C. Once the cover made from the blank 20 is held in the cylindrical crate, it can be seen that the bottle is held in the carton. Access to the bottle is easily obtained by separating the frangible connection or break 37. In this way each bottle can be accessed individually, while the 30 structural integrity of the carton is retained. Bottles that are not removed are held in place by apertures 56 in the cover. Thereby, the carton provides a compatible transport container with structural integrity that is not destroyed when accessing the bottle. This allows the carton to be reused to conveniently return empty bottles.

  In other embodiments of the present invention, the cover formed from the blank 20 can be provided with no inner and outer handle panels and is not secured to the cylindrical crate formed from the blank 10 by glue. Can be. The cylindrical crate can further include a retaining tab that prevents the cover from being completely removed from the carton upon removal of the item. In this way, the main panel 22 can be flexible to accommodate the removal of items. It is envisioned that the reinforcement of the handle aperture 54 may be provided by an inner handle 24 that is held in the blank 10 to form a cylindrical crate but not held in the cover of the blank 20.

  Access to the bottle housed in the carton 30 can be achieved by pulling the bottle from the carton 30. Aperture 56 is sized to fit the neck of the bottle and removal of the bottle is accomplished by expanding the size of aperture 56. This is accomplished by splitting propagating between short slits or cuts 37 as the bottle is pulled through the aperture. The short slits or cuts 37 are aligned in separate groups, each separate group of short slits having a series of concentric short slits around the aperture 56, at least in several different concentric positions. The short slit is offset (displaced) relative to other concentric positions. The diameter of each aperture 56 can be gradually increased, or the perimeter of that aperture 56 is offset from the standard surface of the main panel 22 in response to pulling the neck of the bottle through the aperture 56. The removal of the jar is accomplished without substantially breaking the panel.

  A short slit 37 along one concentric imaginary line can be offset from a short slit 37 provided in an adjacent concentric imaginary line. In this embodiment, the short slits 37 are aligned in separate groups of three or five short slits 37 aligned in three substantially concentric rows. The end of the short slit 37 in one row is offset from the end of the short slit 37 in the adjacent row. In this embodiment of the invention, each aperture 56 also has a starting cut extending from the edge of the aperture 56 toward each group of short slits or cuts 37.

  Full separation of weakened connections can be achieved by withdrawing the bottle from the carton 30. In this embodiment of the invention, as the bottle is withdrawn from the carton 30, the diverging splits propagate from their respective incisions and can follow a path defined by the end of a short concentric slit 37. Two splits are led from the starting cut to the short slit 37 closest to the aperture 56 and propagate from the end of the closest short slit 37 to the offset end of the next short outer slit 37. The split then links the end points of one short slit 37 and propagates outward from the aperture to the extent defined by the end points of one group of one short slit 37. In this way, the size of the aperture 56 can be gradually increased by the propagation of the split that continues until the bottle is removed.

  The outermost virtual concentric cut 37 defines the size of the maximum expandable aperture 56, which is designed to be large enough to allow the bottle to be pulled out of the carton 30. Can do. By removing the bottles from adjacent apertures, splits propagating from one aperture can intersect with splits propagating from one adjacent aperture. This ensures that the material is removed from the top panel when a few bottles are removed, even though it is assumed that the apertures and cuts 37 are arranged and sized so that adjacent apertures do not break apart. So that the upper panel 22 remains substantially intact when the bottle is removed.

  In another embodiment of the invention, each separated group of short slits is aligned with two short slits 37 aligned such that the slit furthest from the aperture overlaps larger than the slit closest to the aperture. Can only have. The two short slits 37 are such that a pair of their ends are on a virtual radial line extending from the aperture, or a pair of their ends are on a virtual tangent extending from the aperture, ie At least one end of the short slit 37 can be arranged such that the ends are staggered and split can propagate between the ends of the staggered arrangement.

  It will be understood that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the size and shape of the panels and apertures can be adjusted to fit different sized or shaped items. In other embodiments of the present invention, the aperture formed in the upper panel can be non-circular, and to help retain the bottle neck or other items contained in the carton, It is envisioned that additional apertures can be provided to the aperture that project into the aperture. It is also envisioned that each group of cuts 37 can have more or less than five cuts. For example, if an article with a very narrow neck and large bottom is held in a carton, each group can be made up of seven cuts, and the cuts can be aligned in four offset rows, and It is envisioned that the expanded aperture diameter will be substantially larger than the original aperture 56 after the item has been removed.

  Shows directions like “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “end”, “side”, “inside”, “outside”, “upward”, and “downward” used here It should be understood that the reference terms are not intended to limit each panel in such a direction, but merely to distinguish the panels from each other. The relationship of swingable attachment should not necessarily be interpreted as saying only one crease line. The fact that the swingable mounting relationship can be formed from one or more of the following: short slits, fragile lines, or crease lines without departing from the scope of the present invention. is assumed.

Figure 3 shows a first part of a blank for forming a carton according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 shows a second part of a blank for forming a carton according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from the front, side, and top of a carton constructed from the blanks of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Explanation of symbols

10 blank 12 first side panel 14 front panel 16 second side panel 18 rear panel 20 blank 22 main panel 24 inner handle panel 26 outer handle panel 28 cover end flap 30 carton 37 short slit (or cut)
42a, 42b, 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b, 48a, 48b Crease line 54 Handle aperture 56 Aperture 58 Finger gripping tab 72, 74 Bottom flap 76 Top end flap 88 Gluing flap 90 Corner panel 92 Tab

It is also desirable to have a carton that can be used to return empty items to a recycling location after the contents of the items have been consumed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,836 to Dixneuf discloses a carton configured to clean the neck of an internal item.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,096 to Schuster discloses a wrapping carrier having an aperture configured to hold the neck of an internal item.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,836 to Schuster discloses a wrapping carrier having an opening with a tab cut from the opening that holds a portion of the neck of the item inside.
French Patent No. 2,752,559 US Pat. No. 4,646,917 US Pat. No. 5,022,525

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is an upper closure panel (20) for closing an upper portion of an open container (10), the panel being a portion of an item held within the container (56). Each of which has at least one opening and a splitting mechanism (37) for expanding the size of the or each opening, the splitting mechanism comprising at least one of the score lines. In an upper closure panel having separated groups, wherein the dividing lines extend radially from the openings substantially perpendicular to virtual radial lines, the relationship between each dividing line in the group is defined by the openings The removal of items through the divergence from a virtual radial line to a continuous radial dividing line, resulting in the propagation of a split, thereby An upper closure panel, characterized in that progressively increasing the size of the opening.

Preferably said opening comprises means for initiating a split of a panel arranged between said opening and its or each group of dividing lines.
Preferably, said starting means have further dividing lines arranged substantially on virtual radial lines.
Preferably, the separated group of or each split line has at least two split lines, in which situation the split line furthest from the opening is longer than the split line closest to the opening.

Preferably, the or groups that each separate division line closest division line to the opening are arranged concentrically as in superimposed relation to at least two distribution lines of which are further spaced from the opening, the five division Has a line .

Preferably, the end of one split line is separated from the end of the adjacent split line in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm.

Furthermore, the upper closing panel is prevented from being completely released from the upper open container by the holding means provided by the upper closing panel , in which case the holding means complements the holding means in the upper open container Adapted to be engaged.

Preferably, the division line is substantially equal length.

Preferably, the dividing line furthest from the opening is larger than the dividing line closest to the opening.

According to a second aspect of the present invention , there is provided a semi-finished product for forming an upper closing panel (20) for closing the upper part of the upper opening container (10), the panel being held inside the container (56). Each of which has at least one opening to receive a portion of the article and a splitting mechanism (37) for expanding the size of the or each opening, the splitting mechanism having at least one split line In a semi-finished product having separated groups, wherein the dividing lines extend radially from the openings substantially perpendicular to virtual radial lines, the relationship between the dividing lines in the groups is via the openings. The removal of the finished item diverges from the virtual radial line to the continuous radial dividing line, resulting in the propagation of the splitting, thereby A blank, characterized in that increasing the size of the mouth gradually.

Preferably, the or each group of dividing lines has at least two dividing lines , in which situation the dividing line furthest from the opening is longer than the dividing line closest to the opening.

Preferably, the splitting mechanism can have initiating means extending perpendicularly from the edge of the opening towards the group of short slits.
Preferably, the starting split line extends radially along a virtual radial line that is substantially directed to the center of the split line closest to the opening.

Claims (14)

  An upper closure panel (20) for closing an upper portion of an open container (10), the panel having at least one opening for receiving a portion of an item held within the container (56), respectively. And has a splitting mechanism (37) for expanding the size of the or each aperture, the splitting mechanism having at least one separate group of slits, the slits of the or each group being In the upper closure panel extending radially from the opening substantially perpendicular to the virtual radial line, the relationship between the slits in the group is between the slits in which the removal of items through the opening is radially continuous. Divergence along or against virtual radial lines To propagate urchin the division, whereby the upper closure panel, characterized in that to increase gradually the size of the opening.   The upper closure panel according to claim 1, wherein the opening comprises means for initiating splitting of the panel disposed between the opening and its or each group of slits.   3. An upper closure panel according to claim 2, wherein the starting means comprises a cutting line substantially disposed on a virtual radial line.   The or each group of slits has at least two slits, wherein the slit furthest from the opening is longer than the score line closest to the opening. Top closure panel.   The or each separate group of slits has five slits arranged concentrically such that the slit closest to the opening overlaps with at least two slits further spaced from the opening. The upper closing panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The upper closing panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the end of one slit is separated from the end of an adjacent slit by a range of 1 mm to 5 mm.   The upper closing panel is prevented from being completely released from the upper open container by the holding means (28, 92) provided by the upper closing panel, in which case the holding means (76) 7. An upper closure panel according to any one of the preceding claims, adapted to complementarily engage the upper open container.   The upper closing panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the slits has substantially the same length.   8. The upper closure panel of claim 7, wherein the slit furthest from the opening is larger than the slit closest to the opening.   A semi-finished product for forming an upper closed panel (20) that closes the upper part of the upper open container (10), said panel at least for receiving a part of the item held inside the container (56) respectively. Having an opening and a splitting mechanism (37) for expanding the size of the or each opening, the splitting mechanism having at least one separate group of slits, said slits being virtual In a semi-processed product extending radially from the opening substantially perpendicular to the radial line, the relationship between the slits in the group is that the removal of the product through the opening is radial from the virtual radial line. That diverges between successive slits, resulting in the propagation of fission, thereby gradually increasing the size of the aperture. Semi-processed products and butterflies.   11. The top closure of claim 10, wherein the or each group of slits has at least two slits, wherein the slit furthest from the opening is longer than the slit closest to the opening. Semi-processed product for forming panels.   12. Semi-finished product according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the splitting mechanism comprises starting means extending perpendicularly from the edge of the opening towards the group of slits.   A semi-finished product for forming the upper closure panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9.   4. The upper closure panel according to claim 3, wherein the starting means has a cutting line extending radially along a virtual radial line substantially directed to the center of the slit closest to the opening.

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