JP2016005964A - Article carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an article carrier from damaging an outer layer member of an article.SOLUTION: An article carrier includes: a sleeve structure having opposing ends, in which one of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure is an inlet end through which at least one article is loaded into the sleeve structure; an article engaging device coupled to the sleeve structure so as to lock at least one article in the sleeve structure; and at least one guide panel connected to the inlet end of the sleeve structure in a hinge method. The guide panel is folded to the inside of the sleeve structure and disposed in the sleeve structure.

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to distances for articles such as beverage bottles and cans. More specifically, the present invention allows the article to be loaded without damaging outer layer members attached to the outer surface of the article, such as product and / or price labels, graphic stickers, thermal insulation members, and other surface modification members. It relates to a sleeve-type upper or lower load carrier.

  The types of carriers for articles such as beverage bottles and the like are known. One such type of carrier is commonly referred to as a top gripping carrier and / or a bottom loading carton. An example of such a carrier or carton may be made of a sheet material such as paperboard and have a sleeve structure with a closed upper end and a released lower end. Such a carrier is a group of bottles so that the neck of the bottle is gripped by upper engaging means such as a toothed hole in the top wall and the body of the bottle is grouped together by an annular sleeve or strap portion. Applies to bottles. Typically, the carrier can be loaded by dropping the carrier from above the bottle or by lifting the bottle upward and introduce the bottle into the carrier through the open lower end. To reliably receive the bottles and for efficient use of the packaging material, the annular sleeve or strap portion of the carrier can be placed in close proximity around the group of bottles. The lower end of the annular sleeve or strap portion can catch an outer layer member, such as a film label, and tear or even damage the outer layer member.

  Therefore, it is advantageous if the carrier can avoid damaging the outer layer member.

One aspect of the invention is a sleeve structure having an inlet end at one of the opposing ends;
An article carrier is provided comprising: an article engagement device coupled to a sleeve structure; and at least one guide panel hingedly connected to an inlet end of the sleeve structure. The guide panel is folded inside the sleeve structure and disposed within the sleeve structure.

  In one embodiment, the carrier further comprises an upper end wall coupled to the sleeve structure so that the other of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure can be at least partially closed by the upper end wall. The article engaging device may comprise at least one article engaging hole defined in at least a portion of the top wall. The sleeve structure may comprise a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls respectively disposed between the side walls. The at least one guide panel may include a pair of guide panels that are hingedly connected to the lowermost ends of the side walls. The guide panels are folded inward, whereby the guide panels are respectively disposed along the inner surface of the side wall, so that the guide panels can extend from the lowermost end toward the upper end wall. Each of the guide panels may be further hingedly connected to the lowermost end wall of the end wall and arranged along the inner surface of the end wall.

  In another embodiment, the top wall can be coupled to the sleeve structure via the side wall.

  A second aspect of the invention provides a package, the package comprising an article carrier and at least one article received in the article carrier. The at least one article comprises an article body and an outer layer member attached to the outer surface of the article body of the at least one article. The article carrier is a sleeve structure having an inlet end at one of the opposite ends, through which at least one article is loaded into the sleeve structure; a sleeve structure; coupled to the sleeve structure and at least one article For engaging at least one article in the sleeve structure; and at least one guide panel hingedly connected to the inlet end of the sleeve structure. The guide panel may be folded inside the sleeve structure and disposed between the sleeve structure and the at least one article.

  In one embodiment of the second aspect, the article carrier further comprises an upper end wall coupled to the sleeve structure such that the other of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure can be at least partially closed by the upper end wall. The article engaging device may comprise at least one article engaging hole defined in at least a portion of the top wall. The sleeve structure may comprise a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls. The at least one guide panel may include a pair of guide panels that are hingedly connected to the lowermost ends of the side walls. The guide panels are folded inward, whereby the guide panels are respectively arranged along the inner surface of the side wall, so that the guide panel extends from the lowermost end of the side panel toward the upper end wall. Can do. Each guide panel may be further hingedly connected to the lowermost edge of the end wall and disposed along the inner surface of the end wall.

  In another embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the at least one article may comprise a plurality of bottles arranged in a group. The outer layer member may comprise a product label that covers at least a portion of the outer surface of each bottle. The at least one article engagement hole may comprise a plurality of holes for receiving necks of the plurality of bottles. The product label may be a substantially cylindrical member disposed around each of the plurality of bottles.

  The invention in a third aspect provides a method of loading at least one article into an article carrier, the at least one article comprising an article body and an outer layer attached to an outer surface of the article body of the at least one article. A member. The method includes the steps of providing an article carrier comprising a sleeve structure and an article engaging device, coupling at least one guide panel to one of opposing ends of the sleeve structure, and at least one guide panel. Folding into the sleeve structure so that one of the opposite ends becomes the inlet end of the sleeve structure, moving at least one of the article carrier and the at least one article and at least one into the sleeve structure via the inlet end Starting the loading of one article, placing at least one guide panel between the inlet end of the sleeve structure and the outermost edge of the outer layer member so that the inlet end does not catch on the outermost edge of the outer layer member And at least one article is associated with at least one of the article carrier and the at least one article. Moving further until engaged by the device, thereby locking the at least one article within the sleeve structure, whereby the at least one article can be routed through the inlet end without damaging the outer layer member. Fully loaded in the article carrier.

  In an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the inlet end may comprise the lowest end of the sleeve structure. Initiating the loading of at least one article may first comprise lowering the article carrier having an inlet end over the at least one article. Alternatively, initiating loading of at least one article may comprise lifting at least one article toward the inlet end of the sleeve structure.

  In another embodiment, the inlet end may comprise the uppermost end of the sleeve structure. Initiating the loading of the at least one article may first comprise lifting an article carrier having an inlet end toward the at least one article. Alternatively, initiating the loading of the at least one article may comprise dropping the at least one article toward the inlet end of the sleeve structure.

  In another embodiment, the at least one article may comprise a plurality of bottles arranged in a group, and the outer layer member may comprise a product label that at least partially covers the outer surface of each of the plurality of bottles. The product label may be a substantially cylindrical member disposed around each of the plurality of bottles.

  Exemplary embodiments will be described below, by way of example only, with reference to the following accompanying drawings.

It is a top view of the blank which forms the article | carrier carrier by this invention which shows the outer layer. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an article carrier formed from the blank of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the article carrier of FIG. 2, with the end flap at one end of the carrier cut, partially cut away, and an inwardly foldable slipping panel exposed. FIG. 3 illustrates a side ridge of a bottle that can be received in the article carrier of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a package formed from the carrier shown in FIG. 2 and four bottles shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 2 showing a loading process of the carrier bottle of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a partial view taken along line 6B-6B of FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the outer surface of a blank 100 for forming an article carrier 101 (see FIG. 2) in the present invention is shown. Such article carriers are typically used to hold a generally cylindrical article such as a bottle, can or box (for holding a liquid product) (eg the first container to hold the product directly). However, it can also be used to hold other basic containers. However, the blank shown in FIG. 1 is designed to package bottles.

  The blank 100 may be formed from a foldable sheet material such as paperboard and paper / resin composite or laminated material. Blank 100 may include a series of panels joined by creases. The series of panels includes a center or top wall panel 110 and a pair of upper side panels 120, 150 hingedly connected to the top wall panel 110 by hinged connections 115, 145, respectively. The upper end wall panel 110 is provided with an article engaging device constituted by an article receiving hole 107 (four holes in FIG. 1) with a plurality of teeth in the illustrated embodiment. Each hole 107 is designed to receive an associated bottle neck that is packed by a blank 100. Each hole 107 is provided with support tabs or teeth 108, 109 that extend along the outer periphery of the hole 107 and extend into the hole 107. The tab 108 of each hole 107 is hingedly connected to the top wall panel 110 along the crease, and the tab 109 is hingedly connected to the proximity of the upper side panels 120, 150 along the crease. The top wall panel 110 also has one or more handles or finger holes 103 through which the consumer can lift the article 101. A central fold 105 may extend across the top wall panel 110. The crease 105 is referred to as a “false crease” provided in the blank 100 for the convenience of allowing the blank 100 to be crushed into a flat cylindrical shape when the blank 100 is assembled to a carrier.

  Blank 100 further includes a pair of lower side panels 130, 160 hingedly connected to upper side panels 120, 150 by hinged connections 125, 155, respectively. Lower side panels 130 and 160 extend from upper side panels 120 and 150, respectively, in a direction away from central fold 105. The upper and lower side panels 120, 130 together form the first side wall of the carrier 101, and the upper and lower side panels 150, 160 together form the second side wall of the carrier 101.

  Blank 100 further includes end flaps 132, 137, 162, 167. End flaps 162 and 167 are hingedly connected to lower side panel 160 via hinged connections 161 and 166. These end flaps 162 and 167 are provided with adhesive flaps 164 and 169, respectively. Adhesive flaps 162, 167 are hingedly connected to end flaps 132, 162 via hinged connections 163, 168. Adhesive flap 164 serves to join end flaps 132, 162 together, and adhesive flap 169 serves to join end flaps 137, 167 together. When the adhesive flaps 164, 169 are activated to function, the side panels 130, 160 and the end flaps 132, 137, 162, 167 are at their upper ends via the upper side panels 120, 150. A sleeve structure connected to the top wall panel 110 is formed together. When the sleeve structure is formed, the end flaps 132, 137 together constitute the first end wall of the carrier 101, and the end flaps 162, 167 together constitute the second end wall of the carrier 101. The adhesive flap folds 163, 168 are also false folds in the sense that they are provided in the blank 110 for the convenience of allowing the tubular structure to be collapsed into a flat tubular shape.

  A pair of branch break lines 122 may be provided in the upper side panel 120, and a pair of branch break lines 152 may be provided in the upper side panel 150. The lower ends of the break line are interconnected by an arcuate cut 126 in the lower side panel 130. The break line 122 extends from the arcuate cut 126 toward the top wall panel 110 so that the partially removable panel 124 can be removed from the first side to remove the packaged bottle from the carrier. Defined within the section walls 120, 130. The lower ends of the break line 152 are interconnected by an arcuate cut 156 in the lower side panel 160. A break line 152 extends from the arcuate cut 156 toward the top wall panel 110 such that a partially removable panel 154 is defined in the second side walls 150, 160. . The arcuate cuts 126, 156 define tearing start tabs 126, 156 for initiating removal of the partially removable panels 124, 154, respectively.

  The blank 100 further includes a pair of guide panels 140, 170 hingedly connected to the lower side panels 130, 160, respectively, along the hinged connections 135, 165. These guide panels 140 and 170 are connected to the lowermost end (that is, the inlet end) of the sleeve structure when the blank is formed on the carrier 101, and are the lowest in the process of loading the bottle via the inlet end of the sleeve structure. Means are provided for reducing friction between the lower end and the bottle. In use, the guide panels 140, 170 are folded inside the sleeve structure to be disposed within the sleeve structure. The guide panels 140 and 170 are disposed along the inner surfaces of the lower side panels 130 and 160, respectively, and extend from the lowermost end of the sleeve structure toward the upper end wall 110. The guide panels 140, 170 can optionally be glued to the inner surface of the lower side panel, but preferably the guide panels 140, 160 remain unsecured to the side walls.

  Each of the guide panels 140, 160 may include opposing ends 142, 147, 172, 177. Ends 142 and 147 are hingedly connected to the rest of guide panel 140 by hinge connections 141 and 146, and ends 172 and 177 are hingedly connected to the rest of guide panel 170 by hinge connections 171 and 176. . These ends 142, 147, 172, 177 are hingedly connected to the lowermost edges of the adjacent end flaps 132, 137, 162, 167 by hinge connections 135, 165. These ends 142, 147, 172, 177 are arranged along the respective inner surfaces of the end flaps when the carrier 101 is assembled.

  In order to use the blank 100 of FIG. 1, it is folded into a flat cylindrical shape (not shown) where the adhesive flaps 164, 169 are made of the end flaps 132, 137 by a suitable adhesive such as adhesive. Fixed to the distal end and where the guide panels 140, 170 are folded at the hinge connections 135, 165, respectively, over or on the inner surface of the panels and flaps 132, 130, 137, 172, 170, 177 Be placed beyond. The guide panels 140 and 170 may or may not be fixed to these inner surfaces. A central fold 105 and adhesive folds 161, 168 are used to construct a carrier in a flat cylindrical shape.

  The flat carrier is developed by deploying it such that the first and second side walls are spaced apart from each other and the top wall panel 110 opens at the fold 105 to form a single flat top wall 110. It is assembled to the three-dimensional carrier shown in FIG. However, such an assembled carrier can be crushed again into a flat cylindrical shape if necessary. A flat cylindrical carrier is useful for storage and delivery.

  FIG. 3 illustrates the carrier of FIG. 2, but with certain portions of the carrier removed or partially cut away, guide panels 140, 170 extending inward and upward from the inlet end of the tubular structure. It is the state which shows the details of.

  FIG. 4 shows a bulge on the front side of bottle B2 received in the carrier of FIG. Bottle B2 is typically cylindrical and can be closed at its upper end by a cap C. The neck flange R can be formed on the bottle neck just below the cap. The outer layer member L is first arranged outside the cylindrical body portion of the bottle B. The outer layer member can be a product label, a price label, a thermal insulation member, a graphic sticker, or other surface modification member. The outer layer member is, for example, a plastic film (which may be heat-shrinkable), paper, paper / plastic composite film, metal / plastic or paper / plastic laminate, or flat plastic sheet material made of other alternatives It can be a piece. The outer layer member can be any shape including circular, oval, triangular, rectangular, other polygonal, irregular, or sleeve-shaped. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer layer member L is a sleeve-shaped product label made of a shrinkable plastic film. In the sleeve-shaped outer layer member L, the axis of the sleeve of the outer layer member L extends coaxially with the cylindrical axis of the bottle B2, or parallel to the cylindrical axis of the bottle B2, and most of the cylindrical outer surface of the bottle B2 is the outer layer. It is applied to the bottle B2 so as to be covered by the member L. The symbol “E” indicates the upper edge (or the foremost edge) of the outer layer member L. Since the outer layer member L extends only along the substantially cylindrical portion of the bottle B2, the upper edge E can form a slight discontinuity with respect to the outer surface of the bottle B2. Even if the outer layer member L extends beyond the generally cylindrical portion of the bottle B2, even the shrunk and wrapped label cannot completely match the smaller diameter of the bottle, so it is discontinuous at the upper edge E. Sex can still remain.

  FIG. 5 shows a package 102 formed from a carrier 101 loaded with four bottles B2. Bottle B2 can be loaded into the carrier manually or by machine. For example, an automated machine can collect four bottles (or the number of bottles accepted by a particular carrier) together and place them in a 2 × 2 bottle group. The carrier 101 is then lowered with the inlet end first directed toward the bottle B2 group, or the bottle B2 group is raised toward the carrier 101 inlet end and the sleeve structure inlet (bottom) end. A group of bottles B2 can be loaded into the carrier 101 via During the carrier lower end loading process, the inlet end of the sleeve structure (ie, the end indicated by the hinged connection 135, 65) runs along the outer surface of the outer layer member L. However, the guide panels 140, 170 contribute to greatly reducing the possibility of damage to the outer layer member L that might otherwise be made by the inlet end of the sleeve structure.

  6A and 6b, the convenience of the guide panels 140 and 170 is shown in more detail.

  FIG. 6A shows a partial cross section of the package 102 and shows the process of lowering / moving the carrier 101 over the bottle B2 in the direction indicated by arrow A2. In FIG. 6A, the lower edge Y of the second side walls 150, 160 has just reached the upper / most edge of the outer layer member L. As shown in FIG. 6A, the lower edge Y of the second side walls 150, 160 may be caught by the upper edge E of the outer layer member L, so that the guide panel 170 is below the second side walls 150, 160. If not joined to the edge, the outer layer member L can be folded, wrinkled, broken or damaged. However, the lower edge Y is rounded or the sharpness of the lower edge Y is reduced by the hinged connection 165 between the guide panel 170 and the second side wall, so that the guide panel 170 has a lower edge. Y is prevented from being caught by the upper edge E, thereby preventing the lower edge from being caught by the upper edge E of the outer layer member L. As a result, the possibility of damage to the outer layer member is reduced. FIG. 6B shows a partial cross-sectional view of the package 102, where the bottle B2 has a bottle B2 neck (including a cap C and a neck flange R) received in each engagement hole 107 and is supported by support tabs 108, 109. To the extent that it is engaged, it is completely received in the carrier 101. In this state, the bottle B2 (FIG. 5) is fixed in the carrier 101 in an orientation in which the cylindrical axis of the bottle B2 is parallel to the sleeve axis of the sleeve structure of the carrier 101.

  The carrier 101 can easily be modified to hold a greater or lesser number of bottles by widening or narrowing the appropriate panel and adding or reducing holes to receive articles. Should be understood. It should also be readily understood that at least one guide panel can be used with different types of carriers in accordance with the present invention. In one alternative embodiment, the article carrier of the present invention may have a lower end wall that at least partially closes the inlet end of the sleeve structure. Such a lower end wall may comprise a pair of protective lower end panels, each hinged to the lower edge of the opposing side walls of the carrier. In such an embodiment, a pair of guide panels may each be hingedly connected to the lower edge of the opposite end wall of the carrier. In yet another embodiment, one or more guide panels may be used with a top load carrier having an inlet end at the top end of the carrier. In such an embodiment, one or more guide panels may be hingedly connected to the top end of the carrier.

  As used herein, the directions such as “top”, “bottom”, “base”, “front”, “rear”, “back”, “side”, “end”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner” and “outer” The terminology shown does not limit each panel to such an orientation, but merely distinguishes the panels from each other.

  As used herein, the terms “hinge connection” or “fold” are used to help fold portions of the substrate relative to each other or to indicate the optimal folding position of the substrates. , Meaning all methods of lines defining the hinge mechanism in the base material of the sheet material. For example, a hinged connection should not necessarily be taken to mean only a Yatsuno fold, but instead a hinged connection may be formed from one or more folds.

  As used herein, the term “crease” refers to broken lines, embossed lines, debossed lines, a series of cut lines, a series of short cuts, a series of half cuts, a single half cut, interrupted Can be one of a cut line, an aligned cut, a series of fold lines, and any combination thereof.

  As used herein, the terms “break line” or “break line” are used to refer to sheet materials that serve to separate parts of a substrate from each other or indicate a separation location on a substrate. It means all methods of lines formed on the substrate. For example, a break or break line in the sheet material substrate can be pre-positioned so that the break propagates along it. Break or break line is a single cut, single half cut, single cut, interrupted cut line, crease, interrupted crease, series of perforations, series of short cut lines, series of short It can mean one of a notch, a series of short half cuts, and any combination thereof.

  Crease elements such as cut lines, perforations, break lines or break / break line elements may be dimensioned and arranged to achieve the desired function. For example, the perforation may be dimensioned or designed with a degree of vulnerability that defines a crease, a fragile fold, or a break line. The perforation can be designed to make it easy to fold and form a crease to withstand tearing, or to break easily with some force to form a break. A fragile crease can be weaker in terms of fracture resistance than other creases in the same blank, in order to make it easier to later cut a portion of the finished carrier or carton into multiple separated units, It can be stronger in terms of fracture resistance than a break line in the same blank in order to make it easier to fold along the finished carrier or carton before it is separated separately.

100 Blank 107 Hole 108 Tab 109 Tab 120 First side wall, upper side panel 124 Panel 130 First side wall, lower side panel 140 Guide panel 150 Second side wall, upper side panel 154 Panel 160 Second side wall, lower side panel 170 Guide panel

Claims (20)

A sleeve structure having opposing ends, wherein one of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure is an inlet end through which at least one article is loaded into the sleeve structure;
An article engagement device coupled to the sleeve structure to lock at least one article within the sleeve structure; and
At least one guide panel hingedly connected to the inlet end of the sleeve structure, the guide panel being folded inside the sleeve structure and disposed within the sleeve structure;
An article carrier comprising:   An upper end wall connected to the sleeve structure, whereby the other of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure is at least partially closed by the upper end wall, and the article engaging device is at least part of the upper end wall. The article carrier of claim 1, comprising at least one article engagement hole defined in part.   The sleeve structure includes a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls respectively disposed between the side walls, and the at least one guide panel is provided at a lowermost end of the side wall. Each of the guide panels includes a pair of hinge-connected guide panels, and the pair of guide panels are bent inward, so that the pair of guide panels are arranged along the inner surface of the side wall. Accordingly, the pair of guide panels extends from the lowermost end toward the upper end wall, and the article carrier according to claim 2.   4. The article carrier according to claim 3, wherein each of the pair of guide panels is further hingedly connected to a lowermost end of the end wall and is disposed along an inner surface of the end wall.   The article carrier according to claim 2, wherein the upper end wall is connected to the sleeve structure via a side wall. A package comprising an article carrier and at least one article received in the article carrier, wherein the at least one article comprises an article body and an outer layer member attached to an outer surface of the article body. The article carrier comprises:
A sleeve structure having opposing ends, wherein one of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure is an inlet end through which at least one article is loaded into the sleeve structure;
An article engagement device coupled to the sleeve structure to lock at least one article within the sleeve structure; and
At least one guide panel hingedly connected to the inlet end of the sleeve structure, the at least one guide panel being folded inside the sleeve structure; and the sleeve structure and the A guide panel disposed between at least one article;
Packing characterized by comprising.   The article carrier further comprises an upper end wall coupled to the sleeve structure, whereby the other of the opposing ends of the sleeve structure is at least partially closed by the upper end wall, and the article engaging device comprises: The package of claim 6, further comprising at least one article engagement hole defined in at least a portion of the top wall.   The sleeve structure includes a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls respectively disposed between the side walls, and the at least one guide panel is provided at a lowermost end of the side wall. Each of the guide panels includes a pair of hinge-connected guide panels, and the pair of guide panels are bent inward, so that the pair of guide panels are arranged along the inner surface of the side wall. Accordingly, the pair of guide panels extend from the lowermost end toward the upper end wall, and the packaging according to claim 7.   9. The package according to claim 8, wherein each of the pair of guide panels is further hingedly connected to a lowermost end of the end wall and is disposed along an inner surface of the end wall.   The at least one article comprises a plurality of bottles arranged in a group, the outer layer member comprises a product label covering at least a portion of the outer surface of each of the bottles, and the at least one article engagement hole The packaging of claim 7, comprising a plurality of holes for receiving necks of a plurality of bottles.   The method according to claim 10, wherein the product label is a substantially cylindrical member disposed around each bottle. A method of loading at least one article into an article carrier, the at least one article comprising an article body and an outer layer member attached to an outer surface of the article body of the at least one article; The method is
Providing an article carrier comprising a sleeve structure and an article engaging device; coupling at least one guide panel to one of opposing ends of the sleeve structure in a hinged manner;
Folding at least one guide panel into the sleeve structure so that one of the opposing ends is the inlet end of the sleeve structure;
Moving at least one of the article carrier and the at least one article to initiate loading of the at least one article into the sleeve structure via the inlet end;
Disposing the at least one guide panel between the inlet end of the sleeve structure and a leading edge of the outer layer member, thereby preventing the inlet end from catching on the leading edge of the outer layer member; When,
Further moving at least one of the article carrier and the at least one article until the at least one article is engaged by the article engaging device, whereby the at least one article is within the sleeve structure. A step locked to
With
The method wherein the at least one article is fully loaded into the article carrier via the inlet end without damaging the outer layer member.   The method of claim 12, wherein the inlet end comprises a lowermost end of the sleeve structure.   The method of claim 13, wherein initiating loading of the at least one article comprises first lowering the article carrier having the inlet end over the at least one article.   The method of claim 13, wherein initiating loading of the at least one article comprises lifting the at least one article toward the inlet end of the sleeve structure.   The method of claim 12, wherein the inlet end comprises the uppermost end of the sleeve structure.   The method of claim 16, wherein initiating loading of the at least one article comprises first lifting the article carrier having the inlet end toward the at least one article.   The method of claim 16, wherein initiating loading of the at least one article comprises lowering the at least one article toward the inlet end of the sleeve structure.   13. The at least one article includes a plurality of bottles arranged in a group, and the outer layer member includes a product label that covers at least a part of an outer surface of each of the plurality of bottles. The method described.   The method of claim 19, wherein the product label is a substantially cylindrical member disposed around each of the plurality of bottles.

Images