JPH05132075A - Tear-opening container carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate easy removal of container from each band of a container carrier for integrating plural containers to one group, which consists of an elastic plastic sheet with prescribed width, is provided with two bands each in horizontal direction with shorter length than the circumference of container to be fixed for the purpose of making surrounding hole for container, and is capable of expanding each surrounding hole to accommodate container. CONSTITUTION: A set of tear-open strip 34 is formed outside each band 15 by connecting with bridging devices 32. The bridging devices 32 form weakened parts 38 by means of tear-open propagation devices 36, in order to generate a rift reaching the inner circumference of each band 15 from tear-open propagation devices 36 by the force added by the tear-open strip 34.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a plurality of containers (eg 6
Sheet resin carrier for forming the individual package.

[0002]

All six packs and other numbers of units have the same general construction. US Pat. No. 3,038,602 and US Pat. No. 3,084,79
No. 2 discloses a common structure. A blank in the form of a continuous sheet of resilient, flexible material, such as polyethylene or the like, has apertures for housing and rigidly holding multiple containers.

The aperture has a perimeter that is smaller than the corresponding perimeter of the container. Thus, because the perimeter of the aperture accommodates the perimeter of the container, the aperture is often widened to the limit of its structural integrity. After the perimeter of the container has been inserted into the widened hole, the holes will try to return to their original condition, but will not be able to obtain their original condition and will be strained by the presence of the container. is there.

The perimeter of the hole clamps around the perimeter of the container, thus ensuring that the container is held snugly in the hole in the carrier. This slip fit is any person who uses a container carrier, such as a consumer, a merchant, etc., in transporting the container to the home after purchase, such as for a picnic or for product display at some retail location. It is convenient for The elasticity of the blank material ensures that the container is held firmly in the hole.

In order to further guarantee a slip fit and be convenient for the consumer, both US Pat. No. 3,084,792 and US Pat. No. 4,550,824 are formed from blanks and are tearable. Discloses the band. The band may be pulled downward to surround the container, thereby further complementing the sliding fit between the plurality of containers and the carrier.

Sheet-shaped container carriers are mounted on a plurality of containers in an assembly line fashion. The sheet of container carrier that fits into the container is then cut from the continuous sheet so that one smaller container carrier is formed. For a six pack construction, this cutting is done every third row of containers. Alternate numbers of units are cut at different locations depending on the desired number of containers.

A plurality of containers fitted in the container carrier are loaded into a box, a wooden frame or the like on an assembly line. The crate is then loaded into the vehicle for transportation to, for example, customers or retailers. The retailer removes the plurality of containers fitted from the crate into the container carrier and typically presents an attractive product display of the containers. The fascinating merchandise display attracts the attention of the consumer, who then purchases the container for his personal use.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to provide a container carrier having a quick disconnect device for removing the container from the carrier. That is, to provide a container carrier that allows the container to be removed from the carrier faster and more easily than is currently available.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a segment of a container wrapping band of a container carrier with a breakable weakened portion for easy removal of the container.

Further, there is provided a device for breaking the weakened portion so that the container can be easily removed from the carrier without using a tool.

According to the invention, a container carrier for releasably holding a plurality of containers as a single unit comprises a substantially flat blank made of an elastically deformable elastic material. The blank has portions removed therefrom to form a container wrapping band defining a container wrapping or container receiving holes arranged in parallel. The container surrounding band can hold the container and firmly hold the container.
The container carrier comprises a container opening device having a tear propagation device for directing a tearing force, a bridge device, and a weakened portion causing a break of the container enveloping band. The weakened portion is coupled to a tear strip device that can apply a force to the weakened portion such that it will tear when subjected to the force. When the weakened portion is torn, the container surrounding band is also torn, thereby opening the container held in the container surrounding hole.

The structure and operation of the present invention are as follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements, will become apparent.

[0013]

The present invention may be embodied in different forms, but this disclosure should be regarded as a good example of the principle of the present invention, and the present invention is limited to what has been illustrated and described herein. Specific embodiments are described in detail herein, noting that this is not the case.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a tear-open container carrier 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is shown carrying a plurality of containers 12. Container carrier 10
Is shown holding six containers 12, but the invention is not limited to the number of containers. The container carrier 10 is
Works equally well on any number of containers 12.

The general construction of the container carrier is disclosed, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,038,602,
For reference, write it here. Referring generally to FIG. 2, the particular construction of the container carrier 10 of the present invention is shown. The container carrier 10 is
It is molded from a generally flat blank or sheet (not shown) of a resilient and deformable elastic material such as polyethylene. Preferably, the blank is, for example, US Pat.
0.457 mm as disclosed in 874,502
(0.018 inch) sheet thickness and 2% elongation giving a stress of about 2531 kg / cm ² (about 36,000 ps)
It is composed of an elastic and deformable unreinforced resin sheet such as low density polyethylene having a secant modulus (measure of flexibility) calculated from i). The patent is hereby incorporated by reference. The blank material is sufficiently flexible and elastic so that after the container carrier 10 has been expanded to accommodate the containers 12, it must be clamped around a plurality of containers 12 as discussed herein. Being able to hold tight is essential.

Predetermined portions are removed from the substantially flat blank so as to form a unitary web 14. The integral web 14 takes a roundabout path and is substantially continuous. The unitary web 14 forms a container wrap band 15 having a closed curve defining an aperture 16 which surrounds or houses the container.
The container wrap bands 15 and container wrap holes 16 are arranged in juxtaposed rows 18 to hold the containers 12 in a similarly regular manner. In FIG. 2, three columns 18 are shown. Preferably, each row 18 includes two container enclosure holes 16,16. The container enclosures 16, 16 are regularly spaced along the lateral centerline of the container carrier 10 and are centered about the centerline. This regular shape of the container enclosure 16 and thus of the container 12 facilitates storage of the fitted container carrier 10 and maximizes storage space such as a truck or refrigerator.

Multiple rows 18 of juxtaposed container enclosures 16
Are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the blank. A predetermined portion of the outside of the container enclosure 16 has been removed from the blank to form a scallop 20 disposed between the container enclosure 16 and each adjacent row 18. Scallop 20
Serves to further define a container enclosure 16 which is preferably shaped similar to that of container 12.

Thus, each container enclosure 16 has an inner perimeter 22 configured to receive and clamp a corresponding perimeter 24 of the container 12. Particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,117 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-20
No. 504), the container surrounding hole 16 is
It has a perimeter dimension that is smaller than the dimensions of the container perimeter 24 to be enclosed. The patent is hereby incorporated by reference.

For example, if the container 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, the periphery 24 of the container 12 is substantially circular and the periphery 22 of the container surrounding hole 16 is substantially elliptical. The periphery 22 of the container enclosure 16 has a rounded corner 26,
6 assists in the insertion of the container 12 into the container surrounding hole 16 and also serves to prevent tearing of the container surrounding band 15 defining the container surrounding hole 16 when the container 12 is inserted into the container surrounding hole 16. ..

The scallop 20 also adds the flexibility of the container wrap band 15 defining the container wrap 16 so that the perimeter 22 of the container wrap 16 expands for insertion of the container 12 therein. It can be opened and conformable to the perimeter 24 of the container 12 by tightening around the perimeter 24. The scallops 20 and the rounded corners 26 do not interfere, but facilitate the tightening of the perimeter 22 to prevent over-extension of the container enveloping band 15, and thus the container enveloping holes 16 allow the container 1 to be closed.
2 can be fitted tightly. These added advantages of scallop 20 and rounded corners 26 become even more apparent here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lateral slot 28 is shown.
Are adjacent container enclosure bands 15, 15 in the same row 18.
Is placed between. The lateral slots 28 add to the flexibility of the container wrap band 15 defining the container wrap 16 and provide similar advantages to those of the scallop 20 and the rounded corners 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, the longitudinal slot 30 is located between two adjacent rows 18, 18 of the container wrap band 15 and is centered on the lateral centerline of the container carrier 10. The longitudinal slots 30 are of sufficient size to accommodate a human finger, thus forming a device for holding and transporting the container carrier 10 when the container 12 is placed in the container enclosure 16. To do.

On the outside of the container enclosure band 15, the segment 31 of the container carrier 10 is preferably a container enclosure hole 1.
6 are arranged so as to be centered on a line extending in the vertical direction from the center of 6. The segment 31 is long and slender, and the bridge device 3
Container enclosure band 15 and container enclosure hole 1 so as to form 2.
6 extends outward. A bridge device 32 extends from the container wrap band 15 to an outer tear strip 34 which is coupled to the bridge device 32 to form a device for opening the container. Each container enclosure 16 extends to a tear strip 34 in association with a particular container enclosure band 15 defining each container enclosure 16 and has a corresponding bridge device 32. In this way, the tear strip 34 is capable of rupturing a single container enclosure band 15, thereby opening a single container enclosure hole 16 at a time, as described in more detail below.

The bridging device 32 weakens the segment 31 and directs the force and the tear propagation of the tear propagation device 3.
Have six. The tear propagation device 36 includes a slit 37 shown in FIG. 5, a cut line or a perforated line 3 shown in FIG. 5A.
Various shapes such as 9 may be used. Tear propagation device 3
Each of the above six shapes works equally well in the present invention.

A tear propagation device 36 extends across the bridge device 32 from the tear strip 34 to the area closest to the container wrap band 15. It may be a single line or a plurality of spaced, generally parallel lines. However,
It is important that the tear propagation device 36 does not extend into the enclosure band 15. That is, if the device 36 extends into the band 15, the container enclosure 16 will be
This is because when the container 12 is attached to the container carrier 10, it is pulled and cut. The tear propagation device 36 propagates a tear through the container wrap band 15 when a force is applied to the tear strip 34.

The tear propagation device 36 includes a weakened portion 38.
Are formed in the bridge device 32. The weakened portion 38 extends along the container wrap band 15 from the outer periphery of the container wrap band 15 to the tear strip 34. In this way, a tear open dimension is provided for easy opening of the container 12, as disclosed in detail herein.

The tear strip 34 is a container carrier 1.
It extends along the entire length of 0 and can receive tearing force,
The tearing force is transmitted to the bridge device 32. The tearing force is
When transmitted to the bridge device 32, the tear propagation device 36.
Which causes the corresponding container enveloping band 15 to shred and open the container 12.

The operation of the container carrier 10 will become more apparent in the following description. In modern high volume production lines,
The material forming the blank is provided in the form of a roll. The roll is mounted in a mechanism and one end of the roll of blank material is fed to the mechanism. The blank is
Process with a cutting machine such as a punching press well known in the art. The punching press includes an integral web 14, a container wrap band 15, a container wrap hole 16, and a scallop 20.
A horizontal slot 28, a vertical slot 30,
Certain portions of the blank are removed so as to form the bridging device 32, the tear strip 34, and the force and tear directing propagation device 36. The removed blank portion can be recovered and recycled.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of container carriers 10
Are continuously formed into a sheet of blank material. The container carrier 10 includes two adjacent container carriers 10,
The seams 40 between 10 are connected in series.
The seam is weak enough to break during the attachment of the container carrier 10 to the container 12, thereby opening a single container carrier 10 from a series of carriers.

To attach the container carrier 10 to the container 12 to achieve the shape shown in FIG.
The perimeter 22 of is expanded. This is the container enclosure band 1
It is essential that the perimeter 22 of 5 is smaller than the corresponding perimeter 24 of the container 12. Around the container surrounding band 15 22
The rounded corners 26 ensure that the integral web 14 does not tear under tensile stress, and the scallops 20 and the transverse slots 28 allow for maximum expansion of the perimeter 22 of the container wrap band 15. to enable. When the perimeter 22 is fully expanded, the container 12 is inserted therein.

Without shaping the scallop 20 and the lateral slots 28 in the carrier 10, the tightening and conforming of the perimeter 22 is suppressed or significantly limited, which results in the container 12
May reduce the effectiveness of the container carrier 10 for holding. As the perimeter 22 tightens around the perimeter 24 of the container 12 to fit the perimeter 24, the container wrap band 15
As shown in FIG. 1, the shape becomes a truncated cone. At this time, the container 12 is firmly held in the container surrounding hole 16. The consumer can easily transfer the container carrier 10 to the desired location by inserting his or her finger into the longitudinal slot 30.

The consumer seeks to remove at least one container 12 from the container carrier 10 when the desired location is reached. To do so, the consumer exerts an upward and outward directing force on either one or both of the tear strips 34 depending on how many containers 12 are removed. Also, the magnitude and duration of the force depends on the number of containers 12 to be removed.

When the consumer applies a force to the tear strip 34, the force is transmitted to the bridge device 32 and then to the tear propagation device 36. Tear propagation device 36
Breaks the weakened portion 38. This fracture progresses from the weakened portion 38 to the inner periphery 22 of the container surrounding hole 16 through the container surrounding band 15. In this manner, the container surrounding band 15 is broken, whereby the container surrounding band 15 is broken.
The closed curvilinear structure of FIG. 4 is transformed into an open curvilinear structure having a plurality of torn ends 42 as shown in FIG. At this time, the consumer can remove the container 12 from the container carrier 10 relatively easily.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user can easily remove the container from the container carrier. The merchant can also remove a certain number of containers to display his product. Therefore, merchants will also benefit from the present invention. Not only is the container not agitated in preparation for the display of goods, but the time required is also significantly less because the merchant does not require significant time and effort to remove the container from the container carrier.

The structure of the container carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention provides an easy open tear method for removing the container from the container carrier. Unlike other container carriers currently available, the container carrier of the present invention does not require great force to remove the container therefrom.
Also, the force need not be applied to the container, thereby preventing the container from being pushed together with the attendant dirt. No tools are required as the force required to remove the container is relatively small. Moreover, since each container enclosure has its own corresponding bridging device and weakening, the consumer can remove only one container or any larger number of containers from the container carrier at one time. Also, this type of container carrier can be used for several different containers, such as bottles with cans, and different shapes around the container by simply changing the shape around the hole.

Although a specific preferred embodiment has been shown heretofore, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various designs can be implemented in accordance with the technical idea described in the claims. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of containers releasably integrally held as a unit by a container carrier of the present invention.

2 is a plan view of the container carrier of FIG. 1 showing an arrangement of carriers lacking a container located in a container enclosure.

3 is a partial plan view of a series of joined container carriers of FIG. 2 showing the structure of the carrier as used in mass production.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the container carrier shown in FIG. 1 in which one container wrap band is broken, thereby facilitating easy removal of the container.

FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged plan view of a container carrier showing a tear propagation device composed of a plurality of slits.

FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged plan view of a container carrier showing a tear propagation device having a plurality of holes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Container Carrier 12 Container 14 Web 15 Container Surrounding Band 16 Container Surrounding Hole 18 Row 20 Scallop 22 Inner Perimeter 24 Container Perimeter 30 Longitudinal Slot 32 Bridge Device 34 Tear Strip 36 Tear Propagator 37 Slit 38 Weakened Port 39 Hole Drilling line

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A container carrier releasably holding a plurality of containers as a single unit, comprising a substantially flat blank formed of a resilient and deformable male material,
The blank has a container enveloping band defining a container enveloping hole arranged in parallel, the container enveloping hole corresponding to the container so that the container enveloping band can accommodate and firmly hold the container. A bridging device having a perimeter smaller than the perimeter and extending outwardly from the container wrap, and a tear strip coupled to the bridging device, the bridging device having a weakened weakened portion, A tear-open container in which the tear strip is subjected to a force that can be applied to the weakened portion so as to break the weakened portion and the container surrounding band to open the container held in the container surrounding hole. Carrier. 2. A container carrier according to claim 1, comprising longitudinal slots arranged between adjacent rows of said container enclosures, said longitudinal slots being capable of transporting said carrier. Tear-open container carrier capable of accommodating the fingers of the user. 3. The container carrier of claim 1, further comprising a scallop disposed proximate to the container enclosure to facilitate a match between the periphery of the container enclosure and the periphery of the container. Tear open container carrier with. 4. A container carrier releasably holding a plurality of containers as a single unit, comprising a substantially flat blank formed of a resilient and deformable elastic material,
A bridge having a container enveloping band defining a container enveloping hole, the container enveloping band being capable of holding a container firmly, and having a tear propagation device for directing a tearing force and a tearing direction. A device and a container opening device coupled to the bridge device adjacent to the tear propagation device so as to break the bridge device and the container surrounding band to open the container held in the container enclosure. Tear open container carrier with. 5. The tear-open container carrier of claim 4, wherein the tear propagation device has a score line. 6. The tear-open container carrier according to claim 4, wherein the tear propagation device has a pair of spaced apart score lines. 7. The tear-open container carrier of claim 4, wherein the tear propagation device has a perforated line. 8. The tear-open container carrier of claim 4, wherein the tear propagation device extends toward the perimeter of the container wrapping band along the bridge device to near the perimeter thereof. 9. The container carrier according to claim 4, wherein the tear propagation device has a pair of perforations extending from the container opening device toward the periphery of the container wrapping band and towards the periphery thereof. Tear open container carrier. 10. A container carrier useful for releasably holding a plurality of containers as a single unit, comprising a substantially flat blank formed of a resiliently deformable elastic material, the blank comprising: A container opening device having a portion removed to form a container surrounding band defining a container surrounding hole, the container surrounding band being capable of accommodating and firmly holding a container, and capable of receiving a force A tear opening container carrier comprising: and a tear propagation device capable of radially breaking the container surrounding band upon application of force to the container opening device. 11. The container carrier of claim 10, wherein the container opening device comprises a force receiving strip and the tear propagation device is about a bridge device extending from the container wrap band to the strip. Tear open container carrier located at. 12. The tear-open container carrier of claim 10, wherein the container opener comprises a tear strip extending along at least one edge of the container carrier. 13. A plurality of juxtaposed rows of containers or the like, and a carrier of elastic resin material that releasably holds the containers of the rows, the carriers enclosing and holding the containers, respectively. Of integrally joined container wrapping bands, each of the container wrapping bands having a radially extending bridge device and a tear strip integrally joined to the container wrapping band adjacent the bridge device. A package having a tear propagation device, the tear strip causing a break in the container wrapping band to open the container as the strip is pulled.