MXPA99011074A - Film multipackage - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a single-piece carrier (10) for unitizing a plurality of containers (5) with a retainer sheet (15) integrated with a film sleeve (30). The retainer sheet (15) may comprise a thicker material than the film sleeve (30). The retainer sheet (15) comprises a plurality of container receiving openings (20) for engaging a top portion of each container (5) while the film sleeve (30) surrounds the plurality of containers (5). Packages (1) may comprise one or more layers of containers (5, 5') within the film sleeve (30).

Description

MULTIPLE MOVIE PACKING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a one-piece carrier for uniting a plurality of containers, the carrier having a retainer sheet for engaging the upper portion of the containers integrated with a sleeve of film to surround the containers. Description of the Prior Art Conventional container carriers are often used to unify a plurality of similarly sized containers, such as cans, bottles, jars and boxes, although other packages or containers may be unified. The plastic ring carriers and the box carriers are two of these conventional container carriers. The plastic ring carrier produces a unified package for the containers using little material. However, the plastic ring carrier, when used alone, has little space to print advertising or promotional. Conversely, cash bearers generally have a relatively larger amount for promotional graphics. Disadvantageously, cash carriers require a larger amount of material, which can allow containers to fall out of the case if they do not stay upright, and usually wrap most or all of the actual containers. Therefore, there is a need for a package that incorporates the stability and economy of a ring carrier and the promotional area of a box carrier. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a container carrier that unifies a plurality of containers within a tight and solid package. It is another object of this invention to provide a container carrier that provides a prominent advertising space for marketing information. It is also another object of this invention to provide a container carrier that restrains the lateral and vertical movement of the containers together. It is also another object of this invention to provide a container carrier that incorporates the stability and economy of a ring carrier and the promotional area of a box carrier. It is also another object of this invention to provide a container carrier that uses a film jacket to maintain a tight configuration of unified containers. A carrier according to this invention contains a plurality of containers such as cans and bottles. The carriers unify a plurality of containers to create a package. The carrier is a one-piece device comprising a retainer sheet integrated with a film jacket, each preferably constructed of a flexible, strong material such as plastic. The retainer sheet preferably has a different thickness that is thicker than a second thickness of the film jacket. The retainer sheet is formed with a plurality of containers that receive openings, the number of which depends on the intended size for packaging. The detent sheet is integrated with a film jacket preferably along the longitudinal sides of the retainer sheet. The film sleeve may be designed to create an open package at the bottom of the package or along a lower edge of the carrier. The film sleeve may further include a bottom along the portion of a lower edge of the film jacket. Each side of the edge of the film jacket is preferably adhered with a seal. The carrier when formed is generally preferentially symmetrical around the bending lines of the carrier. The containers are inserted inside the carrier in such a way that the containers are surrounded by between five and six sides of the package. Each of the containers receiving openings in the retainer sheet preferably engages a container around an upper portion of the container. The stiffness and elasticity of the retainer sheet thus support each of the containers. The film sleeve is placed around a plurality of containers, preferably in a stretched coupling with the containers. The film jacket is preferably printed with graphics, promotional and / or other information related to the content and / or packaging ingredients. Therefore, the film jacket serves both to unify the plurality of containers and to advertise the nature of the contents of the containers. The carrier is preferably manufactured according to one or more of the preferred methods where a generally continuous length of carriers is formed. In a summary, a film substrate is printed with the desired graphics and other marketing information. A material of the retainer sheet is then bonded to the film substrate through an extrusion coating, a profile extrusion or gluing a material of the retainer sheet to the film substrate. The material of the bonded retainer sheet and the film substrate is then folded along the fold line to create a double or laminated symmetric layer to an identical section of the bonded web sheet material and the film substrate. The seams are then added through a heat seal or laminate together the symmetrical double layer of the retainer sheet material and the film substrate. Finally, the carrier is formed by die cutting the double layer of the retainer sheet material and the film substrate to create the openings that receive the container and to define a film sleeve and a retainer sheet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The aforementioned characteristics and other features and objectives of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed descriptions taken in conjunction with the drawings where: Figure 1 is a top view of a carrier for retaining a plurality of containers according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention; Figure 2 is a top view of a carrier for retaining a plurality of containers according to another preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a container package, using a carrier similar to the carrier shown in Figure 2, according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention; Figure 4 is a top view of a carrier for retaining a plurality of containers according to another preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a container package, using a carrier similar to the carrier shown in Figure 4, according to a preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 6 is a schematic of a method for manufacturing a carrier for retaining a plurality of containers according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention; Figure 7 is a schematic of a method for manufacturing a carrier, similar to the carriers shown in Figures 2 and 3, for retaining a plurality of containers according to another preferred embodiment of this invention; and Figure 8 is a schematic of a method for manufacturing a carrier for retaining a plurality of containers according to yet another preferred embodiment of this invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figures 1-8 show carriers 10 for loading a plurality of containers 5. The containers 5 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 are preferably cans. Although the cans are shown in Figures 3 and 4, bottles or any other commonly unified container 5 can be used with the carrier 10 according to this invention. The containers 5 are preferably equal in size within a single carrier 10. The carrier 10 unifies a plurality of containers 5 to create a package 1, such as the package shown in Figures 3 and 4. The carrier 10 is preferably a device for a single piece comprising a retainer sheet 15 integrated with a film jacket 30, each preferably constructed of a flexible flexible material such as plastic. For the purposes of this specification and the claims, a liner is defined as a tube-shaped component capable of being fitted on or around a plurality of containers 5. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the retainer sheet 15 is made of a low density polyethylene. The retainer sheet 15 preferably has a first thickness of .008" (0.203 cm), preferably thinner than the thickness of the traditional plastic ring carriers. As will be further discussed in detail below, the retainer sheet 15 is preferably cut, using elements known to those skilled in the art, such as a stamping die to form a plurality of openings receiving containers 20 in the retainer sheets. 15. Two or more openings that receive the container 20 are formed in the retainer sheet 15 in longitudinal rows and one or more in transverse range. In a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in Figures 2-5, the openings for receiving the containers 20 are configured in two rows of three ranges. The retainer sheet 15 may include other configurations of openings for receiving containers 20 depending on the size of the package 1 desired. The retainer sheet 15 is integrated with a film jacket 30 to form a one-piece carrier 10, as described in detail below. The film sleeve 30 preferably has a second thickness that is thinner than the first thickness of the retainer sheet 15, such as from .004"(0.010 cm) to .006" (0.015 cm). The total thickness of the retainer sheet 15 is approximately .012 .014"(0.030-0.035 cm) according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention.

The film jacket 30 preferably exhibits greater elasticity and less rigidity than the retainer sheet 15.

The film sleeve 30 may comprise a low density stretchable polyethylene (LDPE) film or a similar material known to those ordinarily skilled in the art. In an embodiment of this invention, shown in Figures 6 and 8, a handle 50 is integrated within the retainer sheet 15. The handle 50 preferably has a thickness equal to or similar to the thickness of the retainer sheet 15. In A preferred embodiment of this invention, shown in Figures 6 and 8, the handle 50 is integrated between the longitudinal rows of the openings to receive the containers 20. Alternatively, the package 1 can be loaded using the bands 55 formed between the openings for receiving the container 20 as shown in Figures 3 and 5. The jacket 30 is preferably integrated with a retainer sheet 15 along the longitudinal sides 17 of the retainer sheet 15. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the film jacket 30 is not connected along the two side edges 18 of the detent sheet liner 15. The film liner 30 is preferably printed, in one or on both sides, UPC and proofs of purchase tags, graphics, promotional and / or other information related to the contents and / or ingredients of the packaging 1. The film sleeve 30 may also be at least partially transparent to exhibit from Effectively, the nature of the containers 5. Therefore, the film jacket 30 serves the two purposes of retaining containers 5 within a tightly coupled package 1 and to promote the marketable characteristics of containers 5 and / or packaging 1. In an embodiment of this invention shown in Figure 2, the film jacket 30 is open along the lower edge 33 of the carrier 10. As shown in Figure 1, the lower edge 33 of the carrier 10 can also include the bottom 35 of the film sleeve 30. Each of the side edges 37 of the film sleeve 30 is preferably adhered with a seal 40. Therefore, the sleeve of film 30 extends from an openable lower edge 33 of the carrier to the seals 40 at any of the side edges 37 of the film jacket toward the retainer sheet 15 in the upper portion of the carrier . As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the carrier 10 is preferably generally symmetrically around the fold lines 25. As will be discussed in detail below, the carrier 10 is manufactured in such a way that the retainer horn 15 and the film jacket 30 each are preferably symmetrically around the fold lines 25. The carrier 10 is applied to a plurality of containers 5 to form the package 1, shown in Figures 3 and 5. The containers 5 are inserted inside the carrier 10 which adheres to the containers 5 around five to six sides of the package 1. Each of the openings that receive the containers 20 preferably it engages the container 5, preferably flared around 7 or in a similar upper portion of the container 5 within the opening that receives the container 20. An upper portion of the package 1 is therefore at least partially covered by the retainer sheet 15. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the film jacket 30 is placed around a plurality of containers 5. Preferably, a film jacket 30 is stretched tightly. a with the containers 5 and the combination of the openings that receive the containers 20 and the jacket 30 prevent biases or lateral movements of the containers 5 with each other. In another preferred embodiment of this invention, shown in Figures 2 and 3, the film jacket 30 covers at least a portion of the four horizontal sides of the package 1. The containers 5 are placed inside the package 1 in such a way that the film jacket 30 be flat and adjusted with respect to the containers 5 and prominent with respect to the packaging 1. The film jacket 30 is preferably dimensioned to stretch when slipping over a plurality of containers 5. Each of the configurations of the Film shirt 30 results in a package 1 having a prominent display area or "advertising area" for advertising, information, graphics and other marketing material. In another preferred embodiment of this invention, shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the film jacket 30 covers at least a portion of a bottom of the package 1. The film jacket 30 preferably covers at least a portion of the bottom of the package 1 when one or more containers 5 are not hooked to the openings for receiving containers 20. For example, the carrier 10 shown in Figure 1 requires a bottom 35 because the retainer sheet 15 includes only two openings to receive containers 20 in the carrier 10 retaining more than two containers 5. The carrier shown in Figure 5 also requires a bottom 35 because of the twelve containers 5 in the package 10, the six lower containers 5 'in the package 1 there is no support around the flared 7 by the retainer sheet 15. Therefore, the bottom offers support to those unsupported containers 5 within the openings to receive the container 20. As shown in FIG. Figures 3 - 5, the package 1 may additionally contain pull tabs 45 and / or a perforation line 47 placed inside the film jacket 30. Using an arrangement as shown in Figures 3-5, the packaging 1 can be opened by pulling the tabs 45 through the longitudinal side 17 of the packaging 1 thus breaking the perforation line 47 to have access to the containers . A package according to Figures 4 and 5 will have an innovative feature by having a higher level of removable containers 5 of a higher level of removable containers 5 of a lower level of 5 'containers while retaining the upper level of containers 5 integrated as a subpackage and allowing the lower level of the 5 'containers to be freely removed for individual consumption or storage. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the perforated removable strip 49 facilitates the efficient removal of the upper level of containers 5 and the retainer sheet 15 from the lower level of containers 5 and of the jacket 30. The perforated removable strip 49 it is designed so that a single action of pulling the tab 45 circumferentially around the package 1 dissociates the retainer sheet 15 and the upper level of containers 5 'of the jacket 30. The welded tabs 51 on a packaging end panel 1 allows this simple action of pulling the removal of both sides of the package 1. Figure 6 shows the carrier 10 according to this preferred embodiment, which is contemplated to be manufactured in a manner similar to that of Figure 7, described below . Figures 6-8 show the methods for manufacturing the carrier 10 according to three preferred methods of this invention. The methods shown in Figures 6-8 demonstrate from right to left the assembly of various components of the carrier 10, each of the steps in the method designed by a letter of the alphabet. Each of the steps of the manufacturing method includes two carriers 10 to demonstrate a representative segment of carriers 10 that are typically formed in a generally continuous length. Figure 6 shows a method of manufacturing the carrier 10 according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention. In step [A] the film substrate 28 is printed with the desired graphics and other marketing information. In step [B] the material of the retainer sheet 13 is bonded to the film substrate 28 through an extrusion coating, a lamination, a profile extrusion or gluing the material of the retainer sheet 13 to the film substrate 28. In step [C] the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 are folded along the fold line 25 to create a symmetrical double layer. In step [D] the seams 40 are added through heat sealing or lamination of the symmetrical double layer of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate together. In step [E] the carrier 10 is formed by making a cut, such as with a punch press, the double layer of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 to define the film jacket 30 and the retaining sheet 15. The passage [F] (not shown) is preferably comprised by the accumulation of the continuous strip of the carriers 10 when bending in a fan or winding around a core. The carriers 10 according to this invention, regardless of the manufacturing method, are not conductive for winding on rails due to the variable thickness between the film jacket 30 and the retainer sheet 15. Figure 7 shows a method for manufacturing the carrier 10 according to another preferred embodiment of this invention. In step [A] the film substrate 28 is printed with the desired graphics and other marketing information. In step [B] the material of the retainer sheet 13 is bonded to the film substrate 28 through extrusion coating, lamination, profile extrusion or bonding the material of the retainer sheet 13 to the film substrate 28. In step [C] The material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 are folded along the fold 25 to create a symmetrical double layer and the seams 40 are added by heat sealing or lamination of the symmetrical double layer of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 together. In step [D] the carrier 10 is formed through cutting, such as in a punch press, the double layer of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 to define the film jacket 30 and the retainer sheet 15. The step [E] (not shown) is preferably comprised by the accumulation of the continuous strip of the carriers 10 in fanning or wound around a core. Figure 8 shows a method for manufacturing the carrier 10 according to yet another preferred embodiment of this invention. In step [A] the film substrate 28 is printed with the desired graphics and other marketing information. In step [B] the material of the retainer sheet 13 is bonded to the film substrate 28 by extrusion coating or lamination of the material of the retainer sheet 13 to the film substrate 28. In step [C] two identical sheets of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 are laminated together along the rolling lines 42. Step [C] requires a careful registration to align the two identical portions of the retainer sheet material joined 13 and the film substrate 28 before lamination. In step "[D] the seams 40 are added by heat sealing or lamination of the two identical sheets of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate together.In step [E] the carrier 10 is formed by making cuts, such as in a punch press, the two sheets of the material of the retainer sheet 13 and the film substrate 28 to define the film jacket 30 and the retainer sheet 15. The step [F] (not shown) preferably it is comprised of the accumulation of the continuous strip of the carriers 10 in fan-shaped folds or wrapped around a core, while the above specifications of this invention have been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments of this, and of Many of the details have been established for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those trained in technology that the carrier is susceptible to further embodiments and that certain of these details described herein may vary considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.

Claims (24)

1 . A one-piece carrier for loading a plurality of containers, the carrier comprises: a retainer sheet having a first thickness, the retainer sheet having a plurality of openings for receiving the container; and a film jacket having a second thickness, the jacket of the film is integrated with the retainer sheet.

2. The carrier of Claim 1 wherein the retainer sheet has two longitudinal edges integral with the film jacket.

3. The carrier of Claim 1 further comprises a seam positioned along at least one of the edges of the film jacket.

4. The holder of the Claim wherein the plurality of openings for receiving containers are arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranges.

5. The carrier of Claim 1 wherein the retainer sheet is stiffer than the film sleeve.

The carrier of Claim 1 wherein the film sleeve comprises a film that is stretched.

The carrier of Claim 1 wherein the retainer sheet is coated by extrusion to the film jacket.

8. The carrier of Claim 1 wherein the retainer sheet is laminated with the film jacket.

9. The carrier of Claim 1 further comprises a perforation line through the film jacket.

10. A package of a plurality of containers, wherein the package is comprised of: a retainer sheet having a first thickness, the retainer sheet has a plurality of openings that receive the containers; a plurality of containers, wherein each of the openings to receive the container, of the plurality of openings for receiving containers are hooked with a container of the plurality of containers; and a film sleeve having a second thickness placed around the plurality of containers, the film sleeve is integrated with a retainer sheet to form a single-sided carrier.

11. The package of Claim 10 wherein the film jacket covers at least a portion of four horizontal sides of the package.

12. The package of Claim 11 wherein the film jacket covers at least a portion of a bottom of the package.

The package of Claim 10 wherein the plurality of openings for receiving the containers are arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranges.

14. The package of Claim 10 wherein the film sleeve is integrated with two longitudinal sides of the package.

The package of Claim 10 wherein the film jacket is stretched tightly attached to the containers,

16. A method for manufacturing a one-piece carrier for loading a plurality of containers, wherein the method is comprised of: attaching a retainer sheet material to a film substrate to form a retainer sheet having a first thickness: sealing the film substrate to form a film jacket having a second thickness; forming a plurality of openings to receive the container in the retainer sheet.

17. The method of Claim 16 wherein the material of the retainer sheet is bonded to the film substrate by extrusion coating.

18. The method of Claim 16 wherein the material of the retainer sheet is bonded to the film substrate through extrusion coating.

19. The method of Claim 16 further comprises the symmetrical formation of the carrier around the fold line.

20. The method according to the Claim 16 further comprises: engaging a container of the plurality of containers with the opening for receiving containers; and wrapping the plurality of containers with the film sleeve.

21. A package of a plurality of containers, wherein the package is comprised of: a retainer sheet, wherein the retainer sheet has a plurality of openings for receiving containers; a plurality of containers arranged at an upper level, wherein each of the openings for receiving containers of the plurality of openings for receiving containers are hooked with a container of the plurality of containers on the upper level; a plurality of containers arranged in a lower level, where the upper level of the containers are placed in the upper part of the lower level of the containers; and a film sleeve positioned around the plurality of containers, wherein the film sleeve is integrated with the retainer sheet to form a one-piece carrier.

22. The package of Claim 21 wherein the film sleeve covers at least a portion of four horizontal sides in the package.

23. The package of Claim 21 wherein the film jacket covers at least a portion of a bottom of the package.

24. The packaging of Claim 21 wherein a perforated strip for removal is placed around the sleeve, where the perforated strip of removal dissociates the top level of the packing contents.