RU60496U1 - CLOSING GROUP AND PACKAGING - Google Patents

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a closing group made in one piece of plastic and containing rows of lids for closing cans arranged in rows, wherein said lids are interconnected by jumpers configured to separate the cans from each other without removing the lids.

Description

The present utility model relates to a closing group for simultaneously closing lids of a group of beverage cans, as well as packaging containing such a closing group.

Widely distributed 0.33 L, 0.5 L or 1 L beverage cans containing a cylindrical body with a metal lid rolled on it are usually packaged in groups placed on cardboard pallets or trays. Despite the fact that such banks are used everywhere, they have an obvious drawback - lack of hygiene. Therefore, recently there have been several proposals to protect the top of cans with foil, a lid or other similar means, so that when drinking from a can, the consumer touches a clean surface with his lips. As an example, useful models RU 32755 U1 (publ. 09/27/03), RU 42026 U1 (publ. 11/20/04) and RU 41710 U1 (publ. 10/11/04) are all given by the applicant.

Previously, the installation of lids on cans was carried out sequentially and alternately for each can, after which the cans closed with lids were assembled into a group, usually of 24 cans, on a cardboard pallet, and the entire group was covered and sealed with shrink plastic film.

In mass production, the operation of sequentially and alternately closing the cans with a lid is a bottleneck that reduces the productivity of the entire packaging process.

A true utility model is available to resolve this issue.

It offers a closing group made of plastic in one piece and containing rows of lids for closing cans arranged in rows, interconnected by jumpers made to separate the cans from each other without removing the lids.

Accordingly, the present utility model also offers a package of a group of beverage cans comprising a pallet with a group of cans mounted on top of which the above-mentioned closing group is installed.

In retail, when the packaging is printed at the point of sale and sold one or two cans each, you first need to tear the shrink film, and then separate the cans from each other. Since the lids must be held on the cans in order to maintain the hygiene of the closed top of the can, it is highly desirable that the breaking force of the jumper be comparable to or less than the holding force of the lid on the can. For this, preferably, said jumpers contain weakened lines. Weakened lines can be arranged differently, for example, each jumper can be connected to adjacent banks with weakened lines, or each jumper can have one transverse weakened line in the middle.

Further, the claimed utility model is illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the closing group,

Figa, 2B, 2 In - side views of plastic covers connected by a jumper in various embodiments, and

Figure 3 is a side view of a package with a closing group.

Figure 1 presents a General view of a variant of execution

declared closing group. The closing group is made in one piece from a suitable plastic, for example, from polyethylene terephthalate, and contains lid 1 arranged in rows to close the top of known metal beverage cans. In the closing group, there may be, for example, six caps (two rows of three caps each), or 24 caps, as shown in FIG. 1 (four rows of six caps), or any other quantity that will be determined by the manufacturing and packaging company a drink. These lids are interconnected by jumpers 2, configured to separate the cans from each other without removing the lids.

Since the lids are held onto the can flange by friction (snapping) force, this force is not very large. Therefore, it is desirable that the effort of separating the cans from each other is less than the effort of removing the lid from the top of the can, so that the lid does not jump off the top of the can when it is separated from the other cans of the packed group.

This can be achieved in various ways. On figa shows an embodiment in which the jumper is made thin enough so that it can be easily torn when separating the cans. Despite the weakness of the jumpers due to their very small thickness, this does not create problems with the integrity of the closing group when it is installed on the packaged cans, since the pressing force is applied only to the lids, without creating shear stresses in the area of the jumpers.

In other embodiments shown in FIGS. 2B and 2B, jumpers 2 may have a thickness increased compared to covers on

2A, therefore, the jumpers shown here are provided with weakened lines 3. It is understood that these lines are sufficiently weakened so that the aforementioned condition for holding the lids on the cans when they are separated is fulfilled.

The location of the weakened lines on the jumpers can be different. FIG. 2B shows an embodiment in which each jumper is connected to adjacent lids by weakened lines, so that when the cans are separated from each other, each of them will have a lid with a flat edge on top, for example, as described in RU 32755 U1.

Another variant of the location of the weakened lines, namely: one weakened line transversely in the middle of each jumper, shown in Fig.2B, after separation of the cans, the jumper section 4 remaining on each lid is used, which is further used by the consumer as a convenient eyelet for gripping. A similar ear for gripping may be required in the case of using plastic of increased elasticity for a more tight fit of the lids on the flanges of the cans. At the same time, removing the cover by hooking it on the lower edge may be difficult, but using the eyelet to remove the cover will not be difficult.

The finished packaging, shown in Figure 3, usually contains a cardboard pallet (or tray) 5, on which banks of 6 are installed in rows in the required quantity. On top of these cans are closed by a closing group of lids 1 by the number of cans on a pallet. The entire package is surrounded and sealed by shrink film 7, which may have a handle or other carrying devices (not shown).

In this form, the finished packaging arrives at retail locations where sellers, tearing and removing the sealing film 7 from the packaging, can sell cans, separating them from each other along weakened jumper lines. In this case, the lids will be held on the banks, while maintaining the sterility of their top. The cans can be separated from the packaging in one or more, for example, four cans at once, and thus, the closing group does not create additional inconvenience to consumers in comparison with the use of separate lids that are not connected by jumpers.

The advantage provided by the proposed closing group when packaging cans of drinks consists primarily in the fact that the process of closing the cans with lids can be accelerated several times, which is of great importance in mass production.

One skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiment described and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope of the attached utility model formula.

For example, to facilitate the installation of the closing group on the banks, each skirt 8 can be made expanding downward (conical), as shown in Fig.2A-B. This not only simplifies the centering of each lid on each can of the group to be closed, but also reduces the effort of closing the can with the lid.

In addition, at least part of the covers of the closing group, or, preferably, all the covers can be provided

ventilation holes 9 (conventionally shown on several lids in figure 1), at least one hole on the lid, which do not lead to contamination of the top of the cans, but allow the evaporation of condensation moisture from under the covers.

Claims (6)

1. A closing group made in one piece from plastic and containing rows of lids for closing cans, the lids being interconnected by jumpers configured to separate the cans from each other without removing the lids. 2. The closing group according to claim 1, characterized in that each jumper contains at least one weakened line. 3. The closing group according to claim 2, characterized in that at least part of the jumpers, the weakened line is located transversely in the middle of each bridge. 4. The closing group according to claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the jumpers is connected to adjacent banks with weakened lines. 5. The closing group according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of the covers is provided with at least one ventilation opening. 6. Packaging cans for drinks containing a pallet with installed on it a group of cans, on top of which there is a closing group according to claim 1.