SK282076B6 - Multiple compartment separable container - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-compartment container (10) for packaging a plurality of articles such as bottles (B), comprises two or more compartment units (M1, M2) and a frangible cover portion (30), said compartment units comprising a base panel (14, 38), side panels (12, 16, 18, 60, 84, 40, 34, 36, 132) and a top panel (20, 30, 32) wherein said compartment unit top panel is partly formed by said frangible cover portion (30) in said formed multi-compartment container and removal of said cover portion (30) from said container (10) causes at least partial separation of said units (M1, M2) and exposes the top of at least one of the articles contained in at least one of said units thereby enabling removal of the one article from the one unit.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a multi-chamber but single-chamber separable container. The container is formed to contain chambers for storing a plurality of identical products which together form a single carton unit adapted to be taken away by the customer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,269 discloses a multi-compartment container having two chambers each holding twelve cans of beverage. The entire carton of the twenty-four cans can be easily transported. The carton may be divided into two individual carton units, each with twelve cans. Separation of the individual chambers can be done at the point of sale, so that a smaller quantity of the products can be sold, or subsequently performed to the customer according to his convenience. In the multi-compartment container referred to in this reference, the separation of the individual containers does not result in the opening of one or the other of the separate containers, but only disconnects the units from each other so that they are separated from each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These drawbacks are overcome by a multi-chamber container for packaging a plurality of products such as bottles, which comprises at least two chamber units and a removable connecting piece. Each chamber unit comprises a base member, opposed sidewall panels, opposed end panels, and an upper wall panel, wherein the respective adjacent walls of the chamber units comprise portions of the connector, the essence being that the connector is for at least partially separating the units and providing access to the units. the removal of the products contained in these units is at least partially removable, without breaking a portion of each of the adjacent walls of the units.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjacent walls of the container are the upper walls of the units with the upper wall portions, and the connecting portion forms a cover portion of the container which bridges the units.

Preferably, the cover fitting is removable to the extent of accessing at least one article in each chamber unit.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the chamber units are fixed to each other by means of a second bendable connection means. Yet another preferred embodiment of the container is that the second bendable attachment means is formed by a connecting flap that is bendably hinged in one chamber unit and secured to an adjacent chamber unit.

Further, the inner side wall portion of each unit of at least one pair of adjacent units positioned side-by-side may form a keel in the base of the container to separate products between adjacent units of the pair. The cover connecting part preferably comprises a handle for carrying the container. The cover connecting part may comprise end flaps which are hingedly attached thereto to remove the part from the container when the flaps are gripped and pulled.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the chamber unit comprises a bendable glued flap which is fixed to the end flap of the cover connecting piece and bendably hinged to the end part of the chamber unit.

According to another preferred embodiment, the cover connecting piece is flexibly connected to the chamber units along a perforated line that extends across the top wall of the chamber unit and extends into its end piece.

The container may be formed from a single blank. The container further comprises a separate connecting cover member, wherein each chamber unit may be formed from a separate blank.

Preferably, the container comprises two compartment units and a separate cover portion comprising a removable connecting portion.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, each chamber unit comprises means for cooperating with one or more products (B) to allow a separate chamber to be placed on its side. According to a last preferred embodiment, the means of cooperation is formed by a product-distribution structure, the means being formed by portions of the top wall of the chamber.

The multi-chamber container according to the invention allows access to one or more products in the individual chambers since it allows the opening of the individual chambers as well as the complete separation of these chambers. The products may be separated from each other.

Overview of the figures in the drawing

Containers embodying the present invention in the form of a carton will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of which the carton according to the invention is formed, Figure 2 a perspective view from above and from one end of the carton formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1 and subsequently filled with articles, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing two separate container units and a strip of material that is removed from the original single carton unit to be divided into separate container units; FIG. 4 is a plan view of a separate cover member; 5 is a plan view of the blanks used to form the chambers which, together with the cover member shown in FIG. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a container according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of two separable chambers as seated in the container shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank; used to form one of the chambers shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the cover member used in conjunction with the chambers shown in FIG. 7 to form the container shown in FIG. 6th

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The multi-chamber container 10 is formed of a single blank (the carton), of paperboard or the like of a bendable layer, and comprises a first chamber unit M1 having, as seen in FIG. 1 in ra

6, the first side inner wall part 12, the base part 14, the bottom part 16 and the top part 18 of the first outer side wall, the top wall part 20, hinged one into another along the transverse bending line 22, 24, 26, 28, v in that order. The top wall portion 20 follows a portion of the handle structure, generally designated S, which is incorporated within the removable connector 30, which is described in more detail below.

The second module M2 of the container 10 has a similar composition to the described module M1, comprises a plurality of hinged parts and comprises a top wall part 32, the same as part 20, top part 34 and bottom part 36 of the second outer side wall, base part 38 and second part 40 an inner side wall hinged one into another along the transverse bend lines 42, 44, 46, 48, respectively.

The container blank 10 is symmetrical about its longitudinal central axes and thus those parts that are hinged to the longitudinal edges of the parts 12 to 20, 30 and 32 to 40 will be described with reference to only one longitudinal edge of the blank. Similar parts on the opposite longitudinal edge of the workpiece are marked with the same reference numerals with the addition of "a".

The first inner side wall panel 12 carries an integral corner "tapered" panel 50 hinged along the longitudinal fold line 52 into the panel 12 and a glued flap 54 attached to the panel 50 along the longitudinal bend line 56. The glued flap 54 is hinged to the edge with the joint panel 58 of the bottom end panel 60, the gusset panel 58 is hinged to the glued flap 54 by a transverse fold line 64. The panel 60 carries a bendable glued flap 66 that is bendably attached to the panel 60 along the perforated line 68.

Another structural element of panel 60 is formed by a corner panel 70 that is hinged to the longitudinal edge of the bottom side panel 16 along the longitudinal fold line 72. The corner panel 70 is hinged to the glued flap 71 along the longitudinal fold line 73. Another corner panel 75 is hinged the longitudinal edge of the upper side wall panel 18 along the longitudinal bend line 76 and into the inner structural part 74 along the bend line 77. The parts 71 and 74 are joined together by a hinged gusset member 78. Another gusset member 80 connects the hinge member 74 to the upper end portion 84 wall to which it is suspended by means of a transverse bend line 86.

The gusset member 80 is hinged to the panel 74 along the fold line 88. The upper end portion 84 carries at its extreme end a glued flap 90 that is hinged to the panel 84 along the longitudinal fold line 92. The upper end panel 84 is hinged to one longitudinal edge of the panel 20 the upper wall along the longitudinal bend line 91.

When the carton is formed, the glued flap 71 is secured to the free edge of the end piece 60 within the carton so that the pieces 60 and 84 together form a substantial portion of the end wall of the module M1. The corner pieces 70 and 75 form a tapered corner section between the side wall panels 16, 18 and the end wall panels 60, 84 in the formed carton.

The portions 20, 84, 90, 84a, 90a are flexibly connected to the removable portion 30 by a foldable connection 94 extending transversely across the container blank 10. Similarly, the opposite end of the removable portion 30 has a foldable connection 96 to the top wall portion 32 of the second chamber unit M2. and his dependent work. It will be appreciated that the removable portion 30 includes upper wall and end wall parts.

As mentioned, the handle assembly S is formed within the removable portion 30 and preferably takes the form of an extensible handle described and claimed in European application 89304604.5. For this purpose, the handle assembly S includes a stiffening member 98 that is hinged into the transverse, left, and right slot 100 of the handle opening S along the intermittent fold line 102. Similarly, the handle slot 106 is punched from the removable portion 30 between the fold line 104 and bendable. by joining the panel 30 with the panel top wall. A relatively short slot 202 parallel to the slot 100 is also provided in the removable portion 30. The slot 202 and the longitudinal fold line 204 provide a means of limiting the load in the carton when the container 10 is lifted by the handle S.

The right side of the blank, as seen from the figure, has the same arrangement as on the left side of the transverse bend connection 94 and includes the blank components forming a second, similar but separable module M2 of the container 10.

Thus, the upper end portion 108 of the second end wall is hinged to the upper wall portion 32 along the longitudinal fold line 110. The glued flap 112 is hinged to the end edge of the portion 108 along the longitudinal fold line 114. The second corner portion 116 is suspended along the longitudinal edge of the upper wall 34 along the bend line 118. The gusset member 120 is hinged to the member 108 along the transverse bend line 122 and to the inner structural member 117 along the bend line 124.

The corner panel 126 is flexibly connected to the panel 36 along the longitudinal bend 131. The glued panel 127 is connected to the panel 117 by the gusset member 128 and to the lower panel 132 of the second end wall by the gusset 133.

The panel 132 is hinged to the lower side wall panel 38 along the longitudinal fold line 134 and includes a bendable glued flap 136 hinged to the panel 132 along the perforated line 138. The side wall panel 40 carries a hinged corner bevel part 140 flexibly connected thereto along the lining. a longitudinal bend 142 and a bend line 146 with a glued flap 144. The glued flap 144 is attached to the panel 132 by a gusset panel 147 hinged to the glued panel 144 along the bend line 150 and to the lower end panel 132 along the bent line 152. the folded sleeve blank, which can then be lifted and the end loaded by means known in the art, first the handle portion S is bent 180 ° degrees to the right, see Fig. 1, around the fold line and adhered to the blank portions between the slot 106 and the bend line 104 and between the lateral ends of the end flaps T1, Tia. This brings the end flap T into face contact with the end flap T1.

Parts of the blank to the right of the transverse bend line 44 are folded 180 degrees to the left. The first inner panel 12 and adjacent lateral panels 50,50a, 54,54a are bent 180 ° to the right around the bending lines 22,62,62a. The base tab B1 remains in its flat position from FIG. 1. After the adhesive is applied to the glued flap 66 and base tab B1, the blank is folded 180 degrees to the left of the fold line F to an overlapping relationship with portions of the exposed molded surface of the expensive folded blank. Thus, the flap 66 and tab B1 are adhered to the glued flap 136 and to the portion G of the eye adjacent the portion 38, respectively. Similarly, the glued flap 66a attaches to the second glued flap 136a.

The blank is now in a partially formed, flat-folded state from which it can be lifted and loaded. The carton is filled when it is in a ravine form and in a manner well known in the art. During filling, the inner side wall panels 12, 40 are held in an upright position and act to separate one piece of carton from the other and thus divide the packaged products into two sections that form detachable modules. It should be noted, however, that during the formation of the sleeve, the two inner side wall panels 12, 40 are brought into relationship with each other by faces, but not fixed within the sleeve.

It is the flap B1 and the bendable glued flaps 66,136 that are responsible for securing together the two opposite ends of the container blank 10.

Closing the ends of the sleeve after filling is relatively traditional. Corner panels 70,75,113,126, structural panels 74,117, and glued flaps 71,127 are bent inwards along bend lines 72, 76, 130, 118,77,119, 73,131. The portions 84,108 are then folded downward around the fold line 95, 110, respectively, in an overlapping relationship with the portions 74,71,117,127.

The panel 60 is then folded upwardly about the bent connection with panel 14 and adhered to panels 71, 74, 90, 54. Similarly, panel 132 is raised around the fold line 134 and adhered to panels 127,117,112,144 to end the carton end.

To open the carton, the large flaps T and T1 which are covered by the bendable glued flaps 66, 136 are clamped and pulled therefrom, and the whole of the bendable piece 30, which comprises a handle structure S and defined by substantially bendable perforated lines 94, 96, can be detached to expose the contents of the carton and remove portions of the opposite ends and the top wall. The pair of individual units M1, M2 can then be separated from one another by tearing off the bendable glued flap B1 from the base of the corresponding unit M1, M2, leaving two separate units M1, M2 as shown in FIG. 3. As can be seen, these units M1, M2 allow the content to be held inside the container 10 in a storage position; but also allow instant access to content. Thus, access to the bottles B can be easily obtained without the need to remove any other part of the container 10 from outside the central bendable strip that is removed to separate the units M1, M2. After partitioning, the modules can be stored upright as the M2 unit of FIG. 3 and can also be laid on their side walls. As shown in FIG. 3, the unit M1 is placed on its side while the portion 20, the end portions 84 and 84a and the upper side portion 18 help to hold the bottles B.

The modules can be placed one at a time or side by side in the ecstasy of the refrigerator, such as in their doors, and the bottles are conveniently removed from the exposed face of the container. The individual modules also provide a suitable container in which the empty bottles can be returned to the store or collection point.

While it is preferred to form the container of the invention from a unit blank, such as the blank of FIG. 1, it is possible, for example, to provide a detachable multi-chamber container which, when formed, looks substantially like the container 10 'shown in FIG. 2, which is comprised of a separate cover member 31 'and modules of separate blanks 15' and 35 ', the latter forming box-like chambers or modules as shown in the unformed plan views of FIGS.

It is understood that to form a container 10 '(not shown folded) using portions 31', 15 ', 35', said chambers should be formed and, for example, in the case of a blank 15 ', by raising the side panels 12', 16 'and folding the adhesive flap 54 ', 54a', 7 ', 71a' inwards. This is followed by lifting of the end pieces 60 '. 60a 'and adhering to said bonded flaps to form a crate-like structure. Similarly, the chamber of blank 35 'is formed in the same manner.

To form the container 10 ', the cover portion 31' is first folded to form the reinforced handle S 'in a manner similar to that previously described with respect to the handle S of the portion 30 of the first embodiment of the container 10 according to the invention. Thus, the handle portion 98 'is folded around the bend line 104' so that it can be glued to the piece between the bend line 104 'and the cut 106'. This cover portion 31 'is then lowered to and adhered to chambers composed of blanks 15' and 35 ', for example by gluing adhesive flaps 90' to the outer surface of the chamber end panel 60 'of blanks 15' and repeating for all adhesive flaps.

The side wall panel 18 'of the cover panel 31' may further adhere to the side wall panel 12 'on the inside or outside of its surface. Alternatively, it may not be necessary to connect the parts 18 ', 12', and in this case it is advisable to press the part 18 'inside the chamber from the blank 15' - the container 10 'is formed by gluing all parts 90', 112 ', 98', 112a ' the respective chambers.

To separate said chambers from the container 10 ', the removable portion 30' is peeled away from the container 10 'in the manner described in relation to the first embodiment of the invention. This can be retracted by the flaps T1 and T1 to tear along the bendable line 94 'and 96'.

Another embodiment of the container according to the invention is shown in FIG. 6, 7, 8, 9. In this embodiment, the two chambers are made of separate blanks 15 and 35 and comprise product distributors apart as shown in FIG.

The container 10 also includes a separate cover portion 31 that includes a removable portion 30 shown in FIG. 9. Thus, in a third embodiment of the invention, there is provided a bicameral detachable container in which each chamber holds six bottles, in a group of two to three, each bottle having its own stowage portion separated from adjacent bottles.

The blank used to form one of the chambers is shown in FIG. 8 in an unformed plan view. In order to form the erected chamber, the end portions 60, 60a are folded around the hinge lines 64, 63 and 64a, 63a to secure the upwardly projecting portion 61. Referring to FIG. 8, the side wall panels 12, 16 are then bent down and the adhesive flaps 60, 70, 50a, 70a are folded inward and adhered to the inner surfaces of the end panels 60, 60a. The base parts 14, 14a are then folded inwards so that they overlap and are closed together using, for example, a closing device of known mechanical type.

The upper chamber portion 61 includes portions 310 separating adjacent bottles B in the container 10.

Once raised, the two chambers are placed one against the other and the main cover member 31 can be lowered into position. In this embodiment, the portion 31 comprises a removable portion 30 as part of the portion 33, the slanted side wall portions 22, 32, and the side wall portions 18, 34 '. The removable panel 30 also includes inclined end panels 84, 84a, and end wall panels 90, 90a. The cover member 31 further comprises two tear strips 300, 300a and end adhesive flaps 302, 302a, 304, 304a. The top cover 31 is formed by folding the end panels 18, 34 downwards, bending the side panels 90, 90a down and gluing together the different pairs of provided corner adhesive flaps such as 75 and 80. The cover panel 31 is then lowered to two adjacent chambers of blanks 15 and 15. 35 and the adhesive flaps 302, 302a, 304, 304a are respectively bonded to the associated end wall 60 and 60a of the chambers.

SK 282076 Β6

To separate one chamber from the other and remove the cover member 30, the tear strips 300 and 300a are torn along their respective tear lines 94, 94a, 96, 96a. The adhesive flaps 302, 304 are separated from each other by a cut 303, similarly the end adhesive flaps 302a, 304a are separated by a cut 303a, and thus the chambers are separable as shown in FIG. 7th

The tear strips 300 may have a tapered portion such as 301, 301 and allowing the tear strips 300, 300a to be more easily squeezed while separating the removable piece 30 from the chambers.

Again, when the removable portion 30 is removed, the articles B are exposed in these chambers. In addition, the assembly of chambers having a partition structure allows, inter alia, their laying on the sides, such as the chamber of blank 15 in FIG. 7th

Claims (16)

PATENT CLAIMS A multi-chamber container for packaging a plurality of articles such as bottles, comprising at least two compartment units (M1, M2) and a removable connecting piece (30), each compartment unit (M1, M2) comprising a base part (14,38), parts (12 , 16, 18, 34, 36, 40) opposing side walls, opposing end portions (84, 60, 84a, 60a, 108, 132, 108a, 132a) and top wall portions (20, 32), respectively The units (M1, M2) comprise portions of the connecting piece (30), characterized in that the connecting piece (30) is for at least partially separating the units (M1, M2) and providing access to the removal of products (B) contained in these units (M1). , M2) at least partially removable without breaking at least a portion of each of the adjacent walls of the units (M1, M2). A multi-chamber container according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjacent walls are the upper walls of the units (M1, M2) with the upper wall parts (20, 32) and the connecting part (30) forms a cover part which these units (M1, M2). M2) bridges. A multi-chamber container according to claim 2, characterized in that the cover connecting piece (30) is removable to the extent of accessing at least one product (B) in each chamber unit (M1, M2). A multi-chamber container according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the chamber units (M1, M2) are fixed to each other by means of a second bendable connection means. A multi-chamber container according to claim 4, characterized in that the second bendable attachment means is formed by a connecting flap (BI) which is bendably hinged in one chamber unit (M1) and fixed to the adjacent chamber unit (M2). A multi-chamber container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the inner side wall portion (12, 40) of each unit (M1, M2) of at least one pair of adjacent units (M1, M2) located side by side forms a keel in the base for separating the articles (B) between adjacent units (M1, M2) of the pair. A multi-chamber container according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the cover part (30) comprises a carrying handle (s). A multi-chamber container according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the cover connecting part (30) comprises end flaps (T, TI) which are hingedly connected to the part (30) to remove the part (30) when the flaps ( T, TI) and pulling on them. A multi-chamber container according to claim 8, characterized in that the chamber unit (M1, M2) comprises a bendable glued flap (66, 136) which is attached to the end flap (T, T1) of the cover connecting piece (30) and bendable. suspended in the end piece (60, 132) of the chamber unit (M1, M2). A multi-chamber container according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the cover connection piece (30) is flexibly connected to the chamber units (M1, M2) along a perforated line (94, 96) that extends across the top wall of the chamber unit (30). M1, M2) and extends into its end piece (84, 90, 108, 112). A multi-chamber container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is formed from a single blank. A multi-chamber container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a separate connecting cover (31 ', 31'), wherein each chamber unit (M1, M2) is formed of a separate blank (15 '). , 15, 35 ', 35). A multi-chamber container according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises two chamber units (M1, M2) and a separate cover part (31 ', 31) comprising a removable connecting part (30', 30). A multi-chamber container according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13, characterized in that each chamber unit (M1, M2) comprises means for cooperating with one or more articles (B) to allow the storage of a separate chamber (M1, M2). ) on her side. A multi-chamber container according to claim 14, characterized in that the means of cooperation comprises a structure (312) dividing the products (B). A multi-chamber container according to claim 14, characterized in that the means of cooperation is formed by a part (20, 32) of the upper wall of the chamber (M1, M2).