Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/44—Integral, inserted or attached portions forming internal or external fittings
  • B65D5/46—Handles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/06—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers
  • B65D71/12—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank
  • B65D71/36—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with end walls
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00123—Bundling wrappers or trays
  • B65D2571/00129—Wrapper locking means
  • B65D2571/00135—Wrapper locking means integral with the wrapper
  • B65D2571/00141—Wrapper locking means integral with the wrapper glued
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00123—Bundling wrappers or trays
  • B65D2571/00432—Handles or suspending means
  • B65D2571/00438—Holes
  • B65D2571/0045—Holes for hands
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00123—Bundling wrappers or trays
  • B65D2571/00432—Handles or suspending means
  • B65D2571/00537—Handles or suspending means with stress relieving means
  • B65D2571/00543—Handles or suspending means with stress relieving means consisting of cut-outs, slits, or the like
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00123—Bundling wrappers or trays
  • B65D2571/00648—Elements used to form the wrapper
  • B65D2571/00654—Blanks
  • B65D2571/0066—Blanks formed from one single sheet
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00123—Bundling wrappers or trays
  • B65D2571/00709—Shape of the formed wrapper, i.e. shape of each formed element if the wrapper is made from more than one element
  • B65D2571/00722—Shape of the formed wrapper, i.e. shape of each formed element if the wrapper is made from more than one element tubular with end walls, e.g. walls not extending on the whole end surface
  • B65D2571/00728—Shape of the formed wrapper, i.e. shape of each formed element if the wrapper is made from more than one element tubular with end walls, e.g. walls not extending on the whole end surface the end walls being closed by gluing

Definitions

• This invention relates to a sleeve-type article carrier, and more particularly to a sleeve-type article carrier having an improved handle.
• Sleeve-type carriers used to package beverage cans are typically formed from paperboard blanks which are opened into sleeve form in order to receive the cans, after which the end panels of the blanks are folded and glued together. The resulting package completely encloses the cans and has a handle incorporated in the top panel to allow a user to more readily lift and carry the package.
• Many different handle designs have been used in sleevetype carriers over the years, the most common probably being the suitcase type of handle. This comprises two handle openings in the top panel extending lengthwise of the carrier and being spaced from each other so that the top panel portion between them forms a strap. The carrier is lifted by inserting the fingers in one of the openings and lifting up on the strap portion.
• edges of the strap are often uncomfortable to the hand, particularly if the package is carried for any length of time.
• concentration of lifting stresses at the ends of the strap has necessitated the use of relatively thick paperboard to prevent tearing at these locations.
• a transversely extending handle instead of a transversely extending handle.
• a handle comprises a transverse opening in the top panel of the carrier through which the fingers are inserted. The user then lifts up against the underside of the top panel to lift and carry the package.
• this arrangement makes the lifting and carrying process more comfortable, packages still need some provision to distribute the lifting stresses in order to prevent tearing. If no provision is made, such as in the handle arrangement disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 2,718,301, issued to F. D. Palmer, the package is susceptible to tearing at the ends of the handle opening. Since the only way to prevent tearing in a design such as Palmer's is to use relatively- thick paperboard, the production costs increase as a result.
• U.S. Patent Number 4,558,816, issued to P.J. Wood incorporates a centrally located slit that extends into the side panels of the carrier and also contains a series of fold lines connected to the slit. This arrangement is for the purpose of distributing the lifting stresses generated when the package is lifted by its handle. Even this design, however, permits more concentration of lifting stresses adjacent the ends of the transverse slit than desired, forcing relatively rigid design parameters to be followed and causing the top panel to be pulled up too abruptly when lifted. It would be desirable to provide a carrier having a transverse handle design which resists the tendency to tear at the ends of the handle and which permits a reduction in the caliper of the paperboard without resulting in an excessively flexible handle structure.
• the top panel contains a handle opening comprising two spaced edges extending transversely of the folds connecting the side panels to the top panel. Each spaced edge of the handle opening is foldably connected to a flap or tab covering a portion of the handle opening, and one of the spaced edges is located between the midpoint of the top panel and one of the end panels.
• the top panel further contains slits extending from the ends of the latter mentioned spaced edge, through the folds connecting the side panels to the top panel, and terminating in the upper portions of the side panels.
• the slits are offset from the midpoint of the top panel but are still close enough to the midpoint so that the handle opening is generally centrally located.
• the offset slit arrangement acts to decrease the lifting stresses, thus reducing the tendency to tear and permitting the use of thinner paperboard.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view of a production blank used to form the carrier of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a carrier formed from the blank of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of the handle portion of the top panel of the carrier of FIG. 2;
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along the length of the carrier through the handle portion, along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the fingers of a user pushing down the tabs covering the handle opening;
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but showing the fingers lifting up on the package after the tab adjacent the fingers has been folded back;
• FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of the upper portion of the carrier of the present invention, showing the distortion of the handle portion and the upper portions of the side panels when the carrier is lifted along one of the edges of the handle opening;
• FIG. 7 is a pictorial representation similar to that of FIG. 6, but showing the carrier being lifted along the other edge of the handle opening.
• a production blank 10 has a central section 12 connected to intermediate sections 14 by score lines 16. End sections 18 are connected to the intermediate sections 14 by score lines 20. When the blank is folded about the score lines 16, the central section 12 becomes the top panel of the carrier and the intermediate sections 14 become the side panels of the carrier. The end sections are dimensioned so that upon being folded about the score lines 20, they overlap each other. Upon being glued in the overlapping region, the attached end sections become the bottom panel of the carrier. Dust flaps 22 are connected to the central section 12 by score lines 24 , and dust flaps 26 are connected to the end sections 18 by score lines 28.
• End flaps 30 are connected to the intermediate sections 14 by score lines 32 which are aligned with and form a continuation of the score lines 24 and 28.
• the dust flaps 22 and 26 are folded toward each other after the blank has been folded about score lines 16 and 20. Then the end flaps 30 are folded toward each other and adhered by glue to the dust flaps to form the end panels of the carrier.
• the resulting carrier 34 is shown in FIG. 2, wherein the top panel 12 corresponds to the central section 12 of the blank 10, the side panels 14 correspond to the intermediate sections 14, and the end panel is formed from end flaps 30.
• the folds 16, 20, 24 and 32 correspond to score lines 16, 20, 24 and 32 of the blank 10.
• the bottom panel corresponding to the end sections 18 is not visible in this view.
• the top panel is provided with a handle opening 36 .
• the opening Prior to the carrier being lifted by the handle, the opening is covered by flaps or tabs 38 and 40 which are joined to the top panel by fold lines 42 and 44, respectively.
• the adjacent edges of the tabs 38 and 40 are connected by spaced narrow segments of paperboard 46 which are adapted to be readily broken by downward pressure of the fingers of a user so as to fold the tabs downwardly into the interior of the carrier about their fold lines 42 and 44.
• the handle opening is thus preferably covered by the combined tabs to prevent entry of dust and dirt into the carrier.
• the ends of the fold lines 42 and 44 are connected by slits 48 extending transversely of the handle opening 36.
• the handle opening is thus defined by the fold lines 42 and 44 and the slits 48.
• Extending from the ends of the fold line 42 and connected to the adjacent ends of the slits 48 are slits 50.
• the slits 50 extend through the folds 16 and terminate in the upper portions of the side panels 14. If desired, the ends of the slits 50 may terminate in a small arcuate portion, as indicated at 52 in FIGS. 1 and 2, to resist any tendency of the side panels to tear at the ends of the slits 50 upon lifting and carrying the carrier.
• the adjacent edges of the flaps or tabs 38 and 40 are substantially aligned with the transverse centerline of the carrier. In other words, the adjacent edges of the tabs pass through the midpoint of the top panel 12.
• the edge 42 of the handle opening and the slits 50 extending therefrom are offset from the midpoint of the top panel, as is the edge 44 of the handle opening.
• the interior of the carrier 34 is shown as containing beverage cans C. Since the handle opening 36 is located centrally of the carrier, it can be understood that the carrier should be designed so that the row of cans immediately beneath the top panel 12 contains an even number of cans. In this way the handle opening is assured of being located between cans to permit the fingers of a user to penetrate into the space between adjacent cans.
• the carrier of FIG. 4 could be designed to hold twelve cans arranged in three rows of four cans each, or twenty-four cans arranged in four rows of six cans each. The two cans shown immediately subjacent the handle opening 36 would thus be the two innermost cans in the top row immediately beneath the top panel 12.
• the fingers of a user have pressed down against the tabs 38 and 40 sufficiently to break the weak connection between them, resulting in the tab 38 being folded down about its fold line 42 by the tips of the fingers.
• the backs of the fingers have folded the tab 40 down about its fold line 44.
• the tab 38 would strike the nearest can C as the tab is being pivoted about its fold line.
• the user lifts upward while at the same time continuing the tab folding action. This produces the result shown in FIG. 5, wherein the top panel adjacent the fold line 42 has been raised and the tab 38, in the space created by the raised panel, has been folded back under the panel 12.
• the fingers are cushioned by the double thickness of paperboard created by the top panel 12 and the tab 38.
• the tab 40 simply remains bent down out of the plane of the top panel.
• FIG. 6 when the carrier is lifted in the manner shown in FIG. 5, the lifting stresses cause the folds 16 in the portion of the top panel being upwardly bowed to move inwardly toward each other. This inward movement is made possible by the slits 50 in the side panels 14. Stresses caused by lifting are thus uniformly distributed into the side panels 14 and the folds 16 as evidenced by the upper panel 12 being bowed upwardly in a smooth and uniform manner between the slits 50 and the end panel nearest to the edge 42.
• the adjacent edges of the handle flaps are centrally located in the top panel
• the handle arrangement of the present invention in carriers designed to hold an odd number of containers immediately beneath the top panel.
• the adjacent flap edges would be located above the space between the cylindrical side walls of adjacent containers and would therefore be offset from the centerline of the top panel. The normal way of lifting the carrier would thus be by the edge which is closest to the end panel nearest the handle opening.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Mechanical Control Devices (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22030501

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Cited By (13)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1988
  • 1988-05-16 JP JP63505276A patent/JPH0755706B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-05-16 DE DE88906259T patent/DE3884764T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-05-16 BR BR888807091A patent/BR8807091A/pt unknown
  • 1988-05-16 AU AU19601/88A patent/AU600152B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1988-05-16 WO PCT/US1988/001563 patent/WO1988009750A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1988-05-16 EP EP88906259A patent/EP0318573B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-05-16 KR KR1019890700197A patent/KR930004965B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1988-05-17 IE IE148188A patent/IE63024B1/en unknown
  • 1988-05-17 CA CA000566986A patent/CA1320183C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-05-19 NZ NZ224704A patent/NZ224704A/xx unknown
  • 1988-06-06 ZA ZA884009A patent/ZA884009B/xx unknown
  • 1988-06-10 ES ES888802211A patent/ES2010766A6/es not_active Expired
• 1989
  • 1989-02-07 NO NO890512A patent/NO174541C/no unknown
  • 1989-02-08 DK DK198900565A patent/DK173895B1/da not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1989-02-09 FI FI890636A patent/FI93935C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (5)

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