WO1997032795A1

WO1997032795A1 - Paperboard article carrier

Info

Publication number: WO1997032795A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000596
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nathalie Briand
Original assignee: Riverwood International Corporation; Riverwood International Limited
Priority date: 1996-03-09
Filing date: 1997-03-05
Publication date: 1997-09-12
Also published as: AU2225497A; GB9605089D0; ZA971952B

Abstract

There is provided a paperboard assembly for retaining together a plurality of articles (12), said assembly comprises a paperboard wrap (11) in the form of a sleeve which encircles the plurality of articles (12), and a paperboard insert (20) which is provided at either or both ends of the sleeve. The paperboard sleeve has generally open ends whereby the or each insert (20) closes off at least a portion of its associated end and is retained in position with respect to the sleeve.

Description

Paperboard article carrier

This invention relates to paperboard assemblies for retaining together a plurality of articles.

According to the present invention there is provided a paperboard assembly for retaining together a plurality of articles, said assembly comprising in combination a paperboard wrap in the form of a sleeve encircling the articles and having generally open ends and a paperboard insert provided at either or both ends of the sleeve, the or each insert closing off at least a portion of its associated end and being retained in position with respect to the sleeve.

Preferably the or each insert comprises an end portion which at least partially closes off said end and a side portion at each side, which side portions in use are folded back so as to be disposed between the sleeve and the articles.

In one embodiment the retention of the or each insert is by virtue of an adhesive connection and in another said adhesive connection is between the two side portions and the sleeve. In another embodiment the retention of the or each insert is by virtue of formations provided on the insert engaging with formations provided on the sleeve.

A further preferred feature is that hook like formations are provided on the insert to engage openings formed in the sleeve. Conveniently the openings are constituted by apertures for receiving either the tops or bottoms of the articles or the openings are defined by gusset members extending between side panels of the sleeve and the top and/or base panels of the sleeve.

In certain arrangements each side portion also has a base portion hinged connected thereto, which base portion in use is held between the base of the sleeve and the bottom of an adjacent article. Also, the side portions of the insert may have cut-outs to cooperate with article receiving cut-outs formed in the sleeve.

Preferably the end portion of the insert, in use extends from either the top or the bottom of the sleeve and extends partway down or up the open end respectively.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an assembly according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a close up view of part of the figure 1 arrangement,

Figure 3 shows an insert as used in the figure 1 arrangement prior to folding,

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an alternative assembly according to the present invention,

Figure 5 shows an alternative insert suitable for use with the figure 4 arrangement,

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a further alternative assembly according to the present invention,

Figure 7 shows an insert suitable for the figure 6 arrangement prior to folding, and

Figure 8 is a side view of a packaging line for assembling the present arrangement.

In figures 1 to 3 there is shown an assembly 10 comprising a paperboard wrap 11 which encircles a plurality of articles such as cans 12, which in this arrangement are arranged in two rows of three cans. Other types of article such as bottles and aseptic bricks could be used with modifications, of course, to the wrap. Wraps of this type are well known and are formed from a paperboard blank which is folded about the cans 12 and has its ends secured together, often at the base, using adhesive or interlocking formations on the two base panels. Means are provided to prevent the cans 12 from moving out of the ends of the wrap 11. The means may be in the form of folded gusset panels 13 which may span the corners between the side panels 14 and the top panels 15 and/or base panels. Alternative means comprises apertures 16 in the panels for receiving the tops and/or bottoms of the cans. Other means are known.

In figures 1 and 2 there are gusset panels 13 at the top of the wrap 11, one at each upper corner of each open end. The wrap 11 also has apertures 16 in the side panels/base panels 14 for receiving and retaining the bottoms or heels of the cans 12. Before the wrap 11 is applied to the cans 12, an insert 20 is placed at each end of the group of cans 12. Each insert 20 has a central, end portion 21 and two laterally extending, oppositely disposed side portions 22. At the lowermost corners of the side portions 22 are provided hook-like formations 23, the free end 24 of each hook 23 extending generally towards the end portion 21.

In use the side portions 22 are folded around the sides of the adjacent cans 12 and the wrap 11 is then folded about the cans 12 with the side Dortions 22 of the inserts 20 being disposed between the cans 12 and the side panels 14 of the wrap 11. The insert 20 and the wrap 11 are designed such that the hook formations 23 are located in the can receiving apertures 16 of the side panels. Lengthwise movement of the inserts 20 so as to remove them from the assembly 10 results in the ends 24 of the hook formations 23 catching the apertures 16 as is clearly shown in figure 2. This engagement of course prevents withdrawal of the inserts 20.

With this assembly it will be seen that the end portion 21 of the insert 20 extends generally from the base of the wrap 11 to a position about halfway up the open end of the assembly 10. It will be appreciated however the insert could extend any chosen distance up the open end. The end portion 21 can carry additional advertising, promotional or competition information. Another function of the insert 20 is to operate as a bar code mask. Articles, such as cans, bottles, aseptic bricks etc, are normally produced with a bar code denoting the product as a single article. When such articles are incorporated into a multipack the barcode remains and it is important that the bar codes for the individual articles are not read by any bar code scanners, for example at a shop checkout. If the scanner picked up the bar code on the article itself then the multipack could be mis-priced. A further barcode for the multipack may be provided on the wrap itself and it is this barcode that should be scanned rather than the article barcode. The insert, therefore, can act as a barcode mask, masking the barcodes provided on the individual articles and thus preventing accidental scanning of the article barcode.

Figures 4 and 5 show an assembly similar in many respects to that shown in figures 1 to 3 and so like parts have been given the same reference numerals. Instead of providing hook formations on the side portions of the insert 30, the side portions of the insert 30 are plain and are attached to the side panels 14 of the wrap 11 using adhesive 31. It will be appreciated that this has the same effect as the hook formations in that removal of the insert 30 is prevented.

Figures 6 and 7 show a further alternative and again like parts have been given the same reference numerals. The insert 40 in this arrangement has rather longer side portions 41 which incorporate insert apertures 42 which, when assembled with the wrap 11 coincide with the can receiving apertures 16 in the side panels 14 of the wrap. The insert apertures 42 receive the bases of the cans 12 in the same way as the apertures 16. Hingedly connected to the side portions at the lower edge thereof are base portions 43 which are folded inwards so as to lie below the cans 12. When the wrap 11 is applied and secured, the cans 12 sit on the base portions 43 and, together with the combination of apertures 16 and insert apertures 42, prevent withdrawal of the insert.

It will be apparent that the inserts 20, 30, 40 could be adapted in many ways and could be provided at the top of the open ends rather than the bottom. They could also be retained at the top and bottom, with the end portions closing off all of the open ends or just selected portions. The end portions could also be shaped in any desired way rather than having the simple rectangular shape as shown. The side portions could follow the curves of the cans when being bent back relative to the end portion or distinct fold lines could be provided. Although hook formations have been shown, other engagement means are possible and the engagement could be with any suitable part of the wrap, not just the can receiving apertures 16, for example the gusset panels or parts of the base panels of the wrap 11.

In figure 8 there is shown a packaging line 50 suitable for producing packs incorporating the present invention. The line 50 shows articles in the form of bottles being arranged in two rows by star wheels 51. A separation section 52 accelerates the bottles slightly as they leave the star wheels thereby creating small gaps between the bottles. This enables an insert application device 53 to insert the inserts between the required sets of bottles depending on the size of the multipacks being produced. A line pressure section 54 follows in which the bottles are decelerated so as to close the gaps and at the same time tucker wheels (not shown) fold the rearmost side portions of the inserts forwards. The forward side portions are folded back automatically by engagement with static guides which also retain the folded forward rear side portions as the bottles move through. The bottles then move into a standard, unpitched wrap application section 55 comprising a magazine 56 for wrap blanks, a blank feeder 57, a side folding device 58 and a tightening and locking section 59.

It will be appreciated that the insert system described above can also be used on pitched wrap machines.

Claims

C AIMS

1. A paperboard assembly for retaining together a plurality of articles, said assembly comprising in combination a paperboard wrap in the form of a 5 sleeve encircling the articles and having generally open ends and a paperboard insert provided at either or both ends of the sleeve, the or each insert closing off at least a portion of its associated end and being 10 retained in position with respect to the sleeve.

2. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the or each insert comprises an end portion which at least partially closes off said

-_|5 end and a side portion at each side, which side portions in use are folded back so as to be disposed between the sleeve and the articles.

3. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 2 ø wherein, the retention of the or each insert is by virtue of an adhesive connection.

4. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said adhesive connection is between the 5 two side portions and the sleeve.

5. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein, the retention of the or each insert is by virtue of formations provided on the

30 insert engaging with formations provided on the sleeve .

6. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein, hook like formations are provided on

35 the insert to engage openings formed in the sleeve.

7. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein, the openings are constituted by apertures for receiving either the tops or bottoms of the articles.

8. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the openings are defined by gusset members extending between side panels of the sleeve and the top and/or base panels of the sleeve.

9. A paperboard assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein, the side portions of the insert may have cut-outs to cooperate with article receiving cut-outs formed in the sleeve.

10. A paperboard assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9 wherein each side portion also has a base portion hinged connected thereto, which base portion in use is held between the base of the sleeve and the bottom of an adjacent article.

11. A paperboard assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein, the end portion of the insert, in use extends from either the top or the bottom of the sleeve and extends partway down or up the open end respectively.