WO1998028201A1 - Packaging element for a plurality of articles in line - Google Patents

Packaging element for a plurality of articles in line Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1998028201A1
WO1998028201A1 PCT/US1997/024244 US9724244W WO9828201A1 WO 1998028201 A1 WO1998028201 A1 WO 1998028201A1 US 9724244 W US9724244 W US 9724244W WO 9828201 A1 WO9828201 A1 WO 9828201A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sleeve
dependent
articles
slots
sleeves
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1997/024244
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Colin Arthur Butler
Original Assignee
S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. filed Critical S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
Priority to AU58122/98A priority Critical patent/AU5812298A/en
Publication of WO1998028201A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998028201A1/en

Links

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
    • 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
    • B65D71/40—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 comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks
    • B65D71/403—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 comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed by folding a blank or several blanks formed by folding several blanks

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to improvements in the packaging of a plurality of individual articles.
  • a packaging sleeve having a body and two edges and suitable for placing around articles to hold a plurality of articles in line wherein the sleeve is provided with a pair of slots on one edge of the body, the spacing between the slots being such that when one sleeve is inverted and placed over the other sleeve the two sleeves can be engaged by the slots so as to define three compartments within the combination of two sleeves.
  • a package comprising at least three articles held in alignment by at least two sleeves, each sleeve extending around two articles, and two sleeves extending around a central one of a group of three articles, two sleeves being held together by the mutual interaction of a pair of slots in each sleeve.
  • a carton blank for forming a sleeve suitable for use in packaging a plurality of articles in alignment comprises an elongated body having a top and a bottom edge, said blank being of material which is sufficiently flexible along its length to bend to form a sleeve but sufficiently stiff across its width to resist bending across the width, said elongated body being divided into two outer and one inner portion by two fold lines extending across its width, and said inner portion having a pair of slots in said top edge, each slot being closer to a fold line than to the other slot.
  • the articles to which the packaging is applied are conveniently articles having a cylindrical portion to be engaged by the sleeve.
  • the articles may be aerosol dispensers comprising a cylindrical canister.
  • the length of the edge of the sleeve is at least twice the depth of the sleeve. It is often desirable to minimize the extent to which the sleeve covers the articles packaged together. If for example three items are being offered for the price of one, it is desirable for the three articles to be clearly visible. It is in circumstances in which the area of the packaging in contact with the articles is minimized that the advantages of the invention are most apparent.
  • the length of the edge of the sleeve is preferably not more than three times the depth of the sleeve in order to provide sufficient surface area for good frictional engagement.
  • the plurality of articles to be packaged together will be of the same size so that the three compartments formed from the two sleeves are of broadly similar sizes and the spacing between the slots will be selected accordingly. It is possible to provide packaging for groups of articles in which a central article is either larger or smaller than two articles on either side and the spacing between the slots can be increased or decreased accordingly.
  • the sleeve is used to package cylindrical articles of the same diameter the preferred range of sleeve sizes correspond to those required to receive articles having diameters in the range 25 mm to 75 mm, e.g. about 50 mm.
  • the slots may for example be straight sided slots or may be V-shaped. It is preferred for a pair of sleeves to form a packaging unit of substantially constant depth, The slots thus preferably extend across substantially half the depth of the sleeve.
  • a second packaging unit comprising two sleeves can be disposed over two of a group of three articles held in line by a first packaging unit comprising a pair of sleeves and a fourth article can be inserted in the vacant compartment in the second packaging unit.
  • the sleeve is preferably provided with fold lines extending across its depth and dividing the sleeve into two portions of equal length so that the sleeve may be folded substantially flat for storage.
  • Figure 1 is a plan view of a carton blank for making a sleeve in accordance with the invention
  • Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sleeve according to the invention
  • FIG 3 is a perspective view of a second sleeve according to the invention, inverted preparatory to installation on the sleeve shown in Figure 2,
  • Figure 4 is a perspective view of a packaging unit formed from the combination of two sleeves as shown in Figure 2, before insertion of three cylindrical articles within the unit. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention
  • the blank shown in Figure 1 comprises a body (1) formed from light card which is divided into three panels (2), (3) and (4) by two fold lines (5) and (6).
  • Two V shaped slots (7) and (8) extend substantially halfway across the width of the body. The spacing between the centres of the slots is about one third of the combined length of panels (2), (3), and (4).
  • Attached to panel (4) is a tab (9) by which panel (4) may be secured, using adhesive, to panel (2). Although a line (10) is shown separating the tab (9)and panel (4) there need not be a fold line at this point.
  • Figure 2 shows the sleeve which results from bending the blank so that the tab(9) and the panel (2) come into contact and adhering the tab and the panel together.
  • the formation of the sleeve is facilitated by the two fold lines (5)and (6).
  • the material of the carton blank is sufficiently stiff to take a fold and to allow the sleeve to hold a cylindrical shape but is sufficiently flexible to allow the blank to be bent to form the sleeve.
  • the two fold lines allow the sleeve to be stored in a flat state, with the two fold lines forming the outer ends of the flat sleeve. This is convenient for storage, but the sleeve can readily be opened for use by pressing on the fold lines.
  • Figure 3 shows a sleeve corresponding to that shown in Figure 2 but in the inverted position. If the sleeves of Figure 2 and of Figure 3 are rotated to bring the slots into alignment, one sleeve can be engaged with the other sleeve by means of the slots. The sleeves are sufficiently rigid to hold each other in alignment be means of the slots.
  • Figure 4 shows the packaging unit formed by the mutual engagement of two sleeves.
  • the packaging unit comprises three compartments, into which three cylindrical articles can be inserted..
  • the surface area of sleeve in contact with each article is maximized by comparison with the case where a single sleeve of the same width is used.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)

Abstract

A packaging sleeve is disclosed having a body and two edges and is suitable for placing around articles to hold a plurality of articles in line. The sleeve is provided with a pair of slots on one edge of the body, the spacing between the slots being such that when one sleeve is inverted and placed over the other sleeve, the two sleeves can be engaged by the slots so as to define three compartments within the combination of two sleeves.

Description

PACKAGING ELEMENT FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES IN LINE
Technical Field
The present invention relates to improvements in the packaging of a plurality of individual articles.
Background Art
It is sometimes desirable to group several individual articles together so that they can be handled as a unit without destroying the visual identity of the individual articles. The need to group articles together arises, for example, in the retail trade when it desired to offer several individual articles for the price of a lesser number of articles. For such purposes the packaging should be as low in cost as possible while still holding the articles firmly. These articles are frequently generally cylindrical in shape, e.g. aerosol dispensers. Where two articles are offered for the price of one article it is possible to provide a flexible sleeve which is sized such that the two articles are a close fit in the sleeve and are held within the sleeve by frictional engagement between the sleeve and the articles. When three articles need to be grouped together then if the articles are in line the central article will make only tangential contact with the sleeve. If the articles are grouped as a triangle then the proportion of the sleeve in contact with each article will be relatively small compared with a sleeve around only two articles. This may result in articles being held less securely within the sleeve.
It is possible to hold three or more articles in line by using a sleeve which fits around all the articles and is sufficiently rigid to retain its own shape and to hold the articles in the desired alignment. However, the use of a rigid sleeve will require either a relatively expensive material such as metal or a relatively thick material such as corrugated cardboard. The use of such materials will increase the cost of the package, its bulk, or both. The use of such rigid packaging will also increase the storage space required for the packaging before it is applied to the articles. It would be desirable to be able to hold a plurality of articles in line using packaging formed from relatively thin, flexible, low cost material, for example thin fibreboard, while minimizing the risk that articles will not be securely held within the packaging.
Disclosure of Invention
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a packaging sleeve having a body and two edges and suitable for placing around articles to hold a plurality of articles in line wherein the sleeve is provided with a pair of slots on one edge of the body, the spacing between the slots being such that when one sleeve is inverted and placed over the other sleeve the two sleeves can be engaged by the slots so as to define three compartments within the combination of two sleeves.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a package comprising at least three articles held in alignment by at least two sleeves, each sleeve extending around two articles, and two sleeves extending around a central one of a group of three articles, two sleeves being held together by the mutual interaction of a pair of slots in each sleeve.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a carton blank for forming a sleeve suitable for use in packaging a plurality of articles in alignment comprises an elongated body having a top and a bottom edge, said blank being of material which is sufficiently flexible along its length to bend to form a sleeve but sufficiently stiff across its width to resist bending across the width, said elongated body being divided into two outer and one inner portion by two fold lines extending across its width, and said inner portion having a pair of slots in said top edge, each slot being closer to a fold line than to the other slot.
In this specification when reference is made to the length of a blank this is measured in a direction corresponding to the top and bottom edges of the sleeve. References to width or depth are to be considered as the distance between top and bottom edges of the blank or top and bottom edges of the sleeve.
The articles to which the packaging is applied are conveniently articles having a cylindrical portion to be engaged by the sleeve. Thus the articles may be aerosol dispensers comprising a cylindrical canister.
It is possible to make rigid sleeves preformed to the shape of the articles to be packaged and provided with the required slots to enable them to be joined together. However, it is preferred to make the sleeves sufficiently flexible that the sleeve can be pressed flat for storage, although the material of the sleeves will be sufficiently stiff for sleeves to be held together by engagement of the slots. Light card is a particularly suitable material.
Preferably the length of the edge of the sleeve is at least twice the depth of the sleeve. It is often desirable to minimize the extent to which the sleeve covers the articles packaged together. If for example three items are being offered for the price of one, it is desirable for the three articles to be clearly visible. It is in circumstances in which the area of the packaging in contact with the articles is minimized that the advantages of the invention are most apparent. However, the length of the edge of the sleeve is preferably not more than three times the depth of the sleeve in order to provide sufficient surface area for good frictional engagement.
In general the plurality of articles to be packaged together will be of the same size so that the three compartments formed from the two sleeves are of broadly similar sizes and the spacing between the slots will be selected accordingly. It is possible to provide packaging for groups of articles in which a central article is either larger or smaller than two articles on either side and the spacing between the slots can be increased or decreased accordingly. Where the sleeve is used to package cylindrical articles of the same diameter the preferred range of sleeve sizes correspond to those required to receive articles having diameters in the range 25 mm to 75 mm, e.g. about 50 mm.
The slots may for example be straight sided slots or may be V-shaped. It is preferred for a pair of sleeves to form a packaging unit of substantially constant depth, The slots thus preferably extend across substantially half the depth of the sleeve.
Where more than three articles are to be held together in line then a second packaging unit comprising two sleeves can be disposed over two of a group of three articles held in line by a first packaging unit comprising a pair of sleeves and a fourth article can be inserted in the vacant compartment in the second packaging unit.
In the case of the preferred flexible sleeves the sleeve is preferably provided with fold lines extending across its depth and dividing the sleeve into two portions of equal length so that the sleeve may be folded substantially flat for storage.
Brief Description of Drawings
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of a carton blank for making a sleeve in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sleeve according to the invention,
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second sleeve according to the invention, inverted preparatory to installation on the sleeve shown in Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a packaging unit formed from the combination of two sleeves as shown in Figure 2, before insertion of three cylindrical articles within the unit. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention
The blank shown in Figure 1 comprises a body (1) formed from light card which is divided into three panels (2), (3) and (4) by two fold lines (5) and (6). Two V shaped slots (7) and (8) extend substantially halfway across the width of the body. The spacing between the centres of the slots is about one third of the combined length of panels (2), (3), and (4).
Attached to panel (4) is a tab (9) by which panel (4) may be secured, using adhesive, to panel (2). Although a line (10) is shown separating the tab (9)and panel (4) there need not be a fold line at this point.
Figure 2 shows the sleeve which results from bending the blank so that the tab(9) and the panel (2) come into contact and adhering the tab and the panel together. The formation of the sleeve is facilitated by the two fold lines (5)and (6).
The material of the carton blank is sufficiently stiff to take a fold and to allow the sleeve to hold a cylindrical shape but is sufficiently flexible to allow the blank to be bent to form the sleeve. The two fold lines allow the sleeve to be stored in a flat state, with the two fold lines forming the outer ends of the flat sleeve. This is convenient for storage, but the sleeve can readily be opened for use by pressing on the fold lines.
Figure 3 shows a sleeve corresponding to that shown in Figure 2 but in the inverted position. If the sleeves of Figure 2 and of Figure 3 are rotated to bring the slots into alignment, one sleeve can be engaged with the other sleeve by means of the slots. The sleeves are sufficiently rigid to hold each other in alignment be means of the slots.
Figure 4 shows the packaging unit formed by the mutual engagement of two sleeves. The packaging unit comprises three compartments, into which three cylindrical articles can be inserted.. The surface area of sleeve in contact with each article is maximized by comparison with the case where a single sleeve of the same width is used.

Claims

Claims:
1. A packaging sleeve having a body and two edges and suitable for placing around articles to hold a plurality of articles in line wherein the sleeve is provided with a pair of slots on one edge of the body, the spacing between the slots being such that when one sleeve is inverted and placed over the other sleeve the two sleeves can be engaged by the slots so as to define three compartments within the combination of two sleeves.
2. A packaging unit formed from two sleeves according to claim 1 wherein one sleeve is inverted and placed over the other so that the slots engage to provide three compartments for receiving articles.
3. A package which comprises at least three articles held in alignment by at least two sleeves, each sleeve extending around two articles, and two sleeves extending around a central one of a group of three articles, said two sleeves being held together by the mutual interaction of a pair of slots in each sleeve.
4. A carton blank for forming a sleeve suitable for use in packaging a plurality of articles in alignment which comprises an elongated body having atop and a bottom edge, said blank being of material which is sufficiently flexible along its length to bend to form a sleeve but sufficiently stiff across its width to resist bending across the width , said elongated body being divided into two outer and one inner portion by two fold lines extending across its width, and said inner portion having a pair of slots in said top edge, each slot being closer to a fold line than to the other slot.
5. A package according to claim 3 wherein the articles have a cylindrical portion to be engaged by the sleeve.
6. A sleeve according to claim 1, a packaging unit according to claim 2 and a package according to claim 3 wherein the sleeve is formed from material which is sufficiently flexible that the sleeve can be pressed flat for storage but sufficiently stiff for the sleeves to be held together by engagement of the slots.
7. A sleeve according to claim 1 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 1, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 2 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 2, a package according to claim 3 and one of the claims dependent on claim 3, or a carton blank according to claim 4 wherein the length of the edge of the sleeve is at least twice the depth of the sleeve.
8. A sleeve according to claim 1 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 1, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 2 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 2, a package according to claim 3 and one of the claims dependent on claim 3, or a carton blank according to claim 4 and any claims dependent on claim 4 wherein the length of the edge of the sleeve is not more than three times the depth of the sleeve.
9. A sleeve according to claim 1 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 1, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 2 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 2, a package according to claim 3 and one of the claims dependent on claim 3, or a carton blank according to claim 4 and any claims dependent on claim 4 wherein the spacing of the slots is such that two sleeves can be linked by their slots to form three compartments to receive three articles of the same size.
10. A sleeve according to claim 9, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 9, or a package according to claim 9, or a carton blank according to claim 9 wherein the article to be received in the sleeve has a diameter in the range 25 to 75mm.
11. A sleeve according to claim 1 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 1, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 2 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 2, a package according to claim 3 and one of the claims dependent on claim 3, or a carton blank according to claim 4 and any claims dependent on claim 4 wherein the slots extend substantially across half the depth of the sleeve.
12. A sleeve according to claim 1 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 1, a packaging unit as claimed in claim 2 and any one of the claims dependent on claim 2, or a package according to claim 3 and one of the claims dependent on claim 3 wherein the sleeve is provided with fold lines extending across its depth and dividing the sleeve into two portions of equal length.
PCT/US1997/024244 1996-12-20 1997-12-19 Packaging element for a plurality of articles in line WO1998028201A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU58122/98A AU5812298A (en) 1996-12-20 1997-12-19 Packaging element for a plurality of articles in line

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9626467.6 1996-12-20
GBGB9626467.6A GB9626467D0 (en) 1996-12-20 1996-12-20 Improvements in packaging

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998028201A1 true WO1998028201A1 (en) 1998-07-02

Family

ID=10804742

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/024244 WO1998028201A1 (en) 1996-12-20 1997-12-19 Packaging element for a plurality of articles in line

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU5812298A (en)
GB (1) GB9626467D0 (en)
WO (1) WO1998028201A1 (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3365112A (en) * 1966-06-30 1968-01-23 Mead Corp Compartmented container formed from blanks
CH524517A (en) * 1970-07-21 1972-06-30 Hoechst Ag PVC or polythene carrier - for bottles or cans
US4555017A (en) * 1983-09-14 1985-11-26 Fiberglas Canada Inc. Bales of bagged batts

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3365112A (en) * 1966-06-30 1968-01-23 Mead Corp Compartmented container formed from blanks
CH524517A (en) * 1970-07-21 1972-06-30 Hoechst Ag PVC or polythene carrier - for bottles or cans
US4555017A (en) * 1983-09-14 1985-11-26 Fiberglas Canada Inc. Bales of bagged batts

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5812298A (en) 1998-07-17
GB9626467D0 (en) 1997-02-05

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