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
  • B65D71/46—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 a single blank into a tubular element

Definitions

• This invention relates to a carton of the type in which one or more articles are held in complementary article receiving apertures provided in a main panel disposed normally perpendicular to the main axes of the articles.
• the invention is particularly suitable for use with frusto-conical cups, and other articles such as trays that taper along their vertical axis and/or have enlarged lip portions.
• panels for flanking body portions of the packaged articles include positioning tabs which extend into the article receiving aperture(s) so that during loading and formation of the package, the article(s) is/are urged against the positioning tabs which thereby automatically cause their associated flanking panels to be pivoted into the required article flanking position.
• US 4 706 814 to The Mead Corporation discloses a multipack carton in which a plurality of articles are held in a complementary set of apertures provides in a main panel in which panels flanking the articles are automatically pivoted during loading due to the provision of tabs integral with the flanking panels that extend into the apertures.
• the present invention and its preferred embodiments seek to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
• a carton in which a plurality of articles are held in a complementary aperture or set of apertures provided in a main panel of the carton so that portions of the or each article is exposed to view while other portions are enclosed by outer panels of the carton, an opposed pair of end panels provided for flanking body portions of the or each packaged article include positioning tabs which extend into the or each article receiving aperture so that during loading and formation of the package the articles are urged against the positioning tabs which automatically cause the flanking panels to be pivoted into and held in the article flanking position.
• a carton for at least one article comprising a main panel having an aperture for receiving and retaining this or each article, side wall panels foldably joined to opposing side edges of said main panel, end panel retaining means joined to said main wall panel and folded into overlapping relationship, each of said end panel retaining means having at least one integral positioning tab extending into and interrupting the area defined by the adjacent article receiving aperture, the positioning tab being effective to induce pivoting of its associated end panel retaining means about the hinged connection thereof with the main panel when an article is inserted into said adjacent article receiving aperture.
• the positioning tab is sized and disposed such that when the article is inserted into the article receiving aperture, force is exerted by the article against the positioning tab thereby to urge the associated end panel retaining means against a body portion of the article.
• each of the side panels has at least one flanking tab extending into and interrupting the area defined by an adjacent article receiving aperture.
• the positioning tabs include portions which are in locking engagement with the or each endmost article in the carton.
• the end panels may include an upper edge for engagement with an article in the receiving aperture.
• the second aspect of the invention there further comprises a second wall panel having an article-engaging upper edge and an engaging tab that extends into the aperture when the carton is in blank form, wherein the first and second wall panels are hingedly connected to a pair of opposed edges of the main panel respectively.
• the opposed edges are the end edges of the main panel and wherein the opposed side edges of the main panel are available to connect other structures for the carton or its blank.
• each end panel is connected to the main panel along a curved fold line.
• the or each end panel is connected to the main panel by a pair of divergent fold lines.
• a blank for forming a carton comprising a main panel having at least one article receiving aperture, a pair of flanking panels hinged to two opposed edges of said main panel, each of said pair of flanking panels being disposed adjacent the or each article receiving apertures and having an integral positioning tab extending into and interrupting the area defined by said adjacent article receiving aperture.
• FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank for use in forming a carton according to one embodiment of the invention
• FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of a partially completed carton formed from the blank of Figure 1 during loading;
• FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a partially completed carton formed from the blank of Figure 1 during loading;
• FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the completed and loaded carton formed from the blank of Figure 1;
• FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a blank for use in forming a carton according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a partially completed carton formed from the blank of Figure 5 prior to loading;
• FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a partially completed carton formed from the blank of Figure 5 during loading
• FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the completed and loaded carton formed from the blank of Figure 5;
• FIGURE 9 is a perspective view from another angle of the completed and loaded carton of Figure 8.
• FIGURE 10 is a plan view of a blank for forming a carton according to a third embodiment.
• FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a completed and loaded carton formed from a blank shown in Figure 10.
• an elongate blank 10 is provided, which is formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material.
• a plurality of panels for forming a carton for example a top gripping type, so that there comprises a top, a base and opposed sides hingedly connected together.
• a securing flap 24 hingedly connected to second side wall 22 along fold line 40.
• Flanking structures 18a, 18b are, in this embodiment, subdivided into integral positioning tabs 48a, 48b that protrude into a central aperture 49, defined by base wall panels 16, 20 and the structures 18a, 18b, and flanking panels 46a, 46b that extend outwardly of the blank 10.
• cushioning tabs 26 and 28 are preferably hingedly connected to first and second base wall panels 16, 18 along fold lines 42, 44 respectively and which also protrude into aperture 49.
• the carton of the present invention can be formed by a series of sequential folding operations in a straight line machine so that the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction.
• the folding process is not limited to that described below and may be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.
• FIG 2 there is shown an exploded perspective view of the partially erected carton and article A, which in this embodiment is a tray of the type that may be used for "ready meals", pre-packed salads and the like.
• the carton is loaded by relative vertical movement between article A, and blank 10 whilst the base of the article is aligned with aperture 49.
• the base of the article A is lowered and begins to enter the apertures and peripheral portions of the article base strike against the positioning tabs 46a, 46b.
• end flanking panels 46a, 46b are caused to pivot upwardly, relative to base panels 16, 20, about fold lines 34a, 36a, 34b, 36b respectively, by virtue of the downward displacement of the positioning tabs 48a, 48b by the article A.
• Cushioning tabs 26, 28 are simultaneously caused to fold downwardly about fold lines 42, 44 respectively.
• top wall panel 12 and securing flap 24 are preferably secured together using glue or other suitable means known in the art to form the completed article as shown in Figure 4.
• an elongate blank 110 formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material comprises a plurality of panels forming a top, a base and opposed sides.
• a top wall panel 112 a first side wall panel 114, a base comprising a first base wall panel 116 and a second base wall panel 120, a second side wall panel 122 and a securing flap 124 hingedly interconnected fold lines 130, 132, 141, 138 and 140 respectively.
• a pair of flanking structures 118a, 118b are hingedly connected to the opposed longitudinal edges of the base wall panels along interrupted fold lines 134a, 136a; 134b, 136b.
• a plurality of article receiving apertures 149 are struck from the base wall panels 116, 120 and are arranged in two rows of three apertures each, although other arrangements e.g. 2x2 are envisaged.
• a pair of positioning tabs 148a and 148c which together with flanking panel 146a, integrally form flanking structure 118a and extend from the interrupted fold lines 134a and 136a into the space defined by the adjacent apertures 149, so that each aperture is partially obscured by a respective one of the positioning tabs.
• Fold lines 134a, 136a and 134b, 136b are, preferably, mutually divergent from fold line 144 and intersect where fold lines 132 and 138 respectively terminate.
• a similar arrangement is provided with respect to flanking structure 118b.
• each retention structure is substantially identical, and therefore only structure 150a is described in further detail. It will be seen from Figure 5 that structure 150a comprises a protruding portion of top wall panel 112 arranged so as to interrupt fold line 130 and being defined by curved cut line 152.
• the structure further comprises a pair of spaced parallel cut lines 154 and 156 which are, in this embodiment, arranged substantially perpendicular to fold line 130, and extend from curved cut line 52 and terminate part way down side wall panel 14.
• the cut lines 54 and 56 thereby define a tab.
• the blank 110 is applied to a group of articles A, which in this embodiment are frusto-conical plastics articles for holding yoghurt and the like so that the blank is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction, as in the first embodiment.
• the blank 110 and articles A are brought together by relative vertical movement therebetween such that articles A are in register with apertures 149 as shown in Figure 6 like the first embodiment.
• end flanking panels 146a and 146b are caused to pivot upwardly, relative to base wall panels 116, 120 about interrupted fold lines 134a, 136a and 134b, 136b, respectively, by virtue of the downward displacement of the positioning tabs by the articles.
• FIG. 7 This partially loaded condition of the package is shown by Figure 7.
• the folding process continues so that the articles progressively are more fully inserted into the apertures 149 and the flariking panels are folded upwardly, relative to base wall panels 116, 120 about fold lines 134a, 136a; 134b, 136b to bring the flanking panels into a substantially upright flanking relationship with respect to the side walls of the articles.
• flanking panels 118a, 118b simultaneously causes an inward bowing action thereof, as well as causing the base wall panels 116, 120 to be folded upwardly out of their mutually co-planar relationship about fold line 144.
• One advantage of this arrangement is that articles A may be held more tightly within apertures 149.
• the folding process is then completed by causing side wall panels 114, 122 to be folded upwardly about fold lines 132 and 138, and top wall panel 112 and glue flap 124 to be folded inwardly and downwardly about fold lines 130 and 140 respectively, shown in Figures 7 and 8.
• the top wall panel 112 and securing flap 124 are thereby brought into overlapping relationship whereupon they are secured together by glue or other means known in the art.
• This causes the top flanges of the articles to be secured by the retention structures 150a - 150f, as is known in the art.
• the carton is now fully set up and loaded as shown in Figures 8 and 9, in which there is shown a carton with complementary apertures 149 provided in a main panel 116/120.
• each article is urged against the positioning tab 148 which causes the end panels to be pivoted.
• FIG. 10 and 11 A third embodiment is shown in Figures 10 and 11 in which there is provided a blank similar to the second embodiment. Therefore, like references have been used, but replacing the prefix ' 1 ' with the prefix '2' and only the differences will be described in any greater detail.
• Figure 10 a blank for forming a top loading carton including a pair of upper and lower apertured support panels 223, 216, 220 and a cover panel 227 disposed over the articles to prevent upward dislodging movement of the articles.
• the cover panel 227 is hingedly connected to side wall panel 214 along fold line 230.
• the outer side wall panel 229 is secured to inner side wall panel 222 in face contacting arrangement.
• cover panel 227 is provided with opposed tear lines to form a tear strip so that in use, the tear strip is removed to reveal the articles.
• a plurality of apertures 257 are struck from intermediate panel 223 in corresponding position to apertures 249, so that in use apertures 249 and 257 are aligned vertically.
• the apertures 257 may be shaped to conform to the shape of the article.
• a second inner side wall panel 224 is hingedly connected to intermediate panel 223 along fold line 241.
• inner side wall panel is placed in face contacting arrangement with outer side wall panel 214.
• the carton is formed from the blank of Figure 10 in like manner to the second embodiment, and the cover and intermediate panels 227, 223 are constructed at the same time; whereby intermediate panel 223 is folded out of alignment with side wall panel 222 along fold line 240 and inner side wall is folded along fold line 241 to be brought into face contacting relationship with side wall panel 214.
• the articles are loaded into the part formed carton so that they are inserted into the apertures in the intermediate and base panels 223, 216/222.
• the end panel structure is formed in like manner to the second embodiment.
• the cushioning tabs 251 are also forced out of alignment to engage an article contained in the aperture 249.
• cover panel 227 is formed by folding inwardly along fold line 230 and outer side wall panel 229 is folded along fold line 225.
• the outer side wall panel 229 is placed in face contacting arrangement with inner side wall panel 222 to be secured thereto by glue or other means known in the art.
• the carton is in a set up and loaded condition as shown in Figure 11.
• hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.
• the size and shape of the panel may be altered according to the specific requirements of the articles to be packaged, as may the number and arrangement of the receiving apertures.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
• Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Closing Of Containers (AREA)
• Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9911926

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (16)

Cited By (15)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2001
  • 2001-03-30 GB GBGB0108020.9A patent/GB0108020D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2002
  • 2002-03-28 AU AU2002247436A patent/AU2002247436C1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-03-28 CN CNB028077709A patent/CN100352745C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-03-28 PT PT02715225T patent/PT1373089E/pt unknown
  • 2002-03-28 PL PL02363739A patent/PL363739A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-03-28 WO PCT/US2002/009609 patent/WO2002079048A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-03-28 ES ES02715225T patent/ES2268001T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-03-28 JP JP2002577279A patent/JP4237498B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-03-28 DK DK02715225T patent/DK1373089T3/da active
  • 2002-03-28 AT AT02715225T patent/ATE330866T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-03-28 HU HU0303648A patent/HUP0303648A3/hu unknown
  • 2002-03-28 DE DE60212595T patent/DE60212595T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-03-28 MX MXPA03008840A patent/MXPA03008840A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-03-28 EP EP02715225A patent/EP1373089B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2003
  • 2003-09-30 NO NO20034380A patent/NO20034380L/no not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-30 FI FI20031413A patent/FI20031413A/fi unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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