Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of flexible containers such as cartons in a unitized package.
Description of Prior Art
Conventional container carriers are often used to unitize a plurality of similarly sized containers, such as cans, bottles, jars and boxes and/or similar containers that require unitization. Flexible plastic ring carriers are one such conventional container carrier.
Flexible plastic ring carriers having a plurality of container receiving apertures that each engage a corresponding container may be used to unitize groups of four, six, eight, twelve or other suitable groups of containers into a convenient multipackage. Flexible ring carriers may include a handle that extend upwardly from the carrier to enable a consumer to carry the package.
Typically, flexible ring carriers are used to unitize a plurality of generally rigid containers, like cans or bottles. Flexible packaging, such as soft sided juice boxes and similar bags are generally placed into boxes or similar rigid containers. However, a need exists to unitize a plurality of such soft and/or flexible containers into a pleasing consumer package that openly displays the packages and minimizes packaging waste.
The present invention is directed to a flexible carrier for packaging flexible containers that includes an array of container receiving apertures arranged preferably in two rows of generally rectangular apertures. According to preferred embodiments of this invention, each container receiving aperture receives a container and engages the container under or along a sealed flap, to form a package. In addition, a handle is preferably connected, either along an edge or between the rows of container receiving apertures.
The resulting carrier is configured to permit each container receiving aperture to engage a respective carrier both with an encircling band and an edge of the band with the flap.
The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:
Containers 80, such as those shown in
Each flexible carrier 10 preferably includes one or more layers of a flexible sheet 20 having a width and length defining therein a plurality of container receiving apertures 25, each for receiving a container 80. The plurality of container receiving apertures 25 are preferably arranged in longitudinal rows and longitudinal ranks so as to form an array of container receiving apertures 25, such as two rows by two ranks for a four container multipackage as shown in
According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, such as shown in
According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, such as shown in
As shown in
As a result of the described configuration in one preferred embodiment of this invention, two layers of flexible sheet 20 joined with the longitudinally extending centerline 60 include a row of container receiving apertures 25 formed in each layer of the two layers of flexible sheet 20. One row of container receiving apertures 25 is formed on each side of centerline 60 resulting in flexible carrier 10 fanning out at centerline 60 to permit a generally flat plane of engagement within which containers 80 are inserted. Handle 50 preferably extends in a different plane from flexible sheet 20 in this configuration at application, as best shown in
The package 100 of flexible containers 80 shown in
According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, shown in
As shown in
While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that flexible carrier 10 and package 100 are susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,417, filed 18 Oct. 2012.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3829143 | Bird | Aug 1974 | A |
3913738 | Olsen | Oct 1975 | A |
4109787 | Klygis et al. | Aug 1978 | A |
5060999 | Marvin | Oct 1991 | A |
5098144 | Marvin | Mar 1992 | A |
5135104 | Jorba | Aug 1992 | A |
5441148 | Appleton | Aug 1995 | A |
5456350 | Olsen et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
5456351 | Johnson | Oct 1995 | A |
5518117 | Eriksen | May 1996 | A |
5593026 | Broskow | Jan 1997 | A |
5682996 | Le Bras | Nov 1997 | A |
5927502 | Hunter | Jul 1999 | A |
6068127 | Hunter | May 2000 | A |
6170652 | Olsen | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6183027 | Tsao | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6230880 | Marco et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6551639 | Nye et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
7237671 | Chambers et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
8313132 | Kuzma et al. | Nov 2012 | B2 |
8418844 | Slaters et al. | Apr 2013 | B2 |
20030209454 | Hunter | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20040011688 | Ishikawa | Jan 2004 | A1 |
20040045854 | Bergerioux et al. | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20040134799 | Mattson et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20060157376 | Hortel | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060289315 | Olsen | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20080203204 | Olsen | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20080230405 | Olsen | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20090101662 | Marco et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
20090230083 | Metcalfe et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2 301 858 | Mar 2011 | EP |
2 791 958 | Oct 2000 | FR |
2475622 | May 2011 | GB |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140110294 A1 | Apr 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61715417 | Oct 2012 | US |