Patent Application
20250153913
The field of the disclosure is that of the minimal packaging can multipack systems.
More precisely, the disclosure concerns the improvement of a packaging can multipack system.
The can multipack format is a common way to collect and sell cans in a convenient format in many markets.
The current standard for assembling cans in a multi-pack format uses either a PET/PVC plastic shrink sleeve or a paper/cardboard sleeve substrate as shown in [
Although plastic packaging can have many benefits, including durability, lightness and versatility, plastics also come at a cost to the environment and are very energy intensive to produce. There is a wide range of problems with plastic which are caused by mishandling, among other things. Plastic waste can last for centuries and the associated chemicals pollute the environment.
In addition to meeting strict sustainability commitments, several major retailers have pledged to reduce the amount of plastic in the supply chain by 50% by 2025. While some retailers have confirmed no plastic not recyclable in their field beyond 2023.
Some manufacturers have developed plastic sleeves for multipack systems, in particular with the aim of reducing, only in part, the use of plastic. These plastic sleeves and associated packs cannot be recycled together, creating a problem for consumers, and a requirement for separation into two recycling streams. Another negative aspect is the fact that the plastic sleeve is difficult to open and often requires a sharp object.
It has been imagined adhesive tapes allowing to maintain the different cans integral with each other, as illustrated in the patent application JP200483075A. Nevertheless, with such a system, the laminated band must be peeled off the can because they cannot be recycled together as one piece. Indeed, in this case, it is necessary to separate the can and the laminated band into two streams separate recycling.
Many suppliers and retailers are switching to cardboard to reduce the amount of plastic in the supply chain. Cardboard is perceived as more durable than plastic, but in reality, it is not a long-term sustainable solution to the problem because cardboard has several negative impacts on the environment. In particular, the main environmental impacts of cardboard are deforestation, its high-water intensity of the production process and the emission of methane during disposal. Cardboard can only be partially recycled because it is made up of fibers and they get weaker each time they are recycled. Unfortunately, paper can be recycled up to 5-6 times, but after that, recycled paper can no longer be used in the manufacture of standard cardboard.
In the same way, cardboard sleeves were imagined. The cardboard sleeve offers a lower environmental impact compared to the plastic sleeve. However, the cardboard sleeve is not as durable in handling and transport and therefore the cans usually fall during transport during the buyer's journey. Retailers are also experiencing higher levels of shelf spoilage due to the lack of strength of the cardboard solution to hold the cans together.
Additionally, once a box is removed from a cardboard or plastic sleeve, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,458B2, the remaining boxes become unstable, with no rigid outer shell to support the multipack. Also, once the first box has been removed, the sleeve is thrown away, because it no longer has a function and is considered superfluous, excess packaging.
Packaging is also known which facilitates the separation of a product from its pack. Patent KR102324128B1 describes laminated band paper for packaging grouped products with perforated lines for easy separation, allowing each product to be separated into individual units. The applicant has also imagined, for heavier products, the use of backing paper on the laminated band to increase holding strength, but may obstruct the separation of the individual unit.
Similarly, the patent JP4498556B2 describes a laminated band with cutting line and notch for individual pack separation. Nevertheless, this laminated band is not strong enough to bind together heavy weight metallic cans in one stack that can withstand transit.
The disclosure aims to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art, and to propose an improvement of a minimal packaging can multipack system, offering the possibility of recycling all the elements of the system.
Another object of the disclosure is to provide a packaging can multipack system in which each can having the capability of being easily twisted off the multipack, and once one or a plurality of cans is removed, the unused cans remain neatly stacked together, can still be moved and transported easily, and can withstand transit throwing into trolleys/shopping bags.
Another object of the disclosure is to provide a packaging can multipack system which has the ability to bind together heavy weight cans.
For this purpose, the disclosure proposes an aluminum band for covering or wrapping at least partially a stack of substantially identical cans, said aluminum band being a composite strip comprising separation means intended to be positioned on the contact areas of two adjacent cans of said stack.
According to the disclosure, said separation means are torsion cutting means comprising at least two lines of notches separated from another by a separation portion intended to cover said contact area, and two lateral sides having a shape similar to V, U or alike, and in that said laminated tape comprises an inner adhesive layer and an outer metal layer of aluminum or aluminum alloy foil.
By aluminum band, it is meant in the sense of the present application a composite in the form of a tape comprising an outer layer of aluminum.
In the present description, the wording “for covering partially” means that the aluminum band covers at least part of the surface of the pack of cans, and the wording “for wrapping partially” means that the aluminum band surrounds the whole pack, so as to tighten and hold the cans against each other.
Such lines of notches and lateral sides make it easy to detach one of the cans from the rest of the multipack, while the rest of the stack of cans remain neatly banded together. The lateral sides of the portion of separation, with V-shape or U-shape or alike, permit to reduce the rotational force and assist with the easy separation of the cans through the rotation action.
Thus, single or multiple cans can be separated and leave the remaining cans intact together for neat organization. The double lines of notches that have been cut into the aluminum band at the point where the cans meet allow the multipack system to bind heavy metal cans together.
Moreover, the aluminum composition of the band offers the possibility of recycling the entire can and band in the same recycling cycle.
According to a possible variant, said inner adhesive layer of the aluminum band is chosen among polymers, metals and paper.
According to a possible variant, said inner adhesive layer of the aluminum band is polyethylene, preferably polyethylene with low-density.
According to a possible variant, wherein the aluminum band comprises a 2 or 3 dimensional deep embossing tack label.
According to a possible variant, wherein said tack label comprises QR codes or EAN barcodes.
The disclosure also proposes a packaging can multipack system comprising an arrangement of cans and a least one aluminum band covering or wrapping at least partially said arrangement of cans.
According to a possible variant, said packaging can multipack system comprises one single aluminum band wrapping around all cans together being arranged either in a vertical or a horizontal stack.
According to a possible variant, said packaging can multipack system comprises a plurality of aluminum bands applied on either side of the stack of cans.
According to a possible variant, said packaging can multipack system comprises two aluminum bands applied on two opposite sides of a vertical stack of cans.
The disclosure also proposes a method for manufacturing a packaging can multipack system according to one of claims 6 to 8, including the following steps:
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will appear upon reading the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:
In the present description, the multipack system is intended to assemble a plurality of cans, that is to say at least two cans, by one or more aluminum bands. Cans are especially cans for transportation, storage and display of goods.
The cans can be arranged in different ways. They can be stacked, so as to form vertical stack in which the cans are superposed with respect to each other, as shown in
The multipack 3 also includes two lengthwise aluminum bands 1 which makes it possible to link all the cans together. It should be noted that only one aluminum band is visible, but that this embodiment preferably comprises two identical aluminum bands. The second aluminum band, not visible, is positioned at the level of the opposite face to the face of the can where the other aluminum band 1 is applied. The aluminum band 1 is a composition strip which comprises separation means 11. These separation means 11 are intended to be positioned on the contact areas of two adjacent cans 2. In the
The cans 2 also can be positioned in adjacent arrangements, or horizontal stack, as shown in
The packaging system accommodates a variety of can structures and weights, including, but not limited to, rounded can of varying diameter and height and cubic can of varying dimensions.
The cans can be metal cans, plastic cans or a combination of these.
According to a first embodiment, the aluminum band is in the form of a longitudinal strip, as shown in
In
In
Such dimensions can be adapted to the dimensions of barcodes or QR codes usually used or imposed in different countries. In the same way, the dimensions of the aluminum band can be adapted so as to correctly bind a plurality of cans.
In the embodiment shown, each duo of two neighboring cans 2 has a contact area in which the vertical sides of the cans are in contact. At this contact area, the aluminum band which overlaps and connects the cans has a perforation zone 10. In other words, the perforation zone 10 of the aluminum band is superimposed on the contact areas of the two neighboring cans 2 located below the aluminum band 1.
The perforation zone 10 comprises separation mean or cutting mean. In particular, each separation means 11 has two lines of notches 111. The lines of notches 11 are separated from another by a distance corresponding to the portion of sidewall of cans covered by said aluminum band. The lines of notches, in the
Each of the lines of notches 11 includes a plurality of notches 1111. The lines of notches are separated by a separation portion 12. The separation portion 12 comprises longitudinal sides corresponding to the lines of notches, and lateral sides 121 connecting the lines of notches. In the embodiments represented, the lateral sides 121 have a V-shape. In preferred modes, the lateral sides are in the form of “U” or “V,” or alike. In other words, the lateral sides can have a straight, rounded, or segmented shape. As shown, the point of the “V” or the “U” of the lateral sides is directed towards the interior of the separation portion.
A person skilled in the art will easily imagine other embodiments in which one or more lines of notches may be provided at the perforation zone.
According to a second embodiment, the packaging is in the form of a longitudinal aluminum band which assembles a plurality of adjacent and cylindrical cans, as shown in
The aluminum band extends longitudinally along the superimposed boxes, and makes it possible to connect the cans with respect to each other, or in other words to assemble the cans into a multipack of cans, as shown in
To enable this, the aluminum band includes a combination of aluminum and adhesive, more precisely an Aluminum/PE complex. In particular, the aluminum band comprises an adhesive inner layer and an aluminum outer layer. Preferably, the outer aluminum layer and the inner adhesive layer has a total thickness between 50 μm and 200 μm, preferably 70 μm. This total thickness may or may not include a liner or backing-paper.
The adhesive elements can also vary such as polymer, metal, paper or combination of those.
The complex Aluminum/PE complex can be treated with a lacquer during printing.
The aluminum band can be recycled in the metal recycling stream. The sticker is strong enough to hold the pack and permits the practical detachment of individual cans.
The disclosure substrate is designed for creating 2 and 3 dimensional deep embossing aluminum bands, enabling very fine printed details such as QR codes and EAN barcodes.
Initially, to make a packaging can multipack, i.e., a pack of cans assembled by an aluminum band are usually arranged in a straight row so that, in their stacked and orientated position (i.e., horizontally or vertically oriented), they can be transferred to a conveyor heading towards and through the labelers. This conveyor can be equipped with an additional top conveyor that provides stability to the stack of cans as it passes through the labelling applicator.
To apply the adhesive laminated strip to a stack of cans, the inner adhesive layer side must be directed against the cans, so that the separating portions overlap the sidewall portions of the neighboring cans. The degree of bond is influenced by the amount of pressure used to apply the adhesive strip to the surface of the cans.
Once the aluminum band is correctly positioned, sufficient pressure is applied for the inner layer of the band to adhere to the cans, for example by one or several 100 mm diameter soft rollers. The rollers are mounted on either side of the conveyor downstream of the label applicator. They should be designed not to splay or move when the multipack passes through them to ensure equal pressure is applied to the full length of the laminated strip.
This binding strength allows the aluminum band to have the strength it needs to hold the cans together in transit and on the shopper's journey. It also has the benefit that the multipack is easy to open in a rotational motion by applying a torque value of less than 3 Nm.
It is also possible to use an onboard printer which will print the label before it is applied to the superposed cans.
It is easy to detach one or more cans from the multipack of cans. To do this, the consumer must perform a rotary movement by grasping the can that he wants to detach. This force must be exerted on one or more cans located on one end of the pack.
In other embodiment, comprising a horizontal stack as shown in
The advantages of the aluminum band over other patent applications and existing products on the market is that it has the strength and durability to hold a heavier cans grocery weight more than 500 g and a lightness to be simply twisted open by hand.
The cans can be released in a twist type movement. In particular, the cans can be released by applying a rotational force with a torque value between 2 Nm and 3 Nm.
The aluminum band according to the disclosure offers the possibility of having a packaging can multipack system in which once the first can is removed the unused cans remain neatly stacked together and can still be moved and transported easily.
The aluminum band has notches built into the packaging design where two cans meet, to support the ease of separating the cans by rotating or twisting them, and allows easy separation of cans by all age groups. The notches are made just inside the edge of the aluminum band to give that additional binding strength.
Variations include a single band that wraps around all cans, multiple bands that may be applied on either side of the stack of cans. Bands may also vary in dimension (length and width) depending on application and can format.
It is also possible to provide a pack of cans held by one or a plurality of aluminum bands. The aluminum bands of the same pack can be identical or different, that is to say comprising different dimensions or a different number of separation means.
The aluminum bands can be positioned on the same face, on opposite faces or adjacent faces of the cans.
In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022900257 | Feb 2022 | AU | national |
This application claims the benefit of and priority to International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2023/050463 filed on Jan. 19, 2023 and Australian Patent Application No. 2022900257 filed on Feb. 9, 2022, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2023/050463 | 1/19/2023 | WO |
