Patent Application
20050109640
The present invention relates to packages for groups of containers, and, more particularly, to opening features for container packages including plastic carriers having arrays of loops for engaging and holding individual containers and sleeves surrounding the group of containers.
Container carriers are used frequently to unitize a plurality of containers, such as bottles or cans, into conveniently saleable quantities. Both paperboard and plastic are materials commonly used. Paperboard carriers generally comprise a box in which the containers are held. The box may be totally enclosed, or may have an open top, with individual compartments for each container. Disadvantages of paperboard carriers include excess material and cost. Further, once opened, an enclosed box no longer holds the containers securely. An open top carrier can spill the contents therein, if inverted.
Plastic carriers have achieved wide acceptance for their performance, low weight, low cost and versatility in being adapted for containers of different sizes and shapes. The general design for plastic carriers includes apertures in a stretchable plastic material. The apertures are sized and shaped to stretch around the periphery of the containers to be held, either bottles or cans. For convenient carrying of a group of containers held by the carrier, various types of hand-grasps are known. Automated machinery is available for attaching stretchable plastic carriers to containers quickly and efficiently.
In one such known design, the carrier is formed from two webs of plastic material juxtaposed over one another. Handle portions and container engaging portions are stamped from the juxtaposed webs simultaneously. The webs are fused or welded along selected portions. The resulting handle portion is thereby a double thickness of material, and the container engaging portions freely depend from the remainder of the carrier, at each side thereof. The container engaging portions are a single ply of material.
A trend in the beverage industry is to group larger quantities of containers, and/or containers of larger size. A large group of containers, whether bottles or cans, secured only by stretchable rings in an array of a plastic carrier, might have a feel of instability, with individual containers allowed to skew or twist relative to other containers in the group. Even with smaller quantities of containers, such as six-packs, the feeling of insecurity can occur as the containers twist and skew while being carried.
In co-pending, commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/251,312, a plastic carrier is provided with an array of rings, including one ring for each container, and a stretchable sleeve surrounds the group of containers. In co-pending commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/396,610 the stretchable sleeve is provided with an aperture through which a tab of the carrier is accessed to tear the sleeve and carrier simultaneously when releasing containers.
What is needed in the art is a well-secured container package that has an easy and convenient opening feature.
The present invention provides a stretchable sleeve for surrounding and securing a group of containers. The sleeve has at least one parting line that opens to release the packaged containers from the sleeve. A starting point for tearing the sleeve yields to pressure to commence tearing along the parting line.
In one form thereof, the invention provides a package for a group of containers with a plastic carrier including a container holding portion of interconnected stretchable loops and a sleeve surrounding the group of containers, the sleeve having first and second edges. At least one parting line in the sleeve is adapted for separation and has an end positioned to open an edge of the sleeve. A tear-initiating breach in the sleeve is associated with an opposite end of the parting line for yielding to pressure applied against the sleeve in the vicinity thereof to initiate tearing along the parting line.
In another form thereof, the invention provides a package of containers with a carrier including a plurality of loops, a group of containers with each container disposed and secured in a loop, and a stretchable sleeve surrounding the group of containers. The sleeve has first and second edges and at least one parting line adapted for separation to release the containers from the sleeve. The parting line has an end near at least one of the edges for causing a separation of the sleeve through the edge. A tear-initiating breach in the sleeve is associated with an opposite end of the parting line for yielding to pressure applied against the sleeve in the vicinity thereof and initiating tearing along the parting line.
In a further form thereof, the invention provides a sleeve for a group of containers held in a package. The sleeve has a band of stretchable material, and at least one parting line in the band having an end near at least one of the edges of the band for causing separation of the band through the edge. A tear-initiating breach in the band is associated with the parting line for yielding to pressure applied against the band in the vicinity thereof and initiating tearing along the parting line.
An advantage of the present invention is providing a package that retains individual containers in a secure manner yet is easily and conveniently opened to release containers.
Another advantage of the present invention is providing a container package with a visual cue to the operation of individual release functions for the containers.
Still another advantage of the present invention is providing a sleeved container package in which a sleeve surrounding the containers can be removed without releasing individual containers from a carrier.
A further advantage of the present invention is providing a container package including a carrier and a sleeve useful for grouping containers of various types.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings, in which like numerals are used to designate like features.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description, or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including” and “comprising”, and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and to
Carrier 12 includes a handle and suspension portion 20 and a plurality of container holding loops 22. The configuration of carrier 12 will vary depending on the size, type and quantity of containers 16 to be held in carrier 12. In a preferred design for carrier 12 to hold a six pack as illustrated, carrier 12 is a two-ply structure having first and second sheets juxtaposed on each other, and connected by one or more welds. However, sleeve 14 can be used with different types of carriers, including single-ply carriers. The manner in which such carriers are made is well known to these skilled in the art and will not be described in greater detail herein.
Referring now particularly to
In a contemplated procedure for using package 10, sleeve 14 is applied after carrier 12 has been attached to individual containers 16. Sleeve 14 is stretched to surround group 18 of containers 16, and is positioned there around to cover loops 22 of carrier 12. The application of carrier 12 to individual containers 16 to form group 18, and the placement of sleeve 14 around group 18 can be performed with automated equipment known to those skilled in the art.
Alternatively, sleeve 14 can be of shrink fit material placed around group 18, and subsequently heated or otherwise activated to constrict against containers 16. Sleeve 14 also can be material pulled taut around group 18 and adhered or otherwise bonded or fastened together.
Sleeve 14 stabilizes group 18, minimizing the degree to which individual containers 16 can twist or skew relative to other containers 16 within group 18. The cooperative association of carrier 12 and sleeve 14 provides a firm, stable feel to package 10, increasing the comfort and confidence of consumers carrying the package.
To facilitate removal of the sleeve, separation can occur along a parting line toward an edge or edges of the sleeve.
It is preferred that the outer ends of parting lines 50 and 52 terminate some minimal distance from edges 30 and 32 to provide a non-perforated segment 54, 56, respectively, between the end of the parting line and edge 30, 32, respectively. As parting lines 50, 52 are separated, segments 54, 56 are easily breached so that separation occurs through edges 30, 32, facilitating release of sleeve 14. Perforations forming parting lines 50, 52 can be of various shapes, including substantially circular holes or punctures, or elongated holes or slits. If elongated perforations are used for parting lines 50, 52, the orientation of the elongated perforations should not be perpendicular to the primary direction of tension in sleeve 14. Thus, if elongated slits are used for parting lines 50, 52 it is preferred that parting lines 50, 52 are not perpendicular to top edge 30 and/or bottom edge 32. Instead, parting lines 50, 52 should extend at some significant, non-perpendicular angle to edges 30, 32 to minimize inadvertent and unintended parting of sleeve 14 along parting lines 50, 52 from the tension in sleeve 14. With parting lines 50, 52 consisting of a series of elongated slits each about 0.020 inch long, separated by uncut segments about 0.030 inch long, an angle of between about 15 degrees and about 20 degrees has worked effectively.
Parting lines 50, 52 originate at a location intermediate edges 30, 32 at a tear initiating breach 60 within sleeve 14. Tear initiating breach 60 can be in a variety of configurations including a small hole or aperture 62 as illustrated in
If provided as a hole or aperture 62, tear-initiating breach 60 can be small. A hole having a diameter of 0.250 inch has been found to be adequate for inducing tearing along parting lines 50, 52.
Parting lines 50, 52 can take a variety of configurations to facilitate intended tearing while reducing the tendency for unintended tearing therealong. As illustrated in
In other configurations, parting lines 50, 52 can be substantially straight throughout their entire length.
Tear initiating breach 60 can be of configurations other than a hole or aperture 62. In
As shown in
While tear-initiating breaches with associated parting lines have been shown on one side of sleeve 14, it should be understood that a tear-initiating breach and associated parting line or lines can be provided on both sides of sleeve 14. In still other configurations opf the present invention, a tear-initiating breach and parting line or lines can be provided on one or both ends of sleeve 14
The present invention provides improved stability with a sleeve encircling containers held in a package or group. The sleeve is secure, yet easily opened when needed.
Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention, and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/396,610 filed on Mar. 25, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/301,212 filed on Nov. 21, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/251,312 filed on Sep. 20, 2002.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10396610 | Mar 2003 | US |
| Child | 11021263 | Dec 2004 | US |
| Parent | 10301212 | Nov 2002 | US |
| Child | 10396610 | Mar 2003 | US |
| Parent | 10251312 | Sep 2002 | US |
| Child | 10301212 | Nov 2002 | US |
