EP1154936B1 - Multiple-package sleeve container - Google Patents

Multiple-package sleeve container Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1154936B1
EP1154936B1 EP00905495A EP00905495A EP1154936B1 EP 1154936 B1 EP1154936 B1 EP 1154936B1 EP 00905495 A EP00905495 A EP 00905495A EP 00905495 A EP00905495 A EP 00905495A EP 1154936 B1 EP1154936 B1 EP 1154936B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
package
strap
pleat
sleeve container
package sleeve
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status 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 status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP00905495A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1154936A2 (en
Inventor
Zygmunt Piotrowski
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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
Priority claimed from PL331658A external-priority patent/PL194546B1/en
Priority claimed from PL99332792A external-priority patent/PL196007B1/en
Priority claimed from PL99334738A external-priority patent/PL196006B1/en
Priority claimed from PL336604A external-priority patent/PL196997B1/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1154936A2 publication Critical patent/EP1154936A2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1154936B1 publication Critical patent/EP1154936B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D71/00Bundles 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
    • B65D71/06Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers
    • B65D71/12Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank
    • B65D71/14Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers without end walls
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00129Wrapper locking means
    • B65D2571/00135Wrapper locking means integral with the wrapper
    • B65D2571/00141Wrapper locking means integral with the wrapper glued
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00246Locating elements for the contents
    • B65D2571/00253Locating elements for the contents integral with the wrapper
    • B65D2571/00277Slits or openings formed along a fold line
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00246Locating elements for the contents
    • B65D2571/00253Locating elements for the contents integral with the wrapper
    • B65D2571/0029Openings in top or bottom walls
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00648Elements used to form the wrapper
    • B65D2571/00654Blanks
    • B65D2571/0066Blanks formed from one single sheet
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00709Shape of the formed wrapper, i.e. shape of each formed element if the wrapper is made from more than one element
    • B65D2571/00716Shape of the formed wrapper, i.e. shape of each formed element if the wrapper is made from more than one element tubular without end walls
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00833Other details of wrappers
    • B65D2571/00913Other details of wrappers for accommodating articles of varying size
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D2571/00Bundles 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, pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D2571/00123Bundling wrappers or trays
    • B65D2571/00981External accessories
    • B65D2571/00987Straps, strings, or similar elements

Definitions

  • the subject of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, designed for wrapping and carrying the bunches of consumer packages.
  • patent document FR-A-2,570,678 discloses a kind of multiple-package sleeve container, designed for wrapping-up and carrying the consumer package bunches, punched from an integral blank of pasteboard or the like, the two ends of which are superimposed and glued together forming a sleeve with a top, two side walls and a bottom.
  • top and the bottom are provided with openings which stabilise the package bunch being packed in position, and the top is completed with a separate sheet, provided with two panels partly overlapped with one another, forming the grip.
  • a disadvantage of this known solution is that it can only be used with relatively light and small consumer package bunches formed into six-packs of bottled beverages, the packs of a rather high susceptibility to tearing while being carried.
  • each of the carrying parts comprises at least one partly cut ring with a cut-out internal opening, provided with a frontal wing
  • each of the said carrying parts comprises, in addition to the central wall, a bottom wall and an external wall which forms the external portion of the carrier, said external wall fastened to the frontal wing and, by means of the ring, connects the central portion with the external portion of each of the parts of the carrier.
  • each of the external walls is provided with two symmetrically arranged holes into which the girded polypropylene strap is inserted. The strap prevents the bottles situated on the outside of the carrier-fastening rings from falling out of the carrier.
  • a disadvantage of this known solution is a relatively high manufacturing cost of the container protecting its contents both from outside and inside of the multiple package.
  • the high manufacturing cost of this package is due to the need for an exact cementing of the parts of its supporting structure.
  • the open work design of the elements clamping the central and external portions of the container offers some problems in mechanical loading of consumer packages, which results in a rather high percentage of damage to the board structure.
  • the container is in the form of a pasteboard sleeve girded with polypropylene strap and is designed for package and carrying consumer package bunches, particularly cans, jars or beverage bottles.
  • the multiple-package container punched from an integral blank of pasteboard or the like, the two ends of which are superimposed and fastened to each other with an adhesive, comprises a top, a bottom and two front walls, wherein each of the front walls is additionally made to extend beyond the side edges along the fold lines in the form of two strips.
  • a hole is provided in the middle of the length of each of said fold lines, against the edges of which rests the polypropylene strap that girds the multiple-package container.
  • the purpose of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container free from the above-mentioned disadvantages and inconveniences.
  • the invention has been materialized in a pointed embodiments, each of which leads to the multiplicity of its designs.
  • a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, which contains a top with openings stabilising the package bunch being packed in position, two side walls and a bottom, the sleeve transversally girded with a strap, wherein each of the side walls is made up of two panels separated by a pleat, wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws with two opposite cut-outs each, and the container is fastened by means of girded strap extending over length of overlapping panels with respect to the pleat.
  • the spacing between two opposite cut-outs corresponds to the distance of double length of the pleat plus the width of the girded strap.
  • the length of pleat confined by two fold lines equals the sum of the distance between the first fold line and the cut-out of the corresponding jaw and the distance between the second fold line and the cut-out of the corresponding jaw, the sum being diminished by the width of the girded strap.
  • a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, which contains a top, two side walls with openings stabilising the package bunch being packed in position, and a bottom, the sleeve transversally girded with a strap, wherein the top is made up of two panels separated by a pleat, wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws with two opposite cut-outs each, and the container is fastened by means of girded strap extending over length of overlapping panels with respect to the pleat.
  • the top and the bottom are provided with two pairs of notches.
  • each of two pairs of the notches is suitably situated at half of the edge of the top and the bottom.
  • each of the notches is provided with two jaws with two apposite cut-outs, and the spacing between said cut-outs corresponds to the width of the girding strap.
  • the sleeve container described in this invention is a variable-capacity container allowing to place the contents easily inside the slack sleeve container space with a subsequent compressing of its contents by folding-up two panels, making the latter to overlap, and locking their position with the girded strap.
  • This operation is feasible owing to the natural rigidity of a pasteboard sheet, from which the multiple package sleeve container is made.
  • the use of overlapping panels over a pleat renders the portion of the panels held by the strap more solid, enhancing thus the resistance and carrying safety of the container.
  • the clamping effect of the multiple-package sleeve container contents is enhanced by the openings that stabilize the pack being wrapped-up in position.
  • the openings are regularly spaced in the container top or container side walls where, in conformity with the way the customer packages are arranged, their portions protruding beyond the compact solid of the pack, are lead outwards. As a result of this operation, the contents is prevented from being displaced relative to the container.
  • the girded strap used as a sleeve container locking element allows to increase the sleeve container capacity and load capacity above the strength properties of the pasteboard.
  • the weight of the bunch of customer packages is held by a polypropylene strap of a high tensile strength which at the same time plays the role of a convenient grip.
  • Still another embodiment of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container, which is locked with an easy-for-use lock in the form of a snap lock.
  • the purpose of the invention has been achieved in the a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of cardboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, provided with openings stabilizing the package bunch being packed in position, with at least one pleat confined by two fold lines.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container is provided with at least one hole with a lock edge.
  • the pleat is provided with a cut which forms the lock key with the base situated on the first fold line.
  • the second fold line constitutes a symmetry axis for the lock edge and the base of the lock key.
  • the width of the lock key as measured beyond its base is suitably wider than the width of the hole with the lock edge, while said base and said edge are equal.
  • fig. 1 depicts a punched pasteboard blank prepared to make the multiple-package bottle-pack sleeve container and, subsequently, the successive perspective views illustrate the embodiments of invention, where fig. 2 shows the multiple package bottle-pack sleeve container in a slack form, fig. 3 illustrates the same bottle-pack sleeve container but folded-up short, fig. 4 shows the multiple-package sleeve container packed with cans arranged in three rows and locked with a girded strap, while fig. 5 presents a simplified version of the multiple package sleeve container with a pleat and major lock elements which make up the snap lock.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container in the embodiment of invention designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunch of bottles is made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like (fig. 1), which contains the top 2 with regularly spaced openings 3, extends beyond two fold lines 4 by two side walls 5, wherein one of the side walls 5 extends beyond the fold line 6 with the bottom 7, and the bottom 7 extends beyond the fold line 8 by means of a strip 9 which is fastened, with an adhesive, to the other side wall 5 of the pasteboard blank.
  • Each of the side walls 5 is made up of a panel 10, a pleat 11, and a panel 12, wherein the pleat 11 is separated from the panel 10 by a fold line 13 and from the panel 12 is separated by the fold line 14.
  • the panel 10 is suitably provided with two jaws 15 with cut-outs 16, and the panel 12 is suitably provided with two jaws 17 with cut-outs 18.
  • the jaws 15 and 17, and the cut-outs 16 and 18, are symmetrically disposed along the edge 20 of the side wall 5 and positioned each to other in the distance of double length of the pleat 11 plus the width of the strap 22, as it is to be seen at the drawing of fig. 2.
  • each of the pleats 11 is covered between the panels 10 and 12, partly overlapped with one another, wherein two pairs of jaws 15 and 17, with two opposite cut-outs 16 and 18 each, form suitably symmetrically disposed notches, into which the girded strap is being inserted.
  • the bottle-pack multiple-package sleeve container is stored in the form of a punched pasteboard blank folded in half along the fold lines 4 and 6 and fastened with an adhesive along the edges of the strip 9 and the corresponding side wall 5.
  • the bottle-pack multiple-package sleeve container is formed into a spatial structure by opening the fold angle along the fold lines 4 and 6 and by simultaneously closing the angle along the fold lines 4 and 8.
  • the multiple package sleeve container in the form a slack, yet rigid, band 1 is prepared for packaging bottles, the arranged bunch of which is placed on the bottom 7.
  • the sleeve container packed with bottles is closed by pressing each of the two pleats 11 against the panel 10 and subsequently by pressing the pleat 11 along with the panel 10 against the panel 12, whereby the panels 10 and 12, by partly overlapping with each other, form the side wall 5 diminished by a double length of the pleat 11.
  • the top 2 of the sleeve container is lowering and the necks of the bottles prepared for packing enter the openings 3, whereas the whole of the bunch of the bottles in the multiple-package sleeve container gets clamped from the top downwards.
  • the fmal stage of the packaging operation of the multiple-package sleeve container is the fastening of the container and the package bunch being packed in position with a girded strap, preferably a polypropylene strap, typically in an automatic machine that tensions the strap and welds its ends up.
  • a girded strap preferably a polypropylene strap
  • the girded strap that wraps the multiple-package sleeve container performs as a lock that presses the panels 10 against the pleats 11, and the pleats 11 press against the panels 12, and the panels 12 press against the packed bunch of bottles, preventing the pasteboard sleeve from becoming slack.
  • the girded strap especially a polypropylene strap, owing to its mechanical properties, elasticity, inextensibility, and a high tensile strength, also performs as the multiple-package sleeve container grip, allowing the packed container to be safely moved from one place to another.
  • the multiple-package bottle-pack sleeve container can be easily open by tearing off the top 2 without a necessity of cutting the girded strap. It is these directions for opening the sleeve container that are of significance for a further use of the container which can be recycled along with the returnable bottles that can be more easily collected, stored and transported. Empty bottles can be put back to the same, yet open, sleeve container and returned to the sales point as compact bottle-pack provided with a safe grip.
  • the new logistic strategy based on reuse of pasteboard multiple packs is vital to the protection of the environment.
  • a commercial-scale production of these packages which may well be used not only for transport of bottles but equally for cans and jars of various kinds, allows to eliminate the polyethylene skin packing and plastic crates, which are neither recyclable nor biodegradable.
  • FIG. 4 Another embodiment of invention is a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of beverage cans (fig. 4), made up of a punched blank of pasteboard in the form of sleeve 1, which contains a top 2 extending beyond two fold lines 4 as two side walls 5 provided with openings 3, wherein the side walls 5 extend beyond the fold lines 6 as a bottom 7.
  • the top 2 is composed of two panels 10, 12 and the pleat 11, wherein the pleat 11 is separated from the panels 10, 12 by fold lines 13, 14.
  • the panels 10 and 12 comprise two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with cut-outs 16, 18, each of which are symmetrically disposed along both edges 20 of the top 2 and positioned to each other in the distance of double length of the pleat 11 plus the width of the strap 22.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container shown in fig. 4 when packed with an arranged bunch of cans, clamped by covering the pleat 11 between panels 10 and 12, is fastening with a girded strap, preferably a polypropylene strap, inserted in the notches 21 of the top 2 and of the bottom 7.
  • the notches 21 of the top 2 are formed by the partially superimposed panels 10 and 12 with respect to the pleat 11 and separated from the sides by two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with opposite cut-outs 16, 18, whereas the notches 21 in the edges of the bottom 7 are made by two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with opposite cut-outs 16, 18, wherein the spacing between said cut-outs correspond to the width of the girded strap 22.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container in the embodiment of invention described above finds application in particular in packaging bunches of consumer packages grouped in rows in an arrangement that is crosswise relative to the pasteboard blank edges and parallel to the plane of girding the container with polypropylene strap.
  • a particular embodiment of invention of the multiple-package sleeve container is a container where a three-row can bunch is wrapped up in a punched blank of pasteboard and girded with the strap.
  • the forces favourably distributed inside the open on both sides container hold two outer rows of consumer packages by a pressure exerted on its side walls, thereby immobilising them in suitably shaped openings in these walls, which results from an outward pressure exerted by the middle row of the packages, effectively stopped by being banded with the strap.
  • the stability of this arrangement is secured by the girded strap which is immobilised in the notches of the container, situated in the same plane and on the symmetry axis of the three-row bunch.
  • the narrow polypropylene strap used as a locking band for the sleeve container allows to reduce, to a considerable degree, the cost of packaging of the can or bottle bunches into multiple packs, ready for quick sale straight from pallets.
  • the three-row carrying sleeve container proves to be one of the most functional packages on the pasteboard multi-pack market.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container according to the invention is a container of versatile uses suitable for both industrial big scale and a small handicraft scale of packaging.
  • Still another embodiment of invention is the multiple-package sleeve container fastened with snaps, rather than with a girded strap.
  • the multiple-package sleeve container (fig. 5), formed from a punched blank of cardboard or the like, two ends of which 29, 30 overlap and are fastened with an adhesive, contains at least one pleat 11, confined by the fold lines 13, 14, provided with a cut 24 which forms the lock key 25, the base of which 26 lies on the fold line 13, whereas the fold line 14 constitutes the symmetry axis for the positioning of this base 26 relative to the lock edge 27 coinciding with the edge of the hole 28.
  • the contents of the multiple-package sleeve container is clamped by reducing the sleeve container girth by folding-up the pleat 11 downwards along the fold lines 13, 14. Because of cardboard elasticity, the lock key 25 pops up from the blank along the cut 24 and, being moved towards the lock edge 27 along with the pleat 11 relative to the axis of rotation determined by the fold line 14, comes over the hole 28, through which it will be pushed inwards the sleeve container and folded inwards over said lock edge 27.
  • the snap lock thus formed constitutes a reliable and simple in use multiple-package sleeve container fastening.
  • An added safety which prevents the snap lock from opening is accomplished by making the lock key of a greater size compared with the width of the hole 28.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Description

The subject of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, designed for wrapping and carrying the bunches of consumer packages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART.
The nearest prior art to the invention claimed is represented by patent document FR-A-2,570,678 which discloses a kind of multiple-package sleeve container, designed for wrapping-up and carrying the consumer package bunches, punched from an integral blank of pasteboard or the like, the two ends of which are superimposed and glued together forming a sleeve with a top, two side walls and a bottom.
Additionally, the top and the bottom are provided with openings which stabilise the package bunch being packed in position, and the top is completed with a separate sheet, provided with two panels partly overlapped with one another, forming the grip.
A disadvantage of this known solution is that it can only be used with relatively light and small consumer package bunches formed into six-packs of bottled beverages, the packs of a rather high susceptibility to tearing while being carried.
Significant disadvantage of this solution is that the wrapping-up of the consumer package bunches in the pasteboard blank is technologically involved, as suitable machines and pasteboard of adequate rigidity are needed. The packaging processes require automatic gluing machines to be used, and the special devices which lock the grips to the pasteboard blanks. All this accounts for that fully automatic packaging process, connected with considerable outlays, is economically justified only for industrial big scale, large enough to secure return on investment related to the purchase of specialist machines and equipment.
Known from the disclosure of the European Patent Specification EP 0,907,580, is a bottle pack container for carrying bottles with contents, preferably made of pasteboard or cardboard, formed from two symmetrical carrying parts, the central walls of which are superimposed so as to form the central portion of the container, the central walls having openings superimposed and connected by a lock to form a grip, whereas each of the carrying parts comprises at least one partly cut ring with a cut-out internal opening, provided with a frontal wing, wherein each of the said carrying parts comprises, in addition to the central wall, a bottom wall and an external wall which forms the external portion of the carrier, said external wall fastened to the frontal wing and, by means of the ring, connects the central portion with the external portion of each of the parts of the carrier. Additionally, each of the external walls is provided with two symmetrically arranged holes into which the girded polypropylene strap is inserted. The strap prevents the bottles situated on the outside of the carrier-fastening rings from falling out of the carrier.
A disadvantage of this known solution is a relatively high manufacturing cost of the container protecting its contents both from outside and inside of the multiple package. The high manufacturing cost of this package is due to the need for an exact cementing of the parts of its supporting structure. Moreover, the open work design of the elements clamping the central and external portions of the container offers some problems in mechanical loading of consumer packages, which results in a rather high percentage of damage to the board structure.
Known also from the patent application filed with the Polish Patent Office is a utility patent W-109211 by the same applicant, which provides a description of a simplified multiple-package container. The container is in the form of a pasteboard sleeve girded with polypropylene strap and is designed for package and carrying consumer package bunches, particularly cans, jars or beverage bottles. The multiple-package container punched from an integral blank of pasteboard or the like, the two ends of which are superimposed and fastened to each other with an adhesive, comprises a top, a bottom and two front walls, wherein each of the front walls is additionally made to extend beyond the side edges along the fold lines in the form of two strips. A hole is provided in the middle of the length of each of said fold lines, against the edges of which rests the polypropylene strap that girds the multiple-package container.
The simple design of the solution described above has the major disadvantage which is that the opening of the sleeve results in a tight fit for the contents. Although a tight fit of the sleeve opening to the bunch of consumer packages prevents them from moving freely with respect to one another, the fact that the sleeve opening provides a tight fit results in that the consumer packages cannot be rapidly packed into the pasteboard sleeve. This presents a significant deterrent to automation of the packaging operation using the container made according to the design described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container free from the above-mentioned disadvantages and inconveniences. The invention has been materialized in a pointed embodiments, each of which leads to the multiplicity of its designs.
The purpose of the invention has been achieved in a multiple-package sleeve container, designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, which contains a top with openings stabilising the package bunch being packed in position, two side walls and a bottom, the sleeve transversally girded with a strap, wherein each of the side walls is made up of two panels separated by a pleat, wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws with two opposite cut-outs each, and the container is fastened by means of girded strap extending over length of overlapping panels with respect to the pleat.
Preferably, the spacing between two opposite cut-outs corresponds to the distance of double length of the pleat plus the width of the girded strap.
Preferably, the length of pleat confined by two fold lines, equals the sum of the distance between the first fold line and the cut-out of the corresponding jaw and the distance between the second fold line and the cut-out of the corresponding jaw, the sum being diminished by the width of the girded strap.
The purpose of the invention has also been achieved in a multiple-package sleeve container, designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, which contains a top, two side walls with openings stabilising the package bunch being packed in position, and a bottom, the sleeve transversally girded with a strap, wherein the top is made up of two panels separated by a pleat, wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws with two opposite cut-outs each, and the container is fastened by means of girded strap extending over length of overlapping panels with respect to the pleat..
Preferably, the top and the bottom are provided with two pairs of notches.
Preferably, each of two pairs of the notches is suitably situated at half of the edge of the top and the bottom.
Preferably, each of the notches is provided with two jaws with two apposite cut-outs, and the spacing between said cut-outs corresponds to the width of the girding strap.
As distinguished from the known solutions, the sleeve container described in this invention is a variable-capacity container allowing to place the contents easily inside the slack sleeve container space with a subsequent compressing of its contents by folding-up two panels, making the latter to overlap, and locking their position with the girded strap. This operation is feasible owing to the natural rigidity of a pasteboard sheet, from which the multiple package sleeve container is made. The use of overlapping panels over a pleat renders the portion of the panels held by the strap more solid, enhancing thus the resistance and carrying safety of the container.
The clamping effect of the multiple-package sleeve container contents is enhanced by the openings that stabilize the pack being wrapped-up in position. The openings are regularly spaced in the container top or container side walls where, in conformity with the way the customer packages are arranged, their portions protruding beyond the compact solid of the pack, are lead outwards. As a result of this operation, the contents is prevented from being displaced relative to the container.
The girded strap used as a sleeve container locking element, the strap preferably of polypropylene, allows to increase the sleeve container capacity and load capacity above the strength properties of the pasteboard. The weight of the bunch of customer packages is held by a polypropylene strap of a high tensile strength which at the same time plays the role of a convenient grip.
Still another embodiment of the invention is the multiple-package sleeve container, which is locked with an easy-for-use lock in the form of a snap lock. The purpose of the invention has been achieved in the a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of cardboard or the like, with two ends overlapped and glued together, provided with openings stabilizing the package bunch being packed in position, with at least one pleat confined by two fold lines.
Preferably, the multiple-package sleeve container is provided with at least one hole with a lock edge. Preferably, the pleat is provided with a cut which forms the lock key with the base situated on the first fold line.
Preferably, the second fold line constitutes a symmetry axis for the lock edge and the base of the lock key.
Preferably, the width of the lock key as measured beyond its base is suitably wider than the width of the hole with the lock edge, while said base and said edge are equal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The subject of the invention is shown in the drawing, where fig. 1 depicts a punched pasteboard blank prepared to make the multiple-package bottle-pack sleeve container and, subsequently, the successive perspective views illustrate the embodiments of invention, where fig. 2 shows the multiple package bottle-pack sleeve container in a slack form, fig. 3 illustrates the same bottle-pack sleeve container but folded-up short, fig. 4 shows the multiple-package sleeve container packed with cans arranged in three rows and locked with a girded strap, while fig. 5 presents a simplified version of the multiple package sleeve container with a pleat and major lock elements which make up the snap lock.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The multiple-package sleeve container in the embodiment of invention designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunch of bottles, is made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like (fig. 1), which contains the top 2 with regularly spaced openings 3, extends beyond two fold lines 4 by two side walls 5, wherein one of the side walls 5 extends beyond the fold line 6 with the bottom 7, and the bottom 7 extends beyond the fold line 8 by means of a strip 9 which is fastened, with an adhesive, to the other side wall 5 of the pasteboard blank.
Each of the side walls 5 is made up of a panel 10, a pleat 11, and a panel 12, wherein the pleat 11 is separated from the panel 10 by a fold line 13 and from the panel 12 is separated by the fold line 14.
The panel 10 is suitably provided with two jaws 15 with cut-outs 16, and the panel 12 is suitably provided with two jaws 17 with cut-outs 18. The jaws 15 and 17, and the cut- outs 16 and 18, are symmetrically disposed along the edge 20 of the side wall 5 and positioned each to other in the distance of double length of the pleat 11 plus the width of the strap 22, as it is to be seen at the drawing of fig. 2.
As is depicted in the view of the multiple-package bottle-pack sleeve container being seen at the fig. 3, each of the pleats 11 is covered between the panels 10 and 12, partly overlapped with one another, wherein two pairs of jaws 15 and 17, with two opposite cut- outs 16 and 18 each, form suitably symmetrically disposed notches, into which the girded strap is being inserted.
The bottle-pack multiple-package sleeve container is stored in the form of a punched pasteboard blank folded in half along the fold lines 4 and 6 and fastened with an adhesive along the edges of the strip 9 and the corresponding side wall 5.
The bottle-pack multiple-package sleeve container is formed into a spatial structure by opening the fold angle along the fold lines 4 and 6 and by simultaneously closing the angle along the fold lines 4 and 8. Thus the multiple package sleeve container in the form a slack, yet rigid, band 1 is prepared for packaging bottles, the arranged bunch of which is placed on the bottom 7.
The sleeve container packed with bottles is closed by pressing each of the two pleats 11 against the panel 10 and subsequently by pressing the pleat 11 along with the panel 10 against the panel 12, whereby the panels 10 and 12, by partly overlapping with each other, form the side wall 5 diminished by a double length of the pleat 11.
Simultaneously, as the pleat 11 is being pressed down, the top 2 of the sleeve container is lowering and the necks of the bottles prepared for packing enter the openings 3, whereas the whole of the bunch of the bottles in the multiple-package sleeve container gets clamped from the top downwards.
The fmal stage of the packaging operation of the multiple-package sleeve container is the fastening of the container and the package bunch being packed in position with a girded strap, preferably a polypropylene strap, typically in an automatic machine that tensions the strap and welds its ends up. In the operation the strap is being inserted in the notches of the side walls 5, in the notches formed by a partially overlapping panels 10 and 12 relative to the pleat 11. The girded strap that wraps the multiple-package sleeve container performs as a lock that presses the panels 10 against the pleats 11, and the pleats 11 press against the panels 12, and the panels 12 press against the packed bunch of bottles, preventing the pasteboard sleeve from becoming slack. The girded strap, especially a polypropylene strap, owing to its mechanical properties, elasticity, inextensibility, and a high tensile strength, also performs as the multiple-package sleeve container grip, allowing the packed container to be safely moved from one place to another.
The multiple-package bottle-pack sleeve container can be easily open by tearing off the top 2 without a necessity of cutting the girded strap. It is these directions for opening the sleeve container that are of significance for a further use of the container which can be recycled along with the returnable bottles that can be more easily collected, stored and transported. Empty bottles can be put back to the same, yet open, sleeve container and returned to the sales point as compact bottle-pack provided with a safe grip. The new logistic strategy based on reuse of pasteboard multiple packs is vital to the protection of the environment. A commercial-scale production of these packages, which may well be used not only for transport of bottles but equally for cans and jars of various kinds, allows to eliminate the polyethylene skin packing and plastic crates, which are neither recyclable nor biodegradable.
Another embodiment of invention is a multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of beverage cans (fig. 4), made up of a punched blank of pasteboard in the form of sleeve 1, which contains a top 2 extending beyond two fold lines 4 as two side walls 5 provided with openings 3, wherein the side walls 5 extend beyond the fold lines 6 as a bottom 7. The top 2 is composed of two panels 10, 12 and the pleat 11, wherein the pleat 11 is separated from the panels 10, 12 by fold lines 13, 14. The panels 10 and 12 comprise two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with cut- outs 16, 18, each of which are symmetrically disposed along both edges 20 of the top 2 and positioned to each other in the distance of double length of the pleat 11 plus the width of the strap 22.
The multiple-package sleeve container shown in fig. 4, when packed with an arranged bunch of cans, clamped by covering the pleat 11 between panels 10 and 12, is fastening with a girded strap, preferably a polypropylene strap, inserted in the notches 21 of the top 2 and of the bottom 7. The notches 21 of the top 2 are formed by the partially superimposed panels 10 and 12 with respect to the pleat 11 and separated from the sides by two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with opposite cut- outs 16, 18, whereas the notches 21 in the edges of the bottom 7 are made by two pairs of jaws 15, 17 with opposite cut- outs 16, 18, wherein the spacing between said cut-outs correspond to the width of the girded strap 22.
The multiple-package sleeve container in the embodiment of invention described above finds application in particular in packaging bunches of consumer packages grouped in rows in an arrangement that is crosswise relative to the pasteboard blank edges and parallel to the plane of girding the container with polypropylene strap. A particular embodiment of invention of the multiple-package sleeve container is a container where a three-row can bunch is wrapped up in a punched blank of pasteboard and girded with the strap. The forces favourably distributed inside the open on both sides container hold two outer rows of consumer packages by a pressure exerted on its side walls, thereby immobilising them in suitably shaped openings in these walls, which results from an outward pressure exerted by the middle row of the packages, effectively stopped by being banded with the strap. The stability of this arrangement is secured by the girded strap which is immobilised in the notches of the container, situated in the same plane and on the symmetry axis of the three-row bunch.
The narrow polypropylene strap used as a locking band for the sleeve container, allows to reduce, to a considerable degree, the cost of packaging of the can or bottle bunches into multiple packs, ready for quick sale straight from pallets. The three-row carrying sleeve container proves to be one of the most functional packages on the pasteboard multi-pack market. The multiple-package sleeve container according to the invention is a container of versatile uses suitable for both industrial big scale and a small handicraft scale of packaging.
Still another embodiment of invention is the multiple-package sleeve container fastened with snaps, rather than with a girded strap.
The multiple-package sleeve container (fig. 5), formed from a punched blank of cardboard or the like, two ends of which 29, 30 overlap and are fastened with an adhesive, contains at least one pleat 11, confined by the fold lines 13, 14, provided with a cut 24 which forms the lock key 25, the base of which 26 lies on the fold line 13, whereas the fold line 14 constitutes the symmetry axis for the positioning of this base 26 relative to the lock edge 27 coinciding with the edge of the hole 28.
The contents of the multiple-package sleeve container is clamped by reducing the sleeve container girth by folding-up the pleat 11 downwards along the fold lines 13, 14. Because of cardboard elasticity, the lock key 25 pops up from the blank along the cut 24 and, being moved towards the lock edge 27 along with the pleat 11 relative to the axis of rotation determined by the fold line 14, comes over the hole 28, through which it will be pushed inwards the sleeve container and folded inwards over said lock edge 27.
The snap lock thus formed constitutes a reliable and simple in use multiple-package sleeve container fastening. An added safety which prevents the snap lock from opening is accomplished by making the lock key of a greater size compared with the width of the hole 28. Once the multiple-package sleeve container is packed with a bunch of consumer packages and the pleat is folded-up, the whole of the multiple-package sleeve container can be quickly and effectively immobilized by pushing the locks in, either by hand or using an automatic fastening machine.

Claims (12)

  1. The multiple-package sleeve container made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like with two ends overlapped and glued together, transversally girded with a strap, contains a top (2) with openings (3) which stabilise the package bunch being packed in position, two side walls (5) and a bottom (7), characterised in that each of the side walls (5) is made up of two panels (10) and (12) separated by a pleat (11), wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws (15, 17) with two opposite cut-outs (16, 18) each, the container being fastened by means of girded strap (22) extending over the length of overlapping panels (10, 12) with respect to the pleat (11).
  2. The multiple package sleeve container according to claim 1, characterised in that the spacing between two opposite cut-outs (16, 18) corresponds to the distance of double length of the pleat (11) plus the width of the girded strap (22).
  3. The multiple package sleeve container according to claim 1, characterised in that the length of the pleat (11), confined by the fold lines (13, 14), equals the sum of the distance between the fold line (13) and the cut-out (16) of the jaw (15) and the distance between the fold line (14) and the cut-out (18) of the jaw (17), the sum being diminished by the width of the girded strap (22).
  4. The multiple-package sleeve container made up of a punched blank of pasteboard or the like with two ends overlapped and glued together, transversally girded with a strap, contains a top (2), two side walls (5) with openings (3) which stabilise the package bunch being packed in position, and a bottom (7), characterised in that the top (2) is made up of two panels (10) and (12) separated by a pleat (11), wherein said panels comprise two pairs of jaws (15, 17) with two opposite cut-outs (16, 18) each, the container being fastened by means of girded strap (22) extending over the length of overlapping panels (10, 12) with respect to the pleat (11).
  5. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 4, characterised in that the top (2) and the bottom (7) are provided with two pairs of notches (21).
  6. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 5, characterised in that each of two pairs of the notches (21) is suitably situated at half of the edge (20) of the top (2) and the bottom (7).
  7. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 5, characterised in that each of the notches (21) is provided with two jaws (15, 17) with two opposite cut-outs (16, 18) and the spacing between said cut-outs corresponds to the width of the girding strap (22).
  8. A multiple-package sleeve container designed for wrapping-up and carrying bunches of consumer packages, made up of a punched blank of cardboard or the like, with two ends (29, 30) overlapped and glued together, provided with openings (3) which stabilise the package bunch being packed in position, characterised in that contains at least one pleat (11) confined by two fold lines (13, 14).
  9. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 8, characterised in that the pleat (11) is provided with at least one cut (24) which forms the lock key (25) with the base (26) situated on one fold line (13).
  10. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 8, characterised in that is provided with at least one hole (28) with a lock edge (27).
  11. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 8, characterised in that the other fold line (14) constitutes a symmetry axis for the lock edge (27) and the base (26) of the lock key (25).
  12. The multiple-package sleeve container according to claim 8, characterised in that the width of the lock key (25) as measured beyond its base (26) is suitably wider than the width of the hole (28) with the lock edge (27), while said base (26) and said edge (27) are equal.
EP00905495A 1999-02-26 2000-02-22 Multiple-package sleeve container Expired - Lifetime EP1154936B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (9)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PL331658A PL194546B1 (en) 1999-02-26 1999-02-26 Omnibus packaging container for bottles
PL33165899 1999-02-26
PL33279299 1999-04-27
PL99332792A PL196007B1 (en) 1999-04-27 1999-04-27 Flexible chute
PL33473899 1999-08-03
PL99334738A PL196006B1 (en) 1999-08-03 1999-08-03 Gravity conveyor sleeve
PL336604A PL196997B1 (en) 1999-11-17 1999-11-17 Collecting sleeve
PL33660499 1999-11-17
PCT/PL2000/000014 WO2000050312A2 (en) 1999-02-26 2000-02-22 Multiple-package sleeve container

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1154936A2 EP1154936A2 (en) 2001-11-21
EP1154936B1 true EP1154936B1 (en) 2003-12-17

Family

ID=27484427

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00905495A Expired - Lifetime EP1154936B1 (en) 1999-02-26 2000-02-22 Multiple-package sleeve container

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1154936B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1341069A (en)
AU (1) AU2702800A (en)
DE (1) DE60007281D1 (en)
WO (1) WO2000050312A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7988005B2 (en) * 2007-06-28 2011-08-02 Paul Wagner Storage system
CN105644835B (en) * 2016-03-31 2017-12-08 青岛德隆科技有限公司 Full-automatic six bags packaging integrated machine
US11465817B2 (en) * 2018-10-05 2022-10-11 Custom Accessories Inc. Packaging system with opening for product access
EP3980230B1 (en) * 2019-06-06 2024-03-13 Fiskars Brands, Inc. Sheath assembly mechanism

Citations (1)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2570678A1 (en) * 1984-09-27 1986-03-28 Michels Sa Grouping package made of cardboard for bottles, of the handled pack type, and its application for packing bottles in packs

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3756395A (en) * 1972-01-17 1973-09-04 R Ganz Shrink pack and method and apparatus for making the same
DE8211120U1 (en) * 1982-04-20 1982-07-15 Glöyer, Wolfgang, 2000 Oststeinbek Multipack for an odd number of identical plastic canisters with a handle
FR2739609B1 (en) * 1995-10-05 1998-02-20 Smurfit Socar Sa SELF-SUPPORTING PACKAGE FOR CROSS STACKING

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2570678A1 (en) * 1984-09-27 1986-03-28 Michels Sa Grouping package made of cardboard for bottles, of the handled pack type, and its application for packing bottles in packs

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1341069A (en) 2002-03-20
WO2000050312A3 (en) 2001-03-15
EP1154936A2 (en) 2001-11-21
AU2702800A (en) 2000-09-14
WO2000050312A2 (en) 2000-08-31
DE60007281D1 (en) 2004-01-29

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