GB2320480A - Top gripping bottle carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The device is formed from a blank which has apertures 30, 32, 34 with wider portions 30A, 32A, 34A through which the top 16 of a container (10) is inserted and slid to narrower portions 30B, 32B, 34B such that the neck 17 is adjacent to the blank. At this stage catch portion 44 is perpendicular to the main panel 48 as seen in Figure 4. The catch and lock panels 44, 46 are then folded to position 62 to lock the containers in position. The device when used for a single container has tamper evident properties and when glued to the product, panel 24 can be used for display purposes. Cut-out portion 54 allows the handle of the middle container to be used to transport the whole package. Other embodiments show the device with a handle attached (Figure 5A), with an additional fold over portion (Figure 10) and with additional tabs for gluing to the product (70, Figure 6).

Description

improvements Relating to Packaging Devices This invention relates to packaging devices which are made of sheet material such as cardboard, or plastics sheet material.

Specifically, although the devices can be used for single containers, as briefly mentioned herein, the packaging devices are those which are used mainly in what are known as "multi-packs". A multi-pack comprises a number of similar items, for example bottles or cans which are held together by a packaging device of the type to which the invention relates so that the items and the device form a "pack" which can be lifted bv a consumer from a supermarket shelf.

There are two main types of devices at present in use, the first of which comprises a sleeve of cut and creased cardboard which is used mainly to hold beverage or the like cans, and such sleeves wrap round the cans enclosing same and holding them together.

Another type is also in the form of a sleeve, but this sleeve is wrapped round and usually grips only the tops of the containers, such as bottles having necks, and the bodies of the bottles hang from the neck.

The present invention is concerned mainly with the second type of packaging device in so far as it concerns a packaging device which is adapted to grip a neck or top region of a container, but the device could be adapted to be wrapped round the containers as well as gripping them in the neck or top region.

The problem with the known packaging devices of which examples are known in European Patent Application No and which are adapted to be applied to the necks of containers to grip same and hold them together is that special and expensive machinery is usually required in order to apply the devices. Thus, the machinery usually is adapted to hold the devices and then apply items with a downward pushing action, to cause the devices to be forced over the container tops, and onto the necks, during which the devices grip and lock to the container necks. High application forces can be involved and if the application machinery and containers are out of alignment failure of application and damage to the containers can result.

The present invention aims to reduce or eliminate this disadvantage.

This is achieved in that according to the present invention, a packaging device of sheet material has one or a plurality of holes therein for receipt of the top of or the tops of a container or containers which at the top or tops defines or define a bead or beads or a rim or rims under which the sheet material around said hole or holes can catch, characterised in that the hole or holes is or are a keyhole type hole or holes which or each of which defines a wide portion and a narrow portion enabling the container top to be slid into the narrow portion after passing through the wide portion so that the sheet material catches under said bead or rim, the device furthermore including associated with the or each hole, a catch portion adapted to be folded to a position preventing the container top from moving back out of the hole narrow portion.

Preferably, the device is for holding several containers for form a multi-pack.

Preferably, the said holes are formed partly in a main panel portion and partly in said one or more catch portions which are folded to lie in a plane or planes transverse to the main panel when the containers are inserted, and is/are, then folded into the plane of the main panel to lock the containers in position.

In an alternative arrangement, the device is pushed over the container tops and this causes the catch portions to fold out of the plane of the sheet material. The device is then slid as described, moving the container tops into the narrow portions, and then the catch portions are then folded back into their original positions, locking the device to the container tops.

In this embodiment, the device may have a fold over flap portion which is folded over on the remainder of the device and the container tops, apertures in the flap portion allowing parts of the container tops to pass therethrough, and the flap portion is then glued to the container bodies.

Many different modifications of the invention are possible, but all have the advantage that assembly of device and containers is simplified in that no forcing over the tops of the containers of the device to provide a locking effect is necessary, in that the container tops can pass through the large hole portions easily and then locking is by relative sliding of the containers and device, preferably in the plane of said main panel.

The device may be for holding together containers in a single row or containers held in two rows. Typically there may be two three or four containers in a single row pack or four six or eight in a double row pack, more can be held but tend to be impractical in that they are difficult to handle by customers and tend not to sell well.

When the device is for holding a single container, it may be usable as a device, known as a promotional header card, for promotional purposes. Conventional devices of this nature often fall off the containers before reaching the required destination and therefore do not fulfil their function, but the device of the invention overcomes this difficulty. The device could also be used as a tamper evident means, and may find utility in ethical/non ethical applications.

Several specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one type of container to be held by the devices according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank of cut and creased sheet material adapted to form a device according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing how the containers of Fig. 1 are connected to the blank of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line IV - IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming a device according to a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5A shows how the blank of Fig. 5 is folded to prepare it for application to the containers of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for forming a device according to a third embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 shows how the device according to Fig. 6 is applied to the containers; Figs 8, 9 and 10 show respectivelv subsequent steps in the completion of the application of the device according to Fig. 6 to the containers; and Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation taken through the line X - X of Fig.

10.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a plastic bottle 10 for containing liquid which may be a beverage, milk or the like, but obviously the contents of the bottle are immaterial to the invention.

The bottle is of asymmetric shape in that it is generally square in cross section but has a shoulder 12 at one side, and this is bridged as shown by a lifting and pouring handle 14. The bottle has a narrow circular neck 17 leading to an open top which is closed by a conventional cylindrical screw threaded cap 16. The cap 16 and bottle 10 form the container, and the lower edge of the cap 16 forms the bead or rim under which the packaging device 18 of the embodiments of the invention engage, specifically as shown in Figs 3 and 8.

The packaging device 18 of Fig. 3 is a blank 20 of cut and creased sheet material, in this case cardboard, and it is shown in Fig. 2. In all of the figures, the convention is adopted that the cut lines are shown as full lines and the crease lines are shown as dotted lines.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the blank 20 is of simple generally rectangular configuration having ends 22, 24 and sides 26, 28. It is symmetrical and has three holes or apertures 30, 32, 34 which are "keyhole" apertures for receiving the caps 16 respectively of three of the containers of Fig. 1 which are to be held by the device 18 to form a three container multi-pack.

Thus, each hole 30, 32, 34 has a wide portion 30A, 32A, 34A in the length direction of the blank 20 of rectangular form, and a narrow portion 30B, 32B, 34B of substantially semi-circular form. The width of portions 30A, 32A, 34A is slightly greater than the diameter of cap 16, and the height is also slightly greater than the height of cap 16, so that the cap 16 can readily pass through these portions, whilst the diameter of each of the narrow portions 30B, 32B, 34B is slightly less than that of the cap 16 but is such as to enable the bottle neck 17 to fit therein.

In alignment with the top and bottom edges of hole portions 30A, 32A, 34A are crease lines 36, 38 extending from end to end of the blank 20, and parallel with these creases are two further creases 40, 42. Thereby, there are defined in the blank a catch or lock means made up of panels 44, 46, a main panel 48, a shoulder panel 50 and a glue panel 52. The blank finally has a cut out 54 to enable the handle 19 of the centre container to be grasped for lifting of the pack.

To bring the device 18 and containers 10,16 together to form the multi-pack is a simple machinery handling operation. Firstly, the blank 20 is folded about crease line 38 to fold the catch means 44, 46 to lie in a vertical plane as shown in Fig. 3. Then it is simply a matter of moving the container and folded blink 20 together one relative to the other in a horizontal direction, so that the caps 16 of the containers pass through the wide aperture portions 30A, 32A, 34A to cause the bottle necks 17 to be received in the narrow portions 30B, 32B, 34B. In Fig. 3 one container 16 is shown received in the folded blank 20 and another is shown spaced therefrom, but ready to be moved thereinto in the direction of arrow 56.

The glue panel 52 is shown in Fig. 3 as being folded downwardly, but when the containers and device are put together this panel may be horizontal, and subsequent to the assembly it may be folded down and glued to the sides 58 of the containers to secure the glue panel 52 thereto. This panel 52 may for example carry appropriate graphics, or descriptive and/or advertising material.

When the containers and device 18 has been brought together, the main panel 48 fits in relation to the container neck 17 as shown in Fig. 4, and to complete the locking of the device to the containers, the catch means in the form of panels 44 and 46 is folded down as indicated by arrow 60 in Fig. 4, so that the edges of wide portions 30A, 32A and 34A along the crease line 36 snap over the edges of the caps 16, and then click or lock under the lower edges of the caps 16 as shown in dotted lines at 62 in Fig. 4, completing the locking of the device to the caps. The material of the catch panels 44 and 46 may be slightly strained as the panels are folded over the cap edges, but they click firmly into position under the lower edges of the caps when the operation has been completed.

A particularly simple and effective means of connecting the containers to the device is therefore provided.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 5A, connection of the containers is effected in a similar manner, except that the blank as shown in Fig. 5 is adapted to receive four containers, two to each side of the centre line, and therefore the device will not be glued to the containers but will merely engage under the lower rims of the caps as hereinbefore described. The device of Figs. 5 and 5A may be provided with a central handle 64 to enable the multi-pack to be lifted. The device of Figs. 5 and 5A may be a single blank, or alternatively when it is provided with a handle 64 may be made up of two blanks glued together and constructed to provided the said handle 64.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 to 11, the blank is shown in Fig. 6 and is of generally rectangular form except that at one end it is slightly tapered and there are extension arms 70, 72 whose purpose will be explained. The blank shown in Fig. 6 is again for connection to containers as shown in Fig. 1.

The blank of Fig. 6 has three apertures 74 each defining a wide portion 76 and a narrow portion 78. The narrow portion 78 is scalloped at its edges as shown, whilst the wide portion 76 is filled with a catch portion 79 which can be folded out of the plane of the blank, as will be explained.

The blank has four fold lines 80, 82, 84 and 85, extending from side to side as shown, and in fold line 84 are auxiliary apertures 86, 88 and 90, which are for engaging the tops of the containers when the device is applied thereto. The aperture 54 is again provided and is for the same purpose as set forth herein.

Hinge lines 92 are provided in the extension arms 70, 72 to enable the arms to be wrapped round the container bodies as will be explained.

Figs 7 to 10 show how the blank of Fig. 6 is applied to three containers arranged side by side as shown in Fig. 7. Firstly, as shown in Fig. 7, the blank is applied over the container tops so that the tops pass through the wide portions 76 of the blank, and during this action, the catch portions 79 are raised as shown in Fig. 7.

Next, the blank is moved by sliding it as indicated by arrow 96 in Fig. 7 so that the necks 17 of the containers are moved into the narrow portions 78 of the apertures 74. This condition is shown in Fig. 8. To lock the containers in the device, the catch portions 79 are folded back into the plane of the sheet material, as shown in Fig.

9, and the containers are now locked to the device.

To complete the application, the remainder of the blank is folded back on itself as indicated by arrow 98 in Fig. 9 which brings the apertures 86, 88 and 90 into register with the container tops, which partly project therethrough, and the blank is glued to the fronts 58 of the containers, and the extensions 72 are folded round and glued to the sides of the end containers as shown in Fig. 10 to complete the packaging.

Additionally, the edge region 100 of the blank which underlies the folded over portion 102 of the blank is glued to that portion 102, as shown in Fig. 11.

Other adaptations of division of a keyhole aperture according to the invention may be provided.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS.

1 A packaging device of sheet material having one or a plurality of holes therein for receipt of the top of or the tops of a container or containers which at the top or tops defines or define a bead or beads or a rim or rims under which the sheet material around said hole or holes can catch, characterised in that the hole or holes is or are a keyhole type hole or holes which or each of which defines a wide portion and a narrow portion enabling the container top to be slid into the narrow portion after passing through the wide portion so that the sheet material catches under said bead or rim, the device furthermore including associated with the or each hole, a catch portion adapted to be folded to a position preventing the container top from moving back out of the hole narrow portion.

2. A packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the said hole or each of the said holes is formed partly in a main panel portion and partly in said catch portion or portions which is or are folded to lie in a plane or planes transverse to the main panel when the container or containers is or are inserted.

3. A packaging device according to claim 1, wherein to apply the device it is pushed over the container top or tops and this causes the catch portion or portions to fold out of the plane of the sheet material, which catch portion or portions is or are adapted to be folded back into their or its original positions, locking the device to the container top or tops.

3. A packaging device according to claim 4, wherein the device has a fold over flap portion which is adapted to be folded over on the remainder of the device and the container top or tops so that an aperture or apertures in the flap portion allows or allow a part or parts of the container top or tops to pass therethrough, the flap portion being for gluing to the container body or bodies, or locking upon itself, or gluing to itself and/or the container or containers

4. A packaging device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is in the form of a blank of cut and creased sheet material.

5. A packaging device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A package comprising containers held by a packaging device according to any one of the preceding claims.