US3411619A - Package - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 119, 1968 TOKUJI sAn'b ET A1. 3,411,619

PACKAGE Filed Nov. 21. 1966 FIG. 34'

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FIG. 35

United States Patent 3,411,619 PACKAGE Tokuji Saito, Kikuo Kubo, and Kin Kato, Uotsu-shi, and

Hachiro Nagashima, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, Japan, assignors to Nippon Carbide Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 595,921 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 27, 1965, 40/ 96,040 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package for an even number of cylindrical articles arranged in rows comprising a plastic support member which is a fiat elongated sheet between the rows of the articles running along the length thereof but slightly shorter than the entire length of the rows. There is a hand grip at one end with a plurality of projections protruding perpendicularly to the plane of the support member and slidable lengthwise within the package. The hand grip may be pulled out and is accessible in that position. The device is completed by a heat shrinkable plastic film wider than the width of the articles in a row which is wrapped around the entire assembly (including the support member) whereby on heat sealing and heating the film shrinks to provide a tight grip on the article.

The invention elates to a package for cylindrical articles such as cans containing beverage or food, and more particularly, to such package including a support member which is interposed between rows of the articles for securing the latter, said support member having end portions which serve as a handle when carrying the package.

Heretofore, cans containing beverage have been packaged in an open box made of carton or the like with the cans partly exposed or they have been packed in a closed box. Such package had disadvantages that it cannot be directly immersed into water for cooling, that it is not adapted for storage as stacked in a freezer, and that when cans are packed in an open box, the top part of the bottle with which human mouth comes in touch is exposed so that the package is unsanitary.

The invention overcomes above disadvantages by providing a package in which cylindrical articles are arranged side by side in rows, a support member being interposed between the rows and the assembly being wrapped by a plastic gum with a portion of the wrapping left open to permit pulling out either end of the support member.

The invention Will be described more in detail with reference to the drawing showing the embodiments of the invention, wherein FIG. 1 is a section through the package according to the invention, the section begin taken along a plane perpendicular to the length of articles,

FIG. 2 is another section of the package, the plane of the section being normal to that of FIG. 1, the section illustrating the end opening of the wrapping,

FIGS. 3a to Be show various configurations of the support member which may be used in the package of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the support member, and

FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 1 wherein the support member is pulled outside the package to provide a grip.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a support member 1 having lateral projections 2 on both sides and spaced apart along its length. As shown in 'FIG. 3a, the support member may comprise a rectangular frame of materials such as rubber and synthetic resins, for example, poly- 'ice ethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride, phenol or melamine. Alternatively, it may be made from aluminum or light and stainless alloy. In FIG. 3a, the projections 2 are positioned to divide the length of the support member into three segments of substantially equal length, so that when cylindrical articles 4 to be packaged are assembled with the support member, the projections interspace the articles. The assembly is then placed on an elongated sheet of heat-shrinking, plastic film 3 which is arranged lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the length of the support member. The sheet has a width somewhat greater than the length defined by width or diameter of several articles aligned crosswise in a row. The length of the sheet should be sufiicient to wrap the assembly in a direction transverse to the length of the support member 1, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the wrapped articles such as cans.

The plastic film is heat-sealed at its longitudinal ends with its both sides left open. Then heat is applied to the entire film to cause heat-shrinkage. In order to hold fast the assembly with a shrunk film 3 and thus to form an integral package, the plastic film used should be highly heat-shrinkable. Synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or the like are suitable as materials of the plastic film. Preferably such film is a mono-axially stretched film. Alternatively, a film may be used which is mono-axially stretched and also stretched transversely to a certain degree. It will be appreciated that the assembly comprising of rows of cans having the support member interposed therebetween is wrapped by the plastic film having the longitudinal direction which coincides with the direction of stretch and runs transversely to the length of the support member. Thus when heat shrinkage of the film occurs, the film shrinks most eminently lengthwise, thereby tightly binding the whole assembly. Simultaneously, close adherence of the film to the end faces of the articles will effectively seal capsules or top faces of cans which are later opened to serve their content, thereby preventing any contamination from these portions. The side edges of the film project initially, namely, before heat-shrinkage, externally of the outer articles, thereby forming a pair of rectangular pipes on both sides, and are caused, upon heat-shrinkage, to press against the latter to urge outer articles inwardly. At the same time, end openings 5, 5' will be formed in the wrapping film.

The resulting package is compact and can be carried by hand as illustrated in FIG. 5 by pulling out the end portion of the support member 1 from between the articles. When the end portion of the support member is pulled out, the projections 2 engage the inner lower faces of the articles as these faces are seen in FIG. 5, thereby serving as stops. In the vertical position of the package shown in FIG. 5, four articles are thus carried by the support member. The two lowest articles are held together by contraction of side edges of the film which overlie the shoulder of the articles. Therefore, the film 3 must be made of materials and have a thickness such that it can withstand the tension due to the weight of those articles which are not supported by the projections 2.

Although the package is provided with end openings at its top and bottom for convenience of taking out the grip from either side, the support member can not slip through the articles, since the projections 2 serve as stops. If desired, the package may be provided with a single end opening 5. Obviously, the material of the film may be transparent to make the design of the article visible, or it may be colored.

Although six articles are assembled in the package shown, it should be apparent that the number of articles contained in one package may be changed as desired, the

only requirement being that the support member 1 has an increased number of projections 2 so that the articles may be properly carried by the support member 1. When the number of articles packaged is high, the projections 2 need not be provided in each interstice between successively adjacent articles in a row, but they can be located in each second interstice. In such case, the projections 2 may be arranged in such manner that the support member has a projection only on one side thereof in an interstice of a given level, while it has a projection on the other side in an interstice of next higher or lower level. However, all the projections may be provided only on one side of the support member without causing inconvenience or distortion of the package. It will be appreciated that the support member has a buffering action between two rows of articles for effectively absorbing vibration during transport. In order to prevent the contact or abutment of the annular rims of adjacent cans, the support member 1 should have a thickness which is at least twice as great as the thickness of such rim. In this way, clicking or breaking loose of the articles is effectively avoided.

As shown in FIGS. 3a to 3e, the support member can take various configurations. The configurations shown in FIGS. 3a to 30 have a relatively large space for free circulation of cooling medium through the openings 5, 5 so that a high cooling efficiency is obtained in this embodiment. When the weight of articles 4 to be carried by the support member is high, it is desirable to choose a support member of configurations such as shown in FIGS. 3d and 3e in order to increase its mechanical strength. Although any other shape may be chosen for the support member, preferably it should be of configuration which surround or enclose a substantial area so that it maintains the buffering action. It will be understood that when the support member is narrow in width, it might shift toward one end of the articles and the buffering action will not be produced at the other end. Such disadvantage can be overcome by using a support member having a substantial width. Furthermore, it is desirable to choose the length of the support member slightly shorter than the length defined by the width of several articles arranged side by side in a row. Thus it is avoided that when the packages are stacked one above the other, the support member of a package protrudges outwardly to engage the wrapping film of an adjacent package, thereby causing a damage of the latter.

The package can be conveniently stacked in a box or container for transport or it can be directly immersed into water for cooling purpose. In use, the film 3 can be cut by knife at a line of intersection with a plane passing through the projection 2 and transversely to the support member, thereby separating a pair of articles. The remaining package is effective to hold the rest of articles together, since the film holds fast the cylindrical articles by its eminent contraction in its longitudinal direction, that is, lengthwise 0f the articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A package including even number of cylindrical articles which are arranged side by side in rows, comprising a support member of plastic material and consisting of flat, elongated sheet interposed between rows of said articles, said support member having its length running transversely to the length of said articles, said length being slightly shorter than the total width of said articles, said member having at least one hand-grip formed at its either end and having a plurality of lateral projections interspacing said articles, said projections protruding perpendicularly to the plane of said support member, said member being slidable lengthwise within said package, whereby said member is normally retracted within said package, said hand-grip accessible only when pulled out, and a heat shrinkable, plastic film of Width greater than the length defined by the width of said articles in a row and of sufiicient length to wrap around the assembly of the articles and the support member in the longitudinal direction of the articles, thereby allowing its longitudinal end portions to be heat-sealed together, said plastic film being previously monoaxially stretched so that upon heat shrinkage of the film, the latter hold together the assembly with its side edges forming end openings for providing access to said hand-grip and completely wrapping and sealing said articles.

2. A package according to claim 1 in which said plastic film is further stretched transversely.

3. A package according to claim 1 in which said articles are cylindrical cans having protuberant annular rims at the ends thereof and wherein said support member has a thickness which is at least twice as great as the height of said protuberant rim, whereby the support member serves as a buffering element for said cans.

4. A package according to claim 1, in which said lateral projections are provided solely on one side of the plane of said support member.

5. A package according to claim 1, in which six cylindrical cans are arranged in two rows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.

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