RU2365531C2 - Can holder and carton can holder blank - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: package.

SUBSTANCE: carton flat blank makes a holder for several cylindrical cans with inclined top and cover to close the said top. Note that the said blank has a pair of arc-like cutouts for each can to be held by proposed holder. Note also that the said arc-like cutouts feature an arc-like central part and arc-like parts on both ends of the latter. Note also that previously mentioned central part extends radially from the said end parts to form, there between, a hooking tongue extending inwards. Mind that hooking tongue curvature mates that of the can right being its rim.

EFFECT: can holder that allows producing build-up can-holding assembly.

14 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a cardboard holder, preferably corrugated cardboard, for connecting several generally cylindrical cans arranged in one or more rows and having an inclined upper part and a lid on top having a protruding circular rim. The holder is made of a flat billet having for each can connected by the holder, two mutually opposite, essentially arcuate slots, the outer edges of which hook the can under the rim when the holder is mounted on the cans to connect the holder and cans and form the assembled package.

The invention also relates to a flat cardboard blank of a can holder.

Cylindrical cans are used in the manufacture of beverages, for example, such as mineral water, beer and soft drinks. For combining together several cans provide packages that can contain from two to ten cans. For this, many different types of packages have been created, for example, allowing the consumer to pick up a group of cans and manipulate it.

For such packages, plastics are used, for example, in the form of a plastic film wrapper passing around the cans to be packaged, or in the form of plastic rings connected to each other, which are installed around the cans. However, such packages have a high cost and environmental impact. Therefore, cardboard jar holders have been created that are preferable both from the point of view of environmental impact and from a commercial point of view. Combinations of plastic and cardboard materials are also used for this type of packaging.

Given the widespread use of beverage packaging and the large number of cans sold in such packages, the cost of an individual package, including the cost of material and assembly cost, is an important factor affecting the cost of sold assembled packaging. Consequently, relatively small changes in packaging costs are very important. In addition, it is important that the contents of the packages are clearly visible and that the can in the package can be identified.

One type of cardboard holder having a parcel shape or so-called wrapper configuration that extends around a group of cans and is often used is described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,194,476. A wrapper holder is expensive and difficult to install around cans in a production line. An additional disadvantage is that it is difficult for the consumer to identify the contents of the package.

Other types of cardboard holders are known which are adapted to be mounted on the upper side of a group of containers and to be connected to them. A holder of this type is described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,094,210. The holder is made of a flat cardboard blank having two opposite U-shaped slots for each container, which must be connected via the holder. A flat billet is mounted on a group of containers by folding the side flanges down to the sides of the container so that the outer edges of the slots in the holder engage with the containers under the shoulder. However, in order to prevent the edges of the slots from detaching from the shoulder due to mutual movements of the containers, an additional appropriate holder must be placed on the bottom of the containers. The above holder has the disadvantage that it can only be used for one row of containers, and its cost is high due to the cost of the material and the complex assembly of the holder, consisting of two parts. Another disadvantage is that the side flanges of the holder, protruding downward along the sides of the containers, can easily engage an adjacent package or some other element so that the flanges are fed up and the edges of the slots are disconnected from the shoulder of the container.

A similar can holder is described in EP-B-0496807. The holder contains two opposite arcuate slots for each can and short cuts extending radially from these slots. Several valves formed between the cuts are engaged under the protruding neck of the cans. Grip valves are provided on each side of the holder, capable of being folded when the holder, along with the cans, is gripped and lifted by the user. This holder, however, does not sufficiently engage the holder with the cans, especially when a lifting force is applied to the grip recesses located on the sides of the holder. The holder has a centrally located fold line that serves as a “hinge” when a lifting force is applied to the recesses to be gripped from opposite sides of the holder so that the cans move apart and tend to separate from the holder. In addition, the side flaps rise by the lifting force, further increasing the risk of the holder detaching from the cans.

An object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems by creating a can holder that can be firmly mounted on the cans to connect, hold and hold it, to provide assembled packaging that can be lifted and manipulated without danger of disconnecting the cans and which is effective from the point of view view of material consumption and can be easily and effectively installed on several banks.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of a can holder and a cardboard blank of this holder of the type described above, characterized by the features set forth in the attached claims.

According to the invention, the opposite arcuate slots for each can connected by the holder comprise an arcuate intermediate portion located between two arcuate end portions, the intermediate portion being formed so that it is radially inwardly separated from the end portions of the slot, and a protruding radially formed in the intermediate slot portion direction and curved tongue. The tongue is adapted to slide over the rim of the can when the side panels and, possibly, the central part of the workpiece are pressed down to the inclined sides of the can and to snap under the rim of the can to securely connect the holder to the cans. The can is reliably clamped in the holder by a pulling force as a result of the contact pressure of the holder on the lid located on the top of the can, which rises when the hook tongues are installed under the can rim and rest on it. The curvature of the hook tongue throughout its length monitors the curvature of the can, and due to the deviation of the end sections of the slots and the creation of tension in these sections provided as a result of contact pressure on the lid located on top, the tongues of the tongues are pulled together and a reliable and stable connection is obtained.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

Below the invention is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a top view of a cardboard blank holder for cans made in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, while the holder is designed for one row of cans, including two cans;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled package containing a holder with two cans, the holder being made of a cardboard blank of FIG. 1;

figure 3 is a top view of a cardboard blank holder for cans made according to the second variant of the invention, while the holder is designed for six cans arranged in two rows, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled package containing a holder with six cans made of a cardboard blank of FIG. 3.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The holder according to the invention is made of a flat cardboard blank, preferably corrugated cardboard. Thin and compact corrugated board with F-corrugations is preferably used. However, thicker corrugated cardboard with E-corrugations may also be an acceptable material for the holder. To minimize the effect of moisture on the material, corrugated board can be coated with a layer of plastic, preferably on the inside. In addition to the fact that the plastic layer increases the moisture resistance of the material, such a layer also increases the ductility of the material. In the case of a plastic coating, corrugated cardboard does not pollute the environment, since the plastic coating can be recycled.

1 shows a flat blank 2 of a holder according to a first embodiment of the invention. The holder is designed to connect and hold several cans arranged in one row, and in this embodiment a row of two cans is shown. FIG. 2 shows a holder 1 made from a blank 2 in FIG. 1 and mounted on several cans 4. The cans 4, which do not form part of the present invention, usually have a substantially cylindrical shape. The upper part of the can is slightly inclined and closed by the upper lid 6, sealed along a circular protruding rim 8.

The flat blank 2 of FIG. 1 has a substantially rectangular initial shape, preferably with depressed or inclined angles 10, to reduce the risk of the protruding portion of the holder engaging with any adjacent element, such as another assembled jar package. On the long sides 26 of the workpiece, two centrally located recesses 12 are provided, forming gripping points for two fingers. The holder 1 and the cans 4 forming the assembled package, which is shown in FIG. 2, can be easily lifted by gripping the recesses 12 with two fingers.

In the workpiece 2 there are two opposite and essentially arcuate slots 14 for each can 4 connected by the holder. The arcuate slot 14 contains an arcuate intermediate portion 16 having arched end portions 18 on both sides thereof. Step sections 20 are located between the intermediate portion 16 and the end portions 20. The arcuate end portions 18 are part of a circle whose radius is equal to or slightly larger than the radius of the protruding rim 8 of the lid 6 located on top of the can, so that the end portions 18 in the installed state of the holder shown in FIG. 2 are aligned with the rim 8, or protrude slightly beyond the edge of the rim a. Thus, the outer edge of the slot 14 can easily be shifted down along the end portions 18 beyond the rim 8, which is explained in more detail below.

The arcuate intermediate section 16 of the slot 14 is formed so that it is spaced radially inward from the end sections 18 of the slot, therefore, the intermediate section forms an arc on the inside from the arcuate line formed by the extensions of the two end sections 18. The outer edge of the intermediate section 16 of the slot 14 forms a protruding hook tongue 22 directed to the center of the workpiece. Mentioned arcuate hook tongue 22 may be part of a circle whose curvature corresponds to the curvature of the can just under its rim. The hook tongue 22 may extend along an arc and in another manner, for example, the arc may be part of a circle and continued with expansion. Therefore, such a hook tongue 22 has a larger radius and center, which does not coincide with the center of the cans in the installed state of the holder. The hook tongue 22 is adapted to engage under the protruding rim 8 of the can 4 to connect the can with the holder and its fixation, which is described in more detail below.

In the workpiece 2, there are several longitudinal fold lines 24 extending parallel to the long sides 26 of the workpiece and a number of cans. Bend lines 24 connect the ends of the arcuate slots 14 to each other and to the short adjacent side 28 of the workpiece.

When forming the holder 1, as shown in FIG. 2, from the flat blank 2 of FIG. 1, the blank 2 is first applied to the lids 6 located on the top of the cans so that the slots 14 in the blank generally coincide with the protruding rims 8 of the cans. A force will be applied to the side panels 30 of the workpiece 2 formed between the long sides 26 and the fold lines 24 so that they are bent downward to the inclined surfaces of the cans. In this regard, the outer edge of the slot 14 is shifted down, and the protruding tongue 22 is slightly rotated in the upper direction. In this case, the arcuate end sections 18 of the slot 14 extend along the outer side of the protruding rim 8 of the lid 6, and the hook tongue 22 slides over the rim 8 and engages under this rim so that the holder is firmly attached to the bank by the tongue.

The arcuate hook tongue 22 is formed so that it corresponds to the curvature of the cylinder of the can 4, so the whole tongue 22 abuts against the surface of the can under the rim 8 and creates a pulling force, which is a consequence of the tension distributed along the holder along the outer edges of the end sections 18 of the slots due to the contact the pressure of the holder 1 on the cover 6, as a result of which a stable and reliable connection of the holder to the banks will be ensured. The assembled package is further stabilized by means of panels 30, supported on inclined surfaces of the cans 4.

The width (along the short sides 28) of the flat billet 2 is approximately equal to the cylinder diameter of the can. In the installed state, when the side panels 30 are in an inclined position, the width of the holder 1 is further reduced. Therefore, in the installed state, the edges of the holder 1 do not exceed the maximum dimensions of the cans. As a result, the risk of inadvertently disconnecting the holder from the cans due to the upward force exerted on the side panels is significantly reduced. The flat upper parts of the installed holder 1 cover the upper parts of the cans, that is, their lids 6, therefore, these parts will be protected from contamination during transportation and storage.

Figure 3 presents a flat cardboard blank 32 for the holder according to the second embodiment. The workpiece in the installed state serves to connect and hold several cans 4 arranged in two rows, in the shown embodiment, only six cans. In figure 4, the blank 32 is shown in the installed state. The flat preform 32 has a substantially rectangular initial shape, preferably with depressed or inclined angles 10, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At least two gripping recesses 42 are located between the rows of cans, preferably in the form of round or oval holes, for the formation of grippers for two fingers, to lift the assembled packaging and manipulate it.

For each can 4 connected by the holder 31, there are two opposed and substantially arcuate slots 44, 45 in the blank 32. Each pair of slots comprises an outer slot 44, essentially corresponding to the slots 14 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the inner the slot 45 adjacent to the center 34 of the workpiece between the rows of cans. The inner slot 45 differs from the outer slot 44 mainly in the configuration of the intermediate portion 46, and also in that the arcuate end portions 48 are smaller than the corresponding end portions 18 of the outer slot 44. As a result, the intermediate portion 46 of the inner slot is larger than the corresponding intermediate portion 16 of the outer slot 44.

The intermediate portion 46 of the inner slot 45 has at least one, and in the shown embodiment, two cut 47 extending in the radial direction. The cuts 47 extend between the edge of the slot 45 and the arcuate fold line 53 passing between the end portions 48 and defining the boundary of the hook tongue between the step portions 50. The cuts 47 divide the hook tongue into three hook valves 52. The curvature of the intermediate portion 46 of the slot 45 differs from the curvature of the arc line of the fold 53 in that it is wider and its radius is larger than that of the fold line 53. The arcuate fold line 53 has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the contact line on the inclined surface of the can, which is described in more detail below with with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, there are several additional fold lines in the blank 32. Three longitudinal fold lines 54 for each row of cans extend parallel to the long sides 56 of the workpiece and the rows of cans. Two of the three longitudinal fold lines 54 connect the ends of the arcuate slots 44, 45 to each other and to the short adjacent side 58 of the workpiece, and the third fold line 54 connects the stepped sections 20 in the outer slots 44 to each other or to the short adjacent side 58 of the workpiece. In addition, there are several beveled fold lines 55 in the preform that connect the external hook valves 52 to the adjacent gripping recess 42 or to the short adjacent side of the preform.

As shown in FIG. 4, several cans 4 arranged in two rows are connected and held together in an assembled package by means of a holder 31. When forming the holder shown in FIG. 4 from the flat blank 32 of FIG. 3, the flat blank is first laid on rows of cans, after which a force is applied to the side panels 60 from the long side and also to the central sections of the blank, and thus bend them down moreover, this is best done by means of a special tool for applying pressure. During this application process, the substantially circular parts of the preform between the slots 44, 45 rest on and cover the cans 6, while the side panels 60 and the central portions will be bent down. By means of a downward-directed force, the workpiece 32 is bent along the fold lines 54, 55. In this case, the side panels 60 are bent in two stages along two longitudinal fold lines 54, due to which the arched edge of the outer slots 44 is shifted in the lower direction behind the rim 8 of the can according to how shown in figure 2. The outermost part of the side panels 60 is further bent so that the hook tongue 22 slides over the rim 8 and engages beneath it in the locked position.

Between the rows of cans in the center of the workpiece 32, said tool applies pressure in some places along the center line 34 of the workpiece. The workpiece 32 is bent along the longitudinal inner line of the fold 54 so that the outer edges of the inner slots 45 are shifted down beyond the rim 8 of the can. In addition, the blank 32 is bent along the oblique fold lines 55 and the arcuate fold lines 53. The downward pressure is applied so that the arcuate fold lines 53 are applied to the inclined surfaces of the cans and the hook valves 52 are folded upward so that they catch under the can rim 8 of the cans fixation position. Downward pressure is applied to some parts of the preform between each pair of cans, thereby forming cup-shaped depressions between the beveled fold lines 55 and the arcuate fold lines 53.

When the holder 31 in FIG. 4 with a heavy load in the form of liquid-filled cans 4 is lifted by gripping the recesses 42 for this purpose with two fingers, the beveled fold lines 55 and mainly the depressions formed between them in the holder 31 prevent the conversion of lifting forces, as in the known holders, leading to separation and movement of the cans relative to each other, which can lead to the disconnection of the cans from the holder. According to the invention, instead of this, the lifting force is distributed in the direction of the oblique fold lines 55 and is converted to increased engagement pressure of the valves 52 with the rim 8.

The preforms of the invention can be effectively installed on cans using an automated production line. However, the blanks can also be effectively installed using a semi-automatic production line or packaging line, and it is also common practice to manually install the blank on the cans to obtain the assembled packaging.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A flat blank of cardboard, preferably corrugated cardboard, for use as a holder for connecting several essentially cylindrical cans arranged in one or more rows and having an inclined top and a lid on top, said blank having, for each connected by the can holder, a pair of opposite, essentially arcuate slots, characterized in that said essentially arcuate slots contain an arcuate intermediate section (16, 46) and arcuate ends second sections (18, 48) on both sides, the intermediate section (16, 46) protruding radially inward from the arcuate end sections (18, 48) extending from it, so that it forms a protruding between these end sections (18, 48) inside the hook tongue (22, 52), while the curvature of the hook tongue corresponds to the curvature of the can directly under its rim. 2. The workpiece according to claim 1, characterized in that said curved end sections (18, 48) are part of a circle having a radius equal to or slightly larger than the radius of the cans. 3. A flat preform according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the preform has panels (30, 60) capable of being folded along fold lines (24, 54), said fold lines being parallel to the long sides of the blank and connecting the ends of the arcuate slots ( 14, 44, 45) with each other and with the adjacent side (28, 58) of the workpiece. 4. A flat blank according to claim 3, characterized in that said pairs of opposite, essentially arcuate slots (14) are arranged in one row, and the recesses (12) for gripping are centrally located on the sides (26) of the blank. 5. A flat blank according to claim 3, characterized in that the said pairs of opposite, essentially arcuate slots (44, 45) are arranged in two rows, and the recesses (42) for gripping are centrally located between the rows. 6. A cardboard holder connecting several essentially cylindrical cans (4) arranged in one or more rows and having an inclined upper part and a lid (6) on top having a circular protruding rim (8), the holder (1 , 31) is made of a flat billet according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. The holder according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer edges of the holder are located so that they coincide with the group of cans (4) in the assembled package or are on the inside of the maximum outer dimensions of this group. 8. The holder according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it further comprises recesses (12, 42) for gripping with fingers to lift the assembled package and manipulate it. 9. The holder according to claim 8, characterized in that it connects two or more cans (4) in a row, and these recesses (12) for gripping are centrally located on the sides (26) of the workpiece. 10. The holder according to claim 8, characterized in that it connects two or more cans (4) in two rows, and the recesses (42) for gripping form holes, preferably round or oval, centrally located between the rows of cans (4). 11. The holder according to claim 10, characterized in that the inner arcuate slot (45) of each pair of opposing slots (44, 45) has an arcuate intermediate section (46) with a radius that is larger than the radius of the arcuate end sections (48). 12. The holder according to claim 11, characterized in that the arcuate intermediate section (46) of the inner slot (45) forms a protruding hook tongue (52, 52, 52), the boundary of which is defined by an arcuate fold line (53) passing between the end sections ( 48), and which is divided by radially extending cuts (47), so that at least two catch valves (52) are formed, while the catch valves (52) are able to bend upward to lean on the inclined surface of the can (4) and enter meshing under the rim (8) of the can when the holder is set on the banks. 13. The holder according to claim 12, characterized in that it contains beveled fold lines (55) connecting each catch valve distant from the middle (52) with an adjacent recess (42) for gripping or with an adjacent side (58) of the workpiece (32). 14. The holder according to item 13, wherein the fold line (54), extending parallel to the side (56) of the workpiece and the rows of cans, connects stepped sections (20) located between the intermediate section (16) and the end sections (18) of the outer the slots (44), with each other and with the adjacent side (58), with the formation of an external bendable panel on each long side (56).

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