MXPA96005751A

MXPA96005751A - Carrier of envoltura with panels of extremos parcia

Info

Publication number: MXPA96005751A
Application number: MXPA/A/1996/005751A
Authority: MX
Inventors: L Harris Randall
Original assignee: Riverwood International Corporation
Priority date: 1995-12-01
Filing date: 1996-11-21
Publication date: 1997-06-01

Abstract

A wrapping carrier with partial end panels. The end panels are formed from the portions of a carrier preform that would normally have end portions of the top panel. Instead, these portions are connected to the side panels along the diagonal bend lines and are folded down into place during the formation of the carrier. The items on the carrier are in contact with the connections of the panel of slots of the panels of the ends

Description

WRAPPING CARRIER WITH PARTIAL EXTREME PANELS Field of the Invention The present invention relates to carriers of wrapping articles. More particularly, it relates to carriers of wrapping articles having partial end panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wrappers are commonly used in the packaging of beverage bottles and cans. To form a package, a carrier preform is wrapped around a group of articles and the end portions of the preform are connected together, usually in the lower part of the carrier. The ends of the carrier are typically open, but because the preform is tightly wrapped, there is a small risk that the articles fall out, through the ends of the opening. The envelope carriers are structurally sound and economical, which makes them the ideal carriers for certain products. A problem that has been created through the practice of reading barcodes of merchandise prices in sales outlets has led to a demand for wrapper carriers with partial-end panels covering the code in the end article in the package. These allow the reader to see only the price code on the carrier itself and not read erroneously the price code at one end of the item on the carrier. Although normally, it is not necessary to prevent the article from escaping from the carrier, the provision of partial end panels provides extra security against this risk. The wrappers are provided with partial end panels by various means, most commonly by connecting the panels to a preform through the use of reinforced panels that allow the end panels to bend in place as the preform is formed. wrap around the items. This has resulted in the increased cost of the preforms due to the need for additional material to form the end panels and reinforce the panels. It is highly desirable to be able to provide wrapping carriers with partial end panels without increasing the cost of the carrier preforms, and it is the primary objective of the present invention that provides this carrier.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is incorporated in the envelope carrier containing a plurality of articles. The carrier includes a top panel, opposite side panels that are connected in the form of a fold to the top panel, a bottom panel connected to the side panels and the side panels. The edges of the end of the top panel are separated from the end panels and the carrier includes the mechanisms for connecting the end panels to the side panels. The latter mechanisms include a crease or panel connected in a fold manner that connects to the opposite end portions of each end panel and to an associated side panel, the connected panels being placed between an adjacent article in the package and the associated side panel. Preferably, the end panels include a diagonal bend lines extending inward from a point located at the upper end of an associated side panel. These diagonal bend lines allow the areas at the corners of the end panels to better follow the contour of the curve of the adjacent articles in the package and also provide that the main portions of the end panels rest in a practically vertical plane. The design of the carrier is provided so that the end panels are formed from the portions of the carrier preform, which would normally be part of the top panel section of the preform. This arrangement produces a top panel having edge ends that are separated from the end panels and results in the end panels having a height practically equal to the distance separating the edges of the end of the top panel from the end panels. The design is really economical, it does not require preform material for the formation of the end panels. These and other features and aspects of the invention, as well as other benefits, will readily be understood from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a graphic view of the carrier of the invention and is shown holding six beverage cans; FIGURE 2 is a side view of the carrier of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is a view of one end of the carrier of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 is a top view of the carrier FIGURE 1; FIGURE 5 is a plate view of the preform to form the carrier of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 6 is an end view of the carrier preform at an initial stage of carrier formation; FIGURE 7 is an end view similar to that of FIGURE 6, but in the last stage of carrier formation; and FIGURE 8 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 4, without the beverage cans for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURES 1-4, a package 10 comprises six cans of C drinks arranged in two rows of three cans each within a wrap carrier 12. The carrier includes side panels 14 connected to the panel upper 16 and lower panel 18. Side panels include a lower bevel panel 20 which is connected by means of a fold line 22 to the main vertical portion of the side panels and by means of the fold line 24 to the bottom panel. Inclined cuts 26 are provided in the beveled panels through which the lower portions of the cans protrude in the typical shape of the wrapping carrier. Additionally, the side panels include an upper bevelled panel 28 which is connected by means of the fold line 30 to the main vertical portion of the side panels and by means of the fold line 32 to the top panel 16. The top panel, which it includes the holes for the fingers 34, is relatively short, does not extend over the entire length of the carrier, as is the case with the uppermost beveled panel 28. The upper portions of the inner cans protrude through a cut 36 in the central portion of each top panel, which allows the carrier to hold tightly around the cans.

The carrier includes end panels 38 which are connected in the form of folds to the side panels 14 along the outer edge 40 of the grooves or openings 42 in the upper end portions of the side panels. The angled fold lines 44 form triangular panels 46 on the end panels, which, together with the connections of the end panel, are discussed in more detail below. The end portions of the side panels to which the end panels are connected are part of the vertical portion of the side panel and do not include portions in the bevelled panel 28. Referring now to FIGURE 5, a preform 48 for forming the carrier has the substantially rectangular shape and can comprise any desirable material having adequate strength or strength and flexibility. Preferably, the preform is formed of cardboard of the caliber and type conventionally used in the beverage carrier industry. The upper panel section 16 is located in the center of the preform and connects on opposite sides by means of the fold lines 32 to the portions of the upper bevelled panel 28 of the side panel sections 14. The finger holes 34, preferably are covered by fins 50 that are connected in the form of folds to the upper panel section. The fold lines 32 are interrupted in the cuts 36 by the edges of the upper panel section, forming the tabs 52 that cover the upper portions of the protrusions of the upper portions of the inner cans in a carrier formed from the preform . The lines of the portion of the lower bevel panel 22 are interrupted by the cut grooves 54 extending toward the cuts. 26 to form tabs 56 that apply pressure against the inclined portions of the bottles in the carrier. Connected to the portions of the lower bevel panel of the side panel sections by means of the bending lines are the fins of the lower panel 58 and 60. The fin of the lower panel 60 includes the double line 62 to which the panels are connected. secondary locking tabs 64. A slot 66 interrupts the double line 62 in each of the locking tabs to form the primary locking tabs 68. Additionally, each secondary closure tab 64 includes a transverse fold line 70, which creates the portion of the outer tab 72. The lower panel tab 58 includes primary closure openings 74 and secondary closure slots 76 aligned with the locking tabs 68. and the closing tab portions 72. Still referring to FIGURE 5, the edges of the end of the upper panel section 16 are defined by the slots 77 that separate the upper panel section from the end panel sections 38 and which ends near the corners of the upper panel section. The cuts 78, located on the corner face of the upper panel section, are defined by the edges of the corner of the upper panel section, by the edges 80 of the sections of the upper bevelled panel 28, by the continuous edge 82 that is extends in the sections of the side panel, by the free edge of the triangular panel 46 and by the free edge of the slot of the panel 84. The slot or connecting panels 84 are connected to the sections of the side panel along the lines of fold 40 and triangular panels 46 along fold line 86. Opposite ends 78 of the end panel sections are slightly removed from the edges of the end of the side panel sections to compensate for the thickness of the sections of the end panel, such that after the bending operations, which are explained more fully below, the outer face of the end panels is substantially in the same plane as the the adjacent ends of the side panels. Each double angled line 44 extends from one end of the slot 77 to the withdrawn end of the end panel section 38. Although the fold lines 44, 86 and 40 may all terminate at the same point, it is preferable that fold line 86 terminates at a separate point on fold line 40 to prevent material from clumping when bent. Referring now to FIGURE 6, to form a package, the cans are arranged in a group of six and the preform is positioned such that the tabs 52 of the upper panel section are aligned with the tops of the cans in the container. inside the group. The sections of the side panel 14 are pivoted downwardly around the fold lines 32 at the same time as the bending down of the end panel sections 38, the triangular panels 46 and the panels of the grooves 84 are initiated as a unit. around the double lines 40. Because the double lines 40 are at an angle for the fold lines 32, the continuous folding of the side panel sections causes the end panel elements 38, 46 and 84 to pivot down as a unit out of the plane of the upper panel section. It will be appreciated that these elements have been bent only partially at the point of the process illustrated in FIGURE 6. Continuous bending of the sections of the side panel places the sections of the side panel close to one another, which eventually causes the slot panels 84 pivot around bending lines 40 towards side panel sections and triangular panels 46 to bend around bending lines 44 and 86 to thereby form obtuse angles with the adjacent side panel section 38 and the slot panel 84. A point in this last phase of the carrier forming operation is illustrated in FIGURE 7. Eventually. when the sections of the side panel have been bent against the cans, the slot panels 84 will have pivoted substantially, on the side of the side panels. At this point, at least a portion of the slot panels are in contact with a portion of the adjacent can, whereby the end panels are closed in place. The position of the panels of the slots 84 at this point is indicated in FIGURE 8. The triangular panels 46 can be considered as a part of the end panels, with the double line 44 that serve to allow the main portion of the end panels, indicated by reference numeral 38, to rest in a practically vertical plane. To complete the formation, the fins of the lower panel of the carrier are folded and connected to each other to form the lower panel, resulting in the package of FIGURE 1. In the illustrated design, the fins of the lower panel are connected by the insertion of the primary locking tabs 68 through the openings 74 and keeping the primary locking tabs in the closed position when inserting the portions of the outer tab 72 of the secondary locking tabs into the slots 76. It should be understood that the invention does not require the use of this particular lower flap closure mechanism, or any mechanical fastening mechanism. As an alternative, the fins of the lower panel can be glued together. It can now be appreciated that the invention provides a number of advantages. Partial end panels of a normal size preform are provided by forming the end panels from the material that would normally be part of the top panel, therefore no cost is added to the wearer. The connection of the end panel with the side panels results in a stable and strong end panel construction, particularly, since the end cans on the carrier block the end panels in place as a result of the perforation of the grooves against the side panels. Therefore the end panels assist in the prevention of outward movement of the cans while also covering the barcode of the price on the cans. Although the invention is not limited to the packaging of beverage cans, it will be understood that to obtain the benefit of covering the bar code of the price at the end of the items in the package, the article must be of the type that carries the bar code of the price near the top of the item and not at the bottom. Since as the end panels are formed from the portions that are normally part of the top panel, the height of the end panels is limited to the distance that does not excessively reduce the length of the top panel, since an Sufficient portion of the top panel must remain to adequately wrap the preform around the articles. It should be understood that although the invention is described in connection with the packaging of six articles, the design of the carrier can be easily modified to allow packaging of fewer or more items. It should be understood that changes to certain features and aspects of the design that do not affect the entire basic function and the concept of the invention can be realized by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A package comprising a carrier containing a plurality of articles, comprising: a top panel having opposite side edges and opposite end edges; opposite side panels that are connected in a fold with the side edges of the top panel; a lower panel connected to the side panels; opposite end panels; end edges of the top panel that separates from the end panels; and the mechanisms to connect the end panels to the side panels. A package as defined in claim 1, wherein the mechanisms for connecting the end panels to the side panels include a connection panel connected by means of a fold line to the opposite end portions of each panel at the end, each connection panel is connected by means of a double diagonal line to a side panel, at least a portion of the connected panel is in contact with an adjacent article and is placed between the adjacent article and the associated side panel. A package as defined in claim 2, wherein each side panel includes opposite upper ends, the double diagonal line of each connection panel extending substantially from the upper end of an associated side panel. A package as defined in claim 3, wherein each end panel includes the double diagonal lines extending inward from a point practically located at the upper end of an associated side panel. A package as defined in claim 3, wherein the side panels include the cuts between the edges of the ends of the top panel and the end panels, the double line connects the connection panel to an associated side panel which coincides with an outer edge of the cut of the side panel. A package as defined in claim 3, wherein the side panels include portions of the upper bevelled panel that is separated from the upper ends of the side panels, the upper panel is connected to the portions of the upper bevel panel. A package as defined in claim 1, wherein the end panels have a height substantially equal to the distance separating the edges of the ends of the top panel from the end panels. 8. A package as defined in claim 7, wherein the carrier contains two adjacent rows of beverage cans. 9. A preform for forming a wrapping carrier for packaging a plurality of articles, comprising: a centrally located upper panel section having edges of opposite sides and edges of opposite ends; a section of the side panel connected to each side of the upper panel section by means of a fold line; a flap of the lower panel connects to at least one of the sections of the side panel; panel sections of the lateral ends adjacent the edges of the opposite end of the upper panel section, each section of the end panel is separated from the edge of the associated end of the upper panel section by means of a slot, and the mechanisms for connect the end panel sections with the side panel sections. A preform as defined in claim 9, wherein the mechanisms for connecting the end panel sections to the side panel sections include a connection panel connected by means of a fold line to the opposite end portions of each section of the end panel, each connection panel is connected by means of a diagonal bend line to a section of the associated side panel. 11. A preform as defined in claim 10, wherein each end panel section includes the diagonal fold lines extending from the points located on or adjacent very close to the opposite end portions of the associated side panel sections. A preform as defined in claim 10, wherein the sections of the side panel include the cuts extending from the section of the top panel to the point adjacent to each connection panel, the edges of a connection panel and the The section of the associated end panel forms an edge of each cut.