GB2119735A - Bottle packages - Google Patents

Abstract

A highly stretched tubular sleeve (14) of resilient elastic plastics material is positioned about an array of two or more bottles so that the sleeve exerts a resilient compressive force on all areas of contact between the sleeve and bottles to effectively unitize the package. The wall thickness of the sleeve is less than 4 mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm) and the unstretched circumferential dimension of the sleeve is at least 20% smaller than the circumferential dimension of that portion of the array contacted by the sleeve. The bottles are of the deformable plastics type and the stretched sleeve causes the areas of contact between the bottles to be deformed to provide generally planar surface areas (34). <IMAGE>

Description

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GB 2 119 735 A 1

SPECIFICATION Bottle packages

This invention relates to bottle packages created by a highly stretched film member.

5 Beverages are currently being packaged in various bottle-type containers. For example, a two-litre plastics bottle is becoming a popular beverage container. Such bottles are understandably quite heavy, and any multi-10 packaging device for these containers must be designed to be reliable and easily handled.

There have be£n many prior art suggestions for multi-packages for such containers. For example, a clip device which snaps onto the tops or 15 adjacent to the tops of the bottles creates a package and handle for such a package. However, such single contact clips have lack of stability and allow the bottles to swing freely from the top engaging point. Other prior art efforts incorporate 20 a bag device which is slightly stretched around an array of bottles secured at either or both the top or bottom. Other efforts to multi-package bottles in general include the use of a plastics band surrounding the bodies of the containers in an 25 array, with an additional resilient plastics device secured to the tops of the bottles exerting a force tending to pull the tops together.

Past attempts to design and/or produce a multi-package for bottles have been generally 30 unsatisfactory because of one or more of the following reasons: The package may be too expensive, the package created is unstable and difficult to handle, the package does not provide proper protection for the bottles, be they made of 35 glass or plastics, the package is not conductive to high speed application techniques, the package is unreliable particularly as it relates to large bottles.

The package of this invention basically utilizes a thin film sleeve of uniform circumference which is 40 positioned around a plurality of bottles and secures them relative to one another and to the sleeve by exerting a resilient compressive force on all areas of the bottles contacted by the sleeve.

The sieeve is of a resilient, elastic, plastics 45 tubular material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and because of the unique design of the package, can be of a very thin gauge, less than 4 mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm), preferably 2 to 3 mils (0.002 to 0.003 inch, 0.05 to 0.075 mm). 50 The unstretched circumferences of the tube is substantially less than the circumference of the array of bottles at all circumferential zones that are encircled by the tube.

The features of a package according to the 55 invention are set out in claim 1.

Embodiments of the invention may include a rigid handle interposed between the necks of the bottles, but exerting no substantial outward force on the bottles.

60 The accompanying drawings show some examples of packages which embody the invention. In these drawings:—

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a first package, comprising two bottles:

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the package shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the packaging material in strip form used to produce the package of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the package as taken along line 4—4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a handle member;

Figure 6 is a partial elevational view, similar to Figure 1, showing the handle member of Figure 5 incorporated in the package; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a package comprising four bottles.

Figures 1 and 2 show a package 10 which essentially comprises a pair of substantially identical bottles 12, surrounded by a stretched sleeve 14.

The package also embodies the invention which is the subject of our British Patent Application No. 8018976 (Specification No. 2 051 723 A).

As will be discussed later herein, the package has particular utility with plastics bottles of the relatively large, two-litre size. However, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to packaging of two bottles nor limited to the packaging of a large plastics bottle.

The bottles shown in Figure 1 are typical two-litre bottles made from deformable plastics and with liquid contents 26. Each bottle includes a substantially cylindrical body section 16,

extending over a major axial dimension of the bottle. This body section leads into a shoulder portion 18 of gradually diminishing circumferential dimension which merges into a greatly reduced diameter substantially cylindrical neck section 20. The bottle terminates in a cap 22. The bottle also includes an annular flange 24 on the neck section directly below the cap 22.

The sleeve 14 which forms an important part of the package 10 is of uniform diameter when unstretched and, as shown in Figure 3, its lay-flat width dimension "A"is such that the circumferential dimension of the sleeve is substantially less than the circumferential dimension around the array of bottles in the region of the body sections 16. The circumferential dimension of sleeve 14 is also less than that of the array around the lower regions of the shoulder portions 18. Such a dimensional relationship ensures that the array of bottles is tightly unitized as a package.

The sleeve 14 may be created from an endless strip of tubular material as depicted in Figure 3. Upper and lower margins 28 and 30 forming the proper length of sleeve 14 are formed by properly metered cuts in the tubular material.

While the sleeve 14 is in a highly stretched condition in the finished package, accompanied by the deformation of upper margin 28 and lower margin 30, it should be understood that a clearly identifiable and undeformed label or legend can be created by distortion printing on each and every one of the sleeves 14. With such printing, the amount of lateral and longitudinal deformation of

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GB 2 119 735 A 2

the margins of a label, as shown by upper margin 32 of an illustrative label, will be such that the margins became straight while the margins of the sleeve are deformed. Note in Figure 1 that the 5 upper and lower edges of the label 32 are substantially straight while the upper and lower edges 28 and 30 of the sleeve are curved somewhat as a catenary curve. In the printing of the label 32, the upper and lower edges are 10 correspondingly bulged upwards and downwards as shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an important aspect of the invention is the axial extent of the sleeve as it relates to the bottles which it encircles. 15 The sleeve is dimensioned so that it has a length dimension "B" sufficient to cover all or most of the cylindrical body section 16 and at least part of the shoulder portion 18. It has been found that this configuration of a sleeve in highly stretched 20 condition creates a package of high integrity necessary with containers of this type in a multi-package. Movement of the bottles relative to each other and to the sleeve is minimized, and handling of the package thus formed is facilitated, when the 25 shoulder portions of the bottles are tightly compressed by the same member which is tightly compressing the body sections of the bottles.

While a package of two such bottles shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be adequately handled without 30 a secondary carrying device, it may be desirable in certain circumstances to have a discrete handle. With this in mind, a handle such as shown in Figures 5 and 6 has been found to be acceptable. The handle 36 is of a rigid plastics material and 35 includes a central strut portion 38 terminating in a pair of yoke-like or C-shaped bottle neck receiving openings 40. The dimension "C" between the radial innermost regions of the yoke-like members 40 is not appreciably greater than and preferably 40 equal to or less than the dimension between opposed surface regions of the neck sections 20 when packaged by the device 14. With such a configuration, the handle is positioned below the flanges 24 and exerts substantially no outward 45 pressure on the package. The abutment of the C-shaped regions against the undersurface of the flanges 24 creates a highly stable and functional package for its intended purposes. The arms of the C-shaped regions are shown to extend a 50 peripheral distance slightly greater than 180°, creating a slightly constricted mouth which permits the neck sections of the bottles to snap into the extremities. With such a configuration, the handle 36 could serve as a means to return or 55 carry the empty bottles.

Turning to Fig. 4, a further important aspect of the package will be described. When such a highly stretched sleeve 14 is used about bottles which have a deformable plastics sidewall, the abutting 60 surface engagement regions of the bottles are deformed to form conforming two-dimensional planar surface areas 34. These areas add further stability to the package, in that rotation about the axes of the bottles and relative to the sleeve are 65 prevented, and relative rocking of the bottles in other directions is prevented. This is to be distinguished from the line or point contact between bottles in prior art packages. It should be understood that these planar surface areas 34 need not be continuous throughout the extent of the body 16, but, depending upon the actual configuration of the bottle, may either be spaced planar areas, a single planar area or continuous planar areas. Even when an all-plastics bottle has been filled with liquid and sealed, it will exhibit this self-stabilizing feature.

As noted above, the invention need not be limited to packaging two bottles but can be used in packaging any multiple or any type of array of bottles. For example, in Figure 7, a top view of a package 110 of four bottles 112 is shown using a sleeve 114 which encircles the cylindrical body sections of the bottles. The upper region of the sleeve 114 also aggressively encircles lower regions of the shoulder portions 118 of the bottles. A single handle device 136 similar to handle 36 may be used in such a package if desired. The four-pack shown in Figure 7 is merely illustrative of the fact the invention can be adapted for use in any variety of arrays, such as 2,3,4, 6, or any other reasonable multiple.

An important aspect of the invention is the design of the sieeve 14 with the proper characteristics so as to function as a unitizing member. A highly stretched condition is important. The sleeve 14 has an unstretched width dimension "A" which creates a circumferential dimension at least 20% smaller than, or even 30% smaller than, the maximum circumferential dimension of the array which is to be encircled by the sleeve. As an example, the sleeve 14 of Figure3 may have a lay-flat dimension "A" of 9 inches (230 mm) where the two bottles to be packaged each have approximately a diameter of 4.5 inches (115 mm). Thus, it is apparent that, even in the shoulder region of each bottle, the tubular member is substantially stretched. The length dimension "B" of the example is approximately 9 inches (230 mm), which is greater than the axial extent of the body section 16 of known two-litre plastics bottles.

In addition to the dimensions of the sleeve, the actual structure of the film itself is important. The sleeve 14 is bi-axially oriented for proper strength since it is to be highly stretched and remain in a highly stretched yet resilient condition in the package. A sleeve 14 which has been oriented in the lateral direction, i.e. along dimension "A", as well as in the length dimension, i.e. along dimension "B", has been found to be desirable for an attractive, stable package. The attractiveness, strength and other characteristics desired in the package have been enhanced when the degree of molecular orientation in the direction of the length dimension "B" is at least equal to the degree of molecular orientation in the direction of width "A". Suitable orientation patterns may be created by a proper design of the blow-up ratio of the plastics in the blowing of the tubular material

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GB 2 119 735 A 3

relative to speed of draw and winding of the tubular material as it is blown, and/or in a post blow-up rolling or drawing. Many combinations of such manufacturing parameters are available in 5 the creation of the necessary molecular orientation pattern to produce the necessary strength and resiliency of the plastics sleeve in the package.

When the package is to be opened, the sleeve 10 14 can be rapidly and efficiently removed by a simple puncturing step as with a finger. The puncture force applied to the tube in regions, such as 15 shown in Figure 4, which do not contact the bottles, followed by a force either upwards or 15 downwards, will easily strip the sleeve from the array.

Claims (2)

1. A stable bottle multi-package consisting essentially of a plurality of bottles arranged in a 20 predetermined, side-by-side, upstanding array, a sleeve member encircling said array, each of said bottles being filled with a liquid product and sealed, each of said bottles having a lower, generally cylindrical body section comprising a 25 major axial extent of said bottles, a shoulder portion, and an upper neck portion, the shoulder portion progressively decreasing in circumferential dimension from the body section to the neck portion, at least a substantial vertical extent of the 30 body section of each of said bottles including deformable plastics wall areas, the sleeve formed of a resilient, elastic, plastics tubular material of a thickness which is substantially uniform and less than four mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm) and 35 substantially less than the wall thickness of the bottles, and of a length at least as great as a substantial portion of the axial extent of the body sections, said sleeve having an initial unstretched, circumferential dimension at least 20% smaller 40 than the primary circumferential dimension of the array taken about the body sections of the plurality of bottles, said bottles in said array further comprising cooperating surface engagement regions of said deformable plastics wall areas of 45 adjacent bottles in said array, and the sleeve member positioned to encircle said array over the substantial portion of the body sections and exerting substantial pressure on the regions of the bottles which are contacted by said sleeve 50 ensuring that said cooperating surface ^

engagement regions of the deformable plastic wall areas of adjacent bottles in the array are deformed into mating, cooperating generally planar surface areas, whereby the cooperating surface areas further stabilize the package thus formed.

2. The bottle multi-package of claim 1, wherein the array consists of two deformable plastics material bottles.

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Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1983. Published by the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.

2. The bottle multi-package of claim 1, wherein the array consists of two deformable plastics material bottles.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 1 July 1983.

Superseded claims 1 and 2.

New or amended claims:—

1. A stable bottle multi-package comprising a plurality of bottles arranged in a predetermined, side-by-side, upstanding array and a sleeve encircling said array; each of said bottles being filled with a liquid product and sealed, each of said bottles having a lower, generally cylindrical body section comprising a major axial extent of said bottles, a shoulder portion, and an upper neck section, the shoulder portion progressively decreasing in circumferential dimension from the body section to the neck section, at least a substantial vertical extent of the body section of each of said bottles including one or more deformable plastics wall areas; the sleeve being formed of a resilient, elastic, plastics tubular material of a thickness which is substantially uniform and less than four mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm) and substantially less than the wall thickness of the bottles, and of a length at least as • great as a substantial portion of the axial extent of the body sections, said sleeve having an initial, unstretched, circumferential dimension at least 20% smaller than the initial maximum circumferential dimension of the array taken about the body sections of the plurality of bottles; said bottles in said array further comprising cooperating surface engagement regions of said deformable plastics wall areas of adjacent bottles in said array, the sleeve being positioned to encircle said array over the substantial portion of the body sections and exerting substantial pressure on the regions of the bottles which are contacted by said sleeve ensuring that said cooperating surface engagement regions of the deformable plastics wall areas of adjacent bottles in the array are deformed into mating, cooperating generally planar surface areas, whereby the co-operating surface areas further stabilize the package thus formed.