Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2065971
TEAR-OPEN CONTAINER CARRIER
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to sheet plastic devices for forming
packages of a plurality of containers. The present invention
relates generally to a unique construction of a container carrier
useful for holding a plurality of containers as a unit, which
allows for the quick release of the containers held by the
carrier. More specifically, the invention relates to a weakened
section formed on the integral webs which can be ruptured under
the influence of forces applied to the integral webs by means of
a tear strip, thereby freeing the containers. Container
carriers, roughly similar to the carrier of the present
invention, have been in use for many years. Although such
container carriers can be employed in many aspects, one of the
more popular employments is to hold a plurality of beverage
containing cans, bottles, or other containers together as a unit
called a "six-pack."
The six pack, and other numbered units all have the same
general construction. The patents of Rapata, U.S. Patent No.
3,038,602, and Poupitch, U.S. Patent No. 3,084,792, disclose the
common structure. Generally, a blank in the form of a continuous
sheet of flexible, elastic material, such as polyethylene, and
the like, has apertures therein which accept and firmly hold a
plurality of containers.
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The apertures have a periphery which is smaller than a
corresponding periphery of the containers. Therefore, in order
for the periphery of the apertures to accept the periphery of the
containers, the apertures are stretched, often to the limits of
their structural integrity. The periphery of the containers are
inserted into the stretched apertures, and then the apertures are
allowed to return toward their original condition, but the
apertures do not achieve their original condition and remain
tensioned due to the presence of the containers therein.
The periphery of the apertures constricts and forms around
the periphery of the containers, thereby assuring that the
containers are held snugly in the apertures of the carrier. This
snug fit is a convenience to anyone employing the container
carriers, such as consumers, merchants, and the like, when they
transport the containers, such as to home after purchase, to a
picnic, or to a merchandise display at some retail location. The
elasticity of the material of the blank assures that the
containers will be held firmly in the apertures.
To further insure a snug fit, and to add to the convenience
of the consumer, both Poupitch and the patent of Rhoads, U.S.
Patent No. 4,550,824, disclose a band formed from the blank
capable of being torn away from the blank. The band can be drawn
downward to surround the containers, thereby adding further to
the snug fit between the plurality of containers and the
carrier.
The container carriers, in sheet form, are applied to a
plurality of containers in assembly line fashion. The sheet of
carrier containers, now bearing containers, is cut so that a
single, smaller container carrier is formed. For a six pack
construction, this cutting takes place after every sixth row of
containers. Alternative numbered units will be cut in different
locations, depending on the desired number of containers.
The container carriers, and thereby the containers, are moved
down an assembly line to a place where they are placed within
boxes, crates, or other suitable containers. The crates are then
loaded into a vehicle of sorts for transport to a customer, a
retailer, for instance. The retailer removes the container
carriers and the associated containers from the crates and
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usually constructs an attractive merchandise display of the
containers. The attractive merchandise displays draw the
attention of consumers, who then purchase the containers for
their own personal use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly the invention seeks to provide a container
carrier having a quick release for removing the containers from
the carrier.
The invention further seeks to provide a container carrier
having means for releasing containers which provides a faster and
easier method of removing containers from the carrier than
currently available.
Still further, the invention seeks to provide a container
carrier having container encircling bands having means for
weakening segments of the container encircling bands providing
weakened sections, with the weakened sections being able to
rupture in order to release the containers.
Further still, the present invention seeks to provide a
container carrier having means for rupturing the weakened
sections so that the containers can be removed easily from the
carrier.
The present invention also seeks to provide a container
carrier which can be employed successfully with either cans,
bottles, or other suitable containers.
A container carrier useful for releasably holding a
plurality of containers as a single unit according to the present
invention comprises a substantially planar blank formed of a
resilient, deformable, elastic material. The blank has portions
removed therefrom to form container encircling bands defining
container encircling or receiving apertures disposed in
juxtaposed rows. The container encircling bands are capable of
accepting and firmly holding containers therein. The container
carrier has means for releasing containers including tear and
force directing and propagating means, bridge means and weakened
sections for causing rupture of the container encircling bands.
The weakened sections are connected with tear strip means capable
of accepting a force and applying that force to the weakened
sections so as to rupture them. When the weakened sections are
ruptured, the container encircling bands are ruptured also,
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thereby releasing a container held within a container encircling
aperture.
The invention further comprehends a container carrier for
releasably holding a plurality of containers as a single unit
comprising a substantially planar blank formed of a resilient,
deformable, elastic material, the blank including a row of
interconnected container encircling bands defining container
encircling apertures, the container encircling bands for
accepting and firmly holding containers therein. Separate
discrete bridge elements are respectively integrally joined to
and extend from an outer periphery of each of the bands and force
and tear directing and propagating means in each of the bridge
elements. A single strip extends along a side of the row of
bands and is connected with all of the bridge elements proximate
to the force and tear directing and propagating means for
rupturing the bridge elements and the container encircling bands
when the strip is manually pulled. The force and tear directing
and propagating means extend along the bridge elements toward and
terminate short of the outer periphery of each of the container
encircling bands.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The organization and manner of the structure and operation
of the invention, together with further objects and advantages
thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of containers
releasably held together as a unit by a container carrier,
constructed according to the teachings of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container carrier of Fig. 1,
showing the disposition of the carrier without containers
disposed in the container encircling apertures.
Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of a series of connected
container carriers, shown in Fig. 2, showing the construction of
the carriers as they are used in mass production.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the container
carrier, shown in Fig. 1, with one of the container encircling
apertures ruptured, thereby facilitating the easy removal of the
container.
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Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial plan view of the container
carrier showing the force and tear directing and propagating
means comprising a plurality of slits.
Fig. 5A is an enlarged partial plan view of the container
carrier showing the force and tear directing and propagating
means comprising a plurality of perforations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and herein will
be described in detail, a specific embodiment with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and
described herein.
Referring initially to Fig. 1, a tear-open container carrier
10, constructed according to the teachings of the present
invention, is shown holding a plurality of containers 12.
Although the container carrier 10 is depicted holding six
containers 12, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited to that number of containers 12. The container carrier
10 operates equally well with any number of containers 12.
The general structure of a container carrier is disclosed,
for example, in the patent of Rapata, U.S. Patent No. 3,038,602,
assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Referring
generally to Fig. 2 herein, the particular construction of the
container carrier 10 is shown. The container carrier 10 is
formed from a substantially planar blank or sheet, not shown, of
a resilient, deformable, elastic material, such as polyethylene
and the like. Preferably, the blank is composed of a resilient
deformable, unsupported plastic sheet, such as, for example, low
density polyethylene having a sheet thickness of 0.018 inches
and a secant modulus at 2 percent elongation of approximately
36,000 p.s.i., as disclosed in the patent of Weaver, U.S. Patent
No. 3,874,502, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
It is necessary that the material of the blank be sufficiently
flexible and resilient, so that the container carrier 10 can be
expanded to accept a container 12 and then constrict around and
hold firmly a plurality of containers 12, as will be discussed
herein.
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Portions are removed from the substantially planar blank to
form integral webs 14. The integral webs 14 are substantially
continuous, taking circuitous paths. The integral webs 14 form
closed curves or container encircling bands 15 defining
container encircling or receiving apertures 16. The container
encircling bands 15 and the container encircling apertures 16 are
disposed in juxtaposed rows 18, so as to hold the containers 12
in a similarly regular fashion. Preferably, each row 18 contains
two container encircling apertures 16. The container encircling
apertures 16 are spaced regularly along and centered about a
median line of the container carrier 10. This orderly
configuration of the container encircling apertures 16 and
thereby of the containers 12, allows for ease of storage of the
filled container carriers 10 and the maximization of the
available storage space, such as in a truck, or a refrigerator.
A plurality of juxtaposed rows 18 of container encircling
apertures 16 are disposed along the blank. Portions are removed
from the blank, exterior of the container encircling apertures
16, to form scallops 20, which are disposed between each adjacent
row 18 of container encircling apertures 16. The scallops 20
help to further define the container encircling apertures 16,
which preferably are of a shape similar to that of the containers
12.
Thus, each of the container encircling apertures 16 has an
inner periphery 22 which is constructed so as to accept and to
constrict around a corresponding periphery 24 of the containers
12. Specifically, as disclosed in the patent of Weaver et al,
U.S. Patent No. 4,219,117, assigned to the assignee of the
present invention, the container encircling apertures 16 are of
circumferential dimension less than the dimension of the
container periphery 24 to be encircled.
For example, if the containers 12 are substantially
cylindrical in shape, the periphery 24 of the containers 12 will
be substantially circular and the periphery 22 of the container
encircling apertures 16 will be substantially ellipsoidal in
shape. The periphery 22 of the container encircling apertures 16
have rounded corners 26, which assist in the insertion of the
containers 12 into the container encircling apertures 16 and also
help to prevent tearing of the container encircling bands 15
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defining the container encircling apertures 16 while containers
12 are inserted in the container encircling apertures 16.
The scallops 20 also add to the flexibility of the container
encircling bands 15 defining the container encircling apertures
16, so that the periphery 22 of the container encircling
apertures 16 can expand for insertion of containers 12 therein
and constrict around and conform to the periphery 24 of the
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container~ 12. The scallops 20 and the rounded corners 26 do not
interfere with, but encourage the constriction of the periphery
22, and prevent excessive elongation of the container encircling
bands 15, so that the container encircling apertures 16 can fit
tightly to a container 12. These added benefits of the scallops
20 and the rounded corners 26 will become more clear herein.
Latitudinal slots 28 are disposed between adjacent container
encircling bands 15 in the same row 18 on a side of the container
encircling apertures 16 opposite to the scallops 20. The
latitudinal slots 28 add to the flexibility of the container
encircling bands 15 defining the container encircling apertures
16, and provide benefits similar to those of the scallops 20, and
the rounded corners 26.
Longitudinal slots 30 are disposed between two adjacent rows
18 of container encircling band 15, and are centered on a median
line of the container carrier 10. The longitudinal slots 30 are
of sufficient size to accept a human finger, so that the
longitudinal slots 30 form means for holding and transporting the
container carrier 10 when containers 12 are disposed within the
container encircling apertures 16.
Exterior to the container encircling bands 15, segments 31 of
the container carrier 10 are located preferably centered on lines
extending from a center of the container encircling apertures 16.
The segments 31 are elongated, and extend away from the container
encircling bands 15 and container encircling aperturés 16 to form
bridge means 32. The bridge means 32 extend from the container
encircling bands 15, away from the container carrier 10 proper,
to tear strips 34 which combine with the bridge means 32 to form
means for releasing containers. Each container encircling
aperture 16 has its own corresponding bridge means 32, associated
with the particular container encircling bands 15 defining each
container encircling aperture 16, extending to a tear strip 34.
In this manner, as will be described more fully below, the tear
strips 34 are capable of rupturing a single container encircling
band 15, and thereby open a single container encircling aperture
16, at a time.
The bridge means 32 have force and tear directing and
propagating means 36 which weaken the segments 31. The force and
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tear directing an~ propagating means 36 can take on a variety of
forms, such as a slit 37 shown in Fig. 1 through 5, a score line,
or a line of perforations 39, as shown in Fig. 5A. Each of the
above-disclosed forms of the force and tear directing and
propagating means 36 functions equally well in the present
invention.
The force and tear directing and propagating means 36 extends
across the bridge means 32 from the tear strips 34 to an area
proximate to the container encircling bands 15. This can be a
single line, or a plurality of spaced apart, substantially
parallel lines. However, it is important that the force and tear
directing and propagating means 36 does not extend into the
container encircling bands 15, for if the means 36 were to so
extend, the container encircling apertures 16 may rupture when
stretched during application of the container carrier 10 to the
containers 12. The force and tear directing and propagating means
36 are used to propagate a tear through the container encircling
bands 15 when a force is applied to the tear strips 34.
The force and tear directing and propagating means 36 causes
a weakened section 38 to form on the bridge means 32. The
weakened section 38 extends along the container encircling bands
15 from the outer periphery of the container encircling bands 15
to the tear strips 34. In this manner, as will be fully disclosed
herein, a tear-open method for easily releasing a container 12 is
provided.
The tear strips 34 extend along the entire length of the
container carrier 10, and are capable of accepting a force, and
transmitting that force to the bridge means 32. Once transmitted
to the bridge means 32, the force can act upon the force and tear
directing and propagating means 36, thereby rupturing the
corresponding container encircling bands 15, and releasing a
container 12.
The operation of the container carrier lO will become more
clear in the following discussion. In the modern mass production
line, the material forming the blank is provided in the form of a
roll. The roll is mounted in the machinery, with one end of the
roll of blank material being fed into the machinery. The blank
encounters a cutting machine, such as a punch press, well known
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in the art. The punch press removes sections of the blank to form
the integral webs 14, t~le colltainer encircling bands 15, the
container encircling apertures 16, the scallops 20, the
latitudinal slots 28, the longitudinal slots 30, the bridge means
32, the tear strips 34, and the force and tear directing and
propagating means 36. The portions of the blank that are removed
are collected, and can be recycled for further use.
As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of container carriers 10 are
formed in series on the sheet of blank material. The container
carriers 10 are joined in series by joints 40 between two
adjacent container carriers 10. The joint is sufficiently weak so
as to rupture, thereby freeing a single container carrier 10 from
the series, during the process of application of the container
carriers 10 to the containers 12.
To apply the container carriers 10 to the containers 12,
achieving the configuration shown in Fig. 1, the periphery 22 of
the container encircling bands 15 is stretched. This is necessary
because the periphery 22 of the container encircling bands 15 is
smaller than the corresponding periphery 24 of the containers 12.
The rounded corners 26 of the periphery 22 of the container
encircling bands 15 assure that the integral webs 14 will not
tear under the stress of the stretching, and the scallops 20 and
the latitudinal slots 28 allow for maximum stretching of the
periphery 22 of the container encircling bands 15. Once the
periphery 22 is sufficiently stretched, the containers 12 are
inserted therein.
Without the portions removed from the container carrier 10 to
form the scallops 20 and latitudinal slots 28, it is possible
that the constriction and conformity of the periphery 22 will be
inhibited, or severely limited, thereby reducing the
effectiveness of the container carrier 10 to retain containers
12. As the periphery 22 constricts around, and conforms to the
periphery 24 of the containers 12, the container encircling bands
15 become frusto-conical in shape, as shown in Fig. 1. Now, the
containers 12 are helà firmly in the container encircling
apertures 16. A consumer can insert his fingers into the
longitudinal slots 30, and easily transport the container carrier
10 to a desired location.
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When the consumer reaches his ~esired location, he will want
to remove at least one of the containers 12 from the container
carrier 10. To do this, the consumer applies an upwardly and
outwardly directed force to either one or both of the tear strips
34, depending on how many containers 12 are to be removed. Also,
the magnitude and duration of the force are dictated by the
number of containers 12 to be removed.
As the consumer applies the force to the tear strips 34, that
force is communicated to the bridge means 32, and then to the
force and tear directing and propagating means 36. The force and
tear directing and propagating means 36 causes the weakened
sections 38 to rupture. This rupture progresses from the weakened
sections 38, through the container encircling bands 15, and to
the inner periphery 22 of the container encircling apertures 16.
In this manner, the container encircling bands 15 are ruptured,
thereby transforming the closed curve structure of the container
encircling bands lS into an open curve structure having a
plurality of torn ends 42, as shown in Fig. 4. Now, the consumer
can remove a container 12 from the container carrier 10 with
relative ease.
This same procedure provides similar significant benefits to
other persons, as well. For example, merchants often create
intriguing merchandise displays in order to attract customers and
to encourage them to purchase the merchandise. In the case of
containers 12, held in container carriers 10, the merchant may
desire to remove a certain number of containers 12 to create his
merchandise displays thereof. Therefore, the merchant will also
benefit from the present invention. Not only will the containers
12 not be aggitated, but also the time needed to create the
merchandise displays can be significantly reduced because the
merchant will not have to spend significant time and effort
removing the containers 12 from the container carriers 10.
The structure of the container carrier 10, constructed
according to the teachings of the present invention, provides an
easily opened, tear-away method of removing containers 12 from
the container carrler 10. Unlike other container carrlers
currently available, the container carrier 10 of the present
invention does not require a sizeable force to remove the
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containers 12 therefrom. Also, no force is required to be applied to the containers
12, thereby preventing jostling of the containers 12, along with the attendant
mess. Because the force needed to remove the containers 12 is relatively small,
no tools are required. Additionally, because each container encircling aperture 16
5 has its own corresponding bridge means 32 and weakened section 38, a consumer
can remove only one container 12 at a time, or any greater number of containers
12 from the container carrier 10. Also, this type of container carrier 10 can beemployed with a number of different containers 12, such as bottles as well as
cans, and different configurations of container peripheries 24, by simply varying
10 the shape of the aperture periphery 22.
It should be understood that while certain preferred embodiments are shown
herein, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may
be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
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