Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W094/24005 2 t 6 1 1~4 4 PCT~S94/04200
MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT SEPARABLE CONTAINER
This invention relates to a multiple compartment,
f 5 separable container. The container is formed to include
multiple article receiving compartments which together
provide a single carton unit adapted to be carried by a
purchaser but which can be separated one from the next to
form a plurality of carton compartment units.
US Patent No. 4919269 discloses a multiple compartment
container which has two compartments each holding twelve
beverage cans. The entire carton of twenty four cans may
be easily transported. The carton is capable of being
split to produce two individual carton units having
twelve cans each. The separation of the individual
compartments may be done at the point of sale so that
smaller quantities of the product may be sold, or may be
performed later by the purchaser at his convenience. In
the multiple compartment container disclosed in this
reference, separation of the individual containers one
from the other does not cause either one of the separated
containers to be opened but merely detaches the units so
that they are separated from one another.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is
preferably provided a multi compartment container for
packaging a plurality of articles, such as bottles, which
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w094t2400s ~1 61 1 4 4 PCT~S94/04200
comprises two or more compartment units and a frangible
connecting portion, said compartment units comprising a
number of faces provided by a base panel, opposed side
panels, opposed end panels and a top panel wherein
certain adjacent panels of each of said compartment units
are partly formed by said frangible connecting portion in
said formed multi-compartment container and wherein
removal of said connecting portion from said container
causes at least partial separation of said units and
provides access for removal of at least one of the
articles contained in at least one of said units, wherein
upon removal of said connecting portion at least part of
each of said panel faces of each of said compartment
units remains intact.
According to a feature of the invention, said adjacent
panels may be top panels of respective ones of said units
and said connecting portion is a cover portion of said
container which bridges said units. In a preferred form
the removal of the cover portion exposes at least one
article in each of the compartment units thereby enabling
removal of the one article form each of the units.
Additionally, the compartment units preferably are
attached in the formed container by a second frangible
attachment means which may be a connecting tab which is
frangibly hinged to one compartment unit of an adjacent
pair of units and secured to the other unit of the
adjacent pair.
SUBSTlTU~E SHEET ~RULE 26)
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In another preferred form of the invention the multi
compartment container comprises at least one pair of
adjacent compartment units in side by side relationship
wherein a side panel of each of said units forms a keel
in the base of the formed container which separates
articles in each of the units of the adjacent pair.
In a further preferred form of the invention the cover
portion comprises a handle for carrying the formed
container. Also, the cover portion may comprise end tabs
which are hingably attached to the cover portion and
which tabs can be grasped and pulled thereby to remove
said cover portion from the container. In a further
preferred form of the invention a compartment unit
comprises a frangible flap which is attached to a cover
portion end tab and also frangibly hinged to an end panel
of the compartment unit in the formed carton thereby
providing additional attachment means between the
compartment unit and the cover portion.
In a preferred form of the invention the cover portion is
frangibly joined to the compartment units in the formed
container along a perforate line which transverses the
top of a compartment unit into an end panel thereof.
Preferably the multi-compartment container is made from
a single blank.
In another form the invention provides a multi-
SUBSTITl~TE SHEET (Rl~LE 26)
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compartment container for packaging a plurality of
articles such as bottles, comprises two or more
compartment units and a frangible connecting portion said
compartment units comprising a number of panel faces
provided by a base panel, opposed side panels and opposed
end panels wherein certain adjacent walls of each of said
compartment units partly comprise said frangible
connecting portion in said formed multi-compartment
container, and wherein removal of said connecting portion
from said container causes at least partial separation of
said units and provides access for removal of at least
one of the articles contained in at least one of said
units wherein upon removal of said connecting portion at
least part of each of said panel faces of each of said
compartment units remain intact.
In this form each compartment may comprise means for
cooperating with one or more of the articles so as to
enable a separated compartment to be stored on its side.
In a preferred form the cooperating means is an article
dividing structure and in another preferred form it is a
compartment top panel.
Containers embodying the invention in the form of a
paperboard carton will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
SUBS~ S~ET (RU~E 26)
W094/24005 PCT~S94/04200
~1611~4
~ 5
Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton
according to the invention is formed;
Figure 2 is a perspective view taken from above and from
one end of a carton formed from the blank shown in Figure
1 and subsequently loaded with articles; and
Figure 3 is a perspective sketch showing the two
separated individual container units and the strip of
material which is removed from the initial single unit
carton to cause separation into the individual container
units.
Figure 4 is a plan view of a separate cover portion which
is used to form a second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 5 is a plan view of blanks used to form
compartments which together with the cover portion shown
in Figure 4 make up a second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a container according
to a further embodiment of the invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of two separable
- 25 compartments as housed in the container shown in Figure
6;
Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank used to form one of
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rl~LE 26)
Wos4/24oo5 PCT~S94/0~200
~161144 6
the compartments shown in Figure 7; and
Figure 9 is a plan view of a cover portion used in
combination with the compartments shown in Figure 7 to
form the container shown in Figure 6
Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1,
a carton blank 10 formed from paperboard or similar
foldable sheet material comprises, in series, a first
inner side wall panel 12, a first base panel 14, a first
lower side wall panel 16, a first upper side wall panel
18, a first top wall 20 hinged one to the next along
transverse fold lines 22, 24, 26 and 28 respectively.
The top wall 20 forms a part of a handle structure
generally designated by the reference numeral "S" which
is incorporated within a removable panel 30 which is
described in more detail later.
The second module of the container is of similar
construction to that described above and includes a
plurality of main panels hinged in series including a top
panel 32, which is similar to panel 20, a second upper
side wall panel 34, a second lower side wall panel 36, a
second base panel 38 and a second inner side wall panel
40 hinged one to the next along transverse fold lines 42,
44, 46 and 48 respectively.
The blank is symmetrical about its longitudinal central
SU~TITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)
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2161144
axis and therefore those panels which are hinged to the
longitudinal edges of the main panels 12 to 20, 30 and 32
to 40 will be described with reference to one edge of the
blank only, the opposite and like panels on the opposite
longitudinal edge of the blank being designated like
reference numerals with the addition of suffix "a".
The first inner side wall panel 12 carries an integral
corner "bevelled" panel 50 hinged along longitudinal fold
line 52 to panel 12 and a glue flap 54 is joined to
bevelled panel 50 along fold line 56. The glue flap 54
is hinged by means of a gusset panel 58 to one edge of a
lower end wall panel 60, gusset panel 58 being hinged to
glue flap 54 by a transverse fold line 62 and to the
lower end wall panel along an inclined fold line 64. The
lower end wall panel itself carries a foldable glue flap
66 which is frangibly joined to lower end wall panel 60
along a perforated line 68.
Another end panel structural component comprises a corner
panel 70 which is hinged to the longitudinal edge of
first lower side wall panel 16 along longitudinal fold
line 72. Corner panel 70 is hinged to a glue flap 71
along a fold line 73. A further corner panel 75 is
hinged to the longitudinal edge of upper side wall panel
18 along longitudinal fold line 76 and to an inner
structural panel 74 along fold line 77. Panels 71 and 74
are joined together by hinged gusset panel 78. A further
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W094/24005 i~ 8 PCT~S94/04200
gusset panel 80 hingably connects panel 74 to upper end
panel 84 to which it is hinged by means of fold line 86.
Gusset 80 is hinged to panel 74 along fold line 88. At
its extreme end the upper end panel 84 carries a glue
flap 90 which is hinged to the upper end wall panel along
fold line 92. Upper end panel 84 is hinged to one
longitudinal edge of the top panel 20 along longitudinal
fold line 91.
When the carton is formed the glue flap 71 is secured to
the free edge of lower end wall panel 60 internally of
the carton so that together panels 60 and 84 form the
substantial portion of the end portion of the module.
Corner panels 70 and 75 form a bevelled corner section
between the side wall panels 16 and 18, and the end wall
panels 60 and 84 in the formed carton.
Panels 20, 84, 90, 84a, 90a are frangibly connected to a
removable panel 30 by means of a frangible connection 94
extending transversely across blank 10. Similarly, the
opposite end of the removable panel 30 has a frangible
connection 96 to top panel 32 and its dependent panels.
It can be seen that removable panel 30 has top and end
panels.
As referred to above, a handle structure "s" is formed
within the removable top and side panel 30 and preferably
takes the form of the extensible handle described and
~l IBsT~lJTE SHE~T (RULE 26)
w094l2400~ ~16114 ~ PCT~S94/04200
claimed in European patent application no. 89304604.5.
To this end the handle structure "s" includes a
reinforcing panel 98 which is hinged to the transverse
left and right of a handle opening slot 100 along an
interrupted transverse fold line 102. A similar handle
slot 106 is struck from the removable panel 30 between
the transverse fold line 104 and the frangible connection
between panel 30 and top panel 32. A relatively short
transverse slit 202 is also cut parallel to slot 100 in
top cover 30. The slit 202 and parallel longitudinal
fold lines 204 provides a means of reducing stress in the
carton when lifted by the handle.
The right hand side of the blank, as viewed in Figure 1,
is of similar arrangement to that on the left hand side
of transverse frangible connection 94 and, of course,
comprises components of the blank which form the second
similar but separable module of the container.
Thus second upper end panel 108 is hinged to top panel 32
along longitudinal fold line 110. A glue flap 112 is
hinged to the end edge of panel 108 along longitudinal
fold line 114. A second upper end panel 116 is hinged
along a longitudinal edge of upper side panel 34 along
fold line 118. Panel 116 forms a bevelled corner panel
in the formed carton and is hinged to an inner structural
panel 117 along fold line 119. Panel 117 is connected to
panel 108 by means of gusset panel 120. Gusset panel 120
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 2~
W094/24005 PCT~S94/04200
~l6~44
- 10
is hinged to upper end wall panel 108 along transverse
fold line 122 and is hinged to inner panel 117 along
oblique fold line 124.
Lower end corner panel 126 is foldably joined to second
lower side wall panel 36 along longitudinal fold line
130, and to an inner glue panel 127 along fold line 131.
Panel 127 is connected to panel 117 by gusset 128 and to
second lower side wall 132 by gusset 133.
Second lower end wall panel 132 is hinged to second
bottom wall 38 along longitudinal fold line 134 and
includes a frangible glue flap 136 which is hinged to
panel 132 along perforated line 138. Second end panel 40
has hinged thereto a corner bevelled panel 140 foldably
joined along longitudinal fold line 142 and glue flap 144
which is hinged to the bevelled panel along longitudinal
fold line 146. Glue flap 144 is connected to second
lower end panel 132 by means of a gusset panel 148 hinged
to the glue panel 144 along fold line 150 and to lower
end panel 132 along inclined fold line 152.
In order to form the blank into a collapsed sleeve which
can then be erected and end loaded by means known in the
art, first the handle panel 98 is folded through 180 to
the right (as viewed in Figure 1) about fold line 104 and
adhered to portions of the blank between the handle cut
106 and fold line 104 and between the lateral extremes of
SUBSTITUTE SHE~T (RULE 26)
~1611~
W094/24005 - PCT~S94/04200
end tabs T1 and T1A- This brings end tab T into face to
face contact with end tab T~.
The portions of the blank to the right hand side of
transverse fold line 44 are folded through 180 to the
left. First lower inner panel 12 and adjoining lateral
panels thereto, namely panels 50, 50a, 54, and 54a, are
folded 180 to the right about fold lines 22 and 62 and
62a. Base tab "B" remains in its flat position shown in
Figure 1. After an application of glue is made to glue
flap 66 and base tab "B", the blank to the left hand side
of fold line "F" is folded through 180 to the right into
overlapping relationship with parts of the exposed face
the other folded portion of the blank. Thus glue flap 66
and base flap "B" are adhered to glue flap 136 and a
portion of base 38 adjacent aperture "G" respectively.
Similarly, glue flap 66a adheres to second glue flap
136a.
The blank is now in a partly formed, flat folded
condition from which it can be erected and loaded. The
carton is loaded when in a sleeve-like form in a manner
well known in the art. During loading inner side wall
panels 12 and 40 are maintained in an upright position
and act to separate one portion of the carton from
another and thus divide the packaged articles into the
- two sections which form separable modules. It should be
noted however, that during formation of the sleeve the
SU~STITUTE SH~T (RULE 26)
W094/24005 PCT~S94/04200
2 1 6 11 4~ 12
two inner side wall panels 12 and 40 are brought into
face to face relationship but unsecured internally of the
sleeve. It is the flap "B" and the frangible glue flaps
66, 136 which are responsible for securing together the
two opposite ends of the container blank 10.
To close the ends of the sleeve after loading has taken
place is relatively conventional. The corner panels 70,
75, 116 and 126, structural panels 74 and 117, and glue
flaps 71 and 127 are folded inwardly about fold lines 72,
76, 130, 118, 77, 119, 73 and 131 respectively. Upper
end closure panels 84 and 108 are then folded downwardly
about fold lines 95 and 110 respectively into overlapping
relationship with panels 74, 71, 117 and 127.
Lower end panel 60 is then folded upwardly about the
folded connection with base panel 14 and adhered to
panels 71, 74, 90 and 54. Similarly, lower end panel 132
is raised about fold line 134 and adhered to panels 127,
117, 112, and 144 to complete the end of the carton.
In order to open the carton the large tabs T and, T~ which
are overlapped by frangible glue flap 66, 136 are grasped
and pulled and the whole of the frangible top section 30
which includes handle structure S and defined
substantially by frangible perforated lines 94, 96 can be
torn away thereby exposing the contents of the carton and
removing portions of the opposite ends and top wall. A
~IBS~!JTE S~IEET (R~JLE 26)
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13
pair of individual containers can then be separated from
one another by tearing away the frangible glue flap B
from the base of the mating module thus leaving the two
modules Ml and M2 as depicted in Figure 3 of the
drawings. As can be readily seen these modules allow the
contents to be retained within a container in a stored
position but also allow access to the contents for
immediate use. Thus access to the bottles B can be
readily gained without the necessity of removing any
other part of the container beyond the central frangible
strip which is removed to cause separation of the
modules. After separation, the modules may be stored
upright as is module M2 in Figure 3 and also the modules
may be laid on their sides. As shown in Figure 3 module,
Ml is laid on its side while top panel 20, upper end
panels 84 and 84a, and upper side panel 18 help retain
the bottles B.
The modules can be placed one at a time or indeed side by
side in a refrigerator shelf such as the shelf present in
a refrigerator door and the bottles conveniently
dispensed from the exposed face of the container. The
individual modules also provide a convenient container by
which the empty bottles can be returned to a retailer or
collection depot.
Whilst it is preferable to form a container according to
the invention from a unitary blank such as blank 10 shown
SUBSTITUTE SHEEl (RULE ~6)
W094/24005 2 1611 4 4 PCT~S94/04200
14
in Figure 1 it is possible for example to provide a
separable multi-compartment container which when formed
appears substantially like the container shown in Figure
2 but which is comprised of a separate cover portion 31'
and separate blanks 15' and 35', the latter of which form
the tray-like components or modules, as shown in
unformed plan views in Figures 4 and 5.
It can readily be seen that in order to form a container
10' (not shown assembled) using portions 31', 15' and
35', the latter compartments should be formed, for
example in the case of compartment 15', by raising side
panels 12' and 16' and folding glue flaps 54', 54a', 71'
and 71A' inwardly. This is followed by raising end
panels 60' and 60A' and adhering these to said glue
panels to form a tray-like structure. Similarly
compartment 35' is formed in a like manner.
To form a completed container 10', cover portion 31' is
first folded to form a reinforced handle S' in a manner
similar to that previously described with relation to the
handle of frangible connection portion 30 of the first
embodiment of the invention. Thus the handle portion 98'
is folded about fold line 104' so that it can be glued to
the portion between fold line 104' and cut 106'. The
cover portion 31 is then lowered onto compartments 15'
and 35' and adhered thereto for example by gluing glue
flap 9O' to the outside surface of end panel 60' of
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compartment 15'and repeating this for all glue flaps.
Side Wd~ of cover portion 31' can further be adhered
to side wall panel lZ' on the inside or outside surface
thereof. Alternatively it might not be necessary to
adhere panels 18' and 12' in which case it is appropriate
to tuck panel 18' inside the compartment 15' - the
container being formed by gluing all the panels go~,
112', 98' and 112A' to their respective compartments 15'
lo and 35'.
To separate the compartments from the container the
removable panel 30' is torn away from the container in a
manner described in relation to the first embodiment.
That is, the tags T1 and T1' may be pulled so as to cause
frangible lines 94' and 96' to tear.
A further embodiment of a container according to the
invention is shown in Figures 6,7, 8 & 9. In this
embodiment two compartments 15'' and 35'' are made from
separate blanks and comprise article dividers as clearly
shown in Figure 7. The container 10'' also comprises a
separate cover portion 31'' which comprises removable
panel 30'' shown in Figure 9. There is therefore
provided in the third embodiment of the invention a two
compartment separable container wherein each compartment
holds six bottles in a two by three array, each bottle
having its own receiving section divided from adjacent
SUBSTiTUT~ SHEET (RUI E 26)
W094/24005 PCT~S94/04200
~ 1 6 ~ 16
bottles.
A blank used to form one of these compartments is shown
in Figure 8 in an unformed plan view. To form an erected
compartment, end panels 60'' and 60A'' are respectively
folded about hinge lines 64'' and 63'', and 64A'' and
63A'' so as to provide an upwardly protruding panel 61''.
With reference to the view shown in Figure 8, side wall
panels 12'' and 16'' are then folded downwardly and glue
lo flap 60'', 70'', 50A'' and 70A'' are folded inwardly and
glued to the inside surfaces of end panels 60'' and 60A''
respectively. The lap base panels 14'' and 14AA'' are
then folded inwardly so as to overlap and are locked
together using locking means of a known mechanical type
for example.
The upper panel 61'' of compartments 15''and 35''
comprises article neck receiving portions 310''. Also,
depending from the panel 61'' are dividers 312''of which
separate adjacent bottles in the container.
Once erected, two compartments 15'' and 35'' are placed
adjacent to one another and top panel 31'' can be lowered
into position. In this embodiment the top panel 31''
comprises removable panel 30'' which comprises a top
panel portion 33'', inclined upper side wall panels 22''
and 32'', and side wall panels 18'' and 34''. The
removable panel 30'' also comprises inclined end panels
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RUEE 26)
W094/2400s ~1 61 1 1 4 PCT~S94/04200
17
84'' and 84A'', and end wall panels 90'' and 90A''. The
cover portion 31'' further comprises two tear strips
300'' and 300A'' and end glue tabs 302'', 302A'', 304'',
and 304a''. The top cover 31'' is formed by folding end
panels 18'', and 34'' downwardly, folding side panels
90'' and 90a'' downwardly and gluing the various pairs of
corner glue tabs provided such as 75'' and 80'' together.
The cover portion 31'' is then lowered onto the two
adjacent compartments 15'' and 35'' and glue tabs 302''
lo , 302A'', 304'' and 304A'' are respectively glued to the
associated end wall 60'' and 60A'' of compartments 15''
and 35''.
To separate the compartments from one another and remove
the cover portion 30'' the tear strips 300'' and 300A''
are torn along their respective tear lines 94''and 94A'',
and 96'' and 96A''. The glue tab 302'' and 304'' are
separated from one another by cut 303'', similarly end
glue tabs 302A'' and 304A'' are separated by cut 303A'',
and thus the compartments 15'' and 35'' are separable as
shown in Figure 7.
The tear strips 300'' can comprise a tapered portion such
as 301'' and 301A'' which allow the tear strips to be
more easily gripped when separating the removable panel
30'' from the compartments 35'' and 15''.
Again the articles in the compartments are exposed in
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RU~E 26)
W O 94/2400S PCTrUS94/04200
~161144
18
this embodiment on removal of the removable panel 30''.
Additionally the structure of the compartments having a
dividing structure enables, amongst other things, the
compartments to be laid on their sides as indeed
compartment 15'' is in Figure 7.
2 0
2 5
SUBSTITUTE SHE~T (RUEE 26)
