JP4474084B2 - Dividable multi-carton package - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
The present invention relates to a multi-carton package particularly useful for bottle shipping. The package is easily divided into separate packs or cartons. The pack includes easy-to-use opening tabs. A package blank and a method of folding the blank into a package are also provided.
[0002]
In most packages used today in the shipping industry, six bottles are packed into a paperboard wrap or carton. Two such cartons are placed in each shipping package. Shipping costs increase when multiple packages and cartons are used. Therefore, it is desirable to use a shipping package that holds 12 bottles in one piece and is easily separated to form two 6-pack cartons.
[0003]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-carton package in which the size of each carton can be changed. For example, the carton can be resized and more or fewer than six bottles or other containers can be included in each carton. In addition, packages can be made that are divided into more than two cartons.
[0004]
Numerous types of multi-carton packages are known in the prior art.
[0005]
U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,457 (Risucci) describes a carton having multi-compartments made from separable units.
[0006]
U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,179 (Zilles) describes a multi-compartment carton having ribs that separate the compartments. A flange extends from the rib and is bonded to one inner panel of the carton. The end of the second panel is bonded to the outside of the third panel.
[0007]
U.S. Pat. No. 1,898,231 (Weiss) shows a multi-compartment carton with a mounting flap and a partition having a mounting wall continuous with the carton side wall.
[0008]
US Pat. No. 2,697,544 (Morand) discloses a multiple compartment box formed from a single blank of sheet material.
[0009]
Patents disclosing weakened portions defined by nicks or cuts include US Pat. No. 2,828,060 (Brown), US Pat. No. 3,015,432 (Tyrseck), US Pat. Nos. 3,491,937 and 3,719,317 (Brastad), and U.S. Pat. No. 2,259,822 (Kienlen). Other cartons are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,852,180, 2,881968, 2,841,180, 2,936,104, 2,992,767, British Patent 2,322,349, and European Patent 860371.
[0010]
U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,536 (Bixler) discloses a carton having a portion that is not laminated to a flap. U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,104 (De Blaere) extends only to a portion of the carton structure that forms the front wall, provides a weakened outer surface area to aid in the opening of the carton, and delamination of the front wall upon opening of the carton. A slit to prevent is disclosed.
[0011]
U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,876 (Larson) discloses a carton having an unlaminated portion.
[0012]
U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,713 (Green) discloses a carton having a non-printed triangular area.
[0013]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,370 (Brown et al.) Discloses a multi-carton package that can be easily divided into separate cartons for the consumer.
[0014]
The present invention relates to a package comprising at least two removable cartons. The package of the present invention is preferably formed from a single integral blank, where two removable cartons share a top panel with weak lines and the weak lines can separate the cartons. The two cartons each include a lateral flap, a bottom panel, an intermediate lateral panel, and a glue flap extending from the intermediate lateral panel. Each glue flap is glued to a respective part of the top panel. The carton includes front and rear opening flaps. Preferably, the front opening flap includes a lift tab.
[0015]
By providing a package that splits into two cartons, the tape usage is lower than when placing individual cartons in a larger shipping package, as described above, thereby saving tape and improving graphics printing on the package The The package of the present invention utilizes the blank material very efficiently. This package also allows the carton to be immediately separated, making it easier to open the carton flap for accessing the product.
[0016]
For a fuller understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are presented by way of illustration only.
[0017]
As used herein, “top” refers to the side of the package where the first and second glue flaps described below are glued together. As used herein, a glue flap refers to a glue flap that is adhered to the other side of the package with glue or other adhesive, as described below.
[0018]
The package 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) includes a first carton 12 and a second carton 14. The first carton 12 includes a top panel 16 (see FIG. 1), with adjacent top sub-panels 18 and 20, a first near side panel 23, a first bottom panel 26, and a first intermediate side. A panel 28 is included. The first groove flap 30 extends from the panel 28 and is bonded to the lower side of the first top subpanel 18.
[0019]
The second carton 14 includes a second top sub-panel 20, a second near side panel 34, a second bottom panel 36, and a second intermediate side panel 38. A second group flap 40 extends from the second intermediate lateral panel 38 and is bonded to the bottom surface of the second top subpanel 20. The first top subpanel 18 is separated from the second top subpanel 20 by the perforated cut line 42.
[0020]
The first front closure flap 46 is connected to the top subpanels 18 and 20 by a folding line, and the first front closure flap is divided by a weak line 42 that is continuous with a weak line 42 that divides the top subpanels 18 and 20. .
[0021]
The second front closure flap 96 is connected to the opposite ends of the top subpanels 18 and 20 by a fold line, and the second front closure flap 96 is a weak line continuous with the weak line 42 dividing the top subpanels 18 and 20. 42 is divided.
[0022]
Lateral closure flaps 48 and 50 are attached to the opposite ends of the first proximal lateral panel 23 by fold lines.
[0023]
Lateral closure flaps 52 and 54 are attached to the opposite ends of the second proximal lateral panel 34 by fold lines.
[0024]
Lateral closure flaps 60 and 64 are attached to the opposite ends of the bottom panel 26 via folding lines. Lateral closure sub-flaps 62 and 66 are attached to transverse closure flaps 60 and 64 via weak line 80, respectively.
[0025]
Lateral closure flaps 68 and 70 are attached to the opposite ends of the bottom panel 36 via fold lines.
[0026]
The package is assembled by folding the blank as shown in FIG. 1 and the following description. The package folds the bottom panels 26 and 36 so that they face and are parallel to the top subpanels 18 and 20, and the far side flaps 28 and far side flaps 38 are folded into the bottom panels 26, 36 and the top subpanels 18, 20 Assembled by folding vertically. Grove wraps 30 and 40 are bonded to top subpanels 18 and 20, respectively. The bottom sub flap 62 is bonded to the bottom closing flap 68 and the bottom sub flap 66 is bonded to the bottom closing flap 70.
[0027]
The closure flaps 60, 48, 46, 52, 68, 70, 54, 96, 50, 64 and 30 are then closed. Preferably, the bottom closure flaps 96 and 46 are closed after the lateral closure flaps 48, 50, 52, and 54 are closed.
[0028]
From the package formed in this way, two cartons are made by breaking the weak lines 42 and 80. Since the weak line 42 is parallel to the lines where the middle lateral panels 28 and 38 are in contact with the top subpanels 18 and 20, respectively, breaking the weak line reveals the upper ends of the two contained cartons. Since the weak line 80 is parallel to the line where the two intermediate lateral panels abut or approach each other, breaking the weak line exposes the trailing ends of the two contained cartons.
[0029]
Weak lines 90 and 100 are for opening each carton after separating it from the original package.
[0030]
In the blank according to the present invention, the large perforations can be overlapped at the time of assembling the package by including large perforations in each folding line between the glue flap and each intermediate lateral panel. The resulting aperture can be used to transport the package when the weak line on the aperture and the portion between the two top subpanels are opened.
[0031]
If desired, large and / or small flaps can be reduced. That is, paperboard is saved by reducing the length of the flaps in the direction facing the opposing flaps.
[0032]
The carton can be made of paperboard, coated paperboard, or other suitable material. A hot melt adhesive such as glue or a chemical adhesive can be used for bonding the parts of the carton. A suitable coating would be a low density polyethylene extrusion coating.
[0033]
Blanks are made from materials known in the art or similar to materials known in the art by methods known in the art or methods similar to those known in the art. can do.
[0034]
Certain modifications may be made to the package of the present invention without departing from the apparent teachings of the disclosure. For example, instead of dividing the top panel by a weak line, both side panels are divided by a weak line parallel to the folding line for attaching the side panel and the top panel, and the weak line of each side panel has two The configuration of the intermediate lateral panel can be changed so that the intermediate lateral panel is parallel to a line that contacts or approaches each other. In that case, an intermediate lateral panel is attached to each lateral panel. In that case, of course, the carton is divided into two cartons in another direction.
[0035]
Of course, the specific form of the invention shown and described herein is illustrative only, since certain modifications can be made without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Should be understood. Accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims for determining the full scope of the invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank used for manufacturing a package of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the package of the present invention assembled with the front and side closure flaps partially open.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the package of the present invention assembled with the bottom and side closure flaps partially open.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the package of the present invention assembled with all closure flaps partially open.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a side panel, two bottom panels, a bottom, and a top closing flap of a package of the present invention that has been assembled.

Claims (11)

A package comprising at least two removable cartons formed from an integral blank and separated by three weak lines, the package being connected to adjacent first and second top subpanels by one of the weak lines A top panel to be divided; a first near side panel adjacent to the first top sub panel and extending from the first top sub panel; and adjacent to the first near side panel; A first bottom panel facing the first top sub-panel, and a first bottom panel positioned between the first top sub-panel and the first bottom panel and facing the first near side panel. An intermediate lateral panel, a first group flap extending from the first intermediate lateral panel and adhered to the first top subpanel, and the second top A second near side panel adjacent to the second panel, a second bottom panel adjacent to the second near side panel and facing the second top sub panel, and the second top sub panel; A second intermediate lateral panel that is between the second bottom panels and faces the second lateral panel;
The first and second intermediate lateral panels are in contact with or in close proximity to each other and overlap each other, and a second glue flap extends from the second intermediate lateral panel and extends to the second top sub-panel. Glued and each carton includes a side closure flap with a side closure flap attached by a fold line to each end of each side panel, the front closure flap being attached to each opposite end of the top panel, A closure flap is divided by a weak line continuous with a weak line between the two top subpanels, and each carton has a bottom panel closure flap with a separate bottom panel closure flap attached by a folding line to each end of each bottom panel Including flaps,
Both bottom panel closure flaps of one carton have a portion with a weak line extending and bonded across the bottom panel closure flaps of adjacent bottom panels and dividing one carton from the other carton;
A package with weak lines along the fold line between each bottom panel and the adjacent intermediate side panel.   The package of claim 1, wherein there are weak lines along the fold line between each bottom panel and the adjacent intermediate side panel.   The package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weak line is a perforation line.   Both bottom panel closure flaps of one carton extend across the bottom panel closure flaps of adjacent bottom panels and are bonded to the bottom panel closure flaps of adjacent bottom panels so that both extending bottom panel closure flaps are The package according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is outside the bottom panel closure flaps of both adjacent bottom panels.   One bottom panel closure flap of one carton extends over the bottom panel closure flap of an adjacent bottom panel and is bonded to the bottom panel closure flap of an adjacent bottom panel, and one bottom panel closure of the one carton The package according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a flap is outside the bottom panel closure flap of an adjacent bottom panel.   Both bottom panel closure flaps of one carton extend across and are bonded to the bottom panel closure flaps of adjacent bottom panels, and both extending bottom panel closure flaps are adjacent bottom panels The package according to claim 1, which is inside both said bottom panel closure flaps.   The package according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the weak line is two mutually parallel perforation lines. A packaging blank having at least two separable cartons and having a longitudinal axis, the blank being adjacent first and second top subpanels by a weak line extending transversely to the longitudinal axis A first panel adjacent to the first top sub-panel opposite to the second top sub-panel and separated from the first top sub-panel by a first near lateral score line A first side adjacent to the first near side panel on the opposite side of the side panel and the first top sub-panel and separated from the first near side panel by a first central lateral score line. A first panel adjacent to the first bottom panel on the opposite side of the bottom panel and the first near lateral panel and separated from the first bottom panel by a first far lateral score line; A first side that extends from the first intermediate side panel on the opposite side of the intermediate side panel and the first bottom panel and is separated from the first far side panel by a first lateral group flap score line. A second wrap wrap and a second near side panel adjacent to the second top sub panel opposite the first top sub panel and separated from the second top sub panel by a second near side score line; A second bottom panel adjacent to the second near side panel on the opposite side of the second top panel and separated from the second near side panel by a second central side score line; A second intermediate lateral panel adjacent to the second bottom panel on the opposite side of the proximal lateral panel and separated from the second bottom panel by a second distal lateral scoreline; and a second intermediate lateral Extending from the side panel, A front top main panel attached at each end of the top panel to both the top panel by means of a folding line and a second glue flap separated from the middle lateral panel of the second by a second lateral glue flap score line Including closure flaps,
Each front top main panel closure flap has a weak line continuous to the weak line between the two top sub-panels, and the bottom main panel closure flap is attached to each end of the two bottom panels by a folding line;
Both bottom main closure panels of one bottom panel have portions extending across the bottom main panel closure flaps of the adjacent bottom panels when the blank is assembled into a package having two cartons,
The extending bottom main closure flap has a weak line located between the two cartons when assembling the blank;
There is a weak line along the fold line between each bottom panel and the adjacent intermediate side panel, and a lateral closure flap attaches to each end of the first and second intermediate side panels via the fold line Blank.   The blank of claim 8, wherein the weak line is a perforation line.   The blank according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the weak lines are two perforation lines located parallel to each other.   12. A blank according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein each folding line between the glue flap and each intermediate lateral panel has a large perforation so that each large perforated portion overlaps during package assembly.

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