Multistrap container package system

Abstract

Low bulk cardboard transit packaging suitable for shipping glass containers to a manufacturer, and for re-use with the filled containers in shipping to the retailer, and for retail display purposes, as well as use with plastic and metal parallel wall containers, uses at least two peripheral holding straps to secure the package with its contents, and container locating means in a multi-pack embodiment including chimes and / or frangible glue fasteners to immobilize selected ones of the containers. Some package embodiments use paperboard sheet.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not Applicable REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] This invention is directed to transit packaging of reduced content, for use in shipping walled ontainers of glass, aluminum, steel, plastic or other materials, being shipped as a multi-pack format, and incorporating the use of multiple strapping [0005] Presently, Glass container manufacturing is a 365 day / 24 hour continuous operation that provides glass containers for many customers in the Food and Beverage Industry. [0006] There are two basic formats that the glass industry uses to prepare empty ware for shipment to the market place. Bulk palletizing is the primary method of shipping glass to large volume customers possessing automatic de-palletizing capabilities. Customers receiving glass in this fashion are usually large volume producers capable ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024] This reduces packaging material content, while providing structural integrity during transit, and stable pallet loads.

[0044] The integrated package performance of a sleeve-packaged multi-pac under crushing loads includes the vertical load contribution of the corrugated sleeve side walls, combined with the vertical wall strength of the filled containers. The lateral stability of the total package is integrated by the engagement of at least some central ones of the containers with chimed apertures in the package cover portion, which engagement stabilizes the package against sway-loads.

Problems solved by technology

Such cartons often do not entirely suit the retailer's needs, such that the retailer must re-conform each case for display of the products on shelves or in pallet displays, usually by cutting off portions of the case or carton.

The prior use of full corrugated boxes or shrink wrapped units is excessively wasteful of cardboard, while shrink wrap is also uneconomic.

The use of trays on which the containers are nested and then shrink wrapped reduces the packaging material but creates other problems regarding structural integrity, while the capability to display goods in palleted format without re-handling of the trays, is lost.

Shrink wrapped trays lack horizontal or lateral stability on pallets when shipped.

Consequently, pallet loads are prone to high rates of damage during shipping.

Also, shrink wrapping is charactererized by extensive energy requirements to shrink the wrap, most of which energy is lost as heat to the atmosphere.

While this reduces the packaging, it does not provide adequate lateral strength to prevent sideways shifting of packages off a loaded pallet.

Other attempts to reduce packaging, by the use of a polyethylene strap have shown that circular rigid and semi-rigid containers when so strapped in conventional pack patterns are not stable, and have failed in transportation.

These packages are subject to twisting, so that the contact points between containers are changed, with undesirable nesting, destroying the integrity of the assembly.

In one-strap multipack assemblies the centre containers are insufficiently secured and can slide out of the pack.

Such prior art container assemblies are subject to dynamic forces during transportation, which can cause containers to shift and can cause individual plastic containers, such as carbonated beverages to deform.

Such shifting and deformation in a multipack can damage individual containers, while compromising the structural integrity of the pallet load, ultimately resulting in safety and other problems.

While this system results in reduced packaging, its use does run counter to the reduction in packaging, while the larger planform of the package limits close packing intervals, resulting in reduced space utilization.

Also, in multi-row packages, central contents are prone to move.

This prior packaging is unsuitable for pallet displays, contrary to a major trend in retailing in the marketing of packaged goods from so-called “warehouse outlets”, where it is desirable to move product directly from the transit vehicle to a retail display area, without requiring the unpacking of containers, or their removal from off the pallets.

The necessity of removing the packaging to access the product also hinders inventory tracking through bar code readers or other means.

A further disadvantage in the prior art is the limitations in glass-to-glass applications, where it is very difficult to multipack for a number of reasons.

Glass containers often are designed with minimal contact (heel and shoulder) areas which make them unstable when tightly assembled.

Accordingly, for purposes of stability such packaging often requires the uneconomical provision of corrugated cardboard separators between glass containers.

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