Structural Strapped Multi-Pack Packaging

Abstract

A composite unitary package for transporting goods in containers includes a wrapper assembly having two side portions extending vertically from a bottom portion and around the outside of a plurality of the containers. Spacers partially or fully extend between certain of the containers, and one or more inelastic tensioned straps extends around the side portions of the wrapper assembly, and compressively binds the side wrapper assembly portions, the spacers and the containers together such that the frictional forces on the combination of wrapper assembly, spacers and containers form a stable, load-bearing package that withstands transportation forces.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 594,187, filed Nov. 8, 2006 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 082,984, filed Mar. 18, 2005.BACKGROUND[0002]This invention is directed to strap-reinforced compressed packaging, including paperboard packaging with separation of wares in the packaging, and the integration of the container in the package. Separation spacers, a tensioned strap, and portions of the package wrapper form a tightly-held load-bearing structural unit suited to multi-layer palletizing, the rigors of transportation, storage and shelf display purposes, with significant economic and ecological benefits.[0003]Paperboard packaging is extensively used for the transportation and display of goods. Current packaging practice does not follow structural engineering principles of integrating all the elements of a package contents with those of the packaging, per se. Thus the available intrinsic stren...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a package assembly with significantly less packaging material. The package is made by combining the structure of the good containers in the package with the package itself using inelastic tensioned binding members to compress the package and its contents into an integrated, stable, and load-bearing unit. This reduces the amount of material used in the package and makes it easier to transport and handle.

Problems solved by technology

Current packaging practice does not follow structural engineering principles of integrating all the elements of a package contents with those of the packaging, per se.

Thus the available intrinsic strengths of the containers forming the package contents are not fully utilized with that of the package elements per se to provide a robust integrated load-bearing package unit.

This failure to optimize package strength is then reflected in potential failure of individual packages in a multi-tiered palletized or transported load, with consequent damage to the integrity of the whole pallet load, under the stresses resulting from the static and dynamic forces of transportation.

The current modes of packaging frequently permit relative movement and fretting between adjacent containers within a package, which translates, under transportation conditions, into goods and / or containers damaged from mutual impact with containers within the package.

Such internal movement of containers within a package can include sliding, pivoting and tilting, and can result in skewing of containers within the package, which renders the package unstable, thus destroying the stability and integrity of the pallet load, with a consequent cascade of further damage to adjoining packages and their contents.

The prior use of strapping has been generally ineffective, and raises problems of pallet-load-bearing stability, having been used primarily in a bundling role, with a failure to recognize the strap's potential contribution in an integrated load bearing structural component.

Earlier theoretical packaging work resulted in undependable packages in the load-bearing sense with un-predicted failures.

These shortcomings have been and are particularly disadvantageous in the supply / distribution service, where the primary focus is on palletized handling and transportation of packages of wares.

Consequently, commercial application of any similar horizontal tensioned strapped package constructs in the supply chain has not been previously achieved.

Strapped packages having rows and / or columns of three or more containers, upon the application of the forces of transportation, face an additional problem.

This shifting causes the containers to become loose in the strapped package, and to possibly rotate or skew in the package, such that the package and containers lose their ability to withstand the application of vertical, horizontal or other transportation forces resulting from the dynamic forces applied to the package during transportation, such as impact forces, shear forces and rotary forces.

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