GB2120197A - Bottle packages - Google Patents

Abstract

A highly stretched tubular sleeve 14 of resilient, elastic, biaxially oriented plastics material is positioned about an array of two or more bottles 12. The wall thickness of the sleeve is less than 0.004 inch (0.10 mm) and the unstretched circumferential dimension of the sleeve is at least 20% smaller than the maximum circumferential dimension of the array. The sleeve in unstretched condition has a distorted legend printed thereon, the distortion being removed when the sleeve is in position about the array of bottles. <IMAGE>

Description

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GB 2 120 197 A

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SPECIFICATION Bottle packages

5 This invention relates to bottle packages created by a highly stretched film member.

Beverages are currently being packaged in various bottle-type containers. For example, a two-litre plastics bottle is becoming a popular beverage contain-10 er. Such bottles are understandably quite heavy, and any multi-packaging device for these containers must be designed to be reliable and easily handled.

There have been many prior art suggestions for multi-packages for such containers. For example, a 15 clip device which snaps onto the tops or adjacent to the tops of the bottles creates a package and handle for such a package. However, such single contact clips have lack of stability and allow the bottles to swing freely from the top engaging point. Other .'20 prior art efforts incorporate a bag device which is slightly stretched around an array of bottles secured at either or both the top or bottom. Other efforts to multi-package bottles in general include the use of a plastics band surrounding the bodies of 25 the containers in an array, with an additional resilient plastics device secured to the tops of the bottles exerting a force tending to pull the tops together.

Past attempts to design and/or produce a multi-package for bottles have been generally unsatisfac-30 tory because of one or more of the following reasons: the package may be too expensive, the package created is unstable and difficult to handle, the package does not provide proper protection for the bottles, be they made of glass or plastics, the 35 package is not conducive to high speed application techniques, the package is unreliable particularly as it relates to large bottles.

The package of this invention basically utilizes a thin film sleeve of uniform circumference which is 40 positioned around a plurality of bottles and secures them relative to one another arid to the sleeve by exerting a resilient compressive force on all areas of the bottles contacted by the sleeve.

The sleeve is of a resilient, elastic, plastics tubular 45 material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and because of the unique design of the package, can be of a very thin gauge, less than 4 mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm), preferably 2 to 3 mils (0.002 to 0.003 inch, 0.05 to 0.0075 mm). The unstretched circumfer-50 ence of the tube is substantially less than the circumference of the array of bottles at all circumferential zones that are encircled by the tube.

The features of a package according to the invention are set out in claim 1.

55 Embodiments of the invention may include a rigid handle interposed between the necks of the bottles, but exerting no substantial outward force on the bottles.

The accompanying drawings show some exam-60 pies of packages which embody the invention. In these drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a first package, comprising two bottles;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the package shown in 65 Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the packaging material in strip form used to produce the packge of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the package as taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1; 70 Figure 5 is a top plan view of a handle member;

Figure 6 is a partial elevational view, similar to Figure 1, showing the handle member of Figure 5 incorporated in the package; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a package compris-75 ing four bottles.

Figures 1 and 2 show a package 10 which essentially comprises a pair of substantially identical bottles 12, surrounded by a stretched sleeve 14.

The package also embodies the invention which is 80 the subject of our British Patent Application No. 8018976 (Specification No. 2 051 723 A).

As will be discussed later herein, the package has particular utility with plastics bottles, and more specifically with plastics bottles of the relatively 85 large, two-litre size. However, it should be noted that - the invention is not limited to packaging of two bottles nor limited to the packaging of a large plastics bottle.

The bottles shown in Figure 1 are typical two- -90 litre bottles made from deformable plastics and with liquid contents 26. Each bottle includes a substantially cylindrical body section 16, extending over a major axial dimension of the bottle. This body section leads into a shoulder portion 18 of gradually 95 diminishing circumferential dimension which merges into a greatly reduced diameter substantially cylindrical neck section 20. The bottle terminates in a cap 22. The bottle also includes an annular flange 24 on the neck section directly below the cap 22. 100 The sleeve 14 which forms an important part of the package 10 is of uniform diameter when unstretched and as shown in Figure 3, its lay-flat width dimension "A" is such that the circumferential dimension of the sleeve is substantially less than the circum-105 ferential dimension around the array of bottles in the region of the body sections 16. The circumferential dimension of sleeve Mis also less than that of the array around the lower regions of the shoulder portions 18. Such a dimensional relationship en-110 sures that the array of bottles is tightly unitized as a package.

The sleeve 14 may be created from an endless strip of tubular material as depicted in Figure 3. Upper and lower margins 28 and 30 forming the 115 proper length of sleeve 14 are formed by properly metered cuts in the tubular material.

While the sleeve Mis in a highly stretched condition in the finished package, accompanied by the deformation of upper margin 28 and lower 120 margin 30, it should be understood that a clearly identifiable and undeformed label or legend can be created by distortion printing on each and every one of the sleeves 14. With such printing, the amount of lateral and longitudinal deformation of the margins 125 of a label, as shown by upper margin 32 of an illustrative label, will be such that the margins become straight while the margins of the sleeve are deformed. Note in Figure 1 that the upper and lower edges of the label 32 are substantially straight while 130 the upper and lower edges 28 and 30 of the sleeve

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GB 2120 197 A

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are curved somewhat as a catenary curve. In the printing of the label 32, the upper and lower edges are correspondingly bulged upwards and downwards as shown in Figure 3.

5 As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an important aspect is the axial extent of the sleeve as it relates to the bottles which it encircles. The sleeve is dimensioned so that it has a length dimension "B" sufficient to cover all or most of the cylindrical body section 16 10 and at least part of the shoulder portion 18. It has been found that this configuration of a sleeve in highly stretched condition creates a package of high integrity necessary with containers of this type in a multi-package. Movement of the bottles relative to 15 each other and to the sleeve is minimized, and handling of the package thus formed is facilitated, when the shoulder portions of the bottles are tightly compressed by the same member which is tightly compressing the body sections of the bottles. 20 While a package of two such bottles shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be adequately handled without a secondary carrying device, it may be desirable in certain circumstances to have a discrete handle.

With this in mind, a handle such as shown in Figures 25 5 and 6 has been found to be acceptable. The handle 36 is of a rigid plastics material and includes a central strut portion 38 terminating in a pair of yoke-like or C-shaped bottle neck receiving openings 40. The dimension "C" between the radial innermost 30 regions of the yoke-like members 40 is not appreciably greater than and preferably equal to or less than the dimension between opposed surface regions of the neck sections 20 when packaged by the device 14. With such a configuration, the handle is posi-35 tioned below the flanges 24 and exerts substantially no outward pressure on the package. The abutment of the C-shaped regions against the undersurface of the flanges 24 creates a highly stable and functional package for its intended purposes. The arms of the 40 C-shaped regions are shown to extend a peripheral distance slightly greater than 180°, creating a slightly constricted mouth which permits the neck sections of the bottles to snap into the extremities. With such a configuration, the handle 36 could serve as a 45 means to return or carry the empty bottles.

Turning to Figure 4, a further important aspect of the package will be described. When such a highly stretched sleeve 14 is used about bottles which have a deformable plastics sidewall, the abutting surface 50 engagement regions of the bottles are deformed to form conforming two-dimensional planar surface areas 34. These areas add further stability to the package, in that rotation about the axes of the bottles and relative to the sleeve are prevented, and relative 55 rocking of the bottles in other directions is prevented. This is to be distinguished from the line or point contact between bottles in prior art packages. It should be understood that these planar surface areas 34 need not be continuous throughout the 60 extent of the body 16, but, depending upon the actual configuration of the bottle, may either be spaced planar areas, a single planar area or continuous planar areas. Even when an all-plastics bottle has been filled with liquid and sealed, it will 65 exhibit this self-stabilizing feature.

As noted above, the invention need not be limited to packaging two bottles but can be used in packaging any multiple or any type of array of bottles. For example, in Figure 7, a top view of a package 110 of 70 four bottles 112 is shown using a sleeve 114 which encircles the cylindrical body sections of the bottles. The upper region of the sleeve 114 also aggressively encircles lower regions of the shoulder portions 118 of the bottles. A single handle device 136 similar to 75 handle 36 may be used in such a package if desired. The four-pack shown in Figure 7 is merely illustrative of the fact the invention can be adapted for use in any variety of arrays, such as 2,3,4,6, or any other reasonable multiple.

80 An important aspect of the invention is the design of the sleeve 14 with the proper characteristics so as to function as a unitizing member. A highly stretched condition is important. The sleeve 14 has an unstretched width dimension "A" which creates a 85 circumferential dimension at least 20% smaller than, or even 30% smaller than, the maximum circumferential dimension of the array which is to be encircled by the sleeve. As an example, the sleeve 14 of Figure 3 may have a lay-flat dimension "A" of 9 90 inches (230 mm) where the two bottles to be packaged each have approximately a diameter of 4.5 inches (115 mm). Thus, it is apparent that even in the shoulder region of each bottle, the tubular member is substantially stretched. The length dimension "B" 95 of the example is approximately 9 inches (230 mm), which is greater than the axial extent of the body section 16 of known two-litre plastics bottles.

In addition to the dimension of the sleeve, the actual structure of the film itself is important to the 100 invention. The sleeve 14 is bi-axially oriented for proper strength since it is to be highly stretched and remain in a highly stretched yet resilient condition in the package. A sleeve 14 which has been oriented in the lateral direction, i.e. along dimension "A", as 105 well as in the length dimension, i.e. along dimension "B", has been found to be desirable for an attractive, stable package. The attractiveness, strength and other characteristics desired in the package have been enhanced when the degree of molecular 110 orientation in the direction of the length dimension "B" is at least equal to the degree of molecular orientation in the direction of width "A". Suitable orientation patterns may be created by a proper design of the blow-up ratio of the plastics in the 115 blowing of the tubular material relative to speed of draw and winding of the tubular material as it is blown, and/or in a post blow-up rolling or drawing. Many combinations of such manufacturing parameters are available in the creation of the necessary 120 molecular orientation pattern to produce the necessary strength and resiliency of the plastics sleeve in the package.

When trie package is to be opened, the sleeve 14 can be rapidly and efficiently removed by a simple 125 puncturing step as with a finger. The puncture force applied to the tube in regions, such as 15 shown in Figure 4, which do not contact the bottles, followed by a force either upwards or downwards, will easily strip the sleeve from the array.

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GB 2120197 A

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Claims (2)

1. Components capable of being assembled into a unitized package, said components comprising: a

5 plurality of identical bottles each having a substantially cylindrical body section, and a tube capable of stretched application circumferentially about at least substantial portions of the body sections of the plurality of bottles when in side-by-side array, said 10 tube comprising a section of seamless, lay-flat, resilient, elastic, plastics film material tubing of uniform diameter and of a thickness less than four mils (0.004 inch, 0.10 mm) which is substantially biaxially oriented in the directions of the length and 15 width of the tube, said tube having a length at least as great as the lay-flat width thereof and the circumferential dimension of said tube in unstretched condition being at least 20% smaller than the maximum circumferential dimension of said array in 20 the region of said body sections of said bottles when encircled by said tube upon stretched application, said tube in unstretched condition having a distorted legend thereon intended to span said body sections at one side of two adjacent bottles in said array, the 25 degree of distortion of said distorted legend being related to the degree and pattern of stretch applied to said tube so that the distortion is substantially removed in said legend upon stretched application of said tube circumferentially about said portions of 30 said body sections of said bottles in side-by-side array.

2. Components according to claim 1, wherein the length of said tube is substantially greater than the length of the body sections of said bottles.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey, 1983.

Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A1 AY, from which copies may be obtained.