EP4660102A1

EP4660102A1 - Carrier device

Info

Publication number: EP4660102A1
Application number: EP23709237.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josep Maria Berga Ferres
Original assignee: Alzamora Packaging SA
Current assignee: Alzamora Packaging SA
Priority date: 2023-02-02
Filing date: 2023-02-02
Publication date: 2025-12-10
Also published as: MX2025009010A; WO2024161050A1

Abstract

Carrier device, for beverage cans, comprising a planar body having at least a can-receiving opening for receipt of a beverage can, and a plurality of flanges surrounding the opening and configured to engage a can when received in the opening and each flange can fold so as to yield out of plane with the body, and the planar body incorporates an insert comprising an opening, said insert being equipped with at least an opening that corresponds with an opening of the planar body.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a carrier device for carrying beverage cans.

Background

The grouping together of beverage cans in the form of a "pack" for manual carrying and holding thereof by a user is known in the state of the art. Sometimes, such packs are box-like and enclose a number of cans for their transport and to allow the cans to be carried easily by user. In other known forms, the "pack" is merely in the form of a carrier that engages only the tops of the cans to group them together. Such carriers may be in the form of e.g. plastic rings that grip upper portions of the cans or can be in the form of a planar body (e.g. formed of cardboard) that includes openings for engaging upper rims of the cans.
In carriers formed of a planar body with openings it is known to provide flanges or tabs in the openings to aid in retention of a can therein. The flanges of an opening fold upwards as a can is pushed through the opening to allow passage of the can. Once the rim has been pushed past the flanges, the flanges are able to engage an underside of the rim to retain the can in the opening.
Carriers of this type can be desirable because they are suited to being formed of readily recyclable materials (e.g. cardboard or paperboard).
However, such materials can be more susceptible to damage (e.g. tearing) and, in general, can be weaker than harder-to-recycle alternatives such as plastic. In some cases, this means that such carriers are more susceptible to dislodgement of the cans from the openings. Such carriers can be strengthened to counteract this issue (e.g. a thicker material can be used), but such strengthening can result in an arrangement in which it becomes difficult for a user to release a can from the carrier.
In addition, said grouping together of beverage cans may present certain drawbacks, such as discomfort and difficulty in the manual carrying thereof, and it is particularly easy for the cans being carried to accidentally or unintentionally slip or fall out.
The present invention has been devised according to the above considerations.

Summary

Disclosed is a carrier device for beverage cans, which comprises a planar body having a can-receiving opening for receipt of a beverage can, and a plurality of flanges surrounding the opening and configured to engage a can when received in the opening, wherein each flange has an inner edge defining a portion of a periphery of the opening and an opposing outer edge around which the flange can fold so as to yield out of plane with the planar body, wherein the planar body incorporates an insert that comprises an opening, said insert being arranged such that it is collapsible or foldable over the body itself with at least one opening of the insert that corresponds to an opening of the planar body, the opening of the insert also having a width that is equal to or greater than the width resulting from the opening of the body with the added flanges and less than or equal to the width of the same opening of the planar body.
Optional features of the first detail will now be set out. These are applicable singly or in any combination with any detail.
The planar body has at least one relief cut arranged adjacent to at least one flange.
In a use condition and when a can is received in an opening of the planar body, the relief cut results in resting and pressing on the insert.
The radius of the opening of the insert is less than the distance from the centre of the opening of the body to the relief cut.
Each flange may be separated from an adjacent flange by a radial cut extending radially from the opening. The term "separated" means that the flanges can be moved separately to one another (i.e. are not connected along the radial cut), but does not necessarily require the flanges to be spaced from one another at the radial cut (i.e. they may still be in contact).
One or more of the relief cuts may be at or proximate to an outer end of a corresponding radial cut that is distal from the opening. Each relief cut may have a greater extent in the circumferential direction than the corresponding radial cut. In this way, each relief cut may help to distribute any force circumferentially.
At least one relief cut may intersect with at least one radial cut, and the radius of the opening of the insert may be less than the distance from the centre of the opening of the body to the intersection between the relief cut and the radial cut.
Each relief cut may extend in a direction that is not parallel to the corresponding radial cut. Each relief cut may extend perpendicularly to the corresponding radial cut (i.e. the radial cut at which the relief cut is located).
The relief cut may present symmetry with respect to the radial cut, and has a general orientation perpendicular to the radial cut and comprises a curved section. Accordingly all of this, the relief cut may present convexity or concavity.
In other embodiments, the flanges have their straight sides with a geometric form of trapeze, and eventually the flanges may present an additional cut in their region of contact with the contour of the openings.
Preferably, the body may present added holes suitable for the passage of the user's fingers.
The body may have four sides, wherein each pair of adjacent sides define a corner therebetween. The corners may be rounded.
The body may be laminar and comprise cardboard. The body may be substantially entirely formed of cardboard. The cardboard may be compact cardboard. The cardboard may be Kraft type cardboard (known by the following nomenclatures: SUS, GN4, CNK and UUK).
The carrier device may have fewer than 21 flanges surrounding the opening of the planar body.
The opening of the planar body may be fully surrounded by flanges. That is, the entire periphery of the opening may be defined by flanges (and thus, the periphery may not include any gaps).
Each opening may have a diameter of between 45 and 50 mm, e.g. about 47 mm. The diameter of the opening may be taken as the distance between the inner edges of diametrically opposed flanges surrounding the opening.
Each flange may have a flange height (distance between the inner and outer edges of the flange) of between 3 and 5 mm, e.g. about 4 mm.
The body may have a width of between 120 and 150 mm, e.g. about 130 mm.

Brief Summary of the Figures

According to the foregoing, different embodiments of the present invention will now be disclosed with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a blank for forming a carrier device of the invention; and
Figure 2 is a view indicator of a use of a carrier device of the invention with a can.
Figures 3 to 5 are views indicators of a use and advantages of a carrier device of the invention with a can.

Detailed Description

Next, a possible embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference to the accompanying figures. Further aspects and possible embodiments of the same invention will be apparent to people skilled in the art.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a carrier device 10 for beverage cans 3 (i.e. of the type having an upper rim 31). The carrier device 10 comprises a square-shaped planar body 1 (formed of compact cardboard) with rounded corners.
On the other hand, the same planar body 1 has at least one opening 2 for receipt of a beverage can 3. In the embodiment depicted in figure 1, the body 1 includes four circular can-receiving openings 2 (arranged at corners of the body 1), each sized and shaped for receipt of a beverage can 3 as it is showed at figure 2.
Also, the planar body 1 includes a plurality of flanges 4 or flanges surrounding the opening 2 and configured to engage a can 3 when received in the opening 2, such as it is showed at figure 2. Each flange 4 has an inner edge 4a defining a portion of a periphery of the opening 2 and an opposing outer edge 4b around which the flange 4 can fold so as to yield out of plane with the body 1.
In this embodiment depicted in figure 1, a total of 20 flanges 4 fully surround each opening 2 for engaging a can when received in the respective opening 2.
Thus, as it is depicted in figure 2, when a can 3 is pushed through an opening 2, the flanges 4 of the opening 2 fold upwards to allow the upper rim 31 of the can 3 to exceed the flanges 4. The inner edges 4a of the flanges 4 then engage an underside of the upper rim 31 of the can 3 to retain and/or block the can 3 in the opening 2.
In the carrier device of the invention depicted in figure 1, the body 1 incorporates an insert 11 having openings 112, said insert 11 being arranged such that it is collapsible or foldable or hingeable over the body 1 itself, wherein the openings 112 of the insert 11 coincide with the openings 2 of the body 1.
In the depiction of Figure 1, the body 1 and the insert 11 are laminar, have a rectangular geometry, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another, such that in the folding of the insert 11 over the body 1, the openings 112 of the insert 11 coincide with the openings 2 of the body 1.
In a condition of use of the carrier device 10 of the invention, the insert 11 can be joined to the body 1 by gluing.
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the openings 112 of the insert 11 have a width or radius R which is greater than the width or useful radius of the openings 2 of the body 1 taking into account the added flanges 4 and the inner edges 4a, and at the same time, the width or radius R of the openings 112 of the insert 11 is less than the width or radius of the same openings 2 of the body 1 without taking into account the added flanges 4.
As is apparent from Figure 1 and 2, each flange 4 is separated from an adjacent flange 4 by a radial cut 41 extending radially from the respective opening 2. A plurality of the radial cuts 41 correspond to relief cuts 42, which are arranged at distal ends of the corresponding radial cuts 41.
Each relief cut 42 is linear and may be straight and/or curved and symmetric and perpendicular in relation to the corresponding radial cut 41 thereof (so as to extend in a circumferential direction).
The radius of the opening 112 of the insert 11 is also less than the distance from the centre of the opening 2 to the relief cut 42.
Accordingly to all of this, in this embodiment depicted in figure 1, the relief cut 42 is concave with respect to the opening 2 of the body 1. In other preferred embodiments, the relief cut 42 could be convex.
In multiples embodiments of the invention, the curve section of the relief cut 42 may be the graphic result of an elliptic, circumferential, parabolic or hyperbolic geometry, or another mathematical equation or polynomic, exponential or trigonometrical expression for example.
Likewise, according to said preferred embodiment of the carrying device of the invention, the flanges 4 have a trapezoidal geometry, with straight sides.
Also, such as it is depicted in this embodiment of the invention at figure 1, the body 1 furthermore has some added holes 5 suitable for the passage of the user's fingers, and thus allowing the manual carrying thereof.
In other embodiments of the invention, the flanges 4 have an additional cut or incision in their region of contact with the contour of the openings 2.
An embodiment depicted in figures 1 and 2 is showed in more detail in figures 3, 4 and 5 from which the use and advantages of the carrier device of the invention can be understood easily. This embodiment has important advantages.
When the can 3 is inserted into the opening 2 through the flanges 4, the relief cut 42 of the flange 4 rests and presses over the cardboard of the insert 11 below the planar body 1, such as it can be seen in Figure 3 and also indicated with a circle in Figure 4.
As a result, the arc resulting from the conjunction of the two relief cuts 42 adjoining of two flanges 4 is supported over the cardboard of the insert 11 that is below the planar body 1, and therefore the flanges 4 are blocked between the same cardboard of the insert 11 and the rim 31 of the can 3, such as it can be seen and is indicated with a circle in Figures 4 and 5.
The relief cuts 42 help to reduce and/or avoid stress concentrations, and to prevent tearing of radial cuts 41 in the outer direction (i.e. away from the openings 2).
Therefore, as can be seen and, above all, indicated with a circle in Figure 5, the fact that in a condition of use the relief cuts 42 of two adjacent flanges 4 are very close to each other means that they help to block the holding of the can 3.
Each opening 2 has a diameter (defined as the distance between the inner edges 4a of two diametrically opposed flanges 4) of about 48 mm. Each flange 4 has a height (defined as the distance between inner 4a and outer 4b edges of the flange 4) of about 4 mm. The width of the body 1 (in both axes) is about 133 mm.
The exemplary embodiments set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purposes of improving the understanding of a reader. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.
Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.
Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" and "include", and variations such as "comprises", "comprising", and "including" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.
It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by the use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term "about" in relation to a numerical value is optional and means for example +/- 10%.

Claims

A carrier device for beverage cans, which comprises a planar body (1) having a can-receiving opening (2) for receipt of a beverage can (3), and a plurality of flanges (4) surrounding the opening (2) and configured to engage a can (3) when received in the opening (2), wherein each flange (4) has an inner edge (4a) defining a portion of a periphery of the opening (2) and an opposing outer edge (4b) around which the flange (4) can fold so as to yield out of plane with the body (1), wherein the planar body (1) incorporates an insert (11) comprising an opening (112) which corresponds to an opening (2) of the planar body (1), the opening (112) of the insert (11) furthermore having a width that is equal or greater than the resulting width of the opening (2) of the body (1) with the added flanges (4) and smaller or equal than the width of the same opening (2) of the body (1).
The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the planar body (1) has at least one relief cut (42) arranged adjacent to at least one flange (4).
The carrier device according to claim 2, wherein in a use condition and when a can (3) is received in an opening (2), the relief cut (42) results in resting and pressing on the insert (11).
The carrier device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the radius of the opening (112) of the insert (11) is less than the distance from the centre of the opening (2) of the body (1) to the relief cut (42).
The carrier device according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least a relief cut (42) comprises at least one curved segment.
The carrier device according to claim 5, wherein the curved section of the relief cut (42) is convex.
The carrier device according to claim 5, wherein the curved section of the relief cut (42) is concave.
The carrier device according to any of claims 2 to 7, wherein at least one flange (4) is separated from an adjacent flange (4) by a radial cut (41) extending radially from the opening (2).
The carrier device according to claim 8, wherein one or more of the relief cuts (42) are at or proximate to a distal end from the opening (2) of the corresponding radial cut (41).
The carrier device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one relief cut (42) has symmetry with respect to a radial cut (41).
The carrier device according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the relief cut (42) has a general orientation perpendicular to the radial cut (41).
The carrying device according to any of claims 8 to 11, wherein at least one relief cut (42) intersects with at least one radial cut (41).
The carrying device according to 12, wherein the radius of the opening (112) of the insert (1) is less than the distance from the centre of the opening (2) of the body (1) to the intersection between the relief cut (42) and the radial cut (41).
The carrying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flanges (2) have trapezoidal shape.
The carrying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flanges (4) have an additional cut in their region of contact with the contour of the openings (2).
The carrying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body (1) has added holes (5) suitable for the passage of the user's fingers.
The carrying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body (1) is laminar.
The carrier device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body (1) comprises cardboard.
The carrier device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein fewer than 21 flanges (4) surround the opening (2).
The carrier device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (2) is fully surrounded by flanges (4).
The carrier device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the insert (11) is linked to the body (1) in such a way that the insert (11) is foldable or hingeable over the body (1) itself.