Package For Holding Two Can Units And A More Fragile Unit And Blank For Making Same

Abstract

A package for holding two chime-ended can units with a more fragile unit, comprising a wrapper extending longitudinally around the can units and provided at one end with a set of flaps and a partition wall to define a storage space for the fragile unit. Each of the can units is locked in the wrapper by chime-locking tabs. The can unit aligned with the packaging space for the more fragile unit is shorter than the other can unit. Either can unit may consist of a single can or may be two cans taped together.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Can holders have been constructed using wrappers extending around an assembly of two or more cans and having chime-locking tabs, as shown, for example, in the patent to Chidsey, U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,833. It has also been suggested to enclose more fragile units in the same wrapper. See the Chidsey patent and also Foster U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,413.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a package for holding two can units together with a more fragile unit of a type which requires considerably more protection from the package than do the can units. For example, the more fragile unit may consist of a glass jar or a package enclosed by metal foil which cannot tolerate the same degree of rough handling as the can units.

The package as disclosed includes a wrapper for extending longitudinally around a long can unit and a short can unit standing beside it. Above the short can unit flaps are provided on the wrapper which cooperate with the top portion of the long can unit to define an enclosure for the fragile unit. The two cans are chime-locked in place, the chime-locking flap for the upper end of the short can unit being formed on the partition which separates the enclosure of the fragile unit from the end of the short can.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a package wrapper in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIG. 1 party assembled to form the package wrapper.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view, from a different angle, showing the completed package wrapper.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the can units in place in the wrapper.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the assembled package of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view taken in section along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The blank as it appears in FIG. 1 includes a first side panel portion 1, a base panel 2 connected to one end of the panel portion 1 by a score line 3. A second side panel 4 is connected to the opposite side of the base panel 2 by a score line 5. A top panel 6 is connected to the opposite end of the side panel 4 by a score line 7. A second portion 8 of the first side panel is connected to the opposite side of the top panel 6 by a score line 9. A partition 10, half as wide as the panels 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, is connected by a score line 11 to the other side of the second portion 8 of the first side panel. A tab 12 is connected to the short side of the partition 10 opposite the score line 11 by means of a slotted line 13.

A pair of chime-locking flaps 15 and 16 are connected to the base panel 2 by means of score lines 17 and 18 respectively extending at right angles to the score lines 3 and 5. A pair of side flaps 20 and 21 are connected to the second side panel 4 and the second portion 8 of the first side panel by means of score lines 22 and 24, respectively. A third chime-locking flap 25 is connected to the top panel 6 by means of a score line 26. A fourth chime-locking flap 19 is connected to the partition 10 by means of a score line 38. A third side panel 27 is connected to the opposite side of the top panel 6 by a score line 28. A flap 29 is connected to the side panel 27 by a score line 30.

In assembling the package, the panels are folded on the score lines 3, 5, 7 and 9 so that the top and bottom panels 6 and 2 are parallel and the side panel 4 is parallel to the first portion 1 and the second portion 8 of the first side panel, as shown in FIG. 2. The top of the first portion 1 overlaps the second portion 8 of the first side panel and is attached thereto, for example, by a suitable adhesive. The partition 10 extends across the assembled package between the side panel 4 and the side panel portion 8. The tab 12 is attached to the side panel 4, for example, by a suitable adhesive.

A tear strip 31, of conventional construction, is provided across the panel portion 1 to facilitate opening the package. The side flaps 20 and 21 are folded inwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, and cooperate with the side panel 27 and its attached flap 29 to define a storage space, closed on all but one side for the fragile unit to be enclosed in the package. The open side of that storage space can be seen in FIG. 3.

The assembly of the package is completed by placing in the wrapper, as formed in FIG. 3, a tall can unit 32 (FIG. 6) which may consist of an upper can 34 and a lower can 35 held together by a strip 36 of tape encircling a chime. The tall can unit 32 is held in place by the chime-locking flaps 15 and 25, which are bent inwardly to engage the chimes, in a conventional manner. A shorter can 37 is inserted in the opposite side of the package, and is locked in place by the chime-locking flaps 16 and 19.

After the can units 32 and 37 are placed within the wrapper, a fragile unit 40 may be placed within the storage space. The side flaps 20 and 21 may then be closed over it and the side panel 27 moved downwardly into place, with the tab 29 tucked in above the partition 10.

It may be seen that the open side of the storage space for the fragile unit 30 is closed by the can unit 32, so that the fragile unit is completely protected. The package may be opened readily without struggling with the chime-locking flaps by use of the tear strip 31, which immediately releases both can units from the package.

Claims

I claim:

1. A paperboard blank for forming a package for holding an assembly of two chime-ended can units of different lengths and another more fragile unit, comprising:

a. a first portion of a first side panel;

b. a base panel connected along one side to one end of said first panel portion by a first score line;

c. a pair of chime-locking flaps connected by second and third score lines to opposite sides of the base panel, said second and third score lines being at right angles to the first score line;

d. a second side panel, rectangularly elongated and connected at one end to the side of the base panel opposite said one side by a score line;

e. a first side flap, shorter than the second side panel and connected thereto by a score line extending along a side edge thereof from the end opposite said one end;

f. a rectangular top panel connected along one side to said opposite end of the second side panel by a score line;

g. a third side panel, shorter than said second side panel, said third side panel being rectangular and connected along one side by a score line to a side of said top panel at right angles to said one side thereof;

h. a tab connected to said third side panel by a score line along the side thereof opposite to its connection with said top panel;

i. a third chime-locking flap connected by a score line to said top panel along the side thereof opposite said third side panel;

j. a second portion of said first side panel connected to said top panel by a score line along the side thereof opposite to its connection with said second side panel, said second portion of the first panel being attachable to the end of said first portion opposite said one end;

k. a second side flap having a length equal to said first side flap, said second side flap being connected to said second portion of the first side panel by a score line extending along the side edge thereof aligned with said edge of the second side panel to which the first side flap is connected;

l. a partition having a width less than the width of the side panels and end panels, said partition being rectangular in form and connected along one of its shorter sides by a score line to the edge of the second portion of the first side panel opposite its connection to the top panel, the partition having one of its long sides aligned with said aligned score lines connecting the side flaps to the side panels;

m. a fourth chime-locking flap connected to said partition along said one long side thereof by a score line; and

n. a tab connected by a slotted score line to the end of said partition opposite the end attached to the second portion of the first panel, said tab being attachable to said second side panel.

2. A blank as defined in claim 1, including a tear strip extending transversely of the first portion of the first side panel from one unattached side thereof to the other.

3. A blank as defined in claim 1, in which said partition is one-half as wide as said first and second side panels.

4. A paperboard package for holding an assembly of two chime-ended can units of different lengths and another more fragile unit, comprising:

a. a first portion of a first side panel;

b. a base panel connected along one side to one end of said first panel portion by a first score line and folded along the score line to extend at right angles to said first panel portion;

c. a pair of chime-locking flaps connected by second and third score lines to opposite sides of the base panel, said second and third score lines being at right angles to the first score line;

d. a second side panel, rectangularly elongated and connected at one end to the side of the base panel opposite said one side by a fourth score line, said base panel and said second side panel being folded along said fourth score line so that they extend at right angles;

e. a first side flap, shorter than the second side panel and connected thereto by a score line extending along a side edge thereof from the end opposite said one end;

f. a rectangular top panel connected along one side to said opposite end of the second side panel by a score line;

g. a third side panel, shorter than said second side panel, said third side panel being rectangular and connected by a score line along one side to a side of said top panel at right angles to said one side thereof;

h. a tab connected to said third side panel by a second score line along the side thereof opposite to its connection with said top panel;

i. a third chime-locking flap connected along one side to said top panel along the side thereof opposite said third side panel;

j. a second portion of said first side panel connected to said top panel by a score line along the side thereof opposite to its connection with said second side panel, said second portion of the first panel being attached to the end of said first portion, said side panels and said top panel being folded along their connecting score lines so that the side panels are at right angles to the top panel and the first and second side panels are parallel;

k. a second side flap having a length equal to said first side flap, said second side flap being connected to said second portion of the first side panel by a score line extending along the side edge thereof aligned with said edge of the second side panel to which the first side flap is connected;

l. a partition having a width less than the width of the side panels and end panels, said partition being rectangular in form and connected along one of its shorter sides by a score line to the edge of the second portion of the first side panel opposite its connection to the top panel, the partition having one of its long sides aligned with said aligned score line connecting the side flaps to the side panels;

m. a fourth chime-locking flap connected to said partition along said one long side thereof by a score line; and

n. a tab connected by a slotted score line to the end of said partition opposite the end attached to the second portion of the first panel, said tab having its broad surface attached to said second side panel;

o. said third chime-locking flap cooperating with one of said pair of chime-locking flaps to hold the longer of the two can units in the package;

p. the fourth chime-locking flap cooperating with the other of the two chime-locking flaps to hold the shorter of the two can units in the package; and

q. said side flaps and said shorter side panel cooperating with said partition to support said fragile unit within said package above the shorter can unit.

5. A package as defined in claim 4, including a tear strip extending transversely of the first portion of the first side panel from one unattached side thereof to the other.

6. A package as defined in claim 4, n which said partition is one-half as wide as said first and second side panels.