U.S. patent number RE36,425 [Application Number 09/067,748] was granted by the patent office on 1999-12-07 for packaging method and packaging assembly for packages assembled with a pallet or the like.
Invention is credited to Edward L. Benno.
United States Patent |
RE36,425 |
Benno |
December 7, 1999 |
Packaging method and packaging assembly for packages assembled with
a pallet or the like
Abstract
A packaging method for unitizing or interlocking a large number
of beverage multipackages together on a portable platform or
pallet. The invention also comprises an assembly of unitized
packages on a portable platform and includes the use of packages
with upstanding handles and close slots in the bottom walls thereof
which permit the handle of one package to telescope into the close
slot of another of the packages. The invention also uses sheets
between interlocked packages to unitize adjacent interlocked
packages.
Inventors: |
Benno; Edward L. (Grayslake,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
24263969 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/067,748 |
Filed: |
April 28, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
566687 |
Dec 4, 1995 |
05638950 |
Jun 17, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/144; 206/386;
206/430; 53/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
71/0088 (20130101); B65D 2571/00043 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
71/00 (20060101); B65D 071/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/398,399,449
;206/144,192,386,427,430,432,499,509,597,821 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Foster; Jim
Claims
I claim:
1. A packaging method for a plurality of packages, wherein each of
said packages comprises a body section having a handle section
upstanding from the upper surface of said body section and further
having a close slot extending upwardly into said body section from
the lower surface of said body section with said slot having a
configuration capable of telescopically closely receiving the
handle section of another of said packages therewithin, comprising
the steps of:
providing a portable platform for carrying said plurality of
packages,
positioning a first number of said packages on said platform with
the handle sections thereof upstanding in a pattern .[.of rows and
ranks.].,
providing a sheet having the general configuration of the upper
surface of said platform,
providing said sheet with a plurality of openings shaped to permit
said handle sections to extend therethrough and being arranged in
said pattern .[.of rows and ranks.].,
positioning said sheet on top of said first number of said packages
with said handle sections thereof upstanding through said
openings,
positioning a second number of said packages on said sheet with
said slots of each of said second number of packages telescopically
applied over one of said upstanding handle sections of said first
number of said packages to closely hold said handle sections,
providing a second sheet substantially in duplicate of said
sheet,
positioning said second sheet on top of said second number of said
packages with said handle sections of said second number of said
packages upstanding through the openings of said second sheet,
and
providing elastic resilient means on each of said packages for
resiliently closing said close slot of each package.
2. A portable unitary assembly of a plurality of packages, each of
said packages comprising a body section having generally flat
planar upper and lower surfaces, a handle section upstanding from
said upper surface, a close slot extending upwardly into said body
section from said lower surface and having a configuration capable
of telescopically closely receiving the handle section of another
of said packages therewithin, a portable platform, a first number
of said packages positioned on said platform with the handle
sections thereof upstanding in a pattern .[.of rows and ranks.]., a
sheet having the general configuration of the upper surface of said
platform, said sheet having a plurality of openings shaped to
permit said handle sections to extend therethrough and arranged in
said pattern .[.of rows and ranks.]., said sheet mounted on top of
said first number of said packages with said handle sections of
said packages extending upwardly through said openings of said
sheet, a second number of said packages positioned on said sheet
with the slots of each of said second number of packages
telescopically mounted over one of said upstanding handle sections
of said first number of said packages extending upwardly through
said sheet, a second sheet formed substantially as a duplicate of
said sheet, and said second sheet mounted on top said second number
of packages with said handle sections of said second number of
packages extending upwardly through the openings of said second
sheet, said portable platform being shaped as a pallet to permit
the tines of a fork-lift truck to enter and lift said platform to
carry said unitary assembly, and each of said packages having
elastic means on said body section thereof for resiliently closing
said close slot thereof.
3. In an assembly as defined in claim 2, said body section of each
of said packages further comprising a plurality of containers
arranged between said planar upper and lower surfaces and on both
sides of said slot.
4. In an assembly as defined in claim 3, the handle section of each
of said packages comprising folded paperboard with finger holds
therethrough, said paperboard extending downwardly between said
containers to form the opposed sidewalls of said slot.
5. In an assembly as defined in claim 4, and said elastic means
comprising an elastic band stretched and tensioned
circumferentially about said containers and said paperboard between
said containers to resiliently close said close slot.
6. A portable unitary assembly of a plurality of packages, each of
said packages comprising a body section having generally flat
planar upper and lower surfaces, a handle section upstanding from
said upper surface, a close slot extending upwardly into said body
section from said lower surface and having a configuration capable
of telescopically closely receiving the handle section of another
of said packages therewithin, a portable platform, a first number
of said packages positioned on said platform with the handle
sections thereof upstanding in a pattern .[.of rows and ranks.]., a
sheet having the general configuration of the upper surface of said
platform, said sheet having a plurality of openings shaped to
permit said handle sections to extend therethrough and arranged in
said pattern .[.of rows and ranks.]., said sheet mounted on top of
said first number of said packages with said handle sections of
said packages extending upwardly through said openings of said
sheet, a second number of said packages positioned on said sheet
with the slots of each of said second number of packages
telescopically mounted over one of said upstanding handle sections
of said first number of said packages extending upwardly through
said sheet, and said body section of each of said packages further
comprising a plurality of containers arranged between said planar
upper and lower surfaces and on both sides of said slot.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the art of secondary packaging such as
multipackages of beverages for consumers, and primarily to the
making, distributing and selling of consumer multipackages as a
unitary assembly with a portable platform such as a pallet. Pallet
assemblies of consumer packages are being used more and more in
that assemblied condition throughout the entire path from
manufacturer to consumer. In addition to motor vehicles, hand
trucks and fork-lift trucks are used to move the pallet loads of
consumer packages directly to selling sites in the stores.
Presently many large supermarket and warehouse store operations
require the beverage producer or distributor to be responsible for
placing the multipackages virtually in the hands of the consumer.
Starting at the producer's plant, packages such for example as
12-packs or 24-packs are stacked on pallets. Commonly by using
fork-lift trucks the producer moves the pallet loads as completed
either into his warehouse or directly into a delivery truck. The
producer then drives the truck to scheduled retail stores. At large
supermarket or warehouse stores the producer generally will use a
hand truck to remove an entire pallet load of beverage packages and
carry the pallet load directly into the store on the retailer's
selling floor as directed by the retailer. After preparing the
pallet load for sale of the individual packages, on occasion the
producer's employee may even stay in the store next to the display
and place the beverage packages in the consumer's shopping
cart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a method for making pallet loads of
secondary food or beverage packages, and also to the assemblies of
such packages. The primary object of the invention is to use a low
cost, environmentally sound, consumer friendly, secondary package
to assemble pallet loads of the secondary packages by a method and
in an assembly that is low cost, efficient, and environmentally
advantageous, from the point at which the secondary packages are
made to the hands of a consumer in a store.
A feature of the invention is the unique use of packages such as
taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,989 in the practice of the
invention.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent upon a
persual of the hereinafter following detailed description read in
conjunction with the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of an
assembly of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of
the assembly of FIG. 1 to show how the packages are all interlocked
through and with the layer separating sheets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The detailed description of the invention can be more readily
understood by a study of the secondary packages shown and described
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,989 which by reference is incorporated
herein.
As taught in that patent, each of the packages 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2
comprises an upstanding central paperboard member 11. As shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7 of the noted patent, the member 11 is conveniently
made of an elongated paperboard strip transversely folded at the
longitudinal center to form an upstanding upper handle section with
finger openings provided therethrough. From the handle section the
folded paperboard strip extends downwardly between a plurality of
primary packages such as cans. Within the scope of the invention
the primary packages could have other shapes such as bottle-like.
The lower end portions of the paperboard strip are folded outwardly
and thence upwardly a short distance along two lower outer opposed
surfaces of the containers. A stretched and tensioned tube of a
thin plastics material film such as polyethylene is positioned
about the containers and the described paperboard strip below the
handle section to complete the package. The upstanding handle
section is indicated at 12 in FIG. 1. The stretched and tensioned
film tube is indicated at 13 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The portion of the
package 10 below the handle 11 may be called the body section of
the package. As seen at 14 in FIG. 2 at the lower end of the body
section of each package 10 there is a close slot 14 extending
upwardly from the lower surface of the body section. The stretched
and tensioned film tube 13 maintains the close slot 14 resiliently
closed.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a portable platform 15
is provided. The upper surface of the platform 15 is relatively
flat and between the vertical legs 16 thereof there is a slot for
lifting and carrying members 17 such as the tines of a hand truck
or a fork-lift truck. The upper surface of the platform 15 can be
provided with a curb thereabout if there arises a fear that the
beverage load may slide from the platform in transport and
handling. Preferably, a slot 18 is provided in the platform 15
below the upper surface for the storage of the sheets 19 as the
load of packages 10 is dismantled in the store. That arrangement
permits all of the elements of the invention that are not sold to
be returned to the beverage producer. Obviously, to the extent the
platform or pallet 10 and the sheets 19 maintain sufficient
integrity in use, they may be reused by the beverage producer to
lower the cost of using the invention and to follow environmental
goals.
In the assembly of the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing,
the beverage producer in his plant takes a first number of
completed packages 10 and sets them upon the platform 15 in a
pattern of rows and ranks. This is conveniently done by the
producer with a machine called a pallet loader which operates to
take packages from the package assembling machine and position them
on the pallet. The number of packages 10 shown in each layer in the
drawing, eighteen, is not a limiting factor in the invention.
After the first number of packages 10 is assembled on the platform
15, a sheet 19 is positioned on top of the packages 10. A number of
identically formed sheets 19 are provided for the number of layers
of packages 10. The sheets 19 are formed of a semi-rigid material
such as paperboard. The paperboard may be coated with a varnish or
plastics material to render it water-resistant and strong enough
for repeated use. The sheets 19 are provided with a number of
openings 20 therethrough. The openings 20 are arranged on each
sheet 19 in the pattern of the rows and ranks of the upstanding
handle sections 12 of the packages 10. Preferably the peripheral
size and shape of the openings 20 should be slightly larger than
the cross-sectional configuration of a handle section 12 so that a
sheet 19 effectively locks an entire layer of packages 10 together
as a unit.
When a sheet 19 is properly positioned on the first number of
packages 10, the upstanding handle sections 12 will upstand above
the sheet 19. A second number of packages 10 is then positioned in
the same pattern of rows and ranks as the first number of package
10 on top of the first sheet 19. In so positioning the second
number of packages 10, the close slots 14 of the second number of
packages 10 will be telescopically applied over the handle sections
12 of the first number of packages 10. That arrangement or
cooperation is shown in FIG. 2. The elastic and resilient tensioned
tube 13 will resiliently close the close slot 14 against the
upstanding handle section 12 of the first number of packages 10.
Obviously, the lower portions of a package 10 may be spread
outwardly by the thickness of a handle section 12. However, in
reductions to practice of the invention, such spreading appeared
unnoticeable with the thickness of the handle section at about one
sixteenth of an inch.
Over the upstanding handle sections 12 of the second number of
packages 10 a second sheet 19 is positioned. That is followed by a
third number of packages 10 and a third sheet 19. In the embodiment
shown in the drawing, four layers of packages 10 and four sheets 19
are used to complete the assembly. In commercial uses the total
height of the assembly should be that which permits consumers to
easily reach the upper packages.
In use in a store, after the beverage producer or distributor has
placed the assembly in a store aisle, it is only necessary to
manually remove the uppermost sheet 19 and slide it into the slot
18. Consumers need then merely grasp the handle section 12 of one
of the uppermost packages and easily lift the package from the
assembly and place it in their shopping cart. After the uppermost
layer of packages have been removed and sold, someone should remove
the next sheet 19 and slide it into the slot 18. If not removed
immediately, a consumer can easily lift one corner of the next
sheet 19 and take a package 10.
During the entire life of the assembly in a store it remains a
secure and safe arrangement substantially locked against accidental
destruction by a jarring or striking of the assembly.
Having described the invention, it is to be understood that changes
can be made in the described embodiment by a person skilled in the
art within the spirit and scope of the claims.
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