Perforated case pack top panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565864-B2
Application number	US-202016918849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Aug 17, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided for a perforated top panel disposed in a shrink-wrapped bottle pack for containing water bottles. The perforated top panel includes an easy-open panel and a semi-circular portion disposed at a terminal end of the easy-open panel. The easy-open panel is partially bordered by an alternating series of cuts and lands that are configured to allow the easy-open panel to tear away from the top panel upon being pulled by a practitioner. The easy-open panel includes a parallel portion that extends to one or more tapered portions that terminate at the semi-circular portion. The semi-circular portion is configured to be grasped and pulled to separate the tapered portion and the parallel portion from the top panel and thus expose the water bottles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A perforated panel disposed in a shrink-wrapped bottle pack, the panel comprising:
an easy-open panel; and
an alternating series of cuts and lands bordering a portion of the easy-open panel, the alternating series of cuts and lands including a first top perforation extending from a top panel of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack to a first side perforation disposed on a first side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack, and a second top perforation extending from the top panel of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack to a second side perforation disposed on a second, opposite side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack,
wherein the first side perforation is confined to the first side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack and oriented to intersect the first top perforation on the first side, and the second side perforation is confined to the second side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack and oriented to intersect the second top perforation on the second side.

2. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the easy-open panel includes a first parallel portion and a second parallel portion that share a central perforation line that is aligned along a midline of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack, the central perforation line defined by at least the first top perforation and the second top perforation.

3. The perforated panel of claim 2 , wherein a semi-circular portion is disposed at a midpoint of the central perforation line and configured to facilitate separating the first parallel portion and the second parallel portion along the central perforation line.

4. The perforated panel of claim 2 , wherein the first parallel portion and the second parallel portion are bordered on opposite sides by the first and second side perforations, the first and second side perforations being parallel to each other.

5. The perforated panel of claim 2 , wherein the first parallel portion and the second parallel portion have a width and a length to expose a majority of bottles comprising the shrink-wrapped bottle pack.

6. The perforated panel of claim 1 , further comprising a semi-circular portion disposed on the top panel of the bottle pack, the first top perforation extending from the semi-circular portion to the first side perforation, and the second top perforation extending from the semi-circular portion to the second side perforation.

7. The perforated panel of claim 6 , wherein the first top perforation terminates at the first side perforation, and the second top perforation terminates at the second side perforation.

8. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the first side perforation is perpendicular to the first top perforation on the first side, and the second side perforation is perpendicular to the second top perforation on the second side.

9. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the first top perforation and the second top perforation meet at a semi-circular portion disposed on the top panel of the bottle pack.

10. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the easy-open panel includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion partially defined by the first top perforation, the second top perforation, a first portion of the first side perforation, and a first portion of the second side perforation, and the second portion partially defined by the first top perforation, the second top perforation, a second portion of the first side perforation, and a second portion of the second side perforation.

11. The perforated panel of claim 10 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are parallel to each other.

12. The perforated panel of claim 10 , wherein the alternating series of cuts and lands are configured to border less than an entirety of the first portion, and the alternating series of cuts and lands are configured to border less than an entirety of the second portion.

13. The perforated panel of claim 10 , further comprising a semi-circular portion disposed on the top panel of the bottle pack, the first top perforation extending from the semi-circular portion to the first side perforation, and the second top perforation extending from the semi-circular portion to the second side perforation.

14. The perforated panel of claim 13 , wherein the semi-circular portion is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the easy-open panel.

15. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the first top perforation and the second top perforation together define a central perforation disposed on the top panel of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack.

16. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the first and second side perforations are parallel to each other.

17. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the first top perforation terminates on the first side, and the second top perforation terminates on the second side.

18. The perforated panel of claim 1 , wherein the easy-open panel includes a first portion and a second portion that share a central perforation line defined by the first top perforation and the second top perforation.

19. The perforated panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack opposite a fourth side of the shrink-wrapped bottle pack;
a first aperture extending through the shrink-wrapped bottle pack, the first aperture positioned on the third side; and
a second aperture extending through the shrink-wrapped bottle pack, the second aperture positioned on the fourth side.

Assignees

• Niagara Bottling Llc

Inventors

• Fuhst Jason Thomas

Classifications

• B65D71/08 Primary

  Wrappers shrunk by heat {or under tension, e.g. stretch films or films tensioned by compressed articles} · CPC title

• B65B61/007

  Perforating strips of completed packages · CPC title

• B65D75/5838 Primary

  combined with separate fixed tearing means, e.g. tabs · CPC title

• B65D75/5833

  for tearing out a portion of the wall · CPC title