Method and arrangement for packaging groups of containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, for containing beverages or other products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12214922-B2
Application number	US-202217577130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2022
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

A beverage container handling machine, such as a beverage container filling machine or a beverage container closing machine, is used to handle beverage containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, which containers are configured to hold or contain a beverage, such as water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and juices, or a similar product for transport and consumption by consumers of beverages and similar products. Container packages, such as multipacks, are used for transporting groups of beverage containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, for containing beverages or other products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container multipack arrangement comprising:
a plurality of at least four containers arranged in a container multipack, with adjacent containers disposed in at least two rows each having two containers connected to one another in pairs by adhesive connecting structures adhesively adhering to mutually facing outer surfaces of said pairs of containers;
said containers being arranged relatively to one another to leave a space inside said multipack extending vertically from a bottom to a top of said multipack;
a container base support structure configured to be disposed under said containers of said container multipack;
said container base support structure being configured to support said container multipack thereon to permit transport or carrying of said container multipack, with said container base support structure vertically supporting said containers without embracing said containers or covering an outer surface of said containers; and
at least one carrier structure connected to said container base support structure and configured to extend upward from said container base support structure through said space inside said multipack over a height greater than or equal to a height of said containers of said container multipack supported on said container base support structure, such that a projecting portion of said at least one carrier structure projects vertically past the top of said container multipack.

2. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier structure comprises one of (A), (B), or (C):
(A) a base end portion being connected to said container base support structure; and
a body portion being configured and disposed to connect said base end portion to said projecting portion;
(B) two base end portions being connected to said container base support structure;
two body portions being configured and disposed to connect said base end portion to said projecting portion; and

said projecting portion comprising an at least partially curved section being integrally formed with said two body portions to form a single structure;
(C) two base end portions being connected to said container base support structure; two body portions being configured and disposed to connect said base end portion to said projecting portion; and
said projecting portion comprising two projecting portions being disposed one on each of said two body portions and being configured to be connected together.

3. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one carrier structure is connected to said container base support structure at points by one or more connecting structures or by a continuous, elongated connecting structure.

4. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of said container base support structure and said at least one carrier structure comprising a substantially flat material comprising at least one of: plastic, card, cardboard, and corrugated cardboard.

5. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein one of (D) and (E):
(D) said at least one carrier structure and said container base support structure are configured as being one integral structure; and
(E) said at least one carrier structure and said container base support structure are joined to one another by one of: a positive connection, a non-positive connection, or a material bond.

6. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein said at least one carrier structure comprises a handle configured to permit manual carrying of the container multipack carrying arrangement.

7. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one carrier structure comprises at least one weakened or pressed section configured to permit folding of at least one portion of said at least one carrier structure, either over another portion of said at least one carrier structure, over the tops of containers of a multipack, or with respect to said container base support structure.

8. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein said container base support structure and said at least one carrier structure comprise the same material.

9. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein said container base support structure and said at least one carrier structure comprise different materials.

10. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier structure is connected to at least one central portion of said container base support structure, which said at least one central portion is disposed such that, upon positioning of a container multipack on said container base support structure, said at least one carrier structure passes through at least one space between containers of the container multipack.

11. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one carrier structure is configured to extend through said space between the immediately adjacent outer surfaces of two containers of a container multipack not connected to one another by an adhesive connecting structure.

12. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one carrier structure is configured to extend through said space formed within a group of four containers and between adhesive connecting structures.

13. A container multipack arrangement comprising a multipack of containers configured to hold or contain a beverage, and a container multipack carrying arrangement being configured to permit carrying of said container multipack and comprising:
said container multipack including at least six containers arranged in three pairs of containers, including two outer pairs and one middle pair;
a container base support structure being disposed under the containers of said container multipack, which containers are connected together by adhesive connecting structures positioned between and connected to adjacent portions of the outer surfaces of pairs of containers, with said adhesive connecting structures being arranged in ring form around said container multipack of said at least six containers, but no adhesive connecting structure between said containers of said middle pair so as to leave a free space inside said container multipack extending from a bottom of said containers to a top thereof;
said container base support structure being configured and disposed to support the containers of said container multipack thereon to permit transport or carrying of the container multipack with said container multipack carrying arrangement; and
at least one carrier structure being connected to said container base support structure and extending upward from said container base support structure through the free space inside said container multipack over a height greater than or equal to the height of the containers of a container multipack to be carried by said container multipack carrying arrangement, such that a projecting portion of said at least one carrier structure, upon said at least one carrier structure being positioned at a container multipack, is disposed past the tops of the containers of the container multipack.

14. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one carrier structure extends through said free space between the immediately adjacent outer surfaces of two containers of said container multipack not connected to one another by an adhesive connecting structure.

15. The container multipack arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the contain

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Schiekiera Dirk
• Pieters Sebastian

Classifications

• B65D2571/0045

  for hands · CPC title

• B65D71/0018

  with separately-attached handles · CPC title

• B65D71/0003

  Tray-like elements provided with handles, for storage or transport of several articles, e.g. bottles, tins, jars · CPC title

• B65B17/02

  Joining articles, e.g. cans, directly to each other for convenience of storage, transport, or handling · CPC title

• B65B61/14 Primary

  for incorporating, or forming and incorporating, handles or suspension means in packages (attaching, or forming and attaching, string handles or tags to tea-bags B65B29/04) · CPC title