Continuous dispensing reel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404131-B2
Application number	US-202017778630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2020
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A generally continuous string of container carriers are positioned on a base ( 35 ) wherein container carriers are housed on multiple reels ( 40 ) and are spliced together between adjacent reels to form the generally continuous string and the multiple reels are arranged on at least one axle ( 55 ) for dispensing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for dispensing a generally continuous string of container carriers, each container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers, the system comprising:
a base;
two rigid sidewalls extending from the base;
an axle extending between the rigid sidewalls; and
at least two reels positioned around the axle, each reel including a string of container carriers that are spliced together to form a generally continuous string of container carriers, wherein each reel is back-wrapped.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least two reels comprise an array of reels, each reel of the array including the string of container carriers spliced to another string of container carriers of at least one adjacent reel of the array to form the generally continuous string of container carriers.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising an additional two axles, each axle supporting at least two reels.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising a divider positioned between each adjacent reel of the at least two reels.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising a divider positioned between each adjacent reel of the at least two reels that are positioned around the axle and that share that axle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the rigid sidewalls form a portion of a carton containing the generally continuous string of container carriers.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least additional sidewalls forming a carton.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising six reels arranged in two rows, wherein two reels of the six reels along one rigid sidewall of the two rigid sidewalls include a spliced connection and two reels of the six reels along the other rigid sidewall of the two rigid sidewalls include a spliced connection.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein two reels of the six reels in a center of the axle include a spliced connection.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the rigid sidewalls are corrugated.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle comprises a cardboard tube.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein an additional layer of reels is positioned on top of the at least two reels.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one reel of container carriers in the additional layer of reels is spliced to at least one reel of container carriers in the at least two reels below.

14. A generally continuous string of container carriers, each container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers, the generally continuous string of container carriers comprising:
a first reel having a string of container carriers;
a second reel having a string of container carriers, the second reel connected to the first reel with a splice, wherein the first reel and the second reel are back-wrapped;
an axle supporting at least one of the first reel and the second reel; and
at least two sidewalls enclosing the first reel and the second reel.

15. A package of container carriers comprising:
a carton;
a generally continuous string of container carriers rolled onto a plurality of reels in a generally continuous fashion wherein adjacent reels are separated by a splice, wherein an additional layer of reels is positioned on top of the plurality of reels, and wherein at least one reel of container carriers in the additional layer of reels is spliced to at least one reel of container carriers in the plurality of reels below.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein each reel is back-wrapped.

17. The package of claim 15 further comprising a pair of axles, each axle supporting two or more reels of container carriers.

18. The package of claim 17 further comprising a divider positioned between each adjacent reel on an each axle.

19. The package of claim 17 further comprising a pair of sidewalls between which each axle extends.

20. The package of claim 15 wherein the plurality of reels are arranged in a two by three array of reels within the carton.

21. A system for dispensing a generally continuous string of container carriers, each container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers, the system comprising:
a base;
two rigid sidewalls extending from the base;
at least one axle extending between the rigid sidewalls; and
six reels arranged in two rows, wherein two reels of the six reels along one rigid sidewall of the two rigid sidewalls include a spliced connection and two reels of the six reels along the other rigid sidewall of the two rigid sidewalls include a spliced connection, wherein at least two reels are positioned around the at least one axle, each reel including a string of container carriers that are spliced together to form a generally continuous string of container carriers.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Samaras Christopher J
• Erickson Kevin D

Classifications

• B65H18/28 Primary

  Wound package of webs · CPC title

• B65D85/67

  for web or tape-like material · CPC title

• B65D71/504

  the element being formed from a flexible sheet provided with slits or apertures intended to be stretched over the articles and adapt to the shape of the article · CPC title

• B65D2519/00631

  sidewalls not connected to each other, e.g. spaced apart frames · CPC title

• B65H2301/412845

  and spliced to each other, e.g. for serial unwinding · CPC title