Printed matte finish carrier

Abstract

A carrier and method of manufacture for a carrier that results in a package of containers includes a plastic sheet having an array of container apertures and a portion having a printed matte finish where the printed matte finish includes a lower coefficient of friction relative to a container than a remaining surface of the plastic sheet. A plurality of containers are each positioned within an aperture of the array so that the printed matte finish of the plastic sheet is positioned along an inner portion of the package and the remaining surface of the plastic sheet is positioned along an outer portion of the package.

Claims

1. A carrier for carrying an array of containers comprising: a plastic sheet having a generally smooth surface and a plurality of container apertures formed therein and arranged in adjacent rows and adjacent ranks, wherein the plastic sheet is generally transparent and includes a printed matte finish formed of a printed ink, the printed matte finish on the plastic sheet between the adjacent rows and the adjacent ranks of the container apertures, wherein the printed matte finish is configured to contact the containers and has a roughness value Ra of at least 100 microinches.

2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the printed matte finish has a different coefficient of friction relative to sidewalls of the containers than the plastic sheet.

3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the printed matte finish has a roughness value Ra in a range of 100-125 microinches.

4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the printed matte finish comprises a UV-cured flexography ink.

5. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a corona pretreatment applied to the plastic sheet between the plastic sheet and the printed ink.

6. A method for manufacturing the carrier according to claim 1 and having an array of apertures each for receiving a container, the method comprising: feeding a flexible plastic sheet across a roller; printing the printed matte finish to the plastic sheet; forming the plastic sheet into the container carrier so that the printed matte finish is positioned in a desired location.

7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising: corona treating of the plastic sheet in preparation for said printing of the matte finish.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the corona treating comprises application of a minimum of 38 dynes/cm.sup.2.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the matte finish is printed via flexography.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the flexography comprises UV-curable flexography.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the printed matte finish is aligned in a plurality of longitudinal strips along the plastic sheet.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the printed matte finish is positioned between outer edges of the plurality of container apertures.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the printed matte finish has a different coefficient of friction relative to a sidewall of the container than the plastic sheet.

14. A package of containers comprising: a sheet having a plurality of container apertures arranged in adjacent rows and ranks; a portion of the sheet having a corona pretreatment and a printed matte finish of printed ink on and over the corona pretreatment; and a plurality of containers positioned within respective container apertures so that the printed matte finish contacts at least a portion of each container of the plurality of containers, wherein the printed matte finish is between the adjacent rows and the ranks of the container apertures, wherein the printed matte finish has a roughness value Ra of at least 100 microinches.

15. The package of containers of claim 14 wherein the printed matte finish has a roughness value Ra in a range of 100-125 microinches.

16. The package of containers of claim 14 wherein the portion of the sheet having a printed matte finish is aligned in longitudinal strips along the plastic sheet.

17. The package of containers of claim 14 wherein the portion of the sheet having a printed matte finish is positioned between outer edges of the plurality of container apertures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above-mentioned and other features and objects of the subject development will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a top view of a plastic sheet according to one preferred aspect of the subject development;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of a plastic sheet during formation into carriers according to one preferred aspect of the subject development;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top view of a package according to one preferred aspect of the subject development; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a package according to one preferred aspect of the subject development.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIGS. 1-4 show a representative method of manufacture, a carrier for carrying an array of containers and a package according to various preferred embodiments of this invention. The physical configurations of the carrier 10 and the package 50 are merely illustrative and, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and guided by the teaching herein provided, may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

(7) In a manner similar to the types of multi-package carriers described above, carrier 10 according to one preferred embodiment of this invention is constructed from a thermoplastic material, preferably an extruded low- to medium-density polyethylene sheet material, or plastic sheet 20 having a generally smooth surface. Plastic sheet 20 is preferably generally transparent. As is common in plastic extrusion, plastic sheet 20 is extruded such that a longitudinal direction of plastic sheet 20 is in a machine direction, by definition the direction of the extrusion that is perpendicular to the face of an extrusion die, and the lateral dimension of plastic sheet 20 is in a transverse direction, the direction of the extrusion that is parallel with the extrusion die.

(8) According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, matte finish is integrated, along a generally single plane, with plastic sheet 20 in carrier 10 so as to create discrete segments of printed matte finish 4050 integrated with respect to plastic sheet 20. The plastic sheet 20 shown in FIG. 1 has or includes printed matte in a four-stripe pattern such as may be desired for certain carriers. It is to be understood and appreciated that the broader practice of the subject development is not necessarily so limited as plastic sheets with printed matte patterns having a greater or lesser number of stripes as well as non-stripe patterns are contemplated and herein encompassed.

(9) Matte finish 40 is preferably imparted to plastic sheet 20 by printing such as via UV-curable flexography. For example, standard 5 to 10 BCM (billions of cubic microns) anilox rolls can be used to meter sufficient amount of ink to the printing plates and then print a continuous stripe such as match the carrier lane centers.

(10) In accordance with a preferred aspect of the development, printed matte areas desirably provide or result in a roughness value Ra of at least 100 microinches and, in accordance with one preferred embodiment, preferably in a range of 100 to 125 microinches. For comparison purposes, typical or commonly used standard chrome rolls are much smoother, such as having Ra values in a range of about 5 to 7 microinches.

(11) In accordance with one preferred aspect of the development, extruded sheets can be desirably prepared for printing by undergoing corona pretreatment. For example, in accordance with one preferred embodiment, such corona treatment can or may involve standard electron discharge corona treatment of areas or selected areas to be printed, with such treatment typically involving application of a minimum of 38 dynes/cm.sup.2.

(12) Following application of printed matte finish 40 to plastic sheet 20, plastic sheet 20 may include portions having a smooth surface and generally transparent appearance and portions having a printed matte finish 40 that typically includes a generally cloudy appearance. In addition, printed matte finish 40 includes a lower coefficient of friction against container 60, specifically relative to a sidewall of container 60, than the smooth surface of the plastic sheet.

(13) Thus, according to a preferred method of manufacturing carrier 10 according to this invention, plastic sheet 20 is fed across a roller following extrusion of plastic sheet 20. The roller then applies printed matte finish 40 to a desired portion of plastic sheet 20 and carrier 10 is subsequently formed from plastic sheet 20 so that printed matte finish 40 is positioned in a desired location.

(14) As such, after printed matte finish 40 is integrated with, or otherwise applied to, plastic sheet 20, the resulting plastic sheet 20 is preferably stamped or die-cut to create individual carriers 10. As described, plastic sheet 20 is preferably die-cut after the integration of plastic sheet 20 and printed matte finish 40 for the preferred embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and described above. Plastic sheet 20 is preferably formed using a punch press to die cut and extract material and create the features of carrier 10 described below and generally shown in FIG. 2.

(15) Plastic sheet 20 having integrated printed matte finish 40 is die-cut to form a plurality of apertures 25, each aperture 25 capable of receiving container 60. A plurality of outer bands 35 are preferably positioned along outer portions of carrier 10 and partially define apertures 25. Outer bands 35 preferably do not include printed matte finish 40.

(16) Apertures 25 are preferably arranged in an array of lateral rows and longitudinal ranks. As shown in FIG. 3, an additional preferable array is an arrangement of two lateral rows and three longitudinal ranks to form carrier 10 for holding six containers 60. Accordingly, rows of apertures 25, although extending lengthwise across plastic sheet 20, are counted laterally across a width of plastic sheet 20 and ranks of apertures 25, although extending widthwise across plastic sheet 20, are counted longitudinally along a length of plastic sheet 20. It should be noted, however, that although FIGS. 2 and 3 show carrier 10 for holding six containers 60, the invention is not intended to be so limited and carrier 10 may contain any feasible array of apertures 25.

(17) In one preferred embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 2, apertures 25 are formed so that printed matte finish 40 is longitudinally arranged and positioned between outer bands 35 and, more particularly, between outer edges of apertures 25 in the lateral rows of apertures 25. This configuration permits printed matte finish 40 to slide along container sidewalls in the areas between apertures 25 and avoids the tendency of plastic sheet 20 in that area to drag and overstretch relative to the sidewall of container 60.

(18) Apertures 25 may comprise any suitable opening, preferably, though not necessarily, an elongated opening having an elongation in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 2, apertures 25 are narrower in the lateral direction than in the longitudinal direction.

(19) When the preceding embodiment of carrier 10 is assembled into a package 50 such as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of interconnected bands formed by plastic sheet 20 are positioned along the sidewalls of respective containers 60, for instance, approximately 1.5″ from a top of each container 60. Package 50 preferably provides a reduced surface finish resistance along the portions of the plastic sheet 20 that include printed matte finish 40, specifically along a middle portion of plastic sheet 20 extending between outer bands 35 and more specifically between outer edges of apertures 25. A surface finish resistance of container 60 as used in this specification and claims is defined as the amount of resistance a sidewall of container 60 provides as carrier 10 is slid down its surface.

(20) In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when containers 60 are inserted into carrier 10 to create an assembled package 50, containers 60 are positioned within respective container apertures 25 so that printed matte finish 40 contacts at least a portion of each container 60. This arrangement permits the sidewall of container 60 to slide freely enough within container aperture 25 to permit application of carrier 10 to containers 60 without destroying carrier 10.

(21) Accordingly, the portion of plastic sheet 20 that includes printed matte finish 40 is preferably positioned along an inner portion of package 50. Outer bands 35 of carrier 10 are thus generally transparent and free of printed matte finish 40 so as not to block graphics on containers 60 or otherwise disrupt the aesthetics of package 50.

(22) Carrier 10 will therefore unitize groups of containers having a range of diameters and a range of sidewall characteristics, including container sidewalls having high coefficients of friction. Carrier 10 according to this invention will permit a single carrier 10 to engage a relatively broad range of existing and conceivable containers.

(23) In addition, according to another preferred embodiment of this invention, carrier 10 is engaged and applied to containers 60 by sets of moveable jaws (not shown). These moveable jaws typically engage carrier 10 along outer bands 35 and then stretch carrier 10 for application onto containers 60. As a result of the described embodiment, portions of carrier 10 that include printed matte finish 40 maintain exclusive contact with the sidewalls, and are slideable relative to the sidewalls, of the respective containers 60 until carrier 10 is applied to containers 60 and jaws are released from outer bands 35. Outer bands 35 are then released into engagement with containers 60 thereby providing a higher coefficient of friction relative to the sidewalls than printed matte finish 40 of carrier 10. This results in a package having containers 60 tightly and firmly maintained within carrier 10.

(24) The claims are not intended to include, and should not be interpreted to include, means-plus- or step-plus-function limitations, unless such a limitation is explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase(s) “means for” or “step for,” respectively.

(25) The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element, part, step, component, or ingredient which is not specifically disclosed herein.

(26) While in the foregoing detailed description this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.