PACKAGING ARRANGEMENT FOR CANS

Abstract

The invention concerns a tin packaging arrangement comprising a sheet of foldable material folded around a plurality of tins, which are arranged together in an orderly manner for the relative packaging, to form a containment volume for the tins themselves, said volume being substantially defined by a base, a side surface, and a top cover obtained from the sheet in a continuous way. A peculiarity of the present invention is that openings are made in the top cover of the sheet of the packaging arrangement, within which top portions of the tins engage.

Claims

1. A tin packaging arrangement comprising a sheet of foldable material folded around a plurality of tins arranged together in an orderly manner for the relative packaging, to form a containment volume for the tins, said volume being substantially defined by a base, a side surface, and a top cover obtained from said sheet in a continuous way, said arrangement being characterised in that provided in the top cover of the sheet of the packaging arrangement are openings within which top portions of said tins engage.

2. The tin packaging arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that each packaged tin engages in a corresponding opening in the top cover of the sheet.

3. The tin packaging arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that in the top cover of the sheet the openings engage with a portion of the tins close to the top part of the tins, in particular leaving only the respective devices for protection of a tin-opening tab or other opening device exposed.

4. The tin packaging arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises, in the top cover of the sheet, retention means associated with the opening, designed to hold the tins a pre-set position and prevent exit thereof from above.

5. The tin packaging arrangement, according to claim 1, characterised in that the retention means comprise a border with radial slits, which is obtained on an edge of an individual opening and is designed to define a hole of a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the tin L that engages inside the hole.

6. The tin packaging arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a transparent film that substantially covers the entire folded sheet of the arrangement, in particular the transparent film substantially covering the entire containment volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further aims, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention will emerge clearly from the ensuing detailed description of some preferred examples of application, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting explanation of the present invention, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

[0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a first preferred embodiment and a second preferred embodiment, respectively, of a tin packaging arrangement according to the present invention, the first embodiment being characterised by a square arrangement of four tins and the second by an arrangement of two tins in a row;

[0018] FIGS. 3 and 4 show, respectively, a side elevation and a top plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 2 in the configuration with just one tin present inside it; and

[0019] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate, respectively, a side elevation and a top plan view of a variant to the arrangement of FIG. 2 according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] With reference to the above figures, designated as a whole by 10 is a tin packaging arrangement according to the present invention, which includes a sheet of foldable material 20 folded around a plurality of tins L arranged together in an orderly manner for the relative packaging to form a containment volume 15 for the tins L. The containment volume 15 is substantially defined by a base 22, a side surface 24, and a top cover 26, which are obtained from the foldable sheet 20 in a continuous way at the moment when it is folded so as to adhere to the group of tins L arranged together in an orderly manner in contact with sheet 20. Adherence of the sheet 20 to the tins L is typically obtained via a process for folding the sheet, in machinery specifically designed for the packaging process, the sheet 20 typically being stapled or glued at its ends at the end of the corresponding folding operations, so as to define the said volume.

[0021] Openings 28 are made in the top cover 26 of the sheet 20, in which advantageously top portions of the tins L close to their respective top part Ls engage. In this way, the tins L are perfectly positioned within the containment volume 15 so that they are stably assembled together for possible transport and storage of the arrangements 10 in the warehouse.

[0022] With particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, each tin L engages in a corresponding opening 28, thus advantageously stabilising all the tins comprised in the containment volume 15. In greater detail, the openings 28 engage with a portion of the tins L close to the top part Ls thereof, in particular leaving only the respective devices for protecting a tin-opening tab or other opening device exposed.

[0023] With reference to the variant of FIGS. 5 and 6, a tin packaging arrangement 10 is provided, in the top cover 26, with retention means 30 associated with the opening 28, which are designed to hold the tins L in a pre-set position and prevent exit thereof from above. In greater detail, the aforesaid retention means comprise a border 30 with radial slits formed on the edge of each individual opening 28 and designed to define a hole of a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the tin L that engages inside the hole, in such a way that the borders 30 with slits rise when the top cover 26 is folded down to intercept the tins L to package them during the process of assembly of the packaging arrangement 10, thus holding the respective tins L in position.

[0024] Advantageously, the retention means 30 guarantee an even more stable positioning of the tins L within the containment volume 15.

[0025] In a variant (not illustrated) of the tin packaging arrangement according to the invention, the sheet of foldable material folded around a plurality of tins to form substantially a base, a side surface, and a top cover, is provided, on its outside, with a transparent film, typically of soft and strong plastic material, which substantially coves the entire sheet. In greater detail, the transparent film substantially covers the entire containment volume defined by the folded sheet itself.

[0026] Advantageously, use of the transparent film renders the packaging arrangement even more compact and secure, hence further preventing the tins from moving inside the containment volume and rendering the packaging arrangement as a whole sturdier and more resistant to possible stresses, and substantially making it impossible for the tins to drop out.

[0027] It is clear that further variations may be made by a person skilled in the branch to the tin packaging arrangement according to the present invention, as likewise clear is that in its practical embodiment the items illustrated may have different shapes and may be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

[0028] For example, the arrangement of the tins may be extremely varied; for example, they may be arranged in rows of three or more or else form a row or a plurality of rows.