MATERIAL BLANK FOR A CONTAINER SUPPORT, BUNDLE OF MULTIPLE CONTAINERS, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A BUNDLE OF MULTIPLE CONTAINERS

Abstract

A material blank for attaching to a container group formed of multiple assembled containers, in particular so as to form a bundle. The blank has a connection section with multiple container receiving openings for arranging on the containers of the container group. In order to provide for an inexpensive production of a stable bundle, the material blank has a first folding tab, which adjoins the connection section at a first edge of the connection section, and a second folding tab, which adjoins the connection section at a second edge of the connection section opposite the first edge. The first and second folding tabs are designed and connected to the connection section such that the two folding tabs can be pivoted relative to the connection section into a bundle position in which the folding tabs overlap at least in some sections and cover an upper face of the connection section.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A material blank for attachment to a container group formed of a plurality of containers, the material blank comprising: a connection section formed with a plurality of container receiving openings to be arranged at the containers of the container group, said connection section having a first edge, a second edge opposite said first edge, and an upper face; a first folding tab connected to said first edge of said connection section; and a second folding tab connected to said second edge of said connection section opposite said first edge; said first folding tab and said second folding tab being configured for pivoting relative to said connection section into a bundle position, in which said first and second folding tabs overlap one another, at least in part, and cover said upper face of said connection section.

21. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein said connection section has a rectangular shape with a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge opposite said first longitudinal edge, and wherein said first folding tab is connected to said first longitudinal edge and said second folding tab is connected to said second longitudinal edge.

22. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein said first folding tab is formed so that, in the bundle position, a free edge of said first folding tab, opposite said first edge, is arranged in a region of said second edge of said connection section.

23. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein said second folding tab is configured, in the bundle position, to only partially cover said upper face of said connection section.

24. The material blank according to claim 23, wherein, in the bundle position, a free edge of said second folding tab, opposite said second edge, is arranged in a region between a mid-line of said connection section which runs parallel to and equidistant from said first and second edges of said connection section, and said second edge of said second folding tab.

25. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein: said connection section is formed with two mutually opposite free edges, each of which delimit said first and second edges of said connection section, and with two carrying openings; each of said carrying openings being arranged equidistant from said first and second edges of said connection section; and one of said carrying openings is formed at a distance interval from one of said two free edges of said connection section that is equal to a distance interval of the other said carrying opening to the other said free edge of said connection section.

26. The material blank according to claim 25, wherein said first folding tab comprises two locking elements, which, in the bundle position, can be moved out of a folding plane into a locking position, in which each of said locking elements is in engagement with a respective said carrying opening of said connection section.

27. The material blank according to claim 26, wherein said locking elements are formed from partially separable sections of said first folding tab.

28. The material blank according to claim 26, wherein said locking elements are configured in a T-shape, and/or the respective said carrying opening of said connection section is formed with mutually opposing opening extensions for allowing said locking elements to pass through.

29. The material blank according to claim 25, wherein said container receiving openings comprise retaining tabs that project inwards.

30. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein said connection section and said first and second tabs are formed from a paper-based material.

31. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein the material blank is a one-piece material blank.

32. The material blank according to claim 20, wherein said second folding tab is configured without locking elements and without carrying openings.

33. A container bundle, comprising: a plurality of containers and a container carrier; said container carrier being formed of the material blank according to claim 20; said container receiving openings of said material blank being arranged coaxially with said containers and each of said container receiving openings engaging behind a projecting edge of a respective said container in a positive fit; and said first and second folding tabs of said material blank being in the bundle position.

34. The bundle according to claim 33, wherein said containers are arranged in at least two container rows, and said carrying openings are formed in said connection section of said material blank at a position centrally between the container rows.

35. The bundle according to claim 33, wherein said first and second folding tabs are adhesively bonded to one another in an overlapping region, in which said folding tabs overlap one another.

36. A method for producing a bundle with a plurality of containers and a container carrier, the method comprising: assembling the plurality of containers to form a container group; providing a material blank according to claim 20 with several container receiving openings at the container group; attaching the material blank to the containers by coaxially arranging the container receiving openings at the containers; pivoting the first and second folding tabs of the material blank into the bundle position in order to form a container carrier; and connecting the first and second folding tabs to one another in an overlapping region thereof.

37. The method according to claim 36, which comprises, after attaching the material blank to the containers, bringing two locking elements of the first folding tab into engagement with a respective carrying opening of the connection section.

38. The method according to claim 37, which comprises bringing the two locking elements into engagement with the carrying openings by a tool plate of an application unit, which comprises two impressing fingers.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the attaching step comprises attaching the material blank to the containers by a driven application unit, which comprises at least one pressing element with a tool plate, and which is moved circulating between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers.

Description

[0046] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained hereinafter with reference to the Figures. These show:

[0047] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a container group with a material blank attached to it, the blank comprising two folding tabs and being in its initial position;

[0048] FIG. 2 a perspective view of the container group from FIG. 1 with the material blank in a partially folded-over position of the folding tabs;

[0049] FIG. 3 a perspective view of the container group from FIG. 1, wherein the folding tabs of the material blank are in a bundle position;

[0050] FIG. 4 a view from above onto the material blank from FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 5 a perspective sectional view of the container group from FIG. 1 in interaction with tool plate comprising an engagement finger;

[0052] FIG. 6 a perspective sectional view of the container group from FIG. 3; and

[0053] FIG. 7 in a schematic representation, a perspective view of an application unite of a packing machine, arranged relative to several grouped containers.

[0054] Represented in FIG. 1, in a perspective view, is a container group 3, assembled from six containers 2. In order to form a bundle from the containers 2 of the container group 3, the containers 2 are connected in the region of their upper faces to a material blank 1. In order to secure the material blank 1 to the containers 2, it comprises a connection section 4, with six container receiving openings 5, which are arranged in the upper region of the containers 2 coaxially to the containers 2.

[0055] In order to form a finished bundle, which can be gripped and transported by the consumer, the material blank 1 connected to the containers 2 is transformed to a container carrier 48 (see FIG. 3). For this purpose the material blank 1 comprises a first folding tab 6, which connects to a first longitudinal edge 7 of the connection section 4, as well as a second folding tab 8, which connects to a second longitudinal edge 9 of the connection section 4.

[0056] In order to form the bundle represented in FIG. 3, the first folding tab 6 and the second folding tab 8 are pivoted towards one another along the first longitudinal edge 7 and the second longitudinal edge 9 respectively, and specifically into a position covering the upper face 10 of the connection section 4. In this situation, as represented in FIG. 2, first the second folding tab 8 is pivoted along the second longitudinal edge 9, then the first folding tab 6 is pivoted along the first longitudinal edge 7 into the position represented in FIG. 3, such that, in the bundle position of the material blank 1 represented in FIG. 3, the first folding tab 6 covers the second folding tab 8. In order to secure the first folding tab 6 to the second folding tab 8, in this situation it is connected in the overlapping region by means of an adhesive, not represented here.

[0057] In order to increase the stability of the material blank 1 arranged in the bundle position, the first folding tab 6 comprises two locking elements 16, which have a T-shaped configuration and are connected by means of detachable separation edges in some sections with the remaining part of the first folding tab 6. In the bundle position, the locking elements 15 are moved out of their flat orientation, represented in FIGS. 1 and 4, with the first folding tab 6 in the direction towards two carrying openings 14, and are then in positive fit engagement with them. In order for the carrying openings 14 to receive the T-shaped locking elements 15 at their free end, they each comprise two opening extensions 16 through which the locking elements 15 engage with their T-shaped sections. In this situation, the carrying openings 14 are in a middle region of the connection section 4 at an equal distance interval from the mutually opposing free edges 13 of the connection section 4, such that, when gripped and lifted by the consumer, making use of the carrying openings 14, a uniform load distribution is ensured.

[0058] The arrangement and transformation of the material blank 1 out of the initial position represented in FIG. 1 into the bundle position represented in FIG. 3 is carried out with known devices of a packaging machine. In order to move the locking elements 15 into an in-engagement position with the carrying openings 14, the packaging machine preferably comprises an application unit with at least one tool plate 17, arranged on which is a carrier 19 provided with two impressing fingers 8 (see FIG. 5).

[0059] An advantageous method for producing a bundle from several containers 2 is described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 7.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an application unit 21 for attaching a material blank 1 to the containers 2, which comprises four pressing elements 27. To drive the pressing elements 27, the application unit 21 comprises a drive unit 26, with a first drive disk 31 and a second drive disk 32. The drive disks 31, 32 are arranged transversely to the transport direction 47 of the containers 2, parallel and at a distance interval from one another. The first drive disk 31 rotates about its first rotation axis 29, and the second drive disk 32 rotates about its second rotation axis 30, wherein, seen in the transport direction, the first rotation axis 29 and the second rotation axis 30 are arranged behind one another and at a distance interval from one another, wherein the height of the first and second rotation axes 29, 30, i.e. their distance interval from a first transport plane of the containers 2, is equal.

[0061] The drive unit 26 comprising the two drive disks 31, 32 serves to move the pressing elements 27, provided with tool plates 17, which are arranged in the region between the first drive disk 31 and the second drive disk 32. The pressing elements 27 are in this situation connected by means of a first jointed axle 33 to the first drive disk 31, and by means of a second jointed axle 45 to the second drive disk 32. In this situation, in order to arrange the pressing elements 27 on the first and second drive disks 31,32, use is made of jointed bolts 44, mounted with rotational joints on the pressing elements 27, which are arranged with their ends opposite the free ends over square elements 46 arranged in receiving openings 46 at the first and second drive disks 31,32.

[0062] The arrangement of the pressing elements 27 at the first and second drive disks 31, 32, is configured in this situation such that the first jointed axle 33 and second jointed axle 45 of each pressing element 27 in common always exhibit the same distance interval from the transport plane, such that the pressing elements 27 and the tool plates 17 arranged at the pressing elements 27 are always arranged horizontal during the rotation of the drive disks 31, 32, i.e. parallel to the transport plane and parallel to the containers 2 assigned to a container group 3.

[0063] The pressing elements 27 are in this situation arranged distributed uniformly over the circumference at the first drive disk 31 and second drive disk 32, wherein the first drive disk 31 and the second drive disk 32 each have a first receiving opening group 40 and a second receiving opening group 41. Each of these receiving groups 40, 41, comprises three receiving openings 34 distributed over the circumference and arranged equidistant from one another. Two further receiving openings 34 are in each case arranged in the middle between the first receiving opening group 40 and the second receiving opening group 41, on the circular path on which the receiving openings 34 of the first and second receiving opening group 40, 41 are arranged opposite one another at the drive disks 31.

[0064] By means of a motor drive of the application unit 21, not represented, the first and second drive disks 31, 32 are set in rotation about their first and second rotation axes 29, 30, as a result of which the pressing elements 27, with their tool plates 17, circulate about the first and second rotation axes 29, 30. In this situation the tool plates 17 come into engagement with the containers 2 assembled into container groups 3, and in this situation move the material blanks 1 arranged on the containers 3 in the direction on the containers 2.

[0065] In interaction with the tool plates 17, when the container groups 3 are guided at the application unit 21 along the transport direction 47, the material blanks 1 are pressed onto the container groups 3, and moved in such a way that the container receiving openings 5 are arranged coaxially to the containers 2.

[0066] In the transport direction 47, the application unit 21 from FIG. 7 is followed by a folding and gluing device, not represented, by means of which a transformation of the material blanks 1 is carried out, wherein the first and second folding tabs 6, 8 are moved into the bundle position and adhesively bonded to one another. The folding and gluing device is followed in turn in the transport direction 47 preferably by a further application unit, not represented, which serves to move the locking elements 15 into an in-engagement position with the carrying openings 14. This further application unit can, for example, be essentially of the same structural design as the application unit 21 from FIG. 7, but comprises at its tool plates 17 a carrier 19, provided with impressing fingers 18, as shown in FIG. 5. During the interaction with the respective tool plate 17, the impressing fingers 18 move the locking elements 15 into the in-engagement position with the carrying openings 14.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0067] 1 Material blank [0068] 2 Container [0069] 3 Container group [0070] 4 Connection section [0071] 5 Container receiving opening [0072] 6 First folding tab [0073] 7 First edge/first longitudinal edge [0074] 8 Second folding tab [0075] 9 Second edge/second longitudinal edge [0076] 10 Upper face (of the connection section) [0077] 11 Free edge (of the first folding tab) [0078] 12 Free edge (of the second folding tab) [0079] 13 Free edges (of the connection section) [0080] 14 Carrying opening [0081] 15 Locking element [0082] 16 Opening extension [0083] 17 Tool plate [0084] 18 Impressing finger [0085] 19 Carrier [0086] 21 Application unit [0087] 26 Drive unit [0088] 27 Pressing element [0089] 29 First rotation axis [0090] 30 Second rotation axis [0091] 31 First drive disk [0092] 32 Second drive disk [0093] 33 First jointed axle [0094] 34 Receiving opening [0095] 40 First receiving opening group [0096] 41 Second receiving opening group [0097] 44 Jointed bolt [0098] 45 Second jointed axle [0099] 46 Square element [0100] 47 Transport direction [0101] 48 Container carrier