Beverage packaging system

Abstract

A packaging system for wine and other beverages is provided. The packaging system includes a plurality of cartons or boxes with each carton or box containing a single beverage serving and each box being formed with a dispensing element so that the beverage can be dispensed or poured from the carton or box. Also provided is a sleeve that is sized for packaging the plurality of cartons or boxes in an abutting stacked relationship with one another in order for the plurality of cartons or boxes to be marketed as a multi-pack unit. Significantly, the packaging sleeve has a side wall along which a bottle design corresponding to the wine or other beverage contained within the individual cartons or boxes is visibly displayed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a packaging system, and more particularly, to a packaging system for beverages which utilizes cartons or containers suitable for individual servings.

In the marketplace, most beverages are offered for sale in large size containers/bottles; these contain a quantity of beverage that is suitable for multiple servings. This type of bottle packaging is cost effective, since the price per serving in such bottles is far less than individual servings packaged in smaller size bottles. However, the disadvantage of beverage bottles containing multiple servings is that once the bottle is opened, and depending upon the beverage itself, the remaining beverage contained in the bottle may lose its flavor or otherwise spoil over time. This is especially true for wine and other alcoholic beverages; when only a portion of the wine contained in a bottle is utilized, often the remaining wine spoils and is therefore thrown away.

In the marketplace, single serving cartons or boxes are commonly used in the marketing of fruit juices, milk or other liquid-based food products. Such cartons or boxes are typically formed of a cardboard material, laminated or coated with a plastic film in order to be liquid tight. Each carton or box is typically rectangularly shaped and the cartons/boxes are suitable for being grouped tightly together, abutting against one another, for marketing as a multi-pack in a paper container or package.

While such multi-pack units are common for non-alcoholic beverages, they are typically not used in marketing and selling alcoholic beverages, such as wine, in large part because consumers identify wines and other alcoholic drinks with certain shaped and designed multi-serving bottles. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a packaging system for consumers to enable the individual serving of wine and other alcoholic beverages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a packaging system for wine and other beverages is provided. The packaging system includes a plurality of cartons or boxes with each carton or box containing a single beverage serving and each carton or box being formed with a dispensing element so that the beverage can be dispensed or poured therefrom. Also provided is a sleeve that is sized for packaging the plurality of cartons or boxes in an abutting relationship with one another in order for the plurality of cartons or boxes to be marketed as a multi-pack unit. Significantly, the packaging sleeve has a side wall along which a bottle design corresponding to the wine or other beverage contained within the individual cartons or boxes is visibly displayed.

In one preferred form of the inventive packaging system, the sleeve comprises a box made out of cardboard or other physically stiff material and the bottle design is depicted along one of the sidewalls of the box. In a second embodiment, the sleeve comprises a transparent plastic see-through packaging material, with each carton or box depicting a portion of the bottle design such that when the cartons or boxes are grouped together for packaging, the image of the bottle is depicted through the see-through packaging material.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved beverage packaging system;

still another object of the invention is to provide a beverage packaging system for marketing and selling single serving units of a beverage.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an improved beverage packaging system which associates a beverage with its applicable bottle design.

Still other objects and advantages will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, be apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description, taken into connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the inventive packaging system;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the use of a single serving beverage carton or box taken from the packaging system depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the inventive packaging system;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5- . . . 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing use of a single serving beverage carton or box taken from the packaging system of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the inventive packaging system is generally indicated at 11. Packaging system 11, as best shown in FIG. 2, includes three rectangular single-serving beverage cartons or boxes 15A, 15B and 15C that are packaged as a multi-pack unit one on top of the other inside a rectangular box or sleeve 13. Sleeve 13 is preferably made of a cardboard material and is formed with a top 21 defined by panels 26A and 26B in order to provide access within sleeve 13. As shown in FIG. 1, sleeve 13, along front portion 23, has a bottle design 17 depicted thereon and easily visible to a prospective purchaser. Bottle design 17 preferably has a configuration/appearance which corresponds or otherwise relates to beverage 16 contained within the individual cartons or boxes 15A, 15B, 15C housed within box or sleeve 13.

Each carton or box 15A, 15B, 15C has a top 25 that is formed with a spout 27 to enable beverage 16 to be dispensed as desired, as best shown in FIG. 3. Also, each carton or box 15A, 15B, 15C has a side panel that may include a portion of a bottle design 31 depicted thereon. Consequently, cartons or boxes 15A, 15B, 15C may also be packaged without utilizing an outside cardboard sleeve or box and still depict a bottle design when marketed as a multi-pack unit as now shown in greater detail in the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the inventive packaging system is generally indicated at 111. Packaging system 111 includes a plurality of single-serving beverage boxes or cartons 115A, 115B, 115C, packaged one on top of the other as a multi-pack unit. Each of boxes or cartons 115A, 115B and 115C contains a single serving of a beverage, such as wine or some other alcoholic drink. Each box or carton 115A, 115B and 115C has a top 125 that is formed with a spout 127 to enable the dispensing of beverage 16, as best shown in FIG. 6.

As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, each of boxes or cartons 115A, 115B and 115C has a side wall 129 that depicts a portion of a bottle design 117. Therefore, box or carton 115A depicts bottle portion 117A, box or carton 115B depicts bottle portion 117B and box or carton 115C depicts bottle portion 117C. As a result, when box or cartons 115A, 115B and 115C are disposed in an abutting relationship for defining a multi-pack unit, a bottle design 117 is fully depicted.

In order to house boxes or cartons 115A, 115B and 115C as a multi-pack unit, and to enable the prospective customer to view bottle design 117, a see-through plastic cellophane or other transparent material 113 is wrapped around boxes or cartons 115A, 115B and 115C. Material 113 is stiff enough to support cartons or boxes 115A, 115B, 115C in a stacked multi-pack arrangement and is formed with access panels 126A and 126B to enable selective access to the boxes (see FIG. 5).

The scope of the invention will now be set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A packaging system for a beverage comprising:

a plurality of boxes, each box having an inside compartment containing said beverage with each box formed with means for selectively dispensing said beverage from said compartment;

said plurality of boxes being packaged in an abutting stacked relationship inside a sleeve;

wherein said sleeve has a side; and

wherein a bottle design corresponding to the beverage contained within said boxes is visibly displayed along said side.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sleeve comprises a carton and wherein said bottle design is depicted on said side of said carton.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of boxes has a side wall depicting a portion of said bottle design.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said bottle design is visibly displayed in its entirety on said side walls of said boxes when said boxes are packaged in said abutting stacked relationship.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said sleeve comprises a transparent material such that said bottle design displayed on said side walls of said boxes is visible through said side of said transparent sleeve.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of boxes has a side wall depicting a portion of said bottle design.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing means comprises a spout element.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said beverage comprises wine, and wherein said bottle design comprises a wine bottle design.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each said box contains a single serving of said beverage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said packaging sleeve includes a selectively openable top through which one or more of said plurality of boxes can be removed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said boxes are packaged in said abutting stacked relationship in said sleeve in a single row.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is substantially rectangular in configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each said packaged box is rectangular in configuration.