Protective Carrier and Handle for Cans

Abstract

Polymer-based circular carrier means (11) mounted on can bodies in the manner to cover their entire top surfaces. The circular carrier means (11) are generally planar, sheet-like structures having integral protruding members and recesses creating a corresponding surface for receiving opposite can surface. Each carrier means (11) is additionally provided with a handle means (12), normally encircling part of the periphery of said carrier means (11) and separated therefrom by perforations (14). Each element of a six-element can pack, provided in the form of two arrays of three cans in a typical manner, comprises a carrier means (11) provided with a handle means (12) for individual carriage as well as for carriage of the full can assembly by use of any of said handles (12). Said carrier means (11) are connected to neighboring carriers by perforations (15) along peripheral portions in the parts out of said handle perforations (14).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carrier adapted to be used for all kinds of drinks and especially for carbonated drinks such as beer cans etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION/PRIOR ART

There is significant amount of work on can/bottle carriers in the patent literature; in a nutshell, all aiming at easing carriage of a plurality of cans/bottles by one hand and eliminating hygiene concerns, which are caused by storage environment dust that is accumulating on the peripheral portions of can top surfaces around the drinking mouth and thereby posing a serious risk.

Beside cardboard carriers to store and carry a plurality of cans at once, polymer based carriers were also very much worked to be satisfactorily commercialized in the market. Among patents/patent applications in the technical field, it is possible to cite numerous documents, for instance, to be of exemplary reasons, U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,205, WO 02/064433, U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,106, WO 93/02942 and WO 98/05570 may be cited here.

In the field, beside measures taken to eliminate hygiene concerns and providing necessary carrier means, another prior issue is to provide a carrier with an optimum design so as to not occupy a volume much larger than that of the original product and which is significantly in the shape of the top surface of a can, to be hence suitable for storing cans one above another in a conventional manner. On the other hand, needless to say that mechanical stability is always of major importance, especially when a 3-liter, 6-piece beer pack is carried by a thin polymer carrier, as is the situation for most of the cases.

There is one additional design aspect which should also be considered of priority in can carriers. According to the present invention and contrary to the disclosure proposed by the patent documents cited above, the can carriers are designed to carry not only the full pack of can but also every single can one by one. In other words, the carrier assembly is designed in a detachable manner, as is the practice in the prior art, but also designed with means to carry single cans separately. This is especially advantageous in that one single can may be carried after detaching the same from the rest of the can pack.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a can carrier suitable for carrying a plurality of cans by one hand in a comfortable and reliable manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a can carrier with carrier means suitable for carrying full can pack or any number of cans detached from the rest of the pack as well.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a can carrier occupying a volume not much larger than that of the original product during transport, storage and exhibition, can's bottom surface fitting into the top surface of said can carrier, hence allowing storage of can packs back to back and one above another in a conventional manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objects of the present invention are achieved through use of polymer-based circular carrier means mounted on can bodies in the manner to cover their entire top surfaces. The circular carrier means are generally planar, sheet-like structures having integral protruding members and recesses creating a corresponding surface for receiving opposite can surface. Each carrier means is additionally provided with a handle means, normally encircling part of the periphery of said carrier means and separated therefrom by perforations. Each element of a six-element can pack, provided in the form of two arrays of three cans in a typical manner, comprises a carrier means provided with a handle means for individual carriage as well as for carriage of the full can assembly by use of any of said handles. Said carrier means are connected to neighboring carriers by perforations along peripheral portions in the parts out of said handle perforations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following, the invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawings, which are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying the invention.

According to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a can carrier comprising a pair of carrier cells with the handle means being not detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a single can carrier cell detached from neighboring carrier cell with the handle means being not detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a single can carrier cell detached from neighboring carrier cell with the handle means being not detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of a can carrier comprising two pairs of carrier cells with the handle means being not detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the carrier means and the handle means being not detached from the neighboring carrier cells and from the carrier means respectively.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a can carrier comprising three pairs of carrier cells with the carrier means and the handle means being not detached from the neighboring carrier cells and from the carrier means respectively.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a can carrier comprising three pairs of carrier cells with only the carrier means located in the middle pair being provided with handle means.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a can carrier comprising two pairs of carrier cells with the carrier means and the handle means being not detached from the neighboring carrier cells and from the carrier means respectively.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 11 is a perspective side view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 12 is an another top side view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 13 is an another side view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 14 is an another perspective side view of a can carrier comprising one pair of carrier cells with the handle means being detached from the carrier means.

FIG. 15 is a perspective side view of a can carrier comprising o carrier cell with the handle means being not detached from the carrier means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to the figures outlined above, the can carrier (16) according to the present invention employs polymer-based carrier cells (13) comprising carrier means (11) in the form of planar and circular sheet-like structures covering top surfaces of can bodies and incorporating circular handle means (12) surrounding said carrier means (11) along part of their peripheral portions. Said handle means (12) are connected to said carrier means (11) by means of a circular perforated line (14) provided in between said carrier means (11) and said handle means (12) along the periphery of said carrier means (11). Said handle means (12), normally lying adjacent to said carrier means (11) during transport, storage and exhibition may be easily separated therefrom by buyers prior to carrying.

It is known that carbonated drink cans generally have a cylindrical body. From a side view of a can body, however, it is seen that the lateral surface of the same is extending uprightly and then reaching the top surface of the can with a slight inward slope. In other words, beverage can bodies' top surface areas are smaller than a given cross-sectional surface area that is located between the top and bottom surfaces of the cylindrical body and that is parallel to those two. According to the present invention, a carrier cell (13), which is mounted on a single can and which comprises said carrier means (11) encircled by said handle means (12), has its outermost limits in the horizontal axis, within an area defined by the vertical projection lines of the lateral surface of the can body. Considering the fact that can packs are arranged in horizontal rows during transport, storage and exhibition, arranging those packs back to back would cause a space usage problem in case said carrier cells' (13) outermost portions in the horizontal axis extend beyond the area defined by the vertical projection lines of the largest horizontal cross-sectional area of the can body. Due to this design characteristic according to the present invention, a can pack with every can having a carrier cell on the top surface, occupies the same volume compared to the volume occupied by a can pack without any carrier cell in a conventional manner and hence poses no problem with regard to space usage during transport, storage and exhibition.

The carrier cells (13) according to the present invention are also convenient for arranging can packs one above another vertically during transport, storage and exhibition since upper surfaces of said carrier cells (13) have suitable recesses for receiving bottom surfaces of the cans above.

Said carrier means (11) according to the present invention, tightly grips the upper surface of a can, through suitable recesses and protruding members provided in the form to engage in the opposite surface on to which said carrier means is mounted. Said carrier means (11), normally in a fixedly attached position to the can top surface, may be removed therefrom by the consumer, through exertion of a limited hand force by the edge portions of said carrier cells (13) prior to usage.

According to the present invention, every can in a can pack is provided with a handle means (12) attached to said carrier means (11) by means of a circular perforated line (14) provided along part of the periphery of said carrier means (11) and may easily be detached therefrom by way of pulling that out as those handle means are designed in the form of a tear-off ring. On the other hand, a carrier means (11) with its handle means (12) being detached, will still be fixedly attached to neighboring carrier means (12) by means of a second linear perforated line (15) in the remaining peripheral portion of said carrier means (11) and carrying a can pack by means of any of detached handle means (12) will hence be possible. Perforations are provided at least at one point (18) thorough said circular and linear perforated lines (14 and 15 respectively).

According to this configuration, a user may either choose to carry a plurality of cans by an individual handle (12) provided on any of the cans in the pack or detach a number of desired cans by tearing off said perforated lines (15) in between cells (13) and carry the same by detaching any of the remaining handle means (12). A carrier cell (13) detached from a can's top surface may still be reclosed and the half-full can may be safely closed and protected until the next time the user drinks it.

The present invention thus enables both individual carriage of a single can and plural carriage of the full pack or any number of cans detached from the pack, by means of any of the available handle means (12).

According to FIG. 7, which demonstrates another embodiment of the present invention, it is seen that only a pair of carrier cells (13) is provided with the handle means (12) instead of every single cell (13). However, it is of primary object of this invention to provide a separate handle means (12) to every carrier cell (13). Additionally, as is seen in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, a can pack may also be carried in a conventional manner by two apertures (17) provided in the center of each cell (13) group in the form of a square consisting of 4 cells (13).

According to the present invention, the cans provided with said handle means (12) may be hanged on a rack or on a wall for exhibition through said handle means (12) as well as on a rucksack as an accessory item.

Claims

1. A carrier (16) suitable for carrying a can, comprising one circular, sheet-like carrier cell (13) structure attached to the top surface of a can, said carrier cell (13) characterized in that it comprises;

a carrier means (11) covering and tightly gripping the top surface of a can by means of suitable integral protruding members and recesses creating a corresponding surface for receiving gripping can surface,

a handle means (12) surrounding said carrier means (11) along part of the periphery of said carrier means (11) and which is attached thereto by means of a detachable circular perforated line (14).

2. A can carrier as proposed by claim 1 wherein said carrier cell's (13) outermost limits in the horizontal axis fall within an area defined by the vertical projection lines of the lateral surface of a can body.

3. A carrier (16) suitable for carrying a plurality of cans, comprising at least one circular, sheet-like carrier cell (13) structure attached to the top surface of a can and means to be connected to neighboring cells (13) characterized in that said carrier cell (13) comprises; whereby a plurality of cans may be carried together, one by one or in any desired number by detaching said carrier cells (13), by way of detaching any of said handle means (12) in the carriage.

a carrier means (11) covering and tightly gripping the top surface of a can by means of suitable integral protruding members and recesses creating a corresponding surface for receiving gripping can surface,

a handle means (12) surrounding said carrier means (11) along part of the periphery of said carrier means (11) and which is attached thereto by means of a detachable circular perforated line (14).

at least a second detachable linear perforated line (15) attached to a neighboring carrier cell (13) along peripheral portions of said carrier means (11) in the parts out of said circular perforated line (14),

4. A can carrier as proposed by claim 3 wherein said carrier cells' (13) outermost limits in the horizontal axis fall within an area defined by the vertical projection lines of the lateral surface of a can body whereby storage of can packs back to back is possible significantly without requiring further space compared to space usage by conventional can packs without carriers.

5. A can carrier as proposed by claim 3 or 4 wherein upper surfaces of said carrier cells (13) have suitable recesses for receiving the bottom surfaces of the cans above whereby arranging can packs one above another vertically during transport, storage and exhibition is possible significantly without requiring further space compared to space usage by conventional can packs without carriers.

6. A can carrier as proposed by claim 3 or 4 wherein at least one carrying aperture (17) is provided in the center of each cell (13) group in the form of a square comprising 4 cells (13).

7. A can carrier as proposed by claim 3 or 4 wherein said circular and linear perforated lines (14 and 15 respectively) are provided with perforations at least at one point (18) through said lines (14 and 15).