Container package

Claim 2

A multi-packaging device for a plurality of containers or the like, said multi-packaging device comprising a plurality of pairs of flattened material bands arranged in two juxtaposed rows, said flattened material bands having a substantially greater transverse dimension than the longitudinal dimension thereof, each of said flattened material bands being made of stretchable and elastic plastic material and having an integrally continuous wall with opposed folded ends, adjacent flattened material bands between said rows being transversely aligned and being attached to each other at one folded end thereof by an integral joint web extending therebetween, adjacent flattened bands in each said row having the continuous walls of said flattened bands in generally longitudinally aligned relationship, said adjacent flattened material bands in each row being joined to each other by connecting webs of limited transverse dimension on opposite alternating marginal edges of said flattened bands to provide a succession of generally transversely aligned cylindrically-shaped bands in said juxtaposed rows wherein the continuous walls thereof are in generally non-aligned relationship when the flattened material bands in said juxtaposed rows are extended in a longitudinal direction for grouping a corresponding number of containers together as a unit.

Claim 3

The multi-packaging device as defined in claim 1 wherein the integral joint webs have a predetermined smaller transverse dimension than said connecting web means.

Claim 4

The multi-packaging device as defined in claim 2 wherein the integral joint webs having a longitudinal dimension corresponding to the flattEned material bands.

Claim 5

The multi-packaging device as defined in claim 3 wherein the flattened material bands in said juxtaposed rows have a substantially similar predetermined thickness and said integral joint web is thickened relative to said flattened material bands.

Claim 6

A package including a plurality of containers arranged in juxtaposed rows and a carrier device for grouping said containers together as a unit, said carrier device including a plurality of pairs of initially flattened bands of stretchable and elastic plastic material arranged in juxtaposed rows corresponding to said containers, the longitudinal dimension of each flattened band being substantialy less than the transverse dimension of each flattened band, each said flattened band having an integrally continuous wall with opposed folded ends and being in generally longitudinally aligned relationship with the continuous walls of the flattened bands in the same row, adjacent flattened bands between said juxtaposed rows being in transversely aligned relationship and interconnected to each other across a thickened integral joint web, said flattened bands in each row being interconnected to one another on opposite alternating marginal edges thereof by connecting webs of limited predetermined transverse dimension relative to the transverse dimension of said flattened bands in order to permit the flattened bands to open from their flattened condition as a succession of generally cylindrically shaped bands of material with the continuous walls thereof being in non-aligned relationship, said generally cylindrically shaped bands in said juxtaposed rows being stretched over said containers in said juxtaposed rows to provide elastic gripping engagement therewith for carrying said containers together as a unit, and each said thickened joint web between each said adjacently transversely aligned bands in said juxtaposed rows being arranged between said containers in said juxtaposed rows to provide vertical strut reinforcement for said container package between said juxtaposed rows of containers.

Claim 7

A package including a plurality of containers arranged in juxtaposed rows and a carrier device for grouping said containers together as a unit, said carrier device including a plurality of pairs of initially flattened bands of stretchable and elastic plastic material arranged in juxtaposed rows corresponding to said containers, the longitudinal dimension of each flattened band being substantialy less than the transverse dimension of each flattened band, each said flattened band having an integrally continuous wall with opposed folded ends and being in generally longitudinally aligned relationship with the continuous walls of the flattened bands in the same row, adjacent flattened bands between said juxtaposed rows being in transversely aligned relationship and interconnected to each other across a thickened integral joint web, said flattened bands in each row being interconnected to one another on opposite alternating marginal edges thereof by connecting webs of limited predetermined transverse dimension relative to the transverse dimension of said flattened bands in order to permit the flattened bands to open from their flattened condition as a succession of generally cylindrically shaped bands of material with the continuous walls thereof being in non-aligned relationship, said generally cylindrically shaped bands in said juxtaposed rows being stretched over said containers in said juxtaposed rows to provide elastic gripping engagement therewith for carrying said containers together as a unit, and each said thickened joint web between each said adjacently transversely aligned bands in said juxtaposed rows being arranged between said containers in said juxtaposed rows to provide vertical strut reinforcement for said container package between said juxtaposed rows of containers.

Claim 8

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated continuous wall flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having a substantially similar predetermined thickness and opposed folded ends, said tubes being attached to each other at one folded end thereof across a thickened integral joint web, a plurality of pairs of slits extending across each of said elongated continuous wall flattened tubes including said thickened integral joint web to define a plurality of flattened material bands which are generally longitudinally aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in each row and generally transversely aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in said other row, each said pair of parallel slits being spaced apart a distance substantially less than the width of each said elongated continuous wall flattened tubes, the generally longitudinally aligned flattened material bands in each row having flattened openings which are in generally longitudinally aligned relationship to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands in each row for self-opening each of said generally longitudinally aligned flattened material bands and flattened openings into generally non-aligned relationship as generally cylindrically shaped bands of material having non-aligned openings when extended in a longitudinal direction, said thickened integral joint web between said rows of flattened material bands enabling adjacent material bands in said rows to be jointly self-opened as adjacent generally cylindrically shaped bands of material having non-aligned openings with said thickened integral joint web therebetween for assembly to said adjacent positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands in each row in alternating sequence on opposite marginal edges of said flattened matErial bands and said connecting web means also having a transverse dimension which is of sufficiently smaller predetermined width than the transverse dimension of said flattened material bands in order to provide the aforementioned joint self-opening of said flattened material bands in each row.

Claim 9

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated continuous wall flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having a substantially similar predetermined thickness and opposed folded ends, said tubes being attached to each other at one folded end thereof across a thickened integral joint web, a plurality of pairs of slits extending across each of said elongated continuous wall flattened tubes including said thickened integral joint web to define a plurality of flattened material bands which are generally longitudinally aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in each row and generally transversely aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in said other row, each said pair of parallel slits being spaced apart a distance substantially less than the width of each said elongated continuous wall flattened tubes, the generally longitudinally aligned flattened material bands in each row having flattened openings which are in generally longitudinally aligned relationship to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands in each row for self-opening each of said generally longitudinally aligned flattened material bands and flattened openings into generally non-aligned relationship as generally cylindrically shaped bands of material having non-aligned openings when extended in a longitudinal direction, said thickened integral joint web between said rows of flattened material bands enabling adjacent material bands in said rows to be jointly self-opened as adjacent generally cylindrically shaped bands of material having non-aligned openings with said thickened integral joint web therebetween for assembly to said adjacent positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands in each row in alternating sequence on opposite marginal edges of said flattened matErial bands and said connecting web means also having a transverse dimension which is of sufficiently smaller predetermined width than the transverse dimension of said flattened material bands in order to provide the aforementioned joint self-opening of said flattened material bands in each row.

Claim 10

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated, flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends and being superimposed relative to one another across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes, said tubes being attached to each other along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said at least two elongated flattened tubes including the attached portions thereof to define a plurality of flattened material bands which are generally longitudinally aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in each row and generally transversely aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in said superimposed row, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up said flattened material bands for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the superimposed flattened material bands in alternating sequence along opposite superimposed folded ends of the flattened material bands.

Claim 11

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated, flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends and being superimposed relative to one another across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes, said tubes being attached to each other along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said at least two elongated flattened tubes including the attached portions thereof to define a plurality of flattened material bands which are generally longitudinally aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in each row and generally transversely aligned with adjacent flattened material bands in said superimposed row, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up said flattened material bands for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the superimposed flattened material bands in alternating sequence along opposite superimposed folded ends of the flattened material bands.

Claim 12

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends, said tubes being joined to each other at one folded end thereof, a corresponding number of similar elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material which are joined to each other at one folded end thereof and superimposed relative to said first mentioned tubes across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes and attached to said first mentioned tubes along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of each of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said superimposed tubes including the joined and attached portions thereof to define a corresponding number of longitudinal and parallel rows of flattened material bands, the flattened material bands in each longitudinal row being generally longitudinally aligned with respect to one another and the flattened material bands in said parallel rows being generally transversely aligned with respect to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up the flattened material bands in said longitudinal and parallel rows for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands in alternating sequence along opposite superimposed unjoined tube folded ends of said flattened material bands in said longitudinal rows.

Claim 13

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers or the like, comprising at least two elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends, said tubes being joined to each other at one folded end thereof, a corresponding number of similar elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material which are joined to each other at one folded end thereof and superimposed relative to said first mentioned tubes across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes and attached to said first mentioned tubes along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of each of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said superimposed tubes including the joined and attached portions thereof to define a corresponding number of longitudinal and parallel rows of flattened material bands, the flattened material bands in each longitudinal row being generally longitudinally aligned with respect to one another and the flattened material bands in said parallel rows being generally transversely aligned with respect to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up the flattened material bands in said longitudinal and parallel rows for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands in alternating sequence along opposite superimposed unjoined tube folded ends of said flattened material bands in said longitudinal rows.

Claim 14

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers of the like, comprising at least two elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends, said tubes being joined to each other at one folded end thereof, a corresponding number of similar elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material which are joined to each other at one folded end thereof and superimposed relative to said first mentioned tubes across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes and attached to said first mentioned tubes along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of each of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said superimposed tubes including the joined and attached portions thereof to define a corresponding number of longitudinal and parallel rows of flattened material bands, the flattened material bands in each longitudinal row being generally longitudinally aligned with respect to one another and the flattened material bands in saId parallel rows being generally transversely aligned with respect to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up the flattened material bands in said longitudinal and parallel rows for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands between said parallel rows along opposite alternating maximum flattened dimensions of said flattened material bands in said parallel rows.

Claim 15

A multi-packaging device for carrying a plurality of adjacently positioned containers of the like, comprising at least two elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material each having opposed folded ends, said tubes being joined to each other at one folded end thereof, a corresponding number of similar elongated flattened tubes of stretchable and elastic plastic material which are joined to each other at one folded end thereof and superimposed relative to said first mentioned tubes across the maximum flattened dimension of said tubes and attached to said first mentioned tubes along a part of the maximum flattened dimension of each of said tubes, a plurality of pairs of slits extending through said superimposed tubes including the joined and attached portions thereof to define a corresponding number of longitudinal and parallel rows of flattened material bands, the flattened material bands in each longitudinal row being generally longitudinally aligned with respect to one another and the flattened material bands in saId parallel rows being generally transversely aligned with respect to one another, and connecting web means between the flattened material bands for opening up the flattened material bands in said longitudinal and parallel rows for assembly to adjacently positioned containers, said connecting web means being attached to the flattened material bands between said parallel rows along opposite alternating maximum flattened dimensions of said flattened material bands in said parallel rows.