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(11) | EP 0 890 523 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Support for cans of drink |
| (57) Support for cans of drink comprised of a laminar body (1) provided with a series
of holes (1a) for the introduction of the upper edge of the respective cans of drink;
these holes being surrounded by a series of radial cuts (1b) that define fins (1c)
destined to support the cans; the ends of said fins acting on the lower part of the
ridge defined by the union of the body and the lid of the can. |
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] As the title indicates, the present invention refers to a support of the type used to maintain several cans of drink grouped together and which has some means enabling it to be grasped.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] At present it is a usual practice to present cans of drink on the market fixed in a support that groups several units together.
[0003] The supports customarily used are composed of plastic material and this creates important problems for disposal once the cans have been extracted.
[0004] Some of these supports consist of a plastic shrink wrap around the group of cans. Nevertheless, the most often used support to group a reduced number of cans consists of a plastic strip provided with holes which house the corresponding cans. The material used to make the strip exercises a pressure on the middle zone of the cans so that they can be extracted without any need to break the said strip. Furthermore, these strips have a type of handle on one of the sides that allows the support to be grasped, simplifying transport of the different cans held together by the strip.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The support object of this invention presents certain constructive peculiarities that enable it to support the cans in a simple way and furthermore provide certain advantages over those currently used.
[0006] This support is composed of a laminated body provided with a series of holes for the introduction of the upper end of the cans to be grouped together. This laminated body has a series of radial cuts around the said holes so that they form a series of fins designed to support the cans by acting with their free edge on the area below the ridge defined by the union of the body and the lid of the can.
[0007] These holes have a diameter of slightly less than the upper end of the cans so that when the can is introduced into one of the holes it acts on the fins, which have a tapered shape, and bends them toward the upper part of the laminated element. Once the ridge of the can passes the fins, they tend to return to their original position acting on the area below the ridge and preventing any accidental release of the can.
[0008] Because of the way in which the can is grasped by the laminated body, this can be constructed from any material that presents sufficient flexibility so that the fins tend to return to the initial position once they have passed the ridge defined on the upper end of the can. Therefore, this laminated body can be manufactured perfectly in cardboard or any other material that could be recycled easily once used.
[0009] The means for grasping the support consists of two openings in the central area of the laminated body, which are large enough to allow the fingers to be inserted through them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] As a complement to this description, and with object of aiding in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a series of drawings are attached to, and form an integral part of, this present descriptive report. These drawings are illustrative in character and are in no way limiting, and represent the following:
- Figure 1 shows a plan of the support for cans of drink.
- Figure 2 shows a partial view of the support sectioned vertically and positioned on a can of drink.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0011] As can be seen from the referenced figures the support for cans of drink is composed of a laminated body (1) provided with holes (1a) for the insertion of the upper edge of the can of drink (2).
[0012] The laminated body (1) presents a series of radial cuts (1b) around the holes (1a) that define a circle of fins (1c).
[0013] The holes (1a) have a diameter slightly less than that of the upper edge of the can (2) so that when the can is inserted in the holes, the fins (1c) adopt an angled position with their ends acting on the area below the ridge (2a) of the can (2).
[0014] The cans fixed in the laminated body (1) are prevented from moving toward the upper zone by the tapered portion (2b) close to the upper part of the cans and they are prevented from moving toward the lower zone by the action of the fins (1c) against the ridge (2a) of the can (2). Thus, in order to extract any of the cans it will be necessary to break the laminated body (1).
[0015] The laminated body (1) furthermore has two openings (1d) in the central area to enable the support to be grasped by inserting fingers into the holes.
1. Support for cans of drink, of the type used to maintain several cans grouped together
and provided with some means for grasping it, characterized in that it consists of
a laminar body provided with a series of holes for the introduction of the upper edge
of the respective cans of drink; these holes being surrounded by a series of radial
cuts that define fins destined to support the cans; the ends of said fins acting on
the lower part of the ridge defined by the union of the body and the lid of the can.
2. Support, according to the previous claim, characterized in that the holes defined
in the laminar element present a diameter slightly less than that of the upper end
of the cans of drink.
3. Support, according to claim 1, characterized in that the laminar body presents two
openings in its central zone to enable the support to be grasped by inserting fingers
through the holes.
4. Support, according to the previous claim, characterized in that the laminar body is
manufactured from a flexible material with a certain soundness, preferably cardboard.