Special receptacle or package – Combined or convertible – Including drinking vessel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-18
2001-09-25
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Combined or convertible
Including drinking vessel
C053S171000, C053S445000, C206S216000, C206S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293393
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for packaging and distributing multi-pack beverage cartons and snack food containers in combination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that consumers frequently associate certain snack foods and beverages with one another, and that consumers frequently consume snack foods and beverages in combination. For example, consumers might be inclined to eat peanuts when drinking beer, or to eat popcorn when drinking soda. To capitalize on this, the food and beverage industry has attempted to increase sales of both snack foods and beverages by tying sales of certain beverages to sales of snack food products that are often associated with those beverages. For example, the seller of popcorn might offer the popcorn purchaser a “cents-off” coupon that can be redeemed with the purchase of a case of soda, or the seller of peanuts might offer a peanut coupon to the purchaser of a case of beer.
Although this approach provides the beverage purchaser, for example, with an incentive to purchase the snack food, such an approach requires the purchaser to actually retrieve both the beverage and the snack food.
The extra effort required to locate the additional item, and then carry it or place it into the shopping cart is often just enough to discourage the purchaser from making the additional purchase. Even if the snack food item is placed in reasonable proximity to the beverage, the consumer can still be dissuaded from buying both the snack food and the beverage by having to pick up and carry more than one item.
It would be advantageous, therefore, to manufacturers, bottlers, and merchandisers of snack foods and beverages if products and methods existed that entice the consumer to purchase combinations of snack foods and beverages without requiring the consumer to select and carry separate items. Thus, there is a need in the art for apparatus and methods for packaging and distributing multi-pack beverage cartons and snack food containers in combination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention satisfies these needs in the art by providing apparatus and methods for packaging and distributing combinations of multi-pack beverage cartons and snack food containers. A combined food and beverage package according to the invention includes a multi-pack carton containing a plurality of beverage containers, and a snack food container. The beverage containers can be cans or bottles, and the multi-pack carton can contain at least six, or preferably twelve, beverage containers.
A packaging material, which can be a transparent, polymeric, packaging material, at least partially surrounds both the multi-pack carton and the snack food container, thus holding the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in combination. The combined package can also include an adhesive between the multi-pack carton and the snack food container that holds a face of the multi-pack carton and a face of the snack food container in mutual abutment. To facilitate palletizing the combined packages, the surface areas of the faces can be approximately the same.
A method of packaging combinations of foods and beverages according to the invention includes providing a multi-pack carton containing a plurality of beverage containers, providing a snack food container, and applying a packaging material that at least partially surrounds both the multi-pack carton and the snack food container to hold the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in combination. An adhesive can be applied between the multi-pack carton and the snack food container to hold the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in mutual abutment.
Apparatus according to the invention for manufacturing a combined food and beverage package can include a conveyance system, a wrap applicator, and a heat source. The conveyance system transports the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in mutual abutment. The wrap applicator at least partially surrounds both the multi-pack carton and the snack food container with a packaging material that holds the multi-pack carton and snack food container in combination by applying a packaging material to both the multi-pack carton and the snack food container while they are in mutual abutment. The heat source shrinks the applied packaging material to hold the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in combination.
The apparatus can also include a first conveyor that transports the multi-pack carton and provides the multi-pack carton to the conveyance system, and a second conveyor that transports the snack food container and provides the snack food container to the conveyance system. The first conveyor and the second conveyor meet at a junction adapted to cause the multi-pack carton and the food container to come into mutual abutment. An adhesive sprayer can be used to apply an adhesive to at least one of the multi-pack carton and the snack food container to hold the multi-pack carton and the snack food container in mutual abutment.
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Foster Jim
SDK Co., Inc.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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