Edible Can Holder with Flap

Abstract

The present invention relates to modifications to the configuration and structure of a can holder made of a paste of a biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry. The modifications relate to flaps, projections, lugs, tapered regions or tongues having a thickness of 0.75 to 1.8 mm and a radius of R20 in the widest area, which are placed at each corner of the can holder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention consists of modifications to the configuration and structure of a multi-ring can holder made of a paste of biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry. Specifically, the present invention that modifies the configuration and structure of a can holder made of a paste of biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry improves its functionality and handling, as it facilitates handling when the can holder is dispensed in an assembly area to enable the insertion of a can into the can holder, and it further provides a support point from which the can can be manually released from the can holder, thus avoiding damage or injury to the can holder structure. Background Art

[0002] For all purposes, the following applications are incorporated by reference as the background of the present invention as if they were presented herein in their entirety: Application MX / u / 2019 / 000154, "Utility Model of a System for Assembling a Multi-ring Edible Can Holder", and MX / a / 2019 / 000557, "Edible Can Holder and Methods of Manufacturing Edible Can Holders".

[0003] Similarly, Mexican Patent MX179288 relates to a can holder adapted to hold multiple cans, each of which may have an annular upper head and a generally conical bottom to allow the cans to be stacked on top of each other. The holder includes: a generally flat integral holder plate having a plurality of can stacking members protruding upward therefrom to establish a corresponding plurality of can stacking platforms; and the can stacking platforms have: (i) an annular cover wall that defines an annular closed channel that exactly corresponds to the top edge of the can; (ii) a central platform wall; (iii) a downward and inwardly offset annular support wall that integrally joins the lower wall to the cover wall and establishes an annular recessed area that joins the central platform wall, the annular recessed area being sized and configured to receive the conical bottom of another can so that it nests with the stacking platform. The present invention does not mention forming flaps at each corner of the holder and relates to the conical area of the can, as this is only advantageous in the storage of beverage packaging.

[0004] Mexican Patent MX241178B relates to a can holder made of cardboard (preferably corrugated cardboard), which connects a plurality of generally cylindrical cans, the cans being placed in at least two rows and having an inclined top and a top seal with a protruding ring. The holder is made of a flat blank, and for each can connected by the holder, the blank has two substantially arched grooves that reciprocate relative to each other. When the holder is assembled over a plurality of cans to connect the holder and the cans and form a can packaging assembly, the outer edges of the grooves engage under the rings of the cans. A gripping slat adapted to be held by fingers so as to lift and handle the can packaging assembly is centrally located in the blank of the holder between the rows of cans; the present invention also relates to a flat blank for a cardboard holder and a method for assembling the flat blank of the cardboard. This patent only relates to the general configuration of the holder, and the advantage of the holder at the time of disclosure is the homology of its tolerance to beverage cans given the manufacturing material.

[0005] International Application WO / 2003 / 004376 relates to a support for cardboard cans (preferably corrugated cardboard) for connecting a plurality of generally cylindrical cans, the cans being arranged in one or more rows and having an inclined top and a top seal with a ring-shaped protruding edge. The support is made of a flat blank, and for each can that can be connected by the support, the blank has two substantially arched grooves that face each other. When the holder is assembled onto a plurality of cans to connect the holder and the cans and form a packaging assembly, the outer edges are attached under the edges of the cans. A substantially arched slit includes an arched middle section and arched end sections on both sides thereof, and such a middle section is formed radially within the extended arched circular arc end sections, thereby forming an inwardly protruding snap lug between the end sections. A tongue is adapted to be placed and attached under the edge to connect the holder and the cans to the packaging assembly. The present invention also relates to a blank of cardboard for a can holder. Although this patent mentions the tongue, it relates to packaging and can arrangement and never mentions modifications to the release of the cans and the packaging. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention relates to the configuration and structural modification of an edible can holder formed from a slurry of plant fibers in a mold having an inner cavity that houses at least four and / or six rings for transporting beverage cans, which has advantages in terms of practicality.

[0007] According to Patent Application No. MX / a / 2019 / 000557, "(Edible Can Holder and Methods for Manufacturing Edible Can Holder)", the can holder is made of a paste of a biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry and is thus environmentally friendly.

[0008] According to MX / u / 2019 / 000154, "Invention of a System for Assembling a Multi-Ring Edible Can Holder", a novel machine is conceived, which has specific mechanical adjustments for installing an edible multi-ring biodegradable can holder on a can, as referred to in patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557, "Edible Can Holder and Method for Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder".

[0009] The present invention relates to a novel structure which has advantages in terms of its usefulness for a multi-ring can holder, which is made of a paste of biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry and consists of four extended flaps, each flap being arranged at each corner of the can holder structure.

[0010] Based on the structure and configuration of the can holder provided in patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557, "Edible Can Holder and Method for Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder", the modifications mentioned in the invention application of interest have the following advantages: accelerating the installation process of the can holder, having multiple biodegradable rings on the can, and facilitating the manual removal of the can from the can holder by the consumer without causing damage or destruction to the overall structure of the can holder and / or the retaining rings of the can holder, nor compromising the retention and stable fixation of the remaining cans, allowing it to maintain its rigid structure during its lifespan until the consumer manually releases all the cans it holds.

[0011] Patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557, "Edible Can Holder and Method for Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder", does not specifically mention the structural shape or form of the can holder, as the present invention only relates to its novel composition, the result of the inventive step, and its manufacturing method. The above-mentioned patent application, although it discloses obtaining a rigid structure in a can holder made of a paste of biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry and is technically capable of holding the can in the can holder in a safe and stable manner, it is detected that when manipulated and manually released by the user, it may cause damage to the structure of the can holder by the user, without sufficient rigid and stable support points and without the surface required to facilitate the release of the can without damaging the structure of the can holder.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention consists of: combining a flap-shaped body to the structure of a can holder made of a paste of biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable, edible slurry, the surface and hardness of which are structurally required to serve as support points in the can holder and facilitate the manual release of the can, avoiding damage or destruction to the structure of the can holder.

[0013] It is also determined that having a tab with a thickness not greater than 1.2 mm relative to the rest of the body of the can holder, the can holder having a thickness of 2.0 to 3.0 mm and a radius of the tab, where the radius of the tab is R20 at the widest point, does not require modification of the mechanical structure of the can holder assembly machine mentioned in the invention MX / u / 2019 / 000154 "invention for an assembly system for multi-ring edible can holders". Instead, adding tabs at each corner of the can holder, the surface and the radius at the widest point mentioned above, promotes the separation of each of the can holders in the dispensing area in such a way that they can be placed separately in groups of 4 or 6 cans, thus improving the time required to dispense and assemble each of the can holders in the assembly machine. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Systems, devices, and methods provide multi-ring edible can holders that have the ability to degrade rapidly in environmental exposure and are nutritionally neutral when consumed by animals (birds or fish), making them environmentally friendly.

[0016] Although the multi-ring edible can holders provided in the patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557 "Edible Can Holders and Methods for Manufacturing Edible Can Holders" achieve their intended functions, it has been proven that modifying their configuration and physical structure by including four tabs (each tab located in a corner of the can holder structure) will result in advantages in terms of the assembly phase and usefulness in placing on cans, as well as in enhancing the durability of the structure during consumer handling when removing each fastened can and facilitating handling.

[0017] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement in the configuration and structure of a biodegradable can holder plate for uniformly transporting a group of beverage cans in a single package, where this new modification of the can holder is prominent because it includes protrusions, tabs, flanges, tapered regions, or tongues with a thickness of 0.75 mm to 1.8 mm from the thickness of the plate of the can holder at each corner, the can holder plate having a thickness of 2.0 to 2.5 mm. For reference in the present invention, this protrusion, lug, tapered region, or tongue will be regarded as a tab.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement in the configuration and structure of the plate of a biodegradable can holder that allows the user / consumer to more easily and effectively release the can from the can holder without causing damage to the rigid structure of the can holder.

[0019] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment member, the size of which, by virtue of the design of its flaps in its structure, does not change the transport and storage capacity, allowing the horizontal and vertical stacking of the same number of can holders as in the patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557 "Edible Can Holder and Method of Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder", without compromising the rigidity and stability of the can holder and the rest of the can when releasing the can.

[0020] Similarly, another object of the present invention is that the flaps incorporated in the structure of the can holder mentioned in the patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557 "Edible Can Holder and Method of Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder" have sufficient thickness and surface so as not to require modification of the mechanical structure of the can holder assembly machine mentioned in the invention MX / u / 2019 / 000154 "Invention of a System for Assembling a Multi-ring Edible Can Holder". Instead, flaps are added at each corner of the can holder, with the radius at the surface and the widest point, facilitating the separation of each of the can holders in the dispensing area in such a way that they can be placed separately in groups of 4 or 6 cans, thus improving the time required to dispense and assemble each of the can holders in the assembly machine. Detailed Description

[0021] The specific structural and functional details described herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art how to apply the innovation to the structure of the can holder (10).

[0022] Before describing the novel modifications to the structure of the can holder (10), it should be understood that the terms used herein are only intended to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. The term "comprise / comprising" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover the non-exclusive inclusion of a list of elements constituting the subject invention of interest. Elements preceding "comprising" should not be construed as excluding the presence of additional identical elements. As used herein, the terms "include" and / or "have" are defined to include (i.e., open-ended language). As used herein, the term "a / an" is defined as one or more than one.

[0023] As used herein, the term "plurality" is defined as two or more. As used herein, the term "other" is defined as at least more than one. The description may use the term "embodiment / embodiments", which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments of the present invention. The term "flap" may refer to a "protrusion", "lug", "conical area" or "tongue" whose thickness is less than the rest of the body of the can holder (10). In the same way, the "plate" or "body of the can holder" should be understood as the body of the multi-ring edible can holder (10), which is made of a paste of a biodegradable, recyclable, 100% organic, compostable edible slurry.

[0024] The term "integral with" may be used with its derivatives. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. Instead, in a particular embodiment, "integral with" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in physical contact with each other. "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in physical contact. However, as used in the present invention, "coupled" refers to an element derived from the pole body of the main structure, such as a knife integral with a roller.

[0025] The present invention is made of the same composition as that mentioned in the can holder (10) described in the patent application MX / a / 2019 / 000557 "Edible Can Holder and Method of Manufacturing an Edible Can Holder". The plates forming the structure of the can holder (10) are modified at their ends to put together the structure of each of the flaps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The novel aspects considered to be the characteristics of the present invention will be specifically established in the appended claims. However, the present invention itself will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, by its organization and its method of operation as well as its other objectives and advantages, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1a and 1b Corresponds to an isometric view of a six-ring and a four-ring can holder, in which one of the four flaps formed at each corner of the can holder body is highlighted.

[0028] Figure 2 Corresponds to an enlarged view of one of the flaps, in which the radius and thickness of the conical area of the can holder are indicated.

[0029] Figure 3 Corresponds to an enlarged view of one of the flaps from the body of the can holder at a ratio of 1:7, in which the area of the flap is formed by the body of the can holder and is not an additional structure or a structure extending beyond the original size of the can holder.

[0030] Figure 4Perspective view corresponding to the mechanism for forming the flaps from the can holder, the can holder having 6 or 4 rings passing through the assembly machine, the assembly machine passing through 4 rollers with knives located at each corner of the can holder simultaneously in the last stage.

[0031] Figure 5 Corresponding to a side view, in which it is observed that from a stack of can holder plates, the can holder plates are separated and passed through a roller with a blade cutting each corner one by one, thereby forming the flaps.

[0032] Figure 6 Corresponding to an enlarged perspective view of one of the four rollers, in which Figure 6 It shows how the knives contained in the roller simultaneously cut the corners of the can holder, reducing its thickness relative to the rest of the plate.

[0033] There are many advantages to providing an edible and biodegradable can holder (10) made from plant pulp. However, given its source, consistency, and structural properties, the can holder is a rigid thin plate. Since the user's support point when releasing the can is the can holder (10) itself, there is a risk of bending or improper use of the rings near the release of the can. Therefore, generating lugs with a thickness lower than the rest of the body of the can holder at each corner of the can holder greatly facilitates the above process. This advantage of the plate arrangement comes from the fact that when stacking the can holders (10), the assembly machine uses these protrusions in the corners to be able to separate the can holders, thereby allowing them to be applied to the cans; when attaching the can holder (10), the assembly machine accelerates and facilitates the separation of the can holder because the assembly machine has different types of mechanisms that use the protrusions of the corners to pull the can holder. Depending on the required rate, these mechanisms range from a low rate of 6 can holders per minute to 400 can holders per minute.

[0034] According to the present invention, the flaps formed from the body of the can holder do not significantly change the dimensions of the original plate; this allows the machine to assemble the plate (10) onto the can with the same mechanism for a can holder without flaps as for a can holder with flaps. In this way, when stacking the packages, the surface area required does not exceed the surface area required for packaging 6 and / or 4 cans.

[0035] More preferably, the flaps or protrusions of the can holder do not have a thickness greater than 1.2 mm relative to the rest of the body of the can holder, the thickness of the can holder being in the range of 2.0 to 3.0 mm, and the radius of the flaps being in the range of R35 to R20, where the radius is R20 in its widest area, as Figure 2As shown. This thickness and amplitude of the flap allow for good handling when stacking and separating the can holders, and also allow for improved dispensing of the can holders in the assembly machine, because the assembly machine finds a larger protrusion at each end, the surface of which is smaller than the rest of the body of the can holder. Thus, it allows a roller or the intended mechanism to separate each of the stacked bodies of the can holders, to be easily held by the roller and removed from the stacked body of the can holders, and then the can holder can be inserted into the can body.

[0036] According to the present invention, the flap is not an additional element coupled to the body of the can holder, but instead, it is a small extension of the body of the can holder, which is the result of a modification to the structure of the can holder, i.e., the flap is formed of the same edible and biodegradable material as the rest of the body of the can holder, as Figure 3 shown, which only highlights the area constituting the flap in the dark, and can be Figure 1a and 1b shown more clearly.

[0037] As Figure 1a and Figure 1b shown, the shape of the flap provides a rather oval contour to the final structure of the can holder, which provides practical handling and reduces the risk of damage during handling, because in many packages of various products including the flap, it forms a beak or corner at 90°, which is a rigid structure that may damage adjacent materials or cause some damage during manipulation. Thus, each of the flaps with a surface smaller than the rest of the body of the can holder provides flexibility when used as a support point, thereby absorbing torsion when manually removing the cans from the can holders.

[0038] Preferably, the formation of the flap occurs at the moment of forming the entire structure of the body of the can holder, as mentioned in the invention MX / u / 2019 / 000154 "Invention for a System for Assembling Multi-Ring Edible Can Holders", where the can holders are stacked in the assembly machine, and a roller or a mechanism (shown as a roller for ease of reference, but not excluding other removal mechanisms) that generally allows the removal of each of the stacked can holders uses the flap as a clamping axis to more easily release each of the can holders. This advantage is obtained when the thickness of each of the flaps is lower than the thickness of the rest of each of the can holders, which allows the dispensing mechanism to engage each of the flaps and effectively separate them, thus preventing the can holders from sticking to each other or two or more can holders from being released together. Thus, any errors in the dispensing machine are avoided, because it can separate each of the stacked can holders in a constant, orderly and sequential manner.

[0039] According to the present invention and as Figure 6As observed, this modification to the structure of the can holder (i.e., the addition of flaps at each end of the can holder) allows for a constant, orderly, and sequential separation of from 6 to 400 can holders per minute.

[0040] Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain specific preferred embodiments, equivalent changes and modifications are incorporated into the scope of the invention as non-limiting embodiments.

[0041] Accordingly, it is contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.

[0042] Note that as of this date, the best method known to the applicant for carrying out the invention mentioned above is the method that is clear from the present specification of the invention.

Claims

1. A compostable, edible, multi-ring can holder, the can holder comprising: a. A compostable and edible body formed of a sheet in which a plurality of rings are formed, the sheet having a minimum thickness and a maximum thickness; and b. One or more compostable and edible flaps extending outwardly from the body of the can holder, the flaps not forming part of the body, the thickness of the flaps being lower than the thickness of the remainder of the body and the direction of extension of the flaps being the same as the direction of extension of the body, so as to form a separation space between the can holders in a stack of can holders and other can holders; wherein the flaps are rounded and have a radius between 20 mm and 35 mm; wherein the thickness of the flaps is between 0.75 mm and 1.8 mm; wherein the thickness of the body of the can holder is between 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm; and wherein the flaps provide structural support for the can holder to manually remove a can from the can holder without causing damage or breakage to the can holder or the rings.

2. The can holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The can holder contains 6 rings.

3. The can holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The can holder contains 4 rings.

4. The can holder according to claim 1, wherein The can holder has four corners and the flaps are arranged on each of the four corners.

5. The can holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flaps allow an assembly machine to separate 6 to 400 multi-ring can holders per minute.

6. The can holder according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the flaps is 1.2 mm or less.

7. The can holder according to claim 1, wherein The minimum thickness of the sheet is 2.0 mm and the maximum thickness of the sheet is 2.5 mm.

8. The can holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the flaps is less than the minimum thickness of the sheet.

9. The can holder according to claim 1, wherein The flaps are formed of the same material as the body.

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