Packaging unit method

• US 9,010,074 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PCO Group GmbH
• Original Assignee: PCO Group GmbH
• Inventors: Lemke, Stefan, Wettlaufer, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEMEREE, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US14/298,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120.08, 220/738, 206/139, 493/912, 493/152, 534/84
• US Class Current: 53/457
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 29/00 Packaging of materials presenting special problems
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/42 Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48002 integral
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5007 formed by inwardly protruding of folded parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/00 Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material

Abstract

A method of using a packaging unit with a selected beverage container comprises obtaining a packaging unit having a receiving chamber for popcorn or the like and a square pocket coupled to the outside of the receiving chamber, a lower end portion of the pocket having one or more strip-shaped wall sections; selecting either a conical beverage cup or a beverage bottle; configuring the pocket based on the configuration of the selected beverage container; and inserting the selected beverage container into the correspondingly configured pocket, wherein in a first configuration, the conical beverage cup is held in a clamp seat, or in a second pocket configuration the beverage bottle is supported on a partial bottom support member formed by the strip-shaped wall sections.

Claims

1. A method of using a packaging unit with a selected beverage container having a configuration, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a packaging unit having a receiving chamber for popcorn or the like and a pocket coupled to the outside of the receiving chamber, wherein the pocket is square in plan and is dimensioned such that a conical beverage container is inserted in a clamp seat into the pocket, wherein on a lower end portion of the pocket, one or more strip-shaped wall sections are partially cut free at one or more respective corners of the pocket in parallel with a lower edge of the pocket, the one or more strip-shaped wall sections being spaced apart from the receiving chamber, wherein the pocket further comprises fold lines at each end of the strip-shaped wall sections, and wherein the strip-shaped wall sections are bent around the fold lines and folded into the interior of the pocket to form a bottom support member;

forming the pocket into a first pocket configuration, wherein the one or more strip-shaped wall sections are not folded into the pocket to hold the beverage container in a clamp seat in the pocket when the selected beverage container comprises a conical beverage container, and

forming the pocket o a second pocket configuration wherein the one or more strip-shaped wall sections are folded into the interior of the pocket to form the bottom support member and support a bottommost end of the beverage container when the selected beverage container comprises at least one substantially vertical sidewall that horizontal surface of the receiving chamber; and

inserting the selected beverage container into the pocket.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pocket has two strip-shaped wall sections on adjacent corners, respectively, both of which are spaced from the receiving chamber.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the pocket to the second pocket configuration comprises folding the strip-shaped wall sections from the exterior of the container into the interior of the pocket.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a beverage container from among one or more cups having a conical configuration and one or more bottles.

5. A method of using a packaging unit with a selected beverage container, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a packaging unit having a receiving chamber for popcorn or the like and a pocket coupled to the outside of the receiving chamber, wherein the pocket is square in plan, wherein on a lower end portion of the pocket, two strip-shaped wall sections are partially cut free at adjacent corners of the pocket in parallel with a lower edge of the pocket, the strip-shaped wall sections being spaced apart from the receiving chamber, and wherein the pocket further comprises fold lines at each end of the strip-shaped wall sections;

selecting a conical beverage container or a beverage container having at least one substantially vertical sidewall that is perpendicular to a horizontal surface of the receiving chamber;

forming the pocket based on the configuration of the selected beverage container into;

a first pocket configuration wherein the two strip-shaped wall sections are not folded into the pocket such that pocket is configured as sleeve with an open top and an open bottom, and

a second pocket configuration by folding the strip-shaped wall sections at the fold lines into the interior of the pocket so that the strip-shaped wall sections extend at least partially into the interior of the pocket and form a partial bottom support member at the bottom of the pocket; and

inserting the selected beverage container into the correspondingly configured pocket, wherein

in the first pocket configuration the conical beverage container is held in a clamp seat in the pocket, and

in the second pocket configuration the container having at least one substantially vertical sidewall is supported on the partial bottom support member.

6. A method of using a packaging unit with a selected beverage container, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a packaging unit having a receiving chamber for popcorn or the like and a pocket coupled to the outside of the receiving chamber, wherein a lower end portion of the pocket includes two strip-shaped wall sections that are partially cut free at adjacent corners of the pocket, the strip-shaped wall sections being spaced from the receiving chamber, and wherein the pocket further comprises fold lines at each end of the strip-shaped wall sections;

selecting a conical beverage container or a substantially cylindrical beverage container;

forming the pocket based on the configuration of the selected beverage container into;

a first pocket configuration wherein the two strip-shaped wall sections are not folded into the pocket such that pocket is configured as a sleeve with an open top and an open bottom, and

a second pocket configuration by folding the strip-shaped wall sections at the fold lines into the interior of the pocket so that the strip-shaped wall sections extend at least partially into the interior of the pocket and form a partial bottom support member at the bottom end of the pocket; and

inserting the selected beverage container into the correspondingly configured pocket, wherein in the first pocket configuration, the conical beverage container is held in a clamp seat in the pocket, and wherein in the second pocket configuration, a bottommost end of the substantially cylindrical beverage container has a diameter that substantially spans an entire width of each of said strip-shaped wall sections so that the substantially cylindrical beverage container is seated on the partial bottom support member.