Flexible carrier

Abstract

A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers includes a flexible sheet and a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in the flexible sheet. An array of the container receiving apertures extend longitudinally across the flexible sheet wherein each container receiving aperture is substantially rectangular and includes an aperture perimeter that increases more than 42% following application to a container.

1 . A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of generally cylindrical containers, comprising a flexible sheet of polymer material and a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in the flexible sheet, each container receiving aperture for receiving a container, the flexible carrier comprising:
 an array of the container receiving apertures arranged in transverse pairs extending across the flexible sheet wherein each container receiving aperture is substantially rectangular and includes an aperture perimeter that increases more than 42% following application to the container and, after recovery, provides a snug fit around the container, the container receiving apertures including
 a straight perimeter section extending longitudinally along outer edges of each container receiving aperture; and 
 an arcuate perimeter section extending longitudinally along inner edges of each container receiving aperture; and 
   wherein the entire flexible sheet is a continuous extrusion of the polymer material.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  wherein the container receiving apertures each include a longitudinal axis that extends longitudinally across the flexible sheet and wherein the container receiving apertures are arranged in transverse pairs across the flexible sheet and container receiving apertures in outer transverse pairs of container receiving apertures are longer across the longitudinal axis than container receiving apertures in inner transverse pairs of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a straight perimeter section extending transversely along both edges of each inner transverse pair of container receiving apertures; and 
 an arcuate perimeter section extending transversely along outer edges of each outer transverse pair of container receiving apertures. 
 
     
     
         4 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  wherein a distance between each container receiving aperture in a transverse pair is greater than half the width of each container receiving aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  wherein the aperture perimeter increases more than 50% following application to the container. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one of a handle and a display panel extending longitudinally along one side of the flexible sheet. 
 
     
     
         7 . The flexible carrier of  claim 1  wherein the flexible sheet comprises a polymer composition of a high pressure low density polyethylene polymer and a single-site catalyzed ethylene-alpha olefin plastomer. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible carrier of  claim 7  wherein the single-site catalyzed ethylene-alpha olefin plastomer comprises metallocene. 
     
     
         9 . A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, comprising a flexible sheet and a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in the flexible sheet, each container receiving aperture for receiving a container, the flexible carrier comprising:
 an array of the container receiving apertures extending longitudinally in transverse pairs across the flexible sheet wherein container receiving apertures in outer transverse pairs of container receiving apertures are longer than container receiving apertures in inner transverse pairs of container receiving apertures, each container receiving aperture having a substantially rectangular perimeter prior to stretching engagement with the container and a substantially circular perimeter at least 42% greater than the substantially rectangular perimeter following stretching engagement with the container and, after recovery, providing a snug fit around the container, the container receiving apertures including   a straight perimeter section extending longitudinally along outer edges of each container receiving aperture; and   an arcuate perimeter section extending longitudinally along inner edges of each container receiving aperture;   wherein the entire flexible sheet is a continuous extrusion of the polymer material.   
     
     
         10 . The flexible carrier of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a straight perimeter section extending transversely along both edges of each inner transverse pair of container receiving apertures; and 
 an arcuate perimeter section extending transversely along outer edges of each outer transverse pair of container receiving apertures. 
 
     
     
         11 . The flexible carrier of  claim 9  wherein the substantially rectangular perimeter of the container receiving aperture increases more than 45% following application to the container. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible carrier of  claim 9  wherein the substantially rectangular perimeter of the container receiving aperture increases more than 50% following application to the container. 
     
     
         13 . The flexible carrier of  claim 9  further comprising:
 at least one of a handle and a display panel extending longitudinally along one side of the flexible sheet. 
 
     
     
         14 . A package of containers unitized with a flexible carrier:
 a flexible sheet;   a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in the flexible sheet in transverse pairs, wherein the entire flexible sheet is a continuous extrusion of the polymer material, each container receiving aperture having a substantially rectangular perimeter with a longitudinal axis extending longitudinally across the flexible sheet, the container receiving apertures including   a straight perimeter section extending longitudinally along outer edges of each container receiving aperture; and   an arcuate perimeter section extending longitudinally along inner edges of each container receiving aperture; and   a plurality of containers, each container inserted into a corresponding container receiving aperture to form a container receiving aperture having a substantially circular perimeter more than 42% longer than the substantially rectangular perimeter and, after recovery, providing a snug fit around the container, and a distance between each container receiving aperture in a transverse pair is greater than half the width of each container receiving aperture.   
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the substantially circular perimeter of the container receiving aperture increases more than 45% from the substantially rectangular perimeter following application to the container. 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the substantially circular perimeter of the container receiving aperture increases more than 50% from the substantially rectangular perimeter following application to the container. 
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the container receiving apertures extends longitudinally in transverse pairs across the flexible sheet and each container receiving aperture in outer transverse pairs of container receiving apertures is longer along the longitudinal axis than each container receiving aperture in inner transverse pairs of container receiving apertures. 
     
     
         18 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the flexible sheet comprises a polymer composition of a high pressure low density polyethylene polymer and metallocene. 
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the flexible sheet comprises a polymer composition of a high-pressure low-density polyethylene polymer and a single-site catalyzed ethylene-alpha olefin plastomer. 
     
     
         20 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the single-site catalyzed ethylene-alpha olefin plastomer comprises metallocene.