Circumferentially bound structural transit package

Abstract

Containerized goods are packaged for transit using a partial or fully circumferential wrapper about which a tensioned-strap is secured, to form an integrated structural package that facilities rapid loading of a machine magazine or picking platform such as a shelf with pre-oriented articles as well as shipping the units palletized in several tiers for distribution and display. The wrapper may be of sheet wood-fibre origin or other materials, the open wrapper ends permitting clear display of the goods labels. D-cuts into the wrapper provide displaceable tabs, for locating and/or separating the adjoining containers, and further integrating the wrapper with its contents, when strapped to form transit packages, able to withstand the rigors of palletized transit.

Claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package for transit package use, the package comprising:
 a one piece paperboard sleeve structure defined by upwardly extending walls on opposite sides of a rectangular base and open sides adjacent each wall;   at least two containers disposed on the base between the walls;   an inelastic tensioned strap, the strap circumferentially enwrapping the sleeve structure and the at least two containers in a mutually adjoining compressed vertical standing relationship to immobilize the containers within the sleeve structure and to bind the at least two containers and the sleeve structure into a unitary structure.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second inelastic tensioned strap. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further comprises a top. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3 , wherein the sleeve further comprises an overlap panel disposed over one of the upwardly extending walls. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the overlap panel is between the inelastic tensioned strap and the one of the upwardly extending walls. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the overlap panel is adhered to the one upwardly extending wall by an adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is corrugate. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the inelastic tensioned strap is of a linear tensionable material selected from the group consisting of metal strip, polyolefin material strip, plastic strip, fiberglass strip, composite strip material, string, twine, wire, wired paper tape, bundling ties and physically securable tension members. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the inelastic tensioned strap includes a manually operable detachment having a digitally accessible free end readily manually disengageable from said package by pulling loose said free end. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises at least one article stabilizing element projecting therefrom and positioned in integral relation between a portion of the at least two articles. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10 , said stabilizing element is selected from the group consisting of D-cuts, tabs, occlusions, folded ridges, recesses, protrusions, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the upwardly extending walls comprise cutouts, wherein the cutouts receive the strap. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the upwardly extending walls comprise handle apertures. 
     
     
         14 . A method, the method comprising:
 forming a one-piece paperboard sleeve structure defined by upwardly extending walls on opposite sides of a rectangular base and open sides adjacent each wall   disposing at least two containers on the base between the walls;   circumferentially strapping, with an inelastic strap, the sleeve structure and the at least two containers in a mutually adjoining compressed vertical standing relationship to immobilize the containers within the sleeve structure and to bind the at least two containers and the sleeve structure into a unitary structure, wherein the circumferentially strapping applies a predetermined tension to the inelastic strap.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming the one-piece paperboard sleeve structure by squared erection of a prefabricated sleeve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the disposing the at least two containers is by sliding the containers into the sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the circumferentially strapping is by a strapping machine set to apply the predetermined tension to the inelastic strap. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the base comprises at least one article stabilizing element projecting therefrom and positioned in integral relation between a portion of the at least two articles 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the inelastic tensioned strap is of a linear tensionable material selected from the group consisting of metal strip, polyolefin material strip, plastic strip, fiberglass strip, composite strip material, string, twine, wire, wired paper tape, bundling ties and physically securable tension members 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 detaching the strap;   removing the containers; and   unfolding the sleeve structure to flatten.