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EP-4739591-A1 - MULTI-PACK OF CONTAINERS

EP4739591A1EP 4739591 A1EP4739591 A1EP 4739591A1EP-4739591-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-pack (1) of containers, comprising a first container (2); a second container (3); an adhesive layer (5) arranged between the first container (2) and the second container (3); wherein the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively connected to the first container (2) at a first surface of the adhesive layer (5); the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively connected to the second container (3) at a second surface of the adhesive layer (5); and the adhesion between the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the first container (2) is greater than the adhesion between the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second container (3).

Inventors

  • PIETERS, SEBASTIAN
  • LELIE, THOMAS
  • Caninenberg, Matthias
  • FORTKORD, Andre
  • OSTERHOLD, Fabian

Assignees

  • KHS GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240705

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A package (1 ) of containers comprising - a first container (2); - a second container (3); - an adhesive layer (5) arranged between the first container (2) and the second container (3); wherein - the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively bonded to the first container (2) at a first surface of the adhesive layer (5); - the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively bonded to the second container (3) at a second surface of the adhesive layer (5); and - the adhesion between the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the first container (2) is greater than the adhesion between the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second container (3); wherein the adhesive layer (5) has a first adhesive sub-layer (6) comprising a first adhesive and a second adhesive sub-layer (7) comprising a second adhesive; wherein - the first adhesive layer (6) is arranged between the first container (2) and the second adhesive layer (7) and the first adhesive layer (6) is adhesively connected to the first container (2); - the second adhesive layer (7) is arranged between the second container (3) and the first adhesive layer (6) and the second adhesive layer (7) is adhesively connected to the second container (3); and - the adhesion between the first adhesive sub-layer (6) and the first container (2) is greater than the adhesion between the second adhesive sub-layer (7) and the second container (3); or wherein the adhesive layer (5) has a first adhesive sub-layer (6) which is not foamed and a second adhesive sub-layer (7) which is foamed; wherein - the first adhesive layer (6) is arranged between the first container (2) and the second adhesive layer (7) and the first adhesive layer (6) is adhesively connected to the first container (2); - the second adhesive layer (7) is arranged between the second container (3) and the first adhesive layer (6) and the second adhesive layer (7) is adhesively connected to the second container (3); and - the adhesion between the first adhesive layer (6) and the first container (2) is greater than the adhesion between the second adhesive layer (7) and the second container (3); or wherein the container (1) is obtainable by a method comprising the steps - providing the first container (2); - applying a hot melt adhesive having a temperature Ti to a part of the surface of the first container; - Cooling the hot melt adhesive to a temperature T2; - bringing the cooled hot melt adhesive into contact with the second container (3); where the adhesive strength of the hot melt adhesive at temperature T2 is lower than the adhesive strength of the hot melt adhesive at temperature Ti.
  2. 2. A package (1) of containers according to claim 1, wherein the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) are opposite to each other.
  3. 3. A package (1) of containers according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact area between the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the first container (2) is less than 10%, based on the total surface of the first container (2), and the contact area between the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second container (2) is less than 10%, based on the total surface of the second container (2).
  4. 4. A package (1) made of containers according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cohesion of the adhesive layer (5) is greater than the adhesion between the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the first container (2); and the cohesion of the adhesive layer (5) is greater than the adhesion between the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second container (3).
  5. 5. A package (1) made of containers according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive partial layer (6) is adhesively bonded to the second adhesive partial layer (7).
  6. 6. A package (1) made of containers according to claim 5, wherein the adhesion between the first adhesive sub-layer (6) and the second adhesive sub-layer (7) is greater than the adhesion between the first adhesive sub-layer (6) and the first container (2); and the adhesion between the first adhesive sub-layer (6) and the second adhesive sub-layer (7) is greater than the adhesion between the second adhesive sub-layer (7) and the second container (3).
  7. 7. A package (1) made of containers according to claim 1, wherein the adhesion between the first adhesive layer (6) and the second adhesive layer (7) is greater than the adhesion between the first adhesive layer (6) and the first container (2); and the adhesion between the first adhesive sub-layer (6) and the second adhesive sub-layer (7) is greater than the adhesion between the second adhesive sub-layer (7) and the second container (3).
  8. 8. A package (1) of containers, comprising - a first container (2); - a second container (3); - an adhesive layer (5) arranged between the first container (2) and the second container (3); wherein - the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively bonded to the first container (2) at a first surface of the adhesive layer (5); - the adhesive layer (5) is adhesively bonded to the second container (3) at a second surface of the adhesive layer (5); and wherein the cohesion of the adhesive layer (5) is smaller than the adhesion between the first surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the first container (2); and the cohesion of the adhesive layer (5) is smaller than the adhesion between the second surface of the adhesive layer (5) and the second container (3).

Description

containers field of the invention The present invention relates to a container package, in particular a container package comprising a first container; a second container; and an adhesive layer arranged between the first container and the second container. Background of the invention Single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws, disposable cutlery and packaging are a significant source of pollution. They contribute to the littering of beaches, oceans, rivers and landscapes and endanger wildlife by ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic waste. Many single-use plastics are slow to degrade and can take centuries or even millennia to break down, placing a permanent burden on the environment and increasing the risk of ecological damage. In order to minimize the environmental impact of using plastic packaging, EU Directive 2019/904 was issued. Among other things, it stipulates that only drinks in single-use plastic containers with closures that remain on the container are permitted. This is intended to significantly reduce the amount of plastic container closures and lids entering the environment. It is desirable that not only closures, but also other components of containers and their packaging, i.e. also those components that are necessary for the transport of several containers, such as connecting adhesives, closing packaging, etc., also remain on the container in order to minimize the corresponding entry into the environment. EP 3003868 B1 discloses a method for producing packages from containers, in which the containers are individually coated and optionally coated with at least one adhesive, defining at least one adhesive or bonding agent application on their surface. The containers are then formed into a container group and connected to one another at their respective adhesive or adhesive application to form the desired container. DE 10325 671 A1 discloses a shipping unit consisting of machine elements such as a number of identical needles arranged in a row and aligned in the same way, with the sides of the adjacent needles facing each other. DE 10 2014 218 117 A1 discloses a double-sided adhesive element that can be used for adhesively and detachably connecting at least two articles or containers that adhere to one another on their outer sides to form a package with at least two articles or containers that adhere to one another. The adhesive element comprises at least one carrier layer and adhesive or glue layers that are flatly adjacent to it on both sides to produce the adhesive connections to the respective outer sides of the articles or containers that are joined together. A first adhesion force between the outer sides of the articles and the adhesive or glue layers of the adhesive element at the respective adhesion points is greater than a second adhesion force between the adhesive or glue layers and the carrier layer. US 2008/0 060 966 A1 discloses a stack of disposable pet food containers, wherein each container in the stack above the lowest container in the stack has a bottom surface provided with an adhesive layer. Each container in the stack above the lowest container in the stack is respectively connected to a container in the stack below by an adhesive layer applied to a lower surface of the container. The containers above the lowest container in the stack are arranged such that when one of these containers is removed from the stack, the adhesive present on the bottom of the container is exposed and in a ready state to adhere the container to a support surface when the container is placed on the support surface. US 3 902 992 A discloses multicontainer package which is self-contained and portable and is portable, free from any handle, holder, tray, strap or wrapper, consisting of a plurality of containers arranged side by side and connected by Adhesive consisting of Adhesive consisting of double coated adhesive tape. According to the state of the art, however, there is no guarantee that the adhesive or glue applications that connect the containers together will remain firmly attached to one of the containers after the containers have been separated. In particular, adhesive or glue applications known from the state of the art are designed in such a way that their adhesive strength is sufficiently low to ensure that the containers can be easily detached from one another by the end user. This means that the adhesive or glue applications do not remain firmly attached to the container. On the other hand, increasing the adhesive strength makes it difficult to separate the connected containers and increases the risk of damage to the containers during separation. It is therefore the object underlying the invention to provide a package of containers which comprises at least one first container; at least one second container; and at least one adhesive layer which is arranged between the first container and the second container, in which the containers can on the one hand be easily separated fro