Abstract:
A pack, especially a retail pack, for a plurality of individual products packed in separate individual packs, characterized in that each individual pack has a retaining section which is firmly joined to a common pack carrier and from which a remaining portion of each individual pack can be separated in order to remove it from the pack carrier so that an individual product can be removed from the remaining portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a national phase filing of PCT/EP02/08613 filed Aug. 2, 2002 claiming priority to DE 101 41208.8 filed Aug. 22, 2001. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a pack, especially a retail pack, for a plurality of individual products packed in separate individual packs.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Products which have only a limited shelf life, such as foodstuffs, are usually packed for sale to end users in relatively small individual packs, which then gives rise to the problem that, when large quantities of such products are sold, it is difficult to provide an (overall) pack that is easy to handle and store. Loose storage of small individual packs in a larger box, for example, is unsatisfactory because the latter still takes up a relatively large amount of space on shelves and the like even after some of the individual products have been removed. Nor is it always easy to store loose individual products in boxes tidily.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The problem of the invention therefore consists in providing a pack, especially a retail pack, for a plurality of individual products packed in separate individual packs, which makes it possible both to store them tidily in the minimum amount of space and to access the individual packs simply. It is also intended that the pack should be easily disposable, with the packaging materials (paper, cardboard, plastic etc.) separated where appropriate and/or necessary.  
         [0005]     This problem is solved in accordance with the invention by means of a pack according to Claim  1 .  
         [0006]     Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are shown in the dependent claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The invention will now be explained by means of one embodiment, with reference to a drawing in which  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an inner pack with an individual product packed therein;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an individual pack for receiving the inner pack of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a row of individual packs according to  FIG. 2 , joined together;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a blank of material for making a pack carrier;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  shows a pack carrier made from the blank of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  shows the individual packs joined together as in  FIG. 3 , where said packs are provided with adhesive points for joining them to the pack carrier of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  shows a complete pack according to the invention with a pack carrier and individual packs joined thereto;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  shows the pack of  FIG. 7  with an individual pack removed from it;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  shows the individual pack of  FIG. 8  after removal. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     FIGS.  1  to  9  show the order in which a pack is put together in accordance with the invention and how it is used (removal of an individual pack).  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a closed inner pack  6  in perspective, which can, for example, be a vacuum pack made from a suitable metallised plastic film for a foodstuff or animal food item. Especially in the case of an animal food item, the inner pack  6  may contain the quantity needed to satisfy a pet&#39;s daily requirements. So that the inner pack  6  may be easily opened when needed, the material may have a breaking line  9  which extends about substantially the entire periphery of the inner pack and permits removal of a lid-like opening portion or upper section  6   a  of the inner pack  6 , so that the individual product (not shown) may be removed from the remaining portion  6   b.    
         [0019]     As  FIG. 2  shows, the inner pack  6  is inserted into an individual pack  2 , with adhesive points  7   c  on the underside and/or side surfaces of the inner pack  6  serving to prevent said inner pack from falling out. The individual pack  2  preferably consists of cardboard (or plastic, metal or the like) which may optionally be coated so as to render it impermeable to gas and/or moisture and which has, in a position corresponding to the breaking line  9  of the inner pack  6  (or also elsewhere), a perforation  8  or a breaking line formed in some other manner, which divides the individual pack into an (upper) retaining section  4  and a (lower) remaining portion  5 , and which serves to ensure that the individual pack can be removed in a manner still to be explained.  
         [0020]     After the inner pack  6  has been inserted, the individual pack  2  is sealed by closing and optionally sticking together closure tabs which are shown in the open position in  FIG. 2 . It should be pointed out that the individual product, which in the present example is packed in an inner pack, could also be packed directly in the individual pack  2 , without using an inner pack, provided that it was suitable for this, such as if it held relatively insensitive items or materials which did not require any additional pack. In addition, the closure tabs can also be dispensed with, since the individual packs  2  are closed by the carrier tray  3  (see below) and the inner pack  6  or the product itself is completely surrounded.  
         [0021]     As  FIG. 2  also shows, the inner pack  2  is provided, at its retaining section  4  located above the perforation line  8 , with adhesive points  7   b  which make it possible to join together a series of individual packs, as in  FIG. 3 . In this case, all the perforation lines  8  are at the same height.  
         [0022]     As  FIGS. 4 and 5  show, a lid-like pack carrier or a carrier tray  3  is formed by folding over and sticking an appropriately shaped blank  12  ( FIG. 4 ) and is stuck onto the row of individual packs according to  FIG. 3 , such as with adhesive points  7   a . As  FIG. 7  shows, the lid-like pack carrier  3  overlaps the individual packs so that their retaining sections  4  are overlapped substantially completely. For reasons of strength, the height of the lateral overlapping sections  3   b  of the pack carrier  3  must be of a certain minimum size so that the latter or the flat carrier section  3   a  does not kink when the individual packs are later removed. When the size of the pack carrier  3  falls in the range of 10 cm×10 cm to about 30 cm×50 cm, for example, a minimum height of the lateral edges of about 15 mm has proven sufficient. Alternatively or in addition to the adhesive points  7   a , the individual packs  2  may have adhesive points  7   a′  on their sides, with which the retaining sections  4  are secured on the carrier tray.  
         [0023]     In order to give the overall pack additional stability, it can be provided for the individual packs to be joined together not only on their retaining sections  4 , but also on the remaining portions  5 , with an adhesive point in each case (indicated by  7   d  in  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  shows the complete pack  1  according to the invention, whereas  FIG. 8  shows the pack  1  in a state in which an individual pack  2  has been removed by being torn off at the side. The connection between the retaining sections  4  and the pack carrier  3  is designed in such a way with regard to the strength of the perforation  8  that the retaining section  4  remains on the pack carrier  3  in each case when an individual pack  2  is pulled sideways by the remaining portion  5 , so that the perforation line  8  yields and tears and an individual pack  2  can be removed ready for use ( FIG. 9 ).  
         [0025]     It is a good idea for the breaking line  9  to have a security strip (not shown) stuck over it, which ensures that it is air-tight or vacuum-sealed and which, when torn off, makes it possible for the section  6   a  of the inner pack  6  located above the breaking line  9  to be torn off with no difficulty and for the individual product to be removed.  
         [0026]     After use, the (empty) inner pack  6  can be removed by unsticking the adhesive points  7   c  (where present), and all the parts of the pack  1  can be disposed of with the different materials sorted accordingly.