Promotional attachment for beverage packages

A promotional device which preferably includes a laminated record which can be detached along a perforated line is attached to the bottle or can carrier by means of spaced arms projecting from the device and having lock tabs which engage spaced webs in the carrier. When attached to the carrier the promotional device is positioned closely adjacent the side of the carrier and resists accidental removal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Beer and soda are sold in six-packs, eight-packs and the like, either made 
of cardboard formed to provide pockets for the containers (container 
retaining means) or made of plastic having undersized openings (container 
retaining means) capturing the upper edge of individual cans or bottles. 
When there is a special promotion, the point of sale promotional message 
is usually separate from the package since a short duration promotion does 
not justify the expense of changing the packaging. If it is desireable to 
attach the promotional item, it has been necessary to glue or tie the item 
to the package. 
Inexpensive laminated records are well-known. Such a record can have a 
color picture or message covered with a clear plastic laminate which is 
embossed with an audio groove so it can be played on a regular record 
player. These records are very attractive promotional pieces since they 
provide sound in addition to the picture and/or message. 
Being in the business of manufacturing the laminated records, applicant's 
assignee is interested in increasing the market for such records. This 
leads to a desire to provide means to attach such records to the beverage 
packages without glue or ties. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The principal object of this invention is to provide a promotional device 
(which may include a laminated record) which can be easily attached to a 
bottle or can carrier and can withstand reasonable handling after 
attachment without being disengaged from the package. The attachment is 
self-locking. The device is retained and oriented to assure maximum 
visibility and effect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
The eight-bottle carton 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a typical construction having 
side panels 12 interconnected by end panels 14 and provided with a medial 
handle 16 apertured at 18 to provide a hand hold and having webs 20, 22, 
24 interconnecting the handle and the upstanding portion 26 of the side 
panel 12. 
The promotional piece 28 has a planar portion with circular perforations 30 
permitting removal of the central portion 42 which is a laminated record 
containing an audio promotional message or music or the like. The record 
is plastic laminated to a cardboard substrate. The audio grooves are 
embossed into the plastic. Printing or other graphics can be applied to 
the cardboard prior to covering with the plastic. Thus, the promotional 
piece has both visual and audio capability. 
As seen in FIG. 2, the planar promotional piece 28 has arms 32 depending 
from the main portion of the piece at each of the lower corners. Each arm 
includes a lock tab 34 on the inside of the arm. The arms are spaced so as 
to require some deflection of the lock tabs as they pass over the webs 20 
and 24 in the carton. Thus, as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the corner 36 
of the lock tab 34 lies inside of the inner surface of the web 20. As a 
standard construction feature the carton panel 12 has a circular die cut 
38 at the junction of the main part of the panel 12 and the upstanding 
portion 26 which is also the point where the web 20 is folded back on a 
score line to join the medial handle. The short horizontal edge 40 
adjacent the arm 32 rests on the bottom of this die cut point. The record 
42 of the promotional piece is positioned on the outside of the side panel 
12 while the legs extend behind the panel and engage the web to prevent 
accidental removal of the promotional piece. The piece may, however, be 
readily removed simply by pulling it free or, with a little extra care, 
one could remove just the record portion by punching along the perforated 
line 30. There isn't much purpose, however, in trying to remove the record 
without removing the piece from the carton. 
It will be noted, therefore, that the bottle carrier has multiple webs 
interconnecting parts of the carrier and dividing the carrier into 
individual pockets receiving bottles. These pockets constitute container 
engaging or retaining means. The webs extend between the retaining means. 
The arms include lock tabs engageable with the webs to retain the 
promotional piece on the carton with the promotional piece positioned 
outside of the carton in full view. 
The plastic six-pack carrier 44 (FIG. 6) has slightly undersized apertures 
which snap over the upper rim of the cans 46. The apertures constitute 
container engaging or retaining means and the plastic membrane or webs 
extend between the container retaining means. Various designs of such 
plastic carriers 44 are used in the trade but all of them have one form or 
another of apertures 48 which permit insertion of the fingers and thumb to 
carry the package. 
The promotional device 50 includes a laminated record portion 52 and the 
perforations 54 facilitating removal of the record. The promotional piece 
also has arms 56 connected to the main body by a portion including the 
scored fold lines 58 along which the arms are folded back so as to project 
over the aperture 48 to permit the lock tab 60 to engage the plastic web 
and retain the promotional piece closely adjacent the side of the six-pack 
to be protected when six-packs are stacked at the point of sale. To remove 
the promotional piece, the user can either tear the arms or separate the 
record 52 from the arm structure by punching along the perforated line 54.