Shipping case alternative

Abstract

A new way of shipping cartons and other packages so as to minimize the cost and the resource used. In one embodiment, the invention comprises the use of two or more films shrink wrapped about the packages which are juxtaposed to form a unit. At least one of the films is opaque and at least one of the films is clear. The opaque film is sufficiently resistant to the transmission of light such that UPC bar codes present on the individual packages cannot be read through the film by bar code reading machines. The shrink wrap in place about the unit may include one or more gripping openings.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A combination of two or more packages juxtaposed to form a unit, said unit being shrink wrapped in two or more films on opposite film sides of said unit, wherein at least one of said films is opaque and at least one of said films is clear.  
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said shrink wrapped films include a pair of gripping openings, said openings being disposed at opposite ends of said unit, said ends being other than said film sides.  
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said films are heat sealed to each other on at least two opposite heat seal sides of said unit, said heat seal sides being intermediate said at least two film sides.  
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1  further comprising a single line of zipper perforations extending in at least one of said films at least along one of said film sides.  
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 4  further comprising gripping openings on opposite sides of said perforations in said film side.  
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein at least one said opaque film is at least 1 mil. thicker than said at least one clear film.  
     
     
         7 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein at least one said opaque film has a thickness of from 1 to 5 mils (thousands of an inch) and at least one said clear film has a thickness of from 1 to 5 mils.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein one of said films includes a tear strip defined by spaced zipper perforations in said film along two lines at least partially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said unit.  
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 2  wherein one of said films includes a tear strip defined by spaced zipper perforations in said film extending between said gripping openings along two lines extending partially in one of said film sides parallel to a longitudinal axis of said unit.  
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 1  comprising zipper perforations in said shrink wrap on each heat seal side extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said unit.  
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 2  further comprising zipper perforations in said shrink wrap extending from one of said openings to the other, partially extending through each heat seal side parallel to a longitudinal axis of said unit.  
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said packages are cartons.  
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 12  wherein said cartons are comprised of corrugated fiberboard, said corrugations extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said unit and perpendicular to a plane of one of said film sides.  
     
     
         14 . A process for shipping a combination of two or more packages juxtaposed to form a unit, said unit being shrink wrapped in two or more films on opposite sides of said unit, comprising shipping said unit, one of said films being opaque and another not being opaque, the unit being shipped with the opaque film side as the top side of the combined packages and shrink wrap.  
     
     
         15 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein said unit is not contained within a shipping case.  
     
     
         16 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein said unit comprises from 2 to 4 packages.  
     
     
         17 . The combination according to  claim 12  wherein said packages are cartons.  
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 14  wherein the non-opaque film includes zipper perforations and the opaque film lacks zipper perforations.  
     
     
         19 . The combination according to  claim 2  further comprising a line of zipper perforations extending from one of said openings to the other and extending through one of said film sides, and further comprising opposed gripping apertures on opposite sides of said line of perforations on said film side.  
     
     
         20 . A combination of two or more packages juxtaposed to form a unit, said unit being shrink wrapped in two or more films on film sides of said unit, said film sides being on opposite sides of said unit and including a line of zipper perforations along one of said film sides, said unit further comprising gripping apertures on opposite sides of said line of perforations in said film side.  
     
     
         21 . The combination of  claim 20  wherein said side zipper perforations are in a film which is clear to a UPC bar code reader.  
     
     
         22 . A combination of two or more packages juxtaposed to form a unit, said unit being shrink wrapped in two or more films on opposite sides of said unit, one of said films being non-opaque and including a tear strip defined by zipper perforations in said film along two lines spaced in at least one of said film sides parallel to a longitudinal axis of said unit, the other of said films being opaque.  
     
     
         23 . The combination of  claim 22  wherein said shrink wrapped films include gripping openings at opposite ends of said unit and said tear strip further extends along two lines perpendicular to said longitudinal axis from said openings to said film sides.  
     
     
         24 . The combination of  claim 20  wherein said packages comprise cartons and said cartons are made of corrugated fiberboard, said corrugations extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said unit and perpendicular to a plane of one of said film sides.  
     
     
         25 . The combination of  claim 22  wherein said packages comprise cartons and said cartons comprise corrugated fiberboard, said corrugations extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said unit and perpendicular to a plane of one of said film sides.  
     
     
         26 . The combination of  claim 21  wherein said film in which said perforations are placed is a clear film, clear to UPC bar code readers.  
     
     
         27 . The combination according to  claim 1  having at least one line of perforations as an opening device.  
     
     
         28 . The combination of  claim 9  wherein said tear strip extends 90% of the length of said film side.  
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 14  wherein said opaque film side is not perforated.  
     
     
         30 . A process for shrink wrapping a package comprising shrink wrapping a film having zipper perforations about a package and then imposing a second set of zipper perforations upon said shrink wrapped package.