Lightweight perforated case wrap

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for a lightweight shrink-wrapped bottle pack. The shrink-wrapped bottle pack comprises a group of bottles arranged in a side-by-side disposition. A case wrapping film is shrink-wrapped around the group of bottles to fixate the side-by-side disposition. Holes in the case wrapping film allow top portions of the bottles to protrude through the case wrapping film. A portion of the case wrapping film surrounding each of the holes forcibly contacts a bell comprising each bottle such that the case wrapping film fixates the side-by-side disposition of the group of bottles. The holes facilitate using a shorter portion of case wrapping film than when extending the case wrapping film over the top portion of the group of bottles, producing a lighter weight bottle pack than conventionally shrink-wrapped bottle packs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A case wrapping film for containing a group of containers, the case wrapping film comprising:
 a rectangular sheet of shrink film for being looped over the group of containers; and   a multiplicity of holes for allowing the group of containers to protrude through the shrink film.   
     
     
         2 . The case wrapping film of  claim 1 , further including a sealing edge configured for being adhered to an opposite edge such that the rectangular sheet assumes a tube-shape configuration suitable for being disposed over the group of containers before being shrink-wrapped around the group of containers. 
     
     
         3 . The case wrapping film of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are arranged to correspond to the locations of the containers after the shrink film is shrink-wrapped. 
     
     
         4 . The case wrapping film of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiplicity of holes is configured to allow a top portion of a water bottle to extend through the case wrapped film. 
     
     
         5 . The case wrapping film of  claim 4 , wherein the top portion of the water bottle comprises a bell of the water bottle. 
     
     
         6 . The case wrapping film of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are configured such that a portion of the shrink film surrounding each of the multiplicity of holes presses against a top portion of a container so as to hold the container stationary in a bottle pack. 
     
     
         7 . The case wrapping film of  claim 6 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are configured to allow the group of containers to protrude through the shrink film so as to facilitate using a shorter portion of shrink film than when wrapping the shrink film over the top portion of the group of containers. 
     
     
         8 . The case wrapping film of  claim 7 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are configured to allow the group of containers to protrude through the shrink film so as to produce a lighter weight shrink-wrapped bottle pack than a conventionally shrink-wrapped bottle pack. 
     
     
         9 . The case wrapping film of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are arranged either around or over one or more labels disposed on the shrink film. 
     
     
         10 . A shrink-wrapped bottle pack, comprising:
 a group of bottles arranged in a side-by-side disposition;   a case wrapping film shrink-wrapped around the group of bottles for fixating the side-by-side disposition; and   a multiplicity of holes disposed in the case wrapping film for allowing top portions of the bottles to protrude through the case wrapping film.   
     
     
         11 . The shrink-wrapped bottle pack of  claim 10 , wherein each of the multiplicity of holes is configured to allow a finish portion comprising a water bottle and a container closure installed thereon to protrude through the case wrapping film. 
     
     
         12 . The shrink-wrapped bottle pack of  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are arranged on the case wrapping film so as to coincide with the side-by-side disposition of the group of bottles. 
     
     
         13 . The shrink-wrapped bottle pack of  claim 10 , wherein a portion of the case wrapping film surrounding each of the multiplicity of holes forcibly contacts a bell comprising each water bottle such that the case wrapping film fixates the side-by-side disposition of the group of bottles. 
     
     
         14 . The shrink-wrapped bottle pack of  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are configured to facilitate using a shorter portion of case wrapping film than when extending the case wrapping film over a top portion of the group of bottles. 
     
     
         15 . The shrink-wrapped bottle pack of  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of holes are configured to allow the group of bottles to protrude through the case wrapping film so as to produce a lighter weight bottle pack than a conventionally shrink-wrapped bottle pack. 
     
     
         16 . A method for a shrink-wrapped bottle pack, comprising:
 arranging a group of bottles in a side-by-side disposition;   providing a case wrapping film to be shrink-wrapped around the group of bottles for fixating the side-by-side disposition;   disposing a multiplicity of holes in the case wrapping film corresponding to the side-by-side disposition; and   shrinking-wrapping the case wrapping film such that top portions of the bottles protrude through the case wrapping film.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein disposing the multiplicity of holes includes configuring each of the multiplicity of holes to allow a finish portion comprising a water bottle and a container closure installed thereon to protrude through the case wrapping film. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein disposing the multiplicity of holes includes configuring the multiplicity of holes to facilitate using a shorter portion of case wrapping film than when extending the case wrapping film over a top portion of the group of bottles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein disposing the multiplicity of holes includes configuring the multiplicity of holes to allow the group of bottles to protrude through the case wrapping film so as to produce a lighter weight bottle pack than a conventionally shrink-wrapped bottle pack.