Applicator system for coupling at least one carrier to a set of drink cans to form one or more packages

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an applicator system for coupling at least one carrier to the top of a confined set of drinking cans to form one or more packages of cans simultaneously, which allows the controlled deformation of carriers of the type having a substantially horizontal upper central area arranged above the upper face of the cans, and the assembly of packages of traditional cans and packages of slim cans.

1 . An application system (or coupling at least one carrier on top of a confined set of cans of beverages to form one or more packages of cans, which allows for controlled deformation of carriers of the type that have a substantially horizontal upper central area and a plurality of covering flaps arranged at a level above the upper face of the cans, comprising:
 a top applicator in the form of:
 a flat square plate with flat faces, configured to produce the controlled deformation of the carrier, and 
 a lower confining component to orderly position the set of cans to receive the top applicator. 
   wherein on one of the flat faces, the top applicator includes at least one recess formed by a bottom wall and a multilobular contour that defines a flat peripheral outer edge of the recess to flex transition portions and retention flaps of the carrier that fit under the rim of the cans; said recess including a central area from which as many lobes project as the number of cans to be grouped with the same carrier to form a package; where said lobes correspond to multiple and successive walls in an arc shape; and because the lower confining component includes a quadrangular body with at least one confining cavity of multilobular contour, with as many spacer lobes as the number of cans to be confined to form a package, where, to intentionally create a spacing between the cans, the distance between the central axes of adjacent spacer lobes is greater than the distance between the central axes of adjacent thin cans.   
     
     
         2 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein said multiple and successive walls in an arc shape of the top applicator have a stepped cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein in a tangential area between adjacent lobes in the top applicator, a separation wall is formed between lobes, where each wall comprises a distal end pointing towards said central area of the recess, and where the height of said wall with respect to the bottom wall of the recess decreases towards said distal end 
     
     
         4 . The application system according to  claim 3 , wherein said distal end comprises a stepped edge. 
     
     
         5 . The application system according to  claim 3 , wherein said distal end comprises a beveled edge. 
     
     
         6 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein the top applicator also comprises straight peripheral walls perpendicular to said flat face; the straight peripheral walls are distributed in a number of at least one for each of the sides of the flat face that forms the top applicator and are arranged along each of said sides. 
     
     
         7 . The application system according to  claim 6 , wherein each of said straight peripheral walls comprises an inner face, an outer face, a proximal edge for joining to the flat face and an opposite distal edge of rounded cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The application system according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner faces of the set of peripheral walls define an inner perimeter whose width and length are equivalent to the width and length of at least one carrier to couple to a set of cans to form one or more packages. 
     
     
         9 . The application system according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the straight peripheral walls comprises, at its distal edge, at least one notch whose bottom is located close to the flat face of the top applicator 
     
     
         10 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein in the lower confining component  20 , the spacer lobes have a curved cross-section, whose perimeter length is equivalent to at least half a circumference, to surround part of the body of the cans that it houses inside. 
     
     
         11 . The application system  4  according to  claim 10 , wherein each spacer lobe comprises a vertical inner face perpendicular to a horizontal bottom wall of each confining cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein between each of two adjacent spacer lobes a separation wall is formed that has a distal edge. 
     
     
         13 . The application system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower confining component also comprises at least one spacer pillar of rhomboidal cross-section with concave sides to adapt to the portion of the can that is not embraced by the corresponding spacer lobe. 
     
     
         14 . The application system according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower confining component also comprises peripheral guides to guide the downward movement of the top applicator, where the peripheral guides are erected vertically and perpendicular to an upper face of the lower confining component. 
     
     
         15 . The application system according to  claim 14 , wherein said peripheral guides are distributed in several at least one for each of the sides of the quadrangular body that forms the lower confining component and are arranged along each of said sides. 
     
     
         16 . The application system  1  according to  claim 15 , wherein each of said peripheral guides comprises an inner face, an outer face, a proximal edge for joining to the base and an opposite distal edge. 
     
     
         17 . The application system according to  claim 16 , wherein the distal edge is beveled at its outer edge to facilitate the movement of the top applicator. 
     
     
         18 . The application system according to  claim 8  the outer faces of the set of peripheral guides of the lower confining component define an outer perimeter whose width and length are equivalent to the width and length of the inner perimeter formed by the peripheral walls of the top applicator to guide the downward vertical movement of said top applicator. 
     
     
         19 . The application system according to  claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the peripheral guides corresponds to the distance between the perimeter of the group of confined cans and the inner perimeter of the peripheral walls of the top applicator.