Pet cup container and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The invention relates to a cup container made of PET, preferably recycled PET. The cup container has good mechanical properties and processability. The cup container has a thermoformed hollow body made of PET plastic material, which is delimited by an opening, a side wall and a bottom opposite the opening in horizontal direction, a flange which surrounds the opening outwardly, forms an opening edge together with the side wall, is integral with the body, and an outer band which is positioned at the side wall.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to cup containers made of PET, preferably recycled PET. These cup containers possess good mechanical properties and processability.

[0002] Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in packaging, especially for bottles. PET is a material of interest because of its high recyclability.

[0003] Mechanically recycled PET (rPET) is known. This material is often blended with virgin PET for use in bottle containers. Some bottles made from 100% rPET are also commercially available. Using recycled PET protects the environment. Various grades of rPET are available on the market as raw materials for manufacturing plastic articles. Flake-grade rPET has lower purity and contains particles of other materials in significant quantities and / or sizes. Granular-grade rPET is purer and contains particles of other materials in smaller quantities and / or sizes. The purer granular grades are more expensive.

[0004] Cup containers, such as yogurt cups, can be manufactured using various methods, such as injection blow molding, extrusion blow molding, or thermoforming. The materials used are typically polystyrene, polyethylene, or polypropylene. Polystyrene is difficult to recycle. Due to the recyclability of PET, cup containers made from PET are receiving increasing attention. Thermoformed containers made from PET are already available. However, they still contain a significant amount of plastic. Furthermore, while their recyclability is good, they are made from a limited amount of rPET and are only available in lower purity grades. There is a need for PET cup containers with a better environmental impact, such as those containing less plastic and / or more recycled PET, while exhibiting acceptable technical and / or economic performance.

[0005] PET cup containers with four attachments, manufactured according to a molding-fill-seal method, have been disclosed, for example, as "ClickPET" (https: / / www.plasticstoday.com / packaging / klckner-pentaplasts-new-pet-yogurt-packaging-snap). These are thick and have adhesive on the body.

[0006] The rPET cup container has been publicly disclosed (https: / / www.petnology.com / competence-online / news / sustainable-dairy-cups-made-from-100-rpet.html). The container is thick and has no attached labels or banderoles.

[0007] Disposable cups in rPET for use in liquid beverages have been publicly disclosed (https: / / www.alibaba.com / countrysearch / CN / rpet-cups.html). These are thick and do not have any attached labels or straps.

[0008] A cup container made of PET and enclosed in a cabinet has been unveiled (https: / / www.optipack.de / en / technologies–Devo technology). The cup and cabinet are still quite thick.

[0009] Document WO 2018 / 054550 describes a cup container made of plastic material with a bottom thickness of 300 μm to 650 μm and a sidewall basis weight of 110 g / m². 2 Up to 140g / m 2 The band covering was disclosed. Polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or other materials were disclosed as plastic materials. No details regarding the thickness of PET were disclosed, and the band weight tested on polystyrene was still significant. A cup with a better ecological footprint is needed.

[0010] There is a need for PET-based cup containers that are recyclable, preferably recyclable, containing less and / or more recycled plastic, while exhibiting good mechanical properties and good processability.

[0011] The present invention solves at least one of the above-mentioned problems or needs by providing a cup container (1) having:

[0012] - A thermoformed hollow body (2) made of plastic material, the hollow body being defined by an opening (3), side walls (4) and a bottom (5) opposite the opening in the horizontal direction.

[0013] - A flange (6) that extends outward around the opening (3), forms the opening edge (7) together with the sidewall (4), and is integral with the body (2).

[0014] - External hoops (9), which are positioned at the side wall (4),

[0015] in:

[0016] - The plastic is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), preferably comprising recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

[0017] - The flange has a thickness of at most 1.0 mm, preferably at most 0.90 mm, and preferably 0.80 mm.

[0018] - The body has a total tensile ratio of at least 4.0, preferably at least 4.5, preferably at least 5.0, and

[0019] - The band basically covers all the sidewalls.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such cup containers, the method comprising the following steps:

[0021] a) Providing plastic sheets of plastic materials.

[0022] b) Thermoforming at least a portion of the plastic sheet such that the thermoformed portion includes at least one region, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.0, preferably at least 4.5, and preferably at least 5.0.

[0023] It has been found that deep thermoformed cup containers exhibit surprisingly good mechanical properties, such as resistance to top loads, while also demonstrating improved environmental impact and good economic performance. Satisfactory productivity has been achieved. The cup containers and / or the methods of manufacturing them allow for good mechanical properties such as resistance to compression and / or good thickness profile, and / or good uniformity and / or control of thickness profile, and / or good other properties such as band adhesion. Surprisingly, this has been found to be accomplished with good machinability, allowing for a degree of flexibility in the setting of processing equipment and parameters such as thermoforming equipment, materials, and / or temperature and speed.

[0024] It has been found that during deep thermoforming of PET sheets approximately 1.2 mm thick, rPET crystallizes, creating irregularities in the material, particularly in the sidewalls, and / or resulting in weaknesses in mechanical properties or even permeability: crystallization points can create pinholes when stretched. This phenomenon becomes more difficult and sensitive the deeper the cup container and / or the deeper the thermoforming process. This may be even more critical for lower purity rPET grades such as flake-grade rPET. Surprisingly, it has been found that this can be successfully overcome by incorporating a band with the PET deep cup container according to the invention and / or the method of the invention, thereby reducing the plastic thickness and / or lowering the thermoforming temperature, thus avoiding crystallization and its negative consequences. Therefore, PET cup containers exhibit an improved eco-footprint, involving less plastic and / or more recycled plastic, as well as less energy conversion.

[0025] The cup container and / or method of the present invention can be found to have particular advantages through at least one of the following embodiments:

[0026] - The opening and bottom are defined in a parallel plane in the horizontal direction, and the sidewalls connect the bottom at the opening edge (7) and the bottom edge (8);

[0027] - The sidewall is a cylinder or a cone;

[0028] - The sidewall has a substantially circular cross-section in the horizontal direction;

[0029] - The PET contains at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 75% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, and optionally 100% by weight of recycled polyethylene terephthalate, preferably mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

[0030] - The mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) is particulate rPET, flake rPET, or a mixture thereof;

[0031] - The PET contains at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 75% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, and optionally 100% by weight of sheet-grade mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET);

[0032] - The band is a non-heat-shrinkable flexible material having a layer of paper, plastic, metal or a combination thereof and optionally at least a side layer of adhesive, paint or a combination thereof.

[0033] - The band is 50g / m 2 Up to 150g / m 2 Preferably 70g / m 2 Up to 130g / m 2 Preferably 85g / m 2 Up to 115g / m 2 :

[0034] - The band is at least partially bonded to the sidewall, and preferably completely bonded to the sidewall;

[0035] - The ratio between the surface of the opening and the surface of the bottom is 1 / 1.2 to 1.5 / 1, preferably 1.1 to 1.2 / 1;

[0036] -The thermoforming process includes the step of heating a plastic sheet to a temperature below 130°C, preferably 115°C to 125°C;

[0037] - Before pressing the heated sheet of plastic material into the mold, place the clamp into the mold. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1a A top view of a cup container according to the invention, sealed with a flexible lid.

[0039] Figure 1b This is a side view of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0040] Figure 1c This is a bottom view of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a vertical sectional view of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 3 This shows a detailed view of the side wall of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 4 Different areas of the cup container according to the present invention are indicated.

[0044] Figure 5 This indicates the thickness profile of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 6 This indicates the thickness profile of the cup container according to the present invention.

[0046] definition

[0047] In this application, "total draw ratio" refers to the ratio between the surface of the cup / container opening (corresponding to the thermoforming area of ​​the sheet) and the surface of the unfolded thermoformed portion (corresponding to the plastic surface in contact with the mold). The total draw ratio can therefore be measured directly on the cup / container. It can also be determined based on the method used to prepare them.

[0048] In this application, "deep" cup or thermoforming refers to a cup container and / or thermoforming method with a total draw ratio of at least 4.0, preferably at least 4.5, and preferably at least 5.0.

[0049] In this application, "local stretch ratio" refers to the stretch ratio at a localized area of ​​the thermoformed portion. The local stretch ratio can be estimated by dividing the local thickness of the thermoformed portion by the initial thickness before thermoforming. Non-thermoformed portions (such as flanges) typically have this initial thickness.

[0050] In this application, "external" or "external" refers to the opposite direction of the hollow body of the container. In this application, "internal" or "internal" refers to the orientation of the hollow body of the container.

[0051] Cup container structure

[0052] The cup container of the present invention comprises a thermoformed hollow body. The thermoformed hollow body has a total draw ratio of at least 4.0, preferably at least 4.5, and preferably at least 5.0. The total draw ratio can be as high as 7.0, preferably as high as 6.0.

[0053] In one embodiment, the hollow body includes at least one region, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.3, preferably at least 4.5, preferably at least 5, preferably at least 6, and preferably at least 7.

[0054] The cup container includes a flange portion that is not subjected to any stretching; this portion is considered herein to be a non-thermoformed portion. The cup container is obtained by a method involving thermoforming a plastic sheet made of plastic material.

[0055] Thermoforming is a method known to those skilled in the art. It typically involves stretching a plastic material, such as a sheet, under heat, typically by applying mechanical devices such as plugs in a mold cavity and / or by suction from a mold. This mechanical device may optionally be reinforced by applying gas under pressure. Stretching results in a localized stretch ratio in the region forming the hollow body. If the stretching is uniform, the local stretch ratio is equal everywhere. Since stretching can be non-uniform, the hollow body can exhibit various regions with different local stretch ratios.

[0056] The thickness of the hollow body can vary in the range of 50μm to 800μm, preferably 60μm to 750μm, and preferably 70μm to 500μm.

[0057] The cup container is thermoformed from a sheet material with a thickness of at most 1.0 mm, preferably at most 0.90 mm, and preferably 0.80 mm. Preferably, the thickness of the "sheet material" is at least 0.3 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, and preferably at least 0.6 mm. For example, the sheet material thickness is from 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm, such as from 0.6 mm to 0.65 mm, or greater than 0.65 mm to 0.75 mm, or 0.75 mm to 0.85 mm, or 0.85 mm to 0.95 mm, or 0.95 mm to 1.0 mm. The flange has a thickness e of at most 1.0 mm, preferably at most 0.90 mm, and preferably 0.80 mm. Preferably, the flange thickness e is at least 0.3 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, and preferably at least 0.6 mm. For example, the thickness e of the flange is 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm, such as 0.6 mm to 0.65 mm, or greater than 0.65 mm to 0.75 mm, or 0.75 mm to 0.85 mm, or 0.85 mm to 0.95 mm, or 0.95 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0058] refer to Figure 1b The image shows a side view of the cup container 1. This is typically in a vertical direction. The cup container 1 has... Figure 1aThe thermoformed hollow body 2, not shown, is located behind the sidewalls. The cup container has an opening 3, sidewalls 4, and a bottom 5. Together, they define the hollow body of the cup container. The bottom generally defines a horizontal direction for the cup container to stand upright. The opening 3 is opposite to the bottom 5. The opening 3 generally defines a plane parallel to the bottom 5, typically in a horizontal direction. The sidewalls 4 connect the opening 3 to the bottom 5. The cup container 1 has a peripheral flange 6 extending outward from the opening 3. In one embodiment, the flange extends around the opening 3. In another embodiment, the flange 6 extends partially around the opening 3. The outward extension is preferably in a direction parallel to the opening 3 and the bottom 5, typically in a substantially horizontal direction. The flange 6, together with the sidewalls 4, forms an opening edge 7. Edge 7 marks the outward peripheral extension. The bottom 5 and the sidewalls 4 together form a bottom edge 8. The flange and the container body are integral. This means they constitute a single piece of plastic material. The cup container 1 is provided on the outside of the sidewalls by a band 9 that substantially covers the sidewalls. Therefore, there is an inner layer of plastic material and an outer layer of hoop at four locations on the sidewall. This arrangement is depicted in... Figure 3 middle.

[0059] The clamp 9 extends substantially to the bottom edge 8 at the bottom end. For example, at this end, the clamp 9 leaves the sidewall uncovered for up to 10%, preferably up to 5%, for example up to 1% of the sidewall length. The clamp 9 extends substantially to the opening edge 7 at the bottom end. For example, at this end, the clamp 9 leaves the sidewall 4 uncovered for up to 10%, preferably up to 5%, for example up to 1% of the sidewall length. Figure 1c As shown, the sidewall 4 is a vertical cylinder with a circular cross-section. The minimum sidewall is a line with the minimum length between the bottom edge and the opening edge. The length of the sidewall along this line is called dimension H. The length of the band along this line is called dimension h. In one embodiment, h ≥ 0.80H, preferably h ≥ 0.90H, for example h ≥ 0.99H. In one embodiment, the sidewall surface covered by the band accounts for at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, for example at least 99% of the total sidewall surface.

[0060] The opening can be of various shapes in the horizontal direction, such as circular, elliptical, or square, optionally with rounded corners. The bottom can also be of various shapes in the horizontal direction, such as circular, elliptical, or square, optionally with rounded corners. In one embodiment, the opening and the bottom have similar shapes centered on the same axis of symmetry. In one embodiment, the sidewall is a cylinder or a cone. In one embodiment, the sidewall has a substantially circular cross-section in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the sidewall can be, for example, a cylinder or a cone.

[0061] The opening of the cup container shown is circular. The opening edge of the cup container shown is circular. In the case where the cup container includes a symmetry plane in the vertical direction, the minimum dimension between opposite points at the opening or the opening edge in such a symmetry plane is referred to as dimension D. In the case where the opening or the opening edge is circular, D is the diameter. The bottom of the cup container shown is circular. The bottom edge of the cup container shown is circular. In the case where the cup container includes a symmetry plane in the vertical direction, the minimum dimension between opposite points at the bottom or the bottom edge in such a symmetry plane is referred to as dimension d. In the case where the bottom or the bottom edge is circular, d is the diameter.

[0062] In one embodiment, d and D have substantially the same size. In one embodiment, D > d and the body of the cup container tapers from the opening to the bottom. In one embodiment, D < d and the body of the cup container tapers from the bottom to the opening.

[0063] The hollow body of the cup container is deep, corresponding to deep thermoforming and a high total draw ratio. Preferably, the opening is larger than the length of the hollow body. In one embodiment, H / D > 1.0, preferably H / D > 1.1, preferably H / D > 1.2. In one embodiment, H / d > 1.0, preferably H / d > 1.1, preferably H / d > 1.2.

[0064] Reference Figure 1c , which shows a bottom view of the cup container. The flange 6 is clearly presented as extending outward from the circular opening.

[0065] Reference Figure 1a , which shows a top view of the cup container. The flange and the opening are sealed with a flexible lid 10.

[0066] Reference Figure 2 , which shows Figure 1a , Figure 1b and 1c a cross-section of the cup container depicted in the figure. The hollow body 2 extends from the opening 3 to the bottom 8 in the side wall 4. The contents of the cup container are shown shaded. Here, the hollow body does not completely fill the contents, leaving a top space along the height b. The flange has a thickness e.

[0067] Plastic material structure

[0068] The plastic material is typically a very thin plastic sheet. It can have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure, such as a double-layer structure, a triple-layer structure, etc. At least one layer, preferably all layers, is made of PET polymer. The material has a density of PET. In one embodiment, at least one of these layers is a PET foam layer, exhibiting a lower density due to the presence of some gas inclusions.

[0069] plastic materials

[0070] The hollow body and flange of the cup container are made of PET plastic material. PET and rPET are available, for example, in various grades or compositions, such as packaging grades or compositions. rPET is known and commercially available. In one embodiment, it has been recycled via post-consumer (PC) recycling, where the container is recycled from the waste stream after use by a consumer and disposal by a user or consumer. Recycling typically involves sorting the waste stream to recover a stream of selected materials and treating the stream by steps such as refining, washing, and / or grinding. For example, PET can be sorted from the waste stream and then processed according to various pathways. Mechanical pathways involve refining, washing, and / or grinding to recover the rPET polymer material. The rPET polymer consists of PET polymer but also contains particles of other materials that were not completely removed in previous steps.

[0071] rPET polymer materials can be obtained and used in various grades, such as flake and granular. Flake grade refers to rPET polymer obtained without remelting and granule filtration. Granular grade refers to rPET polymer that has undergone extraction steps involving remelting, granule filtration, and extrusion to obtain granules. Flake grade rPET has lower purity and contains particles of other materials in significant quantities and / or sizes. Granular grade rPET is purer and contains particles of other materials in smaller quantities and / or sizes. Granular grade rPET is more expensive than flake grade rPET.

[0072] It is mentioned that recycled rPET polymers can undergo solid-state polymerization to restore their molecular weight, for example, by restoring their intrinsic viscosity (IV). Post-consumer rPET exhibits significantly higher levels of unwanted coloring than rPET obtained through post-industrial recycling, where clean articles or portions of articles are recycled from the production site. The latter is a high-purity stream with lower levels of impurities.

[0073] PET can be, for example, 100% recycled PET (rPET), or containing an amount of rPET of R by weight% and an amount of virgin PET of 100-R by weight%, wherein R is at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90%.

[0074] The PET material preferably contains at least 50% by weight of mechanically recycled PET (rPET). The remaining PET may be virgin PET prepared from monomers, and / or PET recycled through chemical or microbial pathways. For example, the PET material contains at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 80% by weight of rPET and at most 50% by weight, preferably at most 20% by weight of virgin PET and / or PET recycled through chemical or microbial pathways.

[0075] In one embodiment, PET is a mixture of rPET and virgin PET. The mixture can be implemented as a multilayer, or by mixing rPET and virgin PET granules before or during melting to form a container or preform, or by mixing and melting rPET and virgin PET to form granules. Such mixtures or mixing procedures are known to those skilled in the art.

[0076] In one implementation, the PET is essentially composed of recycled PET. In other words, the plastic material is 100% by weight rPET.

[0077] In one embodiment, rPET is flake-grade rPET. In another embodiment, rPET is particulate-grade PET. In yet another embodiment, rPET is a mixture of flake-grade and particulate-grade rPET.

[0078] In one embodiment, the PET is substantially composed of granular rPET. In other words, the plastic material is 100% by weight granular rPET. In another embodiment, the PET is substantially composed of flake-grade rPET. In other words, the plastic material is 100% by weight flake-grade rPET.

[0079] As mentioned, PET (virgin PET or rPET) is recyclable, for example, through mechanical, chemical, and / or microbiological pathways. Chemical pathways involve depolymerization to recover monomers. The monomers can be repolymerized to obtain recycled fresh polymers. For example, PET or rPET can be depolymerized by hydrolysis, methanol decomposition, glycolysis, ammonolysis, or aminolysis to obtain recycled terephthalic acid or its diesters and recycled monoethylene glycol. The recycled terephthalic acid or diesters and / or recycled monoethylene glycol can be repolymerized with the optional addition of some virgin terephthalic acid or diesters and / or monoethylene glycol. Similarly, microbiological pathways involve treating the material stream with microorganisms to obtain depolymerized oligomers or monomers, and then, optionally, repolymerizing said monomers or oligomers with the addition of some virgin monomers or oligomers.

[0080] PET may contain some additives known to those skilled in the art, such as stabilizers, lubricants, etc. In one embodiment, the PET material is substantially free of mineral particles, such as fillers or opacifiers, such as TiO2 particles. In one embodiment, the PET material is substantially free of mineral particles added to rPET, such as fillers or opacifiers, such as TiO2 particles.

[0081] hoop

[0082] Hoops are known to those skilled in the art. They are typically flexible, thin materials. They are generally non-heat-shrinkable flexible materials, as opposed to heat-shrinkable plastic films (such as shrink wraps) having layers of, for example, paper, plastic, metal, or combinations thereof. Hoops may include at least a side layer of an adhesive material, a paint material, or a combination thereof. The adhesive material on the inside of the hoop provides some adhesion to the sidewalls. The adhesion can be generated by heat, for example by the temperature of the sidewalls during molding. Such adhesive materials are also called "hot melt adhesives". Thus, the hoop can be at least partially bonded to the sidewalls, preferably completely bonded to the sidewalls.

[0083] Examples of hoop materials include the following:

[0084] - Topcoat / Paper / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0085] -Polypropylene / Paper / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0086] - Topcoat / Directed Polystyrene / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0087] -Polypropylene / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0088] -PET / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0089] -PETg / Hot Melt Adhesive

[0090] -PET foam / hot melt adhesive.

[0091] The band can be 50g / m 2 Up to 150g / m 2 Preferably 70g / m 2 Up to 130g / m 2 Preferably 85g / m 2 Up to 115g / m 2 These properties provide good mechanical characteristics as well as good environmental and / or economic performance.

[0092] Thermoforming

[0093] Cup containers can be manufactured by a method including the following steps:

[0094] a) Providing plastic sheets of plastic materials.

[0095] b) Thermoforming at least a portion of the plastic sheet such that the thermoformed portion includes at least one region, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.0, preferably at least 4.5, and preferably at least 5.0.

[0096] In one embodiment, thermoforming causes the thermoformed portion to include at least one region, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.2, preferably at least 4.5, preferably at least 5, preferably at least 6, and preferably at least 7.

[0097] Plastic sheets suitable for thermoforming can be obtained, for example, by extrusion of a plastic material. Appropriate processing can be performed after extrusion to obtain the sheet. Processing steps include, for example, pressing, calendering, stretching, etc. Parameters of these processing steps, such as temperature, pressure, speed, and number of processes, can be adapted to obtain the sheet. In one embodiment, the sheet is prepared by a method involving extrusion or co-extrusion and calendering. The processing can impart some orientation to the sheet. The sheet may be slightly unidirectional. Typically, the sheet is not a bidirectional sheet or film.

[0098] Thermoforming typically involves heating a plastic sheet and pressing the heated sheet into a mold. This can be done by applying mechanical devices such as plugs in the mold cavity and / or by suction from the mold. These mechanical devices can optionally be enhanced by applying gas under pressure. In one embodiment, the thermoforming includes heating the plastic sheet to a temperature below 130°C, preferably between 115°C and 125°C.

[0099] Preferably, the hoops are attached to the sidewalls by placing them into the mold before the heated sheet of plastic material is pressed into the mold by thermoforming.

[0100] Cup containers can be manufactured, for example, using a forming-fill-sealing thermoforming production line. Thermoforming can involve the following steps:

[0101] - Introduce the sheet onto the guide chain (i.e., rail spikes or clamps);

[0102] -Heating the sheet material via a heated contact plate;

[0103] - It is formed through a female mold with the aid of a forming plug and air pressure. The mold includes a clamping band.

[0104] In a thermoforming production line for filling and sealing, the following steps are typically performed after thermoforming:

[0105] - Fill the resulting model with the product, then heat-seal it with a cover film.

[0106] Finally, they are cut and optionally pre-cut using one or more mechanical and / or optical finishing tools.

[0107] Uses of cups, containers and their contents

[0108] Cup containers are typically used to package contents such as food or beverage contents or non-food or non-beverage contents. The contents may be, for example, dairy products or plant-based alternatives to dairy. Cup containers may be sealed, for example, with a flexible or non-flexible lid after the contents have been filled.

[0109] The cup container can be, for example, from 50ml (or 50g) to 1L (or 1kg), for example, from 50ml (or 50g) to 80ml (or 80g), or from 80ml (or 80g) to 100ml (or 100g), or from 100ml (or 100g) to 125ml (or 125g), or from 125ml (or 125g) to 150ml (or 150g), or from 150ml (or 150g) to... Containers of 200ml (or 200g), or 200ml (or 200g) to 250ml (or 250g), or 250ml (or 250g) to 300ml (or 300g), or 300ml (or 300g) to 500ml (or 500g), or 500ml (or 500g) to 750ml (or 750g), or 750ml (or 750g) to 1L (or 1kg).

[0110] Further details or advantages of the present invention may become apparent from the following non-limiting embodiments.

[0111] Example 1

[0112] This embodiment is implemented using the following materials:

[0113] -by 100% FK (sold by Recypet AG) produces a 0.70mm thick single-layer plastic sheet, which is a mechanically recycled rPET sheet.

[0114] - Hoop: Approximately 100μm thick and weighing approximately 95g / m 2 Paper-based composites.

[0115] The following procedure is used to thermoform plastic sheets into yogurt cups. The cups are then analyzed and evaluated.

[0116] step :

[0117] The sheet is fed into the FFS thermoforming production line and then thermoformed in a 125g cup using the following parameters:

[0118] - Heating plate temperature: 125℃;

[0119] -The thermoforming step is performed using a conventional felt forming plug;

[0120] - Fix the mold temperature at 40℃ to activate the label hot melt adhesive and cool the rPET material;

[0121] - Forming pressure: 4.5 bar;

[0122] - Blow molding time: 800ms

[0123] - Machine speed: 32 strokes / minute.

[0124] - Distance between the bottom of the mold and the plug at the lowest point: 5mm

[0125] - Shape: As shown in the figure. The total stretch ratio is 5.6.

[0126] - Hoop: As shown in the figure, apply a complete hoop in the mold.

[0127] Yogurt cups 1 are arranged into two rows of four attached cups in a package (also called a "combination pack") and cut into x4 attached cups (also called a "combination pack"), wherein there is a pre-cut line or similar joint between each pair of adjacent cups in the four cups. The pre-cut line 15 is made on an FFS device.

[0128] Top load assessment

[0129] The mechanical properties of the yogurt cup were determined through a compression test known as top load. The maximum load value was evaluated according to the following scheme:

[0130] -Using an ADAMEL LHOMARGY DY 34 tensile / compression testing machine;

[0131] - Apply compression to the cups at a rate of 10 mm / min (through 4 cups) at ambient temperature;

[0132] - The highest load value is the maximum value of the compression curve.

[0133] The first deformation was observed at the bottom under a top load of 20.6 daN, and the second deformation was observed at the sidewall under a top load of 73.3 daN.

[0134] Despite using very low thickness, large amounts of rPET and sheet-grade rPET, the resulting cups have high thermoforming depth and good mechanical properties.

[0135] Example 2

[0136] This embodiment is implemented using the following materials:

[0137] - A single-layer plastic sheet with a thickness of 0.70mm made of 100% Novapet CR (sold by Novapet), which is virgin PET.

[0138] - A single-layer plastic sheet with a thickness of 0.75mm made of 100% Novapet CR (sold by Novapet), which is virgin PET.

[0139] - Hoop: Approximately 100μm thick and weighing approximately 95g / m 2 Paper-based composites.

[0140] According to the procedure described in Example 1, the plastic sheet is thermoformed into a yogurt cup, except that the blow molding time is 850ms.

[0141] For these two different sheets, measurements were taken at... Figure 4 The text indicates the thickness of the plastic in different areas of the cup and reports it. Figure 5 In the report, the square sheet has a thickness of 0.70 mm, and the diamond sheet has a thickness of 0.75 mm.

[0142] Top load evaluation was performed as described in Example 1.

[0143] A sheet with a thickness of 0.70 mm exhibits the first deformation at the bottom under a top load of 23.0 daN, and the second deformation is observed at the sidewalls under a top load of 74.5 daN.

[0144] A sheet with a thickness of 0.75 mm exhibits the first deformation at the bottom under a top load of 24.3 daN, and the second deformation is observed at the sidewalls under a top load of 72.5 daN.

[0145] This indicates that very good resistance was achieved by using a light band less than 300 μm and a thin native PET body.

[0146] Example 3

[0147] This embodiment is implemented using the following materials:

[0148] - Single-layer plastic sheets with a thickness of 0.70 mm or 0.75 mm, made from 100% mechanically recycled rPET sheets or a mixture of 50% mechanically recycled rPET sheets and 50% virgin PET.

[0149] - Hoop: Approximately 100μm thick and weighing approximately 95g / m 2 Paper-based composites.

[0150] According to the procedure described in Example 1, the plastic sheet is thermoformed into a yogurt cup, except that the blow molding time is 850ms.

[0151] For different sheets, measurements are taken at... Figure 4 The text indicates the thickness of the plastic in different areas of the cup and reports it. Figure 6 middle.

[0152] Top load evaluation was performed as described in Example 1.

[0153] All sheets exhibited a first deformation at the bottom under a top load greater than 20.0 daN, and a second deformation was observed at the sidewalls under a top load greater than 70.0 daN.

[0154] This indicates that very good resistance was achieved using a light band less than 300 μm and a thin PET body (100% rPET flakes or a mixture of 50% rPET flakes and 50% virgin PET).

Claims

1. A cup container (1), said cup container having: - A thermoformed hollow body (2) made of plastic material, the hollow body being defined by an opening (3), sidewalls (4) and a bottom (5) opposite to the opening in the horizontal direction. - A flange (6), which extends outward around the opening (3), forms an opening edge (7) together with the sidewall (4), and is integral with the hollow body (2). - External hoop (9), the external hoop being positioned at the side wall (4). in: - The plastic material is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), wherein the PET contains at least 50% by weight of sheet-grade mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). - The flange has a thickness of 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm. - The thickness of the band (9) is approximately 100µm, and its weight is approximately 95g / m. 2 , - The hollow body (2) has a total tensile ratio of up to 7.0, and - The band (9) covers at least 90% of the sidewall.

2. The cup container according to claim 1, wherein the opening and the bottom are defined in a parallel plane in the horizontal direction, and the sidewall connects the bottom at the edge of the opening (7) and the bottom edge (8).

3. The cup container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sidewall is a cylinder or a cone.

4. The cup container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sidewall has a substantially circular cross-section in the horizontal direction.

5. The cup container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the band is a non-heat-shrinkable flexible material having layers of paper, plastic, metal or combinations thereof and side layers of at least an adhesive, paint or combinations thereof.

6. The cup container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the band is at least partially bonded to the sidewall.

7. The cup container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio between the surface of the opening and the surface of the bottom is 1 / 1.2 to 1.5 / 1.

8. The cup container of claim 1, wherein the PET comprises at least 75% by weight of sheet-grade mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

9. The cup container of claim 1, wherein the PET comprises at least 90% by weight of sheet-grade mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

10. The cup container of claim 1, wherein the PET comprises 100% by weight of sheet-grade mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

11. The cup container of claim 6, wherein the band is completely bonded to the sidewall.

12. The cup container of claim 7, wherein the ratio between the surface of the opening and the surface of the bottom is 1.1 to 1.2 / 1.

13. A method for manufacturing a cup container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising the following steps: a) Providing plastic sheets as plastic materials, b) The plastic sheet is thermoformed to include at least one region, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.

0.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the thermoforming includes the step of heating the plastic sheet to a temperature below 130°C.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the band is placed in the mold before the plastic material of the heated plastic sheet is pressed into the mold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 4.

5.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the local stretch ratio is at least 5.

0.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the thermoforming includes the step of heating the plastic sheet to a temperature of 115°C to 125°C.

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