Recyclable packaging tube

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging tube having a receiving container (09) for directly storing a substance to be packaged or to be stored and at least one shaped body (20, 30) for providing mechanical, static and / or dynamic robustness of the packaging tube (02). According to the invention, the shaped body (20, 30) consists of a recyclable material and the receiving container (09) consists of a material adapted to the substance to be packaged, at least one detachable connection (22), preferably a form-fitting connection (22), is achieved between the shaped body (20, 30) and the receiving container (09) or a component of a packaging tube (02) connected to the receiving container (09), according to the invention, the connection (22) is designed in such a way that, when the packaging tube (02) is used as intended, the connection is continued and an irreversible separation of the detachable connection (22) can be achieved by hand and / or without the use of tools, in particular by forming a tear.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to recyclable tubes, in particular to packaging tubes mainly made of recyclable materials as described in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such packaging tubes are known and common in the prior art: in such packaging tubes, the tube body or shell is made of a laminate which is formed into a tube and has several laminate layers of different plastics or several co-extruded plastics. Since the different materials are permanently and inseparably connected to each other, these packaging tubes are generally not suitable for recycling or are only suitable for recycling to a limited extent.

[0003] In addition, packaging tubes with a tube shell or body mainly composed of aluminum are known from the prior art. Such tubes are usually coated with plastic and / or paint on the inner side of the tube body. Therefore, the recyclability of such tubes is indeed only limited insignificantly. However, recycling involves high energy consumption. In addition, metal tubes or aluminum tubes are not suitable for all application fields of packaging tubes. For example, because they are only insufficiently printable, or their non-elasticity is undesirable.

[0004] In addition, methods for improving the sustainability of packaging tubes have been known from the prior art.

[0005] In this regard, on the one hand, such methods are known: in such methods, emphasis is placed on renewable raw materials or recycled raw materials for producing tubes (in particular tube shells). For example, such methods are known from EP 2 630 052 B1 or BE 419299 A.

[0006] In terms of the starting materials or raw materials of the tubes, such methods are indeed more sustainable or have lower resource consumption. However, at the same time, they mean that the manufactured tubes cannot be recycled after their intended use, especially after emptying the stored or packaged tube contents, or cannot be recycled in an economically and / or energetically beneficial way.

[0007] Another method is known from DE 10 2020 004 431 A1, which already involves the recycling of packaging (especially tubes) after their use or application. In this regard, a reusable system for tubes or packaging tubes is proposed, which is based on modularly constructed tubes such that the individual modules of the tubes can be replaced after use and other modules can be reused or reused multiple times. Tubes manufactured in such a way are highly reusable. However, the processing is complex and there remains the risk that due to dirt, wear and other environmental influences, individual parts or modules cannot be reused as frequently as required due to the complex manufacture of the modules, in order to reduce the use of resources overall compared to disposable tubes. In addition, the success of such a reusable system depends to a large extent on market or user acceptance. If the user does not recognize the reusable characteristics of the modular tube or does not utilize the reusability of the modules, the consumption of energy, materials and resources is even quite large compared to conventional disposable tubes.

[0008] Furthermore, a packaging tube is known from WO 2022 / 053879 A1, in which a functional part made of a material mainly containing plastic is permanently connected to a so-called structural part mainly consisting of a fiber-containing material, which also results in poor separability and / or reduced sorting purity during the recycling process.

[0009] In addition, EP 3 730 420 B1 relates to a packaging tube having an outer tube and an inner tube. However, the reuse or recycling of the tube is not discussed.

[0010] The subject matter of WO 92 / 22472 is a folding box packaging having a foldable shaped body made of cardboard and a receiving container made of a film, which is fixed on one side in the neck region.

[0011] A double tube packaging is known from FR 2 516 054 A1, which has a replaceable metal receiving container and a shaped body made of plastic, wherein when the double tube is compressed, only the receiving container remains in the compressed shape and the shaped body elastically returns to its original shape.

[0012] In WO 93 / 10013 A1, a refillable tube with front and rear nuts is described, the body of which consists of plastic.

[0013] US 3 313 455 A relates to a tube extrusion device into which a conventional tube can be placed to achieve better extrusion of the contents.

[0014] The subject matter of CH 92 025 A is a tube consisting of a shaped body and a receiving container that are detachably connected to each other, the shaped body having a joining opening through which the receiving container can be squeezed.

[0015] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a packaging tube that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and is fed, in particular to a high degree, into a recycling process or a reuse process after intended use.

[0016] This object is achieved by a packaging tube having the features of claim 1.

[0017] Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims, the following description, the description of the drawings, and the drawings.

[0018] In principle, the features disclosed with respect to the device should also be considered to be correspondingly disclosed with respect to the method, and vice versa.

[0019] The packaging tube according to the present invention includes a receiving container for directly storing the substance to be packaged or stored. In addition, the packaging tube according to the present invention includes at least one shaped body for providing the mechanical, static, and / or dynamic robustness of the packaging tube. According to the present invention, the shaped body is composed of recyclable material, and the receiving container is made of a material adapted to the substance to be packaged. At least one separable connection, preferably a form-fitting connection, is achieved between the shaped body and the receiving container or a component of the packaging tube connected to the receiving container. The connection is designed such that when the tube is used as intended, the connection persists, and in particular, after use or before disposal, irreversible separation between the shaped body and the receiving container can be achieved at the separable connection or by separation of the separable connection, in particular by forming a tear, by hand and / or without using tools.

[0020] The first separable connection preferably consists of a form fit so that separation can be carried out according to type, largely dispensing with adhesives. The form fit has the unexpected effect that the packaging tube is sufficiently robust during use, and the form-fitting connection persists throughout the service life of the tube. Therefore, even if the tube is squeezed, pressed, rolled up, and / or deformed in other ways during use, unintentional disassembly of the separable connection does not occur. At the same time, after separation of the connection, extremely type-pure further processing can be carried out.

[0021] Alternatively, the separable connection can be a predetermined separation connection. This separable connection is precisely designed such that normal operation during use of the tube has no effect on the persistence of the resulting connection, and applying force intentionally and / or targeted to the separable connection, preferably by hand and / or without using tools, can cause separation of the connection.

[0022] Thus, the packaging tube according to the present invention is based on the following basic idea: the connection between fundamentally different materials or material groups, i.e., the connection between a shaped body made of recyclable material on one side and a receiving container and / or additional components of the packaging tube connected to the receiving container on the other side - regardless of whether this connection is formed completely or over the entire surface, or only extends along a connecting line, or only includes individual connection points - is precisely designed such that the intended use of the tube does not result in the disassembly of the separable connection, and likewise, the stimulated and thus preferably not typical or specific use processing of the tube results in the fact that the separation of different material groups (i.e., on the one hand at least one shaped body and on the other hand the receiving container) can be achieved by hand and / or without the use of tools, such that at least one material group can be separated and introduced into known and common recycling cycles and accordingly reused and / or recycled.

[0023] In order to make the irreversible separation of the separable connection particularly effective, the first separable connection can be formed along a predetermined separation profile that extends substantially circumferentially around the longitudinal central axis. Further advantageously, the separable connection is realized in a strip-like or linear manner. Thus, on the one hand, a uniform fixation and connection in the circumferential direction are produced; at the same time, irreversible separation is facilitated. This separable connection is not limited to a single line or a single strip. Depending on the shape and intended use of the packaging tube, several lines or strips that are preferably not connected to each other or do not merge with each other can also form the entire separable connection. However, overall, this first advantageously leads to the fact that even if a one-hundred percent species-pure disassembly or separation of the materials involved in the separable connection is not achieved, nevertheless, after irreversible separation, only small or minimal residues of the corresponding other materials or the corresponding other material groups or categories remain on the complex of the predetermined separation connection. In addition, the receiving container can be designed in a particularly thin-walled manner, which has a particularly resource-saving effect.

[0024] Thus, with the tube according to the present invention, on the one hand, the operations or uses familiar and known to the user can be maintained, and at the same time, a large part of the packaging tube can be integrated or returned to known and efficient recycling cycles after use, without losing functionality and functionality in terms of the use and application area and the substances to be packaged or stored.

[0025] This is because the receiving container suitable for storing the substance to be packaged can be made of, for example, thermoplastics, elastomers or thermoplastic elastomers. Polypropylene or polyethylene can be used as the material. Additionally, advantageously, the material itself can already consist of recycled materials, in particular of reused plastics and / or biodegradable polymers and / or bio-based plastics. Multilayer structures that can be produced, for example, by lamination or coextrusion are also particularly preferably suitable for the receiving container. Particularly preferably, such a multilayer structure can have a barrier coating or a barrier layer. Such barriers and their implementation or formation in multilayer composites are well known from the prior art. They prevent the undesired diffusion of gases, such as oxygen into the packaging tube, the diffusion of liquids, such as essential oils out of the packaging tube, and / or the diffusion of solids, such as pigments migrating into the substance to be stored and / or into the packaging, and vice versa, such as flavors, caffeine, etc. migrating out of the substance to be stored and / or from the packaging.

[0026] Such a barrier coating or barrier layer can also be generated by coating and / or evaporating a single-layer or multi-layer material with a metal or ceramic coating. The metal coating is preferably based on aluminum. The ceramic coating is, for example, based on silicon oxide compounds.

[0027] The material of the receiving container is advantageously selected or influenced such that the receiving container itself or at least the surface is waterproof. If necessary, this can also be achieved by a coating on the surface of the receiving container.

[0028] The wall thickness or material thickness of the receiving container can advantageously be less than 0.1 mm, particularly advantageously less than 0.05 mm, especially less than 0.035 mm. The material used to form the receiving container is particularly advantageously stretched to achieve, on the one hand, a particularly thin wall and, on the other hand, to impart increased robustness to the receiving container.

[0029] In the tube state, i.e., in particular before the irreversible separation of the separable connection, at least one shaped body that preferably at least partially surrounds the receiving container imparts packaging machinery, static and / or dynamic robustness, which is to be understood to mean that during the actual handling of the tube, i.e., in particular when the packaged or stored substance is pressed out, and in addition to active use, i.e., during storage, at least one shaped body substantially contributes to and / or provides the mechanical robustness of the tube.

[0030] By virtue of the separation from or detachability from the receiving container, it is advantageously achieved that the shape, cross-section and other design features of the shaped body can be selected and designed much more freely than in other known tubes. Thus, not only advantages from the optical-aesthetic point of view can be generated. Due to this design freedom, technical aspects can also be advantageously influenced. The free choice of the design of the shaped body enables, for example, a greater packing density of unfilled or filled tubes, which in turn results in a better utilization of the transport volume when transporting and shipping them. With regard to this utilization and many other aspects, the design freedom regarding the shaped body can also be advantageously used.

[0031] Furthermore, at least one shaped body can result in a pleasant grip or surface feel. Advantageously, the recyclable material of at least one shaped body can contain fibers or have a fiber-containing component; particularly advantageously, at least one shaped body can be made of paper, cardboard, paperboard, wood fibers, cotton fibers, paper-pulp and similar materials, such as paste compression molding materials. Alternatively, the material of at least one shaped body can also have metal or metal foil. Advantageously, at least one shaped part can be plastically and / or elastically deformable. The deformability can be caused both by the material itself and by the type of processing, in particular the molding of the material used for producing or forming the shaped body. The deformability can also be caused indirectly or directly by the way of realizing the connection with other tube components, in particular the first separable connection.

[0032] Advantageously, at least one shaped part can be waterproof or at least splash-proof. For this purpose, a part of the surface or the entire surface of the shaped part can have an impregnation or a thin coating. These impregnations or coatings will be advantageously realized such that their presence does not impair the recyclability of the shaped part. Thus, for example, impregnations or coatings with latex or wax that can be removed or reused in the corresponding recycling process are possible. Generally, advantageously, the shaped part can consist of multilayer materials or have sections of multilayer materials. Thus, the properties of the shaped part can be even better adapted to the use and environmental impact. The multilayer shaped part can also preferably be produced by winding individual layers that are not connected to each other or are only connected along one side or edge.

[0033] Furthermore, the at least one shaped body as a whole can be biodegradable. In this case, any coatings or impregnations are also correspondingly biodegradable, and the entire shaped part together with the coatings or impregnations can be degraded with a high degree of sustainability and returned to the raw material cycle, especially if the starting materials are from renewable or recycled resources.

[0034] Furthermore, advantageously, at least one shaped part can be printed on the surface, preferably on the outer surface, or a label can be attached to the surface, in particular glued to the outer surface. In particular, when using a label, the label can be connected to the shaped part such that they can be disassembled as easily as possible and, if possible, completely or integrally separated from the shaped part to enable a type-pure recycling of the shaped part. However, overall, when printing or labeling the shaped part, it is achieved or at least promoted that the receiving container is not printed or otherwise provided or mixed with coatings or pigments, such that the receiving container remains particularly preferably free of dyes, paints or pigments. This is particularly advantageous because printed plastics, such as printed plastics in a favorable configuration for the receiving container, can be recycled in a particularly difficult manner compared to paper or similar materials, which can be prevented, and in the best case completely prevented, in the case of printed or labeled shaped bodies. Preferably, in many cases of the tube according to the invention, not only at least one shaped body, but also, in the best case, the receiving container together with other parts of the packaging tube that may be connected to the receiving container can be recycled.

[0035] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, at least two separable connections, preferably form-fitting connections, can be achieved between the shaped body and the receiving container or the parts of the packaging tube connected to the receiving container. In a particularly advantageous manner, this can lead to an even more type-pure separation and improved recyclability of the tube, especially if the tube head or the receiving container is made of recyclable plastic, in particular of a single material, individually or alone. At the same time, this can improve the robustness of the tube during use. Furthermore, this can prevent an unintentional displacement or migration of the receiving container in the tube, which could lead to a functional impairment or even to a malfunction.

[0036] According to another particularly preferred embodiment of the packaging tube, the first and / or second separable connection can be realized as a form-fitting connection, which is preferably segmented and strengthened with a coupling agent at various points. As a result, the presence of the separable connection can be ensured in a particularly advantageous manner during the handling of the packaging tube. Furthermore, during the manufacture of the tube, the separable connection is fixed against slipping. In addition, this allows, for example, before the final filling and closing, preferably at the rear side, a basic fixation between the receiving container and the shaped body to be produced in the rear region of the packaging tube opposite the tube head, even if the separable connection has not been finally formed, such that the receiving container remains open by means of the coupling agent and a simple filling of the receiving container becomes possible, for example, without having to be folded over the end of the shaped body.

[0037] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, the coupling agent can be detached from the surface of the shaped body and / or the receiving container without residues. This advantageously ensures that after irreversible separation, only small or minimal residues of the other material or material group or category in the materials remain on the separable connection complex. This further improves the classification purity of the corresponding components.

[0038] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, at least a second separable connection can be realized in the rear region of the packaging tube opposite the tube head, preferably realized as a smooth or folded and / or corrugated closing seam, in particular by micro-imprinting. In this case, the second separable connection is preferably initially formed open, which allows the receiving container to be filled with the substance to be stored at the rear before closing the closing seam by imprinting. Due to micro-imprinting, a particularly reliable connection can be ensured in this case, which still allows the separation of the packaging tube, in particular a species-pure separation. Micro-imprinting is generally caused by roughness or inhomogeneities inside the shaped body (i.e., cardboard or paper). When the separable connection is realized in the form of a form-fitting connection, the material of the receiving container is preferably plastically deformed under pressure and / or heat exposure so that it assumes the surface structure of the adjacent interior of the shaped body. This imprinting of the receiving container can form a quite firm and permanently firm connection, even without forming a material bond, for example, by melting the receiving container. Therefore, it can be advantageous if a material with a certain roughness and preferably selectively with a certain roughness on the inside is selected for the shaped body.

[0039] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, in the rear region of the packaging tube opposite the tube head, the receiving container can extend at least up to the end of the shaping body in the longitudinal direction of the tube, such that the second separable connection can be achieved in a single and / or common connection step. Thus, the closing of the second separable connection during production can be achieved particularly easily and, if desired, in an automated manner. Preferably, the single connection step can also be a closing step, in which the receiving container is preferably closed at the rear side. Preferably, the shaping body can also be closed in the same production or processing step. In addition, this allows the receiving container to be formed with a minimum amount of material and as little waste as possible, while preventing the receiving container from being undesirably detached from the shaping body or displaced or sliding within the tube during the use of the tube and associated mechanical stresses and deformations. According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, the shaping body can have perforations in the region of the separable connection, preferably for implementing a tear strip. This can particularly advantageously achieve an irreversible separation between the at least one shaping body and the receiving container. In addition, this embodiment is particularly desirable because users are accustomed to such perforations and / or tear strips from different regions or different types of packaging. Furthermore, such perforations have the advantage that the connection is very strong without a corresponding tearing movement and corresponding acting forces and driving forces and does not experience or hardly experiences any fatigue or wear, especially during the normal use of the packaging tube, i.e., when the packaged or stored substance is partially or completely removed, such that the tube can be used almost in an unrestricted manner and as intended.

[0040] According to another particularly preferred configuration of the packaging tube, the first shaping body can achieve an outer wrapping of the tube shell. This configuration is particularly advantageous because the tube shell constitutes a large part of the surface of the packaging tube and a considerable part of the weight or volume of the packaging tube. If this corresponding part or proportion is mainly achieved by a recyclable shaping body, due to the design of the separable connection according to the invention with the receiving container or with the components of the packaging tube connected to the receiving container, a correspondingly large part or proportion of the entire packaging tube can be separated after the intended use and transferred to the recycling cycle.

[0041] The shaped body that is an outer wrap of the shell can enclose and / or delimit the receiving container or a part of the receiving container on the inside. Preferably, the outer wrap of the shell can be achieved by shaping a flat or sheet-like material, for example in the form of a thin plate or sheet of recyclable material. The outer wrap can advantageously be completely enclosed or sealed. As a result, the receiving container is not visible or recognizable in the region of the shell before the separable connection is separated. However, as will still be explained in detail below, the following advantageous embodiments are also possible: In the advantageous embodiments, the outer wrap or the shell is only enclosed in some regions or sections and is not enclosed or is open in other regions or sections. This can achieve the simple and effective production, in particular shaping, of the shaped body in a particularly advantageous manner and at the same time achieve corresponding advantages in use, for example by enabling the receiving container arranged inside to be viewed in the unenclosed or open sections or regions, such that the unenclosed regions can be used as windows, for example, to identify or detect the filling level of the receiving container and thus the filling level of the packaging tube. Furthermore, if the shaped body in the form of the outer wrap of the shell is not completely sealed, the simplified separation of the separable connection after emptying the tube can be achieved by the open regions or sections that serve as application points or joining points to irreversibly disassemble the separable connection.

[0042] Furthermore, the first separable connection can be realized between the tube head and the shaped body that forms the shell, and the receiving container is connected, in particular welded, to the tube head. This configuration enables the use of, for example, plastic tube heads that are common and known in the prior art. When using plastic tube heads, particular advantages will be seen in the following fact: Although the total proportion of the packaging tube that can be fed into the recycling process after its use may indeed be slightly reduced, the already existing manufacturing and processing techniques and factories can be used, such that, in particular for tube manufacturers, the additional or extra costs of producing a largely recyclable packaging tube are correspondingly reduced.

[0043] In this case, for the connection between the tube head, especially a plastic tube head, and the receiving container, especially if the receiving container is also made of plastic (such as co-extruded plastic or multi-layer laminates), a wealth of experience and known methods and machines can be utilized because, in this case, apart from possibly completely degradable plastics or plastics of biological origin, the essential difference between the connection of the tube head and the shell or tube body lies in the fact that the receiving container according to the invention is significantly thinner or has a significantly thinner wall thickness compared to a typical tube body or shell.

[0044] However, by implementing a separable connection with a shaped body - which preferably realizes or provides an outer wrapping of the tube shell - a packaging tube can be realized in a particularly advantageous manner, which can be recycled to a considerable extent, if not to a large extent, since the irreversible separation of the separable connection occurs after use and at least one shaped body can be recycled.

[0045] In another particularly advantageous configuration of the packaging tube, a third separable connection can be implemented between the receiving container and the tube head. This can produce an even more type-pure separation of the tube and improved recyclability in a particularly advantageous manner, especially if the tube head or the receiving container is made of recyclable plastic, especially a single material, individually or by itself. Advantageously, the third separable connection can also be implemented between the first shaped part and the receiving container, especially if the first and / or second separable connection is not implemented over the entire surface.

[0046] Furthermore, advantageously, a shaped body, preferably a second shaped body, can realize at least a part of the tube head, preferably the shoulder of the tube head. Thus, overall, the recyclability of the packaging tube or the proportion of recyclable material can be increased. In this case, preferably, the first shaped body preferably used to realize the outer wrapping of the tube shell and the second shaped body can be made of the same or different materials. For example, the shaped body forming a part of the tube head can be made of a correspondingly hard material (such as cardboard), while the shaped body used to realize the outer wrapping of the tube shell can be made of a relatively deformable or less hard material (such as paper or cardboard). If the two shaped parts are made of the same material or at least of materials suitable for recycling, this can result in a very efficient production and relatively few problems when connecting the shaped parts to each other or to other components. In addition, in this case, uniform recycling, especially joint recycling, can be carried out. If the shaped parts are made of different materials, the production and connection are actually sometimes more demanding or complex, but in this case, the packaging tube can be better adjusted and improved in terms of mechanical properties and requirements.

[0047] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, the first separable connection can be implemented between the tube head and the receiving container, which is connected to, especially welded to, the tube head. In this case, for example, a part of the tube head, preferably even the entire tube head, can consist of a recyclable shaped body, such that after the separation of the first separable connection, the tube head and the shaped body realizing the outer wrapping of the tube shell are recycled, while the receiving container is disposed of separately. Of course, if the receiving container consists of a correspondingly recyclable material, the receiving container can of course also be recycled.

[0048] If the tube head is partly composed of a shaped body of recyclable material, a part of the shaped body can advantageously be realized in such a way that a closure or a closure mechanism can be attached thereto. For example, the shaped body can be provided with an internal thread for a nut with an internal thread, or alternatively, with a snap ring, to which a push-on cap with a flip-top lid can be attached.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the receiving container itself can also advantageously realize a part of the tube head, in particular a part of the closure mechanism of the tube head. Thus, for example, a tube head can be realized which is partly composed of a shaped body and partly of the receiving container, such that after the corresponding separation of the first separable connection, the tube head is split in two, and the two parts of the tube head can be disposed of separately and possibly recycled.

[0050] Most preferably, the receiving container can have an outlet section which is monolithically connected to the rest of the receiving container in the region of the outlet opening. This monolithically connected outlet section can be produced particularly advantageously by compressing and / or heating the material of the receiving container, supported by a shaping process if required. Thus, for example, a generally tubular receiving container can undergo compression in an outlet section with a correspondingly reduced diameter, which compression is then shaped or formed by a shaping method into the outlet section of the receiving container, which outlet section is then designed monolithically with the rest of the receiving container, but at the same time has a correspondingly greater wall thickness and robustness, such that the outlet section of the receiving container is very suitable for realizing or at least co-realizing parts of the tube head and / or parts of the closure mechanism of the tube head.

[0051] Preferably, the outlet section of the receiving container can also be led out of the interior of the outlet hole and folded over a part of the tube head, and particularly preferably, the outlet section can be folded over externally up to the shoulder of the tube head. Thus, it can be achieved that the tube contents only come into contact with the interior of the receiving container and possibly with the lid until they leave the tube.

[0052] In other words, the receiving container can particularly advantageously extend all the way to or beyond the outlet hole of the tube head at one end.

[0053] According to another advantageous embodiment of the packaging tube, beads, in particular annular beads, can be formed by the receiving container, and the beads are arranged on the shaped body such that the separable connection is supported, in particular prevented from sliding along the longitudinal direction of the packaging tube, by a form-fitting engagement between the receiving container and the shaped body. The form-fitting connection can be formed particularly advantageously by using compression molding and / or heat treatment. Due to the beads, in this case, it can be particularly easily achieved that during processing, in particular when extruding the tube, a form-fitting, separable connection fixed by surface adhesion is ensured against sliding. As an alternative to a single bead or an annular bead, a plurality of individual beads can be provided, which are realized, for example, in a dot-like manner or as strips oriented longitudinally or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the tube.

[0054] The receiving container can be filled with the substance to be stored at the rear and through the outlet hole. Thus, the receiving container can initially be open at the rear side and have a closure, in particular a closing seam, which closes the initially open end after filling. Conversely, in the case of filling through a future outlet hole, the receiving container can also be realized as a bladder, which is preferably seamless.

[0055] The closure of the packaging tube can conventionally be fixed to or connected to the tube head, regardless of whether the tube head is realized as a shaped body or as part of a shaped body. For example, it is possible that the tube head having a shaped body or realized as a shaped body has an external thread for screwing onto a nut. Alternatively, in the case of being partially or fully realized by a shaped body, the tube head can also have a snap ring to be able to receive and / or attach a pressure cap (push-on cap).

[0056] Hereinafter, advantageous embodiments of the packaging tube according to the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the schematically illustrated drawings, which show advantageous exemplary embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1a A first perspective view of the packaging tube according to the invention according to a first embodiment is shown; Figure 1b Shown according to Figure 1a A second perspective view of the packaging tube according to the invention; Figure 2 Shown for implementing the shaped body of the exemplary packaging tube according to Figure 1a and Figure 1b The preparatory stage; Figure 3 A packaging tube according to the invention according to a second embodiment is shown; Figure 4a A cross-section through a part of the packaging tube according to the invention in a third embodiment is shown; Figure 4bShows a cross-section through a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a fourth embodiment; Figure 4c Shows a cross-section through a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a fifth embodiment; Figure 4d Shows a cross-section through a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a sixth embodiment; Figure 5a Shows a cross-section through a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a seventh embodiment; Figure 5b Shows a cross-section through a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to an eighth embodiment; Figure 6 Shows a cross-section of the tube body of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a ninth embodiment in the direction of the longitudinal central axis; Figure 7 Shows a three-dimensional illustration of a part of a packaging tube according to the present invention in a tenth embodiment; Figure 8 Shows a label for application to a formed part of a packaging tube according to the present invention; Figure 9a Shows a three-dimensional view of the rear end and the lateral section of a closed seam of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to an eleventh embodiment; Figure 9b Shows a three-dimensional view of the rear end and the lateral section of a closed seam of a packaging tube according to the present invention according to a twelfth embodiment.

[0057] Figure 1a and Figure 1b Shows two three-dimensional views of a tube 02 according to the present invention. A closure 15 is implemented in the head region 06 of the tube 02 on the tube body 01, and the closure 15 closes an outlet hole (not shown for clarity). The tube body 01 includes an outer wrapping 19 of a tube shell 05. The tube shell 05 is realized by a formed body 20 and partially surrounds a receiving container 09. In this case, the outer wrapping 19 of the tube shell 05 has sections 21 that are not closed and produce edges 13 of the tube shell 05, and the edges 13 are spaced apart from each other accordingly, and the receiving container 09 can be freely accessed or viewed between the edges 13. The tube shell 05 is closed in the region of the tube end 07 and has a bend 08 there, such that the two sides 05.1 and 05.2 of the tube shell 05 can be made of a common, preferably flat or sheet-like material, as will be referred to Figure 2This will be explained in more detail. Alternatively, the shaped body can also have several parts of preferably the same material, which can be connected to one another at least in sections. Thus, instead of the bend 08, a connection, for example an adhesive bond, can also be provided, in which case the connection will connect two separate parts in the form of two sides 05.1 and 05.2 to one another in sections to form the shaped part 20 and / or the housing 05. Furthermore, instead of the bend 08, a second separable connection 22.1, which is realized as an imprinted closed seam, can also be provided, as Figure 9a and Figure 9b shown in

[0058] The receiving container 09 (not shown in full) can be dimensioned such that, when it is filled, it has a smaller volume than the volume partially enclosed by the housing 05. Alternatively, the receiving container 09 can also be dimensioned such that its volume capacity is limited by at least one shaped part 20. In this case, when the receiving container is filled, creases are formed in the wall of the receiving container 09, which are located on the inner side of the shaped part 20. Thus, the receiving container 09 can be at least partially larger than the volume defined by the shaped part 20.

[0059] As can be understood with the help of Figure 1a and Figure 1b the shaping of an entire tube or housing 05 that deviates substantially from a cylindrical shape is made possible by the shaped part 20 and the receiving container 09.

[0060] In Figure 1a and Figure 1bIn an exemplary embodiment, for example, the receiving container 09 can be connected at one end in the region 06 of the pipe head 06.1 to the pipe head 06.1 (not illustrated in detail), the pipe head 06.1 substantially corresponding to a typical pipe head 06.1 made of plastic, in which a shoulder extending circumferentially in the circumferential direction and an outlet region 23 can be arranged, and the outlet region 23 may have an external thread for attaching a cap or closure 15. The pipe head 06.1 and the receiving container 09 connected to the pipe head 06.1 can be realized by a typical pipe production method. However, in a typical pipe production method, the receiving container 09 is realized to be many times thinner or have a significantly smaller wall thickness than a typical plastic pipe shell. In this case, according to the present invention, a first shaped body 20 for externally wrapping the pipe shell 05 is connected to the pipe head 06.1 via a first separable connection 22 (preferably a form-fitting connection 22) and indirectly connected to the receiving container 09. The separable connection 22 can have perforations (not illustrated). In addition, the separable connection 22 can be realized by using an adhesive or a coupling agent, preferably without using or only using a very small amount of adhesive or coupling agent. The first separable connection 22 can also be realized by a welded joint between the shaped part 20 and the pipe head 06.1. In this case, the shaped part 20 made of recyclable material may be able to have a corresponding coating in the region for realizing the separable connection 22 to achieve or improve the connection of the above type.

[0061] As Figure 1a and Figure 1b indicated, the first separable connection 22 can preferably be realized as a line connection extending over the entire circumference and particularly preferably only extending over a small part of the length of the pipe 06. Alternatively, the separable connection 22 can also be discontinuous in the circumference. An additional second separable connection 22.1 can also be provided between the receiving container 09 and the shaped part 20 in the rear region of the pipe facing away from the pipe head 06.1. This can be realized and distributed, for example, at various points on the circumference; in particular, the second separable connection 22.1 is realized as a corrugated or smooth closed seam, as Figure 9a and Figure 9b shown by way of example. This separable connection 22.1 can facilitate or improve, for example, the filling of the pipe, especially the filling of the receiving container 09, by achieving a defined position or state of the receiving container 09 in the region of the rear end of the unfilled pipe, and thus facilitate machine filling. The closure of the second separable connection 22.1 is preferably carried out by stamping, using at least only an amount of adhesive that does not impair the disassembly of the separable connection without using tools.

[0062] After the tube production, the separable connections 22.1 and 22.2 are preferably maintained until the disposal of the tube 02 after the use of the tube 02 and are thus similarly robust as the first separable connection 22. The second separable connection 22.1 and the third separable connection 22.2 can also be separable by hand and / or without using tools, preferably separable by forming a tear.

[0063] Figure 2 The flat state of the first formed part 20 is shown, which can be produced, for example, from a sheet of thin material (such as paper material or cardboard material), for example by stamping. In Figure 2 the example, the formed part 20 consists of a continuous piece of recyclable material and / or a material containing renewable raw materials. As already described with respect to Figure 1a and Figure 1b the formed part 20 includes bends, where, alternatively, a separable connection 22.1 realized as a smooth or corrugated closed seam by embossing can be provided, as shown in an exemplary manner in Figure 9a and Figure 9b . Advantageously, the two sides 05.1 and 05.2 of the formed part 20 can be connected to the remaining tube parts, in particular to the tube head 06.1, only via the first separable connection 22. In this case, the formed part 20 includes a label 18. The label 18 can include instructions for use and / or disposal. The label 18 can preferably be detachable from the formed body 20.

[0064] Parts of the edge 13 of the formed part 20 or all of the edges 13 of the formed part 20 can be connected to each other. If all the edges 13 are connected to each other and / or to other parts of the tube 02, for example within the framework of the first separable connection 22, particularly advantageously, the window 14 can be realized by a recess 12 in the formed part 20, as shown in the example of Figure 3 .

[0065] Due to the recess 12 and / or the window 14 in the tube shell 05 realized by the formed part 20, a viewing window on the receiving container 09 is also possible. If the receiving container 09 is transparent, this also provides a view of the substance to be stored and / or packaged in the packaging tube. Additionally, in the embodiment of Figure 3 , a separable connection 22 extending circumferentially can be realized at the transition (not illustrated in more detail) between the formed part 20 and the tube head 06. In this case, after the intended use of the tube 02 according to the invention, the first formed body 20 can be separated from the rest of the packaging tube 02 along the separable connection 22. In this case, the connection of the separable connection 22 is removed or separated irreversibly. Subsequently, for example, as in Figure 2As illustrated, the first shaped body 20 can be processed separately from the other components of the tube 02 and, in particular, recycled because the shaped body 20 is composed of corresponding recyclable materials. If a part of the tube 02, such as the tube head 06.1 and / or the receiving container 09, cannot be recycled, the first separable connection 22 can be designed such that the remaining part of the shaped body 20 remains after the separable connection 22 is separated, but the separated part does not have residues of coatings, coupling agents or other impurities that affect recycling.

[0066] Figure 4a A cross-section through the tube head 06.1 or the tube head region 06 of the tube 02 according to the invention is shown, in which the shaped part 20, in addition to the tube shell 05, also forms the shoulder 03 of the tube head 06 and the outlet section 29 of the tube head 06.1, which outlet section 29 delimits the outlet opening 04 at the end. The receiving container 09 is connected to the shaped body 20 in the region of the shoulder 03 of the tube head 06.1. In this connection section 16, the separable connection 22 extends circumferentially in the circumferential direction between the receiving container 09 and the shaped body 20 made of recyclable material. As Figure 4a As illustrated, in this case, the outer surface 25 of the receiving container 09 is connected to the inner surface 26 of the shoulder 03 of the tube head 06.1.

[0067] The shaped part 20 is preferably provided with a waterproof coating, such as a rubber coating, in the outlet section 29, which waterproof coating starts from the inside and optionally from the outside at the separable connection 22. In addition, the outlet section 29 of the tube head 06.1 includes a snap ring 17 to which a push-in closure can be anchored.

[0068] Figure 4c Shows a variant with respect to Figure 4a in which the inner surface 27 of the receiving container 09 is connected to the inner surface 26 of the shaped part 20, in particular the shoulder 03 of the tube head 06.1. For this purpose, the receiving container 09 has a curved section 28 at one end, in particular in the region of the tube head 06. In this embodiment, it is ensured that the material or substance to be stored or packaged can only come into contact with the inner surface 27 of the receiving container 09. Thus, contact with the end section or the outer surface 25 is prevented.

[0069] In Figure 4a and Figure 4cIn this case, advantageously, a shaped body 20 can be provided which, in addition to the tube shell 05, also implements the tube head 06.1. This shaped body can consist of one or several individual parts. In the case of implementation by several parts, advantageously, a stronger or harder material can be selected for the tube head 06.1, and a thinner and / or more deformable material can be selected for the tube shell. The tube head 06.1 can be made of cardboard, for example, while the tube shell 05 can be made of a softer cardboard. Advantageously, a separable connection 22 can be implemented in the region of the bending section 28.

[0070] Figure 4b The embodiment of basically corresponds to that already described with respect to Figure 1a , Figure 1b and Figure 2 , where the shaped body 20 basically provides the tube shell 05, and the receiving container 09 is connected to a tube head 06.1 made of plastic, for example. In this case, the separable connection 22 extends at the transition between the shaped part 20 providing the tube shell 05 and the tube head 06.1. In this region, an adhesive or a coupling agent can be provided, for example, in the transition region 11. The connection between the tube head 06.1 and the receiving container 09 can also be implemented as a third separable connection 22.2, for example - and, in this regard, deviating from the description of Figure 1a and Figure 1b - if the tube head 06.1 is made of recyclable plastic, but this recyclable plastic does not belong to the material group of the shaped body 20 or does not belong to the same material as the recyclable material of the shaped body 20. In this case, after irreversible separation of the two separable connections 22 and 22.2, the shaped part 20, the tube head 06.1, and the receiving container 09 can be processed separately, preferably, the tube head 06.1 and the shaped body 20 are fed into a special or common recycling process.

[0071] Regarding the arrangement of the open end of the receiving container 09 relative to the tube head 06.1, Figure 4b the embodiment of basically corresponds to Figure 4a the embodiment of. In Figure 4dAn alternative embodiment is shown therein. There, the shaped body 20 is also essentially implemented such that it provides the housing 05 or an outer wrapping of the housing 05. The receiving container 09 is introduced into the transition region 11 between the tube head 06 and the shaped body 20 having its open end. In this case, the separable connection 22 can extend between the shaped body 20, the receiving container 09, and the tube head 06, and the connection between them is designed such that when the separable connection 22 is irreversibly separated by hand and / or without using tools, the tube head 06 and the receiving container 09 remain connected to each other. Preferably, a total of three separable connections 22, 22.1, and 22.2 can be implemented between the shaped body 20 and the tube head 06.1 and the receiving container 09, between the shaped body and the receiving container at the rear end of the tube, and between the receiving container 09 and the tube head 06.1. In this case, the separation of the shaped body 20 from the tube head 06.1 and the receiving container 09 and the other separation of the tube head 06.1 from the receiving container 09 can be achieved by correspondingly applying forces to the separable connections 22, 22.1, and 22.2, in particular by hand and without using tools, such that the tube head 06.1, the receiving container 09, and the shaped body 20 can each be disposed of separately and preferably can be recycled.

[0072] In Figure 5a Another embodiment is outlined in the description. It is only used as a schematic illustration of the principle. This is because the illustrated tube or tube head 06.1 very schematically shows the receiving container 09 compressed in the region of the outlet hole 04 and in the region of the outlet section 29, the compression of the receiving container 09 being caused, for example, by a reduction in the diameter of the receiving container 09 in the outlet section 29 and in the region of the outlet hole 04.

[0073] In Figure 5a the embodiment of Figure 4a and Figure 4b the receiving container can advantageously be guided up to the outlet hole 04 and / or implemented thereto. Compared with other embodiments according to the invention, such as, for example, in

[0074] In order to be able to advantageously use this compression, the receiving container 09 can not only be arranged loosely in the compressed state, as suggested by the schematic illustration based on Figure 5a but the compression is also accompanied by shaping and / or heat treatment such that a section of the receiving container 09 is implemented as a compressed and / or monolithic continuation, as Figure 5bAs shown in an exemplary manner, the continuation part has a correspondingly greater wall thickness and thus either partially forms the tube head 06.1 or only reinforces other parts of the tube head 06.1, for example, mechanically. Compression of the material of the receiving container in the region of the outlet section 29 can be carried out, for example, using a heated male mold. Advantageously, beads, especially annular beads 32, can be provided on the receiving container 09 in the region of the tube head 06.1, for example, at the level of the snap ring 17, and the snap ring 17 ensures a form-fitting separable connection 22, especially preventing sliding along the longitudinal direction of the tube.

[0075] In this case, in Figure 5a the example, the separable connection 22 can be achieved at different positions or in different regions. For example, the separable connection 22 can be achieved in the region of the outlet hole 04. However, in principle, it is also possible to achieve the separable connection 22 in the lower section of the outlet section 04 or even in the region of the shoulder 03 or even in the region of the tube shell 05 if necessary.

[0076] As Figure 5a a variant of the embodiment, in addition, the receiving container 09 can be led out of the outlet hole 04, folded or turned inside out over the outlet section 29, and led backward in the outer region or on the outer surface of the head and / or the tube. In this case, the separable connection can be achieved on the outer surface of the head 06.1 or the shaped body 20. Preferably, the receiving container 09 can transition to itself or form a double-walled tube connected to itself, and in this case, the shaped body 20 and / or the tube head 06.1 are surrounded inside the double-walled tube. In this case, the receiving container can be used as a coating in the outer region. Preferably, the receiving container 09 can also be separated from at least one shaped body in the outer region of the tube by a separable connection without a large amount of residue.

[0077] Figure 6 Shows a cross-section along the longitudinal axis through another embodiment of the tube according to the invention. The tube is especially different from the Figures 1a to 3 embodiment in terms of the shaped body 20. Figure 6 Shows the receiving container 09 surrounded by the shaped body 20, which is formed by rolling up a recyclable material and providing an outer wrap of the tube shell 05 of the tube. For example, a winding type embodiment of the shaped body 20 for providing the outer wrap of the tube shell can achieve a favorable attachment, where the tube head 06.1 and the receiving container already attached to it rotate around the longitudinal axis. The winding can have one or several layers. In the case of several layers, the layers can advantageously be not connected or only connected to each other at the longitudinal sides.

[0078] Figure 7Shows an embodiment of a packaging tube according to the present invention, in which the shoulder 03 is flat. For example, the shoulder 03 and the housing 05 may consist of one or two separate formed parts 20. When two formed parts 20 and 30 are provided, in this embodiment as well as in other embodiments, several formed parts 20 and 30 can be connected to each other by crimping. Instead of the retaining ring 17, the remainder of the tube head 06.1 includes a thread 3 for attaching a closure. For example, the outlet section 29 of the tube can be fully realized by the compression and / or forming section of the receiving container 09, which is then guided through a corresponding opening in the second formed part 30 or the common formed part 20 for realizing the shoulder 03 and the housing 05. In this case, for example, a separable connection 22 can be realized in the region of the shoulder 03. Alternatively, a separable connection 22 can also be realized in the region of the tube shell 05. The opening or the edge of the opening can also be used to realize the separable connection 22.

[0079] Figure 8 Shows, for example, a label which has instructions for disposal and can be attached to the tube according to the present invention. Of course, the tube shell 05 can also be printed with such instructions. However, the receiving container 09 can be particularly advantageously dye-free or pigment-free in order to enable or improve the reuse or recycling of the receiving container 09.

[0080] Figure 9a and Figure 9b Shows an example of an embodiment of the rear end of a packaging tube according to the present invention. In this case, for example, the second separable connection 22.1 is realized as a smooth closing seam, as Figure 9a shown in, or is realized as a folded closing seam, as Figure 9b shown in. Advantageously, the separable connection 22.1 is realized in particular by micro-embossing, and the material of the receiving container 09 preferably undergoes plastic deformation under pressure and / or heat exposure such that it assumes the surface structure of the adjacent interior of the formed body 20. Advantageously, a very small amount of adhesive or coupling agent can provide a basic fixation of the connection between the receiving container 09 and the formed body 20 before the closing of the separable connection 22.1, which results in ensuring that the separable connection 22.1 is fixed, in particular preventing sliding before or during the closing.

[0081] List of reference numerals 01 Tube body 02 Tube / Packaging tube 03 Shoulder 04 Outlet hole 05 Tube shell 05.1 Side of the tube shell 05.2 Side of the tube shell 06 Tube head region 06.1 Pipe head 07 Pipe end 08 Bending part 09 Receiving container 11 Transition area 12 Recess 13 Edge 14 Window 15 Sealing element 16 Connecting section 17 Snap ring 18 Label 19 Outer wrapping 20 First formed body 21 Unsealed section of the tube housing 22 Detachable connection 22.1 Detachable connection (second) 22.2 Detachable connection (third) 23 Outlet area 25 Outer surface 26 Inner surface 27 Inner surface 28 Bending section 29 Outlet section 30 Second formed part 31 Thread 32 Bead

Claims

1. A packaging tube having: a receiving container (09) for directly storing the substance to be packaged or stored; and at least one shaping body (20, 30) for providing mechanical, static and / or dynamic robustness of the packaging tube (02), characterized in that, the shaping body (20, 30) consists of recyclable material, and the receiving container (09) consists of a material adapted to the substance to be packaged, and at least one separable connection (22), preferably a form-fitting connection (22), is realized between the shaping body (20, 30) and the receiving container (09) or a component of the packaging tube (02) connected to the receiving container (09), and the connection (22) is designed such that when the packaging tube (02) is used as intended, the connection persists, and the separable connection (22) can be irreversibly separated by hand and / or without using tools, in particular by forming a tear.

2. The packaging tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, at least two separable connections (22, 22.1), preferably form-fitting connections (22, 22.1), are realized between the shaping body (20, 30) and the receiving container (09) or a component of the packaging tube (02) connected to the receiving container (09).

3. The packaging tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, the first and / or second separable connection (22, 22.1) is realized as a form-fitting connection, and the form-fitting connection is preferably segmented and strengthened with a coupling agent at various points.

4. The packaging tube according to claim 3, characterized in that, the coupling agent can be detached from the surface of the shaping body and / or the receiving container without residues.

5. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, at least the second separable connection (22.1) is realized in the rear region of the packaging tube opposite the tube head, and is preferably realized as a smooth or folded closed seam, in particular by micro-imprinting.

6. The packaging tube according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the rear region of the packaging tube opposite the tube head, the receiving container extends at least up to the end of the shaping body in the longitudinal direction of the tube, such that the second separable connection can be realized in a single and / or common connection step.

7. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, the shaping body (20, 30) has perforations, preferably for realizing a tear strip, in the region of the separable connection (22).

8. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, a first shaping body (20) realizes an outer wrapping (19) of the tube shell (05).

9. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, the first separable connection (22) is realized between the tube head (06.1) and the shaping body (20) realizing the tube shell (05), and the receiving container (09) is connected to, in particular welded to, the tube head (06.1).

10. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that, a third separable connection (22.2) is implemented between the receiving container (09) and the tube head (06.1).

11. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, a shaped body (20), preferably a second shaped body (30), forms at least a part of the tube head (06.1), preferably the shoulder (03) of the tube head (06.1).

12. The packaging tube according to claim 11, characterized in that, the first separable connection (22) is implemented between the tube head (06) and the receiving container (09), and the receiving container (09) is connected to, in particular welded to, the tube head (06).

13. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, the receiving container (09) forms a part of the tube head (06.1), in particular a part of the closing mechanism of the tube head (06.1).

14. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, the receiving container (09) has an outlet section which is monolithically connected to the rest of the receiving container (09) in the region of the outlet area (29).

15. The packaging tube according to claim 14, characterized in that, the outlet section is formed by compressed and / or shaped, preferably plasticized, material of the receiving container (09).

16. The packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, the receiving container (09) extends at one end into or beyond the outlet hole (04) of the tube head (06).

17. The packaging tube according to claim 15, characterized in that, beads, in particular annular beads, are formed by the receiving container (09), and the beads are arranged on the shaped body (20, 30) such that the separable connection (22) is supported by a form-fit engagement between the receiving container (09) and the shaped body (20, 30), in particular to prevent sliding along the longitudinal direction of the packaging tube.

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