Packaging with liquid-tight snap-fit ​​cap holder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging body (1) comprising a head (2) having at least one circular snap-fitting orifice (3), a cap (6), and a cap holder (7) snap-fitted to the snap-fitting orifice (3), wherein the snap-fitting orifice (3) comprises an annular snap-fitting zone (20) and an annular liquid-tight zone (18) having different diameters, and furthermore, the height of the orifice (3) is greater than the thickness of the head (2), thereby forming a neck (14).

Description

Background Art

[0001] [Corresponding Application]

[0002] This PCT application claims priority from the previous European patent application No. EP23161636.8 filed on March 13, 2023 in the name of AISAPACK HOLDING SA, and the content of the previous application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Technical Field]

[0003] The present invention relates to a package, particularly a tube having a head, the head being preferably produced by molding, for example, injection molding or compression molding, and the molding operation can also be used to weld a tubular skirt to the tube head.

[0004] The present invention can be applied to the field of flexible tubes intended to contain creams or pastes such as toothpaste. However, the present invention can of course also be applied to other fields and to other suitable packages. [Prior Art]

[0005] German Utility Model DE 203 11 719 U1 discloses a plastic tube specifically aimed at improving the hygiene and aesthetics of tubes used to contain products such as cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap. The tube head and the cap are produced as a single integral component. This integral design eliminates potential spaces where water can enter and accumulate, reducing the risk of bacteria formation and providing a more hygienic solution compared to the conventional design where the piping and the closure unit of the shoulder part are separate components. However, due to the relatively complex production of the mold, it is difficult to customize the design of the package at a low cost.

[0006] International patent application WO 2022 / 171752 describes a head for manufacturing a flexible tube intended to contain a liquid or paste-like product, characterized in that the tube head has a cap for reversibly closing the neck. Thus, the tube head and cap form a single component. The tube head is obtained by injection molding, and then assembled by welding the molded head to a tubular skirt. While the described tube head has many advantages associated with its relatively light weight, it also has several disadvantages, one of which is that the head must be pre-molded, and therefore this technique cannot be used for tubes manufactured by compression molding of the head and simultaneous assembly of the skirt during the molding process. Another disadvantage is that the welding assembly process of the injection head requires a dedicated area around the periphery for welding, reducing the flat surface on which the tube rests and negatively affecting the appearance of the tube.

[0007] European patent application EP 1 153 842 A1 proposes a series of improvements in the design of cylindrical containers made of synthetic resin, emphasizing material savings, improved closure efficiency, and optimized utilization. The main features of the proposed improvements are as follows:

[0008] • Integrated design: The container consists of a flexible cylindrical body and a tube head with a circumferential fixing groove for clipping an insertion cylinder connected to a lid that closes the neck of the tube head. • Improved assembly: The proposed cylindrical clip groove integrated into the tube head facilitates connection and reduces the need for screwing. • Anti-opening function: The integration of an anti-opening tab that is detachably attached to the container body improves safety against accidental opening. • Optimized lid design: Specific configurations, such as sloping walls and improved hinge configurations, prevent the lid or any part of the container from hitting the container wall when opened.

[0009] However, despite these advantages, the manufacture of the cylindrical container does not significantly reduce the total mass of the head and lid. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain packaging with a low environmental impact.

[0010] International patent application WO 2008 / 050264 relates to a tube used for dispensing fluid preparations such as toothpaste, having a closure device or a hinged lid. The assembly includes a shoulder member having a dispensing port and a lid element that allows the dispensing port to be opened and closed. The shoulder member has a recess around its periphery where a tongue extending axially from the lid element is held. The shoulder element is injection molded directly onto the dispensing end of the tube during the manufacturing process. The invention described in the prior art provides a solution that facilitates the use and manufacture of flexible tubes and eliminates the need for complex screw-type closure systems. However, the assembly operation of the lid element and shoulder member requires extremely precise equipment. Furthermore, no method has been shown to significantly reduce the total mass of the lid element and shoulder element in order to achieve a packaging with a low environmental impact.

[0011] Therefore, the above constraints must be overcome, or at least minimized.

[0012] Summary and principle of the invention

[0013] One objective of the present invention is to provide a packaging material that is an improvement over known ones.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide packaging that minimizes the amount of plastic material used as much as possible.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a package having an orifice that can be closed with a liquid-tight cap.

[0016] The present invention relates to a packaging body such as a tube, and comprises a head having at least one circular snap-fitting orifice, a cap, and a cap holder snap-fitted to the snap-fitting orifice, wherein the snap-fitting orifice comprises an annular snap-fitting zone and an annular liquid-tight zone having different diameters, and further comprises an orifice height greater than the thickness of the head, thereby forming a neck.

[0017] According to embodiments of the present invention, the cap holder includes at least one orifice for extracting the product contained within the packaging, the extraction orifice being smaller than the snap-fitting orifice. The cap also preferably includes a lid, and the cap holder and the lid are preferably connected to each other by a hinge. In a modified example, the snap-fitting orifice and the extraction orifice may be off-center or non-off-center.

[0018] The cap holder is securely attached to the packaging head, making disassembly difficult or impossible, and the assembly interface is liquid-tight.

[0019] In particular, when the cap holder is secured to the packaging head by snap-fitting while heated, the preferred embodiment offers many advantages. For example, since the snap-fitting orifice has not yet shrunk, assembly effort during snap-fitting can be reduced. Also, assembly while heated allows for the absorption of dimensional variations in the cap holder.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tube head has an excess thickness of material, a so-called shrink ring, around a snap-fitting orifice to increase the tightening force on the snap-fitted cap. The shrink ring is defined by the (virtual) diameter of its cross-section, i.e., the maximum diameter within the wall thickness of the packaging head near the orifice. According to the present invention, the diameter of the shrink ring exceeds 1.2 times, preferably 1.5 times, the wall thickness of the packaging head.

[0021] The present invention makes it possible to manufacture a self-standing package with the head side down. In this case, the cap is preferably recessed into the head. To improve the stability when storing the package vertically, it is desirable to minimize the difference between the cross-section of the package and the cross-section of the support surface. Therefore, when a tube of diameter D has a support surface of diameter D1, the difference D-D1 is required to be close to 0. According to the present invention, this difference is less than 5 mm, preferably less than 2 mm. Of course, these values ​​depend on the size of the tube, so it is the ratio of two parameters D and D1 that should be minimized.

[0022] Preferably, the shape of the molded packaging head does not have an undercut angle. This allows the packaging head to be demolded directly by opening the mold. In other words, no additional mechanical release movement is required on an axis other than the opening and closing axis of the mold. Therefore, the mold preferably does not have jaws or slides that must be operated to release the parts.

[0023] Another advantage of the present invention is that it is possible to produce tubular packaging with a low plastic ratio in the head and cap. That is, according to the present invention, the ratio of the mass (M, g) of the closure system (head + cap) to the mass M0 when the tube is closed with a disc of diameter D and thickness of 1 mm is extremely advantageous. According to the present invention, the ratio M / M0 is less than 1.7, preferably less than 1.5, and more preferably less than 1.3.

[0024] According to the present invention, the mass of the snap-fit ​​cap is reduced, and the mass is preferably less than the mass of the head. More precisely, the mass of the cap and the mass of the head are defined such that the result of (Mc / Mh) × (D / 50)^2 is less than 1, preferably less than 0.7, and more favorably less than 0.5. Here, Mc is the mass of the cap, Mh is the mass of the head, and D is the diameter of the tube (mm).

[0025] Preferably, the height of the snap-fit ​​zone is smaller than the height of the liquid-tight zone.

[0026] In an embodiment, the snap-fit zone and the liquid-tight zone are placed within the orifice.

[0027] The neck may be placed inside or outside the package. Alternatively, part of the neck may be placed inside the package and another part may be placed outside the package.

[0028] When the neck is placed outside the package, the snap-fit zone may be placed on the outer surface of the neck. In this configuration, the height of the liquid-tight zone may be equal to the height of the orifice.

[0029] Or, when the neck is placed outside the package, the snap-fit zone may be placed inside the neck.

[0030] When the neck is placed inside the package, the snap-fit zone is preferably placed inside the neck.

[0031] In an embodiment, the diameter of the snap-fit zone is smaller than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone. In this case, the diameter difference is preferably greater than 0.4 mm, more preferably greater than 0.5 mm.

[0032] In an embodiment, the diameter of the snap-fit zone is larger than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone.

[0033] Advantageously, the diameter of the liquid-tight region of the cap holder is larger than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone. In this case, the diameter difference is preferably greater than 0.1 mm, more preferably greater than 0.2 mm.

[0034] Preferably, the ratio of the height of the liquid-tight zone to the head thickness exceeds 1, more preferably exceeds 2.

[0035] In an embodiment, the snap-fit orifices include more than two different diameters, and each diameter corresponds to an annular liquid-tight zone or a snap-fit zone.

[0036] In the embodiment, the packaging includes an annular seal placed around the outside of the orifice.

[0037] The cap may also have additional or complementary snap-fitting means to enhance the robustness of the assembly. These means may have some flexibility to pass through the snap-fitting diameter.

[0038] Another advantage of the present invention is that the same cap can be used for different packaging diameters. This is not possible, for example, with the integrated cap-shoulder described in Publication WO2022 / 171752.

[0039] The tube head may be heated or cooled when the cap is snap-fitted.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the manufacturing method for tubular packaging, pre-fabricated parts are assembled, which are, for example, printed single-layer or multi-layer sheets, a head, and a cap. The so-called "cold" parts, i.e., at room temperature, are sent to an assembly machine, which then performs the following series of operations. - Weld the edges of the sheet together to create a cylindrical body. - The head is welded to the end of the housing during assembly. - Clip the cap into the hole on the shoulder strap.

[0041] According to another embodiment, at least some components are manufactured simultaneously with the packaging. This process includes, for example, at least the following steps: • Manufacturing of a cylindrical body by extrusion or welding. • Overmolding of the end of the cylindrical body at the same time as molding of head 2. • Clipping the cap onto the partially cooled head. • Cooling of the print head.

[0042] The cross-section of the packaging according to the present invention may be any suitable shape, such as a circle, ellipse, square, oblong, or polygon.

[0043] In embodiments, the packaging is mainly based on plastics, preferably polyolefins, and more preferably polyethylene (PE). In one non-limiting embodiment, the packaging is mainly based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and is recyclable in the HDPE tube and vial sector. Alternatively, the packaging is made of polypropylene (PP) and is recyclable in the PP sector. Depending on the method, the packaging may have a recycled material content of more than 50%, preferably more than 60%, and more preferably more than 70%.

[0044] In embodiments, the packaging is primarily cellulose-based, with a cellulose content of over 50%, preferably over 70%, and more preferably over 85%. Advantageously, the packaging is recyclable in the liquid board or paper sectors. In embodiments, the packaging is based on bio-based materials.

[0045] In embodiments, part or all of the packaging (skirt, packaging head, etc.) may be single-layer or multi-layer, or some parts may be single-layer and others multi-layer. In the multi-layer mode, each part may include, for example, a barrier layer. Examples of multi-layer structures are shown in Publications WO2022 / 053879, WO2022 / 229810, and WO2022 / 185176 (all of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference in this application), and the materials and structures described in these documents can be used to form single-layer or multi-layer structures of various parts of the packaging within the scope of the present invention.

[0046] In one embodiment, the packaging body may include a skirt fixed to the packaging body head.

[0047] In one embodiment, the cap may include a lid that is fixed to the cap by a hinge.

[0048] In an embodiment, the snap-fitting orifice may be off-center on the packaging head.

[0049] In an embodiment, the snap-fitting orifice may include more than two different diameters.

[0050] In one embodiment, the snap-fitting orifice may include an excess material thickness.

[0051] In the embodiment, the packaging includes, for example, a cellulose-based insert, which is overmolded during the head molding operation.

[0052] In the embodiment, the insert may have a planar shape or a variety of shapes, such as a three-dimensional shape.

[0053] In embodiments, the components of the packaging, such as the skirt, head, cap holder, hinge, and lid, may be single-layer and / or multi-layer.

[0054] In embodiments, the present invention relates to a packaging body comprising a head having at least one circular snap-fitting orifice, a cap, and a cap holder snap-fitted to the snap-fitting orifice, wherein the snap-fitting orifice comprises an annular snap-fitting zone and an annular liquid-tight zone having different diameters, and further, the height of the orifice is greater than the thickness of the head, thereby forming a neck.

[0055] In one embodiment, the height of the snap-fitting zone may be less than the height of the liquid-tight zone.

[0056] In this embodiment, the snap-fit ​​zone and the liquid-tight zone may be located within the orifice.

[0057] In this embodiment, the neck may be placed inside the packaging.

[0058] In one embodiment, the neck may be placed on the outside of the packaging.

[0059] In one embodiment, the snap-fitting zone may be located on the outer surface of the neck.

[0060] In this embodiment, the height of the liquid-tight zone may be equal to the height of the orifice.

[0061] In one embodiment, the snap-fitting zone may be located inside the neck.

[0062] In one embodiment, the diameter of the snap-fitting zone may be smaller than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone.

[0063] In an embodiment, the diameter of the snap-fitting zone may be larger than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone.

[0064] In one embodiment, the diameter of the liquid-tight region of the cap holder may be larger than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone.

[0065] In the embodiment, the difference in diameter may preferably be greater than 0.1 mm, and more preferably greater than 0.2 mm.

[0066] In one embodiment, the height of the liquid-tight zone may be greater than the height of the liquid-tight region of the cap holder.

[0067] In the embodiment, the height difference may preferably be greater than 1 mm, and more preferably greater than 2 mm.

[0068] In an embodiment, the snap-fitting orifice may include more than two different diameters.

[0069] In this embodiment, the packaging comprises an annular sealing lip placed on a cap holder and a sealing zone positioned around the outside of the orifice, wherein the contact area between the sealing lip and the head defines the sealing zone.

[0070] In an embodiment, the snap-fitting orifice may be off-center on the packaging head.

[0071] The present invention is very useful in producing packaging with a high cellulose content, i.e., more than 70%, preferably more than 85%. According to embodiments of the present invention, a cellulose-based skirt and a cellulose-based insert are used. According to these embodiments of the present invention, when the head is molded, the ends of the skirt and the insert that forms at least a portion of the head are overmolded simultaneously. This reduces the amount of molding material. According to these embodiments of the present invention, the operation of placing the cellulose insert in the mold is performed prior to the head molding step 3. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0072] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the cap and cap holder according to the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a third embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a third embodiment of the packaging according to the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows one embodiment of the tube according to the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows one embodiment of the tube according to the present invention. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows another example of a flexible tube according to the present invention. [Figure 13]Figure 13 shows another example of a flexible tube according to the present invention. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows an embodiment of a flask or bottle according to the present invention.

[0073] Detailed description of the invention

[0074] This chapter provides a description of the structure, function, manufacturing, and use principles of the present invention, using some non-limiting embodiments, to better illustrate them.

[0075] As shown in some figures, the packaging body 1 includes a hinged cap 6 that snaps onto an orifice 3 of a packaging head 2 manufactured, for example, by molding. The cap 6 consists of a lid 8 and is linked to a cap holder 7 using a hinge 9. The head 2 is attached to the skirt 5, for example, by welding the end portion 4 of the head 2 to the skirt 5.

[0076] In Figure 1, the cap holder 7 is snap-fitted into the orifice 3. Figure 2 shows the head 2 before the cap holder 7 is snap-fitted. The tube head 2 may be partially cooled when the snap-fitting is performed. The inner wall of the orifice 3 has an annular zone (liquid-tight zone 18) at the top, which provides an effective liquid-tight contact area between the liquid-tight zone 18 and the cap holder region 11. Furthermore, the inner wall of the orifice 3 has an annular zone (snap-fitting zone 20) at the bottom, whose diameter 22 is smaller than the diameter 21 of the liquid-tight zone 18. The snap-fitting zone 20 provides a strong support for firmly attaching the cap holder 7 to the head 2. The height of the orifice 3, which is the sum of the heights of the liquid-tight zone 18 and the snap-fitting zone 20, is greater than the thickness of the head 2, and this height difference forms the neck 14.

[0077] Figure 3 shows the assembly consisting of the cap 6 and the cap holder 7 before the snap-fitting stage.

[0078] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, the neck 14 is placed inside the packaging 1. The cap holder 7 includes an annular liquid-tight region (liquid-tight region 11 of the cap holder) configured to contact the liquid-tight zone 18 of the orifice 3, a groove into which the snap-fitting zone 20 is inserted, and an annular snap-fitting ring 15 to prevent accidental detachment of the cap holder 7.

[0079] In the embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 6, the neck 14 is located on the outside of the packaging 1. In this embodiment, the snap-fitting zone 20 is located on the outer surface of the neck, and the height of the liquid-tight zone 18 is equal to the height of the orifice 3.

[0080] The cap holder 7 in Figure 7 includes multiple flexible snap-fitting elements 15. In this case, the snap-fitting zone 20 is located inside the neck 14.

[0081] In the embodiments shown in Figures 8 and 9, the packaging is similar to the packaging 1 in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, but includes an additional liquid-tight zone (sealing zone 19) provided by an annular sealing lip 12 located at the bottom of the cap holder 7. The sealing lip 12 interacts with the head 2 more reliably.

[0082] In the embodiments shown in Figures 10 and 11, the cap holder 7 snaps onto the outer neck 14, and the snap-fitting zone 20 is located inside the neck 14. Figure 10 shows the packaging 1 in the working position, which allows for product extraction. Figure 11 shows the neck 14 retracted and the packaging 1 in the storage position with the head 2 side facing downwards.

[0083] Embodiments have been described to provide an overall understanding of the structure, function, manufacturing and use principles of the systems and methods described herein. Some of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and described above. The systems and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting embodiments, and the scope of the invention is not defined solely by the claims. Features illustrated or described in relation to one embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Some problems of prior art and systems have been pointed out here, and the methods and systems described herein may overcome one or more of these problems. Furthermore, although the invention has been described in conjunction with multiple embodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention are also included in this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1: Tube, 2: Head, 3: Orifice for snap-fitting, 4: End of the tube head, 5: Skirt, 6: Cap, 7: Cap holder, 8: Lid, 9: Hinge, 10: Dispensing orifice, 11: Snap fitting and sealing means, 12: Shrink ring, 13: Bottom, 14: Neck, 15: Snap-fit ​​ring, 16: Liquid-tight diameter of the cap holder, 17: Snap fitting diameter of cap holder, 18: Liquid-tight zone, 19: Sealed zone, 20: Snap-fit ​​zone, 21: Liquid-tight diameter of the orifice, 22: Orifice snap-fit ​​diameter.

Claims

1. A packaging body (1) comprising a head (2) having at least one circular snap-fitting orifice (3), a cap (6), and a cap holder (7) snap-fitted to the snap-fitting orifice (3), The snap-fitting orifice (3) comprises an annular snap-fitting zone (20) and an annular liquid-tight zone (18) having different diameters (21, 22). Furthermore, the height of the orifice (3) is greater than the thickness of the head (2), thereby forming a neck (14) in the packaging body (1).

2. The packaging body (1) according to claim 1, wherein the height of the snap-fitting zone (20) is less than the height of the liquid-tight zone (18).

3. The packaging (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the snap-fitting zone (20) and the liquid-tight zone (18) are placed within the orifice (3).

4. The neck (14) is placed inside the packaging (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The neck (14) is placed outside the packaging (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The packaging body (1) according to claim 5, wherein the snap-fitting zone (20) is placed on the outer surface of the neck (14).

7. The packaging (1) according to claim 6, wherein the height of the liquid-tight zone (18) is equal to the height of the orifice (3).

8. The packaging body (1) according to claim 5, wherein the snap-fitting zone (20) is located inside the neck (14).

9. The packaging body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the diameter (22) of the snap-fitting zone (20) is smaller than the diameter (21) of the liquid-tight zone (18).

10. The packaging body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the diameter (22) of the snap-fitting zone (20) is greater than the diameter (21) of the liquid-tight zone (18).

11. The packaging (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the diameter of the liquid-tight region (11) of the cap holder is greater than the diameter of the liquid-tight zone (18).

12. The packaging (1) according to claim 11, wherein the difference in diameter is preferably greater than 0.1 mm, and more preferably greater than 0.2 mm.

13. The packaging (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the height of the liquid-tight zone (18) is greater than the height of the liquid-tight region (11) of the cap holder.

14. The height difference is preferably greater than 1 mm, and more preferably greater than 2 mm, in the packaging (1) according to claim 13.

15. The packaging (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the snap-fitting orifice (3) includes two or more different diameters.

16. The system comprises an annular sealing lip (12) placed on the cap holder (7), and a sealing zone (19) placed around the outer circumference of the orifice (3), The packaging body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the contact surface between the sealing lip (12) and the head (2) defines the sealing zone (19).

17. The packaging body according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the snap-fitting orifice (3) is positioned off-center on the packaging head.

Images