Tube container

Abstract

To provide a tube container improved in durability by suppressing liquid permeation into a paper layer of a trunk.SOLUTION: A tube container is formed of thermoplastic resin, and comprises a cylindrical spouting cylinder part, a spout part connected to one end of the spouting cylinder part and having a flange part extending outward the spouting cylinder part, and a tubular trunk formed of a sheet including a paper layer and an innermost sealant layer, with one end closed and a prescribed range part from the other end sealed by the flange. An end face of the sheet at the other end of the trunk is sealed by a part of the flange of the spout part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tube container. [Background technology]

[0002] Tube containers made primarily of resin are widely used as packaging materials for medicines, cosmetics, food, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a tube container that is composed of a dispensing unit for extracting the contents and a body that is welded to the dispensing unit and that contains the contents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-199280 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load and protecting resources, there has been a demand for reducing the amount of resin used in packaging containers, and various packaging containers in which part of the resin is replaced with paper have been studied. In the case of tube containers as well, for example, using paper for the body is considered in order to reduce the amount of resin used.

[0005] Tube containers are generally used to package liquid contents. Depending on the contents, tube containers may be used in a humid environment. Therefore, in tube containers with paper used as the body material, the contents or moisture may penetrate through the edge of the paper layer during use, potentially causing stains or delamination. Liquid penetration into the paper layer is more likely to occur as the paper layer in the body becomes thicker.

[0006] Methods for preventing liquid from penetrating into paper include using oil-resistant or waterproof paper as the material for the body, applying a water-resistant varnish to the surface of the body, or laminating a layer of polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate to the surface of the body, but these methods have limited effectiveness in preventing liquid from penetrating from the edge of the paper layer.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tube container that has improved durability by suppressing the penetration of liquid into the paper layer of the body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The tube container according to the present invention is made of a thermoplastic resin and includes a cylindrical pouring tube portion, a pouring outlet portion having a flange portion connected to one end of the pouring tube portion and extending outward from the pouring tube portion, and a tubular body portion made of a sheet including a paper layer and an innermost sealant layer, the body portion being closed at one end and sealed at a predetermined range from the other end to the flange portion, and the end face of the sheet at the other end of the body portion being sealed by a part of the flange portion of the pouring outlet portion. The flange portion has a ring-shaped inner peripheral portion connected to one end of the pouring tube portion, and a ring-shaped outer peripheral portion connected to the inner peripheral portion and surrounding the inner peripheral portion, a predetermined range of the body portion is sealed to the outer surface of the outer peripheral portion, an overhang portion that protrudes outward is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the inner peripheral portion, and the other end of the body portion is sandwiched and sealed between the overhang portion and the outer surface of the outer peripheral portion. It is something. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tube container having improved durability by suppressing the penetration of liquid into the paper layer of the body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a tube container according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sheet that constitutes a trunk portion. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the spout before the body is sealed [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view along line IV-IV shown in the figure [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view along the VV line shown in Figure 1 [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view showing how to seal the body to the spout. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a tube container according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sheet constituting a body portion.

[0012] The tube container 100 comprises a tube-shaped body 1 and a spout 2 attached to the body 1.

[0013] The body 1 is a member for containing contents and is formed by molding a sheet having a pair of approximately parallel edges into a cylindrical shape. The body 1 is formed into a cylindrical shape, for example, by butting together the inner surfaces of band-shaped portions including each of the pair of edges of the sheet in a palm-to-palm manner and welding them together. One end 5a (the lower end in FIG. 1 ) of the body 1 is sealed and closed. Meanwhile, the portion near the other end 5b (the upper end in FIG. 1 ) of the body 1 is sealed to the outer surface of the flange 4, which will be described later, in a folded state. A plurality of pleats 12 are formed by folding the sheet that constitutes the body 1 at the welded portion between the body 1 and the flange 4. The bonded portion 7 (back bonded portion) formed in the body 1 by bonding the edge portions of the film may be folded to fit along the outer surface of the body 1 and bonded to the body 1. The method for bonding the bonding portion 7 to the body portion 1 is not particularly limited, and the two may be welded together via a heat-sealable resin applied to the entire or part of the surface of the film that constitutes the body portion 1, or they may be bonded together via an adhesive such as a hot melt. Note that the bonding method for the body portion 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an example, and the outer surface of a band-shaped region that includes one edge of the film that constitutes the body portion 1 may also be bonded to the inner surface of a band-shaped region that includes the other edge of the film.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sheet that constitutes the body portion.

[0015] The body 1 of the tube container 100 is composed of a sheet 41 mainly made of paper. The sheet 41 is a multilayer sheet in which a base film layer 33, a barrier layer 34, and a sealant layer 35 are laminated in this order on one side of a paper layer 32, a paper protective layer 37 is laminated on the other side of the paper layer 32, and an ink layer 38 and an overcoat varnish layer 39 are further laminated on the paper protective layer 37. Each layer will be described in detail below.

[0016] (paper layer) The paper layer 32 is a structural layer that imparts strength and stiffness to the tube container 100. There are no particular limitations on the type of paper that constitutes the paper layer 32, but it is preferable to use single-gloss kraft paper or double-gloss kraft paper in terms of providing strength, flex resistance, and printability. Furthermore, waterproof paper or oil-resistant paper may be used as the paper that constitutes the paper layer 32, as needed.

[0017] The basis weight of the paper used for the paper layer 32 is 30 to 200 g / m 2 and 50 to 120 g / m 2 It is preferable that the basis weight of the paper used for the paper layer 32 is 30 g / m 2 If the basis weight of the paper used for the paper layer 32 is less than 200 g / m, the stiffness of the body 1 will be insufficient. To compensate for this stiffness, for example, it is necessary to thicken the resin film provided inside the paper layer 32, but this leads to an increase in the resin ratio, which is undesirable in terms of reducing the environmental load. 2 If the thickness exceeds this range, the stiffness and heat insulating properties of the paper will deteriorate the properties of forming the paper into a tube (bag), molding, and welding, and the manufacturing cost will also increase, which is not preferable.

[0018] (Base film layer) The base film layer 33 is a layer that imparts heat resistance and physical strength such as toughness to the sheet 41. The base film layer 33 also serves as the base material for the barrier layer 34. The material of the film that constitutes the base film layer 33 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of heat resistance and physical strength, it is preferable to use an oriented film of polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, or the like. However, the base film layer 33 may also be made of paper.

[0019] (barrier layer) The barrier layer 34 is a functional layer that blocks oxygen, water vapor, and the like, thereby improving the shelf life of the contents. The barrier layer 34 can be composed of one or more of the following: a vapor-deposited film of an inorganic compound such as silica or alumina; a vapor-deposited film of a metal such as aluminum; a metal foil such as aluminum; a plate-like mineral; and / or a coating film of a barrier coating agent containing a barrier resin. Examples of the barrier resin used in the barrier coating agent include ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and the barrier coating agent appropriately contains a binder resin other than the barrier resin. The barrier layer 34 may be laminated on the base film layer 33 in advance to form a barrier film, or may be provided as a single layer.

[0020] (sealant layer) The material of the sealant layer 35 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, cyclic polyolefin, or polyester. The sealant layer 35 uses a resin whose softening temperature is at least 20°C lower than that of the base film layer 33. If the softening temperature of the sealant layer 35 is not at least 20°C lower than that of the base film layer 33, the base film layer 33 may soften during sealing, increasing the likelihood of pinholes occurring, which is undesirable. The softening temperature of the sealant layer 35 is preferably at least 40°C lower than that of the base film layer 33.

[0021] The thermoplastic resin used for sealant layer 35 may be any resin that has adhesive properties to the thermoplastic resin that constitutes the material of spout 2, which will be described later, but is preferably the same material as the thermoplastic resin used for spout 2. By using the same thermoplastic resin for sealant layer 35 as the thermoplastic resin layer used for spout 2, the seal strength between barrel 1 and spout 2 can be improved.

[0022] (Paper protective layer) The paper protective layer 37 is a layer that protects the paper layer 32 that constitutes the sheet 41 from adhesion of contents and dirt. The material and method of forming the paper protective layer 37 are not particularly limited, but the paper protective layer 37 can be laminated by extrusion coating of a thermoplastic resin or by coating with a coating agent such as a water-resistant or oil-resistant agent. The thickness of the paper protective layer 37 is preferably 0.2 to 50 μm, and more preferably 1 to 20 μm. If the thickness of the paper protective layer 37 is less than 0.2 μm, pinholes may occur in the paper protective layer 37, and the paper layer 32 may not be sufficiently protected. Furthermore, if the thickness of the paper protective layer 37 exceeds 50 μm, this is undesirable in terms of the amount of resin used and manufacturing costs.

[0023] (ink layer, overcoat varnish layer) The ink layer 38 is a layer applied by printing to display various types of information, and the overcoat varnish layer 39 is a layer that provides abrasion resistance, etc. The order in which the ink layer 38 and the overcoat varnish layer are stacked may be reversed from that shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, the overcoat varnish layer 39 may also serve as the paper protective layer 37.

[0024] The thickness (total thickness) of the sheet 41 that constitutes the body portion 1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 300 μm. If the thickness of the film that constitutes the body portion 1 is within this range, the body portion 1 can be easily processed into a tubular shape using a bag-making machine, pillow stick packaging machine, or the like. In addition, because the paper layer 32 provides strength and stiffness, it can be made thinner than a typical laminated tube (thickness 300 to 500 μm), and the amount of resin used can also be reduced.

[0025] In order to reduce the resin ratio of the sheet 41 that constitutes the body 1, it is preferable that the paper layer 32 account for 50% or more of the mass of the sheet 41. From the viewpoint of reducing the amount of resin used, the higher the ratio of the paper layer 32, the better.

[0026] Furthermore, the sheet constituting the body 1 only needs to have a sealant layer 35 laminated on at least one side of the paper layer 32 (the side that faces the inside of the tube container 100), and one or more of the above-mentioned base film layer 33, barrier layer 34, paper protective layer 37, ink layer 38 and overcoat varnish layer 39 may be omitted.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spout portion before the body portion is sealed, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in the figure.

[0028] The outlet 2 is a spout for extracting the contents contained in the body 1 to the outside. The outlet 2 comprises a cylindrical tubular pouring portion 3 and a flange 4. The flange 4 is connected to one end 6a (the lower end in FIG. 1) of the tubular pouring portion 3 and is a flat portion extending outward from the tubular pouring portion 3. In this embodiment, the flange 4 is formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular pouring portion 3 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the flange 4 is formed in an annular shape, but the shape of the flange 4 is not limited as long as it can join the body 1, and may be elliptical, oval, track-shaped, polygonal, etc.

[0029] The spout 2 is molded from a material containing a thermoplastic resin. The molding material for the spout 2 may contain a filler other than resin. Using a mixture of resin and a filler other than resin makes it possible to reduce the amount of resin used while maintaining moldability and heat-weldability with the sheet material of the body 1. Examples of thermoplastic resins used for the spout 2 include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and cyclopolyolefin, either alone or in combination. Examples of fillers used include talc, kaolin, paper powder, and cellulose fiber, either alone or in combination. The molding method for the spout 2 is not particularly limited, and existing molding methods such as injection molding, thermoforming (e.g., vacuum forming, hot plate compression molding), and compression molding can be used.

[0030] 3 and 4, the flange portion 4 has a ring-shaped inner peripheral portion 21 connected to the end 6a of the cylindrical pouring portion 3, and a ring-shaped outer peripheral portion 22 connected to the inner peripheral portion 21 and surrounding the inner peripheral portion 21. The outer peripheral portion 22 is located on the opposite side of the outer surface of the inner peripheral portion 21 from the end 6b of the cylindrical pouring portion 3, and a gap is provided between a plane P1 including the outer surface of the inner peripheral portion 21 and a plane P2 including the outer surface of the outer peripheral portion 22. The outer surfaces of the flange portion 4 (inner peripheral portion 21, outer peripheral portion 22) refer to the surfaces that become the outside of the tube container 100 when the body portion 1 is sealed to the pouring outlet 2 to form the tube container 100.

[0031] The gap (height of the step) between plane P1 including the outer surface of inner circumferential portion 21 and plane P2 including the outer surface of outer circumferential portion 22 is set to be 0.5 to 1.0 mm larger than the thickness of the sheet that constitutes the body portion.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV shown in FIG.

[0033] In the tube container 100 according to this embodiment, the end face of the sheet at the end 5b of the body 1 is sealed by part of the flange 4 of the spout 2 and is not exposed to the outside. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, a predetermined area from the end 5b of the body 1 is sealed to the outer surface of the outer periphery 22 of the flange 4. An overhang 23 that protrudes outward is formed on the outer periphery of the inner periphery 21 of the flange 4, and the end 5b of the body 1 is sandwiched and sealed between the overhang 23 and the outer surface of the outer periphery 22. This overhang structure conceals the end face of the end 5b of the body 1 and inhibits liquid from permeating from the end face.

[0034] A method for manufacturing the tube container 100 will now be described.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for sealing the spout portion of the body.

[0036] First, a rectangular sheet having a paper layer and a sealant layer is rolled and the inner surfaces of the portions near a pair of opposing edges are butted together and sealed, or the outer surface of the portion near one edge is overlapped with the inner surface of the portion near the other edge and sealed, to form a sleeve. Next, the formed sleeve is attached to a mandrel 25, and the spout 2 is inserted into the body 1 from the end 5b. Next, using multiple pins (not shown) provided on the manufacturing equipment, a predetermined portion of the body 1 from the end 5b is folded and overlapped with the outer surface of the outer periphery 22 of the flange 4 of the spout 2. Next, a predetermined portion of the body 1 from the end 5 is welded to the outer periphery 22 of the flange 4 by ultrasonic sealing or hot plate sealing. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, a welding device 26 such as an ultrasonic horn or hot plate is used to press not only the outer periphery 22 of the flange 4 but also the inner periphery 21, causing a portion of the inner periphery 21 to melt and extend outward, forming the overhang 23 shown in FIG. 5.

[0037] To improve the adhesive strength between overhang portion 23 and the surface of body 23, it is preferable that the surface of the sheet that constitutes body 1 be provided with a resin layer made of the same resin as spout 2. In this case, overhang portion 23 is heat-welded to the resin layer on the surface of body 1. Even if the surface of the sheet that constitutes body 1 is a paper layer, some of the molten resin will seep into the fibers of the paper layer and solidify, thereby creating a pseudo-adhesion between overhang portion 23 and the surface of body 1 and maintaining a sealed state at the end face of the paper layer.

[0038] As described above, in the tube container 100 according to this embodiment, the body 1 is made of a sheet containing paper and a sealant, and the edge of the body 1, which is sealed to the spout 2, is sealed by an overhang 23 formed on the flange 4. While the contents tend to adhere to the opening of the tube container 100, the concealed edge of the sealed flange 4 prevents the liquid contained in the contents from penetrating the paper layer. This reduces staining and delamination caused by liquid penetration into the paper layer, improving the durability of the container. The overhang 23 can be formed by melting a portion of the stepped portion of the flange 4 during welding using a spout 2 with a step in the flange 4, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, eliminating the need for additional components.

[0039] Furthermore, in the tube container 100 according to this embodiment, the flange portion 4 has a flat plate shape perpendicular to the central axis of the tubular pouring portion 3, and the body portion 1 is welded to the outer surface of the flange portion 4. When the contents of the tube container 100 become low, the body portion 1 can be easily squeezed out by folding it along the outer periphery of the flange portion 4. Furthermore, because the flange portion 4 has a flat plate shape and does not form a space in which the contents can remain, the body portion 1 can be folded along the outer periphery of the flange portion 4 to make the flange portion 4 and the body portion 1 in a substantially flat state, allowing the contents to be squeezed out completely. Although a gap is provided between the inner periphery 21 and the outer periphery 22, this gap is approximately the same as the thickness of the sheet, so the flange portion 4 has a flat shape overall, and the provision of the gap has little effect on the ease of squeezing.

[0040] (Other variations) In the tube container 100 according to the above embodiment, a bonding portion 7 (see FIG. 1) is formed to form the body portion 1 into a cylindrical shape. Therefore, of the seal portions of the body portion 1 to the flange portion 4, the portion where the bonding portion 7 is sealed (portion X shown in FIG. 1) is thicker than other portions. Therefore, the flange portion 4 of the spout portion may be provided with a housing portion for housing the bonding portion 7. Specifically, the gap between a plane including the outer surface of the inner circumferential portion 21 (P1 in FIG. 4) and a plane including the outer surface of the outer circumferential portion 22 (P2 in FIG. 4) is partially enlarged, and the outer circumferential portion 22 is formed so as to have a first portion where the gap between the outer surface of the inner circumferential portion 21 and the outer surface of the outer circumferential portion 22 is a first gap, and a second portion where the gap between the outer surface of the inner circumferential portion 21 and the outer surface of the outer circumferential portion 22 is a second gap larger than the first gap. By configuring the outer periphery 22 in this manner, and aligning the bonding portion 7 with the second portion of the outer periphery 22 of the flange portion 4 before welding the body portion 1 to the spout portion 2, and sealing the bonding portion 7 to the second portion, the outer surface of the seal portion of the body portion 1 to the flange portion 4 can be made flat, resulting in excellent aesthetic appeal.

[0041] 1, the tube container 100 may further include a screw cap 11 that can be attached and detached by screwing onto the cylindrical pouring portion 3 of the pouring outlet portion 2. When the tube container 100 includes the screw cap 11, it becomes easy to reseal the tube container 100 after opening. Instead of the screw cap 11, a cap that can be attached and detached by fitting may be provided.

[0042] The tube container 100 may also be provided with a hinge cap instead of the screw cap 11. When a hinge cap is provided, the hinge cap may be attached to the spout 2 by screwing onto the cylindrical pouring portion 3 shown in Fig. 1. Alternatively, a rib may be provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical pouring portion 3 instead of a thread, and the hinge cap may be attached to the spout 2 by fitting via the rib.

[0043] Furthermore, the end 6b of the cylindrical pouring portion 3 may be sealed with a film that closes the cylindrical pouring portion 3 when the tube container 100 is in an unopened state.

[0044] Furthermore, the interior of the cylindrical pouring portion 3 may be closed by a partition to keep the interior of the tube container 100 sealed when the tube container 100 is unopened. When a partition is provided, it is preferable to provide a circular half-cut along the inner periphery of the cylindrical pouring portion 3 and to provide a pull ring connected to the portion surrounded by the half-cut. With this configuration, when opening the tube container 100, the user can pull the pull ring to break the half-cut portion of the partition, thereby removing the portion of the partition surrounded by the half-cut and forming an opening for pouring the contents from the body 1 into the cylindrical pouring portion 3. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The tube container according to the present invention can be used as a packaging material for medicines, cosmetics, food, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Torso 2 Spout part 3 Dispensing cylinder part 4 Flange 5a, 5b ends 6a, 6b ends 21 Inner circumference 22 Outer periphery 23 Overhang 32 Paper layer 35 Sealant Layer 41 seats

Claims

[Claim 1] a pouring outlet portion formed of a thermoplastic resin and having a cylindrical pouring tube portion and a flange portion connected to one end of the pouring tube portion and extending outward from the pouring tube portion; a tube-shaped body portion made of a sheet including a paper layer and an innermost sealant layer, the body portion having one end closed and a predetermined area from the other end sealed to the flange portion; an end surface of the sheet at the other end of the body portion is sealed by a part of the flange portion of the spout portion, the flange portion has a ring-shaped inner peripheral portion connected to one end of the pouring cylindrical portion, and a ring-shaped outer peripheral portion connected to the inner peripheral portion and surrounding the inner peripheral portion, the predetermined range of the body portion is sealed to the outer surface of the outer periphery, an overhang portion that protrudes outward is formed on the outer periphery of the inner periphery, The other end of the body portion is sandwiched and sealed between the overhang portion and the outer surface of the outer periphery.

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