Tube container with cap

Abstract

To provide a capped tube container which allows a cap to be easily attached and detached while maintaining initial sealability, and provide a cap.SOLUTION: A capped tube container comprises a tube container and a cap 60. The cap 60 includes: a top plate 61; an outer cylinder 1, an inner cylinder 2, and an inner ring, each of which is of cylindrical shape and extend to the inner surface of the top plate; and an elastic leg piece provided with two inward claw pieces at the tip of the inner cylinder 2. The tube container includes: a trunk 31; a mouth part 36 containing an opening for discharge; a shoulder part located between the trunk 31 and the mouth part 36 and whose outer circumference widens toward the trunk 31; and a sealing seal 20 joined to a top surface which is the open end of the mouth part 36 so as to cover the opening of the mouth part 36. The diameter of the inner edge of mouth part 36 is approximately equal to the diameter of an inner ring. The mouth part 36 includes a locking part whose outer circumference widens at a first angle toward the trunk 31 side and narrows at a second angle larger than the first angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tube container and a cap of the type that can be fitted with a cap in a so-called one-touch fitting manner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in many tube containers, a cap is fitted to the opening side of the tube container. Among these, there is also known a type of fitting in which the cap is attached to and detached from the container by only a linear movement in the up and down direction, that is, a so-called one-touch fitting (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 1-33483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional one-touch fitting tube containers have a problem in that the initial sealing performance (sealing ability) is insufficient because the opening of the tube container is sealed only by the sealing ring of the cap. On the other hand, there are also tube containers that have a sealing seal glued to the opening of the tube container to improve the sealing performance. However, the caps of such tube containers have a screw thread and are attached by turning. Therefore, there is a problem in that the knob of the sealing seal may be damaged when the cap is turned.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a capped tube container and a cap that can be easily attached and detached while maintaining initial sealing properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides: A tube container with a cap having a tube container and a cap, The cap includes a top plate, a cylindrical outer tube, an inner tube, and an inner ring, which are arranged in this order from the outside and extend on the inner surface of the top plate, and a plurality of elastic leg pieces, each having two inward-facing claw pieces, at the tip of the inner tube. The tube container is The container comprises a body having a pair of bonded end portions, a mouth including a discharge opening, a shoulder portion located between the body and the mouth and having an outer periphery that widens toward the body, and a sealing seal bonded to a top surface that is the open end of the mouth so as to cover the opening of the mouth, The diameter of the inner edge of the mouth portion is approximately equal to the diameter of the inner ring, The capped tube container has a locking portion whose outer circumference widens at a first angle toward the body and narrows at a second angle greater than the first angle.

[0007] The capped tube container of the present disclosure further comprises: The nozzle may further include a seat portion located between the mouth portion and the shoulder portion and having an outer periphery larger than an outer periphery of the mouth portion.

[0008] In addition, in the capped tube container of the present disclosure, The claw pieces may include a first claw piece and a second claw piece located closer to the top plate than the first claw piece, and the length of the inner ring may be approximately equal to the distance between the inner tip of the first claw piece and the inner tip of the second claw piece.

[0009] In addition, in the capped tube container of the present disclosure, The mouth portion and the shoulder portion may contain a plant-derived resin.

[0010] The present disclosure also provides: A cap for use with a tube container having a body portion with a pair of joined ends and a mouth portion including an opening for discharge, The cap comprises, in order from the outside, a top plate, a cylindrical outer tube, an inner tube, and an inner ring each extending from the inner surface of the top plate, the inner tube having a plurality of elastic leg pieces at the tip thereof, each having two inward-facing claw pieces, and the outer tube having, at the tip thereof, an inclined surface sloping upward inward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a capped tube container and a cap that can be easily attached and detached while maintaining initial sealing properties. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a tube container with a cap according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cap attached to a tube container. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cap attached to the tube container. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cylindrical body portion of a tube container. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view of the tube container before the sealing seal 20 is joined. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a top view of the tube container after the sealing seal 20 has been joined. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a tube container with a cap showing the first stage of attachment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the capped tube container showing the second stage of attachment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a laminated body of a tube container. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the raw sheet of the body of the tube container. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a laminate of hermetic seals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specifically exemplified forms or various specifically described structures. In each drawing, the size and proportions of components may be changed or exaggerated for ease of understanding. Furthermore, for clarity, unnecessary parts and repeated reference numerals may be omitted.

[0014] In this specification, the terms "outer surface" and "inner surface" refer to the "outer surface" and "inner surface" when a tube container 30 is produced using the laminate 10. Additionally, "upper" and "lower" refer to the "upper" and "lower" of the tube container 30 when the mouth 36 and the cap 60 are facing upward. In this specification, "upper" and "lower" do not refer to an absolute positional relationship, but are used for convenience to distinguish one side from the other. When the mouth 36 and the cap 60 are facing upward, "upper" refers to the side of the mouth 36, and "lower" refers to the opposite side of the mouth 36.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a front view of a capped tube container according to this embodiment. The capped tube container includes a tube container 30 and a cap 60. As shown in FIG. 1, the tube container 30 according to this embodiment includes a body 31 and a head molded body 37. The head molded body 37 is produced by applying a synthetic resin to the body 31 by a method such as compression molding or injection molding. The head molded body 37 further includes a shoulder 35, a mouth 36, and a base 38. A sealing seal 20 is joined to the mouth 36 of the tube container 30. A cap 60 is attached to cover the entire mouth 36 and base 38 and most of the shoulder 35. In FIG. 1, the mouth 36 and base 38 are hidden by the cap 60.

[0016] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the head molded body 37. The tube container 30 has a head molded body 37 including a cylindrical mouth 36 including a discharge opening, a base 38 connected to the mouth 36 and having a wider outer periphery than the mouth 36, and a truncated-cone-shaped shoulder 35 connected to the base 38 and having a circumferentially wider diameter toward the bottom. The mouth 36 has a locking portion 45 whose outer periphery widens at a first angle toward the body 31 and narrows at a second angle greater than the first angle. The locking portion 45 is divided into an upper locking portion 45A on the top surface 46 side of the mouth 36 and a lower locking portion 45B on the body 31 side, with an outermost protruding end 45C as the boundary.

[0017] The first angle and the second angle are acute angles formed by the outer edges of the upper and lower locking portions 45A and 45B, respectively, in the cross section shown in FIG. 2 with the outer edge of the outer peripheral surface 47 along the longitudinal direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 2) of the tube container 30. In FIG. 2, the right half of the head molded body 37 shows its front view, and the left half shows a cross section parallel to the front view and passing through its radial center. The hatched portion in the left half of FIG. 2 indicates the actual head molded body 37, and the blank portion indicates a cavity. The shoulder portion 35 is configured, for example, in the shape of a truncated cone, expanding radially outward from the tube container 30 as it moves away from the mouth portion 36. For example, the shoulder portion 35 is inclined at 30 degrees relative to the horizontal. The shoulder portion 35 is connected to the body portion 31 at its lower side.

[0018] The substantially cylindrical mouth portion 36 has an annular top surface 46 at the upper end, an outer peripheral surface 47 extending from the radial outside (outer edge) of the top surface 46 toward the seat portion 38 and shoulder portion 35 (axial direction), and an inner peripheral surface 48 extending from the inner edge of the top surface 46 in the axial direction. The top surface 46 is formed flat. The top surface 46 is the open end of the mouth portion 36.

[0019] The inner circumferential surface 48 of the mouth portion 36 defines the outer edge of an opening 49. The opening 49 serves as a discharge port for discharging the contents from the tube container 30. The contents contained in the body portion 31 are discharged from the tube container 30 by passing through the opening 49.

[0020] The mouth 36 has a locking portion 45 whose outer periphery widens at a first angle from the mouth 36 toward the body 31 and narrows at a second angle greater than the first angle. The locking portion 45 has an upper locking portion 45A that widens from the outer periphery of the mouth 36 to an outer tip 45C where the outer periphery has a maximum diameter, and a lower locking portion 45B that narrows from the outer tip 45C where the outer diameter is maximum toward the body 31. The provision of the locking portion 45 having such a shape allows it to lock onto the elastic leg piece 2A (see FIGS. 3, 8, 9, and 10) of the inner tube 2 of the cap 60. If a straight line is drawn from the top surface 46 to the barrel 31 along the outer peripheral surface 47, a first angle at which the outer periphery of the upper locking portion 45A widens toward the outer tip 45C and a second angle at which the outer periphery of the lower locking portion 45B narrows from the outer tip 45C relative to the straight line is greater than the first angle. Therefore, the elastic leg pieces 2A of the inner tube 2 of the cap 60 descend along the outer edge of the upper locking portion 45A. Then, once the elastic leg pieces 2A pass the outer tip 45C, which is the maximum diameter portion of the locking portion 45, they are urged inward by the elasticity of the elastic leg pieces 2A and engage with the lower locking portion 45B. Because the second angle is greater than the first angle, a greater force is required to remove the cap than to attach it.

[0021] The base portion 38 is located between the mouth portion 36 and the shoulder portion 35 and has an outer periphery larger than that of the mouth portion 36. A cavity continuous with the mouth portion 36 exists on the inner periphery of the base portion 38. The outer periphery of the base portion 38 is larger than that of the mouth portion 36 and the locking portion 45. In this embodiment, the cross sections of the mouth portion 36, the locking portion 45, and the base portion 38 in a plane parallel to the top surface 46 and the opening surface of the opening 49 are all circular. Therefore, the outer diameter of the base portion 38 is larger than that of the mouth portion 36 and the locking portion 45. Because the outer periphery of the base portion 38 is larger than that of the mouth portion 36 and the locking portion 45, when the cap 60 is attached, it can hold down the open end of the inner tube 2, which has larger outer peripheries of the mouth portion 36 and the locking portion 45.

[0022] In this embodiment, the tube container 30 has, in its initial state before use, a sealing seal 20 that seals the opening 49 to prevent the contents from being discharged and that has easy-to-open properties. Specifically, the sealing seal 20 is bonded to the top surface 46 of the mouth 36. As shown in FIG. 2 , the sealing seal 20 is attached to the top surface 46 so as to cover the opening 49. The top surface 46 and the sealing seal 20 may be bonded in any manner. For example, the top surface 46 and the sealing seal 20 may be attached with an adhesive, or by heat fusion, thermocompression, or the like. The sealing seal 20 may be configured to break when pierced by a sharp object or when a finger is pressed into it. In such cases, the sealing seal 20 does not necessarily have to be easy-to-open.

[0023] The material of the hermetic seal 20 may be selected depending on the sealing properties (barrier properties) of the tube container 30, the bonding strength with the top surface 46, puncture strength, tear strength, etc. For this reason, the hermetic seal 20 may be made of a single layer of aluminum foil, biaxially oriented polypropylene, or the like, or a layer containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a laminate of these.

[0024] With the above-described structure, head molded body 37 can be attached to and detached from cap 60 (see FIGS. 3 and 10) by simply linear movement in the vertical direction, which cap 60 has: outer tube 1 that comes into contact with shoulder 35 when pressed from the outside when cap 60 is removed; and inner tube 2 that is disposed inside outer tube 1 with a gap therebetween and is fitted into locking portion 45. In other words, head molded body 37 and cap 60 are connected by a so-called one-touch fitting.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cap 60 used in this embodiment as seen from the front side. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the cap 60 used in this embodiment. The cap 60 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is an improved version of a cap used in conventional one-touch fitting, and is circular when viewed from above (the top plate 61 side) and cylindrical when viewed from below (the open end side of the outer cylinder 1, etc.).

[0026] The cap 60 used in this embodiment is molded entirely from a flexible soft synthetic resin. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cap 60 used in this embodiment includes, in order from the outside, a cylindrical outer tube 1, an inner tube 2, and an inner ring 3, each of which is extended on the inner surface of a top plate 61. A resilient leg piece 2A having elasticity is connected to the open end side of the inner tube 2 (the side opposite the top plate 61). The resilient leg piece 2A has two hook-shaped claw pieces 7 and 8 that protrude inward. Of the two claw pieces, the claw piece closer to the open end of the resilient leg piece 2A is the first claw piece 7, and the claw piece closer to the top plate 61 than the first claw piece 7 is the second claw piece 8.

[0027] The open end of the outer tube 1 has an inclined surface 1B that slopes upward toward the inside. The lower end surface of the lower skirt 1A of the outer tube 1 forms an inclined surface 1B, and the inner tube 2 has slits 5 formed at equal intervals along the circumference, forming a circular array of multiple elastic leg pieces 2A. In the example shown in Figure 4, eight slits 5 are formed, resulting in eight elastic leg pieces 2A. Furthermore, the open end of each elastic leg piece 2A has an inward-facing first claw piece 7 and a second claw piece 8. The inward protrusions of the first claw piece 7 and the second claw piece 8 are referred to as the first inner protrusion 7C and the second inner protrusion 8C, respectively. The inward protrusions are the most inwardly protruding points of the claw pieces. The inner tube 2 also serves to prevent rattling of the cap 60 when the cap 60 is attached with the seal 20 attached. A cylindrical inner ring 3 is formed on the inner surface of the top plate 61. The length of the inner ring 3 in the direction intersecting the top plate 61 (the vertical direction in FIG. 3) is approximately equal to the distance between the first inner tip 7C of the first claw piece 7 and the second inner tip 8C of the second claw piece 8. "Approximately equal" means that the two claw pieces are equal to a degree that allows two-stage fitting.

[0028] The action of removing the cap 60 will now be described in detail. First, the lower hem 1A of the outer tube 1 is pressed from both sides toward the inner tube 2. This causes the lower hem 1A to move inward until it contacts the shoulder 35. This pulls the outer edge of the disk-shaped top plate 61 downward and inward, causing the top plate 61 to bend so that it becomes convex upward.

[0029] As the top plate 61 of the cap 60 becomes convex upward, the inner tube 2 and the elastic leg pieces 2A are pulled upward. Then, due to the pulling force, the first claw pieces 7 and the second claw pieces 8 move past the outer protruding ends 45C, which are the maximum outer diameter portions of the locking portions 45, and the cap 60 is removed.

[0030] The body 31 is a film-like monolayer or laminate formed into a cylindrical shape. One end of the cylindrical body 31 is joined to a shoulder 35. Meanwhile, the other end of the body 31 is sealed by a bottom seal 39, which is formed by overlapping and joining the inner surfaces of the cylindrical body 31 (see FIG. 1). The bottom seal 39 may be joined after the body 31 is filled with the contents. The body 31 of the tube container 30, in particular, is preferably configured to have flexibility (pliability, squeezability) that allows a desired amount of contents to be easily extruded, even if the contents have some viscosity. The dimensions of the body 31 may be designed appropriately depending on the type of contents, and may be, for example, 50 mm in diameter.

[0031] The tube container 30 having the above-described structure is obtained through the following manufacturing process. First, as shown in FIG. 5 , a pair of bonded ends 33A, 33B of the laminate 10 are overlapped with each other using the laminate 10. The outer and inner surfaces of the overlapping portions are heat-sealed and bonded together to form a body bonding portion 32, thereby producing a cylindrical body 31. Next, the cylindrical body 31 is placed in a mold (not shown). A head molded body 37 (shoulder portion 35, base portion 38, and mouth portion 36) is formed in one opening (upper side) 34A of the body 31 by a method such as compression molding or injection molding. In this way, the head molded body 37 (shoulder portion 35, base portion 38, and mouth portion 36) is integrally molded with one opening (upper side) 34A of the body 31, thereby producing a tube container 30.

[0032] On the other hand, a predetermined shape is punched out of the packaging material to obtain the sealing seal 20. The sealing portion 20A of this sealing seal 20 is placed against the top surface 46 of the opening 36 of the tube container 30 and thermocompressed to join the sealing seal 20 to the opening 36. As a result, the opening 49 is covered with the sealing seal 20.

[0033] 6 and 7 are top views of the tube container before and after the sealing seal 20 is bonded. Fig. 6 shows the tube container before the sealing seal 20 is bonded, and Fig. 7 shows the tube container after the sealing seal 20 is bonded. As shown in Fig. 6, when viewed from above (the mouth 36 side), a top surface 46 corresponding to the thickness of the cylindrical mouth 36 is formed around the discharge opening 49, and a locking portion 45 is formed whose outer periphery widens at a first angle from the outer circumferential surface 47 of the mouth 36 toward the body 31 (toward the rear in Fig. 6) and narrows at a second angle greater than the first angle. Furthermore, a shoulder 35 whose outer periphery widens toward the body 31 (toward the rear in Fig. 6) is formed to connect the mouth 36 with the locking portion 45 and the body 31.

[0034] The sealing seal 20 is heat-pressed to the top surface 46, which is the upper end of the mouth 36, so as to cover the opening 49 on the side of the mouth 36 shown in FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 7 , the sealing seal 20 has a sealing portion 20A defined by the outer circumferential surface 47 of the mouth 36 and a tab portion 20B protruding outward from the sealing portion 20A. The sealing portion 20A is heat-pressed to the top surface 46, which is the upper end of the mouth 36, covering the opening 49. For this reason, it must be larger than the opening 49 and is preferably the same size as the outer periphery of the top surface 46. In this embodiment, since the outer periphery of the top surface 46 is circular, the sealing portion 20A is also circular. The tab portion 20B, which is the portion to be pinched with fingers when peeling the sealing seal 20, is rectangular and is connected to the sealing portion 20A so that its longitudinal direction faces from the inside to the outside. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the sealing seal 20 is heat-pressed, the opening 49 and the top surface 46 are covered.

[0035] Then, the cap 60 is attached to the opening 36 of the tube container 30 to which the sealing seal 20 has been joined. Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the tube container with the cap, showing the first stage of attachment. In Fig. 8, as in Fig. 2, the right half shows the front view, and the left half shows a cross section passing through the radial center and parallel to the front view.

[0036] The cap 60 can be attached to the tube container 30 in two stages. The first stage is when the sealing seal 20 seals the tube container 30, and the second stage is after the sealing seal 20 is opened. In the first stage, the sealing seal 20 covering the opening 49 prevents the inner ring 3 from being inserted into the opening 36. When the open end of the inner ring 3 comes into contact with the outer surface of the sealing seal 20, the first claw 7 is positioned below the outer protruding end 45C of the locking portion 45. In this way, the first claw 7 locks with the locking portion 45, and the cap 60 is attached to the tube container 30 in the first stage.

[0037] In the second stage, after the sealing seal 20 is opened, the inner ring 3 is inserted into the opening 36 because it is not blocked by the sealing seal 20. Therefore, the top plate 61 of the cap 60 is attached closer to the top surface 46 of the tube container 30 than in the first stage. Therefore, in the second stage, the second claw 8 is positioned below the outer protruding end 45C of the locking portion 45. In this way, the second claw 8 is locked to the locking portion 45, and therefore, in the second stage, the cap 60 is attached to a deeper position than in the first stage.

[0038] The first stage of attachment of the cap 60 shown in FIG. 3 to the neck 36 of the head molded body 37 shown in FIG. 2 results in the state shown in FIG. 8. This first stage of attachment is typically performed during the manufacturing process. Specifically, when attaching the cap 60 from above the tube container 30, first, the inner tube 2 of the cap 60 is positioned so that it is located on the outer periphery of the neck 36. Then, the cap 60 is moved toward the body 31. As a result, the elastic leg 2A moves toward the body 31 along the outer edge of the upper locking portion 45A of the locking portion 45, which widens outward as it approaches the body 31, and the elastic leg 2A widens outward. When the first inner protruding end 7C of the first claw 7 of the elastic leg 2A moves toward the body 31 from the upper locking portion 45A of the locking portion 45 toward the body 31, the first claw 7 moves inward along the outer edge of the lower locking portion 45B, and the cap 60 is attached to the tube container 30 as shown in FIG. 8. In this way, in the first stage of attachment, fitting is performed in a state in which the outer protruding end 45C of the locking portion 45 is positioned between the second claw piece 8 and the first claw piece 7.

[0039] In the first stage of attachment, the end 3A of the inner ring 3 is in contact with the outer surface of the seal 20 or is positioned above the outer surface of the seal 20. This allows the cap 60 to be fixed to the tube container 30 while the initial sealability of the tube container 30 is maintained by the seal 20. Before the contents are used, the tube container with the cap is distributed in the first stage state. In other words, transportation and display in stores are carried out in the first stage state. When distributed in the first stage state, the tube container with the cap may be shrink-wrapped.

[0040] When using the contents, the user peels off the sealing seal 20, allowing the contents to be poured out through the opening 36. After use, the cap 60 is attached to the tube container 30. Specifically, first, the inner tube 2 of the cap 60 is positioned on the outer periphery of the opening 36. Then, from this position, the cap 60 is moved toward the body 31. This causes the elastic leg 2A to move toward the body 31 along the outer edge of the upper locking portion 45A of the locking portion 45, which expands outward as it moves toward the body 31, and the elastic leg 2A expands outward. When the first inner protruding end 7C of the first claw 7 of the elastic leg 2A moves toward the body 31 from the outer protruding end 45C of the locking portion 45, the first claw 7 moves inward along the outer edge of the lower locking portion 45B. This is the same state as the first stage.

[0041] When the cap 60 is further pushed from the top panel 61 side and moved toward the body 31, the second inner protrusion 8C of the second claw piece 8 moves toward the body 31 along the outer edge of the upper locking portion 45A of the locking portion 45, which widens outward as it moves toward the body 31, and the elastic leg piece 2A gradually widens outward. Then, when the second inner protrusion 8C of the second claw piece 8 of the elastic leg piece 2A moves toward the body 31 from the outer protrusion 45C of the locking portion 45, the second claw piece 8 moves inward along the outer edge of the lower locking portion 45B. This causes the inner ring 3 to be inserted into the opening 36.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the capped tube container showing the second stage of attachment. As shown in FIG. 9, in the second stage of attachment, the outer protruding end 45C of the engaging portion 45 is positioned between the second hook 8 and the top plate 61. In the second stage, the inner ring 3 is inserted into the mouth 36. From the viewpoint of sealing, it is preferable that the outer surface of the inner ring 3 contact the inner circumferential surface 48. Similarly, from the viewpoint of sealing, it is preferable that the top surface 46 of the mouth 36 contact the top plate 61 of the cap 60. Since the outer surface of the inner ring 3 contacts the inner circumferential surface 48 and the top surface 46 of the mouth 36 contacts the top plate 61 of the cap 60, the sealing performance of the tube container 30 is improved. Therefore, even after the sealing seal 20 is removed, leakage of the contents from the tube container 30 can be prevented.

[0043] 9, when the cap 60 is attached in the second stage, the inner ring 3 of the cap 60 is in contact with and surrounded by the inner circumferential surface 48 of the mouth 36. Because the capped tube container according to this embodiment has the above-described configuration, liquid-tightness is improved after the sealing seal 20 is opened, particularly when using the cap 60 having the inner ring 3 inserted into the mouth.

[0044] Next, an appropriate amount of contents, such as paste mustard or paste wasabi, is filled into the other opening (lower side) 34B of the cylindrical body 31 of the tube container 30. Thereafter, the opening (lower side) 34B is welded to form a bottom seal 39, thereby obtaining a packaged product 30A including the tube container 30 filled and packaged with the contents.

[0045] The details of the head molded body 37 will be further explained. The head molded body 37 is made of a material that can be molded so that the mouth portion 36, base portion 38, and shoulder portion 35 have appropriate hardness, has high adhesion to the material of the body portion 31, does not affect the quality of the contents, and does not cause hygienic problems even when it comes into contact with the contents. As such a material, a thermoplastic resin is used for the head molded body 37, and more specifically, high-density polyethylene is used.

[0046] Furthermore, the head molding 37 may be made of polyolefin resins such as low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, and polypropylene (homopolypropylene, block polypropylene, random polypropylene); polyolefin resins such as copolymers of olefins with copolymerizable monomers such as vinyl monomers, acrylic monomers, and unsaturated carboxylic acids, or blends thereof; and resins in which the above-mentioned resins are blended with high-density polyethylene. Furthermore, from the standpoint of heat resistance and thermal adhesion to the body 31, it is preferable to use a resin in which high-density polyethylene is blended with linear low-density polyethylene for the head molding 37. Furthermore, a truncated cone-shaped cylinder may be laminated on the head molding 37, particularly on the shoulder portion 35, as a barrier material to prevent the permeation of gases such as oxygen. The head molding 37 may also contain a plant-derived resin.

[0047] The high-density polyethylene used to form the head molded body 37 may be derived from fossil fuels, but biomass-derived high-density polyethylene, known as a carbon-neutral material, may also be used to reduce environmental impact. Because the head and cap account for a large mass proportion of the tube container, molding the head molded body 37 using biomass-derived high-density polyethylene can significantly reduce the amount of fossil fuels used for the entire tube container, thereby reducing environmental impact. Furthermore, the biomass-derived head molded body 37 is comparable in terms of physical properties, such as mechanical properties, to head molded bodies 37 made from conventional fossil fuel-derived materials, making it possible to replace conventional head molded bodies 37.

[0048] From the perspective of reducing environmental impact, it is preferable to use only biomass-derived polyethylene. However, considering production costs and other factors, a blend of fossil-derived polyethylene and biomass-derived polyethylene may also be used. Here, biomass-derived polyethylene is a monomer polymer containing biomass-derived ethylene. Because biomass-derived ethylene is used as the raw material monomer, the polymerized polyethylene is biomass-derived. The content of biomass-derived ethylene in the raw material monomer does not need to be 100% by mass, but is preferably 10% by mass or more, and more preferably 30% by mass or more. The raw material monomer may contain fossil-derived ethylene or an α-olefin monomer such as butylene, hexene, or octene. Even in such a case, the resulting polymer is called biomass polyethylene. When biomass-derived polyethylene is used, it may contain two or more polyolefins with different biomass contents. Furthermore, when blending fossil-derived polyethylene and biomass-derived polyethylene, the mixing method is not particularly limited, and dry blending or melt blending may be used. When the two are mixed, the mixing ratio of the fossil-derived polyethylene to the biomass-derived polyethylene is preferably 1:9 to 9:1 by mass, and more preferably 2:8 to 8:2.

[0049] For example, biomass-derived ethylene can be produced using biomass-derived ethanol as a raw material. In particular, it is preferable to use biomass-derived fermented ethanol obtained from plant raw materials. That is, it is preferable to use plant-derived resins. The plant raw material is not particularly limited, and conventionally known plants can be used. Examples include corn, sugarcane, beet, and manioc.

[0050] In this disclosure, biomass-derived fermented ethanol refers to ethanol produced by contacting a culture solution containing a carbon source obtained from plant raw materials with an ethanol-producing microorganism or a product derived from its disruption, followed by purification. Ethanol can be purified from the culture solution using conventional methods such as distillation, membrane separation, and extraction. Examples of methods include adding benzene, cyclohexane, etc., and removing water by azeotropy or membrane separation.

[0051] The thickness of the head molded body 37 using such resins is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. In this embodiment, the head molded body 37 is produced by compression molding. Therefore, in the head molded body 37, which is a compression molded product, it is possible to prevent depressions, so-called sink marks, that occur due to shrinkage during molding, even in thick portions such as the top surface 46. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce waste of material such as in gate portions. The head molded body 37 may also be produced by injection molding.

[0052] Next, the laminate 10 forming the cylindrical body 31 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The laminate 10 forming the body 31 of the tube container 30 is a laminate having a first base material layer 11 and a first sealant layer 12 having heat sealability, a second base material layer 13, and a second sealant layer 15 arranged in this order from the outer surface to the inner surface, as shown in Fig. 10. Note that a barrier layer realized by aluminum foil or the like may be further provided between the second base material layer 13 and the second sealant layer 15.

[0053] A protective layer 16 is formed on the outer surface of the first base material layer 11 using a coat layer formed by a coater or ink such as OP varnish, and an inner surface printed portion 13A including a desired pattern is formed on the inner surface of the second base material layer 13 using printing ink. Note that the inner surface printed portion 13A may be provided on the outer surface of the second base material layer 13 using printing ink.

[0054] When a picture print is present on the inner side of the protective layer 16, it is desirable that the protective layer 16 be composed of a see-through layer so that the picture print can be seen from the outside. The surface of the first base material layer 11 on which the protective layer 16 is formed needs to have appropriate irregularities to ensure adhesion of ink and the like. The first sealant layer 12 is often prepared in advance as a film, and its surface may be too smooth, which may result in poor adhesion of the ink and the like when applied to the surface. In particular, when the film used for the first sealant layer 12 is formed by the inflation method, the surface tends to be easily smoothed.

[0055] When the adhesion between the first sealant layer 12 and the protective layer 16 is poor as described above, a first substrate layer 11 can be bonded onto the first sealant layer 12 to provide the surface of the first substrate layer 11 with appropriate irregularities. The arithmetic mean height (Sa) of the surface of the first substrate layer 11 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 1.0 μm or less. If it is less than 0.1 μm, there is a risk of poor ink adhesion, while if it exceeds 1.0 μm, there is a risk of the ink becoming mottled, resulting in a poor surface protection effect. Furthermore, low-density polyethylene is preferably used as the material for the first substrate layer 11 from the viewpoint of cost and processability. When flexographic printing was performed on an LLDPE film with an arithmetic mean height (Sa) of 0.08 μm, poor ink adhesion resulted in partial print peeling.

[0056] The first sealant layer 12 and the second base material layer 13 are joined by dry lamination, and the first base material layer 11 is formed on the surface of the first sealant layer 12 by extrusion lamination. The second base material layer 13 and the second sealant layer 15 are joined by dry lamination. The first sealant layer 12 and the second base material layer 13, and the second base material layer 13 and the second sealant layer 15 may each be joined by extrusion lamination.

[0057] Next, the materials of each part constituting the laminate 10 of the cylindrical body portion 31 will be described. The first base material layer 11, the first sealant layer 12, and the second sealant layer 15 may contain, for example, polyethylene (PE), etc. Specifically, the first base material layer 11, the first sealant layer 12, and the second sealant layer 15 may be made from the following materials:

[0058] The first base layer 11, the first sealant layer 12, and the second sealant layer 15 may be made of any material that can be melted and fused together by heat, and examples of resins that can be used include low-density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ionomer resin, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer, methylpentene polymer, acid-modified polyolefin resins obtained by modifying polyolefin resins such as polyethylene or polypropylene with unsaturated carboxylic acids such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, and the like, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyester resins, polystyrene resins, and the like.

[0059] A polyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter abbreviated as PET) layer can be used as the second base material layer 13, and an inner surface printed portion 13A made of printing ink can be provided on the PET layer 13 by printing on the PET layer 13. The second base material layer 13 also maintains the rigidity of the tube container.

[0060] Instead of using a PET layer as the second base layer 13, a nylon layer may be used, or a PET layer having a metal vapor deposition film on at least one surface and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having a metal vapor deposition film on at least one surface and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0061] Alternatively, a PET layer having a silica vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having a silica vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0062] Alternatively, a PET layer having an aluminum oxide vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having an aluminum oxide vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0063] Nylon layers often have better mechanical strength than PET layers, and films with various vapor-deposited layers have better gas barrier properties than base films.

[0064] Next, the protective layer 16 provided on the outer surface of the heat-sealable first base material layer 11 and the inner surface printed portion 13A provided on the inner surface of the second base material layer 13 will be described. As shown in Fig. 11, the protective layer 16 is provided in an area other than the pair of bonded end portions 33A, 33B of the laminate 10 of the cylindrical body portion 31 of the tube container 30. The reason for providing the protective layer 16 in an area other than the pair of bonded end portions 33A, 33B is that the pair of bonded end portions 33A, 33B are the portions where the outer and inner surfaces of the pair of bonded end portions 33A, 33B overlap and join with each other when the tube container 30 is produced.

[0065] Therefore, the protective layer 16 is not provided on the pair of bonded ends 33A, 33B of the laminate 10 of the cylindrical body 31 of the tube container 30. However, if the protective layer 16 has properties such as not interfering with the body bonding formation and not being destroyed during heat sealing, the protective layer 16 may be provided on one or both of the pair of bonded ends 33A, 33B. Even in areas other than the pair of bonded ends 33A, 33B, the protective layer 16 may be partially removed or formed as needed.

[0066] On the other hand, the inner surface printed portion 13A provided on the inner surface of the second base material layer 13 is printed on the smooth and highly transparent second base material layer 13, and therefore it is possible to perform printing with excellent aesthetic appeal. Note that Fig. 11 shows an original roll 10A of the laminate 10 of the cylindrical bodies 31 of a plurality of continuous tube containers 30 before being cut along the cutting lines L.

[0067] Next, a method for manufacturing the laminate 10 of the cylindrical body portion 31 will be described with reference to FIG. First, printing is applied to the inner surface of the second base material layer 13, and in this way, an inner surface printed portion 13A made of printing ink is provided on the inner surface of the second base material layer 13.

[0068] Next, the second sealant layer 15 is bonded to the inner surface of the second base material layer 13 by dry lamination (DL). Next, the first sealant layer 12 is bonded to the outer surface of the second base material layer 13 by dry lamination. Next, the first base material layer 11 is formed on the outer surface of the first sealant layer 12 by extrusion lamination.

[0069] Next, the protective layer 16 is applied by printing to the outer surface of the first base material layer 11, and in this way the protective layer 16 made of printing is provided on the outer surface of the first base material layer 11. In this manner, the laminate 10 of the trunk portion 31 is obtained.

[0070] The laminate 10 of the body 31 thus obtained is rolled into a cylindrical shape, and as described above, both end portions 33A, 33B are overlapped, and the outer and inner surfaces of the laminate 10 are heat-sealed at both end portions 33A, 33B to form a body bonding portion 32, thereby producing the tubular body 31. In this case, the first base material layer 11 and the first sealant layer 12 provided on the outer surface side of the laminate 10 and the second sealant layer 15 provided on the inner surface side are melted and joined, thereby obtaining the tubular body 31.

[0071] In the above description, the body affixing portion 32 is formed by overlapping, but the end faces of both end portions 33A, 33B may also be butted together and joined. Furthermore, the joining line formed by butting together as described above may be protected by applying a film to the inner or outer surface of the cylindrical body portion 31. The inner end portion 33B may also be processed to protect the end face. For example, this may be done by applying tape or by folding the end portion 33B toward the outside of the container (hemming).

[0072] Next, the opening (upper side in Figure 5) 34A of the cylindrical body 31 is inserted into a mold (not shown), and a shoulder 35 and a mouth 36 are formed at the opening (upper side) 34A of the cylindrical body 31 using a method such as compression molding or injection molding, thereby obtaining the tube container 30 (see Figures 1 and 5).

[0073] Next, the sealing seal 20 is heat-sealed to the opening 36 of the tube container 30 manufactured as described above, and then the cap 60 is attached. Then, a plurality of the tube containers 30 with the caps 60 attached are stored together in a cardboard box. Thereafter, the plurality of tube containers 30 with the caps 60 attached are transported together in the cardboard box.

[0074] As described above, when the laminate 10 of this embodiment is used, the protective layer 16 is provided in an area other than the pair of bonded ends 33A, 33B, and since the protective layer 16 has excellent scratch resistance, a tube container 30 with excellent scratch resistance can be manufactured.

[0075] If special scratch resistance is not required, the first substrate layer 11 and protective layer 16 may be omitted, and the laminate may consist of the first sealant layer 12, the (second) substrate layer 13, and the second sealant layer 15. One example of such a configuration is a laminate of PE 150 μm / adhesive / VMPET 15 μm / ink / adhesive / PE 150 μm. In this case, it is preferable that the thickness of the first sealant layer 12 is 130 μm or more and 170 μm or less, the thickness of the (second) substrate layer 13 is 10 μm or more and 25 μm or less, and the thickness of the second sealant layer 15 is 130 μm or more and 170 μm or less.

[0076] Next, the layer structure of the hermetic seal 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the hermetic seal 20 is a laminate having a first base material layer 21, a second base material layer 22, and a sealant layer 23 arranged in this order from top to bottom. An inner surface printed portion 21A containing a desired pattern is formed on the underside of the first base material layer 21 using printing ink. The first base material layer 21 and the second base material layer 22 are bonded together by dry lamination. The second base material layer 22 and the sealant layer 23 are further bonded together by dry lamination.

[0077] Next, the materials of each part that constitutes the hermetic seal 20 will be described.

[0078] The sealant layer 23 may be any material that can be melted by heat and fused to the mouth 36 of the tube container 30. For example, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ionomer resin, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer, methylpentene polymer, acid-modified polyolefin resins obtained by modifying polyolefin resins such as polyethylene or polypropylene with unsaturated carboxylic acids such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, and the like, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyester resins, polystyrene resins, and the like may be used.

[0079] Furthermore, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer can be used as the first base material layer 21 and the second base material layer 22. When a PET layer is used as the first base material layer 21, an inner surface printed portion 21A made of printing ink can be provided on the PET layer by printing on the PET layer.

[0080] Instead of using a PET layer as the first base layer 21, a nylon layer may be used, or a PET layer having a metal vapor deposition film on at least one surface and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having a metal vapor deposition film on at least one surface and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0081] Alternatively, a PET layer having a silica vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having a silica vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0082] Alternatively, a PET layer having an aluminum oxide vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used, or a nylon layer having an aluminum oxide vapor deposition film on at least one surface thereof and gas barrier properties may be used.

[0083] Instead of using a PET layer as the second base layer 22, a nylon layer may be used.

[0084] Nylon layers often have better mechanical strength than PET layers, and films with various vapor-deposited layers have better gas barrier properties than base films.

[0085] A preferred example of the sealing seal 20 is a laminate structure in which the first substrate layer 21 is a PET layer with a metal vapor deposition film on the upper side and gas barrier properties, the second substrate layer 22 is a PET layer, and the sealant layer 23 is polyethylene (PE), with the laminate structure being VMPET 12 μm / ink / adhesive / PET 25 μm / adhesive / PE film 30 μm.

[0086] While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications are possible. For example, although the above embodiments have a base portion located between the mouth portion and the shoulder portion, the mouth portion and the shoulder portion may be connected without a base portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Outer cylinder 1A...Lower hem 1B...Slope surface 2...Inner cylinder 2A Elastic leg piece 3. Inner ring 3A... (End of inner ring 3) 5. Slit 7 First claw 7C···First inner tip (of first claw piece 7) 8. Second claw 8C···Second inner tip (of second claw 8) 10.....(tube container 30) body 31 laminate 10A: Raw roll (of laminate 10 of body 31 of tube container 30) 11...First base layer 12. First sealant layer 13...Second base material layer 15 Second sealant layer 16...protective layer 20. Hermetic seal 20A...Sealed part 20B···Knob 21...First base layer 22...Second base material layer 23. Sealant layer 30 tube containers 31 Torso 32 Body attachment section 33A: The outer edge of the bonded joint when bonding the body 33B: The edge of the joint that will be the inside when the body is joined. 34A...Opening (upper side) 34B...Opening (lower side) 35...Shoulder 36...Mouth 37... Head molding 38···Base 39 Bottom seal 45 Locking part 45A···Upper locking part 45B···Lower locking part 45C... (of the locking portion 45) outer protruding end 46···Top 47...outer surface 48...Inner surface 49...Aperture 60···Cap 61···Tabletop L... Cutting line

Claims

1. A tube container with a cap having a tube container and a cap, The cap includes a top plate, a cylindrical outer tube, an inner tube, and an inner ring, which are arranged in this order from the outside and extend on the inner surface of the top plate. The inner tube has a tip end provided with a plurality of elastic leg pieces, each of which has two inward-facing claw pieces. The tube container is The container comprises a body having a pair of bonded end portions, a mouth including a discharge opening, a shoulder portion located between the body and the mouth and having an outer periphery that widens toward the body, and a sealing seal bonded to a top surface that is the open end of the mouth so as to cover the opening of the mouth, The diameter of the inner edge of the mouth portion is approximately equal to the diameter of the outer edge of the inner ring, The capped tube container has a locking portion whose outer circumference widens at a first angle toward the body and narrows at a second angle greater than the first angle.

2. 2. The capped tube container according to claim 1, further comprising a seat portion located between the mouth portion and the shoulder portion and having an outer periphery larger than an outer periphery of the mouth portion.

3. 3. A capped tube container according to claim 1, wherein the claw pieces include a first claw piece and a second claw piece located closer to the top plate than the first claw piece, and the length of the inner ring is approximately equal to the distance between the inner tip of the first claw piece and the inner tip of the second claw piece.

4. The capped tube container according to claim 1 , wherein the mouth and the shoulder contain a plant-derived resin.

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