Containers and methods for manufacturing containers

Abstract

To provide a container that maintains a high bonding strength between the body and head while ensuring that the residual amount when the contents are completely poured out is less than 5 percent.SOLUTION: The container, which has a flexible body and is used to press and dispense contents, comprises: an opening; a cylindrical side wall formed around the periphery of the opening; a fusion flange that can be fused to the body, a spout consisting of these parts; and a cap that fits onto the side wall of the spout and can be opened and closed. The periphery of the spout is formed with a fusion flange that has a smooth inner surface, the thickness of the body is less than 200 μm, and the body is fused by bending it at a right angle to cover the outer periphery of the fusion flange. The surface of the fusion flange to which the body is fused is flat, and the body can be crushed into a flat state. The external diameter of the cap and the external diameter of the fusion flange are substantially matched.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container that stores a high-viscosity liquid such as toothpaste as its content, has a flexible container body, and can either squeeze out the content or shake out solids or powders.

Background Art

[0002] Containers that store high-viscosity liquids such as toothpaste, butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, adhesives, etc. as their content have used extrusion containers with a flexible container body to squeeze out the content. These mainly consist of containers formed by cutting a circular irregular extrusion tube and fusing the neck, or by rolling up a laminated sheet, sealing the back to form the body, and then welding the neck to it, or thin-walled soft blow-molded containers, etc., and are used in many food and non-food fields.

[0003] As methods for forming the neck, methods such as injection molding and compression molding are adopted, and there are known methods of fusing to the body simultaneously during molding and methods of fusing the formed neck in a separate process. However, when those necks try to fuse to the end face of the body, the fusion area is small, resulting in insufficient strength, and problems such as the neck coming off from the body during extrusion have occurred.

[0004] Regarding this problem, for example, in Patent Document 1, In claim 1, a foldable dispensing container comprising a deformable body with low permeability, a head coupled to one end of the body by a peripheral band, and a barrier member made of an impermeable material fixed to the inner surface of the head, the barrier member having a structure embedded in the head for fixing to the head. Claim 2 proposes a foldable dispensing container comprising a deformable tube body with low permeability, a thermoplastic head including a peripheral band attached to one end of the body, and a barrier member made of an impermeable material fixed to the inner surface of the head and having a peripheral end that faces into the inner wall of the end of the tube body and maintains a distance from the inner wall, wherein the peripheral band of the head has an annular projection located at the lower edge of the peripheral end of the barrier member.

[0005] Here, instead of simply fusing to the end face of the body of the distribution container, the fusion strength between the body and the head is increased by embedding the end face of the body into the head, or by forming an annular protrusion and fusing it to the inner surface of the tip of the body. At that time, the dispensing container was designed with the premise that its head structure consisted of a neck with a screw thread and a chest, with the chest being conical in shape. Dispensing containers, also known as tube containers or extrusion containers, generally adopted a method of making the contents easy to dispense and ensuring fusion strength by having such a sloping conical shape for the chest. However, when the chest portion had a conical, sloping shape, there was a problem in that about 5 to 10 percent of the product would remain after dispensing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 46-5985 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to obtain a container that maintains high fusion strength between the body and the top while ensuring that the remaining amount of contents after pouring out is less than 5 percent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a container having a flexible body and for dispensing contents by pressing, comprising: a spout having an opening, a cylindrical side wall formed around the periphery of the opening, and a fusion flange that can be fused to the body; and a cap that fits onto the side wall of the spout and can be opened and closed, wherein the periphery of the spout is formed by a fusion flange having a smooth inner surface, the wall thickness of the body is less than 200 μm, the body covers the outer periphery of the fusion flange and is bent inward at a right angle and fused, the surface of the fusion flange to which the body is fused is flat, the body can be crushed into a flat state, and the outer diameter of the cap and the outer diameter of the fusion flange are approximately the same. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The container of the present invention has a spout with a smooth, flat inner surface, which allows for the formation of a flat fusion surface, thereby increasing the fusion strength between the body and the head. Furthermore, by creating a spout with a smooth, flat inner surface, there is no gap for contents to accumulate below the head, and the only gap is inside the neck that forms the screw portion. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of contents remaining when the contents are poured out completely. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the container of the present invention with the hinge cap open. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view near the spout of the container of the present invention, showing the process of pulling up the pull tab on the top lid and opening the closing plate. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the spout of the container of the present invention, showing the container in an open state and the container in a state where the hinge cap has been closed after opening. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the container of the present invention with all of its contents poured out. [Figure 5] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a container of the present invention in which a barrier film is fused to the inner surface of the spout. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the container of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a container 1, an example of the present invention, with the hinge cap 4 open. The container 1 of the present invention consists of a thin-walled, highly flexible body 2, a rigid spout 3 fused to one end of the body 2, and a hinge cap 4 fitted to the spout 3 by screwing or driving in a plug. The contents of container 1 can be dispensed by pressing the flexible body portion 2 described above.

[0012] The body portion 2 is formed from a tubular sheet having at least one sealant layer 23 in its innermost layer. The body portion may be a tube extruded into a pipe shape by a deformed extrusion molding method, or it may be a body portion formed by partially overlapping the left and right ends of a rectangular or square film to form a tube, and then fusing the vicinity of the joined ends. The body portion 2 has a spout 3 and a spout fusion portion 21 formed at its upper end, and at its lower end, after filling with contents, the sealant layers 23 are joined together to form a bottom seal portion 22, thus forming the container 1. The body 2 used in conventional tube containers is about 400 μm thick and formed from a rigid sheet or tube, but the body 2 used in the container of the present invention is a thin-walled, flexible body with a thickness of 300 μm or less, preferably less than 200 μm. This makes it easier to bend the spout fusion portion 21 inward at a right angle, allowing the body portion 2 to be easily fused to the spout 3. For this reason, it is desirable that the body portion 2 not only uses a sealant layer 23 as the innermost layer, but also that the outermost layer 24 be made of a thermoplastic, highly fusionable resin material similar to sealant, or a laminated structure including a highly shrinkable, biaxially stretched crystalline resin layer.

[0013] The spout 3 is formed by a structure consisting of a side wall 32 formed in a cylindrical shape around the periphery of an opening 310 that can be opened by breaking a closing plate 31 formed with a weak portion 311 at its periphery, and a fusion flange 33 that can be fused to the body portion 2.

[0014] A pull ring 312 is firmly fastened to the outside of the closing plate 31 via a support column 313. And it is configured such that an opening 310 that can be opened by pulling up the pull ring 312 and tearing the closing plate 31 from the spout 3 can be formed. Note that the opening means is not limited to the above method, and other methods may also be used.

[0015] Also, the side wall 32 has a locking portion 321 that fits with the cap body 41 of the hinge cap 4. Instead of this locking portion 321, a screwing thread (male thread) may be provided. In that case, a corresponding thread (female thread) must also be provided on the side wall 411 of the cap body, and anti-slip processing such as a knurling must be performed on the outer surface of the outer wall 412 of the cap body.

[0016] The fusion flange 33 is formed of a flange having a smooth inner surface, a planar shape, and a uniform thickness. Fusion occurs between the outermost sealant layer 23 of the body portion 2 and the outer surface of the fusion flange 33. At this time, when the body portion 2 covers and fuses with the outer peripheral edge of the fusion flange 33, the shape of the container becomes stable, and the spout 3 can be more firmly fused to the body portion 2. Also, since the inner surface of the fusion flange 33 is smooth and planar, the remaining amount of the contents decreases, causing the inner surfaces of the front and back sides of the body portion 2 of the body portion 2 to adhere to each other, and the inner surface of the body portion 2 to adhere to the inner surface of the fusion flange 33. By doing so, the remaining amount of the contents remains only in the pouring outlet portion surrounded by the side wall 32, and the remaining amount can be made very small.

[0017] The hinge cap 4 consists of a cap body 41 that fits with the spout 3, and an upper cover 42 that is rotatable via a hinge 43 at one end of the outer circumference of the cap body 41.

[0018] The cap body 41 has a dispensing hole 410 in the center, an inner ring 413 on the inner side of the dispensing hole 410, an inner wall 411 of the cap body on the outside of that, and an outer wall 412 of the cap body further out. The main body inner ring 413 and the inner wall 411 of the cap body sandwich the side wall 32. The locking ring 4111 of the inner wall 411 of the cap body locks onto the locking portion 321 of the side wall 32 from the outside, and the main body inner ring 413 abuts against it from the inside, creating a strong fit between the spout 3 and the cap body 4. A dispensing ring 414 and a lid retaining ring 415 are provided on the outer surface of the cap body 41.

[0019] The top cover 42 of the hinge cap 4 is provided with a top cover plate 421, a top cover side wall 422 hanging down from the periphery of the top cover plate 421, and a top cover inner ring 423 hanging down from the center of the top cover plate 421. A hinge 43 is provided at the lower end of the top cover side wall 422 and is connected to the cap body 41. When rotated via the hinge 43, the inner ring 423 of the top lid is inserted into the dispensing hole 410, contacts the dispensing ring 414, and seals the lid. Furthermore, the side wall 422 of the top lid is provided with a top lid locking portion 4221, which locks onto the lid retaining ring 415 of the cap body 41, allowing the top lid 42 to be held in a closed position.

[0020] Figure 2-1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the container of the present invention in an unopened state. In an unopened state, such as when the product is on display in a store, the closing plate 31 is connected to the spout 3. At the same time, the inner ring 423 of the top lid is inserted with contact with the inner tip of the dispensing ring 414, the top lid locking portion 4221 of the top lid side wall 422 is locked to the lid locking ring 415, the top lid 42 is fitted onto the cap body 41, and the dispensing hole 410 is covered and closed.

[0021] Figure 2-2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the first step in opening the container of the present invention. Hook your finger or the like onto the flange 424 and pull the top cover 42 upwards. At this time, the top cover locking part 4221 will disengage from its engagement with the cover retaining ring 415, allowing the top cover 42 to rotate around the hinge 43 and be opened. At the same time, the inner ring 423 of the top cover, which was fitted onto the dispensing ring 414 that forms the periphery of the dispensing hole 410, comes off the dispensing hole 410, exposing the pull ring 312.

[0022] Figure 3-1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the process of opening the closing plate 31. Hook your fingertip onto the pull ring 312 inside the dispensing hole 410 and pull it upward to open the closing plate 31. Since the closing plate 31 is surrounded by a thin, fragile portion 311 around its periphery, if you pull the pull ring 312 strongly, the fragile portion 311 will break, opening the spout 3 only to the extent where the closing plate 31 was, allowing you to open the bottle. In this state, by placing fingers on both the front and back of the thin-walled, highly flexible body 2 and pressing to reduce the distance between them, the contents can be dispensed from the dispensing hole 410.

[0023] Figure 3-2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the bottle after opening and closing the hinge cap. When the cap is opened, the spout 3 where the closing plate 31 was located is open, but when the top lid 42 is rotated via the hinge and the lid retaining ring 415 is locked to the top lid locking part 4221, the top lid inner ring 423 is inserted onto the inner surface of the tip of the pouring ring 414 of the pouring hole 410, making it possible to seal it again.

[0024] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the contents 5 after they have been completely poured out. When the contents 5 are poured out completely, the thin-walled, highly flexible body 2 comes into close contact with its inner surfaces. At this time, the body 2 near the spout 3 comes into close proximity to the inner surface of the spout. In the container of the present invention, since the inner surface of the spout is a fused flange consisting of a smooth plane, the inner surface of the body 2 can be brought into complete contact with the inner surface of the spout 3. Therefore, the remaining amount of contents 5 inside container 1 is limited to the area inside the dispensing hole 410, thus significantly reducing the amount remaining. The body 2 may be perpendicular to the inner surface of spout I in order to push out the contents 5 more forcefully, but by pressing it parallel to the inner surface of spout II, it is possible to ensure that the contents 5 in the body 2 are pushed out to the very end. By pressing the body against the inner surface of the spout in this manner, you can reliably reduce the remaining contents to less than 5 percent.

[0025] The body of the container used in the present invention is a thin-walled, flexible body with a thickness of 300 μm or less, preferably less than 200 μm, and a sealant layer is used as the innermost layer. As an example of an embodiment, the body may be a single extruded tube made of low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, etc., but it may also be a very thin structure, such as low-density polyethylene (thickness 30 μm) / adhesive / biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (thickness 25 μm) / adhesive / low-density polyethylene (thickness 30 μm) with a total thickness of 85 μm from the inside. Furthermore, the composition from the inside out is low-density polyethylene / adhesive / ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer saponified / adhesive / low-density polyethylene, The composition may be low-density polyethylene / adhesive / biaxially oriented polyamide film / adhesive / low-density polyethylene, and these may be laminated films formed by bonding the films together using a dry lamination machine or extruder lamination machine. In this configuration, a thin yet strong body can be obtained, which is formed into a rectangular sheet shape, rolled into a tube, and the left and right ends are overlapped and fused together to form the body of a laminate tube.

[0026] Furthermore, the composition from the inside out is low-density polyethylene / maleic anhydride-modified low-density polyethylene / ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer saponified / maleic anhydride-modified low-density polyethylene / low-density polyethylene, The body may be formed directly into a tube shape using a co-extrusion shape extruder with a composition such as low-density polyethylene / maleic anhydride-modified low-density polyethylene / polyamide / maleic anhydride-modified low-density polyethylene / low-density polyethylene, or a film extruded using a co-extrusion inflation molding machine with such a composition may be formed into a laminate tube.

[0027] The spout is made of a resin that readily fuses with the sealant layer used for the body, and also has the rigidity to fit into the cap body of the hinge cap. It is molded using an injection molding die and injection molding machine. Suitable resins for injection molding of spouts include low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

[0028] A barrier film may be fused to the inner surface of the spout 3 to create a barrier spout 3. Figure 5 shows an example in which a barrier film 34 is fused to the inner surface of the spout 3 before the body 2 is fused to the spout 3. As shown in Figure 5, the barrier film 34 may be fused to the spout 3 after it has been formed, or a high-barrier film may be inserted into the inner surface when forming the spout 3 to create a barrier spout. Figure 5 shows a state in which a film weakening area 341 is provided by scanning the film with a laser beam so that when the closing plate 31 is broken, the barrier film 34 is cut at the periphery of the closing plate 31 at the same time. Examples of films with high barrier properties include low-density polyethylene / adhesive / ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer saponified / adhesive / low-density polyethylene, Low-density polyethylene / adhesive / biaxially oriented polyamide film / adhesive / low-density polyethylene, Low-density polyethylene / aluminum foil / low-density polyethylene, These configurations are possible. They can also be obtained by inserting them into the inner surface of the spout and molding. When a film is fused to the entire inner surface and a film weak area 341 is provided in the weak area of ​​the film by scanning it with a laser beam, when the pull ring 312 is pulled up, the simultaneously fused barrier film 34 also breaks at the periphery of the closing plate 31, resulting in a container with high barrier properties.

[0029] The hinge cap is manufactured by injection molding a resin that is easy to mold into the hinge. Suitable resins for use include polypropylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer. As shown in the hinge cap in Figure 1, the hinge is molded straight during the molding process, and immediately after molding, the hinge is bent to align the molecular orientation and make it less prone to breakage during opening and closing.

[0030] The container of the present invention is as described above, and by combining a thin-walled, highly flexible body with a flat spout having a smooth inner surface, the fusion strength between the body and the spout is increased, and the contents can be poured out almost to the very last drop, minimizing the amount of remaining liquid. Furthermore, since the spout can be made by laminating a highly barrier film, the present invention offers significant advantages, such as the ability to create a container with high preservation performance. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 1... Container 2········Torso 21. Spout fusion joint 22·······Bottom seal section 23·······Sealant layer 24... Outermost layer 3. Spout 31... Closing plate 311······Vulnerable parts 312······Pull ring 313... Prop 32...Side wall 321······Locking part 33·······Fusion flange 34. Barrier film 341······Film weak points 4...Hinge cap 41·······Cap body 410...Spout hole 411······Inner wall of the cap body 4111·····Locking ring 412······Cap body outer wall 413······Main body inner ring 414······Dispensing Ring 415······Lid retaining ring 42...Top lid 421······Top lid 422······Upper lid side wall 4221·····Upper cover locking part 423······Upper lid inner ring 424······Tsuba 43...Hinge 5... Contents

Claims

1. In a container having a flexible body and for dispensing contents by pressing, It has a spout consisting of an opening, a cylindrical side wall formed around the periphery of the opening, and a fusion flange that can be fused to the body, and a cap that fits onto the side wall of the spout and can be opened and closed, The periphery of the spout is formed by a fusion flange having a smooth inner surface. The thickness of the body portion is less than 200 μm. The aforementioned body portion covers the outer peripheral edge of the fusion flange and is bent inward at a right angle and fused together. The surface of the fused flange to which this body is fused is flat. The aforementioned body can be flattened by crushing it, A container characterized in that the outer diameter of the cap and the outer diameter of the fusion flange are substantially the same.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the spout and cap are fitted together by screwing or by pressing.

3. In a method for manufacturing a container having a flexible body and for dispensing contents by pressing, The container has a spout comprising an opening, a cylindrical side wall formed around the periphery of the opening, and a fusion flange that can be fused to the body, and a cap that fits onto the side wall of the spout and can be opened and closed. The periphery of the spout is formed by a fusion flange having a smooth inner surface. The thickness of the body portion is less than 200 μm. The aforementioned body portion covers the outer peripheral edge of the fusion flange, is bent inward at a right angle, and is fused to the flat surface of the fusion flange. The aforementioned body can be flattened by crushing it, A method for manufacturing a container, characterized in that the outer diameter of the cap and the outer diameter of the fusion flange are substantially the same.

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