Laminated tube containers and tube containers with caps

Abstract

To provide a laminate tube and a tube container with a cap that can reduce the amount of a remaining content.SOLUTION: A laminate tube container 10 includes a body tube 30 having a laminate 50 and a head member 40 joined to one end 31 of the body tube 30. The head member 40 includes an ethylene methyl methacrylate copolymer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to laminated tube containers and tube containers with caps. [Background technology]

[0002] Tube containers have been known for some time (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a tube container formed by blow molding.

[0003] On the other hand, with tube containers formed by blow molding, it is difficult to use metal foil or the like, and it can be difficult to provide the desired barrier properties to the tube container.

[0004] In contrast, laminated tube containers are known in which the body tube is made of a laminated material (for example, Patent Document 2). Patent Document 2 discloses a tube container in which delamination does not occur in the body of the tube container even when the filling material inside the tube container contains a highly permeable substance.

[0005] In such laminated tube containers, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is generally used as the material for the head member that is joined to the body tube. Furthermore, in order to improve the barrier properties of the laminated tube container, the head member may be formed to have a desired thickness. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 63-26687 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-220900 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Incidentally, with conventional tube containers, it is difficult to completely use up the contents. In particular, the head component is generally made to be more rigid than the body tube. Therefore, it can be difficult to squeeze out the contents that adhere to the head component. Also, depending on the shape of the head component, it can be difficult to scrape out the contents that adhere to the head component with the user's fingers. As a result, there is a problem of contents remaining inside the tube container, and it is desirable to reduce the amount of contents remaining.

[0008] This disclosure has been made with these points in mind and aims to provide laminated tubes and tube containers with caps that can reduce the amount of remaining contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A laminate tube container according to one embodiment comprises a body tube having a laminate and a head member joined to one end of the body tube, wherein the head member contains an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer.

[0010] In a laminate tube container according to one embodiment, the head member has a mouth portion and a shoulder portion provided below the mouth portion, and the thickness of the shoulder portion may be 1.0 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less.

[0011] In a laminated tube container according to one embodiment, the head member may further contain an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer.

[0012] In a laminate tube container according to one embodiment, the content of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer in the head member may be 10% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less.

[0013] In a laminate tube container according to one embodiment, the density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 920 kg / m³. 3Above 940 kg / m 3 It may be below.

[0014] In the laminate tube container according to one embodiment, the melt flow rate of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer may be 0.3 g / 10 min or more and 20.0 g / 10 min or less.

[0015] The capped tube container according to one embodiment is a capped tube container including the laminate tube container according to one embodiment and a cap attached to the head member. [Effect of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, the remaining amount of the content can be reduced. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a capped tube container according to the present embodiment filled with a content. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional views taken along lines IIA, IIB, IIC-IIA, IIB, IIC in FIG. 1) showing a capped tube container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional views taken along lines IIA, IIB, IIC-IIA, IIB, IIC in FIG. 1) showing a capped tube container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional views taken along lines IIA, IIB, IIC-IIA, IIB, IIC in FIG. 1) showing a capped tube container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a layer structure of a laminate of a laminate tube container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a method for manufacturing a tube container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a method for manufacturing a tube container according to the present embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 5 are diagrams illustrating one embodiment. The following figures are schematic diagrams. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are exaggerated as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, it can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical concept. In the following figures, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some detailed explanations may be omitted. In addition, the numerical values ​​such as dimensions and material names of each component described in this specification are examples of embodiments and are not limited to them; they can be selected and used as appropriate. In this specification, terms that specify shapes and geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and perpendicular, will be interpreted to include not only their strict meaning but also substantially the same state.

[0019] First, Figure 1 will illustrate the capped tube container 10A according to this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the capped tube container 10A according to this embodiment comprises a laminated tube container 10 according to this embodiment and a cap 20 attached to a head member 40 of the laminated tube container 10, which will be described later.

[0021] Of these, the laminate tube container 10 comprises a body tube 30 which is a laminate-molded tube and a head member 40 joined to one end 31 of the body tube 30.

[0022] Here, we will first describe the top component 40 of the laminate tube container 10.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the head member 40 has a mouth portion 41 and a shoulder portion 42 provided below the mouth portion 41. The mouth portion 41 is configured to be fitted with a cap 20.

[0024] In this embodiment, the thickness of the shoulder portion 42 is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less. A thickness of 1.0 mm or more for the shoulder portion 42 improves the barrier properties, impact resistance, and rigidity of the laminate tube container 10. Furthermore, a thickness of 1.2 mm or less for the shoulder portion 42 suppresses a decrease in the flexibility of the head member 40.

[0025] Here, the head member 40 contains an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer (hereinafter also simply referred to as EMMA). This improves the flexibility of the head member 40. As a result, it becomes easier for the user's fingers to scrape off any contents adhering to the inner surface of the shoulder portion 42 of the head member 40.

[0026] In the head member 40, the content of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is preferably 10% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less. A content of 10% by weight or more of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer effectively improves the flexibility of the head member 40. Furthermore, a content of 25% by weight or less of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer improves moldability, for example, when the head member 40 is molded by compression molding. Additionally, a content of 25% by weight or less of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer suppresses a decrease in the rigidity of the head member 40. Therefore, when attaching the cap 20 to the head member 40, the occurrence of improper attachment of the cap 20 can be suppressed.

[0027] The density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 920 kg / m³. 3 More than 940kg / m 3 Preferably, the density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 920 kg / m³. 3 As a result, the rigidity of the head member 40 can be effectively improved. Furthermore, the density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 940 kg / m³. 3 The flexibility of the head member 40 can be effectively improved by the following:

[0028] The melt flow rate (MFR) of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is preferably 0.3 g / 10 min or more and 20.0 g / 10 min or less. A melt flow rate of 0.3 g / 10 min or more of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer makes it easier to extrude the molten resin when molding the head member 40 by compression molding. Therefore, the moldability of the head member 40 when molded by compression molding can be improved. Furthermore, a melt flow rate of 20.0 g / 10 min or less of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer allows, for example, the shape of the extruded resin to be maintained in a predetermined shape, and prevents the extruded resin from flowing out of the mold during compression molding. Therefore, the moldability of the head member 40 when molded by compression molding can be improved. Here, "melt flow rate" refers to the value measured by Method A under the conditions of a temperature of 190°C and a load of 21.2 N, as specified in JIS K7210-1995.

[0029] Furthermore, the tensile fracture strain of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is preferably 720% or more and 750% or less. By having a tensile fracture strain of 720% or more of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, the flexibility of the head member 40 can be effectively improved. Also, by having a tensile fracture strain of 750% or less of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, a decrease in the rigidity of the head member 40 can be suppressed. Therefore, when attaching the cap 20 to the head member 40, the occurrence of improper attachment of the cap 20 can be suppressed. Here, "tensile fracture strain" is the value measured by the method specified in JIS K7161-1:2014.

[0030] Furthermore, the durometer hardness of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is preferably 30 or more and 40 or less. A durometer hardness of 30 or more for the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer suppresses a decrease in the rigidity of the head member 40. Therefore, when attaching the cap 20 to the head member 40, the occurrence of improper attachment of the cap 20 can be suppressed. In addition, a durometer hardness of 40 or less for the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer suppresses a decrease in the flexibility of the head member 40. Therefore, the head member 40 can be easily crushed, and the contents can be easily squeezed out of the laminate tube container 10. Here, "durometer hardness" refers to the value measured using a Type D durometer in the method specified in JIS K7215-1986.

[0031] Furthermore, the head member 40 may further contain ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer (hereinafter also simply referred to as EMA). This further improves the flexibility of the head member 40. As a result, it becomes easier for the user's fingers to scrape off contents adhering to the inner surface of the shoulder portion 42 of the head member 40. In this case, it is preferable that the content of ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer in the head member 40 is 10% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less. By having a content of ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer of 10% by weight or more, the flexibility of the head member 40 can be further effectively improved. By having a content of ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer of 25% by weight or less, a decrease in the rigidity of the head member 40 can be suppressed.

[0032] Such a head member 40 can be formed, for example, by compression molding or injection molding, as will be described later. By forming the head member 40 by compression molding or injection molding, the dimensional accuracy of the mouth portion 41 can be improved, for example. For this reason, the laminated tube container 10 according to this embodiment can improve the airtightness of the capped tube container 10A compared to a tube container formed by blow molding.

[0033] Next, the body tube 30 of the laminate tube container 10 will be described. The body tube 30 has a cylindrical shape with one end sealed, as shown in Figure 1. This body tube 30 has a laminated body 50 (see Figure 3) that has been laminated. The body tube 30 also has a body seal portion 32, which is formed by connecting the laminated bodies 50 together when they are rolled into a cylindrical shape. This body seal portion 32 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the body tube 30 (up and down direction in Figure 1).

[0034] As shown in Figure 2A, the body seal portion 32 may be a portion obtained by overlapping opposing ends 35 and joining them together, for example, by heat sealing. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 2B and 2C, the body seal portion 32 may be a portion obtained by butting opposing end faces 35a together and joining the end 35 and the tape (joining member) 32a together, for example, by heat sealing. Note that the tape 32a may be provided only on one side of the body tube 30 (for example, the inner side), as shown in Figure 2B. Alternatively, the tape 32a may be provided on both sides of the body tube 30 (the inner side and the outer side), as shown in Figure 2C.

[0035] Furthermore, the body tube 30 has a bottom seal portion 34 where the laminated bodies 50 are joined together. This bottom seal portion 34 is the part where the laminated bodies 50 near the opening 50B (see Figures 4 and 5) formed at the other end 33 of the body tube 30 are joined together after an appropriate amount of contents C has been filled in. The contents C may be, for example, an alcohol-containing cleansing agent, sunscreen, toothpaste, treatment, body cream, or hair styling product (so-called hair wax).

[0036] Next, the layer structure of the laminate 50 will be described. Figure 3 shows an example of the layer structure of the laminate 50 that constitutes the body tube 30. As shown in Figure 3, the laminate 50 comprises a first sealant layer 51, a base material layer 52, and a second sealant layer 53, which are arranged in order from the outer surface 501 toward the inner surface 502.

[0037] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the laminate 50 comprises, in order from the outer surface 501 to the inner surface 502, a first sealant layer 51, a first adhesive layer 55a, a base material layer 52, a printing layer 54, a second adhesive layer 55b, a barrier layer 56, an intermediate layer 57, and a second sealant layer 53. In the example shown in Figure 3, the first sealant layer 51 constitutes the outer surface of the body tube 30. The second sealant layer 53 constitutes the inner surface of the body tube 30.

[0038] The following describes each layer of the laminate 50.

[0039] First sealant layer The first sealant layer 51 is a layer for bonding the laminates 50 together. The material used to make up the first sealant layer 51 is a material that melts and fuses when heated. For example, polyolefin is used for the first sealant layer 51. More specifically, the first sealant layer 51 may be a resin consisting of one or more of the following: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyolefin resins such as polypropylene modified with acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, or other unsaturated carboxylic acids, polyvinyl acetate resin, polyester resin, polystyrene resin, polyacrylonitrile, saturated polyester, or other resins such as polyvinyl alcohol. If the first sealant layer 51 contains polyethylene, the polyethylene may also contain biomass-derived components.

[0040] In this embodiment, when producing the first sealant layer 51, for example, first, a desired additive is optionally added to a resin composition mainly composed of one or more of the above-mentioned resins. In this way, the desired resin composition is prepared. Next, using the resin composition prepared above, a film or sheet as the first sealant layer 51 is formed using, for example, the inflation method or other molding method.

[0041] Furthermore, the material used for the first sealant layer 51 may optionally contain an antiblocking agent, a lubricant (such as a fatty acid amide), a flame retardant, an inorganic or organic filler, or the like.

[0042] In this embodiment, the thickness of the first sealant layer 51 is preferably 50 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[0043] Base material layer The base layer 52 is a layer that supports, for example, the first sealant layer 51 and the second sealant layer 53, and also increases the overall strength of the laminate 50. The material constituting the base layer 52 may be, for example, a polyester resin, polyamide resin, polyaramid resin, polyolefin resin, polycarbonate resin, polyacetal resin, fluororesin, or other tough resin. The base layer 52 may also be made from a film or sheet made of the above-mentioned resin. As an example, the base layer 52 may contain polyethylene terephthalate. If the base layer 52 contains polyethylene terephthalate, the polyethylene terephthalate may contain biomass-derived components.

[0044] Furthermore, an unstretched film may be used as the resin film or sheet mentioned above. Alternatively, a stretched film that is uniaxially or biaxially stretched may be used as the resin film or sheet mentioned above. Of these, a biaxially stretched film has excellent printability. For this reason, the film used as the base layer 52 is preferably a biaxially stretched polyester resin film.

[0045] Further, the base material layer 52 may contain paper. In this case, as the base material layer 52, those that impart formability, bending resistance, rigidity, etc. to the laminate 50, for example, coated paper or uncoated paper, or paper substrates such as pure white roll paper, kraft paper, cardboard, processed paper, etc. may be used. Also, the basis weight of the paper constituting the base material layer 52 is, for example, 80 g / m 2 or more and 600 g / m 2 or less, and may also be 100 g / m 2 or more and 450 g / m 2 or less, which is preferable.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the thickness of the base material layer 52 is preferably 10 μm or more and 25 μm or less.

[0047] Second sealant layer The second sealant layer 53 is a layer for bonding the laminates 50 to each other. As the material constituting the second sealant layer 53, for example, the same material as the above-described first sealant layer 51 may be used.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the thickness of the second sealant layer 53 is preferably 50 μm or more and 250 μm or less.

[0049] printing layer The printed layer 54 is a layer on which a design or pattern is printed. The printed layer 54 is a layer for improving the design of the laminate 50. As the printed layer 54, an ink composition mainly composed of one or more ordinary ink vehicles may be used. Alternatively, as the printed layer 54, an ink composition obtained by optionally adding one or more additives, further adding colorants such as dyes and pigments, and then thoroughly mixing with a solvent, diluent, etc. may be used. As additives, plasticizers, stabilizers, antioxidants, light stabilizers, ultraviolet absorbers, curing agents, crosslinking agents, lubricants, antistatic agents, fillers, or other additives may be used. Examples of such ink vehicles include linseed oil, tung oil, soybean oil, hydrocarbon oil, rosin, rosin ester, rosin-modified resin, shellac, alkyd resin, phenolic resin, maleic acid resin, natural resin, hydrocarbon resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyacetic acid resin, polystyrene resin, polyvinyl butyral resin, acrylic or methacrylic resin, polyamide resin, polyester resin, polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, urea resin, melamine resin, aminoalkyd resin, nitrocellulose, ethylcellulose, chlorinated rubber, cyclopolymer rubber, or one or more of the following materials. The printing method may be gravure printing, letterpress printing, screen printing, transfer printing, flexographic printing, or other printing methods. In this specification, "picture" means characters, figures, symbols, patterns, or colors, or combinations thereof.

[0050] adhesive layer The adhesive layers, such as the first adhesive layer 55a and the second adhesive layer 55b, are layers for bonding the first sealant layer 51, the substrate layer 52, or the second sealant layer 53 to each other. The material constituting the adhesive layer can be appropriately selected depending on the resin that makes up the layer to be bonded.

[0051] As the adhesive layer, for example, anchor coating agents such as isocyanate-based (urethane-based), polyethyleneimine-based, polybutadiene-based, or organotitanium-based may be used. Alternatively, as the adhesive layer, for example, polyurethane-based, polyacrylic-based, polyester-based, epoxy-based, polyvinyl acetate-based, cellulose-based, or other laminating adhesives may be optionally used.

[0052] Furthermore, suitable materials for the adhesive layer include, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA), ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, ionomer, or maleic anhydride-modified polyolefin resin.

[0053] In this embodiment, the thickness of the adhesive layer is preferably 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less.

[0054] Furthermore, the method for laminating the first sealant layer 51, the substrate layer 52, or the second sealant layer 53, etc., with each other may be, for example, a wet lamination method, a dry lamination method, a solvent-free dry lamination method, an extrusion lamination method, a co-extrusion lamination method, an inflation method, or any other method. In addition, when performing the lamination described above, the film may be subjected to pretreatment such as corona treatment or ozone treatment.

[0055] Barrier layer The barrier layer 56 is a layer for suppressing the permeation of oxygen gas and water vapor. For example, the barrier layer 56 may be made of a gas barrier material against oxygen gas or water vapor, a light-shielding material against sunlight, or a material with aroma-retaining properties for the contents. Specifically, the barrier layer 56 may be made of aluminum foil, tin, lead, copper, iron, nickel or alloys thereof, or a metal vapor-deposited layer such as aluminum. When aluminum foil is used as the barrier layer 56, the thickness of the barrier layer 56 may be approximately 5 μm to 20 μm. Using aluminum foil as the barrier layer 56 facilitates the fabrication of the laminate 50.

[0056] Furthermore, when using a metal vapor-deposited layer such as aluminum as the barrier layer 56, a thin film of metal such as aluminum can be formed on the intermediate layer 57 using, for example, a physical vapor deposition method (PVD method) such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, ion plating, or cluster ion beam.

[0057] When an aluminum metal vapor-deposited layer is used as the barrier layer 56, the thickness of the barrier layer 56 is usually preferably 50 Å to 3000 Å, and particularly preferably 100 Å to 2000 Å. In addition, in order to improve the adhesion of the vapor-deposited film, the surface of the intermediate layer 57 that supports the above-mentioned aluminum vapor-deposited thin film may be pre-coated with, for example, a vapor deposition primer, and any other necessary pre-treatment may be optionally applied to the surface of the intermediate layer 57.

[0058] Furthermore, the barrier layer 56 may be a transparent vapor-deposited layer that can be formed by conventionally known methods. The barrier layer 56 being a transparent vapor-deposited layer also makes the laminate 50 transparent. In this case, the barrier layer 56 may be a transparent vapor-deposited layer made of an inorganic oxide vapor-deposited layer.

[0059] As the transparent vapor-deposited layer, for example, a vapor-deposited layer of an oxide such as silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), tin (Sn), sodium (Na), boron (B), titanium (Ti), lead (Pb), zirconium (Zr), or yttrium (Y) can be used. In particular, for the transparent vapor-deposited layer for the laminate tube container 10, it is preferable to have a vapor-deposited layer containing aluminum oxide or silicon oxide.

[0060] Inorganic oxides are written as, for example, SiO X AlO X MO X (In the formula, M represents an inorganic element, and the value of X has a different range depending on the inorganic element.) The range of X values ​​is as follows: silicon (Si) 0-2, aluminum (Al) 0-1.5, magnesium (Mg) 0-1, calcium (Ca) 0-1, potassium (K) 0-0.5, tin (Sn) 0-2, sodium (Na) 0-0.5, boron (B) 0-1.5, titanium (Ti) 0-2, lead (Pb) 0-2, zirconium (Zr) 0-2, and yttrium (Y) 0-1.5. In the above, when X=0, it is a complete inorganic element (pure substance), and this inorganic element is not transparent. Also, the upper limit of the range of X is the value when it is completely oxidized. Silicon (Si) or aluminum (Al) is preferably used for the vapor deposition layer of packaging materials. In this case, if the inorganic element is silicon (Si), the value of X is preferably 1.0 to 2.0. If the inorganic element is aluminum (Al), the value of X is preferably 0.5 to 1.5.

[0061] The thickness of the transparent vapor-deposited layer varies depending on the type of inorganic oxide used, but it is preferable that the thickness of the transparent vapor-deposited layer be, for example, 50 Å to 2000 Å, preferably 100 Å to 1000 Å. For example, when the transparent vapor-deposited layer contains aluminum oxide or silicon oxide, the thickness of the transparent vapor-deposited layer is 50 Å to 500 Å, and more preferably 100 Å to 300 Å.

[0062] A transparent vapor-deposited layer can be formed on an intermediate layer using the following formation method. The formation method for the vapor-deposited layer may be, for example, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, or ion plating. Alternatively, the formation method for the vapor-deposited layer may be a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method such as plasma chemical vapor deposition, thermochemical vapor deposition, or photochemical vapor deposition. Specifically, the vapor-deposited layer can be formed on a molding roller using a roller-type vapor-deposited layer forming apparatus. Furthermore, a gas barrier coating film may be provided on the vapor-deposited layer. This suppresses the permeation of oxygen, water vapor, etc. Also, by providing the gas barrier coating film adjacent to the vapor-deposited layer, the occurrence of cracks in the vapor-deposited layer is effectively suppressed. The above gas barrier coating film contains at least one resin composition such as a hydrolysate or hydrolyzed condensate of a metal alkoxide. Resin compositions such as hydrolysates or hydrolyzed condensates of metal alkoxides are obtained by polycondensation of a mixture of metal alkoxide and a water-soluble polymer using the sol-gel method. Furthermore, during polycondensation by the sol-gel method, the resin compositions such as hydrolysates or hydrolyzed condensates of metal alkoxides are polycondensed in the presence of a sol-gel catalyst, water, and an organic solvent.

[0063] Middle class The intermediate layer 57 is, for example, a layer that supports the first sealant layer 51 or the second sealant layer 53 and increases the overall strength of the laminate 50. The material that makes up the intermediate layer 57 may be, for example, the same material as that that makes up the base layer 52 described above.

[0064] In this embodiment, the thickness of the intermediate layer 57 is preferably 10 μm or more and 25 μm or less.

[0065] Next, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, a method for manufacturing the capped tube container 10A will be described.

[0066] First, prepare, for example, the laminate 50 shown in Figure 3.

[0067] Next, as shown in Figure 4, for example, the laminate 50 is rolled into a cylindrical shape so that its ends 35 overlap. Then, the outer surface 501 and inner surface 502 of the laminate 50 are heat-sealed at the ends 35 to produce the body tube 30.

[0068] In this case, the first sealant layer 51 (see Figure 3) provided on the outer surface 501 side of the laminate 50 and the second sealant layer 53 (see Figure 3) provided on the inner surface 502 side are melted and joined together to obtain the body tube 30.

[0069] Next, the laminate tube container 10 described above is manufactured by compression molding. In this process, the body tube 30 is inserted into a mold (not shown), and molten resin is supplied into the mold from a resin supply device (not shown), thereby compression molding the head member 40 to one opening 50A of the body tube 30. This results in a laminate tube container 10 comprising the body tube 30 and the head member 40 joined to one end 31 of the body tube 30 (see Figure 5).

[0070] As mentioned above, the body tube 30 and the head member 40 are joined by heat welding when the head member 40 is formed by compression molding. However, the method is not limited to this, and the body tube 30 and the head member 40 may also be joined by injection molding.

[0071] Next, the cap 20 is attached to the top member 40 of the obtained laminate tube container 10, resulting in a capped tube container 10A. After that, the capped tube container 10A is transported to a factory or the like for filling with contents C.

[0072] Then, the capped tube container 10A, which has been transported to a factory or other facility for filling with contents C, is filled with contents C. At this time, for example, a cleansing agent, toothpaste, or other contents C is filled in an appropriate amount through the opening 50B (see Figure 5) of the body tube 30. Then, the opening 50B is welded to form a bottom seal portion 34 (see Figure 1), and a capped tube container 10A filled and packaged with contents C is obtained.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, the laminate tube container 10 comprises a body tube 30 having a laminate 50 and a head member 40 joined to one end 31 of the body tube 30. Furthermore, the head member 40 contains an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer. This improves the flexibility of the head member 40. As a result, contents adhering to the inner surface of the shoulder portion 42 of the head member 40 can be easily scraped out through the body tube 30 by the user's fingers. The reduction in the amount of contents remaining in the laminate tube container 10 in this way will be explained in the embodiments described later.

[0074] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the head member 40 further contains an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer. This further improves the flexibility of the head member 40. As a result, it becomes easier for the user's fingers to scrape off any contents adhering to the inner surface of the shoulder portion 42 of the head member 40. [Examples]

[0075] Next, we will describe specific examples of the above embodiments.

[0076] (Example 1) First, a laminate 50, as shown in Figure 3, was fabricated. In this process, a polyethylene terephthalate film (12 μm thick) was prepared as the base layer 52. Next, a printed layer 54 was formed on the polyethylene terephthalate film.

[0077] Furthermore, a polyethylene terephthalate film (12 μm thick) with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer (barrier layer 56) was prepared as the intermediate layer 57.

[0078] Furthermore, a linear low-density polyethylene film (thickness 130 μm) was prepared as the first sealant layer 51. In addition, a linear low-density polyethylene film (thickness 180 μm) was prepared as the second sealant layer 53.

[0079] Next, the films for the first sealant layer 51, the base layer 52, the intermediate layer 57, and the second sealant layer 53 were bonded together by dry lamination to produce a laminate 50. The layer structure of the obtained laminate 50 is as follows. LLDPE / DL / PET / Mark / DL / ALM / PET / DL / LLDPE In the above, "LLDPE" refers to linear low-density polyethylene. "DL" refers to the adhesive layer formed by the dry lamination method using a two-component curing urethane adhesive. "PET" refers to polyethylene terephthalate. "Mark" refers to the printed layer (and so on). Furthermore, "ALM" refers to the aluminum vapor-deposited layer.

[0080] (1) Evaluation of moldability Next, the moldability of the laminate tube container 10 when manufacturing it from the laminate 50 was evaluated. First, the body tube 30 was manufactured from the laminate 50. Then, the head member 40 was integrally molded onto the body tube 30 by compression molding to produce the laminate tube container 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0081] Here, the material used for the head member 40 was a resin material containing 20% ​​by weight of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer (EMMA) and 80% by weight of ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA).

[0082] Furthermore, the density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 940 kg / m³. 3Furthermore, the melt flow rate (MFR) of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 2 g / 10 min. The tensile fracture strain of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 720%. In addition, the durometer hardness of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 38.

[0083] (2) Measurement of remaining contents Furthermore, the remaining amount of contents was measured. First, the weight of the prepared laminate tube container 10 was measured. Next, the contents (toothpaste, 80g) were filled into the prepared laminate tube container 10 through the opening 50B. Then, the bottom seal portion 34 was formed by heat-sealing the laminated parts 50 near the opening 50B. In this way, a laminate tube container 10 with the contents sealed inside was obtained.

[0084] Next, the contents filled into the laminate tube container 10 were squeezed out. At this time, the user's fingers scraped off any contents adhering to the inner surface of the shoulder portion 42 of the head member 40 through the body tube 30, while squeezing the contents out of the laminate tube container 10.

[0085] Next, the weight of the contents remaining in the laminated tube container 10 was measured. At this time, the weight of the laminated tube container 10 from which the contents had been squeezed out was measured, and the difference in weight between this weight and the weight of the empty laminated tube container 10 that had been measured beforehand was taken as the amount of remaining contents. In this way, the weight of the contents remaining in the laminated tube container 10 was measured for the three laminated tube containers 10.

[0086] (3) Measurement of loop stiffness Furthermore, loop stiffness was measured. First, the loop stiffness in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction in Figure 1) of the body tube 30 was measured. Here, loop stiffness is a parameter that represents the rigidity of the body tube 30 (laminated body 50).

[0087] First, a test specimen was prepared by cutting the body tube 30 to a width of 15 mm and a length of 100 mm. At this time, the test specimen was cut so that its longitudinal direction coincided with the longitudinal direction of the body tube 30. Next, the test specimen was rolled into a loop by clamping both longitudinal ends of the test specimen with a pair of chucks (not shown) and bringing the chucks closer together. The loop length was set to 70 mm. Next, the loop stiffness was measured by pressing the test specimen with an indenter (not shown). When pressing the test specimen with the indenter, the vertical distance between the chucks holding the test specimen and the indenter at the initial position was 15 mm. Then, the test specimen was pressed by the indenter by lowering it from this initial position. A Loop Stiffness Tester (registered trademark) manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd. was used as the measuring instrument. The load range was set to 5000 mN, the compression speed to 3.3 mm / s, and the time the indenter pressed into the test specimen was set to 5 seconds.

[0088] (Example 2) Except for the following differences, the moldability evaluation, content retention measurement, and loop stiffness measurement were performed in the same manner as in Example 1: the material used for the head member 40 was a resin material containing 18% by weight of ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer and 82% by weight of ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer; the melt flow rate (MFR) of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 7 g / 10 min; the tensile fracture strain of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 750%; and the durometer hardness of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was 36.

[0089] (Comparative Example 1) The material used for the head component is a resin material containing 99% or more by weight of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and the density of the said resin material is 956 kg / m³. 3Except for the fact that the resin material was 2.3 g / 10 min, the melt flow rate (MFR) of the resin material was 300%, and the durometer hardness of the resin material was 68, moldability evaluation, measurement of remaining contents, and measurement of loop stiffness were performed in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0090] (Comparative Example 2) The tube container was formed by blow molding, and the resin material used for blow molding was a resin material containing 95% by weight of low-density polyethylene and 5% by weight of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), and the density of the said resin material was 930 kg / m³. 3 Except for the fact that the resin material was 0.7 g / 10 min, the melt flow rate (MFR) of the resin material was 0.7 g / 10 min, the tensile fracture strain of the resin material was 400%, and the durometer hardness of the resin material was 56, the remaining amount of contents and loop stiffness were measured in the same manner as in Example 1. The layer structure of the resin material used in Comparative Example 2 is as follows. Printed / LDPE / EVOH / LDPE In the above, "LDPE" refers to low-density polyethylene.

[0091] The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 shows the resin material used for the head member 40 of the laminated tube container 10 in Example 1 and Example 2, as well as the density, melt flow rate (MFR), tensile fracture strain, and durometer hardness values ​​of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer contained in the resin material. Table 1 also shows the resin material used for the head member of the laminated tube container in Comparative Example 1, as well as the density, melt flow rate (MFR), tensile fracture strain, and durometer hardness values ​​of the resin material. Furthermore, Table 1 shows the resin material used for the tube container in Comparative Example 2, as well as the density, melt flow rate (MFR), tensile fracture strain, and durometer hardness values ​​of the resin material. Table 2 shows the results of the moldability evaluation, measurement of the remaining contents, and measurement of loop stiffness.

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] [Table 2]

[0094] In Table 2 above, a "◎" rating indicates that the resin material was easy to extrude when molding the head member 40 by compression molding, the head member 40 could be easily removed from the mold, and the dimensional error of the head member 40 was small. A "○" rating indicates that the head member was difficult to remove from the mold.

[0095] As a result, as shown in Table 2, the moldability of the head member 40 was good in the laminate tube containers 10 according to Example 1 and Example 2. In particular, the moldability of the head member 40 was very good in the laminate tube container 10 according to Example 1, which uses high-density polyethylene as the resin material for the head member.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, in Comparative Example 1, the minimum remaining amount of contents was 1.3g and the maximum was 2.0g. In Comparative Example 2, the minimum remaining amount of contents was 0.2g and the maximum was 0.6g. In contrast, in Example 1, the minimum remaining amount of contents was 0.2g and the maximum was 0.5g. In Example 2, the minimum remaining amount of contents was 0.2g and the maximum was 0.6g. Thus, the laminated tube container 10 according to this embodiment was able to reduce the amount of contents remaining inside the laminated tube container 10. In particular, the laminated tube container 10 according to this embodiment was able to reduce the amount of contents remaining inside the laminated tube container 10 to a level comparable to that of a tube container formed by blow molding.

[0097] It is also possible to combine the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiment as needed. Alternatively, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the above embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] 10 Laminated tube containers 10A Tube container with cap 20 caps 30 Body tube 31 one end 40 Head component 41 Mouth 42 Shoulder 50-layer structure

Claims

1. In laminate tube containers, A body tube having a laminated structure, It comprises a head member joined to one end of the body tube, The head member is a single layer and contains an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer and an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer. The durometer hardness of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 30 or more and 40 or less. A laminate tube container in which the content of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer in the head member is 10% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less.

2. The laminate tube container according to claim 1, wherein the head member has a mouth portion and a shoulder portion provided below the mouth portion, and the thickness of the shoulder portion is 1.0 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less.

3. The density of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 920 kg / m³. ３ More than 940kg / m ３ The laminate tube container according to claim 1 or 2, which is as follows:

4. The laminate tube container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the melt flow rate of the ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer is 0.3 g / 10 min or more and 20.0 g / 10 min or less.

5. In a tube container with a cap, A laminate tube container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A capped tube container comprising a cap attached to the head member.

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