Patent Application
20180170623
This invention relates to collapsible containers for containing and dispensing viscous fluid materials.
It is well known to provide viscous fluid materials such as toothpastes, food products, adhesives etc. in collapsible tubular containers made of a flexible material such as metal foil or plastics material, which may be laminated, with a nozzle and an opposite closed end, and which can be squeezed by a user to extrude the fluid material out through the nozzle.
Generally such tubular containers are made as follows. A tubular, usually cylindrical, portion of the flexible material having two opposed open ends is provided. A separate nozzle insert comprising the nozzle, normally fitted with a closure, and a wider shoulder part having a cross section which mates with an open end of the tubular portion is provided, and the shoulder part is mated and attached, usually by welding, to the open end of the tubular portion. The tubular portion is then filled with the viscous fluid material via the opposite open end. Then that open end is closed, usually by bringing the flexible material together at that open end and then welding the flexible material together to thereby close that end.
A problem with such tubular containers is in extracting substantially all of the viscous fluid material contents from the container. Usually the user of such a container is advised to begin squeezing the tube from the closed end opposite to the nozzle and to progressively collapse the tubular container along the tubular length of the container. As the user approaches the shoulder part, which is normally relatively rigid to enable it to support the nozzle, this rigidity prevents the user from completely collapsing the flexible material and inevitably some fluid material remains trapped in the tubular container.
Various solutions to this problem of squeezing as much as possible of the fluid material contents out of such tubes have been proposed. EP-A-1597 162 and US-A-2002/0148854 disclose collapsible tubes containing an insert which gradually moves along the inside of the tube and follows the fluid content as it is squeezed out of the tube. US-A-2007/0205217 discloses a collapsible tube incorporating a malleable metal insert that helps prevent the tube returning elastically to its original shape after content has been squeezed out. WO-A-92/09494 discloses a square-sectioned tube the side walls of which are biased by longitudinal creases to collapse inwardly on sideways pressure, and which has one end closed by an end cap the deformation of which is facilitated by creases, and a square sectioned but apparently otherwise conventional separate nozzle portion comprising the nozzle and a wider shoulder portion at its opposite end. EP-A-0408929, JP-A-11/292090, JP-A-2010-1081, US-A-2013/256310 and WO-A-97/25156 disclose collapsible containers with gable-shaped ends opposite the end provided with their dispensing nozzle to encourage complete collapse of the tube.
It is an object of this invention to address the problem of providing a collapsible tubular container from which more of its extrudable fluid content can be squeezed out than is the case with conventional tubular containers.
According to this invention a dispensing container for extrudable fluid materials comprises;
a collapsible tubular body made of a flexible material and having longitudinally opposite ends, and being constructed such that transverse inward pressure causes the tubular body to collapse in the direction of the pressure and the side surfaces of the tubular body perpendicular to the direction of pressure to spread transversely outwardly;
a first end of the tubular body being provided with a dispensing nozzle;
the longitudinally opposite second end of the tubular body being closed with an end wall member sealingly connected to the tubular body and that is biased to fold about a fold axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body under the transverse pressure.
In a preferred embodiment the present invention provides a dispensing container for extrudable fluid materials which comprises;
a collapsible tubular body made of a flexible material and having longitudinally opposite ends, and being constructed such that transverse inward pressure causes the tubular body to collapse in the direction of the pressure and the side surfaces of the tubular body perpendicular to the direction of pressure to spread transversely outwardly;
a first end of the tubular body being provided with a dispensing nozzle;
and the longitudinally opposite second end of the tubular body being closed with an end wall member sealingly connected to the tubular body and that is biased to fold about a fold axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body under the transverse pressure, wherein:
either the end wall member comprises a wall part which has a wall surface comprising two side surfaces enclosing a concave angle between them on the side facing the first end thereby forming a valley surface between them on the side facing the first end and being foldable about a fold axis extending in the direction of the length of the valley in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction;
or the end wall member comprises a wall part which bulges convexly in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, either toward the first end or away from the first end of the tubular body, in a generally conical or pyramidal shape.
The collapsible tubular body may be made of any of the conventional materials from which collapsible tubes are made, for example malleable metal, plastics materials and laminates.
The collapsible tubular body preferably tapers, being narrower in its cross sectional dimension adjacent the first end than adjacent the second end.
The tubular body may have any convenient cross section, for example circular, oval, polygonal e.g. rectangular (including square) lozenge shape (e.g. rectangular shape with rounded ends), diamond shaped etc. When the tubular body is subjected to transverse inward pressure this causes the tubular body to collapse in the direction of the pressure and the side surfaces of the tubular body perpendicular to the direction of pressure to spread transversely outwardly. For example a tubular body which is initially of a circular cross section will under such pressure firstly become of oval cross section before ultimately becoming substantially flat.
The tubular body may incorporate creases or corners to encourage deformation in a preferred direction. These polygonal shapes may optionally have rounded corners. For example cross sections of the tubular body which have corners, e.g. polygonal, rectangular or diamond shapes, preferentially deform at these corners, so that compressive pressure is preferably applied at opposite corners.
The cross section shape of the tubular body may vary along the length of the tubular body and such a variation may facilitate accommodation of the abovementioned taper of the tubular body.
For example the tubular body may have a portion of its length adjacent the first (nozzle) end of oval cross section and a portion of its length adjacent to the second (closed) end of circular cross section and may transition smoothly in cross section from an oval cross section adjacent the first end to circular cross section adjacent the second end to. In such a construction preferably the tubular body is constructed to be collapsed under the applied transverse pressure in the direction of the minor axis of the oval section.
Such a taper of the tubular body may be provided by folded in, e.g. crimped, portions of the material of the tubular body longitudinally along the side surfaces of the tubular body, e.g. adjacent the first end, which thereby reduce the cross section of the tubular body.
The second end of the tubular body is closed with an end wall member which extends transversely across the cross section of the tubular body and is biased to fold about a fold axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body under the transverse pressure.
The end wall member may have any convenient shape in section across the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, typically corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the tubular body adjacent to the second end, e.g. circular, oval, rounded cornered rectangular (including square) lozenge shape (e.g. diamond shape with rounded corners or rectangular with rounded ends) as mentioned above.
The end wall member may be biased to fold such that, on folding, the convex side of the fold points toward the first end, or alternatively points away from the first end. The former may be neater in appearance and may assist in propelling the fluid material content of the tubular body toward the nozzle.
The end wall member may be biased to fold by means of various constructions.
In a preferred embodiment the end wall member comprises a wall part which has a wall surface comprising two side surfaces enclosing a concave angle between them on the side facing the first end thereby forming a valley surface between them on the side facing the first end and being foldable about a fold axis extending in the direction of the length of the valley in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.
Such a wall surface is preferably symmetrical about a plane extending longitudinally along the interior of the tubular body and in which the fold axis lies, and which longitudinally bisects the interior of the tubular body.
Each side surface preferably occupies up to 50%, typically 40-50%, of the width of the end wall member. Each side surface may be planar e.g. aligned at a proportion, preferably half, of the concave angle, so that the valley surface may be substantially “V” sectioned, or may be concave or convex curved so that for example the valley surface may be semi-circular, semi-oval or “U” shaped.
The concave angle between the side surfaces may be acute or obtuse, and may typically be 45-160°, preferably 80-100. The wall surface comprising two side surfaces enclosing a concave angle between them thereby forming a valley surface between them may comprise a saddle surface, for example a hyperbolic paraboloid.
In another embodiment the end wall member comprises a wall part which bulges convexly in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, either toward the first end, or away from the first end of the tubular body, in a generally conical shape.
The term “conical” as used herein includes shapes having a circular or distorted circular e.g. oval cross section and which rise to an apex in the longitudinal direction. Such shapes include conical, hemispherical, semi-ellipsoidal, and ogival (pointed arch).
The term “pyramidal” as used herein includes shapes having a polygonal cross section and which rise to an apex in the longitudinal direction. Polygonal includes square (including rectangular), hexagonal, octagonal etc., and which may have rounded corners. Preferably such a pyramidal section has an even number of sides.
In this embodiment the bulge of the conical or pyramidal shape provides the bias and defines the way in which the end wall member folds. Such a wall part may also include a bias such as a crease in the material of the wall member aligned in the transverse direction. Preferably such a crease is perpendicular to the direction in which the transverse pressure is intended to be applied, aligned analogously as above.
The end wall member may be made of a plastics material, preferably a plastically-deformable plastics material, to thereby encourage the wall member to remain in its inwardly folded configuration after it has been inwardly folded and resist any resilient return of the inwardly collapsed tubular body from its collapsed shape. However the plastics material of such a wall member may be resilient, but preferably insufficiently resilient to cause or allow any significant return of the collapsed tubular body toward its pre-collapsed configuration.
The end wall member may be made integrally with the tubular body and thereby integrally sealingly connected to the tubular body.
Preferably the end wall member is made and provided separately from the tubular body and is sealingly connected to the second end of the tubular body e.g. by welding, adhesive etc. For this latter purpose the end wall member may comprise a plug part configured to fit within the second end of the tubular body. Such a plug part may for example comprise a skirt part descending from the end wall member in the longitudinal direction toward the second end, and having an outer cross section corresponding to the internal cross section of the tubular body so that the skirt part is a snug fit within the second end of the tubular body.
A suitable construction of such an end wall member may comprise a wall part connected to a rim part constructed to be fixed to the second end of the tubular body. For example such a rim part may be connected to a skirt part of the end wall member. Preferably the rim part is integrally made with the end wall member, e.g. with such a skirt part. Such a rim part may for example be shaped and dimensioned to engage with the second end of the tubular body, e.g. having a cross section corresponding to the second end of the tubular body. For example for a circular or oval cross sectioned tubular member the rim part may be in the form of a circular or oval ring. If the cross section of the tubular body is of other shapes then the rim part may be a correspondingly shaped ring. Such a ring may have a longitudinal section which is symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The rim part may be connected to the end rim of the tubular body by conventional methods, e.g. by welding.
Such a rim part may be substantially planar in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body and may consequently be able to function as a convenient base upon which the dispensing container may be stood in an upright orientation with the nozzle uppermost.
In the art of making collapsible tubes, e.g. for toothpaste, as mentioned above it is well known to provide a separate nozzle portion comprising the nozzle and a wider shoulder portion having a cross section which mates with an open end of the tubular body, and the shoulder portion is attached, usually by welding, to the open first end of the tubular portion. An analogous procedure may be used to fix the end wall member into the open end of the tubular body. In the field of manufacturing collapsible tubes the machines for attaching nozzles to tubular bodies is generally constructed to handle circular-sectioned tubular bodies.
The opposite first end of the tubular body is provided with a dispensing nozzle. The dispensing nozzle may be a conventional nozzle of the above-mentioned type in the form of a separate nozzle insert comprising the nozzle and a shoulder part which mates with one of the open ends of the tubular portion, and which is attached, typically by welding, to the open end of the tubular body. However such shoulder parts can be considerably rigid against squeezing pressure applied in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tube and can consequently hinder complete expulsion of the contents of the tube by means of such squeezing.
To address this problem the tubular body may be tapered toward the first end and the first end may be integrally formed into a tubular nozzle portion of narrower cross section than the portion of the tubular body toward the opposite second end closed with the wall member. Such a nozzle portion may have a widest cross section dimension which is 50% or less than a cross sectional dimension of the tubular body toward the second end.
In an embodiment a nozzle insert, suitably made of a rigid plastics material such as polypropylene, is engaged with this tubular nozzle portion. Such a nozzle insert may for example comprise a generally tubular e.g. cylindrically tubular member. Such a nozzle insert may be engaged with the nozzle portion by crimping the flexible material of the tubular body in the region of the nozzle insert around the outer surface of the nozzle insert e.g. in the manner of a mandrel.
Crimping is a known technique in which the material of the tubular body is compressed around and into contact with an insert which is more rigid than the material of the tubular body, and the material of the tubular body is bonded to the nozzle insert e.g. by heat or ultrasonic welding, adhesive or other conventional means.
Alternatively the nozzle insert may be first formed e.g. by moulding around a mandrel, and the nozzle insert may then be engaged with the nozzle portion. The engagement of such a nozzle insert with the nozzle portion may be by conventional means, e.g. frictional engagement and/or by welding the material of the tubular body at the nozzle portion and the nozzle insert together e.g. ultrasonically.
In another embodiment the first end of the tubular body may be crimped around a separately provided nozzle insert.
Such a crimped first end of the tubular body may have various shapes. For example such a crimped first end may have an edge which is aligned substantially perpendicular to, or slightly curved, relative to the longitudinal direction. Such an edge may be easiest to manufacture but during extrusion of content from the tubular body some residual content of the tubular body may become trapped in corners adjacent to such an edge. Alternatively for example such a crimped first end may have an edge which is of a rounded or tapering shape e.g. generally triangular narrowing in the longitudinal direction. Such an edge can facilitate manipulation of the contents of the tubular body toward the nozzle, but may require more complex tooling to manufacture.
There can be a problem particularly when the nozzle is provided by means of the above-mentioned first end of the tubular body crimped around a separately provided nozzle insert in that as the tubular body collapses under compressive pressure, due to the deformation of the tube a dimple can form restricting flow to the nozzle and potentially weakening the tube.
To address this problem, in a preferred embodiment an internal support may be provided within the tubular body in the vicinity of the nozzle to resiliently support the tubular body against such dimpling. Such a support may for example be provided within 25% of the length of the tubular body from the first end toward the second end. Such a support may comprise a resilient biasing member located within the tubular body and exerting its bias against inward collapse of the tubular body. For example the resilient biasing member may comprise a ring of a resilient material, typically a plastics material such as polypropylene, with an outer surface profile corresponding to the adjacent internal profile of the tubular body. In the above-mentioned tubular body which has an oval cross section adjacent to the nozzle such a ring may have a corresponding oval outer profile.
Preferably such a support is made integrally with a nozzle insert of a plastics material. For example a plastics material nozzle insert and a support member may be linked integrally by one or more linking member extending longitudinally along the tubular body. For example two such linking members may for example be located adjacent opposite sides of the tubular body in line with the fold axis of the wall member.
The nozzle, e.g. such a nozzle insert may be provided with a closure, e.g. a conventional screw or snap fit closure, which may be made integrally with the nozzle insert.
The dispensing container of this invention is suitable for many different kinds of extrudable fluid materials, an example of such materials being oral healthcare products such as toothpastes. Typically for such uses the volume of the tubular body may be ca. 25-150 ml, and suitable cross sectional dimensions for such a tubular body are 15-50 mm. Normally the dispensing container of this invention will be provided to users containing such an extrudable fluid material.
The dispensing container of this invention can provide a squeezable tube with an improvement in emptying of its contents on squeezing provided by the collapsible construction of the tubular body. The dispensing container of the invention can also provide a tubular container which is visually distinctive from many conventional dispensing tubes.
The novel dispensing container of this invention may be made and filled with an extrudable fluid material by a novel process, being a further aspect of this invention.
According to this further aspect of the invention a process for making a dispensing container for an extrudable fluid material comprises;
providing a tubular body made of a flexible material which is collapsible under pressure applied transverse to its longitudinal direction such that side surfaces of the tubular body perpendicular to the direction of pressure spread transversely outwardly, and having longitudinally opposite open ends;
closing one end of the tubular body with a wall member as described herein;
introducing an extrudable fluid material into the tubular body from the opposite open end of the tubular body;
providing the open end of the tubular body with a dispensing nozzle and a closure for the nozzle as described herein.
Preferred embodiments of the tubular body, the wall member, the nozzle and closure are as described herein with reference to the dispensing container.
In a preferred embodiment of the process, a suitable length of a tube of flexible material is provided, typically sufficient to provide a tubular body of volume ca. 25-150 ml, and having two opposite open ends. The wall member is then connected to one of the open ends of the tube, typically by welding, e.g. ultrasonic welding. Suitably if the wall member comprises a wall part connected to a rim part as described herein the rim part may be connected to the end rim of the tubular body by such a method.
With the previously open end of the tubular body closed by the end wall member the tubular body may be supported in a vertical orientation with the closed end downward, and the tubular body may then have the extrudable fluid material such as toothpaste introduced downwardly into it. This may be done using an automated filling line as is conventionally used for toothpaste. An advantage of this invention is that it facilitates the use of conventional tube filling equipment with minimal requirement for modification.
The upper open end of the tubular body may then be formed into a shape which tapers toward the upper end of the tubular body, typically by folding in, e.g. crimping, portions of the material of the tubular body longitudinally along the side surfaces of the tubular body, to thereby reduce the cross section of the tubular body and to integrally form the upper open end of the tubular body into a tubular nozzle portion of narrower cross section than the portion of the tubular body lower down the tubular body.
At the same time as such a tubular nozzle portion is formed, a nozzle insert may be engaged with the nozzle portion by crimping the flexible material of the tubular body in the region of the nozzle insert around the outer surface of the nozzle insert. This may be done by positioning the nozzle insert within the tubular body at its open end, then forming the tubular body into the tapered shape and forming the nozzle portion around the nozzle insert. Alternatively the tubular nozzle portion may be first made, e.g. by moulding the material of the tubular body around a mandrel, then inserting the nozzle insert.
Alternatively and preferably the open end of the tubular body is crimped around a separately provided nozzle insert as described above, preferably a nozzle insert made integrally with a support part as described herein. For example the support part of such an integral nozzle insert and support part member may be inserted into the open end of the tubular body to its intended distance so the nozzle insert is in position in the first end of the tubular body, which is then crimped around it.
A friction fit of the nozzle insert within the nozzle portion may be sufficient to retain the nozzle insert in the nozzle portion, or alternatively and preferably the material of the nozzle portion and the nozzle insert may then be welded together e.g. ultrasonically.
This process is in some aspects the opposite of that normally used to manufacture such dispensing containers. In conventional processes a tubular body is positioned with its lower end closed with a separate nozzle portion comprising a nozzle and a wider shoulder portion having a cross section which mates with one of the open ends of the tubular portion, the nozzle being closed by a closure e.g. a foil closure, the extrudable fluid material is introduced into the tubular body by the upper open end, then this upper open end is closed by squeezing the open end together and crimping, and if necessary welding the crimped end closed. Therefore advantageously the process of the present invention can conveniently be performed with relatively little modification to a conventional automatic tube-filling line.
The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
It will be apparent from
The tubular body 11 is made of a flexible material such as a plastics material laminate and it is seen that inward pressure transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 11 would cause the tubular body 11 to collapse in the direction of the pressure as seen in
The first end 11A of the tubular body 11 tapers as shown in the cross sections at B-B and C-C and is integrally formed into a cylindrical tubular nozzle portion 14. A nozzle insert 15 made of a plastics material such as polypropylene is engaged with the tubular nozzle portion 14. The nozzle insert 15 comprises a generally cylindrically tubular member, and is engaged with the nozzle portion 14 by crimping the flexible material of the tubular body 11 in the region of the nozzle insert 15 around the outer surface of the nozzle insert 15, and optionally welding the material of the nozzle portion 14 and the nozzle insert 15 together e.g. ultrasonically. The nozzle insert 15 is provided with an integral conventional hinged snap fit closure 16.
The end 11B of the tubular body 11, i.e. the second end, is closed with a wall member 20 shown in
The wall member 20 is made of a plastics material such as polypropylene. As more clearly seen in
Integral with the rim part 21 is a wall part 22 of a generally conical shape bulging inwardly into the tubular body 11 in the longitudinal direction toward the first end. The wall part 22 is biased by a crease 23 in the material of the wall part 23 aligned in the transverse direction perpendicular to the direction in which the transverse pressure is intended to be applied, i.e. in the direction of the long axis of the oval cross section B-B shown in
It will be apparent from
Referring to
Referring to
Fixed into the tubular body 61 at the first end 61A by means of a known crimping process is a nozzle insert 70 shown in perspective view in
When present in the tubular body 61 as seen in
Fitted into second end 61B of the tubular body 61 is an end wall member 80 shown in perspective view in
At its lower end 83 the skirt part 82 of the end wall member is integrally made with a rim part 90 shaped and dimensioned to engage with and to be welded to the second end 61B of the tubular body 61 by conventional methods. As above, the rim part 90 is substantially planar in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 61 so as to function as a convenient base upon which the dispensing container 60 may be stood in an upright orientation. As seen in
The dispensing container 10, 60 of
As the tubular body 11, 61 collapses inwardly the wall member 20, 80 folds respectively about the crease 23 and the fold axis along direction V-V, which enables the wall member 20, 80 to fold substantially flat, e.g. as seen in
Referring to
In
In
In
In
In
Referring to
Analogously other alternative shapes of the rim part 21 and the wall part 22 will be apparent based on
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/056341 | 3/25/2015 | WO | 00 |
