Patent Application
20220258919
The present disclosure relates to plastic containers, including plastic containers having a barrier or external coating.
Plastic containers may permit low molecular gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, to slowly permeate through their physical configurations. In many cases, the shelf life of the product contents may be directly related to the package's ability to effectively address molecular permeation. In the case of carbonated beverages, oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the container may gradually permeate inwardly through the plastic walls of the container to reach inside of the container and affect the contents. Likewise, carbon dioxide gas associated with the contents may permeate outwardly through the plastic walls of the container until eventually being released on the outside, causing the carbonated beverage to possibly lose some flavor.
To address some to the foregoing, plastic container manufacturers have utilized various techniques to reduce or eliminate the absorption and/or permeability of such gases. Some of the more common techniques include: increasing the thickness of all or portions of the walls of the container; incorporating one or more barrier layers into the wall structure; including oxygen-scavenging or reacting materials within the walls of the container; and applying various coatings to surfaces of the container.
There is, however, a desire to provide improved plastic containers that include barrier coatings and can address challenges associated with conventional packaging—such as oxygen transmission and CO2 migration. There also a desire to provide barriers, methods, and articles that can address present challenges, and can do so in an efficient and cost-effective manner, both from a material cost and manufacturing perspective.
A plastic container includes a base portion, a sidewall portion, a neck portion, a barrier coating applied to an outer surface of the sidewall portion, and a protective layer applied to at least portions of the barrier coating. In embodiments, the barrier coating may be applied via dip coating, spray coating, and/or drop on demand ink jetting (e.g., ink jet printing). In embodiments, a protective layer, or protective coating formulation, may be provided as part of a base coat, such as a clear coat, or as an additive in a base coat ink formulation and/or may be part of an ink jet decoration process.
Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined herein and by appended claims.
Among other things, the present disclosure is associated with plastic containers with barrier coatings, including CO2 barrier coatings. A plastic container 10 may include a coating 40 disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the plastic container 10. An embodiment of a plastic container 10 with a coating 40 is generally illustrated in
In embodiments, the plastic container may comprise, for example and without limitation, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other plastic materials or polymers known in the field of plastic containers, and may comprise virgin and/or recycled content.
The coating 40 may comprise a barrier coating, and may comprise a CO2 barrier coating. The coating 40 may be applied to an outer surface of the plastic container 10. With embodiments, the coating 40 may be applied to the outer surface of a plastic container. For example and without limitation, with embodiments a coating 40 may be applied to substantially the entire outer surface of the container or, less than substantially the entire outer surface (or select portions) of the container. For example and without limitation, with embodiments such as generally illustrated in
The coating 40 may, among other things, provide a barrier to CO2 transmission, which can result in extended shelf life for coated containers when compared to similar uncoated containers.
A coating 40 can be applied to outer surfaces of plastic containers via various methods or processes. A coating may be applied, for example and without limitation, via dip coating, spray coating, and/or drop on demand ink jetting (e.g., ink jet printing). Moreover, with embodiments, a coating formulation may be provided as part of a base coat, such as a clear coat, or as an additive in a base coat ink formulation (e.g., in a UV ink formulation) and/or may be part of an ink jet decoration process such as those known in the field. Teachings associated with digital printing and base coats are provided, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,150,325; 8,876,979, and 8,522,989, all of the foregoing being hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
With embodiments, various polymers (such as identified below) may be provided as an outer layer (as a barrier coating), and at differing concentrations (e.g., 10%, 15%, and/or 30%) by weight mixed into a liquid solvent—such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) solution. Such polymers for the coating may, for example, comprise:
Once mixed and completely in solution, plastic containers (or at least a portion of a sidewall portion thereof) may be coated (e.g., with a barrier coating) and dried. The drying process may be functionally or operationally expedited, or may simply be the result of ambient conditions over time. After a coating dries, the plastic containers may demonstrate improved functional characteristics.
An embodiment of a method for making a plastic container with a barrier includes:
With embodiments, the plastic container may be comprised of, for example and without limitation, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other appropriate polymers. A barrier coating, of for example an EVOH formulation, may be applied (e.g., via spraying or printing) to at least a portion of the sidewall of the plastic container. The barrier coating may be permitted to dry or dried (e.g., naturally or via a drying process), and a protective layer or coating—which may comprise a monomer-based coating or formulation—may be applied over at least portions of the barrier coating and, if desired or appropriate, may be cured (e.g., UV-cured).
Various embodiments are described herein for various apparatuses, systems, and/or methods. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment/example may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, functions, and/or characteristics of one or more other embodiments/examples without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.
It should be understood that references to a single element are not necessarily so limited and may include one or more of such element. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of embodiments.
Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and in fixed relation to each other. The use of “e.g.” in the specification is to be construed broadly and is used to provide non-limiting examples of embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to such examples. Uses of “and” and “or” are to be construed broadly (e.g., to be treated as “and/or”). For example and without limitation, uses of “and” do not necessarily require all elements or features listed, and uses of “or” are intended to be inclusive unless such a construction would be illogical.
While processes, systems, and methods may be described herein in connection with one or more steps in a particular sequence, it should be understood that such methods may be practiced with the steps in a different order, with certain steps performed simultaneously, with additional steps, and/or with certain described steps omitted.
It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the present disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/148,713, filed Feb. 12, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63148713 | Feb 2021 | US |
