Patent Application
20250108964
This application claims priority to French Application No. 2310445, filed Sep. 29, 2023, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to a head for the manufacture of a flexible tube intended to contain a liquid or pasty product, comprising an upper wall and an annular side wall, a lower end edge of which extends in a radial plane, said head comprising a dispensing orifice and a protuberance, a portion of which projects from said plane, said projecting portion being eccentric with respect to the center of the tube head.
Flexible tubes are known comprising a tube head provided with a dispensing orifice, a cap mounted on the tube head and reversibly closing the dispensing orifice, and a flexible sleeve fixed to the tube head. A first aspect of the invention concerns a tube which use as little plastic as possible, in particular to reduce the tube's carbon footprint. Indeed, these days, global plastic production is one of the biggest sources of packaging waste. The consumption and the recycling of these plastic products is a major concern of the national and regional organizations. The non-recycled plastic material are currently disposed of through a variety of methods ranging from landfill to energy recovery to thermal and chemical treatments. To reduce plastic consumption, tubes have been proposed of which tube head comprises a cover to reversibly close the dispensing orifice. As a result, the tube head and cap become a single component, reducing the amount of plastic used to provide the same functionality.
A second aspect of the invention concerns the orientation or alignment of the various tube components. The sleeve can be decorated and may include a longitudinal weld. The orientation of the decoration, with or without the longitudinal weld, and therefore the orientation of the sleeve in relation to the tube head and cap, is an important aesthetic aspect for the consumer. The tube heads according to the prior art comprise a positioning lug on the outer diameter of the tube head cooperating with a complementary lug on the cap, said lugs cooperating with each other in order to position the cap in an appropriate manner, in particular with respect to the decoration and/or the longitudinal weld of the sleeve, during the manufacture of the tube. A solution of this kind requires several separate components and therefore a greater consumption of plastic.
The invention proposes a head for the manufacture of a flexible tube for containing a liquid or pasty product, comprising an upper wall and an annular side wall, a lower end edge of which extends in a radial plane, said head comprising a dispensing orifice and a protuberance, a portion of which projects from said plane, said projecting portion being eccentric with respect to the center of the tube head, characterized in that the lower end edge has an oblong shape extending along a major axis in the plane and having two main vertices at each end of the major axis, the protuberance being arranged in the vicinity of one main vertex.
According to another characteristics of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the dispensing orifice is arranged in the center of the upper wall, at a distance from the protuberance.
Another characteristics of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention is that the dispensing orifice is arranged in the extension of the protuberance.
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, said tube head comprises a folding cover connected to the tube head by a hinge and movable between an open position and a closed position, said tube head, the folding cover and the hinge being made in a single piece.
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the tube head is configured so that, when the cover is in the closed position, the head has a flat upper surface.
Another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention is that the cover comprises a tab allowing easy opening of the cover by a user's finger.
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, said tube head has a height h1 of between 5 and 20 mm, in particular between 8 and 12 mm.
According to another characteristic of the head produced according to the teachings of the invention, the length d of the tube head along its major axis is between 15 and 75 mm, in particular between 30 and 50 mm.
According to another characteristic of the head produced according to the teachings of the invention, the ratio d/h1 is between 2 and 6, in particular between 3 and 5.
According to another characteristic of the head produced according to the teachings of the invention, the projecting portion has a height h2 of between 1.5 and 6 mm, in particular between 2 and 4 mm.
According to another characteristic of the head produced according to the teachings of the invention, the thickness of the material at the level of the first upper wall and the second annular side wall is between 0.3 and 2 mm, in particular between 0.5 and 1 mm.
Another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention is that it is made of a plastic material, in particular polyethylene or high-density polyethylene.
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the head comprises an integrity indicator
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the integrity indicator comprises a self-adhesive tongue which is glued astride the cover and to the side wall, the tongue having a pre-cut forming a breakage initiator arranged along a joint plane between the cover and the side wall.
According to another characteristic of the head produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the integrity indicator comprises an axially projecting tongue made in one piece with an associated first one of the cover or the side wall, a free end of the tongue being fixed to the other one of the cover or the side wall, the tongue having a breakage initiator arranged along a joint plane between the cover and the side wall.
The invention also relates to a tube comprising a tube head made in accordance with the teachings of the invention and a flexible sleeve comprising at least 50% by mass of high-density polyethylene.
Another characteristic of the tube produced according to the teachings of the invention is that the wall of the flexible sleeve has a thickness of between 200 μm and 350 μm.
Another characteristic of the tube produced according to the teachings of the invention is that the sleeve is fixed directly to the tube head.
The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a tube produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, characterized in that the sleeve is obtained by extrusion.
The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a tube produced according to the teachings of the invention, characterized in that the sleeve is obtained by welding two edges of a laminated sheet.
The invention will be better understood, and further details, characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description made by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings in which:
For the remainder of the description, elements with an identical structure or similar functions will be designated by a same reference.
For the remainder of the description, we shall adopt an axial direction which corresponds in the figures to that of the main “A” axis of the head 1. The axial direction is from the bottom, near the lower end, to the top, in the vicinity of the upper end.
In the following, radial directions directed orthogonally to the axial direction will also be adopted, radiating from the main axis. Finally, we adopt tangential directions that are directed orthogonally to the axial and radial directions.
As illustrated in
The head 1 has an oblong shape. More specifically, it is an oblong shape with two orthogonal radial axes of symmetry. A major axis “B” extends along the longest radial length of the head, while a minor axis “C” extends orthogonally to the major axis “B” along the shortest radial length of the head 1. The major axis “B” and the minor axis “C” have been represented here in the radial plane “P”. The intersections between the major axis “B” and the free lower end edge 21 are referred to as the “main vertex 211”. Similarly, the intersections between the minor axis “C” and the free lower end edge 21 are called “secondary vertex 212”.
By way of example, the oblong shape may be oval or elliptical.
At least the free lower end edge 21 of the side wall 20 has an oblong shape. The side wall 20 is flared so that the free lower end edge 21 is larger than the upper wall 10.
The upper wall 10 has the same oblong shape as the lower end edge 21, but with reduced dimensions due to the flared shape of the side wall 20.
In a variant of the invention not shown, the upper wall 10 has a different shape to the lower edge 21, for example a circular shape.
The head 1 comprises a dispensing orifice 2. Advantageously, the dispensing orifice 2 is located on the upper wall 10 of the head 1. The dispensing orifice 2 is located at the center of the upper wall 10, i.e. at the intersection between the major axis “B” and the minor axis “C”.
The dispensing orifice 2 is extended axially downwards by a pipe 200 which extends from the upper wall 10 to form an open well downwards. One end of the pipe 200 is located above the plane “P”. The pipe 200 extends, for example, up to halfway along the side wall 20, as shown in
The head 1 also comprises a protuberance 3 which extends axially downwards from an inner face belonging to either the upper wall 10 or the side wall 20 to a free end. In the example shown in
As can be seen in
In a non-represented variant of the invention, the dispensing orifice is arranged eccentrically in the upper wall, close to one of the main vertices. In this case, the protuberance can extend as an extension of the dispensing orifice.
The projecting portion 4 has a radial cross-section in the shape of an arc of a circle. The projecting free end portion 4 is more particularly shaped like a half-cylinder. This half-cylinder shape provides a sufficiently strong structure. Alternatively, the projecting portion has a flat or circular cross-section.
The positioning means enables the tube head 1 to be oriented in particular with respect to the decoration and/or a longitudinal weld 51 of the sleeve the manufacture of the tube, so that the sleeve is subsequently fixed in an appropriate position. Advantageously, the projecting portion 4 cooperates directly with the tooling of the production line of the tube and not with a component of the tube as is the case in the prior art. For example, during the manufacture of a tube 100, the head 1 is produced by molding, then it is oriented by receiving the projecting portion 4 of the protuberance 3 in a slide while the head 1 is transported to an assembly area with a sleeve of the tube 100.
Advantageously, the tube head 1 comprises a folding cover 11. Said cover 11 is connected to the tube head about a tangential axis by means of a hinge 12. It can be moved between an open position, shown in
Alternatively, the cover 11 is smaller than the upper surface 10. This allows a further reduction in the amount of plastic required to manufacture the tube head 1. In this case, the upper face 10 comprises a housing of the size of the cover to present a continuous flat surface when the cover 11 is closed.
Whatever its embodiment, the cover 11 is designed to cover the dispensing orifice 2 in its closed position.
The flat upper surface of the cover 11 provides an appreciable aesthetic appearance and also enables the tube comprising the head 1 according to the invention to stand upright on its head.
Preferably, the entire tube head 1 according to the invention is formed from a continuous material. The head 1 is thus made in one piece, i.e. a monolithic part. In the prior art, a means of positioning a tube head portion cooperates with a complementary shape of another portion of the cap. As the head 1 according to the invention is not divided into at least two separate parts but is instead made in a single part combining the functionalities of these two components, the way in which the head 1 according to the invention is centered in relation to the sleeve is a completely different approach.
Advantageously, the tube head 1, the folding cover 11 and the hinge 12 are made in one piece. The whole tube head 1 is advantageously formed by injection moulding, in particular of plastic. The head 1 is made of a plastic material, such as polyethylene. Examples include high density polyethylene (HDPE) and/or recycled polyethylene (rPE).
Advantageously, the cover 11 comprises a tab 13. Said tab 13 facilitates gripping of said cover 11 when said cover is opened by a user's finger. The presence of the tab 13 is particularly appreciated for a head with reduced dimensions and low height.
In a non-represented variant of the invention, the annular side wall has a release enabling a user to insert his finger in order to lift the cover. This variant can also be combined with the presence of the tab 13 above said release, depending on the geometry of the head.
The configuration of the head 1 according to the present invention enables the formation of a tube head 1 with reduced dimensions.
The tube head has a height h1 as shown in
The projecting portion 4 has a height h2 as shown in particular in
Preferably, the h1/h2 ratio is between 1.5 and 5.5. Even more preferably, the h1/h2 ratio is between 2.5 and 4.5, particularly between 3 and 4.
The tube head 1 has a length d along its major axis “B”, as shown in particular in
The design of the head 1 according to the present invention is characterized in particular by a substantially reduced height h1, in particular in relation to the length d of the head 1. This substantially flat design reduces the amount of material used to manufacture the tube head 1, in particular plastic. Advantageously, the ratio d/h1 is between 2 and 6. Even more advantageously, the ratio d/h1 is between 3 and 5. A d/h1 ratio as described above characterizes the substantially flat design of the head 1 according to the present invention. The head 1 according to the present invention has walls of substantially reduced thickness compared with heads in the prior art. This low wall thickness allows us to limit the amount of material used to manufacture the tube head 1, in particular plastic. Advantageously, the thickness of the material at the upper wall 10 and the annular side wall 20 is between 0.3 and 2 mm. Advantageously, the thickness of the material at the upper wall 10 and the annular side wall 20 is between 0.5 and 1 mm. This wall thickness allows a significant reduction in the amount of material, particularly plastic, used to manufacture the tube head 1. Preferably, the material thickness at the hinge 12 is less than the material thickness at the upper wall 10 and the annular side wall 20.
Preferably, the folding cover 11 comprises a lug 110 enabling the dispensing orifice 2 to be sealed when said cover 11 is in the closed position, as illustrated in
Usually, when cover 11 has never been opened, the interference fit is sufficient to provide some resistance when cover 11 is first opened. The resistance to opening is then reduced on subsequent openings by lubrication of the orifice 2 by the product contained in the tube. However, because of the low height of the head 1, there is a high risk of the product contained in the tube seeping between the lug 110 and the pipe 200 before the first opening. In order to maintain good resistance to the first opening, the external cylindrical face of the lug 110 has a lower bead 112A and an upper bead 112B arranged at a distance one above the other, as shown in
Here, the lower bead 112A is in tight contact with the internal face of the pipe 200 when the cover 11 is closed. It therefore acts as a lower clamping area. The upper bead 112B, on the other hand, is received with radial clearance in the pipe 200, thus fulfilling the function of a free space. The upper clamping zone is formed by clamping the external face of the lug 110 located above the second bead 112B against the internal face of the pipe 200.
In a variant of the invention, the beads 112A, 112B are both in tight contact with the inner face of the pipe 200 when the cover 11 is closed. Thus, the lower bead 112A fulfills the function of a lower clamping zone, while the upper bead 112B fulfills the function of the upper clamping zone. The free space is defined by a zone located axially between the two beads 112A, 112B.
According to another aspect of the invention, the head 1 comprises an integrity indicator 5 which allows detection of whether the cover 11 of the head 1 has already been opened once.
As shown in
In addition, when the material bridges 57 are broken, plastic deformation of the material occurs, causing the slots 56 to change shape. This gives a visual indication of whether the cover 11 has already been opened once.
In a non-represented variant of the invention, the integrity indicator comprises a self-adhesive tongue which is glued astride the cover and the side wall, the tongue having a pre-cut forming a breakage initiator arranged along the joint plane between the cover and the side wall.
According to another aspect of the invention, illustrated in particular in
Advantageously, the wall of the flexible sleeve 60 is formed from a sheet of laminated material. Said sheet comprises two opposite edges and is rolled up so that the opposite edges overlap. Said opposing edges are then welded together to form a longitudinal weld 61.
Advantageously, the longitudinal weld 61 of the sleeve 60 of the tube 100 is positioned on the side of the hinge 12. Thus, as shown in
In a variant of the invention not shown, the sleeve 60 is obtained by extrusion. In this case, there is no weld. However, it is still necessary to orientate the head 1 correctly in relation to the decor of the sleeve 60.
Preferably, the material forming the sleeve 60 is a multilayer comprising at least one layer of plastic. Preferably, the laminate comprises at least one layer of HDPE (high density polyethylene). Even more preferably, the PE represents at least 50% by mass of the sleeve 60 of the tube 100, in particular 70% by mass. Such a composition of the sleeve 60 of the tube 100 allows to further improve the ability of said tube 100 to be recycled, in particular in the same recycling channel as the head 1 made of PE.
The tube 100 as a whole preferably comprises at least 95% by mass of polyethylene (PE). It can be a blend of polyethylenes of different densities (HDPE, LDPE, MDPE).
Advantageously, the laminated material forming the sleeve 60 comprises at least one barrier layer. Advantageously, the barrier layer is a plastic barrier layer of the EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol) type.
In the example shown in
Preferably, the wall of the sleeve 60 has a thickness of between 150 μm and 400 μm. Preferably, the thickness is between 250 μm and 350 μm.
Preferably, the sleeve 60 is fixed directly to the tube head 1. No additional parts are required to attach the sleeve 60 to the head 1. This allows the number of parts to be kept to a minimum, thereby limiting the quantity of plastic required to manufacture the tube 100 according to the invention, and improving the recyclability of said tube 100.
Even more preferably, the sleeve 60 is fixed to the tube head 1 by high-temperature welding or overmolding.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2310445 | Sep 2023 | FR | national |
