CA1068060A - Flexible collapsible container for liquids with improved tail seal - Google Patents

Abstract

FLEXIBLE, COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER FOR
LIQUIDS WITH IMPROVED TAIL SEAL

Inventor: Frank Cammarata III
Joe A. Miller Jerry D. Martin ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A thin-walled tubular container and a mold for making it is disclosed. The container defines a head por-tion with access means to the contents of the container, and a tail portion defining a sealed line in the tail por-tion, joining sides of the container into a sealed end with a flat plastic piece being formed integral with the sealed line and extending away therefrom. In accordance with this invention, a pair of spaced rod members are formed as an integral part of the flat, plastic piece, the rod members extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the con-tainer. The flat plastic piece also defines a portion thereof between the rod members which is thinner than any remainder of the plastic piece spaced from the rod members.
Accordingly, the rod members and intermediate portion there-between provide an improved and stronger tail seal. A novel method for making such containers is also shown.

Description

` -BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Flexible, collapsible containers or bags made of :
plastic have achieved very significant commercial accep-tance in the field of parenteral solution and blood bags.
Initially, these items have been made from heat-sealed vinyl plastic sheets, and have been quite satisfactory~
However, it has been recognized that significant costs can be saved by the use of other manufacturing procedures such as blow-molding and the like. Also, there has been con-,;.-~ . .
sideration of the use of less expensive materials other than vinyl plastic in containers, particularly those ma-terials that do not contain a plasticizer. For example, polypropylene has been considered a suitable candidate for use as a container material, when extruded as a thin, flexi-ble sheet.
However, it has proven difficult to manufacture thin-walled plastic bags from polypropylene which are capable of collapsing, yet which are strong enough to stand rough handling without breaking. For example, when many filled, conventional designs of collapsible, blow-molded, polypropylene bags are dropped on the floor, they rupture along their tail seal line, which is the point at which the tubular plastic parison, from which the container is made by blow molding, is sealed together at its end.
Accordingly, there is a need for a stronger, .

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thin-walled, collapsible container or bag for use in dispensing blood, parenteral solutions, or any other desired material, which can be made by a blow-molding process or another automated, cost-saving method, and which can be made from plasticizer-free materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar plastic materials.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided the method of molding a softened, plastic tubular parison which comprises selectively heating an entire circumferential po~tion of said plastic parison so that said portion of the plastic parison is hotter and softer than the remaining portions of said parison;
nflating said plastic parison in a blow mold chamber at rela-tively low inflation pressure, whereby the hotter, softer portion -of said parison balloons outwardly relative to the remaining por-tions of the parison, within said mold, the shape of said blow mold chamber adjacent said hotter, softer portion of the parison being relatively narrow in one transverse dimension; thereafter closing said mold whereby said relatively narrow portion of the blow mold chamber engages said ballooned portion of the parison upon closing, to cause it to collapse in one transverse dimension and to expand in another transverse dimension to assume the gen-eral shape, with relatively little stretching, of said adjacent, narrow blow mold chamber portion; and inflating said parison with relatively high pressure after said mold is closed to cause said parison to completely expand into the shape of the mold chamber, whereby the ballooned portions of said parison exhibit less wall thickness than said other portions.

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~06~3060 In a container made by the above method the ballooned portions of the parisons are more readily collapsible during use of the container because of their reduced wall thickness.
The above method is particularly advantageous when, as is the case of the specific embodiment shown herein, the shape of the blow molded chamber adjacent the hotter, softer portion of the parison is relatively narrow in one dimension. In this in-stance, the ballooning action of the selectively heated parison facilitates the expansion of the parison to fit the shape of the mold chamber in the narrow section. In the absence of such ballooning prior to closing of the mold, the parison material in the vicinity of the narrow section of the blow mold chamber may come into contact with the mold walls, and accordingly cool prior to stretching completely into the narrow shape of the mold chamber, resulting in a defective container.
The container produced by the method may include a head portion with access means to the contents of the container, and a tail portion defining a sealed line in the tail portion, joining sides of the container into a sealed end. A flat plastic piece may be formed integrally with the sealed line and extend away therefrom.
- A pair of spaced rod members may be formed as an in-tegral part of the flat plastic piece and may extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the container. The flat plastic piece may also define a portion thereof between the rod members which is thinner than the remainder of the plastic piece spaced from the rod members. Accordingly, the rod members and the intermediate portion therebetween provide an improved and stronger tail seal. The seal structure may be used with ~068~:)60 either oriented or non-oriented plastic containers, and flexible or inflexible containers, resulting in a more reliable sealed end for such containers, especially for blow-molded, collapsible containers made from tubular plast~c parisons.
The mold which is used to prepare the container may define a pair of chamber-forming mold halves for defining a container body-forming portion. The mold typically also `~
defines a head-forming portion at one end thereof, and tail portibn defining means for sealing the container by forming a sealed line at the other end thereof, joining opposite sides of the container into a sealed end. The mold may also, as part of the tail portion defining means, include ~
side-joining means for pressing a portion of the end of the softened plastic tube together into the flat plastic piece mentioned above.
The improved tail seal is accordingly produced by defining in the flat plastic piece-forming portions, of one or both of the mold halves, a pair of spaced channels, posi-tioned transversely to the longitudinal axis of the mold halves and the container formed therein. Between the channels, a land area is defined in one or both of the mold halves which is higher than the remainder of the flat plastic piece-forming portion of the mold~ Accordingly, the pressure of the closing mold is focused against the land area of the mold, positioned between the transverse channels.
As a result of this, the focused pressure pro-duces, at the land area, a greatly increased pressure of a magnitude which could not be achieved by a similar, flat mold pressing uniformly against the entire flat plastic . - . . - -piece. Hence, the plastic walls of the collapsed tubular parison end are reduced in thickness adjacent the land area, with plastic being forced to flow in opposite directions, generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mold and container, away from the land area and into the spaced ch~nnels. As a result of this, a shearing flow is created in the two plastic layers of the collapsed tubular parison end, resulting in a substantial obliteration of the junc-tion between the two plastic layers and forming a firm, integral union in the plastic that remains in the land area, as well as in the plastic that flows into the chan-nels of the mold.
Hence, the resulting container assumes the con-figuration described above, having a pair of transversely-disposed rod members, with a thin portion between them.This particular structure, for the reasons described above, exhibits a firm plastic seal, and, since the lands and channels of the mold halves may extend across the entire width of the mold chamber, the resulting rod members ~nd thin intermediate portion therebetween can likewise extend across the entire width of the container, forming a sealed tail portion of improved strength.
The remainder of the flat plastic piece of the tail portion will be held together by a weak seal or no seal at all, and can be removed if desired. Also, if de-1(~68060 sired, the container can be so molded as to avoid productionof the flat plastic piece except for the rod members and the intermediate portion.
Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an ele-vational view of a flexible container made in accordancewith this invention, with a portion of this mold shown, and with a preliminary stage of the shape of the container during molding being shown.
Figure 2 is an elevational view of the same con- -tainer, rotated 90, and shown in conjunction with its mold, portions of the mold being broken away.
Figure 3 is a highly-magnified, longitudinal sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing in detail the structure of the sealed tail end portion of this invention.
Figure 4 is a plan view of a parison section being heated by strip heaters prior to molding of the /.
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.~ . ... . .. . _ softened parison section as described herein.
Referring to the drawings, flexible, collapsible container 10 is shown to be made from a heated tubular parison of softened polypropylene plastic or the like by a convention blow-molding process, involving body mold halves 14, 16 for forming the body of container io, and head mold halves 18, 20 for forming the head portion 22 of the container. As shown in Figure 2, the head portion 22 formed by mold halves 18, 20 is a relatively thick, rigid open tube, and defining a bore communicating with the inte~
rior of container 10. -Any conventional closure may be used to seal a container of this invention. For example, a molded plastic closure member can be sealed in place across the mouth of head portion 22, having puncturable diaphragms for access into the container. An overcap can also be at-tached after molding, for example an overcap similar to that disclosed in Weiler U.S. patent No. 3,730,372.
Blow-molding in general is a well-developed arm of technology, and many different techniques of blow-molding are currently available to those skilled in the art and which are usable for manufacturing the containers of this invention.
The particular blow-molding technique described below has been found to be particularly useful and advanta-.:

geous in making containers of the design specified herein, although other blow-molding techniques can also be used.
Typically, a separately-extruded tubular parison section 27 is grasped by gripper 2g and placed between mold halves 14, 16 and head mold halves 18, 20. Blowing tube 36 is then placed into the parison from the bottom, and pres-surized air at a pressure of about 8 p.s.i. is provided through the blowing tubelprior to or as mold halves 14, 16 close. A plug 31 is mounted upon blow tube 36 to close neck portion 22 of the container 10 formed from the pari-. ~ . .
son 27, so that, as the head molds 18, 20 close, the parison can be inflated to approximate the desired final structure.
As shown in Figure 4, parison 27 may be t~pically selectively preheated with conventional parison strip heaters 31, 33. Strip heaters 31 are ad~usted to pro-duce a greater heat output than heaters 33.
Thus, parison 27 is heated to a higher tempera-ture with respect to its uppex third, when compared with the rest of the container, prior to closing of the mold.
As a result, the upper third of parison 27 is somewhat softer. The exact heating conditions are empirical, and must be individually determined for the particular equip-ment used, to obtain the desired results on such equipment.
Accordingly, upon the 8 p.s.i. inflation, a pre-10680~0 liminary bubble 35 is shown in Figure 1 to be formed by ballooning outwardly in the parison 27, being illustrated -in phantom lines. This is an intermediate con~iguration of the parison, prior to formation of the final configura-tion, which is container 10 as shown in the drawings in full lines. , -It can be seen that preexpansion of the upper portion of parison 27 facilitates the complete filling of the narrow, upper end 37 of the mold (Figure 2) by the softened, ~allooned parison end, as the mold closes.
After formation of the intermediate configuration of parison 27 as shown in Figure 1, and after closing of the mold halves 14, 16, 18 and 20, high pressure air is introduced to blowing tube 36 at a pressure of about 110 -p.s.i., to cause the parison to assume the shape flthe mold cavity, as shown in the drawings. Typically, during this phase of the operation, up to about a five ton total pressure can be applied against the mold halves to coun-terbalance the internal air pressure, while creating the novel tail seal described previously.
The walls of the upper third of the container of this invention, as shown in the drawings, are generally thinner than the walls of the lower two thirds, which provides the advantage of permitting a uniform collapse as the container is emptied of solution, beginning at the end --1 0-- :

106806~) having hanger piece 38, and slowly proceeding down the container as the liquid is removed through head portion 22. The difference in wall thickness changes gradually, typically ranging from about 0.01 inch at end 37 to 0.02 inch in the vicinity of shoulder portions 42.
After the inflation process is complete, and the newly-formed container has cooled sufficiently to retain -its shape~the portion of parison 27 which projects upwardly ~
out of the mold may be cut away, and the mold opened so tha the container drops out. Thereafter, an appropriate closure can be placed upon head portion 22 of container 10 .
If desired, head mold halves 18, 20 may close on -parison 27 prior to the closing of mold halves 14, 16, to pre-form the head portion 22.
The present invention is particularly useful for sealing biaxially oriented co~tainers. The process of biaxial orientation makes the formation of a good tail seal more difficultJdue to cooling of the parison during the orientation process, but the present invention can be effectively utilized in that circumstance.
Flat plastic hanger piece 38 is made from an end section of the parison by molding as shown, to bç formed integrally with container 10, and extending essentially the entire width of the container. An aperture 40 is gen--11- .- .

erally provided in hanger piece 38, being generally formed during or after molding by cutting or the like, to facili-tate hanging of the container in the position indicated in Figure 1. Hanger piece 38 can also be shaped after molding by cutting into a shape as indicated in phantom lines in Figure 1.
The container 10, in as-molded form, defines a shoulder portion 42 integral with head portion 22. The container also includes various gusset portions 44 de-fining certain lines of folding weakness, and longitudinal line of folding weakness 45, to facilitate the collapse of the bag in the manner illustrated, for example, in United States Patent No. 4,049,033.
However, it is contemplated that the inven.tion of this application can be utilized with any flexible plastic container.
Container 10 defines a tail end portion 46 which, ::
in turn, defines a sealed line 48, joining opposite sides 50, 54 of tubular container 10 into a sealed end.
Sealed line 48 is formed by bringing the respec-tive container walls 50, 54 together by mold halves 14, 16, and effecting a heat seal along line 48. As shown in Figure 1, line 48 extends essentially the entire width of container 10.
.25 Hanger piece 38 is formed in the parison 27 by the mold into a flat piece, adjacent its end. Hanger piece 38 is integral with sealed line 48 and extends away therefrom.
The sealed end of tail portion 46 of container 10 is molded to define a recess 56, formed by the con-tainer walls, which is directed inwardly to the interior of container 10 to form a bellows-like structure at the end of container 10 as shown in Figure 3. Recess 56 ex-tends the entire length of seal line 48, and serves as a protection means for it, reducing the likelihood that rupture will take place in the vicinity of seal line 48 upon exposure to shock generated by dropping of the filled container or the like.
Recess 56 is formed by protruding portions 58 of mold sections 14, 16, which result in the formation of recessed wall portions 56.
Mold halves 14, 16 also define relatively en-larged, semi-cylindrical ahamber portions 60, relative to the mold chamber portions 62 immediately adjacent to por-tions 60, which also extend the length of seal line 48.
The purpose of these relatively enlarged, semi-cylindri-cal chamber portions is to produce corresponding container wall portions 64, which are semi-cylindrical in cross~
section, which serve as shock-absorbers for the sealed end of tail portion 46.
-~068060 Flat plastic hanger piece 38 also defines a pair of spaced rods 70 which are integral with plastic piece 38, and extend the entire width of the container. Between rods 70 is an intermediate portion 71 of plastic piece 38, which is shown to be approximately one half the thick-ness of the remainder of flat plastic piece 38 which is spaced from rods 70. For example, the thickness of portion 71 can be about 0.01 to 0.02 inch and the outer portion of plastic piece 38 is about twice as thick;
This is accomplished by providing to each mold half 14, 16 land areas 75 positioned between transversely- -extending channels 69 in registry with each other, each typically projecting outwardly relative to the remaining area 76 of the tail piece-forming portions of mold 14, 16 lS by at least about 0.005 inch, to cause the thinning of ~ -portion 71.
Accordingly, when mold halves 14, 16 are brought together to form flat piece 38 by collapsing the end of a tubular plastic parison, the majority of the entire com-pressive force exerted between the two mold halves by pis-tons 28, 30 is focused in land area 75 between transversely-extending channels 69. As a result, the plastic in land area 75 is placed under sufficient compression to force plastic to flow out of area 75 in the opposite directions as indicated by longitudinal axis 68, to fill the trans-1~68060 versely extending channels 69 defined in mold halves 14, 16, resulting in the creation of rods 70. As stated above, the shearing action resulting from this flow sub-stantially obliterates, in portion 71, the junction line 78 between opposite sides of the plastic parison. This results in a seal of improved strength in the area of rods 70 and thin portion 71.
A typical container of this invention may be -proportioned to contain a liter of parenteral solution.
Generally a container of this invention may ~ -have an average wall thickness at the tail portion thereof of no more than about 0.05 inch, and particularly from around 0.01 to 0.02 inch, in order to obtain the most ~-significant improvement in sealing over the sealing methods of the prior art. Accordingly, the flat plas-tic member at its outer portion, in the vicinity of reference numeral 78, may have a thickness of about 0.02 to 0.04 inch, for example 0.03 inch, while intermediate portions 71 between the rod members 69 may accordingly ; ;
have a thickness of about 0.01 to 0.02 inch, e.g. 0.015 inch.
The distance of the strengthened tail seal por-tion from seal line 48 to upper portion 72 may be, for example 0.187 inch, with the remaining structure of Figure 3 being of proportionate size.

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When filled with a liquid, the container of this invention can be expected to assume shapes other than that ideally shown in the drawings, in which said container shown is in as-molded condition. The exact shape of the filled container will vary from moment to moment with handling and with its orientation to the vertical, since it is made of flexible material.
The above has been offered for illustrative pur- -poses only, and is not to be considered as limiting the io invention, which is as described in the claims below.

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Claims (5)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. The method of molding a softened, plastic tubular parison which comprises selectively heating an entire cir-cumferential portion of said plastic parison so that said portion of the plastic parison is hotter and softer than the remaining portions of said parison; inflating said plastic parison in a blow mold chamber at relatively low inflation pressure, whereby the hotter, softer portion of said parison balloons outwardly relative to the re-maining portions of the parison, within said mold, the shape of said blow mold chamber adjacent said hotter, softer portion of the parison being relatively narrow in one transverse dimension; thereafter closing said mold whereby said relatively narrow portion of the blow mold chamber engages said ballooned portion of the parison upon closing, to cause it to collapse in one transverse dimension and to expand in another transverse dimension to assume the general shape, with relatively little stretching, of said adjacent, narrow blow mold chamber portion; and inflating said parison with rela-tively high pressure after said mold is closed to cause said parison to completely expand into the shape of the mold chamber, whereby the ballooned portions of said parison exhibit less wall thickness than said other portions.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the ballooned end of the parison in said mold chamber is collapsed together whereby opposite side of said ballooned parison combine to form a flat, plastic piece; and thereafter pressing a seg-ment of said flat plastic piece extending across the entire width of the resulting container with force sufficient to cause said plastic to flow; and causing said flowing plastic to move in opposite axial directions relative to said heat softened plastic parison, to form a pair of spaced rod members positioned in said plastic piece transversely to said axial directions, and to corre-spondingly cause the flat plastic piece between said rod members to be reduced in thickness.

3. The method of claim 2 in which said heat-softened plastic parison is a biaxially oriented plastic material.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the portion of said flat plastic piece between said rod members which are formed is pressed to approximately one half of its original thickness.

5. The method of claim 2 in which said spaced rod members are formed in the flat plastic piece at a position substantially spaced from the end of said parison, whereby a flat plastic member is defined at the end of the con-tainer formed from the parison, suitable for use as a container hanger member.