CN103201179A

CN103201179A - A blow molded container

Info

Publication number: CN103201179A
Application number: CN2012800036106A
Authority: CN
Inventors: W·L·德索托-伯特; T·M·戴; R·E·纽法斯; R·D·塞特费尔德; C-C·黄; M·A·赫瑞拉; S-Y·麦康维尔; A·帕甘; B·D·安德烈斯; C·A·沃拉-普瑞利
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Ltd
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Ltd; Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 2011-01-14
Filing date: 2012-01-13
Publication date: 2013-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2032-01-13
Also published as: JP5681295B2; CN103201179B; EP2663499A1; MX2013005285A; WO2012097248A1; US20120181292A1; JP2013545682A

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a container (101) comprising a retention mechanism (103) for attaching a closure (106) to an opening or neck (102) of the container with a portion of the container body comprising a physical geometry that creates more than one undercut.

Description

Blow-molded container

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of blow-molded container with maintaining body, described maintaining body is used for closure member is attached to opening or the neck of described container, and the part of described container comprises that generation is more than the physical geometry of a undercutting.

Background technology

Develop the multiple package that is used for household products, personal care product and other products, comprised allocation packet piece installing or container.Have the container of pleasing people's aesthetic appearance for the customer and have the closure member design fully integrated with the design of container.This has expressed following message: the integration of these two assemblies is exquisite compositions.This is very important for producing the closure member that the customer can use intuitively.An example of the container/closure system of high degree of integration is following container/closure system: wherein the geometric configuration of container is wrapped in closure member on every side to produce shoulder.This geometric configuration also can be called the container with recessed neck.This groove geometry is used for different purposes: give container and closure member total integrated outward appearance, give the container stability of inverted orientation and make the effect of closure member for customer's intuitive more.

It is impossible blowing this container geometry with traditional blow molding technology of today, because this container will have undercutting in the concave part of shoulder.This is because when the die cavity instrument will be opened, the steel that produces the concave surface parts was trapped.Blow the bar head instrument top component that is shaped if use, then will run into the undercutting of the snap-fastener beading structure below of adjacent vessel shoulder.This is owing to can not blow the bar mould by tractive, the described bar mould generation snap-fastener beading below the beading structure that is shaped that blows.

Use on observing market during the container of groove geometry design, find that they have straight shoulder but not concave design usually.The formation of this groove is without any need for inventive step, because there is following at least one direction, wherein mould can be opened and is superior to any moulding material with the vertical pulling motion, and described moulding material will be trapped within the geometric configuration of container.Yet, can in blowing mould, the groove geometry with the demoulding of vertical pulling mode will be very limited in design, thereby limit the integration of closure member and blow-molded container and therefore limited above-mentioned all beneficial effects.

Currently on market, also have other containers with different shoulder geometric configuratioies, but these containers have used the different neck of finding with the present invention of neck.These containers have used the closure member attachment means, and wherein closure member is snapped onto on the container from the inboard of dispensing aperture.A non-limitative example of the container by method manufacturing of the present invention can be referred to as has the fastening close mechanism, and it is snapped onto on the outside of container neck.By discovery of the present invention, the design provides bigger antiseep reliability, because the Outboard Sections of neck calibrates, thus the inside part that container is provided tolerance limit more closely.The inboard of container is not altitude calibration, thereby has increased the possibility of relatively poor joint between container and the closure member, and therefore causes possible seepage.This is owing to the parts via extrusion blow molded method blowing have the geometric configuration of control better usually than in the inboard in the outside of parts, because the wall thickness of material can change because of the aspect ratio of parts, described aspect ratio has changed into the different parison draft ratio on radial and axial.In addition, container (their closure member is attached on the container from the inboard of neck) need be pruned with reaming as non-productive operation neck usually.The operation of excision excess stock itself just is not expensive benefit, thereby should avoid.In addition, any cutting operation also needs directly to touch the part with cut, thereby has limited the groove geometry that can get and the integration that has limited closure member and blow-molded container and therefore limited above-mentioned all beneficial effects.Utilize closure member attachment means (wherein closure member is snapped onto on the container from the inner seal of neck and from the outside of neck) can use traditional striker plate and blow the design of bar instrument, wherein blow bar and cut parison (when it contacts with striker plate), thereby produce the neck of calibration and therefore eliminated the essentiality of non-productive operation such as pruning and reaming.

Current, most of closure members make completeization of geometric configuration of container, thereby require the geometric configuration of the size of closure member and container proportional.In the present invention, the size of closure member has been minimized, thereby the multiple beneficial effect is provided.One of beneficial effect is that the weight with closure member is decreased to the minimum that can obtain the required resin of desired closure member function.This is a kind of beneficial effect for environment, because the industrial current perfect polypropylene recycling stream that do not have.Comprise the closure member that reduces weight from overall wrapper by having, this allows container to have the recyclable usability of improvement.The overall cost that this has also reduced closure member comprises the cost that is associated with resin, processing, mould, the selection of injection molding (IM) press and other aspects.Another beneficial effect that minimizes the closure member size is, closure member has become the not too crucial part of this design, thereby inducing people that identical closure member is used in the different container design in the brand to a greater extent, even making it possible to all different brands/moulding series is all used identical closure member.This has promoted optimization and efficient, has further reduced cost then.This makes that also the profile of this shape can bi-directional scaling, and does not use the change of supplementary features such as step, bigger radius or other geometric forms and angle to be adapted to closure member.

Another beneficial effect that minimizes the closure member size is that it can be incorporated in the container shapes.When container was in its inverted orientation, the design of integration allowed to use container top surface to increase stability and do not need bigger closure member.This also helps to produce differentiation between these forms (such as shampoo and conditioner), thereby helps the customer to identify the product that they seek.Therefore the scale that this has promoted container design and exploitation becomes a kind of advantage.Another advantage is that having recessed closure member provides higher levels of injury protection, because recessed closure member is subjected to the protection of groove geometry.Another beneficial effect with recessed neck (wherein container pack is around closure member) is that it makes it possible to all different sizes are used identical closure member, still has the outward appearance of integration simultaneously between container and closure member.Another beneficial effect of the present invention is to use identical closure member to all containers made from different molding technologies.The non-limitative example of molding technology comprises extrusion blow molded (EBM), injection blow molding (IBM) and injection drawing blow (ISBM).This has promoted scale and has further reduced cost.

An object of the present invention is to describe a kind of blow-molded container, wherein said container comprises groove in the geometric configuration of this container.This groove allows closure member and container to integrate, and makes that it flushes basically in the summit of the outmost surface of this blow-molded container when closure member connects with blow-molded container.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a kind of blow-molded container that comprises physical geometry and closure member maintaining body, described physical geometry produces more than a undercutting, preferably groove, and described closure member maintaining body is used for closure member is attached to opening or the neck of described container.

Description of drawings

Figure 1A be have recessed neck and snap-fastener beading closure member attachment means the final container shape etc. axonometric drawing;

Figure 1B is the axonometric drawing such as grade of a non-limitative example of small closed part;

Fig. 1 C is the container with recessed neck and the small closed part that assembles, and described container is placed with upright orientation and inverted orientation;

Fig. 1 D is the top view of container, shows molding parting line and mold actions direction.

Fig. 1 E is the top view with recessed neck and container of the small closed part that assembles.

The specific embodiment

For the present invention, suitable groove be following those, when described closure member connected with described goods, described groove allowed the part of goods to be wrapped in around at least a portion of closure member.This type of groove can allow closure member to keep flushing basically summit in the outmost surface of described goods when being connected to described goods.So-called " at least a portion of closure member " in this article refers to when described closure member is connected to described goods, described part extends to form at least 45 ° around the periphery of closure member, preferably at least 60 °, the more preferably angle between 60 ° and 360 °, described angle is to obtain from the center of closure member and the x-y plane.

As used herein, term " integration " refers to: (i) at least a portion of described closure member keeps flushing basically at least one surface in goods, the preferably outside face of described shoulder; And (ii) at least one shoulder of described goods is wrapped in around at least a portion of described closure member, preferably forms at least one concave surface.The advantage of this type of configuration is the desired profile of customer.

As used herein, term " undercutting " refers to following physical geometry, when described mould when linear direction is opened, its obstruction is taken out goods from mould, described linear direction intersects at least a portion of described geometric configuration.

As used herein, term " zero damage " refers to that goods remain on the final physical geometric configuration that produces when molding methods finishes.

As used herein, term " scale " refers to by reducing to design the economic beneficial effect that obtains with development time and resource and the capital investment that customer's acceptance, the feature that is designed beautifully etc. is not had a negative impact and obtains by direct repeated application.

Blowing is a kind of manufacture method of knowing for the manufacture of plastic product such as container, Fuel Tank, shank etc.When blow moiding method begins with the plastics fusion and be configured as parison or preformed member.Then parison is clamped in the mould, and the medium (being generally air) of supercharging is blowed or is pumped into wherein.Air pressure forces plastics to be matched with the peripheric geometric shapes of mould.After this plastic cool and sclerosis, mould is just opened and these parts are ejected.

The blowing platform that has three kinds of main types: extrusion blow molded (EBM), injection blow molding (IBM) and stretch-blow (SBM).In some applications, depend on performance and the complexity of wanting formed article, the combination of above-mentioned blowing platform may be more suitable, such as injection drawing blow (ISBM).

Be used for plastic resin material of the present invention and can be polyolefin such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

As used herein and except as otherwise noted, " polyethylene " comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE) (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE).As used herein and except as otherwise noted, " polypropylene " comprises homopolymer polypropylene, random copolymer polypropylene and periodic copolymer polypropylene.

Therefore, need a kind of novel container design, it has recessed neck 102 and closure member maintaining body 103.Container 101 can be made via any aforementioned different blow moiding method.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises closure member maintaining body 103, described mechanism is used for closure member 106 is attached to opening or the neck 102 of container 101, and it can be selected from snap-fastener beading, screw thread, bayonet socket and their compound without limitation.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 also comprises following geometric configuration, described geometric configuration is being considered to produce more than a undercutting 107 traditionally, and therefore at molding container taken out from mould after the container and temporarily or for good and all do not change the shape of container or the shape of container is out of shape and just will become very difficult.This is owing to be used for producing the material of the mould of container shapes and will be trapped within the geometric configuration of container, thereby does not allow to carry out the vertical pulling opening action of the mould shown in Fig. 1 D.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises geometric configuration, wherein can be selected from recessed, protruding, linear, nonlinear without limitation around the interface between the geometric configuration of closure member 106 and container 105 of container neck or their mixing.Can limit the concrete form fit of interface geometry 105 in the shape of closure member 106, therefore allow between closure member 106 and container 101, to produce the outward appearance of integrating.

In another embodiment of the present invention, container 101 comprises the nonlinear geometry shape around the neck of container and the closed interface of container.The curvature at interface 105 allow container pack around closure member 106 so that can have the fully integrated desired feature that is designed beautifully.The part that is wrapped in closure member 106 container 101 on every side can be called the shoulder 104 of container.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises shoulder 104 geometric configuratioies, the sidepiece that wherein has the shoulder wall at the interface 105 that comprises closure member 106 has the positive drafting angle of spending less than 10, and in another embodiment, drafting angle can be further reduced to less than 8 the degree, and preferably drafting angle in addition be further reduced to 5 the degree or littler.In case closure member 106 is assembled, this shoulder surface just produces interface 105 between container 101 and closure member 106.The positive drafting angles that have less than 10 degree are very important, and this is for two major causes:

1) customer's acceptance-drafting angle is more little, and is then after closure member 106 is assembled, between closure member 106 and container 101 that the space or the gap 108 that exist is just more little.But big gap is to be the zone of water accumulation and product wherein by consumers' perceptions usually, thereby it is dirty and messy to make that Overall Group's component is perceived as.In addition, it is not fully integrated to closure member and container that big gap also can make consumers' perceptions, thereby makes overall wrapper be revealed as relatively poor design.When this gap 108 surpass from shoulder surface 104 to closure member 106 7.4mm apart from the time, the customer also perceives the inside that product is flowed and intercepts.

2) to all multiple container dimensionals potentially repeated application closure member 106-have low drafting angle at the vertical shoulder interface of container 105 walls and make it possible to use the closure member 106 with straight or low vertical drafting angle.If closure member 106 has low vertical drafting angle, then it not only can be used for having the container of the shoulder 104 of this side that covers closure member, and can be used for having different shoulders designs container or even do not have the container of shoulder, wherein the periphery of closure member is partly or fully to expose.Have and use the alerting ability of identical closure member to produce scale to all different container designs, this has reduced cost and logistics complexity usually.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises shoulder 104 geometric configuratioies, and wherein the shape of shoulder can be modified to be adapted to the mould container of different volumes size, simultaneously still can be with them and identical closure member 106 connections.Revise the shape of shoulder 104 to be matched with identical closure member 106 generation scales, this reduces cost usually, allows Overall Group's component to keep its fully integrated aesthetic appearance simultaneously.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the part of container body can have following physical geometry, and described physical geometry produces that at least one is non-linear or more than a linear undercutting.In one embodiment, the linear undercutting part that can have this morphology makes this surface be in the identical plane.In one embodiment of the invention, non-linear undercutting can be limited by the part of this morphology and make this surface be present in a plurality of planes.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 is made by the following method, and described method is selected from extrusion blow molded (EBM), injection blow molding (IBM), injection drawing blow (ISBM) or their mixing without limitation.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises shoulder 104 geometric configuratioies of integrating with closure member 106, and preferably the integration of these shoulder 104 geometric configuratioies and this closure member 106 makes completeization of container profile.

In one embodiment of the invention, a kind of container 100, wherein the neck of container can be surrounded by the part of container body at least in part.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises that closure member keeps structure 103, and wherein the maintenance structure 103 of container can be called " public assembly ", because it is from the external collar facing projection of container; And closure member 106 comprises " female component ", because it has recessed region, in a single day container 101 is assembled and just is fitted in the described recessed region.In one embodiment of the invention, container 101

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 comprises that closure member keeps structure 103, and wherein the maintenance structure 103 of container has pedestal from the beading end to neck or the degree of depth less than about 1.5mm of external diameter.It is very important having this degree of depth, because it has guaranteed will exist between closure member 106 and container 101 enough joints by mistake to separate with container to prevent closure member.In a different embodiment of the present invention, container comprises that closure member keeps structure, and wherein the maintenance structure of container can be called " female component ", because it has from the recessed recess of the external collar facing of container.The maintenance structure of closure member can be called " public assembly ", because it is from the facing projection of closure member and in case just be assembled and be fitted to the container.In one embodiment of the invention, container comprises that closure member keeps structure, and wherein the maintenance structure of container has the degree of depth less than about 1.5mm that keeps the pedestal of structure from the external diameter of neck to this mother.It is very important having this degree of depth, because it has guaranteed will exist between closure member and container enough joints by mistake to separate with container to prevent closure member.

In a different embodiment of the present invention, container 101 comprises and is selected from following material without limitation: polyolefin such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or their compound.These are the typical resins for the manufacture of blow-molded container.In one embodiment, the plastic resin material is polyolefin high density polyethylene (HDPE) (HDPE).These plastic materials can be made by petrochemistry source monomer or biogenic monomer.

In another embodiment of the present invention, container 101 comprises two upright surfaces 109 in container geometry.Utilize this geometric configuration, this moulding article can be placed with multiple orientation, such as upright orientation or inverted orientation.This geometric configuration also provides the closure member 106 of non-projection for moulding article.

In one embodiment of the invention, container 101 is taken out from the molding cavity and for good and all or temporarily do not make mold container structural distortion.This is very important, because the distortion of any kind (permanent or temporary transient) all can cause the influence to the integraty of this structure.

In one embodiment of the invention, comprise can biodegradable poly-mer or can biodegradable mixture of polymers for container 101.

In another embodiment of the present invention, container 101 comprise be selected from without limitation following can biodegradable polymeric material: poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly-succinate fourth diester (PBS), the aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters based on terephthalic acid, the aromatic copolyesters with high terephthaldehyde's acidic content, polyhydroxy-alkanoates (PHA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), cellulose or their compound.

Dimension disclosed herein and value are not intended to be understood that strictly to be limited to described exact value.On the contrary, except as otherwise noted, each such dimension is intended to represent described value and centers on the scope that is equal on this value function.For example, disclosed dimension " 40mm " is intended to expression " about 40mm ".

The relevant portion of the used document of quoting in the detailed Description Of The Invention is incorporated this paper into way of reference; Quoting of any document all may not be interpreted as its approval as prior art of the present invention.When any implication of same term in any implication of term in the literature or definition and the document of incorporating into way of reference or define when conflicting, will be as the criterion with implication or the definition of giving that term in the literature.

Although illustrated and described the present invention with specific embodiments, those be it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that under the situation that does not deviate from the spirit and scope of the invention, can make many other change and modification.Therefore, the claims of enclosing are intended to contain all these changes and modification in the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. container comprises:

A) maintaining body, described maintaining body is used for closure member is attached to opening or the neck of container;

B) part of container body, the part of described container body comprise that generation is more than the physical geometry of a undercutting.

2. container according to claim 1, the described part of wherein said container comprises around the geometric configuration of the described container at the closed interface of the neck of container and described container, described geometric configuration is selected from recessed, protruding, linear, nonlinear, linear and nonlinear mixing or their mixing.

3. container according to claim 2, the part of wherein said container comprise around the nonlinear geometry shape at the closed interface of the neck of described container and described container.

4. container according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises geometric configuration, the vertical side that wherein has a described shoulder at the interface that comprises closure member has the positive drafting angle less than 10 degree.

5. container according to claim 1, the neck of wherein said container is surrounded by the part of container body at least in part.

6. container according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder geometric configuration can be modified with molding and use identical closure member with the container to all different volumes sizes.

7. container according to claim 1, wherein said container is to make by being selected from following method: extrusion blow molded, injection blow molding, injection drawing blow and their mixing.

8. container according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder geometric configuration is integrated with closure member.

9. container according to claim 1, the interface that wherein said maintenance structure is closure member or the public assembly in the attachment.

10. container according to claim 9, wherein said maintenance structure have the degree of depth less than about 1.5mm from the end of described beading to pedestal or the external diameter of neck.

11. container according to claim 1, wherein said maintenance structure are the interface of closure member or the female component in the attachment.

12. container according to claim 11, wherein said maintenance structure have the degree of depth less than about 1.5mm that keeps the pedestal of structure from the external diameter of described neck to described mother.

13. container according to claim 1, wherein said container constitutes by being selected from following material: polyolefin such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or their compound.

14. container according to claim 1, wherein said container comprise two upright surfaces in container geometry.

15. container according to claim 1, wherein during taking out from described molding cavity, the structure of described container temporarily or for good and all is not out of shape.

16. a container of making by the described method of claim 7, described container is by forming by biodegradable poly-mer.

17. a container of making by the described method of claim 16, wherein said can being selected from by biodegradable poly-mer: poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly-succinate fourth diester (PBS), the aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters based on terephthalic acid, the aromatic copolyesters with high terephthaldehyde's acidic content, polyhydroxy-alkanoates (PHA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), cellulose or their compound.