DE10233518A1 - Plastic functional unit, is fixed to the outside of a container by using an adhesive and a laminar film material - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for fixing a plastic functional unit (11) to the outside (12) of a container (13) for substances to be fed to humans or animals, e.g. drugs, comprises using a film laminate (19) with a number of layers (14,15,16). Process for fixing a plastic functional unit (11) to the outside (12) of a container (13) for substances to be fed to humans or animals, e.g. drugs, comprises using a film laminate (19) with a number of layers (14,15,16). The outer layer consists of a polyolefin, and has an adhesive which enables the functional unit to be adhered to the container. The outside of the container is pre-heated using a blower. The limiting temperature of the inner polyolefin layer is lower than that of the outer layer.

Description

The invention relates to a method for attaching a functional unit to an outside of a film bag, which is designed and intended for receiving substances to be administered to humans or animals, in particular food or pharmaceuticals. The functional unit is made of plastic and the film bag is made of a film laminate with a plurality of layers, and the layer on the outside consists of polyolefins melting at a certain limit temperature T _A.

There have been numerous attempts made to a functional unit, in particular a piercing device or a substance withdrawal device, in particular a fluid withdrawal device to be attached to such a film bag as permanently as possible. used ultrasonic welding process, thermal sealing as well as pulse welding processes.

To be sufficiently firm and preferably also fluid-tight connection between the functional unit and the foil bag to effect, but must comparatively high welding energies that are often not used in practical tests desired Result, but secondary damage. It often happened with bags that also have the inner layer out weldable material consisted of spanning the interior welds, so the affected pouch was unusable.

The object of the present invention is a method of attaching a functional unit on an outside propose a foil pouch with which a simple and reliable attachment without the secondary damage mentioned can be.

Furthermore, a foil bag should be specified to which a functional unit is reliably attached.

These tasks are solved with a procedure according to the features of claim 1 and a foil bag the features of claim 7. Advantageous further developments are in the subclaims specified.

A key idea of the present Invention is the connection between the functional unit and outer layer to form the foil bag in the form of a combined welded / adhesive connection, a heated bonding agent is provided for these purposes is that with the release of its thermal energy causes a weld in some areas and at the same time creates an adhesive connection between the surfaces. The parallel welding and gluing process support each other mutually, with a spot-wise weld, if necessary, for a high one Strength of the connection and the adhesive connection for a flat system the functional unit, preferably also for a sealed connection provides.

In a preferred embodiment the process is in addition to the thermal energy of the coupling agent the action of other external, preferably also thermal Energy is provided, for example one that is only provided in some areas Preheat the outside the foil bag and / or the functional unit.

Specifically, the foil bag could be vox heated with a hot air blower become. in principle targeted electromagnetic radiation is also conceivable, being to increase a special absorbent effect on the surface Coating could be provided.

In principle, the adhesion promoter can selective, linear, in some areas, over a large area or over the entire investment area be applied. In a concrete form of the procedure it is preferred to apply the bonding agent in such a way that after pressing the functional unit and the foil bag together an all-round liquid barrier is guaranteed by a binding layer that forms becomes. Then within the circulating liquid barrier from the outside no fluid in the connection area between the functional unit and film bag penetrate or from a connection area or an emptying channel between the foil bag and the functional unit penetrate out of the connection area.

In a concrete form is in the inventive method an arched, pillow-like Foil bags, in particular a 3-edge sealed bag with a functional unit permanently connected, with foil bag and functional unit in unit permanently connected, with foil bag and functional unit in suitably pressed together to form a bonding layer become.

In particular, it can be useful on the bag in one or more places outside the welding / gluing area To exert pressure around the bag for the welding / gluing process stabilize and so over the substance contained in the bag also for pressing the functional unit sufficient back pressure by pressurizing the substance to generate. For example, the pouch can be within several Press jaws are held in the bag by pressure and / or friction a desired one Position.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method is acted on the film bag so that each other across from lying sections of the bag, which is preferably closed on all sides, if possible are far apart in order to achieve the highest possible welding energy to be able to contribute without a weld with the opposite section of the felt Risking foil bags.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a film bag is opened Acceptance of substance to be administered to humans or animals, in particular food or pharmaceuticals, wherein the film pouch is formed from a film laminate with a plurality of layers and a functional unit is attached to an outside of the film pouch via a binding layer formed by an adhesion promoter, wherein the The outer layer located on the outside consists of polyolefins melting at a certain limit temperature T _A , the binding layer being designed according to the invention as a combined welding / adhesive layer in such a way that material welding occurs in some areas between the outer layer and / or the binding layer and / or the functional unit and in the remaining ones Areas of adhesive attachment is guaranteed.

In complex test series it has been shown that industrial production of plastic bags with welded on Functional units can have manufacturing defects that the welding energy to be applied within the film laminate also in places where this is effective not wished is. With a lower dosed welding output, however, the attachment was the functional units to be attached are not sufficiently secure or only in the form of a point connection. A surprising one solution The problem arose as a welding process with an adhesive process was combined so that welding process and gluing process in a synergetic manner to form the desired compound on one filled Interact foil pouches made of foil laminate.

In a specific, preferred embodiment, the film bag comprises an inner layer, in particular for the formation of sealed seams, which consists of polyolefins melting at a certain limit temperature T _I. By means of the inner layer formed in this way, the bag is sealed during its manufacturing process, with a simple 3-edge sealing bag, for example, by turning a foil rectangle in the middle and sealing two open edges, filling the pocket-shaped receiving space formed in this way and sealing the last remaining open edge to form an all-round closed pillow-like bag can be made. To ensure this sealability, the inner layer is itself weldable, which significantly complicates the fastening of a functional unit to the outer layer by welding.

In a specific embodiment, the temperature limit of the inner layer is chosen to be lower than the temperature limit of the outer layer, so that a sealing tool heated to a temperature between T _I and T _A can seal the inner layers pressed against one another to form a bag without changes to the outer layer cause.

In a concrete form of the foil pouch proposed here is still between the inner layer and outer layer arranged a material, in particular gas diffusion inhibiting barrier layer. This ensures that substances absorbed in the foil bag, food or pharmaceuticals in particular have a long shelf life and material diffusion, in particular gas diffusion both from the outside in and from inside out if possible repressed becomes.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the bonding agent forming the bonding layer comprises polyethylene components. Furthermore, the bonding agent forming the binding layer more preferably comprises moderation binding resins.

The one that forms the tie layer Adhesion promoter is useful for heating up to 180 ° C trained so that for the combined welding / gluing process welding energy to be applied can already be brought about by the heated adhesion promoter. The welding energy can be done solely by the temperature and / or amount of the coupling agent be dosed. Furthermore, they are not special tools or devices necessary which the welding energy apply to the foil bag. In modified embodiments can the welding energy alternatively or additionally can also be introduced in other ways, for example by irradiation, especially laser radiation, ultrasound, heated tools, Etc.

In a concrete, preferred embodiment is the functional unit to be attached to the film bag according to the invention in the form of a substance withdrawal device, in particular in the form an outlet device for removing a fluid substance or a piercing device for opening the Bag, trained. The invention is also hereinafter referred to Further features and advantages based on the description of exemplary embodiments and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Here show:

1 an embodiment of a film bag according to the invention in side view;

2 a sectional view through an embodiment of the foil bag 1 ;

3 a detailed view of the foil bag after 2 with a functional unit attached to it.

In 1 is a foil bag 13 represented according to the invention in a schematic view. On the foil bag 13 is a functional unit 11 attached, which is designed here in the form of a piercing device. With the foil pouch shown here 13 it is a so-called 3-edge sealing bag, which accordingly has three sealing seams, namely an upper sealing seam 20 , a side sealed seam 21 as well as a lower sealing seam 22 includes. The foil bag 13 is basically through Turning over a rectangular section of a film laminate (cf. 2 ) obtained, with a side sealing seam after the film laminate has been folded over on the opposite side by welding the film laminate 21 is trained. Then the upper or lower sealing seam is optionally chosen 20 . 22 trained, the bag is then infested and then the remaining sealed seam 20 . 22 locked. The bag can also be produced from a film laminate that runs continuously in the form of a tape, with the tape first being folded over on one side in the direction of travel, then the opposite, side sealing seam 21 is formed so that a tubular strand is formed. Sections of the length of the bag are separated from this hose strand, on one open side through the upper sealing seam 20 or lower sealing seam 22 closed, then filled and then the remaining lower or upper sealing seam 22 . 20 educated. The functional unit 11 is then to be attached to the already filled, even to a limited extent pressure-resistant, foil bag, this according to the invention using a binding layer 17 takes place, which is designed as a combined welding / adhesive layer (cf. 2 ).

In 2 is a sectional view through the bag described above along the line II-II 1 illustrated. The one made of foil laminate 19 formed gouges 13 contains a fluid substance in the illustrated embodiment 23 by a functional unit 11 , which is specifically designed here as a piercing device, can be removed. As a counterpart to the functional unit designed as a piercing device 11 can be on the opposite side of the foil pouch 13 an abutment 24 be provided, into which a piercing mandrel of the functional unit designed as a piercing device 11 can immerse.

The functional unit designed as a piercing device 11 is over a tie layer 17 , which is designed according to the invention as a welding / adhesive layer, on an outside 12 of the foil pouch 13 attached.

The layer structure of the film laminate 19 as well as the attachment of the functional unit 11 on the outside 12 of the foil pouch 13 is in 3 further illustrated. The film laminate 19 first has an outer layer 14 , a barrier layer 15 as well as an inner layer 16 on. The basic material of the barrier layer is, for example: SiO _x ; Al ₂ O ₃ ; EVOH; Al, biological barrier layers and recently also transparent barrier layers.

On the outside 12 of the film laminate 19 is an outer layer 14 provided which comprises polyolefins which melt at a limit temperature T _A. The one on the opposite side of the barrier layer 15 arranged inner layer 16 on the other hand consists of polyolefins that melt at a limit temperature T _I. In the specifically preferred embodiment, T _{I is} chosen to be less than T _A , so that the inner layer is sealed when the sealing seams are formed 16 is achieved without making changes to the outer layer 14 arise.

The tie layer 17 can be between the functional unit 11 and the outer layer 14 be arranged in a flat, strip-like, linear or punctiform manner. In the present case, a strip that runs approximately in a circle around the action region of the plug-on dome is preferred, as a result of which a peripheral liquid barrier is created.

11

functional unit

12

outside

13

foil pouch

14

outer layer

15

junction

16

inner layer

17

bonding layer

18

(Circumferential) liquid barrier

19

film laminate

20

upper seal

21

lateral seal

22

lower seal

23

fluid substance

24

abutment

Claims (14)

Method of attaching a functional unit ( 11 ) on an outside ( 12 ) a foil pouch ( 13 ) which is designed and intended for the reception of substances to be administered to humans or animals, in particular food or pharmaceuticals, the functional unit ( 11 ) made of plastic and the foil bag ( 13 ) from a foil laminate ( 19 ) with a plurality of layers ( 14 . 15 . 16 ) and on the outside ( 12 ) the outer layer consists of polyolefins melting at a certain limit temperature T _A and the process comprises the sequence of the following steps: provision of a film bag filled with substance ( 13 ) and one on the outside ( 12 ) Functional unit to be attached ( 13 ) - mistake of the functional unit ( 13 ) and / or the outside ( 12 ) in predetermined application areas with an adhesion promoter heated to operating temperature (T _G ) and - pressing together the filled foil bag ( 13 ) and functional unit ( 11 ) under the influence of the welding and adhesive properties of the heated bonding agent to produce a combined weld / adhesive connection between the foil bag ( 13 ) and functional unit ( 12 ). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in addition to the thermal energy of the coupling agent before or when pressing film bags ( 13 ) and functional unit ( 11 ) the effect of further external thermal energy is provided, for example a preheating of the outside, possibly also in certain areas ( 12 ) of the foil pouch ( 13 ) and / or the functional unit ( 11 ). A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the film bag ( 13 ) is preheated with a fan heater. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adhesion promoter is applied in such a way that when the functional unit ( 11 ) and foil bags ( 13 ) solely through the formation of a binding layer ( 17 ) an all-round liquid barrier ( 18 ) is guaranteed. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the functional unit ( 11 ) on a curved, pillow-like foil pouch ( 13 ), in particular pressed onto a 3-edge sealed bag and fastened by the welding / gluing process defined above. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when the functional unit is pressed onto the film bag ( 13 ) to form the weld / adhesive connection on the foil bag ( 13 ) is acted in that an opposite section of the bag, which is preferably closed on all sides, remains as far apart as possible and welding with other film sections is avoided. Foil bags for taking up substances to be administered to humans or animals, in particular food or pharmaceuticals, the foil bag ( 13 ) from a foil laminate ( 19 ) with a plurality of layers ( 14 . 15 . 16 ) is formed and on an outside ( 12 ) of the foil pouch ( 13 ) a functional unit ( 11 ) over a binding layer formed by an adhesion promoter ( 17 ) is attached, the on the outside ( 12 ) outer layer ( 14 ) consists of polyolefins melting at a certain limit temperature T _A , characterized in that the binding layer ( 17 ) is designed as a combined welding / adhesive layer, in such a way that in some areas material welding between the outer layer ( 17 ) and / or the binding layer ( 17 ) and / or the functional unit ( 11 ) arises and an adhesive attachment is guaranteed in the remaining areas. Foil bag according to claim 7, characterized in that the foil bag ( 13 ) an inner layer especially for the formation of sealed seams ( 16 ), which consists of melting at a certain limit temperature T _I polyolefins. Foil bag according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the limit temperature T _{I of} the polyolefins of the inner layer ( 16 ) is chosen lower than the limit temperature T _{A of} the polyolefins of the outer layer (T _I > T _A ). Foil bag according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that between the inner layer ( 16 ) and outer layer ( 14 ) a barrier layer which inhibits material diffusion, in particular gas diffusion ( 15 ) is arranged. Foil bag according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the binding layer ( 17 ) Forming adhesion promoter comprises polyethylene components. Foil bag according to one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the binding layer ( 17 ) forming adhesion promoter resins. Foil bag according to one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the binding layer ( 17 ) training adhesive is designed for heating up to 180 ° C. Foil bag according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that that the functional unit in the form of a substance withdrawal device, in particular in the form of an outlet device for removing a fluid substance or a piercing device for opening the film bag is.