EP0293527B1 - Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé - Google Patents

Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0293527B1
EP0293527B1 EP19870305007 EP87305007A EP0293527B1 EP 0293527 B1 EP0293527 B1 EP 0293527B1 EP 19870305007 EP19870305007 EP 19870305007 EP 87305007 A EP87305007 A EP 87305007A EP 0293527 B1 EP0293527 B1 EP 0293527B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tube
sidewalls
end cap
central portion
perforations
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19870305007
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0293527A1 (fr
Inventor
Lazlo Vajtay
Stephen M. Vajtay
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Slm Manufacturing Corp
Original Assignee
Slm Manufacturing Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US06/816,779 priority Critical patent/US4700883A/en
Application filed by Slm Manufacturing Corp filed Critical Slm Manufacturing Corp
Priority to DE8787305007T priority patent/DE3775393D1/de
Priority to EP19870305007 priority patent/EP0293527B1/fr
Publication of EP0293527A1 publication Critical patent/EP0293527A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0293527B1 publication Critical patent/EP0293527B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
    • B65D5/02—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body
    • B65D5/12—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body with end closures formed separately from tubular body
    • B65D5/14—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body with end closures formed separately from tubular body with inset end closures

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the forming of tubular containers or packages by axially inserting end caps as locking closures within the ends thereof, and more particularly to a container or package in which the end caps are formed of a similar, but heavier gauge, sheet material to that forming the container or package tube.
  • US-A-3,986,659 and US-A-3,913,774 disclose a tubular package in which a tube having flexible sidewalls, and normally formed of a thermo-plastic material approximately 0.005 to 0.02 inches (0.13 to 0.51 mm) in thickness, is held to a preformed or desired shape, as for instance a polygon, by rigid end caps.
  • the rigid end caps have been coupled to the ends of the tube, i.e., to the flexible sides thereof, by use of adhesives, tape, staples and other fasteners.
  • a flexible thermoplastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), oriented poly-styrene (OPS), or other flexible semi-rigid sheet material forms the basic stock material for the sides of the container or package.
  • the sheets may be pre-extruded, extruded or calendered to a thickness of approximately 0.005 to 0.02 inches (0.13 to 0.15 mm) and adhesively joined along a longitudinal seam to form a tube. Additionally, the sheets or tubes may be creased along a predetermined number of edges to form a container with a polygonal cross-section, such as rectangle.
  • the resultant, creased tubular stock member may be then cut into desired lengths, depending upon the size of the container to be fabricated, and perforations punched near the ends for permitting mechanical interlocking between end caps borne thereby and the ends of the container or package tube.
  • the end caps employed in the structures of the above-mentioned patents are formed of a plastic material as by moulding to create rigid end members, providing strength and rigidity to the entire container.
  • the dimensions and shape of the end caps conform to the dimensions and shapes of the flexible sides of the tube.
  • the end caps include a base portion substantially forming an end cover for the container tube and sidewalls.
  • the end caps also have engaging means for interlocking with the perforations within the two flexible sides, i.e., projections extending outwardly of the sidewalls to achieve a positive mechanical lock for holding the end caps to the container or package.
  • the package or container of the patents referred to above is uniquely assembleable by either hand or machine, since the end cap locks to the tube by mere insertion without the need for adhesives, tapes, staples or other fasteners and without any secondary operation. Further, during the assembly process, the perforations and the projecting, engaging means are virtually self-aligning, completing the package or container when the end cap engaging means interlocks with the perforations.
  • the invention provides a tubular package comprising: an open ended, flexible plastic sheet material tube of rectangular cross-section including laterally opposed sidewalls and longitudinally opposed end walls; and an end cap carried by said tube at an open end thereof closing off said open end;
  • said end cap comprises a folded, flexible, semi-rigid plastic sheet of a heavier gauge than that of said tube and including a rectangular central portion;
  • said end cap central portion is of rectangular configuraiton corresponding to said tube, having a length generally equal to the longitudinal distance between said end walls of said tube and a width equal to the lateral distance between said tube sidewalls;
  • said end cap central portion has at opposite sides, double folded flat sheet portions integral with said central portion and forming inner sidewalls at right angles to the central portion and outer sidewalls folded back towards the central portion; said inner and outer sidewalls have ends thereof extending generally parallel to each other and are joined by a crease defining a double layer slot generally equal to the thickness of said plastic sheet material tube sidewall, said end cap central portion being
  • the invention provides an end cap for a tubular package for closing off an end of a flexible plastic sheet material tube of rectangular cross-section, said tube including laterally spaced sidewalls and longitudinally spaced end walls characterised in that: said end cap is constituted by a folded, flexible, semi-rigid plastic sheet of heavier gauge plastic sheet material than that of said tube and including a rectangular central portion of a length corresponding to the distance between said tube end walls; said central portion is of a width approximately equal to the laterial distance between sidewalls of said tube; said end cap further includes double folded integral opposite sides forming double layer flat sidewalls perpendicular to the plane of the central portion with said end cap folded sidewalls joined by a crease remote from said central portion and forming a narrow slot between said folded end cap sidewalls, with said slot having a size of the order of the thickness of the plastic tube sheet material, said crease functioning to seat a respective sidewalls of said tube when the sidewalls are slidably inserted within said double layer sidewalls of said end cap
  • a container or package indicated generally at 10 comprises three components, namely a central tubular section or central tube indicated generally at 12 and a pair of end caps 14 at the top and bottom of the tube 12, the end caps being of identical form, but inverted one relative to the other.
  • both tube 12 and end caps 14 are formed of thin plastic sheet material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • the thin, flexible, plastic sheet material forming the container or package tube 12 may be thinner than that forming the end caps 14.
  • Tube 12 is rectangular, having laterally opposed sidewalls 16, 18 and longitudinally opposed end walls 20, 22.
  • the tube 12 may be cut from preformed rectangular tubular stock material by taking a flexible plastic sheet and bending it at right-angles to form four corners as at 21 and overlapping the edge portions thereof to form a seam as at 23.
  • the overlapped edges of the sheet forming the tube stock material may be joined or bonded by heat sealing, by adhesive application or the like to form seam 23.
  • the end caps 14 are identical and a detailed description of the lower end cap 14 will suffice for both end caps.
  • Each end cap 14 is formed with a rectangular base or central portion 34 which has the same length and width corresponding as the length and width of the interior of tube 22 so that base 34 closely fits to the interior of the tube with the base or central portion 34 filling the tube top and bottom openings 24, 26 when end caps 14 are applied thereto to close off the open ends of tube 22.
  • the end caps 14 are formed of flexible, semi-rigid thermo-plastic sheet material of a guage which is preferably somewhat heavier than the gauge of the sheet material forming tube 12. Such sheet material for tube 12 and caps 14 may be similarly transparent or translucent, although the sheet material may be opaque if desired.
  • tube 12 there may be initially formed from a plastic sheet, a generally U-shaped or channel form stock material strip of folded plastic sheet material from which end caps of various lengths are severed.
  • a plastic sheet a generally U-shaped or channel form stock material strip of folded plastic sheet material from which end caps of various lengths are severed.
  • Figure 3 depicts an alternative form of end cap 14' with the bend or fold at crease 37 being in excess of 180°.
  • like elements bear like numerical designations.
  • the plastic sheet material or equivalent plastic sheet material has a memory and resists bending.
  • Bending is achieved by localized heating of the end cap plastic sheet material along parallel lines to soften the material at the desired fold or bend lines, then bending or folding the material and subsequently cooling after bending or folding so that the initial memory is eliminated at the localized lines, and a new memory created at the fold or crease lines.
  • the end caps resist deformation.
  • the outer edges 42, 44 of the outer sidewall 38 contact the inner sidewalls 36 to close off the slots 40 formed thereby adjacent the outer edges 42, 44 of the end cap sidewalls 38.
  • Slots 40 are at least narrower than the thickness of the tube sidewalls 16, 18.
  • Slots 40 function to slidably, and in one case, frictionally receive the laterally spaced sidewalls 16, 18 of tube 12 when the end caps 14 are assembled to the tube 12.
  • Crease 37 of the end cap is adapted to seat the edge of a respective tube sidewall 16, 18 within slot 40.
  • integral, longitudinally projecting tabs 50 are preferably cut out at the center of each end cap 14, the tabs 50 being in line with each other and of a width equal to that of the opposed perforations 28, 30 within respective tube end walls 20 and 22.
  • the perforations 28, 30 receive the tabs 50, when the end caps 14 are snapped into engagement with the open ends of tube 12 and with the bases or central portion 34 of the end caps 14 filling the open ends 24, 26 of container or package tube 12.
  • the spacing for perforations 28 and 30 from the bottom or top ends of tube 12 is equal to the distance between the creases 37 of the rectangular end caps and the tabs 50 integral with the end cap base portion 34 such that the lower edges of tube sidewalls 16 and 18 are securely seated into the crease 37 defined by the folded sidewalls 36, 38 of each end cap, to opposite sides thereof, when tabs 50 snap into respective perforations 28, 30.
  • the way in which the assembly is completed and by which a very rigid, stable coupling is achieved between the end cap 14 and the container or package tube 12 may be seen by reference to Figure 2.
  • the package may be manually completed by projecting base portion 34 of the end caps into the respective open ends 24, 26 of tube 12, while simultaneously causing the tube sidewalls 16, 18 to move into the narrow slots 40 of the rectangular end caps.
  • Tabs 50 and the flexible tube walls flex to permit end cap penetration.
  • the tabs which may flex during the penetration of the end cap base into the interior of the tube 12 are released, realigning with base 34 and pass into the perforations 28, 30 to project at right angles to the plane of the end walls 20, 22, thereby mechanically locking the end caps to respective ends of tube 12 of the package 10.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Claims (4)

  1. Emballage tubulaire (10) comprenant : un tube (12) réalisé à partir d'une feuille en plastique souple, ouvert sur les côtés, de section transversale rectangulaire comprenant des parois de côté opposées latéralement (16, 18) et des parois d'extrémité opposées longitudinalement (20, 22), et un capuchon d'extrémité (14) monté sur le tube (12) sur une extrémité ouverte (24 ou 26) de celui-ci et obturant cette extrémité ouverte ; emballage caractérisé en ce que : le capuchon d'extrémité (14) comprend une feuille en plastique semi-rigide, souple, pliée d'une épaisseur supérieure à celle du tube (12) et comprenant une portion centrale rectangulaire (34) ; la portion centrale de capuchon d'extrémité (34) est de configuration rectangulaire correspondant au tube (12), ayant une longueur de façon générale égale à la distance longitudinale entre les parois d'extrémité (20, 22) du tube (12) et une largeur égale à la distance latérale entre les parois de côté du tube (16, 18) ; la portion centrale de capuchon d'extrémité (34) comporte sur ses côtés opposés, des portions de feuilles plates pliées en double (36, 38) solidaires de la portion centrale (34) et formant des parois de côté intérieur (36) à angle droit par rapport à la portion centrale (34) et les parois de côté extérieur (38) repliées vers la portion centrale (34) ; les parois de côté extérieures et intérieures (36, 38) comportent leurs extrémités s'étendant de façon générale parallèlement entre elles et sont reliées par un pli (37) définissant une fente double couche (40) de façon générale égale à l'épaisseur de la paroi de côté (16, 18) du tube réalisé à partir de la feuille plastique, la portion centrale de capuchon d'extrémité 34) étant positionnée à l'intérieur du tube (12) avec des parois d'extrémité de tube (16, 18) introduites par coulissement à l'intérieur de la fente (40) ; les parois d'extrémité (20, 21) du tube en plastique souple (12) contigües à une extrémité ouverte (24 ou 26) supportant le capuchon d'extrémité (14) comprennent des perforations coplanaires alignées (28, 30) respectivement ; et la portion centrale de capuchon d'extrémité (34) comprend des languettes solidaires (50) dimensionnées aux perforations (28, 30) faisant saillie à l'extérieur des extrémités du capuchon d'extrémité (14) et logées par les perforations coplanaires respectives du tube (12) de telle sorte que le capuchon d'extrémité (14) se bloque automatiquement sur l'extrémité du tube en plastique souple (12), l'engagement serré entre les parois de côté de tube (22, 23) et la fente à double couche (40) définissant des parois de côté (36, 38) de capuchon d'extrémité et maintient les languettes (50) à l'intérieur des perforations (28, 30) des parois d'extrémité (22, 23) de tube souple et des accouplements par languettes (50) et perforations (28, 30) maintiennent les parois de côté de tube (16, 18) entre les parois de côté (36, 38) de capuchon d'extrémité pliées opposées.
  2. Emballage tubulaire selon la revendication 1, dans lequel les parois de côté extérieures (38) sont repliées vers la portion central 34 à plus de 180° par rapport à la paroi de côté intérieure (36) de telle sorte que l'extrémité de la paroi latérale extérieure (38) a tendance à venir en contact avec la paroi de côté intérieure (38) de telle sorte que la fente à double couche (40) se rétrécit vers son extrémité ouverte opposée au pli (37) jusqu'à une épaisseur inférieure à celle de la paroi de côté du tube en feuille plastique (16, 18) de telle sorte que les parois de côté (36, 38) de la fente à double couche du capuchon d'extrémité ont tendance à saisir par friction les parois de côté de tube (16, 18) sur la portion des parois de côté de tube (16, 18) à l'intérieur de la fente (40).
  3. Capuchon d'extrémité (14) pour emballage tubulaire (10) destiné à obturer une extrémité (24, 26) d'un tube en feuille plastique souple (12) de section transversale rectangulaire, le tube (12) comprenant des parois de côté espacées latéralement (16, 18) et des parois d'extrémité espacées longitudinalement (22, 23) caractérisé en ce que : le capuchon d'extrémité (14) est constitué par une feuille plastique semi-rigide, souple, pliée, d'une épaisseur supérieure à celle du tube (12) et comprenant une portion centrale rectangulaire (34) d'une longueur correspondant à la distance entre les parois d'extrémité de tube (22, 23) ; la portion centrale (34) est d'une largeur approximativement égale à la distance latérale entre les parois de côté (16, 18) du tube (12) ; le capuchon d'extrémité (14) comprend de plus des côtés opposés solidaires repliés formant des parois de côté (36, 38) plates à double couche perpendiculaires au plan de la portion centrale (34) avec les parois de côté pliées du capuchon d'extrémité (36, 38) reliées par un pli (37) en éloignement de la portion centrale (34) et formant une fente étroite (40) entre les parois de côté du capuchon d'extrémité pliées (36, 38), avec la fente (40) ayant une dimension de l'ordre de l'épaisseur de la feuille du tube plastique, le pli (37) servant de logement pour les parois de côté respectives (16, 18) du tube lorsque les parois de côté (16, 18) sont introduites par coulissement à l'intérieur des parois de côté à double couche (36, 38) du capuchon d'extrémité (14) avec la portion centrale de capuchon d'extrémité (34) obturant l'extrémité du tube (12) ; le tube (12) comprend des perforations (28, 30) à l'intérieur des parois d'extrémité respectives (22, 23) du tube (12) contigües à une extrémité ouverte axiale (24, 26) de celui-ci, les perforations (28, 30) étant coplanaires et alignées entre elles ; et la portion centrale de feuille de capuchon d'extrémité (34) comprend des languettes solidaires (50) faisant saillie à l'extérieur de la portion centrale de feuille (34) en éloignement l'une de l'autre, et dimensionnées aux perforations (28, 30) de façon à être reçues dans celles-ci pour bloquer mécaniquement le capuchon d'extrémité (14) sur le tube (12) de telle sorte que le capuchon d'extrémité (14) se bloque automatiquement sur l'extrémité du tube (12) et demeure en engagement serré entre les parois de côté de tube (16, 18) et les parois de côté double couche (36, 38) du capuchon d'extrémité (14) et l'engagement serré des parois de côté de tube (16, 18) à l'intérieur de la fente (40) définie par les parois de côté de capuchon d'extrémité (36, 38) pour maintenir les languettes (50) à l'intérieur des perforations en engagement entre les languettes (50) et les perforations (28, 30).
  4. Capuchon d'extrémité selon la revendication 3, dans lequel la fente étroite (40) entre les parois de côté de capuchon d'extrémité pliées (36, 38) se rétrécissent pour former un espace vide inférieur à l'épaisseur du tube plastique sur le côté ouvert de la fente (40) en éloignement du pli (37) de telle sorte que la paroi de côté (16, 18) du tube (12) est enserrée par friction par les parois de côté double couche (36, 38) du capuchon d'extrémité (14) sur la portion de la paroi du côté de tube (16, 18) introduite à l'intérieur de la fente (40) définie par les parois de côté (36,38) de capuchon d'extrémité à double couche.
EP19870305007 1985-05-02 1987-06-05 Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé Expired EP0293527B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US06/816,779 US4700883A (en) 1985-05-02 1986-01-07 Tubular package and end cap forming component of same
DE8787305007T DE3775393D1 (de) 1987-06-05 1987-06-05 Rohrfoermige verpackung mit einer getrennten endkappe.
EP19870305007 EP0293527B1 (fr) 1987-06-05 1987-06-05 Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19870305007 EP0293527B1 (fr) 1987-06-05 1987-06-05 Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0293527A1 EP0293527A1 (fr) 1988-12-07
EP0293527B1 true EP0293527B1 (fr) 1991-12-18

Family

ID=8197935

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19870305007 Expired EP0293527B1 (fr) 1985-05-02 1987-06-05 Emballage tubulaire à couvercle séparé

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP0293527B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE3775393D1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE9216154U1 (de) * 1992-11-27 1993-02-25 BASF Magnetics GmbH, 6800 Mannheim Schutzhülle für im wesentlichen quaderförmige Körper

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1408640A (fr) * 1964-09-23 1965-08-13 Hedwin Corp Conteneur et organes de fermeture ad hoc
US3608705A (en) * 1970-04-08 1971-09-28 Miner Ind Inc Display package
US3899117A (en) * 1974-03-14 1975-08-12 Continental Can Co Plastic end cap and paper body attachment

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0293527A1 (fr) 1988-12-07
DE3775393D1 (de) 1992-01-30

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