EP0915031A1 - Stabilised, cubic, flexible container - Google Patents

Abstract

The stabilized, flexible, cubic container comprises a tubular base section (1), esp. a tube with folds, with stamped out sections (2). The corner sections have adaptors (3), and the inner open edges (5) are located behind the stamped out sections. The base material pref. consists of plastic.

Description

Various attempts have been made in the packaging industry to: large-volume cardboard boxes, flexural, i.e. semi-rigid folding container or Stabilize flexible bulk containers (FIBC).

First and foremost, the bulging of the side wall surfaces should be predetermined Dimensional area can be prevented. Especially with flexible wall surfaces An outer packaging was found to be the print of flowable Dry products not withstood.

In cardboard boxes, the disadvantages mentioned could be achieved through an octagonal insert be sufficiently avoided.

It worked on flexible containers, mostly made of solid fabric (FIBC) additional wall parts sewn in at a corner, advantageously relieving pressure. In many However, cases should be used because of the product protection foil liners, their Wall-appropriate design with an internal chamber formation of the container is not is possible. In such cases, therefore, the demand was made, the foil liner stabilize itself. Because of the thin wall thickness of foils, came for the Manufacturing only considering the welding process. The stabilization is through that separate welding of a round belt (inner ring) with a special one Retention force has been achieved. For this, reference is made to EP-A1-0 276 878. With this method, a preformed flexible liner has to be opened somehow to weld an inner ring with the inside of the film connect. This cumbersome and not always safe adaptation is with the production route provided in US-A-5 618 255 is avoided because of the connection belt and outer bag first happen in an open flat position. One then necessary gusseted hose formation with a width of several meters and Length turns out to be obviously difficult. The final formation of the Inlet and outlet nozzles require one-off production.

All types of production that have been conceived up to now are extraordinary time consuming and therefore costly. In many cases, the strength of a The weld seam cannot be reached when tensile stress occurs.

The object of the invention was therefore to provide a safe, stabilized, to develop flexible containers in a cubic final form, which has the disadvantages of following Known methods did not have manufactured container. That was achieved according to the invention in that a continuous and with for stabilization Punched tubular element, preferably in the form of a Gusseted hose, is provided, the unfilled volume in the Corner areas is designed by external material adaptations. Such Material adaptations are flat materials firmly attached to the base tube, which are tightly connected to it, as described in detail below. This type of construction is in contrast to the previous or later Introducing a stabilizing belt, the stabilization by means of a continuous inner tube as a starting point of manufacture. This Element that can be called a basic tube can be a tubular film his or a gusseted tube. This basic concept has the advantage that everyone further manufacturing steps outside on a seamless base tube, preferably a gusseted hose. Another advantage over other manufacturing methods lie in avoiding many weak points that can occur during the subsequent internal welding of a belt, for example Seam tears due to peeling tension, welding defects and Position inaccuracies, contamination by opening a hose. In contrast, the stabilizing column of the continuous base hose is in accordance with the invention weakened by no inner seam approach. Also Position shifts are not possible since no belt is inserted at all. The inner surface of the base hose remains protected from contamination because of the Hose does not have to be opened. The external material adaptations in the form of Flat films or half-tubes also guarantee a low particle content Production. All subsequent additions are made from the outside Base hose attached.

The base tube, also called a gusseted tube, is a tubular element represents, must have suitable and sufficient number of punched holes in order to later filling a smooth flow of material into the pockets forming to ensure external material adaptations. The same applies to emptying.

In the next step, the tubular film is folded over the individual gussets Material webs fed from outside. These can either be 8 flat foils or 4 Be half hoses. Half-tubes are created by a slit on the side Tubular film or congruently folded flat films. By a slight Opening of the half-tubes reaches one side in the top and bottom Foil of the base tube This results from the external material adaptations Outside pockets, which correspond to the entire length of the later container by means of Longitudinal welding at the top and bottom with the base hose or the covering the respective hose side fold immediately behind the punched-out areas get connected. These additional outside pockets then fill the corner room a later container, as far as it from the inner, space-reduced tubular film could not be reached. This is not supposed to happen because one Tubular film only in this form as inner tubular film with far less Dimensioning as the jacket circumference of the container the strong pressure of the flowable filling material can catch. The remaining fill area in the corners will surrounded by the formed outer pockets and is considerably less there Exposed to pressure. If instead of feeding 4 half hoses, use the insert of 8 flat foils, which are later on the still open outer edges must be closed in terms of welding technology is the web guide and the Processing particularly easy and safe.

The basic hose in the shape of a supplemented with external material adaptations Side gusseted tubing will eventually lie flat at the corners of a known one Contour welding, which forms a so-called bottle neck. This serves both as a filler neck and as a spout and is created in unity with the tubular element, i.e. with the stabilizing base hose.

Plastic films are primarily considered as materials. But also other materials (e.g. paper) can be used. Suitable as a connection method welding technology is preferred for plastics, but also other seams and Adhesive connections can be considered.

Containers stabilized in this way are not only suitable for large containers, but also for smaller containers if the contents cause a change in shape there by bulging the wall. In the past, this expansion effect could only be avoided in many cases by using thick-walled outer packaging. Now the desired cubic package shape can be retained even with only a thin protective jacket packaging.
The shape of a stabilized inner shell is variable. Different side lengths are possible as well as filler and outlet spouts of any shape. With the correct dimensioning of the inner tube column, very good stability can be achieved, so that there may be no need for external packaging.

Fig. 1

eine Draufsicht auf einen Basisschlauch flachliegend mit Ausstanzungen und äußeren Materialergänzungen;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt durch einen Basisschlauch, flachliegend, der hier die Form eines Seitenfaltenschlauchs aufweist mit Materialergänzungen in der Form von Halbschläuchen gemäß der Schnittlinie A-B der Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

einen Schnitt durch einen Basisschlauch gemäß Fig. 2 aufgefaltet mit Detail;

Fig. 4

einen Schnitt durch den in Fig 2 dargestellten Basisschlauch flachliegend gemäß Schnittlinie C-D der Fig. 1;

Fig. 5

einen Basisschlauch gemäß Fig. 4, aufgefaltet;

Fig. 6

einen Schnitt durch einen Basisschlauch, flachliegend, der die Form eines Seitenfaltenschlauchs aufweist und mit Materialergänzungen in der Form von 8 Flachfolien gemäß Schnittlinie A-B der Fig. 1;

Fig. 7

einen entfalteten Behälter mit Ein- und Auslaufstutzen gemäß der Erfindung.

Further details and advantages of the invention can be found in the embodiments shown in the drawings. Show it

Fig. 1

a plan view of a base tube lying flat with punched holes and external material additions;

Fig. 2

a section through a base tube, lying flat, which here has the shape of a gusseted tube with material additions in the form of half-tubes according to section line AB of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

a section through a base tube according to FIG 2 unfolded with detail.

Fig. 4

a section through the base tube shown in Figure 2 lying flat according to section line CD of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5

a base tube according to FIG 4, unfolded.

Fig. 6

a section through a base tube, lying flat, which has the shape of a gusseted tube and with material additions in the form of 8 flat films according to section line AB of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7

an unfolded container with inlet and outlet nozzle according to the invention.

In the manufacture of the container according to the invention, one of a roll withdrawn tubular structure 1, preferably a gusseted tube with lateral punched holes 2, which are supplemented by material adaptations 3 become. The addition is made so that the web of material Die-cuts are sufficiently covered (Fig. 1). For better understanding, this will be with the help of the section lines A-B and C-D of FIG. 1 in the subsequent figures 2 and 4 particularly clarified.

When using a gusseted hose 1 as the base element, the overlap is through material adaptations 3 in the form of flat foils 3A or half tubes 3B the respective hose folds advantageous (Fig. 2; Fig. 6). The inside open Ends 5 of the half hose must be on the outside with the surface of the base hose 1 can be connected. When using flat foils, they must be attached to the outer edges are also closed. The type of material connection 4 or 4A depends on the selected sheeting. When unfolded forms the tubular base tube 1 with those connected on its outside Material adaptations 3 in cross section a square surface (Fig. 3). The Connection points 4 are shown in a detail in FIG. 3.

With the help of the cutting line C-D in Fig. 1, the position of the punched at Coverage clarified. The section is shown in Fig. 4. The connection points on the Outer skin of the base tube 1 are to be understood continuously as a seam, so that the in the unfolded state pockets forming material adaptations 3 only via the Die cuts with product can be filled and emptied. The product can be used in the Material adaptations 3 forming pockets do not emerge because the web ends through continuous seams 4 are connected to the base tube 1 or in the case of Use of flat foils 3A subsequently on the outer edges 4A be closed by welding. This is shown in FIG. 6. Beginning and End of a multi-layer material web produced in this way can, depending on the desired Container size and type lead into an inlet or outlet nozzle 6.7, as in Fig. 7 is shown. These are a uniform component of the basic hose 1. In The shape of the cubic container becomes particularly clear. Bulging The basic hose 1 prevented, as this is limited in diameter up to the base edge. In This hose column is the predominant back pressure of the filling material caught. The remaining filling quantity is distributed over the punched holes in the Outside pockets that only allow negligible bulges. If one such a container is placed in a flexible or flexible outer container (e.g. FIBC or corrugated cardboard), its straight-walled surfaces limit the cubic Form completely.

Claims (10)

Stabilized, flexible, cubic container, characterized in that the Stabilization through a continuous and punched (2) tubular base part (1), preferably in the form of a gusseted tube takes place, the unfilled volume in the corner areas with outer material adaptations (3) is provided, the inner open edges (5) directly behind the punched-out areas (2) covering the base part (1) are tightly connected (4). Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer Adaptations (3) form four pockets, which are made by means of welding adaptations are formed by eight flat tracks (3A), which on the inner open edges (5) are tightly connected to the base part (1) (4) and to the outer open Edges are additionally closed (4A). Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer Adaptations (3) form four pockets, which are made by means of welding adaptations are formed by four half-tubes (3B), which on the inner open edges (5) are tightly connected to the base part (1) (4). Container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the material of the tubular base part (1) is a plastic film, preferably in the form a gusset blank made of the same material, like the external adaptations (3). Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the material of the tubular base part (1) is a special plastic film, which is made of at least two different materials are produced (coextrusion film), one material has a much lower elongation has than the other and that as the outer layer of this base part (1) the same Material serves as for the external adaptations (3). Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the material of the tubular base part (1) is a special plastic film, which is made of at least two different materials are produced (coextrusion film), the inner layer of the tubular base part (1) has a much higher melting point than the outer one Layer, which consists of the same material as the external adaptations (3). Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that as tubular base part (1) serves a fabric made of plastic and the four outer pocket-like adaptations (3) made of an extruded plastic film are formed. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the Container paper and that the base part (1) with the outer pocket-like Adaptions (3) is connected by adhesive technology. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of Container polypropylene fabric is used and the connection of the base part (1) the outer pocket-like adaptations (3) are made by sewing. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the inlet and outlet area (6; 7) in unity with the tubular Base part (1) is formed.

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