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
  • B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D43/02—Removable lids or covers
  • B65D43/0235—Removable lids or covers with integral tamper element
  • B65D43/0237—Removable lids or covers with integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections before removal of the tamper element
  • B65D43/0256—Removable lids or covers with integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections before removal of the tamper element only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth of the container
• • 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
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/18—Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures
  • B65D51/20—Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
  • B65D2543/00064—Shape of the outer periphery
  • B65D2543/00074—Shape of the outer periphery curved
  • B65D2543/00092—Shape of the outer periphery curved circular
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
  • B65D2543/00259—Materials used
  • B65D2543/00296—Plastic
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
  • B65D2543/0049—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on the inside, or a part turned to the inside of the mouth of the container
  • B65D2543/00518—Skirt
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
  • B65D2543/00537—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
  • B65D2543/00555—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on both the inside and the outside
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
  • B65D2543/00601—Snapping means on the container
  • B65D2543/00611—Profiles
  • B65D2543/00629—Massive bead
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
  • B65D2543/00601—Snapping means on the container
  • B65D2543/00675—Periphery concerned
  • B65D2543/00685—Totality
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
  • B65D2543/00712—Snapping means on the lid
  • B65D2543/00722—Profiles
  • B65D2543/0074—Massive bead
• • 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
  • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
  • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
  • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
  • B65D2543/00712—Snapping means on the lid
  • B65D2543/00787—Periphery concerned
  • B65D2543/00796—Totality

Definitions

• This invention relates to a container and to a method of production thereof.
• the use of injection-moulded preforms in blow-moulding, particularly stretch blow-moulding of packaging container bodies for fluid products, particularly liquid products, is well known. It is also known, after filling of the container bodies, to apply foils to the axially outermost extremities of the open ends of the container bodies, especially in ultra-clean and aseptic packaging conditions, or, alternatively, to apply snap-on closures with frustum or so- called "valve" seals for secondary and primary sealing to the container bodies and so benefit from the associated weight- saving in the preform.
• the container bodies are usually in the form of bottles and made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) .
• packaging container bodies are continuous extrusion blow-moulding in which a parison is extruded into a mould and then inflated to form the container body. It is again known, after filling of the container body, to apply a foil to the axially outermost extremity of the open end or, alternatively, to apply snap-on closures with valve seals.
• the container bodies are usually in the form of bottles and made of HDPE (high density polyethylene) or of multilayer plastics material.
• a hollow preform for moulding to form a container and having an open end, an axially outermost extremity of said open end, and a shoulder inside said preform at said open end, having a radially innermost diameter less than the internal diameter of said outermost extremity, and serving to have sealingly attached thereto a foil for closing said container at said shoulder.
• a container comprising :- a hollow body having a mouth end, an axially outermost extremity of said mouth end, and a shoulder providing a plastics surface inside said body at said mouth end and having a radially innermost diameter less than the internal diameter of said outermost extremity, and a foil closing said body at said shoulder and sealingly attached to said plastics surface.
• a method comprising:- forming a hollow body, filling said hollow body with a product, and closing said body with a foil, including sealingly attaching said foil to a plastics surface provided by a shoulder which is located inside said body at a mouth end of said body and which has a radially innermost diameter less than the internal diameter of the axially outermost extremity of said mouth end.
• the outermost extremity of the mouth end of such container containing a fluid product need not be deleteriously affected, in respect of its pouring properties and its consumer "feel", by application and removal of the foil.
• the hollow body can have been made by blow-moulding from a plastics preform or by blow-moulding of a plastics parison.
• the shoulder may be of planar form and extend in a radial plane; alternatively it may be of rounded form, especially at its inner periphery, or of frusto-conical form and co-axial with the mouth. If of frusto-conical form, it may be inwardly converging, commencing even at the axially outermost extremity of the mouth.
• the foil is preferably a laminate comprised of metal, particularly aluminium, sandwiched between two differing plastics materials of which one has a significantly higher melting point than the other.
• a method of producing a sealed container comprising providing a hollow preform having an open end, moulding said preform to form a hollow body having said open end, sealingly attaching a foil to said open end of said hollow body so as to close said body at said open end, and applying over the foil a removable closure so that an annular portion of said closure co-operates with an annular portion of said hollow body to provide a frustum seal therebetween.
• a container comprising a hollow body moulded from a preform, a foil sealingly attached to a mouth end of said body so as to close said body at said mouth end, and a removable closure applied over the foil, an annular portion of said closure co-operating with an annular portion of said body so as to provide a frustum seal therebetween.
• the removable closure is in the form of a snap-on closure, as opposed to a screw closure, a significant weight saving in the preform and thus in the hollow body can be achieved because of the omission of the screw threading.
• valve seal is, generally, highly effective.
• a method comprising punch-forming a pull tab from a laminate, folding said pull tab back over a disc- form main body of said laminate so that said tab extends in a gradual curve from said main body, punching-out said main body with said tab and displacing said tab away from said main body so as to leave a space therebetween, applying a liquid sterilant to said space, and drying the liquid sterilant from said space.
• a foil comprising a disc for closing a mouth, and a pull tab extending from the periphery of said disc back over said disc so that said tab extends in a gradual curve from said periphery and then at a spacing from said disc, said curve and said spacing being such that an aqueous liquid in the space defined by the tab and the disc does not persist therein under capillary action.
• a foil comprising a disc for closing a mouth, and a pull tab extending from the periphery of said disc back over said disc so that said tab extends in a gradual curve from said periphery and then at a spacing from said disc, said curve and said spacing being such that a liquid sterilant in the space defined by the tab and the disc does not persist therein under capillary action.
• a foil comprising a disc for closing a mouth, and a pull tab extending from the periphery of said disc back over said disc so that said tab extends in a gradual curve from said periphery and then at a spacing from said disc, said curve having an internal radius of at least one-half of a millimetre and said spacing being at least one millimetre.
• the internal radius of the gradual curve is preferably about one millimetre.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view, in axial section, through an injection-moulded, thermoplastics preform
• Figure 2 is a perspective view, in axial section, illustrating a snap-on closure, a laminate foil, and, fragmentarily, a hollow body, of a container, the hollow body having been blow-moulded from the preform
• Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the body, the foil and the closure assembled to form the container
• Figure 4 is a fragmentary axial section through the top of the assembled container
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 through an upper part of the assembled container but incorporating a modified version of the foil.
• the open, top end 4 of the preform 2 forms an unaltered, open, top end of the hollow body 6 formed by stretch blow-moulding of the preform 2, and remains substantially unaltered after the foil 8 has been sealingly attached thereto and the snap-on closure, in the form of an overcap 10, has been applied thereto.
• the end 4 is formed with an easy pouring feature consisting of a thin, radially outwardly thinning, curled-over, annular lip 14.
• a thicker, snap ring 16 which, with an external, narrow, annular shoulder 18 delimits an external, shallow, annular recess 20 co-axial with the preform 2 and serving as a main securing point for the overcap 10.
• a frusto-conical surface 22 which tapers slightly axially inwardly of the preform 2 and acts as a guide for the foil 8 during application and as the valve seal of the overcap 10.
• an additional snap ring 24 as a secondary securing point for the overcap or, alternatively, for retaining a tamper band 26.
• the surface 22 terminates at an annular, radial, flat surface 28 on the inside of the preform and constituting a shoulder onto which the foil 8 is welded to close the body 6 at its end 4.
• a neck support ring 30 used for handling of the preforms 2 and the hollow bodies 6.
• the foil 8 is of aluminium 32 laminated on both sides with plastics materials of which one (34) has a significantly higher melting point than the other (36) , in such a way as to give an easily peelable laminate 36 on the hollow body side and, on the other side, a laminate 34 that can withstand substantial heat and does not cause contamination of an applicator used for applying the foil 8 to the body 6. Conduction heat sealing or induction heat sealing can be used for the application.
• the foil 8 consists of a circular disc 38 with a tab 40 projecting unilaterally therefrom. The tab 40 would be designed in such a way that it effects an even tear after application of the foil, without the foil leaving any residue on the shoulder 28.
• the foils are pre-cut from a laminate web and delivered in packs to a packager. These packs are then loaded into one or more magazines on a filler. If the filler has more than one line, the magazine has sub-sections equal in number to the number of lines on the filler. If the filler is multi- indexing, i.e. in the or each line a plurality of containers is filled simultaneously, then either the magazine has subsections equal in number to the number of containers filled simultaneously or a plurality of magazines is equal in number to the number of containers filled simultaneously and each magazine has sub-sections equal in number to the number of lines. Each magazine is designed in such a way that it can be reloaded during production without interference with production.
• a pick-and-place unit is used to remove the foil 8 from the magazine and place it in a sterilising chamber where the foil is sterilised on both sides with, for example, a liquid sterilant such as hydrogen peroxide solution.
• the foil is then picked from the sterilising chamber by a welding anvil of the applicator and through applying vacuum.
• the anvil then places the foil into the body 6, pressing it onto the flat surface 28.
• the foil is welded through conduction or induction heat.
• the lead-in 22 on the neck assists in the accurate and consistent placing of the foil 8 and reduces the accuracy required in the filler positioning.
• the foil 8 supplied to the magazine is planar and is welded in that planar form to the surface 28.
• the rim bounded by the extremity 12 and the surface 22 acts as a folding device for the tab 40 on the disc 38 and this action tends to leave the tab 40 bent upwards.
• a mechanism would then be used to fold the foil tab 40 back over the disc 38 either immediately after application of the disc, or later during forward indexing of the hollow body 6.
• the foil 8 supplied to the magazine has been drawn to give its disc 38 a dished form with an annular side wall 38a converging frustoconically towards the planar base wall 38b of the disc.
• the foil 8 as supplied to the magazine and as shown has its tab 40 extending inwards from the periphery of the disc in a gradual curve 40a and then generally radially inwards at a roughly constant spacing from the dished surface of the disc 38.
• the frustoconical external surface of the wall 38a assists in centering the disc 38 with respect to the should 28 during application.
• the tab 40 is punched-formed from the laminate in a punching unit and there folded back onto the main body, i.e.
• the small internal radius is at least 0.5mm., preferably 1mm., whilst the clearance is at least 1mm.
• the overcap 10 can be a lightweight snap-on closure and need not have any specific, built-in, gas barrier properties.
• the overcap has a flexible, internal, co-axial skirt that cooperates with the surface 22 to provide the valve seal that gives secondary sealing functionality.
• the overcap 10 is applied over the disc 38 so as to leave a space therebetween, and the tab 40 extends in only that space from the outer peripheral edge of the disc. Thus, the tab 40 does not extend to between mutually co-operating surfaces of the body 6 and the overcap 10 and thus does not interfere with such co-operation.
• a tamper evidence band (26) could be built into the closure and would be designed in such a way that it is removed completely from the container after opening.
• the ring 16 acts as the main location point for the overcap 10. This ring 16 does not project significantly from the base of the recess 20, and therefore the overcap 10 is made strong enough in this section to stay on the body 6.
• the snap ring 24 further down the neck acts as an additional protrusion to secure the overcap during transport and handling and to retain the tamper band 26.
• the overcap 10 could be applied outside the filler on a free-standing cap applicator. The control of this applicator could be integrated with that of the filler.
• the overcap principle permits the applying of various cap designs with the same internal design features. This is beneficial should packagers require some branding feature on their closures. Also, a change in the overcap need not have an impact on the filler integrity since the overcap would not need to be sterilised and the cap applicator could be integrated with the filler only through electronic control. As shown in Figure 3, the final assembly presents a foil-sealed container body 6 with a snap-on overcap 10.
• This overcap 10 has external tamper evidence 36, that could function in such a way that no parts remain on the body 6 after opening.
• the foil 8 is a laminate designed in such a way that it provides an integral gas-and liquid-tight seal. 7) The foil is easily removed without tearing, no foil remaining on the container body 6 and no risk of foil falling into the container body 6.
• Foil application is designed not to affect the pouring surface or consumer "feel” after peeling.
• the foil acts as main tamper evidence.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9932828

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (23)

• 2002
  • 2002-03-13 GB GBGB0205832.9A patent/GB0205832D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-03-13 CA CA002487898A patent/CA2487898A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-13 EP EP03743962A patent/EP1492714A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-03-13 WO PCT/IB2003/000936 patent/WO2003076293A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-03-13 AU AU2003209563A patent/AU2003209563A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-13 US US10/507,400 patent/US20050121452A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-13 MX MXPA04008927A patent/MXPA04008927A/es unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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