EP3651969B1

EP3651969B1 - Plastic can with low weight and high resistance

Info

Publication number: EP3651969B1
Application number: EP18897213.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Murat OZADAM
Original assignee: Oezler Plastik San Ve Tic AS
Current assignee: Oezler Plastik San Ve Tic AS
Priority date: 2017-07-13
Filing date: 2018-07-13
Publication date: 2023-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-13
Also published as: WO2019132795A3; WO2019132795A2; EP3651969A2; EP3651969A4

Description

Subject of the Invention

The invention relates to manufacturing plastic can, being one of the products of the packaging industry and produced from the blowing molds for plastic, with less weight and with a more robust feature. The invention relates to a mold system allowing the plastic can arrangement which has been produced in a certain weight standard up to the present to have a lighter and robust structure with new geometries and a plastic can arrangement produced by applying this system.

Technical Field

Plastic industrial products and derivatives thereof have increasingly been common and multiplied around the world. Accordingly, a plurality of machine or method is developed for the manufacture of the products belonging to the industrial branches cultivated by the sector. Considering the state of the art, most of these technical developments are the developments about the plastic industrial products and production methods. Shaping of various materials being the raw material of the product is carried out by the injection or plastic mold methods. The products that are made of said raw materials (plastic, PVC, rubber or their derivatives) are used in almost every field.
Many components in the packaging industry are produced by molding and made of plastic- or rubber-derived materials. One of these methods is the mold method of plastic blowing, known as "blow molding". In the plastic blow molding method, the element is shaped by the surface of the mold by applying a pressure force on the mold from the inside. During the manufacture of plastic cans, fluid plastic materials are preferred for both the ease of manufacturing and applicability for the ergonomic designs.
The use of plastic causes some disadvantages, though it also provides advantages for the plastic cans. One of them is that wall thickness of plastic can is not uniform and that wall thicknesses in the edges of the plastic can get thinner. Thin regions are always the areas at risk in terms of resistance. Also, the distribution of the wall thickness causes some problems during the usage of plastic cans. Because such problems are faced during the usage of plastic cans, the manufacturers seek to ensure resistance by increasing the wall thicknesses of the plastic cans. While increasing the wall thicknesses, extra costs arise for the manufacturers, environmental effects of the product increases, and the manufacturers have problem in adjusting the weight of the product. Edges of some products are gradually manufactured. However, these are the efforts for reducing the weight, or for the appearance rather than the resistance.
In the plastic cans in the market, there occurs deformation in the areas where the carrying handle is present, because of the load of the material carried. These deformations arisen both decreases the lifetime of the plastic can and damages to the ergonomic structure of the plastic can. Also, when plastic cans are piled in an overlapping manner, the load causes bulges on the side surfaces of the plastic can, and there occurs crushing on the bottom and top surfaces thereof because of the deformation of the plastic can. These deformations reduce the lifetime of the plastic can, as well as piling problems occurred. Said problems lead to the direct or indirect time losses, more defective products to be formed, and extra costs to arise.
In the state of the art, there are many patents and designs about the plastic can arrangement which was manufactured by means of plastic blowing mold. However, no packaging patent is encountered having a similar resistance and produced with a same weight.
In the International Patent No. WO9834837 A1 , a system is seen where a lid and body parts are described having a different plastic can design. Said plastic can is a storage product providing the same function, but said patent does not comprises the information that the product is a design belonging to a plastic can system with a low weight and high resistance.
In the European Patent No. EP0673841 A2 , a plastic can is seen where a lid and body parts are described having a different barrel design. Side body portion protrudes in a convex manner and this oval cylinder prism that is formed has a lamellar structure. In this product which mas manufactured for storing hazardous substances, lid- and handle-like parts are used located on the top portion thereof. Said plastic can patent does not comprise an information concerning a plastic can design having low weight and high resistance properties.
In said patents, plastic blowing method and the packages produced has been mentioned, but a design describing the manufacture of a plastic can arrangement having a similar property and the resistance with the same weight has not been mentioned.
WO02/04299 discloses a can in accordance with the preamble of appended claim 1.

The Object and Description of the Invention

The invention is aimed for plastic cans produced by plastic blowing method to ensure low weight and high resistance properties by means of the novel manufacturing technique. Though weights of the plastic cans which are used in the packaging industry are maintained in a low level, a higher resistance and thus ease of use has been aimed in the object of the invention. Additionally, the invention enables both reducing the weight level of the raw material of the plastic can and reducing its effect to the environment, and also obtaining more economical products.
The most important advantage of the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance is that its resistance and rigidity can be enhanced by the physical design provided, while the amount of the plastic material used during manufacturing the plastic can arrangement is kept less. Extra costs reflected to the manufacturers are prevented by means of keeping the said raw material amount in a low weight.
Another advantage of the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance is that it prevents the problem of the difference between the wall thicknesses along the different points of the plastic can surface to be high/low, being arisen because the plastic raw material is not distributed homogeneous enough during the manufacture. It is an undesirable case not to provide enough thickness in the locations where extra thickness is desirable (shoulders and connection points of the plastic can, etc.) and this is prevented by the new plastic can design and said production method.
Another advantage of the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance is that it has an environment-friendly feature because a low amount of raw material is used and the raw materials selected are the materials not being environmentally hazardous.
Other advantages of the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance are that said plastic can with the new form prevents the locating problem during the piling which is encountered in the other oval designs; it does not change its form while it is filled thanks to its rigidity; and it enables a proper storage.
In the molding system and production method of the invention, the fact that the resistance ensured by the amount of the plastic raw material normally used and also determined by the standards is provided by using less raw material and that the plastic can arrangement can be manufactured with a high strength and without stretching will enhance the function of the plastic cans and their transportation ease.

Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view generally showing the parts of the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance.
Figure 2 is a perspective top view showing the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance.
Figure 3 is a perspective view from below showing the plastic can arrangement of the invention with low weight and high resistance.
Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the plastic can arrangement with low weight and high resistance, when the package lid is closed in the system of the invention.

Stage Names, Reference Numbers of the Sections and Parts to Serve for Describing the Invention

1- Handle
2- Handle Connection Points
3- Handle Connection Support Surfaces
4- Plastic Can Top Carriage Surface
4a- Top Surface Protrusion
5- Plastic Can Shoulders
6- Carrier Radiuses
7- Plastic Can Body
8- Plastic Can Support Surfaces
9- Plastic Can Bottom Surface
9a- Bottom Surface Recess
10- Plastic Can Bottom Support Surface
11- Plastic Can

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a mold system allowing the plastic can arrangement which has been produced in a certain weight standard up to the present to have a lighter and robust structure with new geometries and a plastic can arrangement produced by applying this system.
The packages named as plastic cans are practical products where fluid chemicals and materials are stored and which has been developed for readily using the product stored, by the feature allowing the lid to be opened/closed easily which is located preferably on top of the arrangement. The plastic can which was developed having low weight and high resistance properties was designed in order to prevent the connection of the product within the package with the outside thereof, to readily transfer the material from inside to the outside, and thus to preserve the product within the package for a long time. Main distinctness of the said plastic can arrangement is that it is produced without the need of excess amount of plastic raw material during the production; in other words, it is light and has a high resistance. As well as the packages for the chemicals, this newly designed plastic can arrangement having a low weight and high resistance will be used in the packages in which many liquid and fluid materials are stored and sold and it will impart a functional feature to these packages.
The plastic can (11) arrangement of the invention having low weight and high resistance comprises a handle (1) and handle connection points (2) attaching the handle (1) part to the top body, handle connection support surfaces (3) of a concave structure, connecting the said handle (1) and said handle connection points (2) to each other and allowing these portions to support each other against the weight and plastic can top carriage surface (4) constituting the top portion of the plastic can (11) in the place to which one end of these surfaces reaches, top surface protrusion (4a) portions located on the said top carriage surface (4) and enabling the fixing during the piling and plastic can shoulders (5) located around the said plastic can top carriage surface (4). It consists of carrier radiuses (6) located on the edges of the plastic can body (7) from the said plastic can shoulders (5) portions and enabling the resistance in these portions and plastic can support surfaces (8) which is created by said carrier radiuses (6) on the body edges, plastic can bottom surface (9) constituting the said bottom portion of the plastic can (11) and bottom surface recess (9a) portions which is located on the said portion and where top surface protrusion (4a) surfaces of other plastic cans are nestled, and plastic can bottom support surface (10) increasing the resistance of the plastic can bottom surface (9) from the middle section.
As it is seen in the perspective views of Figure 1 and Figure 2, carrying is done by grabbing the plastic can from its handle (1) area. Handle connection support surfaces (3) which were mentioned above are concavely located around the handle (1) in order to prevent stretching formation in the meantime. Thus, handle connection support surfaces (3) stretch in a controlled manner, while the handle (1) is under the load. The fatigue taking place in the connection points previously does not occur any more, while repeating the process. While this fatigue is a factor reducing the lifetime of the plastic can (11), as a solution, handle connection support surfaces (3) comprising of this perpendicular concave curves which are located on the points where the handle (1) is connected are places such that it will support the connection point from four different points because they are located in a reverse position to the stretching movement. This prevents the deformation in the handle (1).
Top surface protrusion (4a) and bottom surface recess (9a) portions are shown coupling the plastic can bottom surface (9) and plastic can top carriage surface (4) seen in the perspective view from above in Figure 2 and from the below in Figure 3, enabling the plastic cans to be piled by overlapping, and strengthened by enabling these surfaces to be finished with wider radiuses by expanding in the plastic can shoulders (5) with a stronger geometric design.
Plastic can body (7) portion which was illustrated in the independent views in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4 has been designed such that the plastic can support surfaces (8) will be in a sinuous form in order to enable the load to be transmitted independently from the wall thickness. This slotted structure transmits the surface tension created by the load directly to the plastic can support surfaces (8) on the edges and contributes to the plastic can (11) to increase the resistance even if the wall thickness of the plastic can body (7) is thin. The load confronting the plastic can support surfaces (8) is transmitted by distributing it to the base by means of the angled carrier radiuses (6) which was applied to the edges on the base again. The fact that the load starts from the edges on the top portions of the wide radiuses on the plastic can support surfaces (8), is transmitted through the sinuous surfaces, and ends on the plastic can bottom surface (9) with the wide surfaces enables the plastic can (11) to equally distribute its load. This feature enhances the resistance of the plastic can (11) for bigger loads by allowing the load being the share of the walls of the plastic can to be readily transmitted and not to focus on any point.
This geometric application on the plastic can which was mentioned above provides resistance without increasing the wall thickness. According to the analyses carried out for the plastic cans in the market, the plastic can which was created with the geometry of the invention can stand a perpendicular load ranging from 750 g. to 330 kg.
The plastic can which was designed with the low weight and high resistance according to the invention meets the standards of UN CERTIFICATE (United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods) regulation that is of importance for the packaging products and having the international validity. The products to be produced by the said production technique contain a novelty increasing the rigidity within the empty product in many industrial branches. In the packaging industry, furniture industry, automotive industry, and in many other fields, new and resistant products can be manufactured by using said geometric forms and these techniques can be applied to the products which were already manufactured.

Claims

A plastic can (11) arrangement which is with low weight and high resistance to be used in the packaging industry and comprises a plastic can body (7) including a plastic can carriage surface (4), plastic can shoulders (5) located around mentioned plastic can carriage surface (4) and carrier radiuses (6) located on the edges of mentioned plastic can body (7) starting from mentioned plastic can shoulders (5) downwardly and providing the resistance in these portions, plastic can support surfaces (8) formed by the said carrier radiuses (6) on the edges of the body, a plastic can bottom surface (9), a handle (1) and handle connection points (2) attaching the handle (1) part to the top of the body, wherein mentioned plastic can support surfaces (8) are in a sinuous form in where the load starts from wide radiuses on top of the plastic can support surfaces (8), is transmitted through the sinuous surfaces, and ends on the wide surfaces of mentioned plastic can bottom surface (9), thus enable the loads to be transmitted independently from the wall thickness by enhancing the resistance of the plastic can (11) for bigger loads by allowing the load shared on the walls of the plastic can to be easily transmitted without focusing on any point, and characterized by comprising handle connection support surfaces (3) of a concave structure which connect the said handle (1) and said handle connection points (2) to each other and allow the surfaces to support each other against the weight.
A plastic can (11) arrangement with low weight and high resistance to be used in the packaging industry in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the plastic can (11) arrangement comprises top surface protrusion (4a) portions located on the said plastic can top carriage surface (4) and enabling the fixing during the piling.
A plastic can (11) arrangement with low weight and high resistance to be used in the packaging industry in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that the plastic can bottom surface (9) constitutes the bottom portion of the plastic can (11) and bottom surface recess portions (9a) are located on the said portion and where top surface protrusion (4a) surfaces of other plastic cans can be nestled, and in that a plastic can bottom support surface (10) increases the resistance of the plastic can bottom surface (9) from the middle section.