GB2169545A

GB2169545A - Container and cup

Info

Publication number: GB2169545A
Application number: GB08600364A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerhard Hansen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-01-10
Filing date: 1986-01-08
Publication date: 1986-07-16
Also published as: GB2169545B; DE3500549A1; IT8667008A0; DE3500549C2; GB8600364D0; IT1187842B; FR2577847A1; JPH0692131B2; JPS61199934A

Abstract

In a method for the simultaneous manufacture of a container (2) and a cup (3) from a heat-sealable piece of plastics tubing this tubing is extruded into an open manufacturing die, the piece of tubing is separated from the extruder and held at its upper side, the die is closed, the tubing is inflated to form the container, which is filled and closed. For the manufacture of a container with cup in one operation a one-piece die is used, by which the plastics tubing is divided into one part forming the container and into one part forming the cup. The piece of plastics tubing is held open at its lower end. The part of the tubing which forms the cup is placed against the wall of the die by means of a die core. By means of a sizing mandrel a seal is formed between the container and the cup. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method for the simultaneous manufacture of a container and a cup, and a container and cup manufactured by this method The invention relates to a method for the simultaneous manufacture of a container and cup, and to a container and cup manufactured thereby.

In a known method a container is manufactured from a heat-sealable plastic tube and is filled and sealed. When sealing the container a predetermined breaking point may be provided at its head in the form of a ring groove or the like. A cup for receiving the substance with which the container is filled is manufactured separately from the container.

The basic purpose of the present invention is to manufacture a container having a cup attached thereto in one single operation.

According to the present invention a method for the simultaneous manufacture of a container and a cup from one heat-sealable piece of plastic tubing, the plastic tubing being extruded into an open manufacturing die, the piece of tubing being separated from the extruder and held at its upper side, the manufacturing die being closed, the plastic tubing being inflated into the container, the latter being filled and closed, is characterised by the fact that the container and the cup are manufactured in one manufacturing die common to both at the same time, by which die the plastic tubing is divided into one part forming the container and one part forming the cup in one piece with it, that the piece of plastic tubing is kept open at its lower end, that the piece of plastic tubing forming the cup is placed against the wall of the manufacturing die by means of a die core and that, using the material of the piece of tubing, a seal is formed by means of a sizing mandrel between the container and the cup. The container and the cup attached thereto are manufactured economically in one op eration. The cup is fixed to the container so that it cannot be lost and is separated from the container only for receiving the filling substance, especially liquid, to be received from the container.

According to a preferred feature, the connecting part between the container and cup is designed as a predetermined breaking point revealing a thin part of the wall, thus making possible a simple separation of the container and cup.

Preferably the rim of the cup is designed to fit the side of the face surrounding an eye, especially a human eye, and accordingly the cup is oval in section and the free rim of the cup, seen from the base of the cup, is raised on its narrow side and hollow on its wide side.

According to a further preferred feature, the cup has a sealing part for sealing the container, so that when the cup is subsequently separated from the container, no additional sealing part has to be used.

The invention also includes a container with cup manufactured according to the method aforesaid.

The composite container/cup of the invention presents some or all of the following advantages : a) An inexpensive one piece overall pack is made available; b) Minimal material utilisation; c) The container and cup unit can be manufactured in a simple manner in one operation; d) No additional seal is required for the open container; and e) If several cup and container units are stacked, a saving in space can be achieved.

Further advantages emerge from the description and the drawing. In the latter a container and cup unit is shown diagrammatically as a practical example of the subject of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a side view with part sections; Figure 2 shows a view from the other side, also with part section; and Figure 3 shows a top view.

A unit 1 consists of a container designed as a container 2 and of a cup 3 arranged coaxially to it, the base 4 of which covers the mouth of the container at its container neck. The connection point between the container 2 and the cup 3 is designed as a predetermined breaking point in the form of a ring notch.

The container 2 has a container convexity 7 and a container lower part 8, on which projecting knobs 9 are fitted as feet. The container is filled up to about 2/3 by the filling substance, especially liquid.

The cup 3 has a closing spigot 10 in continuation of the axis of the container 2 at its base 4, the spigot fitting into the container neck 5. The free cup rim 11 has a bulge 12 projecting outwards.

Gripping points 13 are arranged on both sides of the cup 2 in the form of indentations.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the cup 3 is designed ovally and its rim 11 is made to fit the edge of the face surrounding the human eye, i.e.

on the wide side of the cup 3 there is an internal curve 14 and on the narrow side of this cup there is an external curve 15. The wide side of the cup rim is therefore designed hollow and its narrow side is designed raised.

To both sides of the container neck 5 wing fillets 16, 17 reaching up to the container convexity 7, removed from the base 4 of the cup 3 are provided.

There is a wide ring groove 18 between the container convexity 7 and the lower part of the container 8.

A unit 1 can be designed to be capable of insertion with its container 2 into a cup of another unit.

For securing the plug connection a catch device can be provided, which may reveal a catch projection on the container 2 in the area of the ring groove 17 and a corresponding recess in the cup 3 or a catch projection in the cup 3 which interacts with the ring groove 18, or the like.

The container 2 of the unit 1 is used especially for receiving from 15 to 30 ml of a sterile liquid for rinsing the human eye. After the separation of the cup 3 from the upright container 2 for rinsing an eye the liquid is poured into this cup which has re mained closed at its base 4. After using up the liq uid in the container 2, the container 2 and the cup 3 may be thrown away. If there is still liquid present in the container 2 after the treatment, this container may be sealed with the aid of the closing spigot 10 which is located at the base 4 of the cup 3.

The unit 1 is manufactured in one operation from a heat-sealable piece of a plastic tube, especially polyethylene or the like, which after extrusion is held at its upper end by means of a vacuum gripper in an open manufacturing die. The manufacturing die has die halves and self-operable head jaws placed on these. The die halves and the head jaws are made to fit the external shape of the unit 1. Semicircular vacuum grippers are fitted to the lower side of the die halves which, after closing the manufacturing die, are used for keeping the lower end of the piece of tubing open. After closing the die halves a partial vacuum is applied to the piece of tubing against the manufacturing die.

From below a die core which forms the cup 3 projects into the open end of the piece of tubing at the bottom, which together with the manufacturing die forms the cup rim 11 and cuts off projecting parts of the plastic tubing. The predetermined breaking point 6 is produced by an annular projection in the die halves together with a sizing mandrel projecting into the container neck 5, which together with the die core, also produces the closing spigot or in its absence a membrane belonging to the base 4.

This membrane seals the mouth of the container neck 5. The sizing mandrel is located on a filling mandrel which dips into the container convexity 7 and through which the container 2 is filled with liquid. The filling mandrel may be combined with a blowing mandrel through which compressed air for inflating the piece of tubing is led to the container 2.

The separation between the head jaws and the die halves is situated at that end of the ring groove 18 (separating the container convexity 7 from the lower half of the container) which is turned away from the container neck 5. After filling the container and lifting out the filling and sizing mandrels, the head jaws for forming the container lower part 8 are closed and are subjected to a partial vacuum. After the manufacture, filling and seaiing of the container 2, the unit 1 is ejected from the manufacturing die.

Claims

1. Method for the simultaneous manufacture of a container and a cup from one heat-sealable piece of plastic tubing, the plastic tubing being extruded into an open manufacturing die, the piece of tubing being separated from the extruder and held at its upper side, the manufacturing die being closed, the plastic tubing being inflated into the container, the latter being filled and closed, is characterised by the fact that the container and the cup are manufactured in one manufacturing die common to both at the same time, by which die the plastic tubing is divided into one part forming the container and one part forming the cup in one piece with it, that the piece of plastic tubing is kept open at its lower end, that the piece of plastic tubing forming the cup is placed against the wall of the manufacturing die by means of a die core and that, using the material of the piece of tubing, a seal is formed by means of a sizing mandrel between the container and the cup.

2. Method according to Claim 1, is characterised in that the connecting point between the container and the cup is designed as a predetermined breaking point revealing a thin part of the wall.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, is characterised in that the cup is oval in section and the free rim of the cup, seen from the base of the cup, is designed to be raised on its narrow side and hollow on its wide side.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding Claims, is characterised in that a closing spigot which serves as a seal for the open container is arranged on the cup.

5. Container with cup manufactured by the method according to any one of the preceding claims, is characterised in that the container and the cup are joined to each other in the area of the container mouth.

6. A container according to Claim 5, is characterised in that the container and the cup are joined to each other via a predetermined breaking point and that the predetermined breaking point is arranged between the base of the cup and one container neck.

7. A container according to Claim 5 or 6, is characterised in that the predetermined breaking point is formed by an outwards-tapering, coneshaped end of the container neck and the base of the container which closes the container neck.

8. A container according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, is characterised in that the container and the cup consist of a heat-sealable plastic and have essentially the same wall thickness.

9. A container according to any one of Claims 5 to 8, characterised in that a closing spigot which serves as a seal for the open container neck is provided on the cup.

10. A container according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterised in that the unit consisting of a container and a cup can be inserted and located with its container into a cup of a second unit.

11. The method for the simultaneous manner of a container and cup substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A container with cup substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.