HK1237687B - Tube with application tip - Google Patents

Description

Tube with coated tip

The present invention relates to a tube with a coating tip for liquid or pasty materials, particularly active agent formulations, and to a method for producing and filling a tube with a coating tip. This type of tube preferably contains a single dose of an active agent formulation, such as a drug. The coating tip is used to introduce the active agent into hard-to-reach areas of the human or animal body, such as body openings or the skin in densely haired areas.

US 2011/0160677 A1 discloses a container for applying a single dose of liquid medication to a patient's oral cavity. The container comprises a chamber for receiving the liquid medication and a squeezable area for discharging the medication. The container is sealed with a removable cap to prevent premature discharge of the medication. Furthermore, the container comprises an elongated dispensing tube having a length of 1-12 cm and fluidically connected to the chamber. To open the container, the user grasps the container with one hand. Using the thumb and index finger of the other hand, the user grasps the cap and applies a rotational force. This breaks the seal at a predetermined breaking point, allowing the cap to be torn off the container. In addition to the single dose of liquid medication, an inert gas is also present within the container to prevent the liquid medication from leaving the container due to pressure applied by the user.

US 2007/0138215 A1 discloses a container with a similar design and operation. Here, too, the user grasps the container with one hand. Special features in the form of grooves and channels are provided on the outside of the chamber, which provide for a non-forced, secure grip and application of pressure to the chamber containing the liquid. When the user wishes to open and unscrew the removable lid, they naturally grasp the chamber in the area of the grooves and channels. Unlike the container disclosed in US 2011/0160677 A1, this patent application does not disclose any measures for preventing the liquid from escaping due to pressure on the liquid-filled chamber during opening of the lid.

DE 44 20 594 A1 discloses another container for flowable materials. The container of DE 44 20 594 A1 consists of a plastic shell, a head with a discharge opening, and an open chamber adjacent to the open end. This type of container is used to receive filled products. The contents can be removed from the container by manually applying pressure. The container is closed by a lid that can be torn off along a predetermined breaking point by tilting or twisting the lid relative to the container body. During the opening of the container described in DE 44 20 594 A1, the container body must be firmly gripped using corresponding pressure. A disadvantage here is that liquid can escape due to the pressure during the opening of the lid.

The invention is based on the object of providing a tube with a coating tip, the cover of which can be opened without having to firmly grip the tube body during this process and thus without having to exert pressure on the tube body.

In the following text, tube means all types of squeezable containers. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a tube with a coated tip according to claim 1 and a production method according to claim 22 .

The tube according to the present invention, with a coating tip for liquid or pasty materials, particularly pharmaceuticals, comprises a tube body with an end that can be closed or is already closed and an outlet end. The outlet end of the tube has a tube neck with an outlet opening. Furthermore, the tube according to the present invention has a coating tip that is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the tube, is connected to the outlet opening of the tube, and has an internal channel that connects the inlet opening and the coating opening. A cap that closes the coating opening is molded onto the coating opening of the coating tip. The coating tip has a gripping device.

In one embodiment of the invention, the coating tip is molded onto the tube neck, whereby the outlet opening of the tube and the inlet opening of the channel are liquid-connected to each other.

The gripping means serve to provide a gripping point during opening of the tube.The area of the gripping means is preferably of slightly thicker construction in terms of material, for example formed by corresponding reinforcements that do not yield when under pressure.

The coating tip has a gripping device along its entire length or along a portion of its length. The gripping device can be configured as a widening (in one dimension) of the outer and optionally inner cross-section of the coating tip relative to the outer or inner cross-section in other portions of the coating tip. The coating tip preferably has a gripping device in the region of the inlet opening. The gripping device can be configured as a recessed handle, preferably with grooves and ribs.

The coating tip can be molded onto the tube neck in a positive-locking manner by welding.

Both the tube body and the coating tip are made of plastic, preferably polypropylene (PP). However, in other embodiments, they can also be made of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polyamide (PA). In one embodiment of the present invention, the wall thickness of the coating tip is greater than that of the tube body. The wall thickness of the tube body can range from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm, while the wall thickness of the coating tip can range from 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm. The wall thickness of the coating tip can be greater in the area of the gripping device than in the rest of the coating tip. The wall thickness in the gripping device area can be greater than the wall thickness in the rest of the coating tip area. It can range from 0.4 to 1.4 mm.

The length of the coating tip without a cap should be at least 20%, preferably at least 50%, of the length of the tube body, and particularly preferably greater than or equal to the length of the tube body. The length of the coating tip without a cap is preferably in the range of 15 mm to 70 mm, while the length of the tube body is in the range of 15 mm to 70 mm.

In another embodiment of the invention, the material coating the tip is transparent.The material of the tube body is preferably not transparent.

The ends of the tube body which can be closed or are already closed can be closed by transverse sealing.

The cap may be connected to the coating tip by one or more predetermined breaking points.Preferably the cap may be broken off from the coating tip by bending or by twisting.

In one embodiment, a tube with a coated tip contains a single dose of a drug formulation.

The channel in the coating tip preferably has a diameter in the range from 0.5-0.8 mm.

Another subject of the invention is a method for producing a filling tube with a coated tip, comprising the following steps:

a forming a tube body with an open end and an outlet end portion, the outlet end portion having a tube neck with an outlet opening;

b forming a coating tip with an internal channel, the internal channel connecting the inlet opening and the coating opening, and closing the coating tip cover;

c. Molding the coating tip onto the tube neck in the region surrounding the inlet opening of the coating tip;

d. Filling the tube body with a liquid or paste material through the open end;

e. Transversely sealing the open ends.

Figures and Examples

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG1 shows a perspective view of a tube with a coating tip,

FIG2 shows a side view of a tube with a coated tip;

FIG3 shows a front view of a tube with a coated tip;

FIG4 shows a bottom view of the tube with the coated tip; and

FIG4 shows a top view of the tube with the coated tip.

The tube with coating tip 10 depicted in FIGS. 1-5 consists of a tube body 2 located within a coating tip 20 .

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the tube body 2 is sealed at its end 3 by a transverse sealing seam 6. To facilitate easy opening and coating, the tube body 2 is provided with a long coating tip 20 with a cap 24 that easily opens and closes the coating opening 30. The cap 24 can be disconnected by twisting or bending. The cap is connected to the wall of the coating tip 20 by two extension tabs 32, which protrude beyond the coating opening 30 toward the tube body, and two predetermined breaking points 26 on opposite sides of the ends of the extension tabs. The extension tabs 32 protrude beyond the coating opening 30 toward the tube body. The long coating tip 20 can easily coat the tube contents even in difficult-to-reach areas, such as animal fur or body openings. The coating tip 20 can be transparent, allowing the discharge of the filling material to be visible. The outlet end 4 of the tube 10 with the coating tip has a tube neck 5 with an outlet opening (not visible here). The tube neck 5, which is only vaguely visible through the transparent coating tip 20, is indicated by a line. The coating tip 20 is molded onto the tube neck 5 in a positively locking manner. In the region of the inlet opening, which is also molded onto the tube neck 5 , the application tip 20 has a recessed shank 22 with transverse ribs 28 , which extends beyond the tube neck 5 .

Claims (29)

1. A tube with a coated tip for use with liquid or paste materials, comprising: a. A tube body having an end that can be closed or has been closed and an outlet end having a neck with an outlet opening; b. A coating tip, which is elongated along the longitudinal direction of the tube, is connected to the outlet end of the tube body and has an internal channel connecting the inlet opening and the coating opening; and c. A cap, which is molded onto the coating opening of the coating tip and closes the coating opening; The coating tip is characterized by having a gripping device. 2. The tube with a coated tip as described in claim 1, used in an active agent formulation. 3. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated tip is molded to the tube neck, whereby the outlet end of the tube body and the inlet opening of the internal channel of the coated tip are connected to each other in a liquid-sealed manner. 4. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the coated tip has the gripping device over its entire length or over a portion of its length. 5. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the gripping device extends over a portion of the length of the coated tip, and the outer cross-section of the coated tip at the gripping device is configured as a wider portion in one dimension relative to the outer cross-section in other portions of the coated tip. 6. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the gripping device extends over a portion of the length of the coated tip, and the cross-section of the outer section and the cross-section of the inner channel at the gripping device of the coated tip are configured to be a wider portion in one dimension relative to the cross-section of the outer section and the cross-section of the inner channel in other portions of the coated tip. 7. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated tip has the gripping device in the region of the inlet opening. 8. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping device is configured as a handle with a recess. 9. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the recessed handle has a groove and ribs. 10. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coated tip is molded to the tube neck by welding in a forced-locking manner. 11. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tube body and the coated tip is made of polypropylene (PP). 12. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tube body and the coated tip is made of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polyamide (PA). 13. The tube with a coating tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the coating tip is greater than the wall thickness of the tube body. 14. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the tube body is in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. 15. The tube with a coating tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the coating tip is in the range of 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm. 16. The tube with a coating tip as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wall thickness of the coating tip in the region of the recessed handle is greater than the wall thickness in the remaining region of the coating tip, and is in the range of 0.4 mm to 1.4 mm. 17. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the coated tip without a cap is at least 20% of the length of the tube body. 18. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 17, wherein the length of the coated tip without a cap is at least 50% of the length of the tube body. 19. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 17, wherein the length of the coated tip without a cap is greater than or equal to the length of the tube body. 20. The tube with a coating tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the coating tip without a cap is in the range of 15 mm to 70 mm. 21. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the tube body is in the range of 15 mm to 70 mm. 22. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the coated tip is transparent. 23. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the tube body is not transparent. 24. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the end of the tube body that can be sealed or has been sealed can be sealed by a transverse sealing method or sealed by a transverse sealing method. 25. The tube with a coating tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap is connected to the coating tip via one or more predetermined break points. 26. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap can be broken by bending or twisting. 27. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube with a coated tip contains a single-dose pharmaceutical formulation. 28. The tube with a coated tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel has a diameter ranging from 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm. 29. A method for producing a filled tube with a coated tip, comprising the following steps: a. Forming a tube body with an open end and an outlet end, the outlet end having a neck with an outlet opening; b. A coating tip having a gripping device and an internal channel as well as a cap that closes the coating tip, the internal channel connecting the inlet opening and the coating opening; c. Molding the coating tip onto the tube neck in the area surrounding the inlet opening of the coating tip; d. The tube body is filled with a liquid or paste material through the open end; e. Seal the open end laterally.