JPH04216927A - Pliable container which can be recycled for liquid and its mass-producing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a flexible bag-shaped container having a mouth provided at the top part thereof, reduced in its wt. and foldable after use, a method for efficiently producing this container, and an automatic machine for continuously producing the same. CONSTITUTION: A reusable flexible bag-shaped containers 1 or 26 made of plastic for transporting a liquid are characterized by the mouth or nozzle 2 provided to one corner of the top parts thereof. The generally uneven surface and intermediate material 3 to which the mouth is desirably fixed of the container is provided in order to continuously produce the container and the mouth is connected to this intermediate member and this member is hermetically fused to the main body of the container. A method and machine for producing the intermediate material to which the mouth is connected and the completed container are also designated.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to packaging. More particularly, it relates to inexpensive, hand-held containers and machines for continuously manufacturing such containers. Containers in particular concern are mass-produced flexible containers in the form of bags for the products of bag consumers, with a discharge nozzle or outlet, which is usually closed with a separable cap. This cap can be snap-on or preferably screw-on. This machine is fully automated, very economical, with fast production speeds and with good quality, especially in terms of finish, durability, structural resistance to impact during transport, storage and use. Containers can be manufactured. In particular, the invention is suitable for obtaining economical, ecological, recyclable, flexible containers made of plastic, which containers are easy to manufacture.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Flexible plastic bags are commonly used as disposable containers. Sometimes liquid products are sold sealed in bag-like containers. In order to use the product, the consumer had to tear open the container. This container cannot be resealed and therefore cannot be used again and must be discarded. Although this may be considered wasteful in an economic sense, there is a problem in that it is consumption in an ecological sense. Garbage dumps are becoming fewer and fewer, and environmental control is one key to solving problems of current concern. Also, sometimes flexible containers are supplied with a spout. However, this spout must be attached to the flat part of the container, which is not always practical or preferred. For multiple uses, it is preferred to have the spout in a suitable location, ie at the top of the container. On the other hand, recyclable containers are generally made of glass or hard plastic and always have an opening at a suitable location on the top, such as at a corner. However, the manufacturing process for such containers uses molds, has a relatively slow production rate, and is complex and expensive. Furthermore, the resulting container is hard;
It uses a large amount of materials and has a flexible container,
For example, it does not have advantages such as lightness or foldability. Mass producing goods means the use of energy, which also costs money today. The speed, ie the output rate of the production line, is also relevant. Industrial efficiency is indicated by both energy consumption and output.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] As mentioned above, it requires less space and materials, and can be recycled and reused.
There is a great demand for flexible, lightweight plastic containers that are highly productive and consume little energy. One object of the invention is to provide a container with a top opening similar to conventional rigid containers. Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible, bag-like container that is lightweight and collapsible, for example to reduce or eliminate space for disposing of waste after use. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a recyclable container whose opening is normally closed with a separable cap to prevent odors or spillage of the contents. A further object of the invention is a bag-like container which is provided with gripping means for convenient transportation of the container containing its contents and for pouring liquid contents. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and an automatic machine for efficiently manufacturing said containers.

0004

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Fundamentally, the present invention simplifies the operation of installing a sealable discharge nozzle or outlet during the manufacture of flexible sheet containers. To do this, the invention employs an intermediate piece made of a heat-sealable plate with an attached opening, which can be bent and welded to any desired location on the container.

[0005] To produce intermediate plates and container bodies or bags, flexible heat-sealable sheet material is fed into the machine of the invention in coil form. A relatively narrow tape-like sheet of material is drawn from the first coil. Next, holes are punched in this tape-like sheet material, and the mouth tubes are aligned and fixed in the holes. The tape is then folded back and cut into unit plates, after which two pieces are pre-drawn from the forward, second coil and adapted to receive the plate-and-mouth assembly. It is carried between sheets of bag material in parallel motion. The two sheets are brought together with the assembly sandwiched between them, heated and tightened to weld, and finally formed and cut into individual containers.

[0006] The container body and the intermediate material can be made of the same material, for example heat-sealable plastic. Further, the material is a flexible plastic substrate with a layer of heat-sealable material such that the inside of the container body is a heat-sealable layer, while the layers are brought into contact with each other such that they are welded; An intermediate material may be bonded to the outer heat-sealable layer.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS All of the invention and other parts of most interest will be made clear throughout the specification and may be carried out by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

The bag or container 1 of the present invention has a container body made of a flexible and collapsible sheet material. To facilitate transportation, the bag 1 can optionally be provided with a grip, for example a hole 1' near the central top, for passing a finger through. The container 1 can be of the type used for distributing various consumer products, such as detergents, milk, oils, fruit juices, for example. A first feature of the invention is that the discharge nozzle or outlet 2 is welded to an intermediate member 3 made of a flexible heat-sealable sheet. The intermediate material 3 may be a folded plate, which is curved and welded to the container 1. The purpose of this intermediate material 3 is to attach the spout 2 to the body of the container 1 so that the spout can be provided at a desired location, such as on an uneven surface of the container.

[0009] Both the main body of the container 1 and the intermediate member 3 are preferably made of the same heat-sealable material. This material can also be a plastic substrate coated with a heat-sealable layer, which is the inside of the body of the container 1. In this regard, the material of the compliant material (intermediate material) 3 is turned inside out and heat-sealable so that parts 1 and 3 can be superimposed and their respective layers in contact and hermetically welded together by heat in a suitable manner. The layer is considered to be the outer layer.

The mouth 2, on the other hand, is made of a hard material and is provided with an annular flange 5 at one end to be heat welded, and at the other end a screw cap 6, as described below, for receiving a separable screw cap 6. It has a cylindrical tube or mouth 4 with an external thread 4'. However, the external thread 4' can be optionally replaced by equivalent means or devices.

As shown successively in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the intermediate member 3 has a hole 7 bored in the middle of its width so as to face the opening 2, and the opening is located at the edge of the flange 5. are welded and attached to an appropriate location on the base plate (intermediate material) 3. As shown in Figure 3C, the intermediate material 3 is approximately 9
It is folded back to 0°. This part can be placed anywhere in bag 1,
It is preferably curved and welded to the top corner. Of course, the bag material is selected to be able to withstand the pressure and heat applied during the welding process.

The sheet material of the container 1 is preferably two layers or sheets secured together with a suitable commercially available adhesive. The outer layer can be a 12 micron thick polyester (PET) chosen to be shiny, strong, and not soften under high temperatures. The inner layer is made of a polyolefin such as linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The thickness of the inner layer is in the range of 100-200 microns and varies depending on the dimensions of the container 1;
As a typical example, it is 150 microns for a 1 liter container. In this way, a container of this size capacity weighs only about 15 g. A cap 6 weighing 2 g or less can be attached on top of this container. As a result, the present invention provides an attractive, lightweight, yet resistant product.

FIG. 4 shows an automatic machine 8 and a plate member 3 with a mouth.
, 4 and the final product bag 1 are schematically shown. The sheet material for the plate (intermediate material) 3 is drawn off from the coil 9 via suitable rollers 10 and 11 as a tape 12 running along the line of the part. Between the rollers 10 and 11, the tape 12 is perforated along its length by a punch 14 for making a central hole 7 and a die 13 facing the punch 14. Immediately thereafter, the mouth 2 is fixed facing the hole 7, and the edge 5 is fixed with the heated clamp 1.
5 and a saddle 16 facing this welded to the tape 12. The tape 12 made of heat-sealable material is transported in a car 17, as already shown in FIG.
The tape is folded back at the wheel 17 at an angle slightly larger than 90°. In addition, the machine has a pair of cutters 18 which cut the tape 12 at regular intervals into individual plates 3 to which the spouts are attached in the predetermined shape already shown in FIG. 3C. and a moving arm 19 which pivots back and forth about an axis 19', as indicated by an arc 19'', for transporting the individual intermediate pieces 3 to the container assembly line.

The container assembly line includes coil means (not shown) for supplying a pair of parallel, equal area elongated flexible heat sealable sheets 20. Near the top edge 23 of each elongated sheet material 20,
Using cutting and folding techniques (not shown) commonly used in this technical field, the three sides of the trapezoid are cut and folded approximately 180 degrees to form folded pieces 22, and the windows 21 are arranged at regular intervals. is open. The elongated sheet is intermittently fed so that when the moving arm 19 places the plate (intermediate material) 3 in the gap between the two elongated sheet materials 20, it immediately stops there. Arrows X and Y indicate the direction of travel of tape 12 and elongated sheet material 20 along their respective assembly lines. A pair of linearly arranged dies 24, 24' operate initially together and then alternately to partially secure and seal the sheet material 20, flap 22 and plate 3; , where the moving arm 19 releases the plate 3 and pivots back upwards, holding these three parts and then moving the elongated sheet material 20
is transported to the destination again. Thereafter, the other pair of linearly arranged dies 25, 25' have their mouths 2 firmly attached to the container to complete the sealing operation. According to the invention, the elongate sealant 20 is welded at the border or periphery, the welding is finished, and the individual elongate sealant is cut to form the final product bag 1 with the spout 2.

FIG. 5 shows another container 26 embodying the principles of the invention. Its main features are similar to those generalized in the features of container 1 (FIG. 1), except that mouth 2 is centered on the top of container 26 so that the container is symmetrical. There is. In order to make such a container, a window 21 is opened at a different location on the sheet material 20 of the container body, and an intermediate material 3 is inserted.
In order to install the , it is necessary to make slight changes to the machine 8 (FIG. 4).

Although the essential features of the invention are expressed by the preferred embodiments, the scope of protection is not limited thereto, but on the contrary extends to all alternatives formed within the scope of the patent claims. .

[0017]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The containers of the present invention are as useful as rigid plastic containers and contain less than 70% plastic material, resulting in a significant reduction in the problem of plastics in the environment. is recognized. Although this container can be reused just like a rigid container, unlike a rigid container it can be disposed of and can be folded to occupy very little space. .

In addition to the objects and benefits of the present invention previously noted, the energy required to manufacture the containers of the present invention is
It has been found that it is about 1/3 of the energy typically used to make a plastic bottle of the same size, and about 1/2 of the energy used to make a glass container. Furthermore, it has been found that the machine of the present invention can produce approximately 5,000 containers per hour, compared to approximately 2,000 containers per hour with conventional containers of the type described above. There is.

[0019]

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a side view of a standing flexible bag-like container with an outlet and uncapped according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a container substantially similar to FIG. 1 filled with liquid contents;

[Figure 3A]

[Figure 3B]

FIG. 3C shows the basic intermediate materials of the invention arranged in order of manufacturing steps or processes.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the essential parts of a machine according to an embodiment of the invention;

5 is a side view in a standing position of a container according to another embodiment in which the position of the mouth differs from that of the container in FIG. 1; FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

Like numbers represent like parts throughout the drawings. 1
Container 1' Hole 2 Discharge port 3 Intermediate material 4 Pipe or spout 5 Annular flange 6 Cap 7 Hole 8 Automatic machine 9 Coil 10, 11 Roller 12 Tape 13 Die 14 Punch 15 Heated clamp 16 Saddle 17 Wheel 18 Cutter 19 Moving arm 19' Axis 19'' Arc 20 Sheet material 21 Window 22 Folded piece 23 Edge 24 24', 25, 25' Die 26 Container

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A container body for storing a liquid content and a spout or nozzle for allowing the content to be poured into the top of the body, the container further fixing the spout or nozzle. 1. A container having an intermediate body which is attached to the container main body in a curved manner so as to seal the container body, and where the container and the intermediate body are combined to form a whole sealed container unit. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the container body is made of a flexible and collapsible material. 3. The intermediate material is made of a flexible, heat-sealable sheet material, the container body is made of a flexible, weldable sheet material, and the intermediate material is made of a flexible, heat-sealable sheet material, and the intermediate material can be welded around the mouth or nozzle. The container according to claim 1, which is connected to the container and sealed by. 4. The container body is made of a pair of elongated sheets, and the intermediate member has a pair of folded opposing edges and is attached to the inside of the elongated sheets. The container according to "Claim 3". 5. The mouth or nozzle is a substantially cylindrical tube having an annular flange at one end facing the container, and an intermediate member having a substantially central hole faces the end of the tube facing the container. 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the flange has an edge welded to the intermediate member. 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the tube has a removable cap at the end opposite the container end. 7. The container according to claim 3, wherein the container body and the intermediate material are made of the same heat-sealable material. 8. The material is a plastic substrate having a layer of heat-sealable material thereon, the container body has a layer of heat-sealable material on the inside, and the intermediate material has a layer of heat-sealable material on the outside. A container according to claim 7. 9. The base material is a sheet of polyester about 12 microns thick, and the layer of heat sealable material is about 100 microns thick.
The container of claim 1 which is a polyolefin in the range of ~200 microns. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the opening is secured to a generally uneven surface of the container body. 11. The container according to claim 1, wherein a hole is provided near the edge of the top of the container body to serve as a gripping portion for passing fingers through. 12. A method of manufacturing an intermediate material for disposing a spout on a flexible container, the method comprising: transporting an elongated plate drawn from a coil of flexible heat-sealable material; Drill holes substantially in the center at regular intervals on the top, arrange the spout tubes facing each hole in the center, tighten the spout tubes under heat at the points where the spouts are to be welded to the elongated plate, and move them. The long and thin sheet material is folded twice in the longitudinal direction by about 90 degrees, the mutually opposing longitudinal edges of the long and thin sheet material are brought together, and a pair of symmetrical longitudinal folds are formed near these combined edges. , a method comprising cutting the elongated board into individual intermediate pieces having a central opening. 13. A method of manufacturing a flexible container having a top-mounted spout, the method comprising: transporting a pair of parallel, elongated sheets of equal area;
Pairs of holes are drilled, and the perforated sheet material is folded over the sheet material at approximately 180 degrees to form a folded piece that is not separated from the sheet, with an opening joined in the center and folded at approximately 90 degrees. Between a pair of elongated sheet materials, in which individual intermediate materials that are folded back and have a pair of folds are transported, and the folds of the intermediate materials are sandwiched between the folded pieces of the pair of elongated sheet materials. arranging individual intermediate materials, welding the intermediate materials to the above-mentioned positions of a pair of elongated sheet materials, and sealing and cutting the pair of elongated sheet materials as individual containers with openings. How to include. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the welding step includes heating the pair of elongated sheets while simultaneously tightening them together. 15. A machine for continuously manufacturing containers having a flexible sheet-like container body, a mouth at the top of the container body, and an intermediate body having a mouth joined and connected to the container body, the machine comprising: a first assembly line for assembling bag-like containers from possible sheet materials; a second assembly line for assembling intermediate materials having individually corresponding openings for assembling and forming bag-like containers; A machine having means for transporting individual assembled intermediate materials in a timely manner from the end of an assembly line to said second assembly line. 16. A second assembly line includes a conveying means for drawing the sheet material from the coil of flexible, heat-sealable material, means for punching holes at regular intervals across the width of the sheet material, and means for punching holes at regular intervals in the center of the width of the sheet material, with an individual port being formed in each hole. and a fastening means for connecting the plate material to the plate material, the plate material being approximately 90 mm long in the longitudinal direction.
vehicle means for folding back the sheet material to form a pair of folds on opposite sides from opposite edges of the sheet material; and for cutting the sheet material and preparing it for transport by the transportation means to the first assembly means. cutter means for cutting into individual intermediate pieces having openings, the first assembling means for feeding and conveying a pair of elongated sheets of parallel and equal area towards the first assembling means; means for cutting out portions of the elongated sheet to form a plurality of pairs of facing windows, and means for cutting away portions of the elongated sheet to form folded pieces in each pair of elongated sheets; ° means for folding, means for clamping the elongated sheet together with individual intermediate members fed by the transport means from a second assembly line and received between the elongated sheets; a pair of windows and a folding strip; corresponding transport means for adapting said intermediate material; first heating means for keeping said intermediate material in place and partially welding between said elongated sheets; confining said intermediate material to said elongated sheet materials; and a second heating means for sealingly welding the conveyed elongate sheets, sealingly welding the periphery of each bag, and a second heating means for sealingly welding the elongate sheets to individual bags for producing a completed container. A machine having means for cutting.