JPH04505598A - Inner seals for containers and sealed containers - Google Patents

Abstract

An easily removable innerseal for a container and method of application relates to an improved arrangement having a body portion (22) adapted for fitting over the upper rim of a container and a flexible element (24) attached to the body portion for a user to grip. The body portion is provided with a lower bonding layer, which includes a first bonding portion (26) and a second bonding portion (28) adhered to the first portion, and a layer (30) to prevent fluid from passing therethrough. The bonding force between the first and second bonding portions is designed to be weaker than the bonding force between the bonding layer and the container. In addition, the rupture strength of the first bonding portion is less than either of the bonding forces. As a result, the force required to remove the innerseal from the container is not dependent upon the amount of heat applied during sealing, because delamination will occur between the two bonding portions in an area over the container rim (14), leaving a residue of the first adhesive portion attached to the rim. By gripping the flexible element and pulling it upwardly, a user can remove the innerseal from the container without having to puncture or scrape the innerseal with a sharp object, which is frequently required to remove innerseals of the type commonly in use today. The method of application includes the steps of applying the body portion of the innerseal around the rim portion of a container and passing the container through an induction type heating station.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Improved internal seals for containers and how to use them The invention can be used with conventional threaded caps to provide an airtight, hermetic seal to the container. Concerning the inner seal of the container. More specifically, the present invention provides an easily removable and conventional Known inner seal can be easily removed for improved hermeticity of the container in which it is used Concerning improved internal seals for containers.

2. Description of conventional technology In view of the needs in modern society for airtight and airtight seals on containers for food, medicine, etc. The lid, which has an inner seal adhesively bonded to the top rim of the container, opens. It is being emitted. To achieve such a seal, the filled container after capping The foil layer is passed through an electromagnetic field generated by induction heating equipment, and the foil layer is heated within the inner seal. heating and thereby melting the heat-sealable polymer film coating Ru. One method of this kind has been very commercially successful and has the trademark "5afe-Card". Mininga, also known as Mininga, St. Ball, Minnesota Manufacturing Company. child The method provides a hermetic seal suitable for use with orally ingestible products. This sticker is especially dirty. Effective for objects that require protection from staining, oxidation and/or moisture. but , since the sealing force depends on the amount of induced power used, such an inner seal is applied to the container. It is difficult to effectively control the adhesion force. Therefore, during the sealing of such containers, It is necessary to strictly control the amount of power generated in advance, and the power range cannot be effectively controlled. However, the range of seal tightness will be widened. Furthermore, the usable sealing force range is The end user is limited by the proportional amount of force required to remove the inner seal from the container. Receive a promise. As a result, the darning seal may be torn or scraped with a sharp tool such as a knife. It had to be done. This problem is solved by the sealing force depending on the container and the above-mentioned system. This included the contradictory issue of legal power limitations.

Grasping eyes as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,890 by TJ11man et al. An inner seal with a specific inner tab portion has been developed, but has a limited and unpredictable range. Fundamental problems regarding gripping power as well as sealing force have not been effectively solved to date. . In this sense, the present invention is important.

The seal can be easily removed by the end user without scratching or puncturing. harmonious seal that allows a strong seal between the inner seal and the container regardless of force For containers that have removal power and eliminate the need for tight controls during the sealing process. Needs have been unmet for many years.

Summary of the invention According to the invention, a closed container of the type with a safety inner seal is a container with an upper rim. a body, and an inner seal having a body portion adapted to fit onto the upper rim. and the body has a membrane structure for preventing passage of fluid to the body. , a structure capable of adhering the main body to the upper rim of the container, the adhesion structure being a first contact; A first adhesive part that is adhered to the rim by adhesive force, and a second adhesive part that is smaller than the first adhesive force. the first adhesive portion has a second adhesive portion that is adhered to the first adhesive portion by adhesive force; having a breaking strength smaller than both the adhesion strength and the first adhesive strength, and the outside of the main body. including a gripper attached to the periphery by which the sealing structure is removed from the container; delamination inward when removed.

According to a second feature of the invention, a closed container of the type with a safety inner seal is formed. The method provides a container body having an upper rim and an inner seal configured as described above. placed on the upper rim, and sent the container and inner seal to a heating station. This includes a process of sealing the inner seal to the container body to ensure a tight and effective seal. Forms a fruitful lid.

The above and other novel advantages and features of the present invention are hereby attached and incorporated herein by reference. In particular, in the claims forming a part of: However, the present invention and the advantages of the present invention For a better understanding of the points and objects obtained by its use, other aspects of the invention Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, which form a part thereof, and the accompanying description. I will clarify.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closed container constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the inner seal of the container of FIG. 1; FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of an inner seal constructed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the inner seal arrangement of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1 showing removal of the inner seal from the container. .

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the opening force versus sealing force of the present invention and known seal placement.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the installed work station and the sealing method of the inner seal according to the present invention. be.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate corresponding structures in each figure.

Specifically, a container 10 having a neck 12 and a rim 14 in FIG. Includes a rising helical thread 16 formed thereon on the neck 12 to fit threads known in the art. Appropriate sealing caps are applied.

Seal structure 18 adheres to the orifice formed in container 10 by rim 14. It is established for the purpose of As shown in FIG. 1, the seal structure 18 includes a circular body portion 22 and A removable inner seal 20 having a flexible tab portion 24 is included. The main body part 22 is It is dimensioned to extend over the entire extent of the orifice and onto the rim 16. As shown in Figure 1, Tab portion 24 is connected to the outer peripheral edge of body portion 22 and, in a preferred embodiment, It is formed from the same continuous layered material as 2.

Common to all of the following embodiments, the sealing layer or the adhesive layer has a first adhesive part and a second adhesive part. including. The first bonding portion is attached to the rim 14 by the first bonding force, and the first bonding portion is attached to the rim 14 by the first bonding force. 2. It is adhered to the second adhesive part by adhesive force. The first adhesive part has a first adhesive force or a first adhesive force. The sealing layer has a breaking strength lower than any of the second adhesive forces. It is adhered to the remainder of the main body by a large third adhesive force.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the layers that together form the inner seal 20. FIG. heat seal A first adhesive, such as a sealing layer 26 of material, adheres to the top rim 14 of the container 10. It is provided on the lower surface of the inner seal 20 for this purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the seal Layer 26 is formed of a multilayer polymer film such as polyethylene, polyester, etc. It has a thickness of 0.5-4 mils (0.0127-0.102 mm). Optimally, the sea The thickness of the layer 26 is approximately 1 mil (0.0254 mm). The sealing layer 26 also Lipropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) or relatively low tensile It may be formed from similar heat-sealable materials with force and shear forces. sealing layer Laminated to the top surface of 26 is a second adhesive, such as a layer 28 of pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). .

Layer 28 is manufactured by, for example, Morton NorwichPro of Chicago, Illinois. ducts, Inc. good.

Adhesive layer 28 adheres sealing layer 26 to layer 30 of fluid-impermeable material. layer 30 is preferably formed of metal foil. Optimally, layer 30 is 1-2 mils (0 ,0254-0,051 mm) thick aluminum foil.

A reinforcing layer 34 is laminated to layer 30 via layer 32 of laminated adhesive. Layer 32 is , for example, Adcote 503A. The reinforcing layer 34 is preferably 0.5-20 mil (0,0127-0 , 508 mm). Preferably, reinforcement layer 34 is 2-4 mils (0. The thickness is between 0.051 and 0.101 mm. Alternatively, the reinforcing layer 34 is paper, polyethylene , formed of polymeric foam sheet material or equivalent material with relatively high tear strength. May be done. An example of a paper suitable for the reinforcement layer 34 is Sorg from Middleton, Chicago. There is 801b bleached kraft paper from Paper Co.

The weight of this paper is 801 bs per ream, equal to 130 g/m''. In two embodiments, reinforcement layer 34 is made of a known class of materials as nonwovens, such as DuPon. Shaped from Tyvek® manufactured by T Corporation. can be accomplished. In a preferred embodiment, the inner seal as described above with respect to FIG. The various layers within 20 extend to both the body 22 and the tab portion 24 of the inner seal 20.

Two specific constructions of satisfactory inner seals according to the embodiment of FIG. 2 are described below. .

Example 1 In this structure, the inner seal 20 is formed of polyester or polyvinyl chloride. It is suitable for use in the container 20 where the container is stored. The seal layer 26 is 50　0L-2M3/ Made of LAR brand film. This film is 0.4 mil (0.01 m m) with a 0.1 mil (0-002 mm) thick upper layer and a 0.1 mil (0-002 mm) thick lower layer glued to this upper layer. configured. Both the upper and lower layers are synthesized from polyester, and the lower layer is airtight. In contrast, it is adjusted to have a lower melting point than the upper layer. Glue in this structure Layer 28 is formed of Adcote 503A adhesive and layer 30 is approximately 1 mil (0. , 025 mm) thick aluminum foil. Reinforcement layer 34 is approximately 2 mils (Formed from a polyester film with a thickness of 0.05o+m, and Adcote It is bonded to layer 30 by an adhesive layer 32 formed of 503A adhesive.

This adhesive has 0.925-1.4 grains (77,4-11 grains per 24 in.) 7.2 mg/200 cm”) coating weight.This structure In , delamination occurs within seal layer 26 when the inner seal is removed from container 10 . It arose in

Example 2 In this construction, the seal layer 26 has a total thickness of approximately 0.5 mil (0.0127 mm). Mylar 5O-OL2 film and constructed in the same manner as in Example 1. It will be done. Layer 30 is formed of approximately 1 mil (0.025 mm) thick aluminum foil. Bonded to layer 26 by layer 28 formed with Adcote 503A adhesive. It will be done. Reinforcement layer 34 is approximately 5 mil (0.1271 TIIT+) thick polyethylene film. adhesive layer 32 of Adcote 503A adhesive to layer 30. will be combined.

This adhesive is 0.925-1.4 grain/24in2 (77,4-117, Diffuse to a coating weight of 2 mg/200 cm2). In this structure, Delamination during the opening of the inner seal occurred within the sealing layer 26.

FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-section of a second embodiment 48 of an inner seal according to the invention. The inner seal 48 is First adhesive part integrated as sealing layer 26, fluid impermeable layer 30, adhesive layer 3 2 and reinforcing layer 34, each of which has the same structure as described above with respect to the embodiment of FIG. handle. However, the inner seal 48 covers the primer layer 5o and the foil layer 30. It has a second adhesive part integrated as an adhesive layer 52 that is bonded to the layer 26 .

The adhesive layer 52 is formed of, for example, Kraton® 1107 adhesive. Approximately 1-2 grains/24in2 (83,7-167゜4mg/2 The primer is preferably diffused to a coating weight of Layer 50 adheres adhesive layer 52 to fluid impermeable layer 30 to sealing layer 26. Designed for strong adhesion. In this manner, the inner seal 48 10 along the interface between adhesive layer 52 and sealing layer 26. Regulated to delaminate. Primer 50 is located in Kingesport, Tennessee. Manufactured by Eastman Chemical Products, Inc. made of chlorinated polyolefin such as CP 343-1 primer is preferable.

Below are two examples of inner seals 48 that were actually constructed and were satisfactory. Explain in detail.

Example 3 In this construction, the sealing layer 26 is approximately 1 mil (0-0025 mm) thick polyester. Made of tyrene film. The adhesive layer 52 is Kraton (registered trademark) adhesive. coating of approximately 1 grain (83.7 mg/200 cm2) Diffusion up to the weight of the target. Primer layer 50 is Eastman CP 343-1 plate. Formed by limer. Layer 30 is approximately 1 mil (0°025 mm) thick aluminum. formed of foil and with an adhesive layer 32 of Adcote 503A adhesive. Bonded to layer 34, this adhesive layer is 0.925-1.4 grains/24jn'( 77,4-117,2mg/200cm’) coach-in thick polyester film formed by a film.

Example 4 In this construction, the sealing layer 26 is approximately 1 mil (0.025 mm) thick polyethylene. Eastman CP 343-1 primer. Adhesive made of Primer 50 and Kraton® 1107 A layer 30 of aluminum foil approximately 1 mil (0.025 mm) thick by layer 52. is joined to. This adhesive layer has approximately 1 grain (83.7 mg/200 cm') ) coating weight. The reinforcement layer 34 is approximately 6 mils (0,152 mm ) thickness of 801b.

/ ream (130g/m2) made of kraft paper, Adcote 503A It is adhered to layer 30 by an adhesive coating. This adhesive coating is carried out Spread to the coating weight described in Example 1.

4 and 5, for removing inner seals 20, 28 from container 10. I will explain. Seal the inner seal 20 onto the rim 14 of the container 10 as described below. do. Remove the inner seal 20.48 from its position around the rim 14 as shown in FIG. To do this, grasp the tab portion 24 and pull it upward. The above adhesive layer is on top of the above sealing layer. This is because it is bonded to the sealing layer with an adhesive force weaker than that with the container rim. The above movement first causes the adhesive layer 52 to move from the sealing layer 26 onto the rim 14 of the inner seal 20. The layer delaminates at the point where it extends to . This delaminated region is shown as a delaminated surface portion 38 in FIG. It is shown. At this time, a portion 36 of the sealant remains adhered to the rim 14.

Since the breaking strength of the seal layer 26 is smaller than any of the above adhesive forces, the tab portion 24 As it is pulled further upward, the sealing layer 26 breaks and the inner edge of the rim 14 The container 10 is gradually torn apart until the body 2 is completely removed from the container 10. sticker The delamination layer 36 of material remains adhered to the rim 14 and remains attached to the rim 14 when the material is removed from the container 10. Don't get in the way.

In the case of the inner seal 20, the layer peels off when the tab portion 24 is grasped and pulled upward. occurs within section 26. Sealed using 500L-2 Mylar brand film. When the polyester layer 26 is formed, the delamination occurs between the two constituent layers of polyester within the film. It has been found that this occurs substantially along the interface between.

However, a certain amount of cracking occurs to the underlying layer during delamination. For example, delamination first occurs in the above boundary. It forms on the face, deviates slightly to the underlying layer of polyester, and then returns to the interfacial layer. Li The delamination area that will be adhered to the film 14 is shown in FIG. It is. As with the inner seal 48, a portion of the sealant 36 is adhered to the rim 14. It remains as it is. When the upper part 24 is pulled further upward, the seal layer 26 is broken and gradually removed. then tear around the inner edge of rim 16 and finally remove body portion 22 completely from container 10. Remove completely.

The delamination occurs within the inner seal 20.48 rather than directly between the seal layer 26 and the rim 14. is added to the sealing layer 26 during the sealing process, as in the inner seal of known designs. There is no need to strictly control the amount of heat.

FIG. 6 shows a graph illustrating the advantages of the present invention over prior art structures. In Figure 6 , curve 54 is a single amorphous polyester such as Vitel® PE100. Container with ester adhesive layer and the force required to open the prior art inner seal Power in the induction heating station used to melt the adhesive layer on top Shows the settings. Vitel® PE100 is located in Akasaka, Ohio. From Ron's Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company It is commercially available. Curve 56 was constructed according to Example 1 in the description of inner seal 20. Indicates the force required to open the inner seal.

In the opening force test used to generate the data shown in Figure 6, four (118,3m1) 43. Continuous screw polyester bottle with 410 finish. Used with a 43.410 finish polypropylene cap. this bottle is available from 5etco, Inc., Anaheim, California. Ma The above cap is in Maine, and East Hampton is between the cap and the inner seal. Heat the inner seal that has a tab folded back and faces the open end of the cap. Installed in a cap with sealed sides. This cap is oh tru Spring torque tester available from Tllinois Glass Co. It was tightened up to 20 in-lbs (230,5 g-m). The inner seal above Lepel tl-iogh Freq in New York City, New York Manufactured by Uency Laboratories, Inc.

Lepe l high frequency induction unit, Model No. T-2-5-IKC- It was joined to the above bottle by AP-BW. The power setting of the above induction unit is Figure 6 shows the effect on opening force (removal force).

After joining, the bottle, cap, and inner seal were cooled and the cap was removed. . Minnesota Mining and M in St. Ball, Minnesota 6 inch (152m) available from Manufacturing Company. m) Fold the length of No. 898 filament tape in half and glue each adhesive side. Each adhesive surface was adhered to the opposite surface of the tab of the inner seal. The bottle is then placed in the In5tron The bottle was clamped at the bottom of the Model 1123 tensile tester so that it was vertical. . This filament tape was held between the upper jaws of an In5tron tester.

Separate the upper jaw of the In5tron tester to separate the inner seal from the bottle and check the force level during separation. recorded the bell.

Comparing curves 54 and 56, it can be seen that the present invention is designed to maintain the opening force within the desired range. It is clear that the power setting range used is much wider than that possible with conventional internal seals. It is. Therefore, according to the present invention, with respect to the opening force of a container sealed with an inner seal, @ 51 5555 Power setting% Submission of translation of written amendment (Article 184-8 of the Patent Act) First day of the month, 1991

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. a body portion having a top surface and fitting over the top rim of the container; and having membrane means for preventing the passage of fluid into the body part, and on said container. means capable of adhering the main body to the rim; the adhesion means is capable of adhering the main body to the rim; a first adhesive portion for adhering to the container rim and a second adhesive force less than the first adhesive force; has a second adhesive part bonded to the first adhesive part by a second adhesive force, and the first adhesive part has a second adhesive force and a second adhesive part. 1 adhesive strength, and an outer periphery of said body means for grasping by a user during removal of said inner seal from a container; gripping means attached to the side, whereby when pulling said gripping means a first contact is made; A first part of the adhesive part delaminates from a second adhesive part on the container rim and contacts the rim. while the second part of the first adhesive part remains adhered to the second adhesive part. an opening defined by an upper rim, wherein the upper rim is exposed; Improved easy-open inner seal for use on type of containers. 2. The inner seal of claim 1, wherein said membrane means comprises a fluid impermeable membrane. 3. 3. The inner seal of claim 2, wherein said membrane comprises a layer of aluminum foil. 4. The membrane further comprises an adhesive layer bonded to the second adhesive portion, and the membrane further comprises an adhesive layer bonded to the second adhesive portion; The adhesive part is made of a first adhesive layer structure, and the second adhesive part is made of a second adhesive layer structure. 3. The inner seal of claim 2, comprising: 5. The first adhesive layer structure has a lower melting temperature than the second adhesive layer structure. , the inner seal according to claim 4. 6. The first adhesive layer structure is substantially made of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene. selected from the group consisting of EVA and laminates or blends thereof. 5. The inner seal of claim 4, wherein the inner seal is constructed of a material comprising: 7. The first adhesive portion comprises a layer of heat-sealable film, and the second adhesive portion comprises a heat-sealable film layer; 3. The inner seal of claim 2, wherein the adhesive comprises a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. 8. The heat sealing material layer is substantially made of polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene. selected from the group consisting of EVA and laminates or blends thereof. 8. The inner seal of claim 7, comprising a material comprising: 9. The gripping means and the main body are formed of a continuous and common layer of material. The inner seal according to claim 1. 10. a container body having an upper rim, and a body portion that fits over said upper rim; an inner seal comprising an inner seal, said body having a top surface and preventing passage of fluid through said body; and means for adhering said body portion to said upper rim. , the adhesive means has a first contact for adhering to the container rim by a first adhesive force. a first bonding portion and a first bonding portion bonded to the first bonding portion by a second bonding force smaller than the first bonding force; It has two adhesive parts, and the first adhesive part is smaller than both the second adhesive force and the first adhesive force. with breaking strength and for the user to grasp while removing said inner seal from the container. gripping means attached to the outer periphery of said body means for the purpose of said gripping means; When the first adhesive part is pulled, the first part of the first adhesive part separates from the second adhesive part on the container rim. The second part of the first adhesive part remains attached to the second rim while being peeled off. the opening is exposed while remaining bonded to the core portion. A type of airtight container with a full internal seal. 11. 11. The inner seal of claim 10, wherein said membrane means comprises a fluid-impermeable membrane. 12. 12. The inner seal of claim 11, wherein said membrane comprises a layer of aluminum foil. 13. The membrane further comprises an adhesive layer bonded to the second adhesive portion; The first adhesive part includes a first adhesive layer structure, and the second adhesive part includes a second adhesive layer structure. 12. The inner seal of claim 11, comprising: 14. The first adhesive layer structure has a lower melting temperature than the second adhesive layer structure. 14. The inner seal of claim 13. 15. The first adhesive layer structure may be substantially polyester, polypropylene, polyester, etc. selected from the group consisting of tyrene and EVA and laminates or blends thereof 14. The inner seal of claim 13, wherein the inner seal is constructed of a 16. The first adhesive part is made of a heat-sealable film, and the second adhesive part is made of a heat-sealable film. 12. The inner seal of claim 11, wherein the adhesive comprises a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. 17. The heat-sealable material layer may be substantially polyester, polypropylene, polyester, etc. From the group consisting of polyethylene and EVA and laminates or blends thereof 17. The inner seal of claim 16, comprising a selected material. 18. The gripping means and the main body are formed of a common continuous layer of material. 11. The inner seal of claim 10. 19. 1. A method of forming a closed container of the type that includes a safety inner seal, the method comprising: (a) preparing a container body having an upper rim; (b) installing an inner seal; The inner seal includes a main body portion having an upper surface sized to fit onto the upper rim; An adhesive having an adhesive portion and a second adhesive portion that is adhered to the first adhesive portion by a second adhesive force. means, the first bond has a breaking strength less than the second bond and prevents passage of fluid; and a layer of the body for gripping by a user from above the upper rim of the container. comprising gripping means connected to the outer periphery, and (c) Comprising the step of passing the container and inner seal to the heat station. As a result, the inner seal is attached to the inner seal with a first adhesive force stronger than the second adhesive force. A method characterized by sealing onto the container body. 20. The inner seal includes a metal foil, and the step (c) includes the metal foil. An induction type device is used to heat the 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the container body is sealed onto an upper rim.