JPS5938136B2 - Container and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container, such as a beaker, bolt, etc., made of thermoplastic material, the container having a side wall, an end wall integral with the side wall and provided with at least one draw-out opening, and further comprising a filling plate. a separation bottom in airtight contact with the access opening and located on the opposite side of the end wall.

Containers of this type are disclosed, for example, in French patents nos. 1,196,104 and 1,274,576.

In the known container, the end wall is provided with a groove close to itself and constituting a line of least resistance, along which an opening is cut, for example by a knife, through which the contents of the container can flow. being extracted. A disadvantage of these containers is that they require a sharp object to open them and the contents of the container often spray out when cutting the end wall.

The side walls of the container are first formed in order to leave an annular portion defining an end opening on the end wall side, and after the container is filled, the opening is closed with a lid and a bottom is attached to the other end of the wall. It is also known from French Patent No. 1 196 104 to provide.

In addition, the extraction opening of the container may be closed using a metal sheet or disc.
It is also generally known to cover with an aluminum foil provided with, for example, a layer of glue, preferably a layer of thermal adhesive, and to weld or shrink the foil to the edge of the drawer opening (see, for example, FR 1273581).

It has been found that a metal foil seal on the edge of the drawer opening is particularly inconvenient when the edge is within the perimeter defined by the corresponding end of the side wall of the container.

This disadvantage is further increased if the side walls and end walls are produced by thermoforming and the drawer opening is then cut from said end wall by suitable cutting, shearing or pressing means. In this case, in effect the thickness of the end wall is substantially less than that of the side wall, so that the draw-out opening formed in the end wall is delimited by very sharp edges, which is quite problematic. Use a container with a

Furthermore, in the case of thin edges located within the periphery of the corresponding edges of the side walls of the container, the seal created between said edge and the metal flake by cold sealing or hot sealing is often defective, resulting in the container The contents can come into direct contact with the surrounding air and sometimes even escape. When sealing a metal foil to the edge of an already thermoformed container, the heat from the sealing releases the internal tension in the thermoplastic, but this is due to the rapid cooling of the thermoplastic as it contacts the thermoforming and mold. as a result of which the edges delaminate and crack within the seal area. The object of the invention is to propose a container of the type mentioned at the outset, which has at least one draw-out opening without sharp edges and is equipped with a cover leaf or cap that seals the container closed before use. The purpose is to eliminate the above drawbacks by doing so.

This objective is achieved by the present invention.

That is, each drawer opening is constituted by a curved or polygonal slot formed by partially melting the thermoplastic material of the end wall and itself at least partially closed; At least these portions of the surrounding end wall are sealingly affixed to a cover leaf or cap covered with a layer of adhesive facing the end wall. Thus, the drawer opening has a rounded edge since the thermoplastic tends to form a rounded edge when the slot is formed by melting the thermoplastic. Furthermore, the end wall part located inside the area of the slot is glued to the cover foil, so that after opening the container by removing at least part of said foil and after separating said foil from the outer edge of the slot. The opening can be easily reclosed by using the portion of the end wall that remains attached to the lamella as a central piece. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing and filling containers.

That is, when the container is molded, one end wall is integral with the side wall;
In a container where the other end wall is constituted by a separate bottom wall,
According to the method of the invention, the side wall and the end wall are manufactured in one piece in a mold by pressure molding or thermoforming a thermoplastic, the container is filled through the bottom opening and the bottom opening is then separated. Closed by the bottom wall. In the above-mentioned method, the present invention provides a cover flake or a cap in the area of the bottom of the mold, the cover flake or cap having a layer of adhesive formed on its side facing the mold opening area, and forming a layer of adhesive on the side wall of the container. The thermoplastic material of the end wall of the container is molded onto the cover flake or cap simultaneously with the formation of the cover flake or cap, and then the thermoplastic material constituting the end wall is partially melted. An at least partially closed curved or polygonal slot is formed in said end wall adjacent to the adhesive portion, said slot being formed before said container is filled.

With such a method, a sealed contact between the cover foil and the end wall is achieved when the container is molded and before the opening is formed in the end wall.

The bonding force of the end wall on the cover foil is uniform and acts from the inside of the container to the outside during the container forming process. Furthermore, if the end wall is already fixed to the metal cover foil or cap, the boundary area defining the slot will not undergo any deformation during its manufacture by melting the thermoplastic. Also, excess heat relative to the heat required to melt the slot can soften the thermoplastic only within the confines of the slot, as it is quickly distributed and dissipated into the cover flakes or cap. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, figures 1 to 6 show a mold 1 having a cavity 2 of suitable shape, for example a cylinder, truncated cone or conical bottle, beaker, etc., the bottom of the mold, preferably the top. A metal cover flake or cap 3, preferably made of aluminum, is disposed on the lower base 1a, which cap 3 faces the bottom 1a of the mold 1 and is heated or cold in close contact with the end wall of the container. A layer to be glued is provided.

This cover leaf 3 is designed in the form of a small cap with raised edges, but it can also be almost flat, as shown in FIG.

The cover foil 3 has a tongue 3a which is not covered with any glue or adhesive. After placing the lamella 3 in the mold 1, the end wall 4a and the side wall 4b of the container 4 are made in accordance with, for example French patent no. 1134142 or German patent no.
It is molded onto the foil 3 by known thermoforming methods from thermoplastic strips or sheets, such as that disclosed in US Pat.

The upper end of the side wall 4b terminates in an outwardly directed annular edge 4c surrounding the fill opening 4b. Naturally, the container 4 can also be manufactured by a known injection molding method. When the end wall 4a is molded, it is in hot contact with an adhesive layer, which is preferably heat-sealing and is provided on the inner surface of the cover leaf 3 except for the part forming the tongue 3a. Moreover, its tongue 3a, if there is one (in the embodiment of FIG. 2), as well as the raised edge 3b of the lamina 3, automatically fit into the material of the side wall 4b. Under the influence of a uniform pressure within the container 4, more precisely on the inner side of the end walls 4a and side walls 4b, and under the influence of the heat of the thermoplastic material in contact with said cover leaf 3, the layer of adhesive cools down throughout. After being
A sealed and fully cohesive bond between the lamina 3 and the end wall 4a is established. Once this seal adhesion is established,
A curved or polygonal slot 5, which is itself at least partially closed (see the embodiment in FIG. 10), is formed in the end wall 4a, more generally in the wall covered by the cover leaf 3. be done.

This slot 5 is formed in the end wall 4a by partially melting a thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material being
It is constructed of the same material with the aid of a thermocouple 18 of a suitable shape, for example annular, and arranged so as to penetrate into the mold 1 as far as possible from the bottom of the mold. Since the cover foil 3 is made of a non-melting material, for example paper, preferably metal, especially aluminium, the thermocouple 18 has no influence on the foil 3 and the foil 3 is made of a non-compressible material on the bottom 1a or of an incompressible material. It stops there as long as it is in direct contact with other parts of the manufactured mold. If the thermoplastic material is partially melted at the time of forming the slot 5, this material escapes laterally and forms a flange 6 of round cross section (see FIG. 11) on each edge defining the slot 5. Form. The shape of the slot 5 is generally round, oval, polygonal, etc., and is at least partially close to itself (10th
(see figure). If the slot 5 is not completely close to itself, a joint integral with the end wall 4a and joining the part defined by the outer edge 5a of this slot 5 to the part defined by the inner edge 5b of this slot 5 The section 7 extends along a straight line or is at least relatively short (10th, 1st
(See Figure 1) is important. Also, slot 5
itself is completely closed (1st to 9th, 12th, 13th
), so that the part 4a' of the end wall 4a bounded by the inner edge 5b of the slot is completely separated from the part 4a'' of the end wall 4a, which part 4a'' is outside the edge 5a of the slot 5. It is installed in Portion 4a of end wall 4a! is located inside the slot 5 and is completely separated from the part 4a2 located outside the slot 5, which part 4a' is connected to the outer part 4a'' and the inner part 4a' of the end wall 4a.
It is held in place by a cover leaf 3 which is sealingly glued or welded to both.

In order to create the slot 5, the container 4 does not need to be housed in the mold 1 provided for forming the container 4. In fact, in order to create the slot 5, the container part, i.e. the end wall 4a with the cover leaf 3, is supported by supports 8, which can also hold the container 4 laterally, as shown in FIG. That's enough. After the slot 5 has been formed, the container 4 is transported to a filling station, where it is filled by one or more nozzles 9 via the filling opening 4d (FIG. 4), and the container is e.g. Closed at .

At the sealing station, the annular edge 4 of the container 4 (see Figure 5)
A flat separate bottom 10 is provided which is hermetically welded onto c. Meanwhile, the container 4 is filled and sealed and rests on the support plate 11. In the sealing station, the supporting ring 12 and the coupler 13, which are vertically movable and can be clamped between the edge of the container 4 and the separating bottom 10, are attached to the container 4 in a known manner.
is hermetically sealed and the container is placed in its normal position, in which the cover leaf 3 is located above the separating bottom 10 (FIG. 6). FIG. 7 shows the situation in which, once the cover leaf 3 has been removed, the outer edge 5a of the slot at the same time constitutes the area of the drawer opening 13 of the container. This drawer opening is also shaped to provide a semi-circular portion 13a defined by an elongated port 13b forming an inlet after the cover leaf 3 is removed (see FIG. 8). ). The cover foil 3 does not have to cover the entire end wall 4a.

For example, it may be in the form of a strip (FIG. 9) which covers only a part of the end wall 4a, with two slots in its covered area, the outer edge 5a of which opens after removal of the cover leaf 3. , and the cover leaf 3 is glued to the slot 5, i.e. the part of the end wall 4a'' located inside the outer edge 5a.It will be appreciated that the mold 1 has a flat bottom and the cover leaf 3 If the end wall 4a is not entirely covered, the thin piece 3 fits into the wall 4a (FIG. 9);
After removing the lamina 3 a shallow groove 14 is provided.

Similarly, the tongue 3a of the cover leaf 3 fits into an adjacent part of the side wall 4b forming a groove 15 therein, but the difficulty with the leaf 3 is that the tongue 3a sticks to the side wall 4b of the container. do not. A number of draw-out openings are provided in the end wall 4a in the area of the cover leaf 3.

This is advantageous if the container 4 is filled with powdered or granular substances or pieces or the like. In this case, it is advantageous to apply a layer of permanently adhesive glue to the inner surface of the cover foil 3, so that the cover foil 3 can be
is re-adhered onto the end wall 4a. If slot 5 is not completely blocked on itself (Figs. 10 and 11)
, the portion 4a'' of the end wall 4a serves as a partial cover of the permanent connection, the tongue 3a and the cover leaf 3 facilitating its pivoting about the joint 7.

The cylindrical cap is also used as a cover leaf 3, the cylindrical side wall 3b of which is threaded and the flat part 3c of the cap covering the end wall 4a of the container 4.

In this case, a layer 16 of highly viscous glue is formed on the surface of the cap 3 facing the end wall 4a, which layer has pseudo-liquid properties, low shear forces and a high degree of capacitive stability. be. Thus, when the screw cap 3 is rotated with respect to the side wall 4b of the container, the sealing connection between the flat part 3c of said cap 3 and the outer part 4af of the end wall 4a surrounding the slot 5 is broken. The end wall 4a of the container does not need to be flat.

It may be curved, spherical, pyramidal, truncated conical, etc., or may be a combination of a flat part and a non-flat part. FIG. 13 shows a part of the container, which comprises in particular an end wall 4a consisting of a flat part and a frustoconical part, in which a slot 5 is formed. On its outer surface, the frustoconical part of the end wall 4a is closely adhered to the cover leaf 3, the cover leaf 3
is also formed to closely cover the slot 5 and to be adaptable to the truncated conical shape of the end wall.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 are vertical cross-sectional views of the container at various stages of manufacturing and filling; FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a container filled and closed according to the invention; and FIGS. 7 to 10 are vertical cross-sectional views of the container according to the invention. Various embodiments of the drawer end of the container are shown in perspective views, and FIGS. 11 to 13 are axial sectional views of still further embodiments of the drawer end of the container according to the invention. 1...Mold, 2...Mold cavity, 3...Cover flake or cap, 4...
...Container body, 4a... End wall of the container, 4b.
...Container side wall, 4d...Filling opening,
5...Slot, 7...Joint part, 10...Bottom wall.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The side wall and one end wall of the container are formed as one piece in a mold by molding or thermoforming a thermoplastic material, and after filling the container with the contents through the bottom opening, the container is separately molded. A method for manufacturing a container in which the opening is closed by a bottom wall of the body, comprising: disposing a cover flake or a cap in the region of the bottom of the mold, and adhering to the surface of the cover flake or cap facing the mold opening region; The thermoplastic material of the end wall of the container is molded onto the cover flake or cap at the same time as forming the side walls of the container, and then the thermoplastic material forming the end wall is partially removed. melting to form an at least partially closed curved or polygonal slot in said end wall adjacent to the adhesive portion of the cover leaf or cap, the formation of said slot being caused by said container being A method for manufacturing a container, characterized in that the method is performed before filling. 2 Containers such as bottles and beakers made of thermoplastic material, having a side wall and an end wall made in one piece together with the side wall and provided with at least one opening for a drawer, and further comprising: a separate bottom wall sealingly closing a filling opening located opposite the end wall, each drawer opening being at least partially constituted by a closed curved or polygonal slot; formed in said end wall by partially melting the thermoplastic material constituting said end wall, and at least those portions of said end wall surrounding said slot are provided with a layer of adhesive on the side facing said end wall. A container characterized in that it is hermetically secured by a cover leaf or a cap that is covered with a cover.