NZ540527A - Packaging tube with anti-counterfeiting inter-connecting plasticized material between tube head and shoulder of different colour to shoulder - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a packing tube provided with an originality marking (15) and a method for the production thereof. Normally the price of tubes increases according to the type of marking (15). This is avoided, according to the invention, by virtue of the fact that weld joints, e.g. between the head (12) and the tube (11) are made visible and the joining materials are coloured differently than the part of the tube that they connect.

Description

PACKING CONTAINER WITH AN ORIGINALITY MARKING AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF The invention concerns a packaging container, especially a packaging tube for paste-like materials, with an anticounterfeiting feature and a method to manufacture the same.

Next to metal tubes, packaging containers of plastic materials (plastic tubes) are widely accepted for packaging, advertising and promotion of technical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical materials of pasty consistency. Due to their diffusion resistance, metal tubes used for oxidation sensitive packaged materials used to be considered as superior over plastic tubes. However, due to the development of new plastics and laminates, such as the manufacture of sheet materials to be used for the manufacture of tube bodies by way of extrusion or by way of side seaming, the superiority of metal tubes was widely eliminated, so that metal and plastic tubes are now considered equals with regard to deformable or squeezable packaging means for oxidation sensitive packaged materials. As an addition to the development of new plastics and laminates (tube materials) a highly developed manufacturing technique for plastic needs to be developed assuring zero defect tubes, lube materials and manufacturing techniques used to make deformable tubes need to provide for consistent quality of the packaged material from when the tubes are filled until the tubes are emptied. The tubes, besides their function as packaging containers, also qualify as a carrier of advertisements, whereby the displayed advertisement may include identification of the packaged material and other information relevant to the origin thereof.

With respect to mass volume products like tooth pastes the advertisement upon the tubes is directed to the identification of the origin and producer of the product, so that consumers can decide by visual identification which product they will buy from what manufacturer, expecting always to acquire a product of the same quality. With this consumer expectation, a visual identification will always be superficial, which, because of counterfeiting parties, will result in problems for the manufacture of the packaged material and/or the packer with respect to their warranties for origin, quality and consistency of quality. Counterfeiters are, for example, able to provide packaging tubes devoid of any defects in comparison with the originals by copying the originals having a specific tube form and the design carried thereon and making the same imprints as the originals. These counterfeit tubes usually contain packaged materials of different quality to that offered by the non-counterfeiting manufacturer. Where the consumer recognizes intellectual property ofice of n.z.

NOV 2006 quality defects in counterfeit products in the form of tubes and/or packaged materials, and the consumer is not aware of having acquired a counterfeit product, the consumer will attribute the poor quality to the manufacturer of the non-counterfeit product and that will cause problems for the manufacturer with respect to the origin, quality and guarantees of his products.

In consideration of the above described background the object of the present invention is to: provide a packaging container, preferably a packaging tube, having an anti-counterfeiting feature and a method to economically manufacture the same, whereby a tube with this feature, even when superficially scrutinised, visually presents itself as an original; or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In one aspect, the present invention broadly consists in a packaging tube with an anticounterfeiting feature for packaging paste-like materials, the container comprising a tube body made of a flexible plastic foil or of a flexible plastic/metal laminate foil having a non-flexible prefabricated tube head arranged at one end thereof, the tube head being made of plastic material, and comprising a shoulder and a closable outlet extending therefrom, wherein the shoulder is attached to the body by means of a material portion of a plasticized and squeeze formed plastic material connecting an inner surface of one end of the body with an outer surface of the shoulder, and wherein upon the shoulder is arranged an anticounterfeiting feature in the form of a ring encircling the shoulder, the anticounterfeiting feature being formed from another portion of the squeeze formed plastic material in a colour different from that of the shoulder.

In another aspect, the present invention broadly consists in a method of manufacturing a packaging tube as define above, comprising placing a tube body upon the outer circumference of a mandrel of a die, leaving an annular section of the body extending axially from the mandrel; and placing a prefabricated tube head upon a mandrel slope of the mandrel, leaving an annular gap defined by the outer circumference of the shoulder of the head and the inner surface of the annular section, and a material portion of plasticized plastic material abutting and running round the inner surface of the annular section and covering the annular gap; entering the mandrel together with the body, the head and the material portion, into an annular matrix of the die; bending the annular section and squeeze forming the material portion; wherein a first part of the material portion is squeezed into the annular gap and a second part of the material portion is squeezed between the annular section and the shoulder wherein a ring shaped anticounterfeiting feature of a different colour to the shoulder is formed by the plastic material between a freely encircling edge of theia^ffij^rTtJAL property section and the inner edge of the plastic material that has flowed from the edge of the 0FFICE °F N Z annular section onto the shoulder in the direction of the outlet. 2 3 MAY 2X7 RECEIVEC 3 Advantageous embodiments of the tube are characterised through the claims 2 to 5, 10 and 12 and those of the method through the claims 7 to 9, 11 and 13.

Two different techniques dominate the manufacture of plastic tubes. The ready made head technique relates to the attachment of a ready made head to a tube body. One mode of attachment is to melt the prefabricated head on to the body by applying heat and pressure. In another mode, the head and body are integrally formed together by injection moulding. Another form of technique differs to the extent that the head and body are attached to each other during formation or moulding of a head in a matrix, whereby the moulding of the head occurs in one embodiment through the shaping of a portion of plasticized material or in a second embodiment through injection moulding. Methods that use plasticized material portions to connect a prefabricated head with a tube body are also known. The development of these methods was aimed at two objectives: firstiy, to satisfy technical requirements; and secondly, to satisfy requirements relating to the appearance of the tube. Relevant manufacturing industries strive to manufacture leak proof and mechanically strong seams, that are also visually unobstructive. To provide a tube with an anticounterfeiting feature, the present invention departs from the manufacturing techniques known to the tube manufacturing industry as set forth above, maintaining the mechanical qualities of a seam between head and body but making the seam or parts thereof visible. According to the invention the head carries a feature that is of different colour to the head. It is preferred to form the feature as a ring encircling or running around upon the shoulder of the head. The ring is formed and made visible during squeeze pressing of an annular portion of plasticized plastic material of a different colour to the head or the body in order to attach the head to the body. Advantageously, a method of manufacturing tubes with a feature as set forth above comprises attaching a body to a head by using a portion of plasticized plastic material in the form of a ring, preferably of round or lenticular cross-section. The portion is positioned so that it abutts the inner surface of an annular section of the body and rests between or partially upon the outer circumference of the shoulder of the head, thereafter bending the freely extending annular section and squeeze pressing the portion by means of a mandrel and matrix in the direction of an oudet of the head. After termination of the squeeze pressing or squeeze forming step, the annular feature joins the freely running round edge of the annular section so that the ring is positioned at a distance from the transition from shoulder to body, the distance corresponding to the length of the annular section. This has the advantage that the position of the feature upon the shoulder can be varied by varying the length of the annular section. This provides the opportunity to change the visual appearance of the tube if required or intellectual property office of n.z. 2 3 MAY 2007 803462_1.DOC Q EC EIVED 4 necessary, and also allows a manufactured batch of tubes to be identified by the positioning of the feature upon the shoulder.

Further advantages, features and individual items of the invention can be found from the following description of the tubes, the process of manufacture, an apparatus adapted to carry out the process of manufacture, and the drawings, which drawings show: Fig. 1 a side view of a tube according to the invention; Fig. 2 a mandrel with head having a stepped arrangement; Fig. 3 a mandrel with head and a multi-chamber stepped arrangement; Fig. 4 a mandrel with head with the circumferential surface in an inclined position; Fig. 5 a matrix prior to the commencement of the pressing operation; Fig. 6 a matrix after the pressing operation has been performed.

Fig. 1 shows the head end of a packaging tube 10, which will be referred to in the following description as tube 10. The tube 10 consists of a tube body 11, and a tube head 12, (which will be referred to in the following description as body 11 and head 12 respectively). The head 12 is connected with the body 11 and carries a cap 13. The head 12 comprises a shoulder 14 and an outlet 16 (fig. 2). The shoulder 14 carries on its outer visible surface, as opposed to its inner surface directed toward the hollow space of the body 11, the anticounterfeiting identification 15 or anticounterfeiting feature 15 according to the invention. Depending upon the requirements of the diffusion resistance of tube 10 the body is made of a plastic monofoil, plastic laminate foil or a plastic/metal laminate foil which is cut into strips and formed into a tubular body and welded together along its longitudinal edges. Bodies 11 can also be extruded, in this case the welding operation is not necessary. Each body 11 is connected to a prefabricated head 12 at one of the open ends of the body.

The heads 12 are made separately from the tube manufacture by way of injection moulding. The head comprises a disk like shoulder 14 extending therefrom and an outlet 16 which can be opened or closed by means of cap 13.

The outer diameter of shoulder 14 of head 12 is slighdy smaller than the inner diameter of the body 11 and is dimensioned in such a way that the material used for connecting body 11 and intellectual property office of n.2.

NOV 2006 head 12 can, during the squeeze forming operation, flow around the circular outer edge of shoulder 14 in the form of a ring, at the same time filling the gap between the circular edge of shoulder 14 and the inner surface of body 11. Head 12 and body 11 are connected by means of a portion of plasticized plastic. The plastic has to be selected so that it connects upon the application of pressure and, optionally, heat, with the plastic of head 12 and with the plastic of body 11, in case of a laminate with the inner layer of plastic of body 11.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a round mandrel 20 as part of a pressing die. The mandrel 20 has a tube body 11 extending in a longitudinal direction on the surface of the mandrel. The upper free end of mandrel 20 is shaped (contoured) in such a way that the head 12, with its inner surface, can be completely positioned thereon. The head 12 is formed by the disk like shoulder 14 extending from the hollow cylindrical outlet 16, into which extends a centrally arranged mandrel extension 21. This arrangement allows the head 12 to be concentrically held on the contoured free end of mandrel 20.

According to fig. 2, an annular section 22 of body 11 extends in an axial direction from the front facc starting from the passage 35 between mandrel scope 24 and the outer circumference 25 of the mandrel. The axial extension of the annular section 22 is determined (see fig. 4) by the distance A within which the freely running round edge 26 of annular section 22 — seen from the center-line of head 12 — is to rest upon the outer surface of the head 12; thus forming the outer running round demarcation 27 of the anticounterfeiting feature 15. The anticounterfeiting feature 15 will be referred to in the following description as feature 15. According to fig. 2, the head shows a stepped arrangement 29 upon its outer surface. The arrangement 29 runs around the outer circumference of shoulder 14 having, in the direction of outlet 16, an upward directed surface 30 forming the inner running round demarcation 28.

According to the invention nit can be advantageous to provide the passage 35 between mandrel scope 24 and the outer circumference of mandrel 20 with a multi-chamber stepped arrangement 31. Advantageously, the multi-chamber stepped arrangement 31 (which will be referred to in the following description as arrangement 31) comprises two chambers 32, 33. The first chamber 32, originating from the outer circumference of mandrel 20 and in the direction of center-line M, is structured as having a slanted surface. The first chamber 32 joins up with the second chamber 33 that ends at mandrel slope 24. The diameter of the orifice closest to the center-line, that is to say the circumference of the second chamber, is dimensioned in such a way that it is covered by the outer circumference of shoulder 14 of head 12. In this arrangement, the chamber 33 in intellectual property office of n.z.

NOV 2006 6 combination with a head 12 arranged on the mandrel 20 and the shoulder 14 of a head 12, forms an undercut 34 at the front face of mandrel 20. When viewed in an axial direction, the first chamber 32 together with the inner circumferential surface of section 22 of body 11 and the outer surface of shoulder 14, forms an open annular room or space 35 extending in the same axial direction as mandrel 20. As is shown in fig. 3, by way of the second chamber 33, arranged under shoulder 14, and by way of annular room 35 adjoining the second chamber 33, a die cavity is provided. A portion 17 of plastic material plasticized by way of heat and being of different colour to the plastic material of the head 12 and optionally the plastic material of the body 11, can be pressed into the die cavity.

Fig. 4 depicts a circumferential surface arranged parallel to the center-line of head 12 (said parallel surface now shown), whereby the surface of the kind shown is arranged as a slope 36 with respect to the center-line.

Fig. 2, 3 and 4 show different mouldable connections between body 11 and head 12. The connection according to fig. 2 satisfies the normal average requirement. The connection according to fig. 4 satisfies more demanding requirements to be fulfilled by a connection, than the connection shown in fig. 2. That is because the slope 36 is a greater one sided connecting surface than the parallely arranged surface according to fig. 2. The connection between head 12 and body 11, according to fig. 3, is meant to meet very demanding requirements. This connection combines, by way of the undercut 34, the inner surface (surface directed to the inner room of the body) of head 12 with the surfaces of annular room 35. The arrangement 29 upon the outer surface of shoulder 14 may also be used with head 12 according to fig. 3 and 4. It is preferred to use the material portion 17 as a ring. It is also preferred that the ring, of circular, lenticular or drop like cross-section, is attached to the inner surface of the annular section 22 covering the annular rooms 35 prior to pressing.

Fig. 5 and 6 show the means to connect the body 11 to the head 12. In fig. 5 reference numeral 39 depicts a ring shaped or annular matrix into which a mandrel 20 is entered, carrying a body 11 and head 12 and a material portion 17, prior to commencement of the pressing operation. The end of the pressing operation is shown in fig. 6. The matrix 39 (shown only in schematic form) can have an inner ring 40 spring biased and movable in the direction of movement of mandrel 20. This ring serves as a hold down device for the head 12 upon mandrel 20 and also serves, with its outer diameter, as an axially movable moulding wall. The ring, resting upon the shoulder 14, will form for instance the inner running round demarcation 28. The moulding contour of 8U3462_1.1)( >C intellectual property office of n.z.

NOV 2006 7 matrix 39 is formed by a cylindrical section 41 and a rounded circumferential section 42. The inner diameter of cylindrical section 41 corresponds to the outer diameter of mandrel 20 with body 11 arranged thereon. The rounded circumferential scction 42 is dimensioned in such a way that it moulds the rearward part of the annular section 22 as a rounded transition from body 11 to head 12, while its forward part during the pressing operation is brought into contact with the outer surface of the shoulder 14.

The method of connecting a prefabricated head 12 to a body 11 by means of forming a ring like connection or seam upon the shoulder 14 of head 12 is carried out in six partial steps. The first partial step is loading mandrel 20 with a body 11 in such a way that an annular section 22 of body 11 extends beyond the transition 23 of mandrel slope 24 to the outer circumference 25 of mandrel 20. The dimension of annular section 22 in the longitudinal direction depends upon the radial distance (the distance between the centre-line of the outlet and the demarcation) that the freely running round edge 26 of section 22, the edge 26 forming the outer running round demarcation 28, is designed to show after the pressing operation. Increasing the length of section 22 means that the position of the outer running round demarcation 28 moves up toward the oudet 16. Whereas decreasing its length means the outer running round demarcation 28 would move down toward the transition 23, that means towards the outer circumference of mandrel slope 24.

In a second partial step, a prefabricated head is arranged upon the mandrel whereby it is arranged thereon by way of the opening of oudet 16 and mandrel extension 21. In that position, the head 12 is surrounded by the axially extended section 22.

In a third partial step, the material portion 17 of connecting material is deposited upon the visible outer surface of shoulder 14. It is preferred that the material portion 17 rests against the inner circumference or surface of the annular section 22 completely running around said surface. The material portion 17 consists of a plasticized plastic, the composition of which is to be selected in such a way that it connects itself with the plastic of the head 12 and that of the body 11, if a laminate is used with the inner plastic layer of body 11, upon application of pressure and, if necessary, heat. The material portion 17 can be deposited into the die in prefabricated form or extruded upon shoulder 14, preferably covering the annular rooms 35. It is preferred that a material portion 17 is shaped in a closed ring. It is preferable for the cross-section of the ring shaped material portion to be of circular, lenticular or drop like configuration. 803462_UXX: intellectual property office of n.z.

NOV 2006 RECEIVED 8 To form or establish the anticounterfeiting feature 15 upon the shoulder 14, the plastic material of portion 17 has a different colour, which is significantly different from the colour of the plastic material of the head and (if so desired) from the colour of the body 11.

In a fourth partial step, head 12 and portion 17 enter into the open annular matrix 39. If there is provided an inner ring 40, the outer surface of the shoulder 14 gets into contact with the inner ring 40 and moves same during the entering movement of mandrel 20 into the matrix 39 against its spring biased resistance.

During a fifth partial step, the pressing and forming of the feature 15 is effected. During this step, by way of entering mandrel 20 into matrix 39, the material portion 17 is pressed into annular room 35, stepped arrangement 29, and into the first 32 and second 33 chambers of the multi-chamber stepped arrangement 31 to connect head 12 and body 11. At the same time the annular section 22 is bent in the direction of the outer surface of shoulder 14. The pressing operation is finished when the inner surface of section 22 abutts or is in contact with the outer surface of shoulder 14.

During the bending operation, part of the material portion 17 is pressed and flows by way of the annular section 22 in the direction of the oudet 16 until the plastic squeezed over the surface of the shoulder 14 runs or flows against the upward directed surface 30 of the stepped arrangement 29, or flows against the outer circumference of inner ring 40.

In partial step 5, the connection of body 11 and head 12 is effected. The annular section 22 is, by means of the plastic of portion 17, squeezed in the direction of oudet 16 connected to the shoulder 14. A ring shaped feature 15 on shoulder 14 is formed at a radial distance from the centre-line of the oudet 16. This feature is formed by an inner 28 and outer 27 demarcation encircling the outer surface of shoulder 14. Means (upward directed surface 30, inner ring 40) forming the inner encircling demarcation 28 are preferred for a precise configuration of feature 15. It is, however, possible to let the plastic material flowing in front of the freely running round edge 26 (forming the outer edge of the ring) to flow freely, without the means mentioned above over the outer surface of shoulder 14.

In a sixth partial step, mandrel 20 with tube 10 is moved out of matrix 39. Tube 10 is ejected from mandrel 20 whereupon the method of manufacturing a tube with feature 15 can be repeated. 8i.i3462_l.DOC: intellectual property office of n.z.

NOV 2006 1RECEIVEP 9 The term "comprising" as used in this specification and claims means "consisting at least in part of'; that is to say when interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include "comprising", the features prefaced by this term in each statement all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in similar manner.

INTEUECTUAi 3r0pertv OFFICE 01- i\U NOV 2006 RECEIVED 8(>3462_i.ix )<;

Claims (13)

10 What We Claim Is:

1.• A packaging tube with an anticounterfeiting feature for packaging paste-like materials, the container comprising a tube body made of a flexible plastic foil or of a flexible plastic/metal laminate foil having a non-flexible prefabricated tube head arranged at one end thereof, the tube head being made of plastic material, and comprising a shoulder and a closable outlet extending therefrom, wherein the shoulder is attached to the body by means of a material portion of a plasticized and squeeze formed plastic material connecting an inner surface of one end of the body with an outer surface of the shoulder, and wherein upon the shoulder is arranged an anticounterfeiting feature in the form of a ring encircling the shoulder, the anticounterfeiting feature being formed from another portion of the squeeze formed plastic material in a colour different from that of the shoulder.

2. A packaging tube according to claim 1, wherein the anticounterfeiting feature is delimited by an outer encircling demarcation and an inner encircling demarcation.

3. A packaging tube according to claim 2, wherein the inner encircling demarcation is formed by the squeeze formed plastic material freely flowing upon the shoulder from the material portion in the direction of the oudet.

4. A packaging tube according to claim 2, wherein the outer encircling demarcation is formed by a freely encircling edge of the tube body, this edge being defined by an annular section of the body and wherein the inner encircling demarcation is formed by an upwardly directed inner end surface of a stepped arrangement formed in the outer surface of the shoulder.

5. A packaging tube according to claim 4, wherein the annular section is bent over in the direction of the shoulder, covering an annular gap between the shoulder and the tube body.

6. A method of manufacturing a packaging tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising placing a tube body upon the outer circumference of a mandrel of a die, leaving an annular section of the body extending axially from the mandrel; and •LLfcv> i w office 23 MAY 2007 11 placing a prefabricated tube head upon a mandrel slope of the mandrel, leaving an annular gap defined by the outer circumference of the shoulder of the head and the inner surface of the annular section, and a material portion of plasticized plastic material abutting and running round the inner surface of the annular section and covering the annular gap; entering the mandrel together with the body, the head and the material portion, into an annular matrix of the die; bending the annular section and squeeze forming the material portion; wherein a first part of the material portion is squeezed into the annular gap and a second part of the material portion is squeezed between the annular section and the shoulder wherein a ring shaped anticounterfeiting feature of a different colour to the shoulder is formed by the plastic material between a freely encircling edge of the annular section and the inner edge of the plastic material that has flowed from the edge of the annular section onto the shoulder in the direction of the oudet.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein part of the material portion is pressed into a stepped arrangement in the shoulder of the tube head.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the material portion is pressed against an upwardly directed surface at an inner end of the stepped arrangement.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the part of the material portion flowing away from the annular section freely expands towards the tube oudet.

10. A packaging tube according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment disclosed.

11. A method according to claim 6 and substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment disclosed.

12. A packaging tube substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of manufacturing a packaging tube substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings— . . intellectual property office of n.z. 23 MAY 2007 RECEIVED.