Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
  • B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
  • B65D1/0207—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by material, e.g. composition, physical features
  • B65D1/0215—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by material, e.g. composition, physical features multilayered
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/02—Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
  • B05B11/026—Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D23/00—Details of bottles or jars not otherwise provided for
  • B65D23/02—Linings or internal coatings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D79/00—Kinds or details of packages, not otherwise provided for
  • B65D79/005—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting
  • B65D79/008—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting the deformable part being located in a rigid or semi-rigid container, e.g. in bottles or jars
  • B65D79/0084—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting the deformable part being located in a rigid or semi-rigid container, e.g. in bottles or jars in the sidewall or shoulder part thereof
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/0055—Containers or packages provided with a flexible bag or a deformable membrane or diaphragm for expelling the contents

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a container made from a co-extruded multilayer parison sustaining its external shape under pressure variation.
• the problem of package deformation is well known in the packaging industry.
• the package deformation may be in response to pressure differences existing between the inside of an airtight package and the ambient pressure.
• Such package deformation may be non-recoverable for certain package materials, like some plastics or metals. Thin-walled, partially flexible packages are particularly sensitive to the problem.
• the content of the package may, for example, be chemically unstable or may be subject to reaction with gases which may exist in the head space of the package, or alternatively, in certain specific circumstances, may react with the package material itself. Any chemical reactions involving the liquid contents may lead to the absorption of any head space gases thereby causing under-pressure in the package.
• Pressure differences between the pressure inside the container and the ambient atmospheric pressure may also occur when the temperature during the filling and sealing of the container is significantly different from external temperature during shipment, transportation and storage. Another possibility of a pressure difference may be caused by a different ambient pressure at the filling of the container from another ambient pressure at a different geographical location, for example when hermetically sealed bottles are filled in a mountain area and moved to the sea level.
• EP-0 182 094 describes a container which can sustain such pressure differences, by having an inner collapsible layer and an outer rigid layer, whereby the space between the layer is in contact with the outside through an open seam at the bottom of the bottle.
• the bottles disclosed in US-5447678 and US-5567377 are made of a collapsible inner layer and a rigid outer layer which do not adhere to each other, whereby the space between the layers is can be filled with air through a hole or through non-welded seams.
• the present invention relates to a container formed from at least two layers including an outer layer and an inner layer, the inner and the outer layers are co-extruded and do not adhere to each other, the inner layer being collapsible.
• the present invention provides a container in a manner to satisfy the aforementioned need.
• the container of the invention is characterised in that the outer layer is porous.
• Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of an embodiment of a container according to the present invention where the inner and outer layers are not separated.
• Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of an embodiment of a container according to the present invention where the inner and outer layers are separated.
• the present invention relates to a container.
• Different kinds of containers are encompassed by the invention.
• the container of the invention normally contains a flowable material (5) and a head space (6), and is usually air tight. Indeed, such a container can be subject to pressure variation due to a reaction of the gas of the head space (6) with the content, which is particularly the case when the container is containing surfactants, or due to a variation of the atmospheric pressure. These pressure variations can produce a lower inner pressure or a higher inner pressure. In case of a lower inner pressure, the container tends to collapse, and in case of a higher inner pressure the container tends to bulge.
• Such containers comprise bottles, bags or boxes.
• the flowable material (5) contained encompasses materials which are flowable under gravity or may be pumped. Such materials include liquids, pastes, gels, emulsions or powders.
• the present invention relates to a container formed from a co-extrusion process.
• Co-extrusion is commonly used for making containers. This process involves extrusion of a multilayer parison blown in a molded cavity to take the shape of the final container. This process has the advantage of being a very widely used, standard and economical process.
• two layers are sufficient, but more layers can be used. However, it is important that at least two adjacent layers are not adhering to each other, meaning that these layers should be made of incompatible thermoplastic materials. As a consequence, these layers can be separated from each other once the container is formed. However, it may be useful that these layers be glued to each other at some points of the structure of the container, in order to improve rigidity of the assembly.
• the inner layer (2) should be collapsible. Indeed, the inner layer (2) should be able to adapt its shape to pressure variations in the bottle, particularly in case of a lower inner pressure.
• the outer layer (1) should preferably be made of a rigid material, so that it could for example sustain a higher inner pressure.
• the separation of the outer and of the inner layer (2) will be facilitated if the inner is collapsible and if the outer is rigid. Separation would also be facilitated if the inner material shrinks more than the outer material.
• a stretchable material would also be very appropriate for making the inner layer (2), particularly if the permeation of the outer layer is slow (2).
• Example of materials with appropriate rigidity can include Poly-Propylene or Poly-Ethlene- Therephtalate for the outer bottle, and for example Low Density Poly- Ethylene for the inner bottle. Other materials with suitable characteristics can also be used.
• the container may comprise supplementary layers. However, because the porosity of the outer layer (1 ) is important, it should not be covered with a non porous material.
• the outer layer (1 ) should be porous.
• the outer and the inner layer (2) will be able to separate only if the interstitial space which is consequently between the two layers formed can be filled, for example with air.
• the outer layer (1 ) has to be porous.
• Alternative solutions are proposed in the prior art, but they all involve special manufacturing processes according to which a hole is made, or a seam is not welded.
• porous material it is meant that it should let gas through.
• a convenient way to measure porosity is given by the oxygen transmission rate of the material. It is not necessary that this transmission rate be very high because some pressure variations are slow, such as the atmospheric pressure variation, so that a low transmission rate can be sufficient.
• Low transmission rates for the outer layer (1) to be porous would be of about 50 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 .
• a higher oxygen transmission rate of the material should be higher, of the order of 10 000 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 for example.
• Such porosity values can be achieved by materials comprising micro-holes. These can be obtained by using recycled material containing impurities, for example, which is also very satisfactory for environmental reasons.
• the material be made of up to 100% of post consumer recycled material, preferably between 10 to 50% by weight, most preferably between 20 to 30% by weight.
• the material forming the outer layer (1) should have an oxygen transmission rate comprised between 10 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 and 50 000 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 , preferably between 100 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 and 30 000 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 , most preferably between 1000 and 20 000 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 and even more preferably between 5000 and 10 000 cm 3 /day/atmosphere/m 2 .
• the structure of the container can be such that the inner layer (2) is held by top and bottom pinching (3).
• Other structural modifications can be used for reinforcing the structure, such as the means described in EP-751071.
• the aim is to avoid structure distortion which can be due to higher inner pressure or to stacking of the containers.
• Figure 1 presents a container according to the present invention in which the layers are not separated. It should be noted that the inner and outer layer forming the body of the container have a sealed end (4) at the bottom of the container.
• Figure 2 presents the container of Figure one where the inner layer (2) is partially collapsed, whereas the outer layer (1) stays rigid. In this case, collapsing could have occurred because of a chemical reaction between a gas comprised in the head space (6) and the content or with a compound of the packaging materials. Collapsing could also be due to a higher atmospheric pressure in Figure 2 than in Figure 1. In this example, the inner layer (2) is pinched (3) at the top and bottom ends of the bottle.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8228581

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (14)

Citations (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-07-23 EP EP97202295A patent/EP0893356A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 1998
  • 1998-07-16 WO PCT/US1998/014691 patent/WO1999005035A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1998-07-22 ZA ZA986549A patent/ZA986549B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (8)

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