WO2011001275A1

WO2011001275A1 - Recloseable soft single-dose container made of bi-component plastic material

Info

Publication number: WO2011001275A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/001623
Authority: WO
Inventors: Davide Furlan
Original assignee: Mia-Tech S.R.L.
Priority date: 2009-07-03
Filing date: 2010-07-02
Publication date: 2011-01-06
Also published as: ITVA20090044A1

Abstract

A container (20) made of bi-component plastic material, in particular a single-dose container for cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical preparations, constituted by a monolithic body formed by a hollow part (1), made of a soft plastic material, and by a cap part (2), made of a hard plastic material.

Description

RECLOSEABLE SOFT SINGLE-DOSE CONTAINER MADE OF BI-COMPONENT PLASTIC MATERIAL

TECHNICAL FIELD

Forming the subject of the present invention is a reclos^'eable soft single-dose container made of bi-component plastic material for use for cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical preparations. BACKGROUND ART

At present, for the use of cosmetic and/or dermatological and/or pharmaceutical preparations there exist packages of different shapes and thicknesses for example aluminium tubes, airless tubes, tubes made of plastic material, flasks made of glass and plastic materials, sachets, and pearls exclusively indicated for cosmetic use.

Said packages present numerous drawbacks linked to manipulation, to the impossibility of determining the amount of product supplied in a precise and repeatable way, to the conditions of preservation, and hence of hygiene and safety, to the failure to use the entire amount introduced, with consequent waste and increase in costs, or to the possibility of the product being used for a period of time longer than the period recommended.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to overcome all the drawbacks mentioned above.

The invention is based upon the principle of making the container up of two plastic materials different from one another as regards characteristics of hardness, of which one part is made of a harder material and has a closing function and the other part is made of softer material such as to facilitate the operation of squeezing out the contents.

With the present invention not only are all the drawbacks mentioned above eliminated, but also advantages are achieved.

In fact, the recloseable single-dose container according to the present invention presents the advantage of providing an ergonomic grip. In addition, the shape of the container, its type of opening, and the materials used for its manufacture enable an optimal dispensing of the contents, reducing the waste of product and affords the possibility of reclosing the container itself. Added to this is a reduction in the amount of preservatives in the product. In addition, there is certainty of the dose supplied. In addition to this, a repeatable dose is ensured. Furthermore, there is modularity in the packaging of a number of single doses that is linked to different treatment requirements. Added to this, hygiene is guaranteed by the single use. In addition, there is saving in terms of pharma-economy.

The above and other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge in the course of the ensuing description on the basis of the attached drawings . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the attached drawings, one of the possible practical embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail purely by way of example.

Figure 1 illustrates, according to a front view, the part with closing function of the recloseable single-dose container according to the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates, according to a top plan view, the same piece illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates in profile the same piece that is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 illustrates, according to a cross section in a plane 25 passing through the line IV- - IV of^" Figure 1, the same piece with closing function of the single-dose container illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

Figure 5 illustrates in perspective view the same piece that is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Figure 6 illustrates, according to a front view, the part made of soft plastic material that functions as container proper of cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical preparations according to the present invention.

Figure 7 illustrates in perspective view the same piece that is illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 8 illustrates in plan view the same piece that is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 illustrates, according to a longitudinal section, the same piece that is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Figure 10 illustrates, according to a front view, the ensemble of the single-dose container according to the present invention, as it comes out of the mould illustrated in Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 11 illustrates, according to a side view, the same ensemble that is illustrated in Figure 10.

Figure 12 illustrates, according to a longitudinal section, the same ensemble that is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. Figure 13 illustrates, according to a cross section in a vertical plane, a mould for plastic materials for producing simultaneously two single-dose containers according to the present invention.

Figure 14 illustrates the same mould as that of Figure 13, however according to a schematic plan view. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 1 to 12, a container 20 made of bi- component plastic material, in particular¹ a single-dose container for cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical preparations, is constituted by a monolithic body that extends along a longitudinal axis A and is formed by a hollow part 1, defining a reservoir 7 for a generic content (for example, a cosmetic, dermatological, or pharmaceutical preparation), and by a cap part 2, joined to one end 21 of the hollow part 1. The hollow part 1 and the cap part 2 are made of respective chemically compatible polymeric materials so as to adhere intimately to one another, and having different elastic moduli: namely, the cap part 2 is made of a harder material, and the hollow part 1 of a softer material.

In particular, the hollow part 1 and the cap part 2 are both made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) . The hollow part 1 is made of a material having elastic modulus lower than approximately 110 MPa and preferably around 100 MPa. The cap part 2 is made of a material having elastic modulus higher than approximately 280 MPa and preferably around 300 MPa.

The end 21 of the hollow part 1 has a tube-shaped neck 22, and the cap part 2 has a collar 23, which is fitted around the neck 22 and adheres to the end 21 by chemical compatibility. The neck 22 of the end 21 has an outlet mouth 8 connected to the reservoir 7. The cap part 2 has a restricted portion 4 between a root portion 24 and a manoeuvrable closing portion 25. The root portion 24, which contains the collar 23 and is hence attached to the end 21 of the hollow part 1, has an internal channel 26 communicating with the mouth 8. The closing portion 25 closes, instead, the channel 26. The restricted portion 4 defines an area of facilitated failure for separating the closing portion 25 from the root portion 24 and for opening the mouth 8.

The cap part 2 moreover has a protuberance 3 shaped like a plug so that it can be inserted, after the closing portion 25 and the root portion 24 of the cap part 2 have been separated, inside the mouth 8 to close it.

Advantageously, the root portion 24 and/or the closing portion 25 are substantially cylindrical and knurled to favour gripping by a user. The closing portion 25 has a transverse tab 5 that extends laterally on opposite sides of the closing portion 25. The hollow part 1 is delimited by a lateral wall 27 having a face 6 that has a depression or recess 28 defining a finger- resting impression. The lateral wall 27 is shaped so as to define within the hollow part 1 an undercut or shoulder 29 facing the end 21 of the hollow part 1.

The hollow part 1 then has a second end 30, opposite to the first end 21, which is open for filling the container 20. In particular, the end 30 has an opening 9 delimited by a perimetral rim 31, and can be closed by welding (for example, with a hot blade, or by ultrasound) of the rim 31 after the container 20 has been filled through the opening 9.

Hence, even though the container 20 is made of a single piece, it performs in effect a dual function. The first function is that ensured by the hollow part 1, made of soft plastic material, i.e., the function of container of the cosmetic and/or dermatological and/or pharmaceutical preparation. The second function is that of the cap part 2, which is made of hard plastic material and performs the closing function to favour and carry out opening of the container itself. For this reason, the cap part 2 has the evident restricted portion 4. When the user wants to use the cosmetic and/or dermatological and/or pharmaceutical preparation, he exerts manually a moderate pressure on the tab 5 of the cap part 2 and breaks the cap part 2 in the point of the evident restricted portion 4. Then, by gripping with his index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger the container 20 and sliding his thumb along the face 6 of the container itself, exerting pressure, the cosmetic and/or dermatological and/or pharmaceutical preparation contained in the reservoir 7 will be forced, as a result of said pressure and said sliding action, to come out passing through the mouth 8.

The mouth 8 can then possibly be reclosed by introducing therein the protuberance 3 shaped like a plug.

The shape of the container 20 that forms the subject of the present invention and that can seen in the figures of the plates of drawings enables a secure grip that is pleasant to the touch.

The container 20 is obtained with the manufacturing process described below, using for example the mould 40 schematically illustrated in Figures 13 , 14. The mould 40 comprises a first part 10 and a second part 11, which are movable with respect to one another and are provided with at least one first seat 41, having a shape corresponding to the cap part 2 and, respectively, at least one second seat 42, which has a shape corresponding to the hollow part 1 and houses a movable insert 43 defining the inside of the hollow part 1.

Preferably, the parts 10, 11 of the mould have respective pluralities of seats 41, 42.

In the non-limiting example illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, the part 11 is fixed, supported for example by a base structure 44. The part 10 is movable and specifically able to rotate with respect to the base structure and hence to the fixed part 11.

The fixed part 11 comprises a single set of adjacent seats 42, arranged for example alongside one another. The movable part 10 comprises at least two sets of seats 41a, 41b, spaced from one another and for example diametrally opposite to one another. When the seats 41a of a first set, containing cap parts 2 already moulded, are associated to the seats 42, the seats 41b of the second set are available for moulding other cap parts 2.

In this way, it is possible to mould simultaneously: cap parts 2 in a set of seats 41b; and hollow parts 1 in the seats 42, associated to which are the seats 41a of the other set and which contain cap parts 2 previously moulded.

The manufacturing process according to the invention basically comprises the steps of :

- providing the mould 40;

- moulding in the seats 41a the cap parts 2 with the harder polymeric material;

- moving (in the case in point, rotating) the part 10 of the mould 40 with respect to the part 11 so as to bring the seats 41a into the proximity of respective seats 42 and connecting the seats 41a, containing cap parts 2 already moulded, to respective seats 42;

- moulding the hollow parts 1 in the seats 42 with the softer material ;

- meanwhile, moulding other cap parts 2 in the seats 41b not associated to the seats 42;

- extracting the inserts 43 from the moulded hollow parts 1, exploiting the elasticity of the material of which the hollow parts 1 are made; and

- extracting the containers 20 from the mould 40.

The containers 20 are then filled through the opening 9; once filled, each container 20 is hermetically sealed by means of welding, for example with a hot blade (or other known technique), of the rim 31.

Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the container and to the manufacturing process described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the annexed claims.

Claims

1. A container (20) made of bi-component plastic material, in particular a single-dose container for cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical preparations, constituted by a monolithic body formed by a hollow part (1) , defining a reservoir (7) for contents, and by a cap part (2) that closes an outlet mouth (8) formed in a first end (21) of the hollow part (1) ; the container being characterized in that the hollow part (1) and the cap part (2) are made of respective chemically compatible polymeric materials so as to adhere intimately to one another, and having different elastic moduli, the cap part (2) being made of a harder material and the hollow part (1) being made of a softer material.

2. The container according to Claim 1, wherein the hollow part (1) and the cap part (2) are made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) having elastic moduli around 100 MPa and around 300 MPa, respectively.

3. The container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 , wherein the first end (21) of the hollow part (1) has a tubular neck (22) and the cap part (2) has a collar (23) , which is fitted around the neck (2) and adheres to said first end (21) by chemical compatibility.

4. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap part (2) has a restricted portion (4) between a root portion (24), which is attached to the first end (21) of the hollow part (1) and has an internal channel (26) communicating with the outlet mouth (8) , and a manoeuvrable closing portion (25) , which closes the channel (26) ; the restricted portion (4) defining an area of facilitated failure for separating the closing portion (25) from the root portion (24) and opening the outlet mouth (8) .

5. The container according to Claim 4, wherein the cap part (2) has a protuberance (3) shaped so as that it can be inserted, after the closing portion (25) and the root portion (24) of the cap part (2) have been separated, into the outlet mouth (8) for closing said outlet mouth (8) .

6. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow part (1) is delimited by a lateral wall

(27) having a face (6) that has a depression or recess (28) defining a finger-resting impression.

7. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow part (1) is delimited by a lateral wall

(27) shaped so as to define within the hollow part (1) an undercut or shoulder (29) facing the first end (21) of the hollow part (1) . 8. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow part (1) has a second end (30) , opposite to the first end (21) , which has an opening (9) that is delimited by a perimetral rim (31) and can be closed by welding, for example by hot blade welding, of the rim (31) after the container (20) has been filled through the opening (9) .

9. A process for manufacturing containers according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:

- providing a mould (40) comprising a first part (10) and a second part (11) , which are movable with respect to one another and are provided with at least one first seat (41) , having a shape corresponding to the cap part (2) and, respectively, at least one second seat (42) , having a shape corresponding to the hollow part (1) and housing a movable insert (43) defining the inside of the hollow part (1) ; - moulding in the first seat (41) the cap part (2) with the harder material ;

- moving the first part (10) of the mould (40) with respect to the second part (11) to bring the first seat (41) into the

5. proximity of the second seat (42) in such a way that the first seat (41), containing the cap part (2), is connected to the second seat (42) ;

- moulding in the second seat (42) the hollow part (1) with the softer material ;

0 - extracting the insert (43) from the hollow part (1) , exploiting the elasticity of the material of which the hollow part (1) is made; and

- extracting the container (20) from the mould (40) . 5 10. The process according to Claim 9, wherein the first part

(10) of the mould (40) , provided with said at least one first seat (41) , is movable, whereas the second part (11) of the mould (40) , provided with said at least one second seat (42) , is fixed.

0

11. The process according to Claim 10, wherein the movable part (10) comprises at least two sets of first seats (41) , spaced apart from one another and for example diametrally opposite to one another, in such a way that, when the first5 seats (41a) of a first set, containing cap parts (2) already moulded, are associated to the second seats (42) , the first seats (41b) of a second set are available for moulding other cap parts (2) .