WO2012085375A1

WO2012085375A1 - Multi-walled flask having a lightweight structure, and method for creating said flask

Info

Publication number: WO2012085375A1
Application number: PCT/FR2011/052758
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gwénaël DOULIN; Pascal Hennemann
Original assignee: Promens Sa
Priority date: 2010-12-22
Filing date: 2011-11-25
Publication date: 2012-06-28
Also published as: FR2969585A1; DE112011103866T5; GB2504836A; GB201310498D0; DE112011103866B4; FR2969585B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a bag flask (1, 1A) comprising a relatively rigid outer structure (2, 2A) forming a housing and consisting of a side wall (4, 4A), a base (5, 5A), and a neck (6, 6A). Said housing is tightly combined with a flexible inner bag that is adhered to the inner surface of the side wall thereof so as to serve as liner therefor. Said bag is to be subsequently peeled off is to receive a material to be dispensed via a dispensing member (not shown), characterized in that at least part of the side wall of the housing (2, 2A) comprises at least one recess forming a window (7, 7A) and passing through the wall, said recess being provided on one of the generatrices of said wall so as to form a reinforcement around the flexible bag (3, 3A), the total surface area of the recess being such that the weight of the housing is reduced without compromising the mechanical strength thereof.

Description

MULTIPARTICAL BOTTLE WITH STRUCTURE ALLOY

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a bottle of the type comprising a relatively rigid outer structure, forming a housing, consisting of a side wall, a bottom and a neck, which housing is intimately associated with a flexible inner pocket contiguous to the inner surface of its side wall, to double it, and intended to be subsequently delaminated and to receive a product to be dispensed, via a dispensing member.

This type of bottle, widely used in the pharmaceutical or cosmetics industry, is intended to contain liquid or pasty products. However, these flasks have the disadvantage of requiring the implementation of a large amount of plastic material, especially at the outer box. This generates a significant greenhouse gas emission over its entire life cycle.

According to the Kyoto Protocol directives, states are required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In this perspective, it has already been proposed to reduce the thickness of the walls of the rigid case of the bottle, but the technological limits are reached for the cosmetics market or pharmacy. It has also been proposed to delete purely and simply said rigid case while retaining only one pocket, but this one being necessarily flexible, it does not offer the qualities of mechanical strength, especially during use.

Depending on the type of vial concerned by the invention, the casing and the flexible bag are obtained by coextrusion blowing during a single operation.

According to the main object of the invention, it is sought to reduce the amount of plastic used in the embodiment of the housing. But a difficulty to overcome comes from the contiguous presence of the pocket behind the wall of the case, while the guiding idea is to reduce the structure by practicing in this one important material removal, by the realization recesses constituting windows in the box.

US 5,447,678, US 5,567,377,

US 5,407,629 and EP 0 893 356 teach to pierce the wall of a case of a bottle of this type, by one or more holes of relatively small dimensions, whose role is to obtain a return air. But the recesses to be made according to the invention have a completely different dimension and therefore do not allow drilling, because of the presence of the flexible bag that must not be reached. The present invention overcomes all of these disadvantages and concerns for this purpose a bottle of the type comprising a relatively rigid outer structure, forming a housing, consisting of a side wall, a bottom and a neck, which housing is intimately associated with a flexible inner pouch contiguous to the inner surface of its side wall, for doubling it, and intended to be subsequently delaminated and to receive a product to be dispensed, via a dispensing member (not shown), characterized in that at least a portion of the side wall of the housing comprises at least one recess constituting a window through the wall, made on one of its generatrices, to form a frame around the flexible bag, the total surface of the recess being such to lighten the weight of the case, without compromising its mechanical strength.

The advantages according to the invention are multiple. The tests have shown that it is possible to achieve a reduction in weight of up to 40% and allow the recycling of material falls from the cuts made on the housing, to obtain the recessed areas. This results in a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The invention also relates to the features which will become apparent in the course of the description which follows, and which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible technical combinations. This description given by way of non-limiting example, will better understand how the invention can be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a front view of a bottle with a rigid casing, lightened according to the embodiment method of the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a view from above of the bottle according to FIG.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the bottle according to Figure 1, after rotation of 90 ° about its axis.

FIG. 4 represents a front view of a bottle with a rigid casing, lightened according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 represents a view from above of the bottle according to FIG. 4.

Figure 6 shows a side view of the bottle according to Figure 4, after rotation of 90 ° about its axis.

FIG. 7 represents a perspective view of the bottle according to FIGS. 4 to 6.

The bottle generally designated in the figures may be of the "airless" type. It comprises a relatively rigid outer structure 2.2A, forming a housing, consisting of a side wall 4,4A, a bottom 5,5A and a neck 6,6A, which housing is intimately associated with a flexible internal pocket contiguous to the inner surface of its side wall, to double it, and intended to be subsequently delaminated and to receive a product to be dispensed, via a dispensing member (not shown). The dispenser member may also be:

atmospheric pump type with air intake to replace the dose taken,

"Airless" pump type without air intake,

type of distribution cap with closure.

According to the essential characteristic of the invention, at least a portion of the lateral wall of the housing 2,2A comprises at least one recess constituting a window 7,7A through the wall, made on one of its generators, to form a frame around the flexible pouch 3,3A, the total surface of the recess being such as to lighten the weight of the housing, without compromising its mechanical strength. In general, as shown in the figures as a whole, the frame constituting the rigid case 2,2A of the bottle 1.1A comprises a plurality of recesses 7.7A, constituting as many windows, size and shape different or identical, alternating with solid areas 8,8A, symmetrically or not, to obtain a rigid mesh, ensuring the minimum mechanical properties of said vial 1.1A.

According to an alternative embodiment not shown, rigid housing 2 comprises at least two zones full 8, opposite, delimiting two complementary recesses 7.

According to the concrete example of embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the rigid housing 2 comprises four solid zones 8, opposed in pairs, defining four complementary recesses 7. The recesses 7 are here in the form of an ellipse. The bottle 1A shown in Figures 4 to 7 differs essentially from the previous one according to Figures 1 to 3 in that the recesses 7A, although elliptical also, are in number, size and different arrangement.

The invention also relates to the method for producing a vial 1 or 1A which has just been described, the recesses 7, 7A constituting the windows are obtained according to the following phases:

simultaneous production by coextrusion blow-molding, of a solid-structure rigid case 2,2A, without recesses 7,7A, and its associated flexible pouch 3,3A,

delamination of the flexible pouch 3,3A with respect to the reinforcement constituting the rigid case 2,2A, cutting of the recesses 7,7A,

repositioning the flexible bag 3,3A against the inner walls of the frame constituting the rigid housing 2,2A.

This last operation can be carried out by pressurizing the air pocket 3,3A. The aforementioned detachment operation of the flexible pouch 3,3A with respect to the solid structure rigid case 2,2A is effected by a pressure difference between the flexible pouch 3,3A and said case 2,2A, before cutting out the recesses. 7,7A.

In another way, the delamination operation of the flexible pouch 3,3A with respect to the solid structure rigid case 2,2A is effected by vibrating said case 2,2A, under an ultrasonic frequency, before cutting out recesses 7.7A.

Or again the delamination of the flexible pouch 3,3A with respect to the rigid case 2,2A is obtained by a mechanical action on said case 2,2A, before cutting the recesses 7,7A.

Regarding the cutting of the recesses 7.7A in the wall 4,4A, it can be done by vibration. In this case, a sonotrode forming a mask, delimiting the outline of the blank, is applied to the case 2.2A. The frequency of the vibrations can be in the field of the ultrasound.

The advantage of an ultrasonic cutting is that the heat created by the vibrations on a rigid part allows the cutting of the case 2,2A, without reaching the pocket 3,3A which is flexible and interacts little with the ultrasonic waves . But the cutting of the recesses 7.7A can also be performed by laser radiation.

The tests have shown that good results were obtained when the surface of the recesses 7.7A represents at least 18% of the total surface of the frame constituting the rigid case 2A, uncut.

Claims

1. Bottle (1,1A) of the type comprising a relatively rigid outer structure (2,2A) forming a housing, consisting of a side wall (4,4A), a bottom (5,5A) and a neck (6,6A). ), which housing is intimately associated with a flexible inner pouch contiguous to the inner surface of its side wall, to double it, and intended to be subsequently delaminated and to receive a product to be dispensed, via a dispensing member (not shown), characterized in that at least a portion of the side wall of the housing (2,2A) comprises at least one recess constituting a window (7,7A) through the wall, made on one of its generators, for constitute an armature around the flexible pouch (3.3A), the total surface of the recess being such as to lighten the weight of the casing, without compromising its mechanical strength.

2. Bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame constituting the rigid housing (2,2A) of the bottle (1,1A) comprises a plurality of recesses (7,7A), constituting as many windows, size and of different or identical shape, alternating with solid zones (8,8A), symmetrically or otherwise, to obtain a rigid mesh, ensuring the minimum mechanical properties of said bottle (1,1A).

3. Bottle according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the rigid housing (2) comprises at least two solid zones (8), opposite, delimiting two complementary recesses (7).

4. Bottle according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the rigid housing (2) comprises four solid areas (8), opposite two by two, defining four complementary recesses (7).

5. Process for the production of a bottle (1,1A) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the recesses constituting the windows (7,7A) are obtained according to the following phases:

simultaneous production by coextrusion blowing, of a solid structure 2.2A rigid case and its associated flexible pouch 3,3A,

delamination of the flexible pouch (3,3A) with respect to the frame constituting the rigid case (2,2A), - cutting of the recesses (7,7A),

repositioning the flexible bag (3,3A) against the inner wall of the frame constituting the rigid housing (2,2A).

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the delamination operation of the flexible pouch (3,3A) relative to the solid structure rigid case (2,2A) is effected by a pressure difference between the pocket flexible (3,3A) and said housing (2,2A), before cutting recesses (7,7A).

7. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the delamination operation of the flexible bag (3,3A) relative to the solid structure rigid case (2,2A) is effected by vibrating said housing (2 , 2A), under an ultrasonic frequency, before cutting the recesses (7, 7A).

8. The method of claim 5, characterized in that the delamination of the flexible bag (3,3A) relative to the rigid housing (2,2A) is obtained by a mechanical action on said housing (2,2A), before cutting recesses (7.7A).

9. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the recess cutout (7.7A) is performed by ultrasound.

10. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the cutting of the recesses is carried out by laser radiation.

11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the surface of the recesses (7,7A) represents at least 18% of the total surface of the frame constituting the rigid housing (2,2A), not cut.