JP2000502019A - Method and preform for the production of plastic containers - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for producing a filled closed plastic container having an inlet for a fluid medium. This method simplifies the operation of the filling machine by omitting all the processing steps, and the pipe part (5) having a threadless part (8) and a female threaded part (6) can be inserted into a plastic container inlet with a male thread. It is characterized by being attached. The plastic container is filled through the tube (5) and the inlet, and when filling is completed, the threadless portion (8) of the tube (5) is sealed and closed by thermoforming.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION             Method and preform for the production of plastic containers     The present invention relates to a filled and sealed plastic container having an inlet for a flowable substance. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a vessel. The present invention further comprises an external thread and a bottom end of the thread. A preform of thermoplastic material for the production of plastic containers, having a holding frame. You.     For the production of plastic containers, especially bottles, including for molding and filling. Thus, many systems and processes are known. Thus, for example, especially for bottles In molding, a preform of plastic material is used to form the plastic container. There is a step of blow molding to the final shape. Bottles are sterilized and dried before filling. Sealing foil Or the screw cap is also sterilized and placed on a filled, sterile bottle. Often a screw The lid is placed over the filled bottle at the end of the process. Operate based on a known process The filling device is designed to contain two or more sterilizing devices when the filling material is injected into the container under aseptic conditions. Requires a replacement. One sterilizer for the bottle and another sterilizer for the bottle lid. Addition On the other hand, the bottle lid is sometimes composed of a multilayer sealing foil and a screw lid.     The filling operation in which the filling device operates according to a known process is therefore of three different types Purchase and store two or more extra parts-preform, sealing foil and screw cap- There must be. Processing of these three different parts forms a filled and sealed bottle A highly integrated filling machine capable of bringing these three parts together You need a machine.     An object of the present invention is a flowable substance of the type defined in the first part of this specification. Manufacturing process for the production of plastic containers and simple filling machines Plus all steps of the process may be omitted and inventory management may also be easier It is to provide a preform for producing a tic container.     For the process according to the present invention, a screwless part and a female screw part Through a tube portion and an inlet into a plastic container fitted with a tube portion having After filling, the threadless part of the tube part is closed by thermoforming and the filled container is closed. By doing so, its purpose is achieved.     Plastic container fitted with a tube section of the type disclosed in an externally threaded inlet Filling and closing operations are possible up to now, when can be used in the process according to the invention. It can be implemented in a more advantageous manner than was possible. From the container filling stage during the process, Since only movement and handling of the body is required, separate There is no need to move or handle any of the components in that context. Plastic container The pipe section attached to the inlet is transported there. Tube part is plastic At the transportation stage, mounting equipment etc. may obstruct the sealing means since they are fixed to the container. Unnecessarily unnecessary. To explain in more detail, this tube section goes through it and the inlet Opened to fill containers.     The unthreaded part of the pipe section is either closed after molding or the screw cap is removed from the pipe section. The sealing is also very advantageous in that it is molded by heat to form to be influenced. In addition, the thermoforming operation improves the gripping characteristics of the screw cap and makes the bottle easier to open. Ergonomic lid shape that can be achieved. The quotient shown on the lid Unique to the screw cap by thermoforming the mark or brand in a way that is acceptable to consumers With a certain shape. After all, this is, from a consumer perspective, different brand suppliers Can be easily identified.     The tube section with female threads is screwed or sprayed into the inlet of the plastic container. It can be attached or adhered by molding. Note the plastic container, especially for the desired tube section Injection molding at the entrance results in reliable sealing properties without special measures. In the alternative, the tube section is made separately in advance and then preferably added by sterile sealing. Connect to the inlet of the tick container.     Attach a pipe section with a threadless part and a female thread to the male threaded inlet In a further advantageous configuration of the invention for the production of plastic containers, Tube section into the male thread of the blown preform and then remove the blown preform. Inflate to the final shape that makes up the stick container. This embodiment was first described Unlike the embodiment, as described above, the process steps of filling and closing the container are performed therefrom. As a basis, a plastic container with a tube section attached to its inlet in the manner disclosed Is not considered to be present, on the contrary, a feature of the later description here (mounted tube section ) How to make a plastic container, specifically a blown preform known per se Use, disclose. This is the desired plastic material that will eventually form the container It will be understood that it consists of However, unlike the known process, the present invention The pipe section may be screwed in after the pipe section has been pre-manufactured, or Blow molding by injection molding for the first time forming a pipe part around the external thread of the preform Attached to the preform. Thus, according to the invention, the blow-molded preform is Assembled with the tubing section to create a preferably sterile sealed unit and then swell and fill The steps according to the invention, including filling and closing, take place in the manner described above. In the initial test When the tube section is attached to the external thread of the blow molded preform, the blow molded preform expands. It is possible to make the disclosed plastic container (with the tube part attached) Was found. This is especially good for finally sealed plastic containers Resulting manufacturing process.     For example, if you want to fill a plastic container with a sterile filling, for example milk The plastic container manufactured by the process according to the present invention under certain conditions This method does not require a separate sterilization step. Preforming blow molding for expansion stage The form must be heated to a temperature that can be used simultaneously in the sterilization process. In other words, blowing In each case, the preform is considered internally sterile after the expansion phase. The heat is already heated before the production of plastic containers. This sterilization process or If a separate sterilization treatment is applied to the tube section, it is not avoided in known processes There is no need for an additional sterilization step with a separate screw cap or additional sealing foil No. Again, the method according to the invention employs only a single sterilization step.     For example, plastic containers for bottles and other packaging are often manufactured by packaging manufacturers. Supply to the filling company. Using the process according to the invention, the filling company can Only one preform is handled. Save on separate sealing foil and separate screw cap I can do it. It is said that blow molded preforms with mounting tube parts will be supplied as a single unit. In fact, it means that the molding and filling machine in the filling factory can be significantly simplified. Packaging However, only a single sterilization step is required, even if is sterilized. Sealing foil or spatter No separate sterilization is required for the lid. With regard to the machine of the filling company, the filling company A mounting device for the screw cap is no longer required during the process. Large filling machines It will be appreciated that it is simplified.     The plastic container is attached to the blow molded preform and finally filled through it. Thanks to the filled tube section, the surprising advantage is that the filling height of the container also increases, The fact that the tube section is not yet closed indicates that a larger head space volume fills the container. It means that it can be used to do so.     With both of the above-mentioned methods according to the invention, the closure of the bottle is achieved by thermoplastic molding and sealing of the tube section Can be done by In the thermoforming work of the tube part, the screw cap finally completed can be unique It can be implemented to have a unique shape. The good grip of such a screw cap and its The advantages of improved opening have already been mentioned. Unique lid shape and such sealing method It also explained that this makes it very easy to identify various products.     Containers containing thermoformable plastic material are sterilized prior to filling Sometimes is an additional advantage according to the invention. Separate multiple kills for multiple parts No bacterial treatment is required and plastic containers or blow molded preforms are sterilized only once. The pipe section connected to the container is also an integral part of the plastic container Because it is treated as.     According to the present invention, the opening means or the sealing means or the sealing member is preformed by blow molding. It is also advantageous when arranged between the profile and the tube section. The means of opening and breaking is , Because the tube part eventually becomes a kind of screw cap, the same as the conventional sealing member It helps to improve the seal with respect to the inlet of the container connecting the parts. Markedly advantageous In the method, the opening means of the opening and breaking means is to connect the outer end face of the inlet of the connected container to one side and the pipe section The other facing surface is provided between them. In a special embodiment, the tube section is When screwed into the external thread of the inlet of the container, plan to provide a sealing means for opening and breaking In this case, it is possible to refrain from including the sealing member. In this case there are two parts (inlet and A thin sealing means is inserted along the annular gap between said interfaces of the tube section). This is dense The thin and thin structure of the sealing means allows the end user to plast the screw cap made from the tube section. Easy to tear open when turned against the container, open the screw cap and open Includes breaking seal. In addition to the sealing integrity obtained by this sealing means, Even if the structure is thin, the opening and breaking means according to the present invention can be used for bacteria or other obstacles. Additional advantage that pure matter or contamination cannot enter the annular gap between the two parts Bring.     According to the present invention, it is particularly desirable to sterilize plastic containers prior to filling. Hydrogen peroxide can be used for sterilization. From that point of view, the plastic according to the present invention There is an advantage if the container is a plastic bottle. PET bottle manufacturing is generally known Have been. Prior to the filling operation, connect the tube section to it according to the steps of the present invention. I don't expect that though. This is a PET blow molding It can be processed using the process according to the invention, so that many known process steps are used for this purpose. The advantage is that known equipment that has been adopted, guaranteed, tested and tested is available Sir. In addition, in initial tests, plastic containers or PET were passed according to the present invention. It was shown that it can be sterilized with hydrogen oxide.     In addition, thermoformable tubing makes it easier for consumers to open plastic containers. Improve the gripping characteristics of the screw cap that can be made by the process according to the present invention It can be cut ergonomically.     A further advantageous configuration of the invention comprises a thermoplastic and comprises an external thread. A preform having a retaining ring disposed at the bottom end of the screw; The pipe section of the material can be attached to the screw. The tube itself is open and plastic A structure that does not reduce the filling cross-sectional area of the filling port of the stick container can be achieved. Of the type described The pipe section is made separately by injection molding and pressed or similar to the external thread of the inlet Screw-in method, or injection molding the pipe part on the injection port It can be made either by attaching directly.     In that respect, when the sealing member is located between the preform and the pipe section, In an alternative embodiment, a break-open sealing means is located between the preform and the tube section. It is also advantageous when being done. Attach a sealing member or opening and breaking The feature according to Ming is that the known production process, e.g. Providing a preform that can be produced; Known production techniques apply to the preform itself It can be applied to the minute itself. According to the invention, the blow-molded preform and the tube section are mounted. It is preferable that they are connected to each other by using a mounting device. At this time, Process (following process steps) and ultimately after performing the disclosed process steps A work piece is obtained which produces a screw cap which can be opened and closed many times.     When handling blow molded preforms, make the plastic container The stretch blow molding process known per se can be used for shaping. When working with preforms , Then inflate it with the attached tube section. This is a plastic container Is completed just after filling. Sterilized by the temperature of the stretch blow molding process Sometimes, no extra sterilization is required. But we are not dealing with preforms For the first time after the stretch blow molding process and molding work, In some situations, when filling and sealing by thermoforming are performed, the container may It is desirable to be able to sterilize in the beginning.     The process according to the invention allows the creation of a simple form-fill system. Fewer steps Only the floor is a simple means of need and therefore has only a few functions and few structural units There is a need for a system that does this. Particularly with respect to known functions and devices, the present invention When using the following process, supply, transportation, sterilization, positioning and sealing of sealing foil Is omitted. Supply of screw caps provided in the case of conventional molding and filling systems as well, All functions and parts of the equipment provided for transport, positioning and mounting Be omitted. Fillers no longer need to stock sealing foil or screw caps. Container At least two types of differences that must be mounted together to form a container and complete Instead of including individual parts, the process according to the present invention is a single-part process. Includes only handling.     Thanks to the omission of the conventional sealing foil, the process according to the present invention is adopted and the whole is recycled. Advantageously molds, fills and seals plastic containers made from plastic-capable materials It is possible. Removal of sealing foil separates materials to make recyclable containers Is particularly advantageous in the sense that is no longer performed.     Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention are described in the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Will be apparent from the description below. In the drawing,     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a blow molded preform closed with a round bottom (hemispherical shape).     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a tube portion.     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a blow molded preform to which a pipe portion is attached.     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a round broken line IV in FIG.     FIG. 5 shows a plastic container in the form of a blow molded bottle fitted with a tube section.     FIG. 6 shows the sterilization of the plastic container of FIG.     FIG. 7 shows the filling of the plastic container of FIG.     FIG. 8 schematically shows a compression molding tool for closing a pipe part.     FIG. 9 shows a closed screw cap after the sealing step after the tool removal of the tube section during the process. In the form of     FIG. 10 shows a closed plastic container with a screw cap compared to FIG. FIG. 3B is a view showing a state rotated by 90 degrees around a vertical axis.     FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but further enlarged by adding an opening breaking seal. .     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, except that a sealing ring is inserted in place of the opening and breaking sealing means. It is.     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a tube portion similar to FIG. 2, but is another embodiment.     FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a round solid line XIV in FIG.     The blow molded preform, generally designated by the numeral 1 in FIG. 1, is of an expanded configuration, The lower part has a substantially hemispherical bottom 2 and the head has a male screw 3 and a male on the preform. A retaining ring 4 is provided at the bottom end of the preform of the screw 3. this The preform is made of PET.     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a tube portion generally indicated by reference numeral 5, It has a part 6 with a wedge 7 and a head 8 without screws. The pipe section 5 It is open and its internal thread 7 engages with the external thread of the blow-molded preform 1 .     It is possible to screw the tube section 5 onto the external thread 3 of the blow molding 1 to obtain FIG. You. The blow molding 1 is screwed into or pressed onto the tube section 5 (and essentially Injection molding) and the pipe part attached to it. 5 are connected so as to obtain an integrated product. Purpose and killing of hermetic integrity In order to improve the germs, the position of the tip of the arrow in FIG. It is desirable to provide a special means between the annular shoulder 10 and the annular shoulder 10.     To that end, FIG. 11 shows an embodiment similar to FIG. Although only a part is shown, the longitudinal center line 12 of the blow molding preform 1 is screwed in FIG. In this state, it corresponds to the longitudinal center line 12 of the tube portion. Opening destruction sealing means 13 is blow molding Between the annular surface 9 of the preform 1 and the annular shoulder 10 of the tube part, is there. This connects the two parts, more precisely the blow-molded preform 1 and the tube section 5. Includes an annular, thin, narrow additional sealing seam 13. At the same time this sealing seam 13 is easy The arrangement shown between surfaces 9 and 10 in FIG. 13 is also shown.     In another embodiment shown in FIG. 12, an annular sealing member 14, e.g. Lying between face 10     (Can have the properties and features shown in FIGS. 4, 11 or 4 and 12) FIG. The blow molded preform fixedly connected to the tube section 5 as shown in FIG. Subject to blow molding in the shape of the container. This is carried out with the tube section 5 fixed to it Is done. FIG. 5 shows the results.     Molded by the extension blow molding process and now identified (after the blow molding process) with reference numeral 14 The container to be sterilized in the next process step is sterilized using the tube section 5 attached to it. You. FIG. 6 shows that hydrogen peroxide is added through sterile tube 15 as indicated by arrows 16 and 17 in the figure. The steps including being blown into the tick container 14 and guided to the inner wall are schematically shown.     In the next stage of the process, the sterilization container 14 is filled through the tube section 5. Figure 7 shows the filling tube The filling operation using 18 and the filling substance 19 just entered from there, with the filling already in the container Flowable or liquid material 19 is shown.     FIG. 8 shows a state immediately before the thermoforming operation of the compression cutting tools 20 and 20 ′ and before the pipe section 5 is cut. Shown diagrammatically (without filling contents).     The two tool parts 20, 20 'are joined together as shown by arrows 20, 21' When the unthreaded tubular part 8 of 5 is pressed, it now creates a screw cap indicated by reference numeral 22. Above the inlet of the container 14, as indicated by reference numeral 23, for its closure in a tube. A formed lateral sealing seam 24 is provided. The container of FIG. 9 is centered vertically 12 (not shown). Turning it around 90 degrees, it becomes the container 14 shown in FIG. There is a sealing seam 24 extending laterally parallel to the lid 22.     Thermoplastic material having an external thread 3 and a retaining ring 4 arranged at the bottom end of the screw 3 Preform 1 is used in the manufacture of plastic containers 14 and is in the form of an intermediate product Orientation, representing commercial material. This preform 1 was described at the beginning of this specification. As mentioned, a plus with an inlet 23 in a filled and closed state for flowable substances Serves in a particularly suitable manner to realize this process for the manufacture of tick containers 14     13 and 14 show another embodiment of the tube section 5. Has screw 7 for the purpose of aseptic sealing The part 6 or the shoulder 10 is provided with a sealing rim 25. Preform when not filled Or adjacent to reinforced shoulders 26 on its radial outside to better dissipate the forces applied to the pack I do.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, L U, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF) , CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (KE, LS, MW, SD, S Z, UG), AM, AT, AU, BB, BG, BR, B Y, CA, CH, CN, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES , FI, GB, GE, HU, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LK, LR, LT, LU, LV, M D, MG, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT , RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, TJ, TM, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN

Claims (1)

[Claims]     1. Pipe part (5) with unthreaded part (8) and part (6) with internal thread (7) and injection A plastic container (14) having a mouth (23) and an inlet (23) having a male thread (3) is attached. Tube section filled through tube section (5) and filled container (14) closed by thermoforming Note for a flowable substance characterized by being closed by a threadless part (8) of the minute (5) Manufacturing process of filled closed plastic container (14) with inlet (23).     2. A tube section (5) having an unthreaded section (8) and a section (6) with a female thread (7) is male. For the manufacture of a plastic container (14) attached to an inlet (23) with Insert the pipe section (5) with the screw (7) onto the external thread (3) of the blow-molded preform (1). The blow-molding preform (1) is expanded to the final shape of the plastic container (14). 2. The process according to claim 1, wherein:     3. The container (14) containing the thermoformable plastic material is sterilized before the filling operation. The process according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein     4. The opening breaking seal means (13) or the sealing member (14) is 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tube is arranged between the tube and the tube. Step described in 1.     5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein hydrogen peroxide is used for sterilization. The process according to any of the above.     6. 2. The plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the plastic container is a PET bottle. 6. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 5.     7. A contractor, characterized in that the thermoformable tube section (5) is ergonomically shaped. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 6.     8. Male thread (3) characterized in that thermoforming is performed on a tube part (5) of thermoformable material And a retaining ring (4) arranged at the bottom end of the male screw (3), and a plastic container (14). Preforms of thermoplastic materials for manufacturing.     9. The sealing member (14) is located between the preform (1) and the pipe section (6) The preform according to claim 8, characterized in that:     Ten. An opening breaking seal (13) is arranged between the preform (1) and the pipe section (5). The preform according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: