Package making – Methods – Filling preformed receptacle and closing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-01-23
Johnson, Linda (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Filling preformed receptacle and closing
C053S478000, C053S486000, C493S108000, C493S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176069
ABSTRACT:
This application claims Paris Convention priority of German Utility Model application number 297 12 611.3 filed Jul. 17, 1997 the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a method for the production of a container having a casing constituting the container body made from composite carton whose inner side is covered by a barrier layer and a plastic layer deposited thereon, in which one end of the casing is rolled-over in an outward direction to form a curled edge and a membrane is subsequently sealed to the upper crown of the curled edge. A bottom is attached at its opposite end after the container is filled.
Composite carton containers of the above mentioned kind are often used for the packaging of pourable, in particular powder-like or granular materials or also for fluid products having a viscous or pasty consistency. In order to protect the quality of the fill product the composite carton container must be sealed, wherein, in dependence on the fill product, liquid tight or even gas-tight sealing is required. The casings are generally produced through winding of an endless length of material or from a material blank cut to the appropriate length for the casing. In the former case, the casing is cut to the desired size from the produced wound tube by means of a cutting process. Sealing of the casing is guaranteed by a barrier layer e. g. a metal, in particular, an aluminum foil layer, laminated onto the normally multi-layered base of recycling carton material and then covered by a thin plastic layer. Overlapping edges of the length of material or of the material blank are sealed along the winding seam.
The casing is rolled over in an outward direction at the end subsequently forming the removal opening to form a curled edge for maintaining the open cut edge of the casing and for protecting it against the entrance of liquids as well as to facilitate sealing of a membrane onto the outer plastic coating of the curled edge, the sealing membrane having a corresponding plastic coating on its inside. In this manner, a gas and liquid tight first-opening seal is also fashioned in the region of the removal opening. However, in practice, leaks often occur near the sealed membrane, whereas the bottom, which is introduced onto the opposite end subsequent to filling, is easily rendered leak proof.
With sheet metal containers having fundamentally similar construction (EP 0806 370), the sheet metal blank is dipped into liquid plastic after rolling the curled edge. This plastic then hardens to an enlargement on the curled edge having a thickness which is difficult to control. The membrane is sealed onto this relatively thick plastic layer. This procedure requires a separate dipping step which is an additional production step and is also time consuming, since one must wait until the plastic layer has polymerized. When the sealing membrane is removed, residual plastic irregularities remain on the edge and loosened plastic particles can fall into the filled product which is not tolerable for food products.
With composite carton containers, the unexpected leakage in the vicinity of the sealed membrane is probably due to the fact that, when rolling over the curled edge in an outward direction, the plastic laminate is thinned or even torn due to material stretching. Cracks in the barrier layer can also occur.
It is therefore the underlying purpose of the invention to further improve the above mentioned method for the production of composite carton container in such a manner that the gas and liquid sealing in the vicinity of the sealed membrane is as good as the sealing over the entire remaining regions of the casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This purpose is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the casing, at one of its ends, is tapered conically in an inward direction along a length which is larger then the circumference of the curled edge in such a manner that the outer diameter in the vicinity of the tapered-in end edge is smaller by approximately twice the diameter of the curled edge than the outer diameter of the casing and, subsequently, the end is rolled over in an outward direction into a curled edge onto which the membrane is sealed.
The conical tapering of the casing in the vicinity of its one end forming the removal opening in the final state causes a reduction in diameter so that the composite container material, including the inside laminate comprising the barrier layer and the plastic coating, has a compressed girth. Tiny folds are evenly distributed about the girth. When the compressed end is subsequently rolled over in the outward direction to generate the curled edge, the material can be pulled out of the folds so that, in particular, a tearing of the metal foil or of the plastic laminate in the vicinity of the edge and in particular in proximity to the removal opening is effectively avoided. A closed plastic laminate remains near the upper crown of the curled edge which allows the sealing membrane to be reliably sealed in its edge region onto the curled edge to effect a closed sealing seam around the entire periphery. Faulty locations in the sealing seam do not occur and undesirable clumps of plastic are not present. The composite carton container produced in this manner is also gas and liquid tight in the region of the sealing membrane.
In a preferred embodiment, the casing is tapered inwardly along a length corresponding to approximately twice the circumference of the curled edge.
This measure solves the purpose in accordance with the invention in a particularly advantageous fashion. Furthermore, the tapering of the inlet on the casing end can be chosen in such a fashion that the curled edge is approximately aligned with the outer contour of the casing and does not protrude beyond same. This is advantageous for transport and storage of casings sealed with the sealing membrane. In addition, the conical taper is relatively steep so that the gathered-in edge of the casing does not hinder pouring of the fill product when the container is emptied.
A composite carton container produced by the method in accordance with the invention has the distinguishing characteristic that the casing at the curled edge has an outer diameter which approximately corresponds to the outer diameter of the casing in the non-shaped region, so that no regions are present which project beyond the casing, which could hinder the transport and handling of casings not yet equipped with the bottom during production or filling. The containers can roll in a linear direction in close proximity to each other both in the peripheral as well as in the axial direction without mutual hindrance.
As is per se known in the art, a slip lid serves for reclosure after the sealing membrane has been torn open having a ring shaped bead at the inner side of its edge engaging the curled edge which snaps beneath the curled edge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2248534 (1941-07-01), Meyer-Jagenberg
patent: 5827161 (1998-10-01), Petit
patent: 1 004 344 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 0 753 398 (1997-01-01), None
Johnson Linda
Vincent Paul
Weidenhammer Packungen KG GmbH & Co.
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