Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Patent
1998-01-29
1999-08-24
Sells, James
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
156201, 156203, 156465, 156466, B29C 5308
Patent
active
059420715
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacture of flexible tube containers, in particular plastics tube containers, and especially plastics tube containers of the type used for dispensing flowable materials such as, for example, toothpaste, cosmetic creams or edible pastes.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
A typical plastics paste tube container is made by shaping a flat plastics strip so that the longitudinal edges of the strip are brought into contact and welded together as the strip is advanced. The tube formed in this manner is typically substantially round or oval in cross-section, with one end being subsequently closed by a cap with a nozzle therein, and the other end being formed into a "fish tail" sealed end.
Such tubes are generally marketed in cartons for protection, ease of storage in boxes and for convenient display on shelves.
More recently there has been a development as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,689 to produce tube containers of square cross-section in order to avoid the need for an external carton. Square cross-section tube containers may be made by blow moulding techniques as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,689 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,577. Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,965 discloses a method of manufacturing tubes of square cross-section by a folding operation or by direct extrusion of square section tubular material.
Also dual chamber dispensing containers have been developed for the separate storage of components which interact when allowed to combine, the two components being combined on discharge from the container. Examples of such containers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,056, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,203, U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,180 and WO 94/19251.
Dual chamber flexible dispensing containers may comprise two independent tubular containers held in side-by-side relationship as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,180, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,203 and WO 94/19251. In order to assemble the tubular containers side-by-side, the upper ends of the two containers formed into a D-shaped cross-section are provided with a D-shaped fitting, sometimes known as a shoulder, allowing the two containers to be held side-by-side and form a circular configuration which may be held together within a cylindrical cap. The prior art tubular containers shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,203 and WO 94/19251 are generally made from tube of circular cross-section and are each deformed at one end to take up the D-shaped configuration whilst the remainder of the tubular compartment is substantially circular. After filling and formation of the `fish tail` sealed ends there is typically a graduation in the shape of the tubular container from the D-shaped cross-section end through an oval cross-section to the substantially flat tail end format.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of manufacture of square and `D` shaped flexible containers which is easily adaptable to existing manufacturing techniques in which tube containers can be formed from flat plastics strip or web.
According to the invention there is provided a method of manufacture of a shaped flexible tubular container in which a flexible plastics tube of substantially round cross-section has at least one longitudinally extending crease formed in the wall of the tube by means acting on the external surface so the tube.
Preferably at least one crease is formed by passing the tube through a pair of rollers.
Alternatively the tube may be passed through a shaped die having acute angles therein and creases are formed as the tube deforms on passing through the die. In yet another method, the tube may have creases formed in its wall as it passes over a mandrel by compressing portions of the tube against a non-circular portion of the mandrel.
Such methods are suitable for making D-shaped cross-section tubes of substantially constant cross-section with a pair of longitudinally extending creases having a flat planar portion formed therebetween on one side of the tube.
Such a method is particularly su
REFERENCES:
patent: 3260410 (1966-07-01), Brandt et al.
patent: 3504067 (1970-03-01), Trecek
patent: 3946905 (1976-03-01), Cogliano
patent: 5318203 (1994-06-01), Iaia et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 009, No. 158 (M-393), Jul. 3, 1985 & JP,A,50 031943 (Daiwa Shoji:KK), Feb. 18, 1985.
Courtaulds Packaging Limited
Sells James
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