Abstract
A container, in particular in ampoule form, and consisting entirely or predominantly of plastic materials, having a container body (10) for receiving a filling product (12), which can be removed via a releasable container opening (22) after a closure part (18) has been removed, which is detachably connected to the neck part (14) of the container body (10) along a separation line (20) in an unopened position, is characterized in that, in the unopened position, a conically extending wall (36) on the neck part (14) on the container body (10) and a conically (38) or cylindrically extending wall (38a) on the closure part (18) adjoin the separation line (20), and that these walls (36, 38, 38a) delimit at least part of an annular space (40, 40a), one end of which opens out into the environment and the other end of which opens out into the separation line (20).
Claims
1. A container, in particular in ampoule form, and consisting entirely or predominantly of one or more plastic materials, having a container body (10) for receiving a filling product (12), which can be removed via a releasable container opening (22) after a closure part (18) has been removed, which is detachably connected to the neck part (14) of the container body (10) along a separation line (20) in an unopened position, characterized in that, in the unopened position, a conically extending wall (36) on the neck part (14) on the container body (10) and a conically (38) or cylindrically extending wall (38a) on the closure part (18) adjoin the separation line (20), and that these walls (36, 38, 38a) delimit at least a part of an annular space (40, 40a), one end of which opens out into the environment and the other end of which opens out into the separation line (20).
2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the conical wall (36) on the neck part (14) and the wall (38) on the closure part (18) are formed in the manner of truncated cones (42, 44) and, placed inside each other, delimit the annular space (40).
3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the annular space (40, 40a) is oriented toward the container body (10) or toward the closure part (18).
4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least between one fictitious extension of the walls (36, 38, 38a) of the annular space (40, 40a) and the longitudinal axis (32) an angle (α) is formed, which is 25°-60°, preferably 30°-50°, particularly preferably 40°-50°.
5. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container body (10) has a neck part (14) which encompasses the releasable container opening (22) and which together with the closure part (18) forms the separation line (20).
6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the separation line (20) is formed from a weakened wall subarea between the neck part (14) and the closure part (18), and in that the closure part (18) can be removed from the neck part (14) along the separation line (20) by means of a handle (46).
7. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the plane M, in which the container opening (22) is located, projects in the direction of the closure part (18) with respect to the separation plane (T), in which the separation line (20) is located.
8. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the released rim (24) of the neck part (14) is bent inwards in the open position.
9. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists at least in part of an amorphous polyolefin, preferably a cycloolefin polymer and/or a cycloolefin copolymer having a glass transition temperature of less than 150° C., preferably of less than 110° C., and/or blends thereof.
10. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that it is conceived as a drinking ampoule, preferably for containing a tonic, and in that the plastic for its production contains an aromatic polyester, preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or particularly preferably polyethylene furanoate (PEF).
11. A device for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two head molds (49) movable towards each other are provided, which create the annular space (40, 40a) and whose mold parts (50) are forcibly demolded from the annular space (40, 40a) for the purpose of releasing the container from the mold.
12. A method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container body (10) is formed by means of negative pressure without an actual blow molding process.
Description
[0029] Below the invention is explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the Figures. In the figures, in general view and not to scale,
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a container according to the invention;
[0031] FIGS. 2a, 3 show, compared to FIG. 1, an enlarged view of an upper container section before and after separation of a closure part;
[0032] FIG. 2b shows, compared to FIGS. 1 and 2a, a modified exemplary embodiment before a closure part is severed;
[0033] FIGS. 4 and 5 show, compared to FIGS. 1 to 3, a modified exemplary embodiment concerning an upper container section with and without a closure part, respectively; and
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a part of a molding device for producing a head part of a container according to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0035] The container according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 is formed in particular in the form of a filled, hermetically sealed ampoule, which is formed in one piece before it is opened. The container shown has a hollow container or receiving body 10 for receiving a medium to be dispensed or a filling 12 (not shown in greater detail), amongst others in the form of liquids, suspensions, gels for medical purposes, cosmetic purposes or as a dietary supplement/tonic. The contents of the ampoule can be applied in particular orally or to the skin. Also, the contents of the container or ampoule may be a drug or medical device for inhalation therapy of the respiratory tract, particularly asthma or COPD. Furthermore, the contents of the ampoule may be used for ophthalmological purposes.
[0036] The ampoule-shaped container has the hollow-cylindrical container body 10 for receiving the respective filling product 12, wherein said container body 10, seen upwards in the viewing direction of FIG. 1, merges into a cylindrical neck part 14 adjoined by a closure part 18 forming a head part 16, wherein said closure part 18 is detachably connected to the neck part 14 via a circumferential separation line 20 used as a predetermined breaking point and thus to the container body 10 in the area of a container opening 22 (FIG. 3) that can be released. At the separation line 20, the container has a reduced wall thickness. The separation line 20 is formed such that the closure part 18 can be twisted off the neck part 14 in the manner of a handle in the form of a twist-off closure and thus from the container body 10 to release the container opening 22 (FIG. 3) for a withdrawal process from the container interior in this way.
[0037] The head section 16 of the closure part 18 has a hollow chamber 26, which is connected to the interior of the container body 10 in a media- or fluid-conveying manner. Seen in the viewing direction of FIG. 1, two flag-like projections 28 of the flat closure part 18 protrude edge-sided downward beyond the neck part 14 and in that way protect the separation line 20. In other respects, the closure part 18 encompasses the hollow chamber 26, which is bowl-shaped and has, at its upper free end face, a substantially planar end wall 30, which is formed circular-shaped and is arranged to extend transverse to the longitudinal axis 32 of the container.
[0038] The container shown in FIG. 1 can be produced using a standard blow molding, filling and sealing process (BFS process), which has also become known to experts as the trademark Bottelpack®. The container or ampoule has a volume of less than 50 ml, preferably less than 30 ml, particularly preferably less than 20 ml. In the embodiment shown, the ampoule is formed to be not resealable after its opening and is otherwise conceived as an one-piece container prior to the removal of the closure part 18. The wall 34 of the container can be formed having a single layer, but also having multiple layers, in particular having two layers.
[0039] Suitable materials for producing the container are the polyolefins commonly used for the BFS process, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE; for instance, Purell 3020 D by the company LyondellBasell), higher-density polyethylene (HOPE, for instance, Purell PE GF 4760 by the company LyondellBasell), and polypropylene (PP, for instance, Purell RP 270G by the company LyondellBasell).
[0040] However, amorphous polymers, in particular aromatic polyesters such as PEN (polyethylene naphthylate), PBT (polybutene terephthalate), preferably PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or its copolyesters such as PETG, particularly preferably PEF (poly(ethylene 2,5-furanedicarboxylate)) and PEF-copolymers plus blends containing PEF, are used particularly advantageously for the container according to the invention.
[0041] Amorphous polyolefins, in particular cycloolefin-containing polymers such as for instance cycloolefin polymers COP (Zeonex by the company Zeon, Japan) or cycloolefin copolymers COC (Topas by the company Topas, Frankfurt) and their blends with other polyolefins, in particular LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene), can be used in the same way.
[0042] It is only based on the use of the shape of the ampoule according to the invention that products can be made from the aforementioned amorphous polymers, wherein said products the user can open effortlessly and without creating sharp edges. Compared to ampoules of the state of the art, the container solution according to the invention significantly reduces the average opening torque, which will be explained in more detail below.
[0043] It has also proved to be advantageous to manufacture the ampoule from a material containing a cycloolefin polymer and/or a cycloolefin copolymer having a glass transition temperature of less than 150° C., preferably less than 100° C., and/or blends thereof.
[0044] In particular, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 2a, in the unopened position of the container, two conically extending walls 36, 38 adjoin the separation line 20, wherein the wall 36 extends from the neck part 14 and the wall 38 extends from the closure part 18. Starting from the separation line 20, these delimit an annular space 40, one free end of which opens out into the environment. The said outlet into the environment is optionally interrupted on two opposite sides by the two extending protrusions 28 of the closure part 18. The conical walls 36 and 38 of the neck part 14 and of the closure part 18, respectively, each have the shape of closed annular bodies and, in particular, in the manner of truncated cones 42 and 44, respectively, which, placed inside each other, delimit the annular space 40, which tapers in the direction of the separation line 20 in the manner of a half-arch. Thus, the conical wall 36 forms the one annular truncated cone 42 and the conical wall 38 forms the other annular truncated cone 44, which is placed inside the outer truncated cone 42, as shown in the drawing, until it reaches the separation line 20.
[0045] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a, the tapered annular space 40 can be oriented toward the container body 10 or, as shown in FIG. 4, toward the closure part 18. In particular, the mentioned figures show that in fictious dislocation of the walls 36 and 38, respectively, these with the longitudinal axis 32 of the container form an angle of α and β, respectively. The angles α and β can differ from each other, in FIG. 2 the angle is a approx. 50° and the angle β is 40°. Depending on the design of the solution, the undercut angles α and β formed in this way can have values between 25° and 60°, preferably between 30° and 50°, and particularly preferably between 40° and 50°, as shown for the exemplary embodiments. The undercut in the form of the annular space 40 does not have to completely encompass the separation line 20; it is sufficient if the separation line 20 is partially enclosed by the annular space 40. If the cap-like closure part 18 is separated from the neck part 14 along the separation line 20 by means of a handle 46, the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 results in an opened container according to the embodiment according to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows that the neck part 14, while forming a frontal outlet plane M along the uncovered container opening 22, projects opening 22 in the direction of the now separated closure part 18 and that the separation line 20, which is released in the open position, runs in a separation plane T, which is set back in the direction of the container body 10 relative to the outlet plane M. Both the outlet plane M and the separating plane T are fictitious planes as they appear when extending through the released container opening 22 and along the annular separation line 20, respectively.
[0046] As also further illustrated in FIG. 3, the released rim in the form of the plastic wall part 24 is bent inwards in the open position of the container and delimits the free container opening cross-section in the region of the projecting bulge. Regardless of what the breaking point at the released rim of the wall section 24 looks like, a smooth abutment rim 48 is formed along the outlet plane M in any case, ensuring that an application can be performed without any risk of injury.
[0047] In the exemplary embodiments of the container shown in the Figures, the depicted cross-sections to be released of the container are mainly circular. However, it is also possible to form the separation line 20 and ultimately also the undercut in the form of the annular space 40 not circular, but in a preferred manner also oval or elliptical (not shown). In any case, however, care should be taken to ensure that the opening cross-sectional area of the container opening 22, which is released when the closure part 18 is separated from the rest of the ampoule or container body 10, is smaller than 80 mm.sup.2, preferably less than 25 mm.sup.2, more preferably less than 15 mm.sup.2.
[0048] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1, 2a and 3, the conical circumferential wall 38 in the closure part 18 forms a circumferential inclined guide to permit any product 12 present in the hollow chamber 26 to flow back on its own in a vertical direction when the container is closed and upright. For this purpose, in the described solution, the first truncated cone 44 is arranged above the separation line 20 in the separation plane T. In this case, the truncated cone 44 adjoins in an arcuate transition region the end wall 30, shown horizontally in the figures, of the bowl-shaped hollow chamber 26. As can be seen further from FIGS. 1, 2a and 3, a further arcuate redirection occurs at the wall part weakening in the area of the separation line 20, starting from the truncated cone 44 to the further truncated cone 42, which adjoins the neck part 14 at the top, wherein the truncated cone 44 transitions into the circular cylindrical connecting piece of the neck part 14 via the arcuate abutment rim 48.
[0049] The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2b is similar to FIG. 2a, but has a step-shaped annular space 40a delimited by the separation line 20. The annular space 40a is formed on the one hand by the conical wall 36 of the container neck 14, wherein the fictitious extension of said conical wall 36 is at an undercut angle α of approx. 45° to the longitudinal axis 32, and on the other hand by the cylindrical partial wall 38a, oriented in parallel to the longitudinal axis 32, and the partial wall 39, adjoining the cylindrical partial wall 38a at an angle, of the head part 16.
[0050] The modified embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 will be explained to the extent that it differs substantially from the preceding embodiment. Thus, FIG. 4 illustrates that the conical inclination of the annular space 40 delimited by the truncated cones 42, 44, is now oriented in the direction of the closure part 18, whereas in the embodiment mentioned first, the conical orientation of the annular space 40 points in the direction of the container body 10. This results, among other things, in the outlet plane M equals the separation plane T, as the illustration of FIG. 5 shows, when the closure part is separated along the separation line 20. In this respect, also both truncated cones 42, 44 having their conical orientation and the undercut angles α and β formed are oriented towards the closure part 18. In this embodiment, the angle β is always greater than or equal to angle α.
[0051] As FIG. 4 further shows, the bowl-shaped hollow chamber 26, now having straight boundary walls extending in a cylindrical shape, is adjacent to the truncated cone 44 and only below the separation line 20, as viewed in the direction of FIG. 4, the further truncated cone 42 of the container body 10 is provided, which supports a backflow of fluid from the hollow chamber 26 towards the interior of the container, even when the container is open.
[0052] In both exemplary embodiments, it is achieved that for the production of the respective undercut or the conical annular space 40, there is a longer stretching length of the material of the container with local thinning at the predetermined breaking point in the form of the separation line 20, which supports a concentrated application of force, such that the respective container can be opened with little breaking work, i.e. with low torques at the handle 46. This is without equivalent in the prior art.
[0053] In FIG. 6, one half of a manufacturing mold is disclosed, which can be used to manufacture the undercut according to FIGS. 1 and 2 with the proviso that a spherical hollow body 26′ is implemented as the closure part instead of the bowl-shaped flat hollow body 26. The conical undercut or annular space 40 is created by a protruding web-like molding burr 50, which is inclined projecting toward the longitudinal axis 32 and is part of an inclined, closed molding ring surface, and the container body as a whole together with head part 16 and the handle 46 is then to be removed from the molding device, wherein the molding device is divided into two parts and the matching second head mold can be placed, perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 6, on the one head mold shown for a molding process and removed for a demolding process. For the sake of simplicity, the reference numerals drawn in FIG. 6 stand for the plastic parts to be manufactured of the container product according to FIGS. 1 to 3, which are not components of the production mold.
[0054] The manufacturing mold, partially shown in FIG. 6, for a container as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can also be used with the aforementioned amorphous thermoplastic materials for a blow molding, filling and sealing process, wherein the peculiarity in this case is that the container shown can also be created without an actual blow molding process, by applying negative pressure to the inside of the molding device.
[0055] For a further explanation, further exemplary embodiments (test numbers 1-18) are specified below.
[0056] Ampoules having different opening cross-sectional areas without undercut, as they are common in the state of the art, and ones with undercut or conical annular space 40 according to the invention and to FIGS. 1 and 2a having different undercut angles α and β have been produced from 8 different materials. Angle β was always approx. 10°-15° smaller than angle α. For this purpose, a BFS system by the company Rommelag of the type Bottelpack bp312M having quadruple molds was used; thereby the polymers listed below were used: PEF, PET, PET copolyester, PETG and a further copolyester (S2008, company SK Chemicals). Furthermore, COP and COC polymers. The opening torques of the ampoules were measured using the torque meter Vortex-i by the company Mecmesin at a rotational speed of 10 rpm. Details of polymer preparation, extrusion conditions and ampoule production and the results—the ratio of opening torques with and without undercut for the same opening cross-sectional area—are shown in the table below. The results (average values from 4 ampoules each) of the solution according to the invention show a significant reduction of the opening torques of 88% (test no. 1) up to 69% (test no. 18) in each case compared to the otherwise identically formed reference ampoule having the same opening area.
TABLE-US-00001 Öffnung- Flächa Ampulle Winkel Masse Masse- sdrehmoment Versuchs Öffnung gemäß Alpha Polymer Polymer Polymer Druck Temperatur Ampulle/ Nr mm.sup.2 FIG. grad Klasse Type Hersteller Trocknung bar ° C. Referenzampulle 1 12 2 45 PET- MX810 Eastman 8 h bel 87° C. 260 205 88% Copolyester 2 12 2 55 PETG MB002 Eastman 12 h bel 60° C. 240 210 87% 3 12 3 55 PBT Pocan B1501 Lanxess 6 h bel 125° C. 250 260 85% 4 12 3 45 PETG S2008 SK Chemicals 6 h bel 55° C. 220 200 83% 5 12 3 50 PETG S2006 SK Chemicals 6 h bel 55° C. 220 190 83% 6 20 2 50 PET Traytuf 9506 M & G Chemicals 10 h bel 120° C. 260 250 82% 7 12 2 45 PET- Polyclear 5505 Invista 10 h bel 120° C. 280 251 79% Copolester 8 12 2 40 PET Traytuf 9506 M & G Chemicals 10 h bel 120° C. 260 250 78% 9 12 2 40 PETG MB002 Eastman 12 h bel 60° C. 240 210 77% 10 12 2 45 PETG MB002 Eastman 12 h bel 60° C. 240 210 77% 11 12 3 45 PET Traytuf 9506 M & G Chemicals 10 h bel 120° C. 260 250 75% 12 12 2 40 PEF PEF Avantium 18 h bel 150° C. 255 255 73% 13 7 2 45 COC Tobas 8007S Topas 6 h bel 50° C. 72% 14 7 2 45 COP Zeonex 5000 Zeon 6 h bel 50° C. 72% 15 20 2 40 PEF PEF Avantium 18 h bel 150° C. 255 255 71% 16 12 2 45 PET Traytuf 9506 M & G Chemicals 10 h bel 120° C. 260 250 70% 17 12 3 35 PET Traytuf 9506 M & G Chemicals 10 h bel 120° C. 260 250 70% 18 25 2 45 PEF PEF Avantium 18 h bel 150° C. 255 255 69%
