Sheet-material container for a dispensing unit and method for producing a sheet-material container

Abstract

A dispensing unit includes a first sheet-material bag which is filled with a first composition, a second sheet-material bag which is filled with a second composition, and a head part disposed on a first end of the first sheet-material bag and a second end of the second sheet-material bag. The head part has a first outlet channel for the first composition and a second outlet channel for the second composition, the first and second sheet-material bags are open on the first and second ends, and the first and second outlet channels are filled with the first and second compositions, respectively. A closure part is configured to couple with the head part, where the closure part is openable or removable by a user.

Claims

1. A dispensing unit, comprising: a first sheet-material bag which is filled with a first composition; a second sheet-material bag which is filled with a second composition; a head part disposed on a first end of the first sheet-material bag and a second end of the second sheet-material bag, wherein the head part has a first outlet channel for the first composition and a second outlet channel for the second composition, wherein the first and second sheet-material bags are open on the first and second ends and wherein the first and second outlet channels are filled with the first and second compositions of the first and second sheet-material bags, respectively, prior to an initial use of the first and second sheet-material bags in the dispensing unit; and a closure part configured to couple with the head part, wherein the closure part is openable or removable by a user.

2. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second compositions flow from the first and second sheet-material bags and into the first and second outlet channels, respectively.

3. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second compositions are thermoplastic or elastomer.

4. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second compositions contact the closure part.

5. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein an end that is opposite the second end of the second sheet-material bag is closed with a clip or a glue or a weld.

6. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the removable closure part is an attachable or screw-on cap.

7. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the head part has a first piercing unit and wherein the first sheet-material bag is pierced when the head part is disposed on the first end of the first sheet-material bag.

8. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first outlet channel is separate from the second outlet channel within the head part.

9. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first composition is different from the second composition.

10. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second sheet-material bags are disposed parallel to each other.

11. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein a first length of the first sheet-material bag and a second length of the second sheet-material bag are a same length.

12. The dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein a first diameter of the first sheet-material bag is different than a second diameter of the second sheet-material bag.

13. The dispensing unit according to claim 12, wherein a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is proportional to a mixing ratio of the first composition to the second composition.

14. The dispensing unit according to claim 7, wherein the first piercing unit has a first opening tube which forms a part of the first outlet channel and has a slanted shape and/or sharp edges.

15. The dispensing unit according to claim 7, wherein the head part has a second piercing unit and wherein the second sheet-material bag is pierced when the head part is disposed on the second end of the second sheet-material bag.

16. The dispensing unit according to claim 15, wherein the second piercing unit has a second opening tube which forms a part of the second outlet channel and has a slanted shape and/or sharp edges.

17. A method for producing a dispensing unit of claim 1, comprising the steps of: applying the head part to the first and second ends of the first and second sheet-material bags; opening the first and second sheet-material bags; and closing the first and second outlet channels; wherein the steps of opening the first and second sheet-material bags and closing the first and second outlet channels occur prior to an initial use of the first and second sheet-material bags in the dispensing unit and wherein the first and second outlet channels are filled with the first and second compositions of the first and second sheet-material bags, respectively, prior to the initial use of the first and second sheet-material bags in the dispensing unit.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of opening the first and second sheet-material bags occurs automatically by a piercing unit on the head part when the head part is applied.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a first step of a production method according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a second step of the production method according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a third step of the production method according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of two sheet-material bags and a head part of a sheet-material container according to the invention in a first embodiment; and

(5) FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a closure for the head part of a sheet-material container according to the invention in a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) FIG. 1 shows two essentially tubular sheet-material bags 10, 12, which are arranged in parallel with respect to their longitudinal axes, and each of which is filled with one component of a multicomponent composition. The length of each sheet-material bag 10, 12 is the same, but their diameters are coordinated with the preferred mixing ratio of the components of the composition.

(7) A head part 16 is attached to each of the two opposite ends 14 of the sheet-material bags 10, 12, for example, by gluing. The head part 16 has a piercing unit for each sheet-material bag 10, 12 and has an outlet channel (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) through which the respective component of the composition can emerge.

(8) The piercing units are arranged so that they automatically create an opening in the respective sheet-material bag 10, 12 when the head part 16 is applied. After opening the sheet-material bags 10, 12, some of the component of the composition that is in the bag can already escape into the respective outlet channel, as shown in FIG. 2. However, a significant portion of the outlet channels remain filled with air, regardless of the viscosity of the components of the composition.

(9) The sheet-material bags 10, 12 are then divided at a location between their ends 14, preferably exactly at the center, e.g., by pinching the bag. The new ends 18 formed by dividing the sheet-material bags 10, 12 are closed in particular by a clip 20 or by welding or gluing. The ends 14 of the sheet-material bags 10, 12 accommodated in the head part 16 are hereinafter referred to as first ends and the newly formed ends 18 are referred to as second ends.

(10) In dividing and/or closing, which may be done simultaneously, a pressure is exerted on the component of the composition at the second end 18 of the sheet-material bags 10, 12. This pressure results in a portion of the component of the composition in the sheet-material bag 10, 12 being displaced automatically into the outlet channel. If possible, all of the outlet channel should be filled with the component of the composition, so that the air in the outlet channel is displaced as thoroughly as possible. When the bag is closed with the clip 20, this is achieved through the choice of a clip having the corresponding minimum width.

(11) After filling the outlet channel, it is closed tightly with a closure part 22 according to FIG. 3. The closure part 22 may be an attached or screw-on cap, a valve flap, a seal in the form of a welded film or the like. The closure part 22 effectively prevents contact of the mass components with air, which could reach the opened sheet-material bags 10, 12 through the outlet channels. This concludes the production of the sheet-material bag, i.e., the sheet-material container is in a storable and shippable condition.

(12) Before using the sheet-material bag in a dispensing unit, one need only remove and/or open the closure part 22. The sheet-material container is then inserted into the dispensing unit, wherein a mixer is usually attached to the head part 16, in which the mass components emerging through the outlet channels are mixed during use of the dispensing unit. Since there is no air in the outlet channels before the initial use of the sheet-material container, the multicomponent composition is dispensed immediately and in the correct mixing ratio, so that there is no initial blank stroke and it is not necessary to discard any of the composition.

(13) The air in the outlet channels can also be displaced in some other way in the production of the sheet-material container. For example, the outlet channels may be filled with the same material or with a different material, regardless of the emergence of the mass components out of the sheet-material bags 10, 12. In the latter case of filling the outlet channels with a different material, the filling material is discarded before the initial use. This may be done automatically if the filling material is attached to the closure part 22, which is removed anyway before the initial use. For example, prefabricated thermoplastic or elastomer materials are suitable for this purpose.

(14) FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the head part 16 in detail. In addition to two receptacles 24, 26 in which the first ends 14 of the sheet-material bags 10, 12 are secured, a piercing unit 28, 30 is provided for each sheet-material bag 10, 12. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, the piercing units are each designed as an opening tube 32, 34, which protrudes into the receptacle 24, 26 for the sheet-material bag 10, 12, and has a slanted shape with sharp edges. On attaching the sheet-material bags 10, 12 in the receptacles 24, 26, the force F, with which the sheet-material bags 10, 12 are pressed into the receptacles 24, 26 is sufficient for secure opening of the sheet-material bags 10, 12.

(15) The opening tubes 32, 34 are at the same time part of the outlet channels 36, 38. In general, the entire space in the head part 16 should be understood to be the outlet channel 36, 38 into which the respective component of the composition can penetrate after opening the sheet-material bag 10, 12.

(16) FIG. 5 shows an alternative form of the piercing units 28, 30. The piercing units 28, 30 here are not formed in the head part 16 but instead in the closure part 22. The length of the piercing units 28, 30 is such that, after being completely attached to or screwed onto the head part 16, they protrude into the receptacles 24, 26 so far that the force F created by complete attachment and/or screwing the cap onto the head part acting on the sheet-material bag 10, 12 ensures reliable opening.

(17) Regardless of where the piercing units 28, 30 are formed, other shapes are also available, for example, a slanted channel (with sharp blade), a slanted tube (single slant, roof-top slant), a slanted rod, a triangular, rectangular or polygonal blade edge, which may be designed to be either stiff or flexible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(18) 10 sheet-material bag 12 sheet-material bag 14 first end 16 head part 18 second end 20 clip 22 closure part 24 receptacle 26 receptacle 28 piercing unit 30 piercing unit 32 opening tube 34 opening tube 36 outlet channel 38 outlet channel