FULLY RECYCLABLE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

A fully recyclable container and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. The container includes a cap, a shoulder, a body, a base, and a liner. The cap, the shoulder, and the base are made of biodegradable plastic by injection molding while the body is made of waterproof paper. The cap, the shoulder, and the base are detachably connected to form a housing of the container. The liner is formed inside the housing by blow molding of biodegradable plastic. The respective components of the container are completely made of biodegradable or bio-decomposable material and able to be disassembled for sorting and recycling. Thereby the fully recyclable container completely meets requirements of environmental protection and recycling.

Claims

1. A fully recyclable container comprising a cap, a shoulder, a body, a base, and a liner; wherein the cap, the shoulder, and the base are made of biodegradable plastic by injection molding; the body is produced by a spiral paper tube; wherein the shoulder includes a bore disposed on a top of the shoulder for connection with the cap and a connection portion extending from a bottom of the shoulder for insertion into a top of the body; the top of the body and the connection portion of the shoulder are provided with a first locking member so that the shoulder and the body are detachably connected by the first locking member; wherein the base is provided with a bottom surface and a peripheral wall which is disposed around the bottom surface and able to be inserted into a bottom of the body; the bottom of the body and the peripheral wall of the base are provided with a second locking member so that the body and the base are detachably connected by the second locking member; wherein the shoulder, the body, and the base are combined to form a housing of the container; the liner is formed inside the housing by blow molding of biodegradable plastic and an opening is mounted to a top of the liner.

2. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder is provided with an external thread formed close to the bore and an internal thread is formed on an inner surface of the cap so that the cap and the shoulder are joined by the internal thread and the external thread screwed into each other.

3. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first locking member includes a first thread disposed on the top of the body and a second thread arranged at the connection portion of the shoulder; the first thread and the second thread are able to fit together; the second locking member having a third thread formed on the bottom of the body and a fourth thread mounted to the peripheral wall of the base; the third thread and the fourth thread are able to screw into each other.

4. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first locking member includes a first locking groove disposed on the top of the body and a first locking pin arranged at the connection portion of the shoulder; the first locking groove is able to be engaged with or separated from the first locking pin by rotation; wherein the second locking member includes a second locking groove disposed on the bottom of the body and a second locking pin arranged at the peripheral wall of the base; the second locking groove is able to be locked with or separated from the second locking pin by rotation.

5. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap, the shoulder, and the base are made of polybutylene succinate (PBS) by injection molding.

6. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spiral paper tube by which the body is produced is manufactured by winding of waterproof paper with polybutylene succinate (PBS) film on an inner side.

7. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biodegradable plastic of the liner is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene succinate (PBS).

8. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a circular flange is radially extending outward from a periphery of the opening on the top of the liner; the circular flange is located between the cap and the bore after the cap connected with the bore.

9. The fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder includes a left shoulder portion and a right shoulder portion connected with each other; an edge of a side wall of the left shoulder portion is provided with at least one left locking member extending toward the right shoulder portion and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding right locking recess on a side wall of the right shoulder portion; an edge of a side wall of the right shoulder portion is provided with at least one right locking member extending toward the left shoulder portion and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding left locking recess on a side wall of the left shoulder portion.

10. A method of manufacturing a fully recyclable container comprising the steps of: using a spiral paper tube to produce a body; using biodegradable plastic to produce a cap, a shoulder, and a base by injection molding; the shoulder having a bore located on a top of the shoulder for connection with the cap, and a connection portion extending from a bottom of the shoulder for insertion into a top of the body; the top of the body and the connection portion of the shoulder having a first locking member so that the shoulder and the body are detachably connected by the first locking member; the base including a bottom surface and a peripheral wall disposed around the bottom surface and able to be inserted into a bottom of the body; the bottom of the body and the peripheral wall of the base having a second locking member so that the body and the base are detachably connected by the second locking member; combining the shoulder, the body, and the base into a housing of the container; and forming a liner inside the housing of the container by a blow molding process and using biodegradable plastic as a material for the liner.

11. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shoulder is provided with an external thread formed close to the bore and an internal thread is formed on an inner surface of the cap so that the cap and the shoulder are joined by the internal thread and the external thread screwed into each other.

12. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first locking member includes a first thread disposed on the top of the body and a second thread arranged at the connection portion of the shoulder; the first thread and the second thread are able to fit together; the second locking member having a third thread formed on the bottom of the body and a fourth thread mounted to the peripheral wall of the base; the third thread and the fourth thread are able to screw into each other.

13. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first locking member includes a first locking groove disposed on the top of the body and a first locking pin arranged at the connection portion of the shoulder; the first locking groove is able to be engaged with or separated from the first locking pin by rotation; wherein the second locking member includes a second locking groove disposed on the bottom of the body and a second locking pin arranged at the peripheral wall of the base; the second locking groove is able to be locked with or separated from the second locking pin by rotation.

14. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cap, the shoulder, and the base are made of polybutylene succinate (PBS) by injection molding.

15. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spiral paper tube by which the body is produced is manufactured by winding of waterproof paper with polybutylene succinate (PBS) film on an inner side

16. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the biodegradable plastic of the liner is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene succinate (PBS).

17. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein a circular flange is radially extending outward from a periphery of the opening on the top of the liner; the circular flange is located between the cap and the bore after the cap connected with the bore.

18. The method of manufacturing the fully recyclable container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shoulder includes a left shoulder portion and a right shoulder portion connected with each other; an edge of a side wall of the left shoulder portion is provided with at least one left locking member extending toward the right shoulder portion and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding right locking recess on a side wall of the right shoulder portion; an edge of a side wall of the right shoulder portion is provided with at least one right locking member extending toward the left shoulder portion and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding left locking recess on a side wall of the left shoulder portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fully recyclable container according to the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment according to the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of another embodiment according to the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of an embodiment showing formation of a liner inside a housing of a container by a blow molding process according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Refer to FIG. 1, a fully recyclable container according to the present invention includes a cap 10, a shoulder 20, a body 30, a base 40, and a liner 50 (as shown in FIG. 2).

[0024] A method of manufacturing the above fully recyclable container according to the present invention include the following steps. [0025] Step S1: using a spiral paper tube to produce a body 30; [0026] Step S2: using biodegradable plastic to produce a cap 10, a shoulder 20, and a base 40 by injection molding; [0027] Step S3: combining the shoulder 20, the body 30, and the base 40 into a housing of the container; [0028] Step S4: forming a liner 50 inside the housing of the container by a blow molding process.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the cap 10, the shoulder 20, and the base 40 are made by injection molding of polybutylene succinate (PBS). The spiral paper tube of the body 30 is produced by winding of waterproof paper with PBS film on an inner side. The waterproof paper is firstly produced by natural plant-based material (such as pure pulp) and then coated with PBS film on one side thereof for recycling purpose. The spiral paper tube is preferably produced by winding of at least two layers of the waterproof paper and the optimal structure is three staggered and overlapped layers of the waterproof paper. Pressure resistance performance of the body 30 made of the spiral paper tube is better than a plastic bottle and almost as strong as, or even stronger than a glass bottle.

[0030] The shoulder 20 consists of a bore 21 on a top end and able to connect with the cap 10 and a connection portion 22 extending from a bottom of the shoulder 20 and used for insertion into a top of the body 30, as shown in FIG. 2. The top of the body 30 and the connection portion 22 of the shoulder 20 are provided with a first locking member (see below for details). Thus the shoulder 20 and the body 30 are detachably connected with each other by the first locking member.

[0031] Refer to FIG. 2, the base 40 consists of a bottom surface 41 and a peripheral wall 42 disposed around the bottom surface 41. The peripheral wall 42 can be inserted into a bottom of the body 30. The bottom of the body 30 and the peripheral wall 42 have a second locking member (see below for details) so that the body 30 and the base 40 are detachably connected by the second locking member. Thereby the shoulder 20, the body 30, and the base 40 are combined by the first and the second locking members mentioned above to form a housing of a container. Then the liner 50 is formed inside the housing of the container by blow molding of biodegradable plastic and an opening 51 through while liquid or an object can be filled or placed into the container for storage is produced on a top of the liner 50.

[0032] Refer to FIG. 4, the liner 50 is made of biodegradable plastic. In a preferred embodiment, a material for the liner 50 is either polyethylene 2,5-furanoate (PEF) or PBS. The liner 50 is produced by a blow molding process during which the material is gradually expanded to be closely attached to an inner wall of the housing. Without any adhesive, the material is tightly connected and integrated with the housing to form one part. Moreover, gas barrier and water resistance of the liner 50 are as good as those of conventional plastic bottle. A wall thickness of the liner 50 can be thinner due to the PBS material and the blow molding process.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the cap 10 and the shoulder 20 are detachably connected by threads. As shown in FIG. 2, the shoulder 20 is provided with an external thread 23 formed at an area close to the bore 21 while an internal thread 11 is formed on an inner surface of the cap 10. Thereby the cap 10 and the shoulder 20 are joined by the internal thread 11 and the external thread 23 screwed into each other. In a preferred embodiment, a circular flange 52 is radially extending outward from a periphery of the opening 51 on the top of the liner 50. After the cap 10 being connected with the bore 21, the circular flange 52 is located between the cap 10 and the bore 21 for better sealing effect between the cap 10 and the bore 21, able to prevent liquid in the container from leaking effectively.

[0034] Refer FIG. 2, an exploded view of a first embodiment according to the present invention is provided. In this embodiment, the should 20, the body 30, and the base 40 are detachably combined with one each other to form the housing of the container by threads. Preferably, the first locking member consists of a first thread 31 disposed on the top of the body 30 and a second thread 24 arranged at the connection portion 22 of the shoulder 20. The first thread 31 and the second thread 24 are screwed into each other so that the shoulder 20 and the body 30 are detachably connected. The second locking member is composed of a third thread 32 formed on the bottom of the body 30 and a fourth thread 43 mounted to the peripheral wall 42 of the base 40. The third thread 32 and the fourth thread 43 are threaded with each other so that the body 30 and the base 40 are detachably connected.

[0035] Refer FIG. 3, an exploded view of a second embodiment according to the present invention is provided. In this embodiment, the shoulder 20, the body 30, and the base 40 are detachably connected to form the housing of the container by locking members and rotation. Preferably, the first locking member includes a first locking groove 34 disposed on the top of the body 30 and a first locking pin 25 arranged at the connection portion 22 of the shoulder 20. The first locking groove 34 is able to be engaged with or separated from the first locking pin 25 by rotation so that the shoulder 20 and the body 30 are detachably connected. The second locking member consists of a second locking groove 33 disposed on the bottom of the body 30 and a second locking pin 44 arranged at the peripheral wall 42 of the base 40. The second locking groove 33 is able to be locked with or separated from the second locking pin 44 by rotation so that the body 30 and the base 40 are detachably connected.

[0036] Refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the shoulder 20 includes a left shoulder portion 20L and a right shoulder portion 20R connected with each other. An edge of a side wall of the left shoulder portion 20L is provided with at least one left locking member 26L extending toward the right shoulder portion 20R and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding right locking recess 27R on a side wall of the right shoulder portion 20R. An edge of a side wall of the right shoulder portion 20R is provided with at least one right locking member 26R extending toward the left shoulder portion 20L and able to be mounted in at least one corresponding left locking recess 27L on a side wall of the left shoulder portion 20. Such design of the shoulder 20 formed by the left shoulder portion 20L and the right shoulder portion 20R allows the shoulder 20 to be detached during recycling process for removal of the liner 50 conveniently. Thus the respective components can be disassembled completely to be recycled and reused.

[0037] According to the above embodiments, during manufacturing process of the whole container, the respective components of the container according to the present invention are connected by the locking members, the threads and the rotation, without using a drop of glue. The bottle is easy assembly. After recycling, the container is easily disassembled to be sorted and reused. The materials for the respective components such as pure pulp, pure PBS, or pure PEF are pure and single basic material, without mixed with other different raw materials or impurities. Thus the respective components can be decomposed or degraded in nature, even without being recycled.

[0038] In summary, the fully recyclable container of the present invention is a sustainable and innovative product compliant with ESG (environmental social, and governance) standards due to 100% naturally decomposable or degradable, sortable, recyclable, and reusable features.

[0039] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalent.