Contour for tube seals to facilitate mounting of a product evacuation device
A tube is provided for containing a product to be squeezed from the tube when the tube is used in conjunction with a wrapping tool. The tube has a deformable main body for storing the product prior to the product being squeezed from the tube, the main body having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a first end and a second end opposite the first end in the longitudinal direction of the main body. The tube has an opening at the first end of the main body, the opening being an outlet for the product when the product is squeezed from the tube, and a seal at the second end of the main body, the seal having a contour, the contour having a bearing surface that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body. The bearing surface is for receiving a wrapping force from the wrapping tool for wrapping the main body around the seal.
Latest Graham Packaging Company, L.P. Patents:
The invention relates to tube packaging. More particularly, the invention relates to tube configurations that facilitate the use of devices for emptying the tube.
Various systems exist that strive to facilitate the removal of a material stored in a tube. These systems usually involve some sort of device for holding a seal end of the tube while the device is twisted such that the tube is wrapped around the device. By wrapping the tube around the device, the material in the tube is forced toward an opening at the opposite end of the tube. However, many of these systems are difficult to assemble, expensive and/or not reusable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides a solution to the above described problems by providing various tube seal configurations that facilitate mounting a product evacuation, or wrapping, device to the tube. The invention also provides wrapping devices appropriate for use with the various tube seal configurations.
Embodiments of the invention provide a tube for containing a product to be squeezed from the tube when the tube is used in conjunction with a wrapping tool. The tube has a deformable main body for storing the product prior to the product being squeezed from the tube, the main body having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a first end and a second end opposite the first end in the longitudinal direction of the main body. The tube has an opening at the first end of the main body, the opening being an outlet for the product when the product is squeezed from the tube, and a seal at the second end of the main body, the seal having a contour, the contour having a bearing surface that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body. The bearing surface is for receiving a wrapping force from the wrapping tool for wrapping the main body around the seal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention is explained below in further detail with the aid of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:
The invention is explained in the following with the aid of the drawings in which like reference numbers represent like elements.
Each hole 322 has, in this example, two bearing surfaces 324. The example shown in
Although particular configurations of wrapping tools 20, 30 are shown in
While particular examples of contours in accordance with the invention have been shown in the figures, it is noted that many other configurations are possible within the scope of the invention. Further, a plurality of different wrapping tool configurations are usable with each contour configuration.
The invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The invention, therefore, is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A tube for containing a product to be squeezed from the tube when the tube is used in conjunction with a wrapping tool, the tube comprising:
- a deformable main body for storing the product prior to the product being squeezed from the tube, the main body having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a first end and a second end opposite the first end in the longitudinal direction of the main body;
- an opening at the first end of the main body, the opening being an outlet for the product when the product is squeezed from the tube; and
- a seal at the second end of the main body, the seal having a contour, the contour having a bearing surface that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body,
- wherein the bearing surface is for receiving a wrapping force from the wrapping tool for wrapping the main body around the seal.
2. The tube of claim 1, wherein the bearing surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
3. The tube of claim 1, wherein the bearing surface is continuous along an entire length of the seal in the transverse direction of the main body.
4. The tube of claim 3, wherein the contour is a U-shaped trough along the transverse direction of the main body.
5. The tube of claim 3, wherein the contour comprises a first thickened portion of the seal, the first thickened portion protruding in a first protrusion direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the main body.
6. The tube of claim 5, wherein the bearing surface is planar and the plane of the bearing surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
7. The tube of claim 5, wherein the contour further comprises a second thickened portion of the seal, the second thickened portion protruding in a second protrusion direction opposite to the first protrusion direction and being located on an opposite side of the seal from the first thickened portion.
8. The tube of claim 7, wherein the bearing surface comprises a first bearing surface on the first thickened portion and a second bearing surface on the second thickened portion, the first and second bearing surfaces being planar and the planes of the bearing surfaces being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
9. The tube of claim 7, wherein the contour is cross-shaped such that the first thickened portion protrudes in the first protrusion direction a greater distance than the first thickened portion is thick in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and
- the second thickened portion protrudes in the second protrusion direction a greater distance than the second thickened portion is thick in the longitudinal direction of the main body.
10. The tube of claim 1, wherein the bearing surface is discontinuous along the transverse direction of the main body.
11. The tube of claim 10, wherein the bearing surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
12. The tube of claim 10, wherein the contour is a U-shaped trough along the transverse direction of the main body.
13. The tube of claim 10, wherein the contour comprises a first thickened portion of the seal, the first thickened portion protruding in a first protrusion direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the main body.
14. The tube of claim 13, wherein the bearing surface is planar and the plane of the bearing surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
15. The tube of claim 13, wherein the contour further comprises a second thickened portion of the seal, the second thickened portion protruding in a second protrusion direction opposite to the first protrusion direction and being located on an opposite side of the seal from the first thickened portion.
16. The tube of claim 15, wherein the bearing surface comprises a first bearing surface on the first thickened portion and a second bearing surface on the second thickened portion, the first and second bearing surfaces being planar and the planes of the bearing surfaces being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.
17. The tube of claim 15, wherein the contour is cross-shaped such that the first thickened portion protrudes in the first protrusion direction a greater distance than the first thickened portion is thick in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and
- the second thickened portion protrudes in the second protrusion direction a greater distance than the second thickened portion is thick in the longitudinal direction of the main body.
18. A tube evacuation system comprising:
- the tube of claim 1; and
- the wrapping tool, the wrapping tool comprising a tube contour receiver for receiving the contour of the tube.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the tube contour receiver comprises a slot that receives the contour of the tube.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the slot has an open end such that the contour of the tube is removable from the slot.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein a portion of the slot contacts the bearing surface of the contour of the tube.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 16, 2003
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2005
Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, L.P. (York, PA)
Inventors: Dave Cargile (Lititz, PA), David Kesselman (York, PA), Roy Krohn (Wrightsville, PA)
Application Number: 10/662,878