TUBE AND EMPTYING APPARATUS

Abstract

A tube having a cylindrical tube body, an end wall closing off one end of the body, and a dispensing nipple disposed on the end wall coaxially to the axis of the tube body. The end wall has at least one portion weakened by reduced wall thickness or reduced material hardness so that two parts of the end wall may be collapsed onto one another for completely emptying the tube. For emptying a tube, an apparatus is provided which has a trough-shaped casing for accommodating the tube and a squeezing body movable within the casing. The casing surrounds the tube through an angle of more than 180° and has a longitudinal slot for manually moving the squeezing body.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This patent application is a U.S. National Phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2011/005693, filed 11 Nov. 2011, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2010 050 941.8, filed 11 Nov. 2010; German Patent Application No. 10 2011 014 276.2, filed 17 Mar. 2011; and German Patent Application No. 10 2011 100 363.4, filed 3 May 2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

Conventional tubes, such as used for packing tooth pastes, creams, paste-like foodstuffs and the like, usually have a circular cross-section and may have a coaxial dispensing nipple formed at a stiff and comparatively thick-walled connecting portion at the front end, and are at the rear end pinched and sealed by a diametrically extending weld or fold. A disadvantage of such tubes resides in the fact that they cannot be emptied completely.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,119 B1 discloses a tube having a cylindrical tube body, an end wall closing off one end of the body, and a dispensing nipple disposed on the end wall coaxially to the axis of the tube body, wherein the end wall has at least one weakened portion, so that two parts of the end wall may be collapsed onto one another for completely emptying the tube. The end wall of which consists of two symmetric parts of different stiffness, the stiffer part being provided with a dispensing nipple, which is offset from the tube axis and extends at an angle thereto. When being emptied, this tube can be collapsed up to the region of the end wall and thereby emptied almost completely. Due to the eccentric disposition and oblique extension of the dispensing nipple, the known tube requires special provisions and tools in manufacturing and filling, and its handing by the user does not correspond to that of usual tubes. More particularly, the following difficulties exist:

The manufacture of a tube from aluminium with an eccentric dispensing nipple is impeded by flow problems of the aluminium material.

Existing production lines for making tubes with centered dispensing nipples are complex and automated, and manufacturing steps such as painting, threading, etc. must be taken into account. Extensive changes are necessary for adaptation to tubes with eccentric dispensing nipples.

Extrusion tools for making tubes with eccentric dispensing nipples are more expensive than those for tubes with centered dispensing nipples.

Special closures must be designed for eccentric dispensing nipples.

The eccentricity requires changes at the filling plants of customers.

To avoid such disadvantages as occur with prior art tubes, a tube is desired which has a shape corresponding to that of conventional tubes but which can be emptied more completely.

SUMMARY

Disclosed embodiments provide a tube having a cylindrical tube body, an end wall closing off one end of the body, and a dispensing nipple disposed on the end wall coaxially to the axis of the tube body, wherein the end wall has at least one weakened portion, so that two parts of the end wall may be collapsed onto one another for completely emptying the tube, wherein the transition between a weakened portion and a non-weakened portion of the end wall extends along a folding line substantially tangential to the dispensing nipple. In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, a practically complete collapsing in the final emptying phase of the tube and thus a reduction of the residual volume can be accomplished even with a symmetric tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Disclosed embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are front views of tubes of different disclosed embodiments;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections through the dispensing end of the tubes shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in the initial condition and in the emptied condition, respectively;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a tube according to another disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections through the dispensing end of the tube shown in FIG. 7 in the initial condition and in the emptied condition, respectively;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are front views of tubes according to further disclosed embodiments;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are a side view and, respectively, a longitudinal section through the dispensing end of the tube shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a cross-section through a tube according to another disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are front views of the dispensing end of tubes according to further disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal section through the dispensing end of another tube;

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal section through a tube emptying apparatus;

FIGS. 19 to 21 are cross-sections through different disclosed embodiments of tube emptying apparatus, wherein the tube is shown full in FIG. 19 and emptied in FIG. 20;

FIGS. 22 to 25 are a front view, a perspective view, a plan view, and a longitudinal section of a tube emptying apparatus; and

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a dispensing nipple.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

The tubes illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 consist of a flexible tube body 1, with an end wall 2 having a coaxial dispensing nipple formed on or attached to the tube body 1. At the rear end (not shown), the tube body 1 is pinched and sealed by a diametrically extending weld or fold.

In the disclosed embodiments, the end wall 2 consists of two substantially complementary conical calotte shaped end wall portions 4 and 5 of which the upper end wall portion 4, which is more flexible elastically or plastically due to a smaller wall thickness or smaller material hardness, will tightly abut the lower end wall portion 5 in the final phase of the emptying process, as shown in FIG. 6. In the drawings, it had been assumed that the weaker portion 4 has a wall thickness b4, which is reduced as compared to the wall thickness b5 of the stiffer portion 5. The wall thickness b4 may be equal to or smaller than the wall thickness b1 of the tube body 1.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, the upper and more flexible end wall portion 4 is shown crosshatched. The transition between the portions 4 and 5 forms a folding line 6 which, according to FIGS. 3 and 4, extends tangentially to the dispensing nipple 3 and, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, slightly intersects therewith. In any case, the folding line 6 extends “substantially” tangential to the dispensing nipple 3. In the disclosed embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 4, the folding line has two portions, which on the side of the dispensing nipple enclose an angle 2α of less that 180°. In each case, the dispensing nipple 3 is formed on the stiffer end wall portion 5.

A perfect folding of the end wall portions 4 and 5 into one another becomes possible if at least the upper half of the dispensing nipple 3 adjoining the portion 4 is also elastically or plastically flexible. To this end, the upper wall portion 7 of the dispensing nipple 3 is weakened. The weakening may be provided on the inner side of the dispensing nipple 3, as shown in FIG. 8, or on the outer side thereof.

Instead of the conical calotte shape of the end wall 2 or end wall portions 4, 5 assumed in the embodiments disclosed above, other shapes are possible, specifically spherical calottes of irregular shapes. What matters is that one end wall portion has such an overall shape that both portions can be complementarily folded into one another.

In the disclosed embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 9, the entire end wall 2 (wall thickness b3) is uniformly weakened as compared to conventional tubes in which the end wall is stiffer than the tube body. Alternatively, the weakening may reside in weakened portions 8 that are sector-shaped as shown in FIG. 10, or star-shaped as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the weakened portions 8 may be curved, and they are not required to extend radially toward the tube axis.

As shown in FIG. 12, the weakened portions 8 form recesses on the outer side of the end wall 2. This gives the tube a characteristic appearance, which is recognisable from the outside, and the desired complete emptying is not impaired by an internal unevenness of the end wall 2.

For the tubes of FIGS. 7 to 13 it is essential that a wall portion 7 of the dispensing nipple 3 adjoining the end wall 2 be weakened (wall thickness b6) as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 13. Also in this case, the tube body 1 may be collapsed down to the unavoidable volume inside the dispensing nipple 3.

While tubes with circular-cylindrical tube bodies have been assumed in FIGS. 1 to 13, the tubes shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 have cross-sections formed by arcs of circles which are symmetric to the longitudinal axis, i.e. lanceolate (FIG. 14) or oval (FIG. 15), or composed of arcs of circles and straight lines (FIG. 16). As also indicated in FIGS. 14 to 16, the orifice 9 of the dispensing nipple 3 may be circular or have a shape other that circular (elliptic, oblong, star-shaped) or consist of an arrangement of circular or otherwise shaped individual openings.

FIG. 17 further shows that, instead of the cylindrical shape assumed in FIGS. 1 to 13, the dispensing nipple 3 may be conical or may have a notch 10 or a rib for catching a closure cap.

The tube emptying apparatus shown in FIGS. 18 to 26 comprises a trough-shaped casing 21 for accommodating a tube here designated by 20, and a squeezing body 22, which is movable within the casing. The casing 21 surrounds the tube 20 by an angle of more than 180° and has a longitudinal slot 23 for manually moving the squeezing body 22. The longitudinal slot 23 is limited by flanges 24 attached to the casing 21 or formed integrally therewith (FIG. 21), which flanges 24 retain the squeezing body 22 within the trough-shaped casing and prevent it from accidentally rolling back. In the representation of FIG. 19, the tube 20 is assumed to have the cross-section shown in FIG. 14.

The squeezing body 22 is a roll in the form of a sphere if the tube end wall 2 has the circular calotte shape shown in FIG. 18. In this case, the end wall 25 of the casing 21 is also spherical. In the case of the conical calotte shape shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the squeezing body 22 has the shape of a double cone in order to press the folded tube 20 tightly against the likewise conical inner surface of the casing end wall 25.

An elastic padding 26 is provided on the bottom of the trough-shaped casing 21 to compensate any fold or unevenness in the tube 20, thereby contributing to its complete emptying. The lower side of the casing 21 has a magnetic base 27 with a plane bottom to permit the casing to be safely placed on a support and fixed thereto if necessary.

The end wall 25 of the casing 21 has a hole for passing the dispensing nipple 3 of the tube 20. A dispensing nozzle 28 may be screwed onto the portion of the dispensing nipple 3 projecting from the hole by means of an inner thread (not shown). The nozzle may have a conical or other shape, such as that of a prism as shown in FIG. 26.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 tube body

2 end wall

3 dispensing nipple

4 softer end wall portion

5 stiffer end wall portion

6 folding line

7 wall portion of dispensing nipple 3

8 weakened portions

9 orifice

10 notch

20 tube

21 casing

22 squeezing body

23 longitudinal slot

24 flanges

25 end wall of casing 21

26 elastic padding

27 base

28 dispensing nozzle

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. A tube comprising:

a cylindrical tube body,

an end wall closing off one end of the body, and

a dispensing nipple disposed on the end wall coaxially to an axis of the tube body,

wherein the end wall has at least one weakened portion, so that two parts of the end wall may be collapsed onto one another for completely emptying the tube, and

wherein a transition between the at least one weakened portion and a non-weakened portion of the end wall extends along a folding line substantially tangential to the dispensing nipple.

20. The tube of claim 19, wherein the weakening resides in a reduced thickness and/or a reduced hardness of the end wall portion.

21. The tube of claim 19, wherein a portion of the dispensing nipple adjoining the end wall is weakened.

22. The tube of claim 19, wherein the folding line has two sections which enclose an angle of less than 180° on the side of the dispensing nipple.

23. The tube of claim 19, wherein the entire end wall is weakened.

24. The tube of claim 19, wherein the end wall has star-shaped or sector-shaped weakened portions.

25. The tube of claim 19, wherein the weakened portions form recesses on the outer side of the end wall.

26. The tube of claim 19, wherein the shape of tube body has an elliptical cross-section or is formed of arcs of circles which are symmetric to the axis of the tube body.

27. The tube of claim 19, wherein the dispensing nipple has a non-circular opening or an arrangement of openings.

28. The tube of claim 19, wherein the dispensing nipple tapers in the dispensing direction.

29. An apparatus for emptying a tube, the apparatus comprising:

a trough-shaped casing for accommodating the tube which has a cylindrical tube body, an end wall closing off one end of the body, and a dispensing nipple disposed on the end wall, wherein the end wall has at least one weakened portion so that two parts of the end wall may be collapsed onto one another for completely emptying the tube; and

a squeezing body movable within the casing.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the casing surrounds the tube by an angle of more than 180° and has a longitudinal slot for manually moving the squeezing body.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the casing has two flanges limiting the longitudinal slot for retaining the squeezing body.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, having an elastic padding in the casing for supporting the tube.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, having a dispensing nozzle for receiving the dispensing nipple of the tube.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the dispensing nozzle has an internal thread adapted to be screwed onto the dispensing nipple of the tube.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the casing has a plane magnetic base.