US20110049183A1

US20110049183A1 - Tube packaging

Info

Publication number: US20110049183A1
Application number: US12/989,562
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas Wiederer
Original assignee: Linhardt GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Linhardt GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2008-04-29
Filing date: 2009-03-04
Publication date: 2011-03-03
Also published as: WO2009132609A1; DE102008021442A1; EP2307281A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a tube packaging, in particular a tube packaging which is intended for a single application, having a tube body for accommodating a product, having a tube fitting which is provided on the tube body or on a tube shoulder which forms a tube opening which is closed by a wall section which can be perforated, and having an applicator which, fastened to the tube fitting, makes it possible at an applicator opening to discharge or apply a product which is contained in the tube packaging.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a tube package. In particular, the invention relates to a tube package for a single-dose application, i.e. for a single dose of a product contained in the package, for example, of a medical and/or cosmetic product, which is contained in the tube package in a quantity needed and sufficient for a single application and which can be applied via an applicator opening of the applicator precisely to an area to be treated, for example to a tissue area to be treated.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tube package, the tube body of which is filled with the respective product, which is sealed absolutely tight until use and at the same time ensuring simplified application of the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the tube package according to the invention, the tube body containing the respective product remains sealed absolutely tight until use, i.e. in its original or as-delivered state, not only assuring the guarantee of originality, but also in particular absolutely preventing contamination of the product by impurities, germs, etc. The tube body is only opened at the tube opening at the time of use, by perforating or puncturing a sealing wall or foil with a protrusion or spike of the adapter, so that, with the cap removed, the respective product, by pressing on the tube body, can then be dispensed from the application opening via at least one channel formed in the spike.
Opening of the tube package or puncturing of the wall sealing the tube opening, i.e. changing the tube package from its original or as-delivered state to the use state is achieved by simple axial movement of the applicator 3, when mounted on the tube nipple, relative to the tube nipple, preferably using mutually engaging threads on the tube nipple and the applicator, for example using an outer thread on the tube nipple and an inner thread on a cap-shaped applicator section, namely by manual turning of the applicator on a gripping surface provided on the applicator or on a closure cap left on the applicator.
Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention are also disclosed in the following description of exemplary embodiments and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described below in detail based on an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show in schematic exploded representations the elements of the tube package according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively show in perspective representations and in different views the nozzle-shaped applicator of the tube package of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 shows in a perspective representation and in rear view the closure cap of the tube package of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 show in simplified representations a cross section in the area of the tube nipple and of the applicator mounted on the tube nipple before and after opening the tube package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The tube package generally designated 1 in the drawings is composed of a tube body 2 manufactured, for example, from plastic or metal, e.g. aluminum or an aluminum alloy, of a nozzle-shaped applicator 3 manufactured, for example, as a molded part from plastic and of a closure cap 4, likewise manufactured from plastic.
The tube body 2 is designed as one piece with a tube sleeve 5 enclosing the tube interior, with a tube shoulder 6 adjoining the tube sleeve 5 and with a tube nipple 7 provided on the tube shoulder 6. The tube interior, which is limited in particular by the tube sleeve 5 and the tube shoulder 6 and also by the tube nipple 7 and which contains the respective product, is sealed in a suitable manner, for example, by folding and/or welding or in some other manner, on the side of the tube body 2 facing away from the tube nipple 7 after filling of the tube body 2.
The tube nipple 7 which forms the dispensing opening 8 and is essentially cylindrical on its outer surface is provided, starting from the tube shoulder 6, on the outer side with a protruding ring-shaped collar 9 concentrically enclosing the axis of the tube nipple 7, or the tube axis, and adjoining thereon with an outer thread 10.
Furthermore, the dispensing opening or tube opening 8 is sealed on the free end of the tube nipple 7 with a thin puncturable wall section or with a thin wall section 11 which can be perforated. This wall section is constituted, for example, by a thin metal and/or plastic foil, which is fastened on the free end of the tube nipple 7 by welding or another suitable manner or is manufactured as one piece with the tube body 2.
The applicator 3 consists essentially of a cap-shaped or screw cap-shaped section 3.1 and a thereon adjoining section 3.2 which respectively have an essentially cylindrical design and adjoin each other axially congruent.
In section 3.1 the applicator 3 is provided with an essentially cylindrical peripheral wall or cap wall 12, which in a limited interior space 13 limited by the wall 12 encloses a sleeve-shaped projection 15 jutting out over a cap bottom 14 at a distance. On the inner surface of the cap wall 12, starting from the inside of the cap bottom 14 an inner thread 16 is provided which is designed for engagement with the outer thread 10 and at a distance from said inner thread 16 on the free end of the cap-shaped section 3.1 or in the area of the opening there, a projection 17 is provided, extending into the interior 13 and enclosing in a ring-like manner the axis of the applicator 3 and, with the tube package 1 in assembled state, also the axis of the tube nipple 7.
In the projection 15 an open channel 18 is formed on the free end of said projection at 18.1, the channel also continues in the applicator section 3.2, namely all the way to the end of the applicator 3 located at a distance from the applicator section 3.1 and forms an applicator opening 18.2 there.
On its outer surface the projection 15 is cylindrical or slightly tapered toward the opening 18.1, but in any case with a diameter that corresponds to the diameter of the dispensing opening 8, so that with the projection 15 inserted into the dispensing or tube opening there a sealed transition exists between the tube interior and the channel 18. Furthermore, when the tube package 1 is in its original state, i.e. in the state in which the tube package 1, filled with the product, is delivered, stored and/or handed over to the respective buyer, the applicator 3 is placed with its applicator section 3.1 on the tube nipple 7 so that the projection 17 engages behind the collar 9, thus captively holding the applicator 3 on the tube nipple. Furthermore, the inner thread 13 in this original or as-delivered state of the tube package 1 is located in the direction of the axis of the tube nipple 7 laterally from the outer thread 10, so that turns of the inner thread 13 and of the outer thread 10 can mutually support each other without engaging with each other, so that the applicator 3 is therefore secured on the tube nipple 7 against axial movement in the direction of the tube body 2. The end of the projection 15 constituting the opening 18.1 in this first position corresponding to the original or as-delivered state is at a distance from the wall 11.
For use of the tube contents the inner thread 12 is increasingly screwed onto the outer thread 10 by turning the applicator 3 on the applicator axis, so that the applicator 3 is moved axially in relation to the tube nipple 7, perforating or puncturing the wall 11 with the projection 15. With the projection 15 tightly inserted into the dispensing or tube opening 8 in a second position corresponding to the use state and with the closure cap 4 removed, the product can then be dispensed from the interior of the tube body 2 by pressing or squeezing said tube body at the application opening 18.2.
On the outer surface the applicator section 3.1 is provided with fluting 19, forming a gripping surface to facilitate handling. The applicator 3 is further provided on the outer surface of the applicator section 3.2 directly at the transition to the applicator section 3.1 or directly on the outer surface 14.1 of the cap bottom 14 with several projections 20, which are distributed evenly around the axis of the applicator. The projections 20 are designed respectively to be saw tooth-shaped with a front surface 20.1, which is located in a plane radial to the axis of the applicator 3, and with a rear oblique surface 20.2, which is respectively located in a plane which encloses an acute angle with the axis of the applicator.
Following the projections 20 the applicator section 3.2 is designed on its outer surface with a projection or collar 21 enclosing the applicator axis in a ring-like manner.
The closure cap 4 is composed of a sleeve-shaped cap body 22 with a cylindrical sleeve opening 23, which is closed on an end by a cap bottom 24 and is open on the other end. On the inner side of the cap bottom 24 a projection 25 functioning as a seal is formed on which, with the closure cap 4 placed on the applicator 3, engages into the applicator opening 16.2, closing or sealing the latter. In the area of the open end of the cap body 22 the sleeve opening 23 is provided with several projections 26, which, complementary to the projections 20, are saw tooth-shaped with front surfaces 26.1 located radially to the axis of the closure cap 4 and with rear surfaces 26.2 extending obliquely, so that with the closure cap 4 placed on the adapter 3, the mutually adjacent projections 20 and 26 with their front surfaces 10.1 and 26.1 respectively form a pivotal connection between the closure cap 4 and the adapter 3, the pivotal connection enables the described opening or changing of the tube package 1 from its original state into a use state, also by manual turning of the closure cap. The rear oblique surfaces 20.2 and 26.2 serve as assembly aids in the automated assembly of the tube package 1, for example to turn the closure cap 4 slightly on its axis when it is pushed onto the applicator section 3.2, in case the projections 20 and 26 inadvertently come into axial contact with each other, and by this turning of the closure cap 4 to achieve the required arrangement of the projections 26 between the projections 20.
At the aperture of the sleeve opening 23 the closure cap 4 is further provided with a ring-shaped, inwardly projecting projection 27, which in engagement with the collar 21 produces a locking connection for the closure cap 4 on the applicator section 3.2.
Instead of the saw tooth- shaped projections 20 and 26, other elements and/or contours can be provided to produce a pivotal connection between the closure cap 4 and the applicator 3, namely in particular also in a form which enables trouble-free automated assembly of the tube package 1.
The assembly of the tube package takes place or is performed for example in the form that in a preliminary assembly step or in a preliminary assembly line, the adapters 3 are respectively pre-assembled by pushing on or snapping on their closure cap 4 and then assembled by being pushed or snapped onto the tube bodies 2 or the tube nipples 7 there, so that the respective projection 15 is at a distance from the wall 11 provided on the tube nipple 7. In this state the tube package provided with the necessary design on its outer side can be filled by the user with the product and then closed.
The tube package 1 is suitable for medical and/or cosmetic products, in particular also for single-dose applications.
The invention was described above based on an exemplary embodiment. It goes without saying that modifications and variations are possible without abandoning the underlying inventive idea upon which the invention is based.

REFERENCE LIST

1 tube package
2 tube body
3 applicator
3.1, 3.2 applicator section
4 closure cap
5 tube sleeve
6 tube shoulder
7 tube nipple
8 dispensing opening or tube opening
9 collar
10 outer thread
11 foil or wall section
12 peripheral wall or cap wall of the screw cap-shaped applicator section 3.1
13 interior of applicator section 3.1
14 cap bottom
14.1 cap bottom outer surface
15 spike-shaped projection
16 inner thread
17 ring-shaped projection
18 channel
18.1 channel opening on projection 15
18.2 application opening
19 fluting
20 sawtooth-shaped projection
20.1 front surface
20.2 rear surface
21 collar
22 cap body of closure cap 4
23 sleeve opening of cap body 22
24 cap bottom
25 projection
26 sawtooth-shaped projection
26.1 front surface
26.2 rear surface
27 ring-shaped projection

Claims

1. A tube package for a single-dose application, comprising a tube body for containing a product, a tube nipple provided on the tube body or on a tube body shoulder, the tube nipple forms a closed tube opening due to a perforatable wall section, and an applicator fastened on the tube nipple that enables dispensing or application at an applicator opening of a product contained in the tube package, wherein the applicator with a first cap-shaped applicator section on the tube nipple is axially movable in an axis direction of the tube opening, between a first position corresponding to an original or as-delivered state and a second position corresponding to a use state, that in the first cap-shaped applicator section a projection is provided axially congruent with an axis of the tube opening, when the applicator is in a first position the projection is located with a free end outside of the tube opening or outside of an area of the tube opening closed by a wall section and when the applicator is in a second position, the projection is moved into the tube opening by perforating the wall and connecting the tube opening with the applicator opening by means of a channel formed in the projection.

2. The tube package according to claim 1, wherein the first cap-shaped applicator section on the tube nipple is guided axially at least partially overlapping the nipple.

3. The tube package according to claim 2, wherein the tube nipple is provided on its outer surface with an outer thread and the cap-shaped applicator section is provided on its inner surface with an inner thread for engagement with an outer thread of the tube nipple.

4. The tube package according to claim 3, wherein in the first position of the applicator the threads are axially offset in relation to the axes of the applicator or of the tube nipple.

5. The tube package according to claim 1, further comprising means which prevent an inadvertent axial movement of the applicator from the first position in the direction of the second position.

6. The tube package according to claim 5, wherein the tube nipple is provided on its outer surface with an outer thread and the cap-shaped applicator section is provided on its inner surface with an inner thread for engagement with an outer thread of the tube nipple whereby the means comprise turns of the threads.

7. The tube package according to claim 1, wherein the applicator is held by locking onto the tube nipple.

8. The tube package according to claim 1, further comprising a closure cap fastened removably on the applicator by locking.

9. The tube package according to claim 8, wherein the closure cap is held so that it cannot be twisted on the applicator (3) or on an applicator section comprising the applicator opening.

10. The tube package according to claim 8, wherein the closure cap has an outer diameter which is equal or approximately equal to an outer diameter of the cap-shaped applicator section provided on the tube nipple.

11. The tube package according to claim 1, wherein the applicator is an injection molded part made of plastic.

12. The tube package according to claim 8, wherein the closure cap is an injection molded part made of plastic.