WO2003065842A2

WO2003065842A2 - Container with a revolving ball for the application of liquids and the method of producing same

Info

Publication number: WO2003065842A2
Application number: PCT/MX2003/000007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benjamín CONTRERAS HUERTA
Original assignee: Contreras Huerta Benjamin
Priority date: 2002-02-08
Filing date: 2003-02-07
Publication date: 2003-08-14
Also published as: WO2003065842A3; MXPA02001429A; AU2003208650A1; AU2003208650A8

Abstract

The invention relates to the production of a plastic container comprising a revolving ball which is used to apply various different liquids. The inventive container is characterised in that it is produced by means of extrusion blow moulding, which comprises the following steps: a) feeding the raw material into a hopper of the extruder; b) extruding and melting said raw material; c) shaping an extruded plastic tube in a continuous flux; d) inserting the extruded plastic tube into the mould, cutting said tube, moulding same using a blast of pressurised air and allowing a certain amount of time for the container to cool down inside said mould; e) releasing the container by opening the mould; f) cutting off the upper excess part in order to produce the support opening for the rotating ball; and g) leaving the container for 24 hours to allow full shrinkage thereof. According to the invention, the opening of the container comprises the following, in descending order from the upper part thereof: a straight peripheral wall having an upper projecting edge; a lower part that narrows in a diagonal manner; a straight lower wall forming the neck, the internal wall of which comprises a projecting rim that provides a hermetic seal between the container and the rotating ball; a diagonal expansion; the external neck section; and, finally, the neck of the container.

Description

PACK WITH ROTATING SPHERE FOR LIQUID APPLICATION AND PRODUCTION PROCESS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the plastics industry, in particular with the production of plastic containers of the type comprising a rotating spherical holder integrated to the same container for the application of various liquids such as deodorants and other industrial and cosmetic articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Until before the present invention, the cosmetics market had been using a container with a rotating sphere for the application of deodorant.

This design has existed in the market for approximately 30 years and consists of a mostly cylindrical container, which has a spherical holder in its upper part attached to the neck of this container. This attachment is the most delicate structure of these containers since their dimensions must be such that they allow the sphere to rotate with a certain "clearance", so that it only drags the necessary amount of liquid and not by jets or On the contrary, let it be dosed so much that it does not contribute anything.

The manufacturing process that at the time represented a success, over time two defects began to be observed, since on the one hand the sphere turned very tight or turned very loose generating problems for the same reason; in the first, not providing the desired amount of product, in the second, providing jets and sometimes product leakage.

This process was a worldwide innovation in the market since it combined the blow extrusion process with the injection extrusion process, to give a combined injection-blow process at the same time.

The equipment for the manufacture of these containers with rotating sphere to dose liquids and deodorants, were from the beginning very expensive and sophisticated, since combining these two processes in the same machine at the same time was a true technological achievement.

Parallel to this process, there have always been containers with a rotating sphere for deodorant that separately; on the one hand the container is blown and in another machine or another plant, the sphere holder is injected so that the laboratory that uses them for its antiperspirant product, assembles them and thus participate in the market. Therefore, in the market we find today, containers with rotating sphere for deodorants an titra nspiring in two fundamental presentations: The containers for deodorants obtained by the injection-blow extrusion process that has despite its sophisticated process and price, they suffer from a fundamental quality that the laboratories manufacturing cosmetic products have always sought; That is the tightness.

The other presentation that already existed before, which currently exists on the market and still consists of a container manufactured by the blow extrusion process and an insert or attachment to house and hold the sphere in the upper part of the container, manufactured by The injection extrusion process in another machine and probably in another plant assembled manually by the cosmetics manufacturer to offer the market a product that, although it works, does not guarantee tightness and aesthetics is very rustic.

In terms of costs, the injection-blow extrusion process is very expensive and sophisticated that requires qualified technicians for its operation in turn of large volumes to be profitable.

The damages of degree of coupling of the sphere is increased by effect of the dimensions of the spheres, because the spheres that exist in the market even when it is specified that of certain dimensions, can vary up to 3 or 4 thousandths

Another important point that can be highlighted in this process is that if the mold in some dimensions is mechanically restricted, it will be so for the entire life of the mold and therefore the package obtained is obtained defectively.

The injection-blow extrusion process to manufacture this type of packaging requires that the volumes of the lots to be manufactured be a minimum of 50,000 pieces to achieve a profit, in addition to requiring higher qualification techniques.

Given this problem and looking for business opportunity, it was thought to simplify the manufacture of these containers with rotating sphere in a single more economical process, which on the one hand used less sophisticated and less expensive equipment and on the other integrated the container with a sphere holder forming a single monolithic body, leaving aside the blow injection extrusion process, to break the paradigm that the great majority of manufacturers of these plastic items, held for 30 years.

Thoroughly analyzing the aforementioned aspects, it was thought about the possibility of manufacturing this same type of containers with a rotating sphere by the blow extrusion process to reduce costs; and making a comparison of equipment costs and of production, on the one hand the machine required for this blow extrusion process costs approximately 50% of the machine used for the injection-blow extrusion process and the mold costs approximately ten times less; but by the extrusion process it was almost impossible to achieve the packages with the required dimensions, especially because the parameters and variables such as temperature, cycles, type of material and its properties, weight of the container, contractions of the material after blowing, etc. ., are hardly controlled during the process.

So far there is therefore a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids that is obtained only by the blown extrusion process, which allows to significantly reduce the costs of production and therefore the container, based on the fact that in this process is difficult to obtain the container with the appropriate dimensions of diameters and thicknesses that allow the exact accommodation of the sphere and the flow of the liquid contained for its application in various media.

The appropriate dimensions of the. container and mainly of the neck and the mouth of accommodation of the sphere, are depending on the type of plastic material to be blown and its properties, the process temperature, the design and dimensions of the mold and other important factors that directly or indirectly influence in the manufacturing process and they are hardly controlled and standardized to achieve the objective, factors such as cycle, container weight, machine temperature profiles and blowing pressures

After multiple tests and a great investment of time, money and effort, it has been achieved. control these variables and therefore obtain a rotating sphere container for the application of liquids by means of the blown extrusion process.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to allow a rotating sphere container for the application of liquids, through a simple, economical and efficient process; that provides and guarantees tightness with adequate degree of fluidity of the product to be applied.

A further objective of the present innovation is that it allows the sphere to rotate more freely without spilling the product in excess, but only providing the necessary quantity.

Another objective of the present invention is to allow said container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, which also allows the production of small batches.

And all ^'those qualities and objectives that will become apparent performing a description of the present invention supported on the modalities You burnished. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention relates to a container with a rotating sphere for the application of liquids obtained by the blow extrusion process. Said container comprising a main body; an external threaded neck near the upper end for threading a cover; above this neck and integrated therewith, there is a mouth where a rotating dosing sphere is housed with clearance suitable for its function; It should not be too loose not to drip the product or too tight because it does not provide that product. It is the most delicate part of this container because of the dimensions it must have.

After multiple tests, the parameters to be controlled were found to be weight, cycle and temperature, which guarantee these important dimensions in order to obtain the exact final dimensions that on the one hand provide a tightness that prevents the spillage of liquid allowing a certain degree of fluidity for its application with the rotating sphere, and on the other a slack of the sphere, taking into account the variation in diameter of said sphere which is 2 thousandths on average.

Said mouth of the container is composed of a peripheral straight wall that superiorly comprises a radius-shaped edge that delimits and contains the sphere once placed, and inferiorly attacks in a gradual diagonal narrowing followed by a straight lower wall that generates the neck whose inner wall comprises a radius flange that grants the tightness between the container and the rotating sphere; after said straight wall a diagonal expansion is understood and then the outer rope section and the main body of the container are understood.

The tightness between the container and the sphere is allowed by the edge in the form of an upper radius and the flange in internal radius to the neck wall, said rotating sphere making contact only with these two elements without making contact with the upper straight wall .

The dimensions of the mouth and neck of the container are a function of the diameter of the rotating sphere. Various sizes of spheres are manufactured in the market, classified as small spheres, medium spheres and large spheres. The medium spheres that are the ones we use, at the same time there are 981, 991 and 997 thousandths. The variation in diameter of these spheres ranges from 2 to 3 thousandths on average.

With the blow extrusion process to obtain the rotating sphere container object of the present invention, this variation of sphere diameters can be easily absorbed, without affecting the degree of tightness and the movement of the rotating sphere in the container mouth For example, it was found that for a sphere with an external diameter of 24.9 mm, the mouth of the container comprises the following dimensions: the section of the peripheral upper straight wall has a length of 7.3 mm with an internal diameter of 26.24 mm, while the Radius-shaped edge greater than said wall has an internal diameter of 23.86 mm, while the lower diagonal narrowing comprises a drop angle of 42 ° and the straight section of the neck has a length of 4 mm whose flange in internal radius a the wall generates an internal diameter of 21.1 mm; meanwhile the diagonal expansion comprises an angle of 30 °; The wall thickness of the mouth and neck section of the container is 1.03 +.0.05 mm.

After multiple tests, the exact dimensions of the mold were determined that, considering the process conditions and properties of the raw material, allowed to obtain the package of the previous example with the dimensions indicated above.

Said mold comprising the lower section of the main body of the container and an immediate upper section where the recesses that give rise to the outer rope of the container itself are arranged, then a gradual diagonal narrowing is understood, after which a straight wall is comprised lower and a gradual diagonal expansion, followed by a straight upper wall with a curved termination that originates an angular rib, the which give rise to the mouth of the container; subsequently another straight wall is understood with a superior narrowing, ending in a last narrower upper straight wall that generates the entrance where the blowing means is coupled.

Said mold comprising internal dimensions in the upper section to the area where the recesses leading to the outer rope are arranged, such that the gradual diagonal narrowing has an angle of 30 ° and the lower straight wall has a diameter of 24.4 mm, while the gradual diagonal expansion comprises an angle of 42 ° that give rise to a diameter of the upper straight wall of 28.9 mm, and said angular rib generating a diameter of 25.5 mm which will give rise to the cut-off point of the container to generate the mouth of it; the upper sections of the mold will give rise to sections not used in the container but if required to achieve blowing the extruded tube, and which are subsequently cut and discarded.

For this type of rotating sphere container of the previous example, the weight should be 12.5 g with an oscillation of ± 3 g.

The raw material used in accordance with the present invention is high density polyethylene.

The blow extrusion process for manufacturing the container in accordance with the present invention, comprises the following Steps:

a) feed raw material into an extruder feed hopper, b) extrude and melt the raw material, c) form an extruded plastic tube, being continuously flowing, d) trap the extruded plastic tube with the mold, cut it and molding the extruded plastic tube with pressurized air blowing, and allowing time to cool the container inside the same mold, e) release the container, when opening the mold f) cut off the excess leftover to generate the clamping mouth of the rotating sphere, g) stand the container for 24 hours for complete contraction.

In the process of manufacturing said container, a temperature control is required, so that the three central zones of the extruder must be at an average temperature of 150 ° C, the feeding zone must have an average temperature of 130 ° C and The extruder head area must have an average temperature of 140 ° C. With an automatic temperature control system in a range of ± 2 ° C.

The process cycle for each container must be 11.7 seconds and the cooling time of the container in the mold must be 8.12 seconds, requiring a cooling system that maintains a constant temperature of 10 ° C with an oscillation of ± 1.5 ° C.

The raw material used in accordance with this Invention is high density polyethylene.

To better understand the characteristics of the invention, the present description is attached, as an integral part thereof, to the drawings with illustrative but not limitative character, which are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a side view of a container with rotating sphere of the prior art.

Figure 2 shows a conventional perspective of a tube of extruded plastic material from which the container object of the present invention is obtained.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a rotating sphere container in accordance with the present invention, after leaving the molding.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the finished container in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a conventional perspective view of the package shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section of the upper section of the container shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 shows a section of the mold for manufacturing the container shown in Figures 4 to 6.

For a better understanding of the invention, a detailed description of some of the modalities thereof will be shown, shown in the drawings which, for illustrative but non-limiting purposes, are attached to this description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The characteristic details of the rotating sphere container for the application of liquids and production processes of the present invention are clearly shown in the following description and in the accompanying illustrative drawings, the same reference signs being used to indicate the same parts.

Referring to Figure 1 showing a side view of a container with rotating sphere of the prior art. In this figure the container is obtained by the injection-blow extrusion process in which both the main body 2, the outer rope 3 and the housing mouth 4 of the rotating sphere 5 of the container 1 form a single monolithic body, the elements being upper of the mouth of accommodation 4 and the outer rope 3, obtained in a first phase consisting of injecting high density polyethylene (HDPE) generating a preform of the neck, so that in a second step that prefo.rma is blown to obtain the body main 2 of said container 1. In this process both the housing 4 of the rotating sphere 5, and the outer rope 3 are manufactured in the exact dimensions because the process allows it; but said process has a number of drawbacks that have already been described extensively in the background section of the invention,

With reference to Figure 2 showing a conventional perspective of a tube of extruded plastic material from which the container object of the present invention is obtained. In said figure the extruded plastic tube 6 has been obtained after extrusion. and melt the high density polyethylene and which will be placed in the mold to mold the container by air blowing and thus blowing, it is molded maintaining a sustained blow position of between 90 and 120 pounds for approximately eight seconds,

With reference to Figure 3 showing a side view of a rotating sphere container in accordance with the present invention, after exiting the molding. In said figure the package comprises a main body 7 with an outer cord 8 near the upper end for threading a lid, and inferiorly it can comprise a burr 9 of easy detachment generated by the mold; superior to said outer rope 8, a series of sections are understood which, after a cut, generate the mouth where a rotating sphere is housed.

Above said outer rope the container comprises a neck 10 generated by two bezels 11 and 12, above said neck 10 a straight wall section 13 with a narrowing 14 is indicated indicating the cut-off point to generate the mouth of the container ; Above it is another bezel 15 that generates a second neck 16 with a slight expansion 17 with an upper inlet opening 18 where air is blown into the interior.

The sections above the narrowing 14 that indicate the cut-off point are subsequently removed, said sections being used to blow the container and obtain the required dimensions of the mouth and neck thereof.

Referring to Figure 4 showing a side view of the finished container in accordance with the present invention. In said figure the upper sections have already been removed generating the mouth 19 of the container where the rotating sphere is snapped, said mouth 19 of the container is composed of part of the upper peripheral straight wall 13 which in its lower part comprises a narrowing diagonal 12 followed by a straight lower wall that generates the neck 10 whose inner wall comprises a radius flange (not shown) that grants the tightness between the container and the rotating sphere; subsequent to said neck 10, a diagonal expansion 11 is understood and then the outer rope section 8 and the main body 7 of the container are understood.

Referring to Figure 5 which shows a conventional perspective view of the package shown in Figure 4. In said figure the mouth 19 of the package internally comprises a radius flange 20 generated inside the neck section 10 (not shown) and in the upper part comprises a radius-shaped edge 21, so that the rotating sphere engages in said mouth 19 of the container making contact with said upper radius-shaped edge 11 and with said radius edge 20 of the interior of the neck 10 (not shown), without said sphere making contact with the section of the straight wall 13 of the mouth 19.

Referring to Figure 6 showing a longitudinal section of the upper section of the container shown in Figures 4 and 5. In said figure, the dimensions of the mouth 19 and neck 10 of the container are a function of the diameter of the rotating sphere 22 which in that case comprises an external diameter of 24.9 mm, so that the section of the peripheral upper straight wall 13 has a length of 7.3 mm with an internal diameter of 26.24 mm, while the section of the edge in the form of upper radius 21 has an internal diameter of 23.86 mm, while diagonal narrowing 12 comprises an angle of 42 ° and the straight section of neck 10 has a length of 4 mm whose flange in internal radius 20 generates an internal diameter of 21.1 mm; meanwhile the diagonal expansion 11 comprises an angle of 30 °.

The wall thickness of the mouth section 19 and neck 10 of the container is 1.03 +.0.05 mm.

The tightness between the container and the rotating sphere 22 is achieved by the edge in the form of an upper radius 21 and the inner radius flange 20 of the neck wall 10, said rotating sphere 22 making contact only with these two elements without making contact with the upper peripheral straight wall 13.

With reference to figure 7 showing a section of the mold for manufacturing the container shown in figures 4 to 6. In said figure the mold 23 comprises in ^' the upper section above the arrangement of the recesses that generate the rope in the container, a gradual diagonal narrowing 24 with an angle of 30 °, after which a straight bottom wall 25 of 4 mm in length and diameter of 24.4 mm is included, and a gradual diagonal expansion 26 with an angle of 42 ° which gives place at a diameter of

28.9 mm of the upper straight wall 27 whose length is 7.3 mm, with an angular rib 28 that generates a diameter of 25.5 mm, which indicates the cut-off point of the container to generate the mouth thereof. In the upper part of said mold elements 23, another straight wall 29 is included with a superior narrowing, ending in a last narrower upper straight wall 31 that generates the inlet 32 where it is coupled from the blowing means,

The invention has been described sufficiently so that a person with average knowledge in the field can reproduce and obtain the results that we mention in the present invention. However, any skilled person in the field of the technique that the present invention is competent may be able to to make modifications not described in the present application, however, if for the application of these modifications in a certain structure or in the manufacturing process thereof, the matter claimed in the following claims is required, said structures must be included within of the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS Having described the invention sufficiently, the contents of the following clauses are claimed as property.

1. Process for the manufacture of a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, characterized in that it consists of a blow extrusion process that includes the following steps: a) feed raw material into an extruder feed hopper, b) extrude and melt the raw material, c) form an extruded plastic tube, while it is continuously flowing, d) trap the extruded plastic tube with the mold, cut it and mold the extruded plastic tube with pressurized air blowing, and giving time to cool the container inside the same mold, e) I iberate the container, when opening the mold f) cover of the upper left over to generate the mouth of the rotating sphere, g) stand the container for 24 hours for contraction complete,

2. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, of the type that are constituted by a main body, a section of upper outer rope and a mouth of accommodation of the rotating sphere forming a single monolithic body, characterized in that said mouth is composed of a peripheral straight wall that superiorly comprises a radius-shaped edge that delimits and contains the sphere once placed, and then attacks in a gradual diagonal narrowing followed by a straight lower wall that generates the neck whose inner wall comprises a radius flange that grants the tightness between the container and the rotating sphere; after said straight wall a diagonal expansion is understood and then the outer rope section and the main body of the container are understood.

3. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 2, characterized in that the tightness between the container and the sphere is provided by the edge in the form of upper radius and the flange in internal radius to the neck wall , said rotating sphere being in contact only with these two elements without making contact with the upper straight wall.

4. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 2, characterized in that the section of the peripheral upper straight wall has a length of 7.3 mm with an internal diameter of 26.24 mm, while the edge in The upper radius of said wall has an internal diameter of 23.86 mm, while the lower diagonal narrowing comprises a drop angle of 42 ° and the straight section of the neck has a length of 4 mm whose flange in internal radius to the wall generates an internal diameter of 21.1 mm; meanwhile the diagonal expansion comprises an angle of 30 °.

5. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 2, characterized in that it is manufactured from a matter! High density polyethylene.

6. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 2, characterized in that the container has a wall thickness in the mouth and neck sections of 1.03

+ _ 0.05 mm.

7. Container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 2, characterized in that the weight of the container is 12.5 g with an oscillation of ± 3g.

8. Process for the manufacture of a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the three central zones of the extruder must be at an average temperature of 150 ° C, the feeding zone must have an average temperature of 130 ° C and the extruder head area must have an average temperature of 140 ° C; with an automatic temperature control system in a range of ± 2 ° C.

9. Process for the manufacture of a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the raw material is high density polyethylene.

10. Process for manufacturing a rotating sphere container for the application of liquids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the process cycle for each container must be 11.7 seconds.

11. Process for the manufacture of a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling time of the container in the mold must be 8.12 seconds, requiring a cooling system that maintains a constant temperature of 10 ° C with an oscillation of + 1.5 ° C.

12. Mold for the manufacture of a container with rotating sphere for the application of liquids, characterized in that it comprises in the upper section above the arrangement of the recesses that generate the rope in the container, the gradual diagonal narrowing has an angle of 30 ° and the lower straight wall has a diameter of 24.4 mm, while the gradual diagonal expansion comprises an angle of 42 ° which give rise to a diameter of the upper straight wall of 28.9 mm, and said angular rib generating a diameter of 25.5 mm which will give rise to the point of cut of the container to generate the mouth of the same; above said elements of said mold, another straight wall with an upper narrowing is understood to end in a last narrower upper straight wall that generates the inlet where the blowing means is coupled.