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  Tube with head made of multilayer materials and manufacturing processUSPTO Application #: 20060157502Title: Tube with head made of multilayer materials and manufacturing process Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tube head including the steps of using a co-injection head having an annular outlet and which can be supplied simultaneously with a thermoplastic structure material A and a thermoplastic barrier material B is disclosed. (end of abstract)
Agent: Dennison, Schultz, Dougherty & Macdonald - Alexandria, VA, US Inventors: Jean-Paul Meausoone, Michel Bosshardt, Roger La-Palus USPTO Applicaton #: 20060157502 - Class: 222092000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Dispensing, Collapsible Wall-type Container The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060157502. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a division of application Ser. No. 09/807,411 filed Oct. 9, 2001, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to the domain of plastic tubes, and particularly tubes with barrier properties, typically for toothpaste tubes. STATE OF THE ART [0003] European patent EP-B-0524 897 submitted in the name of the applicant discloses a process for the manufacture of tubes in which firstly, particularly in order to improve the barrier effect of tube heads, a separate single part or insert made of a 5-layer multilayer material PE/adh/EVOH/adh/PE is prepared by thermoforming, where "PE" denotes a polyethylene layer, "EVOH" denotes a vinyl ethylene alcohol copolymer layer with a barrier effect, "Adh" denotes an adhesive layer to assure cohesion between the PE and EVOH layers, [0004] A tube skirt and the said insert are then placed on a punch of an insert molding tool, the two being manufactured separately, and the PE head is then insert molded to obtain a tube as shown in FIG. 1. [0005] Documents AU-0545 604 and EP-A-0130 239 describe other processes for manufacturing tubes including the use of inserts, typically polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT) inserts made separately by molding. [0006] Finally, document BE-A-666 719 describes a tube in which the head comprises an insert in the form of a truncated cone made of a folded thin sheet of aluminum, as barrier material. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS [0007] Problems can arise with known tubes according to standard practice, as a result of using inserts made separately: [0008] firstly, separate manufacturing of an insert, particularly in the case of an insert with five layers as described in document EP EP-B-0524 897, is an additional operation, for which the manufacturing cost is additional to the cost of an identical tube without an insert, plus the assembly cost of the insert itself and the increased complexity of assembly machines, [0009] secondly, the inserts form barrier materials and therefore with a different nature from the PE. Since they are made separately, they add a non-negligible percentage to the weight of the tube, and insert materials (particularly PBT) are immiscible with PE which is the typical material used in tubes, introducing a problem with recycling the materials used in the tubes, [0010] finally, the inserts often create a barrier problem, either because the intrinsic barrier properties of the barrier material are inadequate, or because there is an excessive annular band at the connection zone between the skirt and the head. [0011] The heads and tubes according to the invention solve all these problems simultaneously. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0012] According to a first purpose of the invention, the plastic tube head, designed to be assembled with a skirt to form a tube, comprising a typically threaded orifice and a shoulder comprising an annular connection part to the said skirt, is characterized in that: [0013] a) the said head is formed by co-injection and comprises a multilayer material containing an internal layer, an external layer in structure material, typically a polyolefine, and at least one inner layer made of a thermoplastic barrier material, [0014] b) the said inner layer is encased by the said internal and external layers, including at the ends of the said head where the said internal and external layers are joined together in a polyolefine layer, the distances "e" and "e'" between each of the ends of the said inner layer and the corresponding end of the said head being between 0.02 mm and 5 mm and preferably less than 3 mm, such that the said inner layer made of a barrier material extends over the greatest possible height, while its ends remain encased or encapsulated by the junction of the said internal and external layers. [0015] The invention introduces a radical change in the design of the said head, firstly in the sense that the said internal layer is completely immersed and encased by a so-called structure material A, typically a polyolefine material--but it may also be another extrudable material such s a PET or a PA--without discontinuity or break in the material flow as is the case with the use of an insert according to the prior art, and secondly in that the said inner layer may be extended as far as required and as close as required to the ends of the said head, the only limit being that this layer is not in contact with the outside and remains encased by the structure material A. [0016] Since there are no inserts or add-on parts, the tube according to the invention has several important advantages for persons skilled in the art, concerning the cost, the compatibility of the head and skirt materials and therefore recycling, since a typical insert is made of PBT, a unique material that does not exist in the skirt, and the fact that the performance of the head can be adapted depending on needs, knowing that not all packaged products have the same requirements concerning impermeability of the head, and therefore that the nature of the barrier layer and its thickness can be varied to obtain tubes adapted to needs at minimum cost. [0017] Said barrier layer may be formed from one or more layers which overlap at least in part. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0018] FIGS. 1a and 1b are axial sectional views of a tube head 2 according to the state of the art provided with an insert 4. This head has an orifice 20 in which a thread 201 is formed, and a connection shoulder 21 to a skirt 3. [0019] FIG. 1a shows a view of a head 2 with its injection gate 26 at the exit from the insert molding station where the head 2 is molded on the skirt 3. [0020] FIG. 1b corresponds to the head of the tube 2 in FIG. 1a after the injection gate 26 has been eliminated and after the orifice 200 has been formed. Continue reading... Full patent description for Tube with head made of multilayer materials and manufacturing process Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Tube with head made of multilayer materials and manufacturing process patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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