Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
= CA 02914179 2015-12-04
TITLE OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] Sealable Packaging Device and Related Method
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is generally directed to a packaging device,
and more particularly
to a packaging device comprising a tube for receiving a product therein,
sealable by a foam plug.
[0003] Packaging products in some form of a collapsible tube or pouch is
common practice. For
example, topical formulations, e.g., gel, ointment, cream, shampoo and lotion,
pharmaceutical
products, cosmetic products and the like, are often packaged and sealed in a
form of collapsible tube
or pouch. Typically, the tube is filled with the product via an open end
thereof, the open end being
thereafter heat sealed with the product contained inside the tube.
[0004] One drawback of heat sealing the open end of the tube is that the
temperature at which
the opposing layers of the thermoplastic tube material, e.g., polyethylene
and/or polypropylene, are
sealed together is often too high for a heat sensitive product within the
tube. Thus, heating sealing
the tube may damage or degrade the product contained therein. One approach to
addressing this
drawback has been to form the tube of a material which can be heat sealed at
lower temperatures,
e.g., Surlyn Ionomer Resin, sold by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of
Wilmington,
Delaware, in order to mitigate damage or degradation of the product. However,
such materials are
often not chemically compatible with the product contained in the tube, or are
not recognized and/or
approved by the appropriate regulatory agency.
[0005] Therefore, it would be advantageous to manufacture an easily
sealable packaging device,
sealable in a manner that avoids damage or degradation to a product contained
within the package,
while also not running afoul of associated regulatory requirements.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Briefly stated, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a
packaging device. The
packaging device comprises an expandable and collapsible tube and a closed-
cell foam plug. The
tube includes a sidewall, a closed end and an open end, and is for receiving
product therein. The
foam plug is insertable in a compressed state at least partially into the open
end of the tube and is
then permitted to expand to close and seal the open end of the tube.
1
CA 02914179 2015-12-04
[0007] Another aspect of the invention is directed a packaging method
comprising the steps of:
(1) filling an expandable and collapsible tube with a product via an open end
of the tube, (2)
compressing a closed-cell foam plug, (3) inserting the compressed foam plug at
least partially into
the open end of the tube, and (4) sealing the open end of the tube by
permitting the foam plug to
expand to close and seal the open end of the tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of a preferred
embodiment of the invention, will be better understood when read in
conjunction with the appended
drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the
drawings an
embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however,
that the invention is
not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the
drawings:
[0009] Fig. 1A is an elevational view of a tube of a packaging device of
the present invention,
depicting the step of filling the tube with a product;
[0010] Fig. 1B is an elevational view of the tube of the packaging
device of Fig. 1A, and a foam
plug of the packaging device of the present invention in an original expanded
state, depicting the
step of compressing the foam plug into a temporary compressed state for
insertion into an open end
of the tube;
[0011] Fig. 1C is an elevational view of the foam plug of Fig. 1B in the
temporary compressed
state, depicting the step of inserting the plug into the tube; and
[0012] Fig. 1D is an elevational view of the foam plug after insertion into
open end of the tube,
depicting the step of the foam plug expanding and sealing the open end of the
tube.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0013] Certain terminology is used in the following description for
convenience only and is not
limiting. The words "lower," "bottom," "upper" and "top" designate directions
in the drawings to
which reference is made. The words "inwardly," "outwardly," "upwardly" and
"downwardly" refer
to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the
packaging device, and
designated parts thereof, in accordance with the present disclosure. Unless
specifically set forth
herein, the terms "a," "an" and "the" are not limited to one element, but
instead should be read as
meaning "at least one." The terminology includes the words noted above,
derivatives thereof and
words of similar import.
[0014] It should also be understood that the terms "about,"
"approximately," "generally,"
"substantially" and like terms, used herein when referring to a dimension or
characteristic of a
2
= CA 02914179 2015-12-04
component of the invention, indicate that the described
dimension/characteristic is not a strict
boundary or parameter and does not exclude minor variations therefrom that are
functionally
similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter
would include variations
that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g.,
rounding, measurement or
other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the
least significant digit.
[0015] Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals
indicate like elements
throughout, there is shown in Figs. 1A-1D a packaging device, generally
designated 10, according to
the present invention. The packaging device 10 is adapted for sealingly
packaging any of a
numerous variety of products, such as, for example, without limitation,
topical formulations, e.g.,
gel, oil, cream, shampoo, and lotion, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic
products and the like.
[0016] As shown in Figs. 1A-1D, the packaging device 10 comprises a
pouch or tube 12,
sealable by a foam plug 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the tube 12 is
generally cylindrical in
shape, for, example, without limitation, in the shape of a toothpaste tube,
having a sidewall 12a, a
closed end 12b connecting to the sidewall 12a at one end, and an opposing open
end 12c (prior to
sealing). However, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the
art, the tube 12 may
take the form of any of numerous different shapes, while having an opening
sufficient for inserting a
product into the tube 12.
[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the tube 12 is a flexible tube
that is expandable and
collapsible, defining an initial diameter DI in the collapsed state. The tube
12 is preferably formed
of a polymeric material that is substantially impermeable to direct light and
oxygen, in order to
minimize degradation or damage to a product packaged within the tube 12. For
example, the tube
12 may be formed of a thermoplastic material such as, for example, without
limitation, polyethylene
("PE") or polypropylene ("PP"). However, as should be understood by those of
ordinary skill in the
art, the tube 12 may be formed of any of numerous different materials,
currently known or that later
become known, providing generally the same properties for the tube 12 as
described herein.
Additionally, the tube 12 may be formed of a single layer of material, or
multiple laminated, or
otherwise bound layers, e.g., via intermediate copolymer layers. As also
should be understood, the
tube 12 may be appropriately sized for receiving the desired volume of
product, such as, for
example, without limitation, within the range of about 5 ml to about 200 ml.
[0018] Referring to the foam plug 14, the plug 14 is formed of a closed-
cell foam, such that the
plug 14 is substantially fluid, i.e., gas and liquid, impermeable as should be
understood by those of
ordinary skill in the art, and conformable, i.e., squeezable, from a naturally
expanded state (Fig. 1B)
to a temporarily compressed state (Fig. 1C). In the illustrated embodiment,
the foam plug 14 is
3
= CA 02914179 2015-12-04
cylindrical in shape, to correspond with the shape of the open end 12c of the
tube 12, as described
further below. However, as should be understood, the foam plug 14 may take the
form of any of
numerous different shapes, complimentary to the opening 12c of the tube 12. In
the expanded state,
as shown in Fig. 1B, the foam plug 14 defines a diameter D2 which is greater
than the inside
diameter DI of the open end 12c of the tube 12. The foam plug 14 is
compressible into the
temporary compressed state (Fig. 1C) to define a diameter D3 which is smaller
than the diameter DI
of the open end 12c of the tube 12, in order to insert the foam plug 14 into
the open end 12c of the
tube 12, as described further below.
[0019] The foam plug 14 is generally formed of the same or substantially
the same material as
the inner surface of the tube 12, thereby avoiding undesirable interaction
between the tube 12 and
the foam plug 14 when the plug 14 is inserted into the open end 12c of the
tube 12. For example, if
the inner surface of the tube 12 is formed of PE, then the foam plug 14 is
formed of PE, and if the
inner surface of the tube 12 is formed of PP, then the foam plug 14 is formed
of PP. Accordingly,
the tube 12 and the foam plug 14 have substantially the same melting point.
[0020] In use, the foam plug 14 is initially unattached from the tube 12,
and the tube 12 is filled
with a product via the open end 12c thereof, as shown in Fig. IA. Thereafter,
as shown in Figs. 1B
and 1C, the foam plug 14 is compressed into a compressed state, such that the
diameter D3 of the
plug 14 is at least slightly smaller than the diameter DI of the open end 12c
of the tube 12, and the
foam plug 14 is inserted at least partially into the open end 12c. Preferably,
the foam plug 14 is
inserted to a depth into the tube 12 at least equivalent to the diameter (or
width) D1 of the open end
12c to ensure an appropriate fluid-tight seal sufficiently resistant to
inadvertent opening. Once
inserted into the open end 12c of the tube 12, as shown in Fig. 1D, the foam
plug 14 naturally
returns to substantially the original expanded state thereof, thereby
elastically stretching the open
end 12c of the flexible tube 12 to define a diameter D4 of the open end 12c
substantially equivalent
to (but preferably at least slightly less than) the diameter D2 of the foam
plug 14 in the expanded
state. Thus, the plug 14 exerts a circumferential, radially outwardly directed
force onto the tube 12,
and the tube 12 exerts a circumferential, radially inwardly directed force
onto the plug 14, forming a
substantially fluid-tight compression seal between the open end 12c of the
tube 12 and foam plug
14.
[0021] For removing the product from the sealed packaging device 10, the
foam plug 14 must be
pulled out from the tube 12 with sufficient force to overcome the compressive
force between the
tube 12 and plug 14. Thereafter, the foam plug 14 may be compressed and re-
inserted into the tube
12 in the same manner as described above to re-seal the tube 12.
Alternatively, the foam plug 14
4
CA 02914179 2015-12-04
may be permanently sealed in the open end 12c of the tube 12 and the closed
end 12b of the tube 12
may contain, for example, a removable and resealable cap, to allow access to
the product.
[0022] In some embodiments, adhesive, or some other such material, may
be applied around the
exterior of the foam plug 14 prior to insertion into the tube 12, such that a
substantially fluid-tight
seal therebetween is formed both by the adhesive attachment of the plug 14 to
the tube 12 and the
compression seal. In some embodiments, the top portion 14a of the foam plug 14
that remains
external to the tube 12 after insertion of the plug 14 may also be heated to
sealingly join with the top
edge 12d of the open end 12c of the tube 12, thereby minimizing heat delivery
to the product
contained within the tube 12 and avoiding damage thereto.
[0023] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes
could be made to the
embodiment described above without departing from the broad inventive concept
thereof It is
understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular
embodiment disclosed, but
it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the
present disclosure as defined
by the appended claims.
5
