Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    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. 
         [0002]    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 
       [0003]    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. 
         [0004]    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. 
         [0005]    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 
         [0006]    The invention is described below in detail based on an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIGS. 1 and 2  respectively show in schematic exploded representations the elements of the tube package according to the invention; 
           [0008]      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 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  shows in a perspective representation and in rear view the closure cap of the tube package of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
           [0010]      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 
       [0011]    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. 
         [0012]    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 . 
         [0013]    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 . 
         [0014]    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 . 
         [0015]    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. 
         [0016]    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 . 
         [0017]    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. 
         [0018]    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 . 
         [0019]    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 . 
         [0020]    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. 
         [0021]    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. 
         [0022]    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 . 
         [0023]    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 . 
         [0024]    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 . 
         [0025]    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. 
         [0026]    The tube package  1  is suitable for medical and/or cosmetic products, in particular also for single-dose applications. 
         [0027]    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 
       [0000]    
       
           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

Technology Category: 7