CN113490627B - Method for producing composite tank and composite tank produced by said method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for manufacturing and filling a composite tank (201), the method comprising: forming an end-to-end joint by bending a body blank (16) and bringing together two opposing edges of the body blank (16) forming the tubular body (203); sealing the joint by welding a sealing strip (214) over it to form the tundish (403; 503); sealing by attaching a top sealing member (227) across the top opening (211) The top opening (211); applying the top rim (223) to the tundish (403; 503) by welding an inserted portion of the top rim (223) to the inner surface of the tubular body (203); attaching the tundish (403; 503) Turn upside down and place the tundish (403; 503) on the conveyor belt (2a) with the top edge (223) resting on the conveyor belt (2a); fill the tundish (403; 503) through the bottom opening (213) ; sealing the bottom opening (213) of the tubular body (203) by attaching the bottom sealing member (215) across the bottom opening (213); turning the tundish (403; 503) over so that the top rim (223) is in an upwardly facing position ; attaching a reclosable cap (221) at the top end of said tubular body (203). The tundish is kept under a protective atmosphere from the filling of the tundish until the bottom opening (213) of the tubular body (203) has been sealed. Also disclosed is an assembly line (1) for manufacturing and filling composite tanks (201).

Description

Method for producing composite tank and composite tank produced by said method

technical field

The present disclosure relates to a method for making a composite can and packaging dry or wet goods in the composite can. Composite cans as disclosed herein comprise a paperboard body made from a paperboard-based laminate which, in addition to a paperboard core layer, may also include one or more outer polymer layers and layers such as aluminum layer of metal foil. In addition, composite cans include additional can components such as a top sealing member, a bottom sealing member, a top rim, a reclosable lid, and optionally a bottom rim.

Background technique

Composite paperboard based cans for packaging moisture and air sensitive particulate or granular items such as baby food, coffee, tea, cereals, tobacco etc. are well known in the art. In the field of packaged consumer goods, and especially consumer goods packaged in relatively rigid composite cans that serve as protective shipping and storage containers at the retail end and as storage and dispensing containers at the consumer end, composite The different functions of the tank may lead to conflicting requirements in its design. For economical and environmental reasons, the amount of material required to produce a composite tank should be as small as possible, while still providing the composite tank with sufficient stiffness and form stability. At the retail end, it is desirable for composite cans to allow efficient and space-saving transport and storage and to be stackable.

Paperboard based cans generally suffer from low dimensional stability of the paperboard body, which has proven to be a particular problem during manufacture and filling of the can before final sealing of the can. While providing adequate dimensional stability and protection of packaged goods in filled and fully assembled composite cans, relatively thin paperboard The subject material may be damaged. Intrinsic tension in the cardboard material can cause tubular bodies formed from rectangular cardboard blanks to deviate from the intended body shape, making it difficult to process the tubular bodies at high speeds in manufacturing machines. Tubular bodies that deviate from their intended shape are more likely to be damaged by grippers, conveyor belts, and other equipment in the manufacturing line. Such damage may lead to an undesirably high scrap rate, since the damaged tubular body will have to be discarded. For example, tubular bodies transported on a conveyor belt may accumulate on the conveyor belt as a dense series of tubular bodies pressed against each other, causing the tubular bodies to exhibit a shortened extension in the direction of transport and a The deformed configuration of the increased extension of the direction. A tubular body deformed in this manner may become jammed in the machine or may be difficult to grip and reposition with grippers. Additionally, it may be difficult to attach elements such as top sealing members, bottom sealing members, plastic rims, etc. without damaging the exposed end edges of the tubular body. In order to minimize the risk of deformation or damage to the tubular body during manufacture, it may be necessary to reduce the speed of manufacture, which may result in a less efficient production of composite tanks than is preferred.

Accordingly, there is a need for a low-cost, high-speed production process for composite tanks made from commonly available materials that can be run with minimal waste in the production line.

It is an object of the present disclosure to overcome or ameliorate at least one disadvantage of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

Contents of the invention

The above objects are achieved by a method according to claim 1 and an assembly line according to claim 10 . Further embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.

As set forth herein, there is provided a method for making a composite tank and packaging dry or wet goods in the composite tank, the method comprising:

- picking a body blank from the pile of body blanks and transferring said body blank to a body forming station;

- forming a tubular body by bending said body blank and bringing together two opposite edges of said body blank into an end-to-end joint extending in the height direction of said tubular body;

- sealing said joint by welding a sealing strip covering said joint on the inner surface of said tubular body, forming a tundish;

- transfer of said tundish to a top sealing station;

- sealing the top opening at the top end of said tubular body by welding a peripheral flange of a top sealing member to said inner surface of said tubular body at a distance from the top end edge of said tubular body;

- transfer of said tundish to a top edge application station;

- applying the top rim to the tundish by inserting at least a lower portion of the top rim into the top opening above the top sealing member;

- welding said insertion portion of said top rim to said inner surface of said tubular body;

- transferring the tundish to a conveyor belt and placing the tundish on the conveyor belt such that the top edge rests on the conveyor belt and the bottom opening at the bottom end of the tubular body is vertical direction upwards;

- transfer of said tundish to a filling unit;

- filling said tundish with said dry or wet goods through said bottom opening of said tubular body;

- subjecting said tundish to a protective atmosphere during said filling of said tundish, or by introducing said filled tundish into a vacuum chamber to evacuate air;

- transferring said filled tundish to a sealing unit, said filled tundish being delivered to said sealing unit in a closed delivery system while maintaining said protective atmosphere;

- sealing said bottom opening of said tubular body by welding a peripheral flange of a bottom sealing member to said inner surface of said tubular body at a distance from the bottom end edge of said tubular body, said bottom The sealing of the opening is carried out while maintaining said protective atmosphere;

- turning over said filled and bottom-sealed tundish so that the top end of said tubular body is in a vertically facing upward position and transferring said tundish to a lid attachment unit;

- attaching a reclosable cap at said top end of said tubular body, wherein an inner surface of said reclosable cap is in contact with an upper surface of said top rim.

The tundish is maintained in a protective atmosphere from the time the protective atmosphere is created in connection with the filling of the tundish until the bottom opening of the tubular body has been sealed. Thereby, air contact between the filled items in the open intermediate container can be prohibited until the items have been securely closed in the composite tank. Another technical effect is that the atmosphere in the sealing station and sealing step can be extremely well controlled, since no air needs to be removed from the filled open container before sealing the container. This has been found to be a considerable advantage, as pressure differentials during the sealing step may adversely affect the sealing process by causing turbulence in the packaging material. This turbulence can cause powder material to become trapped in the seal and potentially compromise the tightness of the seal.

The method as disclosed herein may also include the steps of:

- transfer of said tundish to a top edge application station;

- applying the top rim to the tundish by inserting at least a lower portion of the top rim into the top opening above the top sealing member;

- welding said insertion portion of said top rim to said inner surface of said tubular body;

- transferring the tundish to a conveyor belt and placing the tundish on the conveyor belt such that the top edge rests on the conveyor belt and the bottom opening at the bottom end of the tubular body is vertical direction upwards;

Optional for composite cans where the top closure has a lid formed from a cardboard part.

As disclosed herein, the longitudinal axis of the tundish may be arranged in a generally vertical direction with the top end of the tubular body oriented vertically upward during transport of the tundish from the top sealing station to the top rim application station.

In the method as disclosed herein, during application and attachment of the top sealing member and top rim at the top opening of the tubular body, the top end edge of the tubular body is oriented vertically upwards and the bottom end edge of the tubular body Oriented vertically downwards. Thereafter, the tundish comprising the tubular body, top sealing member and top rim is turned upside down such that the top end edge is oriented vertically downward and the bottom end edge is vertically oriented upward. The tundish with the top rim attached can be inverted in the rim applicator or in conventional inversion equipment downstream of said rim applicator.

By attaching the top rim to the tubular body and turning the tundish upside down before conveying the tundish to the filling unit, the tundish will rest with the durable top rim on the conveyor belt during transfer to the filling unit.

By attaching the top seal member prior to filling the can, the risk of finding residues of packaging material outside the top seal member in the upper end of the can is eliminated, also eliminating particulate material contaminating the welding area and adversely affecting the top seal Risk to the quality of component seals.

The top rim is preferably a polymer part having a higher stiffness than the tubular body. The top edge can suitably be produced by injection moulding. The top edge helps shape and stabilize the flexible paperboard body and constitutes protection for the top edge of the tubular body. The top rim enables the container body wall to conform to the contour of the top rim and to have a desired predetermined stable shape.

The welded seal between the top rim and the tubular body may be formed by any suitable method such as high frequency induction welding. In order to achieve a tight seal, the welded seal is preferably a continuous sealing wall extending around the top opening to create a moisture-tight and preferably air-tight seal. In composite tanks produced according to methods as disclosed herein, high frequency induction welding is the preferred method for attaching tank components such as body weather strips, top and bottom rims, and top and bottom seal members.

By joining the top rim to the inner surface of the tubular body by means of welding it is possible to obtain a tighter and slimmer attachment of the top rim to the tubular body than using adhesive attachments previously more common in the art. As set forth herein, the welded top rim is preferably a plastic rim and is arranged to extend from the inner surface of the tubular body to the inner surface of the cap parallel to the material in the tubular body. The top edge is more rigid than the cardboard-based material in the tubular body and constitutes a shape-stable continuation or complement to the upper end of the tubular body and provides a first abutment surface which, when pressed against a movable The second abutment surface on the inner surface of the lid resists deformation when reclosing. Thereby, the composite can can be repeatedly opened and closed with high tightness even after the consumer opens the can for the first time and after breaking or removing the top sealing member.

Thus, the top rim constitutes a rigid and dimensionally stable part at the top end of the tubular body that can form a tight seal against the inner surface of the cap.

The top rim is preferably welded to the inner surface of the tubular body such that an upper portion of the top rim extends past the top edge of the tubular body.

The top rim may be a profiled element comprising a circumferential flange extending outwardly from the upper edge of the lower part of the top rim, said top rim being applied to the tundish by covering the upper end edge of the tubular body with the circumferential flange. The circumferential flange constitutes a rigid protection of the cardboard material in the top edge of the tubular body.

The top rim attached to the tubular body, with a portion of the top rim extending outwardly from the top opening in the tubular body in the height direction of the tubular body, forms a rigid, wear-resistant and dimensionally stable support which, after being turned over 180° After placing the tundishes upside down on the conveyor belt for transfer to the filling unit, the tundishes may rest on the support. The tundish can be formed into a dense queue or slide on a conveyor belt without causing deformation of the cardboard material in the tubular body or causing damage to the top edge of the tubular body.

The top rim may have any suitable cross-sectional profile as long as it can be fitted so that at least a portion of the top rim is inside the top opening. A lower portion of the top rim may have a different thickness than a different portion of the top rim. It may be preferred that no part of the top rim is arranged to extend downwards on the outer surface of the main body tube. A top rim having a generally I-shaped or L-shaped profile may be preferred because it can be easily inserted into the top opening and attached to the tubular body by welding and pressure application perpendicular to the inner surface of the tubular body of the inner surface.

As explained herein, the paperboard body is supported and protected by the top edge during subsequent process steps without risking damage to the exposed paperboard edges. The top rim provides support and protection for the tundish during process steps such as filling and sealing of the bottom opening, degassing, etc., which may be performed with the tundish resting on the top rim.

The top rim makes it possible to fill the container from the bottom end after the top sealing member has been applied at the top opening. If instead the top sealing member is applied after the composite tank has been filled with the contents in the form of granules or granules, the turbulence generated when the top sealing member is pushed into the container body may dislodge the contents of the granules or granules. Some fall out of the tubular body and end up falling in the space between the top seal member on the outside of the top seal member and the top edge of the tubular body. A user who opens a composite can and finds that the exposed top seal member is soiled with packaging material will often assume that the can is less hygienic than desired. Additionally, some of the packaging material may become trapped in the welded seal between the top seal member and the inner surface of the tubular body, making the seal less than desired and making it difficult to accurately control the strength of the seal .

Methods as disclosed herein may further comprise:

- applying a bottom rim to said bottom end of said bottom-sealed tundish;

- placing said bottom-sealed tundish on a conveyor belt on which said bottom rim rests during transfer of said tundish to said lid attachment unit.

The bottom rim is applied in the form of a closed ring which extends on a bottom ring plane and has an outer contour and an inner contour and has a height in a height direction perpendicular to the bottom ring plane. The bottom rim has an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion in a height direction of the bottom reinforcing rim. The bottom edge can be applied by:

- inserting said top rim portion of said bottom rim, and optionally also said lower rim portion of said bottom rim, into said tubular body at said bottom end edge, wherein said bottom reinforcing rim The lower end edge of the container body is outside or flush with the bottom end edge of the tubular body; and

- attaching the bottom rim to the inner surface of the tubular body, preferably by welding, such as by high frequency induction welding.

The advantages of providing a bottom rim to a composite tank are similar to those obtained with a top rim. In the tundish which has been filled from the bottom end and sealed with the bottom sealing member, the bottom rim enhances the shape stability at the bottom end of the tubular body, and the filled and bottom-sealed tundish is on the conveyor belt while standing on the bottom rim Protects the bottom end edge of the cardboard material in the tubular body from tearing in case of transport. In a fully assembled composite tank, the bottom lip continues as a support element that protects the cardboard material at the bottom end of the composite tank from moisture that may be present on the countertop or other surface on which the tank is placed by the user. The influence of gas. When stacking composite tanks on top of each other, the bottom rim may further form a rigid and dimensionally stable support element cooperating with a cooperating stacking element at the upper part of another composite tank.

After applying the bottom sealing member to the filled tundish, the sealed and filled tundish can be turned over 180° in the sealing unit or in a conventional turning device downstream of the sealing unit.

A method as disclosed herein may include simultaneously treating two or more tundishes, such as four tundishes, during one or more process steps, such as:

- sealing said top opening;

- applying said top edge;

- welding said top edge;

- turn the tundish 180°;

- filling said intermediate tank;

- sealing said bottom opening;

- turning the filled and bottom-sealed tundish 180°; and

- Attaching said reclosable lid.

Also disclosed herein is an assembly line for manufacturing composite tanks and filling dry or wet items in the composite tanks, eg, according to the method as disclosed herein. The assembly line includes a plurality of machine units connected by conveyor belts, wherein the machine units include:

- body forming station;

- padding unit;

- sealed unit; and

-Cover attachment unit.

In an assembly line as disclosed herein, a gas box may be arranged between the filling unit and the sealing unit.

The body forming unit of the assembly line may comprise:

- main body blank picking station;

- body forming station;

- top sealing station; and

- Top edge applying station.

The sealing unit of the assembly line may comprise a can sealing station and optionally a rim application station.

Any machine unit of the assembly line may be arranged at least partially in the outer housing. Additionally, any machine unit or part of a machine unit may be arranged to operate in a modified atmosphere (also referred to herein as a protective atmosphere) in an external enclosure. As disclosed herein, the sealing unit may be arranged in an outer housing and may be arranged to operate in a protective atmosphere in said outer housing. Furthermore, any canister applicator as disclosed herein may be at least partially disposed within the inner housing inside the outer housing.

Methods as disclosed herein may include a degassing step performed in conjunction with the filling step. The degassing step may include supplying a protective gas to the product stream during the filling step. The protective gas can be nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Protective gas can be blown into the dry or wet product stream during filling of the tundish before it reaches the inner compartment in the tundish.

As an alternative or in addition to this, the sealing of the bottom opening can be carried out in a protective atmosphere. When the product stream is treated with a protective gas during the filling step, the filled tundish is preferably conveyed to a closing step in a sealed unit while maintaining a protective atmosphere, for example by moving the tundish through a tunnel filled with protective gas . Alternatively, the filled tundish can be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, after which the filled tundish is subjected to a protective atmosphere and sealed.

The application of tank parts such as the top seal member, bottom seal member, top rim and bottom rim may be performed using an attachment unit comprising a welding unit, such as a high frequency induction welding unit, configured For fastening the components to the tubular body during the production of the composite tank. The welding unit may comprise an induction welding energy generator for softening or melting a weldable layer forming part of the tubular body and/or the applied tank part. The apparatus may further comprise a delivery mechanism configured to deliver the tundish flow to and from the attachment unit. The conveying mechanism may sequentially comprise an infeed arrangement, a main belt member and a movable gripping arrangement. The feeding arrangement may be configured to continuously transfer the tundishes one by one to the main conveyor member, and the gripping arrangement may be configured to transfer the tundishes from the main conveyor member to the welding unit. The plant may be arranged such that during normal operation of the plant the tundishes are lined up next to each other at the upstream side of the feed arrangement configured to increase each individual The feed speed of the tundishes, and thus increasing the distance between adjacent tundishes fed along the feed arrangement, separates adjacent tundishes from each other in the feed direction. The main conveyor member may be configured to operate at a delivery speed that approximately corresponds to, and is consistent with, the release speed of the tundish as it is delivered from the infeed arrangement, such that the Intermediate tanks are kept separate. The movable gripping arrangement may be configured to grip at least two tundishes, such as four tundishes, and transfer these simultaneously from the main conveyor member to an attachment unit, which is preferably configured to The tank parts are simultaneously fastened to each of the simultaneously transported intermediate tanks.

The feed arrangement may comprise a feed screw member provided with an increased pitch such that the feed rate of each individual tundish, and the adjacent intermediate The distance between the tanks increases correspondingly to the increased pitch. Such feed screw members create a defined distance between the tundishes, allowing controlled positioning and proper clamping of the tundishes.

The feed screw member allows a controlled feed rate at the inlet of the feed screw member. By adjusting this inlet speed relative to the speed at which the tundish is conveyed towards the feed screw member, for example by making the inlet speed only slightly lower than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt arranged to convey the tundish to the feed screw member, it is possible to prevent opening after filling The open tundish will approach and join the upstream series of tundishes more smoothly.

It may be preferred that the feed screw arrangement comprises two feed screw members arranged in parallel along each side of the tundish flow such that each tundish is arranged to operate cooperatively with each other. Conveying takes place between two feed screw members. This provides a firm feed grip of the tundish and reduces the risk of the tundish slipping through its space in the feed screw.

The main conveyor member may include a slide guide configured to support the tundish and allow the tundish to slide in a conveying direction while being transferred to the main conveyor member, and a load bar along the main conveyor member. The moving and conveying parts are distributed at defined distances in order to push the containers along the sliding guides. In this way, the tundishes are prevented from slipping relative to regularly moving parts, such as conveyor belts, which would lead to randomly varying distances between adjacent tundishes, causing problems in subsequent clamping steps. The use of sliding guides and carrying bars as explained herein further improves the positioning of the tundishes prior to clamping, since the distance between adjacent transported tundishes delivered to the clamping arrangement is predefined and not variable. changing.

The delivery mechanism may further comprise an inlet conveyor member configured to feed the containers to the infeed arrangement. The inlet conveyor member may be configured to operate at a delivery speed that approximately corresponds to an initial feed speed at the inlet side of the feed arrangement and is consistent with respect to said initial feed speed. This provides a smooth transition of the tundish between the inlet conveyor member and the infeed arrangement. Preferably, the inlet conveyor member also forms support for the tundish as it is fed along the infeed arrangement. The inlet conveyor member may be configured to allow the tundish to slide while being supported as its feed speed increases during feeding along the feeding arrangement. The inlet belt member may comprise an endless steel belt that conveys and supports the tundish.

The attachment unit may comprise at least two subunits, each subunit comprising a cavity adapted to receive at least one end portion of the intermediate tank to be fastened to tank components such as a top seal member, a bottom seal member or a rim, wherein such as The induction welding energy generator of the coil extends around the cavity so as to surround circumferentially the rim placed in the cavity along a distance corresponding to the circumferential edge of the tank part placed in its intended fastened position in the intermediate tank. Intermediate tanks, each unit further comprising tank part positioning means configured to position the tank part in a desired fastening position.

The positioning means may take the form of a pressing piston which positions the can part inside the tubular body of the intermediate can and thereafter expands radially to apply a radially outwardly directed pressing force on the inserted can part and press a portion of the can part against the inner surface of the tubular body. The tank part is held under pressure against the inner surface of the tubular body while the tank part is welded to the tubular body.

The positioning device may consist of two parts axially movable relative to each other:

-comprising a rigid material or a substrate consisting of a rigid material, and

- Elastically deformable piston skirt.

The axial movement between the two parts of the positioning device can be accomplished by means of a first piston and a second piston, which extend in the axial direction, wherein the second piston is the same as the first piston. axis. The base plate is connected to the end portion of the first piston such that the covering surface of the base plate is perpendicular to the axial direction. A piston skirt is connected to the end portion of the second piston. The first piston and the second piston are configured to be axially displaceable synchronously with each other and independently of each other. The end portion of the second piston is configured to be closer to the end portion of the first piston when the piston skirt is in the expanded state than in the non-expanded state.

When the can part is inserted into the tubular body at the attachment site, the first piston and the second piston are axially displaced synchronously with each other, ie move together as a single unit. When transitioning the piston skirt to the expanded state, the first piston and the second piston are displaced independently of each other such that the second piston is displaced relative to the first piston in the axial direction. Thereby, the piston skirt is pressed down on the base plate and flattened, so that the outer periphery of the piston skirt assumes an expanded state. The elastically deformable piston skirt automatically returns to the non-expanded state once the pressure exerted from the first and second pistons on the piston skirt ceases after application of the container element at the desired location inside the container body.

The base plate has a cover surface with a peripheral edge including a plurality of side edge portions connected by corner portions. The piston skirt covers a surface of the base plate opposite the covering surface.

As set forth herein, the piston skirt is transitionable between a non-expanded state and an expanded state. The piston skirt has a peripheral portion located at the circumferential edge of the covering surface of the base plate in the non-expanded state and at least partially outside of the circumferential edge of the covering surface of the base plate in the expanded state.

The outer periphery of the piston skirt preferably has a shape corresponding to the shape of the peripheral edge of the covering surface in the non-expanded state.

At least one of the side edge portions of the peripheral edge of the base plate may include a curved section that is curved in an inward direction from the peripheral edge of the covering surface, and at least one of the outer peripheral portions of the piston skirt corresponds to The side portion of the piston skirt may include a curved section that curves in an inward direction from an outer peripheral portion of the piston skirt.

The piston skirt is arranged on top of the base plate so as to cover an upper surface of the base plate opposite the covering surface. When the piston skirt is in the non-expanded state, it will not contact the can part or at least not exert any force on the can part during insertion of the can part into the attached position inside the tubular body. When the can part has reached the attachment position, the piston skirt is expanded in radial direction, thereby pressing the edge portion of the can part circumferentially against the inner surface of the tubular body. In this expanded state of the piston skirt, the cross-sectional area defined by the outer periphery of the piston skirt is larger than in the non-expanded state of the piston skirt.

By providing at least one curved section of the circumferential edge of the covering surface of the base plate and a corresponding at least one curved section of the outer periphery of the piston skirt, the impact of the positioning unit on the upper edge of the tubular body when inserting the tank part can be greatly reduced or eliminated And thus the risk of damaging the tubular wall of the tubular body.

During the transition to the expanded state, the piston skirt will be flattened and any one or more inwardly curved segments will simultaneously straighten, at least to the extent that the outer periphery of the piston skirt extends beyond the circumferential edge of the covering surface. Thus, by careful selection of the shape and/or material properties of the piston skirt in the non-expanded state, the desired shape change during transition can be obtained. The material for the piston skirt may be any useful elastically deformable wear and heat resistant material known in the art, such as natural or synthetic rubber materials, eg polyamide, polyurethane, polyester and the like.

A method as disclosed herein may be implemented at least in part using an apparatus having components as set forth above, and may include the following steps:

- continuous transfer of tundishes one by one from the infeed arrangement to the main conveyor member,

- transfer of tundishes from the main conveyor member to the attachment unit by means of a movable gripping arrangement,

- moving adjacent containers in the conveying direction by increasing the feed speed of each individual tundish along the infeed arrangement and thereby increasing the distance between adjacent tundishes fed along the infeed arrangement separated from each other,

- operating the main conveyor member at a delivery speed approximately corresponding to, and consistent with, the release speed of the tundish as it is being delivered from the infeed arrangement, such that the tundishes transferred to and along the main conveyor member remain separated ,

- gripping at least two tundishes by means of a movable gripping arrangement and transferring these tundishes simultaneously from the main conveyor member to the attachment unit, and

- Simultaneous fastening of tank parts to each of the simultaneously transported intermediate tanks.

The movable clamping arrangement may comprise a first clamping element and a second clamping element arranged to operate on opposite sides of the tundish flow, wherein the clamping elements are movable towards and away from each other to clamp and release accordingly tundishes, and wherein the gripping elements are movable in a synchronized manner along the tundish flow between the main conveyor member and the welding unit to transport two or more tundishes simultaneously, each gripping element being provided with at least two recesses, Such as four recesses to grip each side of a corresponding number of simultaneously gripped tundishes, wherein the distance between the recesses of the gripping elements is the same as the distance between the tundishes positioned on the main conveyor member during operation of the apparatus. correspond.

The movable gripping arrangement may be configured to grip four containers and transfer the four tundishes simultaneously from the main conveyor member to a welding unit configured to fasten the can parts to the four tundishes simultaneously each of the

The infeed arrangement may comprise a second movable gripping arrangement configured to grip at least two tundishes and to simultaneously remove these tundishes and an outlet conveyor member arranged downstream of the attachment unit. Transfer from the attachment unit to the exit conveyor belt member.

Sliding guides such as fixed slides may be arranged at the ends of the outlet conveyor members so that the tundish can slide on the slides from the outlet conveyor member to another conveyor member to convey the tundishes to subsequent machine units in the production line. Such slides reduce the feed speed of the tundishes and reduce the distance between said tundishes. Thus, the tundishes are again lined up continuously next to each other in the same way as at the upstream side of the feed arrangement.

As explained herein, the attachment unit may be arranged in the outer housing and a protective atmosphere may be created inside the outer housing. The outlet port of the tundish may be arranged in the outer housing, wherein the size of the opening is adapted to the size of the tundish being processed. The exit port may comprise a short tunnel arranged at the end of the exit conveyor member, wherein the slide plate forms the floor in the tunnel. The exit conveyor pushes the tundishes onto the stationary slides, creating a continuous flow of tundishes through the exit tunnel. Since the size of the outlet tunnel is adapted to the size of the intermediate tank, the tank fills the cross-section of the outlet tunnel, whereby the outlet port becomes relatively airtight during operation of the device without any need for additional equipment. Providing a fixed slide in the outlet tunnel ensures that the tundish always acts as a "plug" in the outlet tunnel and prevents the escape of protective gas and the ingress of air due to the outlet in the outer casing. In a corresponding manner, the shape and size of the inlet port with respect to the inlet tunnel into the outer casing can be adapted to the size and shape of the tundish produced on the assembly line as disclosed herein. However, since the inlet conveyor belt may already be arranged in a protective atmosphere, it is usually sufficient to arrange a reclosable hatch at the inlet to the attachment unit to allow the inlet port to be closed as required.

When transporting already filled but not yet sealed tundishes, it is desirable to maintain the protective atmosphere intact from where it was created until the bottom of the tundish has been closed over the filled contents. A protective atmosphere may have been created during the filling phase, eg by blowing protective gas into the material flow before the material reaches the tank. Alternatively, the filled tundish can be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, followed by subjecting the tank to a modified atmosphere and applying the bottom seal.

In all cases, the filled tanks were transported in a closed conveyor system to a sealed unit while maintaining a protective atmosphere. To ensure that no protective gas escapes at the interface between the transfer system and the tank sealing unit, tightly fitting inlet and outlet tunnels may be arranged at the inlet and outlet of the sealing unit, as disclosed herein.

Methods as disclosed herein may include applying a scoop in a compartment formed between the top sealing member and the reclosable lid. The scoop is preferably applied to the intermediate tank after filling and before attaching the reclosable lid at the top end of the tubular body. The scoop may be applied directly on the top sealing member, or may be placed in a scoop holder arranged above the top sealing member. The spoon holder may be formed as an integral part of the top rim, or may be a complementary part of the top rim. The spoon holder disposed on the top rim may include a scraper for smoothing scooped excess content from the head of the spoon. The spoon head and the spoon holder may have matching shapes such that the spoon may be placed with the spoon head fitting securely in the spoon holder with the spoon handle held in a generally horizontal position above the top sealing member. The spoon head and the spoon holder can be arranged such that the spoon head can be snapped into engagement with the spoon holder, for example by the spoon head being provided with one or more protruding elements, such as one or more bumps or ridges , the one or more protruding elements snap under the rim of the spoon holder when the spoon head is pressed into the spoon holder. The snap-fit engagement between the spoon head and the spoon holder ensures that the spoon remains firmly in the predetermined position in the spoon holder without rattling and once the user removes the top sealing member, the spoon handle does not will fall down into the contents of the composite tank.

The reclosable lid may have a spoon holder in the form of a clip disposed on an inner surface of the reclosable lid. A scoop holder on the inner surface of the reclosable lid may be provided as an alternative or in addition to the scoop holder on the top rim.

The spoons may be placed in the jar as is, or may be prepackaged in a hygienic wrap, such as a plastic bag.

The barrier properties of cans as disclosed herein can be designed to meet different tightness requirements depending on the items packaged in the can. By way of example, in tanks for dried peas, lower barrier levels may be acceptable than in tanks for eg infant formula, which is highly sensitive to oxygen and moisture exposure. Combination of an air-tight gasket seal between the upper edge of the top rim and the inner surface of the reclosable lid and an air-tight welded seal between the top rim and the inner surface of the tubular body after the top seal has been removed The component can then also provide the tank with excellent barrier properties.

Cans produced by methods as disclosed herein may preferably have barrier properties that remain largely unchanged even after breaking or removal of the top sealing member. In other words, the contents of a closed jar may be protected as well or nearly as well whether the top sealing member has been opened or not. This also means that the seal created between the reclosable lid and the top rim and the welded seal between the top rim and the inner surface of the can preferably have the same effect on the package contents as an unbroken top seal member. Barrier properties for horizontal protection.

As explained herein, the welding process, especially the high frequency induction welding process, provides a highly controlled way of creating a joint with a predetermined tightness between the top edge and the thermoplastic layer of cardboard-based material in the tubular body . by supplying energy to heat and locally soften or melt one or more thermoplastic components in the plastic rim and/or on the inner surface of the tubular body and by pressing the plastic rim and tubular body in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the tubular body Together to make the joint. The thermoplastic material used to create the weld seal may be provided by a plastic rim, a thermoplastic film or coating on the inner surface of the tubular body, or both a plastic rim and a thermoplastic film or coating on the inner surface of the tubular body. It may be preferred that the plastic rim is made of thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic rim may be produced by any suitable melt forming process known in the art, such as injection moulding. By controlling the amount of energy supplied, the pressure applied and the welding time, it is possible to adapt the welding process to the welding material and obtain a welded joint with the desired tightness. Thus, the welding process is accurate and predictable, and is an efficient way to produce a reliable seal with a predetermined tightness.

After filling the can with packaged product, the bottom end is closed to seal the product in the inner compartment of the can. As set forth herein, closure of the bottom end is performed by attaching a bottom sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body. The bottom sealing member is preferably attached a short distance inwardly from the bottom end edge of the tubular body to provide stackability and/or to facilitate application of the bottom rim at the bottom end of the tubular body. Insertion of the bottom seal member may create a pressure inside the sealed tundish slightly above ambient pressure. This overpressure has been found to cause a slight outward bulge in the top seal member. In double layer top seal members having a partially cut tear strip in the upper outer layer of the seal member, it has been found that a slight outward bulge in the top seal member helps to protrude the gripping end of the tear strip from the underlying layer. rise. In this way, it is easier to grip the gripping end, thereby helping to pull apart the top sealing member.

The bottom sealing member may be made of any suitable material, such as cardboard, plastic, metal and laminates of such materials, with cardboard based bottom sealing members generally being preferred. The cardboard-based bottom sealing member may be made of a laminate comprising a cardboard layer, a metal foil layer and a thermoplastic polymer layer disposed on the inner side of the cardboard layer facing the container body. At the inner surface, where the metal foil layer is disposed between the paperboard layer and the thermoplastic polymer layer. A further layer of thermoplastic polymer may be arranged at the outer surface of the paperboard layer. The bottom sealing member may be attached to the inner surface of the tubular body by welding, such as high frequency induction welding. The bottom sealing member is shaped by bending the peripheral edge portion outwardly from the plane of the bottom sealing member before or during insertion into the bottom opening to create a flange which is aligned with the inner surface of the tubular body and which may be welded to the tubular body. The inner surface of the body. The welded seal between the bottom sealing member and the container body wall is much less susceptible to contamination by packaging material than the welded seal between the top sealing member and the inner surface of the tubular body. A cardboard-based bottom sealing member is typically thicker and more compressible than a top sealing member, and it is easier to form a tight seal between the bottom sealing member and the tubular body. The amount of packaging material that may fall out of the tundish when inserting the bottom sealing member into the bottom opening is very small. Since the bottom sealing member will only be inserted a very small distance into the tubular body, the insertion step will cause only minimal turbulence at the surface of the packaging material. The amount of material lost during the sealing step is thus minimal. Any material that ends up sitting on the outside of the bottom seal member after the tundish has been closed and sealed can be easily removed and does not cause the fully assembled composite tank to look dirty.

Alternatively, the bottom end of the composite tank may be closed by any suitable method as known in the art, such as by folding and sealing the end portions of the container walls.

After sealing the bottom, and optionally attaching the bottom rim to the bottom end of the composite tank, the composite tank can be transferred to equipment such as yard marking units, weighing units, leaflet inserters, spoon inserters, etc. in a conventional manner.

The cover applying step of the method as disclosed herein may further comprise applying the frame structure by mechanically attaching the frame structure to the top rim. The mechanical connection between the top edge and the frame structure may be accomplished by providing mating profiles on the top edge and the frame structure. Such mating profiles preferably include snap-fit features such as interengaging ridges and tracks or protrusions and holes/cavities or the like.

The frame structure may be configured to cooperate with an insert cover or a hinged cover to maintain the cover in a closed position wherein the inner surface of the cover is in direct contact with the upper surface of the top rim. The frame structure can be applied together with the cover.

The attachment between the frame structure and the top edge may be achieved by forming a snap-in connection between the frame structure and the top edge.

The mechanical connection between the top edge and the frame structure is preferably irreversible meaning that, once established, the connection can only be broken by destroying or damaging the connected part.

The frame structure may form part of a cover part further comprising a cover part hingedly connected to the frame structure. The lid portion may be a complete lid, or may be only a portion of the lid which is assembled with one or more further lid portions to form the container lid. By way of example, the lid portion may be an outer lid portion that defines the shape and dimensions of that portion of the lid that is exposed to the exterior of the composite can and that is combined in the container lid with an inner lid portion, such as an inner sealing member, that The inner lid portion provides an abutment surface that cooperates with a corresponding abutment surface on the top rim to form a gasket seal between the lid and the top rim. The inner sealing member may take the form of a flat disk and may be made of cardboard, plastic or any suitable laminate, and may comprise resiliently compressible material, such as natural or synthetic foam, or may facilitate the lid to conform to the Other elastically compressible polymeric materials for a tight seal between the top edges. The inner sealing member may be attached to the outer cover portion by gluing or welding. However, it may be preferred that the inner sealing member is mechanically attached to the outer cover part, such as by snapping on the inner surface of the outer cover part into a groove extending along an edge of said outer cover part.

It may further be advantageous to attach the inner sealing member to the outer lid portion under tension, as it has been found that a tensioned inner lid portion has enhanced sealing capabilities.

When the lid portion constitutes a complete lid, it is the inner surface of the lid that forms the seal against the abutment surface of the top rim. The inner surface of the cover may be coated with an elastically compressible material at least in a region corresponding to the adjoining surface of the top rim, or may comprise a layer of elastic material on the inner surface of the cover.

By providing the lid, frame structure or lid part as separate parts from the top rim, these parts can be attached to the top rim after the tundish has been filled and the bottom end has been closed. The cover, frame structure or cover component may have a three-dimensionally formed shape, thereby having stacked features, decorative embossed elements, locking elements, and other distortions and irregularities. Additionally, the cover or cover portion may have a non-planar surface, such as a rounded surface or an irregularly shaped surface. All these three-dimensional features make intermediate composite tanks difficult to handle during bottom filling because the intermediate tank may not rest safely on the non-planar upper surface formed by the lid or lid components. Plastic parts with complex three-dimensional shapes are quite expensive to manufacture, and when transferring intermediate tanks between different processing stations, clamping and repositioning tanks, attaching tank parts, filling and closing tanks, it may be easy to damaged in the process. By applying the frame structure or lid parts after the cans are filled and closed, the number of cans that are damaged in the process and have to be discarded can be reduced. An upper closure comprising a lid and a two-part rim/frame construction as disclosed herein can be used to keep waste at lower levels than would be possible with a conventional one-part rim construction. The top rim as disclosed herein has a simple shape without protruding features that could be damaged during production and, as explained herein, can be used as a support for the tubular body during the manufacturing and filling process and strengthening elements. In an assembled composite can, the top lip helps stabilize and shape the paperboard-based body during shipping and storage.

After the inner packaging compartment in the tubular body has been filled with packaging product and the bottom end of the tubular body has been closed, the reclosable cap may be applied to the upper end of the tundish.

The reclosable lid may be a separate part of the composite can that is completely removable when the can is opened. Alternatively, the cover may be attached to the frame structure by means of hinges, as set forth herein. The hinge may be a living hinge, ie a bendable connection between the cover and the frame structure. The living hinge may be integral with the cover and/or frame structure, or may be a separately formed element attached to the cover and frame structure. Alternatively, the hinge may be a two-part hinge, wherein a first hinge part is arranged on the lid and a second hinge part is arranged on the frame structure. A two-part hinge configuration may alternatively be used to attach the lid directly to the top rim.

If the reclosable lid includes an outer portion and an inner sealing disc, the inner sealing disc is preferably attached to the outer portion of the reclosable lid portion before the reclosable lid or lid component is attached to the intermediate tank. part. Although less preferred, the inner sealing disc may alternatively be attached to the outer portion of the reclosable lid after the reclosable lid or lid component is attached to the tundish.

In composite tanks produced according to methods as disclosed herein, the inner contour of the top rim defines the shape and size of the entry opening, whereby the entry opening is smaller than the top opening of the tubular body. The opening area of the inlet opening is preferably 85% to 99% of the area of the top opening of the tubular body, such as 90% to 98% of the area of the top opening of the tubular body, or 94% to 97% of the area of the top opening of the tubular body. %. The top rim preferably builds as little as possible into the tank opening so that the size of the access opening is maximized. The slim top rim and large access opening allow easy access to the contents of the can and contribute to easy scooping or pouring of the contents from the can. The thin inner top rim minimizes the risk of particulate material adhering to the surface of the rim during scooping or pouring of the contents from the can or when moving or transferring the closed can between dispensing scenarios. A user who opens the can and reveals a dirty top rim will perceive the can as messy and less hygienic than desired. It is generally desirable to keep the packaged product away from the access opening, where it would be more exposed to contamination, since the packaged product would be more likely to come into contact with the hands of a person opening the can and removing the contents through the access opening. Contaminated contents of the can that adhere to the top rim may fall back into the can and, in turn, may contaminate the remaining contents of the can.

If the packaging can is provided with a frame structure mechanically connected to the top rim, it may be preferred that no part of the frame structure extends into the access opening and detracts from the area of the access opening. The frame structure may then be used to provide features such as lid hinges, mechanisms for retaining the lid in a closed position over the access opening, locking elements, stacking elements, and the like.

The top rim or frame structure may further be provided with means for retaining the lid in a closed position, wherein the inner surface of the lid is in direct contact with the upper edge of the top rim. As is known in the art, such mechanisms may consist of snap-lock elements including cooperating ridges and grooves on the rim or frame structure and on the cover, female/male locking elements, etc. . In addition to this, the closing arrangement on the composite tank preferably also comprises a locking arrangement.

The locking arrangement may comprise a first locking element arranged on the frame structure (if present), on the tubular body or the composite tank or on the top rim; and a second locking element, the second locking element Arranged on the jar lid. The first and second locking elements may be cooperating locking elements, such as female/male locking elements, including hooks arranged to interengage with ridges, hooks, tracks, holes, cavities, loops, etc. and other protrusions.

The locking arrangement may comprise at least one locking tab permanently engaged to the top rim or frame structure, such as at a front and/or side edge portion of the access opening of the tank. The locking tab has a free end portion extending in the height direction of the composite can towards the reclosable lid. The free end portion of the locking tab comprises a first locking element arranged to cooperate with a second locking element on the outer surface of the reclosable lid. Preferably, the locking tab has an extension in the height direction of the composite tank which allows the free end portion to reach a distance above the top portion of the outer lid surface so that the first locking element and the second locking element can Arranged to fit over the top portion of the outer lid surface at the edge of the reclosable lid. When the locking tab is in the closed position (in which the first and second locking elements engage each other), the cover and top rim or frame structure are securely clamped together and held under tension. The locking tab is preferably hingedly connected to the top rim or frame structure, preferably by means of a living hinge integrally formed with the top rim or frame structure and the locking tab.

The recessed gripping area may be arranged on the outer cover surface of the top part of the cover part. A recessed grip area is arranged at the free end portion of the locking tab and serves to provide access to the free end portion of the locking tab in a direction perpendicular to the height direction of the cover part. Thereby, the locking tab can be easily manipulated even if no part of the locking tab in the closed position extends beyond the outer cover surface of the top part of the cover part in the height direction of the cover part.

Alternatively, although generally less preferred, the locking arrangement may be provided by a locking tab or clasp closure that is removed from an edge on the cover, such as from the front of the cover. Extending towards the edge and including at least one locking element which is fastenable into or onto a corresponding locking element on the top edge or on the frame structure.

The locking element is preferably designed to allow repeated opening and closing of the locking arrangement. Manipulation of the locking arrangement may be facilitated by means of gripping means, such as finger grips, friction enhancing elements, pull tabs or the like.

One or more stacking members at the can opening may be arranged peripherally on the lid and/or on the frame structure connected to the top rim surrounding the access opening in the packaging can. The caps may be provided with cooperating stacking members disposed on the upper outer and inner lower surfaces of each cap, thereby enabling the caps to be used prior to application to the tundish, such as for use as disclosed herein. Stacked individually in the process of producing the cans. In a similar manner, cover parts comprising cover parts hingedly connected to the frame structure may be provided with cooperating stacking members, thereby enabling the cover parts to be individually stacked.

The stacking member at the can opening may take the form of a perimeter lug on the surface of the outer lid or on the top rim or on a frame structure connected to the top rim. When one can is stacked on top of another, the bottom edge or rim of the first can rests on the perimeter lugs.

A lid member of a composite can as disclosed herein has a transverse direction and a height direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, and includes a lid portion including a top portion and a sidewall portion and a frame structure. The top portion has an outer lid surface and an inner lid surface opposite the outer lid surface, and a peripheral edge surrounding the outer lid surface. The frame structure includes upper and lower parts in the height direction and has a lower edge surface. A stacking member may be arranged on the outer cover surface, the stacking member on the outer cover surface including a cover part stacking step and a can stacking step. The can stacking step includes a first support surface arranged at a first level lower than the highest level of the outer cover surface in the height direction of the cover member, and the cover member stacking step includes a first support surface , the first supporting surface is arranged at a second level lower than the highest level of the outer cover surface and lower than the first level in the height direction of the cover member. The lid stacking step is arranged on the peripheral edge of the outer lid surface outside the can stacking step in the lateral direction of the lid, and the frame structure is adapted to fit on and be supported by the lid stacking step. The tank stack step is adapted to receive and support the bottom edge of the composite tank.

The cover portion and frame structure of a cover component as disclosed herein may be completely separable parts, partially separable parts, or completely inseparable parts. In the case of a cover part with fully detachable parts, the parts are detachably and reclosably connected to one another in the closed configuration of the cover part. In a cover part with partially detachable parts, the parts are connected to each other by a hinge and can be moved between a closed configuration of the cover part and an open configuration of the cover part by pivoting about the hinge. A cover part having an inseparable part is a cover part in which the frame structure forms an integral continuation of the side wall part of the cover part.

As set forth herein, the bottom rim may be attached to the tubular body of the composite tank at the bottom end of the tubular body. In composite cans having a stacking step on the reclosable lid or on a lid part comprising a reclosable lid, the bottom edge is adapted to engage with the can stacking step on the top portion of the lid or lid portion. Stack cooperation.

In a composite tank as disclosed herein, the lower end surface of the bottom rim may be adapted for stacking cooperation with a first support surface of a tank stacking step, and the inner wall of the bottom rim may be adapted for cooperation with a second support surface of a tank stacking step Surfaces for stacking cooperation. When a second can as disclosed herein is stacked on a first can as disclosed herein, the lower end surface of the bottom rim of the second can rests on the first support surface of the can stacking step of the first can, And the second support surface of the can stacking step limits lateral movement of the second can relative to the first can.

As explained herein, the stacking member is arranged on the outer lid surface of the lid member and includes a lid member stacking step and a container stacking step, wherein the lid member stacking step is arranged laterally outside the can stacking step and is arranged on the Below the tank stack steps. By arranging the stacking member at the extreme edge of the cover part, the stacking member intrudes minimally into the top surface of the cover and most of the central area of the cover is available for display purposes, e.g. for conveying information, branding and/or for design Purpose. Since the stacking step is arranged at a level lower than the central area of the top surface of the cover part, the stacking step is unobtrusive, and the technical nature of its function as a stacking member is more likely to the end user of the composite tank. Not immediately obvious. Composite cans may be perceived as having a more attractive and "designer" appearance when the cans are placed where they can be seen, such as on a countertop in a user's home or on a shelf in a store, rather than Too have potentially beneficial technical properties.

When stacked together, the cover parts provided with the stacking steps as disclosed herein nest within each other so that the cover parts can be stacked in a space-saving yet efficient and stable manner, wherein each cover part is to the height of the stack Add less than the height of the cover part. Therefore, the combined height of the stacked cover parts is smaller than the sum of the individual heights of the cover parts. The space-saving stacked configuration is advantageous for transport and storage purposes and is advantageous during the production of composite tanks. The space-saving stacking makes the supply of cover parts more efficient during production, since the cassettes for cover parts can accommodate a greater number of cover parts and require less frequent refilling.

Thus, the double-step configuration of the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the lid member provides stable and efficient stacking of individual lid members as well as composite cans including the lid member. Providing separate stacking steps for the cover part and the composite tank on the outer surface of the cover part of the cover part makes it possible to size each stacking step and configure it to be optimal for a particular stacking purpose of.

The cover part of the cover part is provided with two distinct and unique stacking members arranged as two generally L-shaped stacking steps at the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface. The cover member stacking step is located outside the can stacking step as seen in the lateral direction of the cover member, and is located below the can stacking step as seen in the height direction. When the second cover part is stacked on the first cover part, the cover part stacking step of the first cover part cooperatively receives the lower part of the frame structure of the second cover part such that the lower part of the frame structure nests assembled on the stacked steps of the cover parts.

The lid stacking step and the can stacking step may each include a second support surface.

The second support surface of the cover part stacking step may be arranged to support the inner wall of the lower part of the frame structure, ie to support the second cover part in the lateral direction of the cover part. Thus, when the cover parts are stacked on each other on a horizontal surface, the first support surface and the second support surface may be arranged to bear forces in two substantially perpendicular directions corresponding to the vertical and horizontal directions.

The lid part stacking step and/or the can stacking step may comprise one or more interruptions, such as two interruptions, three interruptions or four interruptions. The interruptions may be arranged as a pair of interruptions at opposite locations along the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface, eg at opposite side portions of the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface. The interruption can be arranged only in the top part of the cover part or also in the frame structure of the cover part.

Disruptions in one or both of the stacking steps may be used to facilitate stacking of the secondary cover components when applying the cover components to the tundish in the production process for producing composite tanks as disclosed herein. A separation mechanism that holds and separates the individual cover parts in the body. Providing a separation mechanism is particularly useful when stacked cover parts fit snugly against each other with very thin split lines between the stacked cover parts. Although such tightly fitting lid parts form a compact stack with a smooth and regular shape (which is beneficial for storage and transport of the stacked lid parts and for handling the stack of lid parts in a packaging machine), it has been It was found that the lid parts tended to stick tightly together and were difficult to separate at the high speeds required in the production process. In addition to facilitating the separation of closely stacked cover parts by inserting the clamping member into the break, the break also resists the build-up of sub-atmospheric pressure in the space between the stacked cover parts because the break Acts as an air passage between the inside of the stack and the outside of the stack. The reduced air pressure in the interior space between the stacked cover parts creates a suction force that tends to hold the cover parts firmly together. Conversely, a higher pressure in the interior of the stack than its exterior may tend to reduce the stability of the stack by forcing the cover parts apart.

The stacking step may extend over a locking tab arranged at an edge of the lid, whereby the locking tab in the closed position forms a continuation of the side wall portion of the lid portion. At the same time, the portion of the stacking step arranged on the locking tab can contribute to improving the grippability of the locking tab and to facilitating the manipulation of the locking tab between the open position and the closed position.

The recessed gripping area may be arranged on the outer cover surface of the top part of the cover part. A recessed grip area is arranged at the free end portion of the locking tab and serves to protect the free end portion of the locking tab from inadvertent opening while providing access to the free end portion of the locking tab. Thereby, the locking tab can be easily manipulated even if no part of the locking tab in the closed position extends beyond the outer cover surface of the top part of the cover part in the height direction of the cover part.

As an alternative to continuous or discontinuous lugs or stacking steps arranged at the periphery of the outer lid surface, the stacking member at the can opening may be provided as two or more stacking members cooperating with a corresponding stacking member at the bottom of the can. Multiple support surfaces. The stacking member at the bottom of the can may be in the form of a downwardly extending bottom rim as set forth above, or may be a bump or bump that provides the desired spacing between the can bottom sealing member and the perimeter lug or other support surface. In other forms of protrusions, one or more stacking members at the bottom of a can rest on the perimeter ledge or other support surface when stacking one can on top of another.

The tubular body of a composite tank as disclosed herein may have four body wall portions; a front wall portion is arranged opposite a rear wall portion, and two opposing side wall portions extend between the front wall portion and the rear wall portion. The body wall sections are joined by curved corner sections, giving the can a soft, slightly rounded appearance. Furthermore, the shape of the body wall portions may deviate from a planar shape, with one or more of the body wall portions having an outward or inward curvature. When the tubular body has one or more outwardly curved body wall portions, the curvature of any such body wall portion is always less than the curvature of any curved corner portions, i.e. in the tubular body of a composite tank as disclosed herein. The radius of curvature of the corner portions is always smaller than any radius of curvature of the body wall portions. The transition between the corner portion and the body wall portion may be considered as a distinct change in curvature, or may be considered as a continuous change in curvature.

Alternatively, the tubular body may be manufactured without distinct body wall portions, and may have any suitable covering shape, such as circular, oval or elliptical.

In composite cans, there is a conflict between minimizing the amount of cardboard material used in the can and making the can rigid enough to avoid damage to the can or collapse of the can, for example during production or when stacked for transport and storage . It has been found that by bending all can walls outwards only slightly, the shape stability and rigidity of the composite can can be greatly improved compared to conventional packaging cans with planar walls. Therefore, the radius of curvature of the top and bottom end edges of the tubular body controlling the curvature of the wall portion is preferably selected such that the wall portion is provided with a nearly planar shape, thereby meaning that the wall portion can be perceived by the naked eye as being planar of.

The paperboard-based composite tanks as disclosed herein are used as protective shipping and storage tanks at the retail end and as storage and dispensing tanks at the consumer end. In addition to an openable and closeable lid, composite tanks are manufactured with a top sealing member attached inside the tubular body of the tank at a distance from the top edge of the tubular body. The top sealing member keeps the contents fresh and prevents contamination until the filled and sealed can is delivered to the consumer. Once the top sealing member has been broken or removed in order to gain access to the contents of the can, the ability of the can to protect the contents from adverse effects from the environment depends primarily on the reclosable lid forming a tight seal at the access opening of the can. Capability of closure. Composite cans for products such as infant formula, coffee, tea, cereal, etc. will typically hold more packaged product than will be used per dispense scenario. Therefore, it is desirable that the product remaining in the jar maintain characteristics, such as flavor, aroma, scoopability, vitamin content, color, etc.

As explained herein, by joining the top rim to the inner surface of the tubular body by means of welding, such as high frequency induction welding, it is possible to obtain an attachment with better sealing capabilities than is typically achievable with adhesive attachments. The welded top rim is preferably a plastic rim and connects the inner surface of the tubular body to the inner surface of the lid and helps create a continuous barrier between the tubular body and the lid. The weld seal forms a first seal between the top rim and the inner surface of the tubular body, and the contact surface of the top rim and the cover forms a second seal between the top rim and the cover. The first seal is a permanent seal that is always present and the second seal is an openable seal that is only effective when the lid is closed over the can access opening and the inner surface of the lid is pressed against the top rim.

The cap or cap part may be applied using a cap attachment unit, which is a device for automatically applying caps to tundishes. The cap attaching unit may include a rotatable unit including a cap holding member, a cap feeding unit, and a cap applying unit. The apparatus may further comprise an article application unit configured to apply a single additional article into the tundish, into a holder arranged on the top rim or on the inner side of the lid. Extra items can be spoons or other utensils, toys, booklets, etc. Alternatively, the article applicator may be provided as a separate device from the cover attachment unit.

After application of the lid (for example, in the form of lid parts), the assembled composite cans can be transferred in a conventional manner to further equipment in the packaging line, such as case packers, code markers, weighing cells, and stackers. The packaging line usually ends with a stacker.

definition

The cardboard-based sheet material used to form the tubular body and the base sealing member is mainly made of cellulose fibers or paper fibers forming the cardboard layers in the cardboard material. Paperboard plies can be single or multi-ply materials. The sheet material is a laminate comprising, in addition to the cardboard layer, at least one thermoplastic polymer layer in the form of a film or coating, and a metal foil layer, preferably an aluminum layer. The metal foil layer is covered by at least one polymer layer and is arranged at the surface of the sheet material that will form the inner surface of the composite tank, ie at the surface that will face the interior of the composite tank. The polymer layer may also be arranged at the surface of the sheet-form material which will form the outer surface of the composite container. In addition to the inner and optional outer polymer layers of polymer and metal foil, the sheet material may be coated, printed, embossed, etc. and may include fillers, pigments, binders, and Other known additives.

The term "tubular body" should be understood to mean any hollow tubular shape that a body blank assumes during manufacture and filling of a composite tank as disclosed herein, as well as the shape that the body assumes in the final assembled and filled composite tank. Thus, the tubular shape as used herein may be a cylindrical shape or any other useful cross-sectional shape, such as a square, rectangular or other polygonal cross-section or a modified polygonal cross-sectional shape with rounded corners. Tubular shape also includes any transient shape that a tubular body may assume during the manufacturing process. By way of example, the cross-section of the tubular body may initially exhibit a drop-shaped appearance with a distinct peak at the end-to-end junction between the edges of the body blank and a curved portion opposite the peak.

The term "tank component" as used herein refers to the tubular body of a composite tank, and any component intended to be attached to the tubular body so as to form an integral part of the composite tank as disclosed herein. Examples of tank components that may be part of a composite tank as disclosed herein are: tubular body, body seal, top seal member, bottom seal member, top rim, reclosable lid and frame structure, lid components, bottom Rims, spoon holders and spoons. Only the tubular body, body sealing strip, top sealing member, bottom sealing member, top rim and reclosable lid are essential components of a composite tank as disclosed herein.

The top and bottom sealing members are sheet-like components which are applied inside the tubular body of the composite tank such that they cover the cross-sectional area of the tubular body. The bottom seal member forms the bottom end closure of the composite tank and the top seal member forms the inner delivery seal of the composite tank. The top seal member is usually attached to the entry opening of the composite tank at a distance from the edge of the opening that is at least sufficient to allow the top rim to be attached over the top seal member and may also allow a spoon or other added item to be attached Received in the space between the top sealing member and the inner surface of the reclosable lid.

The top and bottom sealing members may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic film, aluminum foil, and laminates of such materials. Typically, the bottom sealing member is made from a laminate comprising a base layer of paperboard and a layer of aluminum foil on the side that will face the interior of the composite can. The bottom sealing member is typically coated with an outer layer of thermoplastic polymer material. The top sealing member is typically a flexible part made of a laminate of one or more layers of aluminum foil and an outer layer of thermoplastic polymer material. However, cardboard based top sealing members are also known in the art. The top sealing member is typically arranged to be partially or completely removed at the initial opening of the composite can and may be provided with opening mechanisms as known in the art, such as tear strips, grip tabs and the like.

The top and bottom rims are typically made of plastic material, such as a thermoformable plastic material, and are in the form of closed rings, the rims being applied to the inner surface of the tubular body of the composite tank, wherein at least a portion of the rims are welded to the tubular body of the inner surface. The plastic rim provides increased rigidity to the tubular body at its end edges. Preferably, the plastic rim is sufficiently elastically deformable that it can withstand lateral deformation without cracking or permanent deformation, for example when inserted into the tubular body or when exposed to accidental impact during use. The rim may also cover the end edges of the tubular body and may optionally extend onto the outer surface of the tubular body.

A "tundish" as referred to herein is a tank formed after bending a cardboard blank into a tubular shape and sealing the joined edges of the bent cardboard blank to form a tubular body. The treated tank remains an "intermediate tank" until the last component has been applied to complete the composite tank. Generally, the composite tank is fully assembled when the reclosable lid has been applied as the final component.

Composite cans as disclosed herein are cans for dry or wet goods (commonly referred to as "loose particles"). Such products are non-liquid, generally particulate materials that can be poured, scooped or removed from cans by hand. Canisters are generally disposable canisters intended to be discarded after their contents have been emptied.

"Particulate material" or "particulate article" should be broadly construed to include any material in the form of granules, granules, abrasive grains, plant debris, short fibers, flakes, seeds, nuggets, and the like. Particulate items suitable for packaging in composite cans as disclosed herein are typically flowable non-liquid items, allowing hand pouring, scooping, or removal of a desired amount of the item from the composite canister.

Composite cans as disclosed herein may be for food or consumable products such as infant formula, coffee, tea, rice, flour, sugar, rice, peas, soybeans, lentils, cereals, soup powder, custard powder, pasta, snacks, etc.). Alternatively, the packaged items may be non-food items such as tobacco, detergents, dishwashing liquids, fertilizers, chemicals, and the like.

By an openable or peelable top sealing member is meant a sealing member that can be completely or partially removed by the user in order to remove the seal by breaking the seal between the sealing member and the inner surface of the tubular body of the can, or by tearing or otherwise The means of breaking the seal member itself provides initial access to the interior compartment of the composite tank. The tearable sealing member may be provided with one or more predefined weakenings, such as perforations or cuts partially through the film, and may have a tear strip disposed therein to facilitate removal of the sealing member. The peelable top sealing member is typically provided with gripping tabs to facilitate initial separation from the inner surface of the tubular body and subsequent removal of the sealing member.

The top sealing member is preferably placed at a distance from the upper end edge of the tubular body of the composite tank, which allows the top rim to be attached to the inner surface of the tubular body between the top sealing member and the top end edge of the tubular body. Alternatively, the upwardly directed edge portion of the rupturable sealing membrane may extend into the welded joint between the top rim and the inner surface of the tubular body. The distance between the top sealing member and the top edge of the tubular body may be about 10 to 60 mm. If the top sealing member is placed at a distance of 30 to 60 mm from the top edge of the tubular body, the space above the top sealing member can be used to accommodate a spoon or other item provided with the packaged product. Examples of other items that may be provided are leaflets, coupons and/or clips, forks or other utensils.

The welded seal between the top rim and the inner surface of the tubular body is preferably a spill-tight seal, more preferably a moisture-tight seal and most preferably a gas-tight seal. A tank having a volume of approximately 1 liter may be considered gas impermeable if it provides an oxygen barrier of approximately 0.006 cc oxygen/24 hours or less at 23°C and 50% relative humidity.

Higher tightness of the composite can and any seals between elements of the can may be desirable when the packaged product is sensitive to moisture and/or to degradation if exposed to ambient air. It may also be desirable that the composite can be impermeable to aroma substances in order to preserve the flavor and aroma in the packaged item and to prevent the packaged product from absorbing flavor and aroma from outside the composite can. Thus, the composite tank can act as a barrier in both inward and outward directions.

By subjecting the fill items in the open tundish to a protective atmosphere in conjunction with the filling step, it is possible to minimize the amount of air trapped inside the tank when the bottom closure is applied. In addition, since a protective atmosphere is created between the filled tundish and the sealing station, the atmosphere during the sealing station and sealing step can be extremely well controlled as it does not need to be removed from the filled open container prior to sealing the container. Air. This has been found to be a considerable advantage, as pressure differentials during the sealing step may adversely affect the sealing process by causing turbulence in the packaging material. This turbulence can cause powder material to become trapped in the seal and potentially compromise the tightness of the seal.

Description of drawings

The invention will be further illustrated below by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an assembly line for producing and filling composite tanks;

Figure 2a shows an exploded view of a composite tank as disclosed herein;

Figure 2b shows a spoon and a stack of spoons;

Figure 3 shows the composite tank of Figure 2a with all components assembled;

Figure 4 shows a tank part applicator;

Figure 5 shows an attachment unit which may be part of the tank part applicator shown in Figure 4 in a first production stage;

Figure 6 shows the attachment unit of Figure 5 in a second production stage;

Figure 7 shows a transport plate with transport chambers; and

Figure 8 shows a positioning device.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, the present invention will be illustrated by way of examples. The examples are included to explain the principles of the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Details from two or more embodiments may be combined with each other.

Figure 1 shows an assembly line 1 that may be used to produce and fill composite tanks according to the method as disclosed herein. The assembly line 1 is configured for assembling composite tanks by forming a tubular body and attaching tank components to the tubular body in an intermediate tank flow. Figures 2a and 3 show an exemplary tank 101 that may be produced on the assembly line 1 of Figure 1 . It should be understood that the particular shape of the tank 101 shown in FIG. 3 should not be considered as limiting the invention, as the assembly line 1 is suitable for producing and filling tanks of any useful shape or size, and for producing tanks without such shapes. A composite tank of components that are disclosed herein as optional.

The shown assembly line 1 comprises a plurality of machine units 3-10 connected by conveyor belts 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d. Starting from assembly line 1 in order, the machine units are: body forming unit 3 , filling unit 4 , gas box 5 , sealing unit 6 , cleaning unit 8 , can turning unit 9 , spoon inserting unit 10 and lid attaching unit 7 . A further conveyor belt 2e is arranged at the end of the assembly line 1 and is arranged to convey the produced composite cans from the lid attachment unit 7 and further eg to a packaging facility (not shown).

The production of composite cans on the assembly line 1 is described below with reference to a single composite can. It will be appreciated that when the assembly line 1 is running, a plurality of composite cans are produced continuously and leave the lid attachment unit 7 at the end of the assembly line 1 . As set forth herein, a machine unit of the assembly line 1 , such as any tank part attachment unit, may be configured to process multiple tundishes, such as 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 tundishes, simultaneously. Exemplary tank part attachment units 405 , 406 are shown in FIGS. 5 , 6 and 7 .

The body forming unit 3 comprises: a body blank picking station 11 , a body forming station 12 , a top sealing station 13 and a top edge applying station 14 .

In the body blank picking station 11 a body blank 16 is picked from a stack of body blanks 16 and transferred to the body forming station 12 . In the body forming station 12, a tubular body is formed by bending the body blank 16 and bringing together two opposing edges of the body blank into an end-to-end joint (also referred to as a "butt joint"). As shown in Fig. 2a, the junction extends between the top end and the bottom end of the tubular body in the height direction H of the tubular body. The joint is then sealed by means of a sealing strip welded to the inner surface of the tubular body, thereby forming the tundish. The sealing strip and the inner surface of the tubular body form a weldable polymer layer on the adjoining surface. As disclosed herein, the sealing strip is preferably welded to the inner surface of the tubular body by means of high frequency induction welding.

After forming the tubular body and applying the sealing strip, the tundish is transported to a top sealing station 13 and the top opening is sealed by attaching a top sealing member across the top opening at the top end of the tubular body. The top seal member is attached by welding the peripheral flange of the top seal member to the inner surface of the tubular body. As disclosed herein, the top seal member is typically a flexible component made from a laminate of one or more layers of aluminum foil and an outer layer of thermoplastic polymer material, and is formed by drawing the edge portion of the top seal member from the plane of the top seal member to the The outer fold and fold into alignment with the inner surface of the tubular body creates a peripheral flange. The top sealing member is taken from a certain box not visible in Figure 1 and applied at a distance from the edge of the top opening to allow attachment of the top rim over the top sealing member. If the composite can includes a spoon, leaflet, or other supplementary item, the top seal member may be applied at a sufficient distance from the edge of the top opening to allow the item to be contained within the gap formed between the top seal member and the inner surface of the reclosable lid. in space.

The tundish with the applied top sealing member is then transported to a top rim application station 14 where the top rim is applied to the tundish by inserting at least the lower portion of the top rim into the top opening above the top sealing member . Preferably, the top rim is inserted into the tubular body such that the upper end edge of the top rim remains on the outside of the tubular body or is flush with the top edge of the tubular body, whereby the top rim protects the fragile Cardboard edges and form a rigid resting surface for the tundish.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the main body forming unit 3 is enclosed in an external case 20 . A can inversion arrangement may further be arranged inside the outer housing 20 such that the intermediate can with the top rim attached can be turned upside down directly after the rim has been applied. Alternatively, the tundish is turned in a conventional turning device arranged downstream of the top rim application station 14 . An example of conventional inversion equipment is shown by a can inversion unit 9 , which is located downstream of the body forming unit 2 . The can turning unit 9 operates by dumping the tundish on an inclined conveyor belt.

After applying the top rim and turning the tundish upside down, the tundish is transferred to the first conveyor belt 2a and placed with the top rim resting on the conveyor belt 2a with the bottom opening at the bottom end of the tubular body pointing upwards in the vertical direction square. The tundish is moved by the conveyor belt 2a to the filling unit 4 where it is filled with dry or wet goods through the bottom opening of the tubular body.

Then, while still resting on the top rim, the filled tundishes are moved by the second conveyor belt 2b to the gas box 5, where they are subjected to protective gas as they are moved through the gas box 5. deal with. The gas box 5 is an optional part of the process equipment for carrying out the method as disclosed herein, which part may be used, for example, when the packaged items are sensitive to oxygen and/or moisture. Additionally, creating a protective atmosphere for a filled tundish may be done by other means, as set forth herein. After leaving the gas box 5, the filled tundish is transported to the sealing unit 6 on the third conveyor belt 2c. The third conveyor belt 2c moves through the gas tunnel fitted tightly to the wall of the sealed unit 6 at the entrance into the sealed unit 6 in order to maintain the protective atmosphere created in the gas box 5 .

In the sealing unit 6, the bottom opening of the tubular body is sealed in the tank sealing station 21 by attaching the bottom sealing member across the bottom opening by placing the peripheral flange of the bottom sealing member at a distance from the bottom end edge of the tubular body. Welding to the inner surface of the tubular body at a certain distance is performed. Accordingly, the bottom sealing member is formed by folding the peripheral edge portion of the bottom sealing member into alignment with the inner wall of the tubular body in a manner corresponding to that of the top sealing member, and then welding the facing surfaces of the bottom sealing member and the tubular body to each other. apply. The sealing unit 6 preferably comprises a rim application station 22 for applying the bottom rim after the bottom sealing member has been inserted into the tubular body and welded in place. As disclosed herein, the application of the bottom rim is an optional operation that may be performed on the tundish.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the sealing unit 6 is enclosed in an outer housing 23 similarly to the outer housing 20 of the closed body forming unit 3 . By adjusting the size and shape of the inlet port 24 and outlet port 25 of the outer casing 23 according to the size and shape of the tundish produced on the assembly line 1, the ports 24, 25 can be passed through the tundish continuously through the ports 24, 25 during production. while remaining substantially sealed. Thus, it is possible to maintain a protective atmosphere inside the outer casing 23 during the bottom sealing operation.

After filling, bottom sealing and optional application of the bottom rim, the tundish is turned over again so that the top rim is in a vertically facing upward position.

Similar to the first inversion operation carried out after application of the top rim, the can inversion arrangement may be part of the sealing unit 6 so that the tundish can be inverted directly after bottom sealing and optional bottom rim application. In the assembly line 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the tundish is turned instead in a conventional turning unit 9 arranged downstream of the sealing unit 6 .

In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the cleaning unit 8 is arranged between the sealing unit 6 and the turning unit 9 . In the cleaning unit 8 , any product residues that may have fallen on the outside of the tundish during previous process steps are removed by means of pressurized air. The cleaning unit 8 is optional for an assembly line as disclosed herein, and may be particularly useful when the packaged item is a powder, or has small sized particles or particulate material containing debris that may cause dust.

As set forth herein, a spoon or other item may be placed over the top sealing member prior to final closing of the composite can by attaching the lid. As shown in FIG. 1 , the scoop insertion unit 10 and/or other item insertion unit may be arranged in the process line downstream of the location where the composite can has been turned over with the top end facing upwards. In the assembly line shown in FIG. 1 , the spoon insertion unit 10 is arranged behind the turning unit 9 .

After this, the filled and sealed tundish is conveyed on the conveyor belt 2d to the cap attachment unit 7, and the reclosable cap is attached at the top end of the tubular body so that the inner surface of the reclosable cap In direct contact with the upper surface of the top edge. As set forth herein, the reclosable lid may be applied as part of a lid component further comprising a frame structure. Preferably, the cover part is mechanically attached to the upper rim by a snap connection.

The assembly line may further include quality control equipment, and equipment for removing defective intermediate composite tanks and fully assembled composite tanks from the composite tank stream. Such quality control equipment may include inspection equipment for detecting defects of tundishes or machine failures during production, such as visual inspection means, an X-ray machine which may be arranged behind the lid attachment unit 7, etc. In addition, the quality control equipment may include a can rejection station, which is typically arranged behind one or more of the body forming unit 3, the filling unit 4, the sealing unit 6, the scoop insertion unit 10 and the lid attachment unit 7 to ensure that any defective composite tanks have been removed from the production line.

As disclosed herein, composite tanks are filled with dry or wet items in the form of granules or nuggets, granules, flakes, cereals, and the like. These items flow into the composite tank under the influence of gravity.

The composite tank 201 shown in FIGS. 2 a and 3 may be produced on the assembly line 1 in FIG. 1 and comprises a tubular body 203 having a tubular body wall 205 . The body wall 205 extends in the height direction H of the tank 201 from a bottom end edge 207 at the bottom end of the tubular body 203 to a top end edge 209 at the top end of the tubular body 203 . The tubular body 203 has a top opening 211 at a top end and a bottom opening 213 at a bottom end.

Bottom sealing member 215 is positioned at the bottom end of tubular body 203 and covers bottom opening 213 . As set forth herein, the tubular body 203 has been formed by merging the side edges of a body blank together end-to-end and sealing the joint with a sealing strip 214 .

The bottom end edge 207 is reinforced by a reinforced bottom edge 217 applied to the inner surface of the body wall 205 and/or the peripheral flange 216 of the bottom sealing member 215 between the bottom sealing member 215 and the bottom end edge 207 . In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom rim 217 has an outwardly directed flange 219 that covers the bottom end edge 207 of the tubular body 203 and forms the bottom edge of the tank 201 . The bottom rim 217 reinforces the bottom end edge 207, stabilizes the shape of the tubular body 203 and protects the bottom edge 207 from mechanical deformation. Bottom rim 217 also serves as a protective barrier against water and other fluids that may be present on the surface on which tank 201 is placed. The bottom rim 217 defines a downwardly open space between the bottom sealing member 215 and the bottom edge of the can 201, which can be used to accommodate other A stacked element at the upper end of the tank. The reinforced bottom rim 217 is an optional component of composite tanks as disclosed herein.

As an alternative to the bottom rim 217 shown, the bottom edge of the composite tank 201 may be formed by the rolled edge of the tubular body 203 or may be provided by a simple non-rolled joint between the bottom sealing member 215 and the tubular body 203 .

The composite tank 201 is provided with a closed arrangement comprising a cover 221 and a top rim 223 extending along the edge of the top opening 211 . Lid 221 includes an in-plane sealing disk 225 that seals against top rim 223 when composite can 201 is closed as shown in FIG. 3 . The canister 201 is further provided with a fully or partially removable top sealing member 227 which seals to the body wall 205 along the upwardly folded peripheral flange 218 .

The bottom rim 217 and the top rim 223 are made of plastic material, preferably thermoplastic material, and form a closed loop as shown in Fig. 2a.

The top rim 223 defines the perimeter of an entry opening that is smaller than the upper container body opening 211 as defined by the upper end edge 209 of the tubular body 203 .

As set forth herein, the top rim 223 is attached to the inner surface of the body wall 205 at the top opening 211 . The top rim 223 has an extension in the height direction H of the composite tank 201 , and has a lower rim portion facing the bottom sealing member 215 and an upper rim portion facing away from the bottom sealing member 215 . The top rim 223 extends around the entire perimeter of the top opening 211 . An upper part of the top rim 223 protrudes upwards above the top edge 209 in the height direction H, whereby a part of the top rim 223 is arranged above the top edge 209 in the height direction H of the composite tank 201 .

The top rim 223 is joined to the inner surface of the body wall 205 by means of a welded seal extending around the top opening 211 . The weld seal preferably extends continuously around the top opening 211 and is a spill-tight weld seal, but also preferably a moisture-tight weld seal, and most preferably a gas-tight weld seal.

As explained herein, the welded seal between the top rim 223 and the body wall 205 is formed by supplying energy to heat and locally soften or melt the coating in the top rim 223 and/or on the inner surface of the body wall 205. One or more thermoplastic components in the layer or film, and press the top edge 223 and the body wall 205 together in a direction perpendicular to the body wall 205 . Temperature and pressure can be controlled and adjusted to form a strong, tight seal without damaging the welded components. The thermoplastic material used to create the weld seal may be provided by a fully or partially thermoplastic top rim 223, a thermoplastic film or coating on the inner surface of the body wall 205, or a thermoplastic material in both the top rim 223 and the body wall 205 . The top rim 223 is preferably made of a thermoplastic material allowing it to be thermoformed, eg by injection moulding. The injection molding process can be used to form plastic parts with different polymer compositions in different parts of the plastic part. For example, the surface of the plastic top or bottom rim to be welded to the container body may be formed from a polymer composition having a lower softening and melting point than the rest of the rim. Additionally, the abutment surface on top edge 223 may be formed from a resilient thermoplastic polymer. As set forth herein, any suitable welding technique may be used, such as ultrasonic welding or high frequency induction welding, with high frequency induction welding being preferred.

The cover 221 is a molded part having a three-dimensional shape providing an upper outer surface of the cover 221 . The cover may have an inner surface including a pattern of reinforcing ribs. The composite tank shown in FIG. 2 a includes a flat sealing disc 225 applied to the inner surface of the lid 221 . The sealing disc 225 is arranged to seal against an upper portion of the top rim 223 when the composite tank 201 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 3 . Alternatively, the inner sealing surface of the cover may be integral with said cover. A further alternative for creating a sealed closure between the top rim 223 and the lid 221 is by placing a sealing ring on the inner surface of the lid 221, or by applying a sealing coating to selected portions of the inner surface of the lid. and/or top edge 223.

The cover 221 is connected to the frame structure 230 by a hinge 229 , the cover 221 and the frame structure 230 together forming a cover part 231 . Hinge 229 is a living hinge integrally formed with cover 221 and frame structure 230 as a flexible connection between cover 221 and frame structure 230 . As set forth herein, the hinges shown are used as non-limiting examples only, and it is understood that any other type of functional hinge may be used for the connection between the frame structure and the cover. Furthermore, the cover may be of the removable type without forming any permanent connection with the frame structure.

A frame structure 230 is applied to the composite tank 201 at the top edge 209 and is mechanically attached to the top rim 223 by a snap connection. The frame structure 230 is attached to the top rim 223 after the top rim 223 has been welded to the inner surface of the body wall 205 . The frame structure 230 is applied to the top edge 223 by pressing the frame structure 230 down onto the upper edge of the top edge 223 until the frame structure 230 is locked by means of mating snap-in features on the top edge 223 and the frame structure 230 at an appropriate position on the top edge 223 . When the frame structure 230 has been attached to the top edge 223 it can only be removed again by breaking or damaging the snap-in connection between the top edge 223 and the frame structure 230 .

The interior compartment 208 containing packaged items is defined by a top seal member 227 at the upper end of the tubular body 203 and a bottom seal member 215 at the bottom end of the tubular body 203 .

To access the packaged items in the interior compartment 208 for the first time, the user needs to open the lid 221 and expose the packaged items by removing the top sealing member 227 completely or partially. The top sealing member 227 may be arranged to be peeled away from the wall 205 of the tubular body 203, or may be arranged with means for breaking the top sealing member 227 such that it can be at least partially removed through the access opening. Such a mechanism may be in the form of one or more predefined weakenings, such as a perforation or cutout partially through the top seal member 227 . When the top sealing member 227 is of the tear-off type, a narrow edge portion of the top sealing member 227 may be left at the inner surface of the main body wall 205 . Any such residual portion of top seal member 227 preferably should not be so large that it extends into and confines the access opening defined by the inner perimeter of top rim 223 .

Once the top sealing member 227 has been removed, it is sufficient to open the lid 221 in order to gain access to the packaged items in the inner compartment 208 through the access opening. As can be seen in FIG. 2 a (which reveals the interior of the top rim 223 ), the area of the access opening is defined by the inner perimeter or contour of the top rim 223 . Since the top rim 223 is imposed on the inner surface of the body wall 205 and adds thickness to the body wall in an inward direction, the area of the access opening is always smaller than the area of the top opening 211 of the tubular body 203 .

When the composite tank 201 is opened, a desired amount of packaged goods can be removed from the composite tank 201 via the access opening by means of a spoon or by pouring. A scoop may preferably be provided with the composite jar 201 . The scoop may initially be placed on top sealing member 227, which may be removably attached to the inner surface of lid 221, which in the example shown in Figure 2a consists of a sealing disc 225. When placed on top sealing member 227, the scoop may be packaged in a protective wrap, such as a paper or plastic bag. Another alternative is to attach the scoop to the top rim 223 eg by placing the scoop head in a scoop holder 240 provided on the top rim 223 as shown in Fig. 2a. In the illustrated embodiment, the spoon holder 240 also acts as a scraper for smoothing scooped excess material from the spoon. An example of a spoon 280 having a spoon head 281 and a spoon handle 282 is shown in FIG. 2 b . In general, the spoons 280 inserted into the intermediate tank during manufacture of a composite tank as disclosed herein are arranged in a stack, for example arranged with the spoon heads 281 nested inside each other as shown in Figure 2b. To facilitate stacking of spoon 280 with planar handle 282 , the proximal end of handle 282 may be provided with a stack stabilizing arrangement 284 . The stack stabilizing arrangement 284 allows identical scoops 280 to be stacked inside each other and helps to keep the stack of scoops 283 together, thereby simplifying the storage and handling of the scoops 280 and loading the scoops into the scoop insert as shown in FIG. Unit 10.

Advantageously, the scoop heads 281 have a tapered shape to allow the scoops 280 to fit snugly inside each other in an efficient and space saving manner.

As an alternative to stacking spoons 280 by arranging spoon heads 281 and spoon handles 282 in the same direction, spoons 280 may be stacked in alternating opposite directions as is known in the art.

It should be understood that the spoon 280 shown in Figure 2b constitutes only one example of a suitable spoon configuration, and has a differently shaped spoon head, a differently shaped handle, different proportions between the spoon head and the handle, etc. Both spoons can be used in composite jars as disclosed herein. The spoon may further have provisions for additional stacking stability and/or for improved retention of the spoon 280 in the spoon holder. For example, the spoon head may include thin snap-in ridges for releasably locking the spoon head in a desired position in the spoon holder. This extra fastening element for the spoon head prevents the spoon head from inadvertently falling out of the spoon holder and also serves to prevent the spoon handle from drooping into the composite jar.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2a the top rim 223 on the composite tank 201 is directly attached to the inner surface of the main body wall 205, and the cover part 230 comprises a closure of the cover 221 and a frame structure 230 arranged between the cover 221 and the tubular A tight seal is provided between the bodies 203 . When the lid 221 is closed on the composite can 201 , the upper edge of the top rim 223 abuts against the sealing disc 225 and creates a seal between the top rim 223 and the lid 221 .

In order to keep the lid 221 fixed in the closed position between dispensing scenarios, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 a and 3 , the closing arrangement of the composite tank 201 may further comprise a locking arrangement 245 . The locking arrangement 245 may comprise first and second cooperating locking elements, for example female locking elements, such as grooves arranged on the cover 221 , and male locking elements, such as locking elements arranged on the frame structure 230 . Ribs on member 246. Locking member 246 is hingedly connected to frame structure 230 , such as by means of a living hinge 249 integrally formed with frame structure 230 and locking member 246 .

This type of locking arrangement 245 is closed by moving the locking member 246 upwards and inwards on the cover 221 to a position where the locking elements come into mating engagement. The locking arrangement 245 is opened by pulling the locking member 246 until the connection between the locking elements is released, and turning the locking member 246 downward at the hinge 249 . When the locking member 246 is in the closed position in which the first and second locking elements engage each other, the cover 221 and the frame structure 230 are securely clamped together whereby the top rim 223 abuts against the sealing disc 225 on the inner surface of the cover 221 , or tightly seal against a sealing ring or sealing surface arranged inside the cover 221 .

As best shown in FIG. 3 , the lid member 231 is provided with a lid member stacking step 251 and a can stacking step 252 . As shown, the stacking steps 251 , 252 may extend through the locking member 246 .

The cover member stacking step 251 is arranged so that the cover members 231 can be stacked on each other into a stack, which can be loaded into the cover attachment unit. Tank stacking steps 252 are arranged to enable composite tanks 201 to be stacked on top of each other.

A recessed gripping area 265 may be arranged at a free end portion of the locking member 246 in the cover 221 opposite the hinge 249 . Thus, the locking member 246 is easily accessible and protected from accidental release when in the closed position.

Composite tanks 201 as shown in FIGS. 2a and 3 may be produced and filled on an assembly line such as that shown in FIG. 1 .

As set forth herein, a composite tank as disclosed herein is produced in the following sequence: forming the tubular body; applying the top sealing member and top rim to the tubular body; turning the tubular body upside down; passing through the bottom opening of the tubular body with dry or Fill the tubular body with a wet item; close the bottom opening of the tubular body; optionally apply a bottom rim to the tubular body; turn the sealed can over so that the top sealing member faces upward again; and finally apply the cap or cap part to the tubular body the top of the body.

4 to 7 show equipment that may be used for applying can parts in the top sealing station 13 , top rim application station 14 , sealing unit 6 and bottom rim application station 22 of the assembly line 1 as shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to Figures 2a and 3, bottom seal member 215, bottom rim 217, top rim 223 and top seal member 227 are examples of tank components that may use the equipment of Figures 4-7.

Referring to FIG. 4 , there is shown a tank sealing unit 401 which may be the sealing unit 6 in FIG. 1 .

The intermediate tank 403 is conveyed in the direction of travel R past the tank sealing unit 401 . The conveying mechanism 402 comprises a feed arrangement 411 in the form of two feed screw members arranged at respective opposite sides of the tundish 403, only one of which is visible in FIG. 4 middle; main conveyor member 413; movable clamping arrangement 415; and outlet conveyor member 419. An outlet conveyor member 419 is arranged downstream of the can sealing unit 401 , and a fixed slide 421 is arranged at the outlet of the can sealing unit 401 downstream of the outlet conveyor member 419 . Further details of a useful delivery arrangement are described in WO 2013/009226 A1, to which bibliographic reference is made.

The can sealing station 405' is located downstream of the infeed arrangement 411 and the bottom rim application station 405" is located downstream of the can sealing station 405'. A movable clamping arrangement 415 moves the intermediate can 403 to the sealing station 405' where the bottom The sealing member 427 is attached as shown in Figure 8 by welding to the inside of the tubular body wall of the tundish 403. The tundish 403 then moves to the bottom rim application station 405", where, for example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 Bottom edge 417 is shown applied. As shown in FIGS. 4-6 , multiple bottom sealing members and bottom rims 417 may be attached to multiple corresponding intermediate tanks 403 simultaneously in order to increase the speed of operation of the tank sealing station 401 . In the illustrated embodiment, four bottom seal members and four rims are simultaneously attached to respective tundishes 403 . Alternatively, bottom seal members, rims, or other tank components as disclosed herein may be attached in any combination other than four (e.g., two, three, six, eight, or ten) simultaneously. connected, or can be attached sequentially to the tank.

The delivery mechanism 402 and can sealing station 401 may be housed in the outer housings 20, 23 as shown in FIG. 1 . The outer housing 20 , 23 is adapted to protect the can sealing station 401 and/or provide and maintain a protective atmosphere inside the can sealing station 401 . The protective gas may eg be nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

The degassing of the tundish can be performed simultaneously with the filling of the tundish in the filling unit 4 as shown in FIG. 1 . Degassing may include supplying a protective gas to the flow of material to be contained in the tank during filling. Protective gas can be blown into the material flow before the material reaches the tank. If the material has been treated with a protective gas during filling, the intermediate tank 403 is preferably conveyed to a tank part applicator, such as a tank sealing station 401 arranged downstream of the filling unit 4, while for example by moving the tank through a tank filled with A tunnel of protective gas (as shown by the covered conveyor belt 2c between the gas box 5 and the sealing unit 6 in Fig. 1) maintains a modified atmosphere. Alternatively, the filled intermediate tank 403 may be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, followed by subjecting the tank to a modified atmosphere and applying a bottom seal.

5 and 6 show an attachment unit 505 for attaching a tank part such as a bottom rim 517 to an intermediate tank 503 . The attachment unit 505 includes a holding device 523 , a supporting device 525 , a positioning device 528 and a transmission plate 529 .

An example of a transfer board 529 is shown in FIG. 7 . The transfer plate 529 extends in the following directions: a first direction x, which is parallel to the direction of travel R of the can part applicator of which the attachment unit 505 forms a part; and a second direction y, which is perpendicular in the first direction x. The transfer plate 529 includes a cavity portion 531 having at least one through transfer cavity 533 adapted to receive and hold a tank part during its transfer into alignment with the end of the intermediate tank 503, in this case Bottom edge 517 . The transfer cavity 533 has a first open area A ₁ and is sized and configured such that a tank part can fit into the transfer cavity 533 and be retained therein during transfer to the intermediate tank 503 .

As an alternative, especially when the can part is a sheet-like can part, such as a top sealing member or a bottom sealing member, the transfer plate 529 may be omitted so that the can part is placed directly on top of the holding device 523 .

In order to fit and hold the tank part in the transfer chamber 533, the shape of the transfer chamber 533 is made to correspond to the shape of the tank part.

Where the can part includes an edge portion that will be folded to create a peripheral flange before or during insertion of the can part into the can, as is the case in either the bottom seal member or the top seal member, the first portion of the transfer chamber 533 The open area A ₁ may be smaller than the surface area of the can part before folding. The area difference corresponds to the area of the part of the tank part forming the peripheral flange. Such folded flanges are typically strip-shaped and may have a width in the range of 1 to 10 mm, such as in the range of 2 to 5 mm. See Figure 8. Thus, a sheet can part, such as a folded peripheral flange on a top or bottom sealing member, can be produced by pressing the can part down through a transfer chamber 533 having a smaller cross-sectional area than the can part , thereby forcing the tank part to fold at the edge of the transfer chamber so as to be accommodated in the first opening area _A1 of the transfer chamber.

The walls of the transfer chamber 533 may comprise retaining elements 534 adapted to retain the tank part in the transfer chamber 533 . See Figure 7. Such retaining elements 534 are particularly useful for annular tank parts, such as top or bottom rims, that do not cover the first opening area A ₁ of the transfer chamber 533 . When the tank part is a sheet tank part, the holding element 534 may be omitted.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, there are four retaining elements 534, each adapted to retain a corresponding side of an annular tank part having a generally rectangular or square shape. In the embodiment shown, the retaining elements 534 are arranged such that they retain the tank part at the center of each side. It would be feasible to use one, two, three, four or more such retaining elements 534 . The retaining element 534 may be elastically compressible, eg due to material properties or biased by a spring. Alternatively or additionally, the tank part itself, such as the rim, may be elastically deformable eg due to material properties. The retaining element 534 can be used to compensate for tolerances with respect to the dimensions of the tank part and/or the transfer chamber 533 . In addition, the retaining element 534 may be used to temporarily press one or more sides of the tank part inwardly, so that the tank part presents a reduced cross-section, whereby said tank part will be easier to insert into the intermediate tank 503 . Thereby, the risk of the fragile cardboard edge of the tubular body of the tundish 503 being damaged during insertion of a rim type tank part can be eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

As shown in FIGS. 5 , 6 and 7 , the transfer plate 529 may include a cover portion 535 that is at least as large or substantially as large as the first opening area of the transfer cavity 533 . The cover part 535 is arranged adjacent to the cavity part 531 as seen in the second direction y. The cover part 535 has a minimum extension y ₁ in the second direction y that is at least 1.0 times, preferably at least 1.2 times, the maximum extension y ₂ of the area A ₁ of the transfer chamber 533 in the second direction y. times, more preferably at least 1.4 times. The use of a transfer plate with a cover portion 535 facilitates preventing excessive escape of protective gas from inside the tank part applicator when the tank part is placed in the transfer cavity 533 and delivered in alignment with the intermediate tank 503 . When the can part is instead a sheet part, it can be picked up by the suction means and placed in alignment with the opening in the intermediate tank 503 into which the sheet can part will be inserted. As explained herein, the transfer plate 529 can be omitted and the sheet can part can be placed directly on top of the holding device 523 . After application in the intermediate tank 503 , the sheet-like tank part covers the tank opening and prevents gas from escaping through the intermediate tank 503 . If the can part applicator is to be operated without a protective atmosphere or if some loss of protective gas can be tolerated, a transfer plate without a cover part can be used when applying the can part. In addition, the attachment unit 505 may include an inner housing 547 as indicated by a chain line in FIGS. 5 and 6 . The inner housing 547 is located inside the outer housings 20 , 23 as shown in FIG. 1 and is arranged to provide increased protection against escape of protective gas from the space above the positioning cavity 537 of the holding device 523 .

To facilitate placement of canister components into transfer cavities 533 of transfer plate 529 , notches 536 may be provided as shown in FIG. 7 . The notches 536 leave room for gripping members 544a , 544b , 544c , 544d arranged to move can parts from the cassette 543 into the transfer chamber 533 . See Figures 5 and 6. If holding elements 534 are provided in transfer plate 529 , the notches 536 are preferably positioned such that they do not interfere with holding elements 534 . Accordingly, notch 536 may be located in a corner of transfer cavity 533 . Such clamping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d and their corresponding notches 536 are particularly useful when the tank part forms a ring comprising an inner volume filled by a gas, such as air, such as a bottom rim or a top rim .

If the can part is a sealing member or lid, the can part may alternatively be placed into the transfer cavity 533 by a gripping mechanism, such as one or more suction cups. In this case, notch 536 may be omitted. However, suction cups are not suitable when the can part is of the ring type, such as a top rim or a bottom rim.

In the shown embodiment of the bottom edge application station 22 which may eg be an assembly line 1 as shown in FIG. 1 , there are four chamber sections 531 arranged in a row as seen in the first direction x. Each chamber portion 531 includes a respective transfer chamber 533 and is arranged with a respective respective cover portion 535 .

The holding means 523 holds the tundish 503 when the can part (shown as the bottom rim 517 ) is attached to the tundish 503 . The holding device 523 includes at least one through positioning cavity 537 , the positioning cavity has a second opening area A ₂ corresponding to the first opening area A ₁ of the transmission cavity 533 . The positioning cavity 537 is adapted to receive a portion of the intermediate tank 503 . If present, the size and shape of the cover portion 535 of the transmission plate 529 is selected such that the cover portion 535 can cover, or at least substantially cover, the second opening area A ₂ of the positioning cavity 537 .

The support means 525 are arranged to support the tundish 503 and to position the tundish 503 in the holding means 523 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , positioning means 528 are arranged to position the tank part in the intermediate tank 503 . Accordingly, the positioning means 528 is aligned with the positioning cavity 537 as seen in the vertical direction z. The positioning means 528 are vertically adjustable, allowing the tank part to be inserted into the intermediate tank 503 to the desired preselectable attachment position. As described herein with reference to FIG. 8 , the positioning means 528 can be caused to expand in the radial direction of the positioning cavity 537 and press the vertically extending portion of the can part in a direction towards the wall of the positioning cavity 537, whereby the can part is pressed against On the inside of the tubular wall of the intermediate tank 503 is placed in the positioning cavity 537 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment unit 505 is arranged to handle four tundishes 503 simultaneously. As seen in the first direction x of the attachment unit 505 , the transfer plate 529 includes four cavity portions 531 arranged in a row. In a corresponding manner, the holding device 523 includes four positioning cavities 537 , and the support device 525 is adapted to support four intermediate tanks 503 and position the intermediate tanks 503 in the corresponding positioning cavities 537 of the holding device 523 . Furthermore, the attachment unit 505 comprises four positioning means 528 which are aligned with the positioning cavities 537 such that each positioning means 528 is associated with a respective positioning cavity 537 . It will be appreciated that, as set forth herein, the attachment unit may be arranged for processing any suitable number of tundishes simultaneously.

The transfer plate 529 is movable between a first position shown in FIG. 5 and a second position shown in FIG. 6 . In the first position, the transfer plate 529 has been moved in the y-direction, so that the transfer chamber 533 has moved away from the holding device 523 . In this position, the transfer plate 529 is arranged to receive the tank part in the transfer cavity 533 . If the transfer plate 529 is provided with a cover portion 535 as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, then as shown in FIG. The second opening area A ₂ of the cavity 537 is positioned. As such, loss of protective gas through positioning cavity 537 may be minimized or preferably eliminated.

In the second position, as shown in FIG. 6 , the transfer plate 529 has moved in the y direction, whereby the transfer chamber 533 has been brought into contact with the positioning chamber 537 of the holding device 523 and the positioning device 528 arranged above the positioning chamber 537 alignment. When the transfer plate 529 is in the second position, the positioning device 528 can push the tank parts located in the transfer cavity into the intermediate tank. The transfer of tank parts, such as the bottom rim 517 shown in FIGS. Cavity 533 is pushed into intermediate tank 503 .

The holding device 523 may include a welding unit 539 as disclosed herein. The welding unit is preferably a high frequency induction welding unit and is arranged around the positioning cavity 537 . The welding unit 539 is adapted to weld the tank part to the intermediate tank 503 and comprises a coil extending around the positioning cavity 537 . As explained herein, since the positioning means 528 can be expanded in the radial direction of the positioning cavity 537 , it is possible to press the tank part against the welding unit 539 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bottom rim 517 or other can parts may be placed in the transfer cavity 533 of the transfer plate 529 by means of an optional can part supply 541 comprising at least one clamping unit 542 . A stack of can parts (eg, bottom rim 517 ) may be stored in box 543 . The number of stacks in the cassette 543 and the number of clamping units 542 corresponds to the number of transfer cavities 533 in the transfer plate 529 . The gripping unit 542 is able to grip a single tank part, here the bottom rim 517 , move it from the opening 545 in the cassette 543 and place said bottom rim in the corresponding transfer chamber 533 . As an example, four separate tank parts are clamped simultaneously. The clamping unit 542 includes four clamping members 544 a , 544 b , 544 c , 544 d that clamp the corners of the bottom edge 517 . The positions of the clamping members 544 a , 544 b , 544 c , 544 d correspond to the positions of the notches 536 of the transfer plate 529 . As explained herein, such gripping members 544a, 544b when the can part is not a sheet element, such as a bottom sealing member, an inner sealing member, or a top sealing member, but instead forms a ring, such as a top rim or a bottom rim , 544c, 544d and their corresponding notches 536 are particularly useful.

Figure 8 shows a positioning device 828 as disclosed herein. The positioning means 828 may be used as the positioning means 528 of the attachment unit 505 as shown in Figures 5 and 6, or may be used to position the tank part in any attachment unit for attaching the tank part inside the tubular tank body middle. Thus, the positioning device can be used to place the tank part in the tubular body with or without the use of a transfer plate.

FIG. 8 shows the top seal member 827 during placement in the tundish 803 . As can be obtained from FIG. 8 , the top sealing member 827 has a larger cross-sectional area than the inner cross-sectional area of the intermediate tank 803 . When placed in the middle tank 803 , the edge portion 833 of the top seal member 827 will fold upwards such that the edge portion conforms to the inner surface of the tank wall 805 . The illustrated top sealing member 827 is a foldable member such as a laminate of plastic film and aluminum foil, plastic film, sheet of paper, paper/plastic laminate, or the like. Can parts such as the top and bottom sealing members may alternatively be pre-formed with sealable edge portions extending perpendicular to the main plane of the can part. In this case, no folding of the edge portion is required when inserting the can part into the tubular can main body.

The positioning device 828 includes a base plate 849 comprising or consisting of a rigid material such as metal or composite material, and a piston skirt 851 comprising an elastically deformable material such as rubber or plastic. The piston skirt 851 is located on top of the base plate 849 such that it at least partially covers the upper surface of the base plate 849 , which is opposite the lower covering surface 853 of the base plate 849 .

During application of the tank part in the intermediate tank 803 , the cover surface 853 is configured to face the tank part, here the top sealing member 827 . The covering surface 853 of the substrate 849 has a peripheral edge 855 which in the example shown has a generally polygonal shape. However, it should be understood that the covering surface may have any other suitable shape suitable for the cross-sectional shape of the composite tank being produced. In the example shown, the generally polygonal shape is a generally square shape comprising four side edge portions connected by outwardly rounded corner portions. In the illustrated embodiment, each side edge portion is slightly curved inwardly. Thus, the peripheral edge 855 of the cover surface 853 of the base plate 849 having inwardly curved side edge portions deviates from the cross-sectional shape or cover area of the composite tank being produced. Alternatively, the base plate of the positioning means may have the same footprint as the intermediate tank 803, with straight side edge portions between the curved corner portions.

It may be advantageous to arrange the curved side edge portion at least on the side of the base plate 849 that will face the sealing strip 814 covering the junction in the tubular body 805 during insertion of the tank part. The sealing strip 814 locally thickens the tubular wall 805 of the tundish 803 and also constitutes a bend line where the tubular wall 805 tends to bend thereby causing the tubular wall 805 to deviate from a desired planar or near-planar shape. The slightly inwardly curved side edge portions of the circumferential edges of the cover surfaces of the base plates allow the base plates to move along the joint when the positioning means 828 inserts the tank part 827 into the tundish 803 without damaging the seal strip or tank body material .

By relative movement with respect to the base plate 849, the piston skirt 851 is transitionable between a non-expanded state and an expanded state.

In the non-expanded state of the piston skirt 851 , the shape of the outer contour of the piston skirt 851 corresponds to the shape of the base plate 849 . Thus, in the unexpanded state, piston skirt 851 has the same or substantially the same footprint as base plate 849 .

The outer peripheral portion 861 of the piston skirt 851 is located at or on the circumferential edge 855 of the base plate 849 when viewed relative to the base plate 849 . Preferably, when the piston skirt 851 is in a non-expanded state, the outer peripheral portion 861 of the piston skirt 851 coincides with the circumferential edge 855 of the covering surface 853 of the base plate 849, or is located at the edge of the circumferential edge 855 of the covering surface 853 of the base plate 849 Slightly inside.

In the expanded state of the piston skirt 851, the coverage area defined by the outer peripheral portion 861 of the piston skirt 851 is larger than the coverage area of the piston skirt 851 in the non-expanded state.

During the transition to the expanded state, pressure is applied to the piston skirt 851 from above. Thus, the side edge portions of the piston skirt 851 are stretched between the corners and any bent side edge portions are thereby straightened. By selecting the shape and material properties of the piston skirt 851, the desired change in shape during transition can be obtained.

In the expanded state of the piston skirt 851 , the outer peripheral portion 861 of the piston skirt 851 is at least partially outside the corresponding peripheral edge 855 of the base plate 849 . By transitioning the piston skirt 851 to the expanded state, the piston skirt can be brought into contact with the edge portion 833 of the top seal member 827 and caused to press the edge portion 833 of the top seal member 827 against the body wall 805 on the inside.

If the tank part attachment unit is provided with a transfer plate 529 comprising a retaining element 534 that exerts an inwardly directed force on the tank part as disclosed herein, the piston skirt 851 can help to move back in the radial direction. The can part is pressed in case the can part itself does not spring back sufficiently from the deformed configuration imposed on the can part by the retaining element 534 .

The positioning unit shown in FIG. 8 includes a first piston 871 and a second piston 873 coaxial with the first piston 871 . Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the pistons 871 , 873 extend in an axial direction A that coincides with the vertical direction z of the attachment unit 505 . The base plate 849 is attached to the end portion of the first piston 871 such that the covering surface 853 is perpendicular to the axial direction A. The piston skirt 851 is attached to the end portion of the second piston 873 . The first piston 871 and the second piston 873 are configured both together as a single unit and as separate elements to move in the axial direction A independently of each other.

During displacement of the positioning device 828 into the intermediate tank 803, the piston skirt 851 remains in the non-expanded state until the tank part 827 is moved to the attached position. When the canister part 827 has reached the attached position, the piston skirt 851 presses the piston skirt 851 radially outwards by moving the end portion of the second piston 873 closer to the end portion of the first piston 871 The edge part of the transition to the expanded state.

The outer periphery 861 of the piston skirt 851 presses the can part 827 against the inner side of the main body wall 805 of the intermediate can 803 which is positioned in the positioning cavity. An edge portion of the outer periphery of the piston skirt 851 which is arranged to contact and apply pressure to the tank member in the expanded state of the piston skirt 851 may have a contact surface which in the non-expanded state of the piston skirt Slightly inclined relative to the vertical of the positioning device.

In order to further improve the contact between the tank part and the tank body material in the corner parts, thickened corner parts can be arranged on the upper surface of the base plate, ie on the surface opposite the covering surface of the base plate. The thickened corner portions form raised areas on the upper surface of the base plate and serve to force the piston skirt further outwards, thereby exerting increased pressure on the applied can part and improving the contact between the can part and the tubular body. touch. Thereby, the junction formed between the tank member and the corner portion of the tubular tank main body can be improved. In particular, increased pressure in the corner portions of the tubular body can help create a tight seal between the body material and the sheet can part. When the can part is folded and aligned with the tubular body wall, excess material present at the corner portions of the sheet can part, such as the bottom seal member or the top seal member, often wrinkles at the corners of the can . In this case, the increased pressure created at the corner portions of the tubular body will compress the corrugations and will help to form a good functional bond, such as between the body material and the sheet material in the tank part. heat welding between. When a heat welding process is used to bond the tank part to the wall of the tubular tank body, at least one, and preferably both, of the tank part and the tubular wall comprise a sufficient amount of thermoplastic material to create a functional bond.

Claims (12)

1. A method for manufacturing a composite tank (201) and filling said composite tank (201) with dry or wet items, said method comprising: - picking a body blank (16) from a pile of body blanks (16) and transferring said body blank (16) to a body forming station (12); - forming a tubular body (203) by bending said body blank (16) and bringing together two opposing edges of said body blank (16) into an end-to-end joint at said extending in the height direction of the tubular body (203); - sealing said joint by covering said joint with a welding seal (214) on the inner surface of said tubular body (203), forming a tundish (403; 503); - transfer of said tundish (403; 503) to the top sealing station (13); - by welding the peripheral flange (218) of a top sealing member (227) to said inner surface of said tubular body (203) at a distance from the top edge (209) of said tubular body (203), while sealing the top opening (211) at the top end of said tubular body (203); - transferring the tundish (403; 503) to the conveyor belt (2a) and placing the tundish (403; 503) on the conveyor belt (2a) at the bottom end of the tubular body (203) The bottom opening (213) faces upward in the vertical direction; - transfer said tundish (403; 503) to the filling unit (4); - filling said intermediate tank (403; 503) with said dry or wet goods through said bottom opening (213) of said tubular body (203); - subjecting the tundish to a protective atmosphere during the filling of the tundish, or by introducing the filled tundish into a vacuum chamber to evacuate air; - transferring said filled tundish ( 403 ; 503 ) to a sealing unit ( 6 ), to which said filled tundish is conveyed in a closed delivery system while maintaining said protective atmosphere; - by welding the peripheral flange (216) of the bottom sealing member (215) to said inner surface of said tubular body (203) at a distance from the bottom end edge (207) of said tubular body (203), to seal said bottom opening (213) of said tubular body (203), said sealing of said bottom opening (213) being performed while maintaining said protective atmosphere; - turning the filled and bottom-sealed tundish ( 403 ; 503 ) so that the top end of the tubular body ( 203 ) is in an upwardly facing position in the vertical direction, and placing the tundish ( 403 ; 503) to the cover attachment unit (7); - attaching a reclosable cap (221 ) at said top end of said tubular body (203), wherein the inner surface of said reclosable cap (221 ) is in direct contact with the upper surface of the top rim , The sealing unit (6) is arranged in an outer housing (23) and is arranged to operate in a protective atmosphere in the outer housing (23), and an outlet port of the tundish is arranged in the outer housing (23) of the sealing unit (6), wherein the size of the outlet port is adapted to the size of the tundish being processed, Wherein the outlet port comprises a short tunnel arranged at the end of the outlet conveyor member, wherein the stationary slide constitutes the floor in the tunnel. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after sealing the top opening (211 ) the following steps are performed: - transfer of said tundish (403; 503) to the top edge application station (14); - applying said top rim (223) to said middle by inserting at least a lower portion of said top rim (223) into said top opening (211) above said top sealing member (227) forming an inserted portion tank(403; 503); - welding said insertion portion of said top rim (223) to said inner surface of said tubular body (203); - transferring the tundish (403; 503) to the conveyor belt (2a) and placing the tundish (403; 503) on the conveyor belt (2a) such that the top edge (223) rests On said conveyor belt (2a) and said bottom opening (213) at said bottom end of said tubular body (203) faces upwards in vertical direction. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein closely fitting inlet and outlet tunnels are arranged at the inlet (24) and outlet (25) of the sealing unit (6). 4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises, during and/or after filling the tundish (403; 503) or wet items to supply protective gas. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the protective gas is nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. 6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inlet port of the tundish is arranged in the outer casing (23) of the sealing unit (6) and a closable hatch is arranged in the at the entry port. 7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises: - applying a bottom rim (217) to the bottom end of said bottom-sealed tundish (403; 503); - during said transfer of said tundish ( 403 ; 503 ) to said lid attachment unit ( 7 ), placing said bottom-sealed tundish ( 403 ; 503 ) on a conveyor belt ( 2 d ), said The bottom edge (217) rests on said conveyor belt (2d). 8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a spoon is applied to the Between the top sealing member (227) and the reclosable lid (221), the scoop is applied directly on the top sealing member (227) or placed on the top sealing member (227) in the upper spoon holder (240). 9. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein two or more tundishes (403; 503) are processed simultaneously during one or more of: - sealing said top opening (211); - applying said top edge (223); - welding said top edge (223); - filling said intermediate tank (403; 503); - sealing said bottom opening (213); and - Attach the reclosable cover (221). 10. An assembly line (1) for manufacturing composite tanks (201) according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, and filling dry or wet items in said composite tanks (201) , said assembly line (1) comprises a plurality of machine units connected by conveyor belts (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), said machine units comprising: - body forming unit (3); - filling unit (4); - sealing unit (6); and - cover attachment unit (7), The sealing unit (6) is arranged in an outer housing (23) and is arranged to operate in a protective atmosphere in the outer housing (23), and An outlet port of the tundish is arranged in the outer housing (23) of the sealing unit (6), wherein the size of the outlet port is adapted to the size of the tundish being processed. 11. The assembly line (1 ) according to claim 10, wherein a gas box (5) is arranged between the filling unit (4) and the sealing unit (6). 12. The assembly line (1 ) according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the sealing unit (6) comprises a can sealing station (21 ) and a rim applying station (22).