Container Thereof

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of packaging, in particular to a spout element for a container, a manufacturing method and a packaging container thereof.

Background

Packaging containers used for foods often have gas barrier properties to prevent the deterioration of contents due to the entry of oxygen and other gases from the outside of the packaging container, and to prevent volatilization of effective substances from the contents. When the contents are liquid foods such as milk, juice and yogurt, the packaging container can comprise a spout element that allows liquid to flow out easily and a cover that cooperates with the spout element. To prevent external gases from entering the packaging container, the spout element also needs to have certain gas barrier properties.

Summary of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a spout element for a container, a manufacturing method and a packaging container thereof.

The first aspect of the present disclosure provides a spout element for a container, comprising a tubular part, a flange connected to and surrounding said tubular part, and a closing element as an enclosure located in said tubular part, wherein said closing element is located in said tubular part and configured to seal said tubular part, said closing element comprises a first region and a second region surrounding said first region, the thickness of said closing element in said second region is different from that in said first region; and wherein said enclosure is made of a barrier layer, and said barrier layer comprises a substrate and an oxygen barrier material. In a preferred embodiment, said closing element and also a part of said flange are made of said barrier layer.

In at least some embodiments, the mass percent of said substrate in the barrier layer is 12 - 22 times that of the mass percent of the oxygen barrier material in/of the spout element.

In at least some embodiments, the mass percent of said substrate in the barrier layer is 72% - 88%, and the mass percent of said oxygen barrier material in/of the spout element is 4% - 6%.

In at least some embodiments, said substrate is polyolefin; said oxygen barrier material comprises at least one of a first polymer material and a second polymer material, said first polymer material is ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or a polyvinyl alcohol, and said second polymer material is polyamide.

In at least some embodiments, the spout element for a container comprises a closing element, wherein a thickness of the closing element perpendicular to a plane where said closing element is located is measured along the circumferences of a circle centered in the center of said first region and located completely within said first region and wherein said thickness is constant along the circumference. This means that there are no mold flow guidance ribs from the center towards the outside which would facilitate the flow of the molten polymer during manufacturing.

In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer further comprises adhesive material, and the mass percent of said adhesive material in said barrier layer is 1 - 3 times that of the mass percent of said oxygen barrier material in/of the spout element.

In at least some embodiments, the mass percent of said adhesive material in said barrier layer is 6% - 12%. In at least some embodiments, said adhesive material is anhydride grafted polyolefin, wherein the mass percent of anhydride in said anhydride grafted polyolefin is greater than 1%.

In at least some embodiments, said tubular part comprises a first nozzle opening and a second nozzle opening, which are mutually opposite in an extended direction, wherein said flange comprises a boss, said boss connected to said first nozzle and extending in a radial direction away from said first nozzle opening, of the tubular part; and wherein said barrier layer is comprised within both said boss and said closing element.

In at least some embodiments, the projection of said tubular part on the plane where said closing element is located falls into a projection of said barrier layer on the plane where said closing element is located.

In at least some embodiments, when said oxygen barrier material is ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, the mass percent of said adhesive material in/of the spout element is 8% - 10%; and when said oxygen barrier material is polyamide, the mass percent of said adhesive material in said barrier layer is 6% - 8%.

In at least some embodiments, said tubular part comprises a first nozzle opening and a second nozzle opening which are mutually opposite in an extended direction, wherein said flange comprises a boss connected to the first nozzle opening and extending in a radial direction away from the first nozzle opening of the tubular part; and wherein said closing element and said boss are made of said barrier layer.

In at least some embodiments, an orthographic projection of said tubular part on the plane where said closing element is located falls into an orthographic projection of said barrier layer on the plane where said closing element is located. In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer comprises: a first barrier portion for forming said closing element, and a second barrier portion for forming said boss and connected to the first barrier portion, and wherein said first barrier portion has a first thickness in a direction perpendicular to the plane where said closing element is located, and said second barrier portion has second thickness in a direction perpendicular to the plane within said closing element is located, and said first thickness is less than said second thickness.

In at least some embodiments, said first barrier portion and said second barrier portion form an integral structure.

In at least some embodiments, said first barrier portion comprises: a first part located in the first region of said closing element and a second part located in the second region of said closing element, wherein said first part has a third thickness in a direction perpendicular to a plane where said closing element is located, and said second part has a fourth thickness in a direction perpendicular to a plane where said closing element is located; and wherein the fourth thickness is less than the third thickness.

In at least some embodiments, said first part and said second part form an integral structure.

In at least some embodiments, wherein said flange further comprises a boss side wall connected to said boss, wherein said boss comprises a first side and a second side which are mutually opposite in the extended direction of said tubular part, said tubular part is located on said first side, and said boss side walls are located on said second side; and wherein said closing element, said boss, and said boss side walls are made of said barrier layer. In at least some embodiments, the orthographic projection of said boss on the plane where said closing element is located falls into an orthographic projection of said barrier layer on the plane where said closing element is located.

In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer comprises: a first barrier portion for forming said closing element, and a second barrier portion for forming said boss and connected to the first barrier portion, and a third barrier portion for forming said boss side walls and connected to said second barrier portion.

In at least some embodiments, said first barrier portion, said second barrier portion and said third barrier portion form an integral structure.

In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer comprises a stacked structure, said stacked structure comprises a substrate layer and an oxygen barrier layer in a stacked arrangement, said substrate layer comprises said substrate, and said oxygen barrier layer comprises said oxygen barrier material.

In at least some embodiments, said substrate layer comprises a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer, wherein said oxygen barrier layer is sandwiched between said first sub-layer and said second sub-layer.

In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer comprises a first barrier portion located on the inner side of said tubular part, and a second barrier portion located on the outer side of said tubular part, said first barrier portion comprises said stacked structure.

In at least some embodiments, said second barrier portion comprises said stacked structure.

In at least some embodiments, the barrier layer further comprises a third barrier portion located on the outer side of the tubular part, said third barrier portion is connected with the first barrier portion via the second barrier portion, wherein said first barrier portion, said second barrier portion and said third barrier portion each comprises said stacked structure.

The second aspect of the present disclosure provides a packaging container comprising the above-mentioned spout element for container.

The third aspect of the present disclosure provides a manufacturing method of the spout element for container, wherein said spout element for a container comprises: the tubular part, the flange connected to and surrounding said tubular part, and said closing element located in said tubular part; said closing element is arranged to be located in said tubular part and configured to seal said tubular part, said closing element comprises said first region and said second region surrounding said first region, and the thickness of said closing element in said second region is different from that in said first region; and said manufacturing method comprises: using the barrier layer to form the closing element and part of said flange, wherein said barrier layer comprises a substrate and an oxygen barrier material.

In at least some embodiments, said flange comprises the boss connected to said tubular part; and said manufacturing method comprises: using said barrier layer to form said closing element and said boss.

In at least some embodiments, said flange further comprises the boss side walls connected to said boss; and said manufacturing method comprises: using said barrier layer to form said closing element, said boss and said boss side walls.

In at least some embodiments, the feed point of the co-inj ection method is located at the closing element.

In at least some embodiments, said barrier layer is formed by a co-inj ection method. Description of Accompanying Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure, accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure rather than limiting the present disclosure.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a structural perspective view of a packaging container provided in embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a spout element provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of a self-opening mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the spout element of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a closing element provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an oxygen barrier layer of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the oxygen barrier layer of another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a local cross-sectional photograph of the spout element of an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is another local cross-sectional photograph of the spout element of another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a photograph of upper flange cracks on the spout element of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments

To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Apparently, the described embodiments of the present disclosure are partial but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skilled in the art based on the embodiments described in the present disclosure without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein are as they are usually understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. "First", "second" and similar words used in the description and claims of the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are merely intended to distinguish between different constituents. "Comprising", "including", and similar words mean that elements or articles appearing before "comprising" or "including" include the elements or articles and their equivalent elements appearing behind "comprising" or "including", not excluding any other elements or articles. "Connected", "coupled" and similar words are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct connection or indirect connection. "Upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are only used to indicate a relative positional relationship, and when the absolute position of the described object is changed, the relative positional relationship can also be changed accordingly.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a spout element for a container, a manufacturing method and a packaging container thereof.

The spout element for a container provided in embodiments of the present disclosure comprises: the tubular part, the flange connected to and surrounding the tubular part, and the closing element located in the tubular part. The closing element is arranged to be perpendicular to the extended direction of the tubular part and configured to seal the tubular part, the closing element comprises a first region and a second region surrounding the first region, and the thickness of the closing element in the second region is different from that in the first region. The closing element part and a part of the flange are made of a barrier layer, and the barrier layer comprises a substrate and the closing element made of an oxygen barrier material. In the spout element for a container provided in the embodiments, the closing elements and the part of flange made of the barrier layer comprising the substrate and the oxygen barrier material, and oxygen transmission rate of the spout element is reduced, thereby improving the gas barrier properties of the spout element and preventing the contents in the packaging container from deteriorating.

The present disclosure is described below by specific embodiments. To keep the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure clear and concise, detailed descriptions of known functions and known components may be omitted. When any of the components of embodiments of the present disclosure appear in more than one of the drawings, the components may be indicated in each of the drawings by the same reference numbers.

FIG. 1 is a structural perspective view of a packaging container provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a spout element 100 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a cross- sectional view of the spout element 100 of FIG. 2A.

As shown in FIG. 1, a packaging container 1000 provided in embodiments of the present disclosure comprises: a spout element 100, a rotatable cap 200 (i.e., a cover), and a package body 300.

As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the package body 300 comprises a top 301, a side 302, and a bottom 303. In the vertical direction (in the z-direction), the side 302 is connected between the top 301 and the bottom 303. The top 301 has an end opening 310 which is connected to the spout element 100.

To prevent deterioration of the contents such as liquid, the package body 300 can be formed by folding a composite layer. For example, from the external surface to the internal surface of the package body 300, the composite layer comprises an printable ink layer, an outer polymer layer, a support layer, a moisture and oxygen barrier layer, an inner polymer layer, and the like.

The embodiment of the present disclosure takes the top 301 in a hilltop shape as an example, and it can be understood that in other embodiments, the top 301 may also be planar or in other shapes, which is not defined by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3, the spout element 100, for example, comprises: a tubular part 11, a flange 12 connected to and surrounding the tubular part 11, and a closing element 13 (not shown in FIG. 2A) located in the tubular part 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tubular part 11 extends in z-direction and comprises a first nozzle 11A and a second nozzle 11B which are mutually opposite in the z-direction. The rotatable cap 200 covers the second nozzle 11B. For example, the tubular part 11 also comprises an outer connection structure, such as an external thread 111, located on the outer wall of the tubular part 11.

In some embodiments, the rotatable cap 200 can comprise a connection structure, such as an internal thread (not shown), on the internal side wall of the rotatable cap, and the internal thread is configured to cooperate with the external thread 111 of the tubular part 11. Thus, when the second nozzle 11B of the tubular part 11 is opened or sealed with the rotatable cap 200, the external thread 111 of the tubular part 11 and the internal thread of the rotatable cap 200 can be mutually disengaged or engaged to achieve the purpose, thereby enhancing the tightness and ease of use of the packaging container.

The embodiment of the present disclosure takes the cover being rotatable cap 200 as an example, and it can be understood that in other embodiments, the cover can have structures such as a clamping portion so long as it is convenient to connect the cover to the spout element multiple times in succession.

As shown in FIG. 3, the closing element 13 is located in the tubular part 11 and is configured to seal the tubular part 11. For example, the closing element 13 extends in the extended direction (for example, the z-direction as shown in FIG. 3) substantially perpendicular to the tubular part 11, so that the spout element 100 can be spatially divided into an upper layer space SP1 and a lower layer space SP2, the upper layer space SP1 is the tubular part 11, and the lower layer space SP2 connects with the package body 300. By setting up the closing element 13, the contents can be prevented from flowing into the spout element 100 at all times before the first time use of the packaging container 1000 to prevent contents from leaking or deteriorating.

FIG. 4 is the top view of the closing element provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the closing element 13 comprises a first region 131 and a second region 132 surrounding the first region 131. For example, the closing element 13 further comprises a central part located in the first region 131 and a peripheral part located in the second region 132 and surrounding the central part.

The thickness of the closing element 13 in the second region 132 is different from that in the first region 131. For example, the thickness of the central part is greater than that of the peripheral part. Thus, when the contents need to be poured out, it is easier to cut or rip the peripheral part in the second region 132, thereby facilitating flowing out of the contents through the spout element 100.

The embodiment of the present disclosure takes the tubular part 11 with a circular cross section as an example, and it can be understood that in other embodiments, the tubular part 11 can have a regular shape such as an ellipse, a rectangle or a triangle or an irregular shape, which is not defined by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Accordingly, the embodiment of the present disclosure takes the circular closing element 13 as an example, and it can be understood that in other embodiments, the closing element 13 can have a shape that conforms to the cross section of the tubular part 11, such as a regular shape of an ellipse, a rectangle and a triangle, or an irregular shape, which is not defined by the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, when the closing element 13 is circular, the first region 131 is disc-shaped and the second region 132 is annular.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tubular part 11 can also comprise the internal connection structure, such as internal thread 112, located on the inner wall of the tubular part 11. In some embodiments, the packaging container 1000 can comprise the self-opening mechanism, and FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the self-opening mechanism provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2B, the self-opening mechanism comprises a wall part 211 and a self-opening sleeve 212 which may be in a detached state. The wall part 211 is located on the inner side of the rotatable cap 200 and is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft of the rotatable cap 200, and when the rotatable cap 200 is rotated, the wall part 211 can be driven to coaxially rotate.

For example, the self-opening sleeve 212 is located in the tubular part 11 and has external thread in the outer wall of the self-opening sleeve, so that the self-opening sleeve can cooperate with the internal thread 112 of the tubular part 11, and can do rotational movement in a direction away from the package body 300 (e.g., in the +z direction shown in figures) or in a direction closer to the package body 300 (e.g., in the -z direction shown in the figures).

For example, the self-opening sleeve 212 is coaxially arranged with the tubular part 11, and is configured to do rotational downward movement in the -z direction when the wall part 211 of the rotatable cap 200 does a rotational upward movement in the +Z direction.

In some embodiments, the self-opening sleeve 212 is provided with a tip 212a at an end near the package body 300, and the tip 212a is configured to rotate with rotation of the self-opening sleeve 212 to pierce or rip the closing element 13. For example, when the packaging container needs to be opened for the first time, the rotatable cap 200 rotates and moves in the +z direction, at this time, the self-opening sleeve 212 can simultaneously rotate and move in the -z direction to cause the tip 212a of the selfopening sleeve 212 to tear the peripheral part of the closing element 13 from the second region 132, the rotatable cap 200 continues to rotate, then the tip 212a will rip the entire peripheral part along the second region 132, and the disk-shaped central part opens.

As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3, the flange 12 is arranged around the circumference of the tubular part 11, for example, around the first nozzle opening 11A of the tubular part 11. In some embodiments, the closing element 13 and a part of the flange 12 are made of a barrier layer 10 comprising a substrate and an oxygen barrier material. By adding the oxygen barrier material to the barrier layer, the oxygen barrier rate of the closing element 13 and that of the part of the flange 12 can be increased, the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging container can be reduced, and deterioration of the contents can be avoided.

As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the flange 12 comprises a boss 121 and boss side walls 122 connected to the boss 121. The boss 121 is connected to the first nozzle opening 11A and extends in the radial direction (such as the x-direction shown in figures.) away from the first nozzle opening 11A, of the tubular part 11. The closing element 13 and the boss 121 are made of the barrier layer 10.

In some cases where only the closing element 13 is made of the barrier layer 10 but the boss 121 is not made of the barrier layer, the boss 121 does not have oxygen barrier properties although the closing element 13 has oxygen barrier properties. As shown in FIG. 1, due to the exposure of the boss 121 to air, external gas or air can still enter the packaging container 1000 through the boss 121.

In contrast, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the boss 121 and the closing element 13 are made of the barrier layer, and the oxygen barrier properties of the boss 121 and the closing element 13 are improved, so that the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging container can be effectively reduced, and deterioration of the contents can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the boss 121 and the closing element 13 form an integral structure so that the barrier layer 10 can extend from the closing element 13 to the boss 121, which facilitates the integral formation of the closing element 13 and the boss 121, such as by an injection moulding method. For example, the orthographic projection of the tubular part 11 on the plane P where the closing element 13 is located falls into the orthographic projection P of the barrier layer 10 on the plane where the closing element 13 is located. That is, the orthographic projection of the barrier layer 10 extends beyond the region where the tubular part 11 lies, thereby enhancing the oxygen barrier properties of the boss 121 and the packaging container 1000.

For example, the barrier layer 10 comprises a first barrier portion 101 and a second barrier portion 102. The first barrier portion 101 is used for forming the closing element 13, and the second barrier portion 102 is used for forming the boss 121 and is connected to the first barrier portion 101. The first barrier portion 101 has a first thickness in the z direction, and the second barrier portion 101 has a second thickness in the z direction. For example, the first thickness is less than the second thickness.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first barrier portion 101 and the second barrier portion 102 can have the same thickness or different thicknesses. Compared with the case where the first thickness is equal to the second thickness, the case where the first thickness is less than the second thickness has the advantages that on one hand, when the packaging container is opened, due to a smaller first thickness of the first barrier portion 101, the closing element 13 is thinner, so that the closing element 13 is convenient to rip or tear, and on the other hand, the oxygen barrier properties of the boss can further enhanced due to the greater second thickness of the second barrier portion 102.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first barrier portion 101 and the second barrier portion 102 can form an integral structure to simplify manufacturing processes.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first barrier portion 101 comprises a first part 101a and a second part 101b. The first part 101a is located in the first region 131 of the closing element 13 and the second part 101b is located in the second region 132 of the closing element 13. The first part 101a has a third thickness in the z direction, the second part 101b has a fourth thickness in the z direction, and the fourth thickness is less than the third thickness.

In the embodiments, the fourth thickness is less than the third thickness, and the thickness of the first barrier portion 101 in the annular first region 131 is less than the thickness of the first barrier portion 101 in the disk-shaped central part, which is favourable for easy ripping or tearing of the closing element 13. When the fourth thickness is less than the third thickness, the first thickness of the first barrier portion 101 is the average of the third thickness and the fourth thickness.

Furthermore, for example, the fourth thickness is less than 50%, preferably 30%, of the third thickness. For example, the fourth thickness is 0.2 - 0.3 mm, and the third thickness is 0.6 - 1 mm.

In some embodiments, the first part and the second part of the first barrier portion 101 form an integral structure to simplify manufacturing processes.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flange 12 also comprises the boss side walls 122 connected to the boss 121. The end structure 310 of the top 301 of the package body 300 is attached to the boss side walls 122 for connection to the spout element 100. The boss side walls 122 can be multiple for example, four boss side walls as shown in the figures, and embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the number of the boss side walls 122.

As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the boss 121 comprises a first side 121A and a second side 12 IB opposite each other in the z direction, the tubular part 11 is located on the first side 121A and the boss side walls 122 are located on the second side 121B. For example, the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122 are made of the barrier layer 10. In the embodiments, the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122 are all made of the barrier layer 10, the oxygen barrier properties of the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122 can be enhanced, which facilitates the integral formation of the three, and simplifies the manufacturing process.

For example, the closing element 13, the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122 form the integral structure so that the barrier layer 10 can extend from the closing element 13 to the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122, which facilitates the integral formation of the closing element 13, such as by an injection moulding method.

For example, the orthographic projection of the boss 121 on the plane P where the closing element 13 is located falls into the orthographic projection of the barrier layer 10 on the plane P where the closing element 13 is located. That is, the orthographic projection of the barrier layer 10 extends beyond the region where the boss 121 is located, thereby further enhancing the oxygen barrier properties of the boss 121, the boss side walls 122, and the packaging container 1000.

As shown in FIG. 3, the barrier layer 10 further comprises a third barrier portion 103 for forming the boss side walls 122 and connected to the second barrier portion 102. The first barrier portion 101, the second barrier portion 102 and the third barrier portion 103 form the integral structure so that the first barrier portion, the second barrier portion and the third barrier portion can be integrally formed to simplify manufacturing processes.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an oxygen barrier layer of an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the barrier layer 10 comprises a stacked structure LS, for example, the stacked structure LS comprises a substrate layer 401 and an oxygen barrier layer 402, the substrate layer 401 comprises the substrate, the oxygen barrier layer 402 comprises the oxygen barrier material. In FIG. 5, the substrate layer 401 in the barrier layer 10 is a single layer. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross- sectional view of the oxygen barrier layer of another embodiment of the present disclosure. Unlike FIG. 5, the substrate layer in FIG. 6 is multi-layered, e.g., bilayered.

As shown in FIG. 6, the barrier layer 10 comprises the stacked structure LS, for example, the stacked structure LS comprises a substrate layer 401 and an oxygen barrier layer 402. The substrate layer 401 comprises a first sub-layer 411 and a second sub-layer 412, and the oxygen barrier layer 402 is sandwiched between the first sub-layer 411 and the second sub-layer 412. In this case, both the first sub-layer 411 and the second sub-layer 412 each comprise a substrate, the oxygen barrier layer 402 comprises the oxygen barrier material.

As previously mentioned, the barrier layer 10 comprises the first barrier portion 101 located on the inner side of the tubular part 11, and the second barrier portion 102 and the third barrier portion 130 which are located on the outer side of the tubular part 11.

For example, when the closing element 13 is made of the first barrier portion 101, the first barrier portion can comprise the stacked structure LS as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6. For example, when the closing element 13 is made of the first barrier portion 101 and the boss 121 is made of the second barrier portion 102, both the first barrier portion 101 and the second barrier portion 102 comprise the stacked structure LS as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, which facilitates integral formation of the two and simplifies the manufacturing process.

For example, when the closing element 13 is made of the first barrier portion 101, the boss 121 is made of the second barrier portion 102, and the boss side walls 122 are made of the third barrier portion 103, the first barrier portion 101, the second barrier portion 102 and the third barrier portion 103 all comprise the stacked structure LS in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, which facilitates the integral formation of the three and simplifies the manufacturing process. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the material of the substrates for example polyolefin, the polyolefin can comprise polypropylene or polyethylene, preferably polyethylene, such as high density polyethylene (High Density Polyethylene, HDPE), which improves the stability of the barrier layer and guarantees the tightness of the inner part of the packaging container.

The melt flow rate (melt flow rate, MFR) of the substrate material needs to be greater than 8 g/10 min (190 °C, 2.16 kg), and preferably greater than 16 g/10 min (190 °C, 2.16 kg). The test method is ASTM D1238. Due to the thin structure of a barrier film, the part of the barrier layer cannot be formed if the MFR is too low.

1% secant modulus (1% Secant Modulus) of the substrate material should be less than 1800 MPa, preferably less than 1200 MPa. The test method is ASTM D638. If the 1% secant modulus is too large, the film cannot be opened through a cutting ring.

In some embodiments, the mass percent of the substrate in the barrier layer 10 is 12- 22 times the mass percent of the oxygen barrier material in/of the spout element. For example, the mass percent of the substrate in the barrier layer 10 is 72% - 88%, thereby further improving the stability of the barrier layer and guaranteeing the tightness of the packaging container. Good oxygen barrier properties can be achieved in the above range. The oxygen barrier material has a mass percent of 4% - 6% in the barrier layer 10, thereby improving the gas barrier properties of the barrier layer and reducing the oxygen transmission rate. “Mass percent” can be expressed as wt% in embodiments of the present disclosure.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the oxygen barrier material comprises at least one of a first polymer material and a second polymer material, that is, the oxygen barrier material can comprise one of the first polymer material and the second polymer material, or both.

For example, the first polymer material is ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and the second polymer material is polyamide (PA). The EVOH has good barrier properties for gases, as well as excellent transparency, gloss, mechanical strength, telescoping, abrasion resistance, cold resistance and surface strength. The polyamide (PA) is resistant to weak acids, weak bases and most nonpolar solvents, has good stability and has good barrier properties for gases. Compared to EVOH, the PA is preferable due to lower cost and small sensitiveness to air humidity.

For example, the barrier layer 10 can also comprise an adhesive material for enhancing adhesion between the substrate and the barrier material, providing good cohesion between the layers. For example, the adhesive material is an anhydride- modified polymer concentrate, which can be mixed into the substrate (such as polyolefin) as a blending component.

For example, the mass percent of the adhesive material in the barrier layer 10 is 1 - 3 times the mass percent of the oxygen barrier material in/of the spout element. In some embodiments, the mass percent of the adhesive material in the barrier layer 10 is 6% - 12%, further enhancing the adhesion between the substrate and the barrier material.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the adhesive material can be anhydride grafted polyolefin, such as maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin, wherein the mass percent of anhydride in anhydride grafted polyolefin is greater than 1%. In some embodiments, anhydride grafted polyolefin can be maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin, wherein the mass percent of maleic anhydride in maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin is greater than 1%. For example, the adhesive material is maleic anhydride grafted high density polyethylene (HDPE).

In actual production, a suitable content of the adhesive material is selected based on the composition of the oxygen barrier material. For example, when the oxygen barrier material is EVOH, the mass percent of the adhesive material in/of the spout element is greater than 6%, preferably 8 - 10%. Because it is easier to generate cracks in the corners of the flange when the mass percent of the adhesive material is below 8%, for example as shown in FIG. 9.

For example again, when the oxygen barrier material is PA, the mass percent of the adhesive material in the barrier layer is greater than 4%, preferably 6% - 8%. The oxygen barrier effects are the best when the mass percent of the adhesive is 6% - 8%.

In ASTM D3985, oxygen transmission is measured primarily on foils held in the measuring device by a sealing material, wherein the sealing material also simultaneously defines the measuring surface. In the same way, a more complicated component, such as a spout main body, can also be measured in such a measuring device in accordance with the standard. Normally, a two-component epoxy resin adhesive is used for sealing, for example “Devcon 5 Minute Epoxy”, wherein the spout main body is for example attached to a sample holder adapted to the main body or to any flange of the measuring device which is suitable in size.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the barrier layer can also comprise a colour master batch, a slip agent and the like, wherein the colour master batch can enhance light barrier properties.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a manufacturing method of the spout element for container. For example, the spout element for container, as described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments can be manufactured by the manufacturing method.

Referring to FIGs. 1 - 3, in the manufacturing method provided in embodiments of the present disclosure, the spout element 100 for containers comprises: the tubular part 11, the flange 12 connected to and surrounding the tubular part 11, and the closing element 13 located in the tubular part 11. The closing element 13 is arranged in the tubular part 11 and is configured to seal the tubular part 11. The closing element 13 comprises a first region 131 and a second region 132 surrounding the first region 131, and the thickness of the closing element 13 in the second region 132 is different from that in the first region 131. The above-mentioned manufacturing method comprises: using the barrier layer 10 to form the closing element 13 and a part of the flange 12, wherein the barrier 10 comprises the substrate and the oxygen barrier material.

For example, the flange 12 comprises the boss 121 connected to the tubular part 11. The above-mentioned manufacturing method comprises: using the barrier layer 10 to form the closing element 13 and the boss 121. This not only improves the oxygen barrier properties of the closing element 13 and the boss 121, but also facilitates the integral formation of the closing element 13 and the boss 121, simplifying the manufacturing process.

For example, the flange 12 also comprises the boss side walls 122 connected to the boss 121. The above-mentioned manufacturing method comprises: using the barrier layer 10 to form the closing element 13, the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122. This not only improves the oxygen barrier properties of the closing element 13, the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122, but also facilitates the integral formation of the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122, simplifying the manufacturing process.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the barrier layer 10 can be formed by coinjection method. Because the barrier layer 10 has the stacked structure, if each layer is formed separately, degree of difficulty of the manufacturing process will be increased, and uniformity and stability of the quality of the spout element cannot be guaranteed. When the barrier layer 10 is formed by the co-inj ection method, the manufacturing process is simplified, labour and material costs are saved, and better product consistency and stability can also be achieved.

During forming the barrier layer by the co-inj ection method, for example, the substrate is a surface layer material and the barrier material is a sandwich material. In the filling process, the substrate is filled before the barrier material is filled. In contrast to chemical and mechanical methods, the co-injection method has the advantages that raw materials are bound together in the filling process and are therefore more easily controlled.

In FIG. 3, the protrusion in the central point part of the closing element 13 is a filling position point when the barrier layer is formed by the co-injection method.

The following are several examples provided by the present disclosure.

Example 1

Referring to FIG. 3, the closing element 13, the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122 of the spout element 100 are formed by the co-injection method.

1) Compositions of the barrier material in/of the spout element: substrate: HDPE oxygen barrier material: ethylene/vinyl alcohol EVOH (Kuraray EVOH XEP-1248A), 3.5wt% - 4wt% adhesive: maleic anhydride grafted HDPE, 8wt%

2) Test results: oxygen transmission rate(OTR)of the packaging container at 50% RH (air humidity): 0.5 ±0.1 ml/(m ² *year) oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the packaging container at 90% RH (air humidity): about 3 ml/(m ² *year)

FIG. 7 is a local cross-sectional photograph of the spout element of Example 1. From FIG. 7, it can be seen that the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122 of the spout element are all made of the barrier layer 10. The barrier layer 10 comprises the first sub-layer 411, the second sub-layer 412, and the sandwich-barrier layer 402 between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer, of the substrate layer. Example 2

Referring to FIG. 3, the closing element 13, the boss 121 and the boss side walls 122 of the spout element 100 are formed by the co-injection method.

1) Compositions of the barrier material in/of the spout element: substrate: HDPE oxygen barrier material: polyamide PA (Mitsubishi MX Nylon S6003LD), 6wt% adhesive: maleic anhydride grafted HDPE, 4wt%, 6wt%, 8wt%, 10wt%, 12wt%, respectively

2) Test results: Table 1 shows the test results of oxygen transmission rate for packaging materials with different contents of adhesive.

Table 1

From Table 1, it can be seen that, when the mass percent of the adhesive in the barrier layer is 6% - 8%, the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging container at 50% RH (air humidity) is less than 1 ml/(m ² *year), and the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging containers at 90% RH (air humidity) is also less than 1 ml/(m ² *year).

FIG. 8 is a local cross-sectional photograph of the spout element of Example 2. From FIG. 8, it can be seen that the closing element 13, the boss 121, and the boss side walls 122 of the spout element are all made of the barrier layer 10. The barrier layer 10 comprises the first sub-layer 411, the second sub-layer 412, and the sandwich-barrier layer 402 between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer of the substrate layer.

By comparing examples 1 and 2, it can be seen that, when the polyamide PA is used as the oxygen barrier material, a lower oxygen transmission rate can be obtained at 90% RH (air humidity).

General Example

In comparison, the same closure without any additional barrier layer will result in a OTR of 8 mL / (closure*year, 50%RH). Thus, a spout element with a barrier layer will have at most 50% of the oxygen transmission rate of the same spout known from the prior art. Ideally, the oxygen transmission rate will be lower than 20% of the comparative value.

There are several ways of easily making a potential barrier layer visible when the cutopen parts are examined. More for demonstration purposes a dark color masterbatch can be added to the barrier material before production, as can be seen in FIG. 8. More useful in many cases, any spout element can be cut open so the different regions are visible. An ethanolic Iodine solution (e.g. 96% ethanol, such as Analytichem 26764) can be applied to the open face of the cut which will color barrier materials such as EVOH or PA dark, but not the polyolefins, as can be seen in FIG. 7. Furthermore, the difference between the different materials can also be made visible by employing a microtome and examining the microtome sections under a microscope. This allows for a differentiation between the different materials of the barrier layer 10 and first 411 and second 412 sub-layers. The difference in material densities could also be shown by using any computed tomography (CT) setup on a full part, e.g. a CT Metrotom 1500 system. Additionally, such an analysis can also be done or complemented by using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, see ISO 11357-1 to 8). For a simple material detection any sample can be taken from the barrier layer and used for the DSC measurements. If however a more detailed analysis of the weight percentages of the different materials is wanted, there are two possibilities. Either a full spout element can be cut into very fine pieces, mixed and the resulting powder will serve as an averaged sample for the DSC measurements. This way both the materials and their ratios can be analyzed using location, potentially shift and heat enthalpy of the glass transition temperatures of each constituent material. Alternatively, the spout element can be separated using a microemulsion, such as is used in the Fraunhofer CreaSolv process or APK’s newcycling. The separated parts can then be weighed and measured in DSC individually.

In the spout element for a container, its manufacturing method and a packaging container thereof provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the closing element and the part of the flange are made of the barrier layer comprising the substrate and the oxygen barrier material. On one hand, oxygen transmission rate of the spout element can be reduced, thereby improving the gas barrier properties of the spout element and preventing the contents in the packaging container from deteriorating; on the other hand, the closing element and the part of the flange can be integrally formed, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified, labour and material costs are saved, especially when the closing element and the part of the flange are formed by the co-injection method, the manufacturing process is further simplified, and better product consistency and stability can be achieved.

The following points of this document need to be paid more attention to :

(1) The accompanying drawings of embodiments of the present disclosure involve only structure(s) in connection with the embodiment(s) of the present disclosure, and other structure(s) can be designed with reference to common practice . (2) The embodiments of the present disclosure and features of the embodiments may be combined with one another to obtain new embodiments without conflict.

(3) The foregoing is merely an illustrative implementation of the present disclosure, but not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

The foregoing is merely the specific implementation of the present disclosure; however, the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily ascertain modifications or replacements within the technical scope of the present disclosure, and such modifications or replacements shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.