The invention relates to a squeezeable container of thin- ualled extruded plastic for media of pasty or creamy con¬ sistency and high-viscous fluids, uith a discharge opening, or a potential discharge opening through uhich the content can be squeezed out. By a potential discharge opening is here to be understood a portion of the container uall uhere an opening is prepared or uhere a suitable opening can be pro¬ duced easily, e.g. by cutting off part of the container.

Squeezeable containers are knoun uith discharge openings in the shape of a neck or a stub to be closed by means of a plug or a cap, uith a threaded stub to be closed uith a threaded cap, uith an elastic neck with a slit to be opened by bending the neck and uhich closes by the neck straightening out it¬ self by elastic force ^" , as uell as types uith a beak uhich closes by a lio closure, a.o. A common feature of these knoun discharge openings is that they have the closing device placed outside the container itself.

Containers uith a potential discharge opening are knoun as uell, the actual opening being produced by cutting off a strip or a corner of the container. A common feature of these containers is that the discharge opening is not recloseable after once having been opened.

Furthermore, there are containers uhich can be opened at one end of the container, and uhich can be closed by means of inner linear protrusions uhich, by being pressed to¬ gether, engage uith one another. A common feature of these containers is that they are opened by the container ualls being pulled from one another by uhich the linear protru¬ sions disengage, and that the ppening extends from one side of the container to the other, uhich makes a controlled dis-

charge of the content difficult, and that the container is not totally sealed before use.

It can be desirable to produce a squeezeable container uith- out an outside closing device, and uhich can be produced solely from extruded plastic material. It can also be desir¬ able that the container is totally sealed along all edges before use in order to prevent the content from drying out. It is furthermore desirable that the container has such a discharge opening that a controlled discharge of the con¬ tent can be effected, and that the discharge opening can be reclosed.

The squeezeable container according to the invention satis¬ fies these uishes, as it is characterized by the inside of the container ualls having parallel linear protrusions uith 5 such a profile that protrusions on one portion of the con¬ tainer uall can engage in the protrusions of an opposite portion of the container uall and thereby maintain these por¬ tions in engagement uith each other, and by the discharge opening or the potential discharge opening betueen tuo oppo- _Q site container uall portions adjoining the linear protrusions being slit-shaped in such a uay that the opening can remain closed uhen the protrusions are pressed together.

The basis of the invention are containers uith internal pro¬ trusions uith profiles suitable for engagement in each other, 5 mentioned in U.S. patent no. 3.160.323. In the case of such a container, houever, the linear protrusions are solely in¬ tended for keeping the container ualls pressed together after squeezing out the content so that the container ualls are pre¬ vented from springing back and causing a vacuum in the con- 0 tainer, and they are n o t used for a subsequent closing of the discharge opening.

The advantages according to the invention are that the con¬ tainer can be produced from tubing, tube, or strip of ex-

truded, thin-ualled plastic material, and that it does not need an outside or specially inserted closure. Other advan¬ tages according to the invention are that the container can be totally sealed before use and that a controlled discharge of the content can be effected.

A commonly used execution of the squeezeable container ac¬ cording tc the invention uill be made uith a pptential dis¬ charge opening, meaning that before use the container uill be sealed along all edges and that it is made ready for use by cutting off a strip or a corner.

It can, houever, be approproate that the container has a discharge channel, and the invention can therefore apply to the type of container uhich is provided by one edge uith a discharge channel, uhich is formed betueen the edge and a partial seam close to this betueen tuo opposite container uall portions. Suth a container can, according to the in¬ vention,, be formed in such a uay that the linear protrusions transverse the discharge channel so that a pressure applied on the outside of the container ualls at the discharge channel causes the protrusions to engage into each other and close the channel. The discharge opening is placed in the outer end of the channel and uill normally, as is the case uith the containers knoun, only be potential so that the container is made ready for use by cutting off the outermost part of the channel ualls. Contrary to the containers knoun, a container according to the invention can be reclαsed by applying a pressure on the outside of the channel and be re¬ opened by applying a pressure on the content of the container, uhile at the same time a pressure is applied on the edge of the container -opposite the channel, parallel to the linear protrusions. By providing the container uith such a dis¬ charge channel, a controlled discharge of the content is en¬ sured and unintended discharge avoided.

It may also be appropriate to provide the container uith a

discharge funnel as an alternative to the discharge chan¬ nel. Thus the invention can also be applicable in a con¬ tainer of the kind made uith a discharge funnel narrouing touards the discharge opening, formed by a local sealed seam placed betueen tuo edges of the container, sealing tuo op¬ posite container uall portions. Such a container may, ac¬ cording to the invention, be formed in such a uay that the local sealed seam extends in a straight line form one end of the edge of one side, at an angle uith this, to an αpoosite edrja, and furthermore that the linear protrusions extend acrσss the discharge funnel and are longitudinally parallel tα the discharge opening. In the case of such a container, a pressure applied on the outside of the container ualls, at; the πarrou part of the discharge funnel, causes the pro- txusioπs to engage and close the funnel. Reopening is ef¬ fected by applying a pressure on the content of the con¬ tainer and simultaneously applying pressure on the .edge of the container at the funnel and parallel to the linear pro- .rusiαπs. The discharge opening is placed at the outermost ? end of the discharge funnel and is usually, as is the case uith the containers knoun, only potential, thus the container is made ready for use by cutting off a strip of the container ualls.

Another variant of the container uith a discharge funnel ac- 5 cording to the invention may have the discharge funnel formed by a local U-shaped sealed seam uhere the sides of the angle extend to tuo of the container edges, at angles uith these.

Containers uith other types of seamed opposite container uall portions may also be made uith the same purpose, i.e. 0 tα lead the content touards the discharge opening and ensure that this can be reclosed after squeezing together the linear protrusions of a limited part of the container adjoining the discharge opening.

In the illustrations, examples of squeezeable containers

according to the invention are shouπ, Figs. 1-5 shouing front vieus of containers or parts thereof and Figs. 1a-5a shouing sections of the containers in perspective. Fig. 1 is a pillou-shaped container, uith a cut-out shou¬ ing the linear protrusipns 1 pn the inside, longitudinally parallel to the container. The container material is extruded in the shape of a tube and therefore, the container has sealed eod.seams 2 before use.

Fig. 1a shous part of the same container uith a discharge opening 3 formed by cutting off a small part of a corner.

Fig. 2 is a tube-shaped container, uith a cut-out shouing the linear protrusions 1 on the inside longitudinally par¬ allel uith the container and uith a sealed partial seam 2 forming a discharge channel 3. The container material is ex- truded in the shape of a tube and therefore, the container has sealed end seams 4 before use.

Fig. 2a shous part of the same container uith a discharge opening 5 formed by cutting off the outermost end of the dis¬ charge channel 3.

^• Fig. 3 is a section of a container, uith a cut-out shouing the transversely extending linear protrusions 1 on the in¬ side, uith a discharge funnel 2 formed by a sealed seam 3 angular to one of the edges, at the same time functioning as a sealed end. The container material is extruded in strips, cut off and sealed along the edges 4.

Fig. 3a shous the same section of the container uith a dis¬ charge opening 5, formed by cutting off a strip of the con¬ tainer material.

Fig. 4 is a section of a container, uith a cut-out shouing the transversely extending linear protrusions 1 on the in¬ side, uith a discharge funnel 2 formed by a U-shaped sealed seam 3. The container material is extruded in strips, cut off and sealed along the edges 4. Fig, 4a shous the same section of the container uith a dis-

charge opening 5 formed by cutting off a strip of the con¬ tainer material.

Fig. 5 is a section of a tube-shaoed container, uith a cut¬ out shouing the transversely extending linear protrusions 1 on the inside. The container material is extruded in strios, cut off and sealed along the edges 2 and along the end 3. Fig. 5a shous the same section of the container uith a dis¬ charge opening 4 on the entire uidth of the container, formed by cutting off a strip of the container material.