Method of Insert Injection Molding

The present invention relates to an injection molding method and to an injection molding metal mold assembly used in such a method. More particularly, the invention relates to an insert molding method in which an injection molding machine is used to inject molding material into an insert of, for instance, aluminum foil to manufacture a molding in which the insert is integral with the molding material, and also to a metal mold assembly used in the method.

In an insert molding method of this type, insertion accuracy of the insert and the molding material is essential. For insertion by injection molding, the insert is inserted into the metal mold assembly in advance. However, this method suffers from a problem in that the insert can easily be displaced during molding, and the accuracy of the resultant molding is hence often lower than required.

Examples of the conventional method in which an insert is inserted into a metal mold assembly in advance and molding material is injected to the insert to form an insert molding are a method in which an insert plate is set along the configuration of the core mold of the metal mold assembly, a method in which an insert plate is set in the metal mold by inserting the positioning pin of the metal mold into a hole in the insert plate, and a method in which a film plate is held by a holding mold provided for the cavity mold so that the plate is automatically cut and pushed into the cavity (see Japanese Laid-Open patent application No. 5747/1981). However, in these conventional methods, the positioning accuracy of the insert is low, and the insert is not satisfactorily held. Thus, it is difficult to obtain moldings high in insertion accuracy utilizing these conventional methods.

Furthermore, the conventional methods are different from an injection molding method in which, according to the invention, displacement of the insert during the molding operation is prevented to obtain a molding high in insertion accuracy and which has a fold as the bottom or cover (top) of a can-like container.

A can-like container to which the invention relates and its bottom and cover (top) will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a can-like container having a side wall 1, a bottom 2 and a rectangular cover 3. FIG. 2 is also a perspective view showing a can-like container having a side wall 4, a bottom 5 and a round cover 6.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bottom 2 which is to be joined to the side wall 1. In FIG. 3, reference 7 designates a base material such as metal foil or sheet which air, water, etc. cannot permeate (hereinafter referred to as "a gas barrier type base material" when applicable). Examples of the base material 7 are aluminum foil, and sheets of saponified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinylidene chloride and polyamide. Typically, the aluminum foil is used. A resin layer (not shown in FIG. 3) which can be made molten by heating is formed on one or both sides of the gas barrier type base material.

The molding shown in FIG. 3 is manufactured by inserting the gas barrier type base material or a base material having a thermally meltable resin layer into a metal mold where molten molding material is injected into the base material (or an insert) by an injection molding machine. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 8 designates a synthetic resin layer which is formed by injection. The molding in FIG. 3 must have a fold 9 to join it to the side wall 1.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rectangular cover 3 (FIG. 1) which is to be joined to the side wall 1. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 designates a base material. In the case of FIG. 4, the base material 10 is obtained by forming thermally meltable resin layers 12 and 13 and both sides of a metal foil 15. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 14 designates a synthetic resin layer. The molding in FIG. 4 can be obtained by injecting synthetic resin molding material into the base material (insert) 10, similar to the case of the bottom shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 11 designates a handle (a so-called "pull top") on the cover. When the handle 11 is lifted with a finger tip inserted into a groove 16, the base material 10 is torn below the position 17 so that the cover 3 is pulled off. Further in FIG. 4, reference numeral 18 designates a treatment layer to facilitate the peeling of the handle portion from the base material 10. The molding in FIG. 4 has a fold 19 similar to the case of the molding in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the round cover 6 shown in FIG. 2. The round cover 6 is manufactured in the same manner as the molding in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, components similar to those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The molding in FIG. 5 also has a fold 19.

In the injection molding of a flat part which, unlike the moldings in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, has no fold (9 or 19), for instance, in the case of injecting molding material into a round insert, a slight displacement thereof causes no trouble. On the other hand, if, in the case of a molding with a fold (which the invention concerns), the insert is displaced even slightly during molding, undesirable results occur. It is impossible to obtain a molding high in insertion accuracy.

Further, in a conventional method of adhering a multi-layer sheet to its outer synthetic resin layer to improve the gas barrier characteristics, after the outer synthetic resin layer is formed by injection molding or the like, an adhesive is used to cause the multi-layer sheet to adhere thereto.

This conventional method suffers from the following problems: (1) the number of manufacturing steps is high and the manufacturing cost high, (2) the adhesive must be hygenic, and (3) the synthetic resin layer may peel off the multi-layer sheet if repeatedly heated and cooled.

It is desirable to make the outer resin layer integral with the multi-layer sheet, for instance, by insert injection molding which prevents the permeation of moisture and oxygen and the transmission of light to improve the gas barrier characteristics, thereby to provide a can-like container's cover in which the outer resin layer is strongly joined with the multi-layer sheet. However, when the outer resin layer is joined with the multi-layer sheet, the handle (or "pull top") of the cover is also joined with the multi-layer sheet, with the result that it is impossible to peel the handle off the multi-layer sheet or the body of the cover.

Further, in order to improve the openability of the opening part, a slot or groove is, in general, formed in the cover so that the opening part is opened along the slot. However, the formation of the slot unavoidably lowers the moldability. In order to overcome this difficulty, in the formation of the resin sheet according to the aforementioned method in which the resin sheet is bonded to the aluminum foil, the slot is divided into a plurality of parts, i.e., instead of one slot, a plurality of slots connected through bridges are formed to permit the smooth flowing of the molding material to maintain the moldability (see Japanese Laid-Open patent application No. 39489/1977).

The method is advantageous in that the moldability is improved; however, it is obvious that the openability is lowered by the bridges.

In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to prevent the displacement of the insert in the metal mold in the injection molding operation, thereby to obtain a molding having a high insertion accuracy which has a fold therein, and which forms the bottom or cover (top) of a can-like container.

A specific feature of the invention resides in an injection molding method in which an insert is inserted in a metal mold assembly and then molten molding material is injected to the insert, wherein the insert is inserted into a guide member provided for one of the metal molds forming the metal mold assembly and fixedly held therein before the injection molding operation is carried out.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily openable can-like container's cover which is formed with the gas barrier type multi-layer sheet according to the above-described insert molding method so that the multi-layer sheet and the outer resin layer are strongly joined together, but the handle can be readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet.

In accordance with the invention, in manufacturing a can-like container's cover which is obtained by integrally forming a second resin layer by injection molding or compression forming on a multi-layer sheet which is a base material such as a metal foil, a sheet or film which blocks oxygen, moisture and light and has a thermally weldable resin layer, namely, a first resin layer, and which has a handle, is provided. A printing treatment is applied to the part of the multi-layer sheet which is in contact with the handle before the formation of the second resin layer so that the handle can be readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet, and accordingly the cover can be readily opened. The first and second resin layers are in a molten state when formed, and are then joined together. Therefore, the method, unlike the conventional method in which, after the outer resin layer is formed, the multi-layer sheet is joined therewith, is satisfactory in workability, manufacturing cost, food hygiene, and the peeling characteristic after the retort treatment.

The first resin layer in the invention is a thermally molten (or softened) resin, typically a thermoplastic synthetic resin. The first resin layer is formed on each of the two sides of the gas barrier type base material. However, the formation of the first resin layer on the side of the base material where the second resin layer is formed may be omitted. In the case where both sides of the gas barrier type base material are covered with the first resin layers, the outer surface of one of the first resin layers is thermally welded to the second resin layer, the other first resin layer (inside) is thermally welded to the side wall of the container so that the cover is fixedly coupled to the side wall of the container. On the other hand, in the case where only one side (inside) of the gas barrier type base material is covered with the first resin layer, the second resin layer is formed directly on the other side (outside) of the base material. The first resin layer on the one side (inside) of the gas barrier type base material is thermally welded to the side wall of the container so that the cover is fixedly coupled to the side wall of the container.

Examples of the gas barrier type base material which forms the multi-layer sheet in the invention are metal foils such as aluminum foils, and sheets or films of saponified ethylene acetate vinyl copolymer, polyvinylidene chloride, polyamide, or polyacrylonitrile. The thermally meltable resin layer, namely, the first resin layer, is laid through an adhering resin layer such as a film-shaped hot melt adhesive on the gas barrier type base material, or it may be laid directly on the base material, to form the multi-layer sheet.

Synthetic resin is used to form the first resin layer. A typical example of the synthetic resin is polyolefin synthetic resin.

In the invention, the second resin layer is formed on the multi-layer sheet by insert inection molding or the like; however, before the formation of the second resin layer, a treatment is applied to the surface of the multi-layer sheet to allow the handle to readily peel off the multi-layer sheet. Any treatment may be employed if it allows the handle to readily peel off the multi-layer sheet. The treatment includes one by which the handle is separated from the multi-layer sheet, and therefore the former is readily peeled off the latter. A typical example of this treatment is a printing treatment in which printing ink is applied to the surface of the multi-layer sheet. The type of printing ink is not particularly limited; gravure printing polyamide, rubber or nitrocellulose ink may be used.

The printing ink is applied to a part of the multi-layer sheet the area of which is equal to that of the handle by gravure printing or the like. The multi-layer sheet thus treated is cut into a size required for the formation of the cover (top) of the container.

A treatment layer of paper, tape or other material may be interposed between the multi-layer sheet and the handle. The treatment for facilitating the peeling of the handle from the multi-layer sheet in the invention includes the formation of such a treatment layer.

It has been confirmed that substantially the same effects as those described above can be obtained even when the first resin layer is not formed on the side of the multi-layer sheet where the second resin layer is formed.

In the invention, the second layer is formed integrally on the multi-layer sheet, preferably by injection molding or compression forming. In a preferred example of the injection molding method, injection molding is carried out after the multi-layer sheet treated as described above is fixedly held in the metal molded by a multi-layer sheet inserting robot. In the formation of the container's cover by insert injection molding in accordance with the invention, insertion accuracy of the multi-layer sheet and the second resin layer is essential. It is undesirable that the multi-layer sheet inserted into the metal mold be displaced during molding.

The metal molds for the injection molding machine are not particularly limited, i.e., they may be of the cold runner or hot runner type.

In a preferred example of the compression forming method, a press is used, and after the multi-layer sheet is inserted into the metal mold, a heated sheet or film or molten resin is supplied thereto to perform the compression forming.

The second resin layer is mainly made of synthetic resin. A typical example of the synthetic resin is a polyolefin synthetic resin.

The invention is intended to provide a container's cover manufactured by simultaneous injection molding which is excellent both in moldability and in openability. A container's cover excellent in various characteristics such as moldability and openability can be successfully manufactured according an injection molding method in which, according to the invention, a second resin layer including an opening part having a handle and a peripheral part which are completely separated by a slot is formed by injection molding on one side of a multi-layer sheet which is fabricated by forming thermally meltable first resin layers on two or one side of a base material such as a metal foil, sheet or film which oxygen, water, etc. cannot permeate, in such a manner that at least one gate is used for formation of each of the opening part and peripheral part.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a can-like container with a rectangular cover to which this invention relates;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a can-like container with a round cover to which the invention relates;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the bottom of the container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the angular cover;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the round cover;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view for a description of an insert inserting step;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view for a description of the start of a mold closing operation;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view for a description of a molding material injecting step which is carried out after the mold closing operation;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a metal mold assembly using a guide member different from the one in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view for a description of a molding material injecting step which is carried out after the metal mold assembly (FIG. 9) has been closed;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view used for a description of the insert inserting oepration which utilizes a suction device;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view for a description of the start of the closing operation of the metal molds in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view used for a description of the molding material injecting operation which is carried out after the mold closing operation;

FIG. 14 is a plan view for a description of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view used for a description of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 are top views of respective further embodiments of container tops of the invention; and

FIGS. 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 are cross-sectional views of the covers of FIGS. 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

A molding method of the invention will be described with reference to the case where a stripper plate is used as a guide member as shown in the drawings.

A stripper plate is generally used to eject and remove a molding from the metal mold in the injection molding machine. The applicant has developed a novel injection molding method in which an insert is inserted and fixedly held in the stopper plate to improve the insertion accuracy and to prevent the displacement of the insert. Accordingly, the method of the invention is suitable for providing an insert molding having a fold supported by the insert.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of inserting an insert into a metal mold. In this embodiment, a robot (not shown) is used to insert the insert into the metal mold. An insert 21 is sucked and retained by a suction plate 20 which is connected to the arm of the robot. Under this condition, the movable cylinder 22 of the robot is moved downwardly in the direction of the arrow 23 and then moved sideways in the direction of the arrow 4 so that the insert 21 is inserted into a stripper plate 26 provided for a metal mold (core type). Even if, in this operation, the robot moves the insert 21 obliquely with respect to the inner surface of the metal mold, the insert 21 will still be suitably inserted into the metal mold because it is guided by the inner wall 27 of the stripper plate 26. That is, the insert 21 is smoothly guided by the stripper plate 26 at all times.

The insert is generally larger than the hole cut in the stripper plate 26. Therefore, the insert 21 is forcibly retained and positioned by the stripper plate 26 when inserted; that is, it is fixedly held in the stripper plate 26 when inserted. In FIG. 6 and 7 through 11, the insert is shown oriented in a vertical direction by the stripper plate and fixedly held therein. However, it should be noted that the insert is retained on four sides.

After the insertion has been fixedly held in the stripper plate, the movable cylinder 22 of the robot is moved in the direction of the arrow 28 and then lifted in the direction of the arrow 29.

FIG. 7 shows the insert fixedly held in the stripper plate 26 with the robot's cylinder having been lifted away. Under this condition, the metal mold (core-type, movable) 25 is moved laterally to start a mold closing step with a metal mold (cavity-type, stationary) 32 having an injection nose 30 and a molding material supplying path 31 communicated with the gate 30 at the center. In the closing step, the insert 21 cannot be displaced because it is fixedly held by the stripper 26.

As shown in FIG. 8, at the end of the closing step, the peripheral portion of the insert 21 is formed into a fold 33, and molten molding material is injected through the injection port 30 into a cavity 34 which is formed by the core-type metal mold 25 and the cavity-type metal mold 30. The molding has a fold similar to the moldings shown in FIGS. 3 through 5. In the above-described operation, the insert is not displaced at all. Therefore, the molding has a high insertion accuracy, and the molding material is applied to the fold also with a high accuracy.

After molding material injection, pressurizing, cooling, mold opening, mold ejecting and mold removing, steps may be carried out according to the ordinary injection molding cycle to obtain the molding. However, according to the invention, the insert is inserted and fixedly held by means of the stripper plate, and the molding is ejected and removed with the air of the stripper plate, so that the injection molding is achieved more efficiently.

In the above-described embodiment, the insert is inserted into the stripper plate and fixedly held therein. However, the guide member in the invention may be any one which has the above-described functions and can achieve the objects of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a guide member 36 is connected through springs 35 to the upper and lower portions of a stationary metal mold 32. An insert 21 is inserted into the guide member 36 and fixedly held therein. Under this condition, a mold closing operation is carried out as shown in FIG. 10, and then an injection molding operation is performed as described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. In FIG. 10, the insert 21 (FIG. 9) is not shown.

FIG. 11 depicts a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the insert inserted in the guide member is more positively fixed therein by means of suction device such as a vacuum cylinder provided in the metal mold. This method is advantageously applicable to a case where molding should be carried out at higher speed or a case where a large number of moldings should be manufactured. In these cases, the method can more positively prevent the displacement of the insert and thus more completely contribute to improving the insertion accuracy. Furthermore, according to this method, the injection molding is carried out with the insert sucked and retained by the vacuum cylinder, and therefore deformation of the insert is positively prevented.

The third embodiment will be described further with reference to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13. As shown in FIG. 11, an insert 21 is sucked and retained by the suction plate (or suction disc) 20 of a robot. Under this condition, the movable cylinder 22 of the robot is moved downwardly in the direction of the arrow 23 and is then moved in the direction of the arrow 24. As a result, the insert 21 is inserted into a guide member 26 provided for a metal mold 25 while being guided by the guide member 26, and is fixedly held (positioned) therein. Thus, the displacement of the insert is prevented. In this operation, the insert 21 is more firmly held therein because it is held by a vacuum cylinder 37 provided in the metal mold 25. The vacuum cylinder 37 has a through-hole 38 which is connected through a pipe 39 to a vacuum pump (not shown) so that the insert 21 is thereby attracted towards the metal mold 25. The robot's movable cylinder 22 is moved in the direction of the arrow 28 and is then lifted in the direction of the arrow 29 before the mold closing operation is carried out.

FIG. 12 shows the start of the mold closing operation, and FIG. 13 the end of the mold closing operation. In the mold closing operation, the vacuum cylinder 37 is slid in a cylinder housing 41 in the direction of the arrow 40 as shown in FIG. 12; that is, the vacuum cylinder 37 moves into the metal mold 25 as shown in FIG. 13. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the through-hole 38 is not shown.

Upon completion of the mold closing operation, molding material is injected through the molding material supplying path 31 and the injection gate 30 of the metal mold 32 into the cavity 34 which is formed by the metal molds. The other steps are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

In the above-described embodiments, the insert is larger than the hole of the guide member. However, in a case where the insert is smaller than the hole of the guide member, the insert can be fixedly held by employing at least one rib extending from the inner periphery of the guide member.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a stripper plate 26 with ribs 42. The angle (draft) of the inner wall 27 of the guide member 26, which is brought into contact with the insert 21, may be suitably controlled. This will be described with reference to FIG. 15 which is an enlarged side view of the guide member 26. In FIG. 15, the angle (x/y) is adjusted so that a large insert can be smoothly inserted into the guide member and fixedly held therein.

In order to clarify the effects of the invention, examples thereof will be described.

The bottom of a can-like container was molded by using an injection molding machine IS-50A(30Z) manufactured by Toshiba Co. of Japan.

The insert was fabricated by forming resin layers of ethylene propylene block copolymer (MFR 1.1 g/10 min, ethylene content 9 wt %) on both sides of an aluminum layer. The thicknesses of the (outer) resin layer, the aluminum layer and the (inner) resin layer were 30 microns, 15 microns and 70 microns, respectively. The insert was inserted into the stripper plate of the injection molding machine and fixedly held therein by means of the robot. After the mold closing operation, propylene ethylene block copolymer of MFR 10.0 g/10 min was injected into the mold cavity. The molding conditions were as follows:

Cylinder temperature--260.degree. C.

Injection pressure:

Primary pressure--60 kg/cm.sup.2

Secondary pressure--40 kg/cm.sup.2

Injection time--3 seconds

Cooling time--8 seconds

Molding cycle (total)--15 seconds

Injected resin thickness--0.7 mm

The insertion accuracy of the base material (insert) and the injected resin layer of the can-like container as 0.3 to 0.5 mm in the longitudinal direction and 0.3 to 0.5 mm in the lateral direction.

The rectangular cover shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 was made in the same manner as in Example 1 with the exception that, instead of the propylene ethylene block copolymer of MFR 10.0 g/10 min, a material prepared by adding calcium carbide 40% to that resin material was used.

The insertion accuracy of the rectangular cover thus constructed was similar to that of Example 1.

The round cover shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 was molded in the same manner as that of Example 1.

The insertion accuracy of the round cover thus molded was similar to that of Example 1.

As is apparent from the above description, even if the insert is obliquely moved into the metal mold by the robot, it is accurately set in place because it is guided by the guide member such as a stripper plate, and it is fixedly held in the metal mold by the guide member and, when desired, with the aid of the vacuum cylinder. Therefore, the displacement of the insert during the molding operation is prevented. Accordingly, the insert molding produced has a high insertion accuracy and low manufacturing cost. Furthermore, as the molding operation can be achieved at high speed, the method of the invention attains high productivity.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiments, the insert is inserted into the metal mold by the robot; however, the insertion may be achieved by other means, for instance, guide rails.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, a two-plate metal mold assembly is used; however, the technical concept of the invention is applicable to a three-plate metal mold assembly, and other metal mold assemblies. In addition, the core mold and the cavity mold may be reversed.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged plan view of the rectangular cover in FIG. 1. FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line X--X' in FIG. 16. In FIGS. 16 and 17, reference numerals 48 and 49 designate second resin layers. The second resin layer 48 is distinguished from the second resin layer and 49 by a groove 40. In FIG. 16, reference numeral 40' designates a bridge. A handle (or pull-top) 11 is formed in the second resin layer 48. In FIGS. 16 and 17, reference numeral 42 designaes an inner groove to facilitate the lifting of the handle 11. No second resin layer is formed in the inner groove 42 and in the groove 40, i.e., a multi-layer sheet 43 is exposed therein. These grooves are formed by a metal mold so that the cover can be readily opened. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the multi-layer sheet 43 is manufactured by forming resin layers on both sides of a gas barrier type base material.

In FIG. 17, reference numeral 44 designates a treatment layer to facilitate the peeling of the handle. The treatment layer 44 may be formed over all the area of the handle or a part of the area; however, it is preferable that it be formed on the entire rear surface of the handle.

When the handle 11 is lifted, the handle 11 is readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet 43 while going inside at the position 45 to cut the multi-layer sheet 43 so that the cover is readily opened along the groove 40. In

FIG. 18 is an enlarged plan view of the round cover shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Y--Y' in FIG. 18. In FIGS. 18 and 19, those parts having the same functions as those in FIGS. 16 and 17 are therefore designated by the same reference numerals. As in the rectangular cover shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the handle 11 can be readily opened.

In order to clarify the effects of these embodiments of invention, specific examples thereof will be described.

A multi-layer sheet having a structure and a thickness as indicated in Table 1, which was coated with rubber series gravure printing ink, was inserted into a stripper plate provided for a metal mold and fixedly held therein by means of a robot. Under this condition, the rectangular cover shown in FIG. 16 was molded by injection molding. An injection molding machine IS-50A(30Z) made by Toshiba Co. was used. The injection molding resin material used was ethylene propylene block copolymer ("Shoaroma" MK 411C (made by Showa Denko Co.) MFR 10.0 g/10min.). The molding conditions were as follows:

Cylinder temperature--280.degree. C.

Injection Pressure:

Primary pressure--110 kg/cm.sup.2

Secondary pressure--70 kg/cm.sup.2

Mold closing pressure--120 kg/cm.sup.2

A rectangular cover was manufactured in the same manner as that of Example 4 with the exception that a multi-layer sheet not coated with the printing ink was used.

The rectangular cover shown in FIG. 16 was manufactured by compression forming. That is, an oil pressure 50-ton press made by Amino Press Co. of Japan was used. An insert prepared by applying rubber series gravure printing ink to aluminum foil having ethylene propylene block copolymer (MFR 1.1, ethylene content 9 wt %) layers on both sides was inserted into the mold in advance. Under this condition, the compression forming was carried out by supplying a heated resin sheet of ethylene propylene block copolymer ("Shoaroma"), MFR 0.7 g/10 min).

A rectangular cover was made by compression forming in the same manner as that in Example 5 with the exception that a multi-layer sheet not coated with the printing ink was used.

Container covers were manufactured by injection molding or compression forming with multi-layer sheets and printing ink treatment (treatment layers) as shown in Table 1.

Container covers were formed with multi-layer sheets as shown in Table 1. These Comparison Examples 3 through 7 correspond to Examples 6 through 10 in which no peeling treatment was employed.

As is apparent from the results of the above-described Examples and Comparison Examples, the printing treatment or the equivalent treatment applied to the multi-layer sheet facilitates the opening of the cover with the handle.

The container cover of the invention can be manufactured at relatively low cost, and has the following excellent characteristics:

(1) As the printing treatment is applied to the multi-layer sheet which is in contact with the container cover handle or to the part of the multi-layer sheet where the latter is in contact with the handle, or the treatment layer such as a paper seal is provided in order to allow the handle to peel off the multi-layer sheet, the handle can be readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet, and accordingly the cover can be readily opened.

(2) The second layer is formed on the multi-layer sheet by insertion forming in such a manner that the former is welded to the latter by heat. Therefore, the second layer has a high adhesion strength and cannot be peeled off by heat cycling, for instance, in a retort treatment.

(3) The second resin layer and the thermally-weldable resin layer (or the multi-layer sheet obtained by laminating the first resin layers) are laminated. Therefore, the cover can be readily welded by heating and has a retort characteristic. Accordingly, containers excellent from a food hygiene point of view can be made with the covers according to the invention.

Further embodiments of the invention will now be described. In FIGS. 20 and 21, reference numeral 3 as before designates the cover; 58, an opening part formed by the second resin layer; 59, a peripheral part formed by the second resin layer; and 60, a slot. The slot 60 is in the form of a closed ring as shown in FIG. 20, and therefore the opening part 58 is completely separated from the peripheral part 59 by the slot 60. Further in FIGS. 20 and 21, reference numeral 11 designates a handle provided on the opening part 58; and 62, a cutting opening part 62 by a groove 63.

In FIG. 21, reference numeral 64 designates a multi-layer sheet. In the case of FIG. 21, the multi-layer sheet is manufactured by forming first resin layers 66 and 67 on both sides of a gas barrier type base material. The can-like container's cover 3 according to the invention is fixedly mounted on the side wall 1 of the can-like container as shown in FIG. 21.

The rectangular cover 3 is opened as follows: When the handle 11 is raised with the finger tip inserted into groove 63, the handle 11 is peeled off the multi-layer sheet 64. As a result, the end 69 of the handle 11 goes inside the multi-layer sheet 64 to cut the latter. When, under this condition, the handle 11 is pulled, the multi-layer sheet 64 is cut along the slot 60 so that the opening part 58 of the cover is opened.

In the container's cover according to the invention, the opening part 58 is completely separated from the peripheral part 59 by the slot 60; i.e., no bridge is provided between the parts 68 and 69. Therefore, the opening part 58 can be readily opened. This readily openable container's cover can be produced using an injection molding method of the invention. The method will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. The opening part 58 and the peripheral part 59 are molded using respective gates. That is, the opening part 58 is independently molded using its gate, while the peripheral part 59 is also independently molded by using its own gate. The slot 60 is formed by the mold. At least one gate should be provided for molding the opening part 58, and similarly at least one gate should be provided for molding the peripheral part 59. The positions of the gates are indicated by reference characters 70(G1) and 71(G2) in FIG. 20. That is, the opening part 58 is molded using the gate 70(G1), while the peripheral part 59 is molded using the gate 71(G2).

In the injection molding method using a plurality of gates, the moldability is excellent and the injection molding operation can be achieved readily. Therefore, materials having a low moldability such as materials having small melting factors (MFR) or resins with fillers can be used in the injection molding method. As was described before, in the conventional method, it is necessary to take the moldability into consideration, i.e., it is necessary to select materials having a high fluidity, and it is difficult to use resins with fillers. However, these problems have been solved by the provision of the injection molding method according to the invention.

Furthermore, in the molding method of the invention, the molding temperature and the injection pressure are considerably low, and the productivity (molding cycle) is high. In addition, in the invention, the slot is formed by the pushing action of the metal mold, and therefore it is preferable that the mold closing pressure is suitable for increasing the durability of the metal mold, preventing damage to the base material and preventing breakage of the slot. According to the invention, the mold closing pressure can be low. Depending on molding conditions, sometimes a product's corner material such as an aluminum foil may be broken in the mold during injection molding. However, such a problem can be eliminated by the low injection pressure employed with the invention.

Accoring to the injecton molding method of the invention, can-like container's covers having a high adhesion strength can be obtaned as described above. Especially when a multi-layer sheet having thermally meltable first resin layers on its both sides is used, the first and second resin layers are in a molten state when molded, and are then welded together. Therefore, the resultant molding is high in adhesion strength and accordingly durable in the drop test.

On the other hand, the cover may suffer from the problem that the handle is also welded to the multi-layer sheet so that it cannot be peeled off the multi-layer sheet. However, this problem can be solved by applying a treatment for allowing the handle to peel off the multi-layer sheet to the part of the multi-layer sheet with which the handle is in contact. An example of the treatment is to use printing ink to form a treatment layer as described above.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged plan view of the round cover of FIG. 2, and FIG. 23 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Y--Y' in FIG. 22.

In FIGS. 22 and 23, parts designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 20 and 21 have the same functions, and their description will be omitted. The round cover is manufactured in the same manner as the rectangular cover in FIGS. 20 and 21, and can be readily opened. In FIG. 22, 73(G3) designates the position of a gate for the opening part 58, and 74(G4) the position of a gate for the peripheral part 59. The opening part and the peripheral part are formed independently by using the respective gates G3 and G4.

In order to clarify the effects of the above embodiments of the invention, Examples and Comparison Examples will now be described.

An injection molding machine IS-50A(30Z) made by Toshiba Co. was used to form the rectangular cover shown in FIG. 20.

Used for the formation of the cover was a multi-layer sheet which was fabricated by forming ethylene propylene block copolymer (MFR 1.1, ethylene content 9 wt %) layers on both sides of a aluminum foil. The injection molding operation was carried out with the multi-layer sheet fixedly held in the metal mold by the robot. The two gates G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 20 were used for molding. The slot was formed by the pushing action of the metal mold. The second resin layer, formed with the product "Shoaroma" manufactured by Showa Denko Co. (propylene ethylene block copolymer of NFR 10.0 g/10 min) was injected under cylinder temperature of 240.degree. C. and an injection pressure of 60 kg/cm.sup.2.

In the multi-layer sheet, the thicknesses of the outer first resin layer, the aluminum foil and the inner first resin layer were 30 microns, 15 microns and 70 microns, respectively. The second resin layer was formed on the outer resin layer to a thickness of 0.7 mm. The openability of the rectangular cover thus manufactured is indicated in Table 2, and the injection moldability is shown in Table 3. Table 4 indicates the results of comparison in molding conditions between Example 16 and Comparison Example 8 (described later).

The rectangular cover was made by injection molding in the same manner as that in Example 16 with the exception that, instead of "Shoaroma" MK411C, a resin prepared by adding calcium carbide 40% to that resin was used, and the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 260.degree. C. and 80 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively. Similar to Example 16, the openability and the injection moldability of the rectangular cover were evaluated. The results of evaluation are as indicated in Tables 2 and 3.

The injection molding operation was carried out by using the gate G1 in FIG. 20. For this purpose, four bridges were formed in the slot 60 at intervals (each bridge having a width of 0.5 mm). The molding resin was injected in the same manner as that in Example 16. The results of the injection molding operation are as indicated in Tables 2 and 3. The bridges made it difficult to open the cover. Although the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 280.degree. C. and 10 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively, the moldability was lower than that of Example 16 or 17. The results of comparison in molding conditions between Comparison Example 8 and Example 16 are indicated in Table 4.

The injection molding operation was conducted in the same manner as that in Comparison Example 8, with exception that, instead of the gate G1, the gate G2 was used. The results of the injection molding operation are indicated in Tables 2 and 3. As in Comparison Example 8, the openability was low and the moldability also low.

A round cover as shown in FIG. 2 was formed in the same manner as that in Example 16, with the exception that the gates G3 and G4 (in FIG. 22) were used and the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 240.degree. C. and 55 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively. The results are as indicated in Table 2 and 3.

The injection molding operation was performed in the same manner as that in Comparison Example 8, with the exception that one gate (G3) was used, four bridges 0.6 mm in width were formed in the slot 60, and the injection pressure was set to 100 kg/cm.sup.2. The results are as shown in Tables 2 and 3.

As is clear from the above-described Examples 16, 17 and 18, the covers of the invention could be opened readily without forming burrs along the edges of the opening part, and were excellent in moldability. The molding temperature and the injection pressure could be considerably low. Accordingly, the productivity (molding cyle) was high. In addition, even a material mixed with a filler low in moldability could be used. Thus, Examples 16 through 18 were clearly different from Comparison Examples 8 through 10.

In the invention, the slot is formed by the pushing action of the metal mold, and therefore it is desirable that the mold closing pressure be low (the low mold closing pressure increasing the durability of the metal mold and preventing the breakage of the slot formed on the multi-layer sheet). The mold closing pressure was much lower than that in the Comparison Examples.

Depending on the molding conditions, the aluminum foil may be broken at the corner in the metal mold during the injection. However, this problem can be eliminated by the low injection pressure as mentioned above.

As is apparent from the above description, a can-like container's cover can be manufactured at relatively low cost by the method of the invention, and has the following excellent effects:

(1) As the opening part (with the handle) and the peripheral part which are separated by the slot from each other are formed by using the respective gates, the injection molding operation can be achieved readily, and the multi-layer sheet inserted in the metal mold can be protected from being creased or damaged.

(2) Because of the excellent moldability, the container's cover can be molded even with a material low in moldability.

(3) The opening part (with the handle) and the peripheral part are isolated from each other by the closed-ring-shaped slot. Therefore, only the multi-layer sheet is cut in opening the cover. Thus, the container's cover of the invention is excellent in openability.

(4) As the treatment layer for facilitating the peeling of the handle is provided, the handle can be readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet, and therefore the container's cover can be opened more readily.

(5) The container's cover according to the invention is excellent in retort characteristics and with respect to food hygiene considerations. Therefore, the employment of the container's cover according to the invention allows the provision of a container which can preserve food for a long period of time.

As is apparent from the above description, the cover according to the invention has excellent effects, and therefore it has a wide range of applications. Typically, the cover can be used for manufacturing the following containers:

(1) Coffee cans, and soup cans

(2) Edible (cooking) oil cans, and seasoning cans

(3) Packing cans

(4) Motor oil cans

In the embodiments of the invention described above, in view of the openability of the can-like container's cover, the durability of the can-like container, the can breaking strength, and the fracture strength in the insert molding operation, it is desirable that the first resin layer of the multi-layer sheet be 100 microns or less in thickness, and the gas barrier type base material such as an aluminum foil be 50 microns or less, preferably 9 to 30 microns.

If the thickness of the multi-layer sheet, especially the thickness of the metal foil (aluminum) is suitably selected in the invention, the can-like container can be completely incinerated. Recently much can pollution has occurred. However, with the can-like container of the invention, can pollution can be significantly reduced because the container of the invention can be completely incinerated if the thickness of the aluminum foil and the resin material of the multi-layer sheet are suitably selected. The heat energy required for incinerating the container is as low as 5000 to 6000 Kcal/kg.

In other embodiments of the invention, in the second resin layer formed on the multi-layer sheet, the opening part and the peripheral part are completely separated by the slot. In this connection, it may be considered that when the container with the cover according to the invention is opened, the opening part may be carelessly disposed of. In order to prevent such, i.e., in order to prevent the complete removal of the opening part from the cover, the opening part may be coupled to the peripheral part through coupling parts, namely, bridges, to the extent that the openability is not lowered. For instance, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 24, the right-hand portion of the opening part 2 may be coupled to the peripheral part through the bridges.

In the above-described molding method using a plurality of gages, the molding temperature and the injection pressure are considerably low, and the productivity (molding cycle) is high. In addition, in accordance with the above embodiments of the invention, the slot is formed by the pushing action of the metal mold, and therefore it is preferable that the mold closing pressure be low. That is, a low molding closing pressure is suitable for increasing the durability of the metal mold, preventing damage to the base material and preventing breakage of the slot.

In FIG. 25, reference numeral 72 designates a treatment layer which is formed to allow the handle 11 to peel off the multi-layer sheet 64. In opening the container's cover, the treatment layer facilitates the peeling of the handle 11 from the multi-layer sheet 64. That is, the treatment layer in association with the slot 60 completely separating the opening part 58 from the peripheral part 59 functions to allow the cover to open more readily. Any treatment of the types described above may be employed.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged plan view of a round cover of the present embodiment, and FIG. 27 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Y--Y' in FIG. 26.

In FIGS. 26 and 27, parts designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 24 and 25 have the same functions, and their description will be omitted. The round cover is manufactured in the same manner as the rectangular cover in FIGS. 24 and 25, and it is high both in adhesion strength and in impact resistance, and can be readily opened. In FIG. 26, 93(G3) designates the position of a gate for the opening part 58, and 94(G4) the position of a gate for the peripheral part 59. The opening part and the peripheral part are formed independently by using the respective gates G3 and G4.

In order to clarify the effects of the invention, further Examples and Comparison Examples will be described.

An injection molding machine IS-50A(30Z) manufactured by Toshiba Co. was used to form the rectangular cover shown in FIG. 3.

A multi-layer sheet which was fabricated by forming ethylene propylene block copolymer (I) (MFR 1.1, ethylene content 9 wt %) layers on both sides of an aluminum foil was used. Rubber group gravure printing ink was applied to the part of the multi-layer sheet which was to be covered by the handle. A robot was used to fixedly hold the thus-treated multi-layer sheet in the stripper plate of the metal mold. Under this condition, the injection molding operation was carried out. The two gates G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 24 were used for molding. The slot was formed by the pushing action of the metal mold. The second resin layer was formed by injecting propylene ethylene block copolymer (II) of MFR 10.0 g/10 min with a cylinder temperature of 240.degree. C. and an injection pressure of 60 kg/cm.sup.2.

In the multi-layer sheet, the thicknesses of the outer first resin layer, the aluminum foil and the inner first resin layer were 30 microns, 15 microns and 70 microns, respectively. The second resin layer was formed on the outer first resin layer to a thickness of 0.7 mm. The openability of the rectangular cover thus manufactured is indicated in Table 5, the peelability of the handle is indicated in Table 6, and the injection moldability is indicated in Table 7. Table 8 indicates the results of comparison in molding conditions between Example 19 and comparison Example 11 (described below).

A rectangular cover was formed by injection molding in the same manner as that in Example 19 with the exception that, instead of the block copolymer (II), a resin prepared by adding calcium carbide 40% to the resin was used, and the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 260.degree. C. and 80 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively. As in Example 19, the openability of the cover, the peelability of the handle, and the injection moldability were evaluated. The results are indicated in Table 5, 6 and 7.

The injection molding operations were carried out in the same manner as that in Example 19 with the exception that different multi-layer sheets and different printing inks (or treatment layers) were employed as indicated in Table 6. The covers were evaluated for the peelability of the handle as indicated in Table 6.

The evaluations of the cover formed by compression forming are also included in Table 6. In the compression forming, a 50-ton press manufactured by Amino Press Co. was used. The multi-layer sheet indicated in Table 7 was inserted in the mold. Under this condition, the compression forming was carried out by supplying a molten second resin (propylene ethylene block copolymer of MFR 2.0 g/10 min).

The injection molding operation was carried out by using the gate G1 in FIG. 24. For this purpose, four bridges were formed in the slot 60 at intervals (each bridge having a width of 0.5 mm). The molding resin was injected in the same manner as that in Example 19. The results of the injection molding operation are as indicated in Tables 5 and 7. The bridges made it difficult to open the cover. Although the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 280.degree. C. and 110 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively, the moldability was lower than that of Example 19 or 20. The results of comparison in molding conditions between Comparison Example 11 and Example 19 are indicated in Table 8.

An injection molding operation was conducted in the same manner as in Comparison Example 11, with the exception that, instead of the gate G1, the gate G2 was used. The results of the injection molding operation are indicated in Tables 5 and 7. Similar to Comparison Example 11, both the openability and the moldability were low.

A round cover as shown in FIG. 26 was formed in the same manner as that in Example 19, with the exception that the gates G3 and G4 (FIG. 26) were used and the cylinder temperature and the injection pressure were set to 240.degree. C. and 55 kg/cm.sup.2, respectively. The results are as indicated in Tables 5, 6 and 7.

An injection molding operation was performed in the same manner as that in Comparison Example 11, with the exception that one gate (G3) was used, four bridges 0.6 mm in width were formed in the slot 10, and the injection pressure was 100 kg/cm.sup.2. The results are as shwon in Tables 5 and 7.

Different multi-layer sheets indicated in Table 6 were used, and the injection molding operations or the compression forming operations were carried out in the same manner as those in Examples 19 and 21 through 31, except that no treatment for peeling the handle off the multi-layer sheet was applied. The container's covers thus manufactured were evaluated for the peelability of the handles as indicated in Table 6.

A rectangular cover was formed in the same manner as that in Example 19, except that a multi-layer sheet consisting of an outer resin layer 70 microns in thickness, an aluminum foil 15 microns in thickness and an inner resin layer 70 microns in thickness was used. The rectangular cover thus formed was welded to a container body consisting of a bottom and a side wall to form a sealed can-like container as shown in FIG. 1. A drop test was applied to the can-like container thus formed (Example 33).

A round cover was formed in the same manner as that in Example 32, with the exception that a multi-layer sheet consisting of an outer resin layer 70 microns in thickness, an aluminum foil 15 microns in thickness, and an inner resin layer 70 microns in thickness was used. As in Example 33, the round cover was used to form a sealed can-like container, and a drop test was applied to the container (Example 34).

For comparison, the same multi-layer sheets and the same second resin layers were formed and were then bonded together by using an urethane adhesive to form a rectangular cover and a round cover, respectively. As in Examples 33 and 34, sealed can-like containers were formed with these covers, and drop tests were carried out on the can-like containers (Comparison Examples 21 and 22).

A sealed can-like container was formed using the rectangular cover with bridges formed using one gate as in Comparison Example 11. Another sealed can-like container was formed by using the round cover which was fabricated in Comparison Example 13. Drop tests were applied to these sealed can-like containers (Comparison Examples 23 and 24). The multi-layer sheets used were the same as those in Examples 33 and 34.

The content of each rectangular can was about 350 cc in volume, and the content of each round can was about 250 cc.

The results of these drop tests are as indicated in Tables 9 and 10.

As is apparent from Table 9, the sealed can-like containers according to the invention are high in impact resistance. It is considered that this effect is due to the facts that the resin layers are sufficiently welded to the aluminum foil by thermal molding, and that, as the molding closing presure can be low, the aluminum foil is protected from damage when the slot is formed by the pushing action of the metal mold.

As was described before, in Comparison Example 23, the can-like container was formed by using a rectangular cover which was formed by using one gate in such a manner that the slot had four bridges, and in Comparison Example 24, the can-like container was formed by using a round cover which was also formed by using one gate in such a manner that the slot had four bridges. In each of the above-described Examples 31 and 32, the injection pressure was high and the mold closing pressure was also high (see Table 7). Therefore, the aluminum foil was damaged, being strongly pressed by the metal mold, with the result that the can-like container was low in impact strength.

Sealed can-like containers with rectangular covers were fabricated in the same manner as that in Example 33 except that multi-layer sheets different in outer resin layer, aluminum foil and inner resin layer thicknesses as indicated in Table 11 were used. The containers thus fabricated were tested for can breaking strength and openability. The test results are as listed in Table 11:

Rectangular covers were formed in the same manner as that in Example 33, except that multi-layer sheets different in aluminum foil thickness as indicated in Table 12 were used. The relationships between the thickness of the aluminum foil and the completeness of incineration, aluminum foil breakage, and openability were obtained as indicated in Table 12:

The aluminum foil thickness is an important factor affecting the ability to completely incinerate the can, its openability and the aluminum foil breakage. However, if the aluminum foil is at least 9 microns in thickness, then it can sufficiently block the permeation of oxygen, water, etc.

The thickness of the first resin layer somewhat affects the openability of the container's cover. However, if the aluminum foil thickness is 50 microns or less, then the container's cover can be easily opened. Aluminum blocks more than 60 microns in diameter cannot easily be completely incinerated.

It has been confirmed that if the aluminum foil thickness is further decreased, then the aluminum foil is liable to be broken at its edge portions during insertion molding, but such trouble will not occur if its thickness is 9 microns or more.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the invention, can-like containers are manufactured at a relatively low cost, and the can-like containers thus manufactured have the following excellent effects:

(1) The opening part (with the handle) and the peripheral part are isolated from each other by the closed-ring-shaped slot. Therefore, only the multi-layer sheet is cut in opening the cover. Thus, the container's cover of the invention is excellent in openability.

(2) As the treatment layer for facilitating the peeling of the handle is provided, the handle can be readily peeled off the multi-layer sheet, and therefore the container's cover can be opened more readily.

(3) In the case where the second resin layer is formed by using one gate in such a manner that it has the bridges over the slot, the injection pressure is unavoidably high, as a rsult of which the aluminum foil of the multi-layer sheet is damaged, and the can-like container is low in impact resistance. However, in the above embodiments of the invention, both the opening part (including the handle) and the peripheral part separated by the slot are molded using at least one gate. Therefore, the injection molding operation can be achieved readily, and the multi-layer sheet inserted in the metal mold can be protected from being creased or damaged. Accordingly, the can-like container having the container's cover according to the invention shows a high impact resistance in the drop test.

(4) Because of the excellent moldability, the container's cover can be molded even with a material having a low moldability.

(5) The container's cover according to the invention is excellent in retort characteristics and food hygiene. Therefore, the employment of the container's cover according to the invention allows the provision of a container which can preserve food for a long period of time.