[0001] The present invention refers to a flexible tube made of an antibacterial plastic
material of the type used to package cosmetics and/or creams for personal care, food
pastes or pharmaceutical products like ointments and creams with a medicinal active
ingredient.
[0002] For this purpose, an antibacterial product preferably consisting of nanometric silver
(that is, silver powder in which the granules measure a few nanometres) of a commercially
available type is added to the plastic material used to produce the tube.
[0003] The antiseptic and antibacterial properties of the silver are well known and have
long been used in the medical field, but they have never been used, to the Applicant's
knowledge, in the specific field of the flexible tubes for cosmetic, pharmaceutical
or food products.
[0004] The bodies of the flexible tubes for cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food products, with
different diameters and lengths, are generally produced by extrusion of plastic materials,
particularly polyethylene, with various densities and degrees of polymerisation.
[0005] With the extrusion of said plastic materials, tubes having a more or less smooth
and shiny surface are obtained, which are then decorated and customised for the various
products contained and for the various clients, with different types of printing,
also starting from extruded articles which can be coloured in bulk with various shades
and depths of colour.
[0006] The tubes can also be decorated with self-adhesive labels, which determine their
aesthetic appearance.
[0007] These tubes present the risk that, during the use, the bacteria always present on
the user's hands may be deposited on the outer surfaces of the tube and especially
on the opening through which the product leaves the tube: this can lead to the formation
of bacterial colonies which can proliferate even rapidly inside the tube in the product
and can pollute or in any case alter the product contained in the tube.
[0008] This drawback also occurs if air is sucked into the tube when, through the "shape-memory
effect", the tube returns to its original shape after squeezing to allow the dispensing
of the product.
[0009] Object of the present invention is to eliminate the possibility that such bacterial
colonies might develop by providing a tube for cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food products
that is able to destroy and to eliminate the bacterial flora in a short time and for
the whole duration of use of the tube, and which maintains said antiseptic characteristic
unchanged over time.
[0010] This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics
listed in appended independent claim 1.
[0011] Further advantageous characteristics of the invention are apparent from the dependent
claims.
[0012] The Applicant has obtained a tube with the above mentioned antibacterial characteristics
by adding an additive, preferably consisting of nanometric silver dispersed in pure
polyethylene powder, to the plastic material (normally polyethylene or mixtures thereof)
commonly used for the production of the tubes; the additive advantageously contains
from 1.8‰ to 2.5‰ (preferably 2‰) in weight of nanometric silver.
[0013] After mixing of the nanometric silver and of the pure polyethylene powder, the mixture
thus obtained is thoroughly homogenised, extruded and granulated to obtain the additive
to be added to the polyethylene (or to mixtures thereof) to obtain tubes with the
characteristics necessary to meet the requirements of various clients depending upon
the content.
[0014] US 2006/207961 discloses water containers including a body made of several intertwined arced sidewalls,
some or all of the sidewalls are provided with longitudinal grooves. The body of the
container includes several compartments namely a mouth, a neck, and a stem comprising
shoulders, a waist, and a base. The compartments have dimensions that maintain a constant
mathematical ratio in compliance with the golden phi ratio with respect to each other.
[0015] EP 1616549 A1 discloses a drug solution filling plastic ampoule having gas, steam and light ray
barrier properties, a drug permeation preventing capability and an absorption/adsorption
preventing capability said plastic ampoule including a container body (11), a fusion-bonded
portion (13) which seals a mouth (12) of the container body, and a wrench-off holder
tab (14) connected to the fusion-bonded portion.
[0016] US 6179141 discloses a container assembly provided with an antibacterial agent against "slow-leak"
bacteria, comprising a container such as a plastic bottle which has a mouth portion
having a rim; and a seal member such as a crown cap fitted to the mouth portion at
the rim, wherein at least either a surface portion of the rim or the rim-contacting
surface portion of the seal member includes an antibacterial agent such as silver
zeolite in the form of a coating or a liner.
[0017] EP 1795449 A1 disclsoes a flat container molded by blow molding, in which the wall thickness of
a container wall is made uniform, the flat container having a flatness ratio of not
less than 1.3, and a body wall thickness ratio of a maximum wall thickness to a minimum
wall thickness of not more than 1.6, a difference in elongation between a maximally
stretched portion and a minimally stretched portion of not more than 150% in a tensile
test at 95 DEG C, a crystallinity of not less than 30%, and a difference in TMA non-load
change between a maximally stretched portion and a minimally stretched portion of
not more than 500 [mu]m at 75 DEG C and 100 DEG C.
[0018] KR 10 200 500 28 251 A discloses an airtight container comprising nanosilver particles mixed in plastic
resin powder in a proportion of 200-600 ppm.
[0019] The additive thus obtained is added, in the extrusion stage, to the plastic material
(polyethylene or mixtures thereof) in a percentage between 4.8% and 5.5% (preferably
5%) in weight of the plastic material.
[0020] Without departing from the scope of the invention, the mixture for extrusion can
be obtained by adding to the plastic material from 70 to 135 (preferably 100) parts
per million in weight of nanometric silver.
[0021] The production by extrusion of the tubes produced according the present invention
is done by using the apparatuses and the manufacturing methods that are used to produce
a normal polyethylene tube since careful theoretical studies and experimental tests
performed by the Applicant have shown that the addition of the additive to the polyethylene
(or to the mixtures thereof) does not change its behaviour during the production of
the tubes.
[0022] Lastly, in order to provide the user with a better protection against the formation
and the development of bacterial colonies, the cap closing the tube is advantageously
made of a plastic material suited to the purpose like a high-density polypropylene
or a polyethylene with an anti-bacterial product added.
1. A method for obtaining a flexible tube for packaging cosmetics and/or creams for personal
care, food pastes or pharmaceutical products like ointments and creams with a medicinal
active ingredient,
the tube being made of a plastic material constituted by polyethylene or mixtures
thereof and containing powdery nanometric silver as antibacterial product,
said method consisting of the following steps of
- preparing an additive in the form of granules containing from 1.8‰ to 2.5‰ by weight
of powdery nanometric silver by dispersing the powdery nanometric silver in amount
between from 1.8‰ to 2.5‰ by weight of powdery nanometric silver in pure polyethylene
powder to obtain a mixture,
- then homogenising, extruding and granulating the mixture to obtain said additive;
- adding, in the extrusion stage, the so obtained additive in form of granules to
said plastic material in amount between 4.8% and 5.5% by weight of said plastic material,
without changing the behaviour of the plastic material during the production of the
tube,
the tube including an antibacterial closure cap made of polypropylene or polyethylene
with an antibacterial product added.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the additive contains 2‰ in weight of nanometric silver.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said additive is 5% by weight of said plastic material.
4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the powdery nanometric silver added to said plastic material is 100 parts per million
(0,1‰) by weight of said plastic material.
5. Use of the method of claims 1 to 4 for packaging cosmetics and/or creams for personal
care, food pastes or pharmaceutical products like ointments and creams with a medicinal
active ingredient consisting of packaging said cosmetics and/or creams for personal
care, food pastes or pharmaceutical products like ointments and creams with a medicinal
active ingredient.
1. Verfahren zum Erhalten einer flexiblen Tube zum Verpacken von Kosmetika und/oder Cremen
für die Hautpflege, Nahrungsmittelpasten oder pharmazeutische Produkte wie Salben
und Cremen mit einem medizinischen Wirkstoff,
wobei die Tube aus einem Kunststoffmaterial gefertigt ist, das aus Polyethylen oder
Mischungen davon besteht und pulverförmiges nanometrisches Silber als antibakterielles
Produkt enthält,
wobei das Verfahren aus den folgenden Schritten besteht des
- Herstellens eines Zusatzmittels in Form von Granulat, das 1,8 ‰ bis 2,5 ‰, auf das
Gewicht bezogen, pulverförmiges nanometrisches Silber enthält, durch Dispergieren
des pulverförmigen nanometrischen Silbers in einer Menge von 1,8 ‰ bis 2,5 ‰, auf
das Gewicht des pulverförmigen nanonetrischen Silbers bezogen, in reinem Polyethyenpulver,
um eine Mischung zu erhalten,
- dann Homogenisierens, Extrudierens und Granulierens der Mischung, um das Zusatzmittel
zu erhalten,
- Hinzugebens, während der Extrusionsstufe, des so erhaltenen Zusatzmittels in Form
von Granulat zu dem Kunststoffmaterial in einer Menge von 4,8 % bis 5,5 %, auf das
Gewicht des Kunststoffmaterials bezogen, ohne das Verhalten des Kunststoffmaterials
während der Herstellung der Tube zu verändern,
wobei die Tube eine antibakterielle Verschlusskappe umfasst, die aus Polypropylen
oder Polyethylen mit einem zugegebenen antibakteriellen Produkt gefertigt ist.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Zusatzmittel 2 ‰, auf das Gewicht bezogen, nanometrisches Silber enthält.
3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Zusatzmittel 5 %, auf das Gewicht bezogen, des Kunststoffmaterials ausmacht.
4. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das pulverförmige nanometrische Silber, das dem Kunststoffmaterial hinzugegeben wird,
100 Teile pro Million (0,1 ‰), auf das Gewicht bezogen, des Kunststoffmaterials ausmacht.
5. Anwendung des Verfahrens nach den Ansprüchen 1 bis 4 zum Verpacken von Kosmetika und/oder
Cremen für die Hautpflege, Nahrungsmittelpasten oder pharmazeutische Produkte wie
Salben und Cremen mit einem medizinischen Wirkstoff, bestehend aus dem Verpacken der
Kosmetika und/oder Cremen für die Körperpflege, Nahrungsmittelpasten oder pharmazeutische
Produkte wie Salben und Cremen mit einem medizinischen Wirkstoff.
1. Procédé pour obtenir un tube souple pour emballer des produits cosmétiques et/ou des
crèmes de soin, des pâtes nutritives ou des produits pharmaceutiques tels que des
onguents et des crèmes avec un principe actif médical,
le tube étant en matière plastique constituée de polyéthylène ou de ses mélanges et
contenant de la poudre d'argent nanométrique en tant que produit antibactérien,
ledit procédé comprenant les étapes suivantes consistant à :
- préparer un additif sous la forme de granulés contenant entre 1,8 ‰ et 2,5 ‰ en
poids de poudre d'argent nanométrique en dispersant la poudre d'argent nanométrique
dans une quantité comprise entre 1,8 ‰ et 2,5 ‰ en poids de poudre d'argent nanométrique
dans de la poudre de polyéthylène pur pour obtenir un mélange,
- puis homogénéiser, extruder et granuler le mélange pour obtenir ledit additif,
- ajouter, lors de l'étape d'extrusion, l'additif ainsi obtenu sous forme de granulés,
à ladite matière plastique dans une quantité comprise entre 4,8 % et 5,5 % en poids
de ladite matière plastique, sans modifier le comportement de la matière plastique
pendant la production du tube,
le tube comprenant un bouchon de fermeture antibactérien en polypropylène ou en polyéthylène
avec un produit antibactérien ajouté.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que l'additif contient 2 ‰ en poids de ladite matière plastique.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que ledit additif représente 5 % en poids de ladite matière plastique.
4. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que la poudre d'argent nanométrique ajoutée à ladite matière plastique représente 100
parties par million (0,1 ‰) en poids de ladite matière plastique.
5. Utilisation du procédé selon les revendications 1 à 4 pour emballer des produits cosmétiques
et/ou des crèmes de soin, des pâtes nutritives ou des produits pharmaceutiques tels
que des onguents et des crèmes avec un principe actif médical,
comprenant les étapes consistant à emballer lesdits produits cosmétiques et/ou lesdites
crèmes de soin, lesdites pâtes nutritives ou lesdits produits pharmaceutiques tels
que les onguents et les crèmes avec un principe actif médical.