Dispensing container for a liquid or paste-like substance

A dispensing container for a liquid or paste-like substance, comprising:

• two superimposed sheets of foil material, interconnected by means of a liquid-tight heat-sealed connecting seam, peripherally enclosing between said sheets a filling space, the interior of said filling space containing a liquid or paste-like substance, said sheets being extended beyond said filling space to form a handle portion;
• a channel pre-formed between said superposed sheets extending outwardly from said filling space into said handle portion;
• a tube in said preformed channel, said tube being open at both ends, having its inner open end in fluid communication with said filling space forming an outflow opening for said filling space, said tube being heat-sealed at its periphery to said sheets in said channel in a liquid-tight manner to prevent outflow of said substance from said filling space through said channel outside said tube;
• at least a portion of said extended sheet portions being adapted to be easily separated in order to uncover the outer open end of said tube so as to allow dispensing of the contents of said filling space;
• said pre-formed channel extending a substantial distance beyond the outer open end of said tube and into said handle portion, said heat seal connecting said tube to said two sheets and said heat seal connecting said two sheets of foil material being located sufficiently remote from the outer open end of said tube such that the bore of said tube is not closed by melting;
• said tube being made of a rigid pressure-elastic heat sealable plastics material which is resistant to the pressures and temperatures used when connecting said tube to said sheets of foil material in said liquid-tight manner, said tube being then deformed only to a slightly unround shape;
• the extended sheet portions being at their extremities not interconnected so as to form pulling tabs, by means of which said foil portions can be pulled apart to expose the outer open end of said tube;
• the sheet at both sides of the channel being joined by means of a reinforced connecting seam which is directed substantially transversely to the axis of said tube, said reinforced connecting seam preventing the extended sheet portions from being pulled apart further;
• the diameter of the bore of said tube depending on the viscosity and the surface tension of the contents of the container in respect of the tube material being, on the one hand, so small that said contents in the closed condition of the container will be kept by the surface tension outside the bore of said tube, and, on the other hand, the diameter of said tube being so large that no capillary effect occurs which would enhance the penetration of the contents of the container therein, whereby the contents of the container will not penetrate into the tube so that during opening, the contents will not splash outwards.

A method of manufacturing a dispensing container for a liquid or paste-like substance which comprises:

• superimposing two foil sheets having mutually symmetric bulges forming a filling space between said foil sheets, said superimposed sheets being extended beyond said filling space to form a handle portion and having opposed channel-forming portions which together form a pre-formed channel between said foil sheets, said preformed channel extending outwardly from said filling space and into said handle portion, said sheets being superimposed such that an opening is kept open between the superimposed sheets at a location on a side of the filling space remote from said channel, to provide access to said filling space;
• inserting, through said opening, a tube into said channel, said tube being opened at both ends into position in said channel such that its inner open end is in fluid communication with said filling space and such that said preformed channel extends outwardly a substantial distance beyond the outer open end of said tube and into said handle portion, at least a portion of said extended sheet portions being adapted to be easily separated in order to uncover the open outer end of said tube so as to allow dispensing of the contents of said filling space;
• heat sealing the foil sheets together to form a liquid-tight heat seal extending peripherally around said filling space such that a filling opening is kept open between the superimposed sheets and heat sealing the foil sheets to said tube such that said tube is fixed in said position in said channel and such that the tube is heat sealed at its periphery to said sheets in said channel in a liquid-tight manner to prevent outflow of said substance from said filling space through said channel outside said tube, said tube being made of a rigid pressure-elastic heat sealable plastics material which is resistant to the pressures and temperatures used when connecting said tube to said sheets of foil material in said liquid-tight manner, said tube being then deformed only to a slightly unround shape, said heat sealing being effected such that the heat seal between the tube and the two sheets and the heat seal between the opposed sheets are located sufficiently remote from the outer end of the tube such that the bore of the tube is not closed by melting;
• filling said filling space, through said filling opening, with a liquid or paste-like substance;
• and
• heating sealing said filling opening to form a dispensing container, the diameter of the bore of said tube depending on the viscosity and the surface tension of the contents of the container in respect to the tube material being, on the one hand, so small that said contents in the closed condition of the container will be kept by the surface tension outside the bore of said tube, and, on the other hand, the diameter of said tube being so large that no capillary effect occurs which would enhance the penetration of the contents of the container therein, whereby the contents of the container will not penetrate into the tube so that during opening, the contents will not splash outwards.