FIBER MATERIAL FOR PRODUCING A CONTAINER, METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CONTAINER USING THE FIBER MATERIAL, AND CONTAINER COMPRISING THE FIBER MATERIAL

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001]The present application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2022 121 488.5 filed on Aug. 25, 2022. The entire contents of the above-listed application are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002]The disclosure relates to a fiber material for producing a container, a method for producing a container, and a container comprising the fiber material.

BACKGROUND

[0003]Fibers or other materials or cellulose materials which are used in a pulp, for example for the production of bottles, generally do not have any additional properties, such as, for example, hydrophobic properties and/or binding effects for gases, such as oxygen.

[0004]Bottles which are produced from pulp can therefore weaken from the inside when filled with product or weaken from the outside when the bottle is exposed to moisture. Gas can also diffuse into the bottle from the outside and/or diffuse out of the bottle or from filled product.

[0005]In general, therefore, coatings for bottles are provided which have been produced from pulp, and the coatings can comprise polymers, acrylates, waxes or similar substances.

SUMMARY

Object

[0006]The object of the disclosure is to provide a fiber material for producing a container, a method for producing a container, and a container comprising the fiber material, which ensure barrier properties of the container.

Achievement

[0007]The object is achieved by the fiber material for producing a container, the method for producing a container, and the container comprising the fiber material as described herein.

[0008]The fiber material according to the disclosure for producing a container, wherein the fiber material comprises fiber structures for ensuring a predetermined barrier property of a container produced from the fiber material.

[0009]The fiber structures may comprise natural fibers that have been treated, such as viscose fibers that have been hydrophobized to be water-repellent.

[0010]The fiber structures can comprise, for example, cellulose fibers, wood fibers (e.g., pine, birch, etc.), hemp fibers, grass fibers or other natural fibers which have been hybophobized to be water-repellant and/or enable a gas barrier, for example against water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen.

[0011]For example, siloxanes, alkanoates, oleates, silanes, SiOx or the like may be used to hydrophobize the fibers. They may be used, for example, to treat and/or dope the fibers.

[0012]The fiber structures can be used to specifically assign properties to the fiber material which enable the functionality with respect to the predetermined barrier property.

[0013]The predetermined barrier property can result in a hydrophobic property or adsorption of oxygen. The predetermined barrier property can comprise a barrier value for oxygen and/or carbon dioxide permeability, wherein the barrier value at an ambient temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 50% can be less than 100 cm³/(m²·d·bar) (where cm′: cubic centimeters; m²: square meters; d: days; bar: bars), for example less than 10 cm³/(m²·d·bar), for example less than 1 cm³/(m²·d·bar), or, for example, less than 0.1 cm³/(m²·d·bar).

[0014]A barrier value for water vapor permeability can be in a range of 0.1 g/(m²·d) to 1 g/(m²·d) (the range limits can be included) (where g: grams; m²: square meters; d: days), for example the barrier value for water vapor permeability can be less than 0.1 g/(m²·d).

[0015]The fiber structures can comprise viscose fibers. A viscose fiber is an artificial fiber made of regenerated cellulose, wherein the viscose fibers have, as starting base, 100% cellulose treated in a multi-stage process.

[0016]The viscose fibers can comprise a flat or cable-like structure.

[0017]The viscose fibers can comprise a trilobal shape or a double trilobal structure. A trilobal shape comprises a Y-shaped cross-section, and a double trilobal shape comprises a double Y-shaped cross-section. Due to the trilobal or double-trilobal structure, the fibers can be resistant to bending.

[0018]The fiber structures can comprise a dopant. A first dopant can, for example, cause the fiber structures to have a hydrophobic property. A second dopant can, for example, cause oxygen to be adsorbed by the fiber structures.

[0019]The terms “first” and “second” are used only to distinguish between the dopants and have no further limiting meaning.

[0020]Foreign atoms can be introduced into the fiber material for doping purposes.

[0021]A dopant can comprise at least one of siloxanes, alkanoates, oleates, silanes, SiOx or the like.

[0022]The fiber structures can comprise a planar structure. The tear strength can be increased by overlapping a plurality of such fiber structures.

[0023]The fiber structures can comprise a hollow structure. The hollow structure can allow the fiber structures to be lightweight while still having a stiffening effect.

[0024]The fiber structures can comprise a corrugated or rough outer surface. The corrugated or rough surface can cause the fiber structures to interlock and increase tear strength and stability.

[0025]The dopant can be provided on an outer surface of the fiber structures and/or the dopant can be provided on an inner surface of the fiber structures and/or the dopant can penetrate the fiber structures.

[0026]A method for producing a container using the fiber material as described above or below is provided.

[0027]To produce a container, the fiber material, as a base for a fluid material, can be introduced into a mold in which a container is formed by means of an elastic bladder, for example a rubber bubble. Alternatively, an injection molding method can be provided.

[0034]The various combinations in which different parts of the container either comprising the fiber material or comprising a material comprising fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures, enables a selection, for example, in accordance with given types of use of the container, such as, for example, duration of storage stability, which type of product to fill it with, etc.

[0035]Furthermore, the method can comprise applying a layer of the fiber material to at least a part of an outer and/or at least a part of an inner surface of a container, wherein the container can comprise a material comprising fibers, wherein the material cannot comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0036]A container can thus be produced which can in principle comprise a coating of the fiber material.

[0037]The method can further comprise applying a layer of the fiber material to at least a part of an inner surface of a lid of the container.

[0038]Since the thread of a lid at least partially overlaps with the thread of the container when the container is closed, it can be sufficient if only the inner surface of the lid is coated with the fiber material and the predetermined barrier property can thereby be ensured.

[0039]The method can further comprise producing an upper part of a lid of the container from the fiber material and producing a side part of the lid with threading from a material comprising fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0040]In this way, the predetermined barrier property can be ensured by the upper part of the lid, which comprises the fiber material.

[0041]Furthermore, a container comprising the fiber material, as described above or below, is provided. The container can be produced by means of the method described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0042]The accompanying Figures show, by way of example, aspects and/or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure for better understanding and illustration. In the figures:

[0043]FIG. 1A shows a first embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0044]FIG. 1B shows a second embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0045]FIG. 1C shows a third embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0046]FIG. 2A shows a first embodiment of a container comprising a layer having fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0047]FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment of a container comprising a layer having fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0048]FIG. 2C shows a third embodiment of a container comprising two layers having fiber structures with a hydrophobic property,

[0049]FIG. 3A shows a first embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property,

[0050]FIG. 3B shows a second embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property,

[0051]FIG. 3C shows a third embodiment of a closable container comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property,

[0052]FIG. 3D shows a fourth embodiment of a container comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property,

[0053]FIG. 3E shows a fifth embodiment of a container comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property,

[0054]FIG. 4A shows a first embodiment of a lid which comprises a layer comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property on a part of its inner surface,

[0055]FIG. 4B shows a second embodiment of a lid, the upper part of which comprises fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property and

[0056]FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a container comprising a layer having fiber structures with a gas-absorbing property.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057]FIG. 1A shows a first embodiment of a closable container 1 which comprises fiber structures with a hydrophobic property. The closable container 1 comprises a container 2 and a lid 3 which both comprise the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property. In the illustration, the lid 3 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 2 for the sake of clarity.

[0058]FIG. 1B shows a second embodiment of a closable container 4 which comprises fiber structures with a hydrophobic property. The closable container 4 comprises a container 5 and a lid 6, wherein the lid 6 comprises the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property and the container 5 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures. In the illustration, the lid 6 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 5 for the sake of clarity.

[0059]FIG. 1C shows a third embodiment of a closable container 7 which comprises fiber structures with a hydrophobic property. The closable container 7 comprises a container 8 and a lid 9, wherein the container 8 comprises the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property and the the lid 9 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures. In the illustration, the lid 9 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 8 for the sake of clarity.

[0060]FIG. 2A shows a first embodiment of a container 10 comprising a layer 12 of the fiber material having the fiber structures with a hydrophobic property on an inner surface of a container 11, wherein the container 11 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0061]FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment of a container 13 which comprises a layer 15 of the fiber material having fiber structures with a hydrophobic property on an outer surface comprising the outer surface of the thread of a container 14. The container 13 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0062]FIG. 2C shows a third embodiment of a container 16 which comprises two layers 18, 19 of the fiber material having fiber structures with a hydrophobic property. One layer 18 is arranged on an inner surface of a container 17 and the other layer 19 on an outer surface of the container 17. The container 17 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0063]FIG. 3A shows a first embodiment of a closable container 20 comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The closable container 20 comprises a container 21 and a lid 22 which both comprise the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property. In the illustration, the lid 22 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 21 for the sake of clarity.

[0064]FIG. 3B shows a second embodiment of a closable container 23 comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The closable container 23 comprises a container 24 and a lid 25, wherein the lid 25 comprises the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property and the container 24 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures. In the illustration, the lid 25 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 24 for the sake of clarity.

[0065]FIG. 3C shows a third embodiment of a closable container 26 comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The closable container 26 comprises a container 27 and a lid 28, wherein the container 27 comprises the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property and the lid 28 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures. In the illustration, the lid 28 is shown enlarged in comparison to the container 27 for the sake of clarity.

[0066]FIG. 3D shows a fourth embodiment of a closable container 29 comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The side part 30, the base 31 and the thread 34 comprise a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures. The neck part 33 and the shoulder region 32 comprise the fiber material having the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property.

[0067]FIG. 3E shows a fifth embodiment of a container 35 which comprises fiber material having fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The base 36 comprises the fiber material having the fiber structures with the hydrophobic property. The side part 37, the shoulder region 38, the neck part 39 and the thread 40 comprise a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0068]FIG. 4A shows a first embodiment of a lid 41 which comprises a layer 44 comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property on a part of its inner surface. The lid 41 also comprises an upper part 43 and a side part 42.

[0069]FIG. 4B shows a second embodiment of a lid 45, the upper part 47 of which comprises the fiber material comprising fiber structures with a gas-adsorbing property. The side part 46 of the lid 45 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.

[0070]FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a container 48 which comprises a layer 50 with the fiber material comprising fiber structures with a gas-absorbing property on an inner surface of a container 49, wherein the container 49 comprises a material with fibers, wherein the material does not comprise any of the fiber structures.