Pressurized tube sealing for containers

Abstract

A sealed plastic container having an airtight chamber. The container includes an elongated body portion having at least one opening and at least one enclosure portion welded to the opening of the body portion, thereby hermetically sealing the chamber. The chamber may have a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The enclosure portion and the body portion may be biodegradable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 an elongated body portion comprising a first plastic material, the elongated   body portion having a first end and a second end, at least the first end being open;   a first enclosure portion comprising a second plastic material that is welded to the body portion at the first end; and   a hollow interior chamber which is hermetically sealed by the body portion being welded to the first enclosure portion, wherein the hollow interior chamber has an interior pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion is cylindrical. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and   the first plastic material is transmissive of laser energy and the second plastic material is absorptive of laser energy.   
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and   the first plastic material is absorptive of laser energy and the second plastic material is transmissive of laser energy.   
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated body portion comprises:
 a ledge extending around a first perimeter of the body portion proximate to the first end;   a lip extending from the ledge around a second outer perimeter of the ledge to the first end, and wherein the first enclosure portion abuts the ledge and is circumferentially surrounded by the lip.   
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion comprises a bottom planar surface and a top planar surface,   a ring extends from the bottom planar surface, and   an interior perimeter of the body portion surrounds and abuts an outer perimeter of the ring.   
     
     
         7 . The container as in  claim 5  or  6 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and 
 the first plastic material is transmissive of laser energy and the second plastic material is absorptive of laser energy. 
 
     
     
         8 . The container as in  claim 5  or  6 , wherein the first plastic material is transparent and the second plastic material is black. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the first plastic material and the second plastic material are transparent. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and   the laser plastic welding process comprises a clear-on-clear laser plastic welding process.   
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein a laser wavelength of the clear-on-clear laser plastic welding process is a near infrared wavelength. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and   the laser plastic welding process comprises a through transmission laser welding process.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein a laser wavelength of the through transmission laser welding process is between 380 nanometers and 2500 nanometers. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion comprises a bottom planar surface and a top planar surface,   a lip extends around a first perimeter of the bottom planar surface, and   the lip surrounds and abuts a second perimeter of the first end of the body portion.   
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein
 the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process, and   the first plastic material is transmissive of laser energy and the second plastic material is absorptive of laser energy.   
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a pull tab coupled to the first enclosure portion, wherein at least a part of the first enclosure portion is configured to be removed from the body portion via application a pulling force to the pull tab. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure portion is welded to the body portion according to one of a laser plastic welding process, an ultrasonic welding process, a hot gas welding process, a spin welding process, a vibration welding process, a hot plate welding process, a friction welding process, a radio frequency welding process an infrared welding process, or a solvent bonding process. 
     
     
         18 . A method for manufacturing a pressurized container, comprising:
 providing, in a pressurized environment, an elongated body portion for the container comprising a first plastic material, the elongated body portion comprising a first end, a second end, and a hollow interior portion, wherein at least the first end is open;   providing, in the pressurized environment, a first enclosure portion for the container comprising a second plastic material; and   welding the first enclosure portion to the first end of the body portion thereby hermetically sealing the hollow interior portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 press fitting the first enclosure portion into the body portion such that an outer perimeter of the body portion surrounds an outer perimeter of the first enclosure portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 welding the first enclosure portion to the first end of the body portion comprises applying one of a laser plastic welding process, an ultrasonic welding process, a hot gas welding process, a spin welding process, a vibration welding process, a hot plate welding process, a friction welding process, a radio frequency welding process an infrared welding process, or a solvent bonding process.