EP0143067A1 - Method of reinforcing a cushion of synthetic flexible material filled with liquid, and method of providing it with a carrying and pouring handle - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Process for stiffening a cushion (1) of flexible synthetic material containing a liquid and for providing this cushion with a grasping and pouring handle, characterised in that during the phase of welding and cutting-out of the liquid-filled cushion (1) one of the corners thereof is pinched, the cushion then being displaced with the corner pinched, which gives a support point by the combination of the pinching effect and the weight of the liquid contained in the cushion, and in that a counter-stiffening (7, 8) is applied to the angle (2) by means of jaws (5, 6), the said counter-stiffening (7) being made fast with the cushion by welding or sticking.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for stiffening a cushion of flexible synthetic material containing a liquid and for providing the latter with a grip and pouring handle. The invention also relates to the cushions obtained by this process, as well as the sachets obtained from said cushions.

The sachets obtained by essentially vertical tracking methods are in themselves well known. For the most part, they result in producing a simple cushion at one point in the process, closed by three lateral welds and filled with liquid. The problem is to give this cushion a shape and a stability allowing its grip and its use, in particular for the pouring of its contents.

The devices proposed so far mostly use specific and complex welds and cutouts of the lower part of the intermediate cushion intended to be transformed into a sachet.

It is however delicate to intervene on the cushion when it is filled, because it is necessary to have a fulcrum to apply for example a rigid or semi-rigid reinforcement element, also forming a grip and pouring handle .

The object of the present invention is to propose such a method making it possible, by taking a fulcrum on a cushion filled with liquid, to provide the latter with a rigid or semi-rigid element forming a handle. In accordance with the invention, this result is obtained with a method for stiffening a cushion of flexible synthetic material containing a liquid and for providing the latter with a grip and pouring handle, characterized in that during the welding phase and cutting the cushion filled with liquid, one of the corners of it is pinched, the cushion then being moved with the pinched corner, which gives a fulcrum by the combination of the pinching effect and the weight liquid in the cushion.

• - -application d'un contrefort sur l'angle, tenu par la pince, le contrefort pouvant être disposé sur une seule face du coin, sur les deux faces ou encore enserrer le coin .
• - application sous les machoires de la pince de deux rouleaux de rigidification reliés entre eux à leurs extrémités.

From this stage, several variants of subsequent processing, in accordance with the invention, are possible:

• - -application of a buttress on the angle, held by the clamp, the buttress can be disposed on one side of the corner, on both sides or even grip the corner.
• - application under the jaws of the clamp of two stiffening rollers connected to each other at their ends.

• - la figure 1 illustre la prise d'un coussin par une pince conjointement à l'opération de soudure-découpe.
• - la figure 2 montre le déplacement du coussin suspendu à sa pince support.
• - la figure 3 est une première variante de la mise en oeuvre de l'invention.
• - les figures 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d représentent des conformations diverses pouvant être obtenues selon ce procédé.
• - la figure 5 est une variante de mise en oeuvre du procédé de la figure 4.
• - la figure 6 représente la conformation obtenue par application du procédé de la figure 5.
• - la figure 7 représente une seconde variante de mise en oeuvre.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the descriptions below made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• - Figure 1 illustrates the taking of a cushion by pliers together with the welding-cutting operation.
• - Figure 2 shows the movement of the cushion suspended from its support clamp.
• - Figure 3 is a first variant of the implementation of the invention.
• - Figures 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d show various conformations that can be obtained by this method.
• - Figure 5 is an alternative implementation of the method of Figure 4.
• FIG. 6 represents the conformation obtained by applying the method of FIG. 5.
• - Figure 7 shows a second variant of implementation.

In a conforming method of the vertical routing type, as described for example in French patent 2,071,075, a tubular sheath is formed from a film on a vertical mandrel. It is then welded and cut to determine a bottom, then filled with liquid and again welded and cut to finally lead to unit cushions welded on three sides. This technique is in itself well known to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in more detail.

To provide the cushion (1) with a handle, it is provided according to the invention, to pinch one of the upper corners (2) of the cushion by means of a clamp (3) just below the welding tongs and cutting (4). We can then, see Figure 2, have a grip on the filled cushion and keep it suspended.

In the first example of implementation, a jaw (5.6) is applied to each side of the corner (2) by interposing a buttress (7) which can be secured to the cushion by welding, gluing, etc. The buttress may be of any suitable material, such as for example cardboard or plastic, and of any kind, for example embossed, flat, corrugated, etc., the clamp (3) can then be released.

By this method, various conformations can be obtained such as, but not limited to, those shown in Figures 4a to 4d.

In the variant illustrated in FIG. 5, the buttress (8) can be folded down to grip the corner (2), the configuration of FIG. 6 is thus produced.

Finally, in the second embodiment of Figure 7, the corner (2) is marked by two rollers (9,10) forming jaws and assembled together at their ends.

Claims (4)

1. Method for stiffening a cushion of flexible synthetic material containing a liquid and for providing it with a grip and pouring handle characterized in that during the welding and cutting phase of the cushion (1) filled with liquid, one of the corners of it is pinched, the cushion then being moved with the pinched corner, which gives a point of support by the combination of the pinching effect and the weight of the liquid contained in the cushion. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that one applies to the angle (2) a buttress (7) by means of jaws (5,6), said buttress being secured to the cushion by welding or gluing. 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the buttress (8) is folded down to grip the corner (2). 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the corner (2) is marked by two rollers (9,10) forming jaws and assembled together at their ends.

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