EP1588970A1 - Method and apparatus for facilitating the use of a band including suction tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

The procedure, e.g. for attaching drinking straws (P) enclosed between two layers of plastic film in a folded strip (B) to the outer surfaces of drinks' packs, consists of passing the strip over a heated surface to remove the folds before the straws enter a machine that attaches them to the packs. The plastic film strip holding the straws is taken from a box (5) in which it is stored in a zigzag formation and then heated to a temperature of 100 - 150 degrees C as it is passed over the heated surface of a freely-rotating cylinder (1). The strip is held in contact with the surface of the cylinder by rollers (2, 3), so that it can pass through the machine inlet (6) in an unfolded state.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device to facilitate the use of a tape containing transversally staggered tubes in the length of the band, this band having been folded and retaining a folding memory, and it applies in particular to the case or the tubes are torches or straws intended for aspiration of a liquid.

These straws are usually contained in a synthetic material band where the straws are arranged transversely and are staggered in the length of the strip, the strip consisting of two very thin sheets with shape memory between which are placed the straws and that are welded one to the other around and between the straws.

This tablecloth, of great length, is deposited in zig-zag in a shipping carton from where it needs to be extracted, at the user's, to feed continuously a machine, for example a machine designed to cut the sheet into sections each containing a straw and apply and fix this straw or this stretch to a liquid container so that the straw can serve after the aspiration of the liquid from the container.

Polypropylene, frequently used as a material plies of the strip, has the disadvantage of keep in memory the folds of the tape, which disrupts the operation of the machine of use.

The present invention aims to remedy a such a disadvantage.

This is achieved, according to the invention, by submitting the band to a proper heating before supplying the band to the machine of use.

It only takes a few tries to determine the most appropriate temperature.

Heating at a temperature of 100 ° to 150 ° C, preferably of the order of 120-130 ° C, is suitable generally the case of polypropylene.

Preferably, this heating is carried out during a scrolling the tape.

We can achieve this heating by any means appropriate but in a preferred embodiment, this heating by passing the tape in contact with a heated surface, for example a heated cylinder.

• la figure 1 est un schéma de principe du dispositif, et
• la figure 2 est une élévation schématique du dispositif.

Hereinafter, a device will be described for implementing this method, with reference to the figures of the drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the device, and
• Figure 2 is a schematic elevation of the device.

The device shown essentially comprises a heated surface, for example a heated cylinder (1), and means (2,3), for example rollers deviators, to impose on the unfolded band (B) touch the heated surface between the exit (4) from the shipping box (5) where the tape is located folded in zig-zag and the entrance (6) of the machine of use (7).

This band consists for example of two polypropylene webs each having a thickness of 15 micrometers and she wraps straws having a outer diameter of 4 to 5 mm.

The process is carried out continuously during a scrolling the tape that is driven by the machine use.

The tape is scrolled by a device internal use machine or by any other appropriate way.

Preferably, the heated cylinder rotates freely on himself.

The tape may undergo a change of orientation between the exit (4) of the shipping box and the entrance (6) of the machine of use, as it was supposed in FIG. 2, where the band has been represented by its straws (P).

The invention applies to any band that has been folded and which has a folding memory.

The invention is not limited to the example that has been described.

Claims (15)

Method for facilitating the use of a tape containing transverse tubes trapped in the band and which are staggered in the length of the band, this band having been folded transversely and keeping the memory of the folding, in which we heat the tape to eliminate the folding memory. A process according to claim 1 wherein heats the tape by putting it in contact with a surface heated. Process according to claim 2 in which heats the tape by putting it in contact with a cylinder heated. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 in which one heats there band during a continuous scrolling Of the band. Device for implementing a method according to one of claims 1 to 4 which comprises a surface heated (1) and means (2,3) to impose on the band (B) come into contact with the heated surface. Device according to claim 5 wherein the heated surface is the surface of a cylinder (1). Device according to claim 6 wherein the cylinder turns freely on itself. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7 and which includes deflection rollers (2,3) to impose the tape to scroll in contact with the heated surface. Device according to one of claims 5 to 8, interposed between the exit (4) of a box (5) the band is folded and the entrance (6) of a operating machine (7). Device according to claim 9 in which the tape is driven by the machine use. Application of a process according to one of 1 to 4 and / or a device according to one of Claims 5 to 10 to a strip containing straws for liquid suction. Application according to claim 11 wherein the band consists of two layers between which are trapped straws arranged transversely to the length of the band. Application according to claim 11 or 12 in which band is polypropylene. Application according to claim 13 wherein the strip is heated to a temperature in the range 100-150 ° C. Application according to one of Claims 11 to 14 to a band that has been folded in zig-zag.

Images