EP2320408B1 - Tape dot for a tabbing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The dot (20) has two sets of cuts (28, 30, 32) provided on three parallel lines. One of the parallel lines coincides with a theoretical folding line. Other two parallel lines are arranged at equal distance from the theoretical folding line. The sets of the cuts are arranged along an axis passing through the theoretical folding line proximal to an outer edge of the dot. A central cut line coincides with the theoretical folding line.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a tablet used by an apparatus for sealing (tabulating) a folded material such as a booklet with one or more fasteners (tabs) adhesive.

Previous Art

Conventionally a brochure comprises one or more printed sheets, folded once or twice by a folding device, so as to form a folded material more suitable for shipping. The folded material has a folded end and an open end usually sealed by one or more pellet-shaped, often transparent, adhesive fasteners. In addition, it may be necessary to apply or print an address and franking mark on this booklet to allow shipment to the recipient through a traditional mail delivery network.

Tabbing machines for making this folded material are well known. For example, the patent US 5,279,698 (Davis ) describes a tabulator for placing a pellet on the open end of a folded material, such as a pamphlet. Typically, the pellets that are used to seal the folded material are pre-cut along their entire length and disposed on a strip of removable support material. During the tabulation process, the pellet is separated from its support and its adhesive part in contact with the support material is then folded into two symmetrical parts and brought into contact with the open end of the folded material.

The document GB 2 262 908 describes a pellet for celling a folded material.

The main disadvantage of precut tabs tabs devices is that they must be equipped with complex mechanical means, or optical optics, to precisely position the pellet at level of the open end of the folded material. Indeed, if it is not centered on the stop formed by the open end, its withdrawal by separation or rupture proves difficult without prior deformation of the folded material; this operation often leads to alteration or tearing of the folded material.

Another major disadvantage lies in the need to change the tabulation machine or production line when the succession of blanks pellet takes place parallel or transverse to the direction of transport of the items to be closed according to the pellet is affixed flat on this article or folded and fixed at the edge of the latter respectively.

Aims and object of the invention

It is therefore desirable to find a solution that does not require the use of these complex positioning means and therefore expensive to place the patch correctly above the edge forming the open end of the folded material, and thus allow the realization of inexpensive tabs for facilitating manual opening of folded material in the manner of a letter opener.

These objects are achieved by a tablet for a tabulation device capable of sealing a folded material by means of an adhesive patch provided with a theoretical fold line, which comprises at least two sets of cuts distributed over at least three parallel lines of which ; two parallel cutting lines are disposed equidistant from said theoretical fold line and the central cutting line coincides with said theoretical fold line.

Thus, with these three cutting lines, a tolerance in the implementation of the pellet becomes possible without harming its robustness due to a non-continuous cut.

Said at least two cutting series can be two in number disposed along an axis passing through said theoretical line of folding closest to an outer edge of said pellet or three in number regularly distributed along an axis passing through said theoretical fold line.

The pellet may also include a central opening and said cutting series are four in number, each of these four sets of cutting being disposed along an axis passing through said central aperture closer to respectively an inner or outer edge of said pellet .

The two series of cuts of said four series of cuts which are arranged closer to said outer edge of the chip may also touch said outer edge so as to create two series of cuts.

Preferably, the distance separating two adjacent cutting series is approximately ten times greater than the length of each of said cutouts forming each of said cutting series.

Advantageously, said series of cuts are made in two perpendicular directions.

The invention also relates to the support strip to unwind for tabulation machine on which is glued a plurality of pellets as above.

Brief description of the drawings

• les figures 1 à 4 illustrent différents modes de réalisation d'une bande support de pastilles adhésives selon l'invention,
• la figure 5 montre un document scellé en deux endroits par deux pastilles adhésives selon l'invention, et
• la figure 6 montre une brochure scellée par une pastille adhésive de l'art antérieur.

The features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, given by way of non-limiting indication, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• the Figures 1 to 4 illustrate different embodiments of a support strip of adhesive pads according to the invention,
• the figure 5 shows a document sealed in two places by two adhesive pads according to the invention, and
• the figure 6 shows a pamphlet sealed by an adhesive patch of the prior art.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

As shown in figure 6 , a folded material such as a booklet 10 has a folded end 12 and an open end 14 sealed, in the example illustrated, by a single adhesive patch 16. But, a sealing by several pellets is of course common. The adhesive patch illustrated is round although another form is also conceivable and comprises a central fold line 16A which can be completely precut to facilitate tearing. However, this adhesive patch must be strong enough to withstand the various treatments to which the brochure may be subjected during its dispensing process and, once in place, the precut line 16A must perfectly coincide with the edge of the open end. to allow easy opening by the passage of a finger of the person responsible for its opening for example.

As is known, the adhesive pellets are glued to the brochures by means of a tabulation machine comprising one or more unwinding tape reels 18 on which are arranged side by side several thousand adhesive pads which each comprise on the one hand an adhesive face in contact with the support strip and intended after sealing to seal the brochure and on the other hand a non-adhesive opposite side. Conventionally, such a pellet is formed in a transparent polyethylene stuck on a silicone support tape. Regularly spaced perforations 18A are further provided on this support strip to allow its training in the tabulation machine.

In accordance with the invention, the adhesive pellets 20 no longer comprise a single central line entirely precut but several series of short cuts distributed over at least three lines parallel 22, 24, 26 centered on the theoretical centerline fold of the pellet. Thus, with the invention, it is no longer necessary, with complex mechanical or optical means, to make the fold line precisely coincide with the edge of the open end of the folded material, since a slight shift towards a side either of this central line will always allow an alignment of this stop with one or other of the parallel cut lines arranged on either side of this theoretical fold line and therefore an easy tear by the recipient person of this folded material. In addition, the cuts are no longer performed over the entire length of the fold but simply limited to certain predetermined areas along the fold line, the robustness of the pellet is not affected despite these two additional cutting lines. Note that this configuration with three cutting lines is not limiting and the invention may of course include more, for example four or five subject to not detract from the overall strength of the pellet.

In the example shown in figure 1 , the pellet 20 comprises six series 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F each having three cutouts including a central cutout 28 and two side cutouts 30, 32 on either side. These six series are regularly distributed along a diameter of the pellet and the two lateral cutouts 30, 32 are disposed on both sides at equal distance d from the central cutout 28 coinciding with the theoretical line of central fold of the pellet.

Thus, for example, for a pellet having a diameter of 25 mm, cutouts of 0.5 mm in length spaced between them of 1 mm are made every 4 mm (the two extremities being positioned at 1 mm from the peripheral edge of the pellet). Note the high ratio, of the order of 10, between the length of the cuts (0.5mm) and the space between two sets of cutting (4mm), necessary to ensure minimum strength to the pellet.

In the example shown in figure 2 , the pellet 20 has the shape of an eyelet with a central opening 34 so that it comprises only four series 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D each comprising three cutouts, the central cutout 28 and the two lateral cutouts 30, 32 disposed on both sides at equal distance d from the central cutout 28 coinciding with the theoretical line of central fold of the pellet. These four cutting series are arranged along an axis passing through the central opening (in this case a diameter of the pellet) and closer to each inner or outer edge of the eyelet (or for two of among them to touch the outer edge thus creating two series of three cuts).

Thus, for example, for a pellet having an external diameter of 25 mm and an internal diameter of 5 mm, three cuts of length l equal to 0.5 mm spaced apart by 1 mm are made at a distance e between 0.2 and 0, 8mm of these edges (even 0mm for the outer edge).

Note that if the cutouts illustrated are in the form of rectangular slots, it is clear that a succession of fine circular perforations could just as well be suitable. Similarly, if it was envisaged that the cuts are made in series, it is not impossible to envisage that they are still made over the entire diameter of the pellet, provided that the size of the slots allow then to guarantee a sufficient robustness to this pellet.

The examples illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 are alternative embodiments of the preceding examples in which the cuts are made in two perpendicular directions allowing the use of the pellets on two different types of machines to tabulate, those with horizontal axis and those with a vertical axis, or even for a given machine , a closure on an open end of a folded document, as described above, or flat on this document folded at a flap (see figure 5 ). The pellet structure of the invention thus offers great flexibility of use depending on the type of machine available or the type of closure chosen.

Of course, the present invention can not be limited to the pellet forms (mainly circular or annular) illustrated by the figures. It is indeed obvious that a square, rectangular or oval shape may equally well be suitable. Similarly, if the illustrated version with four cutting series distributed over three parallel perforation lines appears the most efficient to reconcile robustness during transport and ease of opening by the recipient, it is not inconceivable to imagine an alternative to three or even two cutting series distributed over three cutting lines centered on the theoretical fold line and distributed regularly along a diameter of the pellet (case of three series) or arranged closer to its periphery (two series) ).

Claims (10)

1. A tab for a tabber device suitable for sealing a folded material by means of an adhesive tab (20) provided with a theoretical fold line (24), characterized in that the tab includes at least two series (20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F) of perforations (28, 30, 32) distributed along at least three parallel lines (22, 24, 26), one of which coincides with said theoretical fold line, with the other two being disposed on either side of and at equal distances from said theoretical fold line.
2. A tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least two series of perforations are two in number, being disposed on an axis running along said theoretical fold line, and being as close as possible to an outside edge of said tab.
3. A tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least two series of perforations are three in number, being regularly distributed along an axis extending along said theoretical fold line.
4. A tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least two series of perforations are six in number (20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F), being regularly spaced apart along an axis passing along said theoretical fold line.
5. A tab according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a central opening (34), and said series of perforations are four in number (20A, 20B, 20C, 20D), each of these four series of perforations being disposed along an axis passing through said central opening and each being located as close as possible to a respective inside or outside edge of said tab.
6. A tab according to claim 5, characterized in that the two series of perforations in said four series of perforations that are disposed the closest to said outside edge of the tab touch said outside edge so as to create two series of notches.
7. A tab according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between two adjacent series of perforations is about ten times greater than the length of each of said perforations forming each of said two series of perforations.
8. A tab according to claim 1 or to claim 2, characterized in that said series of perforations are arranged along two perpendicular directions.
9. A tab according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is round in shape.
10. A support strip for unreeling having a plurality of tabs according to any of claims 1 to 9 stuck thereto.

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