EP2511194B1 - Film cartridge and method for producing a film cartridge - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a film cartridge and a method for producing a film cartridge.

Foil cartridges with one or more chambers containing chemical masses such as putties, sealants or adhesive compounds are known. Such a film cartridge is used in a cartridge holder of a Auspressgeräts over which the application of the chemical masses takes place at the desired location.

The use of film cartridges, in which the chamber is essentially formed by a film tube is favorable, since empty cartridges can be disposed of without great effort and with a small footprint. For example, from the DE 295 01 255 U1 It is known to provide the chamber in that the two ends of the film bag are combined into a braid, which is each closed by a metal clip. However, it turns out disadvantageously that on the one hand, the axial ends of the chamber are not hermetically sealed, so always a certain leakage particularly mobile liquid fractions, partially by capillary forces in the braid occurs. On the other hand, there is the problem of reproducible opening of the film bag. This is in the DE 295 01 255 U1 a Aufstecheinrichtung used, with two Aufstechspaten, which has a defined opening in the foil bag should create. Nevertheless, the actual shape of the opening depends on how the film material breaks in individual cases.

WO 91/07333 A1 describes a film cartridge of highly tear-resistant plastic with a glued or welded spray nozzle with a cap. Out EP 0 992 438 A1 is a cartridge cylinder with a rigid wall, a cartridge outlet with an outlet pipe known. EP 1 331 174 A1 describes a flexible container having a cylindrical element of flexible film, a bottom plate member and a dispensing opening.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive to produce film cartridge that is reliable and reproducible to open.

This is achieved with a film cartridge comprising a film tube enclosing at least one chamber in the circumferential direction and a cover which is separate from the film tube and terminating an axial end of the film tube, and by forming a plurality of openings, wherein in the cover for each chamber at least one first opening, via which the chamber can be filled with a filling material, and a discharge opening separate from the first opening is formed, wherein a head part is provided, which is fixedly connected to the lid and the one provided on a receptacle for a mixer pipe for dispensing the filling material discharge opening, a A closure which closes the dispensing opening and, for each chamber, has a filling opening which is separate from the dispensing opening and in each case aligned with the first opening in the lid, each filling opening of the head part being closed by a closure. The advantages of the film tube, namely fast and cost-effective production and space-saving storage after emptying, are retained. The use of the separate lid, however, allows to provide defined and possibly dimensionally stable openings, which can be released by removing or destroying the closure targeted in a defined diameter. The opening is preferably carried out when the film cartridge is inserted into the Auspressgerät. In addition, it is possible due to this design, the film cartridge first to produce and then to fill, since the first opening is easy to close even after a separate filling. In previous film cartridges manufacturing and Filling in one operation, since the foil bag was firmly closed at both ends and thus has no opening through which a filling could take place.

The second axial end of the film tube may be closed by a separate from the film tube, connected to this bottom. In this way, it is easy to form a cylindrical chamber of defined volume. The bottom can for example consist of the material of the lid or the film tube and correspond in size and dimensions forth at least approximately the lid.

The lid is preferably formed of a stiffer material than the film tube, e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene terephthalate or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.

The film cartridge may be formed as a multi-chamber cartridge, wherein the various chambers can accommodate different filling materials, which are mixed together only when the material is dispensed.

If several chambers are provided, they can be filled with different filling materials. The filling materials can form, for example, components of sealants, mortars, coating compositions, paints, foam precursors, adhesives or lubricants. But it is also possible to fill at least two chambers with the same filler material to realize high mixing ratios. Several chambers may be formed, for example, by dividing the film tube by a division in the axial direction into a plurality of chambers, which extend in the axial direction parallel to one another. For this purpose, one or more foil sections, which extend in the axial direction parallel to the film tube, can be introduced into the latter and adhesively bonded or welded to the walls of the film tube as well as to each other. The individual chambers are completely separated from each other as long as the film cartridge is closed.

Alternatively, but not covered by the invention, a plurality of chambers may also be formed by providing a further film tube which is arranged in the first film tube, so that the first film tube is parallel to the second Foil tube extends. With this design, in particular a large volume difference between the chambers can be achieved. A thin second film tube lying within the first film tube can accommodate a component that is needed in a much smaller volume fraction in the final mixture than the component in the large outer chamber. The chambers may be arranged coaxially, but the inner film tube may also be offset from the axis.

All chambers preferably extend to the lid, where each chamber has its own first opening. Preferably, all the chambers extend to the bottom.

According to the invention, a head part is provided which is firmly connected to the cover and which has a discharge opening provided on a receptacle for a mixer tube for dispensing the filling material. The head part is advantageously made of a relatively rigid material, so that the dispensing opening is not deformed during the dispensing of the filling material.

The dispensing opening is closed by a closure (prior to use of the film cartridge).

Between the cover and an inner wall of the head part, at least one channel for guiding the filling material to the dispensing opening can be formed. In the case of a plurality of chambers, one channel per chamber is preferably formed, which advantageously runs separately up to the dispensing opening, in order to prevent mixing of the filling materials of the individual chambers within the film cartridge. Through the channels, the individual components and filling materials are completely separated even before the emergence of the discharge opening even when the film cartridge is opened.

The connection between the film tube and the lid or bottom and between the lid and the head part can be done by gluing or welding, in particular ultrasonic, laser or thermal welding.

Headboard and lid can also be connected by latching or caulking. Of course, a combination of these measures can be used. All compounds are preferably designed so that the chambers are hermetically sealed.

According to the invention, a separate from the first opening emptying opening is provided per chamber. This offers various advantages when filling the foil cartridges. For example, it is possible to fill the chamber via the first opening so far that the channel is completely filled up to the dispensing opening with the filling material. This means that the flow can be minimized, since the mixing ratio in multi-component cartridges corresponds directly from the beginning of the desired mixing ratio.

It is possible to close adjacent first openings, emptying openings or filling openings with common closures.

As a closure of both the first openings, the emptying openings and the discharge opening, one or more foils are preferably provided, such as a composite or monofilm. The films may e.g. consist of one or more layers of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene vinyl copolymer and / or aluminum.

The film is preferably welded or glued to the edge of the opening. For easier removal, it can have a tear-off tab.

As a closure, a metal plate or an injection molded part may be provided, in particular for the filling openings in the head part. These closures are closed with the edge of the opening preferably by gluing or welding.

The closure can be placed directly on the respective opening.

For opening or removal of the closure several possibilities are conceivable. For example, a film may be designed so that it is removable as a whole and after removal of the film, the discharge opening or the discharge opening completely exposes. However, a film can also have one or more weakening zones, along which the film tears open in a controlled manner by means of overpressure applied via the dispensing device and defines the dispensing opening or emptying opening in a defined manner. The weakening zone can be produced, for example, very reproducibly by laser ablation.

The closure, in particular that for the first openings, can be provided, for example, with the material details of the components of the filling material, a batch number or else the expiry date. This can optionally be done by the labeling of the film cartridge.

In order to improve the filling process, the edge of the first opening and / or the discharge opening may have a conical taper. The taper serves to center a filling lance and thus provide a closer seal between the filling lance and the edge of the opening.

Preferably, at least one lip is formed at the edge of the first opening and / or the discharge opening. The advantageously circumferentially circumferential lip, or a corresponding ridge, serves to strip the filler material from the filling lance when retracting the filling lance so that no filling material is introduced into the filling device. It can also be arranged axially behind one another several lips or ridges in order to strip off the largest possible proportion of the filling material.

Coarse or comparatively large fillers can also be used in the individual components of the fillers, since the first opening can be made large enough without problems that such components can be filled in without problems. Also, the size of the channels can be easily chosen so that coarser filler can be used in the filling materials.

Since the chambers are hermetically sealed and separated from each other and the leakage rate is virtually zero due to the shape of the chambers, long storage periods can be achieved.

The outer geometry of the film cartridge can be made the same regardless of the number of components used. In this way, a Auspressgerät for different types of filling materials can be used.

The discharge opening may be closed by a closure provided with a weakening zone, and when applying the squeezing force when inserting a still closed new film cartridge into the squeezing device, the internal pressure exceeds the force necessary to open the weakening zone. In this way, the newly inserted film cartridge is opened automatically and controlled.

By designing the cross section of the channels and / or the cross section of the first openings or emptying openings, a throttling action of individual filling materials can be effected from different chambers, whereby the amount of each discharged filling material can be set very precisely. Even flow differences at different rheologies of the individual fillers can be compensated.

• Herstellen wenigstens einer Kammer durch Verbinden des Deckels mit dem Folienschlauch,
• Befüllen der Kammer mit einem Füllmaterial durch die erste Öffnung im Deckel und
• Verschließen der ersten Öffnung.

In a process for producing a film cartridge as described above, the following steps are carried out:

• Producing at least one chamber by connecting the lid to the film tube,
• Filling the chamber with a filling material through the first opening in the lid and
• Closing the first opening.

The foil cartridge is completely finished before it is filled. Any existing floor is already used, so that the chamber with the exception of the first opening and possibly another discharge opening are completely closed. As a second step, the filling material is then filled into the chamber, which can be done in a different machine than the production of the empty film cartridge. After filling, the first opening is closed, hermetically sealing the foil cartridge.

An above-described head portion with the receptacle for the mixer tube for dispensing the filling material is firmly connected to the lid before filling or after filling.

If filling takes place after placement of the head part, preferably also the channels between the cover and the head part are filled with the filling material.

If the head part is placed after filling, the filling takes place via the first opening, and this is closed after filling and before attaching the head part.

If the filling is carried out after placing the head part, the first opening and / or the emptying opening may remain open, and only the openings (filling opening and dispensing opening) in the head part are closed.

Since the lid has an additional discharge opening per chamber, a further filling opening is provided in alignment with the first opening in the head part.

The filling is advantageously carried out via a filling lance, which is introduced through the first opening into the chamber, wherein a Unterspiegelabfüllung is made. As the filling level increases, the filling lance is continually pulled back while it is being filled. So a bubble-free filling of the chambers is possible. The filling process can be supported by vacuum or back pressure. This is particularly useful if the channels are to be filled to the dispensing opening.

For example, the air in the chambers may escape through the discharge openings (if provided). It is also possible to form the filling opening in the head part with a smaller cross-section than the first opening during filling when the head part is attached, so that the filling lance lies close to the filling opening, but air can escape from the chamber due to the excess of the first opening during filling ,

The film cartridge is easy to open because the film used as a closure can be easily peeled off without tools or, with certain force applied to the film cartridge, tears open from outside through the extrusion tool. Since a defined opening always arises, the forces necessary for the application process are constant during the opening and during the pressing out of the filling material.

FIG.1

eine schematische Draufsicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Folienkartusche gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform;

FIG. 2

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines Teils der Folienkartusche aus Figur 1;

FIG. 3

eine schematische Schnittansicht des oberen Teils der Folienkartusche aus Figur 1;

FIG. 4

eine schematische Detailansicht aus Figur 3;

FIG. 5

eine schematische Ansicht eines Verschlusses für eine erfindungsgemäße Folienkartusche;

FIG. 6 und 7

schematisch eine Unterteilung eines Folienschlauchs einer erfindungsgemäßen Folienkartusche;

The invention is described below with reference to several embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings show:

FIG.1

a schematic plan view of a film cartridge according to the invention according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2

a schematic perspective view of a portion of the film cartridge FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

a schematic sectional view of the upper part of the film cartridge FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4

a schematic detail view FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5

a schematic view of a closure for a film cartridge according to the invention;

FIG. 6 and 7

schematically a subdivision of a film tube of a film cartridge according to the invention;

FIG. 1 shows a film cartridge 100 according to the invention in this case, the film cartridge 100 comprises two film containers 102 and a head portion 104 (see FIG. 3 ). The head portion 104 is connected at an upper axial end to each of two juxtaposed film containers 102.

In FIG. 2 one of the film containers 102 is shown in more detail. A first, outer film tube 106 is defined by a partition 108 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) are subdivided into two parallel chambers 110, 112 separated from one another in the axial direction A. As the FIGS. 6 and 7 show, the two chambers 110, 112 may be formed the same size or different sizes, which is achieved by the arrangement of the partition 108. Instead of a single subdivision 108 could also be several subdivisions 108 may be provided, which can extend arbitrarily through the cross section of the film tube 106.

In the FIGS. 6 and 7 For example, the film tube 106 and the partition 108 are made of a single piece of film. However, it would also be possible to use a closed-tube film tube, such as manufactured by extrusion, and insert a partition 108 into the interior. The attachment of the partition 108 to the film tube 106 is done here by gluing or welding by any suitable method.

The head portion 104 facing away from the axial end of the film tube 106 is closed by a bottom 114 not shown here. Here, the bottom 114 is a piece of foil bonded to the axial end of the film tube 106 and subdivision 108 by gluing or welding such that the chambers 110, 112 are hermetically sealed from the environment at that end.

At the axially upper end, the chambers 110, 112 are closed by a cover 116 which, like the bottom 114, is fixedly connected to the film tube 106 and the partition 108 by welding or gluing. Foil tube 106, partition 108, bottom 114 and lid 116 define the chambers 110, 112 and enclose them completely.

In the lid 116, however, a plurality of openings are formed, wherein per chamber 110, 112, a first opening 118 and a separate discharge opening 120. The lid 116 consists here of a relatively strong film material. It may be stronger than the material used for the film tube 106. The head portion 104 is here made of a stronger material than the lid 116 and causes a dimensional stability of the entire axial upper end of the film cartridge 100. In particular, the head portion 104 ensures that the diameter of the openings even when using the film cartridge 100 in a (not shown ) Pressing device remains constant.

In the head part 104 openings are also formed, namely a central dispensing opening 122 and for each chamber 110, 112 a separate from the dispensing opening 122 filling opening 124, each aligned with the first openings 118 in the lid 116. In FIG. 3 the situation is only shown for one chamber 112 each of a film container 102. However, the header 104 has only one common delivery opening 122 for all the chambers 110, 112 and all the film containers 102.

Between the inner wall of the head portion 104 and the top of the lid 116 channels 126 are formed, each leading from one of the discharge openings 120 to the discharge opening 122.

The dispensing opening 122 is disposed at the end of a nozzle-like receptacle 128 which forms a receptacle for a mixer tube for dispensing the filling material received in the chambers 110, 112.

The partitions 130, which define the channels 126 in the interior between the walls of the head part 104 and the cover 116, extend right up to the discharge opening 122 so that it is effectively divided into as many channels 126 as chambers are provided.

Before the film cartridge 100 is used, the discharge port 122 is sealed by a shutter 132. In the case shown here, the closure 132 is a foil which has a weakening zone 134 for each chamber 110, 112, which is in each case arranged centrally above one of the channels 126 in the region of the dispensing opening 122 (see FIG FIG. 5 ).

All of the chambers 110, 112 are hermetically sealed from the environment prior to use of the film cartridge 100. A mixing of the different filling materials in the individual chambers 110, 112 does not take place in this state.

The filling openings 124 are also tightly closed by a closure 136. The closure 136 is likewise a film which is printed with the product name, the filling materials contained in the individual chambers 110, 112, the batch number and the expiry date of the film cartridge and thus the labeling of the film cartridge 100 is used.

It is also possible to use a metal plate or an injection-molded part as closure 136. In all cases, the closure 136 completely closes the filling openings 124 so that filling material can not escape from the chambers 110, 112.

In the head part 104 here extends a filling channel 138 from the edge of the filling opening 124 directly to the first opening 118 in the lid 116. The filling channel has in the region in which it forms the edge of the filling opening 124, a conical taper 140, in a circumferential Lip 142 ends. The lip 142 defines the region of least cross-section of the fill channel 138.

In the production of the film cartridge 100, the film container 102 is first produced. For this purpose, a film tube 106 is produced from a flat film section or as a film tube with a closed circumference. Any subdivisions 108 are secured in the film tube 106. At the lower axial end of the bottom 114 is inserted and glued or fixed by ultrasonic, laser or thermal welding. At the opposite axial end of the lid 116 is also attached. In this case, the subdivisions 108 are attached to the bottom 114 and lid 116 so that self-contained chambers 110, 112 are formed. The first openings 118 and the emptying openings 120 are still open.

Next, the head portion 104 is fixedly secured to the lid 116, such as by gluing or welding.

Now, the channels 126 between the lid 116 and head 104 are formed. The dispensing opening 122 is also still open, as are the fill openings 124. The foil cartridge 100 is now ready to be filled as a prefabricated product. This can be done in a different machine than the production.

Via the filling openings 124 and the first openings 118, a filling lance (not shown) is now introduced into the respective chamber 110, 112 and the specific filling material intended for the chamber 110, 112 is introduced. Starting from the bottom of the chamber 110, 112, the filling lance is pulled further and further back as the fill level rises, so that a bubble-free bottom-up filling takes place. The conical taper 140 causes a centering of the filling lance in the filling opening 124 and ensures that the filling opening 124 is substantially sealed by the filling lance. The escaping from the chamber 110, 112 air escapes through the discharge opening 120 and the discharge opening 122. The filling lance is pulled back in the course of filling ever further, the lip 142 strips off excess filler from the filling lance, so this does not get into the filling. It could be provided a plurality of axially successively arranged lips 142 in the filling channel 138, wherein only one is shown here.

The filling takes place until the filling material emerges from the emptying openings 120 and also fills the channels 126 up to the outlet opening 122.

The filling may be assisted by applying a vacuum to the exit port 122 or establishing a backpressure.

After the filling is completed, the outlet opening 122 is sealed with the closure 132. In this case, the individual channels 126 are completely separated from each other.

The filling openings 124 are sealed with the closures 136. The first openings 118 and the discharge openings 120 remain unlocked in this example.

The finished film cartridge 100 may be inserted into a squeezing device in this form, the initially applied pressure causing the weakened zone 134 in the closure 132 of the dispensing opening 122 to rupture. Already from this point on, the filling material exits from all chambers 110, 112 in the desired mixing ratio.

The closure 132 could also be designed to be removed by the user prior to insertion into the dispenser.

The shape of the channels 126 and the size of the emptying openings 120 are selected depending on the filling material used in the chambers 110, 112 so that either openings and channels 126 are large enough to fill materials with larger packing can escape without obstruction or a throttling effect is realized for only a small volume required and / or low-viscosity filling materials. Each of the channels 126 may be formed differently in this sense. The variation can be achieved by the shape of the header 104 and the dividing walls 130.

In the case shown, a four-component cartridge is realized in which each of the chambers 110, 112 of the two film containers 102 contains a different filling material. The filling materials come into contact with each other only on exiting the dispensing opening 122 and are mixed in the mixer tube placed there.

Claims (6)

1. Film cartridge having a tube of film (106) which surrounds at least one chamber (110, 112, 113) in the circumferential direction and having a cap (116), separate from the tube of film (106), which terminates one axial end of the tube of film (106) and there being a plurality of openings formed, there being formed in the cap (116; 216; 316; 416), for each chamber (110, 112, 113), at least one first opening (118) via which the chamber (110, 112, 113) can be filled with a filling material, and at least one emptying opening (120) separate from the first opening (118), wherein a head part (104) is provided which is solidly connected to the cap (116) and which has a dispensing opening (122) provided at a receiving means (128) for a mixing tube intended for dispensing the filling material, which has a closure (132) which closes off the dispensing opening (122), and which has, for each chamber, a filling opening (124), separate from the dispensing opening (122), which is in line with the respective first opening (118) in the cap (116), each filling opening (124) in the head part being closed off with a closure (136).
2. Film cartridge according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of chambers (110, 112, 113) are provided which are separated from one another by dividing up the tube of film (106) in the axial direction (A).
3. Film cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that there is formed between the cap (116) and an inner wall of the head part (104) at least one passage (126) for guiding the filling material to the dispensing opening (122).
4. Film cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the closure (136) of each filling opening (124) in the head part (104) is a film.
5. Method of producing a film cartridge according to one of claims 1 to 4 having a tube of film (106) and a cap (116) having at least one first opening (118), the method having the following steps:

   - production of at least one chamber (110, 112, 113) by connecting the cap (116) to the tube of film (106),

   - filling of the chamber (110, 112, 113) with a filling material through the first opening (118) in the cap (116), and

   - closing off of the first opening (118), characterised in that a head part (104) is provided which has a receiving means (128) for a mixing tube for dispensing the filling material and which is solidly connected to the cap (116) before or after the filling.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the first opening (118) is closed off by a closure which is placed directly on the first opening (118).

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