EP4115776A1 - Method for at least partially closing a main orifice of a drinking straw - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for closing the end of a paper-based drinking straw (1), comprising the following steps: - providing a tubular drinking straw (1) based on paper; - cutting an end area of the drinking straw (1) so that a tongue-shaped section (4);- folding the tongue-shaped section (4) over the opening (3a) of the drinking straw (1) so that two lateral openings (10) are formed.- gluing the tongue-shaped section (4) to the outside the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1).

Description

Drinking straws for sucking in and drinking liquids have long been known in various configurations. In a basic form, this is an elongated tube open at both ends, one end being dipped into the liquid to be taken up and the other end being placed in the mouth by a consumer.

Recently, there have also been variants in which the opening at the end of the drinking straw that the consumer has to put in his mouth is closed and instead several, for example four, small holes are provided at the upper end of the drinking straw in the area of the wall, through which the Liquid can be sucked in and get into the mouth of the consumer. Such drinking straws are also known under the name "sensory straw". The drink that emerges from several small openings causes a different drinking experience that is often perceived as more pleasant, since the liquid does not emerge from the main opening in a single stream, but is directed through the small holes into different areas of the mouth at the same time. Closing a drinking straw at the end is understood in the context of the invention to mean at least partially closing a main opening of a drinking straw.

In the case of drinking straws made of thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene, the main opening is closed at the end in a simple manner by welding using heat and pressure. The outlet openings are then drilled or punched as small holes in the wall of the drinking straw.

Increasing environmental and sustainability awareness worldwide has led to political and economic requirements in recent years, according to which plastic packaging should be reduced in the future and, in particular, disposable plastic items should be avoided as much as possible. In this context, drinking straws are increasingly being made from other, preferably biodegradable, materials. There are already drinking straws based on paper or sugar cane.

In order to design a paper-based drinking straw as a “sensory straw”, different techniques must be used to close the opening at the end than in the case of plastic drinking straws. In principle, instead of welding, gluing the end area of the drinking straw is an option. For this purpose, a small amount of adhesive is to be introduced into an end area of the drinking straw and positioned in a targeted manner. This area is then pressed together in such a way that the wall areas of the drinking straw stick together and the opening is closed. Similar to a plastic drinking straw are small ones after all To drill or punch holes as outlet openings in the wall. The problem with this procedure is the precise positioning of a defined small amount of adhesive inside the hollow body. This is complex in terms of process technology and is therefore comparatively time-consuming and costly.

The present invention has therefore set itself the task of providing a method for closing the end of a drinking straw based on paper, which method can be carried out more simply and therefore faster and more cost-effectively than known methods.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of patent claim 1.

Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

• Bereitstellen eines tubusförmigen Trinkhalms auf Basis von Papier;
• Zuschneiden eines Endbereichs des Trinkhalms, so dass ein zungenförmiger Abschnitt ausgebildet wird;
• Umlegen des zungenförmigen Abschnitts über die Öffnung des Trinkhalms hinweg, so dass zwei seitliche Öffnungen ausgebildet werden.
• Verkleben des zungenförmigen Abschnitts mit der Außenseite der Wandung des Trinkhalms.

According to patent claim 1, the invention is a method for closing the end of a paper-based drinking straw, comprising the following steps:

• providing a tubular paper-based drinking straw;
• cutting an end portion of the drinking straw to form a tongue-shaped portion;
• Folding the tongue-shaped section over the opening of the drinking straw so that two lateral openings are formed.
• Gluing the tongue-shaped section to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw.

In other words, the method according to the invention provides that a tab-like, tongue-shaped section is formed in an end area of the drinking straw by appropriate cutting, which is folded over the opening of the drinking straw and glued to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw. The adhesive required for the bond can be applied either to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw or in the area of the tongue-shaped section. In both cases it is not necessary to introduce the adhesive into the tubular hollow body. Such an adhesion on the outside of the wall of the drinking straw is much easier to implement in terms of process technology and can be accomplished more efficiently and thus more cost-effectively.

The invention provides that the tongue-shaped section is folded over and glued to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw in such a way that two lateral openings are formed. In other words, the tongue-shaped section is folded over only to the extent that two opposite openings remain on the side. In this position will the tongue-shaped section is glued to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw. When the drinking straw is in use, liquid can be sucked in through the side openings and get into the mouth of a consumer. The size of these openings can be adjusted within certain limits via the extent of the overlap between the tongue-shaped section and the wall of the drinking straw.

Folding the tongue-shaped section over the opening of the drinking straw can preferably be supported by using a mandrel. This is a round rod with a diameter adapted to the desired size of the side openings. By folding the tongue-shaped section around the mandrel in the circumferential direction, it is particularly easy to impose a uniform curvature on the tongue-shaped section and to form the rounded section in the end area of the drinking straw cleanly. The size of the lateral openings can be influenced by choosing mandrels of different diameters.

The method according to the invention is not only characterized by the fact that it is simplified by the application of adhesive on the outside, it also has the advantage that two small lateral openings are formed directly when the drinking straw is folded over and glued at the end and not in one subsequent process step must be introduced separately.

Nevertheless, it can be provided according to the invention that, in addition to the two lateral openings, further small holes are made in the wall of the drinking straw, for example by drilling or punching. Preferably, two further diametrically opposite holes can be made in a single drilling or punching operation by driving a corresponding tool once completely through the tubular drinking straw in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. A particularly pleasant feeling of drinking is achieved when the side openings and the additionally introduced holes are distributed substantially evenly over the circumference of the drinking straw.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, a quick-setting hot-melt adhesive suitable for food contact is used to bond the tongue-shaped section to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw. This can be, for example, the polyolefin hot-melt adhesive from Henkel, known under the name Technomelt Supra PRO 220 Plus . Other suitable hot melt adhesives can also be used. A quick-setting hot-melt adhesive has the advantage that the adhesive bond between the tongue-shaped section and the wall of the drinking straw holds reliably even after a short amount of pressure. In addition, such adhesives are generally low-migration and therefore particularly suitable for food contact. The adhesive can be applied in a manner known per se, for example by means of a nozzle or by means of a disc.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the end area of the drinking straw is cut to size by making two first cuts along two first cutting lines starting from an end edge of the drinking straw into the wall of the drinking straw and making a second cut along a second cutting line, with the second Section is made in a direction parallel to the end edge of the drinking straw and the line of intersection connects the end points of the first two lines of intersection.

Preferably, the first two cuts are made simultaneously in a single cutting operation with the aid of a cutting tool placed at a point on the end edge and inserted into the wall of the drinking straw at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drinking straw.

The end area of the drinking straw can thus be cut to size, for example, by starting from one end edge of the drinking straw and initially making two first cuts along two first cutting lines over a length of about 1 to 3 cm in a single cutting process with the aid of a diagonal at one point on the end edge attached knife into the wall. A partial area is separated from the wall of the drinking straw by a second cut connecting the two first cutting lines at their end points in a direction parallel to the end edge, whereby at the same time a tongue-shaped section is formed which protrudes beyond the opening of the drinking straw.

In principle, the contour of the tongue-shaped section can finally be cut further in the desired manner. However, the described precise application of a cutting tool to a point on the end edge of the drinking straw and the insertion of the cutting tool into the wall at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drinking straw automatically results in a tongue-shaped section which tapers towards its free end and is rounded at its free end.

A particularly favorable contour of the tongue-shaped section results when the two initially introduced cuts are made at an angle of approximately 5° to 35°, preferably approximately 10° to 20° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drinking straw. For example, the cuts can be made in the wall at an angle of about 15° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drinking straw. For this purpose, the cutting tool can be applied at a point on the end edge and at the desired angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drinking straw over a length of about 1 to 3 cm into its wall, so that two cuts are made at the same time.

The second cut, which connects the two first cut lines at their end points, is made in a direction parallel to the edge of the drinking straw and perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. The cutting depth of this second cut into the drinking straw is preferably about half to 2/3 of the diameter of the drinking straw. A particularly favorable contour of the tongue-shaped section results when the second cut has a cutting depth of about 3/5 of the diameter of the drinking straw.

The first two cuts and the second cut can be made either simultaneously or sequentially. In particular, a first cutting tool can be used to make the first cuts and a second cutting tool can be used to make the second cut.

In principle, the size of the resulting lateral openings can be influenced by the concrete design of the outer contour of the tongue-shaped section as well as by the extent of the overlap of the folded tongue-shaped section with the wall of the drinking straw.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the tongue-shaped section is rounded at its free end. This ensures that the free end can be securely glued to the outside of the wall without any corners protruding.

The invention provides a method for producing paper-based drinking straws that are closed at the end, by means of which such drinking straws can be produced very efficiently in large numbers.

Figur 1:

einen Abschnitt eines Trinkhalms auf Basis von Papier in einer seitlichen, leicht schrägen Ansicht;

Figur 2:

der Trinkhalm aus Figur 1, wobei ein zuzuschneidender Bereich markiert ist;

Figur 3:

der Trinkhalm aus Figur 1 nach erfolgtem Zuschnitt in Seitenansicht;

Figur 4:

der zugeschnittene Trinkhalm aus Figur 3 in einer um 90° um die Längsachse gedrehten Ansicht;

Figur 5:

der Trinkhalm aus Figur 4, wobei der zungenförmige Abschnitt über die Öffnung des Trinkhalms umgelegt und mit der Außenseite der Wandung des Trinkhalms verklebt wurde;

Figur 6:

der Trinkhalm aus Figur 5 in einer um 90° um die Längsachse gedrehten Ansicht.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the attached figures. Show it:

Figure 1:

a section of a paper-based drinking straw in a lateral, slightly oblique view;

Figure 2:

the drinking straw off figure 1 , with an area to be cropped marked;

Figure 3:

the drinking straw off figure 1 after cutting in side view;

Figure 4:

the cut drinking straw figure 3 in a view rotated by 90° about the longitudinal axis;

Figure 5:

the drinking straw off figure 4 wherein the tongue-shaped portion has been folded over the opening of the drinking straw and glued to the outside of the wall of the drinking straw;

Figure 6:

the drinking straw off figure 5 in a view rotated by 90° around the longitudinal axis.

the Figures 1 to 6 show a section of a paper-based drinking straw 1 during the passage through the individual process steps of the method according to the invention. The illustrations are merely schematic and not necessarily true to scale.

figure 1 shows the end area of the drinking straw 1 as it is provided in a first step for the method. The drinking straw 1 is designed as a tubular hollow body with a wall 2 and end openings, wherein in the representation of figure 1 only one end opening 3 is shown. The drinking straw 1 is made of paper.

In a subsequent method step, the end area of the drinking straw 1 is cut in such a way that a tongue-shaped section 4 is formed. In figure 2 the area 7 to be removed by cutting is shown hatched. In detail, the blank is first made along two first cutting lines 5, of which in the figure 2 only the cutting line 5 facing the viewer can be seen. The cutting lines 5 start at the end edge 8 of the drinking straw 1 and run from there slightly obliquely at an angle of about 15° with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the drinking straw through the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1 . The first two cuts along the first cutting lines 5 are made simultaneously in a single cutting process by a cutting tool attached to the edge 8 of the drinking straw 1 at the end. At a distance d of about 1.5 cm from the end edge 8, the first cutting lines 5 end or merge into a second cutting line 6, which extends essentially parallel to the end edge 8 and which connects the ends of the two first cutting lines 5 connects with each other. The cutting depth of the second cut along the second cutting line 6 is approximately 3/5 of the diameter of the drinking straw. By cutting along the cutting lines 5 and 6, the in figure 2 Shaded area 7 are detached from the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1. A new opening 3a of the drinking straw 1 is created adjacent to the second cutting line 6.

figure 3 shows a side view of a drinking straw 1 tailored in this way, figure 4 shows the same drinking straw 1 after a rotation about the longitudinal axis by 90 ° in a by the direction indicated by rotary arrow D. The protruding tongue-shaped section 4, which is rounded at its free end 11, is clearly visible.

The tongue-shaped section 4 is in a subsequent step according to the arrow P in figure 4 folded over the opening 3a and glued to the outside of the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1. For this purpose, on the outside 2 of the wall of the drinking straw 1 in the figure 4 area designated 9, a quick-setting hot-melt adhesive suitable for food contact is applied. The tongue-shaped section 4 is glued to the outside of the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1 by means of the hot-melt adhesive, so that the opening 3a is closed in substantial parts, cf. figure 5 . However, the overlap of the tongue-shaped section 4 with the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1 is selected during folding and gluing so that two lateral openings 10 are formed, which are particularly evident from the representation of FIG figure 6 are evident. the figure 6 shows the drinking straw 1 again in the same orientation as in figure 3 , ie compared to the representations in the Figures 4 and 5 turned back again by 90° around the longitudinal axis.

The size of the openings 10 can be scaled via the extent of the overlap between the tongue-shaped section 4 and the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1, i.e. the openings 10 become smaller the further the tongue-shaped section 4 is placed over the wall 2.

For a pleasant drinking feeling, it can already be sufficient if the liquid sucked in through the drinking straw 1 emerges from the two opposite openings 10 and is thus directed into different areas of the consumer's mouth. In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, however, provision can also be made to introduce further small holes, not shown in the figures, as outlet openings in the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1 in addition to the two lateral openings 10 . These can be introduced into the wall 2, for example, by drilling or punching. By driving a corresponding tool once completely through the drinking straw in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drinking straw 1, two further diametrically opposite holes can be made in the wall 2 in a single drilling or punching operation. These additional holes penetrate the wall 2 of the drinking straw 1 and, depending on the arrangement, also the area of the tongue-shaped section 4 that overlaps the wall 2.

Claims (10)

Method for closing the ends of a paper-based drinking straw (1), comprising the following steps: - Providing a tubular drinking straw (1) based on paper; - Cutting an end area of the drinking straw (1) so that a tongue-shaped section (4) is formed; - folding the tongue-shaped section (4) over the opening (3a) of the drinking straw (1) away, so that two lateral openings (10) are formed; - Gluing the tongue-shaped section (4) to the outside of the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1). Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that a defined amount of adhesive is applied to the outside of the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1) to bond the tongue-shaped section (4) to the outside of the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1). Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in addition to the two side openings, at least one hole is made in the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1). Method according to Claim 3, characterized in that in addition to the two lateral openings, two diametrically opposite holes are made in the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the end region of the drinking straw (1) is cut to size by making two first cuts along two first cutting lines (5) starting from an end edge (8) of the drinking straw (1) in the Wall (2) of the drinking straw (1) are made and a second cut is made along a second cutting line (6), the second cut being made in a direction parallel to the end edge (8) of the drinking straw (1) and the cutting line (6 ) connects the end points of the first two intersection lines (5) with each other. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that the first two cuts are made simultaneously in the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1) by means of a cut made at a point on the end edge (8) and at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the drinking straw. imported cutting tool can be formed in a single cutting operation. Method according to Claim 6, characterized in that the angle with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) is 5° to 35°, preferably 10° to 20°, particularly preferably about 15°. Method according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the cutting depth of the second cut into the drinking straw (1) is half to 2/3, preferably about 3/5, of the diameter of the drinking straw (1). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the tongue-shaped section (4) is rounded at its free end (11). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a quick-setting hot-melt adhesive suitable for food contact is used to bond the tongue-shaped section (4) to the outside of the wall (2) of the drinking straw (1).

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