ES2371663T3 - METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DECORATIVE MULTI-PAPER PAPER PRODUCT AND SUCH MULTI-PAPER PAPER PRODUCT. - Google Patents

Abstract

The idea of the present invention is to provide a decorative embossing which is constituted of at least a first decorative embossing pattern (37) and a second decorative embossing pattern (38). In this context, the protuberances of the first decorative embossing pattern (37) on the embossing roll (31) have a larger height than the protuberances of the second decorative embossing pattern (38) on the embossing roll (31). Correspondingly, the bosses of the first decorative embossing imparted to at least one ply of the multi-ply paper product are larger than the bosses of the second decorative embossing imparted to the at least one ply of the multi-ply paper product. Because of this configuration, glue may only be applied on top of the bosses of the first decorative embossing so that ply bonding is only achieved at these sites or locations by means of the applied adhesive. Therefore, the first design elements corresponding to the first decorative embossing, and the second design elements corresponding to the second decorative embossing, are decoupled. A first design element, therefore, may be adapted to the required glued area in view of the ply bonding to be achieved as well as the properties to be achieved in regard of softness and bulk, etc., whereas the second design elements may substantially freely be varied.

Description

Method for producing a decorative multilayer paper product and said multilayer paper product

Technical field

The present invention relates to the production of decorative multilayer paper products, particularly tissue paper products and said products. In particular, the present invention relates to multilayer paper products that have a decorative pattern and in which the bonding of the layers between at least two layers is achieved by means of an adhesive.

Background of the invention

WO-A-03/082559 describes a method for producing a decorative multilayer paper product, particularly a tissue paper product, comprising the steps of printing at least one of the layers by means of a printing roller having first protrusions, to confer a first decorative pattern drawing, and second protrusions, to confer a second decorative pattern drawing, the first protuberances having a greater height than the second protuberances, apply glue on one side of at least one layer only on the sides corresponding to the upper parts of the first bumps and join a layer with at least one other layer, so that the bonding of the layers is achieved on the sides with glue.

Additionally, US-A-6,287,676 describes heights of stamping protrusions in a range between 0.6 and 2.0 mm.

Additionally, WO-A-97/44529, US-A-4,320,162 or US-A-4,376,671 describe three-layer paper products and a corresponding method for manufacturing said products, in which all three layers They are joined by adhesive.

Additionally, multilayer paper products known in the art are generally used in toilet paper, kitchen paper, hand wipes, etc. It is widespread to provide such paper products with an attractive visual appearance to increase product sales. In this context, the design elements were conferred to at least one of the layers by printing. Said print is called decorative print

or decoration. It can also be referred to as a design or ornament print. The design elements of this print can be provided in the form of flowers, feathers, whales, dolphins, logos, trademarks, brands or the like. In addition, these paper products typically comprise an additional print conferred on the layer. This print may be called background print or functional print.

Figure 1 represents said multilayer paper product in a plan view. The paper product 10 comprises a decorative print in the form of feathers and a functional print 12 in the form of tiny dots, evenly distributed over the entire surface of the paper product. The two layers of the paper product are joined by an adhesive. In particular, the layers are attached at the feather locations.

Said multi-layer paper product, as shown in Figure 1, can be produced, for example as described in US 6,287,676 B. In this reference, a functional print and a decorative print is conferred to at least one layer of the Multilayer paper product by means of a stamping roller. The protrusions of the decorative pattern drawing have a much greater height, that is, the pattern has a greater depth than the protrusions of the functional pattern. The printing roller is in contact with a glue application roller, which applies glue only to the top of the protrusions of the decorative print pattern. Subsequently, at least one printed layer is joined with another printed layer and the bonding of the layers is achieved at the locations of the decorative printing bases by means of the applied adhesive. In the location of the functional printing projections, the bonding of the layers is not achieved. Similar methods are described, for example, in US 4,376,671 and US 4,320,162 B.

The decorative print of said multilayer paper product has a great influence on sales, because an attractive appearance attracts customers more. If the visual aspect compares distinctively with the visual aspect of the comparative products, there may even be a reminder effect, and a customer will recognize the paper product he has bought last time and buy this product again.

However, the possibilities of varying the design or decorative appearance of the paper product, and particularly the decorative pattern, are limited. This limitation, on the one hand, resides in the fact that several variations should be made in conventional machines because the more complicated and adapted machines, in comparison with said conventional machines, are more expensive and, therefore, lead to a more expensive product . However, since these products are disposable products, manufacturing costs are a major factor for sales. On the other hand, it is known in the art how to combine the layers in all the decorative printing locations by means of an adhesive, that is, how to apply the adhesive to all the decorative printing protrusions. Therefore, there is an additional problem that the choice of decorative printing is very

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related to the pasted area. The glued area, however, has a great influence on the properties of the product, such as softness and bulkiness. As a consequence, the decorative pattern drawing is also limited by these properties, which should not be compromised for the improvement of the visual appearance.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a decorative multilayer paper product that allows greater design variability using conventional equipment, and to provide a multilayer paper product that is more attractive, but which nevertheless it still satisfies the requirements regarding its properties, such as softness and bulkiness.

This object is solved by a method as defined in claim 1, as well as a multilayer paper product as defined in claim 5. The embodiments of the present invention are named in the dependent claims.

The basic idea of the present invention is to provide a decorative pattern that is constituted by at least a first pattern of a decorative pattern and a second pattern of a decorative pattern. In this context, the protuberances of the first decorative print pattern on the print roller have a different height from the protuberances in the second decorative print pattern on the print roller. In particular, the protuberances of the first decorative print pattern are larger than those of the second decorative print pattern. Correspondingly, the projections of the first decorative pattern conferred to at least one layer of the multilayer paper product are larger than the projections of the second decorative pattern conferred to at least one layer of the multilayer paper product. That is, the depth of the first decorative pattern is greater than the depth of the second pattern of decorative pattern. Due to this configuration, glue can only be applied to the upper part of the projections of the first decorative pattern, so that the bonding of the layer is only achieved at these sites or locations by means of the applied adhesive. These locations may also be called glue sites. Therefore, the first design elements, corresponding to the first decorative pattern, and the second design elements, corresponding to the second decorative pattern, are decoupled. A first design element, therefore, can be adapted to the required glued area in view of the bonding of layers that is to be achieved, as well as the properties that are to be achieved with respect to softness and bulkiness etc. while the second design elements can be varied freely substantially.

The method according to the present invention for producing a decorative multilayer paper product, particularly a tissue paper product, therefore, comprises the steps of: stamping at least one of the layers by means of a stamping roller having first protrusions for confer a first decorative pattern drawing, and second protrusions to confer a second decorative pattern drawing, the first protuberances having a greater height than the second protuberances, apply glue on one side of at least one layer only at sites corresponding to the upper parts of the first protuberances, and join a layer with at least one other layer, so that the bonding of the layers is achieved at the bonding sites.

The multilayer paper product of the present invention comprises at least two layers, at least one of the layers having a first decorative pattern drawing and a second decorative pattern drawing, the first decorative pattern drawing being larger than the second pattern drawing decorative, the two layers being joined in places of the first pattern drawing only.

The decorative print pattern can also be called design print. In contrast to a background or functional print, as is known in the art, the decorative pattern drawing can be defined as follows: in the decorative pattern drawing the technical function that the pattern must satisfy is always combined with the function of improve the aesthetic appearance associated with the feeling of a consumer. That is, a decorative pattern drawing, in contrast to a background pattern drawing, is generally not constituted by mainly small and simple pattern protuberances (dots), which are arranged in a row, but instead, It consists of forms and motives of more or less complex subjects, respectively. These forms or subjects can be a particular painting or drawing, a word, an artistic form, an object, a pictogram or an abstract geometric arrangement, for example. Possible designs are, for example, plants, animals, clouds, feathers, objects of daily life, written words, logos, trademarks or brands. Preferably, the decorative pattern drawing is constituted by relatively straight (straight), curved or circular lines, which preferably have different thicknesses, said lines being able to be present in the form of closed structures. The lengths of said lines may be in the range of 0.5 to 10 cm, preferably in the range of 1 to 8 cm. In contrast, the background print pattern often comprises relatively small print protrusions (dots) having a diameter or an edge length of not more than 1 cm, preferably not more than 0.5 cm. Said background pattern drawing should essentially achieve a function, a technique without affecting the aesthetic sensation of a consumer. The decorative pattern should mainly achieve an attractive design.

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It should be understood that although only two decorative print patterns are named, the first and second decorative print drawings, more than two decorative print drawings can also be provided, all of which have different heights.

In addition to these decorative pattern drawings, a background pattern can be provided. This background or functional printing is additionally suitable for providing a paper product with the required properties regarding bulkiness and smoothness, for example.

The height or depth of the first and second protuberances, or decorative pattern drawings, respectively, is within the range of 0.4 to 2.5 mm, preferably within the range of 0.4 to 2.0 mm. The difference in height or depth, respectively, is preferably greater than 0.2 mm and, more preferably, is within the range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is the use of colored glue to bond the layers. This leads to the advantage that the glued decorative print pattern will be colored, while the second print pattern, which is not laminated or glued, remains colorless. This further increases the variability of the design.

It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the first and second decorative pattern drawings can be varied greatly. For example, the design elements conferred by the corresponding print patterns can be feathers, dolphins, whales, waves, logos, brands, trademarks, which can be provided in different sizes or in combination. In this context, various possibilities are conceivable, so that the present invention should not be limited to the exact configuration of the design elements, provided that at least two design elements having different height / depth are provided, the product being of multilayer paper laminated in sites or locations of one of the design elements, and being not laminated in the others.

Other embodiments, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

Brief description of the drawings

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a multilayer paper product of the prior art, in a plan view; Figure 2 schematically shows an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present

invention; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the contact area between the decorative printing roller and the

glue application roller; and Figures 4a and 4b show two multilayer paper products according to the present invention, in one

plan view, in which the design elements in the products are different.

Preferred embodiment of the present invention

In Figure 2, an apparatus for producing a decorative three-layer tissue product is shown. The apparatus shown in Figure 2 comprises a background printing unit 20 and a layer linking unit 30. The layer linking unit 30 comprises a decoration printing unit consisting of a decoration printing roller 31 and a counter-rotating roller 32. The decoration stamping roller 31 may be a steel roller, while the counter-rotating roller 32 may be made of rubber. In addition, the layer link unit 30 also comprises a glue application unit. The glue application unit comprises a glue application roller 33 and a glue transfer roller 34. The glue transfer roller 34 and the glue application roller 33 are in contact with each other, so that the glue captured by the glue transfer roller 34 from a glue bath, it will be transferred from the glue transfer roller 34 to the glue application roller 33. The decoration stamping roller 31 has stamping protrusions 37 and 38, shown in Figure 3. The first protuberances 37 have a greater height than the second protuberances 38. The height of any one of these protuberances 37 and 38 resides within a range of 0.4 to 2.5 mm. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the height of the protuberances 37 will reside within the range of 0.8 to 2.5 mm, while the height of the protuberances 38 will reside within the range of 0.4 to 2.0 mm. The difference in height between the protuberances 37 and 38 should be greater than 0.2 mm and, preferably, resides within a range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. In any case, the height difference should be selected so that no glue is substantially applied to the upper parts of the second protrusions 38 in the glue application process. Therefore, the glue application roller 33 is disposed in contact with the upper surfaces (upper parts) of the first protuberances 37 to apply glue to the paper web that is only passing in these locations. There is no contact between the upper surfaces (upper parts) of the second protrusions 38.

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In addition, the layer link unit 30 comprises a pairing roller 35 for combining (joining) the layers.

As mentioned above, the apparatus shown in Figure 2, also comprises a bottom stamping unit 20. This bottom stamping unit 20 consists of three pairs of stamping rollers, a steel stamping roller and a roller anti-rotating rubber. The stamping rollers in Figure 2 are referred to by the acronym ST for the steel roller and the counter-rotating rollers are referred to by the acronym R for the rubber roller. The ST stamping rollers of the bottom stamping unit also have protrusions (not shown), which are evenly distributed throughout the peripheral surface of the ST stamping rollers. These protuberances form a pattern drawing that can be called background pattern. The definition of said pattern drawing can be found in the above.

In contrast to the print pattern conferred by the background print unit, the protrusions of the decoration print roller 31 of the layer link unit 30 are decoration print protrusions. That is, these protrusions 37 and 38 confer a decorative pattern drawing to the layer that passes through the pattern unit 30, 32. These pattern drawings can be defined as decorative pattern drawings, a definition of which can be found in the above.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in Figures 2 and 3 will be described.

Three layers 40a, 40b and 40c are passed through the background printing unit. In this context, each layer 40a-c passes through a narrowing between a corresponding stamping roller ST and its associated counter-rotating roller R. In the narrowing between the stamping roller and the counter-rotating roller, a bottom stamping is conferred to each of the layers 40a-c, which is adapted to obtain the desired properties of the final product. For example, the background pattern may be what is called a "dot pattern", consisting of a plurality of uniformly distributed minority points. Since the proportion of background printing is known in the art, no further explanation will be provided.

The three layers are then transported further to the subsequent layer link unit. The layer 40a and the layer 40b are guided through guide rollers to the counter-rotating roller 32, and enter the narrowing between the counter-rotating roller 32 and the decoration printing roller 31. In this narrowing, it is conferred a decorative pattern drawing to these layers, in which the first protrusions 37 confer a first decorative pattern drawing and the second protrusions 38 confer another second decorative pattern drawing. As the two layers are passed together through the narrowing, a mechanical layer bond is achieved between these layers. Then, the combined layers 40a and 40b, which were pressed between the protuberances 37 and 38 at the locations of the upper parts of the protuberances 37, in contact with the glue application roller 33. The glue used in the application unit of Glue may preferably be colored glue, such as for example blue glue. The glue is then applied by the glue application roller 33 on the layer 40b and only at the sites (locations) of the upper parts of the first protrusions 37. The application of the glue is more clearly visible from Figure 3, in which the passing layers, however, have been omitted for reasons of clarity. The direction of transport of the layers is still represented by the arrows B (which also represent the direction of rotation of the glue application roller 33 and the decoration stamping roller 31).

Then, the two layers 40a and 40b are further transported to a narrowing between the decoration embossing roller 31 and the pairing roller. The layer 40c is also passed through this narrowing between the printing roller 31 and the pairing roller 35. The layer 40c, as a consequence, is bonded to the combined layers 40a and 40b at the glue sites, that is, the sites (locations) where the glue has been applied to layer 40b. Therefore, the bonding of the layers can be achieved between the layer 40c and the combined layers 40a and 40b.

Subsequently, the combined layers 40a, 40b and 40c leave the layer linking unit 30, as shown by arrow A, as the finished layer 40. It should be noted that the term "layers" with respect to the apparatus and the method means a band constituted by these layers, that is to say, each one of the layers is present in the form of a band. In contrast, in the multilayer paper product, the layers can be different sheets, which can be connected to each other by perforation, for example. As a consequence, after the combined layer 40 leaves the layer bonding unit 30, the web can be cut into two different sheets or provided with a perforation. However, this is known to the person skilled in the art, so a detailed explanation of this process and the corresponding apparatus is not necessary.

The multilayer paper product, which can be obtained by the apparatus and method described above, is represented in two alternatives in Figures 4a and 4b. The multilayer paper product shown in Figures 4a and 4b is provided with a background pattern drawing 12, which is conferred by a background pattern unit 20. In addition, a pattern of decoration pattern 11a to 11d is provided. In the product shown in Figure 4a, in the first decorative pattern drawing 11a it has a whale shape, while in the second decorative pattern drawing 11b it has the shape of two waves. The first decorative print drawing 11a is

conferred by the first protrusions 37. Accordingly, the layers are joined by glue (adhesive) only at the locations of the decorative pattern drawing 11a, while the layers are delaminated in the remaining positions, particularly the second decorative pattern pattern 11b. As a colored glue is used, for example, blue glue, the whale will have a blue appearance, while waves 5 will remain white, as will the rest of the multilayer paper product. In the multilayer paper product, as shown in Figure 4b, the first decorative pattern drawing is in the form of dolphins and the bonding of the layers is only achieved at sites of these design elements that form the first decorative pattern drawing 11c . In addition, a second decorative print pattern 11d in the form of a trademark is provided. This second decorative pattern drawing 11d is conferred by the second protrusions 38 of the roller

10 stamping 31. Therefore, if blue glue is used again, the dolphins 11c will appear blue while the brand / trademark 11d will have a white appearance, as will the rest of the paper. It should be noted that in the case that the color of the paper is different from white, the second decorative pattern drawing will have this color, as will the first decorative pattern drawing, if no colored glue is used, which, however, It preferred.

It should be further noted that the embodiment described above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and that various modifications are possible within the scope of the following claims. For example, more than 3 layers can be processed. In addition, it is also conceivable to provide more than just two decorative patterned drawings, in which more than two protrusions of

20 stamped 37, 38. In this case, all the protrusions should have a different height, the difference between the highest protuberances and the height at the next highest protuberances being greater than 0.2 mm and preferably between 0.4 and 0.8 mm.

Claims (6)

1. The method of producing a decorative multilayer paper product, particularly a tissue paper product, comprising the steps of: 5-Stamping two of the layers by means of a stamping roller, whereby the mechanical bonding of the layers is achieved between two layers, the stamping roller having first protrusions to confer a first pattern of decorative stamping, and second protrusions, to confer a second decorative pattern drawing, the first protuberances having a height greater than the second protuberances, the 10 height of the first and second protuberances within the range of 0.4 to 2.5 mm, -apply glue on one side of the combined layers, only at the sites corresponding to the upper parts of the first protuberances, and -join the layers combined with at least one other layer, whereby the adhesive bonding of the layers is achieved at the glue sites. 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein an additional background pattern is conferred to at least one layer. 3. Method as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the height difference is greater than 0.2 mm and, preferably, is within the range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. 4. Method as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein colored glue is applied. 25 5. Multilayer paper product, particularly made of tissue paper, comprising at least three layers, two of the layers having a first decorative pattern drawing and a second decorative pattern drawing, the layers being mechanically joined by the pattern, being the depth of the first decorative pattern drawing greater than that of the second decorative pattern drawing, the depth of the first and second decorative pattern drawings being within the range of 0.4 to 2.5 mm, the layers being combined and at least 30 another layer adhesively bonded only at the sites of the first pattern drawing. 6. Product as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a background pattern drawing. Product as set forth in any one of claims 5-6, wherein the difference in depth is greater than 0.2 mm and, preferably, is within the range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. 8. Product as set forth in any one of claims 5-7, wherein the first pattern drawing Decorative is colored. 40