FR2794363A1 - METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR MAKING MARKS ON A SILICONE FOOD ARTICLE AND A SILICONE FOOD ARTICLE THUS OBTAINED - Google Patents

Abstract

According to this process: a) is deposited (at 28), at the location of the or each mark, a layer of a coloring agent made from a type of silicone, chemically compatible with the type of silicone constituting the article, andb) subjecting said article coated with said coloring agent layer to a main heating, so as to achieve the or each mark. These marks are easily discernible and have excellent mechanical strength.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an installation

  tion of making marks on a food item in

  silicone, as well as a silicone food item.

  Usually, such a silicone food article, which is for example a childcare article, has a translucent color. However, it is sometimes necessary to provide the surface of this article with visual cues, in particular in the case of a bottle nipple, so that

  that the user can know the flow of liquid administered

very infant.

  To this end, it is known to make such marks on the surface of the silicone article either in the hollow, in the form of imprints, or in relief, in the form of protrusions. However, such a solution has certain drawbacks, since these references are not easily discernible, since they are produced in the same translucent shade as the article. In particular, in the case of a pacifier, these markers can become almost invisible when this pacifier is filled

of milk.

  In order to overcome these various drawbacks, the present invention proposes to implement a method which makes it possible to produce, on a silicone food article, marks whose conformation is unalterable and which can

  be discerned easily and sustainably.

  To this end, it relates to a process for producing at least one mark on a food item in a first type of silicone, in particular a childcare item, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) depositing , at the location of or each marker, a layer of a coloring agent produced on the basis of a second type of silicone, chemically compatible with the first type of silicone, and b) said article coated with said layer is subjected coloring agent at a main heating, so as to achieve the or

each benchmark.

  The coloring agent is deposited either in imprints made in the silicone food article,

  either directly on the smooth surface of this article.

  This main heating step is preferably carried out for a duration greater than 30 seconds and, preferably, 60 seconds, at a temperature greater than 150 C.

and preferably at 200 C.

  The invention makes it possible to achieve the objectives mentioned above. Indeed, the use of a coloring agent for the realization of the marks assures the user of being able

easily discern these.

  The main heating operation causes a co-

  vulcanization of the first type of silicone constituting the article with the second type of silicone partially

  constitutive of the coloring agent, which induces a molecular bond

  the intimate space between these two materials. This guarantees an indelible and unalterable character to the mark thus formed, whatever the manipulations to which the article is subjected during its use. In addition, the colored mark is able to withstand very high temperatures, in the

  extent that it has undergone them beforehand during its manufacture.

  According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, the main heating stage is carried out during the phase of bringing food into compliance with said article. Conventionally, this phase takes place in an oven, in which the article is subjected to a temperature of approximately

 C for four hours.

  Thus, advantage is taken of the temperature rise phase, necessary to make the silicone article suitable for this food use, to carry out the main heating step described above. The latter is therefore not added to the usual methods of manufacturing the article, so

  that it does not entail any substantial additional cost.

  The article on which the markers must be made is made of a first conventional type of silicone, such as by

  example, in the case of a pacifier, a bicomponent liquid silicone

  conforming to that marketed by BAYER under the reference SILOPREN LSR. This first type of silicone is resistant to the temperatures reached during the

  main heating mentioned above.

  The second type of silicone, which partially constitutes the coloring agent, is for example a kneadable silicone, in accordance with that marketed by the company Bayer under the

  reference SILOPREN HV. This second type must also support

  ter the temperatures to which the dye is subjected during the main heating phase. In order to guarantee an intimate bond between the article and the coloring agent, at the end of the main heating phase, the two types of silicone, constituting respectively this article and a part of this dye, are chemically compatible, namely that they must have characteristics such that they allow the co-vulcanization of these two types of silicone. It will thus be possible to use two liquid silicones

  bicomponents, or kneadable silicones.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the article coated with the coloring agent is subjected to a step of

  freezing of this coloring agent on the article.

  This freezing contributes to operate a pre-fixing of the coloring agent on the surface of the food article, while ensuring a primary co-vulcanization of the two types of silicone constituting respectively the food article and the coloring agent. This freezing phase of the coloring agent is advantageous, insofar as, when it is carried out before the start of the food compliance phase, the food item can be subjected to certain mechanical stresses, before the main heating to form the colored mark, without the coloring agent

  undergoes alteration, in particular as to its form.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the freezing step is carried out by prior heating of said article, for a period of between 2 and 15 seconds, at a temperature of between 100 and 200 C. This preliminary heating is inexpensive, insofar as it is implemented at a relatively low temperature,

for a very short time.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the coloring agent comprises between 85 and 95% by weight of the second type of silicone and between 5 and 15% by weight of a pigment. This last

  is advantageously of the mineral type, in particular an iron oxide.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the

  first and second types of silicone, respective constituent-

  ment of the article and part of the coloring agent, are

  identical. This gives excellent quality to the co-

  vulcanization occurring during the heating phase

  main, as defined above.

  The invention also proposes to carry out an installation

  tion allowing the implementation of the method as described above

  above. To this end, it relates to an installation for producing at least one mark on a food item in

  a first type of silicone, in particular a childcare article

  ture, characterized in that it comprises: - means for supplying said articles, - means for depositing, at the location of or each marker, a layer of a coloring agent produced on the basis of a second type of silicone, chemically compatible with the first type of silicone and main heating means of said coated article

  of said layer, so as to produce the or each mark.

  According to other characteristics of the invention: - the main heating means are means of bringing food into compliance with said article, in particular an oven; - The installation further comprises means for freezing the layer of coloring agent on the article, interposed between the means for depositing the coloring agent and the main heating means; - The freezing means are means for prior heating of said layer, in which there prevails a temperature between 100 and 200 C; - The installation further comprises means for gripping said article, suitable for directing said article in the vicinity of the deposition means and, if necessary, freezing means; - The gripping means comprise means for projecting the location of the or each marker; - The or each location is formed by a relief and there are provided positioning means, by indexing, of the or each relief relative to the projection means; - The gripping means belong to means for moving, in a closed loop, the article in the vicinity of the feeding means, deposition means, if necessary in the vicinity of the freezing means and means of transporting the article to main heating means;

  - The installation also includes means allowing-

  both the transfer of articles from the means of supply to the means

  moving items in a closed loop.

  The invention finally relates to a food item made of a first type of silicone, in particular a bottle nipple, characterized in that it comprises at least one marker

  colored formed on the surface of this item.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, this mark consists of a coloring agent comprising a second type of silicone, chemically compatible with the

first type of silicone.

  The invention will be described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given only by way of nonlimiting examples and in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a silicone bottle nipple, intended to be subjected to the process according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic side view, illustrating the assembly of an installation according to the invention for processing the teat of Figure 1; - Figures 3 to 5 are side views, on a larger scale, illustrating more particularly a device for transferring a nipple from a conveyor rail to a nipple holder, according to three successive phases of the process according to l 'invention; - Figures 6 and 7 are views in longitudinal section illustrating, more precisely, the nipple holder of Figures 3 to 5, in successive positions of threading of the nipple on this nipple holder, then securing the

  pacifier in relation to the pacifier holder, in the vicinity of a device

  tif of coloring of this teat; and - Figure 8 is a front view, illustrating the teat, the teat holder and the coloring device illustrated in

figure 7.

  Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a pacifier

  for baby bottles, designated as a whole by reference 2.

  This pacifier, which is made, in a known manner, of a first type of silicone, comprises a hollow cylindrical dress 4 terminated, at a first end, by a thinned end piece 6 or

  nipple shield and, at its opposite end, by a flange 8.

  The outer periphery of the dress 4 is provided with three reliefs 10, 12, 14. The reliefs 1 and 3 are spaced 90 apart from each other, while the reference 2 is spaced 135 from the reference marks 1 and 3. The relief 10 is formed by a single stick-shaped projection, the relief 12 is formed by two parallel stick-shaped projections, while the relief 14 is formed by three parallel, stick-shaped projections. As will be explained in the following, these

  reliefs, which originally have the same translucent color

  cide that all of the teat 2, are intended to receive a coloring agent, according to the method described below, so as to form three corresponding colored marks. It can be expected that these reliefs are of different shapes, in particular that they consist of Arabic numerals or

circles of increasing sizes.

  The dress 4 is provided, at its inner periphery, with a boss 16 which is adjacent to the flange 8. With reference to the cylindrical dress 4, this boss 16 is disposed on the same diameter as one of the reliefs, in the occurrence as that 10 formed of a single projection. As will be explained

  in the following, this boss 16 assumes a posi-

  teat teat 2 compared to gripping means

sion of it.

  Figure 2 shows an overview of an installation

  tion of making colored markers on the surface of nipples similar to that 2 described above. This installation comprises a conveyor, designated as a whole by the reference 18, which is provided with a vibrating rail 20 capable of advancing teats 2 according to the arrow F. The downstream end of the vibrating rail 20, referring to the displacement teats 2, extends in the vicinity of means for moving these teats, extending in a closed loop. These displacement means comprise an endless belt 22 which is actuated

  by a motor not shown and which drives several carriers

  nipple 24, which will be shown in more detail below. As shown in FIG. 2, the means 22, 24 for moving the teats 2 extend successively in the vicinity of a device 26 allowing the teats 2 to be transferred from the vibrating rail 20 to the teat holder 24, then a unit 28 for depositing a coloring agent on the teats 2. The strip 22 then passes through an enclosure 30 allowing the freezing of the coloring agent, deposited by means of the unit 28, on each teat 2. Downstream of this enclosure 30, the endless band 22 passes over a carriage 32, which allows the transport of teats coated with the coloring agent to an oven not shown. The means of transfer 26, deposit 28 and

  freezing 30 will be described in more detail below.

  Figures 3 to 5 show, in more detail, the transfer device 26, according to three successive phases of its use. This device 26 comprises a fixed frame 34, extending above the vibrating rail 20 supporting the teats 2. This fixed frame 34 receives a carriage 36, movable in translation

  initially vertical under the effect of a pneumatic cylinder 38.

  This carriage 36 is terminated by a clamp 40 capable of

  pivot around the main axis of the cylinder 38 by means of

  diary of a stepping motor 42. This clamp 40 is provided with jaws 44, intended for gripping the teat 2. The assembly formed by the carriage 36, the jack 38 and the clamp 40 can be driven in rotation, about a substantially horizontal axis, parallel to the rail 20 via a first cylinder

rotary 46.

  The transfer device 26 is also provided with a sensor 48 able to pivot, by means of a second rotary actuator 50, around a substantially horizontal axis, parallel to the axis of rotation of the actuator 46. In these figures 3 to 5, the

  nipple holder 24, onto which nipples 2 can be transferred

  rees through the device 26, is shown

only schematically.

  The operation of the transfer device 26 will

  now be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

  The carriage 36 is first of all lowered in the direction of the vibrating rail 20, by means of the jack 38. Then, the clamp 40 takes hold of one of the teats 2, by the action of its jaws 44 on the dress 4 of the pacifier considered. Then, the carriage 36, provided with the teat 2, rises, under the action of the jack 38, from

  so as to recover its position illustrated in FIG. 3.

  The sensor 48 is then made to pivot, under the effect of the jack, so as to bring it in the vicinity of the teat 2 secured to the clamp 40. This arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4. It is then a question of conferring on the pacifier in a correct angular position for placement on the pacifier holder 24, as

  this will be specified in the following.

  To this end, the motor 42 is actuated, so as to rotate the clamp 40 and, consequently, the teat 2 around

  the main axis, vertical in this FIG. 4, of the jack 38.

  When the sensor detects that the boss 16 is plumb with this sensor, namely that they are mutually aligned along the vertical axis, the rotation of the clamp 40 is stopped, insofar as the nipple 2 is in a correct angular position. Teat 2 is then indexed by

compared to the pacifier holder 24.

  Then (FIG. 5) the assembly formed by the carriage 36, the jack 38 and the clamp 40 is pivoted about a horizontal axis, under the effect of the jack 46, so that the clamp is opposite the pacifier holder 24. Then actuate the actuator 38 so as to approach the pacifier holder 24, the clamp 40

secured to the teat 2.

  FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate, in more detail, the nipple holder 24. The latter comprises a body 52 provided with ball bearings 54 cooperating with fixed slides 56,

  intended for guiding this nipple holder 24 during its movement-

  is lying. The nipple holder is also made integral, at its end opposite to the transfer device 26, with the strip 22 allowing its movement. The body 52 of the nipple holder 24 is

  provided with a sliding rod 58 terminated by a finger 60.

  Three jaws 62, arranged angularly in the same way as the reliefs 10, 12, 14, are arranged at the end of the nipple holder, adjacent to the transfer device 26. These jaws 62 form, at their end opposite to the transfer device 26, a housing 64 for receiving the sliding finger 60. This housing 64 narrows transversely, in the direction of the transfer device 26, due to the presence of lugs 66, which are provided with the jaws, which project radially towards the inside of these. Each jaw 62 can enter into rotation, around a corresponding transverse axis 68, located at the end of these jaws 62 opposite the transfer device

26.

  The jaws 62 are movable between two positions, namely first of all a radially retracted position, shown in FIG. 6, in which the finger 60 is placed in the housing 64, without coming into contact with the pins 66. Then, under the action of the sliding rod 60, this finger is able to push back the lugs 66, so as to radially separate the

  jaw 62, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

  Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the final phase of the transfer from the nipple 2 to the nipple holder 24 takes place in

  firstly arranging the jaws 62, in their radial position-

  retracted. Then, the clamp 40 is advanced in the direction of the nipple holder 24, so as to put on the dress 4 of the nipple

  seen around the jaws 62 in their retracted position.

  Then, the jaws 44 of the clamp 40 are moved aside, so as to separate the latter from the nipple 2, now disposed

  around the jaws 62 of the nipple holder 24.

  Then, in order to secure the nipple 2 relative to its nipple holder 24, the rod 58 is made to slide according to the arrow F ", in FIG. 7, so as to spread the jaws 62 under the effect of the finger 60. This has the effect of projecting three zones of the dress 4, by the action of the jaws 62. However, thanks to the action of the sensor 48 described with reference to FIG. 4, these three regions protruding by the jaws 62 are those

  provided with reliefs 10, 12, 14. The teat 2 and its holder

  pacifier 24 are therefore angularly positioned so

  satisfactory for coloring reliefs 10, 12, 14.

  Referring to Figures 7 and 8, we will now describe the deposition phase of a coloring agent on the surface of

pacifier 2.

  The deposition unit 28 comprises a tank 70 in which a wheel 72 made of an elastomeric material is soaked, with the action of a scraper member 74. The tank 70 contains a coloring agent 75 which comprises, for example, 88% by weight of silicone , analogous to that constituting the teat 2, 10% by weight of a pigment and 2% by weight of titanium oxide, as well as traces of ethyl acetate intended to adjust the viscosity of this coloring agent. The unit 28 is also provided with a granite wheel 76, in contact with

  the wheel 72 and rotating in the opposite direction to the latter.

  The deposition of the coloring agent 75 is carried out by bringing, in the vicinity of the granited wheel 76, the nipple 2 disposed on its nipple holder 24, the reliefs 10, 12, 14 projecting under the action of the jaws 62 discarded (Figure 7). First, a first relief 10 is brought into contact with this granite wheel 76, so as to deposit a layer of coloring agent on the relief in question. Then we rotate the pacifier holder

  24 and, consequently, the teat 2, around its main axis

  pal, in order to bring an additional relief into contact with the granited wheel 76. It should be noted that, in the rotation phase of the teat, the intermediate zone 80 disposed between two successive reliefs, does not come into contact with the wheel granita, since these reliefs 10, 12, 14 are in

  protrusion from the rest of dress 4. At the end of the opera-

  deposit, these three reliefs 10, 12, 14 are therefore coated

  a corresponding layer of coloring agents.

  Then, again referring to FIG. 2, the teat 2, coated with the layers, is directed towards the enclosure 30 in which prevails a temperature of approximately 150 C, each

  pacifier 2 staying approximately 10 seconds in this enclosure 30.

  This "flash" heating phase induces mechanical fixing, by drying, of the layers of coloring agents on the corresponding reliefs 10, 12, 14. This freezing of the layers on the teats 2 allows the latter to be moved, manipulated

  or even collided without the layers being altered.

  Then, downstream of the enclosure 30, each carrier is brought

  nipple 24 provided with its nipple 2 above the carriage 32. Each nipple 2 is then separated from its nipple holder. For this purpose, the finger 60 is made to slide opposite the arrow F ". Elastic means not shown then allow the jaws 62 to recover their position illustrated in FIG. 6. The teats 2 fall, for example under the effect of a pusher not shown, in the carriage 32, which ensures their transport in the direction of an oven not shown. The teats, provided with their layers of coloring agent, stay four hours in this oven, within which reigns a neighboring temperature

200 C.

  This oven, which is intended, in a conventional manner, to give the teats their food compliance, in particular by

  elimination of harmful vapors due to silicone, ensures co-

  vulcanization of the constituent silicone respectively of the teat 2 and the layers of coloring agent. Thus, at the end of the passage in this oven, these layers form corresponding colored marks, which are indelible and unalterable, whatever the manipulations to which the

  pacifier during its subsequent use.

  The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown. Thus, it is possible to provide the installation of several units ensuring the deposition of different coloring agents, giving the colored markers formed subsequently

distinct shades.

  The dress of the nipple can be devoid of reliefs, so that the regions of this dress intended to come into contact with the granite wheel 76 are arbitrary. In that case,

  it is not necessary to provide positioning means

  ment, by indexing, of the nipple relative to the jaws 62 of the

pacifier holder 24.

  The method of the invention makes it possible to form landmarks,

  marks or equivalent, on silicone articles, particularly

  teat baby teats, in a way that allows the use of these articles in ultimate conditions of temperature and physical constraints, so that the colored mark does not undergo more consequential alterations to its

  use that the article itself.

Claims (18)

  1. Method for producing at least one mark on a food item in a first type of silicone, in particular a childcare item (2), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) depositing (at 28) , at the location (10, 12, 14) of the or each marker, a layer of a coloring agent produced on the basis of a second type of silicone, chemically compatible with the first type of silicone, and b) subjecting said article (2) coated with said layer (78) of coloring agent on a main heating,   way to achieve the or each benchmark.   2. Production method according to claim 1, characterized in that the main heating step is carried out during the food compliance phase. of that article.   3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2,   characterized in that before step b), said article (2) coated with said layer of said coloring agent is subjected to a step of   freezing (at 30) of said layer of coloring agent on the article   key. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the step of freezing said layer of coloring agent is carried out by prior heating (at 30), for a period between 2 and 15 seconds, at a temperature comprised between 100 and 200 C.   5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that said coloring agent comprises between 85 and% by weight, in particular 90%, of the second type of silicone, and   between 5 and 15% by weight, in particular 10%, of a pigment.   6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that   that the pigment is of mineral type, in particular an iron oxide.   7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that the first and second types of silicone are the same.   8. Installation for producing at least one mark on a food article in a first type of silicone, in particular a childcare article (2), characterized in that it comprises: - means (18, 20) for supplying said articles (2), - means (28) for depositing, at the location (10, 12, 14) of the or each marker, a layer of a coloring agent produced on the basis of a second type of silicone, chemically compatible with the first type of silicone and - main heating means for said article (2) coated with said layer, so as to produce the or each marker. 9. Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the main heating means are means of bringing food into compliance with said article, in particular a oven.   10. Installation according to one of claims 8 or 9,   characterized in that it further comprises means (30) for freezing said layer of coloring agent on the article (2), interposed between the means (28) for depositing the coloring agent   and the main heating means.   11. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the freezing means are means (30) for prior heating of said layer, in which there is a   temperature between 100 and 200 C.   12. Installation according to any one of claims   8 to 11, characterized in that it further comprises means (62) for gripping said article (2), suitable for directing said article in the vicinity of the depositing means (28) and, if necessary   if necessary, freezing means (30).   13. Installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the gripping means comprise means (62) for projecting the location (10, 12, 14) of the each benchmark.   14. Installation according to claim 13, characterized in that the or each location is formed by a relief (10, 12, 14) and in that there are provided means (42, 48) for positioning, by indexing, of the or of each relief (10, 12,   14) relative to the projection means (62).   15. Installation according to one of claims 12 to 14,   characterized in that the gripping means (62) belong to   lead to means (22, 24) for moving, in closed loop, said article (2) in the vicinity of the supply means (18, 20), deposition means (28), if necessary in the vicinity of the means of freezing (30) and means (32) for transporting said article (2) to the main heating means 16. Installation according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises means (26) allowing the transfer of the articles from the supply means (18, 20) to the means   (22, 24) for moving said articles (2) in a closed loop.   17. Food item made of a first type of silicone, in particular a bottle nipple, characterized in that it comprises at least one colored mark formed on the surface of said article.   18. Food item according to the preceding claim   te, characterized in that said marker is constituted by a coloring agent comprising a second type of silicone,   chemically compatible with the first type of silicone.