MX2007014542A

MX2007014542A - Reinforced plastic foam cup, method of and apparatus of manufacturing same.

Info

Publication number: MX2007014542A
Application number: MX2007014542A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Robert W Hollis; Dimitri Stamatiou
Original assignee: Prairie Packaging Inc
Priority date: 2005-05-27
Filing date: 2006-05-10
Publication date: 2008-10-24
Also published as: CA2811167C; WO2006130325A2; WO2006130325A3; CN101506054B; CA2811167A1; CN102582903A; CA2608826C; CN101506054A; TW200700290A; CN102582903B; CA2608826A1

Abstract

A reinforced plastic foam cup including a body which defines an open top end and a closed bottom end, wherein the top end has a greater diameter than the bottom end. The body includes a reinforced tapered side wall that extends from the bottom end to the top end. A substantial portion of the reinforced tapered side wall includes a plastic foam layer, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer and a rigid material layer. Such reinforced plastic foam cup provides an improved tactile feel and enhanced insulation and rigidity properties.

Description

REINFORCED PLASTIC FOAM VESSEL, METHOD? APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME BACKGROUND Drinking glasses are commonly used in the consumption of beverages and other products. Every day millions of such glasses are distributed in fast food restaurants, coffee shops and non-perishable goods businesses for single use purposes. Usually these vessels are discarded after a single use. One type of known disposable cup is a conventional plastic foam cup, such as a foam cup made of perlite or pellet polystyrene. A conventional plastic foam cup, illustrated in general terms in Figures 1 and 2, is indicated in general terms by the reference number 10. The conventional plastic foam cup 10 includes an elastic, frusto-conical body, 12. The body is open at a first end, or top end, 14, and closed at a second end, or bottom end, 16. The top end has a diameter greater than the bottom end. The frustoconical body is designed to facilitate the stacking of a plurality of vessels together for transport and distribution purposes. The body includes a tapered side wall 18 having an interior face or surface, 20, and an exterior face or surface, 22, extending from the top end to the bottom end. The face or inner surface of the tapered side wall may include at least one interior shelf that facilitates the stacking of a plurality of the cups. When the vessel is positioned in an upright position, the tapered side wall 18 typically has an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane at a suitable angle in the range of two degrees to fifteen degrees. The tapered side wall 18 includes an outwardly extending formed flange 24. The outwardly formed flange has a convenient configuration such that an annular mounting portion of a lid of a drinking glass (not shown) can be fixed to the flange formed in order to secure the lid of the drinking glass to the top of the glass. The outwardly formed flange is sometimes used to hold the vessel in place before receiving the vessel from a conventional vessel dispenser. One method for forming these conventional plastic foam cups includes the introduction of expanded polystyrene beads (which have been previously modified with a suitable foaming agent) into a mold or cavity. Water vapor is injected into the mold or cavity, which causes the polystyrene beads to expand so as to form the vessel. The formed vessel is then removed from the mold or cavity. However, it should be appreciated that other suitable methods are known to form a glass of conventional plastic foam, including any suitable injection molding technique. Conventional plastic foam cups have excellent heat-insulating properties that make them particularly useful for serving hot beverages, such as coffee, hot tea, soups and hot chocolate. These glasses allow a person to hold the glass without burning their hands, and they also tend to keep the drink warm. Conventional plastic foam cups also have outstanding insulating properties with respect to cold, which makes them particularly useful for serving cold foods or beverages, such as milk shakes, ice cream, and cold drinks. These vessels tend to keep the food or drink cold for extended periods of time. Such conventional plastic foam cups are relatively inexpensive to manufacture than paper-based or plastic-based cups, and are more resistant to leakage than vessels formed from more than one member, as described later in the present. However, the external surfaces of conventional plastic foam cups do not provide the tactile feel of paper-based cups, and do not facilitate the printing of high-quality graphics on the outer surfaces of such plastic foam cups. Other glasses available insulated for hot drinks or cold are made of paper. The paper cups are made from a paper body member that adheres to a bottom paper panel member having an upper surface and a bottom surface, wherein the joined portions of the paper panel member of the panel member have a top surface and a bottom surface. background and the member above form a seal. The paper-based cups include an inner lining that coats the inner surface of the body and the top surface of the bottom end, the inner lining being effective to prevent penetration of the liquid into the paper during use. However, since these vessels are formed from two members (i.e., the body member and the bottom panel member), these vessels are more prone to leakage along the seam where the two join members. Conventional paper cups have an external surface that provides a comfortable tactile sensation but has very poor thermal insulation qualities. For example, paper cups are often too hot to handle for a period of time after being filled with a hot beverage. Servers and beverage drinkers usually nest two or more paper-based cups together or add an insulating sleeve to provide insulation for hot beverages such as hot coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate. This is undesirable in that it increases the number of vessels or sleeves used and It means an additional cost. The use of two glasses can also make a full glass more unstable or more prone to tip over. To solve these problems, it has been proposed to fix paper to a plastic foam cup. A known method for applying paper to a plastic foam cup is to apply locally glue on portions of the inner surface of a stationary piece of paper with a suitable adhesive and to put a glass in contact with the stationary paper in order to fix the paper to the plastic foam cup. This results in substantial portions of the paper not including adhesive. Due to the non-constant and incomplete placement of the adhesive on the paper, wrinkles are formed when the paper is applied to the glass or when it is wrapped in some other way around the glass. Such wrinkles are undesirable for a manufacturer and aesthetically unpleasant for consumers. Another known method is that which includes the application of a film to a plastic foam cup and the thermal retraction of the film on the glass when the glass is formed. Said method "on the edge" includes integrating the film with the material of the vessel during the process of the manufacture of the vessel. Such integration includes stretching the film around the material that will form the vessel and subsequently heating the material and film to retract the film so that it Adhere to the material. While this vessel includes the desired insulation properties of a plastic foam vessel, this method is relatively expensive. Therefore, there is a need to provide a disposable drinking cup with the insulating properties of a plastic foam cup and the tactile feel and printing properties of high-quality graphics of a paper-based cup to provide a drinking experience. Reinforced drink for one person. In addition, there is a need to provide an apparatus, system and method for manufacturing a disposable drinking glass of this type. The various known machines, systems and methods for attaching one or more labels to container beverages do not solve these needs. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,709,800; 4,729.81; 4,731,147 4. 743,469,911,285; 4,944,825; 4,944,830; 4,950,350 4,973,374 4,981,547; 4,994,135; 5,004,518; 5,017,261 5,021,116 5,037,499; 5,062,917; 5,062,918; 5,078,826 5,082,520 5,087,317; 5,110,402; 5,120,392; 5,121,827 5,129,984 5,160,570; 5,167,755; 5,174,851; 5,185,053 5,188,696 5,201,984; 5,217,538; 5,227,005; 5,271,783 5,569,353 5,713,403; 5,882,474; and 6,050,319, describe known machines, systems and components for applying one or more labels to beverage containers. These patents do not provide solutions to the aforementioned problems.

The reinforced cup and the vessel reinforcing machines, apparatus, systems and methods disclosed herein represent, at least in part, improvements to one or more of the machines, systems and methods disclosed in such patents. SUMMARY The present disclosure refers in general terms to a reinforced plastic foam vessel, and more particularly to a disposable plastic foam cup with a fixed reinforcing member, and to apparatus, methods and supplies for manufacturing the same. Generally speaking, in one embodiment, the reinforced plastic foam cup includes a reinforcing member fixed to a substantial portion of the outer surface of a tapered side wall of the reinforced plastic foam cup body. The substantial portion of the tapered side wall to which the reinforcing member is affixed will therefore include a plastic foam layer, an adhesive layer and a layer of rigid material. Compared to a non-reinforced plastic foam cup, which only includes one layer of plastic foam, the reinforced plastic foam cup with a multi-layer tapered side wall (ie, the three layers of the plastic foam layer, adhesive layer and the layer of rigid material) provides a substantial increase in the stiffness of the reinforced plastic foam vessel. Therefore, the reinforced plastic foam cup provides the insulation properties of a plastic foam cup and the tactile feel of a paper-based cup. In one embodiment, the base vessel (ie, the pre-reinforced plastic foam vessel) is a conventional plastic foam vessel, such as a vessel formed from polystyrene in beads or pellets or some other suitable material. More specifically, the base or pre-reinforced plastic foam cup includes an elastic, frusto-conical body. The body is open at a first end, or top end, and closed at a second end, or bottom end. The top end has a diameter greater than the bottom end. The body includes a tapered side wall having an internal face or surface and an external face or surface. The tapered side wall extends from the bottom end of the body towards the top end of the body with an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane. The cup also includes an outwardly formed flange extending from the tapered side wall. The outwardly formed flange has a suitable configuration such that the annular mounting portion of a suitably sized and sized beverage can lid can be attached to the formed rim to secure the lid of the beverage cup to the top of the tumbler of base. In an alternative embodiment, as described below, the conventional plastic foam cup has been modified to to be manipulated by the vessel reinforcement system, described later. These modifications include in general terms: increasing the height of the side wall below the bottom wall of the vessel, increasing the angle of the internal surface of the tapered side wall of the vessel below, and adjacent to, the bottom wall , and increase the width of the flange extending outward at the top end of the vessel. In one embodiment, a reinforcing member, or reinforcer, includes a body formed from a malleable flexible material, such as a suitable paper, a suitable plastic material, a suitable mixed material or any other suitable material. Although this material is flexible, it has properties that provide rigidity and durability when it is fixed to the base vessel. Therefore, in the present it is sometimes referred to as rigid material. In one embodiment, the body is defined by an annular top edge, concave in shape, an annular bottom edge, convex in shape, an angled front edge or leading edge and a trailing edge or trailing edge, at an angle. In one embodiment, for reasons described below, a front or front edge portion is disposed vertically or substantially vertically. In this embodiment, the vertical, or substantially vertical, portion of the front edge is clearly differentiable from the rest of the front edge of the reinforcing member and the trailing edge of the reinforcing member, each of which is respectively offset angularly with respect to a vertical plane. It should be appreciated that the angle of a substantial portion of the front edge and the entire rear edge of the reinforcing member provides a reinforced fit of the reinforcing member when it is fixed to the outer surface of the tapered side wall of the base cup. In another embodiment, as described in detail below, a portion of the trailing edge is arranged vertically, or substantially vertically. In this embodiment, the vertical portion of the trailing edge is clearly differentiated from the rest of the trailing edge or rear edge of the reinforcing member. In one embodiment, an internal face or surface of the body of the reinforcing member is completely, or substantially completely, coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive. That is, the entire inner surface, or substantially all of the inner surface, is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive. An external face of the body of the reinforcing member is blank or may include high quality visual content, such as graphics, texts and / or images printed or formed in some way on it. As described in the following process, in a form of In the embodiment, the inner face of the reinforcing member is applied to, and adhered to (as an adhesive) all or a substantial portion of the outer surface of the tapered side wall of the base cup. The base vessel, coupled with the adhered reinforcing member, forms a reinforced plastic foam vessel. The reinforced plastic foam cup with a tapered multilayer side wall provides a substantial increase in stiffness with respect to a conventional plastic foam cup and with respect to a conventional paper cup set by spot gluing methods. The reinforced plastic foam cup also provides a suitable area to indicate the brand, where it is possible to print graphics of high quality, such as the logo of a company or other suitable marketing signs, in order to be visible to a person. It should be appreciated that since the inner surface of the reinforcing member is completely or substantially completely coated or coated with the pressure-sensitive adhesive material, in the preferred embodiment, the entire reinforcing member will adhere to the wall. tapered side of the base cup, thereby preventing wrinkling of the reinforcing member, adding mechanical strength or rigidity to the base beaker, and adding a tactile feel to the entire outer surface of the base beaker , or substantially all of said external surface. In one embodiment, as described below, the reinforcing member is fixed to the base vessel in an overlapping manner. In one embodiment, the method or process for manufacturing the reinforced plastic foam vessel, described above, generally includes determining a center point of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reinforcing member, wherein the point The central one corresponds to the concave upper rim gutter of the reinforcing member and also the apex of the convexly shaped bottom edge of the reinforcing member. The method includes positioning a base or pre-reinforced plastic foam cup in a top-down position and also positioning the reinforcing member adjacent to the cup at an angle (offset with respect to a vertical plane) corresponding to the angle (offset with respect to a vertical plane) of the tapered side wall of the base or pre-reinforced plastic foam cup. This is effected as the vessel moves in a vessel transport system and the reinforcing member moves or is delivered by a dispenser. The method includes initially fixing the reinforcing member in motion to the tapered side wall of the vessel moving along a vertical axis extending through the determined center point of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reinforcement member. . In one embodiment, the method includes sequentially fixing a first non-fixed portion of the reinforcing member (i.e., the portion extending from the central vertical axis toward the trailing edge) and a second, unfixed, remaining portion of the reinforcing member (i.e., the portion that extends from the central vertical axis towards the leading edge) towards the tapered side wall of the vessel so as to form the reinforced plastic foam vessel. More specifically, in one embodiment, the method of manufacturing the reinforced plastic foam cup includes placing a base cup (i.e., a pre-reinforced plastic foam cup) face down or resting with its top half open. on a vessel conveyor system of a system or vessel enhancing apparatus. The method includes supplying and receiving reinforcing members from a reinforcing member dispensing machine. In one embodiment, the reinforcing member dispenser advances the reinforcing member until the vessel reinforcement system determines that a vertical axis extending through a center point of the top edge and the bottom edge of the stiffening member is aligned with the tapered side wall of the base beaker. In this embodiment, due to the angle of the tapered side wall of the vessel and the relatively flat reinforcing member, the inner release liner (on which the reinforcement member is releasably fixed) is positioned at a suitable angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base cup and therefore, when the reinforcement member is separated from the inner release liner , the reinforcement member is positioned at a suitable angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base cup. In one embodiment, a sensor of the vessel reinforcement system determines the location or position of the reinforcing member as the reinforcing member dispenser advances the member through the vessel enhancing system. Based on this determined position of the reinforcing member (and other suitable information such as the speed with which the reinforcing member dispenser is advancing the reinforcing member), a processor of the vessel reinforcement system, such as a microprocessor, a platform based on a microcontroller, a suitable integrated circuit or one or more integrated circuits for specific applications (ASICs, application-specific integrated circuits) determines or calculates when the reinforcement member moves to a position in which the vertical axis The centered portion of the stiffening member is aligned with the tapered side wall of the base beaker. The sensor detects the location of the substantially vertical portion of the front or front edge of the reinforcement member to determine the relative position of the reinforcing member. In one embodiment, the sensor is positioned such that the sensor senses the exact location of each reinforcing member immediately before said reinforcing member is fixed to a base vessel. In this embodiment, the positioning of the sensor in such a position provides a substantially increased accuracy in the placement of the reinforcing member on the base cup, which, as described in more detail below, allows a suitable coupling between the reinforcing member and the vessel. In alternative embodiments, any suitable timing mechanism can be used to carry out this alignment process. It is to be appreciated that any suitable mechanism or indicator, whether attached to, or printed on, the reinforcing member, may be used to locate the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member. In different embodiments, such mechanisms include any suitable notch (s), mark (s) or markings, on the reinforcement member, any suitable radio frequency identification indicator, any visible indicator, (such as a bar code) or any suitable indicator invisible or not immediately visible. At the point in the process where the centered vertical axis of the reinforcement member is aligned with the base vessel wall, the inner face of the reinforcing member (which is completely or substantially completely coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive) is initially fixed to the vessel along the centered vertical axis. As described above, the reinforcing member is positioned at an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base cup, and therefore the reinforcing member is fixed to the base cup at an angle which corresponds to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base vessel. It should be noted that after the reinforcement member has been initially fixed to the vessel along the centered vertical axis, the guide and trailing edges of the vessel remain unfixed, or otherwise free. Once the centered vertical axis of the reinforcement member has been fixed to the vessel, the vessel and the fixed reinforcement member continue along the vessel transport system, and the remainder of the reinforcement member is fixed to the vessel wall. of base. In one embodiment, the vessel is rotated in a first direction in order to fix a first remaining portion of the reinforcing member (i.e., the portion extending from the vertical axis centered toward the trailing edge) to the vessel. .

Subsequently the vessel is rotated in a second, opposite direction, in order to fix a second portion remaining of the reinforcing member (i.e., the portion extending from the vertical axis centered toward the leading edge) to the vessel. Such a process results in a reinforced plastic foam cup with substantially increased stiffness properties as compared to a non-reinforced plastic foam cup. Such a process for fixing the reinforcing member along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member is mathematically reduced. the probability of error that if the reinforcement member had been first fixed to the vessel along a non-centered vertical axis. It should be appreciated that, as discussed in the following, it is possible to employ other suitable rotation patterns according to the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system or apparatus for strengthening the vessels includes a vessel transport system and one or more reinforcing member dispensers. The vessel transport system is configured to receive each pre-reinforced vessel, transport and separate each of said received vessels from each other in a position suitable for the attachment of a reinforcing member and to remove each vessel from the vessel reinforcement system after the fixing a reinforcing member to said vessel. Each reinforcing member dispenser is configured to transport the reinforcing members to the appropriate positions for attachment with the vessels transported and therefore to fix each reinforcing member, along a centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member, to the wall of one of the vessels, with an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the glass. More specifically, one embodiment of the vessel transporter system generally includes a vessel dispenser, a vessel feeder, a vessel separator, a vessel mover, and a vessel remover. As described in more detail below, a pre-reinforced or base vessel enters the vessel enhancer system by means of the vessel dispenser, which delivers vessels, one at a time, from a supply of nested vessels between yes. The vessel travels through the vessel feeder to the vessel separator, which properly separates the vessels at predetermined distances, and then to the vessel remover. The vessel remover moves each vessel so as to bring it into proper alignment with the booster member dispenser. A reinforcing member is attached to the vessel, along its centered vertical axis, by the reinforcing member dispenser. Once the reinforcement member has been fixed to the vessel in the centered vertical axis, the vessel mover rotates the vessel to fix the leading and trailing edges of the member. reinforcement to the rest of the glass. The reinforced vessel is then removed from the vessel strengthening system by means of a vessel remover. It is to be appreciated that any suitable vessel conveyor system and any suitable dispenser of reinforcement members that affixes a reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of a base vessel along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcement member and subsequently fixes the portions thereof. Remaining members of the reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of the base vessel may be implemented in accordance with the vessel reinforcement system described herein. In one embodiment, a base vessel enters the vessel reinforcement system through a dual vessel dispenser. The dual vessel dispenser includes a frame that supports at least two guiding members, each of which is configured to maintain a stack of nested base cups from a suitable supply. Each guide member is associated with a plurality of threaded cup dispensing screws. In operation, the plurality of threaded cup dispensing screws rotates in order to couple the flanges of the nested base vessels in order to separate the base cups, at a rate of one at a time, from their respective nested pile. The separate base cups fall, face down, from the cup dispenser, onto the cup feeder.

The cup feeder includes a frame supporting a plurality of mobile conveyor belts arranged adjacently. In one embodiment, the conveyor belts located directly below the guiding members of the vessel dispenser define, each one of them, a plurality of openings or holes. In another embodiment, in addition to the conveyor belts located directly below the guiding members of the vessel dispenser defining a plurality of openings or holes, one or more of the conveyor belts not located directly below the guiding members of the vessel dispenser, each of them also define a plurality of openings or orifices. The vessel feeder is properly connected to a source of vacuum or negative pressure that causes air to flow from an area above the conveyor belts, through the holes in the conveyor belts to the source of vacuum or pressure negative connected to the vessel feeder frame. Said air flow causes each separate base vessel to be pushed down by the vacuum or the negative pressure, in a low face position, from the vessel dispenser on the vessel feeder. It should be noted that the provision of vacuum or negative pressure in the base vessels, of relatively light weight, prevents the base vessels from overturning when they are dislodged from their base. nesting and are dropped from the cup dispenser to the cup feeder. The base vessel travels, through the conveyor belts of the vessel feeder, to a vessel separator. The cup separator includes a frame that supports an input screw to the feed or a separation screw and at least one star wheel for input to the feed, each of which defines a plurality of pockets of cups separated from each other. The separating screw sequentially separates the base vessels and distance the base vessels from the vessel feeder for transportation to the star wheel (s) within the feed. The pockets of vessels spaced apart from the star wheel (s) of entry to the feed, retain and maintain the separation of the base vessels as they are transported to a vessel mover or turntable. The vessel mover, or turntable, includes a plurality of cupholder stations spaced apart from each other around the circumference of the rotating table. Each individual cup holder station is configured to receive a base cup from a star wheel input to the supply of the cup spacer, and to be able to rotate the base cup in full 360 degrees. Once a base cup has been positioned on a cup holder station on the rotating table using the star wheel of entrance to the supply of the separator of glasses, a bell of centered, oriented by spring, supported by a superstructure giratoria, engages with the part of bottom of the vaso held mouth under to effects to keep the glass in his place in the station coasters . In one embodiment, the vessel mover aligns the base vessel in a suitable alignment with a reinforcing member dispenser, and the reinforcing member is fixed to the vessel. In one embodiment, each reinforcing member dispenser includes one or more reinforcing member supply roll holders configured to support a supply roll of reinforcing members that include a plurality of reinforcers sequentially releasably attached to a liner. Elongated release interior. The reinforcing member dispenser includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of drive rollers configured to drive or pull the release liner or pull it. The reinforcing member dispenser also includes at least one, and preferably a plurality, of guides and tensioners, such as guide rollers, configured to guide and maintain adequate amounts of tension on the release liner. The reinforcing member dispenser includes a release lining camber accumulator configured to provide a designed area where the The camber in the release liner is accumulated so as to facilitate alignment of the reinforcing member to each vessel and at least one sensor to determine the exact location of each reinforcing member immediately before said reinforcing member is attached to a vessel. The reinforcing member dispenser also includes a release liner separator for separating the reinforcing members from the inner release liner and an interior liner accumulation roller configured to support the interior lining for release after limb separation. of reinforcement. In one embodiment, the camber accumulator of the inner release liner is an elongate member, substantially U-shaped, that provides a designed area in which the camber of the inner release liner can accumulate. In this embodiment, due to the need to accurately apply the reinforcing members to the tapered side wall of the vessel along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member, the processor of the vessel enhancing system must frequently adjust the speed with which the reinforcing members are moving immediately before the fixation, in order to ensure that the vessels that move on the rotating table and the reinforcing members delivered by the dispenser of reinforcements come into contact at the appropriate time and location, such that the central vertical axis of each reinforcement member is applied to each vessel on a constant basis with a margin of background error or plus or minus 2.54 mm ( 0.1 inch). In other words, the provision of an area in which the sag can accumulate allows the processor of the vessel reinforcement system to adjust the speed with which the inner lining (and therefore the reinforcing members) are advanced through of the reinforcing member dispenser without otherwise affecting the advancement of the inner release liner from the delivery of the interior release liner. Therefore, this configuration allows the exact positioning of all reinforcement members and of each one of them. In one embodiment, after the base vessel has been reinforced by the reinforcing member, the reinforced vessel is removed from the vessel enhancer system by a vessel remover. The cup remover includes one or more star wheels out of the feed that transport the reinforced cup to a reinforced vessel conveyor located at the outlet of the feed. The reinforced vessel conveyor located at the outlet of the feed, transports each of the reinforced vessels to a vessel positioner, such as a vessel tilt, which positions or tilts the reinforced vessel towards one side, (driving on the bottom side). The inclined vessel is then dragged, by means of a vessel discharge system, into a pile of nested reinforced vessels. It should be appreciated that according to the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein, any suitable apparatus for removing the vessel can be implemented. Therefore, an advantage of the apparatus and method of the present invention is to provide a disposable plastic foam beverage cup with a substantially improved tactile feel, substantially increased stiffness, and substantially increased durability, due to a fully fixed reinforcing member. Other advantages of the apparatus and method of the present are to provide a disposable plastic foam drink cup with high quality graphics printed on the outer wall of the vessel in order to reinforce a person's drinking experience. Other advantages of the apparatus and method of the present invention are to provide a disposable plastic foam beverage cup with a wrinkle-free reinforcing member whose manufacture is relatively inexpensive. Additional aspects and advantages are described, and they will be apparent from the following detailed description and figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional plastic foam cup. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the conventional plastic foam cup of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a reinforced plastic foam cup disclosed herein. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the reinforced plastic foam cup of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a top plan view of the external face of an embodiment of a reinforcing member disclosed in the drawing. I presented. Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the inner face of the reinforcement member of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a top plan view of a plurality of reinforcement members sequentially positioned on an inner lining. elongated release. Figure 5A is a top plan view of the external face of an alternate embodiment of a reinforcing member disclosed herein. Figure 6A is a bottom plan view of the inner face of the reinforcing member of Figure 5A. Figure 7A is a top plan view of a plurality of reinforcing members of Figure 5A, sequentially positioned on an elongated interior release liner. Figure 5B is a top plan view of the outer face of another alternative embodiment of a reinforcing member disclosed herein. Figure 8 is a block diagram, schematic, illustrating an embodiment of a method for manufacturing the reinforced plastic foam cup of Figure 3 disclosed herein. Figure 9 is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an embodiment of a vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein, illustrating a pre-reinforced plastic foam vessel separated from a reinforcing member. Figure 10 is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of the vessel reinforcement system of Figure 9, illustrating the pre-reinforced plastic foam cup and the reinforcing member moving towards a coupling position. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the pre-reinforced plastic foam cup and reinforcing member of Figure 10. Figure 12 is a top plan view of the vessel reinforcement system in the form of a diagram. Figure 9, which illustrates a centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member aligned with the tapered side wall of the pre-reinforced plastic foam cup. Figure 13 is a side view of the pre-reinforced plastic foam cup aligned with the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional side view of the reinforcing member engaging the tapered side wall of the plastic foam cup. Figure 15 is a top plan view, in diagram form, of the vessel reinforcement system of Figure 9, illustrating a first portion of the reinforcing member fixed to the vessel and a second portion of the reinforcement member not attached to the plastic foam vessel. Figure 16 is a side view of the partially fixed reinforcing member of Figure 15. Figure 17 is a top plan view, in diagram form, of the vessel reinforcement system of Figure 9, illustrating the member of reinforcement completely fixed to the plastic foam cup so as to form the reinforced plastic foam cup of Figure 3. Figure 18A is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system revealed in the present. Figure 18B is a side view, in the form of a diagram, of the vessel reinforcement system of Figure 18A. Figure 19 is a side view of the dual vessel dispenser, vessel conveyor and vacuum chamber of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 20 is a front perspective view of a set of cup dispensing screws of the dual vessel dispenser of Figure 19. Figure 21 is a top plan view of a set of cup dispensing screws of the Dual cup dispenser that mates with a glass. Figure 22 is a front perspective view of the dual vessel dispenser, vessel conveyor, vacuum chamber and separation screw of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 23 is a perspective view, partially in cross section, of the vacuum chamber of Figure 22, illustrating the plurality of adjacent conveyor belts and the plurality of air inlets. Figure 24A is a schematic side view of the vacuum box of Figure 22, illustrating the flow of air from an area above the plurality of conveyor belts, entering the vacuum chamber by means of the plurality of conveyor belts. air inlets and that comes out of the chamber of vacuum by means of the air outlet. Figure 24B is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of a vacuum box, illustrating the flow of air from an area above the plurality of conveyor belts, which enters the vacuum chamber by means of the plurality of inlets for the air and leaving the vacuum chamber through a plurality of outlets for air. Figure 24C is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of a vacuum box illustrating the flow of air from an area above the plurality of conveyor belts, which allows the entry of a plurality of air flow members. through the plurality of inlets for the air and allowing the egress of the air flow members through a plurality of outlets for air. Figure 25 is a side view of the separation screw, the star wheels for introduction into the feed and a portion of the vessel mover of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system described herein. Figure 26 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the cup feeder, the separation screw and a portion of the star wheel for introduction into the feed, in a manner of embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system described herein. Figure 27A is a top plan view of an embodiment of a portion of the cup feeder, of the cup separator illustrating the separation screw and a plurality of star wheels for introduction into the feed and of a portion of the vessel mover. Figure 27B is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of a portion of the cup feeder, of the cup separator illustrating the separation screw and of a star wheel for introduction into the feed and of a cup counter portion. Figure 28 is a front perspective view of the portion of the cup feeder, of the cup separator illustrating the separation screw and the plurality of feed star wheels, and of the portion of the cup mover of Figure 27A. Figure 29 is a cross-sectional side view of one of the cup pockets of one of the star wheels of the vessel reinforcement system described herein. Figure 30 is a perspective, front view of one of the star wheels for introduction into the feed and the vessel mover of a system embodiment Vessel reinforcement disclosed herein, illustrating a plurality of cup holders associated with a plurality of centering bells. Figure 31 is a side view of the star wheel of introduction in the feed and of the vessel mover of Figure 30, illustrating the vessel mover positioned adjacent to, and slightly below, the star wheel of introduction in feeding. Figure 31B is a side view of the star wheel for introduction into the feed, of the vessel mover of the Figure 30, and of a superstructure supporting the plurality of centering bells. Figure 32 is a front perspective view of the bottom member of one of the cup carrier stations of the vessel mover of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system. Figure 33 is a side view of an embodiment of a centering bell of the cup holder station engaging a cup which is positioned on the bottom member of the cup holder station of the cup mover. Figure 34 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a centering bell of a cup holder station of the vessel mover. Figure 35 is a side view in cross section of an embodiment of a centering bell of the cup holder station that engages with a cup which is positioned on the bottom member of the cup holder station of the cup mover. Figure 36 is a block diagram, schematic, of an electronic configuration of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 37 is a front perspective view of a vessel remover embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 38A is a top plan view of an embodiment of the reinforcing member dispenser of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 38B is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of a reinforcing member dispenser of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein, illustrating an alternative design of a vault accumulator of the inner lining. of liberation. Figure 39 is a front perspective view of the reinforcing member dispenser of Figure 38A illustrating the dispenser of reinforcing members at a suitable angle with respect to the vessel mover. Figure 40 is an enlarged front perspective view of the reinforcing member dispenser of Figure 38A illustrating a portion of the limb dispenser. reinforcement that interacts with the vessels that are being transported through the vessel mover. Figure 41A is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an alternative embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 41B is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an alternative embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 41C is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an alternative embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figure 41D is a top plan view, diagrammatically, of an alternative embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figures 42A through 42E are perspective views of the interaction between the vessel mover and the reinforcing member dispenser of an embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. Figures 43A to 43F are diagrammatic top plan views of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein, illustrating an embodiment of attaching a reinforcing member to a plastic foam cup. Figures 44A to 44D are top plan views, diagrammatically, of an alternative embodiment of the vessel reinforcement system disclosed in the present. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure refers in general terms to a reinforced drinking glass, and more particularly to a drinking glass reinforced with plastic foam, disposable, and to a method and apparatus for manufacturing the same. The reinforced duty cup is particularly suitable for carrying or transporting hot beverages, such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate or other products. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, there is seen a reinforced plastic foam cup 30 of an embodiment disclosed herein formed by the process of reinforcing a base beaker (such as a beaker). conventional plastic foam described above) with a reinforcing member, as described hereinafter. The reinforcing cup, 30, includes a body 32 defining an open top end 34 and a closed bottom end 36, the top end having a diameter larger than the bottom end. The body includes a tapered side wall 38 extending from the bottom end to the top end. The upper end of the body includes an outwardly formed flange 40, however it is not necessary for the vessel to have a formed rim. It should be noted that the plastic foam base cup can be formed from any suitable material, such as polystyrene in the form of balls In another embodiment, the base vessel includes a paper-based vessel suitably coated or otherwise laminated with one or more layers of polystyrene. Unlike a conventional plastic foam base cup, a reinforcing member 42 is attached to almost all, or a substantial portion, of the outer surface of the tapered side wall 38, in order to provide increased tactile sensation, and greater support and rigidity to the tapered side wall. Therefore, as best seen in Figure 4, the tapered side wall 38 of the reinforced plastic foam cup, 30, includes a plastic foam layer, 44, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, 46, and a layer of rigid material, 48 that provides a better tactile sensation. Compared with the non-reinforced plastic foam cup which includes only one layer of plastic foam, the plastic foam cup reinforced with the multi-layer tapered side wall (i.e., the plastic foam layer, 44, the adhesive layer, 46, and the rigid material layer, 38) provides a substantial increase in the tactile feel and stiffness of the reinforced plastic foam cup. Therefore, the reinforced plastic foam cup provides a disposable cup with the insulating properties of the plastic foam cup and also the tactile feel of a paper-based cup. Said reinforced plastic foam cup costs less than a paper-based cup with similar insulation properties (ie, such a glass based on nested paper). Moreover, as described in an embodiment hereinafter, when graphics are printed on the outer face of the rigid material of the reinforcing member, the reinforced plastic foam cup also provides a disposable cup with the presentation properties of high-quality graphics, from a paper-based glass. Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, in one embodiment, a reinforcing member, or reinforcer, 42, includes a body 50 formed from a malleable rigid material, such as a suitable paper, a suitable plastic raw material, a suitable mixed material or any other suitable material. The body 50 is substantially flat or flat with a thickness in the range of 1.5 millimeters to 8.0 millimeters, and in a preferred embodiment has a thickness in the range of about 2.7 millimeters to 4.0 millimeters. As best illustrated in Figure 6, in one embodiment, one face or inner surface 52 of the flat body 50 of the reinforcing member 42 is completely or substantially completely coated with an adhesive, and preferably with a pressure sensitive adhesive, 54. It should be appreciated that any suitable adhesive or sizing agent can be employed which completely or substantially completely coats the inner face of the member of reinforcement. As can be seen in Figure 7, in one embodiment, the adhesive coating of the reinforcing member 42 is releasably secured to a suitable elongated inner liner, 56, which allows the reinforcing member to be manipulated without the adhesive is exposed. In this embodiment, as described in more detail below, a plurality of reinforcing members 42 is positioned sequentially linearly along an individual release inner liner, 56. The interior release liner, 56, it can be made of any suitable material, such as a plastic material, paper, suitable, or any combination thereof. For example, the interior release liner is Kraft paper of approximately 40 pounds. In one embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 5, an external face or surface 58 of the flat body 50 includes one or more areas suitable for carrying trademarks, 60, on which high quality graphics are printed, such as the company logo or marketing graphics, texts and / or suitable images. In one embodiment, a laminate or protective coating (not shown) is applied on the outer layer above the layer or layers of ink, in order to protect and / or accentuate the printed material. In one embodiment, the flat body 50 is defined by a curved or annular edge 62, a curved or annular edge 64, a front or guiding edge, at an angle, 66, and an angled trailing or trailing edge 68. In one embodiment, the edge 62 of the reinforcing member has a suitable concave shape and the edge 64 has a suitable convex shape, having an edge gutter of concave configuration and an apex of the edge of convex configuration, residing in the same vertical plane. In one embodiment, the length of the edge 62 is different from the length of the edge 64, such that the leading or leading edge 66 has an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane at an appropriate angle (A degrees), and the trailing or trailing edge, 68, also has an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane with a suitable angle (B degrees). A detector edge 70 includes a portion of the leading edge adjacent the edge 64, which extends vertically or in a substantially vertical orientation. As described in more detail below, the sensor edge will be used to determine the exact location of the reinforcing member as well as to prevent leakage of the adhesive when a plurality of reinforcement members releasably secured to an inner release liner are rolled up in the form of a supply roll. In another embodiment, as can be seen in the Figures 5A, 6A and 7A, in addition to a detection edge 70 (i.e., a portion of the leading edge adjacent the edge 64 extending in a vertical or substantially vertical direction), the reinforcing member includes an adhesive relief edge , 72. The adhesive relief edge is a portion, extending in vertical or substantially vertical direction, of the trailing edge adjacent to the edge 64 of the reinforcing member. In one embodiment, the detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive have the same length, or substantially the same lengths. In another embodiment, the detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive are of different lengths or of substantially different lengths. It should be noted that the reinforcing members are shown in a top-down position in order to match the top-down cups with which they will be engaged as described hereinafter. Therefore, as best seen in Figure 5B, graphics 60 printed on the reinforcement member can be printed in any suitable configuration. It should be mentioned that when a plurality of reinforcing members are linearly positioned along the elongated-release inner lining to form a stock reservoir or a supply roll of reinforcing members and the inner lining of release is rolled around a central cylindrical tube in the form of a roll, a relatively significant degree of pressure is applied on one or more of the wound reinforcing members, especially on the inner reinforcing members which are wound with larger angles (because at these points the roll has a smaller diameter). This pressure tends to cause the adhesive coating on said wound reinforcing members to leak from the point where the leading edge and the curved or annular bottom edge intersect and / or the point where the trailing edge and the trailing edge meet. Curved or ring intersect. Adhesive coating leaks from these points can damage one or more of the reinforcing members wound and / or accumulated on the release liner separator or on the separation plate (as described hereinafter). This leakage of adhesive may also prevent the reinforcing member from adhering adequately to the vessel in the desired manner. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection edge and the adhesive relief edge redistribute, each of them, the pressure formed from these respective points on the reinforcing member towards an enlarged portion of the reinforcing member. This redistribution relieves the pressure that is formed and therefore reduces or prevents leakage of the adhesive coating from one or more of the members of the adhesive. reinforcement rolled up. It should be noted that the dimensions of the reinforcing member will be specific to the technical specifications of the base vessel. Therefore, the respective angles of the leading and trailing edges of the reinforcing member, the shape of the top and bottom edges, the length between the leading edge and the trailing edge, or any other suitable dimensions of the reinforcing member. they will be based on the size of the base cup, on the angle of the tapered side wall or on any other technical specification of the base cup. It should also be appreciated that when the reinforcing member is initially fixed to the vessel, as described hereinafter, the detection edge 70 is: (i) perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the bottom edge of the vessel; e (ii) parallel to the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member. One consideration this type provides an absolute reference point for the vessel reinforcement system to determine the location of the reinforcement member. For example, in one embodiment, if the base beaker is a twelve-ounce beaker, the reinforcement member is configured such that the angle between the concave edge and the leading edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the beak Concave edge and the trailing edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the edge front and the detection edge is approximately one hundred and fifty degrees, the angle between the trailing edge and the relief edge of the adhesive is approximately one hundred and fifty degrees, the angle between the convex edge and the detection edge is approximately one hundred twenty degrees, and the angle between the convex edge and the relief edge of the adhesive is approximately one hundred and twenty degrees. In another example, if the base beaker is a 16-ounce beaker, the reinforcement member is further configured such that the angle between the concave edge and the leading edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the concave edge and the trailing edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the leading edge and the detection edge is approximately one hundred and fifty degrees, the angle between the trailing edge and the relief edge of the adhesive is approximately one hundred and fifty degrees, the The angle between the convex edge and the detection edge is approximately one hundred and fifteen degrees, and the angle between the convex edge and the adhesive relief edge is approximately one hundred and fifteen degrees. In another example, if the base beaker is a 20-ounce beaker, the reinforcement member is configured such that the angle between the concave edge and the leading edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the concave edge and the beak edge is about 90 degrees. trailing edge is approximately ninety degrees, the angle between the leading edge and the detection edge is approximately one hundred and sixty degrees, the angle between the trailing edge and at the relief edge of the adhesive is approximately one hundred and sixty degrees, the angle between the convex edge and the edge of detection is approximately one hundred ten degrees, and the angle between the convex edge and the relief edge of the adhesive is approximately one hundred ten degrees. In general, as illustrated in Figure 8, the method or process of manufacturing the reinforced plastic foam cup described above includes determining a vertical axis extending through a central point of the top edge and the edge of the top edge. bottom of the reinforcing member, as indicated in block 80. The method includes positioning the base or pre-reinforced plastic foam cup upside down and positioning the reinforcing member adjacent to the tapered side wall of the base cup up and down in an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base cup, as indicated in blocks 82 and 84. At the moment both the base cup and the reinforcing member move towards their positions, such as indicated in block 86, the inner face of the reinforcing member is fixed to the outer face of the tapered side wall of the base vase along the centered vertical axis, whereby the member effort it is fixed at an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base vessel. After fixing the center of the reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of the base vessel, the vessel with the reinforcing member continues to move on the vessel carrier and the remaining or unfixed, remaining portions are fixed sequentially or simultaneously , to the tapered side wall, as indicated in block 88. It should be appreciated that said angular positioning of the stiffening member provides that as the remaining non-fixed portions or sections of the stiffening member are attached to the tapered side wall of the stiffener. base cup, the reinforcement member will adhere completely to the tapered side wall of the base beaker. More specifically, as can be seen in diagram form in Figure 9, in one embodiment, the method or process of manufacturing or sequential reinforcement of at least one and preferably a plurality of individual plastic foam cups, includes the use of system or apparatus 100 for vessel reinforcement, controlled by processor. In one embodiment, the vessel reinforcement system includes a vessel transport system that moves the vessel to its fixation position and transports or moves one or more pre-reinforced plastic foam cups, 102, through the reinforcement system of the vessel. glasses, 100, in a conventional way. The vessel reinforcement system also includes at least one reinforcing member dispenser, 104, operable to sequentially advance each reinforcing member toward the fixation position for attachment to the individual vessel 102. The vessel reinforcement system also includes a suitable detector 106 operable to determine the location of each reinforcement member, where, based on said determined position, the vessel reinforcement system, 100, aligns a centered vertical axis 108 of the reinforcement member 42 with the tapered side wall of an individual base cup 102. Therefore, a system or apparatus for attaching a reinforcing member to a vessel includes a vessel transport system, a reinforcing member dispenser (i.e., a device for centering and securing the reinforcing member to the outer surface). of the tapered side wall of the vessel). It should be appreciated that it is possible to implement any suitable vessel reinforcement system in accordance with the disclosed process to reinforce a plastic foam vessel. In one embodiment, as described and illustrated in more detail below, the vessel conveyor includes one or more individual vessel positions in which each individual vessel position includes a vessel-carrying rotary table, mounted on the vessel. way to be able to rotate, provided with a suitable device for the positioning of vessels in order to properly position the vessel in a position established on the rotating table cupholders. The rotating cupholder table can also be operated so as to rotate the vessel 360 full degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. In one embodiment, the vessel positioning device includes a frictional mating or coupling member that frictionally engages the inner face of the base vessel wall in order to fix the vessel in its proper position on the vessel. Rotary table. In operation, a base cup, 102, is placed upside down (ie resting on its open top end) on the vessel transport system, and the cup is moved to a position that facilitates its engagement with the reinforcement member. In one embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the reinforcing member dispenser, 104, may be operated by means of one or more suitable rollers 110 for advancing the reinforcing member in the direction of a vessel. face down In one embodiment, the reinforcing member dispenser 104 is configured or formed to define a separation section of the inner release liner, 112. In this embodiment, based on the orientation of the reinforcing member 42 with respect to the separation section of the inner release liner, 112, the reinforcement member 42 will be separated from the inner lining of release 56 (which protects the pressure sensitive adhesive) when the reinforcing member is advanced through the separation section of the inner release liner, 112. In one embodiment, the vessel reinforcement system also includes one or more pads for the application of the reinforcing member, 114, which operate to guide the reinforcing member and prevent the reinforcing member from changing position after a portion of the reinforcing member 42 has been separated from the coating release interior 56. As best seen in Figure 11, in one embodiment, the reinforcing member dispenser can be operated to advance the inner release liner 56 (to which the reinforcement member is releasably attached). ) towards the base cup 102 with an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane corresponding to the angle (also displaced with with respect to a vertical plane) of the tapered side wall of the base vessel. In this embodiment, when the reinforcing member 42 separates from the inner release liner 56, the reinforcement member will be positioned at a suitable angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the base cup 102. In a form of embodiment, the reinforcing member engages the tapered side wall of the base cup at a suitable angular displacement with relative to a vertical plane meanwhile the vessel as the reinforcing member is moving. As described in greater detail hereinafter, said angled arrangement provides that the reinforcing member will adhere completely to the tapered side wall of the base vessel. Referring again to Figures 9 and 10, described above, it can be seen therein that the vessel enhancing system also includes at least one sensor or detector 106 for determining or verifying the location or position of the reinforcing member 42 with respect to the position of base cup 102. In one embodiment, the sensor detects the location of the substantially vertical portion or detector edge 70 of the leading or trailing edge of the reinforcing member 42 to determine the relative position of the reinforcing member. Based on the determined position of the reinforcing member 42 and any other suitable information (such as the speed with which the vessel is moving, the speed with which the reinforcing member is advanced through the limb dispenser) reinforcement, the length of the reinforcement member and the diameter of the vessel), the processor of the vessel reinforcement system determines or calculates when the reinforcing member 42 moves to a position in which a vertical vertical axis 108 of the vertical member 42 is aligned with the tapered side wall of the base cup 102. In this embodiment, the centered vertical axis 108 is the vertical axis which extends both through the concave top edge gutter, 62, of the reinforcement member. , as through the apex of the convex bottom edge 64, of the reinforcing member. In one embodiment, at least one sensor is positioned or positioned such that the sensor detects the exact location of each reinforcing member immediately before said reinforcing member is fixed to a base cup. In this embodiment, the positioning of the sensor in such a position allows a greater accuracy in the positioning of the reinforcing member on the base vessel, which, as described in more detail below, allows a suitable coupling between the reinforcing member and the glass. In alternative embodiments, the release process is controlled by suitable timing mechanisms in which one or more sensors are used to verify that the timing mechanisms are correct. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor detects the sensing edge. However, it should be appreciated that the sensor could detect another suitable indicator of the position of the reinforcing member. As can be seen in Figures 12, 13 and 14, in one embodiment, the processor of the reinforcement system of the vessel causes the vessel conveyor to move the vessel 102 to the fixation position and causes the reinforcing member dispenser 104 to advance the reinforcing member 42 toward the fixation position where the centered vertical axis 108 of the member reinforcement 42 is aligned with the tapered side wall of the base cup 102, and causes the inner face 52 of the reinforcement member 42 (which is completely or substantially completely covered with a pressure sensitive adhesive, 34) to initially be fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel along the centered vertical axis (as best seen in Figure 13). In this embodiment, it should be appreciated that both the vessel and the reinforcing member move before, and through, the attachment point of the reinforcing member to the outer surface of the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, the vessel conveyor moves the base vessel to a position that engages the application pad of the reinforcement member, 114, such that the tapered sidewall of the vessel presses against, or engages with, the vessel. , the application pad of the reinforcing member so as to cause the reinforcing member 42 (which is positioned between the tapered side wall and the application pad of the reinforcing member, 114) to engage with the tapered side wall of the cup 102 , as best seen in Figure 14.

As described above and can be better appreciated in Figure 14, the reinforcing member, 42, is positioned at an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the vessel, whereby the reinforcing member it is fixed to the base vessel at an angle corresponding to the angle of the base vessel wall. On the other hand, as can be seen in Figure 13, once the reinforcement member has initially attached to the vessel along the centered vertical axis of both the reinforcing member and the vessel, the leading or guiding edge, 66 , and the trailing edge, 68 of the reinforcing member remain unfixed, or are otherwise free. It is to be appreciated that since the cup is placed with its open end downward, the leading edge 62 of the reinforcing member adheres to the side wall tapered at (or substantially adjacent to) the bottom end of the cup, and the edge of the cup. bottom 64 of the reinforcing member adheres to the tapered side wall at (or substantially adjacent to) the open top portion of the cup. It should also be noted that based on the manufacturing tolerance, it is possible for the reinforcing member to be fixed to the vessel slightly offset with respect to the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member, and in one embodiment in a further range. or minus three degrees. As illustrated in Figure 15, once the reinforcing member 42 has been fixed to the side wall taper of the cup 102 along the centered vertical axis 108 of the stiffening member, the vessel reinforcement system 100 can be operated to cause the remaining non-fixed portions of the stiffening member to engage with and be fixed to , the tapered side wall of the glass. In one embodiment, in which the revolving table on which the vessel is located is used, the vessel rotates 180 degrees in a first direction. As the cup is rotating, the tapered side wall of the cup 102 presses against, or engages with, the pad for the application of the stiffening member, 114, so as to cause a first portion or section of the stiffening member to be coupling, and therefore, due to the coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive, 54, on member the reinforcement 42, is fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, the first portion or section includes the portion of the reinforcing member 42 that extends from the centered vertical axis 108 to the trailing edge 68. Therefore, as can be seen in Figure 16, after that the first section of the reinforcing member has been fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel, a second section of the reinforcing member remains unfixed, or otherwise free. As can be seen in Figure 17, in one embodiment, after a rotation of the vessel in a first direction, the vessel is then rotated 360 degrees in a second, opposite direction. As the vessel is rotating, the tapered side wall of the vessel presses against, or engages with, the pad for the application of the reinforcing member, 114, so as to cause the second portion or section of the reinforcing member to engage. with, and fixed to, the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, the second portion or section includes the portion of the reinforcing member 42 that extends from the vertical axis centered toward the leading edge. As described above, the shape or configuration of the reinforcing member coupled with the shape or configuration of the vessel provides that as the remaining portions of the reinforcing member are fixed to the vessel, the reinforcing member will be fixed to the vessel. tapering side wall of the vessel in the desired configuration (ie, the vessel pulls towards the reinforcing member and the reinforcing member pulls towards the vessel). The reinforced plastic foam cup provides a disposable drinking glass with the insulating properties of a plastic foam cup and the tactile feel and printing properties of high-quality graphics of a paper-based glass, in order to provide an experience of reinforced drinking for one person. In an alternative embodiment, the system for strengthening the vessels may be configured with a plurality of pads for the application of reinforcing members that are positioned on opposite sides of the vessel. such that the vessel is rotated 180 degrees in a first direction to fix the first portion of the reinforcing member to the vessel, followed by the rotation of the vessel 180 degrees in the second direction to secure the second portion of the reinforcement member to the vessel. glass. After rotation in the second direction, the reinforcing member is completely adhered to the base vessel and the reinforced plastic foam vessel 30, described above (and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4) is formed. It should be appreciated that according to the present invention any suitable apparatus or method can be implemented to fix the reinforcing member to the tapered side wall along the centered vertical axis. It should be appreciated that in one embodiment, as can be seen in Figure 17, the vessel reinforcement system is operable to sequentially reinforce one or more individual vessels. In this embodiment, one or more vessels are placed, each one face down and properly separated from each other on the vessel conveyor. In addition, one or more reinforcement members positioned linearly along an individual release inner liner and wound onto a supply roll.

The supply roll is threaded around the booster member dispenser in order to provide continuous feeding of reinforcing members. In another embodiment (not shown), it is placed the vessel on the vessel conveyor positioned on its closed bottom end. In another embodiment (not shown), the reinforcing member dispenser is positioned in such a way that the reinforcing member engages with the tapered side wall of the vessel located in a vertical plane. Therefore, in this embodiment, the vessel conveyor is configured at a suitable angle to also provide for the tapered side wall of the vessel to engage with the reinforcing member in the vertical plane. In another embodiment, the vessel conveyor has a suitable angle and the vessel is transported through the vessel reinforcement system at such an angle. In these embodiments, the reinforcing member dispenser and / or the cushions for the application of the reinforcing members are adjusted accordingly at any suitable angle to take into account the angle of the vessel and / or the reinforcing member. effects of ensuring that the reinforcing member is initially fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel at an angle corresponding to the tapered side wall of the vessel. Referring now to Figures 18A to 43F, these embodiments of the system and apparatus for strengthening vessels disclosed herein are illustrated and indicated in general terms by reference number 200. As illustrated in Figures 18A and 18B, the system for the vessel strengthening, 200, generally includes a vessel transport system, 202, and one or more reinforcing member dispensers, 204a and 204b (referred to in general terms with reference number 204). The vessel transport system is configured to receive each pre-reinforced vessel, transport and separate said received vessels in a position suitable for the attachment of a reinforcing member and to remove each vessel from the vessel-strengthening system after the attachment of a reinforcing member. to said vessel. Each reinforcing member dispenser, 204, is configured to transport each reinforcing member to its proper position for attachment to the transported vessels and to fix each reinforcing member, along a centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member, to the wall of one of the vessels positioned upside down at an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the vessel. More specifically, the vessel transporter system includes a vessel dispenser, 206, a vessel feeder, 208, a vessel separator, 210, a vessel mover, 212, and a vessel remover, 214. As indicated in In general terms in Figure 36, the processor 402 of the vessel enhancer system is in communication with, and is programmed to, control the vessel dispenser, 206, the vessel feeder 208, the vessel separator, 210, the vessel mover, 212, the vessel remover, 214, and the reinforcing member dispenser, 204. The processor is also in communication, and programmed to, control at least one input device or control panel, 404, such as a touch screen or one or more suitable switches or buttons, to allow a user to operate the vessel reinforcement system and at least one display device 406 to display information suitable to a user of the vessel enhancing system. The input device allows a user to enter appropriate commands and / or appropriate information into the processor of the vessel enhancer system. For example, a user uses at least one input device to start and disconnect the vessel booster system,. provide information related to the exact technical specifications of the vessels and / or reinforcement members, enter the speed with which the vessels have to move through the vessel enhancer system, and enter the angle to establish the dispenser of reinforcing members with respect to the vessel mover. In another embodiment, it is possible to adjust one or more of the functions described in the foregoing by using one or more mechanical devices or other suitable devices. For example, the angle for adjusting the dispenser of reinforcing members with respect to the vessel mover can be adjusted manually by using one or more cranks. individual manuals. The processor is in communication with, or is operable to, access or exchange signals with at least one storage or memory device, 408. The memory device stores program code and instructions executable by the processor, to control the enhancer system of glasses. In one embodiment, the memory device includes random access memory (RAM), which may include RAM or volatile (NVRAM, non-volatile RAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM, magnetic RAM), ferroelectric RAM ( FeRAM, ferrorelectric RAM) and other forms commonly understood in art. In one embodiment, the memory device includes read only memory (ROM). In one embodiment, the device includes flash memory and / or electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM, electrically erasable ROM). Any other suitable magnetic, optical and / or semiconductor memory may operate in conjunction with the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the program code and / or operating data described above can be stored in a removable or removable memory device, which includes, but is not limited to, a cartridge, disk, CD ROM, DVD or USB memory device, suitable. In the present, the processor and the memory device can sometimes receive the generic denomination of "computer" or "controlled". As described in more detail below, a pre-reinforced or base vessel enters the vessel enhancer system via the vessel dispenser, 206, from a supply of nested vessels. The vessel travels through the vessel feeder, 208, to the vessel separator, 210, and then to the vessel remover, 212. The vessel remover, 212 aligns the vessel in proper alignment with the booster member dispenser. , 204, and the reinforcing member is fixed to the vessel by the reinforcing member dispenser, 204. The reinforced vessel is removed from the vessel enhancing system by the vessel remover, 214. It should be appreciated that any other suitable vessel transport system and any suitable reinforcing member dispenser which affixes a reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of the base vessel along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member and which subsequently fixes the remaining portions of the reinforcing member to the side wall. tapered from the base vessel, may be implemented in accordance with the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein. As can be seen in Figures 19 to 22, the vessel dispenser, 206, of the vessel enhancing system, includes a frame 230 that supports two guiding members. independent, displaced, 232a and 232b (which in general terms receive the designation of 232). Each guide member is configured to support a stack of nested, pre-reinforced or base cups, 234a and 234b (which in general terms receive the designation 234) in up-down positions above the cup feeder, 206. Each guide member 232 is associated with at least one, and preferably with a plurality or set, of cup-dispensing screws, co-workers, arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, or vessel de-aerators, 236a, 236b, 236c and 236d (which bear the designation general 232 and which can be better appreciated in Figures 20 and 21) made of any smooth, non-abrasive surface material with self-lubricating properties, such as any plastic material, for example a DELRIN (R) plastic material manufactured by EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY. Each vessel delivery screw, 236, has an internally extending thread 238 on its outer surface. The threads are suitably dimensioned and present at angles to correlate the top flanges of the base cups positioned upside down, 102, supported by the guiding members 232. The cup-dispensing screws, 236, are connected or coupled, each of them, in a mobile way to at least one actuator 240, such as a motor or other suitable movement-generating device controlled by the vessel-enhancing system processor that causes each vessel-dispensing screw, 236, to rotate in the proper direction at an appropriate speed. In operation, as best seen in Figures 19 and 21, the internal threads located in or near the top 238a of each voter cup screw 236 are engaged with a flange portion extending toward outside, 24, of a first vessel positioned upside down, nested, supported by one of the guide members 232. Each vessel-dispensing screw rotates to remove the first vessel, by means of the above-threaded 238a of each vessel-dispensing screw that it engages with the rim 24 of the vessel, from between the nested vessel assembly 234. As each vessel-dispensing screw, 236, continues to rotate, the vessel rim, 24, of the first vessel is passed to the threads located at close to the middle 238b of each vessel-dispensing screw, in rotation, and then to the threading located in or near the bottom part 238c of each vessel delivery screw, in rotation, so as to smoothly and consistently remove the first vessel, alej further still of the nested vessel set 234. As the first vessel is passed from the upper threading 238a of each vessel-dispense screw to the middle threading 238b, the threading from above 238a engages the flange 24 of a second nested upside down cup to extract the second vessel, by means of the upper thread 238a which engages the flange of the second vessel, from the nested vessel assembly 234. This process continues for separating each nested vessel from the set of upside down nested vessels loaded in the vessel dispenser 206. In other words, the remaining threads of the vessel dispensing screws cooperate so as to separate each coupled vessel, at a rate of one at a time, from the Nested stack of pre-stressed top-down cups. After being de-annealed, each separate vessel 102 continues to fall towards the vessel feeder 208 located directly below the vessel dispenser, 206. In an alternative embodiment, the vessel dispenser includes more than two displaced independent guiding members. In this embodiment, each guiding member holds a stack of nested pre-reinforced cups, and is further associated with at least one, and preferably with a plurality of vertically disposed cup-dispensing screws, as previously described. In another alternative embodiment, a guiding member is configured to support a plurality of prestressed stacks of vessels nested above a plurality of different locations of the vessel feeder. In this embodiment, the guidance member is associated with at least one, and preferably with a plurality of vertically disposed cup dispensing screws for each supported stack of pre-stressed vessels. In another alternative embodiment, a guiding member is configured to support a stack of pre-reinforced cups nested above a single location of the vessel feeder. In this embodiment, the guiding member is associated with at least one, and preferably with a plurality of vertically disposed cup dispensing screws, for the supported stack of pre-stressed vessels. It should be appreciated that any suitable apparatus or method for loading one or more vessels into the vessel feeder can be increased in accordance with the vessel enhancing system described herein. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the vessel dispenser disclosed herein may be located at any position upstream of the reinforcing member dispenser described below. As can be seen in Figures 19 and 22 through 24, the vessel feeder 208 of the vessel conveyor system includes a frame 250 that supports a plurality of rows of adjacently positioned conveyor belts 252a to 252e (generically designated 252). ). The conveyor belts are suitably connected in a mobile manner or coupled to, at least one actuator, such as a motor or any other movement generating device, 254, which causes the conveyor belts to move at any suitable speed in a conventional manner. It should be noted that static electricity can accumulate due to the rapid movement of plastic foam cups. The use of multiple guiding members 232 and multiple cup dispensing screws, 236, reduce the likelihood of static electricity buildup in the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein. That is, the use of multiple guiding members and multiple cup dispenser screws reduces the number of vessels that each individual vessel guiding / screw dispensing member has to distribute or deliver per minute. This reduced number of vessels correlates directly with the rate at which vessels must be transported through the vessel enhancer system, and such reduction in velocity reduces the amount of static electricity accumulated. In one embodiment, one, more or each of the conveyor belts 252 define one or more openings or orifices 256 through which the air flows, as described below. As best illustrated in Figures 22, 24A and 24B, the conveyor belts are positioned or aligned below the displaced guiding members 232a and 232b,. in this case the belts conveyors 252a and 252e, define openings or holes, 256a, of larger diameter than that of the openings or holes 256b of the conveyor belts that are not positioned below the displaced guiding members, in this case the conveyor belts 252b, 252c and 252d . It should be appreciated that any suitable number of holes, of any suitable diameter and / or in any suitable form, (such as holes of elongated oval shape) that allow the flow of a suitable amount of air, can be implemented in accordance with the system for reinforcing glasses described in the present. As illustrated in Figures 23, 24A and 24B, the vessel feeder frame 250, 208, supports a vacuum chamber, box or housing, 258. The vacuum box, 258 includes a top wall or surface, 260 , and a separate bottom wall or surface, 262. The top wall defines a plurality of air openings or inlets, 264. The vacuum box includes spaced-apart walls, 268, with the top portion of each side wall connected to the top wall and the bottom of each side wall connected to the bottom wall. The vacuum box also includes spaced apart end walls 270a and 270b, with the top part of each end wall connected to the top wall, the bottom part of each end wall being connected to the bottom wall, one side from . each end wall is connected to a side wall, and the other side of each wall Extreme is connected to the other side wall. At least one side wall of the vacuum box (side wall 270 of Figure 24A and side walls 270 and 270b of Figure 24E) define, each one, one or more air openings or outlets, 272, which are connected, by means of suitable air communication pipes, to one or more vacuum or negative pressure sources (not shown). That is, the vacuum chamber is in fluid communication with a suitable vacuum or negative pressure source. In an alternative embodiment, as can be seen in Figure 24C, the vessel feeder frame 250a includes two flow members, 274 and 274b, separated below the displaced guiding members of the vessel dispenser. In this embodiment, each member of the air flow is connected to a source of vacuum or negative pressure that extracts each base cup from the vessel dispenser. It should be appreciated that in this embodiment, the air flows only through the larger diameter holes in the conveyor belt (located directly below the air flow member) and not through the smaller diameter holes, if any, on the conveyor belt not located directly above the air flow member. As specifically illustrated in Figure 24, the vacuum source provides negative air flow from above of the conveyor belts 252, through the holes 264 of the conveyor belts, the air inlets, 256, of the upper surface 260 of the vacuum box and the defined air outlet 272 of the vacuum box towards the source of emptiness. In operation, each separate base vessel is drawn downward by the vacuum pressure, in a downstream position, from the vessel dispenser 206, to the vessel feeder, 208. It should be noted that the positioning of the larger openings, 256a, of certain of the conveyor belts under the displaced guiding members 232 of the dispenser 206 provides a greater amount of air flowing from above the conveyor belts, 252, through the larger openings 256a and towards the vacuum source ( not shown) near the location where the vessel dispenser 206 drops the vessels 102. It should also be noted that the vacuum pressure applied to the vessels provides the base vessels, relatively light (as opposed to a heavier bottle). ) is not tipped over when dropped from the cup dispenser 206 into the cup feeder 208. The cup enhancer system is configured to move the cups This is done along the conveyor belts with a relatively low speed compared to the speeds at which the bottles move through a bottle labeling system. That is, although bottles of a bottle labeling system are typically labeled at a rate of approximately one thousand bottles per minute, the revealed vessel reinforcement system applies reinforcing members to base cups with a bottom speed at half of said bottle labeling systems. As mentioned above, such a reduction in the speed with which the vessels move through the vessel enhancer system eliminates the accumulation of static electricity frequently caused by the rapid movement of plastic foam cups. As can be seen in Figures 22 and 24, the vessel feeder, 204, includes at least two guide rails, or guide tracks, 266a and 266b, elongated, opposed and spaced apart (which receive the general designation of 266), supported by the vessel feeder frame 250. The guide rails 266 are offset angularly with respect to a vertical plane at a suitable angle to match the angle of the tapered side walls of the vessels being transported by the conveyor belts 252. The guide rails 266a and 266b are extend in intersecting planes such that the space between the two guide rails 266 is reduced as the guide rails extend outward from an area substantially below the vessel dispenser 206. In operation, as each glass 102 moves to what Along the conveyor belts 252 of the vessel feeder 208 in the direction of the vessel separator 210, each vessel comes into contact with one of the guide rails 226. As the vessels approach the vessel separator, contact with Guide rails 266 causes the vessels to move in a row one at a time. It should be appreciated that the vessel feeder may include any suitable apparatus or method for transporting the vessels from the vessel dispenser to the vessel separator. As illustrated in Figures 25 to 27B, the vessel spacer 210 of the vessel conveyor system includes a frame 280 positioned adjacent to, and at substantially the same height as, the vessel feeder 208. As can be seen in FIG. FIG. 27A, the vessel feeder frame supports an input screw in the feed or a separator screw 282 and two collaborating input stars or input star wheel conveyors, 284a and 284b (which in general terms are designated with the reference number 284). As can be seen in Figure 27B, in one embodiment, the vessel feeder frame supports a feed screw or a spacer screw 282 and an inlet star wheel or inlet star wheel conveyor. to food, 284a. In this embodiment, the vessel separator 210 is used for transporting each vessel 102 from the vessel feeder 228 to the vessel mover 212. The feed entry screw, or separator screw, 282, of the vessel separator, 210, is a member arranged horizontally or substantially horizontally, made of any suitable material of smooth, non-abrasive surface, with self-lubricating properties, such as any suitable plastic material, for example a plastic material DELRIN (R) manufactured by EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY. The spacer screw has an internally extending thread 286 on its outer surface. The thread 286 has a size and angular arrangement suitable for correlating with the tapered side wall of the cups. As can be seen in Figures 25 and 26, the space between the threads of the spacer screw increases gradually and steadily from a first end 294 of the spacer screw adjacent to the vessel feeder 208 to a second end 296 of the spacer screw adjacent to the spacer screw. vessel mover 212. Increasing the spacing between the threads of the spacer screw has the effect that as each vessel 102 is transported from the first end 294 of the spacer screw to the second end 296 of the spacer screw, each vessel (which enters in contact with a portion of the threading of the separating screw) is properly separated. Said separation between the vessels corresponds to the spacing between each pocket 290 of the first feed star wheel, 284a. In other words, the feed-in screw or spacer screw, 282, sequentially separates, re-forms the gaps or separations between the single-row disposed vessels carried by the conveyor belt 252 in order to establish a separation distance. which corresponds to the separation between the pockets 290 of the first star wheel feed introduction, 284a. That is, the spacer screw 282 delivers, at the correct intervals, each beaker in one or the pockets 290 of the first feed star wheel, 284a. It should be noted that due to the direction of rotation of the spacer screw 282, it is possible for a vessel to be slightly lifted from the conveyor belt as said vessel is transported from the first end 294 of the spacer screw to the second end 296 of the spacer screw. . Therefore, a downward holding member 298, such as a bar made of any suitable material of smooth, non-abrasive surface, with self-lubricating properties, such as any suitable plastic material, for example a DELRIN plastic material ( R1 manufactured by the DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY, is supported by the frame 280 of the cup separator 210. In this embodiment, if the screw separator lifts the cup from the conveyor belt, the downward holding member 298 comes in contact with the bottom part of the cup disposed upside down so as to keep the cup in contact with the cups. screw threads separator. In one embodiment, the spacer screw is movably connected or coupled to at least one actuator 288, such as a motor or other suitable movement generating device, controlled by the vessel enhancer system processor, which makes the spacer screw rotate in any suitable direction at any suitable speed in a conventional manner. Each inlet star wheel, 284, of the cup separator, 210, is a circular or substantially circular member, disposed horizontally or substantially horizontally, made of any suitable material of smooth, non-abrasive surface, with self-lubricating properties, made of any plastic material, such as a DELRIN (R) plastic material manufactured by EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY. Each inlet star defines a plurality of pockets 290 suitably distributed around the circumference of said inlet star wheel. The number of pockets is determined based on the size of the vessels and the size of the reinforcing members. Each pocket 290 is configured to hold or in some other way be coupled with, or to contact, a glass 102 as the vessel is transferred from the vessel feeder 208 to the vessel mover or turntable 212. Each input star wheel is movably connected or coupled to at least one actuator (not shown), such as a motor or other movement generator device, suitable, controlled by the processor of the vessel reinforcement system that causes the inlet star wheel to move in any suitable direction at any suitable speed in a conventional manner. As illustrated in Figures 27A and 27B, the frame 280 of the vessel separator supports two inlet star members or guide rails 292a and 292b (which in general terms are designated with the reference number 284). The guide rail 292a is disposed adjacent the inlet star wheel 284a, and the guide rail 292b is located adjacent to the inlet star wheel 284b. Each guide rail 292 prevents the vessels transported by the entrance stars 284 from moving, for example due to the fact that they tip over. The vessel guiding members are sized appropriately, and have an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane to correlate with the vessels. In operation, as best seen in Figures 27A and 27B, each cup 102 is transported from or near the second end 296 of the spacer screw 282 toward a first pocket 290 of the first wheel in entrance star 284a. The first inlet star wheel, 284a, transports the vessel to a second pocket of the second inlet star wheel, 284b. The second inlet star wheel, 284b, transports the vessel along a horizontally arranged vessel support member, 297, to a cup holder station, 302, of the vessel mover, 212, as described later in FIG. I presented. That is, the pockets of the second inlet star wheel, 284b, and the guide rail 292b, cooperate with each other so as to hold a vessel in the proper position and place the vessel on one of the cup holder stations, 302, of the vessel mover It will be appreciated that according to the vessel reinforcement system disclosed herein, any suitable means or manner for transporting one or more vessels from the vessel dispenser to the vessel mover or to the rotary table may be employed. As can be seen in Figure 29, the side wall of each pocket 290 is disposed with an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane at a suitable angle to match the angle of the tapered side walls of the cup 102. That is, since even relatively small amounts of forces can cause indentations on the external surfaces of the cup 102, each star wheel pocket 290 is configured to prevent damage to the relatively fragile surface of the base vessels. In other words, unlike the star wheel pockets of the known bottle labeling machines, which are designed to transport relatively durable glass bottles, the star wheel pockets 290 of the cup separator, 210, of the enhancer system of glasses revealed in the present is designed to handle relatively fragile plastic foam cups.

As can be seen in Figures 27A to 31B, the vessel mover, or rotary table, 212, of the vessel conveyor system is rotatably supported by a suitable frame 300 positioned adjacent to the vessel spacer 210 and at a height slightly below of the vessel separator, 210. The rotary table is a cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical, member arranged horizontally or in a substantially horizontal manner, made of any suitable material of smooth, non-abrasive surface, with self-lubricating properties, such as a DELRIN plastic material. (R) manu acted by EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY. The rotary table 212 is movably connected or coupled to at least one actuator, such as a motor or other suitable motion generating device that causes the rotary table to move in any suitable direction at any suitable speed in a conventional manner . In operation, as described in the foregoing, the vessel mover 212 conveys each base vessel to the fixation position adjacent to a reinforcing member dispenser, 204. The vessel mover 212 includes a plurality of cupholder or vessel plate stations. , rotating singles, 302a, 302b, 202c, and 302d (which are designated generically with the reference number 302) positioned uniformly around the periphery of the vessel separator. Each cup plate or cup holder station, 302, is configured to receive a cup 102 from a pocket 290 of the second inlet star wheel, 284b. As described in the foregoing, each cup holder station includes a rotary base 303 operable to rotate 360 full degrees clockwise and counterclockwise. In another embodiment, each cup holder station is spring-loaded and can operate to rise to contact the vessel transported from the vessel separator and to be lowered so as to disengage the vessel from the vessel mover after being applied. a reinforcing member to the vessel. Each cupholder station includes a plurality of appropriately configured and dimensioned walls that frictionally come into contact with the vessel walls in order to fix the vessel in the proper position on the vessel.

Cup holder station. In operation, as each cup 102 is placed on a cup plate or cup holder station, the cup is held in place by a spring loaded centering bell, 312. Each centering bell is capable of rotating full 360 degrees at clockwise and counterclockwise. It should be appreciated that according to the vessel enhancing system disclosed herein, any suitable way can be implemented to support the vessel that provides for the tapered side wall of the vessel to be free for the application of the reinforcing member. As best seen in Figure 31B, each centering bell 312 is supported from a rotating superstructure 324. The rotating superstructure includes a cam 326 and a plurality of spring loaded members, 328, suitably connected to the plurality of centering bells. 312. The spring-loaded members are connected or coupled, each of them, to at least one actuator, such as a motor or other suitable motion-generating device that causes each of the spring loaded members to move in any direction adequate at any suitable speed in a conventional manner. In operation, as the plurality of spring-loaded members 328 rotates around the cam 326, the cam shape causes each spring loaded member to compress its turns or retracts, which causes each centering bell to extend to contact a plurality of the walls of the vessel or to retract to come out of contact with the plurality of walls of the vessel. The pressure, spring-loaded, of the centering bells puts the vessels in contact with at least sufficient force to hold the cup as the cup is rotated and with less force than could damage the foam cup, relatively fragile. It should be appreciated that according to the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein, any mechanism, or mechanisms, that cause the centering bells to contact, or disengage from, a plurality of vessel walls could be implemented. As illustrated in Figures 32, 33, 34 and 35, the outer wall of each cup holder station, 302, is suitably chamfered and tapered to match with, and to engage with, the taper of the inner side portion wall. above the base cup 102. As best illustrated in Figure 32, each cup holder station 302 includes a vertically disposed side wall or vessel support 304, a first wall 306, horizontally disposed, connected to the wall. lateral, a second wall, 308, arranged vertically, connected to the first wall, and a third wall, 310, chamfered, connected to the second wall. The first wall, 306 of the cup holder station is coupled with the upper part 330 of the flange formed of the vessel placed in the up-and-down position, and the second wall 308 of the cup-holder station engages with an upper portion 332 of the inner surface of the glass placed upside down. It should be appreciated that with the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein, any suitable coupling surface that creates a male-female connection between the cup holder station and the vessel can be used. In an embodiment, for transporting the base beaker from the beaker to the cup holder stations of the rotary table, in order to take into account the height of the frictional engagement members of the support stations, the rotary table is arranged slightly below the cup separator. Said positioning of the vessel mover below the vessel separator allows each transported vessel to be placed directly on top of one of the cup holder stations 302 of the vessel mover 212. That is, to take into account the height of the second vessel. wall 308, vertically arranged, of the support stations, 302, when each vessel 102 is transported from the vessel separator, 210, to the cup holder stations, 302, of the rotating table 212, the rotating table is positioned slightly below the separator of glasses. In addition, the walls of the centering bell are suitably configured to match, and to mate with, a plurality of the vessel walls. As best illustrated in Figures 34 and 35, the first wall of the centering bell 314 engages the bottom flange 324 of the cup and a second, chamfered or tapered wall of the centering bell 316 is engaged with the chamfered or tapered inner side wall 336 of the vessel. In this embodiment, a third wall of the centering bell 318 engages with the outer bottom wall 16 of the vessel, a fourth wall of the centering bell 320 engages with the top surface of the centered raised portion 337. of the outer bottom wall of the vessel, a fifth wall of the decentered bell, 322, engages with the side wall 338 of the centered raised portion of the outer bottom wall of the vessel. It should be appreciated that with the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein, any suitable coupling surface can be implemented that creates a male-female connection between the centering bell and the vessel. It should be noted that in comparison with a rotary table of the known bottle labeling devices, the rotary table of the vessel-enhancing system includes a reduced number of cup-holder stations to take into account the length of the reinforcing member. That is, since the reinforcing members applied to the base cups are longer than the labels applied to the bottles of a bottle labeling machine, and said longer length may cause interference when the reinforcing member is partially fixed to the cups, as described hereinafter, there must be a greater distance between each cup holder / table center station rotating Therefore, the provision of a larger distance between each cupholder / centering station of the turntable without increasing the size of the turntable requires a reduction in the number of cup holder / centering stations of the turntable. As described above and best illustrated in Figures 42A and 42B, the vessel mover frame, 212, supports a plurality of reinforcing member application pads, 390a and 390b (which are designated collectively by reference number 390). Each pad for the application of reinforcing members, 390, includes a base 392a and 392b (designated in general terms as 392) and a mating surface of reinforcing members, 394a and 394b (having the general designation 394), in the that the mating surface of the reinforcing member includes any suitable material with anti-adhesive properties, such as a tape coated with polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon (R), which resists adhesion by the adhesive applied as a coating on the reinforcing member. Each application pad of the member of reinforcement, 390, is positioned with respect to the attachment point of the reinforcing member so as to provide a suitable surface that comes into contact with the tapered side wall of the vessel in order to secure the reinforcing member (which is positioned between the side wall). taper of the cup 102 and engagement surface 394 of the reinforcement member application pad 390) to the tapered side wall of the cup. Each reinforcement member application pad 390 is suitably shaped and sized to accommodate the size and shape of the vessels that are reinforced, as well as to accommodate the size of the vessel mover 212 that is moving the vessels. For example, each reinforcement member application pad 390 is suitably chamfered and tapered to match and to engage with the tapered side wall of the vessel. It should be appreciated that the height or angle of one or more reinforcement member application pads can be adjusted appropriately to accommodate the size and shape of the vessels. As described above, the vessel mover 212 is configured to transport each base vessel to a fixation point or coupling position, or fixation position with a reinforcing member. At this fixing point, a reinforcing member, delivered from the reinforcing member dispenser 204, described in what still, it is partially fixed in an appropriate manner to the tapered side wall of the cup 102. Once a reinforcing member is attached to the cup 102, the vessel mover, 212, transports each reinforced vessel to a vessel remover, 214. As illustrated in Figure 37, the vessel mover 214 of the vessel transport system includes a frame 340 positioned adjacent to and positioned substantially at the same height as the vessel mover 212. The frame 280 of the feeder Vessels supports two collaborative inlet star wheels or inlet star wheel conveyors, 342a and 342b (generally designated 342), a feed outlet conveyor, 344, and a reinforced vessel evacuation device , 346. In one embodiment, the vessel enhancer system includes an output starwheel or a starwheel outlet of the feed that transports the vessels from the end of the feed. vedor of vessels towards the reinforced vessel conveyor device, from the feeding outlet. In one embodiment (not shown), the vessel enhancer system uses one or more brushes to contact the side wall of each vessel, in order to reinforce the movement of each vessel from the revolving table of the vessel mover towards the reinforced vessel conveyor device of the feed outlet. Each star wheel of outlet, 342, is connected or movably coupled to at least one actuator, such as a motor or other suitable motion-generating device controlled by the processor of the vessel reinforcement system that causes the output star wheel to rotate or Move in any suitable direction with any suitable speed in a conventional manner. Similar to the input star wheels described above, each output star wheel 342 includes a plurality of pockets 346 on its circumference. Each pocket 346 is configured to hold a cup 102 as the cup is transferred from the vessel mover 212. The side wall of each pocket 246 has an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane at a suitable angle to match the angle of the tapered side walls of the base vessels. The vessel remover frame 340, 312, supports two exit star wheel guide members or guide rails 348 and 348b (designated in general terms by the reference name 348). The guiding member 348a is positioned adjacent to the exit star wheel 342a, and the guiding member 348b is positioned adjacent to the exit star wheel 342b. Each guide member 348 prevents the vessels transported by their respective outgoing star wheel 342 from moving, for example due to overturning. The guiding members of the vessel, 348, are they dimension and displace angularly with respect to a vertical plane in order to correlate with the specifications of the reinforced vessels. In another embodiment, the vessel reinforcement system includes a plurality of input star wheels or input star wheels in the feed, which cooperate to transport the vessel from the vessel mover, 212, to the device vessel conveyor, power outlet, 344. The vessel conveyor device, of the supply outlet, 324, is connected or coupled in a mobile manner suitable to at least one actuator, such as a motor or other suitable generator device. movements, which causes the conveyor belts to move at any suitable speed in a conventional manner. The vessel remover includes at least two guide rails or guide tracks, elongated, opposed and spaced from each other, 350, separated supported by the frame 340 of the vessel remover. The guide rails 350 are offset angularly with respect to a vertical plane at a suitable angle to match the angle of the tapered side walls of the vessels carried by the supply vessel of the output vessel, 344. As can be seen in FIG. see in Figure 37, each vessel 102 is transported by means of the vessel transporting device reinforced feed outlet, 344, towards a cup positioner, 352, such as a cup tumbler or other suitable member, which positions or tilts the reinforced cup on its side (guided low side). The guide rails 350 ensure that the inclined vessel is positioned on its side. The inclined vessel is then carried, by the vessel evacuation system, 346 (not shown) to a stack of reinforced nested vessels. It should be appreciated that according to the vessel reinforcing system disclosed herein, any means can be employed suitably to transport one or more vessels from the vessel dispenser to the vessel mover or turntable. In one embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 38A, 38B, 39 and 40, each reinforcing member dispenser, 254, of the vessel enhancing system, includes a frame 360 supporting an adjustable base or support, 386. As described above, the reinforcing member dispenser 204 is operable to advance each reinforcing member 42 toward a vessel 102 with an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane corresponding to the angle (also displaced with respect to a vertical plane) of the tapered side wall of the vessel. Therefore, the adjustable base 386 of the reinforcing member dispenser, 204, has an adequate angular displacement with with respect to a vertical plane. The angle with which the adjustable base 386 of the reinforcing member dispenser 204 (by means of a suitable mechanism for adjusting the angle, 382) is found, can be adjusted to accommodate different base cups with different tapered side walls. different angles. In addition to adjusting the angle of the reinforcing member of the reinforcing member dispenser offset with respect to a vertical plane, it is possible to adjust the height of the adjustable base 386 of the reinforcing member dispenser 254 (by means of a mechanism adjusted for adjustment height, 384) in order to accommodate vessels of different sizes and variations in the positioning of different reinforcing members on the inner lining. In addition, the angle with which the adjustable base 386 of the reinforcing member dispenser 204 can be adjusted offset with respect to a horizontal plane, if necessary. Therefore, it is to be appreciated that the reinforcing member dispenser can be individually adjusted in three separate planes to facilitate proper attachment of a reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of a vessel. In alternative embodiments, the reinforcing member dispenser can be adjusted at any suitable angle in any suitable plane or in any number of planes to facilitate proper attachment of a reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of a glass. The reinforcing member dispenser includes two reinforcing member supply supports, 362 and 362b (designated in general terms with the reference numeral 362) supported by the adjustable base 386. Each reinforcing member supplying support, 362, is configured to support a supply 364a and 364b (bearing the general reference number 364) of reinforcement members, each supply of reinforcement members including a plurality of reinforcement members sequentially and releasably secured to an elongated release inner liner ( as best seen in Figures 7 and 7A) wound around a central cylindrical tube 388a and 388b (bearing the general designation 388) in the form of a roll. Each reinforcing member dispenser includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of drive rollers, such as drive rollers 366a and 366b (bearing the general designation of 366) supported by adjustable base 386 and configured to drive or extracting the inner release liner 56 (to which the reinforcing members are releasably attached). In operation, the drive roller 255a pulls or drives the inner release liner 56 from the supply roll to the drive roller 366a and into a designated area 274 of a skipping accumulator. of the interior release liner, 372 (as described hereinafter). The drive roller 366b then removes or drives the interior release liner from the designated area 374 of the vault accumulator of the interior release liner, 372, and toward the attachment or coupling point for the vessel reinforcement member. Each drive roller, 366, is suitably connected or coupled in a movable manner to at least one actuator (not shown), such as a motor or other suitable motion generator device that causes the drive rollers to move to any suitable speed. In one embodiment, one, more than one or each of the drive rollers 366 includes a knurled surface for better engagement with the inner release liner, and is passed through the booster member dispenser. In another embodiment, one, more than one, or each of the drive rollers 366 includes a rubber surface for the purpose of better coupling with the inner release liner as it is advanced through the limb dispenser. of reinforcement.

Each reinforcing member dispenser includes a motorized feeder roller, 367, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to extract or drive the used inner release liner, 56, toward a inner lining accumulation support, 376. The motorized roller collector, 327 is movably connected or coupled to at least one actuator (not shown), such as a motor or other suitable motion generating device that makes the roller collector moves at any suitable speed. Each reinforcing member dispenser also includes a plurality of guides and tensioners, such as guide rollers 368, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to guide the inner release liner (to which the guide members are releasably attached). ) towards the point of coupling with the vessels, as well as to maintain adequate degrees of tension on the release liner. The reinforcing member dispenser, 204, includes a vertically disposed release liner divider, 370, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to allow a plurality of reinforcement member supplies to be divided together. The release liner divider, 370, includes at least a first area (not shown) for supporting the trailing end of a first delivery liner supply and a second area (not shown) for holding the forward end of a second supply release coating. The interior trim divider of release provides a mechanism for a user of the vessel-enhancing system to divide the trailing end of the first supply of interior release liner towards the guide end of the second supply of interior liner to ensure that the dispenser of the reinforcement members is provided with a continuous supply of the inner release liner. For example, in one embodiment, when the last reinforcing member of the first release coating supply is detected, a user centers the first delivery of interior release liner over a cutting slot and uses one or more suitable mechanisms to maintain The first delivery of release liner in place. The user then cuts or slits the second supply of release coating over the first supply of release coating, places the leading edge of the first reinforcing member of the second supply of release coating exactly on the last reinforcing member of the first supply of release coating. release liner, and uses one or more suitable mechanisms to maintain the second supply of release liner in place. The user uses a cutter head and a cutting guide, suitable, to cut the first and second supplies of interior liner release, remove the waste pieces from the supplies first and second inner release liner, and by adhesive tape joins the first and second release liner supplies. As can be seen in Figure 38A, the reinforcing member dispenser, 204, also includes a sagging accumulator of the inner release liner, 372a, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to provide a designated area 374a where a metal can accumulate. camber in the inner release liner. As can be seen in Figure 38B, in an alternative embodiment, the reinforcing member dispenser 204 includes a bullet accumulator of the alternately designed inner release liner, 372, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to provide an area 374 designed for an alternative purpose, where the camber of the inner release liner can accumulate. In one embodiment (not shown), the sagging accumulator of the inner release liner includes one or more waste removers supported by the adjustable base and configured to remove any debris, such as dust or dust, from the back side of the inner liner. of release as the inner release liner is advanced into and / or out of the designated area where a camber of the inner release liner may accumulate. The booster member dispenser, 204, also includes an interior lining accumulation support, 376, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to maintain the interior release liner after its separation from the reinforcing members. As can be seen in Figures 42B and 43A through 43F, the reinforcing member dispenser, 204, also includes at least one sensor or detector 378 supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to determine the location of a reinforcing member 42. It should be appreciated that the height and position of the sensor 378 can be adjusted according to the configuration of the vessels that are being reinforced. In one embodiment, the reinforcing member dispenser also includes one more tensioners (not shown) supported by the adjustable base, and configured to determine the position and amount of interior release lining that has accumulated in the designated area of the accumulator of the inner lining of the release liner. The reinforcing member dispenser, 204, includes an interior release liner 380, such as a separation plate, supported by the adjustable base 386 and configured to separate the reinforcing members from the interior release liner. Each reinforcement member supplying support, 362, is configured to support a rolled inner supply roll 56 (to which the plurality of reinforcement members is fixed releasably). In one embodiment, each roll of wound reinforcing members is maintained in a horizontal configuration. In this embodiment, since the reinforcing members are kept in the same configuration with which they will be applied to the base vessels, it is not necessary to reconfigure or otherwise twist the reinforcing members prior to their application to the vessels . In another embodiment, each roll of wound reinforcing members is maintained in a vertical configuration. In this embodiment, the reinforcing members must be reconfigured or twisted before their application to the base vessels. In one embodiment, the plurality of guide rollers 366 of the reinforcing member dispenser 204 are designed to advance the inner liner 56 from the interior liner supply roll, 324, past the interior liner cutter, 370, through the interior lining camber accumulator 372, past the sensor 378 and the interior liner spacer 380 and towards the used liner roll 376. In one embodiment, one, more than one, or each of the guide rollers 368 includes a knurled surface for better engagement with the inner release liner as it is passed through the booster member dispenser.

In another embodiment, one, more than one or each of the guide rollers 368 includes a rubber surface to better engage with the inner release liner as it is passed through the booster member dispenser. . It should be noted that the rollers are of a suitable height to accommodate the size of the inner release liner (and the fixed reinforcing members) with which the plurality of rollers come into contact. As best seen in Figures 39 and 40, the sagging accumulator of the inner release liner, 372, is an elongated member that is substantially in the shape of a u, which provides a designed area 374 on which the sag can accumulate. of inner lining 56. That is, due to the need to accurately apply the reinforcing members to the tapered side wall of the vessel along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member, the processor of the vessel enhancing system must frequently adjust the speed with which the reinforcing members are moving, in order to ensure that the vessels moving on the turntable and the reinforcing members delivered by the reinforcing dispenser come into reciprocal contact at the appropriate time and location in such a manner that the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member is Apply to the beaker on a constant basis with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.54 mm (0.1 inch). In other words, the provision of an area where the camber can accumulate, allows the processor of the vessel-enhancing system to adjust the speed with which the inner liner is passed through the reinforcing member dispenser without otherwise affecting the advancing the interior release liner from the interior release liner supply. For example, the designated area of the camber accumulator of the release liner may be operated to accommodate the length of the interior release liner to which five to six reinforcement members are releasably attached. It should be appreciated that the internal liner vault accumulator associated with the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein is longer and narrower than the inner liner accumulators of the known bottle labeling system, to give fitted to the greatest length of the reinforcing members applied to the base vessels. As described above, the sensor 378 of each reinforcing member dispenser 204 is used to determine or verify the location or position of the reinforcing member 42 with respect to the position of the vessel 102. The sensor can be any sensor or appropriate detector, which includes, but not limited to, optical sensors or sensors ultrasonic In operation, the sensor 378 detects the location of the substantially vertical portion of the front or leading edge, 70, of the reinforcing member 42, in order to determine the relative position of the reinforcing member. On the basis of this determined position of reinforcing members and of any other suitable information (such as the speed with which the vessel is moving, the speed with which the reinforcing member is passed through the limb-dispensing member. reinforcement, the length of the reinforcing members and the diameter of the vessel), the processor 412 of the vessel enhancer system determines or calculates when the reinforcing member moves to a position in which the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member is aligned with the tapered side wall of the base cup. As best illustrated in Figure 42B, the sensor 378 is positioned or positioned such that the sensor senses the relative location of each reinforcing member immediately before said reinforcing member is fixed to a base cup. In this embodiment, the positioning of the sensor in such a position provides a greater accuracy in the positioning of the reinforcing member on the base vessel, which provides an adequate coupling between the reinforcing member and the vessel. It should be noted that in a bottle labeling machine, since the labels first come into contact with the bottle on the edge front of the labels, the accuracy in fixing the labels in a specific position of the labels is sacrificed, in order to increase the speed with which the labels are fixed. Therefore, the senspr in the known bottle labeling machines is placed in a substantially upstream position with respect to where the labels are attached to the bottles. On the other hand, in the vessel enhancer system described herein, since the reinforcing members must be fixed to the tapered side wall of the base vessel, not by the leading edge but at a specific position along the centered vertical axis , the sensor is placed adjacent to where the reinforcing member will engage with the base cup to increase the accuracy in fixing the reinforcing member in a specific position. In this embodiment, the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein sacrifices the rate at which vessels can be reinforced in favor of greater accuracy in the proper reinforcement of such vessels and specifically the proper positioning of the proper fixation of the reinforcement to the tapered side walls of the vessels. The release liner spacer, 380, such as a separation plate, of each reinforcing member dispenser, 254, is configured to separate the reinforcing members '42 from the inner release liner, 56.

That is, on the basis of the operation of the reinforcing member 42 with respect to the release liner separator, the reinforcing members will be separated from the release liner (which protects the pressure sensitive adhesive) when the members are advanced. of reinforcement, through the release liner, through the interior release liner separator, 380. It should be noted that since the reinforcing members are toward the base vessels with an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane that corresponds to the angle (also offset with respect to a vertical plane) of the tapered side wall of the base vessel, the separator of the inner release liner, 380, also has an adequate angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane. The inner lining accumulation support, 376, is configured to accumulate and adequately roll the inner release liner once the reinforcing members have been separated from the inner liner. In one embodiment, after the inner release liner has passed the fixation point or the attachment point for the reinforcement member, the inner release liner is advanced, through one more suitable rollers, towards the Lining accumulation support release. In one embodiment, the accumulation support of the inner liner is movably connected or coupled to one or more actuators (or other suitable motion-generating devices controlled by the Vessel Enhancing System processor) which causes the accumulation support of the inner lining, 376, rotate or move in any suitable direction at any suitable speed. In different embodiments, each rolled roll of inner release liner material used is held in a horizontal configuration or in a vertical configuration. As can be seen in Figure 18A, the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein can sequentially utilize a plurality of vessel enhancers, 204a and 204b. In operation, while a first vessel reinforcement dispenser 204a is applying or attaching a plurality of reinforcement members 42 to a plurality of vessels 102, a second vessel reinforcement dispenser 204b is conveniently being prepared. (ie, part of the wrapped inner liner roll is advanced, through the rollers, through the entire vessel reinforcement dispenser) so as to apply or fix reinforcement members. Therefore, when the supply of reinforcing members of the first vessel reinforcement dispenser, 204a, has been exhausted, the second Cup reinforcement dispenser 204b begins to apply or fix a plurality of reinforcement members to a plurality of base cups with minimal delay. As can be seen 'in Figures 41A to 41D, in various alternative embodiments, a plurality of reinforcing member dispensers 204a, 204b and 204c, are operable to sequentially reinforce each vessel 102. In this embodiment, it is applied a first reinforcing member to a base vessel by a first reinforcing member dispenser followed by the application of a second reinforcing member by a second reinforcing member dispenser r. For example, the first reinforcing member dispenser, 0 204a, applies a first reinforcing member to a base beaker at a first point of couplings on the beaker counter and at a second coupling point, located downstream, is applied a second reinforcing member by a second reinforcing member dispenser, 204b or 204c. It should be appreciated in this embodiment, in accordance with the vessel enhancing system disclosed herein, that any suitable amount of reinforcing member dispensers 204 may be implemented. It should be appreciated that to attach a reinforcing member to a base vessel , as described in the foregoing, any suitable configuration of the vessel enhancer system, and specifically any design, may be used. of the vessel-enhancing system as regards one or more reinforcing member dispensers. For example, Figure 4A illustrates the vessel conveyor configuration illustrated in Figures 18A and 18B with three reinforcing member dispensers. Figure 41B illustrates another embodiment in which the vessel separator and the vessel remover each use a single star wheel and the vessels enter the vessel enhancer system and exit from it by extremes opposites. Figure 41C illustrates another embodiment in which the vessel separator uses two star wheels, in the cup counter uses a star wheel, and the glasses enter the vessel enhancer system and leave it, through the same extreme. Figure 41D illustrates another embodiment in which the vessel separator uses a plurality of star wheels, the vessel remover uses a single star wheel, and the vessels enter the vessel enhancer system and exit therefrom through the vessel. different extremes. In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 42A and 43A, a first base or pre-reinforced cup, 102a, moves to a fixing position, and the reinforcing member dispenser, 204, delivers a first member reinforcement, 42a. As can be seen in Figures 42B and 43B, the reinforcing member engages with the tapered side wall of the base cup. As described in the foregoing, the first member of the reinforcement, 42a, engages the tapered side wall of the first base cup, 102a, with an angular displacement with respect to a vertical plane corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the vessel. of base. As illustrated in Figures 43C, once the first member of the reinforcement 42a engages with the first base cup 102a, in one embodiment, the first vessel 102a moves by means of the vessel mover. , 212, downstream towards the attachment point fixing the reinforcing member. In this embodiment, since the first reinforcing member, 42a, is fixed along a centered vertical plane, towards the tapered side wall of the first base cup, 102a, as the vessel moves away from the point of coupling, any remaining portion of the first reinforcing member, 42a, which is fixed to the inner release liner, is separated from the inner release lining, 56. As illustrated in Figures 42C and 42D, after the first vessel 102a and the first reinforcing member, 42a, have moved downstream from the coupling point so as to completely separate the first reinforcing member, 42a, from inner release liner, 56, in a release form, rotates the first base cup, 102a, from 10 to 20 degrees in a first direction, in the clockwise, in order to fix a first, centered portion of the first reinforcing member, 42a, to the vessel. In this embodiment, the rotation of the base vessel causes a portion of the reinforcing member and the vessel to come in contact with a pad for the application of reinforcing members, 390a, such that the tapered sidewall of the vessel presses against, or engage with, the engagement surface with the reinforcement member, 394a, of the application pad, 390a, so as to make the first, centered portion of the first reinforcement member, 42a (which is positioned between the tapered side wall and the reinforcing member application pad, 390a) engage with, and adhere to, the tapered side wall of the first cup 102a. It should be noted that this first rotation of 10 degrees degrees reduces the length of the non-fixed reinforcing member and reduces the possibility that at least one of the edges of the reinforcing member of the first vessel interferes with the attachment of a reinforcing member to a second vessel, subsequently reinforced. In addition, such a first rotation secures the reinforcement member to the base beaker by providing that an area of the reinforcement member greater than the centered vertical axis of the reinforcement member be fixed to the base beaker. In another embodiment, the reinforcing member is fixed to the vessel without a first rotation such of 10 to 20 degrees.

It should also be appreciated that when the reinforcement member is initially attached to the vessel, the. detector edge 70 is: (i) perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the bottom edge of the vessel; e (ii) parallel to the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member. Such a configuration provides an absolute reference point to the vessel enhancer system for determining the location of the reinforcing member. As illustrated in Figures 42D and 43E, in one embodiment, the first rotation of the vessel is followed by a second rotation, in the counterclockwise direction, greater than 180 degrees, to fix a second portion. edge, trailing, first reinforcing member 42a to first beaker 102a. In this embodiment, the rotation of the base cup causes a portion of the reinforcing member 42a and the cup 102a to engage with a reinforcing member application pad 390a so that the tapered sidewall of the cup presses against, or engaging with, the surface that comes in contact with the reinforcement member, 394a, of the application pad, 390a, to make the second edge portion, of drag, of the first reinforcement member, 42a (which is positioned between the tapered side wall and the application pad of the reinforcing member, 390a), engages with, and adheres to, the tapered side wall of the first cup 102a.

As can be seen in Figures 42E and 43F, in one embodiment, the second rotation is followed by a third rotation, in a clockwise direction, greater than 360 degrees to fix a third, trailing edge portion. , of the first reinforcing member, 42a, to the first vessel, 102a. In this embodiment, the rotation of the base vessel causes a portion of the reinforcing member 42a and the cup 102a to engage with an application pad of the reinforcing member. 390b, so that the tapered side wall of the cup presses against, or engages with, the surface 394b that engages the reinforcing member, of the application pad, 390b, to cause the third edge portion, of guide or forward, the first member of the reinforcement 42a (which is positioned between the tapered side wall and the application pad 390a of the reinforcement member) engages, and adheres to, the tapered side wall of the first cup 102a. It should be noted that as described above, the vessel enhancer system described herein is operable to consecutively reinforce a plurality of vessels. As best seen in Figures 42D, 42E, 43E and 43F, once the first vessel 102a and the first member of the reinforcement, 42a, have moved downstream from the coupling point, a second vessel 102b moves. , and a second reinforcing member, 42b, towards a fixing position adequate In another embodiment, one or more pads for the application of reinforcing members are movable and suitably operable to secure, sequentially simultaneously, the remaining free portions of the reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of the vessel. In this embodiment, the vessel is maintained substantially stationary, or stationary, and the pads for securing the member of the bolster rotate or move so as to secure the reinforcing member to the tapered side wall of the vessel. In another embodiment (not shown) the reinforcement member is initially fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel, not along the centered vertical axis of the reinforcing member. In this embodiment, the reinforcing member is applied along an offset vertical axis of the reinforcing member, and the methods described above are suitably modified to compensate for the off-center locking point. In another embodiment (not shown), the reinforcing member is initially fixed to the tapered side wall of the vessel along the leading edge of the reinforcing member. Therefore, it should be appreciated that any suitable method and apparatus operable to point or fix a point or location can be used in the vessel enhancer system disclosed herein. specific on the reinforcement member to a specific point or location on the vessel. In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 44A to 44D, one of the sides of the reinforcing members is not completely or substantially completely covered with an adhesive. In this embodiment, as described above, the vessels are placed on cup holder stations of the vessel mover, 212, and are transported to different areas of the vessel enhancing system. As best seen in Figure 44A, the vessel enhancer system includes a device for applying adhesive, 420. In operation, when a suitable sensor 378a detects the proper position of a vessel 102, the adhesive applicator device, 402 , applies a suitable adhesive directly to the surface of the tapered side walls of the base cup. In one embodiment, the adhesive is applied or sprayed onto the tapered side wall surface of the base vessel in the form of a mist or spray mist. It should be appreciated that the adhesive can be applied by using other suitable processes, such as inverting the base beaker in an adhesive container. In such an embodiment, as best seen in Figure 44B, once the tapered side walls of base cups have been completely covered or substantially complete with an adhesive and a suitable sensor 378b detects the proper position of the vessel, a reinforcing member 42 is fixed to the base vessel. In this embodiment, given that one. of the sides of the reinforcing members is not coated with an adhesive, it is not necessary to store the reinforcing members along an inner release liner, and they can be stored in the form of a stack of reinforcing members 422. therefore, in this embodiment, a suitable device 424 that supports the reinforcing members, delivers the reinforcing members with their adhesive-free back part, one at a time, in order to engage with the tapered side wall of the backing member. the base vessels. The device containing the reinforcing members, 424, includes side walls suitably spaced from each other, 426a and 426b, which support the stack of reinforcing members. The device containing the reinforcing members may be connected or coupled to at least one actuator, such as a motor, a spring-loaded mechanism, or any suitable device generating movement controlled by the processor of the vessel-enhancing system, which makes that the device containing the reinforcing members is moved to a suitable position such that a supported reinforcing member engages with an adhesive-coated vessel. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive is sprayed suitably on an applicator, which applies the adhesive on the side wall of the vessel. In another embodiment, the adhesive is conveniently sprayed onto an applicator, which applies the adhesive to one of the reinforcing member surfaces. As described above, in these alternative embodiments, the reinforcing member is positioned at an angle corresponding to the angle of the tapered side wall of the vessel and therefore the reinforcing member is attached to the vessel of base at an angle that corresponds to the angle of the base vessel wall. Furthermore, as described above, in these alternative embodiments, the stiffening member must initially engage with, or come into contact with, the base beaker along the centered vertical axis of the base beaker. As best illustrated in Figure 44C, after the reinforcing member 42 has been fixed to the tapered side wall of the cup 102 along the centered vertical axis 108 of the reinforcing member, this embodiment of the reinforcing system of cups is operable to cause the remaining unfixed portions of the stiffening member to engage with, and attach to, the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, by using the cup holder station on which the cup resides, the cup rotates 180 degrees in a first direction. TO As the cup is rotating, the tapered side wall of the cup presses against, or engages with, a surface 394 that comes into contact with the reinforcing member, of a pad 390 for the application of reinforcing members, to cause a The first portion or section of the reinforcing member is engaged and fixed, due to the adhesive coating applied to the side wall of the vessel, to the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, the first portion or section includes the portion of the reinforcing member extending from the vertical axis centered toward the trailing edge. As best shown in Figure 44D, in one embodiment, after a rotation of the vessel in a first direction, the vessel is then rotated 360 degrees in a second, opposite direction. As the cup is rotating, the tapered side wall of the cup presses against, or engages with, the surface 394 that engages the reinforcing member, of the pad 390 for the application of reinforcing members, to cause the second portion or section of the reinforcing member engages and attaches to the tapered side wall of the vessel. In one embodiment, the second portion or section includes the portion of the reinforcing member extending from the vertical axis centered toward the leading or leading edge. It should be noted that this embodiment of the The vessel enhancer system is operable to sequentially reinforce a plurality of vessels. For example, a first reinforcing member from the stack of reinforcing members is coupled with a first coated cup with adhesive, followed by a second reinforcing member from the stack of reinforcing members that engages with a second coated cup. adhesive. In another alternative embodiment, the structure of the vessel enhancer system illustrated in Figures 18A and 18B is conveniently inverted. That is, instead of the vessel mover, 212, rotating in a counterclockwise direction, the vessel mover rotates in a clockwise direction. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the individual rotations of each cup holder station should be modified to take account of the change of direction of the vessel mover. In other words, each cupholder station would rotate each individual vessel from 15 to 20 degrees in a first direction, counter-clockwise, followed by a second rotation, clockwise, greater than 180 degrees, and followed by a third rotation in the counterclockwise direction, greater than 360 degrees. It should be noted that the methods and apparatus described in the foregoing may also be used to apply a reinforcing member or in some other way properly wrapping any other container or that receptacle, such as a bowl, a bottle, a cardboard, a plate, a jug, a jug or a pitcher. It should also be appreciated that the methods and apparatuses described in the foregoing may also be used to apply a reinforcing member or to in some other way conveniently wrap a non-plastic foam container, such as a paper container or any other type of container. plastic container. Therefore, in one embodiment, the vessel enhancing system described herein produces a reinforced plastic foam vessel that includes a conical plastic foam body, and a flat reinforcing member fixed around the outer surface of the wall laterally tapered in a superimposed manner. The conical plastic foam body defines an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a tapered side wall extending from the bottom edge to the top edge, the top end including a flange rolled outward, the end above has a larger diameter - than the bottom end, and the tapered side wall has an outer surface and an inner surface. The flat reinforcing member includes a layer of rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive substantially covering the totality of the internal surface of the material layer. Before being fixed around the outer surface of the tapered side wall, the reinforcing member has a first edge, or concave edge, and a second edge, or convex edge, with a gutter of the concave edge aligned in the same plane as a concave edge. apex of the convex edge. The prefixed reinforcing member includes a third edge, or leading edge, and a fourth edge, or detection edge, with the guiding edge and the detection edge extending between the concave and convex edges at one end of the material layer. . The prefixed reinforcing member also includes a second edge, or trailing edge, and a sixth edge, or relief edge of the adhesive, with the trailing edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave and convex edges at an opposite end. of the material layer, the leading edge and the trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, the detection edge and the relief edge of the adhesive extending substantially flat. parallel. After being fixed around the outer surface of the tapered side wall, the concave edge is adjacent to the closed bottom end of the conical plastic foam body, the convex edge is adjacent to the open top end of the conical foam body plastic, the leading edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and the detection edge and the edge of adhesive relief are extended in intersecting planes. In another embodiment, the vessel enhancing system produces a reinforced plastic foam vessel, the reinforced vessel including a plastic foam cup and a reinforcing member fixed around the outer surface of the vessel. the tapered side wall, superimposed. The plastic foam cup includes a bottom wall, and a conical shaped side wall formed integrally in one the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upstream end, the side wall having a interior surface and an interior surface, the bottom wall and the side wall define a cavity, the top end defines an opening for the cavity, the top end has a diameter greater than the bottom end. The plastic foam cup also includes an outwardly extending edge integrally formed together with the top end of the side, and a downwardly extending edge integrally formed together with the side wall and extending down the wall of the side wall. background. The reinforcing member includes a layer of paper material having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer that covers substantially the entire inner surface of the layer of paper material. Before being fixed around the outer surface of the side wall, the member of The reinforcement has a first edge, or concave edge, and a second edge, or convex edge, with a gutter of the concave edge aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge. The prefixed reinforcing member includes a third edge, or leading or guiding edge, and a fourth edge, or detection edge, with the leading edge and the detection edge extending between the concave and convex edges at one end of the layer of material. The prefixed reinforcing material also includes a fifth edge, or trailing edge, and a sixth edge, or relief edge of the adhesive, with the trailing edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave and convex edges at an opposite end. of the material layer, the leading edge and the trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, the detection edge and the relief edge of the adhesive extending in substantially parallel planes. After being fixed around the outer surface of the outer wall, the concave edge is adjacent to a bottom edge of the flange that extends downward, the convex edge is adjacent to the flange extending outward, the leading edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and the detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes. In another embodiment, the system enha of Vessels described herein include a supply roll of reinforcing members for the vessels, which includes an elongated backing strip and a plurality of flat reinforcing members sequentially aligned along the elongated backing strip, each reinforcing member includes a layer of paper material having an inner surface and an outer surface. Each reinforcing member has a first edge, or concave edge, and a second edge, or convex edge, with a gutter of the concave edge aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge. Each reinforcing member has a third edge, or leading or guiding edge, and a fourth edge, or detection edge, with the leading edge and the detection edge extending between the concave and convex edges at one of the ends of the layer. material. Each reinforcing member also has a fifth edge, or trailing edge, and a sixth edge, or relief edge of the adhesive, with the trailing edge and the relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave edge and the convex edge at one end. opposite the material layer, the leading edge and the trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, the detection edge and the relief edge of the adhesive extending in substantially parallel planes. Each reinforcing member is configured in such a way that when the reinforcing member is fixed around an outer surface of a tapered side wall of a conical cup having a bottom end and one end up, with the top end having a diameter greater than the bottom end, the concave edge is adjacent to the bottom end of the conical cup, the convex edge is adjacent to the top end of the conical cup , the leading edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and the detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes. In addition, each of the reinforcement members is fixed to the backing strip by a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that substantially covers the entire inner surface of the paper material layer. It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Said changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and without diminishing its anticipated advantages. Therefore, it is intended that said changes and modifications be encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1.- A reinforced plastic foam vessel, characterized in that it comprises: a conical plastic foam body, having: an open top end including an outwardly rolled flange, a closed bottom end having a lower maximum diameter to the top end; and a tapered wall extending from the bottom end toward the top end, said tapered wall having an outer surface and an inner surface; and a flat reinforcing member fixed around the outer surface of the tapered wall in a superimposed manner, said reinforcing member including a layer of rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive that it substantially covers the entire inner surface of the material layer, wherein before being fixed around the outer surface of the tapered wall, the reinforcing member has: (a) a concave edge, (b) a convex edge , having a gutter of the concave edge aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge, said plane being transverse with respect to the reinforcing member; (c) a guiding or leading edge; (d) a detection edge, said leading edge and detection edge extending between the concave and convex ends at one of the ends of the material layer; (e) a trailing edge, and (f) a relief edge of the adhesive, said trailing edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave and convex edges at an opposite end of the material layer, said edge extending from guided and trailing edge in intersecting planes, said detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending in substantially parallel planes, and in which after being fixed around the outer surface of the tapered wall, the reinforcing member has: (i) the concave edge adjacent the closed bottom end of the conical plastic foam body, (ii) the convex edge adjacent to the open top end of the conical plastic foam body, (iii) the leading edge and the trailing edge are they extend in substantially parallel planes, and (iv) the detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes.
2. The reinforced plastic foam vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes graphics on the reinforcement member.
3. - The reinforced plastic foam cup according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes graphics printed on the outer surface of the layer of rigid material.
4. - The reinforced plastic foam vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that the relief edge of the adhesive and the detection edge have approximately the same height.
5. - A glass of reinforced plastic foam, characterized in that it comprises: a plastic foam cup having: a bottom wall, a conical shaped side wall integrally formed at one end with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end, said side wall having an inner surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and said side wall defining a cavity, said upper end defining an opening for the cavity, having the upper end a diameter greater than the bottom end, a flange extending out integrally formed together with the top end of the side; a flange extending downwards integrally formed together with the side wall and extending through below the bottom wall, a reinforcing member fixed around the outer surface of the tapered wall in an overlapping manner, said reinforcing member including a layer of paper material having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive that substantially covers the entire inner surface of the paper material layer, wherein before being fixed around the external surface of the side wall, the reinforcing member has: (a) a concave edge , (b) a convex edge, in which a gutter of the convex edge is aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge, said transverse plane being relative to the reinforcement member; (c) a leading or guiding edge; (d) a detection edge, said leading edge and detection edge extending between the concave and convex ends at one of the ends of the material layer; (e) a trailing edge, and (f) a relief edge of the adhesive, said trailing edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave and convex edges at an opposite end of the material layer, said leading edge extending. and trailing edge in intersecting planes, said edge extending detector and said relief edge of the adhesive in substantially parallel planes, and in which, after having been fixed around the outer surface of the side wall, the reinforcing member has: (i) the concave edge adjacent to an edge of bottom of the flange extending downward, (ii) the convex edge adjacent to the outwardly extending flange, (ii) the leading edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and (iv) the detection edge. and the relief edge of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes.
6. - The reinforced plastic foam vessel according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes graphics on the reinforcing member.
7. - The reinforced plastic foam cup according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes graphics printed on the external surface of the layer of rigid material.
8. - The reinforcing plastic foam vessel according to claim 5, characterized in that the relief edge of the adhesive and the detection edge have approximately the same height.
9.- A roll of supply of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups, characterized in that it comprises: an elongated back-release inner liner, wound on a roll; and a plurality of flat reinforcing members sequentially aligned along the length of the elongated backing release liner, each stiffening member including a layer of paper material having an inner surface and an outer surface, each reinforcing member having: (a) ) a concave edge, (b) a convex edge, in which a gutter of the concave edge is aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge, said plane being transverse with respect to the reinforcement member, (c) an edge of guided or forward; (d) a detection edge, said leading edge and detection edge extending between the concave and convex edges of one of the ends of the material layer, (e) a trailing edge, and (f) a relief edge of the trailing edge. adhesive, said trailing edge and adhesive relief edge extending between the concave edge and the convex edge at an opposite end of the material layer, said guiding edge and trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, said detection edge extending and relief edge of the adhesive on planes substantially parallel, each reinforcing member being configured such that when the reinforcing member is fixed around an external surface of a side wall of a conical vase having a bottom end and an upper end, having the top end a larger diameter that is larger than the diameter of the bottom end, (i) the concave edge is adjacent to the bottom edge of the conical beaker, (ii) the convex edge is adjacent to the top end of the conical beaker, (iii) the the leading edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and (iv) the detection edge and the relief edge of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes, each of said reinforcing members being secured to the inner back-release liner. by a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that substantially covers the entire inner surface of the layer of paper material.
10. The supply roll of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups according to claim 9, characterized in that the elongate back-release inner lining is wound around a central cylindrical tube.
11. - The supply roll of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups according to claim 9, characterized in that the elongate back-release inner lining is a craft paper of approximately 40 pounds.
12. - The supply roll of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups according to claim 9, characterized in that it includes graphics on the reinforcing member.
13. - The supply roll of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups according to claim 9, characterized in that it includes graphics printed on the external surface of the layer of rigid material.
14. - The supply roll of reinforcing members for plastic foam cups according to claim 9, characterized in that the relief edge of the adhesive and the detection edge have approximately the same height.
15. - An apparatus for reinforcing plastic foam cups, for applying a reinforcing member to a plastic foam cup having a tapered side wall, characterized in that it comprises: a vessel conveyor, which includes: (a) a cup dispenser , which includes: (i) a vessel dispenser frame; (ii) at least one displaced guidance member, independent, supported by the vessel dispenser frame; and (iii) at least one set of vertically disposed, threaded, threaded cup dispenser screws supported by the vessel dispenser frame, each guide member being aligned with one of the sets of cup dispenser screws; (b) a vessel feeder, including: (i) a vessel feeder frame; (ii) at least one conveyor belt supported, so as to be able to move, by the vessel feeder frame, said conveyor belt defining a plurality of openings; (iii) an actuator for a conveyor belt, movably coupled to each conveyor belt; (iv) a vacuum chamber, supported by the vessel feeder frame, said vacuum chamber in fluid communication with a vacuum source, and (v) vessel feeder guide rails, opposite and separated from each other, supported by the frame of the vessel feeder, said guide rails extending from the vessel feeder in intersecting planes, said guide rails of the vessel feeder being angularly offset with respect to a vertical plane so as to correspond to an angle of the wall tapered lateral of the vessel; (c) a vessel separator; (d) a vessel mover; and (e) a vessel remover; a reinforcing member dispenser and applicator; and at least one processor that at least controls the vessel dispenser, the vessel feeder, the vessel separator, the vessel movement, the vessel remover and the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator.
16. The plastic foam cup enhancer apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the cup dispenser includes a plurality of independent, displaced guiding members supported by the vessel dispenser frame and a plurality of sets of screws. dispensers of glasses.
17. The plastic foam cup enhancer apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the cup dispenser includes a plurality of conveyor belts supported, so as to be able to move, by the vessel feeder frame, in which the at least one of said conveyor belts defines a plurality of openings.
18. A device for reinforcing plastic foam cups to apply a reinforcing member to a plastic foam cup having a tapered side wall, characterized in that it comprises: a vessel transporter, which includes: (a) a vessel dispenser; (b) an aliraentador of glasses; (c) a vessel separator; (d) a vessel mover, which includes: (i) a vessel mover frame; (ii) a rotary table supported by the frame of the vessel mover; (iii) an actuator of the turntable, movably coupled to the rotary table; (iv) a plurality of cup holder stations positioned around a periphery of the turntable, wherein each cup holder station includes a base and a centering bell pressed by spring; wherein each base includes: (1) a first wall, arranged horizontally, configured to come into contact with the rim of the vessel face down; (2) a second wall, vertically disposed, connected to the first wall, said second wall configured to contact a top portion of an internal surface of the vessel face down; and (3) a third wall, chamfered, connected to the second wall; wherein each centering bell includes: (1) a first wall, adapted to come into contact with a bottom flange of the vessel face down; (2) a second tapered wall adapted to contact a bottom portion of a tapered outer arterial wall of the upside-down vessel; (3) a third wall, adapted to come into contact with a bottom portion of an external bottom wall of the upside-down vessel; Y. (4) a fourth wall, adapted to come into contact with a centered raised portion of the external bottom wall of the upside down vessel; and (v) each cup holder station being coupled to a cup holder station actuator; and (e) a vessel remover; a reinforcing member dispenser and applicator; and at least one processor that at least controls the vessel dispenser, the vessel feeder, the vessel separator, the vessel mover, the vessel remover and the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator.
19. A device for reinforcing plastic foam cups, for applying a reinforcement member to a plastic foam cup having a tapered side wall, characterized in that it comprises: a vessel conveyor, which includes: (a) .- a vessel dispenser; (b) .- a vessel feeder; (c) .- a vessel separator; (d) .- a vessel mover; and (e) .- a vessel remover; a reinforcing member dispenser and applicator, which includes: (a) .- a frame of the reinforcing member dispenser, said frame including an adjustable height base; (b) .- at least one portarollo supplying reinforcement members, supported by the base; (c) .- at least one feed roller supported by the base; (d) .- an actuator of the feed roller, connected in a mobile manner to said feed roller; (e) .- a plurality of guide rollers, capable of rotating, supported by the base; (f) .- a cutter of the inner release liner, supported by the base; (g). ~ a rope accumulator, supported by the base; (h) .- at least one optical sensor supported by the base, said sensor positioned to detect the exact location of each reinforcing member immediately before an application of said reinforcing member to the vessel; (i) - an interior liner cutter release and a support for the accumulation of the inner release liner, supported by the base; and (j) - said base being positioned adjacent to the vessel mover, such that the reinforcing member applied to the tapered side wall of the foam vessel is applied along a vertical central axis of the reinforcing member; and at least one processor that at least controls the vessel dispenser, the vessel feeder, the vessel mover, the vessel remover and the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator.
20. - The plastic foam cup enhancer apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator includes a plurality of supply roller supports for reinforcing members supported by the base.
21. - The plastic foam cup enhancer apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator includes a plurality of feed rollers supported by the base.
22. - The plastic foam cup enhancer apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the reinforcing member dispenser and applicator includes a plurality of optical sensors supported by the base.
23.- A method for the manufacture of a foam cup reinforced plastic, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a plastic foam cup having: (i) a bottom end, (ii) a conical shaped side wall formed integrally at one of the ends together with the bottom wall and which is understood from the bottom wall towards an upper end, (iii) said side wall having an internal surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, (iv) said end terminating a opening for the cavity, (v) said top end having a diameter greater than the bottom end; (vi) an outwardly extending flange, integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (vii) a downwardly extending flange, integrally formed together with the side wall and extending below the side wall. side wall; (b) positioning the beaker in a top-down position so that the top end of the beaker resides below the bottom end of the beaker; (c) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to a vertical plane corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a central axis extending through a central point of both a concave top edge and a convex bottom edge of the member of reinforcement, (ii) said center point being defined by a gutter of the upper edge concave and by a convex apex of the bottom edge; (iü) an internal surface, (iv) an external surface, and (v) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that substantially covers the entire inner surface; (d) moving the vessel and the reinforcing member to a fixing position; (e) in the fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along, or substantially along, said vertical central axis, the upper edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the bottom end of the cup, with the bottom edge of the stiffening member substantially aligned with the top end of the cup, and the stiffening member engaging with the side wall at an angle corresponding to the angle of the side wall of the cup. plastic foam; (f) rotating the vessel and the attached reinforcing member to a first position for the purpose of fixing a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said driving portion including an area of the reinforcing member from the shaft vertical central geometry towards a trailing edge of the reinforcing member; and (g) rotating the vessel and the attached reinforcing member in a second, opposite direction, for securing a leading or guiding portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said leading or guiding portion including an area of reinforcing member from the vertical central geometric axis towards a leading or leading edge of the reinforcing member.
24. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 23, characterized in that the first direction is in the opposite direction to the clockwise and said second direction is in the sense of clockwise .
25. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 23, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
26. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 23, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a roll of supply.
27.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 23, characterized in that it includes providing the vessel from a vessel stack.
28.- A method for manufacturing a reinforced plastic foam vessel, characterized in that (a) provide a plastic foam cup having: (i) a bottom end, (ii) a conical shaped side wall integrally formed at one end together with the bottom wall and extending from the wall bottom towards an upper end, (iii) said side wall having an internal surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, (iv) said top end defining an opening for the cavity, (v) said top end having a diameter greater than that of the bottom end, (vi) an outwardly extending flange, integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (vii) a flange that is extends h downwards, formed together with the side wall and extending below the bottom wall; (b) positioning the beaker in a top-down position so that the top end of the beaker resides below the bottom end of the beaker; (c) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to the vertical plane and corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a concave upper edge; (ii) a convex bottom edge; (ii) a central geometric axis extending through the central point of both the concave-shaped top edge and the convex-shaped bottom edge, said central point being defined by a concave-shaped upper edge gutter and the apex of the convex bottom edge; (iv) an internal surface; (v) an external surface; (vi) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that covers substantially the entire inner surface, (vii) a guiding edge, and (viii) a sensing edge extending vertically or in a substantially vertical direction, said guiding edge and detection edge extending between the concave shaped edge and the convex shaped edge at one end of the material layer; (d) moving the vessel and the reinforcing member towards a fixing position simultaneously, partly by detection of the detection edge of the reinforcing member; (e) in the fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along, or substantially along, said vertical central axis, the upper edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the bottom end of the cup, the bottom edge of the stiffening member being substantially aligned with the top end of the cup, and the stiffening member engaging with the side wall at an angle corresponding to the angle of the side wall of the cup. plastic foam; (f) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto in a first direction for the purpose of fixing a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said driving portion including an area of the reinforcing member from the vertical central geometric axis towards a trailing edge of the reinforcing member; and (g) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a second, opposite direction, to fix a guiding portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said guiding portion including a member area. of reinforcement from the vertical central geometric axis towards a guiding edge of the reinforcing member.
29. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that the first direction is counterclockwise and said second direction is in the clockwise direction.
30. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that it includes detecting the detection edge of the reinforcing member immediately before applying said reinforcing member to the vessel.
31. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
32.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a supply roll.
33. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that it includes supplying the cup from a stack of cups.
34. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 28, characterized in that it includes optically detecting the detection edge of the reinforcing member.
35. - A method for the manufacture of a reinforced plastic foam cup, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a plastic foam cup, having: (i) a bottom end, (ii) a side wall, conical in shape, formed integrally at one of the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end; (iii) said side wall having an internal surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, (iv) said top end defining an opening for the cavity, (v) said top end having a diameter greater than that of the bottom end, (vi) an outwardly extending flange, integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (vii) a downwardly extending flange formed together with the side wall and that extends below the bottom wall; (b) discouraging the vessel from the plurality of nested vessels; (c) delivering the tumbled vessel onto a vessel conveyor in a top-to-bottom position, with the top end of the vessel residing below the bottom end of the vessel, said dispenser providing a negative pressure on and above the vessel conveyor so that the vessel does not tip over; (d) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to the vertical plane and corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a central axis extending through a point central both of a concave-shaped top edge and of a convex-shaped bottom edge, of the reinforcing member, (ii) said center point being defined by a concave-shaped upper edge gutter and an apex of the edge convex shaped bottom; (iü) an internal surface, (iv) an external surface, and (v) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, which substantially covers the entire inner surface; (e) moving the vessel and the reinforcing member to a fixing position; (f) in a fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along, or substantially along, said vertical central axis, the upper edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the bottom end of the cup, the bottom edge of the stiffening member being substantially aligned with the top end of the cup, and the stiffening member engaging with the side wall at an angle corresponding to the angle of the sidewall of the plastic foam cup; (g) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a first direction for the purpose of fixing a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said driving portion including an area of the reinforcing member from the vertical central geometric axis to a trailing edge of the reinforcement member; and (h) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a second, opposite direction, to fix a guiding portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said guiding portion including a member area. of reinforcement from the vertical central geometric axis towards a guiding edge of the reinforcing member.
36. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that the first direction is counter-clockwise and said second direction is clockwise.
37. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that the provision of the negative pressure in and above the Vessel transporter includes causing air to flow from above the vessel conveyor through the vessel conveyor and into a vacuum source.
38. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
39. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one detection edge.
40. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a supply roll.
41. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 35, characterized in that it includes supplying the vessel from a vessel stack.
42. - A method for the manufacture of a reinforced plastic foam cup, characterized in that: (a) providing a plastic foam cup, having: (i) one for lateral at a bottom end of the vessel, said wall having bottom an internal surface and an external surface, (ü) a side wall, conical shaped, formed integrally at one of the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end, said side wall having an upper edge and a bottom edge, said side wall having an inner surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, said inner surface of the side wall including a chamfered section extending from the bottom edge towards the bottom wall, (iii) said top end defining an opening for the cavity, (iv) said top end having a diameter greater than the bottom end, (v) an outwardly extending flange, integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (vi) a flange extending downwardly formed together with the side wall and extending below the bottom wall; (b) positioning the beaker in a top-down position so that the top end of the beaker resides below the bottom end of the beaker; (c) holding the cup in an up-and-down position by the simultaneous coupling of: (i) the top edge of the side wall, (ii) the inner surface of the side wall adjacent to the top edge, (iii) the outer surface of the side wall adjacent to the bottom end, (iv) the bottom edge of the side wall, (v) the chamfered section of the side wall adjacent to the bottom end, and (vi) the external surface of the bottom wall, (d) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to the vertical plane and corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the wall. vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a central axis extending through a central point of both a concave-shaped top edge and a convex-shaped bottom edge of the reinforcement member (ii) ) said central point being defined by a concave-shaped upper edge gutter and by a convex apex of the bottom edge, (iii) an inner surface, (iv) an outer surface, and (v) a layer of adhesive sensitive to the pressure that covers substantially the whole of the inner surface, (e) moving the vessel, maintained in the up-down position, and the reinforcing member, to a fixing position; (f) in the fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along, or substantially along, said vertical central axis, the upper edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the bottom end of the cup, the bottom edge of the stiffening member being substantially aligned with the top end of the cup, and the stiffening member engaging with the side wall at the angle corresponding to the angle of the side wall of the cup. plastic foam; (g) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a first direction for the purpose of fixing a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said driving portion including an area of the reinforcing member from the vertical central geometric axis to a trailing edge of the reinforcing member; and (h) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a second, opposite direction, to fix a guiding portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said guiding portion including a member area. of reinforcement from the vertical central geometric axis towards a guiding edge of the reinforcing member.
43.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 42, characterized in that the first direction is against the movement of the clockwise and said second direction is clockwise.
44.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 42, characterized in that it includes coupling the external surface of the side wall adjacent to the bottom edge, the bottom edge of the side wall, the chamfered section of the side wall adjacent to the bottom end, and the external surface of the bottom wall under pressure.
45.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 42, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
46.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 42, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a supply roll.
47. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 42, characterized in that it includes supplying the cup from a stack of cups.
48. A method for manufacturing a reinforced plastic foam cup, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a plastic foam cup that it has; (i) a bottom end, (ü) a conical shaped side wall integrally in one the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end; (iii) said side wall having an internal surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity; (iv) said top end defining an opening for the cavity; (v) said top end having a diameter larger than the bottom end; (vi) an outwardly extending flange integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (vii) a downwardly extending flange integrally formed together with the side wall and extending below the side wall. the background wall; (b) positioning the cup in an up-down position such that the top end of the cup resides below the bottom end of the cup; (c) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to a vertical plane and corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a central axis extending through from a central point of both a concave top edge as a convex-shaped bottom edge, of the reinforcing member, (ii) said center point being defined by a concave-shaped upper edge gutter and by a convex apex of the bottom edge, (iii) a surface internal, (iv) an external surface, and (v) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, which substantially covers the entire inner surface; (d) moving the vessel and the reinforcing member to a fixing position; (e) in the fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along, or substantially along, said vertical central axis, with the top edge of the reinforcement member substantially aligned with the end bottom of the vessel, the bottom edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the top end of the vessel, and the reinforcing member engaging with the side wall at an angle corresponding to the angle of the side wall of the foam vessel plastic; (f) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a counterclockwise direction in order to fix a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, including said vessel. dragging portion an area of the reinforcing member extending from the vertical central axis toward a dragging edge of the reinforcing member; and (g) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in a counterclockwise direction in order to fix a guiding portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel.said guiding portion including an area of the reinforcing member extending from the vertical central axis toward a guiding edge of the reinforcing member.
49.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 48, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
50.- The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 48, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a supply roll.
51. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 48, characterized in that it includes supplying the vessel from a vessel stack.
52. - A method for manufacturing a reinforced plastic foam cup, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a plastic foam cup having: (i) a bottom end, (ii) a conical shaped side wall integrally formed in one the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end; (ii) said side wall having an internal surface and an external surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, (iv) said top end defining an opening for the cavity, (v) said top end having a diameter larger than the bottom end; (vi) a flange, extending outwardly, integrally formed together with the top end of the side wall, and (viii) a flange, extending downward, integrally formed together with the side wall and extending below from the bottom wall; (b) positioning the cup in an up-down position in such a way that the top end of the cup resides below the bottom end of the cup; (c) positioning a reinforcing member at an acute angle with respect to a vertical plane and corresponding to an angle of the side wall of the vessel, said reinforcing member having: (i) a vertical central axis extending to through a central point of both a concave top edge and a convex bottom edge of the reinforcement member; (ii) said central point being defined by a gutter of the upper edge concave and by a convex apex of the bottom edge; (iii) an internal surface; (iv) an external surface; and (v) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that covers substantially the entire inner surface: (d) moving the vessel and the reinforcing member to a fixing position; (e) in the fixing position, fixing the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel along or substantially along said vertical central axis, the upper edge of the reinforcing member being substantially aligned with the end of the vessel. bottom of the beaker, the bottom edge of the reinforcement member being substantially aligned with the top end of the beaker, and the reinforcement member engages the side wall at the angle corresponding to the angle of the side wall of the plastic foam beaker; (f) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in the first direction for the purpose of securing a portion, but not all, of a guide portion of the limb member. reinforcement to the side wall of the vessel, said guiding portion including an area of the reinforcing member extending from the vertical central axis toward a guiding edge of the reinforcing member; (g) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto in a second, opposite direction, for the purpose of fixing a driving portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel, said driving portion including a member area. of reinforcement extending from the vertical central geometric axis to a trailing edge of the reinforcing member; and (h) rotating the vessel and the reinforcing member fixed thereto, in the first direction, for the purpose of securing an additional portion of the remaining guide portion of the reinforcing member to the side wall of the vessel.
53. - The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 52, characterized in that the first direction is in the counterclockwise direction and said second direction is in the clockwise direction.
54. - The method for manufacturing a plastic foam cup according to claim 52, characterized in that the reinforcing member includes at least one edge for the release of the adhesive.
55.- The method for the manufacture of a foam cup plastic according to claim 52, characterized in that it includes providing the reinforcing member from a supply roll.
56. - The method for the manufacture of a plastic foam cup according to claim 52, characterized in that it includes supplying the cup from a stack of cups.
57. - A method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a conical plastic foam body, having: (i) an open top end including a rolled flange; (ii) a closed bottom end having a larger diameter lower than that of the open end; and (iii) a tapered wall extending from the bottom end toward the top end, said tapered wall having an outer surface and an inner surface; and (b) providing a flat reinforcement member, having: (i) a layer of rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface; (ii) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, which substantially covers the entire inner area of the material layer; (iii) a concave edge, (iv) a convex edge, in which an edge gutter The concave is aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge, (v) a guiding edge, said plane being transverse to the reinforcing member, (vi) a detection edge, said guiding edge and detection edge extending between Concave and convex edges at one end of the material layer, (vii) a trailing edge, and (viii) an edge for relief of the adhesive, said trailing edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending between the concave edges. and convex at an opposite end of the material layer, said guiding edge and trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, said detection edge and relief edge of the adhesive extending in substantially parallel planes; and (c) fixing the outer surface of the tapered wall superposed about the tapered wall such that: (i) the concave edge is adjacent the closed bottom end of the conical plastic foam body. (ii) the convex edge is adjacent to the open top end of the conical plastic foam body, (iii) the guiding edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and (iv) the detection edge and the edge for the relief of adhesive extend in intersecting planes.
58.- The method for reinforcing a plastic foam vessel according to claim 57, characterized in that it includes graphics on the reinforcing member.
59.- The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 57, characterized in that it includes graphics printed on the external surface of the layer of rigid material.
60. - The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 57, characterized in that the edge for relief of the adhesive and the detection edge have approximately the same height.
61. - A method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup, characterized in that it comprises: (a) providing a plastic foam cup that: (i) a bottom wall, (ii) a conically shaped side wall integrally formed in one of the ends together with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall towards an upper end, said side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, said end differing from above an opening for the cavity, the top end having a diameter larger than the bottom end, (iii) an edge extending outward, formed integrally together with the upper end of the side, and (iv) a downwardly extending edge, integrally formed together with the side wall and extending below the bottom wall, (b) providing a reinforcing member that includes (i) a layer of paper material having an inner surface and an outer surface, (ii) a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that covers substantially the entire inner surface of the layer of paper material, (iii) a concave edge, (iv) a convex edge, wherein a gutter of the convex edge is aligned in the same plane as an apex of the convex edge, said plane being transverse with respect to the reinforcement member, (v) a guiding edge, (vi) a detection edge, said guiding edge and detection edge extending between the concave and convex edges at one end of the material layer, (vii) a trailing edge, and (viii) an edge for the adhesive relief, extending d said trailing edge and edge for relief of the adhesive between the concave and convex edges at an opposite end of the layer of material, said guiding edge and trailing edge extending in intersecting planes, extending said edge of detection and edge for relief of the adhesive in substantially parallel planes, (c) fixing said reinforcing member around the outer surface of the side wall in an overlapping manner, such that: (i) the concave edge is find adjacent to a flange bottom edge that extends downward; (ii) the convex edge is adjacent to the outwardly extending flange; (iii) the guiding edge and the trailing edge extend in substantially parallel planes, and (iv) the detection edge and the edge for relief of the adhesive extend in intersecting planes.
62. - The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 61, characterized in that it includes graphics on the reinforcing member.
63. - The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 61, characterized in that it includes graphics printed on the external surface of the layer of rigid material.
64. - The method for reinforcing a plastic foam cup according to claim 61, characterized in that the relief edge of the adhesive and the detection edge have approximately the same height.