Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING OBJECTS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention provides a method of distributing and preparing for
application, parts for opening devices, each opening device part comprising a
pouring part and a closing part, extruded in one piece and in open position,
the
parts are manufactured in rows and are intended to be applied individually on
a
packaging container.
to
BACKGROUND ART
Within the packaging industry, relating in particular to packages for liquid
foods such as milk and juice, it is a normal occurrence that an opening device
is
is applied on the outside of the packaging container in order to facilitate
the
consumer's access to the enclosed content. These opening device parts are
applied to the outside of the package in an applicator. This applicator most
generally operates in such a manner that the objects must be oriented in a
given
way. In order to facilitate this operation, the objects should, in some way,
be held
2o together so that they are oriented in the same way. Furthermore, it should
not be
possible for the objects to catch in another or lie against one another so
that they
run the risk of becoming deformed. Such an opening device part which is
applied
may, for example, consist of an outer pouring and closing device for the
package.
2s OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems
associated with conventional methods of distributing parts.
3o Another object of the present invention is to devise a method of
distributing relatively small parts intended to be applied on a package
container
so that the parts are brought, or marshalled, together into a web or a sheet
form,
which facilitates handling and permits the applicator to be run at higher
speed.
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A further object of the present invention is, by an automatic, continuous
process, to unite the individual parts together in a simple and economical
manner.
s SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects have been attained according to the present
invention in that the method of the type described by way of introduction has
been given the characterizing features that the parts connected in rows; are
io positioned and closed in that said pouring part is closed by a snap-in
closure to
the closing part, that either the pouring part or the closing part on two or
more of
the parts in a row, are provided with the projection and that a number of
similarly
prepared rows are joined into a web or a sheet in that the projections on one
row
is welded together with the corresponding opening device parts on a
Is neighbouring row.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method
of distributing and preparing opening devices to be applied to packaging
containers, the method comprising extruding opening devices which are in an
20 open position and connected to one another to form rows of opening devices,
each of the opening devices comprising a pouring part and a closure part,
closing
the opening devices so that the closure parts are in a closed position over
the
pouring parts, positioning at least two cows of the opening devices adjacent
one
another, and joining at least some of the opening devices in the at least two
rows
Zs to form a web of opening devices.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method of distributing and preparing opening devices to be applied to
packaging
containers, the method comprising extruding at least two rows of opening
devices
3o with each row having an orientation, each of the rows comprising a
plurality of
opening devices connected together, the opening devices each including a
pouring part and a closure part connected to the pouring part by a connecting
means, reversing the orientation of one of the at least two rows of opening
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io
devices with each row having an orientation; each of the rows comprising a
plurality of opening devices connected together, the opening devices each
including a pouring part and a closure part connected to the pouring part by a
connecting means, reversing the orientation of one of the at least two rows of
opening devices, closing the opening devices by folding each of the opening
devices along the connecting means, positioning the at least two rows of the
opening devices adjacent one another, joining the at least two rows of the
opening devices by welding to form a sheet of opening devices, and
placing the sheet of opening devices in a holding device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described
in greater detail hereinbelow, with particular reference to the accompanying
is Drawings, in which
Fig.1 shows a row of opening device parts;
Figs. 2 A-G show how the parts are marshalled together in a suitable
distribution unit; and
Fig. 3 shows how the parts are welded together to web or sheet form.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Those opening device parts which are intended to be distributed
according to the present invention consist of a pouring part 2 and a closing
part 3
2s manufactured in one piece, which is to be applied on the outside of a
packaging
container. Such a packaging container can be constituted by a parallelepipedic
package consisting of a laminate with an outside of a thermoplastic layer.
This
parallelepipedic package is provided with an aperture which is covered by a so
called pull-tab, and the opening device part 1 is intended to be applied
around
3o and over the pull-tab.
Fig. 1 shows a number of parts 1, as they appear when they have been
extruded. The parts 1 are manufactured from plastic material. In this phase,
the
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opening device part 1 is open. The pouring part 2 is intended to be fixed
against
the outside of the packaging container, and the closing part 3 is passed over
the
pouring part 2. The pouring part 2 and closing part 3 of an opening device
part 1
are united by the intermediary of a hinge piece 4. When the parts 1 are
s extruded, they are united in a row comprising an X number of opening device
parts 1.
On two or more of the closing parts 3 of the opening device part 1, there are
small
projections 5 projecting outside the edge, these projections being intended to
be used for
the uniting of a number of rows into a web form. In Fig. 1, and in the
preferred
io embodiment, the two outem~ost opening device parts 1 on each side are
provided with
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projections 5, this in order to impart greater stability to the web.
Alternatively the
projections 5 are provided to the pouring part 2 of the opening device part 1.
The parts 1 can be applied on the packaging container in the appearance as
shown in Fig. 1, but they can also be closed, in that the closing part 3 is
brought
together with the pouring part 2 by the whole opening device part 1 being
folded over in
its hinge piece 4, and closed by means of a snap-in closure.
Figs. A-G show the process for obtaining a suitable distribution unit for the
above described parts i. When the parts 1 depart from the extruder 6, they
arrive in a
number of rows X. Since the extruder 6 is symmetrically designed and
constructed, the
rows are mirror-reversed in relation to one another, two-by-two. In order to
marshal
together the objects 1 to web form, every other row must, therefore, be
positioned (Fig.
2 B) in that, for example, every other row is lifted by suction cups and
rotated through
180°.
In the preferred embodiment, the parts 1 are intended-to be applied in the
closed
state, for which reason the closing part 3 must be brought together with the
pouring
part 2, as shown in Fig. 2 C. Further, the now closed part 1 are marshalled
together in
a line in sequence after one another as shown in Fig. 2 D.
The rows of parts 1 x are retained in a fixture device and are fused or welded
together with the subsequent row at the projections 5 with which two or more
of the
opening device parts 1 are provided.
Given that this process is continuous and automatic, the opening device parts
1
will thus be marshalled together to a web or a sheet form. This can possibly
be fed
directly to an applicator machine, but since manufacture of the parts 1 most
generally
does not coincide with application of the objects 1 themselves, it is
appropriate to sever
the web form into suitable pieces y, a sheet, which can be packed in a box or
crate to a
suitable height z. This is illustrated in Figs. 2 F-G.
Fg. 3 shows the welding operation, which is suitably carried out by means of
an
ultrasonic horn 7 since, by such means, a directed welding will be obtained of
the small
surfaces which are contemplated here. Another method of bringing together the
projections 5 with the immediately subsequent row can be by heating the
projections 5
on one row and the opening device parts 1 on the subsequent row to the melting
temperature. The projections 5 are placed so that they rest against the hinge
piece 4
on the subsequent row and should suitably be so small that they do not
obstruct the
function of the opening device part 1, nor do they affect its appearance. At
the same
time, they constitute such slight material quantity that the cost increase
will be
negligible.
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the projections 5 have a minor indication of
fracture 6
where they are secured in their opening device part 1 and, when the web or
sheet parts
1 are fed to the applicator, the parts 1 are severed from one another partly
on the x-
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axis and partly on the y-axis into individual parts 1 which are taken charge
of by the
applicator and secured to the outside of the package using a hot-melt process,
or
alternatively by heating of the opening device part 1 or the outer
thermoplastic layer of
the package, respectively.
As will have been apparent from the foregoing description, the present
invention
realises a method of distributing separate parts intended to be applied on a
packaging
container so that the parts are easy to handle and cannot be deformed in the
event of
unsuitable storage. The method also makes it possible for the applicator to
operate with
continuous and even advancement of the parts which are correctly oriented,
and, as a
result the applicator may be run at higher speed.
The present invention should not be considered as restricted to that described
above and shown on the Drawings, many modifications being conceivable without
departing from the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.
