HK1023537B - Process for making a multi-compartment packaging tube - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a multi-chamber packing chamber according to the general concept of claim 1.

Multi-chamber packaging chambers are tubes with at least one contained partition to contain packaging items which must be kept separate until they are removed, e.g. components of a consumer product which are not to be brought together until they are in use.

The difference between the two processes is that in the assembly process tubes with partitions are assembled from individual parts, whereas in the forming process tubes with partitions or heads with partitions (i.e. always at least two tube components) are formed in one process and then joined, e.g. tube and partition with head or head and partition with tube.

A known assembly method is that of attaching a prefabricated tube to a prefabricated tube head of equal size. A crease-shaped, longitudinally and transversely spring-fed partition is then inserted into the tube. The partition, i.e. one of its transverse sides, is connected to the tube head by adhesive while the other side is joined to the tube closure joint. The transverse and/or longitudinally acting spring forces of the separator forces the separators with their longitudinal sides against the inside of the tube and, unless a lattice on the inside of the tube head is provided, between the tube and the tube closure joint.

This method involves mounting the partition into a prefabricated tube, a process which is difficult to automate, and special means are provided for connecting the partition with the closing seam after filling the chambers (US PS 3.877.520 to Dukess).

The installation process is known to be a further installation process whereby a partition is inserted into a prefabricated tube and is tensioned against the inner surface of the tube by means of flaps along its lengths. To form the flaps, the partition is spaced away from its longitudinal edges, which act as hinges for the flaps. The tension is achieved by using the storage (memory) of the plastic or plastics to move the flaps towards the inner surface of the tube. This method has the disadvantage that the tension is introduced into the tube by curved flaps, which leads to a complication of the assembly, which is accelerated by the functional method of transferring the T-module (US 5.298.62 Inc).

A well-known forming process is characterized by the fact that a head is first formed with a partition and then the head thus formed is connected to a tube.

Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 573 (char 572)

The basic operation of both processes, namely the formation of a tube by moulding (press moulding, injection moulding) or the attachment (finishing head) of a tube head to a tube, has been developed to a high technical standard, ensuring a high output of tubes per unit time. This output is significantly reduced by the steps of the assembly and moulding process, which is due to the large separation of the latter from the basic operation, i.e. the production of tubes from a tube head and tube.

A further known forming process involving a matrix and a spindle, in which the spindle is loaded either with a pipe pre-mounted with a partition wall or individually with a pipe and a partition wall, leaves the forming of the partition wall in the head to the process of headforming by injection moulding and melts the partition wall in the pipe to the partition wall in the head.

In this context, the purpose of the invention is to create a method for the manufacture of multi-chamber tubes which avoids the disadvantages of the assembly and forming process and this is achieved by means of a method having the characteristics of claim 1.

The invention is based on a step common to the above-mentioned tube-making process - loading a dome with a tube tube - to supplement or precede the loading of a spine with a prefabricated partition. Loading with a partition can be done much faster than in the assembly process, introducing a partition into a tube or in the forming process, connecting a prefabricated tube with, for example, a partition of the tube into the head continuously formed, which makes the invention-based process very close to the in-chamber process in terms of its delivery to multi-chamber tubes per unit time, so that the invention of the multi-chamber process is economically comparable to the production of a multi-chamber tube.

The method of the present invention is practicable as long as a matrix and a spindle are the technical means of carrying out the process. In the headforming process, the matrix and spindle act as a headforming form by injecting liquid plastic into the latter under pressure (injection moulding) or by forming a certain quantity of plasticized plastic into a head under pressure development by the spindle (press moulding). Since the spindle in both cases carries the tube tube and, after the invention, the partition, the tube tube tube is connected to the latter during the headforming process as well as the partition that enters the head, unless measures are taken to prevent the spindle from being connected to the headforming.In the method of head-fitting, the matrix does not act as a form-forming device with respect to the head, but as a receptacle and support for a prefabricated head and a device for the edge-melting of the head and/or a tube end positioned on a spine to both. In this case too, the matrix can locally fuse the head and/or the tube with partition wall so that tubes and, if desired, partitions are connected to the head.For the purposes of the invention and in this context, the matrix and dome are functionally equivalent in terms of technical design.

Multi-chamber tubes, whether or not fitted with preformed heads, may have different arrangements of partitions within the tube. The transverse side of a partition is assumed to correspond to and interfere with the inner contour of a head. The partition may thus be adjacent to the inner surface, but the transverse side may also be so designed that a continuous wall passes through the head outlet. (b) the transverse side of a partition wall is connected to the head, the longitudinal sides of the partition wall remaining unconnected to the inner surface of the tube but either pre-tensioned or not;

The connection of the cross-section of a partition to the head can be made in various ways: in injection moulding the cross-section is poured in, in press moulding the cross-section, i.e. each edge strip of the cross-section is moulded into the plasticized plastic (PE) during the formation of the head. If a tube is fitted with a prefabricated tube head, adhesive or mechanical fixation may be provided to fix the cross-section to the inner surface, e.g. in the form of one that can be pushed along the inner surface of the head and into a cross-section of the head.Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 567 (char 566)The plastic of the partition, i.e. one of the longitudinal flanges and, if necessary, one of the strips opposite the flange along the inner surface of the tube, is plasticized or melted down and flanges and strips are compressed.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are described in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the drawing.

The following is a description of an embodiment of a device for performing the procedure, showing a preferred procedure: Fig. 2:the rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 1 before sending the tool spindle with a tube and a partition.Fig. 3:the rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 1 after sending the tool dome with a tube and a partition.Fig. 4:the rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 2 with a matrix D and upwards open line under a load (extruder).Fig. 5:The rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 1 with a tube and a partition.Fig. 6:the rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 2 with a matrix D and upwards open line under a load (extruder).Fig. 5:The rotary table with one of the tools in turn is cut in step 1 with a horizontal cutting edge (extruder) at a distance of 90° from the material in the top of the rotor.Fig. 6:The rotary table with one of the tools partially cut in step 2 with a matrix D and upwards open line under a load (extruder).Fig. 5:The rotary table is cut in a horizontal cutting edge with a rotary line at the top of the material in step 3 (extruder).Fig. 6:The rotary table is turned in a horizontal direction opposite to the material in step 3° from the rotor.

Fig. 1 shows the rotor body, which is formed as a rotating table 10, in the viewfinder. On the rotating table 10, matrices 11 and spire 12 are arranged in perimeter at equal distances, with each matrix 11 assigned a spire 12. The matrices 11 are open facing upwards and the dome 12 are arranged from a horizontal position at an angle of 90° to a vertical position equal to the respective matrices 11 rotatable on the rotating table 10. In the equal position, the spires 12 are axially moveable to close and reopen the assigned matrix 11. The digits 1 to 8 in Fig. 1 for example, represent eight steps, wherein the spire 10 is rotatable in a direction equal to 90° and the spire 13 is not propelled by means of a medium.

The eight steps to which each station is assigned are described in detail below.

Station 1

The loading device 14 first sends the Dorn 12 with a partition 15 and then with a prefabricated tube 16; the partition 15 is then inserted into a slot 17 of the dome 12, the flange 45 of which is moulded to the Dorn so that the tube 16 can be pushed over the dome 12 and the flange 45 over the latter.

Station two

Station 2 is assigned a fixed material donor 18 through which a portion of plasticised plastic (not shown) is introduced into the material donor 18's covered upwards matrix 11 in free fall. Another method of delivery may be to place the material portion on a material carrier running through the matrix in its longitudinal (vertical) direction, which brings the material portion to its designated position in the matrix. The position and representation of the matrix 11 is illustrated in position 7. When switching from position 2 to position 3, the thorn 12 is tilted into the matrix to a position parallel to the vertical.

Station three

A lever or other latch 19 attached to this station 3 shall insert the spindle 12 into the matrix 11 in the position parallel to matrix 11 to compress the portion of material inserted into the matrix 11 in station 2 into a tube head, this tube head being melted to the tube head 16 and the divider 15 (contoured transverse side) to the inside of the tube head and in the melting area of the tube head 16 to the inside of the tube head 16; otherwise the spindle 12 shall be held in this press to remain in it when the spindle 19 is retracted.

Station 4

The Dorn 12 is kept in the press position to allow the pressed tube head to cool and harden with the fused tube 16 and the fused partition 15 at the head, and the dies 11 and Dorn 12 are cooled by a coolant via non-shown connections.

Station five

The twist 12 remains in the press position for cooling. In this station 5 an inductive welding device 20 may preferably be integrated, which connects the flange 45 near its longitudinal edges of the separation wall 15 (longitudinal sides) to the inner surface of the tube tube, i.e. it is welded. The fusion is carried out by melting the material, i.e. the plastic near the longitudinal edges and a striped zone opposite it in the longitudinal direction of the tube tube 16 and is preferably pressurized into contact, i.e. pressurised against each other. The welding device 20 is not on the three-way table 10, but is arranged separately as the welding device 14 is.

Station 6

A retractor 21 is used to remove the twine 12 from matrix 11 in an axial direction and reopen the press tool (matrix 11 and twine 12) consisting of matrix 11 and twine 12 after the twine-forming matrix 28 has released the formed thread by means not shown, for example by separating the moulds.

Station 7

A screwdriver 23 attached to this station screws a closure 24 - a cap 24 - on the tube head 22 or, in the case of socket caps, a plug 23 is attached.

Station 8

The tube consisting of tube 16, divider 15, tube 22 and cap 24 is now completed and is ejected in arrow direction 25 or removed from the torus 12 by an unmarked device.

According to the device shown and described above in Fig. 1, the process carried out with it comprises eight steps connected to the device, called step one to eight, whereas step 7 (placement of a cap 24 on the tube head 22) is not mandatory for the implementation of the process according to the invention. Although eight stations are given in the present example where these eight steps are implemented, it is also possible to allocate the eight steps to another number of stations smaller than eight or larger, e.g. ten stations.In other words, all the combined steps described in connection with Figure 1 (station 1, loading of the dome 12 with a separating pipe 15 and then with a separating pipe 16; station 5, cooling of the shaped head 22 with simultaneous longitudinal shift) can be isolated by adjusting the number of stations accordingly.when functions are combined to produce a multi-chamber tube.

Fig. 2 shows the rotary table 10 with one of the tools partially cut in step 1, i.e. to station 1 before sending the horizontal spindle 12 with partition 15 and subsequently tube tube 16. Fig. 26 shows a fixed shaft around which the rotary table 10 is rotatably stored and driven by means of steps not shown. In the rotary table 10 the matrix 11 with the form hole 27 is inserted and fixed. The shape corresponds to the outer boundary of the tube hole 22 (Fig. 1).In the other matrix part 28, a spring 30 loaded with a hole mount 31 is axially displaced. The hole mount 31 is loaded with the spring 30 in the direction of the mould cavity 27 and pushed back against the force of the spring 30 when the spindle 12 is introduced into the matrix 11. The hole mount 31 is used to free the tube opening when pressing the tube head 22. The matrix part 28 is rotatable on another axis to release the winding of the finished tube head.

The twisting device is, for example, a swivel rod 33 which intervenes with its teeth 34 in the gear of a swivel 35; the swivel rod 33 is connected to a piston 36 which is mounted in two bearings 37 and 38 fixed to the rotary table 10 and which can be moved axially; between the bearings 37, 38 the piston 36 is connected to a bearings 39 rigidly which has a guide coil 40 which is guided in a guide 41 like the wave 26 of a fixed curve 42; the guide coil 41 has a 42-type drive in the curve disc, which is described as moving the bearings 39 back and forth between the bearings 37, 38 and 11 which is written above the horizontal or vertical position.

The spindle 12 shown in Figure 3 is so designed at its forward free end 43 that the free end 43 (front surface of the dome) can form the inner contour of a tube head 22 whereby the aperture 43a forms the flow opening of the tube head 22 outlet while the adjacent slope 43b forms the inner surface of the tube head 22 shoulder.

To accommodate a partition 15 a slot 17 passes through the dome 12 in an axial direction starting from the front free face of the access 43a in a distance corresponding to the length of a partition 15 in which slot 17 the partition 15 is pushed in through the loading device 14.

Fig. 3 shows the turntable 10 with one of the tools partially cut in step 1, i.e. in station 1, as opposed to Fig. 2, but after the still horizontal dome 12 with a partition 15 and a tube tube has been sent, the cut (Fig. 6) of a partition 15 is preferably made so that it is at one end in its outer design the front free end 43 of the dome 12 (contour of the transverse side), and then at least half the circumference of the dome in width and the length of a tube preferably starting from the front free end of the approach 43a,where the two-sided top of the partition wall is attached to the spine. This makes partition wall 15 complete and is incorporated in the spine 12 in relation to the residues, in a contour similar to the surface of spine 12. The contour and mass of the head partition wall 15 and its incorporation in the dome 12 are sufficient, the outer edges of the front end of partition wall 15 (head partition) are fused with the inner surface of the outlet and the inner surface of the head shoulder 22 with the latter when forming the head 22; the design of the front free end of partition wall 15 (cross side) is therefore equal to the length of the partition wall 15 (head partition) and the outer edges of the head shoulder 22 are fused with the latter.The tube is then connected to the inner surface of pipe 22 in such a way that the partition 15 at tube flat pressures is approximately the width of the tube.

In Figure 6 the excesses of the partition are called flange 45 which allows a striped longitudinal welding. These flanges are curved on both sides of the partition 15 (in accordance with the diameter of the bar) and are located on the inner surface of the tube tube 22 and each have a width formed by half the difference between the half diameter of the tube and the diameter of the bar, preferably increased by 5% to 25%, preferably 8% to 12% of the width.

Fig. 4 shows the turntable 10 with one of the tools partially cut in step 2, i.e. at station 2 with a horizontal spine 12 and a top-up open matrix 11 below an extruder 46 as a filling device. The extruder 46 is fixed to station 2. It has a tube 47 in which a closing body 48 is located. The closing body 48 is formed as a cone and is arranged axially by means of non-shown open and close moving devices. The tube 47 is surrounded by a ring nozzle 49 designed to generate a gas stream. To fill the matrix 11 the extruder 46 extrudes a plasticised plastic material (non-plasticized).

The plastic current from tube 47 which is applied to the latch 48 is formed by the latch 48 into a ring, i.e. a ring-shaped portion of material, round to lenticular in cross-section. By closing the latch 48 the portion is separated from the extruder and falls freely into the mold cavity of the matrix or onto a mould plate (not shown) to enter the portion. A gas current can be applied to the portion by means of the ring nozzle 49 which helps to separate the portion from the extruder in latch 48 in latch position. These types of dislocations have been shown to be equivalent as they can prevent defects in the matrix 11 and the other parts of the head, which are similar in shape and shape to the one shown in Fig. 22 or 22 and the other parts of the head.

Fig. 5 shows the rotary table 10 partially cut in step 3 with one of the tools, i.e. at station 3. The loaded spindle 12 is tilted 90° horizontally and in this position is oriented to the entrance to the filled matrix. The entrance movement of the dome 12 into matrix 11 is triggered by a knee lever 19 (see also station 3 in Fig. 1) which presses on a roll of a 50 axis shaft 35 in the swing section 35 and in the latter axis shaft 35 is moved against the force of the spring 52 towards the matrix 11.

The first part of the section 54 is essentially rectangular in shape, corresponding in width B1 to the diameter of a tube plus the length of the remaining tube (flanks 45), and in length L1 to the length of the tube tube 16. Finally, a second part 55 is attached to this section 54 which, in its shape, corresponds essentially to the inner shape of a tube head.

The application of flange 45 extended by the above values and the placement of welds close to their longitudinal edges, between flange 45 and the inside of tube tube 16 wider and therefore more resilient welds can be formed than would be possible by welding non-widened flange at the same welding position. For installation in a tube, i.e. a tube 16 the flange 45 is preferably bent in a rotational direction along the longitudinal edges of the part 54 so that when the partition 15 is inserted into the slot 17 of the dome 12 it can be placed on the outer surface of the dome 12 so that the tube 16 can be placed with the flange 45 over the 12th spindle.While the partition 15 is incorporated in the twist 12, flange 45 is located between the outer surface of the dome 12 and the inner surface of the tube tube 16. For example, welding is planned to be carried out at a cooling station for the head 22 with the second part 55 melted down (station 5). The welding is carried out by inductively generated heat and melting the tube and flange material into strips by simultaneous or subsequent pressing of the strips. For this purpose, in the case of welding equipment, the heating equipment is combined with pressing equipment or the latter is arranged in a series of heating equipment, whereby cooling equipment may be provided in succession, for example by developing blow seams. For example, in the case of air-powered flange 45 heating, the heating equipment may be re-heated by means of a blowing machine.The bending of the flange 45 to be attached to the torne 12 in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, according to its width measurement and the welding position (near the longitudinal edges of the flange), results in the welding seams being at an angle to the slot 17 to absorb the torne 15 or to the longitudinal axis of the torne 12 on both sides, again in the direction of bending.if the angles on both sides are of equal width, with a deviation of not more than 0,5 to 1,5 degrees, preferably 0,6 to 0,9 degrees.

The outer layers are usually polyethylene, which can be welded together well. Polyethylene is also suitable for forming the head 22 at one end of the tube metal 16 as polyethylene is equally suitable for injection molding as the top layer of polyethylene. The material for the tube pressing is required to maintain its diffusion resistance at 250 to 310 μm. For the filling of this fuel, the plastic and metal laminate foil are usually polyethylene, which can be welded well together. For example, the inner head of the plastic can be made of a plastic film with a diameter of up to 150 μm.

The method of the invention (shape-making of the head by moulding of liquid plasticized plastic) for the manufacture of a multi-chamber tube is carried out in the device described above by means of the following mass. In station 1, the loading device 14 first loads the Dorn 12 with a partition 15 and then with a tube tube 16. During the loading process, the partition 15 is inserted into slot 17 of the Dorn 12, after which the tube tube 16 is pushed over the dome 12. After the loading operation, the matrix 11 of the tool in station 2 is filled with plasticized plastic in an amount corresponding to the material necessary to form the tube head 22 mm.The front end of tube 16 is simultaneously melted to the outer circumference of the head 22 and part 55 (i.e. the end of the partition 15 which goes into the inside of the head, i.e. the peripheral section) to the inside of the tube head 22. This separates not only the shoulder space of the head but also the outlet of the head 22 by means of a wall. After pressing, the head is cooled by the melted partition (part 55). Cooling can be carried out over several stations. The cooling time is used to move the partition 15 in a straight line, for example by moving the flange 45 in a longitudinal direction with the inner circumference of the head 16.The method of the invention is based on the following principles: (ii) to use cooling times for the longitudinal welding process of the partition 15 with the tube 16 so that the total production time for a multi-chamber as opposed to a single-chamber tube is not prolonged.

After cooling and welding, for example at station 5, the tool is started up at a subsequent station 6, and the torque 12 with tube on it is placed in a position where a cap 24 can be attached to the tube head 22 by means of a screwing device 23, for example at station 7, after which the torque 12 is unloaded from the tube at station 8, and the tool is then returned to the loading station at station 1, i.e. the starting station for loading the dome 12.

The method of the invention has been explained by way of an example in the context of the device described above. However, the implementation of the process according to the invention is not limited to this device. In principle, any device is suitable for the implementation of the process according to the invention, as long as it can be used to perform the steps of the claimed process.

If the product is intended to be a tube with a partition whose longitudinal sides are not connected to the inner surface, the process described in the device described above may be modified accordingly by shutting down the welding device 20 (station 5) at the same steps of the process. If only a longitudinal welding without welding the partition with the inner surface, in station 1 the loading of the dome with partition and tube bodies may be supplemented by a disc (not shown) covering the front free end 43 of the dome 12 so that the injected plastic or the amount (portion) of plasticized plastic is prevented from moving, the corresponding quantity of the partition being moved around the inner surface (station 2).

If the device and process described in the present invention are used in the injection molding step, step 2 (conveying the die with a portion of plasticized plastic) is discontinued. For this purpose, liquid plastic is injected into a closed form in station 3 (die and patrice forming one half of the mold each.At station 3, the Dorn 12 is inserted into the matrix. A lifting device, which is inserted into the matrix and possibly also into the patches, softens or liquefies the plastic of a peripheral section of the tube tube and/or perimeter section to the extent that the latter flow into each other to connect the head and tube tube. In principle, it is possible to connect the partition cross-section with the head by melting.In the case of a second type of partial connection, the insertion of the cross-section of the partition wall can be avoided and only the longitudinal welding (station 5) can be carried out.

Claims (5)

1. A process for the production of a multi-chamber packaging tube of plastic material, the tube comprising a tube body portion, a tube head with inner and outer surfaces consisting of a shoulder and outlet and one separating wall accomodated in the tube body portion having a first part the transverse side of which is connected to the inner surface of the head whereby the tube head is formed by means of a tool, comprising a female tool portion forming the outer surface of the head and a male tool portion forming the inner surface of the head, the male tool portion carrying the tube body portion and the separating wall whereby the forming is effected by injection molding of liquified plastic material, characterised thereby that the separating wall (15) with a second part (55), the form of which essentially corresponding with the inner form of the tube head (22) is connected to the inner surface of the tube head (22) during the forming process of the tube head (22).
2. A process according to claim 1, characterised that the longitudinal sides of the separating wall are connected to the inner surface of the tube body portion.
3. A process according to claim 1, characterised thereby that the tube head is connected to the tube body portion as a prefabricated tube head.
4. Process according to claim 3, characterised thereby that the separating wall has a transverse side mechanically connected to the prefabricated tube head by engaging into a groove.
5. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised thereby that the male tool portion is first loaded with a tube body portion and thereafter with a separating wall.