Method for splicing laminated material for packaging pourable food products

• US 20040074590A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Grisendi, Roberto, Morselli, Gianni, Canti, Paolo, Benedetti, Paolo, Sabbadini, Davide
• Application Number:
  US10/344,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20040074590A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/163
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3656 being a layer of a multilayer part to be joined, e.g. for joining plastic-metal laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/368 with a polymer coating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/38 Impulse heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/022 Mechanical pre-treatments, e.g. reshaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/116 Single bevelled joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being bevelled in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72321 consisting of metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7234 comprising a barrier layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/853 Machines for changing web rolls or filaments, e.g. for joining a replacement web to an expiring web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/18 Attaching, e.g. pasting, the replacement web to the expiring web adhesive arrangements on leading end of replacement web, tabs and adhesive tapes for splicing B65H19/102
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1752 Polymer film
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/69 Form fill-and-seal machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly

Abstract

The method for splicing together first (10) and second (20) webs of pre-creased laminated packaging material for manufacturing sealed packages of pourable food products in a form, fill and seal type packaging machine, includes the steps of holding an end portion (18) of a first web (10), with its inner surface (14) oriented in a predetermined direction. An end portion (28) of a second web (20) is cut to form an undercut surface (29). The undercut surface (29) of the second web (20) is superimposed onto the end portion (18) of the first web (10), with the outer surface (27) of the second web (20) in contact with the inner surface (14) of the first web (10). The undercut surface (29) of the second web (20) is then bonded to the end portion (18) of said first web (10). At the splice (30), the inner surface (14) of the first web (10) and the inner surface (24) of the second web (20) together define an integral, continuous inner surface (14, 24).

Claims

1. A method for splicing together first (10) and second (20) webs of pre-creased laminated packaging material for manufacturing sealed packages of pourable food products in a form, fill and seal type packaging machine, each web (10,20) comprising at least one fiber-based layer (11, 21) having a first side (12,22) covered by at least one first polymer layer (13,23) defining an inner surface (14,24) destined to come into contact with a food product to be packaged, and a second side (15,25) covered by at least one second polymer layer (16,26) defining an outer surface (17,27), said method comprising the steps of;

holding an end portion (18) of said first web (10), with said inner surface (14) thereof oriented in a predetermined direction;

undercutting an end portion (28) of said second web (20) to form an undercut surface (29),

superimposing said undercut surface (29) of said second web (20) onto said end portion (18) of said first web (10), with said outer surface (27) of said second web (20) in contact with said inner surface (14) of said first web (10), and

bonding said undercut surface (29) of said second web (20) to said end portion (18) of said first web (10),

whereby to provide a splice (30) whereat said inner surface (14) of said first web (10) and said inner surface (24) of said second web (20) together define an integral, continuous inner surface (14,24).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of holding said end portion of said first web (10) comprises holding a trailing end (18) of said first web (10), and wherein said step of undercutting an end portion (28) of said second web (20) comprises undercutting a leading end (28) of said second web (20).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of bonding at least said undercut surface (29) at said leading end (28) of said second web (20) to said trailing end (18) of said first web (10) comprises the step of applying heat and pressure to the trailing end (18) of the first web (10) and to said leading end (28) of said second web (20).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of holding an end portion (18) of said first web (10), with said inner surface (14) thereof oriented in a predetermined direction, comprises holding said first web (10) with said inner surface (14) thereof facing said outer surface (27) of said second web (20).

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of undercutting an end portion (28) of said second web (20) to form an undercut surface (29), comprises cutting to define an acute angle between said outer surface (24) of said second web and said undercut surface (29).

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of cutting to define an acute angle between said outer surface (24) of said second web (20) and said undercut surface (29), comprises cutting at an angle comprised between 10 degrees and 40 degrees.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of cutting to define an acute angle between said outer surface (24) of said second web (20) and said undercut surface (29), comprises cutting at an angle between 15 degrees and 25 degrees.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of cutting to define an acute angle between said outer surface (24) of said second web (20) and said undercut surface (29), comprises cutting at an angle of about 20 degrees.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of undercutting an end portion (28) of said second web (20) to form an undercut surface (29) is carried out prior to said steps of holding said end portion (18) of said first web (10), with said inner surface (14) of said first web (10) oriented in a predetermined direction.

10. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the intermediate step of cutting a trailing end (19) of said first web (10), prior to superimposing the undercut portion (29) of said second web (20) onto said trailing end portion (18) of said first web (10).