Web joining apparatus and method

• US 7,776,172 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tonohara, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Osele; Mark A
• Application Number:
  US11/526,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 156/157, 156/159, 156/502, 156/504, 156/505, 242/551, 242/553, 242/554.2, 242/555, 242/555.3, 242/555.5, 242/555.6, 242/556.1
• US Class Current: 156/159
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/1836 the replacement web being accelerated or running prior to splicing contact
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/265 using a cutting member moving linearly in a plane parallel to the surface of the web and along a direction crossing the web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/46312 double-sided

Abstract

A web joining apparatus and related method. The apparatus includes a turret arm which supports an old roll and a new roll around which band-state flexible support bodies are wound, a front pasting drum including a holding device holding the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll and a cutting drum provided with a cutting member with substantially the same length as the width of the band-state flexible support body. A projection amount is set so that only a single sheet of the band-state flexible support body can be cut off. The flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the tail end of the flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the flexible support body of the new roll are joined as the band-state flexible support body is conveyed.

Claims

1. A web joining apparatus, comprising:

a turret arm which supports an old roll and a new roll around which band-state flexible support bodies are wound capable of drawing and is rotatable per predetermined angle;

a front pasting drum provided with a holding device which holds the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to which a double-sided joining tape is pasted on the back side of the tip end and capable of rotation at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body at the joining of the band-state flexible support body; and

a cutting drum provided with a cutting member with substantially the same length as the width of the band-state flexible support body, the cutting member being provided on circumferential surface and in which a projection amount from the circumferential surface is set so that only a single sheet of the band-state flexible support body can be cut off, and which cuts off only the band-state flexible support body of an old roll in a state where the band-state flexible support bodies of the old and a new rolls wound and held around the front pasting drum are overlapped with each other, the cutting drum being capable of rotation at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body at the cutting of the band-state flexible support body,

wherein the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll are joined to each other while the band-state flexible support body is being conveyed.

2. The web joining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a backward feeding device which withdraws the band-state flexible support body of the old roll in the direction opposite to the conveying direction so that the band-state flexible support body is withdrawn in the direction opposite to the conveying direction substantially at the same time as cutting-off of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll.

3. The web joining apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a double-sided tape supply device which pastes the double-sided joining tape on the back side of the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll.

6. The web joining apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a double-sided tape supply device which pastes the double-sided joining tape on the back side of the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll.

4. A web joining apparatus, comprising:

a turret arm which supports an old roll and a new roll around which band-state flexible support bodies are wound capable of drawing and is rotatable per predetermined angle;

a front pasting drum provided with a holding device which holds the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to which a front pasting joining tape is pasted on the front side of the tip end and capable of rotation at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body at the joining of the band-state flexible support body;

a back pasting drum provided with a holding device which holds the back pasting joining tape capable of peeling and capable of rotation at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body at the joining of the band-state flexible support body; and

a cutting drum provided with a cutting member with substantially the same length as the width of the band-state flexible support body, the cutting member being provided on circumferential surface and in which a projection amount from the circumferential surface is set so that only a single sheet of the band-state flexible support body can be cut off, and which cuts off only the band-state flexible support body of an old roll in a state where the band-state flexible support bodies of the old and a new rolls wound and held around the front pasting drum are overlapped with each other, the cutting drum being capable of rotation at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body at the cutting of the band-state flexible support body,

wherein the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll are joined to each other while the band-state flexible support body is being conveyed.

5. The web joining apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a backward feeding device which withdraws the band-state flexible support body of the old roll in the direction opposite to the conveying direction so that the band-state flexible support body is withdrawn in the direction opposite to the conveying direction substantially at the same time as cutting-off of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll.

7. The web joining apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a double-sided tape supply device which pastes the double-sided joining tape on the back side of the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll.

8. A web joining method in which, while a band-state flexible support body wound around an old roll is made to run, the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the vicinity of a tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and a tip end of a band-state flexible support body wound around a new roll are joined to each other, comprising the steps of:

holding the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll at a front side drum;

holding a back pasting joining tape at a back pasting drum;

overlapping the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll with each other while the front-side drum is rotated at the same speed as a conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body;

cutting off only the band-state flexible support body of the old roll after overlapping, at a position where the band-state flexible support bodies of the old and the new rolls are overlapped;

discarding an upstream portion in the conveying direction of the cut-off band-state flexible support body of the old roll; and

joining through the back pasting joining tape a downstream portion in the conveying direction of the band-state flexible support body of the cut-off old roll to the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll while the back pasting drum is rotated at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body.

9. A web joining method in which, while a band-state flexible support body wound around an old roll is made to run, the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the vicinity of a tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and a tip end of a band-state flexible support body wound around a new roll are joined to each other, comprising the steps of:

holding at the front pasting drum the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to which a front pasting joining tape is pasted on the front side of the tip end;

joining the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the front pasting joining tape while the front pasting drum is rotated at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body;

cutting off only the band-state flexible support body of the old roll after joining, at a position where the band-state flexible support bodies of the old and the new rolls are overlapped; and

discarding an upstream portion in the conveying direction of the cut-off band-state flexible support body of the old roll.

10. A web joining method in which, while a band-state flexible support body wound around an old roll is made to run, the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the vicinity of a tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and a tip end of a band-state flexible support body wound around a new roll are joined to each other, comprising the steps of:

holding at the front pasting drum the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to which a double-sided joining tape is pasted on the back side of the tip end;

joining the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the double-sided joining tape while the front pasting drum is rotated at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body;

cutting off the band-state flexible support body of the old roll after joining; and

discarding an upstream portion in the conveying direction of the cut-off band-state flexible support body of the old roll.

11. A web joining method in which, while a band-state flexible support body wound around an old roll is made to run, the band-state flexible support body of the old roll is cut off and the vicinity of a tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and a tip end of a band-state flexible support body wound around a new roll are joined to each other, comprising the steps of:

holding at the front pasting drum the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to which a front pasting joining tape is pasted on the front side of the tip end;

holding a back pasting joining tape at a back pasting drum;

joining the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the front pasting joining tape while the front pasting drum is rotated at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body;

cutting off only the band-state flexible support body of the old roll after joining, at a position where the band-state flexible support bodies of the old and the new rolls are overlapped;

discarding an upstream portion in the conveying direction of the cut-off band-state flexible support body of the old roll; and

joining a downstream portion in the conveying direction of the cut-off band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the back pasting joining tape while the back pasting drum is rotated at the same speed as the conveying speed of the band-state flexible support body.

12. The web joining method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

pasting a double-sided joining tape on the back side of the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll; and

joining the vicinity of the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the double-sided joining tape at joining of the vicinity of the tail end of the band-state flexible support body of the old roll and the tip end of the band-state flexible support body of the new roll to each other through the front pasting joining tape.