System for applying heat shrink film to containers and other articles and heat shrinking the same

• US 4,844,957 A
• Filed: 08/26/1987
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B & H Manufacturing Company Incorporated (B & H Manufacturing)
• Original Assignee: B & H Manufacturing Company Incorporated (B & H Manufacturing)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Ellis P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seidleck, James J.
• Application Number:
  US07/089,582
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35, 428/192, 428/347, 428/913, 215/12 R
• US Class Current: 428/34.7
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/045 using gas or flames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/40 for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/44 rotatable about the axis of the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/10 using hot gases (e.g. combustion gases) or flames coming in contact with at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/66 by liberation of internal stresses, e.g. shrinking of one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7882 said parts to be joined moving in a circular path
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/003 Protecting areas of the parts to be joined from overheating B29C66/348, B29C66/8744 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0242 Heating, or preheating, e.g. drying B29C66/3464 takes precedence
• 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 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5326 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/65 with a relative motion between the article and the welding tool B29C65/10, B29C65/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73715 heat-shrinkable
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8744 Preventing overheating of the parts to be joined, e.g. if the machine stops or slows down
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0049 Heat shrinkable
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7158 : Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/16 : by rolling the labels onto cylindrical containers, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/04 : having means for rotating the articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 : Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1321 : Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1328 : Shrinkable or shrunk [e.g., due to heat, solvent, volatile agent, restraint removal, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24364 : with transparent or protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2817 : Heat sealable

Abstract

Apparatus and method for applying heat shrinkable film to containers and other articles having a vertical body position, e.g., the cylindrical body of a container, and one or two re-entrant portions, e.g., a shoulder on a bottle. A segment of film is applied to the vertical surface without heat shrinking and with one or two end portions overlapping the re-entrant part of the article. Heat is applied to the overlap or overlaps to shrink them onto the article.

Claims

1. An article to which a heat shrinkable film has been applied,

said article having a top extremity, a bottom extremity, a longitudinal axis between such extremities and a body portion between such extremities which has an outer surface which is parallel to such axis, said article also having at least one end portion between such body portion and an extremity of the article, such portion or portions sloping inwardly from the body portion towards the longitudinal axis,

said film being in the form of a segment of heat shrinkable but unshrunken material, said segment having a body portion constituting the major portion of the segment and having a leading end, a trailing end, an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, said edge portions extending between the leading and trailing ends of the segment but not extending beyond the extremities of the article, said segment being wrapped around the article with its leading end secured to the body portion of the article by adhesive material confined to a narrow region of the film adjacent the leading end and with its trailing end overlapping and secured to the leading end by a narrow region of adhesive material,

at least one edge portion of the segment overlapping an end portion of the article but being unattached thereto,

said segment being in unshrunken condition and being secured to the article entirely or substantially entirely by the adhesive material at its leading and trailing ends.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is a container.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the container has upper and lower inwardly sloping end portions and each edge portion of the segment overlaps the respective end portion of the container.

4. The article of claim 3 wherein the container is a cylindrical glass container.

5. The article of claim 3 wherein the container is a cylindrical plastic container.

6. The article of claim 3 wherein the container is a cylindrical metal container.

7. The container of claim 1 to in which the adhesive material is hot melt glue.

8. An article to which a heat shrinkable film has been applied,

said article having a top extermity, a bottom extremity, a longitudinal axis between such extremities and a body portion between such extremities which has an outer surface which is parallel to such axis, said article also having at least one end portion between such body portion and an extremity of the article, such portion or portions sloping inwardly from the body portion towards the longitudinal axis,

said film being in the form of a segment of heat shrinkable material, said segment having a body portion constituting the major portion of the segment and having a leading end, a trailing end, an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, said edge portions extending between the leading and trailing ends of the segment but not extending beyond the extremities of the article, siad segment being wrapped around the article with its leading end secured to the body portion of the article by adhesive material confined to a narrow region of the film adjacent the leading edge and with its trailing end overlapping and secured to the leading end by a narrow region of adhesive material,

at least one edge portion of the segment overlapping an end portion of the article, said edge portion or portions being heat shrunk onto the end portion or portions of the article.

9. The article of claim 8 wherein the article is a container.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the container has upper and lower inwardly sloping end portions and each edge portion of the segment overlaps and is heat shrunk onto the respective end portion.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the container is a cylindrical glass container.

12. The article of claim 10 wherein the container is a cylindrical plastic container.

13. The article of claim 10 wherein the container is a cylindrical metal container.

14. The container of claim 8 in which the adhesive material is hot melt glue.