Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B5/00—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
  • B05B5/08—Plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/02—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs
  • B65B9/04—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C65/48—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using adhesives, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C65/48—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using adhesives, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
  • B29C65/4855—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using adhesives, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding characterised by their physical properties, e.g. being electrically-conductive
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C65/48—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using adhesives, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
  • B29C65/486—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using adhesives, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding characterised by their physical form being non-liquid, e.g. in the form of granules or powders
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
  • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
  • B29C66/53—Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars
  • B29C66/534—Joining single elements to open ends of tubular or hollow articles or to the ends of bars
  • B29C66/5346—Joining single elements to open ends of tubular or hollow articles or to the ends of bars said single elements being substantially flat
  • B29C66/53461—Joining single elements to open ends of tubular or hollow articles or to the ends of bars said single elements being substantially flat joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies

Definitions

• This invention generally relates to a package including preassembly members adhered to each other by solventless bonding agent particles, and to an improved assembly method and apparatus therefor. More particularly, the invention provides bonding agent particles that are electrostatically deposited onto a preassembly member or onto a web of preassembly members. Thereafter, each preassembly member is positioned such that bonding agent particles are generally aligned along a lip that is on the face of a preassembly member, and complementary preassembly members are juxtaposed with respect to each other, after which electrostatically deposited bonding agent particles are heated along a seal pattern generally conforming to said lip in order to adhere the complementary preassembly members together.
• blister packs for packaging an article within a semi-rigid container that can conform rather closely to the shape and size of the article being packaged.
• these types of packages are manufactured on machinery that forms the preassembly package members, fills the article being packaged therewithin, and seals the package members together.
• the container member or bubble preassembly member may be formed of a molded or thermoformed resin or polymer that can be generally transparent, while the closure member or lid portion may be made of paper or other cellulosic material, of the so-called synthetic paper, of thermoplastic films, or of other web stock.
• the container member for these types of packages has an opening through which the article being packaged is passed when the article is placed into the container member.
• the closure member for such packages has a relatively flat surface that interfaces with the container member such that, when the two are combined, the closure member overlies a lip of the container member opening, and the closure member is then sealed to the lip.
• the closure member and the container member are adhered to each other by means of an adhesive or glue bonding agent.
• bonding agents are applied to the closure member or the web of lid stock in conjunction with a suitable carrier, whereby the bonding agent is applied as a solution, an emulsion or a suspension.
• carrier-based bonding agents are applied by the manufacturer of the lid stock or by an intermediate converter, such application being by a roller, doctor knife, air blade, brush or the like to one side of the web stock.
• the packager purchases a supply of such lid stock having an adhesive coating throughout substantially the entire surface of at least one side of the lid stock.
• Such bacteria-controlling procedures typically include treatment either with a gas which must pass through a breathable lid stock or with radiation that passes through the sealed package in order to treat the interior of the sealed composite package.
• a gas treatment When a gas treatment is used, the porosity or breathability needed for accomplishing this procecure is impaired when the carrier-based bonding agent is coated on substantially the entire surface of the lid stock.
• This decreased porosity requires a longer and harsher bacteria-controlling or sterilization procedure than that required for passage through the same lid stock that is not so coated, thereby increasing treatment costs and developing additional stresses on the package seals during treatment.
• radiation sterilization is carried out, the coating on the lid member of the carrier-based bonding agent will be subjected to radiation which will alter the coating and possibly thwart the bacteria- controlling objective.
• ⁇ R ⁇ XO invention is one by which the preassembly members, preferably including a lid or closure member and a container member or bubble, are sealed together by means of solventless bonding agent finely divided particles that are electrostatically deposited, usually onto the closure or lid member, and said bonding agent particles adhere the preassembly members together along a seal pattern that conforms to the shape of a lip of one of said preassembly members.
• the apparatus electrostatically deposits bonding agent particles onto a web of preassembly members, the apparatus further including a sealing station having an assembly for activating the electrostatically deposited bonding agent particles to form a seal pattern that generally conforms to the shape and size of a lip of a preassembly member.
• a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved package.
• Another object of the present invention is to utilize electrostatic techniques for adhering a lid to a container bubble member.
• ⁇ NATlO Another object of the present invention is an improved package closing method that includes applying label copy or other indicia to one or both sides of the lid stock as part of the operation by which the bonding agent is applied to the lid stock.
• Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the method of this invention and an apparatus for carrying out the method
• Figure 2 is a plan view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating a closure member web having a plurality of seal patterns thereon;
• Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of the sealing means and procedure included in Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a plan view of a sealed package according to this invention.
• Figure 5 is an end view of the package illustrated in Figure 4.
• a preassembly member or continuous web of pre ⁇ assembly members 21 as illustrated are brought into contact with an endless surface 22 having an electrostatic charge pattern thereon.
• the electrostatic charge pattern on the endless surface 22 is transferred to each preassembly member 21 in order to form seal patterns of bonding agent particles, which may take any desired form, such as the seal patterns 24 illustrated in Figure 2.
• each preassembly member 21 having the seal pattern is combined with another preassembly member, typically a container member 25, and the two preassembly members are adhered to each other by applying energy to the bonding agent particles.
• the apparatus illustrated therein includes two basic units. one being an electrostatic deposition unit 26, and the other being a package assembly and sealing unit 27, which can be a form/fill/seal device.
• the electrostatic deposition unit 26 supplies preassembly members 21, which typically are closure members 21a, to the packaging assembly and sealing unit 27, and both of the units 26 and 27 can be of substantially conventional construction.
• Major structural and functional details of a typical electrostatic deposition unit 26 include the endless surface 22 which has a photoconductive material on its outside aurf ce, a lens system 28 in association with a light system 29 for developing an electrostatic charge pattern on the endless surface 22, which pattern is of a configuration determined by the original pattern 31 that passes through the lens system 28, wherein the light energy supplied by the light system 29 selectively alters the electrostatic charge characteristics of the endless surface 22.
• a powder transfer station 32 deposits finely divided, heat-activatable bonding agent particles onto the endless surface 22 at the location of the selectively altered electrostatic charge pattern in order to form a substantially identically shaped pattern of particles on the endless surface 22. This pattern of particles is then transferred to each preassembly member 21, typically with the assistance of the charged transfer platten 23. Residual particles remaining after this transfer to closure member 21 are removed by a suitable removal means 33, such as a vacuum system, after which that portion of the endless surface 22 is ready for repetition of this cycle including selective charging, powder deposition, and transfer.
• a heat source 34 for more thoroughly fusing the seal pattern to the preassembly member 21 before the preassembly member 21 is transferred to the package assembly and sealing unit 27.
• the package assembly and sealing unit 27 illustrated in Figure 1 is of the type by which the preassembly container members 25 are thermoformed from a web 35 of moldable polymer, the molding thereof being accomplished at a molding station 36.
• Articles 37 being packaged in accordance with this invention are, when desired, inserted into each container member 25 at a location between the molding station 36 and a closure station 38 at which each preassembly member 21, typically a closure member 21a, is positioned in overlying relationship with respect to another preassembly member such as a container member 25.
• each seal pattern of bonding agent particles is in alignment with a sealing lip 39 of the container member 25, which lip 39 is on that face of the container member 25 that includes an access opening or mouth 40.
• the preassembly member 21a and a container member 25, and preferably while in web form as illustrated, move to a sealing station 41, which is shown in greater detail in Figure 3.
• Sealing station 41 includes heat application means 42, such as a heated sealing bar or plate as illustrated which preferably includes elongated bosses 43 having a configuration generally complementary to that of the sealing lip 39 of the container member 25 to thereby concentrate the sealing energy at those areas to be sealed.
• heat application means 42 such as a heated sealing bar or plate as illustrated which preferably includes elongated bosses 43 having a configuration generally complementary to that of the sealing lip 39 of the container member 25 to thereby concentrate the sealing energy at those areas to be sealed.
• OMPI container member 25 are made.
• Typical sealing temperatures are usually not substantially lower than about 95°C and possibly as high as about 330°C if the seal time is rapid (on the order of a fraction of a second) and/or if the bonding agent is exceptionally responsive to heat activation.
• closure member 21a and the container member 25 are combined into a closed package 44 having the articles 37 sealed therewithin. ( Figures 4 and 5) .
• the closure members 21a and container members 25 are, as is preferred, processed through the package assembly and sealing unit 27 in web form, the webs are divided into a plurality of individual closed packages 44 by suitable severing means (not shown) .
• suitable severing means not shown
• the closed packages 44 are transported to a suitable bacterial control station 45, whereat a suitable treatment source, such as gas or radiation, surrounds and enters the closed package 44, including passage through the sealed closure member 21a thereof, to thereby treat inner and outer surfaces of the closed package 44, as well as the surface of the article 37 therewithin.
• a suitable treatment source such as gas or radiation
• the closed packages 44 are transported to a suitable bacterial control station 45, whereat a suitable treatment source, such as gas or radiation, surrounds and enters the closed package 44, including passage through the sealed closure member 21a thereof, to thereby treat inner and outer surfaces of the closed package 44, as well as the surface of the article 37 therewithin.
• a suitable treatment source such as gas or radiation
• the preassembly member 21 may also be imprinted with labeling information or the like on either side or on both sides thereof. Such can be at least partially accomplished by including the desired labeling information as part of the original pattern 31, which will provide simultaneously imprinted information on the preassembly member 21.
• Another unit similar to the electrostatic deposition unit 26 may be provided to accomplish additional imprinting, including labeling information, lot numbers and date codes, on the preassembly member 21 and/or for imprinting in multiple colors. Such optional additional electrostatic deposition unit may be utilized either before or after the preassembly member 21 passes through the electrostatic deposition unit 26.
• the preassembly member 21 can be the closure member 21a, a web thereof, the web 35 of moldable polymer, or combinations thereof. Electrostatically applying the seal pattern of this invention to the web 35 expands the types of materials out of which the container member 25 can be made when compared to conventional methods which utilize carrier-based bonding agents. The ability of a particular container member 25 to be bonded to a particular closure member 21a can be sometimes limited for a variety of reasons, such as wide discrepancies in melt temperatures, that make it extremely difficult to bond such materials together. These reasons are eliminated to a significant extent by the electrostatic application aspects of this invention.
• the electrostatic charging and discharging thereof can be arranged such that the pattern is made on the endless surface 22 by a system that either charges or discharges the endless surface 22 by application of actinic energy from the light system 29.
• the electrostatic charge pattern on the endless surface 22 can be formed by first electro ⁇ statically charging the endless surface 22 and then selectively discharging same to form the electrostatic charge pattern.
• the endless surface can be selectively electrostatically charged to form the electrostatic charge pattern.
• bonding agent particles provided at the powder transfer station 22 are electrostatically treated so that they adhere to the electrostatic charge pattern.
• the bonding agent particles are finely divided particles that are typically dielectric in nature and that exhibit bonding properties when activated, such as by heating, to a state at which the activated bonding agent particles adhere the preassembly members together.
• the particular bonding agent chosen should have a softening temperature equal to or less than the softening point of the closure member 21a or of the container member 25, whichever has the lower softening point.
• these bonding agents are thermoplastic polymers or resins, although certain thermosetting materials also can be utilized, these bonding agents typically possessing dielectric properties to the extent that they are not totally conductive and can hold a charge.
• the specific bonding agent particles can be chosen so as to be tailored for the particular closure member and container member being adhered together.
• the bonding agent particles include bonding agent particles that cannot be applied by carrier systems or that can be applied only by carrier systems that are not water-based but include substantial quantities of organic solvents.
• the bonding agent particles are selected so as to provide a releasable seal between the material of the closure member and the material of the container member.
• Representative heat-activatable powders include copolymers of polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate, of polyethylene and methyl methacrylate, of polyethylene and ethylene acetate, as well as other olefins that are modified to enhance their hot tack properties.
• Container members 25 and the web of moldable polymer 35 are of a material that has thermoplastic properties, including substantially.any thermoformable material.
• Closure members 21a when the porosity thereof is not significant, may be made of these same types of thermoplastic materials; in addition, the closure members 21a may be made of other less-rigid polymers, including flexible polyolefin copolymers and acrylonitriles. If it is desired to provide a porous closure member 21a, then cellulosic materials and synthetic breathable materials such as so-called synthetic paper may be used.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)

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• 1983
  • 1983-07-15 WO PCT/US1983/001085 patent/WO1984000705A1/en unknown
  • 1983-07-15 EP EP19830902601 patent/EP0115517A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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