Method and apparatus for making an outer skeleton of a container
AssigneeG.Mondini S.P.A.
InventorsPaolo Carlo Mondini, Daniel Paderni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for making an outer skeleton for a container are provided. The outer skeleton includes bottom wall and a lateral wall The lateral wall has at least one pair of superposed panels between which a heat-activatable glue is present. The method includes inserting a pressing element inside the outer skeleton, wherein the pressing element is configured to expand and press on the superposed panels and cause activation of the heat-activatable glue and adhesive coupling between the pair of panels thanks to the heat supplied by the pressing element or by a supporting element coupled to it. The apparatus includes the pressing element and the supporting element configured to operate in this way.
Claims20
A method for making an outer skeleton for a container, wherein the container comprises the outer skeleton or is constituted of the outer skeleton, and wherein the outer skeleton comprises a bottom wall, which has a perimetric edge, and a lateral wall, which extends between a lower edge, connected to the perimetric edge, and an upper edge which defines an upper opening, the bottom wall and the lateral wall together defining a compartment, and wherein the lateral wall has a pair of superposed panels between which a heat-activatable glue is present;
- the method comprising an initial step, an inserting step and a pressing step, and wherein:
- during the initial step the outer skeleton is positioned inside a housing defined by a supporting element, with the at least one pair of superposed panels detached from each other;
- during the inserting step a pressing element is inserted inside the compartment;
- during the pressing step the pressing element and the supporting element are pressed against each other at the pair of superposed panels, squeezing the pair of superposed panels;
- during the initial step, the inserting step and the pressing step the pressing element and/or the supporting element is kept at a temperature of between 50° C. and 250° C., preferably between 50° C. and 200° C., more preferably between 100° C. and 200° C. and even more preferably between 100° C. and 150° C.;
- the pressing step is carried out by expanding the pressing element inside the compartment, radially relative to a central axis of the compartment;
- and wherein, during the pressing step, the squeezing of the pair of superposed panels causes activation of the heat-activatable glue which in turn causes an adhesive coupling between the pair of panels.
An apparatus for making an outer skeleton of a container, wherein the container comprises the outer skeleton or is constituted of the outer skeleton, and the outer skeleton comprises a bottom wall, which has a perimetric edge, and a lateral wall, which extends between a lower edge, connected to the perimetric edge, and an upper edge which defines an upper opening, the bottom wall and the lateral wall together defining a compartment, and wherein the lateral wall has a pair of superposed panels between which a heat-activatable glue is present;
- the apparatus comprising a pressing device which comprises a supporting element which defines a housing for housing, in use, the outer skeleton, with the pair of superposed panels detached from each other, and a pressing element, which is movable relative to the supporting element between a non-operating position, in which the pressing element is spaced apart from the supporting element, and an operating position, in which the pressing element is inserted in the housing so that the pressing element is inserted, in use, in the compartment of the outer skeleton, wherein
- at least one of the pressing element or the supporting element is heated and is configured to adopt, in use, a temperature of between 50° C. and 250° C., preferably between 50° C. and 200° C., even more preferably between 100° C. and 200° C. and even more preferably between 100° C. and 150° C.;
- and
- the pressing element, when in the operating position, is switchable between a retracted configuration in which the pressing element is spaced apart from the supporting element and an expanded configuration in which it is configured to press, in use, the pair of superposed panels against the supporting element, squeezing the pair of superposed panels against each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.