System for applying heat shrink film to containers and other articles and heat shrinking the same
OwnerWolfgang Hoffmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims17
A method of applying a heat shrinkable film to an article, 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 sloping inwardly from the body portion towards the longitudinal axis,
- said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing heat shrinkable but unshrunken film in the form of a segment having a leading end, a trailing end unattached to the leading end, an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, said edge portions extending between the leading and trailing ends of the segment,
- (b) bonding the leading end of the segment to the body portion of the article by a narrow strip of adhesive material and with at least one edge portion lapping over but unattached to an inwardly sloping end portion of the article, neither edge portion extending beyond an extremity of the article.
- (c) then wrapping the segment in unheated condition about the body portion of the article also in unheated condition and securing its trailing end to the article by a narrow strip of adhesive material whereby the segment is bonded to the article with one or both edge portions of the segment overlapping an end portion or portions of the article but being unattached thereto, said segment being bonded to the article solely by said narrow strips of adhesive, and
- (d) then applying heat to the overlapping edge portion or portions to shrink the same onto the article and to permanently attach the same to the article.
A method of applying heat shrinkable film to an article, such article having a top extremity, a bottom extremity, a longitudinal axis extending 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 which slopes inwardly from the body portion toward the longitudinal axis,
- said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing such article with a heat shrinkable but unshrunken segment of film attached thereto, such segment having a leading end and a trailing end and being secured to the outer surface of the body portion solely by a narrow strip of adhesive at the leading end and a narrow strip of adhesive at the trailing end, said segment having also an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion extending between the leading end and the trailing end of the segment, at least one edge portion overlapping an end portion of the article but being unattached thereto, said edge portions not extending beyond either extremity of the article,
- (b) then applying heat to the overlapping edge portion or portions of the film segment to shrink the same onto the article, thereby producing an article with said segment of film permanently attached thereto.
A continuous method of applying heat shrinkable film to containers which comprises:
- (a) providing a continuous supply of such film in unshrunken form,
- (b) continuously severing the film into segments of desired length, each segment having a leading end, a trailing end, an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion extending between the leading end and the trailing end of the segment,
- (c) continuously transporting the severed segments to a film applicator station,
- (d) providing containers, each having a top extremity, a bottom extremity, a longitudinal axis extending between such extremities, a body portion between such extremities which has an outer surface parallel to such axis and at least one end portion between the body portion and an extremity and sloping inwardly from the outer surface of the body portion toward the longitudinal axis,
- (e) continuously transporting such containers to the film applicator station,
- (f) causing at such applicator station the leading end of each segment of film to be bonded to the body portion of a container solely by a narrow strip of adhesive with at least one edge portion overlapping but unattached to the container, said edge portions not extending beyond the extremities of the container,
- (g) spinning each container about its longitudinal axis to wrap the film segment about the body portion and bonding the trailing end of the segment to the container solely by a narrow strip of adhesive, thus providing a container with a film segment wrapped about its body portion and bonded to such body portion solely by said narrow strips of adhesive, at least one edge portion of the film segment overlapping an end portion but unattached thereto, and
- (h) applying heat to the overlapping edge portion or portions of each segment of film to shrink it onto the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.