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US 7,179,215 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for producing packs with an outer wrapper as well as reel unit
AssigneeFocke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
InventorsHeinz Focke, Martin Stiller, Johann Köster, Gerhard Westermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the production of packs with outer wrappers which have a tear-open strip (12), the latter of continuous material strips (18), for the purpose of severing the tear-open strips (12), are provided with printing, markings (24), etc. Moreover, the film webs (13) from which the outer wrappers are made also are preferably provided with markings, printing or printed marks (25). Sensing elements help to detect the relative positions of the tear-open strip (12) and the film webs (13) on account of the printing and the drive of the film web (13) and/or of the material strip (18) is controlled accordingly.
Claims4
Process for producing cigarette packs (10) of the hinge-lid type with an outer wrapper made of film and with a tear-open strip (12) applied to the outer wrapper, comprising the steps of:
- a) drawing a continuous film web (13) off of a reel (15), the continuous film web (13) having been provided with precisely positioned printed markings (25) thereon during production of the continuous film web (13), the continuous film web (13) also having decorative or informative printing thereon,
- b) drawing a material strip (18) for producing the tear-open strip (12) off of a separate strip reel (19), the material strip (18) having been provided with precisely positioned printed markings (24) thereon during production of the material strip (18), the material strip (18) also having decorative or informative printing thereon, and producing tear open strip (12) from said drawn material strip (18),
- c) feeding the tear-open strip (12) to the continuous film web (13) and applying the tear-open strip (12) to the continuous film web (13),
- d) sensing the printed markings (24) on the tear-open strip (12) by a printed-mark reader (26) after the tear-open strip (12) has been applied to the film web (13),
- e) sensing the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13) by another printed-mark reader (30) after the tear-open strip (12) has been applied to the continuous film web (13), and
- f) severing blanks (11) for the outer wrapper from the continuous film web (13) to which the tear-open strip (12) has been applied, wherein a severing cut for severing the blanks (11) with the tear-open strips (12) from the continuous film web (13) is controlled in accordance with both the detected printed markings (24) of the tear-open strip (12) and the detected printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13).
3 more elements
Apparatus for producing cigarette packs (10) of the hinge-lid type with an outer wrapper made of film and with a tear-open strip (12) applied to the outer wrapper and likewise consisting of film, comprising:
- a) a strip reel (19) containing a material strip (18), a means for producing the tear-open strips (12) from said material strip (18), the material strip (18) having been provided with precisely positioned printing or markings (24) thereon during production of the tear-open strips (12), the material strip (18) also having decorative or informative printing thereon, the material strip (18) being held ready on the strip reel (19) for being drawn off along a path of movement,
- b) a reel (15) containing the continuous film web (13), the continuous film web (13) having been provided with precisely positioned printing marks (25) thereon during production of the continuous film web (13), the continuous film web (13) also having decorative or informative printing thereon, the continuous film web (13) being held ready on the reel (15) for being drawn off of the reel (15) along the path of movement,
- c) a means for applying the tear-open strips (12) to the continuous film web (13) along the path of movement after the material strip (18) has been drawn off of the strip reel (19),
- d) a printed-mark reader (26) located in the region of the path of movement of the tear-open strips (12) applied to the continuous film web (13), wherein the printed-mark reader (26) senses the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12),
- e) another printed mark reader (30) located in the region of the path of movement of the tear-open strip (12) applied to the continuous film web (13), wherein the another printed mark reader (30) senses the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13),
- f) an evaluation unit, connected to both the printed-mark reader (26) and the another printed mark reader (30), for evaluating the positions of the printed markings (24) on the tear-open strip (12) and the printed markings (25) on the continuous film web (13) sensed by the printed-mark readers,
- f) a means for severing the continuous film web (13) with the tear-open strips (12) applied thereto to form a blank (11) containing the tear-open strip (12), and
- g) drive elements for the material strip (18) and the continuous film web (13), whereby the drive elements are controlled by the printed-mark readers (26, 30) via the evaluation unit.
5 more elements
A process for producing cigarette packs (10) of the hinge-lid type with an outer wrapper made of film, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a material strip (18) with precisely positioned printed markings (24) and decorative or informative printing thereon;
- b) providing a continuous film web (13) with precisely positioned printed markings (25) and decorative or informative printing thereon;
- c) feeding the material strips (18) to the continuous film web (13) along a path of movement and attaching the material strips (18) to the continuous film web (13) as tear-open strips (12);
- d) sensing the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12) with a printed-mark reader (26);
- e) sensing the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13) with another printed-mark reader (30);
- f) controlling the positioning of a severing cut for severing individual blanks (11) comprising the tear-open strips (12) attached to the continuous film web (13) in accordance with the sensing of the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12) and the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13);
- and then
- e) severing the individual blanks (11) from the continuous film web (13) having the tear-open strips (12) attached thereto for use as an outer wrapper based on the sensing of the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12) and the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13), wherein the blanks (11) comprise a portion of the continuous film web (13) and the tear-open strip (12) and whereby the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12) and the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13) are precisely positioned for severing the blank (11) from the continuous film web (13).
5 more elements
An apparatus for producing cigarette packs (10) of the hinge-lid type with an outer wrapper made of film, comprising:
- a) means for providing a material strip (18) with precisely positioned printed markings (24) and decorative or informative printing thereon and for producing tear-open strips (12);
- b) means for attaching the tear-open strips (12) to a continuous film web (13), the continuous film web (13) having precisely positioned printed markings (25) and decorative or informative printing thereon;
- c) a printed-mark reader (26), located proximal to a path of movement where the tear-open strips (12) are applied to the continuous film web (13), wherein the printed-mark reader senses the printed markings (24) on the tear-open strips (12);
- d) another printed mark reader (30), located proximal to the path of movement where the tear-open strips (12) are applied to the continuous film web (13), wherein the another printed mark reader (30) senses the printed markings (25) of the continuous film web (13),
- e) an evaluation unit, connected to the printed-mark reader (26) and the another printed mark reader (30), for evaluating the sensed positions of the printed markings (24) on the tear-open strip (12) and the printed markings (25) on the continuous film web (13);
- and
- d) drive elements, which are controlled by the printed-mark reader (26) and the another printed mark reader (30) via the evaluation unit, for driving the continuous film web (13) so as to allow the severing of individual blanks (11) for the outer wrapper from the continuous film web (13) at a position based on the sensing of the printed markings (24) on the tear-open strips (12) and the printed markings (25) on the continuous film web (13), whereby the printed markings (24) of the tear-open strips (12) and the printed markings (25) on the continuous film web (13) are positioned in a precise position to the blank (11).
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.