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US 8,616,258 B2Granted
Tape for mass-sealing bottles and similar containers, and apparati for its application and removal
AssigneeRibi Pack S.p.A.
InventorLeon Antoine Ribi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite laminar tape for mass-sealing bottles or similar containers consists, according to the invention, of at least one extensible laminar tape, made of an extensible plastomeric film, which is possibly provided with closed lines for a predetermined separation of areas being meant to act as sealing membranes. The invention also relates to an apparatus for mass-sealing containers with said tape, and to an apparatus for mass-unsealing the containers sealed with said tape.
Claims18
A combination of an apparatus and tape to repeatedly apply seals on the opening of bottles or similar containers to be sealed, the combination comprising:
- a) composite laminar tape for mass-sealing bottles or similar containers;
- b) the tape having at least one flexible but not extensible support tape, which has a line of holes passing through a thickness of the support tape, the holes having diameters longer than diameters of openings of the bottles or similar containers to be sealed;
- wherein
- c) the holes are of equal diameter;
- d) and there is provided also an extensible laminar tape, wherein the extensible laminar tape is an extensible plastomeric film, which is made to adhere to the support tape;
- e) at least one applicator head, having at least a cavity or a notch whose shape is complementary to the opening of the bottle or similar container to be sealed;
- f) means for feeding the tape between said cavity or notch and the opening of a bottle or similar container;
- g) means for relative motion along the axes of the cavity or notch of the applicator head and the opening of the bottle or similar container in two directions, wherein the cavity or notch is fitted closely on the opening of the bottle or similar container and the applicator head is displaced from said opening;
- h) means for feeding a succession of bottles or similar containers, and for positioning them one after the other with their openings being coaxial or substantially coaxial to the cavity or notch of the applicator head;
- i) the applicator head having at least one face, in which the cavity or notch is formed, and is supported so as to be movable along the axis of said cavity or notch, i.e. substantially perpendicular to said face;
- j) the tape being unwound from a first coil and wound on a second coil, said applicator head being provided in a laterally staggered position connecting the first and second coils in order to force the tape to form a curve;
- and wherein
- k) the tape has a width greater than corresponding dimensions of the applicator head and the applicator head having edge corners around which bend lateral parts of the tape protruding over the corresponding dimensions of the applicator head.
10 more elements
A combination of an apparatus and tape to repeatedly apply seals on the opening of bottles or similar containers to be sealed, the combination comprising:
- a) a tape of sealing plastic material fit for mass-sealing the bottles or similar containers to be sealed;
- b) at least one applicator head, having at least a cavity or a notch whose shape is complementary to the opening of the bottle or similar container to be sealed;
- c) means for feeding the tape between said cavity or notch and the opening of a bottle or similar container;
- d) means for relative motion along the axes of the cavity or notch of the applicator head and the opening of the bottle or similar container in two directions, wherein the cavity or notch is fitted closely on the opening of the bottle or similar container and the applicator head is displaced from said opening;
- e) means for feeding a succession of bottles or similar containers, and for positioning them one after the other with their openings being coaxial or substantially coaxial to the cavity or notch of the applicator head;
- f) the applicator head having at least one face, in which the cavity or notch is formed, and is supported so as to be movable along the axis of said cavity or notch, i.e. substantially perpendicular to said face;
- g) the tape being unwound from a first coil and wound on a second coil, said applicator head being provided in a laterally staggered position connecting the first and second coils in order to force the tape to form a curve;
- h) the tape has a width greater than corresponding dimensions of the applicator head and the applicator head having edge corners around which bend themselves lateral parts of the tape protruding over the corresponding dimensions of the applicator head;
- i) wherein the applicator head has a plurality of faces being tangential to a cylinder, whose axis is an axis of rotation, which is parallel to the faces, whereas each face has a notch;
- and
- j) wherein each face of the applicator head having the cavity or notch has a different shape and size for a particular opening of a particular type of container, whereas the applicator head is adapted to the particular type of container, through a rotation which brings the face provided with the suitable cavity or notch to an operating position.
8 more elements
A combination of an apparatus and tape to repeatedly apply seals on the opening of bottles or similar containers to be sealed, the combination comprising:
- a) a tape of sealing plastic material fit for mass-sealing the bottles or similar containers to be sealed;
- b) at least one applicator head, having at least a cavity or a notch whose shape is complementary to the opening of the bottle or similar container to be sealed;
- c) means for feeding the tape between said cavity or notch and the opening of a bottle or similar container;
- d) means for relative motion along the axes of the cavity or notch of the applicator head and the opening of the bottle or similar container in two directions, wherein the cavity or notch is fitted closely on the opening of the bottle or similar container and the applicator head is displaced from said opening;
- e) means for feeding a succession of bottles or similar containers, and for positioning them one after the other with their openings being coaxial or substantially coaxial to the cavity or notch of the applicator head;
- f) the applicator head having at least one face, in which the cavity or notch is formed, and is supported so as to be movable along the axis of said cavity or notch, i.e. substantially perpendicular to said face;
- g) the tape being unwound from a first coil and wound on a second coil, said applicator head being provided in a laterally staggered position connecting the first and second coils in order to force the tape to form a curve;
- wherein
- h) the tape has a width greater than corresponding dimensions of the applicator head and the applicator head having edge corners around which bend themselves lateral parts of the tape protruding over the corresponding dimensions of the applicator head;
- i) the applicator head having at least two rigid members of any type, which may be moved both relatively to each other and while being integrally joined, along a predetermined path, whereas said members have each at least one plane surface, specularly facing the other, wherein at least one through hole is formed, wherein the at least one through hole has a diameter longer than that of the edges of the openings to be sealed;
- j) means for feeding the tape between said rigid members;
- and
- k) the rigid members acting as means for clamping a segment of tape between opposite plane surfaces, gripping it on its two sides on an annular strip, one on the side of the tape opposite to the bottle and the other on the side of the tape facing the bottle, wherein centers of the through holes of the members, a center of the opening to be sealed and centers of the holes formed in the support tapes are on the same line.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.