Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials

Abstract

The invention relates to a cartridge for receiving and processing building materials, comprising a cartridge cylinder, a cartridge head detachably mounted on the end face of the cartridge cylinder, a tubular bag containing building material, and a displaceable piston-like cartridge base, wherein the cartridge cylinder is designed as a cardboard sleeve (1) and the cartridge base as a cardboard piston (2), wherein the cardboard piston (2) forming the cartridge base is annular and consists of a cardboard piston sleeve (7) which is designed to be displaceable in a circumferential manner, closely fitting the inner wall of the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder, and a flange (6) on the underside which is integrally formed from the cardboard piston sleeve (7) itself by flanging.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cartridge for holding and processing building materials such as sealants, silicones or adhesives.

[0002] It is known in the art to contain such building materials in cylindrical cartridges, allowing them to be removed via a corresponding outlet in the form of a spout attached to the cartridge head. For this purpose, this cartridge is typically manufactured as a disposable product consisting of a plastic tube with an integral, closed cartridge head into which the compound to be processed is poured. The end of this cartridge is then tightly sealed with a cartridge base.

[0003] To remove the building material from the cartridge, the cartridge is inserted into an ejection tool, such as a cartridge gun or similar, and subjected to a manually operated pressure plunger, for example, which rests on the movable cartridge base inside the cartridge and presses the viscous building material out of the cartridge for processing. Another advantage of this solution is its ease of handling, as the cartridge can be easily inserted sideways into the cartridge gun and released again by returning the pressure plunger, which is usually mounted on a rack inside the cartridge.

[0004] Manually operated half-shell presses are well-known and widely used. These presses feature a rack for moving the pressure ram and a half-shell for holding the cartridges, into which the cartridge is firmly clamped. In more complex and professional versions, the pressing is no longer done manually, but are usually fully mechanized devices that move the pressure ram, for example, using compressed air or an electric motor.

[0005] For the function of such a cartridge, tightness with regard to storage life is important, as the building material usually reacts with the ambient air and leads to the hardening of the building material contained in the cartridge. The advantages of this type of disposable product cartridge, which is widely available on the market, include good storage life, product presentation, and ease of use, even for laypersons, via the nozzle attached to the cartridge, whereby the feed of the pressure stamp into the cartridge is easily controlled. Mechanical manual movement is particularly common in amateur applications, although electric and pneumatic drives are common alternatives in professional trades.

[0006] However, a very obvious disadvantage of this practice is that the disposable cartridges are cylindrical plastic bodies and therefore problematic both in terms of production and disposal. Especially in light of the generally increased efforts to reduce the use of plastic products, both to conserve resources during production and to avoid the resulting waste, alternatives are urgently needed.

[0007] This disposal issue is further exacerbated by the fact that building material residues, which often harden in the cartridge head of these disposable cartridges and thus remain in these cartridges, prevent sensible waste separation and thus only allow disposal as residual or hazardous waste. This is due in particular to the fact that the cartridge head, which houses the nozzle-like spout for applying the material pressed from the cartridge, is filled with hardened building material through use, making recycling and, in particular, separate disposal of the cartridge impossible. Since the cartridge head of disposable cartridges is firmly connected to the rest of the cartridge body as an integral part, these components can only be separated from one another by cutting it open and thus destroying the cartridge.Reuse as a starting material or as a raw material for new plastic products is therefore excluded.

[0008] The prior art publication DE 41 39 744 A1 already discloses a cartridge for containing, for example, sealants or adhesives, which aims at reusability. For this purpose, the front outlet nozzle of this design is inserted into the cartridge cylinder as a separate component and is supported on the inside of the open end wall of the cartridge body, but is thus not formed integrally with it, for example, as a plastic component.

[0009] After the building material contained in the cartridge has been extruded, this invention allows the remaining mass to be pushed back to the rear end of the cartridge with the outlet nozzle and removed from the cartridge from the rear. The outlet nozzle, which is inserted into the cartridge cylinder as well as the piston for extruding the building material from the cartridge, can thus be removed from the cartridge cylinder, which can then be reused. Only the outlet nozzle and the piston are not recyclable, as they are contaminated with the extruded building material.

[0010] While this is a theoretical improvement over disposable cartridges, as it at least allows the plastic cylinder of the cartridge to be separated from the building material it contains, in practice it is difficult to actually force the outlet nozzle back through the elongated plastic cylinder to the open end of the cartridge, depending on the remaining cured ingredients and in what quantity. For example, with adhesives or silicones, it is difficult to return the outlet nozzle, which is located on the end wall of the plastic cylinder, because the remaining building material and the cartridge base, which acts as a piston, must also be pushed out.

[0011] Another disadvantage is that it is assumed that the plastic cylinder cannot be recycled without extensive reprocessing and cleaning, as it comes into direct contact with the building material. Finally, a disadvantage is that, similar to disposable cartridges, this type of cartridge often hardens with a significant amount of residual material that can no longer be processed. Therefore, the contents of the cartridge can only be partially removed, as the remaining material that may still be usable cannot be accessed.

[0012] Another alternative to the described disposable cartridges are tubular containers, which are particularly popular in professional applications in more complex tubular bag guns. Tubular bag guns have been developed for this purpose as special receiving and dispensing devices that allow the compound to be removed from these transport tubes. This represents an improvement over disposable cartridges in that the waste volume of the tubes remaining after the contained building compound has been pressed out is significantly lower than is the case with disposable cartridges.

[0013] However, one disadvantage is that special tubular bag guns as pick-up and dispensing devices are complex and expensive to manufacture, which is why they are primarily used in professional settings. Another problem is the transport and storage of these building material hoses, as they cannot be stored upright, for example, and the hoses themselves do not have the robustness of a plastic cartridge. This is particularly problematic because if a single hose is destroyed, for example during transport, numerous other building material hoses can be affected by contamination. It is therefore important to ensure that the transport and dispensing hoses used do not have walls that are too thin to prevent damage during storage and transport.This in turn increases the requirements for the device for receiving and discharging the contained mass as well as the amount of plastic used in hose production.

[0014] Publication EP 23166808.8 describes a cartridge for collecting and processing building materials, in which the cartridge body and cartridge base may be made of cardboard. A cup jacket is attached to the cartridge base, tightly fitting the inner wall of the cartridge cylinder and open at the front. The cartridge base may have such a cup jacket integrally formed therein. A cup insert is slidably mounted on the cartridge base. The aim is to contain the emptied tubular film in this cup jacket, preventing it from getting caught between the cartridge base, which serves as a movable piston, and the inner wall of the cartridge body.

[0015] In practice, it has proven disadvantageous that this requires a cup jacket with a height that, on the one hand, negatively reduces the pressure on the inner wall of the cartridge body, but on the other hand also means a loss in terms of the extrudable material, since the height of the cup jacket determines the distance to the cartridge head at the end of the cartridge emptying.

[0016] The disclosed invention of EP 3 936 454 A1 relates to a cartridge cap that can be mounted on a distal end of a cartridge body for use with an extrusion gun. Furthermore, a plurality of rods extend longitudinally from an inner surface of the cap body, at least one of which rods is suitable for piercing a flexible bag. A paper-based cartridge cylinder is also disclosed. However, two aspects are disadvantageous: firstly, the cartridge cap inserted into the cartridge does not provide space for the compressed tubular bag, and secondly, the cartridge base, which, precisely because of its rounded transition area to the inner wall of the cartridge body, cannot reliably ensure secure guidance of the tubular bag to be compressed.

[0017] The same applies to DE 9 116 065 U1, which also discloses a tubular bag solution. The inventive concept here lies in the sealingly inserted cartridge head, which also shows a paper-based cartridge cylinder. However, this also has the disadvantage that, on the one hand, the cartridge head sits firmly in the cartridge cylinder after emptying, preventing separation. On the other hand, the cartridge base leads to problems with controlled emptying of the tubular bag, as the emptied tubular bag can accumulate in the transition between the cartridge cylinder and the cartridge base and block it.

[0018] Against this background, the object of the cartridge according to the invention is, on the one hand, to create a cartridge for building materials that is suitable for both professional and amateur use, and that advantageously combines the advantages of disposable cartridges with the advantages of tube storage for the building materials to be processed. The goal is therefore to be able to use a cardboard plunger that reliably prevents the tubular film from penetrating between the cartridge's cardboard sleeve and the movable cardboard plunger that forms the cartridge base. For this purpose, the cardboard plunger should have a high level of inherent stability and, at the same time, a low height compared to a cup-like cardboard plunger sleeve in order to be able to squeeze out the material contained in the film tube as completely as possible.

[0019] The aim is to significantly improve the environmental compatibility of these products by increasing the proportion of recyclable and processable building material, on the one hand, and reducing waste volume when using this cartridge, on the other hand, at least through better separation of the cartridge's structural components. This should also be achieved while fully preserving the functionality and ensuring clean emptying of the tubular bag.

[0020] According to the invention, this is achieved by a cartridge having the characterising features of claim 1.

[0021] The further claims relate to advantageous embodiments of this invention.

[0022] The technical realization of the desired system consisting of a cardboard sleeve forming the cartridge with a piston slidably guided in this cardboard sleeve, which for reasons of improved environmental protection should also be made entirely and exclusively of cardboard, required further developments until a cartridge body that could actually be used in regular operation could be found.

[0023] The key problems here are, in particular, the film guidance of the film tube within the cartridge body during the compression process of the film bag. Compression of this tubular bag is problematic in that the film can slide into the space between the cartridge's inner wall and the movable piston, thus blocking the entire cartridge's operation. This leads to material loss and incomplete removal of the material from the tubular bag, which runs counter to environmental protection.

[0024] Therefore, the aim of this further development of the product was, in particular, to achieve a clear improvement in the guidance of the tubular bag within the cartridge in a version with a cardboard sleeve and cardboard piston and, at the same time, to achieve good waste separation.

[0025] It is particularly advantageous that the invention ensures that only two residual products remain after use, namely the cardboard tube with the cardboard piston moved forward in the cardboard tube on the one hand, which can therefore be completely disposed of in the waste paper due to labeling, also with a paper label.

[0026] The second component is residual waste in the form of the plastic nozzle head, which is mounted on or inserted into the cardboard tube and through which the product is extruded. The compressed film tube is also pressed into this plastic nozzle head, leaving a minimal amount of residual material. This combination of plastic nozzle head, tubular bag, and residual contents can be disposed of together with the residual waste.

[0027] In this way, a completely problem-free and also practically applicable solution is achieved, which advantageously also transfers the idea of ​​environmental protection into practical work and does not entail too much effort for separation, which would otherwise lead to the separation of the waste components being dispensed with in practical application.

[0028] The advantages of the new development can therefore be described as a cardboard piston which is guided tightly and tightly along the inner wall of the cartridge via a sleeve-like outer edge which is guided tightly and tightly in the cardboard sleeve and thus prevents the tubular bag or the emptied film portion from which the product has already been removed from slipping past.

[0029] As already mentioned in the prior art, a cup-like shape of the outer edge of this piston is provided to guide the tubular bag. At the same time, the height of this sleeve should be selected so that it does not take up too much space when emptying the tubular bag, as it forms a spacer from the head of the cartridge. Therefore, this height should be designed as low as possible to ensure good guidance of the tubular bag and the emptied film, while also being able to squeeze out the contents of the tubular bag as completely as possible.

[0030] The central feature of the invention, which has led to a truly stable and adequately resilient design of this cardboard piston, is a solid piston flange. This ensures that the inherent rigidity of the piston, combined with the previously mentioned low piston sleeve height, is sufficient to apply the pressure required on the tubular bag when used in a cartridge gun. It is essential that the stiffening achieved by this flange enables the contact pressure of the sleeve- or cup-like piston sleeve, aligned with the head of the cartridge, against the inner wall of the cardboard sleeve forming the cartridge.

[0031] In terms of manufacturing technology, the integrated design of the flanged cardboard piston also ensures great stability, with the cup-like piston sleeve emerging directly from the flange, or the flange being created directly from the entire sleeve forming the cardboard piston. This also increases the pressure of the piston sleeve section above the flange against the inner wall of the cardboard cartridge, as the flange causes a slight widening towards the upper end of the piston sleeve section, where the tight fit for guiding the tubular bag film in the transition to the sliding area on the inner wall of the cardboard cartridge occurs.

[0032] On the one hand, it is provided that this cardboard piston is ring-shaped, with the piston flange already acting as a support ring on the push rod of a cartridge gun and the film tube being guided here.

[0033] A further improvement can be achieved by placing a rigid cardboard piston base plate underneath the piston, which also acts as a pressure plate on the cardboard piston and thus serves as a support for the pusher piston of a cartridge gun. This further improves the stable guidance of the cardboard sleeve of the cardboard piston within the cardboard sleeve and also seals the underside of the cartridge, which is particularly advantageous during storage and transport of the cartridge according to the invention.

[0034] This cardboard disc can either be attached to the underside of the cardboard piston as a loose body or it can be firmly connected to the cardboard piston, for example by being glued.

[0035] It has also proven advantageous to have a retaining ring, e.g., a glue ring, on the lower inner wall of the cardboard sleeve, which secures the cardboard piston or the cardboard piston with the cardboard disc attached to it. This is also particularly relevant for the storage and transport of the prepared cardboard cartridge.

[0036] The glue ring prevents the cardboard disc and / or the cardboard piston from being pushed out by the weight of the tubular bags in the cardboard cartridge. Thus, movement into the cardboard sleeve is only possible by applying appropriate pressure to the piston to move it toward the cartridge's exit opening.

[0037] This also has advantages in cartridge production, as the locking ring is positioned on the inside of one of the openings in the cardboard sleeve, preventing the cardboard piston, possibly with the cardboard disc resting against it, from escaping. This makes it possible to insert the cardboard piston, possibly with the cardboard disc resting against it, from the second opening of the cardboard sleeve into the sleeve up to a lower stop point determined by the locking ring. This allows for automation of this production step.

[0038] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 the cardboard sleeve with inserted cardboard piston; Figure 2 a section through Figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the cardboard cartridge in perspective view; Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the cardboard cartridge in side view and Figure 5 shows a section through Figure 4 .

[0039] The Figures 1 and 2show the cardboard sleeve 1 forming the cardboard cartridge with the cardboard piston 2 guided therein and the cardboard disc 3 lying against the cardboard piston 2 below it. It can be seen that this combination of cardboard piston 2 and cardboard disc 4 is arranged at the lower left end of the outlet opening of the cardboard sleeve 1 in the illustration, whereby an embodiment is shown in which a securing ring 4 is additionally provided below the cardboard disc 3, for example designed as a glue ring, which serves to secure the cardboard disc 3 and the cardboard piston 2 in this area.

[0040] It is also clear here that the cardboard piston 2 has a solid flange aligned towards the cardboard disc, whereby the cardboard piston is composed of this annular flange 6, which encloses a central free space towards the cardboard disc and the cup-like cardboard piston sleeve 7 as a further development of the flange aligned towards the open outlet side of the cardboard sleeve 1 forming the cartridge, which serves to guide a tubular bag, which is not further shown in this figure.

[0041] It becomes clear that the cup-like sleeve 7 of the cardboard piston, which is directed towards the head of the cartridge, serves to guide a film tube in the cartridge assembly, the underside is closed off by the cardboard disc, which therefore serves as a contact surface for the pressure of the push rod of a cartridge gun.

[0042] Also shown here is the winding gap 5 for producing the cardboard core 1, which is particularly thin in this embodiment of the cardboard core 1 according to the invention. The inner layer of the cardboard winding of this cardboard core 1 is oriented with the sharp cut edge facing inward, with the winding gap 5 of this cardboard winding being designed to be as small as possible, at less than 0.3 mm.

[0043] This is intended to prevent a gap between the outer edge of the cardboard piston and the inner surface of the cardboard sleeve 1 from causing the tubular bag film to insert itself into this winding gap 5 of the cardboard winding and thus slip into the piston gap. This means that the narrowest possible design of the winding gap 5 of the cardboard winding is also relevant to the invention in order to reliably prevent the film from penetrating between the cardboard piston 2 and the cardboard sleeve 1.

[0044] In the further Figures 3 to 5 The interaction of the structural elements of the cardboard sleeve 1, the cardboard piston 2, the cardboard disc 3 and the retaining ring 4 is shown in exploded views. Figure 3 a perspective view, Figure 4 a side view and Figure 5 a section through Figure 4 .

[0045] It is evident how these structural components interact in a specific order. It can be seen that the retaining ring 4 is arranged below the cardboard disc 3 and the cardboard piston 2, since the purpose of the retaining ring 4 is to prevent these structural elements of the cardboard piston 2 and the parking disc 3 from accidentally falling out of the cardboard sleeve 1.

[0046] In Figure 5 is also, as in Figure 2 and 3the flange 6 in the cardboard piston 2 is shown, whereby it is clear that this flange 6 of the cardboard piston 2 provides very stable and load-bearing stiffening. With a radius of the cardboard piston 2 of approximately 2.2 cm, a diameter of the flange of approximately 3 to 5 mm is provided, whereby the flange is approximately 3 to 5 times the thickness of the actual cardboard piston sleeve 7 of the cardboard piston 2. Viewed over the area of ​​the cardboard piston 2 as a whole, the diameter of the flange 6 has a value of approximately 15% to 30% based on the radius of the cardboard piston 2. In this way, the desired structural integrity of the cardboard piston 2 and the contact pressure against the inner wall of the cardboard sleeve 1 can be achieved.

[0047] In Figure 5The circumferential winding gap 5 is also visible, which is arranged continuously in the inner wall of the cardboard tube 1. It is relevant that this winding gap 5 is a maximum of 0.3 mm thick in order to prevent the tubular film from being pushed into this recess.

[0048] In Figure 5 It also becomes clear that the flange 6 in the inner circumference of the cardboard piston 2 reduces or narrows the interior of the cardboard piston 2, which also means that this narrowed space can be squeezed out as additional material. This further increases the compression of the tubular bag.

[0049] In this way, the entire compression process of the tubular bag within the cartridge cylinder is achieved more evenly and the entry of the emptied tubular bag into the previously described annular gap between the cartridge cylinder and the cartridge base is prevented.

[0050] According to the invention, the building material is arranged in a movable tubular bag within the cartridge. This results in four basic components of the cartridge according to the invention: the tubular bag containing the building material to be processed, for example a silicone or sealing compound; a cartridge cylinder that encloses this tubular bag as tightly as possible; the cartridge base, which can be moved within the cartridge cylinder and serves as a sealing, movable piston element; and the cartridge head, which is attached to the front and features an outlet nozzle and outlet opening and generally has an attached thread for attaching a nozzle. These four elements are designed to be separable from one another, as the tubular bag is loosely inserted into the cartridge cylinder in order to then close the front and back of this cartridge cylinder with the cartridge base on the one hand and the cartridge head on the other.

[0051] In this way, a cartridge is formed which, in its external appearance, resembles conventional disposable cartridges, as it has a closed, stable base body in a cylindrical design, which allows this cartridge to be inserted, for example, into a conventional cartridge gun.

[0052] A key aspect of the present invention is that, on the one hand, it is an environmentally friendly product, as it can be recycled separately, while, at the same time, retaining the advantageous aspects of the currently used disposable cartridges with regard to trade and handling. This product can therefore be stored, transported, and used like a disposable cartridge. Presentation at the point of sale, for example, in a hardware store, as well as product design, the application of product information, and advertising material on the packaging, are easily possible, just like for a disposable cartridge.

[0053] Nevertheless, the modular design of the product allows for the separation of these individual modules, thus providing significant advantages over the known disposable cartridges and also over the use of material hoses in correspondingly elaborately produced application guns.

[0054] The use of the cartridge according to the invention will be explained by way of example. The cartridge according to the invention can be purchased in the usual way, for example, at a hardware store. The tubular bag containing a building material, such as a sealant, is located in the cartridge cylinder. The container is sealed by the cartridge base inserted at the end and the cartridge head attached to the front.

[0055] It is crucial, however, that these elements are not permanently connected to the cartridge cylinder as the base body or, in the case of the cartridge head, are not an integral part. This is a natural consequence of the cartridge base in its function as a push piston, since it must be moved longitudinally into the cartridge to press the compound out of the tubular bag. However, the cartridge head is also only detachably attached and can be removed from the cartridge cylinder as the base body of the cartridge at any time, thus maintaining access to the tubular bag as a key feature of the invention.

[0056] When inserting the cartridge according to the invention into a cartridge press or cartridge gun, a push rod with a pressure plunger is pressed against the cartridge base, which serves as a piston. Thus, the piston-like cartridge base is displaced into the interior of the cartridge and, in the case of the invention, pressed onto the tubular bag. The tubular bag is then pushed and pressed against the cartridge head, with the cartridge head being supported by a holder that is an integral part of the cartridge gun.

[0057] Thus, the cartridge according to the invention is clamped between this receptacle for the cartridge head and the pressure plunger for engaging the interior of the cartridge cylinder. In this way, the tubular bag is pressed into the cartridge head, and simultaneously, the removable cartridge head is pressed against the cartridge cylinder as the building compound is extruded from an outlet opening in the cartridge head. This advantageously ensures that, while fully functional, the cartridge head, as a detachable component, is not permanently attached to the cartridge cylinder and can be removed from the cartridge cylinder.

[0058] This eliminates the problem of having to dispose of half-empty disposable cartridges along with the remaining building material. This cartridge inventively solves the problem by ensuring that the material in the tubular bag, such as a sealing silicone, is completely used up and the cured building material can be disposed of separately.

[0059] Once the building compound has been used up and the pressure plunger rod has been fully inserted into the cartridge cylinder, the pressure plunger is retracted, allowing the empty cartridge to be removed from the cartridge gun and disassembled into individual modules. The cartridge head is removed, and any remaining cured building compound is removed from the cartridge head along with the attached compressed bag. This bag, containing the remaining cured building compound in the cartridge head, can be disposed of separately or with the cartridge head.

Claims

1. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials comprising a cartridge cylinder, a cartridge head detachably attached to the front of the cartridge cylinder, a tubular bag containing building material and a displaceable piston-like cartridge base, wherein the cartridge cylinder is designed as a cardboard sleeve (1) and the cartridge base as a cardboard piston (2), characterized in that - the cardboard piston (2) forming the cartridge base is ring-shaped and consists of a cardboard piston sleeve (7) which is designed to be displaceable all the way around, closely fitting the inner wall of the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder, and - a flange (6) on the underside which is formed integrally from the cardboard piston sleeve (7) itself by flanging.

2. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials according to claim 1, characterized in thatin relation to the radius of the cardboard piston (2), the diameter of the flange (6) has a value of approximately 15% to 30% of the radius of the cardboard piston (2).

3. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that - a cardboard disc (3) is arranged on the cardboard piston (2), which lies on the ring body of the cardboard piston (2) on the flange (6) and - forms a supporting disc between the cardboard piston (2) and the pusher piston of a cartridge gun and - forms a common closed space with the cardboard piston sleeve (7) and the flange (6) to the pusher piston of a cartridge gun for guiding the film tubular bag.

4. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thata retaining ring (4) is arranged on the inner wall of the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder at one of the open cardboard sleeve openings in such a way that the cardboard piston (2) or the cardboard disc (3) resting against it are secured against falling out of the cardboard sleeve (1).

5. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder has a winding gap of less than 0.3 mm.

6. Cartridge for receiving and processing building materials according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the cardboard piston (2) and the cardboard disc (3) are designed to merely lie against one another or to be firmly connected to one another.

7. Cartridge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that- the tubular bag has an upper tubular bag end and a lower tubular bag end, - wherein the cardboard piston (2) forming the cartridge base rests against the lower tubular bag end, displacing the tubular bag in the longitudinal axis direction of the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder towards the cartridge head, - and the upper tubular bag end engages in the cartridge head.

8. Cartridge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cardboard sleeve (1) forming the cartridge cylinder, the cartridge head, the movable cardboard piston (2) as the cartridge base and the tubular bag are detachably connected to one another and designed to be separable.

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