Method for producing adhesive rolls provided with adhesive elements, and refilled cartridge unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls provided with adhesive elements (10), comprising the method steps of: a) producing or making available a dispenser material tape (12) in a dispenser arrangement (14), wherein the dispenser material tape (12) comprises a multiplicity of adhesive elements (10), wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) is configured to separate the adhesive elements (10) from a web-shaped first release material (16) in a dispensing region (18) and to output them from the dispenser arrangement (14), b) producing or making available two or more receiving arrangements (20a-e), each of which comprises: i) a feed roller (22), ii) a receiving roller (24), iii) a guide arrangement (26), and iv) a web-shaped second release material (28), wherein the web-shaped second release material (28) is arranged in the guide arrangement (26) between the feed roller (22) and the receiving roller (24) and is guided through a receiving region (30) of the receiving arrangement (20a-e), c) guiding the dispenser material tape (12) in the dispenser arrangement (14) through the dispensing region (18), d) rolling the web-shaped second release materials (28) onto the receiving rollers (24) in the respective receiving arrangements (20a-e), and e) outputting adhesive elements (10) from the dispenser arrangement (14) in the dispensing region (18) and in each case transferring some of the output adhesive elements (10) into the receiving regions (30) of the receiving arrangements (20a-e).

Description

[0001] Method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements and refilled cassette unit

[0002] The invention relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, in particular for refilling cassette units, a dispensing device for use in a corresponding method, the use of a corresponding dispensing arrangement for refilling cassette units and a refilled cassette unit that can be produced by the method.

[0003] The use of adhesive elements is an important component of many modern manufacturing processes. These adhesive elements are not only used to attach components to a substrate, but are also used, in particular, to close openings in a substrate. Such openings are usually due to manufacturing processes and represent potential weak points in the final product through which moisture or contaminants can penetrate. The use of suitable, usually single-sided adhesive elements to close corresponding openings in substrates represents a simple, time- and cost-effective solution for closing such openings and preventing the unwanted penetration of contaminants. In the state of the art, such adhesive elements, which are also referred to as die-cuts due to their manufacturing process, are already regularly used for this purpose.

[0004] In principle, it would be conceivable to manually place the corresponding adhesive elements on a substrate. However, with increasing automation and in light of the ongoing interest in process control that is as error-free and efficient as possible, automated application devices have been developed for applying adhesive elements to a substrate to be bonded. These application devices must meet diverse requirements. In particular, such application devices must enable reliable and reproducible application of adhesive elements to the substrates, ideally while achieving a high throughput.

[0005] To optimize handling efficiency and avoid complex feed systems, application devices with an integrated dispenser arrangement for adhesive elements have been designed. In these devices, the provision of the adhesive element and the application device can be implemented together, for example, as part of an end effector of a robot head. For an efficient supply of adhesive elements, corresponding application devices with an integrated dispenser device often rely on a refill system. In this system, adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are inserted into the dispenser arrangement. After the adhesive elements contained on the adhesive roll have been applied, the adhesive rolls can be removed and replaced. Many modern application devices rely on concepts with so-called refill cassettes, in which the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are usually arranged in a housing.In many cases, corresponding refill cassettes also include an integrated guide arrangement, for example, consisting of guide rollers and deflection elements, which optimally guide the material tape contained in the refill cassettes and enable the material tape to be unwound in the refill cassette using an external drive unit. The use of corresponding refill cassettes generally allows for a particularly fast, reliable, and error-free supply of the application device with the adhesive elements required for the application. The refill cassettes are also particularly advantageous during storage and transport.

[0006] Despite the advantages associated with the use of replaceable adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, and especially the use of refill cassettes, their use is sometimes perceived as disadvantageous from other perspectives. In particular, the adhesive rolls stripped of adhesive elements—usually the emptied carrier roll and the remaining unwound liner—often end up as waste after use, which is very difficult to recycle, especially in older systems. Therefore, handling emptied refill cassettes is often perceived as more advantageous due to the integrated guide arrangement and the usually included reel for winding up the unwound liner.However, even with refill cassettes, recycling or refilling is often complex. This is often caused by the casing of the refill cassette, which is often difficult to open from the outside, for example, when removing an empty roll of adhesive tape and replacing it with a new one. In many cases, the new tape must also be threaded into the guide assembly of the refill cassette and connected to the take-up reel. For these reasons, refilling refill cassettes is often not time- and / or cost-efficient and, in many cases, difficult to automate.

[0007] In addition to the problems described above, the time- and cost-efficient production of fresh adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, which can be used directly in application devices or in a refill cassette, for example, is often perceived as challenging. Application devices, which are usually used as end effectors, are usually limited in their maximum weight, so the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements can usually only have a limited width. In many cases, such application devices are designed for adhesive tape rolls that only have a row of adhesive elements on the release liner.For reasons of manufacturing efficiency, however, when producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, such as adhesive rolls with die-cuts, it is actually preferable to manufacture them with large production widths, for example, 400 mm or more, and to select the densest possible packing of the adhesive elements on the liner in order to obtain the maximum number of adhesive elements per unit time and area. The production of adhesive rolls suitable for application devices and / or refill cassettes from these starting materials, also known as master rolls, often requires complex equipment and / or process management and / or is associated with compromises in time and / or cost efficiency.

[0008] The primary object of the present invention was to eliminate or at least reduce the above-described disadvantages of the prior art.

[0009] In particular, it was the object of the present invention to provide an advantageous method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, which can be used in particular for refilling cassette units.

[0010] In this respect, it was the object of the present invention that adhesive rolls or refill cassettes loaded with adhesive elements should be able to be produced in a time- and cost-efficient manner using the method to be specified.

[0011] It was a supplementary object of the present invention that adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements should be producible by the method to be specified, which are suitable for use in application devices designed as end effectors, wherein this production should desirably also be possible starting from parent rolls with large production widths and high packing densities of the adhesive elements.

[0012] It was a further object of the present invention that with the method to be specified, a large number of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements should be able to be produced simultaneously, or a large number of cassette units to be recycled should be able to be refilled simultaneously.

[0013] It was an additional object of the present invention to provide an advantageous dispensing device for use in the specified method, as well as to specify the use of a corresponding dispensing device in the refilling of cassette units. Furthermore, it was an object of the present invention to provide a refilled cassette unit that can be produced using the specified method.

[0014] The inventors of the present invention have now discovered that the above-described objects can be achieved by implementing a method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements using a dispenser assembly, with which the adhesive elements of a donor material strip are transferred to web-shaped release materials of two or more receiving assemblies in order to produce the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements in the receiving assemblies, as defined in the claims. In this respect, the inventors have succeeded in identifying particularly suitable structural designs with which the adhesive elements from the dispenser assembly can be efficiently distributed to a large number of receiving assemblies, even from wide and densely packed parent rolls.

[0015] The above-mentioned objects are thus achieved by the subject matter of the invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following statements.

[0016] Such embodiments, which are designated as preferred below, are combined in particularly preferred embodiments with features of other embodiments designated as preferred. Combinations of two or more of the embodiments designated as particularly preferred below are thus very particularly preferred. Likewise preferred are embodiments in which a feature of one embodiment designated as preferred to any extent is combined with one or more further features of other embodiments designated as preferred to any extent. Features of preferred dispensing devices, uses, and refilled cassette units emerge from the features of preferred methods.

[0017] The invention particularly relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, comprising the method steps: a) producing or providing a dispensing material strip in a dispensing arrangement, wherein the dispensing material strip comprises a plurality of adhesive elements with a carrier layer and an adhesive layer connected thereto, wherein the adhesive elements are arranged with the adhesive layer on a web-shaped first release material, wherein the dispensing arrangement is configured to separate the adhesive elements from the web-shaped first release material in a dispensing area and to dispense them from the dispensing arrangement, b) producing or providing two or more receiving assemblies, each comprising: i) a feed roll, ii) a take-up roll, iii) a guide arrangement, and iv) a web-shaped second release material, which is partially wound on the feed roll and fastened at one end to the take-up roll,wherein the web-shaped second release material is arranged between the feed roll and the take-up roll in the guide arrangement and is guided through a take-up area of ​​the take-up arrangement, c) guiding the dispenser material strip in the dispenser arrangement through the dispensing area, d) rolling up the web-shaped second release materials onto the take-up rolls in the respective take-up arrangements, wherein the web-shaped second release materials are unwound from the feed roll and guided in the guide arrangement through the take-up area, and e) dispensing adhesive elements from the dispenser arrangement in the dispensing area and transferring a portion of the dispensed adhesive elements into the take-up areas of the take-up arrangements for arranging the transferred adhesive elements on the respective web-shaped second release materials.

[0018] The method according to the invention is used to produce adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements. Such adhesive rolls can, for example, be used directly in application devices or for the production or refilling of cassette units. Furthermore, the method according to the invention advantageously enables direct refilling of cassette units, i.e., the previously emptied cassette units can be refilled using the method according to the invention, so that the adhesive roll loaded with adhesive elements is produced directly in the cassette unit.

[0019] In process step a), a so-called dispenser material strip is first presented, which comprises the adhesive elements which are to be distributed to the downstream receiving arrangements for producing the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements.

[0020] The dispenser material tape is preferably provided in a wound form, which is also referred to by those skilled in the art as a so-called master roll. Such master rolls are usually manufactured with large production widths, making it possible to provide a large number of adhesive elements per master roll. A preferred method according to the invention is one in which the dispenser material tape is provided, preferably on a master roll, with the master roll particularly preferably having a width in the range of 300 to 500 mm, most preferably in the range of 350 to 450 mm.

[0021] The method according to the invention is advantageously suitable for a wide range of possible adhesive elements. In view of the industrial relevance of corresponding adhesive elements, the method according to the invention is, however, particularly suitable for processing so-called diecuts, with the processing of pressure-sensitive adhesive elements being of particular relevance. A method according to the invention in which the adhesive elements are diecuts is therefore relevant for essentially all embodiments. A method according to the invention in which the adhesive elements are rectangular or circular, preferably circular, adhesive elements is also expedient for most cases, and the adhesive elements can in particular have rounded corners. In practice, moreover, a method according to the invention in which the adhesive elements are pressure-sensitive adhesive elements and / or in which the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive, with the adhesive layer preferably consisting of a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0022] For the adhesive layer of the adhesive elements, the skilled person can use adhesive compositions commonly used in the field of adhesive technology, for example, poly(meth)acrylate and / or rubber-based systems. The corresponding adhesive layer is arranged on a carrier layer, which is usually made of a plastic, as is customary in the industry. Although it is theoretically possible to process double-sided adhesive elements using the method according to the invention, in practice the method according to the invention will primarily be used for single-sided adhesive elements.An example of a method according to the invention is one in which the carrier layer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, cyclic olefin copolymers, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethersulfone, and polyimide, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the carrier layer preferably consists of these materials. For the vast majority of cases, a method according to the invention is preferred in which the side of the adhesive elements facing away from the adhesive layer is formed by the carrier layer.

[0023] The adhesive elements are arranged on the dispenser material strip on a release material. Corresponding web-shaped release materials, which are regularly also referred to as liners, are widely familiar to those skilled in the field of adhesive technology and are referred to herein as release materials because the adhesive elements arranged thereon can be easily separated from them due to reduced adhesion to the surface. The functionality of the release materials can be achieved by conventional release layers known to those skilled in the art, which are applied to the surface of the release materials, where they cover, for example, the base layer made of plastic or paper. In other words, this usually involves a method according to the invention, wherein the web-shaped first release material and / or the web-shaped second release material, preferably all web-shaped release materials, are liners.A typical method according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped first release material and / or the web-shaped second release material, preferably all web-shaped release materials, are coated on the side facing the adhesive elements with a release layer, preferably with a silicone release layer, wherein the silicone release layer can preferably be produced by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes. The dispenser material strip is produced or provided in a so-called dispenser arrangement. This dispenser arrangement is configured to separate the adhesive elements from the web-shaped first release material by suitable means and to dispense them from the dispenser arrangement, wherein particularly suitable structural embodiments for implementing this functionality are disclosed below.The area of ​​the dispenser assembly in which the adhesive elements separated from the release material are dispensed is referred to in the context of the present invention as the dispensing area. In preferred embodiments, the dispenser assembly will comprise, in addition to the parent roll containing the donor material strip, a take-up roll and a guide device for guiding the donor material strip in the dispenser assembly. The donor material strip extends, stretched by the guide elements of the guide device, which may be guide rollers, for example, from the parent roll to the take-up roll and passes through the dispensing area. The person skilled in the art will understand that with this structure, in the web direction, behind the dispensing area there is only the web-shaped first release material, which is usually completely free of adhesive elements and is wound onto the take-up roll.By driving the take-up roll, which can optionally be combined with a drive for the parent roll, it is possible to run the web-like first release material and thus the dispensing material strip through the dispenser assembly, so that new adhesive elements can be fed from the parent roll into the dispensing area. In this respect, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser assembly comprises:

[0024] 1.2) a master roll with the donor tape,

[0025] 11.2) a take-up roll for winding the web-like first release material freed of adhesive elements; iii.3) a guide device configured to guide the dispensing material strip from the parent roll through the dispensing area and to guide the web-like first release material freed of adhesive elements in the dispensing area to the take-up roll. Also preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the parent roll and / or the take-up roll, preferably the take-up roll, is electrically driven.

[0026] Complementarily, the invention also relates to a dispensing device for use in a method according to the invention for forming a dispensing arrangement, comprising: m) a first roll holder for rotatably receiving a master roll comprising a dispensing material strip, wherein the dispensing material strip comprises a plurality of adhesive elements with a carrier layer and an adhesive layer connected thereto, wherein the adhesive elements with the adhesive layer are arranged on a web-shaped first release material, n) a second roll holder for rotatably receiving a take-up roll for winding up the web-shaped first release material freed of adhesive elements, o) a guide device which is designed to guide the dispensing material strip from the master roll through a dispensing area and to guide the web-shaped first release material freed of adhesive elements in the dispensing area to the take-up roll,wherein the dispensing device is configured to separate the adhesive elements in the dispensing area from the web-shaped first release material and to dispense them simultaneously or alternately to two separate receiving arrangements.

[0027] In this respect, a dispensing device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first roll holder and / or the second roll holder, preferably the second roll holder, is electrically driven.

[0028] One advantage of the method according to the invention is that it is particularly easy and efficient to automate. Those skilled in the art will understand that an electronic data processing device will generally be used to determine or facilitate the control of the method. In preferred embodiments, this electronic data processing device is part of the dispenser assembly. Therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser assembly comprises an electronic data processing device for controlling the method.

[0029] In process step b), two or more receiving assemblies are now produced or provided in which the production of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements will take place. These receiving assemblies comprise a feed roll comprising a wound web-like second release material, which is guided from the feed roll through the guide arrangement, which in turn may comprise guide rollers or other guide elements, to the receiving roll. This makes it possible to guide the web-like second release material through the receiving assembly by winding it onto the receiving roll and correspondingly unwinding it from the feed roll. According to the invention, the web-like second release material passes through a so-called receiving area of ​​the receiving assembly.In the context of the present invention, this refers to the part of the receiving arrangement in which the adhesive elements dispensed from the dispenser arrangement are transferred to the receiving arrangement and accordingly received by the latter. The person skilled in the art will understand in this respect that in the context of the method according to the invention, the web-shaped second release material, which does not yet comprise any adhesive elements, is guided through the receiving area, equipped with adhesive elements there and then wound onto the take-up roll. Preference is given to a method according to the invention in which the feed roll and / or the take-up roll, preferably the take-up roll, is electrically driven. Additionally or alternatively, preference is also given to a method according to the invention in which the guide arrangement and / or the guide unit comprises one or more guide elements, preferably guide rollers.

[0030] The production of the receiving arrangement will be particularly relevant for those methods according to the invention in which adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are produced, which are subsequently to be further processed as adhesive rolls, for example by insertion into an application device or for filling a cassette unit in a downstream filling process. In these cases, the receiving arrangement is produced, for example, by inserting a feed roll with fresh web-shaped second release material and a roll suitable for receiving the adhesive roll into a device provided for this purpose, which comprises, for example, the guide arrangement and a drive for the respective rolls. The web-shaped second release material can then be threaded into the guide arrangement and is connected to the receiving roll in such a way that it can be rolled up thereon.In the production of corresponding adhesive rolls, the web-shaped second release material is advantageously provided from a large roll of material, with which several adhesive rolls can be produced successively. Once a sufficiently filled adhesive tape roll has been reached, the liner can be severed and the produced adhesive roll can be removed. The free end of the web-shaped second release material can then be connected to a new take-up roll to restart the process. In this embodiment, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the produced adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are produced as separate adhesive rolls.A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the method additionally comprises the following method step: f) severing the web-shaped second release materials of the respective receiving arrangements when predetermined filling levels of the receiving rolls are reached and removing the respective receiving roll from the receiving arrangements to obtain the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements.

[0031] The preferred inventive method characterized above, with which separate adhesive rolls are obtained, can be efficiently carried out with a filling device in which the dispenser assembly to be used according to the invention is combined with certain components of the receiving assembly. The corresponding components of the receiving assembly, which are comprised by the filling device, are the parts that, in practice, are usually not replaced regularly, for example, the corresponding roll holders for inserting the feed roll or the receiving roll, as well as the necessary guide assembly.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the method is carried out with a filling device, wherein the filling device comprises: u) the dispenser arrangement, and v) two or more roll receiving arrangements, comprising: i) a third roll receiving arrangement for rotatably receiving the feed roll, ii) a fourth roll receiving arrangement for rotatably receiving the take-up roll, and iii) the guide arrangement.

[0032] As an alternative to the above-described production of separate adhesive rolls, the direct production of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements inside cassette units can be considered, particularly when refilling recycled cassette units. In these cases, the receiving arrangements are formed by cassette units comprising the feed roll, the take-up roll, the guide arrangement, and the web-shaped second release material. After refilling, corresponding cassette units can be inserted into a suitable cassette-based application device.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the two or more receiving arrangements are cassette units, preferably recycled cassette units, wherein the cassette units are particularly preferably reversibly and non-destructively replaceable cassette units of application devices, and wherein the produced adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are a component of refilled cassette units. A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the method additionally comprises the following method step: g) inserting the refilled cassette unit into the cassette receptacle of an application device, wherein the application device is preferably an end effector.

[0033] Filled cassette units, which can be used in an application device, comprise the web-shaped second release material loaded with adhesive elements and are successively emptied during use in the application device, wherein the web-shaped second release material is wound up on the feed roll, which, during emptying, fulfills the opposite function to that during refilling. After the cassette unit has been completely emptied, the web-shaped second release material is thus wound up on the feed roll, but is still connected to the take-up roll. Advantageously, the emptied cassette unit is thus in exactly the state that predestines it for use as a take-up arrangement in the method according to the invention, wherein the running direction of the rolls is inverted between use in the application device and use in the refilling process.

[0034] To improve handling properties, corresponding cassette units are regularly provided with a housing designed to protect the internal components from direct access from the outside and from environmental influences. Those skilled in the art will understand that the second web-shaped release material must be accessible in the receiving area so that adhesive elements provided by the dispenser assembly can be transferred to the second web-shaped release material at this location. In this respect, the inventors have succeeded in identifying a particularly advantageous embodiment of the cassette unit. This utilizes a so-called cassette dispensing edge as part of the guide assembly in the receiving area. This is a part of the guide assembly that ensures that the second web-shaped release material is guided around an edge in the receiving area, with a deflection of 90° or more usually being desired.A suitable cassette dispensing edge allows for a favorable web tension in the receiving area for refilling, allowing the adhesive elements to be transferred particularly well. When the direction of travel is reversed during use in the application device, the cassette dispensing edge also causes or promotes the release of the adhesive elements from the release liner, thus allowing for optimal dispensing of the adhesive elements from the cassette unit.This dispensing occurs with the adhesive layer facing downwards, so that when used in the application device, the adhesive elements can be dispensed from the cassette unit with the adhesive layer facing downwards, through which the adhesive elements can be transferred, for example, to the adhesion-reduced surface of a rotating conveyor element, for example a suction belt, from which the adhesive elements can be picked up particularly efficiently by an application element and placed on the substrate to be bonded. Therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette units comprise a housing, wherein the housing is preferably designed such that the web-shaped second release material can be fed with adhesive elements from the outside essentially exclusively in the receiving area.Additionally preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the cassette units comprise a stationary cassette dispensing edge as part of the guide arrangement, wherein the cassette units are configured such that a material strip provided on the take-up roll, which comprises a plurality of adhesive elements arranged with the adhesive layer on the web-shaped second release material, can be guided over the cassette dispensing edge to the feed roll in such a way that the adhesive elements can be separated from the release material in the take-up area and dispensed from the cassette unit.

[0035] Complementarily, the invention also relates to a refilled cassette unit, manufactured or producible by the method according to the invention, comprising arranged in a housing: i) the feed roll, ii) the take-up roll, iii) the guide arrangement, and iv) a material strip comprising a plurality of adhesive elements arranged with the adhesive layer on the web-shaped second release material, wherein the material strip is partially wound on the take-up roll and fastened at one end to the feed roll, wherein the web-shaped second release material is arranged between the feed roll and the take-up roll in the guide arrangement and is guided through the receiving area of ​​the receiving arrangement, and wherein the guide arrangement comprises a fixed cassette dispensing edge, in particular a knife edge, wherein the cassette unit is designed tothat the material strip provided on the take-up roll can be guided over the cassette dispensing edge to the feed roll in such a way that the adhesive elements in the take-up area can be separated from the web-shaped second release material and dispensed from the cassette unit.

[0036] The inventors propose that a particularly efficient process is possible if specific receiving positions are provided in the dispenser arrangement, into which the cassette units can be optimally inserted, for example because they enable an at least partially form-fitting arrangement of the cassette units in the dispenser arrangement. The inventors believe it is particularly preferred if the cassette units themselves are designed without a drive. This significantly simplifies the initial production of corresponding cassette units and can reduce the need for more complex components. The rollers of corresponding cassette units are driven by drive units of the application device during subsequent use in the application device.

[0037] In order to enable efficient refilling in the method according to the invention, the receiving positions of the dispenser arrangement for the cassette units can be provided with drive units that drive the rollers in the method according to the invention. It is also conceivable for several cassette units to be driven by the same drive unit. In this case, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises two or more receiving positions in which the two or more cassette units can be arranged so as to be reversibly and non-destructively interchangeable in order to carry out the method. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the feed roller and the take-up roller in the cassette unit are designed as non-driven rollers.Also preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the dispenser assembly comprises a drive unit for driving the feed roller and / or the take-up roller of cassette units arranged in receiving positions of the dispenser assembly. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the feed roller and / or the take-up roller, preferably the feed roller and the take-up roller, comprise a central structured engagement recess, wherein the central structured engagement recess preferably has a toothed structure.Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the drive unit comprises one or more connecting elements arranged in the region of the receiving positions, which are designed to engage in the engagement recess of the feed roll and / or the take-up roll when cassette units are arranged in the receiving positions and to create a positive connection that enables the guide arrangement to be driven by the drive unit. Regardless of the manner in which the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are produced, it can be seen as a major advantage of the method according to the invention that it is suitable for the simultaneous production of a large number of adhesive rolls. The person skilled in the art will understand that the number of adhesive rolls to be produced simultaneously or cassette units to be refilled correlates with the number of receiving arrangements.In the inventors' estimation, it is generally preferable to provide as many receiving assemblies as possible, although the maximum number of receiving assemblies that can be efficiently fed in practice will likely depend on the width of the master roll. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein in method step b) three or more, preferably four or more, particularly preferably five or more, receiving assemblies are provided, and / or wherein in method step e) adhesive elements are transferred into the receiving areas of three or more, preferably four or more, particularly preferably five or more, receiving assemblies.

[0038] Preferred structural embodiments are disclosed below, which, in the inventors' opinion, are particularly well suited for implementing the method according to the invention. The individual structural measures can be combined with one another to optimize the devices and arrangements used in the method according to the invention to the respective application requirements and to adapt them to efficient handling of the adhesive elements used, particularly with regard to their adhesive properties and their arrangement on the web-shaped first release material.

[0039] The inventors propose that a so-called detachment zone can be set upstream of the dispensing area. This detachment zone serves the purpose of reducing the adhesion of the adhesive elements to the web-shaped first release material before the adhesive elements are actually dispensed from the dispenser arrangement in the dispensing area. This is particularly advantageous when handling adhesive elements that exhibit comparatively strong adhesion to the web-shaped first release material despite the reduced-adhesion surface, in order to facilitate easier transfer. Furthermore, this configuration is particularly suitable for use in combination with transfer elements, as disclosed below.These transfer elements are dependent on lifting the adhesive elements from the web-shaped first release material, which is advantageously facilitated if a detachment area is provided so that the necessary bond strength to the transfer elements can be reduced during pickup. In terms of construction, a corresponding detachment area can be realized, for example, by deflecting the web-shaped first release material with three guide elements so that it is guided over the first, second and third guide elements, whereas the first and third guide elements are so close to one another that the adhesive elements cannot follow this deflection and extension of the travel path but are instead transferred over the edge formed by the first guide element directly onto the liner that reappears at the third guide element.A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises a detachment region in front of the dispensing region in the web direction of the dispenser material band, wherein the detachment region is designed to reduce the adhesion of the adhesive elements to the web-shaped first release material in front of the dispensing region, preferably by temporarily detaching the adhesive elements from the web-shaped first release material and subsequently re-contacting them.A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the detachment region comprises a deflection arrangement with three or more deflection rollers, which are arranged such that the adhesive elements are separated from the web-shaped first release material at the first deflection roller and are conveyed beyond the first deflection roller, so that they are contacted again with the web-shaped first release material at the second deflection roller, which is guided therebetween via a third deflection roller arranged offset to the first and second deflection roller in order to create a running distance difference.

[0040] In addition to or alternatively to a release area, the dispenser arrangement can be designed such that it comprises a position-adjustable dispensing edge in the dispensing area. Corresponding position-adjustable dispensing edges are also known to those skilled in the field of adhesive technology under the name oscillating dispensing edge. Corresponding concepts for implementing an oscillating dispensing edge are known to those skilled in the art based on their general specialist knowledge. For implementation, the dispenser arrangement comprises at least one movable element which can be moved back and forth with the purpose of guiding the web-shaped first release material into and out of the dispensing area and thereby presenting the adhesive element arranged on the web-shaped first release material so that it can be picked up particularly efficiently by a transfer element, for example.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement in the dispensing area comprises a position-variable dispensing edge, wherein the position-variable dispensing edge is preferably formed by three or more deflection elements over which the dispensing material strip is guided, wherein at least two of the deflection elements are reversibly and non-destructively position-variable.

[0041] As an alternative to the oscillating dispensing edge, the dispensing arrangement in the dispensing area can be provided with a fixed dispensing edge. The term dispensing edge is clear to those skilled in the art, and the concept of a dispensing edge is well known to those skilled in the art in the field of adhesive technology. The material strip with the web-shaped first release material and the adhesive elements arranged thereon is fed to the dispensing edge, with the web-shaped first release material being guided sharply around this dispensing edge at the end of the dispensing edge. Due to the inherent stiffness of the adhesive element, which is greater than the adhesion to the web-shaped release material, the adhesive element cannot follow this movement of the release material and is instead successively detached from the release material the further the material strip is guided over the dispensing edge.

[0042] A corresponding dispensing edge has two advantages. Firstly, it ensures advantageous tension of the web-like first release material in the dispensing area, allowing the adhesive elements to be removed particularly efficiently by transfer elements. Furthermore, the functionality described above allows the adhesive elements guided over the edge of the dispensing edge to be separated from the release material without the use of transfer elements, which in particular enables the combination of a circulating conveyor element disclosed below and also a direct transfer.In this respect, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises a fixed dispensing edge, in particular a knife edge, in the dispensing area, wherein the dispenser arrangement is designed such that the dispensing material band guided in the dispenser arrangement can be guided over the fixed dispensing edge in such a way that the adhesive elements in the dispensing area are separated from the web-shaped first release material and the adhesive elements are conveyed beyond the fixed dispensing edge.

[0043] Even if it is possible in principle, for example through the use of suitable transfer elements, to pick up the adhesive elements directly from the dispensing area at a pendulum dispensing edge or a fixed-position dispensing edge, the inventors believe that for essentially all embodiments, it is preferable if the adhesive elements, after being detached from the web-like first release material, are first transferred to a rotating conveyor element, for example a conveyor belt. It is particularly efficient if the transfer of the adhesive elements takes place at a fixed-position dispensing edge, as this enables a reliable and controlled transfer to the rotating conveyor element, and the movable design of a pendulum dispensing edge is advantageously not required when using a rotating conveyor element.Those skilled in the art will understand that the simplest embodiment of the method according to the invention comprises subsequently picking up the adhesive elements transferred onto the circulating conveyor element using transfer elements and transferring them to the receiving arrangements. For this purpose, it is expedient to design the surface of the circulating conveyor element—similar to typical liners—as an adhesion-reduced surface so that the adhesive elements can be easily detached from the circulating conveyor element. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises a circulating conveyor element with an adhesion-reduced surface in the dispensing area, wherein the dispenser arrangement is configured such that an adhesive element conveyed beyond the dispensing edge is transferred with the adhesive layer onto the adhesion-reduced surface of the conveyor element.An example of a method according to the invention is wherein the circulating conveyor element comprises a circulating conveyor belt or a conveyor belt, preferably a conveyor belt.

[0044] The above-defined design of the surface of the circulating conveyor element as an adhesion-reduced surface is readily implemented by a person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention, as they are familiar with the concept of adhesion-reduced surfaces from many other areas of adhesive technology, where it is regularly used, for example, in connection with typical liners. Without knowledge of practical application, it is difficult to specify absolute values ​​for the acting forces and the necessary degree of adhesion reduction. The adhesion forces tolerable between the adhesive elements and the adhesion-reduced surface of the conveyor element depend essentially on the physicochemical properties of the adhesive used, in particular its cohesion, as well as the bond strength that any transfer element can generate in the short term with the carrier layer of the adhesive elements.In practice, the selection of the adhesive used in the adhesive layer will in most cases depend on the subsequent application requirements placed on the bond strength to the substrate to be bonded. The person skilled in the art who has identified an adhesive suitable for interaction with the substrate can then make a suitable selection for the material of the conveying element or for its coating, to which the respective adhesive displays sufficiently low adhesion, enabling the adhesive element to be picked up by the transfer element or removed by means of a conveying dispensing edge. Preference is given to a process according to the invention wherein the adhesion-reduced surface is coated with a release layer, preferably with a silicone release layer, wherein the silicone release layer can preferably be produced by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes.A method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the adhesion-reduced surface is designed such that the adhesion of the adhesive elements to the adhesion-reduced surface is smaller, preferably by 50% or more, particularly preferably by 70% or more, very particularly preferably by 90% or more, than the bond strength between the transfer element and the adhesive element when receiving the adhesive element with the transfer element.

[0045] In advantageous embodiments, the circulating conveyor element can be designed as a suction belt, in which a negative pressure acting through the openings in the adhesion-reduced surface enables additional fixing of the adhesive elements to the circulating conveyor element, which in particular also enables the adhesive elements to be guided outside the horizontal. For certain applications, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the circulating conveyor element comprises a suction function for fixing the adhesive elements to the surface of the circulating conveyor element. For the majority of applications, however, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the circulating conveyor element does not comprise a suction function for fixing the adhesive elements to the surface of the circulating conveyor element.

[0046] The use of a rotating conveyor element in the dispensing area also makes it possible, in particular, to increase process reliability by ensuring the correct positioning of adhesive elements on the rotating conveyor element by sensor units, for example cameras. Therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispensing arrangement comprises one or more sensor units, wherein the one or more sensor units are configured to detect the position of adhesive elements on the surface of the rotating conveyor element. Preferably, the method is controlled as a function of data recorded by the one or more sensor units.

[0047] In the method according to the invention, the adhesive elements are transferred from the manufactured or provided dispensing and receiving assemblies, wherein this comprises method steps c), d) and e). On the dispensing assembly side, the dispensing material strip is guided through the dispensing area in order to separate the first release material from the adhesive elements there. In the receiving assemblies, the web-shaped second release material is unwound from the feed roll and guided through the receiving area in order to receive the adhesive elements there and then be wound onto the receiving roll. As the dispensing material strip is guided through the dispensing area, adhesive assemblies are dispensed from the dispensing assembly, wherein the dispensed adhesive elements are transferred into the receiving areas of the receiving assembly and placed there on the respective web-shaped second release materials.The person skilled in the art will understand that process steps c), d), and e) are usually carried out at least partially simultaneously, whereby, depending on the structural design of the dispensing arrangement, almost continuous operation is also possible. Alternatively, however, a step-by-step process is also possible, whereby adhesive elements are presented in the dispensing area and transferred to the receiving area without the respective release materials being in motion at the moment of dispensing or receiving, whereby the release materials are only moved further after successful transfer in order to present a new adhesive element or to free up a receiving space for another adhesive element.However, the skilled person will understand that with increasing speed at which the stepwise process is carried out, the transitions to a continuous process become fluid and may be barely perceptible to the naked eye. Thus, a process according to the invention is preferred wherein process steps c) and / or d) and / or e), preferably process steps c) and d) and e), are carried out at least partially simultaneously. Alternatively, a process according to the invention is preferred wherein process steps c) and / or d) are carried out discontinuously.

[0048] In the inventors' estimation, a particularly efficient design for transferring the adhesive elements is achieved through the use of suitable transfer elements. These transfer elements pick up the adhesive elements in the dispensing area and transfer them to the receiving area of ​​the receiving arrangement. For this purpose, the transfer elements are capable of establishing a reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection with the adhesive element and then picking it up. After picking up the adhesive element, the transfer element can be moved by an automated movement unit, for example, a robot arm, to place the adhesive element on the web-like second release material and then release the reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection there.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises one or more transfer elements, wherein the transfer elements are configured to separate adhesive elements arranged in the dispensing area from the web-shaped first release material, forming a reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection, and to transfer said adhesive elements in the receiving area to the web-shaped second release material of one of the receiving arrangements. A method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises two or more, preferably three or more, particularly preferably four or more, very particularly preferably five or more, transfer elements, wherein the dispenser arrangement particularly preferably comprises at least one transfer element for each receiving arrangement.

[0049] When using transfer elements, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the transfer elements comprise an automated movement unit and one or more receiving units arranged on the movement unit, wherein the receiving unit is configured to form a reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection with the carrier layer of the adhesive elements. Also preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the receiving unit comprises one or more controllable suction grippers, wherein the dispensing arrangement preferably comprises one or more vacuum pumps connected to the suction grippers. Furthermore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the automated movement unit is an industrial robot, preferably a SCARA robot or a delta robot.

[0050] Corresponding transfer elements can advantageously be combined with all configurations of the dispensing area as disclosed above. In particular, the adhesive elements can be received by a positionally variable or fixed dispensing edge or—particularly preferably—by the adhesion-reduced surface of a circulating conveyor element. Depending on the configuration, this is a method according to the invention, wherein the transfer elements are configured to receive an adhesive element from a positionally variable dispensing edge, or wherein the transfer elements are configured to receive an adhesive element from a fixed dispensing edge, or wherein the transfer elements are configured to receive an adhesive element from the adhesion-reduced surface of a circulating conveyor element.

[0051] In the inventors' opinion, a particularly advantageous alternative to the use of transfer elements can be realized through the use of circulating conveyor elements, as described above. For this purpose, the conveyor elements are designed such that they have a dispensing edge on the side opposite the area in which the adhesive element is transferred from the web-shaped first release material to the circulating conveyor element, which is referred to as the conveyor dispensing edge in the context of the present invention. In accordance with the expert's understanding, this is a structural design of the circulating conveyor element in which the adhesion-reduced surface is deflected so sharply in the manner of a dispensing edge that the adhesive element, due to its rigidity, cannot follow this movement, so that the conveyed adhesive element is conveyed beyond the conveyor dispensing edge.In a particularly preferred embodiment, the receiving arrangements can be placed so close to the conveyor dispensing edge that the adhesive element conveyed beyond the conveyor dispensing edge is pushed into the receiving area and there contacted with the web-like second release material. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the circulating conveyor element comprises a conveyor dispensing edge, wherein the dispenser arrangement is configured such that adhesive elements conveyed on the circulating conveyor element are conveyed at the conveyor dispensing edge beyond the conveyor dispensing edge and dispensed from the dispenser arrangement.

[0052] The above-described embodiment advantageously eliminates the use of transfer elements and is therefore particularly simple in terms of equipment and less prone to failure. According to the inventors' assessment, a similar embodiment can in principle also be realized without the use of a circulating conveyor element if the dispenser arrangement has a fixed dispensing edge, over which the adhesive elements are pushed out and transferred into the receiving area analogously to the above description. However, omitting the use of a circulating conveyor element is less advantageous, particularly with regard to the aspects of separating adhesive elements, as disclosed below.

[0053] In order to ensure that even if the adhesive elements adhere only weakly to the web-shaped second release material, they do not detach from the release material in an undesired manner after transfer, the inventors propose that additional pressure elements, for example pressure rollers, can be provided, which press the transferred adhesive elements onto the web-shaped second release material to ensure sufficient adhesion. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises one or more pressure elements, preferably pressure rollers, wherein the pressure elements are configured to press adhesive elements transferred onto the web-shaped second release material of one of the receiving arrangements onto the web-shaped second release material in the receiving area.

[0054] In light of the above explanation, the person skilled in the art will understand that, in preferred embodiments, the dispensing and transfer of adhesive elements is mediated either by transfer elements or by direct transfer to a dispensing edge from the dispensing arrangement into the receiving area. Furthermore, it is clear to the person skilled in the art that, given the simultaneous loading of two or more receiving arrangements, the dispensing and transfer of adhesive elements into the various receiving arrangements preferably takes place largely simultaneously or at least alternately, although embodiments in which the different receiving units are filled successively are also conceivable.A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the dispensing and transfer of adhesive elements takes place via transfer elements, or wherein the dispensing and transfer of adhesive elements takes place via the fixed dispensing edge or the conveying dispensing edge of the circulating conveying element. A method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the dispensing and transfer of adhesive elements to different receiving arrangements takes place at least partially simultaneously or alternately, preferably at least partially simultaneously.

[0055] An important aspect of the present invention and a particularly great advantage of the method according to the invention is that wide master rolls, on which numerous rows of adhesive elements run in the web direction, can also be used as the dispensing material tape, even if these are arranged within the framework of a densely packed package to achieve the highest possible coverage density, as is conceivable, for example, with round or oval adhesive elements. The method according to the invention makes it possible to dispense with cutting the master roll, with the adhesive elements from two or more rolls of the master roll being advantageously transferred into each receiving arrangement.For essentially all embodiments, therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the adhesive elements in the donor material strip are arranged in two or more, preferably three or more, particularly preferably five or more, rows running in the web direction, wherein the adhesive elements of adjacent rows are preferably arranged offset from one another along the web direction. A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the donor material strip comprises two or more, preferably exactly two, rows of adhesive elements running in the web direction for each receiving arrangement. A method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein in method step e) adhesive elements from two or more, preferably exactly two, rows of adhesive elements of the donor material strip running in the web direction are transferred to the web-shaped second release material of each receiving arrangement.

[0056] A particular advantage of the method according to the invention is that the transfer of the adhesive elements makes it possible to change the arrangement of the transferred adhesive elements and, in particular, to generate only one row of adhesive elements from the adhesive elements of two or more rows of the parent roll on the web-shaped second release material. A corresponding adhesive roll can be designed with a minimal working width and is particularly preferred for use in end effectors from a weight perspective. Furthermore, the simple, row-like arrangement of the adhesive elements on the adhesive roll loaded with adhesive elements in the application device makes it possible to implement a comparatively simple provision process for the adhesive elements.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the relative arrangement of the transferred adhesive elements to one another is changed during transfer, wherein preferably the adhesive elements from two or more, in particular exactly two, rows of adhesive elements running in the web direction of the donor material strip are arranged in a line, in particular alternating, on the web-shaped second release material and / or wherein the transferred adhesive elements are arranged on the respective web-shaped second release materials in a smaller number of rows running in the web direction than on the donor material strip, preferably in exactly one row running in the web direction, and / or wherein the transferred adhesive elements are arranged on the respective web-shaped second release materials in a reduced number per unit length relative to the web direction than on the donor material strip.

[0057] The embodiment described above, in which the adhesive elements arranged densely on the parent roll are changed in their relative arrangement during transfer, in particular to realize a simplified arrangement on the web-shaped second release material, can be reliably realized, for example, by the use of transfer elements which can, for example, alternately remove adhesive elements from two rows of the parent roll and place them one after the other on the web-shaped second release material, wherein the person skilled in the art understands that in this case the web speed of the web-shaped second release material is higher than the guide speed of the donor material web.

[0058] However, a particularly advantageous embodiment can be realized using a rotating conveyor element. By selecting a conveyor speed of the rotating conveyor element that is greater than the guide speed of the dispensing material belt, it is possible to separate the adhesive elements picked up by the rotating conveyor element at the dispensing edge along the web direction. Even though this effect can, at least in theory, be used to facilitate the pickup of the adhesive elements by a transfer element, the inventors propose that the advance of the rotating conveyor element can be combined with guide elements that are positioned above the rotating conveyor element in such a way that they displace an adhesive element conveyed on the rotating conveyor element on the adhesion-reduced surface.By combining a leading circulating conveyor element with guide elements, it is possible to separate densely packed adhesive elements on the parent roll along the conveying direction and to reposition them transversely to the conveying direction so that they can be transferred to the receiving arrangements, for example in the form of a single row at the conveyor dispensing edge.In this respect, the inventors propose that the dispenser arrangements to be used in the method according to the invention can in this case be flexibly adapted to different shapes and arrangements of adhesive elements on the parent roll if the guide elements are designed in the manner of a template which, depending on the parent roll used, can be placed above the circulating conveyor element in order to optimally position the corresponding adhesive elements on the circulating conveyor element for transfer into the receiving arrangements, wherein, for example, the guide element template for round adhesive elements differs from that for oval adhesive elements.A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the conveying speed of the circulating conveying element VF is higher than the guide speed of the dispensing material belt VM in the dispensing arrangement, wherein the conveying speed of the conveying element is preferably at least 2*VM or more, particularly preferably at least 3*VM or more, very particularly preferably at least 4*VM or more, in particular preferably at least 5*VM or more. A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispensing arrangement comprises one or more guide elements, preferably at least two for each receiving arrangement, wherein the one or more guide elements are configured to adjust the position of adhesive elements arranged on the circulating conveying element.

[0059] Finally, the invention also relates to the use of a dispensing device according to the invention in the refilling of emptied adhesive rolls with adhesive elements, in particular in the refilling of cassette units, particularly preferably the simultaneous refilling of two or more emptied adhesive rolls.

[0060] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures:

[0061] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a first preferred embodiment;

[0062] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a second preferred embodiment;

[0063] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the components of Fig. 2;

[0064] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a third preferred embodiment;

[0065] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a fourth preferred embodiment;

[0066] Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a fifth preferred embodiment;

[0067] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the components of Fig. 6;

[0068] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the components of Fig. 6;

[0069] Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a sixth preferred embodiment;

[0070] Fig. 10 is a plan view of the components according to Fig. 9; and

[0071] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the components according to Fig. 9. Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 schematically show the components used in a method according to the invention for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements 10 in various preferred embodiments. Figs. 3, 8, and 11, and 7 and 10, respectively, show perspective views and plan views of individual ones of these six embodiments.

[0072] The dispenser assembly 14 used in the method according to the invention comprises, in the respective embodiments, at least a first roll holder 48, a second electrically driven roll holder 52 and a guide device 56. In the method according to the invention, a dispenser material strip 12 is guided from a parent roll 50 rotatably mounted on the first roll holder 48 via the guide device 56 and through a dispensing area 18 to a take-up roll 54, which in turn is rotatably mounted on the second roll holder 52.

[0073] In the examples shown, the dispenser material strip 12 of the parent roll 50 is approximately 400 mm wide perpendicular to the web direction and comprises a web-shaped first release material 16, which in the example shown is designed as a liner coated with a silicone release layer. A plurality of circular adhesive elements 10 with an adhesive layer facing in the direction of the liner are arranged on the liner in such a way that they are tightly packed. This means, for example, that the adhesive elements 10 are arranged offset from one another in a total of ten rows running in the web direction in such a way that as little unapplied space as possible remains between the adhesive elements. In the examples shown, the adhesive elements 10 are pressure-sensitively adhesive round die-cuts, such as those used, for example, to cover recesses in the automotive industry.

[0074] In the dispensing area 18 of the dispenser assembly 14, within the scope of the inventive method according to Fig. 1, the adhesive elements 10 are partially detached from the liner at a fixed dispensing edge 38 by guiding the dispensing material strip 12 so sharply around the fixed dispensing edge 38 that the inherently stiff adhesive elements 10 cannot follow the movement of the liner. The corresponding adhesive elements 10 are picked up by a transfer element 34 shortly before or at the fixed dispensing edge 38 and are thereby dispensed from the dispenser assembly 14 in the dispensing area 18, so that only the liner, i.e., the web-shaped first release material 16, is wound onto the take-up roll 54.

[0075] In the embodiment of Fig. 2, which can be particularly useful for strongly adhering adhesive elements 10, a detachment area 32 is additionally provided upstream of the dispensing area 18 to reduce the adhesion between the liner and the adhesive elements 10 in the web direction. In the detachment area 32, which is formed by a total of three deflection rollers, a temporary detachment of the adhesive elements 10 from the liner is effected by a similar principle to that also known from the dispensing edge. In contrast to this, however, the adhesive elements 10 are applied again to the same liner, whereby the arrangement of the deflection rollers creates a difference in travel distance between the detachment point of an adhesive element 10 and the renewed contact point of the same adhesive element 10 on the liner. This embodiment and the functionality of the detachment area 32 are also shown in perspective in Fig. 3.

[0076] The dispensing of the adhesive elements 10 from the dispensing area 18 of the dispensing arrangement 14 can alternatively also be achieved by a position-adjustable dispensing edge 36, as shown in Fig. 4. In the example shown, the position-adjustable—so-called oscillating—dispensing edge 36 comprises a movable deflection roller, which has been provided with a movement arrow in Fig. 4.

[0077] In the embodiments of Figs. 5, 6, and 9, the dispenser assembly 14 additionally comprises, in the dispensing area 18, a circulating conveyor element 40 designed as a conveyor belt, which is coated with a silicone release layer and thus has a reduced-adhesion surface. In these embodiments, an adhesive element 10 dispensed via the fixed dispensing edge 38 is transferred directly onto the circulating conveyor element 40 and there either picked up by one of the transfer elements 34, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or dispensed directly from the conveyor element 40 via a conveyor dispensing edge 42 from the dispenser assembly 14, as shown in Fig. 9.The circulating conveyor belt 40 makes it possible to implement a speed difference between the conveying speed of the circulating conveyor element 40 VF and the guide speed of the dispenser material belt 12 VM such that the adhesive elements 10 are separated on the conveyor element 40 along the conveying direction.

[0078] To carry out the method according to the invention, at least two receiving assemblies 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e are required in addition to the dispenser assembly 14. The receiving assemblies 20a-e each comprise a rotatably mounted feed roller 22 and an electrically driven take-up roller 24, as well as a guide assembly 26 for guiding a web-shaped second release material 28, which, similar to the web-shaped first release material 16, is also designed as a liner with a silicone release layer.

[0079] Within the scope of the method according to the invention, in all embodiments shown, the adhesive elements 10 dispensed by the dispenser arrangement 14 are transferred into one of five receiving arrangements 20a-e by being placed in a receiving area 30 of the receiving arrangements 20a-e on the web-shaped second release material 28, which is guided by the feed roll 22 over a dispensing edge and the guide arrangement 26 until it is subsequently wound onto the take-up roll 24.

[0080] In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 8, the dispenser assembly 14 for transferring the adhesive elements 10 comprises a plurality of transfer elements 34 designed as suction grippers, wherein, for reasons of clarity, only one transfer element 34 is shown in each case. Via a reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection of the transfer elements 34 to the adhesive elements 10, the adhesive elements 10 can be detached from the liner of the dispenser assembly 14 in the dispensing area 18 and precisely placed in the receiving area 30 on the liner of the receiving units 20a-e.

[0081] In other words, within the scope of the method according to the invention, the adhesive elements 10 are transferred from the liner of the parent roll 50 to one of the liners of the various receiving assemblies 20a-e and wound together with the liner onto its respective receiving roll 24. In the examples shown, the liners of the total of five receiving assemblies 20a-e therefore have a reduced width compared to the liner of the parent roll 50. During the transfer of the adhesive elements 10, in the examples shown, the relative arrangement of the adhesive elements 10 to one another is changed in such a way that the transferred adhesive elements 10 are arranged in only one row on the respective liners of the receiving assemblies 20a-e.

[0082] In the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 9 to 11, the receiving assemblies 20a-e are each designed as cassette units 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, which can be used in typical application devices for adhesive elements. For reasons of clarity, however, only the cassette unit 46a has been additionally identified as the corresponding receiving assembly 20a in the illustration in Fig. 1.

[0083] The cassette units 46a-e have, as part of the guide assembly 26, a fixed cassette dispensing edge 60, with the aforementioned components of the receiving assembly 20a-e being arranged in the cassette unit 46a in a housing 58. With their housing 58, the cassette units 46a-e are arranged in receiving positions designed for this purpose and equipped with drive units, in a reversible and non-destructively replaceable manner.

[0084] In the embodiment of Fig. 6, the receiving assemblies 20a-e are not designed as cassette units 46a-e. In this embodiment, an adhesive roll loaded with adhesive elements 10 in a method according to the invention can be obtained separately by severing the web-like second release material 28 between the rolls and removing the receiving roll 24 from the receiving assembly 20a-e after reaching a predetermined fill level. Figs. 7 and 8 each show different perspective views of this embodiment.

[0085] In the embodiment of Fig. 9, which is considered particularly preferred by the inventors, advantageously no transfer elements 34 are necessary. In this embodiment, repositioning of the adhesive elements 10 on the surface of the conveyor element 40 is achieved not only by the speed difference between the conveyor element 40 and the dispensing material belt 12, but also transversely to the web direction, in particular, by guide elements 44a, 44b, which are shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The guide elements 44a-b can adjust the position of adhesive elements 10 on the conveyor element 40 such that they can be transferred as a single row of repositioned adhesive elements 10 directly from the conveyor dispensing edge 42 to the dispensing edge of the respective receiving arrangement 20a-e. In the embodiment shown in Fig.9, the method according to the invention can be operated particularly efficiently as a continuous process, so that the guiding of the dispenser material band 12 in the dispenser arrangement 14, the rolling up of the web-shaped second release materials 28 on the take-up rolls 24 in the respective take-up arrangements 20a-e, the dispensing of adhesive elements 10 from the dispenser arrangement 14, and the transfer of one in each case.

[0086] Part of the dispensed adhesive elements 10 into the receiving areas 30 of the receiving arrangements 20a-e is carried out essentially simultaneously.

[0087] List of reference symbols

[0088] 10 adhesive element

[0089] 12 dispenser material tape

[0090] 14 Donor arrangement

[0091] 16 web-shaped first separating material

[0092] 18 Donation area

[0093] 20a-e Recording arrangement

[0094] 22 Feed roller

[0095] 24 take-up roll

[0096] 26 Guide arrangement

[0097] 28 web-shaped second separating material

[0098] 30 recording area

[0099] 32 Detachment area

[0100] 34 Transfer element

[0101] 36 position-adjustable dispensing edges

[0102] 38 fixed dispensing edges

[0103] 40 rotating conveyor element

[0104] 42 Promotional donation edge

[0105] 44a-b guide element

[0106] 46a-e cassette unit

[0107] 48 first roll recording

[0108] 50 mother role

[0109] 52 second roll holder

[0110] 54 take-up roll

[0111] 56 Guide device

[0112] 58 housings

[0113] 60 fixed cassette dispensing edges

[0114] VF Conveying speed of the rotating conveyor element

[0115] VM Guide speed of the dispenser material belt

Claims

Claims 1 . Method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements (10), comprising the method steps: a) producing or providing a dispenser material strip (12) in a dispenser assembly (14), wherein the dispenser material strip (12) comprises a plurality of adhesive elements (10) with a carrier layer and an adhesive layer connected thereto, wherein the adhesive elements (10) with the adhesive layer are arranged on a web-shaped first release material (16), wherein the dispenser assembly (14) is designed to separate the adhesive elements (10) from the web-shaped first release material (16) in a dispensing area (18) and to dispense them from the dispenser assembly (14), b) producing or providing two or more receiving assemblies (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e), each comprising: i) a feed roll (22), ii) a take-up roll (24), iii) a guide assembly (26), and iv) a web-shaped second Separating material (28),which is partially wound on the feed roll (22) and fastened at one end to the take-up roll (24), wherein the web-shaped second release material (28) is arranged between the feed roll (22) and the take-up roll (24) in the guide arrangement (26) and is guided through a take-up area (30) of the take-up arrangement (20a-e), c) guiding the dispenser material band (12) in the dispenser arrangement (14) through the dispensing area (18), d) rolling up the web-shaped second release materials (28) onto the take-up rolls (24) in the respective take-up arrangements (20a-e), wherein the web-shaped second release materials (28) are unwound from the feed roll (22) and guided in the guide arrangement (26) through the take-up area (30),and e) dispensing adhesive elements (10) from the dispenser arrangement (14) in the dispensing area (18) and transferring a portion of the dispensed adhesive elements (10) into the receiving areas (30) of the receiving arrangements (20a-e) for arranging the transferred adhesive elements (10) on the respective web-shaped second release materials (28).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein in method step e) adhesive elements (10) made of two or more rows of adhesive elements (10) of the dispenser material tape (12) running in the web direction.

3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the transferred adhesive elements (10) are arranged on the respective web-shaped second release materials (28) in relation to the web direction in a reduced number per unit length than on the donor material band (12).

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) comprises a release region (32) in front of the dispensing region (18) in the web direction of the dispenser material strip (12), wherein the release region (32) is designed to reduce the adhesion of the adhesive elements (10) to the web-shaped first release material (16) in front of the dispensing region (18).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dispensing arrangement (14) comprises one or more transfer elements (34), wherein the transfer elements (34) are designed to separate adhesive elements (10) arranged in the dispensing area (18) from the web-shaped first separating material (16) to form a reversibly and non-destructively detachable connection, to receive them and to transfer them in the receiving area (30) to the web-shaped second separating material (28) of one of the receiving arrangements (20a-e).

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) in Dispensing area (18) comprises a position-adjustable dispensing edge (36).

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) in Dispensing area (18) comprises a fixed dispensing edge (38), wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) is designed such that the dispenser material band (12) guided in the dispenser arrangement (14) can be guided over the fixed dispensing edge (38) in such a way that the adhesive elements in the dispensing area (18) are separated from the web-shaped first release material (16) and the adhesive elements (10) are conveyed out over the fixed dispensing edge (38).

8. Method according to one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) in the dispensing area (18) comprises a rotating conveyor element (40) with an adhesion-reduced surface, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) is designed such that an adhesive element (10) conveyed beyond the dispensing edge (36, 38) is transferred with the adhesive layer onto the adhesion-reduced surface of the conveyor element (40).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the circulating conveyor element (40) comprises a conveyor dispensing edge (42), wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) is configured such that adhesive elements (10) conveyed on the circulating conveyor element (40) are conveyed at the conveyor dispensing edge (42) beyond the conveyor dispensing edge (42) and dispensed from the dispenser arrangement (14).

10. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the conveying speed of the circulating conveying element (40) VF is higher than the guiding speed of the dispensing material belt (12) VM in the dispensing arrangement (14). 1 1. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) comprises one or more guide elements (44a, 44b), wherein the one or more guide elements (44a-b) are adapted to adjust the position of adhesive elements (10) arranged on the circulating conveyor element (40).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the two or more receiving assemblies (20a-e) are cassette units (46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e) and wherein the produced adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements (10) are part of refilled cassette units (46a-e).

13. Dispenser device for use in a method according to one of claims 1 to 12 for forming a dispenser arrangement (14), comprising: m) a first roll holder (48) for rotatably receiving a master roll (50) comprising a dispenser material strip (12), wherein the dispenser material strip (12) comprises a plurality of adhesive elements (10) with a carrier layer and an adhesive layer connected thereto, wherein the adhesive elements (10) are arranged with the adhesive layer on a web-shaped first release material (16), n) a second roll holder (52) for rotatably receiving a take-up roll (54) for winding up the web-shaped first release material (16) freed of adhesive elements (10), o) a guide device (56) which is designed toto guide the dispenser material band (12) from the parent roll (50) through a dispensing area (18) and to guide the web-shaped first release material (16) freed from adhesive elements (10) in the dispensing area (18) to the take-up roll (54), wherein the dispensing device is configured to separate the adhesive elements (10) in the dispensing area (18) from the web-shaped first release material (16) and to dispense them simultaneously or alternately to two separate receiving arrangements (20a-e).

14. Use of a dispensing device according to claim 13 in the refilling of cassette units (46a-e).

15. A refilled cassette unit (46a-e) manufactured or producible by the method according to claim 12, comprising arranged in a housing (58): i) the feed roller (22), ii) the take-up roller (24), iii) the guide arrangement (26), and iv) a material strip comprising a plurality of adhesive elements (10) arranged with the adhesive layer on the web-shaped second release material (28), wherein the material strip is partially wound on the take-up roller (24) and fastened at one end to the feed roller (22), wherein the web-shaped second release material (28) is arranged between the feed roller (22) and the take-up roller (24) in the guide arrangement (26) and is guided through the receiving area (30) of the receiving arrangement (20a-e), and wherein the guide arrangement (26) comprises a fixed cassette dispensing edge (60), wherein the cassette unit (46a-e) is configured tothat the material strip provided on the take-up roll (24) can be guided over the cassette dispensing edge (60) to the feed roll (22) in such a way that the adhesive elements (10) in the take-up area (30) can be separated from the web-shaped second release material (28) and dispensed from the cassette unit (46a-e).

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