Method for producing a cartridge

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a cartridge (10) for a pressing-out device, wherein the cartridge (10) has an elongate film bag (18), which is not inherently rigid and forms a chamber (20) for receiving a compound, an inherently rigid insert (16), which is connected to the film bag (18) in an end region of the film bag (18), and a covering film (14), which closes an opening (22) of the film bag (18), said opening being provided in the region of the insert (16). The method is characterized by the following steps: - providing the film bag (18), which forms a chamber (20), and the insert (16); - positioning a holding element (33) on the outside of the film bag (18) in a connecting region (29); - positioning a pressing element (43) on a side of the insert (16) that faces away from the holding element (33); and - producing a welded connection between the film bag (18) and the insert (16) through cooperation of the holding element (33) with the pressing element (43).

Description

[0001] Method for producing a cartridge

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for producing a cartridge for a squeezing device.

[0003] Cartridges are primarily used for storing materials such as adhesives, sealants, mortar, paint, or lubricants. Furthermore, the material can be easily applied to an object via the cartridges, provided the cartridge is inserted into a suitable dispensing device. The dispensing device allows the material to be applied precisely. For example, a rod of the dispensing device presses against the base of the cartridge, compressing the volume of the cartridge and forcing the material inside out of an opening. An attachment can be attached to the cartridge to allow the material to be applied to the object in a controlled and precise manner.

[0004] For example, EP 3 835 229 A1 discloses a cartridge for a dispensing device. The cartridge comprises a non-rigid, elongated foil pouch, which is connected at one end to a rigid insert. The foil pouch is sealed in the area of ​​the insert with a cover that is attached to the insert.

[0005] Connecting the cover to the insert may be complex.

[0006] It is the object of the invention to provide a method for producing a cartridge by means of which a cartridge can be produced in a simple manner.

[0007] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the independent claim can be found in the dependent claims.

[0008] A method for producing a cartridge for a squeezing device is proposed, wherein the cartridge has a non-inherently rigid, elongated film bag which has a chamber for receiving a mass, an inherently rigid insert which is connected to the film bag in an end region of the film bag, and a cover film which closes an opening of the film bag provided in the region of the insert.

[0009] The method according to the invention is characterized by the following steps: providing the film bag forming a chamber and the insert, wherein the insert, when arranged on the film bag, has an outer surface widening in the direction of the opening of the film bag;

[0010] Positioning a holding element on the outside of the film bag in a connecting region in which the film bag is connected to the insert, wherein the holding element has an inner surface which widens in the direction of the opening in the position in which it interacts with the film bag;

[0011] Positioning a pressing element on a side of the insert facing away from the holding element; and

[0012] Creating a welded connection between the film bag and the insert through the interaction of the holding element with the pressing element.

[0013] Using the method according to the invention, a cartridge can be produced in a simple manner, as the connection of the film bag to the insert is very straightforward. Furthermore, the inventive design of the insert and the retaining element allows for automated centering of the insert relative to the film bag. Furthermore, this achieves a circumferentially uniform welding pressure across the entire connection area, thus enabling a particularly stable and secure connection of the insert to the film bag.

[0014] In the context of this application, a film bag is understood to mean both a film tube which is closed in a lower end region, for example with a base part or otherwise, and a film tube which is present without a base part.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of a method according to the invention, the pressing element functions as a welding tool. This has the advantage that the welding tool can be designed as a single piece in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner, and exact adaptation to the geometry of the insert is not necessary. Furthermore, with such a design, the welding energy decreases continuously with increasing distance from the welding tool, thus reliably preventing the formation of an undesirable interference zone in a lower edge region of the connection zone. A further advantage of such a method is the easy feeding of the elements to be welded, i.e. the film bag and the insert, since they can be fed in simple holders that require no connections. For example, a rotary indexing table with numerous such holders can be provided.In an alternative embodiment of a method according to the invention, the holding element functions as a welding tool. The welding energy is introduced into the joining area in an at least partially radial direction. This is particularly advantageous when a long weld seam is to be achieved in the longitudinal direction of the film bag, or when the distance from one end of the insert to the joining area is very large, ensuring efficient energy supply from the pressing element.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment of a method according to the invention, the welded connection is produced by means of a pressure welding method, in particular an induction welding method.

[0017] A favorable connection of the insert to the film bag in the entire connection area can be achieved if the insert and the holding element are designed to be essentially complementary to one another at least partially in the connection area, in particular in the entire connection area.

[0018] It has proven particularly advantageous if the insert in the connection area is / are conical on the outside and / or the holding element in the connection area is / are conical on the inside and has / have an angle of between 3° and 20°, preferably between 5° and 15°, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the film bag.

[0019] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the inner surface of the holding element has an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the film bag in the connecting region, which angle essentially corresponds to an angle of the outer surface of the insert with respect to the longitudinal direction of the film bag in the connecting region.

[0020] In order to achieve a particularly stable connection between the insert and the film bag, at least in a circumferential longitudinal area of ​​the film bag, it has proven advantageous if the angle of the inner surface of the retaining element relative to the longitudinal direction of the film bag in the connection area differs from the angle of the outer surface of the insert relative to the longitudinal direction of the film bag in the connection area by a value of approximately 2°. This angle difference can also differ from 2° in alternative designs and be larger or smaller.

[0021] A particularly stable connection between the insert and the film bag can be achieved if the retaining element in the connection area has a spherical shape on the inside and / or the insert in the connection area has a spherical shape on the outside. This allows a very stable and resilient connection between the insert and the film bag to be achieved in a desired longitudinal region of the connection area. In particular, it is provided that the insert is conical on the outside and the retaining element is spherical on the inside, or that the insert is spherical on the outside and the retaining element is conical on the inside.

[0022] In order to achieve a particularly stable connection between the insert and the film bag, it has proven advantageous if the holding element in the connection area on the inside and / or the insert in the connection area on the outside has or have a roughness greater than a defined limit value.

[0023] For this purpose, it can alternatively or additionally be provided that the retaining element has a surface structure on the inside in the connection area and / or the insert has a surface structure on the outside in the connection area. The surface structure can generally be designed in a variety of ways and, for example, be nub-like.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment of a method according to the invention, the film bag and / or the insert and / or the holding element have a circular, oval, square, rectangular, trapezoidal, polygonal or similar cross-section.

[0025] After the connection between the film bag and the insert has been established, the bag can be filled with a compound, sealed with a cover, and then operatively connected to a head section. It can be provided that several film bags are operatively connected to a head section, whereby, in particular, different compounds can be arranged in the film bags.

[0026] The masses contained in the cartridge can be a chemical mass or a liquid, for example components of a two-component mixture.

[0027] This allows, among other things, sealants, multi-component mortars, multi-component coating compounds, multi-component paints, multi-component foam precursors, multi-component adhesives, multi-component sealants and multi-component lubricants to be stored in the corresponding cartridges or foil bags.

[0028] For example, a resin, such as an epoxy resin, can be stored in one foil bag and a hardener for a two-component adhesive can be stored in another foil bag.

[0029] Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the figures. Various embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the figures. The figures, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. Those skilled in the art will also expediently consider the features individually and combine them into useful further combinations.

[0030] In the figures, identical and similar components are numbered with the same reference numerals.

[0031] They show:

[0032] Fig. 1 is a side view of a cartridge with two foil bags;

[0033] Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the cartridge according to Fig. 1 in an exploded view;

[0034] Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the cartridge according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 during a manufacturing process;

[0035] Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the cartridge according to Fig. 3 in an enlarged view; and

[0036] Fig. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 3 of the cartridge according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 during an alternative manufacturing process.

[0037] Examples of implementation:

[0038] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a cartridge 10 in a side view and in an exploded view in a longitudinal section, respectively.

[0039] The cartridge 10 comprises a head part 12, two covers 14, two inserts 16 and two foil bags 18.

[0040] The film bags 18 are not inherently rigid and each have a cylindrical and substantially elongated shape with a cross-sectional area 19. The film bags 18 each define a chamber 20 and have an opening 22, wherein the chamber 20 can be sealed by the film bags 18, in particular in a sealing manner.

[0041] In the embodiment shown, the film bag 18 is formed by a base part 24 and a film tube 26. The base part 24 has a base surface 28 and a collar 30 surrounding the base surface 28. The film tube 26 is attached to the collar 30 on the outside by welding or gluing. In principle, the film tube 26 can also be attached to the collar 30 on the inside by welding or gluing. The film tube 26 can, for example, be made from a film by gluing or welding edge regions. It is also possible to use a prefabricated film tube or a prefabricated film bag.

[0042] The base area 28 is, for example, circular, so that the chamber 20 is cylindrical with a circular cross-sectional area 19. In principle, however, any shape of the base area 28 is conceivable, for example, rectangular or polygonal.

[0043] The insert 16 is inherently rigid and is inserted at least partially into the corresponding chamber 20 of an associated film bag 18 through the opening 22. The insert 16 has a step 48 with two outwardly directed outer surfaces 42 and 44, wherein the outer surface 42 is provided for interaction with the film tube 26 and the outer surface 44 is provided for interaction with the cover 14.

[0044] The insert 16 is essentially annular, with the insert 16 being coupled to the essentially cylindrical film tube. The connection of the film tube 26 to the insert 16 will be explained in more detail later.

[0045] On a surface 46 facing the head part 12 and thus facing upwards, a material extension 54 is provided which projects essentially perpendicularly from the surface 46 parallel to the horizontal H, i.e. in the longitudinal direction L. The material extension 54 has a predefined height and serves to connect the cover 14 to the insert 16 in a welding process.

[0046] The inner side 38 of the insert 16 facing the chamber 20 encloses a passage 60 which tapers conically in the direction of the head part 12.

[0047] The cover 14 is provided between the head part 12 and the insert 16, as shown in Fig. 2. In the assembled state of the cartridge 10, the cover 14 rests in radially outer regions on the stepped elevation 48, essentially against the two surfaces 44 and 46. The cover 14 is connected to the insert 16, for example, by welding or gluing, and closes the passage 60. Accordingly, the cover 14 closes the chamber 20, so that the chamber 20 is preferably completely sealed when the cover 14 is in the assembled state.

[0048] In this case, as can be seen in Fig. 2, the head part 12 has two receptacles 66, which, in the assembled state, interact with the inserts 16 and the cover 14. The head part 12 has a circumferential inner surface 70 assigned to each film bag 18, which, in the assembled state, is in contact with the respective cover 14. The head part 12 also has an outlet nozzle 76 with an outlet opening 78 and an outlet channel 80. The outlet opening 78 is in fluid communication with an expansion chamber 74 and the receptacle 66 via the outlet channel 80. The expansion chamber 74 has a height of 90.

[0049] The outlet nozzle 76 shown in Fig. 2 has two outlet channels 80 which are in fluid communication with the respective receptacle 66 and are separated from one another by a partition 82 which extends from a connecting web 84 separating the receptacles 66 to the outlet opening 78.

[0050] It can be provided that the two outlet channels 80, as shown in Fig. 2, have a different cross-section, in particular a different diameter, in order to adjust a mixing ratio of the masses, as will be explained below.

[0051] The outlet nozzle 76 further includes a thread 86 through which an attachment (not shown) can be attached to the outlet opening 78 of the head portion 12. This attachment can be part of a dispensing device into which the cartridge 10 can be inserted or placed.

[0052] After opening the respective foil bag 18, the mass contained therein can flow through the passage 60 of the insert 16 and the resulting opening from the chamber 20 into the outlet channel 80. The mass can thus flow out of the head part 12 through the outlet opening 78 and, for example, be applied to an object.

[0053] In the illustrated embodiments, the cartridge 10 comprises two chambers 20 and a corresponding number of covers 14, inserts 16, foil bags 18, receptacles 66 and outlet channels 80. In general, any number of the aforementioned components is possible.

[0054] A manufacturing process for the cartridge 10 is explained in more detail below.

[0055] After the film tube 26 has been produced and preferably the base part 24 has been connected to the film tube 26, the insert 16 is connected to the film tube 26. In this process, a portion of an inner surface 27 of the film tube 26 is connected in a connecting region 29 to a portion of the outer surface 42 of the insert 16 using a welding process.

[0056] In this case, a holding element 33 is first arranged in an upper end region 35 of the film tube 26, i.e. the end region facing away from the base part 24. The holding element 33 is arranged in the position intended for welding on the outside of the upper end region 35 of the film tube 26 and supports it against outward movement. The holding element 33 is annular, with an inner diameter of the holding element 33 widening in the direction of the upper end region 35 of the film tube 26. In the present case, the holding element 33 is conical on the inside and here has a diameter that constantly increases in the direction of the upper end region 35 of the film tube 26, so that an inner surface 37 of the holding element 33, in the sectional view according to Fig. 3, in the connecting region 29 encloses an angle 39 with the longitudinal direction L, which is between 3° and 20°, preferably between 5° and 15°, and here approximately 10°.

[0057] The insert 16 is conical on the outside in the connecting area 29, wherein the outer surface 42 of the insert 16 encloses an angle 41 with the longitudinal direction L, which is between 3° and 20°, preferably between 5° and 15°, and here approximately 10°.

[0058] To create a welded connection between the insert 16 and the film tube 26 in the connecting region 29, a pressing element 43 is also provided, which in this case is also annular and is designed to apply a welding force 45 in the longitudinal direction L from above to the insert 16. The pressing element 43 or welding element is designed to carry out an induction welding process, in particular a high-frequency induction welding process.

[0059] By applying the welding force 45 in the longitudinal direction L by the pressing element 43, a welding force is induced in the connecting region 29, which is inclined at an angle corresponding to the angle 39 or 41 relative to a transverse direction of the film tube 26. The angle 39 and the angle 41 are essentially identical in the present case, so that a welded connection is created in a connecting region 29 that is particularly large in the longitudinal direction L.

[0060] The conical design of both the holding element 33 and the insert 16 leads to an automated centering of the elements relative to one another, so that a circumferentially uniform force introduction is achieved, resulting in a uniform weld joint.

[0061] In order to achieve a very secure connection between the film tube 26 and the insert 16 in a certain area, it can be provided that the 39 and the angle 41 differ by a value of, for example, ± 2°.

[0062] Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that the inner surface 37 of the retaining element 33 and / or the outer surface 42 of the insert 16 in the connecting region 29 has a surface structure, for example in the form of nubs. Alternatively or additionally, the retaining element 33 in the connecting region 29 may have a roughness greater than a defined limit value on the inside and / or the insert 16 in the connecting region 29 on the outside, in order to thereby achieve improved connection properties.

[0063] To achieve a particularly strong connection between the film tube 26 and the insert 16 in the connecting area 29, it can also be provided that either the insert 16 is spherical on the outside or the retaining element 33 is spherical on the inside. It can also be provided that both the retaining element 33 and the insert 16 are spherical on the outside.

[0064] Fig. 5 shows a method similar to Fig. 3 for connecting the film tube 26 to the insert 16, wherein the method differs in that the holding element 33 is designed to be integrated with a welding tool and the welding energy is introduced substantially radially into the connecting region 29.

[0065] When the film tube 26 is mentioned in the above description, the connection of the insert can either be the film tube 26 alone or the film tube 26 already connected to the base part 24, i.e. the film bag 18.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for producing a cartridge (10) for a squeezing device, wherein the cartridge (10) comprises a non-inherently rigid, elongated film bag (18) having a chamber (20) for receiving a mass, an inherently rigid insert (16) connected to the film bag (18) in an end region of the film bag (18), and a cover film (14) closing an opening (22) of the film bag (18) provided in the region of the insert (16), characterized by the following steps: Providing the film bag (18) forming a chamber (20) and the insert (16), wherein the insert (16) in the position arranged on the film bag (18) has an outer surface widening in the direction of the opening (22) of the film bag (18) (42); Positioning a holding element (33) on the outside of the film bag (18) in a connecting region (29) in which the film bag (18) is connected to the insert (16), wherein the holding element (33) has an inner surface (37) which widens in the direction of the opening (22) in the position in which it interacts with the film bag (18); Positioning a pressing element (43) on a side of the insert (16) facing away from the holding element (33); and Producing a welded connection between the film bag (18) and the insert (16) by interaction of the holding element (33) with the pressing element (43).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressing element (43) functions as a welding tool.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding element (33) functions as a welding tool.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the welded connection is produced by means of a pressure welding method, in particular an induction welding method.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (16) and the holding element (33) are at least partially in the connecting region (29), in particular in particular in the entire connection area (29) are designed to be essentially complementary to one another.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (16) in the connecting region (29) is / are conical on the outside and / or the holding element (33) in the connecting region (29) is / are conical on the inside and has / have an angle (39, 41) between 3° and 20°, preferably between 5° and 15°, with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the film bag (18).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner surface (37) of the holding element (33) has an angle (39) with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the film bag (18) in the connecting region (29), which angle essentially corresponds to an angle (41) of the outer surface (42) of the insert (16) with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the film bag (18) in the connecting region (29).

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an angle (39) of the inner surface (37) of the holding element (33) with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the film bag (18) in the connecting region (29) differs from an angle (41) of the outer surface (42) of the insert (16) with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) of the film bag (18) in the connecting region (29) by a value of approximately 2°.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) in the connecting region (29) has or has a spherical shape on the inside and / or the insert (16) in the connecting region (29) has or has a spherical shape on the outside.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) in the connecting region (29) on the inside and / or the insert (16) in the connecting region (29) on the outside has or have a roughness greater than a defined limit value.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) in the connecting region (29) has a surface structure on the inside and / or the insert (16) in the connecting region (29) has a surface structure on the outside.

12. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the film bag (18) and / or the insert (16) and / or the holding element (33) have a circular, oval, square, rectangular, trapezoidal, polygonal cross-section.

Images