Tape bonding device

Abstract

To provide a tape lamination device that can perform tape lamination with high precision and stability even when blank edge processing is performed at high speed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of tape lamination defects. [Solution] The tape bonding device supplies tape so that the tape's transport direction coincides with the blank's transport direction, and bonds the tape to one side of the adhesive end of the blank while transporting it. The device comprises a tape transport rotating body that transports the tape to a bonding section to be bonded to the blank, and a counter rotating body that is positioned opposite to and driven to rotate the blank transported to the bonding section. The device is characterized by having a pushing mechanism on the upstream side of the bonding section in the blank's transport path that can push the blank from one side to the other side to a level on the other side of the blank that is closer to the other side of the blank than the transport level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for water-proofing the end face of a blank for forming a paper container such as a paper cup, and particularly relates to a tape bonding device used for covering the end face of the blank with a tape.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, since the material of a paper container such as a paper cup is inferior in water resistance and gas barrier properties with only the base paper, a paper laminate in which a resin layer is laminated as a water-stopping layer on the surface on the inner surface side of the base paper (paper base material) is used. The inverted frustum-shaped barrel portion of a paper cup is formed by winding a blank punched out in a fan shape, overlapping one side end portion with the inner surface side and the other side end portion with the outer surface side, and adhesively bonding them in a liquid-tight manner. It is known to perform end portion treatment on the end face of one side end portion (adhesive end portion) of the blank on the inner surface side so that the base paper is not exposed and water resistance is ensured.

[0003] Examples of the end portion treatment include an end face treatment in which a separately prepared strip-shaped water-resistant tape is attached to the side end portion of the blank over the front and back surfaces (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0004] However, when performing an end face treatment of attaching a strip-shaped tape to the side end portion of the blank as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is difficult to bond the tape to the surface of the side end portion of the blank at high speed and with high precision, and bonding defects such as wrinkles and peeling of the tape may occur.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0006] For a tape bonding device that bonds strip-shaped tapes at high speed and with high precision, for example, the device shown in Figure 8 can be considered. The tape bonding device 520 in Figure 8 comprises a drive roll 524 and a driven roll 527 positioned opposite each other with a small gap between them, and the gap between the drive roll 524 and the driven roll 527 functions as a bonding section where the tape pieces T are bonded to the blank B. The drive roll 524 transports strip-shaped tape pieces T, which have been pre-cut to a length corresponding to the adhesive end of the blank B, with the tape pieces attached to its surface and supplies them to the bonding section P. As the pre-heated blank B is transported in a horizontal position and passes through the bonding section P, the tape pieces T, which have been transported synchronously with the blank B by the drive roll 524, come into contact with the adhesive end of the blank B and are automatically bonded.

[0007] However, it was found that in such a tape bonding device 520, simply passing the blank B through the gap between the drive roll 524 and the driven roll 527 makes it difficult to stably bond the tape pieces T. If the clearance between the drive roll 524 and the driven roll 527 is wide, i.e., greater than the sum of the thickness of the blank B and the thickness of the tape piece T, the tape piece T may not be properly transferred from the drive roll 524 to the adhesive end of the blank B, resulting in either no bonding occurring or, even if bonding occurs, the positional accuracy of the bonding being extremely low. On the other hand, if the clearance between the drive roll 524 and the driven roll 527 is narrow, i.e., less than the sum of the thickness of the blank B and the thickness of the tape piece T, bonding defects may occur, such as the tape piece T being misaligned diagonally from the intended bonding position relative to the blank B. In either case, there was a problem in that it was difficult to stably bond the tape piece T to the blank B with high positional accuracy.

[0008] The present invention solves the above problems, and its objective is to provide a tape lamination device that can stably perform tape lamination with high positional accuracy even when blank end face processing is performed at high speed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of tape lamination defects, and that can perform blank end face processing in a short time and with a high yield, thereby achieving high production efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention provides a tape bonding apparatus that, in order to bond tape to the adhesive end of a blank and cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, supplies the tape so that the tape's transport direction coincides with the blank's transport direction, and bonds the tape to one side of the adhesive end of the blank while transporting it. The system includes a tape transport rotating body that transports the tape to a bonding section where it is to be bonded to the blank, and an opposing rotating body that is positioned opposite to the blank that has been transported to the bonding section and is driven to rotate, The present invention is characterized by having a pushing mechanism located upstream of the bonding portion in the transport path of the blank, which is capable of pushing the blank from one side to the other side to a level on the other side of the blank that is closer to the other side of the blank than the transport level.

[0010] In the tape bonding apparatus of the present invention, the difference between the transport level and the other side level is preferably 0.3 to 2.0 mm. Furthermore, it is preferable that the pressing mechanism is capable of pressing at least a point on the blank that is 5 to 25 mm away from the bonding portion in the blank transport direction.

[0011] In the tape bonding apparatus of the present invention, the pressing mechanism may be configured to have a rod-shaped guide member, and the pressing surface of the guide member that contacts the blank may be fixedly positioned at the same level as the other side. Furthermore, the guide member may be positioned so as not to contact at least the adhesive end of the blank to which the tape is bonded. In addition, the guide member extends in the blank transport direction, and it is preferable that the length of the pressing surface at the same level as the other side is 10 to 30 mm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the tape lamination apparatus of the present invention, the tape can be laminated to one side of the adhesive end of a blank by passing the blank through a lamination section formed between a tape transport rotating body and an opposing rotating body positioned opposite it and rotated by it. Furthermore, by having a pushing mechanism upstream of the lamination section in the blank transport path that can temporarily push the blank from one side to the other side to a level on the other side of the blank that is closer to the other side of the blank than the transport level, the blank enters the lamination section with the leading side of the adhesive end in the transport direction curved upward and lifted. As a result, the adhesive end of the blank can be reliably brought into contact with the tape carried on the tape transport rotating body with high positional accuracy. Consequently, even when the end face of the blank is processed at high speed, the tape can be laminated stably with high positional accuracy without variation, suppressing the occurrence of lamination defects. Ultimately, the end face of the blank can be processed in a short time and with a high yield, resulting in high production efficiency. Furthermore, if a pushing mechanism is not provided and the blank is transported at a low transport level and in a horizontal position at the other side level, it is difficult to obtain the effect of making the blank contact with the tape with high positional accuracy at the bonding section.

[0013] According to the tape bonding device having a guide member with a pressing surface of a certain length, although fluttering and warping may occur due to high-speed conveyance of the blank or passing through a heating process, etc., the blank is prevented from moving in a direction exceeding the guide member. Moreover, since the blank is pressed against the guide member by its surface, fluttering and warping of the blank during conveyance can be effectively suppressed. As a result, the tape bonding can be more reliably and stably performed.

Brief Explanation of Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a state where a tape piece is bonded to a blank, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a tape bonding end face processing device including a tape bonding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing a state where a tape piece is bonded to the surface side of a blank, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y. [Figure 4] It is a side view showing a main part of a tape bonding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a partially enlarged side view showing the tape bonding device of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing the tape bonding device of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, line B-B, and line C-C of (a) in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] It is a side view showing a conventional tape bonding device.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0016] The tape bonding device of the present invention is a tape-bonding end face treatment device for continuously and automatically performing an end face treatment for covering the end face of a blank, which is a material for a paper container such as a paper cup, with a tape piece. The tape piece T that has been cut in advance is bonded to the side end portion on the surface (one side) of the blank B. The end face treatment of the blank is performed for the purpose of preventing the base paper from being exposed on the end face of the bonding end portion of the blank that will be located on the inner surface side of the container, suppressing the penetration of liquid from the blank end face, and ensuring high water resistance for the container.

[0017] 〔Tape-bonding end face treatment device〕 As shown in FIG. 1, the tape-bonding end face treatment device 100 including the tape bonding device 120 of the present invention performs an end face treatment in which one side end portion of the blank B is used as a bonding end portion, and a long tape piece T is bonded thereto to cover the end face E of the bonding end portion. As shown in FIG. 2, the tape-bonding end face treatment device 100 includes a conveying mechanism 101 for conveying the blank B along a conveying path, a blank heating mechanism 110 for heating the bonding end portion of the blank B, and by supplying the tape piece T that has been cut in advance, as shown in FIG. 3, a half body (hereinafter referred to as "left half body") T1 that is approximately half of the width direction of the tape piece T is bonded to the bonding end region A1 of the bonding end portion on one side surface (upper surface side in the vertical direction) of the blank B. A tape bonding device 120, a tape temporary fixing mechanism 130 for welding the tape piece T to a part on the upstream side in the blank conveying direction in the bonding end region A1, and the remaining half body (hereinafter referred to as "right half body") T2 of the tape piece T protruding from the side edge F on the surface side of the blank B are folded back along the side edge F of the blank B to the back surface side (the other surface side). A tape folding mechanism 140, a first welding portion 150 for temporarily fixing the folded tape piece T to the bonding end region A2 on the other surface of the blank B, and a second welding portion 160 for welding the entire surface of the folded tape piece T are provided.

[0018] The conveying mechanism 101 continuously and intermittently conveys the blank B in one direction, specifically conveying the blank B linearly so that the longitudinal direction (the direction in which the side edge F extends) of the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B to be treated coincides with the blank conveying direction. The blank B is conveyed horizontally in a position where the entire blank is horizontal with one side (surface) positioned at the desired conveying level. Specifically, the conveying mechanism 101 has a conveying lane 102 with a belt conveyor capable of holding the blank B by vacuum suction, and the central part of the blank B is held and conveyed with one side end (adhesive end) to be processed at the end face of the blank B protruding outward from the conveying lane 102 and floating in the air (see Figure 6). The protrusion length of blank B from the transport lane 102 is preferably 35 to 50 mm from the end face E of blank B. If the protrusion length of blank B from the transport lane 102 is excessive, the bending of blank B itself may cause the adhesive end of blank B to always be transported at a level lower than the intended transport level. In this case, the effect of temporarily pushing down blank B by the pushing mechanism cannot be obtained, and the contact position of the leading end of the adhesive end of blank B with respect to the tape piece T at the bonding section P may be misaligned, making it impossible to bond the tape piece T with high positional accuracy. On the other hand, if the protrusion length of blank B from the transport lane 102 is insufficient, depending on the size and position of the guide member 128, which will be described in detail later, the distance between the transport lane 102 and the guide member 128 may be too close, causing unnecessary creases to form on blank B when it is pushed down. In the conveying mechanism 101 according to this embodiment, a conveying method using a belt conveyor with vacuum suction is employed. However, the specific conveying method is not particularly limited as long as it can achieve the desired intermittent conveying, and various known configurations can be adopted. For example, a conveying method using a clamping member may be employed.

[0019] These blank heating mechanism 110, tape bonding device 120, tape temporary fastening mechanism 130, tape folding mechanism 140, first welding section 150, and second welding section 160 are arranged from the upstream side along a linear transport path, and each end-face processing step is performed at each location as the blank B is transported. Furthermore, these blank heating mechanism 110, tape bonding device 120, tape temporary fastening mechanism 130, tape folding mechanism 140, first welding section 150, and second welding section 160 are controlled to operate in conjunction with each other during intermittent transport by the transport mechanism 101. As a result, the end-face processing of covering the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B with tape pieces T can be continuously performed using the tape end-face processing device 100. The end-face processing speed of the blank B by the tape-applied end-face processing device 100 of this embodiment is set to 120 to 180 sheets / min, and preferably to 150 sheets / min or more.

[0020] 〔blank〕 Blank B is used, for example, to form the body of a paper cup, and as shown in Figure 1(a), it is fan-shaped in plan view. A fan shape is a shape obtained by cutting a single ring from a central point (the pivot of the fan) with two straight lines that radiate outwards and form acute angles with each other. In the tape application end processing device 100 of this embodiment, strip-shaped tape pieces T are attached to the side ends (adhesive ends) formed by the straight lines.

[0021] Blank B can be obtained by punching out a paper laminate 1 into a predetermined shape. As shown in Figure 1(b), the paper laminate 1 has resin layers 3, 3, which are water-sealing layers, formed on both sides of the base paper 2, which is the main material. From the viewpoint of obtaining water resistance for the paper container that will be manufactured by assembling Blank B, these resin layers 3 only need to be formed on the side that will be the inner surface of the container. The paper laminate 1 may also have a laminated structure of three or more layers, and each resin layer 3 may be made of different resin materials. Furthermore, for example, a barrier layer made of a metal vapor deposition layer, a printed layer, an adhesive layer, etc., may be provided.

[0022] The thickness of blank B (thickness of paper laminate 1) is, for example, 150 to 450 μm. Furthermore, the thickness of the resin layer 3 is such that heat sealing properties are achieved when the blanks B are bonded together to assemble the paper containers. For example, it can be in the range of 10 to 80 μm, and the thickness can be set according to the parts to be bonded.

[0023] As the base paper 2, various known base papers can be used depending on the shape of the paper container, the desired strength, etc. Base paper 2 has a basis weight of 150-330 g / m². 2 Those within the range can preferably be used.

[0024] Various known water-resistant resin materials can be used as the resin material for forming the resin layer 3. Furthermore, materials that combine water resistance and heat-sealability are preferably used, such as polyolefin resins like polyethylene and polypropylene, polyvinyl alcohol resins, acrylic acid resins, methacrylic acid resins, vinyl chloride resins, polyvinylidene chloride resins, vinyl acetate resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins like polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide resins like nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, polystyrene resins, phenolic resins, and mixtures thereof. Of these, polyethylene resin is preferred from the viewpoint of water resistance, heat-sealability, and glass transition temperature.

[0025] 〔tape〕 The tape piece T to be attached to the adhesive end of blank B is made of a film having a heat-sealable resin on its surface that can be welded to blank B, and may be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. Specific materials for the tape piece T include polyethylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, and polypropylene resin. An example of the layer structure of tape piece T is a polyethylene resin layer (thickness 20 μm) / polyethylene terephthalate resin layer (thickness 12 μm) / polyethylene resin layer (thickness 20 μm). The thickness of the tape piece T is preferably, for example, 25 to 150 μm, taking into consideration its foldability and durability. The width of the tape piece T is, for example, 5 to 20 mm, and preferably 10 mm. If the width of the tape piece T is too large, it becomes unavoidable to enlarge the tape folding mechanism, and if the width of the tape piece T is too small, it may not be possible to reliably weld it to the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B. The tape piece T is supplied to the tape bonding device 120 as a tape roll in which an uncut, long, narrow tape is wound.

[0026] [Tape bonding device] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the tape bonding apparatus 120 of the present invention supplies tape pieces T, cut to a length corresponding to the adhesive end of the blank B, to the bonding section P such that the transport direction (long direction) of the tape pieces T coincides with the blank transport direction. While transporting the blank B, the left half T1 of the tape piece T is bonded to the adhesive end region A1 on the surface side of the blank B, and the right half T2 of the tape piece T is left in an ear-like state, protruding outward (to the right in Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) from the side edge F of the blank B. In this example, the width of tape piece T is 10 mm, with the left half T1 of tape piece T being 4.7 mm wide and the remaining right half being 5.3 mm wide. Since the tape pieces T are supplied already cut to a length corresponding to the adhesive end of the blank B, when the size or other specifications of the blank B are changed, only the cutting position of the tape needs to be changed according to the blank B, eliminating the need to change the tape roll itself (changes in width size, etc.) and providing high versatility.

[0027] The actual bonding area of ​​blank B varies depending on the specific specifications of the paper cup, etc., but generally it is the central area of ​​blank B, leaving the upstream and downstream ends of the adhesive end in the blank transport direction untouched. In this embodiment, the end area where the tape piece T is not attached is, for example, an area with a length t1 in the blank transport direction of approximately 5 mm ± 1 mm. That is, the length l of the tape piece T is shorter than the length of the adhesive end of blank B (e.g., 110 mm) and is the length obtained by subtracting the length of the end area where the tape piece T is not attached (e.g., 100 mm). The end area is not a part that is exposed inside the container, as it becomes the curled part of the opening or the bottom when blank B is assembled. Here, if the positional accuracy of the bonding of the tape piece T is low, the effect of properly covering the end face may not be obtained, the curling process may be hindered when blank B is assembled, or the appearance may be damaged. In this embodiment, the configuration described above involves attaching the tape piece T to most of one adhesive end of the blank B, both on the front and back surfaces. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, to reduce the amount of tape piece T used, a configuration in which a short tape piece T is attached only to the curled portion where the blanks are joined together is also possible.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tape bonding device 120 includes a tape cutting unit 121 that cuts an uncut tape unwound from a tape roll (not shown) in the tape width direction perpendicular to the tape transport direction (black arrow in Figure 4) at a tape cutting position C to obtain a tape piece T, and a tape bonding unit 122 that transports the obtained tape piece T along the tape transport path to a bonding section P to be bonded to the blank B and bonds it to the blank B, and further includes a pushing mechanism provided upstream of the bonding section P in the transport path of the blank B, which is capable of pushing the blank B from one side to the other side.

[0029] The tape cutting unit 121 is preferably positioned to cut the tape in the section of the tape transport path where the tape is transported vertically downward. In a vertical state, tension acts on the tape in the longitudinal direction (vertically downward) due to its own weight, which increases the rigidity of the tape and improves the stability of tape transport, and therefore stabilizes tape cutting. After cutting, the tape piece T is transported while being held by the tape transport belt 123 of the tape bonding unit 122, and is transported to the bonding section P. Since the tape pieces T are cut in the tape width direction by the tape cutting unit 121, the tape width of the tape roll corresponds to the width of the tape pieces T.

[0030] The specific means for transporting the tape pieces T in the tape bonding unit 122 is not particularly limited as long as it can transport the extremely thin tape pieces T without meandering. For example, the tape pieces T can be transported by a conveyor belt 123 that can hold the tape pieces T. Alternatively, the tape pieces can be transported using a belt with grooves, with the tape pieces fitted into the grooves. The tape bonding unit 122 has the function of transporting the tape pieces T to the bonding section P in synchronization with the transport speed of the blank B by the transport mechanism 101. As a result, the tape pieces T are supplied in synchronization with the blank B, which has been transported in a preheated state, that is, the amount of the blank B and the tape pieces T transported is the same, so that the blank B and the tape pieces T can be brought into contact at the bonding section P while moving in the same direction at the same speed.

[0031] The tape bonding unit 122 includes a tape conveying belt 123, which is a tape conveying rotating body that conveys tape pieces T to the bonding section P, and a driven roll (nip roll) 127, which is an opposing rotating body that is positioned opposite the tape conveying belt 123 with the blank B conveyed to the bonding section P in between, and rotates in sync with the tape conveying belt 123 so as to move in the same direction at the bonding section P. The tape conveyor belt 123 consists of an endless belt stretched over a plurality (3) of belt conveyor rolls 124, 125, and 126 arranged on the inside, and is driven in a circulating direction (clockwise in Figure 4). Of the belt conveyor rolls 124, 125, and 126, the first belt conveyor roll (drive roll) 124, which is positioned close to the conveying path of the blank B, is positioned opposite the driven roll 127, with the conveying path of the blank B and the tape conveyor belt 123 in between. The drive roll 124 and the driven roll 127 are positioned so that their rotation axes extend parallel to each other and are aligned vertically. Therefore, the bonding portion P is located on the rotation axes of the drive roll 124 and the driven roll 127 in a plan view. The bonding portion P is the nearest opposing portion between the drive roll 124 and the driven roll 127, sandwiching the tape transport belt 123, and is a planar region in the space between the tape transport belt 123 and the driven roll 127 that encompasses the rotation axis of the drive roll 124 and the rotation axis of the driven roll 127. Here, the clearance of the bonding section P, that is, the closest distance between the tape transport belt 123 and the driven roll 127, is set to be, for example, equivalent to the sum of the thickness of the blank B and the thickness of the tape piece T. If the thickness of the blank B is approximately 0.4 mm and the thickness of the tape piece T is approximately 0.05 mm, the clearance is approximately 0.45 mm. If the clearance of the bonding section P is wide, that is, exceeds the sum of the thickness of the blank B and the thickness of the tape piece T, the tape piece T may not be properly transferred from the drive roll 524 to the adhesive end of the blank B, resulting in no bonding or, even if bonding occurs, the bonding position may not be stable. On the other hand, if the clearance of the bonding section P is narrow, that is, less than the sum of the thickness of the blank B and the thickness of the tape piece T, there is a risk of bonding defects such as the tape piece T shifting diagonally from the intended bonding position relative to the blank B.

[0032] The pushing mechanism is capable of pushing the blank B from one side to the other side, where one side of the blank B is the side to which the tape piece T is supplied, and the other side is the opposite side. In this embodiment, the pushing mechanism pushes the blank B down to the other side level, which is closer to the other side of the blank B than the transport level, i.e., a level lower than the transport level. In this invention, "level" refers to the height in the vertical direction. The pushing mechanism includes a guide member 128 that is fixedly positioned so that its lower end surface is at the same level as the other side, and the lower end surface of the guide member 128 becomes a pushing surface that contacts one side (surface) of the blank B that has been conveyed. As shown in Figure 6, the guide member 128 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the blank transport direction, with its base end fixed to a windbreak plate 119 for shielding hot air from the blank heating mechanism 110, and its tip portion 128A positioned in a predetermined location, between the blank heating mechanism 110 and the tape bonding device 120. The length of the guide member 128, i.e., the length d3 of the portion where the lower end surface is at the same level as the other side, is 10 to 30 mm. The width of the guide member 128 can be 2 to 20 mm. By having the length of the guide member 128 within the above range, fluttering and warping of the blank B can be reliably suppressed even when the blank B is transported at high speed.

[0033] The position of the tip portion 128A of the guide member 128 is such that the distance d1 from the bonding portion P in the blank transport direction is at least 5 to 25 mm. Furthermore, the position of the guide member 128 in the blank width direction perpendicular to the blank transport direction is such that it does not interfere with the transport lane 102 and does not come into contact with the adhesive end of the blank B to which the tape piece T is bonded. This is because if the adhesive end of the blank B is heated in advance, the resin layer 3 will soften due to the heat, and if the guide member 128 comes into contact with it, it will be more prone to scratches, etc. The distance d2 between the guide member 128 and the side edge F of the adhesive end of the blank B in the horizontal width direction perpendicular to the blank transport direction is 5 to 25 mm. Furthermore, as will be described later, when the blank heating mechanism 110 heats the area 10 mm inward from the side edge F of the blank B, the distance is specifically 11 mm. No other member is interposed between the tip portion 128A of the guide member 128 and the bonding portion P to push the blank B down to the level of the other side. If the position of the tip 128A of the guide member 128 is closer to the bonding section P than the predetermined position described above, the blank B, which has bent downwards, will not have enough time to return to its original position. As a result, the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction will contact the driven roller 127 at an extremely oblique angle, causing uneven contact. Furthermore, the position of the leading end of the adhesive end of the blank B will deviate from the desired position, causing the contact position with the tape piece T to shift, which may prevent the bonding of the tape piece T with high positional accuracy. On the other hand, if the position of the tip 128A of the guide member 128 is further away from the bonding section P than the predetermined position described above, the adhesive end of the blank B, which has bent downwards, will return completely to the transport level. As a result, the blank B may not be able to enter the bonding section P with the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction curved upwards. In this way, the presence of the tip portion 128A of the guide member 128 in a predetermined position makes it possible to press at least a point on the blank B that is 5 to 25 mm away from the bonding portion P in the blank transport direction. By pressing at least this point on the blank B down to the level of the other side, the blank B can be reliably guided into the bonding portion P with the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction curved upward and lifted. In one embodiment, the dimensions and position of the guide member 128 are as follows: the distance d1 between the tip portion 128A of the guide member 128 and the bonding portion P in the blank transport direction is 13 mm; the distance d2 between the guide member 128 and the side edge F of the adhesive end of the blank B in the horizontal width direction is 11 mm; the length d3 of the guide member 128 is 18 mm; and the width of the guide member 128 (length in the left-right direction in Figure 6) is 7.5 mm.

[0034] The difference (height difference) h (see Figure 7(a)) between the transport level and the level of the other side is preferably 0.3 to 2.0 mm. If the height difference is too large, there is a risk that unwanted creases will be formed in the blank B when it is pressed down. On the other hand, if the height difference is too small, there is a risk that the blank B will not be able to enter the bonding section P with the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction curved upward. In this invention, the conveying level is the height to which the surface of the blank B passes when the blank B is conveyed in a horizontal position by the conveying lane 102, and the other-side level is the height to which the surface of the part of the blank B that comes into contact with the guide member 128 passes when it is pushed down by the guide member 128. The blank B is conveyed at the same conveying level from the blank heating mechanism 110 to the second welding section 160.

[0035] In the tape bonding device 120, the uncut tape is conveyed in the longitudinal direction, and in the tape cutting unit 121, the tape is cut in the width direction. The resulting tape pieces T are held by the tape conveyor belt 123 and supplied to the bonding section P while being conveyed in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, the blank B is carried on the transport lane 102 in a horizontal position with its adhesive end heated by the blank heating mechanism 110. First, as shown in Figure 7(a), the blank B is pushed down from one side to the other side from the transport level to the other side level by contact with the guide member 128 of the pushing mechanism, and the portion of the blank B that protrudes from the transport lane 102 and floats in the air bends downward. Next, when the blank B passes the tip 128A of the guide member 128, the blank B, released from being pushed down by the guide member 128, returns to its original downward-bent state, and the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction contacts the driven roll 127 before the bonding section P and then contacts the tape transport belt 123, etc., so that, as shown in Figure 7(b), the leading end of the adhesive end in the transport direction curves upward and lifts up as it enters the bonding section P and contacts the upper side of the bonding section P, i.e., the tape transport belt 123 or the tape piece T held therein, at the desired position. Furthermore, since the transport of the blank B continues until one blank B has passed the bonding section P, the entire length of the adhesive end of the blank B comes into contact with the upper side of the bonding section P, i.e., the tape transport belt 123 or the tape piece T held therein. As a result, the adhesive end of the blank B can be reliably brought into contact with the tape piece T supported on the tape transport belt 123 with high positional accuracy, and the bonding of the tape piece T can be performed stably with high positional accuracy without variation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of bonding defects. In addition, as described above, the configuration in which the leading end of the adhesive end of the blank B in the transport direction first contacts the driven roll 127 before contacting the tape transport belt 123 contributes to suppressing fluttering and warping of the blank B. Since the transport speed of the tape piece T is synchronized with the transport speed of the blank B by the transport mechanism 101, as shown in Figure 7(c), the tape piece T is stacked in the desired position relative to the blank B as the blank B passes through the bonding section P. At that time, the leading end in the transport direction of the adhesive end region A1 on the surface side of the blank B is in firm contact with the tape piece T held by the tape transport belt 123. As the blank B and tape piece T are transported, the left half T1 of the tape piece T continuously contacts the adhesive end region A1 of the blank B, and the resin layer 3 of the blank B is melted into an adhesive state, allowing the tape piece T to be bonded to this adhesive end region A1 over its entire length.

[0036] The following describes other devices provided in the tape application end-face processing device 100 of this embodiment.

[0037] [Blank heating mechanism] The blank heating mechanism 110 heats the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B, thereby increasing the temperature of the entire blank B and melting the resin layer 3 on the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B. Specifically, the blank heating mechanism 110 is configured to include a heating unit 111 that heats the front surface of the adhesive end of the blank B and a heating unit 116 that heats the back surface of the adhesive end of the blank B, both of which are provided on the transport path of the adhesive end of the blank B. By simultaneously heating both the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B, sufficient heat can be applied to the adhesive end of the blank B even when the end face processing of the blank B is performed at high speed, ensuring that the temperature of the blank B rises reliably, and that the tape piece T can be reliably bonded to the blank B by the subsequent tape bonding device 120. These heating units 111 and 116 are positioned on the transport path of the adhesive end of the blank B so as not to be in contact with the blank B. This allows the heating process to be performed simply by transporting the blank B in the transport direction and stopping it at a predetermined position. Specifically, the heating units 111 and 116 consist of hot air heaters, and multiple minute hot air outlets from which hot air is blown are arranged along a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the adhesive end of the blank B, with a distance of 3 to 8 mm from each of the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B. In the blank heating mechanism 110, it is sufficient for the area including the adhesive edge regions A1 and A2 on the front and back surfaces of the adhesive edge of the blank B to be heated to a predetermined temperature. For example, the area 10 mm inward from the side edge F is heated. The temperature of the hot air from the heating section 111 facing the surface of the blank B can be, for example, 440°C, and the temperature of the hot air from the heating section 116 facing the back surface of the blank B can be, for example, 300°C. The temperatures of the heating sections 111 and 116 on the surface and back surfaces of the blank B may be the same, but since the tape bonding device 120 bonds the tape piece T to the surface side of the adhesive end of the blank B, it is preferable to set the temperature of the heating section 111 facing the surface of the blank B to be higher. If the temperatures of the heating sections 111 and 116 are excessively high, the resin forming the resin layer 3 may foam due to the moisture in the base paper 2 of the blank B. The specific heating method for the blank B in the blank heating mechanism 110 is not limited to a method using hot air, but can employ various known configurations as long as the front and back surfaces of the adhesive end of the blank B can be heated to a predetermined temperature. For example, a heating method using a direct flame plate may be employed.

[0038] [Tape temporary fastening mechanism] The temporary tape fastening mechanism 130 is positioned between the tape bonding device 120 and the tape folding mechanism 140, and temporarily fastens the tape piece T to the surface side of the blank B, in order to prevent the tape piece T from peeling off the blank B in the tape folding mechanism 140 described later, or to improve the folding accuracy of the tape piece T. For temporary fastening of the tape piece T, it is sufficient that the left half T1 of the tape piece T is welded to at least a portion of the adhesive end region A1 on the surface side of the blank B, on the upstream side in the blank transport direction (blank tip side). In other words, it is sufficient that at least the tip side in the blank transport direction of the left half T1 of the tape piece T is welded to the blank tip side of the adhesive end region A1 on the surface side of the blank B. The temporary fastening of the tape piece T may be done over the entire adhesive end region A1, that is, over the entire left half T1 of the tape piece T.

[0039] Specifically, the tape temporary fastening mechanism 130 comprises an upper sealing bar 131 that is movable up and down and is provided on the transport path of the adhesive end of the blank B, which heats the surface side of the adhesive end of the blank B, and a fixed lower sealing bar 136 that heats the back side of the adhesive end of the blank B. The upper sealing bar 131 and the lower sealing bar 136 each have a size corresponding to the area of ​​the left half T1 of the tape piece T that is to be temporarily fastened. By lowering the upper seal bar 131 while the blank B is stationary in a predetermined position, a predetermined area where the tape piece T at the adhesive end of the blank B should be temporarily secured is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 131 and the lower seal bar 136, thereby enabling the temporary securing process. When the upper seal bar 131 is in the raised position, the space between the upper seal bar 131 and the lower seal bar 136 becomes a transport path for the adhesive end of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper sealing bar 131 can be, for example, 130°C, and the temperature of the lower sealing bar 136 can be, for example, 60°C. Since the tape piece T is temporarily fixed to the surface side of the adhesive end of the blank B, it is preferable to set the temperature of the upper sealing bar 131 to be higher. If the temperature of the lower sealing bar 136 is excessively high, the blank B may stick to the lower sealing bar 136. However, the set temperatures of the sealing bars 131 and 136 may be higher, as long as no problems such as the tape piece T or blank B sticking to them occur. The surfaces of the seal bars 131 and 136 that come into contact with the blank B and tape pieces T are subjected to surface treatments such as fluororesin processing, in addition to temperature control, to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and tape pieces T from adhering to the seal bars 131 and 136. The specific method for welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the temporary tape fastening mechanism 130 is not limited to a method using a sealing bar (hot plate), but can employ various known configurations as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fastened to the blank B. For example, a pressing method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be employed. Furthermore, depending on the welding method employed, the device can be configured to weld while the blank B is being transported, rather than while the blank B is stalled during transport.

[0040] [Tape folding mechanism] The tape folding mechanism 140 has an insertion passage 141 that extends in the blank transport direction, which allows the adhesive end of the blank B to pass through while the blank B is being transported. The insertion passage 141 is open on one side (the front side in Figure 2) along the blank transport direction, allowing the adhesive end of the blank B to pass through during transport. The insertion passage 141 has a ceiling wall positioned opposite the surface side of the blank B on the plane over which the transported blank extends (hereinafter referred to as the "blank plane"), a folding wall whose angle with respect to the blank plane continuously decreases as the blank B is transported in the blank transport direction, and a back wall that connects the ceiling wall and the folding wall. In other words, the folding wall has different slopes depending on its position along the blank transport direction, and the slope state of the wall surface changes continuously or in steps as it moves in the blank transport direction. The inner surface of the insertion passage 141 of the tape folding mechanism 140, that is, the surface that comes into contact with the blank B and the tape piece T, is treated with a surface treatment such as fluororesin coating from the viewpoint of non-adhesion and low friction with the blank B and the tape piece T.

[0041] The blank B, in which the left half T1 of the tape piece T is attached to its surface and the right half T2 protrudes from the side edge F, is passed through the insertion passage 141. As a result, the tape piece T interferes with the back wall and the folded wall, causing the right half T2 of the tape piece T to automatically bend toward the back side of the blank B, and finally, it is bent 180° so that it is in close proximity to and facing the back side of the blank B.

[0042] In the tape folding mechanism 140, the right half T2 of the tape piece T to be folded is bent along the back wall and the folding wall. As a result, the tape piece T that is folded along the back wall, which is slightly separated from the end face E of the blank B, is folded in a manner that it does not come into contact with the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B. In this state, the tape piece T is welded, so the resulting end-faced blank B has a small space formed between the end face E of the blank B and the tape piece T. Here, not contacting the end face E of the blank B means that a space can be formed between the end face E and the folded tape piece T, and that the length of the tape piece T from the front side edge to the back side edge of the blank B is greater than the length of the end face E in the thickness direction (i.e., the thickness of the blank B), including the case where a part of the floating tape piece T is in contact with the end face E. For example, in a blank B with a treated end face, the width of the left half T1 of the tape piece T that is welded to the adhesive end region A1 on the surface side of the adhesive end of the blank B is 4.7 mm, and the width of the remaining right half T2 that is welded to the adhesive end region A2 on the back side is also 4.7 mm, and the width of the unwelded portion facing the end face E can be 0.6 mm. The space formed between the end face E of the end-faced blank B and the tape piece T may be larger than the space described above.

[0043] In the tape folding mechanism 140 according to this embodiment, the folding of the tape piece T is achieved by a single insertion passage 141 in which the internal wall structure is continuously changed. However, the specific configuration of the tape folding mechanism 140 is not limited to the above embodiment. It may also be configured to gradually fold the tape using multiple stations, or to fold the tape while the blank B is stopped rather than while it is being transported.

[0044] [First welded part] The tape application end processing device 100 of this embodiment has a welding mechanism for attaching a folded tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the back surface of the blank B. This welding mechanism consists of a first welding section 150 that temporarily fastens the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the back surface of the blank B, and a second welding section 160 that welds the entire surface of the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the back surface of the blank B. The first welding section 150 is located near the exit of the insertion passage 141 of the tape folding mechanism 140, and is intended to temporarily fasten the folded tape piece T to the back side of the blank B, maintaining the folded state of the tape piece T and providing it to the second welding section 160. For temporary fastening of the tape piece T to the back side of the blank B, it is sufficient for a portion of the right half T2 of the tape piece T to be welded to the area in the width direction perpendicular to the blank transport direction within the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B. For example, a 2.2 mm wide area from the free end (the right end before folding) of the tape piece T that is folded back to the back side of the blank B, and extending from the leading end to the trailing end in the blank transport direction, can be welded to the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B.

[0045] Specifically, the first welding section 150 includes a tape straightening guide (not shown) that supports the area of ​​the tape piece T other than the temporary fastening area on the back side of the blank B, and maintains a folded state in which the tape piece T folded back by the tape folding mechanism 140 is forcibly brought close to the other side of the blank B. Furthermore, it is configured to include a fixed upper seal bar 151 that heats the front side of the adhesive end of the blank B and a vertically movable lower seal bar 156 that heats the back side of the adhesive end of the blank B, both provided on the transport path of the adhesive end of the blank B. The tape straightening guide consists of a non-heated bar that supports the tape piece T in an upward direction from below, facing the upper sealing bar 151. The lower sealing bar 156 is positioned adjacent to the tape straightening guide and facing the upper sealing bar 151. The tape straightening guide and the lower sealing bar 156 are separated by, for example, about 0.5 mm in the horizontal direction. The tape straightening guide is fixedly installed, and the space between the exit of the insertion passage 141 of the tape folding mechanism 140 and the upper seal bar 151 in the first welding section 150 and the tape straightening guide is substantially continuous, so that the blank B can be transported to a predetermined heating point while maintaining the folded state of the tape piece T. By making the tape straightening guide from a non-heated bar, the tape piece T is prevented from coming into contact with the sealing bar for extended periods, thereby suppressing thermal shrinkage of the tape piece T. The surfaces of the tape straightening guide that come into contact with the blank B and tape piece T are treated with a surface treatment such as fluororesin coating to prevent the resin layer of the blank B and tape piece T from adhering to the tape straightening guide.

[0046] By raising the lower seal bar 156 while the blank B is stationary in a predetermined position, the adhesive end of the blank B is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 151 and the lower seal bar 156, thereby enabling temporary fastening. After temporary fastening, the free end of the right half T2 of the tape piece T is welded to the back surface of the blank B, while the remaining right half T2 of the tape piece T is left floating without being welded to the blank B. On the other hand, when the lower seal bar 156 is in the lowered position, the space between the upper seal bar 151, the lower seal bar 156 and the tape straightening guide becomes a transport path for the adhesive end of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper seal bar 151 can be set to, for example, 115°C, and the temperature of the lower seal bar 156 can be set to, for example, 135°C. It is preferable to set the temperature of the lower seal bar 156 higher than that of the upper seal bar 151 and 156, because the tape piece T is temporarily fixed to the back side of the adhesive end of the blank B, and because time has passed since the blank B was heated by the blank heating mechanism 110. On the other hand, the upper seal bar 151 does not need to be heated as much as the lower seal bar 156 because it retains the heat applied by the temporary tape fixing mechanism 130. If the temperatures of the seal bars 151 and 156 are excessively high, the tape piece T may stick to the seal bars 151 and 156. However, the set temperatures of the seal bars 151 and 156 may be higher, as long as no problems such as the tape piece T sticking to them occur. The surfaces of the seal bars 151 and 156 that come into contact with the blank B and tape pieces T are subjected to surface treatments such as fluororesin processing, in addition to temperature control, to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and tape pieces T from adhering to these seal bars 151 and 156. The specific method for welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the first welding section 150 is not limited to a method using a sealing bar (hot plate), as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fixed to the blank B. Various known configurations can be adopted. For example, a pressing method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be used. Furthermore, depending on the welding method adopted, the welding can be performed while the blank B is being transported, rather than while the blank B is stalled during transport.

[0047] [Second weld part] The second welding section 160 welds almost the entire surface of the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the back surface of the blank B. Since a portion of the right half T2 of the tape is temporarily fixed to the back surface of the blank B at the first welding section 150, the folded state of the tape piece T is maintained even without correction by the tape correction guide. The welding of the tape piece T in the second welding section 160 may be performed over the entire surface of the right half T2 of the tape piece T facing the back side of the blank B, but is not limited to this. It is sufficient that any floating areas of the tape piece T that have not been welded to the back side of the blank B in the first welding section 150 are newly welded. Furthermore, if the tape piece T is melted during the heat sealing process when assembling the blank B to form a paper container, some floating may remain.

[0048] Specifically, the second welding section 160 is configured to include a fixed upper sealing bar 161 that heats the surface side of the adhesive end of the blank B, and a vertically movable lower sealing bar 166 that heats the back side of the adhesive end of the blank B, both of which are provided on the transport path of the adhesive end of the blank B. By raising the lower seal bar 166 while the blank B is stationary in a predetermined position, the adhesive end of the blank B is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 161 and the lower seal bar 166, thereby enabling full-surface welding. After full-surface welding, the left half T1 of the tape piece T is welded to the surface of the blank B, and most of the right half T2 is welded to the back surface of the blank B, so that the tape piece T is attached to both the front and back surfaces of the blank B by welding, and thus the end face E is covered. Note that the end face E of the blank B may be directly welded with the tape piece T, or it may be covered by the tape piece T through a gap. When the lower seal bar 166 is in the lowered position, the space between the upper seal bar 161 and the lower seal bar 166 becomes a transport path for the adhesive end of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper seal bar 161 can be, for example, 40°C, and the temperature of the lower seal bar 166 can be, for example, 130°C. Since the tape piece T is welded to the unwelded portion of the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B, it is preferable to set the temperature of the lower seal bar 166 to be higher. On the other hand, the upper seal bar 161 retains heat from the previous processes, so it does not need to be heated as much as the lower seal bar 166. If the temperatures of the seal bars 161 and 166 are excessively high, the tape piece T may stick to them. However, the set temperatures of the seal bars 161 and 166 may be higher, as long as no problems such as the tape piece T sticking to them occur. The surfaces of the seal bars 161 and 166 that come into contact with the blank B and tape pieces T are subjected to surface treatments such as fluororesin processing, in addition to temperature control, to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and tape pieces T from adhering to these seal bars 161 and 166. The specific method for welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the second welding section 160 is not limited to the method using a sealing bar (hot plate), but various known configurations can be adopted, as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fixed to the blank B. For example, a pressing method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be adopted. Furthermore, depending on the welding method adopted, the welding can be performed while the blank B is being transported, rather than while the transport of the blank B is stalled.

[0049] Although a tape bonding apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without changing the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the pushing mechanism is configured to push the blank down to a level lower than the transport level. However, the direction of pushing is not limited to this. When one side of the blank B faces downwards and the tape piece is supplied to the underside of the blank, the pushing mechanism may be configured to push the blank up to a level higher than the transport level. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case where a piece of tape is attached to one end of a fan-shaped blank, the shape of the blank is not limited to this, and the piece of tape can be attached to any part of the straight end in the same way. A slight meandering, arc-shaped bulge, or notch at the end is acceptable. Furthermore, for example, the tape lamination device of the present invention is not limited to a configuration that intermittently transports blanks; it can also be applied to a configuration that continuously transports blanks, provided that the transport timing of the blanks and tape pieces is synchronized. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1 Paper laminate 2 Base paper 3. Resin layer 100 Tape application end-face processing device 101 Conveying mechanism 102 transport lanes 110 Blank heating mechanism 111,116 Heating section 119 Windshield plate 120 Tape bonding device 121 Tape Cutting Unit 122 Tape bonding unit 123 Tape conveyor belt 124 Drive Roll 125,126 Belt conveyor rolls 127 Driven Roll 128 Guide member 128A Tip 130 Tape temporary fastening mechanism 131 Upper seal bar 136 Lower seal bar 140 Tape folding mechanism 141 Insertion passage 150 1st welding part 151 Upper seal bar 156 Lower seal bar 160 2nd welding part 161 Upper seal bar 166 Lower seal bar 520 Tape Laminating Machine 524 Drive Roll 527 Driven Roll B Blank P Bonding section T Tape Piece

Claims

1. A tape bonding device that applies tape to the adhesive end of a blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, by supplying the tape so that the tape's transport direction coincides with the blank's transport direction, and bonding the tape to one side of the adhesive end of the blank while transporting it, The system includes a tape transport rotating body that transports the tape to a bonding section where it is to be bonded to the blank, and an opposing rotating body that is positioned opposite to the blank that has been transported to the bonding section and is driven to rotate, A tape bonding device characterized by having a pressing mechanism on the upstream side of the bonding portion in the transport path of the blank, which is capable of pushing the blank from one side to the other side to a level on the other side of the blank that is closer to the other side of the blank than the transport level.

2. The tape bonding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the difference between the transport level and the other side level is 0.3 to 2.0 mm.

3. The tape bonding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressing mechanism is capable of pressing at least a point on the blank that is 5 to 25 mm away from the bonding portion in the blank transport direction.

4. The tape bonding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressing mechanism has a rod-shaped guide member, and the pressing surface of the guide member that contacts the blank is fixedly positioned at the same level as the other side.

5. The tape bonding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the guide member is positioned so as not to contact the adhesive end of the blank to which the tape is bonded.

6. The tape bonding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the guide member extends in the blank conveying direction, and the length of the pressing surface on the other side level is 10 to 30 mm.

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