Method for producing flexible tube bodies from two substrate webs

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing flexible tube bodies for packaging tubes, and to a tube body produced according to the method from two substrate webs, which are preferably separate, particularly preferably having different materials, wherein a first substrate web is formed by a mould substrate, preferably having a print on an outer side, which preferably contains fibres or has fibre-containing components, and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel thereto and spaced apart therefrom, and wherein the second substrate web is formed by a film substrate which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel thereto and spaced apart therefrom, the method comprising: feeding the substrate webs, wherein, during feeding, the substrate webs are arranged adjacent to one another, preferably substantially congruent; reshaping the mould substrate and the film substrate with, preferably common, reshaping means to form a tube shape, wherein the mould substrate forms an outer tube and the film substrate forms an inner tube, and an overlapping or abutting arrangement of the respective longitudinal edge sides is produced for the outer tube and the inner tube; guiding the longitudinal edge sides of the mould substrate and the film substrate between an outer and an inner, preferably circumferentially driven, contact belt; and heating the longitudinal edge sides of the mould substrate and the film substrate via an inner and / or outer heating device, wherein a first connection, preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the mould substrate and at least approximately simultaneously a second connection, preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the film substrate.

Description

[0001] Process for producing flexible tube bodies from two substrate webs

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for producing flexible tube bodies for packaging tubes from two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials, substrate webs. Furthermore, the invention relates to a flexible packaging tube produced by the method according to the invention and to an apparatus for producing a flexible tube body according to the method according to the invention.

[0003] Methods for producing tube bodies are known in various forms from the prior art, whereby an arcuate film substrate is formed into a tube shape by being drawn over forming means, for example, designed as a dome. The film substrate, which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer, is arranged with its longitudinal edges overlapping or butting up. A joining process, in particular welding, along the longitudinal edges thus initially produces an endless tube, which can be further treated, for example, to improve its roundness, before being divided into individual, usually cylindrical, tube bodies.

[0004] In order to produce tube bodies from more than one substrate or more than one substrate web, for example, a film substrate for receiving the material to be stored and a forming substrate, for example, to increase the stability of the tube body, the prior art has so far provided for processing and forming the individual substrates or substrate webs independently of one another, and only then joining them together as formed and individual tubes, or arranging them inside one another. Alternatively, an endless tube or already divided tube body is first formed, and the second substrate web is formed around the existing tube, for example, by encircling or folding the endless tube or tube body with the second substrate web.Both described procedures have the disadvantage that the production effort is significantly increased by the second substrate web compared to production with only one substrate web and that the individual processing of the substrate webs can lead to errors in the final arrangement of the tube bodies, which can negatively affect, for example, the tightness, mechanical stability and / or the optical appearance of the tube body.

[0005] Since, to date, both substrate webs, particularly the film substrate, have largely been formed independently in the prior art, the choice and design of materials have been limited in that, for example, sufficient stability must be present across the material thickness to enable the substrate webs to be formed independently by forming means without damaging the individual substrate webs, in particular without one substrate web tearing, warping, or collapsing. As a result, on the one hand, tube bodies made from two substrate webs have so far been relatively thick-walled, requiring the circumference of the tube to be increased in order to achieve the same internal volume as a comparable tube made from one substrate web. On the other hand, no significant material savings can be achieved for the individual substrate webs, particularly with regard to the film substrate, for example in the case of substrates that are difficult to recycle or expensive.

[0006] DE 1 938 568 B2 discloses a tube forming device that forms and welds a paper web with a laminated plastic web into a double tube. DE 197 09 350 C1 describes a method for producing a double tube with an inner layer and an outer film. The inner layer is formed around a calibration tube and sealed with curable resin, and the outer film is subsequently formed around the inner layer in a wrapping device. Tube forming devices for producing tubes from a substrate web are known from US Pat. No. 3,388,017 A and WO 2021 / 014241 A1.

[0007] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide an optimized method for producing a flexible tube body from two substrate webs.

[0008] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, the object is achieved by a tube body having the features of claim 17 and by a device for producing a tube body having the features of claim 25.

[0009] Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention for producing a flexible tube body and of the flexible tube bodies produced by a method according to the invention as well as of the device for producing a flexible tube body are the subject of the following description and description of the figures, the figures and the dependent claims.

[0010] The features described and claimed in terms of the method shall also be deemed to be correspondingly disclosed and claimable in terms of the device, and vice versa.

[0011] In a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for producing flexible tube bodies for packaging tubes from two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials, substrate webs.

[0012] In this case, a first substrate web is formed by a molding substrate, which preferably has a print on an outer side, which preferably contains fibers or has fiber-containing components, and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel and spaced therefrom, and the second substrate web is formed by a film substrate which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel and spaced therefrom.

[0013] The procedure includes the following steps:

[0014] I) feeding the substrate webs, wherein during feeding the substrate webs are arranged adjacent to each other, preferably substantially congruent,

[0015] II) forming the molding substrate and the film substrate with, preferably common, forming means into a tube shape, wherein the molding substrate forms an outer tube and the film substrate forms an inner tube, and wherein an overlap or butt arrangement of the respective longitudinal edge sides is produced for the outer tube and the inner tube,

[0016] III) guiding the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and the film substrate between an outer and an inner, preferably circumferentially driven, contact belt, IV) heating the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and the film substrate via an inner and / or outer heating device, wherein a first connection, preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and a second connection, preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the film substrate.

[0017] The present invention has surprisingly discovered that it is possible to feed two substrate webs together, already arranged, preferably substantially congruently, to the forming process, forming an endless tube with an inner tube consisting of an inner film substrate and an outer tube consisting of an outer mold substrate. By forming the mold substrate and film substrate together, production costs can be reduced, thereby increasing production rates, and the arrangement of the mold substrate and film substrate tubes can be implemented in a particularly reproducible and error-resistant manner.

[0018] By forming the substrate webs together and forming the longitudinal connections on the shaped body, in particular adhesive connection, and on the film body, in particular welded connection, it is also achieved that the shaped body and the film body can be arranged particularly form-fitting to one another, whereby the flat contact of the shaped and film substrate tube already ensures good surface adhesion between the tubes, which prevents the tubes from slipping in subsequent processing steps and, in particular, the tightness, mechanical and dynamic stability of the resulting tube body is particularly good.The fact that the molding substrate and film substrate are only connected at their respective longitudinal edges ensures that the molding substrate and film substrate can be separated from each other after use, for example after a packaging tube comprising the tube body has been completely emptied, in particular in a sorted manner, in order to be fed into recycling processes and / or composting processes.

[0019] Furthermore, it was recognized that the molding substrate in the inventive method stabilizes the film substrate during forming, which advantageously makes it possible to design the film substrate thinner than would be possible if the film substrate were fed into the forming process independently. In other words, the inner substrate web is stabilized by the outer substrate web, which allows the individual substrate webs to be made thinner than would be necessary for independent processing. This allows particularly advantageous material savings, particularly in the film substrate, to be achieved, and tube bodies with relatively low wall thickness and high flexibility to be produced without the inner film substrate collapsing.In a particularly advantageous embodiment, for example, a recyclable molding substrate, which in particular consists at least partially of cardboard or paper and / or contains cellulose, can be combined with a film substrate, for example consisting of a thermoplastic polymer, wherein the film substrate is advantageously thinner than the molding substrate.

[0020] The term "forming substrate" and "film substrate" refers to substrate webs, particularly initially sheet-shaped ones, which preferably consist of different materials or material mixtures. It is also conceivable, for example, that the substrate webs consist of at least partially identical material mixtures. The selection of the forming substrate and film substrate can advantageously be adapted to the material to be packaged or stored.

[0021] The molding substrate is preferably fiber-containing and / or cellulose-containing or has fiber-containing components, more preferably consisting of a recyclable material, such as, but not limited to, cardboard or paper. The molding substrate provides, in particular, the mechanical, static, and / or dynamic stability of the tube bodies, with the stability of the molding substrate particularly preferably positively reinforcing the stability of the film substrate during and / or after the manufacturing process, for example during further processing, filling, and / or use of the tube bodies. More preferably, the molding substrate can comprise a coating, in particular a water-repellent coating, which is advantageously formed, for example, by printing, lamination, or painting, although other coatings such as films or vapor-deposited layers are also possible.

[0022] The film substrate has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer and can be made, for example, from a thermoplastic, an elastomer, or a thermoplastic elastomer. Possible materials include, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymers from biological sources, biodegradable polymers, cycloolefin copolymers, polyurethane, or laminates, for example with barrier layers made of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or polyamide, as well as with metallized or oxide-deposited layers, and / or mixtures or combinations of these materials. The film substrate can advantageously be designed as a multilayer structure and is preferably water-resistant in itself or at least on its side ultimately facing the material to be stored. If necessary, water resistance can also be achieved by coating the film substrate.

[0023] The substrate webs are preferably arranged substantially congruently, whereby it is conceivable for the substrate webs to be arranged approximately centrally or for one substrate web to be slightly offset from the other. The substrate webs can be fed in a preliminary arrangement adjacent to one another or fed individually, for example, to enable prior treatment and / or processing steps, and only brought together immediately before forming.

[0024] The forming means can advantageously be designed, for example, as a dome, with the substrate webs being arranged, in particular, as two continuous tubes, with the molded substrate forming an outer continuous tube and the film substrate forming an inner continuous tube. Particularly preferably, the longitudinal edges of the substrate webs are arranged overlapping within a substrate web, although a butt-jointed arrangement is also conceivable. The longitudinal edges of the substrate webs do not necessarily have to be arranged in the same way; for example, one substrate web can be arranged butt-jointed and another substrate web can be arranged overlapping.

[0025] The heating of the longitudinal edges of the film substrate and the molding substrate is achieved by one or more heating devices, preferably induction heating devices, with one heating device being assigned to the inner contact belt and one heating device being assigned to the outer contact belt. Thus, the longitudinal edges of the molding substrate and the film substrate can advantageously be heated while being guided and / or transported between the outer and inner contact belts, with the longitudinal edges advantageously being additionally subjected to pressure.

[0026] The connection of the longitudinal edges of the mold substrate is preferably formed as an adhesive connection, particularly preferably as a hot-melt connection, although other connection types are conceivable, such as welded connections, preferably, for example, by welding and / or sealing with one or more additional substrate strips, or embossed connections. The connection of the longitudinal edges of the film substrate is preferably formed as a welded connection, although other connection types are also possible here, for example, an adhesive connection. The first connection on the mold substrate and the second connection on the film substrate can preferably take place at least approximately or completely simultaneously.Alternatively or in addition to the connections on the respective substrate webs, it is also possible to connect the inner and outer substrate webs directly to each other, for example as a thermally welded connection by sealing jaws or ultrasonic processes, although other processes are also conceivable, as well as by targeted or untargeted electrostatic charging.

[0027] The side of the molded body which faces away from the film substrate before forming and which, after forming, is arranged on the outside of the formed endless tube of the molded substrate is defined below as the outer side of the molded body. Likewise, the side of the film substrate which faces the molded substrate before forming and which, after forming, is arranged on the outer side of the endless tube of the film substrate is defined as the outer side of the film substrate. With regard to the endless tube and the tube body, the inner tube or the inner tube section is understood to be the tube formed from the film substrate, and the outer tube or outer tube section is understood to be the tube formed from the molded substrate.

[0028] According to a first advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that, upon heating the longitudinal edges, the longitudinal edges of the film substrate first adhere to one another or to one another before the connection of the molding substrate is formed. This can advantageously ensure that the molding substrate is arranged in a particularly suitable, preferably form-fitting manner, on the film substrate, particularly in the region of the first and second connection. Thus, the connection of the molding substrate can particularly advantageously be formed, for example, by applying pressure, without this negatively affecting the connection of the film substrate, in particular without the second connection formed on the film substrate shifting or even becoming detached.

[0029] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that an adhesion promoter, preferably a thermoplastic adhesive, is applied to at least one longitudinal edge of the molding substrate, preferably before forming. This embodiment has proven particularly advantageous for forming an adhesive bond on the longitudinal edges of the molding substrate, wherein the adhesion promoter is preferably applied before forming and is automatically arranged between the longitudinal edges as a result of the forming of the molding substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesion promoter can also be applied during or after the forming of the substrate webs. The adhesion promoter can be applied at a defined distance from the edge of the longitudinal edge for an overlapping arrangement of the longitudinal edges, or can be arranged directly on the edge, advantageously protruding at least partially beyond the edge, for an abutting arrangement.The use of a thermoplastic adhesive is preferred here because it can be particularly advantageously integrated into established heating and cooling processes in the production of tube bodies.

[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one adhesion promoter can be applied to the molding substrate and / or the film substrate, preferably in a point-like and / or block-like manner, such that it is arranged between the molding substrate and the film substrate and, during feeding or forming, causes adhesion between the molding substrate and the film substrate, thereby preventing slippage of the film substrate relative to the molding substrate. This advantageously prevents slippage of the substrate webs relative to one another before and during forming and formation of the connections, and particularly advantageously also prevents detachment of the substrate webs from one another in the separated tube bodies.The adhesion promoter is preferably applied in a point-by-point manner, although it is also possible to apply the adhesion promoter in lines, strips, blocks or over a large area if necessary, as well as in several different designs.

[0031] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that after the connections between the longitudinal edges of the mold substrate and the film substrate have been established, a curing process of the adhesion promoter between the mold substrate and the film substrate continues. This advantageously preserves a residual mobility of the mold substrate and film substrate relative to one another, both during and after forming, which facilitates the arrangement of the longitudinal edges of the respective substrate webs and, in particular, prevents kinking and distortion in the substrate webs. According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that adhesion promoters inserted between the mold substrate and film substrate can be completely removed. This allows the mold substrate and the film substrate to be advantageously separated from one another, for example, after a packaging tube comprising the tube body has been completely emptied, in particular by type.

[0032] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the adhesion promoter can be applied between the molding substrate and the film substrate depending on a printed image located on the outer side of the molding substrate. This particularly advantageously ensures that the adhesion promoter is visually completely or almost completely invisible, thereby preventing visual disadvantages on the outer side of the molding substrate, particularly in the case of molding substrates such as paper, which are prone to staining with adhesive emulsions, especially liquid ones.

[0033] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the adhesion promoters can be applied to the longitudinal side of the molding substrate before or after, or at least approximately simultaneously with, the adhesion promoters between the molding substrate and the film substrate. This allows the adhesion promoters to be applied in various ways, which makes it particularly advantageous to integrate them into existing production processes. A preferably simultaneous application can, for example, shorten the production chain in terms of time and space, whereas a preferably sequential application does not require parallelization of the process steps.

[0034] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that after heating and after forming the connections between the longitudinal edges, the outer tube and the inner tube are separated simultaneously and / or together, preferably to form tube pieces of equal length in the longitudinal direction. The endless tube consisting of the mold substrate and film substrate is thus advantageously accessible for further processing steps. The tubes are preferably separated, for example, by cutting or cutting to length. Further processing steps can be provided before separation; for example, the endless tube can be treated to improve its roundness.

[0035] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that individual pairs of tube pieces, comprising an inner and an outer tube piece, are transported together, preferably completely overlapping in the longitudinal direction, and transferred to a head connecting device. This allows the method to be particularly advantageously integrated into a, preferably automated, production process for manufacturing a packaging tube.

[0036] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the film substrate and the forming substrate are fed from two separate substrate unwinding devices, preferably from separate substrate rolls. By feeding from separate substrate roll devices, processing steps that are intended to be applied only to one substrate web, for example, preferential application of adhesion promoters in the region of the longitudinal edge of the forming substrate, can be implemented particularly advantageously before the substrate webs are brought together.

[0037] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the joining of the mold substrate and the film substrate can take place under pressure, preferably 0.5 to 5 bar. This makes the bonding of the mold substrate and film substrate particularly stable, particularly preventing the formation of bubbles between the substrate webs. Furthermore, joining under pressure prevents the substrate webs from slipping before a preferably applied adhesion promoter has cured sufficiently to prevent slipping.

[0038] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the inner contact band is heated to 140 to 220°C. This temperature range has proven particularly advantageous in order to provide, preferably in combination with the outer contact band, sufficient energy for the formation of the first and second connections, while simultaneously preventing overheating of the inner contact band, which would both reduce the service life of the inner contact band and can lead to undesired negative influences on the material of the substrate webs.

[0039] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the outer contact band is heated to 110 to 180°C. This temperature range, preferably in combination with the inner contact band, has proven particularly advantageous in order to provide sufficient energy for the formation of the first and second connections without overheating the contact bands or the substrate tracks.

[0040] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the tube consisting of the molding substrate and film substrate and / or the longitudinal connections are cooled to below 90°C, preferably below 80°C, particularly preferably below 70°C, after formation of the longitudinal connections. This can advantageously ensure that the substrate webs and / or the longitudinal connections are strengthened and stabilized after their formation, thereby preventing a loosening of the connection, as well as a yielding or sinking of the tube bodies, particularly in the separation region, particularly during subsequent separation of the endless tube into tube bodies.

[0041] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that during feeding, the molding substrate and the film substrate are fed and / or cut to size in a width direction running perpendicular to the longitudinal direction with at least approximately the same width, or that the film substrate is fed with a width direction shorter than the molding substrate, or vice versa. By feeding the substrate webs with the same width, the arrangement of the substrate webs, preferably with as much congruent a predominance as possible, is particularly facilitated, since the substrate webs can in particular be arranged completely congruently. A design of the film substrate that is shorter in the width direction can advantageously result in material savings, wherein the longitudinal edge connection of the film substrate is not negatively affected by the smaller circumference of the inner tube.This design particularly advantageously allows a larger surface for the connection of the molding substrate, preferably for example for an adhesive connection, whereby the stability of the connection is improved, whereby the connection of the film substrate, for example a welded connection, remains equally stable.

[0042] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that at least one, preferably at least two, particularly preferably more than two, further substrate strips, in particular reinforcement strips, and / or material additive(s) is / are arranged in the region of the first and / or second connection, which is / are connected, in particular welded, to the longitudinal edge sides at least in sections. The substrate strips can consist of the same material as the film substrate or of a different, preferably weldable and / or adhesively bondable, material. The at least one material additive can, for example, also be introduced as a strip or as a liquid material. The substrate strips and / or material additives can be of the same or different design, for example with different material thicknesses.As an alternative to welding, the substrate strips or material additives can also be bonded, at least in sections, to the longitudinal edges. The substrate strips and / or material additives can advantageously enhance the dynamic and static stability of the connections and, for example, further improve the tightness. Likewise, the substrate strips and / or material additives enable a variety of arrangements of the longitudinal edges of the film and mold substrate, while maintaining the stability and tightness of the connections. Particularly advantageously, the substrate strips and / or material additives can ensure or support the formation of the first and / or second connection as adhesion promoters.An exemplary embodiment for the supplied substrate strips and / or material additives can be found, for example, in EP 3 880 445 B1 and EP 4 140 705 A1 of the applicant, although other embodiments are also possible.

[0043] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the deformation of the mold substrate begins offset along the longitudinal direction, in particular later, relative to the deformation of the film substrate, wherein the deformation of the film substrate is effected by hold-down means in addition to the deformation means. In other words, the deformation of the mold substrate begins at a later position than the deformation of the film substrate with respect to the longitudinal direction along which the deformation of the substrate webs takes place. As a result, there is a defined region on the inner tube consisting of the film substrate in which it is not (yet) enclosed by the outer tube during the deformation, whereby the feeding of additional substrate strips and / or material additives can take place particularly advantageously here.

[0044] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the molding substrate and the film substrate can be guided at least partially spaced from one another after passing through infeed rollers, in particular converging by 0° to 15°, wherein the molding substrate and the film substrate are arranged, preferably directly adjacent to one another, more preferably substantially congruently, at the start of the forming process. This type of guidance has proven particularly advantageous for achieving a congruent arrangement of the substrate webs without displacement, distortion, or wrinkling in the substrate webs.

[0045] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the mold substrate and / or the film substrate are cut to size by a cutting device before forming. This type of cutting is also referred to as “(side) trimming”. This makes it possible to achieve various advantageous effects, for example the substrate webs can be directly adapted to one another and various arrangements of the substrate webs can be brought about by appropriate cutting. According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the mold substrate and / or the film substrate is cut to size before the first and second connection are formed such that the longitudinal edge sides of the outer tube and / or inner tube lie radially against one another only in the region of the outer side with at least one tip formed by the cutting, in particular abutting one another.This design has various advantages, among others, a relatively low energy application can advantageously be sufficient to form the first bond, thereby ensuring that any printing remains undamaged, in particular without cracking. An exemplary design is shown, for example, in the applicant's EP 3 880 445 B1, although other designs are also possible. This design can be particularly advantageously combined with additional substrate strips and / or material additives.

[0046] Furthermore, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a flexible tube body, preferably produced according to one of the preceding embodiments of the method, comprising an outer tube tube made of a molded substrate, which preferably has a print on an outer side and which preferably contains fibers or has fiber-containing components, and an inner tube tube made of a film substrate which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer, wherein a first connection, preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the molded substrate and a second connection, preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the film substrate.

[0047] According to the invention, the first connection and the second connection are preferably arranged flush, in particular form-fitting, at least partially one above the other or next to one another with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube body in the radial direction.

[0048] In this context, "superimposed" means that the contours of the connections are arranged at least partially on top of one another or consecutively on a common radial line and / or plane with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube. "Juxtaposed" means that the connections are not arranged on top of one another on a common radial line and / or plane with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube, but rather, preferably directly adjacent to one another, adjacent to a common radial line, or consecutively in the circumferential direction.

[0049] To avoid unnecessary repetition, with regard to the advantageous effects and advantageous embodiments of the flexible tube body, reference is made to the method for producing a tube body described above. This also means that features disclosed in terms of the method shall be deemed to be disclosed in terms of the device, and vice versa.

[0050] In summary, the present invention makes it possible to propose a flexible tube body which is manufactured in one production step from two substrate webs, wherein the mold substrate positively reinforces the stability of the film substrate.

[0051] Forming the joints at least partially on top of one another has proven particularly easy to produce, with this arrangement also advantageously resulting in the joints adhering to one another at least partially, preferably in a form-fitting manner, at their surfaces. Arranging the joints, particularly in a form-fitting manner, next to one another has the advantage that the joints take up less space overall, and in particular, that the seam bead formed by the joints is thinner.

[0052] According to a first advantageous embodiment, the molding substrate can have a material thickness of 100 to 200 g / m2, preferably 130 to 170 g / m2. This material thickness has proven particularly advantageous for the molding substrate in order to provide the mechanical and dynamic stability of the tube body, while achieving good flexibility of the tube body.

[0053] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the film substrate can have a material thickness of 30 to 150 pm, preferably 50 to 80 pm. With this material thickness, the film substrate exhibits particularly good flexibility and mechanical and dynamic stability, especially in combination with the mold substrate.

[0054] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the first adhesion promoter and / or the second adhesion promoter and / or other optional adhesion promoters can have a layer thickness of 1 to 100 μm. This layer thickness has proven particularly advantageous for ensuring good stability, while not compromising the separability of the tube body and its recyclability.

[0055] Furthermore, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a device for producing flexible tube bodies, preferably according to one of the preceding embodiments of the method, in particular for producing tube bodies from at least two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different material substrate webs, in particular from a molding substrate, preferably containing fibers or containing fiber-containing components, which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel and spaced therefrom, and a film substrate which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer, which comprises a first longitudinal edge side extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side parallel and spaced therefrom, wherein, preferably common, forming means are included, which are designed in such a waythat the mold substrate and the film substrate are formed into a tube shape, wherein the mold substrate forms an outer tube and the film substrate forms an inner tube, and wherein the outer tube and the inner tube have an overlapping or butt arrangement of the respective longitudinal edge sides, wherein an outer and an inner, preferably continuously driven, contact belt are arranged such that the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and the film substrate are guided between the outer and inner contact belts, and that the device comprises an inner and / or outer heating device which heats the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and the film substrate such that a first connection, preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the mold substrate and a second connection, preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides of the film substrate,wherein the device comprises at least two separate substrate unwinding devices which are designed for the supply of two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials, substrate webs.

[0056] To avoid unnecessary repetition, with regard to the advantageous effects and advantageous embodiments of the device for producing flexible tube bodies, reference is made to the above-described method for producing a tube body and the tube body produced according to a method according to the invention. This also means that features disclosed in the method shall be deemed to be disclosed in the device, and vice versa.

[0057] In summary, the present invention makes it possible to propose a device for producing flexible tube bodies which are produced in one production step from two substrate webs, wherein the mold substrate positively reinforces the stability of the film substrate.

[0058] The feeding from at least two substrate unwinding devices and subsequent forming with a common forming means has proven to be particularly advantageous, since the different process steps in the device can be particularly well coordinated with one another and can be integrated into established production chains.

[0059] According to a first advantageous embodiment, the device can comprise infeed rollers arranged such that the substrate webs are arranged adjacent to one another, preferably substantially congruently, during feeding. This particularly advantageously transfers the substrate webs into the arrangement required for forming, while retaining the possibility of further processing the substrate webs before and during feeding, for example, cutting or applying adhesion promoter.

[0060] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the device comprises at least one first nozzle, which is designed to apply at least one adhesion promoter, preferably a thermoplastic adhesive, to the molding substrate and / or the film substrate. The nozzle can be designed with one nozzle outlet or a plurality of nozzle outlets and can be designed for the application of adhesion promoters in various arrangements, for example as a line or blocks. The nozzle is advantageously arranged in the device upstream of the forming means, although other arrangements are also possible, for example adjacent to or downstream of the forming means. The use of a thermoplastic adhesive is preferred here, as it can be particularly advantageously integrated into established heating and cooling processes in the production of tube bodies.

[0061] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device can comprise at least one second nozzle, preferably a nozzle bar, which is designed to apply at least one adhesion promoter to the molding substrate and / or the film substrate, preferably in a point-like and / or block-like manner. The nozzle can be designed with one nozzle outlet or a plurality of nozzle outlets and can be configured for the application of adhesion promoters in various arrangements, for example as a line, in points, in blocks, or even over a large area. The nozzle is advantageously arranged upstream of the forming means in the device, although other arrangements are also possible, for example arranged alongside or downstream of the forming means.

[0062] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that side rollers are assigned to the forming means such that the forming substrate and the film substrate are formed around the forming means by the side rollers. The side rollers particularly advantageously promote the forming of the substrate webs around the forming means. According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that hold-down means are formed on the device, which are arranged such that they guide the film substrate in addition to the forming means, in particular such that the forming of the film substrate along the longitudinal direction begins before the forming of the forming substrate. In other words, the hold-down means are arranged such that the forming of the forming substrate begins at a later position than the forming of the film substrate with respect to the longitudinal direction along which the forming of the substrate webs takes place.As a result, there is a defined area on the inner tube consisting of the film substrate where it is not (yet) enclosed by the outer tube during the forming process, which makes it particularly advantageous to feed in additional substrate strips and / or material additives.

[0063] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that at least one feeding means is arranged such that at least one further substrate strip, in particular reinforcement strip, and / or material additive is fed in the region of the first and / or second connection. The substrate strips can consist of the same material as the film substrate or of a different, preferably weldable material. The at least one material additive can, for example, also be introduced as a strip or as a liquid material. The substrate strips and / or material additives can be of the same or different types, for example with different material thicknesses or lengths. The substrate strips and / or material additives can advantageously reinforce the dynamic and static stability of the connections and, for example, further improve the tightness.Likewise, the substrate strips and / or material additives enable a variety of arrangements of the longitudinal edges of the film and molded substrate, while ensuring the stability and tightness of the connections. Particularly advantageously, the substrate strips and / or material additives can ensure or support the formation of the first and / or second connection as adhesion promoters. An exemplary embodiment for the supplied substrate strips and / or material additives can be found, for example, in EP 3 880 445 B1 and EP 4 140 705 A1 of the applicant, although other embodiments are also possible. In this case, it is conceivable, for example, that heating devices are assigned to the feeding means, whereby the substrate strips and / or material additives are tempered.It is particularly advantageous for the substrate strips and / or material additives to be connected, in particular welded or glued, at least in sections to the longitudinal edge sides.

[0064] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the infeed rollers can be arranged such that the molding substrate and the film substrate are at least partially spaced apart from one another as they pass the last infeed roller, in particular converging by 0 to 15°. At the start of the forming process, the molding substrate and the film substrate are arranged, preferably directly adjacent to one another, more preferably substantially congruent. This type of guidance has proven particularly advantageous for achieving a congruent arrangement of the substrate webs without displacement, distortion, or wrinkling in the substrate webs.

[0065] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device can comprise at least one cutting device, preferably one for each substrate web and / or substrate strip and / or material additives used, in particular for cutting the substrate webs before forming. This type of cutting is also referred to as "(side) trimming." This allows various advantageous effects to be achieved, for example, the substrate webs can be directly adjusted to one another and various arrangements of the substrate webs can be achieved through appropriate cutting.

[0066] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the device comprises a cooling device which is set up in such a way that the tube consisting of the molding substrate (1) and film substrate (2) and / or the longitudinal connections (15, 16) are cooled to below 90°C, preferably below 80°C, particularly preferably below 70°C, after the longitudinal connections (15, 16) have been formed. This can advantageously ensure that the substrate webs and the longitudinal connections are strengthened and stabilized after their formation, whereby a loosening of the connection is prevented, in particular during subsequent separation of the endless tube into tube bodies, as well as a yielding or sinking of the tube bodies, in particular in the separation region.

[0067] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to merely schematic drawings showing exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0068] Fig. 1: a schematic side view of the embodiment of the method according to the invention, with a schematically illustrated device for producing a tube body according to the invention, in a first embodiment

[0069] Fig. 2a: a schematic plan view of the embodiment of the forming according to the invention, with a schematically illustrated forming means, in a first embodiment

[0070] Fig. 2b: a schematic side view of the embodiment of the forming according to the invention, with a schematically illustrated forming means, in a first embodiment

[0071] Fig. 3a: a schematic plan view of the embodiment of the forming according to the invention, with a schematically illustrated forming means, in a second embodiment

[0072] Fig. 3b: a schematic side view of the embodiment of the forming according to the invention, with a schematically illustrated forming means, in a second embodiment

[0073] Fig. 4a: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a first embodiment

[0074] Fig. 4b: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after the connections have been made, in a first embodiment

[0075] Fig. 5a: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a second embodiment

[0076] Fig. 5b: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after the connections have been made, in a second embodiment

[0077] Fig. 6a: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a third embodiment

[0078] Fig. 6b: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a fourth embodiment Fig. 6c: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a fifth embodiment

[0079] Fig. 6d: a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides of the substrate webs after forming, in a sixth embodiment

[0080] Fig. 7: a perspective view of the substrate web of the molding substrate before forming, in a first embodiment

[0081] Fig. 8: a schematic representation of a process control of a process according to the invention in a first embodiment

[0082] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the method according to the invention with a schematically illustrated device for producing tube bodies according to the invention. Here, substrate webs of a molding substrate 1 and a film substrate 2 are brought together by infeed rollers 19, wherein the infeed rollers 19 are arranged such that the molding substrate 1 and the film substrate 2 are at least partially spaced from one another upon passing the last infeed roller 19, in particular converging by 0 to 15°, after which the substrate webs are arranged in particular largely congruent, wherein the substrate webs preferably consist of different materials. The molding substrate 1 preferably contains fibers or has fiber-containing components, and in particular has a print 3 on at least one side (cf. Fig. 7).More preferably, the film substrate 2 has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer. The substrate webs are fed from separate substrate unwinding devices, preferably substrate rolls, or are fed already arranged next to one another. On the inner side of the molding substrate 1, before being brought together, at least a first adhesion promoter 13 (cf. Fig. 3) is preferably applied through a nozzle 21. Particularly preferably, at least a second adhesion promoter 14 is applied to the molding substrate 1 (cf. Fig. 4a, b and Fig. 5a, b) through a nozzle 22. The nozzles 21 and 22 can be designed with only one or a plurality of nozzle outlets and can implement various arrangements of the adhesion promoters, such as linear, punctiform, or block-like.The substrate webs are formed into a tube shape, in particular an endless tube, using a forming means 10, for example in the form of a dome. The film substrate 2 forms an inner tube 4 with longitudinal edge sides 2.1, 2.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting, and the forming substrate 1 forms an outer tube 5, likewise with longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting. The device can comprise hold-down means 18, which can advantageously cause the film substrate 2 to be formed before the forming substrate 1 with respect to the longitudinal direction L, whereby additional substrate strips 17 and / or material additives can be arranged particularly easily on the substrate webs, in particular on the first and / or second connection 15, 16, by means of feed means. The longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 of the substrate webs are guided between an outer contact belt 6 and an inner contact belt 7, which is driven by drive means 12, for example drive rollers. Furthermore, an inner heating device 9 and an outer heating device 8 are provided, which heat the molding substrate 1 and the film substrate 2, wherein a first connection 15, preferably an adhesive connection, more preferably an adhesive connection mediated by an adhesion promoter 14, advantageously designed as a thermoplastic adhesive, or an adhesive or welded connection mediated by a substrate strip 17, is formed on the molding substrate 1 and a second connection 16, in particular a welded connection, is formed on the film substrate 2 (cf. Fig. 4a, b and Fig. 5a, b and Fig. 6a, b, c, d).

[0083] After the formation of the connections, a curing process and / or cooling process can advantageously take place and, in particular, a separation of the endless tube into tube bodies, preferably of equal length, for example by cutting or cutting to length.

[0084] In Fig. 2a a top view and in Fig. 2b a side view of the forming of the mold substrate 1 and film substrate 2 with a forming means 10, which is designed, for example, as a dome, and which is advantageously arranged on a suspension 11, is shown. The mold substrate 1 and the film substrate 2 are preferably arranged so as to be largely congruent, wherein the mold substrate 1 can advantageously be longer than the film substrate 2 in the width direction running perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. The mold substrate 1 and the film substrate 2 are converted into a tube shape by the forming means 10, wherein the film substrate 2 forms an inner tube 4, with longitudinal edge sides 2.1, 2.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting, and wherein the mold substrate 1 forms an outer tube 5, likewise with longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting.

[0085] Fig. 3a shows a top view and Fig. 3b a side view of the forming of the mold substrate 1 and film substrate 2 with a forming means 10, which is designed, for example, as a dome, and which is advantageously arranged on a suspension 11. The mold substrate 1 and the film substrate 2 are preferably arranged so as to be largely congruent. The mold substrate 1 and the film substrate 2 are converted into a tube shape by the forming means 10, wherein the film substrate 2 forms an inner tube 4 with longitudinal edge sides 2.1, 2.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting, and wherein the mold substrate 1 forms an outer tube 5, likewise with longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting.The device comprises hold-down means 18, which can advantageously cause the film substrate 2 to be deformed in relation to the longitudinal direction L before the forming substrate 1, whereby additional substrate strips 17 and / or material additives can be arranged particularly easily by feeding means on the substrate webs, in particular on the first and / or second connection 15, 16.

[0086] Fig. 4a shows a first embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. An adhesion promoter 14, preferably a thermoplastic adhesive, is advantageously arranged between the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1. Preferably, the longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 are arranged overlapping, and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 are arranged overlapping, although a butt-joint arrangement is also possible.

[0087] Fig. 4b shows the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides from Fig. 4a after the formation of the connections 15, 16. The second connection 16 is preferably designed as a welded connection between the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2. Advantageously, the connection 16 can already adhere when the first connection 15 is formed. This connection 15 is advantageously an adhesive connection, with the adhesion promoter 14 preferably being in the form of a thermoplastic adhesive. In this embodiment, the connections 15 and 16 are arranged one above the other, ie the contours of the connections 15, 16 are arranged one above the other, at least partially on a common radial line and / or plane with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

[0088] Fig. 5a shows a second embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. An adhesion promoter 14, preferably a thermoplastic adhesive, is advantageously arranged between the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1. Preferably, the longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 are arranged overlapping, and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 are arranged overlapping, although a butt-joint arrangement is also possible.

[0089] Fig. 5b shows the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides from Fig. 5a after the formation of the connections 15, 16. The second connection 16 is preferably formed as a welded connection between the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2. Advantageously, the connection 16 can already adhere when the first connection 15 is formed. This connection 15 is advantageously an adhesive connection, with the adhesion promoter 14 preferably being in the form of a thermoplastic adhesive. In this embodiment, the connections 15 and 16 are arranged next to one another, in particular in a form-fitting manner next to one another or directly adjacent to one another. In other words, the connections are preferably arranged directly next to one another on a common radial line with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube or following one another in the circumferential direction.

[0090] Fig. 6a shows a third embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molding substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. Between and above the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molding substrate 1, a substrate web 17 is advantageously arranged in each case, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is in particular weldable. Between and below the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 and additionally between the substrate webs, a substrate web 17 is advantageously arranged in each case, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is in particular weldable and / or adhesively bondable. The substrate webs 17 can consist of the same or different materials, which can be adapted, in particular with regard to their adhesive properties, to the film substrate and / or molding substrate.

[0091] Fig. 6b shows a fourth embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. Advantageously, a substrate web 17 is arranged below and above each of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is in particular weldable. In this embodiment, the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 are arranged end to end, although an overlapping arrangement is also possible. Advantageously, a substrate web 17 is also arranged below the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is in particular weldable.The substrate webs 17 can consist of the same or different materials, which can be adapted, in particular, in their adhesive properties, to the film substrate and / or mold substrate. Fig. 6c shows a fifth embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the mold substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. A substrate web 17 is advantageously arranged over the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the mold substrate 1, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is, in particular, weldable. In this embodiment, the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 are arranged butt-jointed, although an overlapping arrangement is also possible.

[0092] Fig. 6d shows a fifth embodiment of the arrangement of the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1 and the longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 of the film substrate 2 after the substrate webs have been formed into an inner tube 4 and an outer tube 5. The longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1 are cut, preferably by a cutting device, such that the longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2 of the outer tube 5 radially abut one another only in the region of the outer side with at least one tip formed by the cutting, in particular abutting one another. Advantageously, a substrate web 17 is arranged above and below the longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the molded substrate 1, which particularly preferably acts as an adhesion promoter and is in particular weldable.The substrate webs 17 can consist of the same or different materials, which can be adapted in particular in their adhesive properties to the film substrate and / or mold substrate.

[0093] Fig. 7 shows a substrate web of the mold substrate 1 prior to forming. The mold substrate 1 advantageously has a print 3 on the outside and a first adhesion promoter 13 on the inside, preferably applied in relation to the print 3. The adhesion promoters 13 can preferably have only weak adhesion and more preferably can be completely removed. Furthermore, the adhesion promoters 13 can be applied, for example, in spots, in lines, strips, over a large area, or in combinations of various designs. The adhesion promoters 13 are preferably applied before the mold substrate 1 is formed, although it is also conceivable to apply the adhesion promoter 13 in parallel with or after the forming process.

[0094] Fig. 8 shows a first embodiment of a possible method. In a method step S1, a substrate web is provided from a substrate unwinding device for a molding substrate 1. The molding substrate 1 preferably contains fibers or has fiber-containing components and, in particular, comprises a print 3 on at least one side. In method step S2, a film substrate 2 is provided as a substrate web from a substrate unwinding device, wherein the film substrate 2 comprises or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer. In a method step S3.1, a first adhesion promoter 13 is applied to the molding substrate 1 and / or to the film substrate 2. The first adhesion promoter 13 can advantageously be designed to have only weak adhesion and can preferably be designed to be completely removable.The adhesion promoter 13 is advantageously applied, for example, in a point-like manner and / or in lines, webs, or combinations of embodiments. In a method step 3.2, at least one second adhesion promoter 14, in particular a thermoplastic adhesive, is advantageously applied to the molding substrate 1. The adhesion promoter 14 is preferably applied along the longitudinal direction L and at a defined distance from a longitudinal edge 1.1 or 1.2, or is arranged directly on the longitudinal edge, or potentially is arranged so as to protrude at least partially beyond the longitudinal edge 1.1 or 1.2. As an alternative to the method shown, the adhesion promoters 13 and 14 can be applied in any desired order or even in parallel.In a process step S4, the substrate webs are brought together by infeed rollers 19, wherein the sides of the substrate webs to which the adhesion promoters 13 are applied are advantageously aligned with one another, and wherein the substrate webs are preferably arranged at least approximately congruently. Following this, in a process step S5, the substrate webs are formed into a tubular shape, for example, by a forming means 10, wherein the film substrate 2 forms an inner tube 4 with longitudinal edge sides 2.1 and 2.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting, and wherein the formed substrate 1 forms an inner tube with longitudinal edge sides 1.1 and 1.2 that are preferably arranged overlapping or abutting.It can also be provided that the hold-down means 18 cause the film substrate 2 to be deformed in relation to the longitudinal direction L before the forming substrate 1, whereby additional substrate strips 17 and / or material additives can be arranged particularly easily by feeding means on the substrate webs, in particular on the first and / or second connection 15, 16. The longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2 are guided in a method step S6 between an inner contact band 7 and an outer contact band 6, wherein an inner heating device 9 is preferably assigned to the inner contact band 7 and an outer heating device 8 is assigned to the outer contact band 6. The longitudinal edge sides 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2 are heated by the inner and outer heating devices 9, 8, whereby a first connection 15, preferably an adhesive connection, is formed on the molding substrate 1 and a second connection 16, preferably a welded connection, is formed on the film substrate. The second connection 16 can advantageously already adhere when the first connection 15 is formed; alternatively, the first connection 15 can adhere before the second connection 16, or both connections can adhere approximately simultaneously. The connections 15, 16 can advantageously be arranged one above the other or next to one another and are preferably arranged in a form-fitting manner. Further preferably, the curing of the first adhesion promoter 13 applied between the substrate webs in method step S3.1 can continue during and after the connections 15, 16 have been produced. After the connections 15, 16 have been formed, curing of the.

[0095] Connections 15, 16 and / or the adhesion promoter 13 are accelerated by a cooling device. In a process step S7, the endless tube is divided into tube bodies, in particular of equal length, which consist of an outer tube 5 and an inner tube 4. The tube bodies can preferably be transported further to a head connection device.

[0096] 1 molding substrate

[0097] 1.1 First longitudinal edge

[0098] 1.2 Second longitudinal edge

[0099] 2 film substrate

[0100] 2.1 First longitudinal edge

[0101] 2.2 Second longitudinal edge

[0102] 3 Printing

[0103] 4 Inner tube

[0104] 5 Outer tube

[0105] 6 Outer contact band

[0106] 7 Inner contact band

[0107] 8 External heating device

[0108] 9 Internal heating device

[0109] 10 Forming media

[0110] 11 Suspension of the forming equipment

[0111] 12 Propulsion means

[0112] 13 First adhesion promoter

[0113] 14 Second adhesion promoter

[0114] 15 First connection

[0115] 16 Second connection

[0116] 17 substrate strips

[0117] 18 hold-down devices

[0118] 19 inlet rollers

[0119] 21 First nozzle

[0120] 22 Second nozzle

[0121] L longitudinal direction

[0122] S1 Providing a mold substrate

[0123] S2 Providing a film substrate

[0124] S3.1 Application of a first adhesion promoter S3.2 Application of a second adhesion promoter

[0125] 54 Merging the substrate webs

[0126] 55 Forming the substrate webs

[0127] 56 Making the connection S7 Separating the tube bodies

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for producing flexible tube bodies for packaging tubes from two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials, substrate webs, wherein a first substrate web is formed by a molded substrate (1), preferably having a print (3) on an outer side, which preferably contains fibers or has fiber-containing components, and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side (1.1) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) and a second longitudinal edge side (1.2) parallel and spaced therefrom, and the second substrate web is formed by a film substrate (2) which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer and which comprises a first longitudinal edge side (2.1) extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side (2.2) parallel and spaced therefrom, characterized by the following method steps: I) feeding the substrate webs, wherein during the feeding the substrate webs are arranged adjacent to each other, preferably substantially congruent, II) forming the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) with, preferably common, forming means (10) into a tube shape, wherein the molding substrate (1) forms an outer tube (5) and the film substrate forms an inner tube (4), and wherein an overlapping or butting arrangement of the respective longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2) is produced for the outer tube (5) and the inner tube (4), III) guiding the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2) of the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) between an outer and an inner, preferably circumferentially driven, contact belt (6, 7), IV) Heating the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2) of the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) via an internal and / or external heating device (8, 9), wherein a first connection (15), preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2) of the molding substrate (1) and a second connection (16), preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (2.1, 2.2) of the film substrate (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that adhesion promoter (14), preferably thermoplastic adhesive, is applied to at least one longitudinal edge side (1.1, 1.2) of the molding substrate (1), preferably before the forming process.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one adhesion promoter (13) is applied to the molding substrate (1) and / or the film substrate (2), preferably in a point-like manner and / or in blocks, such that it is arranged between the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) and, during feeding or during forming, causes adhesion between the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2), whereby slipping of the film substrate (2) relative to the molding substrate (1) is prevented.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that adhesion promoters (13) inserted between the mold substrate (1) and film substrate (2) can be completely removed.

5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the adhesion promoter (13) is applied between the molding substrate (1) and film substrate (2) in dependence on a printed image (3) located on the outside of the molding substrate (1).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after heating and after forming the connections (15, 16) between the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2), the outer tube (5) and the inner tube (4) are separated simultaneously and / or together, preferably with the formation of tube pieces with the same length in the longitudinal direction (L).

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that isolated pairs of pipe sections, comprising an inner and an outer pipe section, are transported further together, preferably completely overlapping in the longitudinal direction (L), and transferred to a head connecting device.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the film substrate (2) and the molding substrate (1) are fed from two separate substrate unwinding devices, preferably from separate substrate rolls.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one, preferably at least two, particularly preferably more than two, further substrate strips (17), in particular reinforcement strips, and / or material additive(s) is / are arranged in the region of the first and / or second connection, which is / are connected, in particular welded, to the longitudinal edge sides at least in sections.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the forming of the molding substrate (1) begins offset, in particular later, in relation to the forming of the film substrate (2) along the longitudinal direction (L), wherein the forming of the film substrate (2) is effected by hold-down means (18) in addition to the forming means (10).

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molding substrate (1) and / or the film substrate (2) are cut to size by at least one cutting device before the forming process.

12. Flexible tube body, preferably produced by a method according to one of claims 1 to 16, comprising an outer tube (5) made of a molding substrate (1) which preferably has a print (3) on an outer side and which preferably contains fibers or fiber-containing components and an inner tube (4) made of a film substrate (2) which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer, wherein a first connection (15), preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2) of the molded substrate (1) and a second connection (16), preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (2.1, 2.2) of the film substrate (2), characterized in that the first connection and the second connection are arranged at least partially one above the other or next to one another in the radial direction, preferably flush, in particular in a form-fitting manner, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube body.

13. Tube body according to claim 12, characterized in that the molding substrate (1) has a material thickness of 100 to 200 g / m 2 preferably 130 to 170 g / m 2and / or the film substrate (2) has a material thickness of 30 to 150 pm, preferably 50 to 80 pm.

14. Device for producing flexible tube bodies for packaging tubes, preferably according to a method according to one of claims 1 to 16, in particular for producing tube bodies from at least two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials comprising substrate webs, in particular from a, preferably fiber-containing or fiber-containing component-containing, molding substrate (1) which comprises a first longitudinal edge side (1.1) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) and a second longitudinal edge side (1.2) parallel to and spaced from the first longitudinal edge side, and a A film substrate (2) which has or consists of at least one weldable plastic layer, which comprises a first longitudinal edge side (2.1) extending in a longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal edge side (2.2) parallel and spaced therefrom, wherein preferably common forming means (10) are included, which are designed such that the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) are formed into a tube shape, wherein the molding substrate (1) forms an outer tube (5) and the film substrate an inner tube (4), and wherein the outer tube (5) and the inner tube (4) have an overlapping or butting arrangement of the respective longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2), wherein an outer and an inner, preferably continuously driven, contact band (7, 8) are arranged such that the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2, 2.1 , 2.2) of the molding substrate (1 ) and the film substrate (2), are guided between the outer and inner contact bands (7, 8), and that the device comprises an inner and / or outer heating device (8, 9), which the longitudinal edge sides (1.1 , 1.2, 2.1, 2.2) of the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) are heated in such a way that a first connection (15), preferably an adhesive connection, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (1.1, 1.2) of the molding substrate (1) and a second connection (16), preferably a longitudinal weld seam, is formed between the longitudinal edge sides (2.1, 2.2) of the film substrate (2), wherein the device comprises at least two separate substrate unwinding devices which are designed for the supply of two, preferably separate, particularly preferably different materials, substrate webs.

15. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim 14, characterized in that that the device comprises infeed rollers (19) which are arranged such that the substrate webs are arranged adjacent to one another, preferably substantially congruent, during feeding.

16. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the device comprises at least one first nozzle (21) which is designed to apply at least one adhesion promoter (14), preferably thermoplastic adhesive, to the mold substrate (1) and / or the film substrate (2).

17. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the device comprises at least one second nozzle (22), preferably a nozzle bar, which is designed to apply at least one adhesion promoter (13) to the mold substrate (1) and / or the film substrate (2), preferably in a point-like and / or block-like manner.

18. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that hold-down means (18) are formed on the device, which are arranged such that they guide the film substrate (2) in addition to the forming means (10), in particular such that the forming of the film substrate (2) along the longitudinal direction (L) begins before the forming of the mold substrate (1).

19. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that at least one feeding means (20) is arranged such that at least one, preferably at least two, particularly preferably more than two, further substrate strips (17), in particular reinforcement strips, and / or material additive(s) are fed in the region of the first and / or second connection 20. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to claim one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that the inlet rollers (19) are arranged such that the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) are at least partially spaced from one another when passing the last inlet roller (19), in particular converging by 0 to 15°, wherein the molding substrate (1) and the film substrate (2) are arranged, preferably directly, adjacent to one another, more preferably substantially congruent, at the start of the forming process.

21. Device for producing flexible tube bodies according to one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that the device comprises at least one cutting device, preferably one for each substrate web and / or material additive used, in particular for cutting the substrate webs before forming.

Images