MXPA05010966A - Insulated container, method of fabricating same and apparatus for fabricating - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an insulated container for hot drinks or the like comprising an inner cup having a generally frusto-conical cup body and a generally frusto-conical outer shell. The cup is seated within the shell so that a contact path is disposed near the upper edge of the shell, along which contact path the outer surface of the cup body and inner surface of the shell are in contact. At least one bonding spot and/or bonding area for bonding said shell to said cup body is locally formed within said contact path.

Description

ISOLATED CONTAINER. METHOD TO MANUFACTURE THE SAME AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The invention generally relates to containers. It relates particularly to insulated containers for hot drinks or the like, a method for manufacturing said containers and an apparatus used for the manufacture of said containers. There are many examples in the prior art of containers with insulation characteristics for use with hot liquids, such as coffee, tea, soups and the like. Examples can be found in US-A-2,266,828, US-A-4,007,670, US-A-5,145,107, US-A-5,460,323, US-A-5,524,817, US-A-6,685,480 and US-A-6,663,926. Each of these containers includes an interior cup and an outer cover separated by an air space. In modern containers of this type, the cup is made of a thin cardboard coated inside with a polyethylene resin or the like. The cup and cover are held together by gluing them in strategic locations at the top and bottom or, in some recent cases, by heat sealing. The air space between the wall of the body of the cup and the cover can be maintained by spacers of varied configuration. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved insulated container, method for manufacturing the same and apparatus for manufacturing so that improved bonds between the cup and the cover are made possible by an improved method of joining in a simple manner. The foregoing and other objects are realized by the insulated container with the features of claim 1, a method of manufacturing said container with the features of claim 10 or an apparatus for attachment with the features of claim 15. The heat-sealable plastic coating it is provided in at least one of the inner part of the cover or the outer side of the cup body and after heating the coating and seating the cup within the cover at least one junction point and / or bonding area for the connection of said cover to said cup body by the plastic coating is only locally formed within a corresponding contact path. This "contact path" is generally a virtual contact path wherein the outer surface of the cup body and the inner surface of the cover can be in contact when the cup is seated within the cover. However, it is not necessary that there is a real contact between the corresponding walls of the cover and the body of the cup along its entire circumference but the contact path can only extend partially along the circumference where it is located within this contact path corresponding to the junction points and / or junction areas. These are only formed locally by the corresponding method wherein the cover and the wall of the cup are pressed together at least at one of said junction points and / or one of said junction areas that are located within said contact path. Since the corresponding heat-sealable plastic cover is fused before the cup is inserted into the cover then both will be joined at the corresponding attachment points and / or bonding areas by this coating after hardening. Of course, it is also possible that the contact path is an annular path that can also completely circulate the body of the cup and cover and can have a certain extension in the vertical direction that means perpendicular to the corresponding circumferential direction. It is sufficient only to use a point of union or area of union since they are only used to avoid the loss of the inner cup during the handling of the container for the assembly, packaging, coupling or similar. After the container has been filled with a corresponding hot beverage or similar, the inner cup will remain inside the cover mainly by the weight of the corresponding beverage so that a corresponding joint point or joint area only needs to provide very little binding force. However, it is also possible to securely fix the body of the cup and cover each other by, for example, the ratio of a number of attachment points and / or bonding areas formed along the contact path, all separated from each other, by free joining parts of said contact path. In addition, the joining points and / or joining areas can be arranged side by side and separated from each other in the horizontal and / or vertical direction within the contact path. This means that individual joining points or joining areas are arranged in horizontal or vertical direction or that a group is formed by said joining points or joining areas which, for example, are arranged in the vertical direction and which said groups are then arranged side by side in a horizontal or circumferential direction. It is possible to provide the corresponding attachment points and / or joint areas distributed non-uniformly in the circumferential direction. To improve the assembly of the container and also the corresponding method to manufacture it, it can be useful if the corresponding points or areas are evenly distributed. The corresponding insulated container has a space between the wall of the cup and the wall of the cover in a lower section of the container and generally the air space can be maintained without any heat transfer connection. As a consequence, it will be useful to form the corresponding contact path between an annular upper wall section of the body of the cup and an essentially cylindrical upper section of said cover. In this part of the container, a corresponding space is not necessary since the contact path is disposed above the level of the beverage with which the container is filled.

It is also possible to arrange said joining points and / or bonding areas immediately adjacent to the lower edge of said annular upper wall section of the body of the cup, where a superior protrusion is formed. Below this upper ledge will start the space. Different materials are possible for the cover or cup where also at least one of these can be made of a corresponding plastic material. For reasons of recycling it is possible that the cup and / or cover are made of cardboard. In order to obtain sufficient fluid density of at least the cup, the corresponding cardboard to form the cup is coated with the aforementioned polyethylene resin or the like. Of course, the cardboard can also be coated with the heat-sealable plastic coating where it can be provided on the outside of the cup wall, the inner part of the cover wall or can also be arranged on both walls. The corresponding attachment points or joining areas can have different shapes. For example, the joining points may be circular, rectangular or cross-sectional. The corresponding joining areas can take the form of small tapes where the tapes can be arranged horizontally or can also be inclined with respect to the circumferential direction. To fuse the corresponding plastic coating it is sufficient only to heat it locally but it is also possible that, for example, the plastic coating as an annular belt is completely heated. To obtain sufficient force to press the wall of the cup and the covering wall together until the newly heat-sealable plastic coating hardens a first annular element with at least one radially displaceable or protruding pressing element can be placed inside the body of the cup whose pressing element is pressed against a second external element for pressing the walls of the body of the cup and the cover together by both members to form one or more joining points and / or joining areas. Of course, it is also possible that the corresponding pressing elements are part of the second external element or that those pressing elements are provided by both elements. It is also possible that said pressing elements are not in direct contact with one of the walls of the container but that deform, for example, an annular and flexible ring from its inner part and that this ring with its deformed parts on its external part will then press the body walls of the cup and cover together by cooperating with the other element. A corresponding apparatus for attaching the outer cover and the inner cup to form an insulated container for hot liquids or the like comprises said first element to be disposed within the inner cup, said second element generally concentric with said first element and disposed outside the outer cover, and at least one radially protruding or movable pressing member for pressing the opposite cover and cup walls together to form one or more attachment points and / or bonding areas along the circumference of the cover and the cup. The first element can be an annular ring or a disc that is inserted inside the body of the cup. This annular ring or disk can support the corresponding pressing element or elements so that it is movable in the radial direction. A simple embodiment of said mobile pressing element is a piston that is supported in a mobile manner by said first and / or second elements. To obtain uniformly distributed junction points or bonding areas the corresponding number of radially mobile pressing elements is also distributed uniformly along the circumference of the first and second elements. In order to arrange the cover prior to insertion of the cup body it is useful that the apparatus comprises a receiving element with at least a margin portion and an upper flange used to maintain the cover. To use the corresponding receiver element also as a second element or an external element it is possible for a counter pressure extension to extend from the upper flange of the receiving element in an essentially vertical direction. Later, the corresponding movable pressing elements can be part of the first element or the annular element and no second element or separate element is necessary. It is also possible to use the receiving element to maintain the body of the cup in a predetermined position where it can be reached by an upper end of the counter pressure extension which is used as a seat for curling the outer part of the body of the cup . The invention, which includes the construction of the container, its method of manufacture and a corresponding apparatus for manufacturing, is illustrated more or less schematically in the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an insulated container comprising a inner cup, an outer cover and presenting a first form of the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the container of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the container of Figure 1, with the elements of the container in vertical section; Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, elongated through the upper part of the container cover of Figure 1, showing a first step of the assembly of the container; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the insertion of the cup in the cover; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing spot welding of the cover and the cup in an assembly step of the additional container; Figure 7 is a top plan view of the container and a corresponding tool or apparatus for spot welding; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a container matted with the tool of Figure 7 for spot welding in accordance with the invention; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 of an insulated container having a second form of the present invention; Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 4 of the second embodiment of the container showing the first step of the assembly; Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 5 of the second embodiment of the container in a further assembly step, and Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 6 of the second embodiment of the container showing an additional assembly step. Referring now to the drawings, in particular to Figures 1 to 3, a hot beverage container having characteristics of a first form of the present invention is generally illustrated with the number 10. The container includes an inner cup 12 and an outer cover 14 condensed together and knit together according to the present invention. According to Figure 3, the inner cup 12 includes a cup body 22 and a lower part of the cup 24, formed separately from cardboard in a conventional manner. Prior to manufacture, the board is coated on one side with heat-sealable plastic material such as polyethylene or the like. The assembled cup 12 then has an internal polyethylene liner 15 over all or a portion of its internal surface. A frusto-conical wall 29 of the body of the cup 22 has an annular projection 31 formed inwardly therefrom near its bottom surface of the cup 24. The projection 31 acts as a retainer for the next cup above when the stacks are stacked. glasses The lower part of the cup 24 sits on the body 22 in the manner illustrated. A segment 26 of the bottom edge of the wall of the cup 29 is folded inwardly and upwardly to capture an annular, downwardly extending margin section 28 of the bottom part of the cup 24. The body of the cup 22 also it has an annular upper protrusion 32 formed outwardly from its frusto-conical side wall 29 for a distance of 5 mm or more downwards from an outwardly curling 34 which forms an upper edge of the body. Between the projection 32 and the curl 34 an upper wall section 37 with an annular outer surface 38, see also figure 5, is disposed with a lower portion 39 of the surface, at the edge of the projection 41, which serves as a point connecting or joining area 1 or 2 to which the inner annular surface of the cover 14 is joined, in a manner hereinafter discussed. The outer cover 14 is, like the cup wall 29, frustoconical in shape. The cover 14 is formed of cardboard having an inner liner 42 of a heat sealable plastic material. The inner lining can be on all or only in a joint area or point along a corresponding contact path 3, see also figure 7, of the cover 14. The cover 14 has an inward curl 44, see figure 3 , formed at its lower edge, and this inward curl engages the outer surface 4 of the wall of the cup body 29 above the lower end of the cup 12 at a distance corresponding approximately to the height of the lower part of the cup 24. An annular upper edge 9 or 51, see also figure 5, of the cover 14 is immediately adjacent to the curl 34 of the body of the cup 22 and can rest on it from below. The cover 14 extends downwards from there to a narrow annular surface where it at least partly engages the upper wall section 37 and the annular outer surface 38 in and slightly above the lower edge 41 of the projection 32. The heat-sealable plastic coating 42 inside the cover 14 melts locally before the cup 12 and the cover 14 are assembled. After assembly the cover 14 is thermally bonded at one or more joining points or joining areas 1, 2 illustrated, for example, in Figure 6 as the spot welding 53, where it joins the protrusion of the cup body 32 or to the outer annular surface 38 adjacent its lower edge 41, ie, at a distance of approximately 5 mm from the curl 34. Although the use of three point welds 53 annularly spaced at regular intervals is described herein, without However, there must be as few as one or three or there may be more than three, and they may not be separated evenly if one is used more. It is also possible to arrange a number of said joining points or joining areas above each one in the vertical direction 7, see figure 3, or side by side in horizontal direction 6 or circumferential direction 8, see figure 2. Relating now to Figures 4 to 8, the container 10 is manufactured according to the invention in the following steps: the cover 14 is made of cardboard, which is selectively coated internally with a heat-sealable plastic material such as polyethylene, by forming around a mandrel frusto-conical; - the cover is then removed from the mandrel and sits inside the correspondingly formed receiver or receiving element 20, see figure 4. This receiving element 20 comprises a frusto-conical margin portion 21, see figure 5, which is in abutment with the outer surface of the cover wall 16. At the upper end of the margin portion 21 the receiving element 20 has an upper flange extending radially outwardly 23. In a next step an annular heating element is placed against the inner part of the cover 14 and the polyethylene liner tapes are heated to their melting point, see figure 6. A previously assembled cup 12 is then removed by suction on the cover until the annular periphery of its upper projection 32 sits against the covered in the molten ribbon along the corresponding contact path 3, see also figure 7. An annular disc 17 as a first A corresponding apparatus 11 for manufacturing the corresponding container 10 is then placed inside the body of the cup 22 and tightly engages the inner surface of the body of the cup above the upper projection 32, see, for example, figures 6 to 8. An annular ring 18 as a second element of the corresponding apparatus 11 incorporating three radially extendable pistons as pressing elements 19 is then placed around the cover 14 at the level of the cast strip and the plungers extend to press the cover and cup walls together, see for example figure 6, until they are joined together in, for example, three point welds 53 or junction points 1 or joint areas 2, respectively. Said spot welding is mentioned herein as spot welding, see also figures 7 and 8. The disk and the ring are then removed and the assembled container is ejected from the receiving element 20. According to figure 6, it is not necessary that the upper wall section 37 makes contact through the entire upper end section of the cover wall 16 and it is possible for a small space to be provided between just below both curls outwardly 34. Only along the path of contact 3, see figure 7, which for example is disposed adjacent to the upper annular projection 32, the joining points or corresponding joining areas can occur when pressing the first element 17 and the second element 18 together see figures 6 and 7. In Figure 8, and also in Figure 7, the second element similar to a ring 18 with the piston 19 is illustrated where it is disposed between the upper surface of the upper flange 23 of the receiver 20 and the lower end of the external loop 34, see again figure 6. In figure 7, it is also illustrated that the corresponding pistons as pressing elements 19 are distributed uniformly along the circumferential direction 8 around the container 10 and that three junctions or areas of union are formed. The corresponding pressing elements 19 move in the direction of displacement 45. With reference now to FIGS. 10 to 12, a container having characteristics of a second embodiment of the present invention is generally observed with the number 10 in various stages of the assembly. The container 10 is identical in construction to the previously described container except for one feature. The cup 12 of the container is identical to the previously described cup but the cover 14 has a small cylindrical section 50 formed at its upper end. This cylindrical section 50 of the cover 14 sits level against the outer surface 38 of the upper wall section 37, see also the previous figures. The cup 12 and cover 14 are joined together by stitches at one or more points 53 as attachment points 1 or bonding areas 2 corresponding to those on the cup 10, that is, around the projection 32 immediately adjacent its edge. lower 41.

Although a cylindrical section 50 sits flush against the cup 12 above the projection 32, it is to be understood that the section 50 is not joined to the body of the cup above the ring of the joints by point 53 and that the corresponding point connections or point welds 53 are separated from each other by free parts of attachment of the corresponding contact path 3. Also the receiving element 20 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment because it has a second integrally formed element 18 which is formed by the counter pressing extension 25 extending vertically from an upper surface of the upper flange 23 of the receiving element. An upper end 27 of the extension supports the curl 34 from below. The cup 10 is manufactured in accordance with the invention in the following steps: the cover is made of cardboard that is selectively coated internally with the heat-sealable plastic material such as polyethylene, by forming around a frusto-conical mandrel having a cylindrical section superior circular; - the cover 14 is then removed from the mandrel and seated within the receiving element correspondingly 20, see figure 10; - an annular heating element is placed against the inner part of the cover 14 and a polyethylene coating tape is heated to its melting temperature; - a pre-assembled cup 22 is then removed by suction on the cover 14 until the annular periphery of the projection 31 of the cup body sits against the cover on the cast tape, see figure 11. - an annular ring as a first element 17, see figure 12, which incorporates for example three radially extendable pistons as pressing elements 19 then are placed inside the cup body 22 at the level of the cast strip and the pistons extend to press the cover and the cup walls together against the external receiving element 20 and in particular against the corresponding counter pressing extension 25 until they are joined together in, for example, three spot welds or points 53, see FIG. 12; - the ring 17 is then removed and the container 10 is ejected from the receiving element 20. Each embodiment of the container described hereinafter is characterized by having a heat-sealable plastic coating within its cover 14 attached to the outer surface of a cup 12 by heat and pressure in a plurality of spot welds 53 which may be junction points 1 or bonding areas 2. Corresponding spot welds extend around and between those components. The spot welds lie in an annular path, see contact path 3, adjacent to the lower edge of an upper wall section 37 of the cup body or upper cylindrical section 50 of the cover 14. Either of the embodiments of the container may also manufactured by providing the heat sealable plastic bonding material locally applied to the exterior of the cup body in the upper wall section 37 without departing from the present invention. In such a case, of course, the bonding material can be heated from the outside of the cup before being inserted into the cover.

Claims (21)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - An insulated container (10) for hot drinks or the like, comprising: a) an inner cup (12) having a generally frusto-conical cup body (22); b) a generally frusto-conical outer cover 14); c) a heat-sealable plastic liner (42) in at least one interior part of said cover (14) and the exterior of said cup body (22); d) said cup (12) seated within said cover (14) so that the coating (42) extends at least along a contact path (3) near the upper edge (9) of the cover (14). ) along which the outer contact path surface of the cup body (22) and the front surface of the cover (14) are in contact, characterized in that at least one junction point (1) and / or Union area (2) for attaching said cover (14) to said cup body (22) by said plastic coating (42) is formed only locally within said contact path (3).

2. The insulated container according to claim 1, further characterized in that said contact path (3) is an annular path.

3. The insulated container according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that a number of joining points (1) and / or joining areas (2) are formed along the contact path (3), all separated from each other by free joining portions of said contact path.

4. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the junction point (1) and / or joining area (2) are arranged side by side and are separated from each other in the horizontal (6) and / or vertical (7) direction within the contact path (3).

5. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the connection points (1) and / or joining areas (2) are uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction (8) of the contact path (3). ).

6. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the contact path (3) is a completely circular cup body (22) and cover (14).

7. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said contact path (3) is formed between an annular upper wall section (37) of the cup body (22) and an essentially cylindrical upper section (50) of said cover (14).

8. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said junction points (1) and / or joining areas (2) are arranged immediately adjacent to a lower edge (41) of said section of upper annular wall (37) of the cup body (22) wherein an upper projection (32) is formed.

9. The insulated container according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the cup body (22) and / or cover (14) are made of a cardboard coated with said heat-sealable plastic coating (42).

10. A method for manufacturing an insulated container for hot drinks or the like, comprising the steps of: a) forming a generally frusto-conical cover (14); b) heating a heat-sealable plastic coating (42) provided within said cover (14) and / or on the outside of the generally frusto-conical (12) cup to its melting point; c) inserting said cup (12) into said cover (14) until the outer part of the cup wall (13) sits against the molten plastic along a contact path (3), and d) pressing the cover and cup wall (16, 13) together at least at a joint point (1) and / or a joint area (2) which are located within said contact path (3).

11. The method according to claim 10, further characterized in that the cover and the cup wall (16, 13) are pressed together forming a plurality of attachment points (1) and / or joining areas (2) for locally connecting said cover to said cup, said points of union and / or areas separated from each other by non-union parts along said contact path (3).

12. - The method according to claim 10 or 11, further characterized in that said plastic coating (42) is an annular belt and said belt is completely heated.

13. The method according to one of claims 10 to 12, further characterized in that only parts of said belt (42) are heated, which subsequently form or at least comprise said junction points (1) and / or areas of attachment (2).

The method according to one of claims 10 to 13, further characterized in that an annular element or first element (17) with at least one radially displaceable pressing element (19) is placed inside the cup body (22), whose pressing element is pressed against an external element or a second element (18) to press the walls (13, 16) of the cup body (22) and the cover (14) together by means of both elements to form one or more joining points (1) and / or joining areas (2).

15. The apparatus (11) for attaching an outer cover (14) to an inner cup (12) to form an insulated container (10) for hot liquids or the like comprising: a) a first element (17) to be disposed within of the inner cup (12); b) a second element (18) concentric with said first element (17) and disposed outside the outer cover (14); c) at least one mobile or radially extending pressing element (19) for pressing the opposite cover and the cup walls (16, 2). 13) together to form the junction point (1) and / or joint area (2) along its circumference.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further characterized in that said first element (17) is an annular ring or a disk.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, further characterized in that said radially mobile pressing element (19) is a piston that is supported in a mobile manner by said first and / or second element (17, 18).

18. The apparatus according to one of the claims 15 to 17, further characterized in that a number of said radially movable pressing elements (19) are disposed in a uniform manner distributed along the circumference of said first and second elements (17, 18).

19. The apparatus according to one of the claims 15 to 18, further characterized in that the apparatus (11) further comprises a receiving element (20) with at least one margin portion (18) and an upper flange (23) used to hold the cover (14).

20. The apparatus according to one of claims 15 to 19, further characterized in that the counter-pressing extension (25) as a second element (18) extends from the upper flange (23) in a substantially vertical direction (7). ). 3

21. - The apparatus according to one of claims 15 to 20, further characterized in that an upper end (27) of the counter press extension (25) is used as a seat for the outward curl (34) of the cup body ( 22).