HK1261970A1 - System and method for producing an articulating board product having a facing with score lines in register to fluting - Google Patents

Description

System and method for producing a joined paperboard product having a facing with score lines in registration with a flute

Background

Modern paper making techniques use paper machines at paper mills to produce paper rolls, which in turn can be used by paperboard manufacturers to produce paperboard products (i.e., corrugated paperboard). As a result, paper rolls can be produced by continuously operating machines. Modern paper machines typically produce paper from a variety of materials, including wood pulp, which includes wood fibers (although other fibers may be used). The fibers tend to elongate and are adapted to align adjacent to each other. The fibers start in the form of a stock that can be fed from the headbox of the paper machine onto a moving screen. In modern paper machines, the fibers tend to align with each other and with the direction in which the screen moves. This aligned direction of the underlying fibers is referred to as the principal direction of the paper and is aligned with the machine direction. Thus, the primary direction is often simply referred to as the Machine Direction (MD), and the resulting paper has an associated MD value.

When the paper is used to make a paperboard product, portions or layers of the paperboard product can be corrugated. Conventional corrugators will corrugate the underlying sheet product in the Cross Direction (CD) of the sheet, and thus cannot take advantage of the natural strength variations of the sheet in the machine direction. Further, the greater natural strength quality of the paper in the machine direction is not utilized by the cross-corrugation technique in the paperboard making solution. Still further, conventional corrugated media contains flutes that exhibit a sinusoidal shape due to the shape of the protrusions in a conventional corrugating roller pair. As a result, companies producing traditional paperboard products are still deeply involved in the obsolete production procedures that limit the strength of the paperboard products.

Drawings

The aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the claims will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figures 1A-1B are views of a corrugated single wall conventional paperboard product before and after primary fold joining without the use of score lines in one or more of the facings.

Fig. 2A-2C show various states of a blank having slot cuts and conventional embossments so that it can be manipulated into a container.

Fig. 3 is an isometric cross-sectional view of a scored facing layer that may be part of one or more paperboard products in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Fig. 4 is an isometric cross-sectional view of an embossing medium that may be part of one or more paperboard products in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Fig. 5 is an isometric cross-sectional view of a paperboard product having the scored facing layer of fig. 3 and the media of fig. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Fig. 6A-6C are a series of views of the paperboard product of fig. 5 joined with score lines in one or more facings according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Figure 7 shows a side-by-side comparison of a coupled conventional paperboard product with the coupled paperboard product of figure 5.

Figures 8A-8B are views of a paperboard product before and after being joined with score lines in one or more facings according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Fig. 9 is a diagram of aspects of a machine configured to generate the paperboard product of fig. 3, according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein.

Detailed Description

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter disclosed herein. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the detailed description. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein.

As an overview, the subject matter disclosed herein may relate to a system and method for creating paperboard products made from paper products that have pre-scored surface layers in addition to the media (sometimes referred to as fluting) so that precise joining can be performed. Conventional paperboard products may have cross corrugated media and a facing (at least prior to assembly with the corrugated media) without one or more score lines being imprinted. This conventional paperboard product may be poor because any score lines that are scored will somehow damage the underlying corrugated media. When the final paperboard product is scored, cut, and folded, the decrease in strength of the underlying media results in poor accuracy. Lack of precision in folding containers can result in gap variations and tail-flicks because any joined portion of the paperboard product cannot maintain a precise plane of joining when folded. Thus, the coupling portions are "fishtail" misaligned.

In the case of pre-scribed face layers (sometimes referred to as walls or pads) with strategically placed scribe lines (e.g., strategically placed with respect to the final join point and/or with respect to an underlying groove in the attachment medium), the problem of wiggling is eliminated. This is because the pre-scribed line deflects the surface layer during joining and escapes from the scribed line. As a result, the fold lines on the facing layer are precisely aligned along the pre-scored lines (aligning any folds with the desired box corner pattern) and are precisely positioned relative to any underlying grooves (aligning any folds with the groove pattern as well). The effect of pre-scored lines in the facing layer may be enhanced when combined with an embossing medium that exhibits better structural characteristics than conventional cross-corrugated media. This advantage and additional aspects of various embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein are discussed below with reference to fig. 1-8.

Fig. 1A-1B are views of a conventional paperboard product 100 before and after primary fold joining without the use of score lines in one or more of the facings. As briefly mentioned in the summary, the score lines will assist in the joining of the paperboard so that the joining of the paperboard product is accurate. To illustrate the problems of the conventional paperboard product 100, the views in fig. 1A-1B are shown, and then the various problems of the final container are shown in fig. 2B-2C to illustrate the effects of the problems of the conventional paperboard product 100. The conventional paperboard product 100 may have some form of medium 103 attached to the first and second facings 101, 202. Of course, this facing does not have any score lines pre-placed. Thus, of course, there are no scribe lines in registry with the grooves in the medium 103. Further, the media 103 may also be conventional cross-corrugated media having flutes aligned in a cross (discussed further below) direction of the paper of the media 103.

When it is desired to join the paperboard product 100, which is often the case when the paperboard product is ultimately used in containers and boxes, the machine may create score lines (or sometimes dents, impressions, or some other form of marking to create fold lines) at the lines used for joining (e.g., as corners or break points without reference to underlying grooves). Thus, when viewing FIG. 1B, it is desirable that the folding can be done at point 104. As can be seen, the paperboard product 100 is being joined (at about 180 degrees in this view). The 180 degree fold is sometimes referred to as the primary fold and may be a requirement of the manufacturer that the folded box blank be generated. The blank is an expanded container (as shown in fig. 2A) in a flat, open condition, which is manufactured to be ultimately manipulated into a container or box. Conventional slotted container (RSC) blanks are discussed below with reference to fig. 2A-2C.

When a machine makes impressions in a paperboard product in the production of blanks, a mechanical embossing collar may be used to emboss crease lines at specific locations. This position is relative to the edge of the blank (e.g., 36 inches from the edge of the blank, as just one example); in the conventional approach, this location is independent of the underlying groove of the media. Thus, when the mechanically stamped collar stamps a fold line, any underlying groove that happens to be within the stamped area is crushed. By crushing the inner grooves, a significant local amount of the cardboard structure is centered. Thus, the fold points 104 begin to bend inward and the outer fold points begin to stretch around the fold. As the two legs begin to come together, the internal groove around the fold begins to narrow.

Fig. 1B shows a conventional paperboard product with a full 180 degree joint. The first face layer 101 has been folded in half so as to be in contact with itself. The second facing 102 is stretched sufficiently at point 104 to accommodate the additional distance around the 180 degree fold point 104. As can be seen, the internal grooving of the media 103 loses structure when the local grooves are significantly damaged. Further, the second facing 102 may often break at the 180 degree fold point 104. Such a break at point 104 significantly weakens the paperboard product. Additional undesirable variations in the final container or bin product will be exhibited due to the collapse of the fold points 104 in the media structure and possible breaks in one or more of the facing layers. This undesirable variation is discussed next with reference to fig. 2A-2C.

Fig. 2A-2C show various states of the blank with the slot 106 cut and conventional nips 108b, 108C, 108d and 108e so that the blank 105 can be manipulated into a container. In fig. 2A, the blank 105 is shown in which the paperboard product can be modified to have desired features, such as slots and nips. Thus, the paperboard product may have a pair of slots 106 that have been cut along final fold lines 108b, 108c, 108d, and 108 e. The slots 106 should be precisely aligned and sized for the desired purpose, and the dimensions shown in fig. 2A are for illustration purposes only and are merely one example of the flat blank 105. As is typical for the end user of the blank, the left-most panel 107a may be folded (at fold line 108 b) 180 degrees to lie flat on top of panel 107 b. This 180 degree fold is referred to as the primary fold. Similarly, the rightmost panel 107d can be folded (at fold line 108 d) 180 degrees to lie flat on top of the facing layer 107 c. Once folded, the ends 108a and 108e of the blank 105 may then be positioned adjacent to one another with the glue pad 109 positioned in an overlapping manner such that the edge 108a may be bonded to the glue pad 109. When precisely aligned, edge 108a is positioned adjacent edge 108e such that the distance between edges 108a and 108e is the same as the width of the other slots 106 in blank 105.

When coupled in this manner, the detached container blank 105 may be in a folded state to be fed into the machine for erecting the box or container from the blank. This coupling may be used to package and ship the resulting disassembled container blanks 105 prior to erection into a carton or container. As shown in fig. 2B-2C, this coupling often results in undesirable variations when performed on conventional paperboard products.

A first undesirable variation is shown in fig. 2B and is referred to as a gap variation. When the edges 108a and 108e are not precisely aligned with each other, a gap variation may occur so as to exhibit the same gap as the width of the other slots when the glue pad 109 is bonded to the panel 107 a. The gap may be too narrow if the primary folds at fold lines 108b and 108d are rolled inward, and too wide if the primary folds at fold lines 108b and 108d are rolled inward. In this view, it can be seen that panel 107a has been coupled 180 degrees along primary fold line 108b and panel 107d has been coupled 180 degrees along primary fold line 108 d. However, the glue pad 109 does not significantly overlap the face sheet 107a, and the edges 108a and 108e are too far apart. Without precise overlap, edges 108a and 108e with glue pads 109 may not properly adhere to each other in place. This gap variation may be caused by the centered primary fold lines 108b and 108d due to lack of precision in the fold lines. Another variation not shown in the figures may be when edges 108a and 108e are too close or even overlap. The variation in gap may be characterized by excessive or insufficient (or even no) overlap of the glue pads, and is a variable that leads to undesirable problems in the finished container.

A second undesirable variation is shown in fig. 2C and is referred to as "fishtailing". Fishtailing can occur when folding causes one or more panels to be non-parallel with other panels. In the example shown in fig. 2C, the panel 107a is not parallel to the panel 107 d. As such, edge 108a is also not parallel to edge 108e, and the glue pad does not engage with panel 107a in a precise manner. Here, primary fold 108b may be sufficiently precise, but primary fold 108d is imprecise and results in flap-tail misalignment of the fold of panel 107 d. This leads to problems with the set-up machines that erect the RSC blanks into boxes or containers.

The problems shown in fig. 2A-2C typically occur due to scoring and folding of conventional paperboard products without regard to the location of any underlying flutes in the media. In addition, post-assembly scoring (e.g., scoring that occurs after assembly of the paperboard product) causes damage to the groove as the side grooves become partially or fully crushed to prevent the grooves from following the fold lines on either side of the desired folding location. This not only reduces the panel/box strength, but also allows for irregular folding (scroll scoring), resulting in gap variations on the gauge side as at the manufacturer's union. This and other problems can be overcome by pre-scoring the top layer and then assembling the paperboard product with score lines in registration with the underlying grooves of the medium.

Before discussing various embodiments, a brief discussion regarding cross-corrugation and linear embossing is presented. As briefly mentioned above, conventional paperboard products contain conventionally produced corrugated media (sometimes referred to as corrugated fluting), such as cross-corrugated media. The cross-corrugated media has flutes formed perpendicular to the lowermost fibers of the paper product. This can result in grooves that are not aligned with most of the underlying fibers and therefore do not take advantage of the natural strength of the MD value of the paper (when compared to the CD value). Failure to utilize the MD value of the paper can result in lost opportunities in making the paper board product when a particular board strength is to be achieved. That is, more paper (heavier paper, larger flutes, etc.) must be spent to achieve the desired paperboard strength.

Linear embossed media differ from cross-corrugated media in that the grooves produced are aligned with the MD value of the paper product. This results in the grooves being aligned with the majority of the underlying fibers and thus takes advantage of the natural strength of the paper MD values (as compared to the CD values). The use of the paper MD value can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the paperboard product when a particular paperboard strength is to be achieved. That is, less paper (lighter paper, smaller flutes, etc.) must be spent to achieve the desired paperboard strength. U.S. patent application No. 15/077,250 entitled SYSTEM and method FOR grooving IN PAPER PRODUCTs BY EMBOSSING against machine sides (SYSTEM and method FOR manufacturing a sheet BY EMBOSSING WITH RESPECT machine direct), filed on 3/22/2016, discusses IN more detail the aspects of making, generating and using linear EMBOSSING media, which is incorporated herein BY reference IN its entirety FOR all purposes. Some aspects of linear embossing media are discussed below with reference to fig. 4. Next, aspects of the pre-scored liner are discussed with reference to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an isometric cross-sectional view of a scored facing layer 110 that may be part of one or more paperboard products in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the facing layer may be produced to have an MD value in the MD direction 122 and to have the weight and materials commonly used for a facing layer of a paperboard product. Facing 110 may sometimes be referred to as a liner or wall because this layer of the paperboard product is typically the innermost portion of the paperboard product. As discussed briefly above, the facing layer 110 may be frequently scored to initiate joining along a particular line. However, if the facing has been coupled with one or more additional layers of the paperboard product (e.g., corrugated media, embossed media, another facing, etc.), the scoring procedure will leave an impression on not only facing 110, but also on any other layer of the paperboard product. As shown in fig. 2B-2C, this post-assembly scoring results in undesirable changes and structural damage to the additional layers of the paperboard product, which in turn significantly weakens the paperboard product at the point of attachment.

However, the embodiment of fig. 3 may be face layer 110 subjected to a pre-scoring procedure such that score lines 115 are embossed into face layer 110 (e.g., any other layer of a paperboard product) prior to face layer 110 being combined with any other paper product. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the pre-scored lines 115 are spaced apart relative to each other and may be strategically spaced to align with the final embossing medium (not shown in fig. 3) that ultimately has grooves of similar specific pitch dimensions. Further, the score line may be a continuous imprint in the face layer 110. However, a "score" line can be any local weakening of the face layer 110 at strategically placed fold points in the paperboard product relative to the underlying grooves. Then, in other embodiments, the scoring can be crease embossing (continuous linear or intermittent), partial slits through face layer 110 (continuous linear or intermittent), perforations in face layer 110, and the like.

In other embodiments not shown, pre-scored line 115 may be slightly non-uniform across face layer 110. For example, two score lines 115 may be combined together about 5mm apart from each other and then separated from another group having both of the 5mm apart score lines. In another example, there may be only a single score grouping on a face layer or even a single score line. While a 5mm spacing is given as an example, any spacing width is possible, and the common spacing will match a common groove profile, such as a C-groove, B-groove, R-groove, and the like. This grouping may correspond to an expected point of attachment for a particular box machine. However, for the purpose of efficiently generating a uniform finish 110, the score line 115 may be embossed by a scorer at strategically selected intervals (e.g., every five millimeters) so that any portion of the pre-scored finish 110 may be combined with other layers of the final paperboard product. The embossing medium 130 of fig. 4 may be one such additional layer.

Fig. 4 is an isometric cross-sectional view of an embossing medium 130 that may be part of one or more paperboard products in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein. This figure shows an isometric view of a portion of an embossing medium 130 that may be formed by an embossing procedure. That is, the grooves 131 are formed by passing the initial sheet product through an embossing roller using a linear patterning technique such that the grooves 131 are formed to conform to a majority of the underlying fibers 125 of the sheet. The grooves 131 are also formed to coincide with the machine direction 122. The linear embossing medium 130 takes advantage of the natural strength of the paper in the machine direction 122 when forming the grooves 131 in the machine direction 122 of the paper (e.g., in accordance with the majority of the underlying fibers 125). Thus, the linear embossing medium 130 utilizes the natural strength of the paper in the machine direction 122. This embossing medium 130 may be a component/layer of a paperboard product as discussed below with reference to fig. 5.

Further, as shown in fig. 4, the grooves 131 may form a triangular pattern when viewed in a cross-sectional view. This groove pattern having a triangular repeating shape is referred to as a groove profile. This groove profile provides an improvement in the structural integrity of the embossing medium 130 when compared to a groove profile exhibiting a curvilinear or sinusoidal groove profile. Such a curved or sinusoidal flute profile is common in conventional cross-corrugated media. Thus, the triangular flute profile as shown in FIG. 4 is also superior to corrugated media in terms of paperboard strength and structural integrity. The groove profile exhibits an apex 132 that can be bonded to a facing (not shown). The vertices may be spaced apart in a repeating manner at a particular distance, such as, for example, 5 mm. As will be discussed below, when coupled to the matching pre-scored face layer 110 of fig. 3, the apexes 132 of the embossing medium 130 may be precisely aligned in a desired manner to produce a precise and less destructive joining of any resulting paperboard product.

Fig. 5 is an isometric cross-sectional side view of a paperboard product 300 having the scored facing layer 110 of fig. 1 and the media 130 of fig. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the paperboard product 300 comprises three layers: a first facing 110, a medium 130, and a second facing 140. As shown, first facing 110 may form an inner wall coupled to one side of embossing medium 130 (although the top/bottom direction reference to the alignment of paperboard product 300 is arbitrary). The coupling may be by adhesive applied to the apexes of the grooves on the top side of the media 130 such that the facing 110 is glued to the media 130 in which the adhesive is applied. In other embodiments, the glue may be applied to the entire face layer 110 prior to coupling to the medium 130.

Likewise, the second facing 140 may form a bottom side outer wall coupled to opposite sides of the embossed medium 130 (again, the top/bottom directional reference is arbitrary). The coupling may be by adhesive applied to the apexes of the grooves on the bottom side of the media 130, such that the face layer 140 is glued to the embossed media 130 with the adhesive applied therein. In other embodiments, the glue may be applied to the entire face layer 140 prior to coupling to the embossing medium 130.

The score line 115 is aligned in the direction of the underlying groove of the embossed medium. Both the score lines and grooves are also aligned with the machine direction 122 of the scored face layer 110, face layer 140, and the underlying paper in the medium 130. Further, in this embodiment, the score lines 115 of the scored face layer 110 are aligned such that the score lines are placed equidistant from the corresponding apex locations of the fixed embossing medium. For example, if the topside vertices of the embossing medium 130 are spaced 5mm apart from each other, then the score lines 115 are also spaced 5mm apart from each other, but are offset by 2.5 mm. That is, for each pair of apical vertices 5mm apart, the fixed facing 110 has a score line 115 midway between each pair of apical vertices spaced apart from each other by about 2.5 mm.

By accurately placing the scribe line in the face layer that is fixed to the medium with linear grooves, an accurate tie line can be created. That is, if the paperboard product 300 is to be folded, the scored surface layer will escape in a precise manner along one or more score lines. That is, the fold will lie precisely in a single plane perpendicular to the joined score line. This folding may be precise and will serve to prevent the coupling direction from turning away from the normal of the plane of the score line. In other embodiments (not shown), the bottom side layer 140 may also be pre-scribed with a pattern similar to a scribe line that is precisely aligned with the bottom side apex of the embossing medium 130. Further, the pre-scored line in any facing layer may cover substantially all of the area of the facing layer (e.g., the scored line only in the intended tie point).

When all three plies are assembled and secured, the resulting paperboard product 300 is superior to conventional paperboard products due to several factors. First, because the grooves of the embossing medium 130 are strategically aligned with respect to the score lines of the pre-scored surface layer 110, any joining of the paperboard product will be precise, resulting in precision of the finished box container. This accuracy prevents gap variation and fishtailing. Further, linear embossing medium 130 includes groove profiles that exhibit superior strength due to the leg structure of the triangular nature of each groove. Still further, the adhesive may be more accurately applied to the vertices continuously and uniformly in a predictable manner, as portions of the adhesive do not spill over to the legs as would be the case with sinusoidal vertices that do not have flat receiving areas. Finally, when using conventional paperboard scoring techniques, pre-scored layer 110 prevents having a scoring step after paperboard assembly that results in damage to the underlying layer (e.g., embossing medium 130).

Fig. 6A-6C are a series of views of the paperboard product 300 of fig. 5 joined with score lines in one or more facings according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. In fig. 6A, the paperboard product 300 is shown from an edge view to better illustrate what happens when the paperboard product 300 is joined. As shown, the paperboard product 300 includes a first facing 110, a second facing 140, and a medium 130. The medium 130 is disposed between the first facing 110 and the second facing 140. The first side layer may also comprise scribe lines 115. In this example view of fig. 6A, the first facing 110 is shown facing downward for illustration purposes only. Further, for ease of illustration, only two scribe lines 115 are shown, as there may be more scribe lines in registration with the grooves of the medium 130 that also contain scribe lines on the second face layer 140. Still further, the media 130 is shown as having a sinusoidal groove profile, but it should be understood that any shape of groove profile may be used.

In the next view, fig. 6B, the paperboard product 300 has begun to be joined. Here, the fold line will precisely follow the score line 115 in face layer 110. Thus, the first folding point 603 corresponds to the first scribe line 115, and the second point 604 corresponds to the second scribe line. As can be seen in this view of fig. 6B, the coupling that would result in the final 180 degree coupling would include two distinct folds of about 90 degrees each. Further, the first fold point 603 is located directly between the two vertices of the media 130 (the vertices facing the lower groove-i.e., the two vertices fixed to the first facing layer 110) such that the legs of this groove begin to move toward each other. As a result, the first stretching point 601 of the second facing layer 140 begins to be formed directly on the first folding point 603. Similarly, the second fold point 604 is located directly between the two vertices of the media 130 (facing the vertices of the lower groove-i.e., the two vertices of the first facing layer 110 secured to the media 130) such that the legs of this groove also begin to move toward each other. As a result, the second stretching point 602 of the second face layer 140 starts to be formed directly on the second folding point 604.

In fig. 6C, the paperboard product 300 is shown fully coupled to the 180 degree position. Thus, first stretch point 601 and second stretch point 602 are each about 90 degrees. Unlike the conventional example of fig. 1A-1B, where the stretch point folds the entire 180 degrees, this embodiment achieves a full 180 degree paperboard product attachment with only about a 90 degree fold, resulting in stretch at any given location. Having a full 180 degree coupling at any given point and only a 90 degree stretch results in less stress at the stretch point of the underlying fibers in face layer 140. This in turn results in greater strength at the corners of the tank and container due to less damage to the facing layer 140 from stretching and loss of the non-fluted structure in the media 130.

Further, the folding points 603 and 604 fold all the way into the respective grooves such that secondary grooves are formed to provide additional corner structure from the cushion 110. That is, at first folding point 603, first minor folding groove 610 is formed by facing layer 110 inboard of first major folding groove 605. Likewise, a second secondary folding groove 611 is formed by the facing layer 110 inside the second primary folding groove 606. The secondary grooves 610 and 611 provide additional angular strength in the tank and container.

Fig. 7 shows a side-by-side comparison of the coupled conventional paperboard product 100 with the coupled paperboard product 300 of fig. 5. As can be seen, the conventional paperboard 100 exhibits deformation of the media structure at and adjacent to the 180 degree joint. Here, the underlying grooves have centered because the fold points do not happen to be aligned with corresponding grooves in the media. This angle is significantly less predictable on folding. Differently, embodiments of paperboard products with precisely positioned score lines exhibit additional secondary grooves as discussed above with reference to fig. 6C. This point of attachment in the paperboard product 300 will have superior strength as compared to the conventional example 100.

Figures 8A-8B are views of a paperboard product before and after being joined in one or more facings with a score line according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein. In fig. 8A, the paperboard product 800 is shown from an edge view to better illustrate what happens when the paperboard product 800 is joined. As shown, paperboard product 800 includes a first cover 810, a second cover 840, and a medium 830. Media 830 is disposed between first facing 810 and second facing 840. The first face layer may further comprise a scribe line 815. In this example view of fig. 8A, first facing 810 is shown facing downward for illustration purposes only. Further, only one scribe line 815 located exactly below the apex of the groove in the medium 830 is shown. Still further, the media 830 is shown as having a sinusoidal groove profile, but it should be understood that any shape of groove profile may be used and the media 830 may be embossed or corrugated.

In the next view, fig. 8B, the paperboard product 300 has begun to be joined. Here, the fold line will accurately follow the score line 815 in the face layer 810. Thus, the first fold point 804 corresponds to the first scribe line 815. As can be seen in this view of fig. 8B, the coupling will result in a final coupling of approximately 90 degrees without damaging the underlying grooves. Further, the fold point 804 is located directly between the two vertices of the media 830 (the vertices facing the lower groove-i.e., the two vertices fixed to the first facing 810) such that the legs of this groove begin to move toward each other. As a result, the stretch point 805 of the second facing 840 begins to form directly over the fold point 804. With the precisely positioned scribe lines 815, a 90 degree fold can be achieved without causing undesirable damage to the grooves of the media 830. Next, additional aspects of various embodiments of the paperboard product are discussed with reference to the machine of fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a diagram of aspects of a machine 500 configured to generate the paperboard product 300 of fig. 5, according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. The machine 500 may produce other embodiments that also include the embodiment of the paperboard product 800 from fig. 8A. The machine 500 includes three paper feed rollers 510, 530, and 540 for producing a paperboard product. The feed rollers include a first facestock feed roller 510, an embossing medium feed roller 530, and a second facestock feed roller 540. It should be noted that the paper wound on the first facestock feed roll 510 is prior to scoring and the paper wound on the embossing medium feed roll 530 is prior to embossing. The weight and composition of the paper for each respective feed roller may be different and specifically designed for the respective purpose.

The sheets from each roll may be unwound from each respective roll and fed toward a combiner 550 configured to combine the layers of sheets together to form the resulting paperboard product. At least some of the paper from the feed rollers may pass through one or more stations to score the paper prior to entering the combiner 550. Thus, the first facestock feed roller 510 may feed the paper into the scoring station 590, the scoring station 590 scoring the paper in a precise manner. In other embodiments, the lines embossed on face layer 110 may be perforations along precise lines, intermittent cuts, or some other form of localized weakening of face layer 110. As the paper exits the scoring station 590, it becomes a scored face layer 110 as discussed above with reference to fig. 3. The scored overlay 110 is then fed to a combiner 550 for combination with other materials.

Further, also prior to entering the combiner 550, at least some of the paper from the feed rollers may pass through one or more stations for forming the paper into media. As used herein and in the industry, media may refer to paper products that have been formed into paper with flutes. Accordingly, the embossing medium feeding roller 530 may feed the paper into the first and second embossing rollers 531a and 531b aligned with each other. When the paper leaves the embossing station (e.g., embossing rollers 531a and 531b), it becomes the embossing medium 130 as discussed above with reference to fig. 4. The embossing medium 130 is then fed into a combiner 550 for combination with other materials.

Once through embossing rollers 531a and 531b, embossing medium 130 may travel to applicator 570 to apply adhesive to the newly formed apex. The applicator may include a device for identifying the location of each apex and then aligning a series of adhesive dispensers with the identified apexes. In other embodiments, the adhesive may be transferred to the flute tips with rubber roll(s) in which the paper contacts the adhesive film and adheres to the flute tips. In this way, the adhesive can be precisely applied in a continuous and uniform manner. The first facing 110, the embossing medium 130, and the second facing 140 are then combined in a combiner using various techniques such as bonding, curing, wetting, drying, heating, and chemical treatment. The resulting paperboard product 300 has at least one scored surface layer in precise alignment with the at least one linear embossing medium 130 into which the paperboard product may be precisely joined.

While the subject matter discussed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the claims to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims (20)

1. A paperboard product, comprising:

a face layer having a plurality of embossments;

a dielectric coupled to the face layer and having a plurality of recesses; and

a coupling point having a first imprint aligned with the first groove and a second imprint aligned with the second groove.

2. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein the coupling point is configured to couple 180 degrees such that the first impression aligned with the first groove forms a first angle of about 90 degrees and the second impression aligned with the second groove forms a second angle of about 90 degrees.

3. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein the medium further comprises an embossing medium.

4. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein the media further comprises corrugated media.

5. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein the medium further comprises a linear embossing medium.

6. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of impressions further comprises a score line.

7. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of impressions further comprises a series of perforations.

8. The paperboard product of claim 1, wherein the tie point further comprises a secondary groove formed by the facing when the tie point is joined.

9. A method of making paperboard, comprising:

forming a nip in the paper facing;

combining the paper facing with a paper media having a plurality of grooves to the paper facing; and

a coupling point is formed in the combination, wherein the first nip is aligned with the first groove and the second nip is aligned with the second groove.

10. The method of making paperboard of claim 9, further comprising embossing the medium to form the plurality of flutes.

11. The method of making paperboard of claim 9, further comprising corrugating the media to form the plurality of flutes.

12. The method of making paperboard of claim 9, wherein forming a nip in the paper face layer further comprises cutting intermittent perforations in a line in the paper face layer.

13. The method of making paperboard of claim 12, wherein forming a nip in the paper facing further comprises embossing a score line in the paper facing.

14. The method of paperboard making of claim 9, further comprising joining the attachment points to form a first 90 degree fold at a first nip and a second 90 degree fold at a second nip.

15. The paperboard making method of claim 9, further comprising joining the joining points to form a first secondary groove from the paper face layer at the first nip and a second secondary groove from the paper face layer at the second nip.

16. The method of making paperboard of claim 9, further comprising gluing the paper media to the paper facing.

17. The method of making paperboard of claim 9, further comprising securing a second paper facing relative to the paper media.

18. A paperboard making machine, comprising:

an impression forming station configured to imprint a first and second impression in a paper face layer;

a media forming station configured to form a media to include a plurality of grooves; and

a combining station configured to couple the paper facing to the media to form a coupling point such that the first nip is aligned with a first groove and the second nip is aligned with a second groove.

19. A paperboard making machine according to claim 18, further comprising a plurality of feed rollers configured to feed paper to the impression forming station and to the media forming station.

20. The paperboard making method of claim 18, further comprising a joining station configured to join the joining points to form a first 90 degree fold at a first nip and a second 90 degree fold at a second nip.