Method and Device for Manufacturing a Fibre Moulding and a Fibre Moulding Manufactured Using These

Abstract

A method and a device for manufacturing a fibre moulding for drinks packaging containers having an improved structure and surface quality. The method includes the following steps: dipping of a forming wire arranged on a toolholder into a pulp slurry, lifting of the toolholder in order to move the covered forming wire completely out of the pulp slurry, compressing of the fibre material in an area of the circumferential edge of the forming wire through inflating of a circumferential collar, relaxing of the pressure in the collar, and removing of the fibre moulding. A device for manufacturing of a fibre moulding is also provided.

Claims

1.-21. (canceled)

22. A method for manufacturing a head or base element for drinks packaging containers formed from a fibre moulding, the method comprising the following steps: dipping of a moulding screen arranged on a toolholder, said moulding screen extending along an outer contour of a moulding tool, into a fibre-containing pulp slurry in order to cover the moulding screen with fibre material, lifting of the toolholder in order to move the moulding screen covered with fibre material completely out of the pulp slurry, compressing the fibre material in an area of a peripheral edge of the moulding screen through expansion of a sleeve arranged around the moulding tool and going all the way around the moulding screen, relaxing pressure in the sleeve, removing fibre moulding from the moulding screen, transferring the fibre moulding onto a press tool, and mechanically compacting the fibre moulding on the press tool with a geometry corresponding to the fibre moulding.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein an upper edge of the fibre moulding is sprayed with water before it is removed from the moulding screen.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the moulding screen is adapted to have air applied to it from an inside in such a way that both an underpressure, for precipitation of the fibre material, and an overpressure for releasing and removing the fibre moulding can be applied.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the fibre moulding is dried after removal.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the drying takes place using compressed air.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the drying takes place using thermal energy supplied.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein an inner and an outer surface of the fibre moulding are coated so as to be gas-tight and/or liquid-tight.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein an edge all the way around the fibre moulding and an opening located in the fibre moulding are cut to length and/or introduced respectively.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the cutting to length of the edge or introduction of the opening take place by cutting, die-cutting, or by a laser.

31. The method according to claim 22, wherein the toolholder with the moulding screen and the sleeve is cleaned by being sprayed with water.

32. A device for manufacturing a head or base element for drinks packaging containers formed from a fibre moulding, with a toolholder and a moulding screen arranged thereon, said moulding screen extending along an outer contour of a moulding tool, wherein a sleeve going all the way around the moulding screen is provided which runs beneath an edge of the moulding screen and is expandable from a basic position into a working position, and wherein the sleeve is arranged on the toolholder.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the moulding tool arranged in an interior of the moulding screen, corresponds to a shape of the fibre moulding and has a plurality of air channels.

34. The device according to claim 33, wherein the air channels run from at least one central supply line to different points on an outer surface of the moulding tool.

35. The device according to claim 32, wherein the sleeve is clamped in an inward direction by the moulding screen or the moulding tool and clamped in an outward direction by a retaining plate pressed tightly on the toolholder.

36. The device according to claim 32, wherein beneath the sleeve an air channel bound around the moulding screen is provided which has at least one compressed air connection for the supply and/or removal of compressed air.

37. The device according to claim 32, wherein the moulding screen is designed as a positive mould and the sleeve is positioned on a lower edge of the moulding screen.

38. The device according to claim 32, wherein the moulding screen is designed as a negative mould and the sleeve is positioned on an upper edge of the moulding screen.

39. The device according to claim 32, wherein the sleeve comprises fluorelastomer.

40. A fibre moulding, for a head or base element for drinks packaging containers, wherein a peripheral area of the head or base element is sealable with a tube-shaped drinks container sleeve when coated, and is manufactured using the method according to claim 22, with a connector and a peripheral area on a terminal edge of the fibre moulding equipped with a compact and stable fibre layer, wherein the fibre layer in the peripheral area is manufactured through expansion of the sleeve going around the moulding tool.

Description

[0033] In the drawing, the following are shown:

[0034] FIG. 1 a first vertical section through a device according to the invention

[0035] FIG. 2 a plan view of the subject matter of FIG. 1

[0036] FIG. 3 a further vertical section through the device according to the invention along the line III-III from FIG. 2 and

[0037] FIG. 4 a fibre moulding manufactured using the above-mentioned device, from below and in perspective view.

[0038] In FIG. 1 one first discerns a forming wire 1, which extends along the outer contour of a moulding tool 2. The moulding tool 2 is hollow on the inside and has a plurality of channels 3 which in the depicted, and in that respect preferred, embodiment, are designed as drill holes, which extend from the surface of the moulding tool 2 at suitable points up unto the hollow interior of the moulding tool 2. The moulding tool 2 is located on a toolholder 4 and is connected to this from below with screws 5 that can only partially be discerned. Toolholder 4 also has a central supply line 6 which can likewise be designed as a drill hole.

[0039] Below the toolholder 4 one discerns a fixing plate 7 which, in turn, has a central supply line for the air supply for moulding tool 2. A seal 8 that is preferably designed as an O ring provides the necessary imperviousness of the contact area between toolholder 4 and fixing plate 7. Around the moulding tool 2 is an inflatable collar 9 which, at its inner end, is clamped by moulding tool 2 with the toolholder 4 and whose outer end is clamped by a retaining plate 10 placed on top. Below the collar 9 there runs a circumferential air channel 11 which corresponds to the shape of collar 9; this is described in more detail further on.

[0040] FIG. 2, which shows a plan view of the device according to FIG. 1, clearly shows that the moulding tool 2 is designed asymmetrically and that the rising connector is arranged eccentrically to the vertical axis of the fibre moulding.

[0041] FIG. 3 essentially has the same structure as FIG. 1; here, however, the supply channels positioned below the circumferential ring channel 11 for a compressed air connection 12, present in duplicate in the depicted and preferred embodiment, are clearly depicted.

[0042] For manufacturing purposes, the whole device is dipped into a pulp slurry, so that the entire forming wire 1 is surrounded by pulp. After lifting the toolholder 4, the forming wire 1 is evenly covered and the fibre moulding detaches itself from the wire structure through the generation of pressure in the interior of the forming wire 1 through the drilled hole 6 and the channels 3. At the same time or directly afterwards, the circumferential collar 9 is inflated through an appropriate supply of compressed air via the connections 12, so that the lower edge of the fibre moulding becomes evenly compressed through the collar that bulges outwards. After relaxation of the pressure in the collar 9, the fibre moulding can be removed, through an increase in the pressure via the channels 3, from the moulding tool 2.

[0043] A fibre moulding F thus produced is shown in FIG. 4; for a better depiction of the contour according to forming wire 1 and/or moulding tool 2, the fibre moulding F is “upside down”. One can clearly recognise a uniform circumferential edge R which is required for the sealing with a tube-shaped drinks container sleeve (not depicted). In addition, one can clearly discern a—in this illustration pointing downwards—connector S, which is suitable for accommodating a screw cap.