Flange Stabilizer for a Shaped Article of Fiber Material, Shaped Article, Method for Making a Shaped Article, and Use of a Flange Stabilizer

Abstract

A shaped article, a method for making it, and its use. The shaped article is formed from flat fiber material and has a bottom (2), a body (4), and an opening, which is surrounded by a circumferential flange (6). The shaped article (1) comprises a flange stabilizer (10) attached to the second flat side (18) of the flange (6) facing the bottom (2). The flange stabilizer (10) is disc-shaped and has an inner contour (12) corresponding to the desired cross-sectional shape of the shaped article (1) in the region of the opening and can be slipped over the body (4) in the region of the bottom (2) and up to the flange (6). The flat sides (16, 18) of the flange stabilizer (10) extend essentially parallel to the flange (6), defining and stabilizing the cross-sectional shape of the body (4) in the region of the opening and the flange.

Claims

1. A shaped article which is shaped from a flat fiber material and has a bottom (2), a body (4) and an opening, the opening being surrounded by a circumferential flange (6), characterized in that the shaped article (1) comprises a flange stabilizer (10) which is attached to the second flat side (18) of the flange (6) facing towards the bottom (2), the flange stabilizer (10) being disc-shaped and having an inner contour (12) which corresponds to the desired cross-sectional shape of the shaped article (1) in the region of the opening and can be stripped over the body (4) in the region of the bottom (2) up to the flange (6), wherein the flat sides (16, 18) of the flange stabilizer (10) extend essentially parallel to the flange (6) and wherein the flange stabilizer (10) defines and stabilizes the cross-sectional shape of the body (4) in the region of the opening and the flange (6).

2. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein the shaping has been performed by compression drawing.

3. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein the flange stabilizer (10) is connected to the flange (6) by frictional fitting, gluing, sticking or sealing, wherein for sealing the flange (6) is configured as a sealing rim.

4. The shaped article according to claim 3, wherein a lid (26) is sealed onto the sealing rim to close the opening.

5. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein the flange stabilizer (10) is cut out of a flat fiber material or plastic and with closed inner contour (12) and closed outer contour (14).

6. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein at least the inner contour (12) of the flange stabilizer (10) is circular or oval and the flange stabilizer (10) has a web width (15) of 3 to 5 mm.

7. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein at least the inner contour (12) of the flange stabilizer (10) is shaped other than circular or oval and the flange stabilizer (10) has a web width (15) of 4 to 10 mm.

8. The shaped article according to claim 1, wherein the inner contour (12) and the outer contour (14) differ from each other in such a way that a projection is formed.

9. A method for making a shaped article (1) by shaping from a flat blank of a fiber material, the shaped article (1) having a bottom (2), a body (4) and an opening, the opening being surrounded by a circumferential flange (6) which is provided with a flange stabilizer (10), characterized in that the flange stabilizer (10) is pressed against the flange (6) from the bottom (2) and over the body (4) and contracts the shaped article (1) in the region of the flange (6) to the desired cross-sectional shape of the shaped article (1) in the region of the opening against a restoring force, thereby defining and stabilizing the cross-sectional shape of the shaped article (1) in the region of the opening.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the shaping is performed by compression drawing.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the flange stabilizer (10) is clamped onto the body (4) or connected to the flange (4) through frictional fitting.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the connection of the flange stabilizer (10) to the flange (6) is made by pressing, gluing, sticking or sealing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flange stabilizer (10) is sealed to the flange (6) together with a lid (26).

14. Use of a flange stabilizer (10) on a shaped article (1) produced by shaping from a flat blank of a fiber material, the shaped article (1) having a bottom (2), a body (4) and an opening, the opening being surrounded by a circumferential flange (6) which is provided with the flange stabilizer (10), characterized in that the flange stabilizer (10) is slipped over the body (4) in the region of the opening and is used at the flange (6) of the shaped article (1) according to claim 1, and the desired cross-sectional shape of the shaped article (1) in the region of the opening is thereby defined and stabilized.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The invention is explained in more detail below by way of a description of exemplary embodiments and their illustration in the corresponding drawings. In the drawings:

[0042] FIG. 1: is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a shaped article with flange stabilizer according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 2: is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a flange stabilizer;

[0044] FIG. 3: is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a shaped article during attachment of a flange stabilizer;

[0045] FIG. 4: is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a shaped article according to the invention during sealing of a flange stabilizer; and

[0046] FIG. 5: is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a shaped article according to the invention during sealing of a flange stabilizer together with a lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a shaped article 1 according to the invention with a flange stabilizer 10. The shaped article 1 consists of a bottom 2, a body 4 and a flange 6, which also serves as a sealing rim (compare FIGS. 4 and 5). The flange 6 has a flange bottom side 7 facing the flange stabilizer 10 and a flange top side 8 on the opposite flat side.

[0048] The shape fixation 9 illustrates the extent to which the flange stabilizer 10 prevents the reverse bending that would otherwise occur after reshaping (compare FIG. 3). In this way, the flange stabilizer 10 stabilizes the shape of the shaped article 1 and prevents any undesirable change in shape, even under changed climatic conditions.

[0049] FIG. 2 schematically shows a top view of an embodiment of a flange stabilizer 10. The latter comprises an inner ring 12, which is connected to the shaped article 1 via the body 4 and absorbs the forces of the body 4 that occur due to the reverse bending and during the shape fixation 9. A first flat side 16 is used to connect to the flange bottom side 7 of the shaped article 1. Arranged opposite the flat side 16, the flange stabilizer 10 has a second flat side 18, and furthermore also an outer ring 14.

[0050] FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a shaped article 1 during attachment of a flange stabilizer 10. To do this, the flange stabilizer 10 is slipped upwards in the direction of the arrow over the body 4 towards the flange 6 and against its bottom side. Then, the connection between the first flat side 16 of the flange stabilizer 10 and the flange bottom side 7 is made. The slipping of the flange stabilizer 10 onto the body 4 is also accompanied by the shape fixation 9 by reversing the undesired reverse bending.

[0051] After the flange stabilizer 10 has been slipped onto the shaped article 1 from below, i.e. from the bottom side, it is fastened and henceforth holds the shaped article 1 stably in its shape in the region of its opening. During the slip-on operation, the reverse bending is reversed by the amount of the shape fixation 9. The flange stabilizer 10 may be fastened by friction or friction fitting at the body 4, by adhesive at the body 4 or the flange 6, or by sealing at the flange 6 as an alternative to the above options.

[0052] FIG. 4 schematically shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a shaped article 1 according to the invention during sealing of a flange stabilizer 10. Two detailed illustrations show the region of the sealing seam 22 in each case before and after the sealing process. The flange stabilizer 10 is sealed independently below the flange 6 or sealing rim of the shaped article 1, on the flange bottom side 7.

[0053] In this process, the flange stabilizer 10, which is itself sealable or is provided with a sealable coating, is sealed to the bottom side of the flange 6 or sealing rim, i.e. the flange bottom side 7, of the shaped article 1 by means of standard industrial sealing tools 20 (e.g. by heat contact). Since the sealing seam 22 does not have to be tight at this point, nor does it have to withstand large mechanical loads, the seam quality is of little importance. This makes the sealing process very simple.

[0054] Independent sealing is advantageous if the shaped article 1 is used as a container and is to be stored or transported to the filling plant in a state in which it is still unfilled and not sealed. If the material of the shaped article 1 itself is provided with a sealable coating 24, the sealing of the flange stabilizer 10 must take place at temperatures below the melting point of the sealing layer of the shaped article 1. It has been shown, for example, that a flange stabilizer 10 with PE coating and a shaped article 1 with PET coating represent a suitable material combination for this purpose.

[0055] FIG. 5 schematically shows a side view of an embodiment of a shaped article 1 according to the invention during the sealing of the first flat side 16 of a flange stabilizer 10 together with a lid 26 to the flange 6. Detailed illustrations a) and b) show the region of the sealing seam 22 before and after the sealing process, respectively. In this case, the sealing of the flange stabilizer 10 takes place simultaneously with the sealing of the shaped article 1 with the lid 26, which acts as a sealing plate.

[0056] The process of sealing the flange stabilizer 10 may thus be supplemented by closing the shaped article 1 through sealing. No additional operation is required in the process. It should only be noted that the sealing time is increased by the additional insulating effect of the material of the flange stabilizer 10. The seam quality when sealing the flange stabilizer 10 is of secondary importance. Therefore, it is not expected that the sealing parameters (e.g. pressure, temperature) have to be changed significantly compared to sealing without flange stabilizer 10.

[0057] Another embodiment has a deviating outer contour 14 of the flange stabilizer 10. In this case, a projection in this embodiment has the form of a protruding corner that serves as a handle or design element. Another embodiment has a lid that is connected to the flange 6.

[0058] In a further embodiment, the projection has a larger surface area and serves as an information carrier for holding inscriptions or notices.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0059] 1 shaped article

[0060] 2 bottom

[0061] 4 body

[0062] 6 flange, sealing rim

[0063] 7 flange bottom side

[0064] 8 flange top side

[0065] 9 form fixation

[0066] 10 flange stabilizer

[0067] 12 inner contour, inner ring

[0068] 14 outer contour, outer ring

[0069] 15 web width

[0070] 16 first flat side

[0071] 18 second flat side

[0072] 20 sealing tool

[0073] 22 sealing seam

[0074] 24 sealable coating

[0075] 26 lid