Device for embossing foils

Abstract

A device for embossing foils comprises a base embossing plate and a counter embossing plate, the surfaces of which facing one another are respectively at least partially planar for embossing a foil lying between them. The base embossing plate is provided with a plurality of embossing inserts for embossing a plurality of blanks to be punched out of the foil. Each embossing insert is held at the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert retainer so as to be movable a predetermined amount relative to the base embossing plate in the direction normal to the at least partially planar surface of the base embossing plate, is at the same time spring-borne relative to the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert suspension and is guided by means of an own embossing insert guide during the spring-borne movement relative to the base embossing plate.

Claims

1. A device for embossing foils, comprising a base embossing plate and a counter embossing plate, the surfaces of which facing one another are respectively at least partially planar and which, for embossing a foil lying between them, are arranged so as to be movable on the one hand towards one another and on the other hand away from one another in parallel alignment of their at least partially planar surfaces, wherein the base embossing plate is provided on its side facing the counter embossing plate with a plurality of embossing inserts for embossing a plurality of blanks to be punched out of the foil, and wherein the embossing inserts are configured and arranged such that during embossing of the foil they respectively cooperate with a corresponding embossing region arranged on the side of the counter embossing plate facing the base embossing plate, wherein each embossing insert is held at the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert retainer so as to be movable by a predetermined amount relative to the base embossing plate in the direction perpendicular to the at least partially planar surface of the base embossing plate during embossing of the foil, is at the same time spring-borne relative to the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert suspension and is guided by means of an own embossing insert guide during the spring-borne movement relative to the base embossing plate during the embossing of the foil.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing insert retainers respectively comprise a damping device for damping the possible movement of the respective embossing insert relative to the base embossing plate.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the damping devices respectively comprise a spring bolt and/or a damping disc.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing inserts are respectively held at the base embossing plate by means of a fastening means, wherein the fastening means are respectively passed through the respective damping device.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing insert guides respectively comprise a column guided in a bushing.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the column is fixed in the respective embossing insert and the bushing is fixed in the basic embossing plate.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing insert suspensions respectively comprise an elastic element attached to the respective embossing insert.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein each embossing insert is provided with a plurality of embossing insert guides and/or with a plurality of embossing insert suspensions.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein a transport device by means of which the foil to be embossed is movable in a transport direction relative to the base embossing plate, wherein at least part of the plurality of embossing inserts are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein part of the plurality of embossing inserts arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction are at least partially arranged offset to each other in the transport direction.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing areas corresponding to the embossing inserts provided in the base embossing plate are configured as inserts detachably fixed in the counter embossing plate.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the inserts are mounted in the counter embossing plate in an unsprung manner.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 schematically shows a system for embossing foils and punching out blanks by use of a device for embossing foils according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

(2) FIGS. 2a-d show the device for embossing foils from FIG. 1 in different views;

(3) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of an embossing insert retainer of the device for embossing foils according to the preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described herein;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an embossing insert guide of the device for embossing foils according to the preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described herein; and

(5) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of an embossing insert suspension of the device for embossing foils according to the preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 schematically shows an embossing and punching system 100 by means of which embossed sealing lids can be punched out of a web-shaped foil 17, such as an aluminum foil or an aluminum/plastic composite foil. For this purpose, the system 100 comprises a transport device 16 which first feeds the web-shaped foil 17 to an embossing device 1. The embossing device 1 is explained in detail below. The foil 17 embossed by the embossing device 1 is then fed to a punching device 19, by means of which embossed foil elements, also referred to as blanks, are punched out. The embossed and punched out foil elements are finally stacked in a stack 20 and are thus available for further processing.

(7) For a detailed description of the embossing device 1 according to the present preferred embodiment of the disclosure, reference is made below to FIG. 2a, which shows a sectional view of the embossing device 1, to FIG. 2b, which shows a plan view, partly in section, of the embossing device 1, to FIG. 2c, which shows a side view of the embossing device 1 along its long side, and to FIG. 2d, which shows a side view of the embossing device 1 along its short side. As can be seen, for example, from FIG. 2a, the embossing device comprises a base embossing plate 2 and a counter embossing plate 3. The major part of the surfaces of the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3 are formed by planar sections which are parallel to each other, namely extend horizontal in the sectional view shown in FIG. 2a. The base embossing plate 2 is connected to the counter embossing plate 3 by means of embossing guides 21 in such a way that the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3 can be moved on the one hand towards each other and on the other hand away from each other in parallel alignment to each other. By moving the base embossing plate 2 away from the counter embossing plate 3, the embossing device 1 is practically opened so that the foil 17 to be embossed can be guided between the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3. For the actual embossing process, the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3 are moved towards each other, so that finally the actual embossing process of the foil 17 between the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3 takes place.

(8) For this embossing process, the base embossing plate 2 is provided with a plurality of, in this case eight, embossing inserts 4 which correspond to eight embossing areas 5 in the counter embossing plate. These embossing areas 5 in the counter embossing plate 3 are designed in the present case in the form of inserts which are screwed into the counter embossing plate 3 in an unsprung manner, namely by means of screws 18. The surfaces of the embossing areas 5 and the embossing inserts 4 facing each other are designed, as is known from conventional embossing devices, in such a way that during the actual embossing process the desired embossing occurs at the foil lying between the embossing inserts 4 and the embossing areas 5.

(9) As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2b, the embossing inserts 4 and thus also the embossing areas 5 are arranged side by side perpendicular to the transport direction T designated with an arrow in FIG. 2b. In addition, the embossing inserts 4 and thus also the embossing areas 5 are also arranged offset to each other in the transport direction. This leads to a practically optimal utilization of the available area.

(10) It is now essential that the embossing device 1 according to the preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described herein comprises such embossing inserts 4, each of which is held at the base embossing plate 2 by means of an own embossing insert retainer 6 in the normal direction, i.e. in FIG. 2b perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, so as to be movable by a predetermined amount relative to the plane surfaces of the base embossing plate 2, are at the same time spring-borne relative to the base embossing plate 2 by means of an own embossing insert suspension 7 and are guided by means of an own embossing insert guide 8 during the spring-borne movement relative to the base embossing plate 2 enabled thereby.

(11) Here, the embossing insert retainer 6 ensures the basic fastening of the embossing insert 4 to the base embossing plate 2 in such a way that a certain movement of the embossing insert 4 remains possible. This corresponds to a movement of the embossing insert 4 relative to the base embossing plate 2 in a direction parallel or anti-parallel to the direction in which the base embossing plate 2 and the counter embossing plate 3 are moved towards each other for embossing the foil 17. This means that each embossing insert 4 during embossing, namely when the foil 17 is compressed between a respective embossing insert 4 and a corresponding embossing area 5 on the counter embossing plate 3, a certain “yielding” of the respective embossing insert 4 towards the base embossing plate 2 is enabled.

(12) In this way, differences in the embossing depths of the different embossing inserts 4 can be reduced or completely avoided, even with different material thicknesses over the surface of the foil 17 to be embossed. Specifically, to this end, each of the eight embossing inserts 4 comprises a centrally arranged embossing insert retainer, three embossing insert guides 8 and six embossing insert suspensions 7. These are designed as described below.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of such an embossing insert retainer 6. It can be seen that the embossing insert retainer 6 comprises a damping device 9 for damping the possible movement of the embossing insert 4, at which it is provided, relative to the embossing plate 2. Here, the damping device 9 comprises a spring bolt 10 and a damping disc 11. A fastening means 12 in the form of a screw, by means of which the respective embossing insert is held on the base embossing plate 2, is passed through the spring bolt 10 and the damping disc 11. The fact that this mounting allows a certain movement of the embossing insert 4 relative to the base embossing plate 2 is due to the spring bolt 10 and the damping washer 11.

(14) FIG. 4 now shows an embossing insert guide 8, also in section. Here, it can be seen that the embossing insert guide 8 comprises a column 14 guided in a bushing 13. The column 14 is fixed in the respective embossing insert 4, while the bushing 13 is held in the base embossing plate 2.

(15) Finally, FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the embossing insert 7 used here. It can be seen that the embossing insert suspension 7 comprises an elastic element 15 attached to the respective embossing insert 4. This elastic element is preferably made of a rubber material.