DEVICE FOR PARTIAL EMBOSSING OF SEAL BLANKS AND METHOD FOR PARTIAL EMBOSSING OF SEAL BLANKS

Abstract

The device for partially embossing deep-drawn or planar seal blanks that are punched out from a foil strip comprises an embossing die and an adjacent punch. The embossing die in turn comprises a female mould and a male mould, the male mould comprising three-dimensional elements that are arranged in an outer region and in a central region and the male mould and the female mould, in their spatial position, being mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis A that is substantially perpendicular to the foil strip.

Claims

1. A device for embossing and punching out part of the surface of seal blanks from a foil strip by means of an embossing die, comprising two half-moulds, a male mould and a female mould, and a punch, wherein the male mould comprises three-dimensional elements arranged in an outer region and in a central region and wherein the male mould and the female mould, in their spatial position, are mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis A that is substantially perpendicular to a foil strip.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing die comprises two half-moulds, a male mould and a resilient medium, and wherein the male mould, in its spatial position, is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis A that is substantially perpendicular to a foil strip.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the resilient medium comprises hard rubber.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements are arranged randomly.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements are arranged on circular lines.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements have different heights.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the male mould is mounted so as to be rotatable by an angle α, the angle α corresponding to the central angle of a segment of a circle which is defined by two adjacent three-dimensional elements.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements have a height in the range of from two to five times greater than a thickness of the foil strip, the foil strip having a thickness in the range of from 20 μm to 50 μm.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the region of the male mould comprising outer three-dimensional elements adjoins the edge of the male mould and is arranged concentrically with the central region comprising three-dimensional elements.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the female mould and the male mould of the embossing die are circular.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the embossing die is arranged adjacently to the punch, and wherein the two tools can be operated synchronously.

12. A method for producing optionally printed seal blanks for containers, the surface of which blanks is partially embossed, wherein the method is carried out on a device according to claim 1, the seal blanks being punched out of a foil strip whose surface is partially embossed, wherein the male mould and female mould, in their spatial position mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis A that is substantially perpendicular to the foil strip, are rotated by at least an angle α between two lifting movements of the punch.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein, after being rotated by the angle α between two lifting movements, the male mould and the female mould are rotated back by an angle α in the opposite direction of rotation.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements are arranged on circular lines at regular intervals.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements have a height in the range of from three to four times greater than a thickness of the foil strip, the foil strip having a thickness in the range of from 24 μm to 40 μm.

16. A device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional elements have a height in the range of from three to four times greater than a thickness of the foil strip, the foil strip having a thickness in the range of from 30 μm to 36 μm.

Description

[0032] The device according to the invention will be described in more detail by means of an embodiment shown in the purely schematical drawings, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a male mould;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a male mould, in which said male mould can be seen in two different positions; and

[0035] FIG. 3 is a cross section through a detail of a male mould.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a male mould 1 of an embossing die. The male mould 1 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis A and comprises an outer region 3 and a central region 5. Both the outer region 3 and the central region 5 comprise three-dimensional elements 7. In the embodiment shown, the three-dimensional elements 7 are arranged on two concentric circle lines in the outer region 3. The central region 5 also comprises three-dimensional elements 7 arranged on its circular periphery. However, the region between the outer region 3 and the central region 5 is free from three-dimensional elements 7.

[0037] Furthermore, the contour of the seal blank 9 is shown, the periphery of which extends virtually as far as the edge of the male mould 1.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the male mould 1 from FIG. 1 in two different rotational positions. In this case, the male mould 1 has been rotated by an angle α from the first rotational position into the second rotational position. The three-dimensional elements 7, which are arranged on two concentric circular lines in the outer region 3 of the male mould 1, are offset on the two circular lines such that, after the male mould 1 has been rotated by an angle α about the axis A, which is substantially perpendicular to the male mould, a three-dimensional element 7 from the inner concentric circular line in each case comes to lie in the angular position in which a three-dimensional element 7 from the outer concentric circular line was positioned before the rotation, and vice versa.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a cross section through a detail of a male mould 1 comprising three-dimensional elements 7, 7′ and 7″ that have different heights.