Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-24
2004-03-02
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S498000, C156S555000, C156S583500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699354
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is in the field of processing of flat materials, in particular blanks and/or webs, of preferably textile materials, and relates to a method for gluing together such materials lying over one another. Furthermore the invention relates to devices for gluing together textile materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The gluing together of flat materials, in particular of material blanks and/or material webs is effected usually on so-called laminating machines using the application of heat and pressure. The flat materials to be glued together, lying over one another, between two belt faces facing one another of belt conveyors arranged over one another, are transported along heating elements. At the same time the belts of the belt conveyor, which are directed towards one another, with the flat materials lying therebetween slide along the heating elements. Usually behind a heating station provided with the heating elements there is arranged a cooling station with cooling elements which cool the materials heated up for gluing together.
If such pressure sensitive materials, for example so-called distance weavings are glued together, at the same time only a slight pressure may be exerted onto these materials. The gluing is effected then essentially only by way of the effect of heat. If such pressure-sensitive materials are to be glued together on laminating machines, then alone it is not sufficient to bring the heating and/or cooling elements allocated to the belt conveyors lying over one another to such a distance that the belt faces, directed towards one another, of the belt conveyors lying over one another have a distance corresponding to the total thickness of the materials to be glued together. Alone the weight which the sagging upper belt face of the upper belt conveyor exerts onto the upper side of the materials to be glued leads to a pressure loading which has a negative effect on pressure-sensitive materials. Such pressure-sensitive materials may be pressed so much together and thus compacted by the weight of the sagging upper belt face that in particular on account of the heat acting on the materials with the gluing, the compacting is irreversible, thus permanent.
Proceeding from this it is the object of the invention to provide a method and device with which also pressure-sensitive flat materials may be glued together without problem, in particular without permanent deformations (compacting).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the method according to the invention for gluing together flat materials lying over one another, the materials between belt faces directed to one another of belt conveyors arranged over one another are led past heating elements and in particular also cooling elements. The belt face at least of an upper belt conyeyor, said belt face being allocated to the upper side of the materials, is held up without contact.
By way of the fact that at least the upper belt face, allocated to the upper side of the materials, of at least one upper belt conveyor (of the heating and/or cooling station) is held up without contact, a sagging of the upper belt face is alleviated. The weight force of the upper belt face may by way of this no longer rest on the flat materials to be glued together. By way of this a pressing-together of pressure-sensitive materials on gluing is effectively avoided, so that also no permanent deformations may arise.
According to a preferred further embodiment of the method the upper-lying upper belt face is not only held up without contact but also lifted up without contact. By way of this an initial sagging of the upper belt face is first alleviated and subsequently the upper belt face is held without sagging.
The contactless holding-up and where appropriate lifting of the upper belt face may be effected in a different manner. Preferably this is effected magnetically or pneumatically by way of a vacuum. It is also conceivable to hold up and where appropriate lift up the upper belt face magnetically as well as pneumatically. The lifting-up of the upper belt face may be effected magnetically as well as pneumatically, whilst the upper belt face is held up only magnetically or only pneumatically.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method the upper belt face is lifted up until below the heating elements and/or cooling elements. This is effected preferably in a manner such that the upper belt face bears below the lower side of the heating and/or cooling elements and here is held, and specifically without a gap, by which means there is guaranteed a good thermal conduction of the heating and cooling energy. The lower sides of the heating and/or cooling elements at the same time serve for the lift limitation on lifting up the upper belt face of the upper lying belt conveyor and define the course of the held-up upper belt face below the heating and/or cooling elements.
The device according to the invention for gluing together flat materials lying over one another comprises belt conveyors arranged over one another as well as heating and/or cooling elements. Between belt faces, facing one another, of the belt conveyor the materials are transportable past the heating and/or cooling elements. To the heating and cooling elements which are allocated to the belt face, facing the upper side of the materials, of the upper belt conveyor, there are allocated means for holding up the upper belt face.
Accordingly the (upper) belt face, of the upper-lying belt conveyor, which comes into contact with the upper side of the materials to be joined, is provided with means which hold up the upper belt face at least without contact. These means are in turn allocated to the heating and/or cooling elements, wherein they may be an integral part of the heating and/or cooling elements. It is however also conceivable alternatively or additionally to arrange the means neighboring the heating and/or cooling elements. In each case the means hold the upper belt face without contact on or below the heating and/or cooling elements. The means at the same time ensure a bearing of the upper belt face on the heating and/or cooling elements, by which means a good energy transmission to the upper transport belt and from there to the flat materials to be glued is ensured and simultaneously a sagging of the belt face of the belt conveyor concerned which loads the upper side of the flat materials is alleviated.
According to one possible embodiment of the invention the means are designed as suction air producers or suction means. With this it is preferably the case of suction bores, suction nozzles and/or narrow suction slots. In particular suction bores are provided which open in flat grooves on the lower sides of the heating and/or cooling elements. By way of this a contactless lifting up of the upper belt face over preferably the whole width is possible, by which means reliably and with low air or pressure losses a vacuum may be maintained for the reliable contactless holding-up of the upper belt face.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention the suction bores or nozzles are connected to a vacuum channel. With this preferably the suction nozzles or likewise and the vacuum channels are integrated in the respective heating and/or cooling element. Usefully (but without this limiting the invention), to each heating and/or cooling element there is allocated an elongate groove as well as a suction air channel. The suction nozzles produce a vacuum in the respective groove in the base wallings of the heating and/or cooling elements allocated to the upper belt conveyor. By way of this the upper belt face is held over a large surface below the lower side of the upper cooling and/or heating elements that serves for the delivery of energy.
An alternative means for the contactless holding and where appropriate lifting of the upper belt face is formed by way of magnets, preferably permanent magnets. Above all permanent magnets have the advantage that they are self-sufficient, by which means the upper belt face may be held up without the expense of energy.
With the use
Dreischmeier Wilfried
Schwenk Peter
Schaetti AG
Sells James
Weingarten Schurgin, Gagnebin & Lebovici LLP
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