This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No. 06 006 503.4, filed on Mar. 29, 2006, the subject matter of which, in its entirety, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a method and to a device which can be used for the manufacture of perforated films or foils.
Frequently, films or foils, for example plastic films, metal foils or plastic film/metal foil laminates are provided with a number of holes, in which case the holes frequently should have only a small hole diameter. Basically, various methods have been known for the manufacture of perforated films or foils.
Document DE 299 08 254 U1 discloses the manufacture of perforated films or foils with the use of two contra-directionally rotating rollers, between which the film to be perforated is passed. The rollers are provided with teeth having cutting edges that form short tears that are more or less widened by the wedge shape of the teeth.
Referring to this method, no material is removed from the film or foil. There is the risk that the formed tears will mostly close again if the film exhibits elastic properties.
Furthermore, referring to document DE 39 06 573 A1, a method for punching very small holes in a film web or a tubular film has been known, in which case the film web is guided over a plunge-cut roller. The plunge-cut roller is provided with strips of needles, whereby the needles puncture the film web when the strips of needles are guided radially outward by an eccentric guide.
Document JP 2001 001 007 A discloses a method for the manufacture of a perforated metal foil with the use of a profiled roller and an elastic support. The metal foil that is to be perforated is placed on the elastic support, across which the profiled roller is rolled. As a result of the exerted pressure, sections of the elastic support penetrate cutouts of the roller and thus separate sections of foil, thus removing them from the foil. This is a punching process.
Furthermore, thin metal sheets, e.g., metal foils that are not too thin, can be pierced by means of piercing dies, in which case each piercing die is associated—on the other side of the foil—with a cutting plate having a cutting opening that forms a cutting gap with the piercing die.
As the thickness of the metal sheet or of the foil decreases, this method is limited because the cutting gaps must be narrower than the thickness of the foil. If the foils are too thin, it is hardly possible to obtain adequate tool life quantities. In addition, considering very small hole diameters of, e.g., 100 μm, it can hardly be ensured that all piercing dies (e.g., several hundred or several thousand) find their associate holes in the cutting plate.
Considering this, the object of the invention is to provide a method with which perforated films or foils can be manufactured in a simple and economical manner.
This object is achieved in accordance with the method of Claim 1:
Referring to an inventive method, first holes are produced in the film, e.g., in that the film or foil is pierced at several locations. Then, the edges of the resultant holes of the film or foil are compressed. As a result of this measure, it is achieved that short film or foil tags or film or foil flaps projecting from the edges of the hole will not re-close the hole that has formed. Rather, these tags or flaps are deformed in such a manner that they, even if they were to slightly relax in an elastic manner, could no longer close the resultant hole.
This method is suitable for metal foils and plastic films, or for plastic film/metal foil laminates, such as, for example, metal-coated plastic films, or metal foils having a plastic coating, paper having a metal coating, paper having a plastic coating, or varnished films or foils of different materials. The thickness of the film or foil may vary within wide limits. The method is particularly suitable for process films or foils having a thickness of a few tens of micrometers, for example, 50 μm. The film or foil may be provided with holes having a diameter of less or greater than the thickness of the film or foil. For example, an aluminum foil having a thickness of 50 μm can be pierced with holes having a diameter of 100 μm. While the hole is initially opened during the step of piercing the foil, the hole is fixed during the step of crimping of the edge. As a result of this, the shape of the hole may be maintained or modified, depending on process management. The shape of the hole can largely be fixed or even be left to incidental process influences.
The produced holes may essentially be round or polygonal or have an irregular form. The shape of the hole can be affected by the cross-sectional configuration of a needle-like tool for piercing the film or foil, and/or—if said tool does not have a circular cross-section—can be affected by the alignment of the cross-section of the tool relative to the advance direction of the film or foil. In addition, the shape of the hole can be affected by the way the edges of the hole are crimped.
Preferably, the holes are produced with needle-like tools that have a tip and a conically enlarging section. After the tip has through the preferably non-moving film or foil, the tool is further moved in axial direction, whereby the resultant hole is widened. The thusly displaced material forms flaps or tags which project from the film or foil. During the crimping operation, these flaps or tags are pressed against the reverse side of the film or are pressed into said reverse side. The resultant hole edges are relatively smooth. They essentially consist of former surface parts of the film or foil that has been pulled into the hole. Likewise, the reverse side of the film or foil is mostly smooth due to the crimping operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the manufacture of perforated films or foils. An appropriate device comprises means for puncturing the film or foil, as well as means for the preferably non-moving or, optionally, moving support of the film or foil during the piercing operation. Furthermore, a means for crimping the edges of the generated holes is provided. The means for the compression of the edges of the generated holes permits a fixation of the holes that have been produced by a piercing process, so that said holes cannot involuntarily close. The holes are fixed as to their form and diameter.
The means for piercing the film or foil preferably is a tool having a longitudinal working part with a tip with—extending therefrom—a progressively enlarging cross-section of the working part. Considering this, the working part has—at least in part, or even in full, a conical configuration. The increase in diameter of the working part—in the direction extending from the tip—may be linear, progressive or degressive or degressive-progressive-degressive (s-shaped), or otherwise. The tip of the working part may be configured as a point or as a cutting edge. If it is a pointed tip, the tip consists of a spherical section or a similarly configured surface area having a very small radius. If the tip is configured as a cutting edge, the working part terminates in a straight or curved edge that creates a small cut in the film or foil during the piercing operation, said cut being widened by the working part. In order to produce a hole, the tool can perform a linear back and forth movement in axial direction. However, it is also possible to mount the tool or several tools to a rotating machine element, e.g., a roller, in order to perforate a passing film or foil. In that case, a support means for the film or foil is not necessary. Then the support means, e.g., may also be an air cushion.
By designing the tip as a cutting edge and by aligning the cutting edges relative to the material transport direction of the film or foil, for example, along said film or foil, the position of the flaps or tags created on the film or foil by the piercing tools can be fixed in a manner favorable for the subsequent crimping operation in order to push the flaps or tags back onto the reverse side of the film or foil, however, not into the pierced hole.
The working part of the tool may have a circular cross-section, a knife-type cross-section, a polygonal cross-section or another cross-section. Knife-type and polygonal cross-sections permit the targeted fixation of the positions of tags or flaps that have initially formed on the hole edge. A knife-type cross-section, e.g., is a narrow two-corner cross section (two corners and edges bent away from each other) or a triangular or polygonal cross-section having at least one very acute angle (e.g., a narrow rhombus).
The working part may have a section with a constant cross-section. This is advantageous when the size of the pierced hole is to be independent of the stroke width of the tool. If the piercing operation is restricted to the conical section of the working part, the stroke width can be used to control the hole size.
When it is perforated, the film or foil is placed on the means for supporting it, for example, a support table. Preferably, this table is provided with openings into which move the needles or other tools. Preferably, the openings have a diameter that is clearly greater than the diameter of the working part associated with the respective opening. Preferably, the diameter has a size that prevents a cutting gap from forming. The annular space between the working part and the wall of the opening has a width that is greater than the thickness of the film or foil in order to prevent the hole edges that have been pierced in the opening from being pinched.
The means for crimping the edges of the holes has preferably two elements with pressure surfaces, between which the film or foil is pressed. The elements may be arranged so that they can be moved in linear direction or so that they can be rotated. Furthermore, the elements can optionally be designed in a stiff or even flexible manner. For example, they may represent a stiff or an elastic support, an associate stiff or flexible stamp, as well as represent stiff or flexible rollers.
In order to continuously move the film or foil or intermittently consistent with the cycle of the piercing movement of the needle-like tools, a transport device is preferably provided. The transport device may, at the same time, be the means for crimping the edges of the produced holes in a modular unit. For example, two rollers, which intermittently advance the film or foil and between which the film or foil is moving, may at the same time crimp the edges of the holes. Also, clamping jaws that compress the film or foil may periodically clamp the film or foil in place and intermittently advance the film or foil.
Details of advantageous embodiments are obvious from the claims, the drawing or the description. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention.
FIGS. 10 to 14 are various configurations of the tip and of the cross-section of the working part in accordance with
The device 1 comprises a means 5 for piercing the film or foil 2. Referring to the present exemplary embodiment, the means 5 comprises a support means designed as a lower tool 6. The latter is designed as a perforated plate, in which case the film or foil 2 preferably slides across the flat upper side of said plate. The upper side of the perforated plate represents a support surface 7 for the film or foil 2.
Furthermore, the means 5 comprises an upper tool 8 with a tool guide plate 9 having a preferably flat underside. The tool guide plate 9 forms a gap together with the support surface 7. The tool guide plate 9 has openings 10, opposite which openings 11 in the lower tool 6 are provided. The diameters of the openings 10, 11 may be the same or may be different from each other.
In addition, the upper tool 8 has a head holding plate 12 which holds the heads 13 of needle-like tools 14 used for piercing the film or foil. The tools 14 comprise, for example, a cylindrical shaft 15 that extends into the openings 10 and is guided in these in a sliding manner. Extending from the shaft 15 is a working part 16 having a diameter that is preferably substantially smaller than the diameter of the opening 11. The working part 16 is preferably a straight section that extends in longitudinal direction relative to the shaft 15 and terminates via a conical section 17 in a tip 18 (
As indicated in
Furthermore, the device 1 comprises a means 19 for crimping the film or foil 2 in order to fix the produced holes in position. Referring to the exemplary embodiment in accordance with
For example, the device 1 is used for the perforation of plastic films or metal foils, for example, aluminum foils, or for the perforation of laminate films or foils that consist of plastic material, metal or even of other materials. Preferably, said device is used for the perforation of films or foils of a material that can be plastically deformed. To achieve this, the head plate 2 holds appropriate tools 14 in several rows, which extend preferably across the entire width of the film or foil 2, or at least across the width of the area that is to be perforated. The tools 14 of the individual rows (for example, ten rows) can be offset with respect to each other, or they may be arranged in another pattern.
Using the device 1 in accordance with
As illustrated by
In order to perform the piercing operation or the piercing step, the head plate 12 is moved in the direction toward the lower tool 6 until the tool guide plate 9 clamps the film or foil 2 against the support surface 7.
While the plate 9 supports the film or foil 2 the head plate 12 is moved further downward, so that the tip 18 pierces the film or foil 2, as illustrated by
In this state, the hole 25 is completely open. The upper tool 8 is again moved away from the lower tool 6, whereby, as illustrated by
As long as the film or foil 2 between the support surface 7 and the tool guide plate 9 is released, said film or foil is advanced by one step, which, for example, is as large as the length of film or foil detected by the tool 5, said length being measured in film or foil transport direction (in
Alternatively, the tip 18 have a different configuration as shown by
As shown by
The means for piercing the film or foil can be, as illustrated, a needle-like tool 14 or also any other means suitable for piercing the film or foil 2, such as, for example a sharp air jet or water jet, miscellaneous fluids or pressure waves generated therein, flexible elements or the like. The means for crimping the edges of the produced holes may be rigid, flat or non-flat surfaces provided on appropriate elements, or may also be non-concrete means, such as, for example, fluids or pressure waves generated in fluids.
A device for the manufacture of perforated films or foils comprises a means 5 for the perforation of the film or foil 2, as well as a means 19 for crimping the edges 27 of the thusly produced holes 25. By crimping the edges 27 or the tags 26 of film or foil material, the holes 25 are fixed after having been opened. Punching tools for cutting the perforation out of the film or foil 2 are not required for the production of the holes 25. Rather, the desired hole 25 is first created as puncture, or as a cut, and is then widened during the perforating operation. During the crimping operation, the material bent out of the plane of the film or foil is fixed in place in such a manner that it will not close the pierced hole again.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
06 006 503.4 | Mar 2006 | EP | regional |