Brim-forming machine and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103221-B2
Application number	US-202318200194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A drink cup includes a body formed to include an interior fluid-storage region and a brim. The brim is coupled to the body to surround an opening into the interior fluid-storage region. The brim is formed by a brim-forming machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a rolled brim on a container, the method comprising
providing a plurality of brim formers arranged circumferentially around a central axis,
rotating each brim former about an associated former axis that is spaced radially from the central axis,
feeding the container between the plurality of brim formers with an unrolled brim of the container in contact with each of the brim formers,
advancing the container along each of the brim formers as each brim former is rotated about each former axis,
heating a first portion of each brim former with hot air to heat the brim of the container as the container is advanced along each brim former,
cooling a second portion of each brim former that is downstream of the first portion to cool the brim of the container, and
applying pressure on the brim of the container with each of the brim formers as the container is advanced along the first portion and the second portion to provide a rolled brim for the container,
wherein each brim former includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder spaced radially from the inner cylinder and the step of heating includes injecting hot air through a first hot-air passageway defined by the inner cylinder in a first direction and through a second hot-air passageway between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each brim former is mounted on a linear slide and each linear slide is coupled to an adjustment plate, and the method further includes a step of adjusting a space between each of the brim formers by rotating the adjustment plate about the central axis to move simultaneously each brim former toward or away from the central axis along each linear slide to accommodate different sizes of containers.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of insulating between the first portion of each brim former and the second portion of each brim former by blocking the flow of hot air from the first portion to the second portion.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inner cylinder is formed to include a plurality of longitudinal slots that extend radially through the inner cylinder relative to the former axis to direct hot air from the first hot air passageway to the second hot air passageway.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first hot air passageway has an inlet at a first end of the first portion and the second hot air passageway has an outlet at the first end of the first portion to release the hot air toward an exterior surface of the outer cylinder.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each brim former includes a rotating spindle and a servo motor coupled to the rotating spindle and the method includes rotating each spindle about each respective former axis by each respective servo motor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each servo motor is mounted on an adjustment plate and the method further includes rotating the adjustment plate about the central axis and moving each of the servo motors radially inward and outward relative to the central axis.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the adjustment plate is formed to include a plurality of slots arranged between an inner annular edge and an outer annular edge of the adjustment plate, and each of the plurality of slots extend only partway circumferentially around the central axis and radially outward away from the central axis to cause the adjustment plate to move each of the brim formers and the servo motors toward and away from one another upon rotation of the adjustment plate.

9. A method of forming a rolled brim on a container, the method comprising
providing a plurality of brim formers arranged circumferentially around a central axis,
rotating each brim former about an associated former axis that is spaced radially from the central axis,
feeding the container between the plurality of brim formers with an unrolled brim of the container in contact with each of the brim formers,
advancing the container along each of the brim formers as each brim former is rotated about each former axis,
heating a first portion of each brim former with hot air to heat the brim of the container as the container is advanced along each brim former,
cooling a second portion of each brim former that is downstream of the first portion to cool the brim of the container, and
applying pressure on the brim of the container with each of the brim formers as the container is advanced along the first portion and the second portion to provide a rolled brim for the container,
wherein the hot air is blocked from flowing from the first portion to the second portion by an insulation block including at least one insulating panel arranged to lie between the first portion and the second portion and exterior to the first portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insulation block includes a plurality of insulating panels and the method further includes sliding the insulating panels relative to one another to accommodate containers of various sizes.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of each brim former rotate relative to each insulation panel.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein each brim former includes a hot-screw section and a cold-screw section, and the hot-screw section includes an inner cylinder that defines a first hot air passageway and an outer cylinder spaced radially from the inner cylinder to define a second hot air passageway radially between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and wherein the hot air is configured to travel: (i) through the first hot air passageway from an upstream end of the hot-screw section to a downstream end of the hot-screw section, (ii) through the second hot air passageway from the downstream end to the upstream end of the hot-screw section, and (iii) along an outer surface of the hot-screw section from the upstream end to the downstream end.

13. A method of forming a rolled brim on a container, the method comprising
advancing a container along a plurality of brim formers, each brim former including a rotating spindle having a threaded surface that engages a brim of the container to roll the brim of the container as the container is advanced along the plurality of brim formers,
heating a first portion of each brim former with hot air to heat the brim of the container as the container is advanced along the first portion of each brim former,
cooling a second portion of each brim former downstream of the first portion with a cool liquid to cool the brim of the container, and
insulating between the first and second portions by blocking flow of the hot air along the threaded surface from the first portion to the second portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each brim former includes a hot-screw section and a cold-screw section, and the hot-screw section includes an inner cylinder that defines a first hot air passageway and an outer cylinder spaced radially from the inner cylinder to define a second hot air passageway radially between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and wherein the hot air is configured to travel: (i) through the first hot air passageway from an upstream end of the hot-screw section to a downstream end of the hot-screw section, (ii) through the second hot air passageway from the downstream end to the upstream end of the hot-screw section, and (iii) along an outer surface of the hot-screw section from the upstream end to the downstream end.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first hot air passageway has an inlet at a first end of the hot-screw section an

Assignees

• Berry Global Inc

Inventors

• Pressley Robert L
• Mann Jeffrey A
• Gabrielson Leif D
• Fellers Zachariah N

Classifications

• B65D1/265

  Drinking cups (B65D81/3865 takes precedence, holders for plastic cups A47G23/0208) · CPC title

• B29B13/025

  Tube ends · CPC title

• B29L2031/7132

  Bowls, Cups, Glasses · CPC title

• B29C57/12 Primary

  Rim rolling · CPC title