Creasing unit for creating fold lines in cardboard, blank forming apparatus comprising such creasing unit and method for creating fold lines in cardboard

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017355166-A1
Application number	US-201715597475-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A creasing unit for creating fold lines in cardboard, comprising two crease rollers ( 110, 112 ), each crease roller having a circumferential protrusion ( 114, 116 ) adapted for indenting cardboard to create a fold line, wherein the crease rollers ( 110, 112 ) are rotatably mounted next to each other such that each crease roller ( 110, 112 ) can rotate about its own centre axis ( 122, 124 ) and each crease roller ( 110, 112 ) is movable between at least a first position for creating a fold line and a second position for either allowing cardboard to pass the respective crease roller ( 110, 112 ) without being indented by the respective crease roller or for creating an additional indented line being less deep than the fold line.

First claim

1 . A creasing unit to create fold lines in cardboard, the creasing unit comprising:
two crease rollers, each crease roller having a circumferential protrusion to engage and indent cardboard to create a fold line, wherein said crease rollers are rotatably mounted next to each other such that each crease roller rotates about a respective center axis of the crease roller, and wherein each crease roller is movable between at least a respective first position to create a fold line and a respective second position to either allow cardboard to pass the respective crease roller without being indented by the respective crease roller or to create an additional indented line being less deep than the fold line.

2 . The creasing unit according to claim 1 , wherein each crease roller is movable between the respective first and the respective second position of the respective crease roller independently of the other crease roller.

3 . The creasing unit according to claim 2 , wherein each crease roller is eccentrically attached to a separate rotatable rod to move the respective crease roller between the respective first position and the respective second position of the crease roller.

4 . The creasing unit according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the rods is a hollow rod that accommodates the other rod.

5 . The creasing unit according to claim 2 , wherein each crease roller is attached to a separate push and pull device operable to move the respective crease roller between the respective first position and the respective second position of the crease roller.

6 . The creasing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the crease rollers are mounted to be simultaneously movable inversely to each other such that when one of the crease rollers is moved from the respective first position to the respective second position of the crease roller, the other crease roller is automatically moved from the respective second position to the respective first position of the other crease roller.

7 . The creasing unit according to claim 6 , wherein each crease roller is attached to one arm of a rocker having two arms that move the crease rollers simultaneously and inversely to each other.

8 . The creasing unit according to claim 6 , wherein the crease rollers are eccentrically attached to a rotatable rod, the crease rollers mounted twistedly about said rod with respect to each other such that by rotating said rod one crease roller is moved towards the respective first position of the one crease roller while the other crease roller is moved towards the respective second position of the other crease roller.

9 . The creasing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between the crease rollers is adjustable.

10 . The creasing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one counter wheel or a supporting device that provides support for cardboard when the cardboard is indented by the crease roller, when the crease roller is in the respective first position of the crease roller, wherein the distance between the counter wheel or the supporting device and the respective crease roller is adjustable.

11 . The creasing unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the depth of the fold line and the depth of an additional indented line is adjustable.

12 . A blank forming apparatus to create cardboard blanks for folding boxes, the blank forming apparatus comprising:
at least one creasing unit, the at least one creasing unit comprising: two crease rollers, each crease roller having a circumferential protrusion that indents cardboard to create a fold line, wherein said crease rollers are rotatable mounted next to each other such that each crease roller can rotate about a respective center axis of the respective crease roller, and wherein each crease roller is movable between at least a respective first position to create a fold line and a respective second position to selectively allow cardboard to pass the respective crease roller without being indented by the respective crease roller or to create an additional indented line less deep than the fold line.

13 . The blank forming apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a drive coupled to automatically position the creasing unit at a plurality of different positions with respect to a blank being formed in the blank forming apparatus.

14 . A method for creating fold lines in cardboard using two pairs of crease rollers, each pair comprising two crease rollers arranged close to each other and having a circumferential protrusion adapted for indenting cardboard to create a fold line, each crease roller being movable between at least a first position for creating a fold line and a second position for either allowing cardboard to pass the respective crease roller without being indented by the respective crease roller or for creating an additional indented line being less deep than the fold line,
comprising:
bringing one of the crease rollers of each pair into the first position, in which the respective crease roller is positioned to contact said cardboard to be indented,
moving cardboard to be indented past the crease rollers, which are in the respective first positions,
moving the crease roller of each pair, which is in said respective second position, into the respective first position while moving the crease roller of each pair, which is in the respective first position into the respective second position and while continuing passing cardboard past said crease rollers.

15 . The method for creating fold lines in cardboard according to claim 14 , wherein each crease roller is moved between the respective first position and the respective second position independently of the other crease roller.

Assignees

• Neopost Tech

Inventors

• Jonker Melle

Classifications

• B31F1/08 Primary

  Creasing (corrugating B31F1/20; zig-zag folding B65H45/20 {; combined with folding B31F1/0012, B31F1/0022; grooving by cutting B26D3/06, B26D3/08; by milling grooves B23C3/30; of plastics material B29C53/06}) · CPC title

• B31B50/26

  Folding sheets, blanks or webs · CPC title

• B31B50/256

  using tools mounted on a drum · CPC title

• B31B50/25

  Surface scoring · CPC title

• B65B2210/04

  Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material · CPC title