U.S. patent application number 10/623850 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-18 for method of depositing adhesives and adhesion control agents.
Invention is credited to Lee, Shirley, Saksa, Thomas A..
Application Number | 20040050486 10/623850 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25528135 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040050486 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Saksa, Thomas A. ; et
al. |
March 18, 2004 |
Method of depositing adhesives and adhesion control agents
Abstract
A method of depositing adhesives or adhesion control agents
using ink jet technology. The adhesive may be used in the
manufacture of assembled paper products including greeting cards.
The adhesion control agents may be deposited on a plastic sheet
used in laminated safety glass.
Inventors: |
Saksa, Thomas A.; (Albany,
OR) ; Lee, Shirley; (Poway, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Intellectual Property Administration
P.O. Box 272400
Fort Collins
CO
80527-2400
US
|
Family ID: |
25528135 |
Appl. No.: |
10/623850 |
Filed: |
July 22, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10623850 |
Jul 22, 2003 |
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09981134 |
Oct 16, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
156/291 ;
156/272.2; 156/295 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C09J 2400/226 20130101;
B32B 17/10688 20130101; B32B 2315/08 20130101; B32B 17/10036
20130101; B32B 17/10761 20130101; B32B 37/0038 20130101; C09J 5/00
20130101; C09J 2400/143 20130101; B32B 37/1292 20130101; B32B
2329/06 20130101; C09J 2400/283 20130101; B41M 3/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/291 ;
156/295; 156/272.2 |
International
Class: |
B32B 031/00; B32B
007/14; C09J 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of depositing an adhesive in a manufacturing process
for an assembled paper product comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a material to be formed into the product; (b) providing
an adhesive application device including an ink jet printing head
and a reservoir containing adhesive; (c) depositing an adhesive
onto a surface of a first portion of the material using the ink jet
printing head; and (d) forming the product by bonding a second
portion of the material to the first portion of the material using
the adhesive deposited onto the first portion of the material.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing
the position of the ink jet printing head relative to the surface
of the material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the
adhesive includes using a piezo-electric crystal to separate the
adhesive into drops.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing includes
using a thermal ink jet.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing includes
using a continuous ink jet.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing includes
controlling the amount of adhesive being deposited on the first
material.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing material
includes applying a line of adhesive to the first material.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of
controlling the thickness of the line of adhesive.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting
the viscosity of the adhesive in the reservoir prior to the step of
depositing.
10. A method of depositing an adhesion control agent in a
manufacturing process for safety glass comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a first and second sheets of glass; (b) depositing an
adhesion control agent onto a plastic sheet using an ink jet
printing head; (c) positioning the sheet of plastic between the
first and second sheets of glass; and (d) bonding the first and
second sheets of glass to the sheet of plastic.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of bonding includes
placing the glass and plastic sheets into an autoclave.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing
includes distributing the adhesion control agent uniformly over the
plastic sheet.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of
extruding plastic to form the plastic sheet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesion control agent is
distributed after the plastic sheet exits an extrusion device.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing the
adhesion control agent includes using a thermal ink jet.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing the
adhesion control agent includes using a continuous ink jet.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing the
adhesion control agent includes using a using a piezo-electric
crystal to separate the adhesion control agent into drops.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing the
adhesion control agent includes moving the plastic sheet relative
to the ink jet print head.
19. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing
includes controlling the amount of the adhesion control agent
deposited on the plastic sheet.
20. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of distributing the
adhesion control agent includes depositing the adhesion control
agent onto both sides of the plastic sheet.
21. A method of depositing an adhesion control agent in a
manufacturing process comprising the steps of: providing a first
material and a second material to be bonded together; and
depositing an adhesion control agent onto at least one of the first
and second materials using an ink jet printing head.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of bonding
the first and second materials together in an autoclave.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of depositing
adhesives or adhesion control agents. More particularly, the
present invention relates to a method of depositing adhesives or
adhesive control agents that does not require contact with the
surface upon which the material is being deposited.
[0002] Several techniques exist for the application of adhesives,
most of which require direct contact between the surface receiving
the adhesive and an applicator. Typically, automated applicators
are used in order to facilitate current automated manufacturing
processes. In many cases a special applicator must be designed and
built for a particular manufacturing process. Most automated
application processes are messy because the location of the
adhesive cannot be accurately controlled.
[0003] The conventional adhesive application systems that have
attempted to provide for accurate application of adhesives are slow
and expensive. For example, in the greeting card industry there are
special purpose cards produced with cut-outs, fold-outs, pop-ups,
etc. The manufacturing of these cards requires that adhesives be
applied in precise locations. However, the relatively limited
manufacturing run of a single unique card makes many automated
solutions too expensive. Furthermore, the typical contact type
applicator does not work well when the adhesive needs to be applied
to a very sensitive part, or to a material that is fuzzy or which
might otherwise contaminate the applicator. In this situation the
disadvantages of the traditional applicator are readily
apparent.
[0004] Thus, there is a need for a fast and accurate deposition of
adhesive in a no contact manner, at a low cost, and with easily
modified amount and location, making it well suited for automated
manufacturing.
[0005] There are also problems associated with the controlled
deposition of adhesion control agents in a manufacturing
environment. For example, consider the case of safety and security
glasses. Security glasses are generally formed from two tempered
glass plates that are autoclaved to adhere to a sheet of plastic
located between the glass plates or sheets. The impact and shatter
resistance of the resulting laminate depends greatly on the optimal
control of the adhesion of the plastic sheet to the tempered glass.
Too high or too low of a degree of adhesion of the sheet will
decrease the impact and shatter resistance of the security glass.
Precise and even distribution of an adhesion control agent on the
surface of the plastic sheeting can result in optimal performance
of the security glasses.
[0006] Gravure printing of the adhesion control agents has been
considered. However, Gravure printing is capital intensive and
prone to contamination.
[0007] Thus, there remains a need for an inexpensive method of
depositing adhesion control agents that also reduces the likelihood
of contamination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention allows for the fast and accurate
deposition of adhesives in a no contact manner with one or more of
the advantages of a low cost, an easily modified amount and
location, making it well suited for automated manufacturing.
[0009] A method of manufacturing an assembled paper product is
provided according to the present invention. The method includes
the steps of providing a material to be formed into the product and
providing an adhesive application device including an ink jet
printing head and a reservoir containing adhesive. The method
further includes depositing an adhesive onto a surface of a first
portion of the material using the ink jet printing. The product is
formed by bonding a second portion of the material to the first
portion of the material using the adhesive deposited onto the first
portion of the material. The position of the inkjet print head
relative to the surface of material may be changed to deposit the
adhesive in a desired location.
[0010] The adhesive may be deposited using a piezo-electric crystal
to separate the adhesive into drops. Alternatively, the adhesive
may be deposited using a thermal ink jet. In yet another
alternative, the adhesive may be deposited using a continuous ink
jet. Regardless of the type of ink jet used, the amount and
thickness of the adhesive being deposited may be precisely
controlled. The adhesive may be deposited in a line or other
geometric shape depending on the particular card being constructed.
The adhesive reservoir may be contained in a replaceable cartridge
and the viscosity of the adhesive may be adjusted prior to
depositing the adhesive.
[0011] According to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, a method of manufacturing safety glass is provided. The
method includes the steps of providing a first and second sheet of
glass and distributing an adhesion control agent onto a plastic
sheet using an ink jet printing head. The method further includes
positioning the sheet of plastic between the first and second
sheets of glass and bonding the first and second sheets of glass to
the sheet of plastic. The ink jet printing head may employ either
thermal, continuous or piezo-electric ink jet printing methods.
[0012] Preferably, the step of bonding includes placing the glass
and plastic sheets into an autoclave. The method also includes
distributing the adhesion control agent uniformly over the plastic
sheet. The plastic sheet may be formed by extrusion, and the
adhesion control agent may be distributed after the plastic sheet
exits an extrusion device. Either the plastic sheet or the ink jet
print head may be moved in order to deposit the adhesion control
agents as required on the plastic sheet. The control agents may be
deposited on both sides of the sheet.
[0013] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as
claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the following
description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary
embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described
below.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a blank for assembly into a
special purpose card according to the method of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a system for manufacturing a
special purpose card according to the method of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the method of manufacturing
safety glass according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The present invention relates to using ink jet technology to
deposit adhesives or adhesion control agents onto a surface. Ink
jet printing is a non-impact method for producing images by the
deposition of ink droplets on a substrate (paper, transparent film,
fabric, etc.) in response to digital signals. Ink jet printers have
found broad applications across markets ranging from industrial
labeling to short run printing to desktop document and pictorial
imaging.
[0019] The basic principle of inkjet technology is to dispense
small droplets of ink through small tubes or nozzles. The placement
of each drop of ink may be controlled electronically, preferably by
a computer. Printing is accomplished by moving either the surface
receiving the ink or the printing head. Ink jet technology may be
divided into the following basic types: piezo-electric; thermal;
and continuous.
[0020] Piezo-electric ink jet printing refers to a method in which
the ink drops are squeezed mechanically out of the print head by
piezoelectric elements. Bubble or thermal ink jet printing refers
to the method in which the ink is heated and explodes as a bubble
through the nozzle of the print head. In continuous ink jet
printing a constant flow of ink drops is fired by a pump through
the nozzle of the print head. An electrostatic deflector may by
used to ensure correct placing of the drops on the surface and may
also deflect unused drops for reuse.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a blank 100 of material that may be assembled
into a paper product according to the method of the present
invention. These paper products may include, for example, greeting
cards, pop-up cards, brochures, Chinese lanterns, cardboard boxes,
or other paper or cardboard type products that have glued or bonded
surfaces. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,946,834 and 5,657,875, incorporated by
reference herein in their entirety, disclose examples of these
special purpose cards.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the material 100 includes a line of
adhesive 115. Although only a line of adhesive is shown, the method
of the present invention is not limited to depositing adhesives
onto the material in a linear or curved manner. The present
invention may cover the material in any manner specified including,
for example, pinpoint deposition or wide area coverage.
[0023] The inventors have recognized that adhesives or adhesion
control agents may be deposited using ink jet technology. The
present invention provides for depositing the adhesive onto the
material 100 using an ink jet type printing device 200, as shown in
FIG. 2. The printing device 200 includes a print head 210 and a
reservoir 220 for retaining the adhesive to be deposited out of the
print head. The adhesive should be of generally low viscosity.
Preferably, the viscosity of the adhesive would be the same or very
similar to water. The viscosity of the adhesive may be adjusted as
necessary to provide for improved deposition. Preferably, a water
based adhesive such as cellulose paste is used. Alternatively, a
water based glue thinned to a viscosity similar to that of water
(approximately 800-1200 .mu.Pa s) may be used. Preferably, the
deposition process is carried out in at a temperature in a range
from about 20 degrees C. to about 70 degrees C. This temperature
range is preferred because most existing inkjet print heads are
designed for home or office use. The temperature range may be
expanded if needed by adapting the print heads to industrial
environments.
[0024] The amount and location of the adhesive can be precisely
controlled in the same manner used for controlling ink delivery in
a printing application. The width of the swath can be accurately
controlled and the flow can be started and stopped with higher
precision than most mechanical systems currently in use. The
thickness or amount of adhesive applied to any given area is
controlled both by the physical attributes of the print head, and
the way it is used. For example, the size of the print head's
orifice and the dimensions of the print head firing chamber can
produce different drop sizes. In addition, the number of drops
printed in any area can also be controlled by changing the firing
frequency or adjusting the advance rate of the print head relative
to the surface of the material. A thicker deposit of adhesive can
also be obtained by printing several passes over an area. These
techniques are currently in use for printing different shades of
color, and to change the amount of ink and allow printing on
different types of media. The process may be easily employed in an
automated manufacturing system that utilizes readily available
computer control technology. The present invention may utilize ink
jet cartridges to deposit the adhesives in the same manner as ink
is deposited in a commercial inkjet printer.
[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, inkjet
technology is used to deposit precise, minute and evenly
distributed micro-dots of adhesion control agents on plastic
sheetings, such as extruded polyvinyl butyral sheets. The adhesion
control agents prevents adhesion to the plastic sheet at the point
where the agent is deposited. These plastic sheets in turn are used
in security glasses.
[0026] Security or safety glass is generally formed from two
tempered glass plates that are autoclaved to adhere to a piece of
plastic sheeting located between the glass sheets. The impact and
shatter resistance of the laminates depends greatly on the optimal
control of the adhesion of the plastics sheet to the tempered
glass. Too high or too low of a degree of adhesion of the sheet
will decrease the impact and shatter resistance of the security
glass. Precise and even distribution of an adhesion control agent
on the surface of the plastic sheeting is required in order to
ensure optimal performance of the security glass.
[0027] Safety glass is typically used in automobile windshields or
building structures. Safety glass preferably comprises two sheets
of glass bonded to an interlayer of plasticized polyvinyl butyral.
Polyvinyl butyral interlayers are well known in the art and these
interlayers and processes for their preparation are described in
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 20,430, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,496,480 and
3,271,235 which are hereby incorporated by reference. Such
interlayers are commercially available under the trademarks
Saflex.RTM. and Butacite.RTM..
[0028] According to the present invention, adhesion control agents
for polyvinyl butyral such as a vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl
alcohol can be deposited uniformly in very minute quantity on to
the polymer sheet by printing the adhesion control agents on the
polymer sheet using ink jet technology. Using ink jet technology to
dispense industrial fluids in two dimensions in a very precise
manner is much less capital intensive than current practice, namely
large-scale dilution and compounding. The industrial fluid is
delivered to the desired location without waste.
[0029] FIG. 3 discloses a process for manufacturing safety glass
according to the present invention. The plastic interlayer 25 is
formed in an extruder 10. Adhesion control agents are deposited on
the plastic sheet 25 by an ink jet printer 20. The printer 20 may
include a reservoir 22 for storing the adhesion control agent.
Alternatively, the printer 20 may employ conventional cartridges
containing the control agent. The printer 20 includes an ink jet
print head 21 that may employ any of the conventional printing
techniques described above including, for example, piezo-electric,
continuous or thermal. The position of the plastic sheet with
regard to the print head may be varied by moving either the print
head or the plastic sheet. As described above, with regard to the
adhesive on the special purpose cards, the adhesion control agents
may be deposited in any desired pattern. In addition, it is within
the scope of the present invention to deposit the adhesion control
agents on one or both sides of the plastic sheet in order to
improve the quality of the safety glass. There is no contact
between the printer 20 and the sheet. Thus, the chance of
contamination is minimized.
[0030] After the adhesion control agent is deposited, the plastic
sheet 25 is positioned between two sheets of glass 35, 37. The
glass 50 is placed in an oven 40 to bond the glass and the plastic
sheets together. Preferably, the oven 40 is an autoclave in which
the precise conditions of temperature and pressure may be
controlled.
[0031] Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in
the art would appreciate that there may be other embodiments and
modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, all modifications attainable by one versed in the art
from the present disclosure within the scope and spirit of the
present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the
present invention. The scope of the present invention is to be
defined as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *