TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a stack of material sheets, according to the preamble of
claim 1 and known, for example, from
EP-A-1 127 830, and a method for production of such a stack of material sheets.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Stacks of interlinked material sheets, such as tissue sheets, or material sheets
made of non-woven or equivalent flexible wiping materials, are usually folded so that
they occupy as limited an area as possible at the same time as they provide sheets
with maximum unfolded area. For the user, it is often desirable that material sheets
for, for example, wiping purposes occupy as small an area as possible in stack form,
as stacks of material sheets are often placed on tables or other surfaces with limited
space.
[0003] Within the technical field, sheets which have been folded individually once or a
number of times and thus provided with a corresponding V, Z or W appearance are well
known. The material sheets have subsequently been folded into one another with one
or more parts in order to form a continuous stack of sheets. An advantage of this
type of interfolding is that, when the stack of sheets is packed in a dispenser, the
removal of a sheet from the stack of sheets brings about automatic feeding-out of
the next sheet through a dispensing opening present in the dispenser. The sheet extracted
then also acquires its full area which is then available for immediate use.
[0004] When the sheets are folded in only one direction, however, the problem remains that
the stack of sheets retains its full extent in the non-folded direction. The reduction
in area which it is desired to achieve in connection with the folded material sheets
is then achieved in only one direction, which results in a stack of material sheets
which takes up a relatively large area. Limiting the sheets in the non-folded direction
in order to reduce the surface area of the stack results in sheets which have a small
width in relation to the length after extraction as well. The user often feels that
this type of material sheet is entirely inadequate as wiping, especially of large
areas, can be performed best if the sheets are both long and wide.
[0005] Another problem with this type of folding of material sheets arises furthermore when
a certain number of material sheets have already been removed from the dispenser in
which they are packed. A prerequisite for the holding-together capacity between two
conventionally folded material sheets is that the interlinking angle which is brought
about in the folding of a material sheet is sufficiently acute. The purpose of the
acute angle is then to grip around the next material sheet and thus establish secure
interlinking between the material sheets. When a top material sheet is removed through
a dispensing opening, the distance to the next material sheet increases relatively
promptly. As a consequence of the interlinking angle increasing, the risk of the material
sheets sliding out of the interlinking grip increases. In such a situation, the next
material sheet may then drop down from the opening of the pack towards the interior
of the pack, where it is difficult for the user to reach it.
[0006] In a conventionally arranged stack of material sheets, moreover, it is difficult
for the material sheets arranged last to reach up to a conventionally designed dispensing
opening in a dispenser as the material sheets often have an extent which means that
the length with which the last material sheets can extend out through a dispensing
opening is limited.
[0007] Attempts to counteract the abovementioned problems with stacks of interlinked material
sheets packed in a dispenser have resulted in shallower packs, which has in turn led
to problems of insufficient material sheet storage capacity. In addition, a risk remains
that, in spite of the pack height being limited, the next sheet may still slide out
of the interlinking folding grip.
[0008] There is consequently a great need to improve the folding with which a stack of material
sheets is interlinked, so that the dispensing of material sheets from a stack of sheets
is guaranteed at the same time as the user is provided with a material sheet of very
good size. In addition, there is a need for a method in which the material sheets
are interfolded in a simple and appropriate manner to form a stack of sheets of the
kind mentioned above.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0009] With the present invention, a stack of material sheets of the kind referred to in
the introduction has been produced, which stack of material sheets essentially eliminates
the problems associated with previously known such stacks, and in this connection
the interlinking capacity between two material sheets arranged in a stack has been
improved, and a stack of material sheets both with a limited surface area and comprising
material sheets which are both long and wide in the unfolded state has also been made
possible.
[0010] In this connection, a stack of material sheets arranged according to the invention
is characterized mainly in that the interlinking panels constitute rectangles each
having two delimiting edges in the form of a longitudinal fold edge and a transverse
fold edge, and where the two consecutive material sheets lie stacked with the longitudinal
fold edge of a first material sheet arranged in the opposite direction in relation
to the corresponding longitudinal fold edge of the next, second material sheet, and
also with a panel of a first material sheet enclosed by two panels of the next material
sheet. In this connection, the term "enclosed" means that the said three panels of
the first and the next material sheet will lie alternately with one panel from the
next material sheet lying on one side and another panel on the other side of the panel
of the first material sheet. The panel of the first material sheet will thus be in
direct contact with the two panels of the next material sheet located on either side.
The stack of material sheets is folded in such a way that the individual material
sheets are folded around one another in a simple manner at the same time as the interlinking
between two consecutive material sheets is strengthened. As the folding of the material
sheets is performed both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction,
a "pocket" is thus produced, into which the next material sheet is inserted. The folding
is also performed in such a way that each sheet of two consecutive material sheets
is folded by turns so that two opposite fold edges are formed. Arranging the material
sheets as described above brings about a stronger folding grip which, when the stack
is stretched, holds two consecutive material sheets together better compared with
previous conventional foldings of interlinking material sheets which are interfolded
in only one direction.
[0011] As mentioned above, the interlinking of the respective material sheets is effected
by means of a panel which constitutes a rectangle delimited by a longitudinal folding
line and a transverse folding line. Here, the term rectangle means a four-sided geometrical
shape where each side is connected to the adjacent side at right angles. A square
is to be regarded as a subset of the rectangular shape, in which the square has four
sides of-the same length. Here, longitudinal means that extent of the material sheet
which lies in line with the extent of a material web which consists of material sheets
arranged in line one after another before the initial folding step. Here, transverse
means the extent which lies at right angles to the longitudinal extent. The term folding
line refers to the line which forms a delimitation between two parts of a material
sheet when these are folded towards one another. The two surface areas which are formed
on either side of the folding line are called panels. When the material sheet is folded
around both a longitudinal and a transverse folding line, the expression panel means
the part area which is delimited by both a longitudinal and a transverse folding line.
[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the interlinking panel constitutes
a quarter of the total area of the unfolded sheet. In this embodiment, the first material
sheet lies directly adjacent to the third material sheet, as the second material sheet
does to the fourth, provided all the material sheets are of the same size. This arrangement
means a direct succession of material sheets, which arrangement stabilizes the holding-together
of the consecutive material sheets.
[0013] In another embodiment, the interlinking panel constitutes an eighth of the total
area of the unfolded sheet. This embodiment means that there is a spacing between
the first material sheet and the third material sheet, that is to say the interlinking
panel of the first material sheet does not lie directly adjacent to the following
panel in the third material sheet as in the embodiment above. This embodiment affords
a possibility for letting large cloths overlap without the common area becoming so
large that the interlinking cloths are difficult to pull apart. In addition, advantages
such as the user having access to a larger surface area of unfolded wiping material
without the interfolded stack of material sheets increasing in size are obtained.
It is also possible to use material sheets with an even longer longitudinal extent.
The material sheet is then provided with further transverse folding lines intended
to be folded around in order to -reduce the surface area of the stack according to
the principle mentioned above.
[0014] The two embodiments described above can of course be combined so that the stack of
material sheets consists of material sheets of different size and with different mutual
spacing.
[0015] In a stack of material sheets according to the present invention, the interlinking
panel is preferably a square. The square shape means that the longitudinal folding
line and the transverse folding line have an extent of the same size, the holding-together
forces then being balanced evenly in the folded structure.
[0016] The material sheet can also advantageously be made up of non-square shapes, that
is to say the material sheet per se can consist of two longer sides and two shorter
sides. Folding the material sheet in both the longitudinal direction and the transverse
direction therefore divides the material sheet into a number of part areas of the
same size which correspondingly have two long sides and two shorter sides.
[0017] In the material sheet, at least one longitudinal folding line can be somewhat displaced
in relation to the longitudinal centre line in at least one of the two consecutive
material sheets. Here, the longitudinal centre line means the line which delimits
two areas of the same size of a material sheet in the longitudinal direction as viewed
when the material sheet is advanced in a material web. Implicitly, this embodiment
means that, in addition to a folding line coinciding with the centre line, further
longitudinal folding lines can be located on one or both side(s) of a central longitudinal
folding line, after which further longitudinal parts will lie folded in against the
rest of the material sheet. Such an embodiment leads to an increased total surface
area of the fully unfolded material sheet. Alternatively, a smaller longitudinal surface
area can be folded in around a further folding line in such a way that this area will
lie on top of the material sheet lying on top of the stack. The- user is then provided
with a gripping flap lying on top of the uppermost panel when the stack of material
sheets is in its ready-folded state. Arranging such a gripping flap is advantageous
as the user can quickly take hold of the uppermost material sheet and thus have access
to the wiping material. When the material sheets are advanced in the continuous material
web, for the purpose of being folded around one another in order to bring about the
interlinking mentioned above, the said further longitudinal folding lines are already
formed, which means that the further longitudinal parts lie folded in against the
rest of the material sheet.
[0018] The said embodiment also comprises a longitudinal folding line which is displaced
in relation to the longitudinal centre line. The interlinking rectangles then have
a non-square shape, and the panels formed by the material sheet have different surface
areas. A stack of material sheets constructed with the said rectangles is advantageous
as a displacement of the folding line means a displacement of the panels in the folded
material sheet, the panels which would otherwise lie completely one on top of another
then having different size. As the two panels do not then lie arranged edge to edge
with regard to the longitudinal side edges of the material sheet, taking hold of the
first material sheet in the ready-folded stack is facilitated. The gripping flap thus
formed is advantageous as the user quickly has access to the wiping material. In addition,
at least one transverse folding line can also be somewhat displaced in relation to
a corresponding transverse centre line in at least one of the two consecutive material
sheets.
[0019] As the construction of the stack of material sheets is such that the user can take
the individual material sheets out of the dispenser simply, the stack can be used
in all situations where the user requires material sheets quickly, without having
to be concerned about the risk of the majority of the stack following when feeding-out
takes place. A particularly suitable area of use is the wiping of various surfaces.
In this connection, the material sheet is suitably made from tissue paper, non-woven
or equivalent flexible wiping material.
[0020] A tissue paper is defined as a soft absorbent paper with a grammage of less than
65 g/m
2 and usually between 10 and 50 g/m
2. Its density is usually less than 0.60 g/cm
3, preferably less than 0.30 g/cm
3, and most preferably between 0.08 and 0.20 g/cm
3. The present invention relates to all types of tissue paper. For example, the tissue
paper may be provided in both dry and moist states and be either creped or uncreped.
[0021] The fibres in the tissue paper are mainly pulp fibres from chemical pulp, mechanical
pulp, thermomechanical pulp, chemimechanical pulp and/or chemithermomechanical pulp
(CTMP). The fibres can also be waste-paper fibres. The tissue paper can also contain
other types of fibre which, for example, increase strength, absorption or paper softness.
These fibres can be manufactured from regenerated cellulose or synthetic materials
such as polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides etc.
[0022] The tissue paper which comes out from the tissue machine may be in the form of a
paper sheet with a single ply. The tissue paper may also be in the form of a laminated
tissue product with a number of plies, which product comprises at least two tissue
plies which are usually joined either by adhesive or mechanically. The adhesive can
be applied over the whole of the paper or only in certain areas, for example dots
or lines, or only along the edges of the product. The mechanical methods comprise
mainly embossing either over the whole surface of the plies or only along the edges,
what is known as edge embossing. In the finished product, the plies are usually easily
identifiable and can often be separated from one another as individual plies.
[0023] The tissue paper can comprise one or more layer(s). If the tissue paper has a number
of layers, the layers can be separated from one another only with considerable difficulty,
and they are then joined mainly by means of hydrogen bonds. The various layers may
be identical or have different characteristics with regard to, for example, fibre
composition and chemical composition.
[0024] The term non-woven is applied to a large number of products with characteristics
which may be said to lie between on the one hand the category of paper and cardboard
and on the other hand textiles. Non-wovens represent flexible, porous structures which
are not manufactured by means of the classic weaving and knitting methods but by intertwining
and/or cohesive and/or adhesive bonding of typical synthetic textile fibres which,
for example, may be present in the form of continuous fibres or fibres which are prefabricated
with an infinite length such as synthetic fibres which are manufactured in situ or
in the form of staple fibres. Alternatively, they can be manufactured from natural
fibres or from mixtures of synthetic fibres and natural fibres.
[0025] The material sheets making up the stack can of course be of any size but, as they
are intended primarily for use in connection with wiping, the material sheet preferably
has a surface area in the unfolded state which can easily be controlled by the hand
of a user. It is often important for the user to have wiping material in close proximity
to, or on, the surfaces which may be expected to require cleaning. As the said surfaces
may be cluttered with other objects or have a limited setting-down surface, there
is a requirement for material sheets which occupy a small area in the interfolded
state. For this reason, the stack should not exceed certain dimensions with regard
to both longitudinal direction and transverse direction either. The material sheet
then suitably has a surface area in the unfolded state of between 100 cm
2 and 1500 cm
2, preferably between 256 cm
2 and 576 cm
2, and corresponding surface areas in the interfolded state are then suitably between
25 cm
2 and 375 cm
2, preferably between 64 cm
2 and 144 cm
2.
[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the material sheet has two further transverse
folding lines. The material sheet -then has an increased extent in the longitudinal
direction without the dimensions of the stack after interfolding increasing. The said
material sheet then suitably has a surface area in the unfolded state of between 200
cm
2 and 2500 cm
2, preferably between 512 cm
2 and 1152 cm
2, and corresponding surface areas in the interfolded state are as above between 25
cm
2 and 375 cm
2, preferably between 64 cm
2 and 144 cm
2.
[0027] Although the stack of material sheets as above has a structure which is stabilized
in itself, the stack of material sheets is advantageously arranged in a dispenser.
The dispensing opening of the dispenser can be designed in any desired way and therefore
have the shape of a slot, a rectangle, an oval, an asymmetric shape or the like.
[0028] However, the stack of material sheets is advantageously arranged in a dispenser which
is provided with a dispensing opening arranged diagonally across the stack of material
sheets. In this embodiment, the uppermost material sheet is arranged so that it protrudes
through the dispensing opening with a triangular part area of the said rectangular
panel. The relationship between such a dispensing opening and a stack of material
sheets according to the invention is such that, when a material sheet is extracted
through the dispensing opening, the material sheet is unfolded completely so as thus
to acquire its full surface area. The user is consequently provided with a material
sheet of very good size, both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse
direction. The said stack is therefore especially useful in cases where it is necessary
for the user to be provided quickly with fully unfolded material sheets which are
immediately ready for use. The user who requires material sheets rapidly for, for
example, wiping is thus spared problems associated with separate steps for manually
unfolding prefolded parts of the material sheet.
[0029] The stack of material sheets can be arranged in a dispenser designed conventionally
as a box. A diagonally arranged dispensing opening then preferably extends from one
corner of the box to a diagonally opposite corner. The diagonal can nevertheless also
be displaced slightly in relation to one or both of the said corners.
[0030] Alternatively, a dispensing opening arranged diagonally across the stack of sheets
as above can be provided by means of a dispenser consisting of two obstacles lying
on the stack which are joined by two diagonally oppositely positioned side arrangements
and also a bottom plate. The two obstacles consist of, for example, two bars integrated
at their respective ends combined either firmly or freely with the said side arrangements
which can also consist of bars. The two oppositely positioned side arrangements are
preferably attached to the bottom plate. In order to provide the necessary resistance
when material sheets are extracted from the stack of material sheets, the dispenser
as above preferably consists of a relatively heavy material, for example a metal with
high density such as iron.
[0031] The dispenser consisting of obstacles, side arrangements and bottom plate can of
course also consist of cardboard, plastic or the like. In this case, however, it may
be suitable for the bottom plate to be coated with some form of attachment means which
can retain the dispenser against a surface such as a table, a wall or the like. When
the dispenser is fastened to the surface, the force which acts on the dispenser when
extraction of the material sheets takes place is thus counteracted.
[0032] The invention also relates to a method for production of a stack of material sheets.
In accordance with the invention, a first web of adjacent individual material sheets
is applied to a second web of adjacent individual material sheets. With this application,
a longitudinal part of the first web will overlap a longitudinal part of the second
web, and the first material sheet in the first web will overlap the first material
sheet in the second web with a panel of the material sheet. The said panel constitutes
a rectangle delimited by a longitudinal folding line and a transverse folding line.
In the subsequent folding step, the underlying web of the abovementioned webs is folded
on a longitudinal folding line so that the material sheets of this web will enclose
a part of the material sheets of the other web. The other web is then folded on a
longitudinal folding line so that the material sheets of this web will enclose a part
of the material sheets of the first-mentioned web. The structure folded in the longitudinal
direction is then folded together in the transverse direction on at least one transverse
folding line, in each individual material sheet, so that a stack of material sheets
is formed.
[0033] In the manufacturing process described above, it is described how individual material
sheets are arranged and folded so that a stack of material sheets is arranged according
to the invention in a way which is simple and efficient in terms of production.
[0034] In order to produce a stack of material sheets according to another embodiment, the
material sheets in the respective first and second web are separated from one another
by a mutual spacing. When the webs are combined with one another, the material sheets
are in this way provided with a mutual spacing with the first material sheet in the
first web overlapping the first material sheet in the second web with a panel of the
respective material sheets. The panel constitutes a rectangle delimited by a transverse
folding line and a longitudinal folding line.
[0035] In the production of a stack of material sheets as above, the material sheets in
the respective webs are arranged at a predetermined mutual spacing, for example corresponding
to half the length of the material sheet. A spacing between the material sheets can
be brought about by virtue of the material sheets initially having a predetermined
spacing when added to the continuous web. Alternatively, the material sheets can be
added to the continuous web directly following one another and then be separated from
one another in a separate step. Advantageously, use- is-made of the-slip and cut method,
which is well known within the technical field.
In the production of a stack of material sheets, displacements of the material webs
can also be brought about in the transverse direction. The longitudinal folding line
in the material sheets of at least one web can then be arranged so that, for example,
it runs beyond the centre line in the said web. In a preferred embodiment, however,
the longitudinal folding line runs along the said centre line which is essentially
located at a distance corresponding to half the width of the material sheet.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0036] The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the figures
which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1
- shows a perspective view of a stack of material sheets according to one embodiment
of the invention;
- Figure 2
- shows a perspective view of a stack of material sheets according to another embodiment
of the invention;
- Figure 3
- shows a dispenser containing a stack of material sheets according to the invention;
- Figure 4
- shows a dispenser containing a stack of material sheets according to the invention;
- Figure 5A
- shows a plan view of two webs of material sheets which have been applied one to another
according to a method for production of the invention;
- Figure 5B
- shows a plan view in which one of the two webs of material sheets has been folded
around the other web of material sheets according to a method for production of the
invention;
- Figure 5C
- shows a plan view in which the second of the two webs of material sheets has been
folded around the first web of material sheets according to a method for production
of the invention;
- Figure 5D
- shows a cross-sectional view of a stack of material sheets according to one embodiment
of the invention;
- Figure 6A
- shows a plan view of two webs of material sheets which have been applied one to another
and separated from one another according to a method for production of the invention;
- Figure 6B
- shows a plan view in which one of the two webs of material sheets has been folded
around the other web of material sheets according to a method for production of the
invention;
- Figure 6C
- shows a plan view in which the second of the two webs of material sheets has been
folded around the first web of material sheets according to a method for production
of the invention, and
- Figure 6D
- shows a cross-sectional view of a stack of material sheets according to another embodiment
of the invention.
[0037] These drawings are schematic and do not limit the scope of the invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] Fig. 1 shows a stack 101 of material sheets 102 according to one embodiment of the
invention. Each individual material sheet 102 is folded on the one hand around a longitudinal
folding line 103 and on the other hand around a transverse folding line 104, so that
a longitudinal fold edge 105 and a transverse fold edge 106 are formed. Here, the
longitudinal folding line 103, and thus the longitudinal fold edge 105, is displaced
with regard to the longitudinal centre line of the material sheet 102. The folded
material sheet therefore has four rectangles or panels 107a, b, c, d of different
size, but panels 107a, d are essentially the same size and panels 107b, c are essentially
the same size. As the first panel 107a does not overlap the whole surface area of
the second panel 107b, the user can take hold of only the first panel 107a more easily.
The uppermost material sheet will then, when the accompanying extraction from the
stack of sheets 101 takes place, be unfolded completely, as a result of which the
user is provided with a fully unfolded wiping material. The two first panels 107a,
b of the material sheet lying on top of the stack are delimited by the transverse
folding line 104 from the two second panels 107c, d. The uppermost material sheet
encloses with its transverse fold edge 106 a part of a transverse side edge 108 of
the next material sheet in the stack. At the same time, the two second panels 107c,
d enclose with a longitudinal fold edge 105 a part of a longitudinal side edge 109
of the next material sheet in the stack. The next material sheet is therefore interlinked
with the uppermost material sheet by virtue of the first panel of the next material
sheet being enclosed by both a longitudinal fold edge 105 and a transverse fold edge
106 of the uppermost material sheet, or in other words the panel 107d of the first
material sheet is enclosed by two panels of the next material sheet. The two consecutive
material sheets therefore lie stacked with a longitudinal fold edge 105 of the uppermost
material sheet arranged in the opposite direction in relation to the corresponding
longitudinal fold edge of the next material sheet. The following material sheets are
interlinking with one another in a corresponding way.
[0039] Fig. 2 shows a stack 201 of material sheets 202 according to another embodiment of
the invention. Each individual material sheet 202 is folded on the one hand around
a longitudinal folding line 203 and on the other hand around three transverse folding
lines 204a, b, c, so that a longitudinal fold edge 205 and three transverse fold edges
206a, b, c are formed. In contrast to the four panels of the previous embodiment,
the material sheet folded according to this embodiment has eight panels 207a, b, c,
d, e, f, g, h, which panels are of essentially the same size. The uppermost material
sheet is interlinked with the next material sheet as described above. In this embodiment,
the four central panels 207c, d, e, f in the material sheet have no interlinking function
but are intended only to provide material sheets with an enlarged surface area of
a completely unfolded material sheet without the surface area of the stack increasing
at the same time.
[0040] Fig. 3 shows a dispenser 310 in the form of a box, in which a stack 301 of material
sheets 302 according to the invention has been arranged. The dispenser 310 is provided
with a dispensing opening 311 in the form of a slot which is arranged diagonally across
the stack of material sheets. The dispensing opening 311 thus extends from a corner
on one side of the dispenser 310 to a diagonally opposite corner on the same side.
The first panel 307a of the uppermost material sheet is therefore presented for the
user with a triangular part area, which offers a good and easily accessible gripping
surface. The next panel 307b is located immediately inside the dispenser 310. The
diagonally arranged dispensing opening 311 is related to the stack of material sheets
in such a way that, when the material sheet is extracted through the dispensing opening
311, the material sheet 302 is unfolded to its full surface area. The user is thus
provided with a fully unfolded material sheet 302 which is ready for use. The extraction
of the uppermost material sheet also causes the next material sheet to be fed out
automatically through the dispensing opening 311 with a corresponding triangular part
area of its first panel. This procedure provides assurance for the user that it will
be possible for all material sheets to be removed easily from the dispenser.
[0041] Dispensing through the dispensing opening 311 can be facilitated by virtue of the
dispensing opening 311 being provided with means for simpler dispensing, such as,
for example, plastic film in the form of "fingers" as described in, for example,
EP 1 201 564, which fingers are arranged adjacent to the dispensing opening or the like. Alternatively,
other shapes of dispensing opening 311 can be used, which shapes serve for smoother
feeding-out.
[0042] An alternative form of the dispenser 310 shown in Fig. 3 is illustrated in Fig. 4.
Here, the stack 401 of material sheets 402 is arranged in a dispenser 410 consisting
of two obstacles 412a, b lying on the stack 402 which are joined by two diagonally
oppositely positioned side arrangements 413a, b and also a bottom plate 414. Here,
the two obstacles 412a, b are designed with a concave shape but can of course be designed
in another way suitable for the purpose. One advantage of this type of dispenser is
that the material sheet is allowed greater freedom of movement to be unfolded during
extraction of the material sheet through the dispensing opening 411 as no surfaces
hold down the remaining part of the first panel 407a and the second panel 407b. In
addition, such a dispenser fashioned from a material of high density such as, for
example, a suitable metal, can also act better as a resistance to the force which
acts on the obstacle when the material sheet is extracted from the dispenser.
[0043] In the said dispenser 410, the stack 401 of material sheets 402 advantageously has
a longitudinal folding line 403 which is displaced in relation to the longitudinal
centre line as described in connection with Fig. 1. A displacement of the folding
line then means, as mentioned above, a displacement of the folded material sheet with
regard to itself, which in turn facilitates taking hold of the first material sheet
in the ready-folded stack.
[0044] A dispenser as above can be provided with the stack of material sheets as it is.
Alternatively, the stack of material sheets can be enclosed by some form of cover
which can provide protection during storage and handling of the stack. The cover can
then be retained around the stack when the latter is placed inside a dispenser as
above.
[0045] Figs. 5A-5D illustrate a method by which a stack of material sheets is produced according
to one embodiment of the invention.
[0046] Fig. 5A shows a plan view of two webs A, B of material sheets 502 which have been
applied one to another. The material sheets 502 lie arranged individually one after
another and form respective longitudinal material webs A, B. In its unfolded state,
each individual material sheet 502 has two transverse side edges 508 and two longitudinal
side edges 509. The material sheets 502 may have been separated from one another at
an earlier stage or have been separated from a continuous material piece which was
already arranged in the form of a material web. The web lying on the bottom, web A,
has a longitudinal folding line 503A and a transverse folding line 504A. The transverse
folding lines 504A consist of folding lines located centrally in the individual material
sheets 502. The respective folding lines 504A and the transverse side edges 508 delimit
the material sheet 502 so that four rectangles 507a, b, c, d are formed. In a ready-folded
state, these rectangles form the panels 507a, b, c, d of the material sheet, which
are represented in Fig. 5D. The web lying on top, web B, has a corresponding longitudinal
folding line 503B, a transverse folding line 504B and panels 507a, b, c, d.
[0047] The material sheets 502 in the respective webs are in this way interlinking by means
of a longitudinal part of the first web and a longitudinal part of the second web.
In other words, the first material sheet in the first web overlaps the first material
sheet in the second web with an interlinking panel 507 of the respective material
sheets. Here, the said panel 507 is in the form of a rectangle with two longer longitudinal
sides and two shorter transverse sides. The rectangle can also advantageously consist
of a square.
[0048] The subsequent folding step of web A is shown in plan view in Fig. 5B. The material
web A is now illustrated folded around its longitudinal folding line 503A and with
that forms a longitudinal fold edge 505A. The material web A therefore encloses a
longitudinal part of the material web B with the longitudinal parts formed by the
fold edge 505. In this context, the terms longitudinal folding line and longitudinal
fold edge mean the folding line/fold edge which extends along the entire extent of
the material web in contrast to the folding line/fold edge of the individual material
sheet which is limited by the extent of the material sheet.
[0049] Fig. 5C shows in plan view how the material web B has been folded around its longitudinal
folding line 503B in order to form the longitudinal fold edge 505B. The material web
B now encloses, with the longitudinal part formed by the fold edge 505B, a corresponding
longitudinal part of the material web A. The two material webs now lie alternately
in plies arranged around one another with their respective folded parts.
[0050] Finally, Fig. 5D shows a cross-sectional view of a stack 501 of material sheets 502
after the structure folded in the longitudinal direction has been folded together
around all the transverse folding lines 504 of the material web. This type of transverse
folding results in a stack of material sheets with excellent folding-out characteristics
when extraction takes place as described above.
[0051] Figs. 6A-6D illustrate a method by which a stack of material sheets is produced according
to another embodiment of the invention.
[0052] Like the method represented in Figs. 5A-5D, Figs. 6A-6D show how two webs of material
sheets 602 have been applied one to another and folded around one another in order
to form a stack 601 of material sheets 602 according to another embodiment. In contrast
to Figs. 5A-5D, Figs. 6A-6D show the two material webs A, B with the material sheets
separated from one another in the respective webs A, B by a mutual spacing. The material
sheets 602 in the two webs can be separated in an earlier step before they are applied
one to another, or they can be separated after application. The increased mutual spacing
between the material sheets 602 in the respective webs allows space for further transverse
folding lines 604A, B within the longitudinal extent of the material sheet. In this
case, the material sheet has three transverse folding lines within the extent of the
material sheet. Folding around the respective longitudinal folding lines 603A, B and
transverse folding lines 604A, B illustrated here of the material webs gives rise
to material sheets with eight rectangles, or panels, in the interfolded state. The
interlinking between the two webs takes place in the same way as described in Figs.
5A-5D, that is to say by means of interfolding the respective material webs around
an interlinking rectangle 607. In this embodiment, the four centrally located rectangles
have no interlinking function but are intended only for providing material sheets
602 with increased surface area of the material sheet.
[0053] Another difference in relation to the stack of material sheets described above is
that the material webs represented in Figs. 6A-6D have been provided with further
longitudinal folding lines along the side edges 609. Further longitudinal parts are
folded in along the respective side edges of both the material webs A, B. The said
parts are not unfolded automatically when extraction of individual material sheets
from the ready-folded stack takes place but have to be freed in a separate unfolding
step, such as shaking the material sheet. This type of folded-in part is advantageous
when increased surface area is required, or alternatively when material sheets with
increased wiping capacity in parts of a material sheet are required, that is to say
in cases where the user chooses not to unfold the material sheet fully. The folded-in
longitudinal part of the respective material sheets is represented more clearly in
the cross-sectional view in Fig. 6D.
1. A stack (101) of material sheets (102), which material sheets (102) have a longitudinal
direction and a transverse direction and which material sheets (102) are folded at
least once in the transverse direction along a transverse folding line, the material
sheets (102) being interlinked in such a way that, when a first material sheet is
extracted, a predetermined part of the next material sheet is fed out, wherein the
material sheet (102) forming part of the stack (101) is also folded at least once
in the longitudinal direction along a longitudinal folding line, and two consecutive
material sheets (102) in the stack (101) are folded into one another and are in this
way interlinked by panels (107) of the respective material sheets (102), characterized in that said interlinking panels (107) constitute rectangles each having two delimiting edges
in the form of a longitudinal fold edge (105) and a transverse fold edge (106), and
where the two consecutive material sheets (102) lie stacked with the longitudinal
fold edge (105) of a first material sheet arranged in the opposite direction in relation
to the corresponding longitudinal fold edge (105) of the next, second material sheet,
and also with a panel (107) of a first material sheet enclosed by two panels (107)
of the next material sheet.
2. A stack of material sheets according to claim 1, the interlinking panel constituting
a quarter of the total area of the unfolded material sheet (102).
3. A stack of material sheets according to claim 1, the interlinking panel constituting
an eighth of the total area of the unfolded material sheet (102).
4. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the interlinking
panel being a square.
5. A stack of material sheets according to claim 1, at least one longitudinal folding
line (103) being somewhat displaced in relation to the longitudinal centre line in
at least one of the two consecutive material sheets (102).
6. A stack of material sheets according to claim 1, at least one transverse folding line
(104) being somewhat displaced in relation to a corresponding transverse centre line
in at least one of the two consecutive material sheets (102).
7. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the material
sheet (102) being a tissue sheet, or a material sheet consisting of non-woven or of
equivalent flexible wiping material.
8. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the material
sheet (102) having a surface area in the unfolded state of between 100 cm2 - 1500 cm2, preferably between 256 cm2 - 576 cm2, and corresponding surface areas in the interfolded state of between 25 cm2 - 375 cm2, preferably between 64 cm2 - 144 cm2.
9. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the material
sheet (102) having a surface area in the unfolded state of between 200 cm2 - 2500 cm2, preferably between 512 cm2 - 1152 cm2, and corresponding surface areas in the interfolded state of between 25 cm2 - 375 cm2, preferably between 64 cm2 - 144 cm2, and most preferably around 100 cm2.
10. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the stack
(101) of material sheets (102) being arranged in a dispenser (310, 410).
11. A stack of material sheets according to claim 7, the uppermost material sheet being
arranged so that it protrudes through a dispensing opening (311, 411) arranged in
the dispenser (310, 410) with a triangular part area of the said rectangular panel
(107).
12. A stack of material sheets according to any one of the preceding claims, the stack
(101) of material sheets (102) being arranged in a dispenser (310) designed as a box.
13. A stack of material sheets according to any one of claims 1-9, the stack (101) of
material sheets (102) being arranged in a dispenser (410) consisting of two obstacles
(412a, b) lying on the stack (101) which are joined by two oppositely positioned side
arrangements (413a, b) and also a bottom plate (414).
14. A stack of material sheets according to claim 12 or 13, the stack (101) of material
sheets (102) being arranged in a dispenser (310, 410) consisting of cardboard.
15. A stack of material sheets according to claim 13, the stack of material sheets being
arranged in a dispenser (410) consisting of metal.
16. A stack of material sheets according to claim 13, the stack (101) of material sheets
(102) being arranged in a dispenser (410) with a bottom plate (414) which is coated
with a attachment means.
17. A method for production of a stack of material sheets according to any one of claims
1-9, wherein a first web of adjacent individual material sheets (502; 602) is applied
to a second web of adjacent individual material sheets (502; 602) so that a longitudinal
part of the first web overlaps a longitudinal part of the second web and so that the
first material sheet in the first web overlaps the first material sheet in the second
web with a panel (507; 607) of the respective material sheets, which panel (507; 607)
constitutes a rectangle delimited by a longitudinal folding line (503; 603) and a
transverse folding line (504; 604), after which the underlying web of the abovementioned
webs is folded on a longitudinal folding line (503; 603) so that the material sheets
(502; 602) of this web will enclose a part of the material sheets (502; 602) of the
first web, after which the first web is folded around a longitudinal folding line
(503; 603) so that the material sheets (502; 602) of this web will enclose a part
of the material sheets (502; 602) of the first-mentioned web, after which the structure
folded in the longitudinal direction is folded together in the transverse direction
on at least one transverse folding line in each individual material sheet so that
a stack (501; 601) of material sheets (502; 602) is formed.
18. A method for production of a stack of material sheets according to claim 17, the material
sheets (602) in the respective first and second web being separated from one another
by a mutual spacing and, in connection with the webs being combined with one another,
the first material sheet in the first web coming to overlap the first material sheet
in the second web with a panel (607) of the respective material sheets, which panel
(607) constitutes a rectangle delimited by a longitudinal folding line (603) and a
transverse folding line (604).
19. A method for production of a stack of material sheets according to claim 18, the material
sheets (602) in the respective webs being arranged at a mutual spacing corresponding
to half the length of the material sheet.
20. A method for production of a stack of material sheets according to any one of the
preceding claims 17-19, the longitudinal folding line (503; 603) in the material sheets
(502; 602) of at least one web being arranged so that it runs along a centre line
in the said web.
1. Stapel (101) aus Materialbögen (102), die eine Längsrichtung und eine Querrichtung
aufweisen und in Querrichtung wenigstens einmal entlang einer querlaufenden Faltlinie
gefaltet sind, wobei die Materialbögen (102) derart gekoppelt sind, dass wenn ein
erster Materialbogen ausgezogen wird, ein vorbestimmter Teil des nächsten Materialbogens
herausbefördert wird, wobei der Materialbogen (102), der einen Teil des Stapels (101)
bildet, ferner wenigstens einmal in Längsrichtung entlang einer länglaufenden Faltlinie
gefaltet ist und zwei aufeinander folgende Materialbögen (102) in dem Stapel (101)
ineinander gefaltet und auf diese Art und Weise durch Felder (107) der entsprechenden
Materialbögen (102) gekoppelt sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die koppelnden Felder (107) Rechtecke bilden, die jeweils zwei begrenzende Kanten
in Form einer länglaufenden Faltkante (105) und einer querlaufenden Faltkante (106)
aufweisen und wobei zwei aufeinander folgende Materialbögen (102) derart gestapelt
liegen, dass die längslaufende Faltkante (105) eines ersten Materialbogens in Bezug
auf die entsprechende längslaufende Faltkante (105) des nächsten zweiten Materialbogens
in entgegengesetzte Richtungen angeordnet sind und ferner derart, dass ein Feld (107)
eines ersten Materialbogens durch zwei Felder (107) des nächsten Materialbogens umschlossen
ist.
2. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei das koppelnde Feld ein Viertel des
gesamten Bereichs des ungefalteten Materialbogens (102) bildet.
3. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei das koppelnde Feld ein Achtel des
gesamten Bereichs des ungefalteten Materialbogens (102) bildet.
4. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei das koppelnde
Feld ein Quadrat ist.
5. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei wenigstens eine längslaufende Faltlinie
(103) in Bezug auf die Längsmittellinie wenigstens eines der zwei nachfolgenden Materialbögen
(102) etwas versetzt ist.
6. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei wenigstens eine querlaufende Faltlinie
(104) in Bezug auf eine entsprechende Quermittellinie wenigstens eines der zwei aufeinander
folgenden Materialbögen (102) versetzt ist.
7. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Materialbogen
(102) ein Tissuebogen ist oder ein Materialbogen, der aus Vliesstoff oder einem äquivalenten
flexiblen Wischmaterial besteht.
8. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Materialbogen
(102) im ungefalteten Zustand einen Oberflächenbereich zwischen 100-1500 cm2, vorzugsweise zwischen 256-576 cm2 und entsprechende Oberflächenbereiche im ineinandergefalteten Zustand zwischen 25-375
cm2, vorzugsweise zwischen 64-144 cm2 aufweist.
9. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Materialbogen
(102) einen Oberflächenbereich im ungefalteten Zustand zwischen 200-2500 cm2, vorzugsweise zwischen 512-1152 cm2 und entsprechende Oberflächenbereiche im ineinandergefalteten Zustand zwischen 25-375
cm2, vorzugsweise zwischen 64-144 cm2 und am meisten bevorzugt ungefähr 100 cm2 aufweist.
10. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Stapel
(101) aus Materialbögen (102) in einem Spender (310, 410) angeordnet ist.
11. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 7, wobei der oberste Materialbogen derart
angeordnet ist, dass er mit einem dreieckigen Teilbereich des recheckigen Feldes (407)
durch eine Spenderöffnung (311, 411), die in dem Spender (310, 410) angeordnet ist,
vorragt.
12. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Stapel
(101) aus Materialbögen (102) in einem Spender (310) angeordnet ist, der als Schachtel
ausgestaltet ist.
13. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1-9, wobei der Stapel (101) aus
Materialbögen (102) in einem Spender (410) angeordnet ist, der aus zwei Hürden (512a,
b) besteht, die auf dem Stapel (101) liegen und die durch zwei gegenüberliegend positionierte
Seitenanordnung (413a, b) und eine Bodenplatte (414) verbunden sind.
14. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 12 oder 13, wobei der Stapel (101) aus Materialbögen
(102) in einem Spender (310, 410) angeordnet ist, der aus Karton besteht.
15. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 13, wobei der Stapel aus Materialbögen in
einem Spender (410) bestehend aus Metall angeordnet ist.
16. Stapel aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 13, wobei der Stapel (101) aus Materialbögen
(102) in einem Spender (410) mit einer Bodenplatte (414) angeordnet ist, die mit einer
Hafteinrichtung beschichtet ist.
17. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Stapels aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der Ansprüche
1-9, wobei eine erste Bahn benachbarter einzelner Materialbögen (502, 602) auf eine
zweite Bahn benachbarter einzelner Materialbögen (502, 602) aufgebracht wird, so dass
eine Längsteil der ersten Bahn einen Längsteil der zweiten Bahn überlappt und so dass
der erste Materialbogen in der ersten Bahn in ersten Materialbogen in der zweiten
Bahn mit einem Feld (507, 607) des entsprechenden Materialbogens überlappt, wobei
das Feld (507, 607) ein Rechteck bildet, dass durch eine längslaufende Faltlinie (503,
603) und eine querlaufende Faltlinie (504, 604) begrenzt ist, wonach die unten liegende
Bahn der oben erwähnten Bahnen um eine länglaufende Faltlinie (503, 603) gefaltet
wird, so dass die Materialbögen (502, 602) dieser Bahn einen Teil der Materialbögen
(502, 602) der ersten Bahn umschließen, wonach die erste Bahn um eine längslaufende
Faltlinie (503, 603) gefaltet wird, so dass die Materialbögen (502, 602) dieser Bahn
einen Teil der Materialbögen (502, 602) der erst erwähnten Bahn umschließen, wonach
der in Längsrichtung gefaltete Aufbau zusammen in Querrichtung um wenigstens eine
querlaufende Faltlinie in jedem einzelnen Materialbogen zusammengefaltet wird, so
dass ein Stapel (501, 601) aus Materialbögen (502, 602) gebildet wird.
18. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Stapels aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 17, wobei
die Materialbögen (602) der entsprechend ersten und zweiten Bahn durch eine gegenseitige
Beabstandung voneinander getrennt sind und in Zusammenhang mit dem Kombinieren der
Bahnen der erste Materialbogen der ersten Bahn in dem Feld (607) der entsprechenden
Materialbögen in Überlappung mit dem ersten Materialbogen der zweiten Bahn gelangt,
wobei das Feld (607) ein Rechteck bildet, dass durch eine längslaufende Faltlinie
(603) und eine querlaufende Faltlinie (604) begrenzt ist.
19. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Stapels aus Materialbögen gemäß Anspruch 18, wobei
die Materialbögen (602) der entsprechenden Bahnen in gegenseitigem Abstand entsprechend
der Hälfte der Länge des Materialbogens angeordnet sind.
20. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Stapels aus Materialbögen gemäß einem der vorstehenden
Ansprüche 17-19, wobei die längslaufende Faltlinie (503, 603) der Materialbögen (502,
602) wenigstens einer der Bahnen derart angeordnet ist, dass sie entlang einer Längsmittellinie
der besagten Bahn verläuft.
1. Pile (101) de feuilles de matériau (102), lesdites feuilles de matériau (102) ayant
un sens longitudinal et un sens transversal et lesdites feuilles de matériau (102)
étant pliées au moins une fois dans le sens transversal le long d'une ligne de pliage
transversale, les feuilles de matériau (102) étant reliées de telle manière que, lorsque
l'on extrait une première feuille de matériau, une partie prédéterminée de la feuille
de matériau suivante sort, où la feuille de matériau (102) faisant partie de la pile
(101) est également pliée au moins une fois dans le sens longitudinal le long d'une
ligne de pliage longitudinale, et deux feuilles de matériau consécutives (102) de
la pile (101) sont pliées l'une dans l'autre et sont de cette façon reliées par des
pans (107) des feuilles de matériau (102) respectives, caractérisée en ce que lesdits pans de liaison (107) constituent des rectangles qui ont chacun deux bords
de limite sous la forme d'un bord de pli longitudinal (105) et d'un bord de pli transversal
(106), et où les deux feuilles de matériau consécutives (102) sont empilées avec le
bord de pli longitudinal (105) d'une première feuille de matériau agencé dans le sens
opposé par rapport au bord de pli longitudinal (105) correspondant de la deuxième
feuille de matériau, ou feuille suivante, et aussi avec un pan (107) d'une première
feuille de matériau enfermé par deux pans (107) de la feuille de matériau suivante.
2. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 1, le pan de liaison représentant
un quart de la surface totale de la feuille de matériau dépliée (102).
3. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 1, le pan de liaison représentant
un huitième de la surface totale de la feuille de matériau dépliée (102).
4. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
le pan de liaison étant un carré.
5. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 1, au moins une ligne de pliage
longitudinale (103) étant quelque peu déplacée par rapport à l'axe longitudinal dans
au moins l'une des deux feuilles de matériau consécutives (102).
6. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 1, au moins une ligne de pliage
transversale (104) étant quelque peu déplacée par rapport à un axe transversal correspondant
dans au moins l'une des deux feuilles de matériau consécutives (102).
7. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
la feuille de matériau (102) étant une feuille de papier absorbant, ou une feuille
de matériau consistant en un non-tissé ou un matériau d'essuyage souple équivalent.
8. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
la feuille de matériau (102) ayant, dans l'état déplié, une surface comprise entre
100 cm2 et 1500 cm2, de préférence entre 256 cm2 et 576 cm2, et des surfaces correspondantes dans l'état plié intercalé comprises entre 25 cm2 et 375 cm2, de préférence entre 64 cm2 et 144 cm2.
9. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
la feuille de matériau (102) ayant, dans l'état déplié, une surface comprise entre
200 cm2 et 2500 cm2, de préférence entre 512 cm2 et 1152 cm2, et des surfaces correspondantes dans l'état plié intercalé comprises entre 25 cm2 et 375 cm2, de préférence entre 64 cm2 et 144 cm2, et mieux encore autour de 100 cm2.
10. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
la pile (101) de feuilles de matériau (102) étant placée dans un distributeur (310,
410).
11. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 7, la feuille de matériau la plus
haute étant placée de façon à faire saillie par une ouverture de distribution (311,
411) prévue dans le distributeur (310, 410) avec une aire de partie triangulaire dudit
pan rectangulaire (107).
12. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
la pile (101) de feuilles de matériau (102) étant placée dans un distributeur (310)
se présentant sous la forme d'une boîte.
13. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 9, la pile
(101) de feuilles de matériau (102) étant placée dans un distributeur (410) constitué
de deux obstacles (412a, b) reposant sur la pile (101) qui sont reliés par deux accessoires
latéraux positionnés en vis-à-vis (413a, b) ainsi que par une plaque de fond (414).
14. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 12 ou 13, la pile (101) de feuilles
de matériau (102) étant placée dans un distributeur (310, 410) en carton.
15. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 13, la pile de feuilles de matériau
étant placée dans un distributeur (410) en métal.
16. Pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 13, la pile (101) de feuilles
de matériau (102) étant placée dans un distributeur (410) ayant une plaque de fond
(414) qui est revêtue d'un moyen de fixation.
17. Procédé de production d'une pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des
revendications 1 à 9, dans lequel une première bande de feuilles de matériau individuelles
adjacentes (502 ; 602) est appliquée sur une deuxième bande de feuilles de matériau
individuelles adjacentes (502 ; 602) de telle manière qu'une partie longitudinale
de la première bande chevauche une partie longitudinale de la deuxième bande et que
la première feuille de matériau de la première bande chevauche la première feuille
de matériau de la deuxième bande avec un pan (507 ; 607) des feuilles de matériau
respectives, ledit pan (507 ; 607) constituant un rectangle délimité par une ligne
de pliage longitudinale (503 ; 603) et une ligne de pliage transversale (504 ; 604),
après quoi la bande sous-jacente des bandes susmentionnées est pliée sur une ligne
de pliage longitudinale (503 ; 603) de sorte que les feuilles de matériau (502 ; 602)
de cette bande enferment une partie des feuilles de matériau (502 ; 602) de la première
bande, après quoi la première bande est pliée autour d'une ligne de pliage longitudinale
(503 ; 603), de sorte que les feuilles de matériau (502 ; 602) de cette bande enferment
une partie des feuilles de matériau (502 ; 602) de la première bande mentionnée, après
quoi la structure pliée dans le sens longitudinal est pliée dans le sens transversal
sur au moins une ligne de pliage transversale dans chaque feuille de matériau individuelle,
de sorte qu'une pile (501 ; 601) de feuilles de matériau (502 ; 602) est formée.
18. Procédé de production d'une pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 17,
les feuilles de matériau (602) des première et deuxième bandes respectives étant séparées
les unes des autres par un espacement mutuel et, en association avec les bandes que
l'on combine entre elles, la première feuille de matériau de la première bande venant
chevaucher la première feuille de matériau de la deuxième bande avec un pan (607)
des feuilles de matériau respectives, ledit pan (607) constituant un rectangle délimité
par une ligne de pliage longitudinale (603) et une ligne de pliage transversale (604).
19. Procédé de production d'une pile de feuilles de matériau selon la revendication 18,
les feuilles de matériau (602) des bandes respectives étant disposées avec un espacement
mutuel correspondant à la moitié de la longueur de la feuille de matériau.
20. Procédé de production d'une pile de feuilles de matériau selon l'une quelconque des
revendications 17 à 19, la ligne de pliage longitudinale (503 ; 603) des feuilles
de matériau (502 ; 602) d'au moins une bande étant placée de telle manière qu'elle
est alignée sur l'axe de ladite bande.