Core for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, relative manufacturing method and brush using said core

Abstract

 A core for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, such as toilet paper and kitchen towel is disclosed. Said core comprises a tube obtained by means of strips of cardboard (14) wound in a spiral, over said tube of cardboard strips at least one adhesive tape (18) with the layer of adhesive disposed outwardly being applied so as to be able to use said core as a lint brush once the sheet material making up the roll has been used up.

Description

[0001] The present invention pertains to a core for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, such as toilet paper, kitchen towel, absorbent paper, paper for household cleaning and the like. The present invention also refers to a manufacturing method for such a core for rolls of sheet material and to a brush employing said core.

[0002] Specific reference will be made herein to toilet paper, it being understood that the present invention also extends to small-sized rolls of sheet material, generally used by the end consumer for household use.

[0003] As is known, the small-sized rolls of toilet paper placed on the market are obtained from large-sized master rolls of paper web coming from the paper mill. Said master rolls are unwound by means of an unwinder and the web leaving the unwinder is sent to a re-winding machine to be wound again on a tubular core or log, generally of stiff cardboard, to form a small-diameter log. Said log is sent to a slitting machine, which makes a transverse cut to form short, small-diameter rolls suitable to be put on the market.

[0004] Each roll of toilet paper is thus supported by a cardboard core obtained by crosswise cutting of the log. The log, on the other hand, is obtained by core winder machines provided with creating mandrels which are responsible for spiral winding of strips of cardboard coming from rolls supported by special unwinders. Said strips of cardboard, besides being wound in a spiral on the mandrel, are glued to each other so as to obtain a sufficiently rigid log to be able to support the paper of the roll.

[0005] As is known, once the user has finished the sheets of toilet paper wound on the core, he disposes of the core, which has no use and function other than that of supporting the paper of the roll.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a core for rolls of sheet material that can be used for other purposes, once the paper has been used up, in particular as a lint brush for removing lint from clothes or fabrics in general.

[0007] This object is reached in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing such a core for rolls of sheet material that provides the function of a lint brush.

[0009] This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 10.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a lint brush, which employs the core of a roll of sheet material.

[0011] This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in independent claim 15.

[0012] According to the invention, a core is provided for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, such as toilet paper, kitchen towel and the like. Said core comprises a substantially rigid supporting tube. At least one adhesive tape, with an outwardly disposed layer of adhesive suitable for catching and retaining lint, dust and the like is applied over said tube. In this manner, once the sheet material which composes the roll has been used up, the user can use said core as a lint brush.

[0013] In particular the supporting tube is obtained by means of cardboard strips wound in a spiral and glued to each other.

[0014] Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplary and therefore non limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a side elevational view diagrammatically illustrating the machines employed for forming a log destined for producing cores for rolls of sheet material according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a core winder with a forming mandrel in a stage of creation of a log destined for producing cores for rolls of sheet material according to the invention;
• Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the forming mandrel of Figure 2, enlarged and partially broken off;
• Figure 3A is an enlarged view, in axial section, illustrating the detail enclosed in the ellipse A of Figure 3;
• Figure 4 is top plan view of a blister pack containing the parts making up the support of the lint brush according to the invention;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support of the lint brush assembled;
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lint brush assembled.

[0015] The manufacturing process of a core for rolls of sheet material according to the invention is described with the aid of the figures.

[0016] With reference to Figure 1, for producing a log able to support a roll of sheet material, in particular paper, such as toilet paper, kitchen towel and the like, substantially three machines are used: an unwinder 1, a web-bearing structure 2 and a core winder 3.

[0017] The unwinder 1 is of known type and is able to support one or more large-sized rolls 4 wherein is wound a cardboard sheet 14 suitable for forming cardboard logs of known type to support rolls of sheet material, such as toilet paper.

[0018] The web-bearing structure 2 is implemented for the specific embodiment and has the possibility of supporting five rolls 5, 6, 7, 8 e 9 of sheet material, such as adhesive tapes and plastic material tapes. To be precise, the roll 5 comprises an adhesive tape 15 having a size or width of 60 mm and a weight of 80 g/m². On one side of the tape 15 an adhesive with a weight of 45 g/m² is spread. The roll 6 comprises an adhesive tape 16 of transparent polypropylene having a width of 25 mm. The rolls 7 and 8 comprise respectively adhesive tapes 17, 18 having a width of 80 mm and a weight of 75 g/m².

[0019] The tapes 17 and 18, like the tape 15, are spread on one side with a layer of glue having a weight of 45 g/m². Said layer of glue is able to catch and retain lint, dust and the like.

[0020] The roll 8 comprises a monosilicone tape having a width of 75 mm and a weight of 80 g/m². Said monosilicone tape has a low coefficient of friction, hence it is of the peelable type, having low adhesion on the layer of adhesive of the adhesive tapes so that it is easily removable therefrom.

[0021] The core winder 3 is of commercially known type and, as shown better in Figure 2, comprises a forming mandrel 10 which is motorised to rotate around its own axis. With reference also to Figure 3, in a per se known manner, two strips of cardboard 14 coming from the unwinder 1 are wound in a spiral around the forming mandrel 10. Said strips of cardboard 14 are glued to each other so as to obtain a cardboard tubular log which forms on the mandrel 10 from left to right, with reference to Figure 2.

[0022] On the cardboard log formed on the mandrel 10 there are wound in a spiral respectively the tape 15 spread with adhesive on the outward facing surface and the polypropylene tape 16, which come from the web-bearing structure 2. In this manner a first supporting layer of a tube of the lint removing type is formed. As shown in Figure 3A, the polypropylene tape 16 is partially superimposed on the edges of the adhesive tape 15, thus gaps 25 are left among the winds of the adhesive tape 15 and gaps 26 are left among the winds of the polypropylene tape 16.

[0023] Over the first lint-removing layer, that is to say over the intermediate polypropylene tape 16, there are wound in a spiral the two adhesive tapes 17 and 18, one on top of the other. Clearly, more than two layers of adhesive tapes can be provided. Lastly, on the outermost adhesive tape 18 there is wound the monosilcone tape 19 which, having a low coefficient of friction, is of the peelable type and thus can be removed without damaging the adhesive layer of the outermost adhesive tape 18.

[0024] At this point a tube 20 has been obtained, having a surface layer of the lint removing type. The tube 20 is sent to a rewinding machine in which it is wound with a sheet material, such as toilet paper. Then the tube 20 with the wound sheet material is sent to a slitting machine which makes a transverse cut to obtain various rolls of toilet paper ready to be placed on the market. Said rolls of toilet paper are supported by respective cores obtained by cutting of the tube 20 and thus said cores have the characteristics of a lint brush.

[0025] As a result, when the end consumer finishes the roll of toilet paper, the core can be used as a lint brush. To be precise, the user removes the silicone tape 19 which protects the outermost adhesive layer 18 of the lint brush and uses said brush. Once the outermost layer has been filled with lint, the user can remove said outermost adhesive tape 18 and use the beneath adhesive tape 17 which is free from lint.

[0026] Figure 4 shows in a plan view a blister pack 30 containing a core support to form the lint brush. The blister pack 30 is destined to be inserted in a packing of rolls of sheet material, containing at least one roll provided with a tubular core according to the invention.

[0027] The blister pack 30 comprises a rectangular peripheral frame 31, inside which a support 40 taking the form of an elongated rectangular plate is fixed by means of breakable bridges 32.

[0028] Two flanges 50, in the form of plates shaped as butterfly wings, are fixed by means of breakable bridges 36, 37 to the peripheral frame 31 and to the support 40, respectively.

[0029] The support 40 has a handle 41 separated from a central portion 42 by means of two transverse rigid abutment tongues 43 protruding outward in opposite directions.

[0030] The central part 42 of the support ends in a head 44 which has two flexible longitudinal tongues 45. The longitudinal tongues 45 are defined by two longitudinal cuts 46 formed on the head 44, so as to be able to bend elastically in the cuts 46.

[0031] The length of the central part 42 is substantially equal to the length of a tubular core of a roll of sheet material, whilst the width of the central part is smaller than the inside diameter of a tubular core.

[0032] The flexible longitudinal tongues 45 end in respective outwardly protruding retaining teeth 47.

[0033] Two slot-shaped longitudinal slits 48, which have respective transverse cuts 48', are formed in the central part 42 of the support.

[0034] A circular hole 49 is formed near the end of the grip 41.

[0035] Each flange 50 has opposite facing portions 51 of the peripheral profile substantially curved according to an arc of circumference, having a radius of curvature substantially similar to that of the inside surface of a tubular core for rolls of sheet material.

[0036] Each flange 50 has two transverse cuts 52 in a central position disposed in opposite facing positions, so as to define a narrowing 53.

[0037] The width of each flange 50 is slightly less than the length of the longitudinal slit 48 in the support, whilst the width of the narrowing 53 of each flange is slightly less than the length of the transverse cut 48' in the support.

[0038] Thus, when the user has to mount the handle support of the core, he removes the support 40 and the two flanges 50 from the blister pack 30, breaking the breakable bridges. With reference to Figure 5, the flanges 50 are inserted in the respective slot-shaped slits 48 of the support and suitably rotated so that the narrowing 53 of each flange 50 engages in the respective transverse cut 48' of the support.

[0039] In this manner the rounded profiles 51 of the flanges 50 are disposed transversally with respect to the support and the flanges 50 are disposed at right angles with respect to the support 40.

[0040] Lastly, as shown in Figure 6, after finishing the sheet material of a roll, the user fits the core 100 of the roll on the central part 42 of the support 40, axially from the head 44 of the support. During said operation, the flexible longitudinal tongues 45 bend inward, until one end of the core 100 abuts against the rigid abutment tongues 43. At this point the longitudinal tongues 45 come back elastically to the initial position and the other end of the core 100 is retained by the retaining teeth 47 of the elastic tongues 45.

[0041] It should be noted that in this situation the curved profiles 51 of the flanges are substantially tangent to the inner side surface of the core 100. Therefore, the core 100 can rotate axially around the profiles of the flanges 50.

[0042] Numerous changes and modifications of detail within the reach of an expert in the field can be made to the present embodiment of the invention without thereby departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A core for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, such as toilet paper, kitchen towel and the like, said core comprising a substantially rigid supporting tube, characterised in that over said supporting tube there is applied at least an adhesive tape with a layer of adhesive disposed towards the outside and able to capture and to retain lint, dust and the like, so that said core can be used as a lint brush once the sheet material making up the roll has been used up.

2. A core according to claim 1, characterised in that said supporting tube comprises cardboard strips (14) wound in a spiral and glued to each other.

3. A core according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said at least one adhesive tape is disposed in a spiral on said supporting tube.

4. A core according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one adhesive tape has a weight of about 80 g/m² and has a layer of adhesive having a weight of about 45 g/m².

5. A core according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that said at least one adhesive tape comprises a first adhesive tape (15) disposed on the cardboard tube (14), a polypropylene tape (16) disposed on said first adhesive tape (15) and a plurality of adhesive tapes (17, 18) disposed on said polypropylene tape (16) and superimposed on one another, said plurality of adhesive tapes (17, 18) having the layer of adhesive facing outwards.

6. A core according to claim 5, characterised in that said first adhesive tape (15) has a width of about 60 mm, said polypropylene tape (16) has a width of about 25 mm and said plurality of adhesive tapes comprises tapes (17, 18) having a width of about 75 mm.

7. A core according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that on the outermost adhesive tape (18) there is disposed a monosilicone tape (19) of the peelable type, having a low coefficient of friction to be able to be detached from the outermost adhesive tape without damaging the layer of adhesive of the outermost adhesive tape.

8. A core according to claim 7, characterised in that said monosilicone tape (19) has a weight of about 80 g/m² and a width of about 75 mm.

9. A roll of sheet material, such as toilet paper, kitchen towel and the like, characterised in that it comprises a core according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. A manufacturing method for a core for rolls of sheet material, particularly paper, comprising the following steps:

- feeding at least one cardboard web (14) toward a mandrel (10) of a core winder (3) in which it is wound in a spiral for the formation of a cardboard tube, and

- feeding of at least one adhesive tape toward said mandrel (10) of the core winder (3) so as to wind it in a spiral on said cardboard tube with the surface wherein a layer of glue is present faced outward to obtain a tube with an outer surface having a lint brush effect.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterised in that the feeding of said at least one sheet of cardboard (14) takes place by means of an unwinder (1) able to unwind large-sized rolls (4) of cardboard.

12. A method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the feeding of said at least one adhesive tape takes place by means of a web-bearing structure (2) able to support rolls (5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) of adhesive tapes.

13. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterised in that a first adhesive tape (15) is wound in a spiral on said cardboard tube (14), in that a polypropylene tape (16) is wound on said first adhesive tape (15) and in that a plurality of adhesive tapes (17, 18), superimposed on one another with the adhesive layer facing outwards, are wound on said polypropylene tape (16).

14. A method according to claim 13, characterised in that on the outermost adhesive tape (18) there is wound a monosilcone tape (19) of the peelable type so as to be able to be removed without damaging the layer of glue of the outermost adhesive tape.

15. A lint brush comprising a support (40) provided with a handle (41) whereon an axially rotating core (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is mounted.

16. A lint brush according to claim 15, characterised in that said support comprises a rectangular plate (40) supporting at least one flange (50) disposed at right angles thereto, said at least one flange having curved profiles (51) having a radius of curvature substantially equal to that of the inner surface of the core (100).

17. A lint brush according to claim 15 or 16, characterised in that said support (40) comprises abutment tongues (43) and elastic tongues (45) provided with retaining teeth (47) to abut against the ends of said core (100) to avoid axial movements of the core (100).

18. A lint brush according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterised in that said support (40) of the brush is formed from a blister pack (30) designed to be inserted in a packing of rolls of sheet material comprising at least one roll with a core according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

19. A lint brush according to claim 18, characterised in that said blister pack (30) comprises a plate-like support (40) and a pair of plate-like flanges (50) which can be assembled at right angles in the plate-like support (40), the support (40) and the flanges (50) being held together in the blister pack (30) by means of breakable bridges (32, 36, 37).

Drawing