Paper straw manufacturing method and paper straw manufacturing system

Provided is a paper straw manufacturing method for addressing the issues of manufacturing process inefficiency and inconvenience in the drinking process of paper straws formed by a glue-adhesion method, the paper straw manufacturing method comprising: a step of unwinding a plurality of paper strips equipped with a thermal adhesive coating material on at least one side in each of a plurality of rolls; a step of heating the unwound plurality of paper strips by means of a heater; a step of winding, by means of a belt, the heated plurality of paper strips on a core rod so as to form a preparatory straw; a step of the preparatory straw following the length direction of the core rod by means of a guide portion; and a step of cutting the preparatory straw by means of a cutting portion so as to form a straw.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national entry of International Application No. PCT/KR2020/007309 filed on Jun. 4, 2020, which claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0067384 filed on Jun. 7, 2019, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0079442 filed on Jul. 2, 2019, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0054805 filed on May 7, 2020, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0054806 filed on May 7, 2020, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0054809 filed on May 7, 2020. The applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing paper straws having paper components and a system for performing the method.

BACKGROUND ART

Typical straws were often formed of a plastic material. Plastic straws have the advantages of easy processing, low manufacturing cost, light weight, and no problem of other ingredients being infiltrated into beverages when used. However, due to the nature of the material, it takes a long time to decompose after being discarded, and it is also harmful to the human body, so there are growing calls to replace them.

To address these needs, a method of reusing the manufactured straw or a method of replacing the material of the straw itself with an eco-friendly material is continuously being developed. For example, straws made of reusable plastic or metal are proposed. However, straws are often used for businesses, and in this case, reuse of straws has limitations in terms of hygiene or the infrastructure of each business.

For this reason, recently, disposable straws made of paper material have been proposed. Disposable straws made of paper material are of sufficient value to replace conventional plastic straws in that they are not only harmless to the human body but also minimize environmental pollution.

Paper straws are manufactured in such a way that paper strips are wound multiple times in an oblique direction. Typical paper straws are then fixed in shape by applying glue on the wound paper strips and hardening the glue.

However, these glue-adhesive paper straws bring time and space inefficiency in that they have to go through a drying process in the middle of the manufacturing process. In addition, there are cases in which foreign substances adhere to and harden together during the drying process. Furthermore, when the produced paper straws are put into beverages and used, the solidified glue may melt again and deteriorate the components of the beverages. In addition, there is a risk that beverages may easily seep into the paper of the straw due to the easy melting of the glue, which destroys the shape of the straw and makes it impossible to perform the function.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Goals

An aspect is to address the above-described issues of manufacturing process inefficiency and inconvenience in the drinking process of the glue-adhesive paper straws.

Technical Solutions

According to an aspect, there is provided a paper straw manufacturing method including unwinding a plurality of paper strips provided with a thermal adhesive coating material on at least one surface from each of a plurality of rolls, heating, by a heater, the plurality of unwound paper strips, winding, by a belt, the plurality of heated paper strips around a core rod so as to form a preparatory straw, advancing, by a movement guide part, the preparatory straw along a longitudinal direction of the core rod, and forming a straw by cutting, by a cutting part, the advanced preparatory straw.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which the plurality of heated paper strips is wound around the core rod while at least partially overlapping each other.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which, among the plurality of paper strips, an inner surface of a paper strip being wound in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the core rod is not provided with the thermal adhesive coating material.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which the heater is heated to 350 degrees Celsius to 380 degrees Celsius.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method further including unwinding, by an guide roller, the paper strip in preparation before the heating of the plurality of unwound paper strips by the heater.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which a continuous paper strip is formed by heating and pressing an inner end of the paper strip wound on the roll and an outer end of the paper strip wound on a preparatory roll.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method, after the forming of the straw, further including moving and loading, by a conveyor, the formed straw; and packaging the loaded straw.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which the belt forms a closed loop, the belt is mounted over two cylinders respectively provided on both sides of the core rod, and the two cylinders rotate so that the belt presses the paper strip.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which the belt is wound around outer peripheral surfaces of the two cylinders to have a shape of ‘8’, and one of crossing lines is wound around the core rod once.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing method in which drying of the preparatory straw or the formed straw is not included after the advancing of the preparatory straw or the forming of the straw.

According to yet another aspect, there is provided a paper straw manufacturing system including a roll having a paper strip provided with a thermal adhesive coating material on at least one surface, a core rod having an outer periphery around which the paper strip unwound from the roll is wound, a heater configured to heat the thermal adhesive coating material of the paper strip, a belt configured to wind the paper strip around the core rod to form a preparatory straw, a movement guide part configured to advance the preparatory straw along a longitudinal direction of the core rod, and a cutting part configured to form a straw by cutting the advanced preparatory straw.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the belt winds a plurality of paper strips around the core rod to form the preparatory straw, and, among the plurality of paper strips, an inner surface of the paper strip in direct contact with the core rod is not provided with the thermal adhesive coating material.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including an oil supply configured to apply oil to an inner surface of the paper strip in direct contact with the core rod. The oil may include soybean oil.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the heater comprises hot air supply surfaces formed to face both sides of the paper strip, and a porous duct is formed on each of the hot air supply surfaces to disperse and supply hot air.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the paper strip is provided in plurality, and the hot air supply surfaces are provided on both sides of each of the plurality of paper strips.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the two hot air supply surfaces provided on both sides of each of the plurality of paper strips form a slit through which the paper strip passes therebetween.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the hot air supply surface has a trapezoidal shape whose width is narrowed along an advancing direction of the paper strip.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the heater is provided with a length of 30 cm to 45 cm based on a direction in which the paper strip passes, and a speed at which the paper strip is fed is 50 meter/min to 65 meter/min.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including an input position adjustment part configured to specify a position of the paper strip fed to the core rod and increase a tension.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the input position adjusting part is variably provided to be movable in a thickness direction and a width direction of the paper strip.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the roll includes an inner paper roll provided with an inner paper strip corresponding to an inner paper of the paper straw, a middle paper roll provided with a middle paper strip corresponding to a middle paper of the paper straw, and an outer paper roll provided with an outer paper strip corresponding to an outer paper of the paper straw.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which widths of the inner paper strip, the middle paper strip, and the outer paper strip may increase sequentially. The paper straw manufacturing system may further include an input position adjustment part configured to specify a position of the paper strip fed to the core rod and increase a tension. The input position adjustment part may be adjusted, so that one side of the inner paper strip in a width direction is spaced apart to create a gap with the other side of a next round to be wound around the core rod, and one side of each of the middle paper strip and the outer paper strip in the width direction overlaps at least partially with the other side of the next round.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which an outer surface of the outer paper strip is provided with the thermal adhesive coating material in an amount of 1 gsm to 3 gsm, and each of an inner surface of the outer paper strip, an inner surface and an outer surface of the middle paper strip, and an outer surface of the inner paper strip is provided with the thermal adhesive coating material in an amount of 5 gsm to 10 gsm.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the inner paper strip, the middle paper strip, and the outer paper strip are kraft papers, and each of the inner surface of the outer paper strip, the inner surface and the outer surface of the middle paper strip, and the outer surface of the inner paper strip is provided with the thermal adhesive coating material in an amount of 7 gsm to 10 gsm.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including a roll holder including a guide roller configured to allow the paper strip of the roll to be unwound in preparation and hung.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which a plurality of the guide rollers are provided on each of one side and the other side of the roll holder so that the paper strip unwound in preparation passes in a zigzag manner, and at least two the guide rollers provided at the one side and the other side of the roll holder are configured to decrease a gap therebetween.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including a preparatory roll provided as a subordinate order of the roll, and a connecting part configured to heat and press an inner end of the paper strip of the roll and an outer end of the paper strip of the preparatory roll to form a continuous paper strip.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including a conveyor configured to move and load the formed straw, in which the paper straw manufacturing system does not include a dryer configured to dry the preparatory straw or the formed straw.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system further including two cylinders respectively provided on both sides of the core rod, in which the belt forms a closed loop, the belt is mounted over the two cylinders, and the two cylinders rotate so that the belt presses the paper strip.

In addition, according to another aspect, there is provided the paper straw manufacturing system in which the belt is wound around outer peripheral surfaces of the two cylinders to have a shape of ‘8’, and one side of a crossing line is wound around the core rod once.

Effects

According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, the paper straw manufacturing method and the paper straw manufacturing system have the following effects.

According to at least one of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, a paper straw can be manufactured directly without a drying process, thereby saving manufacturing time and space for drying.

In addition, according to at least one of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, since the drying process is not included, it is possible to solve the issue of foreign substances being stuck during the manufacture of the paper straw.

In addition, according to at least one of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, since the drying process is not included, a separate space and manpower that must be provided for this purpose can be saved.

In addition, according to at least one of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to produce hygienic paper straws because the sterilization effect is accomplished by heating, in particular, high-temperature hot air.

In addition, according to at least one of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, since the glue does not melt when drinking, the taste of the drink is not altered and the shape of the straw can be maintained for a long time.

Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure can clearly be understood by those skilled in the art, so it should be understood that the detailed description and specific example embodiments such as preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are given by way of example only.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, example embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of number of the drawings and overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted. The suffixes “module” and “part” for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves. In addition, in describing the example embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the example embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the example embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG.1illustrates a front view and an enlarged view of some longitudinal cross-sections of a paper straw1manufactured by a paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure,FIG.2is a schematic diagram of the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure, andFIG.3illustrates a region provided with a heater120in the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

The paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure refers to a set of at least one component, member or apparatus for manufacturing the paper straw1. The paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure is not required to be configured as a single apparatus, and thus components included in the paper straw manufacturing system100may include a plurality of physically separated apparatuses.

Briefly, the paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure may include a roll2, a core rod110, a heater120, a belt130, a movement guide part140, and a cutting part150. A paper strip3wound on the roll2becomes the raw material of the paper straw1, and the remaining components operate so that the paper strip3can be formed into the paper straw1.

The paper straw1is manufactured by a method in which the paper strip3is wound and fixed. The paper straw1may be formed of several layers of paper, and one layer is formed by winding a single continuous paper strip3spirally a plurality of times. More specifically, the paper strip3is wound around the core rod110and fixed, and then falls out of the core rod110to have the shape of the paper straw1, that is, a cylindrical shape having a hollow in the longitudinal direction.

When the paper straw1is formed of several layers of paper, the rigidity of the paper straw1increases to help maintain the shape of the paper straw1. In addition, the paper strip3of another adjacent layer also serves to fill a gap that may occur when the paper strip3is repeatedly wound spirally.

As the paper straw1is formed in several layers, the rigidity increases and the probability of occurrence of gaps decreases, but the manufacturing cost increases, the weight increases, and the diameter of the space where the beverage is sucked up decreases. Thus, an appropriate compromise is required.

Considering the above, the paper straw1is preferably composed of three layers. The paper straw1composed of three layers has the advantage that the probability of occurrence of a gap is significantly lower than that of the paper straw1composed of two layers, and the rigidity can also be sufficiently guaranteed.

Hereinafter, it will be described on the assumption that the paper straw1is composed of three layers. However, other features of the paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure are only premised on the case that the paper straw1is composed of a plurality of layers, and does not necessarily require that it should be composed of three layers.

In the three-layered paper straw1, the paper strip3constituting the innermost layer and the paper strip3constituting the outermost layer are defined as an inner paper1aand an outer paper1c, respectively, and also, the paper strip3provided between the inner paper1aand the outer paper1cis defined as a middle paper1b.

In addition, in order to further enhance the durability of the paper straw1, the paper strip boundaries3x,3y, and3zof the respective layers may be manufactured to be shifted. The boundary (gap or overlap region;3x,3y, or3z) generated by the spiral winding of each paper strip3a,3bor3cbecomes a relatively weak region. Therefore, it is preferable that these boundary regions3x,3y, and3zare provided to be displaced from each other rather than overlapped on a straight line in the stacking direction. Accordingly, the center line CB of the paper strip3bof the middle paper1bis provided biased to one side than the center line CA of the paper strip3aof the inner paper1a, and the center line CC of the paper strip3cof the outer paper1cis provided biased to the other side than the center line CA of the paper strip3aof the inner paper1a. At this time, the degree of bias is less than half the width of the paper strip3. This is because, when the degree of bias is greater than the half the width of the paper strip3, it goes closer to the paper strip of the adjacent round in the spiral pattern, so that the above feature becomes meaningless.

The paper strips3corresponding to respective layers of the paper straw1are formed by unwinding from respective separate rolls2a,2b, and2c. The inner paper strip3ais formed from the inner paper roll2a, the outer paper strip3cis formed from the outer paper roll2c, and the middle paper strip3bis formed from the middle paper roll2b.

The paper strip3is unwound from the roll2to be wound around the core rod110. The outer circumferential surface of the core rod110becomes the opposite surface to which the paper strip3is wound in a straw shape. Therefore, the outer diameter of the core rod110corresponds to the inner diameter of the straw.

The core rod110is made of a metal material to ensure rigidity and heat resistance. The metal core rod110prevents deformation during winding and advance of the paper strip3, and also minimizes the press and stick phenomenon of the paper strip3.

The belt130presses the paper strip3to the core rod110so that the paper strip3can be wound in close contact with the core rod110. The paper strip3pressed by the belt130is wound around the core rod110to form a preparatory straw P. The preparatory straw1′ is defined as the paper strip3after being wound around the core rod110and before being cut by the cutting part150.

The preparatory straw1′ is advanced in one longitudinal direction of the core rod110by the movement guide part140, and the advanced preparatory straw1′ is cut by the cutting part150to form the paper straw1.

The biggest feature of the paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure is that the paper strips3have already been provided with solidified thermal adhesive coating material11when they are in rolls2and they receive heat during the process of winding around the core rod110to be fixed in the shape of a straw. That is, while the conventional manufacturing system goes through a process of applying glue and drying after making a paper straw shape first, in the case of the present disclosure, the drying process is omitted. Therefore, it is possible to save time for drying, which was conventionally necessary, and the dryer provided for drying can also be omitted.

The heater120heats the paper strip3being wound around the core rod110. The thermal adhesive coating material11of the heated paper strip3is melted and then hardened in an instant, and gets an adhesive force to fix the paper strip3wound in the shape of a straw.

FIG.4is a schematic side view of respective paper strips3a,3b, and3cof the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

The thermal adhesive coating material11may be formed of an acrylate-based heat-sealing material. In particular, the thermal adhesive coating material11is an eco-friendly material and may have the properties of a water-based coating agent. As a representative example, the thermal adhesive coating material11may be one of the RP-series of rePAPER Inc., and in particular, RP200 may be a suitable example.

The thermal adhesive coating material11may be provided on at least one surface of the paper strip3. The paper strip3is cured after the thermal adhesive coating material11is applied to at least one surface, and is wound up and stored in rolls2.

The thermal adhesive coating material11may be provided on at least one surface of each of the inner paper strip3a, middle paper strip3b, and outer paper strip3c. When the thermal adhesive coating material11of the paper strip3is heated and cured, it adheres to the adjacent paper strip3facing the thermal adhesive coating material11. On the other hand, the thermal adhesive coating material11that does not face the paper strip3serves only as a coating. That is, even with the same thermal adhesive coating material11, when there is a counterpart, it serves both as the adhesive and as the coating, and when there is no counterpart, it serves only as the coating. That is, when the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on one surface of any paper strip3is heated and cured in contact with the adjacent paper strip3, it is adhered with the adjacent paper strip3and coated, and when it is exposed to the outside without coming into contact with any paper strip3and heated and cured, it acts as the coating. At this time, the coating may mean a waterproof coating having water resistance so that the paper strip3is not easily got wet or seeped by an external liquid.

The thermal adhesive coating material11may be provided on the outer surface of the inner paper strip3a, the inner surface and the outer surface of the middle paper strip3b, and the inner surface and the outer surface of the outer paper strip3c. The inner paper strip3aand the middle paper strip3bare bonded to each other by the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the outer surface of the inner paper strip3aand the inner surface of the middle paper strip3b. The middle paper strip3band the outer paper strip3care bonded to each other by the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the outer surface of the middle paper strip3band the inner surface of the outer paper strip3c. That is, the two adjacent paper strips3adhere as the two thermal adhesive coating materials11provided on opposite surfaces are heated and compressed. Heating and curing the thermal adhesive coating material11on both sides of the opposite paper strips3improves adhesion reliability, which also contributes to an increase in production speed. For example, it is more advantageous in terms of adhesion reliability and production speed if 5 gsm of the thermal adhesive coating material11is provided on each of the two sides of the two opposite paper strips3than the case of heating and curing where only one side of the two paper strips3is provided with 10 gsm and the other side is without any of them.

However, if necessary, only one surface of the two surfaces may be provided with the thermal adhesive coating material11.

The thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the outer surface of the outer paper strip3chas water resistance to act as the coating to prevent a liquid such as beverage from seeping into the paper straw1. On the other hand, the thermal adhesive coating material11is not provided on the inner surface of the inner paper strip3a, which is to prevent the inner paper strip3a, which is directly facing the core rod110, from being pressed and stuck thereon. In other words, the thermal adhesive coating material11is not provided on the inner surface of the paper strip (corresponding to the inner paper strip3aabove) of the inner paper part4, but provided on the outer surface of the paper strip (corresponding to the outer paper strip3cabove) forming the outermost layer of the outer paper part5and between two adjacent paper strips (the inner paper strip3aand the middle paper strip3b, the middle paper strip3band the outer paper strip3c). The thermal adhesive coating material11performs the coating function on the outer surface of the paper strip forming the outermost layer of the outer paper part5, and the thermal adhesive coating material11between two adjacent paper strips performs the coating and adhesion function.

Each paper strip3may be provided with a mass per unit area of 40 gsm to 120 gsm, which is applied differently in consideration of the specifications of the paper straw1and the like.

It is advantageous that the outer paper strip3chas a smaller mass per unit area than the middle paper strip3bor the inner paper strip3a. This is because the outer paper strip3cis a portion that touches a user's mouth as a straw, so that the protruding area due to overlapping, etc., is minimized when the thickness is thin, and this gives the user less sense of foreign substances. Preferably, the ratio of mass per unit area of the paper strip3(i.e., outer paper strip3c) forming the outermost layer of the outer paper part5with respect to the paper strip3(i.e., inner paper strip3a) of the inner paper part4may be 0.5 to 0.8.

The amount of the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on one surface of the paper strip3may be 1 gsm to 15 gsm. The amount to which the thermal adhesive coating material11is applied is an important factor for proper adhesion reliability and waterproof performance. While a sufficient amount must be applied to achieve adhesion and coating performance, using as little as possible helps to reduce manufacturing costs.

In particular, in order to ensure adhesion reliability between adjacent paper strips3of different layers, the thermal adhesive coating material11may be provided on both sides of the paper strip3in an amount of 5 gsm to 10 gsm, respectively. Since the thermal adhesive coating material11for adhesion is provided on each opposite surface of the two paper strips3facing each other, when the two paper strips3are combined, 10 gsm to 20 gsm of the thermal adhesive coating material11will be provided.

The thermal adhesive coating material11provided on one surface of the paper strip3for adhesion may vary depending on the paper material. In the case of kraft paper in which the paper structure of the paper strip3is not relatively dense, it may be provided in 7 to 10 gsm, and in the case of general paper in which the paper structure is relatively dense, it may be provided in 5 to 7 gsm.

Meanwhile, since the outer surface of the outer paper strip3cdoes not need the adhesion but only requires the coating function, a smaller amount than the above case may be provided. For example, the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the outer surface of the outer paper strip3cmay be provided in a range of 1 gsm to 3 gsm.

The ratio of mass per unit area of the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the outer surface of the paper strip3forming the outermost layer with respect to the thermal adhesive coating material11provided between the two adjacent paper strips3is 0.1 to 0.6.

Referring back toFIG.3, in order to prevent the inner surface of the inner paper strip3afrom being pressed and stuck on the core rod110, an oil supply111applies oil to the inner surface of the inner paper strip3afacing the core rod110in direct contact. The oil supply111may apply oil to the inner paper strip3aat a point before the paper strip3is wound on the core rod110. It may be implemented in such a way that a certain amount of the oil is periodically dropped. The oil-coated inner paper strip3acan minimize the frictional force generated between the preparatory straw1′ and the core rod110even if it is wound around the core rod110since a film is formed between the two components. The oil may include edible soybean oil in particular, considering the usage environment of the paper straw1.

For oil drop, the inner paper strip3amay be fed onto the core rod110so that the inner surface thereof comes to the top. That is, from the top, the inner paper strip3a, the middle paper strip3b, and the outer paper strip3care sequentially fed onto the core rod110, and they may be provided so as to be wound into the lower side of the core rod110.

In some cases, the middle paper strip3bmay be omitted to form the paper straw1only with the inner paper strip3aand the outer paper strip3c. Even in this case, the above-described characteristics of the inner paper strip3aand the outer paper strip3care maintained as they are.

FIG.5illustrates a heater120of the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.FIGS.1to4are also referred together.

The heater120heats the paper strip3being wound around the core rod110, more specifically, the thermal adhesive coating material11provided on the paper strip3to couple the two adjacent paper strips3to be fixed to each other.

The heater120heats the paper strip3at a point before the paper strip3starts to be wound on the core rod110and causes the paper strip3to be wound on the core rod110in a heated state. At this time, it is preferable that the heater120is provided immediately before the winding point, because if heated at a point much before the winding point, the paper strip3may be wound on the core rod110while the heated thermal adhesive coating material11is cooled.

There may be various ways to heat the paper strip3, but in particular, the heater120may be driven by a hot air supply method. Heating the paper strip3with the hot air supply method makes it easy to heat the object to be heated when it is separated from the heat source. Also, it prevents the issue of burning or scorching the object from being in direct contact with the heat source, and the object to be heated can be heated over a relatively large area.

The heater120includes a hot air supply surface121corresponding to at least one surface of the paper strip3. The hot air supply surfaces121corresponding to one paper strip3may be provided on both sides to correspond to respective surfaces of the paper strip3. The hot air supply surface121is preferably provided to face at least the surface of the paper strip3on which the thermal adhesive coating material11is provided.

The hot air supply surface121may include a porous duct122through which the hot air is distributed and supplied. The porous duct122makes the paper strip3passing the hot air supply surface121to be heated uniformly and continuously for the widest possible area.

When it is the case where the inner paper strip3a, the middle paper strip3b, and the outer paper strip3care fed onto the core rod110, the heater120may have three slits123to allow the three paper strips3to pass through. In particular, each slit123may be defined as a space between two facing hot air supply surfaces121.

Each slit123is formed to have a width and thickness that are sufficiently larger than the width and thickness of the paper strip3to secure a free space so that the paper strip3fed to be wound on the core rod110may move in the width direction or thickness direction within the slit123to take an appropriate position.

At this time, the hot air supply surface121may have a shape corresponding to the paper strip3or the space occupied by the paper strip3. This increases the thermal efficiency and improves the adhesion reliability of the paper strip3. More specifically, the hot air supply surface121may have a trapezoidal shape whose width becomes narrower in the moving direction of the paper strip3. This is due to the shape in which the inner paper strip3a, the middle paper strip3b, and the outer paper strip3care arranged to gather together as they approach the core rod110in order to overlap and be wound on the core rod110.

As the length of the heater120increases, it is possible to simultaneously supply heat to a larger area of the paper strip3. In addition, there is an advantage that the speed of the preparatory straw1′ advancing along the core rod110may increase. The appropriate length of the heater120relative to the direction in which the paper strip3passes is 30 cm to 45 cm. This is a value reflecting the above factors, and the speed of the preparatory straw1′ passing the core rod110, which is 50 meter/min to 65 meter/min. When the moving speed of the preparatory straw1′ increases, the length of the heater120becomes longer, and when the moving speed decreases, the length of the heater120may become shorter.

At least one side of the heater120may have an opening/closing member124that can be opened and closed so that the paper strip3can be easily positioned in the slit123of the heater120during the initial setting process. The opening/closing member124is provided to rotate by the hinge1241so that the paper strip3can be initially inserted, and heat loss can be reduced by using the same member as the other regions of the heater120. The opening/closing member124allows the paper strip3to be easily positioned in the slit123and prevents heat from being lost laterally during the heating process.

FIG.6relates to another example embodiment of the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

Unlike the heater120described above, it may be provided in a manner that provides hot air only from one side of the paper strip3fed onto the core rod110. The heater120of this example embodiment may be provided alone, or it may be provided together with the heater120of the previous example embodiment to further increase adhesion reliability.

The heaters120of the hot air method described inFIGS.5and6may include a high-pressure blower for forming a fluid, and the fluid formed through this may pass through the air hose126and come out to the hot air supply surface121or the outlet. Immediately before the hot air supply surface121or the outlet, an air heating member129is provided to increase the temperature of the fluid.

The heater120may include a temperature measurement part and a temperature controller128that adjusts the output based on the measured temperature so that the fluid may be supplied at a constant temperature or a desired temperature. An appropriate temperature for supplying heat to the heater120by the temperature controller128is 350° C. to 380° C. This is due to the melting point of the thermal adhesive coating material11. Therefore, in the case of the paper straw1manufactured using the thermal adhesive coating material11, it does not melt even when the paper straw1is put in hot water, for example, boiling water at 100° C. In addition, disinfection or sterilization effect can be obtained at the same time through high-temperature heating, so it is hygienic.

FIG.7relates to yet another example embodiment of the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

In addition, the core rod110itself may serve as the heater120independently or additionally. One region of the core rod110may be provided with a material that generates heat to help the paper strip3to be heated and fixed in the course of advance. For example, the core rod110includes a nickel hot wire112for one region, and the nickel hot wire112is configured as a circuit and may be heated according to the application of current.

The heating method of the core rod110may be used along with the heating method of the heater120described above.

The heatable core rod110may also include a temperature measurement part and the temperature controller128to maintain a desired temperature.

Referring back toFIG.3orFIG.6, the belt130presses the paper strip3to be wound around the core rod110in the shape of a paper straw1. The belt130holds the paper strip3so that the paper strip3can be wound around the core rod110while being twisted. To this end, the belt130needs to twist the paper strip3. To this end, the belt130forms a closed loop, and the closed loop belt130is fixed to two cylinders131provided on both sides of the core rod110and moved by rotating together with the rotation of the cylinders131. Since the movement direction of the belt130is along the longitudinal direction of the belt130, the movement of the belt130circulates along the path of the closed loop.

More specifically, the belt130is wound and fixed on each outer circumferential surface of the two cylinders131, and by twisting once, the cross line1301is formed so that the belt130as a whole may have an ‘8’ shape. The belt130twisted in the shape of ‘8’ has a larger contact area with the cylinders131than the untwisted belt130to form a stronger tension, which prevents the belt130from spinning.

The cylinders131are rotated by a motor, and the rotating cylinders131move the belt130. For the movement of the belt130, the two cylinders131rotate in the same direction.

One side1301aof the intersecting line1301of the belt130moves in close contact with the core rod110by moving while being wound around the core rod110at least once, which means that the belt130may twist the paper strip3more effectively. The belt130wound around the core rod110allows the entire circumference of the paper strip3to be pressed on the core rod110.

The movement direction of the belt130may be the same direction as the direction in which the paper strip3is wound around the core rod110. Since the paper strip3moves in one direction at the same time as being wound around the core rod110, the paper strip3is consequently subjected to a twisting force in an oblique direction.

As described above, the paper strip3unwound from the roll2passes through the slit123of the heater120, and it is then wound around the core rod110.

At this time, the paper strip3should be fed into the heater120, the slit123, and the core rod110at an appropriate position. This is not only to prevent the paper strip3from interfering with the heater120, but also to have the intended shape of the paper straw1wound around the core rod110in an appropriate pattern.

When the paper strip3unwound from the roll2is directly fed into the core rod110without a separate structure, the input height or left and right positions of the paper strip3are not constant depending on the degree of unwinding of the roll2. In addition, the sagging of the paper strip3occurs in the process.

The input position adjustment part180serves to specify the position of the paper strip3fed onto the core rod110. In addition, the input position adjustment part180increases the tension of the paper strip3so that the paper strip3can be tightly wound around the core rod110. In order to increase the tension, the input position adjustment part180is provided with two guide members181so that the paper strip3can be inserted between the two guide members181.

The input position adjustment part180is variably provided to be movable in the thickness direction (up and down direction based onFIG.3) and the width direction (left and right direction based onFIG.3) of the paper strip3, so that the input point of the paper strip3can be adjusted as needed.

When it is assumed that the paper strip3is fed horizontally, the left and right direction adjustment of the input position adjustment part180will affect the angle of the paper strip3wound around the core rod110, and furthermore the spacing between the winding paper strips3. For example, through the left and right direction adjustment of the input position adjustment part180, one side of the inner paper strip3ain the width direction is wound spaced apart so that a certain gap S is created with the other side of the inner paper strip3aof the next round, or it can be wound almost adjacently. When the width of the middle paper strip3bis greater than the width of the inner paper strip3a, and the width of the outer paper strip3cis greater than the width of the middle paper strip3b, the middle paper strip3bmay be wound partially overlapping each other L1, and the outer paper strip3cmay also be wound partially overlapping each other L2(seeFIG.1). The inner paper strip3ais wound so as not to overlap each other, thereby preventing the thickness of the paper straw1from thickening or preventing constant adhesion from interrupting, also, and the overlap of the middle paper strip3band the outer paper strip3cprevents gaps from forming in the paper straw1.

A thermal adhesive coating material11is provided in each overlapping region of the outer paper part5, that is, the overlapping region of the middle paper strip3band the outer paper strip3c, so that the overlapping region is also adhered to form a fixing force.

In some cases, the inner paper strip3a, the middle paper strip3b, and the outer paper strip3cmay all be generated so as not to overlap each other. In this case, it is possible to prevent the protrusion region (e.g., L1or L2) from generating in the paper straw1.

In a preferred example embodiment, the width of the inner paper strip3amay be 13.5 mm, the width of the middle paper strip3bmay be 14 mm, and the width of the outer paper strip3cmay be 15 mm.

However, this may vary according to the specifications of the paper straw1, that is, the diameter and length of the paper straw1as well as the material and the like. The width of the paper strip3can be applied in various ways from 10 mm to 30 mm.

FIG.8illustrates a region provided with a roll holder160in the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

The roll holder160holds the paper strip3provided in the roll2before being fed onto the core rod110. When the paper straw1is formed by the three-ply paper strip3, the roll holder160holds the inner paper roll2a, the middle paper roll2band the outer paper roll2cand supplies the paper strips3from respective rolls.

The roll holder160may further include a guide roller161. The guide roller161is provided between the input position adjustment part180and the roll2based on the movement path of the paper strip3. The paper strip3is unwound from the roll2and passes through the guide roller161to the input position adjustment part180. The guide roller161serves to not only guide the approximate direction so that the paper strip3can be fed at an appropriate position toward the input position adjustment part180, but also to unwind the paper strip3in advance, which prevents the roll2from being suddenly exhausted.

In order to secure the expansion path, the guide rollers161may be provided on one side and the other side, respectively. In particular, by having a plurality of guide rollers161on one side and a plurality of guide rollers161on the other side, the paper strip3unwound in preparation may reciprocate one side and the other side in a zigzag manner.

As described above, the guide roller161allows the paper strip3to be sufficiently unwound before being fed onto the core rod110. Accordingly, even if the paper strip3of the roll2is exhausted, a spare time is provided for the next roll2, that is, the preparatory roll2′ to be fed. In particular, when the roll2in use is about to be exhausted, the end point of the roll2in use, that is, the inner end of the paper strip3, is connected to the starting point of the preparatory roll2′, that is, the outer end of the paper strip3. In this case, the paper strip3may be continuously fed onto the core rod110without additional measures or time delay. The guide roller161secures time to connect the two paper strips3.

In particular, by using the properties of the thermal adhesive coating material11provided in the paper strip3, the end point of the previous roll2and the start point of the preparatory roll2′ can be connected by heating and pressing. Accordingly, a part where the paper strip3is cut off or a dead area connected otherwise does not generated, so that continuous production is possible and resource is not wasted.

The two paper strips3of the roll2and the preparatory roll2′ may be connected by a connecting part170. The connecting part170may include a heating part171that generates heat to heat the thermal adhesive coating material11of the two paper strips3and a pressing part172that presses and compresses the heated paper strip3. The heating part171and the pressing part172may be integrally formed to constitute the connecting part170.

The pressing part172has two pressing members provided on both sides so that the paper strip3and the preparatory paper strip3′ pass therebetween, and the two pressing members get close selectively to compress the paper strip3. Among them, one pressing member may be the above-described heating part171. The heated and pressed paper strips3are connected to each other by the thermal adhesive coating material11.

In addition, a distance between at least two guide rollers161corresponding to one side and the other side among the plurality of guide rollers161may be selectively narrowed. This is because even when connecting both ends of the two paper strips3by heating and pressing using the connecting part170, the paper strips3are continuously fed, which makes sure that the connected portion of the two paper strips3does not be pulled into the input point.

Narrowing of one side of the guide roller161and the other side of the guide roller161may be implemented by an elastic part163having a restoring force such as a spring structure. That is, even if the gap is momentarily narrowed due to the pulling of the paper strip3, the restoring force of the elastic part163provided on at least one side restores the gap between the two guide rollers161to the original position, and returns to a normal state.

FIG.9illustrates a region provided with a cutting part150in the paper straw manufacturing system100related to the present disclosure.

The preparatory straw1′ formed by being wound around the core rod110is continuously advanced in one direction by the movement guide part140. This advancing direction is the opposite side to the side where the paper strip3to be fed is located in the longitudinal direction of the core rod110.

The advanced preparatory straw1′ is cut to a predetermined length by the cutting part150to make the preparatory straw1′ to be a straw. The cutting part150may include a plurality of blades151spaced apart at regular intervals. The blades151may be implemented in the form of a rotating circular blade151, and a plurality of straws are repeatedly produced from the supplied preparatory straw1′ by performing a reciprocating motion. As the number of blades151increases, the number of paper straws1that can be produced at one time may increase. Therefore, this means that it is possible to slow down the moving speed of the preparatory straw1′ relatively, which in turn can reduce the load on the driving apparatus required for the movement of the preparatory straw1′.

The formed straws can be moved and loaded via a conveyor. Since the paper straw1of the present disclosure does not require a drying process, it can be directly loaded by a conveyor, and can be packaged immediately, thereby improving production efficiency.

Hereinafter, a paper straw manufacturing method for manufacturing the paper straw1by the paper straw manufacturing system100of the present disclosure will be described based on the order in which the paper strip advances. Reference is made to all ofFIGS.1to9.

In the initial state, a plurality of paper strips3a,3b, and3care unwound from a plurality of rolls2a,2b, and2c, respectively. At this time, the plurality of rolls2a,2b, and2care mounted on the roll holder160. The paper strip3unwound from the roll2is unwound in preparation by the guide roller161of the roll holder160, and then advances toward the core rod110.

Before being wound on the core rod110by the belt130, respective unwound paper strips3a,3b, and3care heated by the heater120. Among them, the inner surface of the paper strip3that becomes the innermost layer of the straw1(or the preparatory straw1′) is additionally subject to a process in which oil is applied. The process of applying the oil is performed before the process of heating by the heater120, but may be carried out before winding on the core rod110after the heating process if necessary.

The position of the paper strip3to be fed to the heater120and the core rod110may be specified while the paper strip3passes through the input position adjustment part180in the process before passing the heater120. The reason why the input position adjustment part180is provided before the heater120is to prevent the case where the position of the paper strip3is unintentionally changed or the paper strip3is heated incorrectly due to the interference of the slit123of the heater120and the paper strip3.

At this time, the process of applying oil to the inner surface of the innermost paper strip3may be performed at the same point as the input position adjustment part180.

The plurality of paper strips3passing through the heater120is wound around the core rod110so that at least one region overlaps each other. For example, the inner paper strip3a, the middle paper strip3band the outer paper strip3care properly overlapped to be wound around the core rod110, which can be adjusted by the above-described input position adjustment part180. The plurality of paper strips3a,3b, and3cproperly overlapped make the boundaries of respective paper strips3a,3b, and3cnot to be located on the same line when the straws1are formed therefrom, so that the rigidity reliability of the straw1is guaranteed and the possibility of liquid ingress of the straw1is minimized.

The paper strip3wound around the core rod110forms a preparatory straw1′, and the preparatory straw1′ advances along the longitudinal direction of the core rod110by the movement guide part140.

The advanced preparatory straw1′ is cut by the cutting part150to form the straw1. The cutting part150is provided with a plurality of blades151so that a plurality of straws1can be formed simultaneously by one operation of the cutting part150.

The formed straw1can be moved and loaded by a conveyor. The loaded straw1may be packaged to complete the manufacturing process.

Additionally, a preparatory roll2′ may be provided to prevent the supply of the paper strip3from being discontinuously stopped when the roll2is exhausted. The preparatory roll2′ may be mounted together with the roll2on the roll holder160. The outer end of the paper strip3of the preparatory roll2′ is connected to the inner end of the paper strip3of the roll2being exhausted so that the paper strip3can be fed onto the core rod110without interruption. In particular, in order to eliminate the dead area of the paper strip3and take advantage of the thermal adhesive coating material11, the outer end of the paper strip3′ of the preparatory roll2′ and the inner end of the paper strip3of the roll2being exhausted can be connected by heating and pressing.

Heating and pressing of the two paper strips3and3′ may be performed before being fed into the guide roller161of the roll holder160.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the present disclosure.

The above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present disclosure are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The features described above may be partially or wholly applied to a paper straw manufacturing method or a paper straw manufacturing system in the industry.