The invention relates to a device for transferring a coating to a substrate from a coating side of a carrier tape, comprising a primary structure, a feed reel connected to the primary structure for the carrier tape provided with coating, a take-up reel connected to the primary structure for taking up the used carrier tape, a transfer head protruding from the primary structure, wherein the carrier tape is carried from the feed reel along the transfer head to the take-up reel.

In this application the side to which the coating is applied will be designated as "coating side" and the opposite side as "rear side" of the carrier tape.

The coating can consist of glue, marking or correcting agent, wherein glue is in fact also used in the latter two on the outside of the carrier tape in order to transfer the marking or correcting agent to a substrate. A coating transfer device such as for glue, marking or correcting agent is known. The substances for applying will be designated hereinbelow as coating. The invention is described specifically for a transfer device for glue, but it can also be a different coating transfer device.

It is known to arrange glue on a carrier tape or ribbon, wherein the ribbon is rolled over the surface for glueing. The glue is herein transferred from the ribbon to the surface, for instance paper. The invention relates to such devices.

It has been found that such transfer devices do not function well. The carrier tape provided with the coating is wound onto a feed reel. The coating herein lies

on the coating side of the carrier tape, which can be the outer side but also the inner side, depending on the take- up and feed directions and the position of the head. On the feed reel the coating side of the tape is in contact with the rear side of another piece of tape. During use the carrier tape is unwound from the feed reel. The part of the carrier tape leaving the feed reel can herein pull away glue from the tape still present on the reel, or vice versa. These glue traces on the rear side of the carrier tape can enter the device and disrupt the functioning thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a coating transfer device with an increased functionality, in particular a reduced chance of blockage. This object is achieved by coating removal means in contact with the carrier tape during use for the purpose of removing the coating from the carrier tape. The coating removal means will as it were provide a means scraping along at least one side of the coating carrier. Coating residues, in particular glue residues, are hereby removed from the side of the carrier tape guided along the removal means, and at least this side is clean. Parts situated downstream are hereby not contaminated by coating residues and disruptions to the mechanism are prevented. This ultimately results in the transfer function being maintained.

In a preferred embodiment the transfer device comprises a guide means for the carrier tape which also form the transfer head of the transfer device, and a guide means provided with a scraping means. Removal of coating hereby takes place at a location other than the transfer head. The guide means can be mutually connected to form an integral component.

The removal of the coating preferably takes place upstream of the transfer head. Coating is hereby removed from carrier tape before it can contaminate the transfer head. The carrier tape can be a paper ribbon but is preferably a foil ribbon. Foil ribbon can be given a thinner form and more metres of carrier tape can therefore be applied in a transfer device.

The coating, for instance glue, is preferably arranged on the outer side of the tape. The coating removal means and the guide means of the transfer device preferably engage on the rear side of the tape.

The glue is preferably applied to the tape in a pattern, for instance in the form of dots. Dots are spots of glue which are applied to the coating side of the tape with open intermediate spaces between the spots of glue. The advantage of a pattern glue instead of a continuous glue is that, when the glue is transferred onto a substrate, there is less chance of glue threads being pulled away. The dots or otherwise shaped separate glue elements act individually in each case, and the mutual cohesion is thereby broken. The glue for applying hereby does not behave as one large application mass.

Because use is made of separate glue elements, these elements can detach from the carrier tape, particularly when a foil ribbon is used. As stated above, foil ribbon does however have considerable advantages over the use of paper ribbon. In some cases the glue elements will break the connection to the coating side and adhere to the rear side of the ribbon leaving the reel. These detached glue elements can have an adverse effect on the operation of the transfer device if they come to rest therein.

Because the invention provides coating removal means, the glue elements on the rear side of the ribbon are prevented from reaching the transfer head or a part of the mechanism situated further downstream. This prevents the glue being able to accumulate on the transfer head, whereby this will function less well. Accumulation of glue elements close to the transfer point has the result that a very high friction is generated here. An alternative solution is the use of a lubricant, such as a silicone gel, on the application tip so as to avoid deposition of glue residues. As a result of the invention it is however possible to dispense with such adhesion-reducing intervention, thereby reducing production costs.

The coating removal means are preferably arranged on the transfer head, wherein the transfer head comprises both the application tip and the scraping means. The head is connected to a housing of the coating transfer device or forms part of a primary structure which can be connected to the housing. The primary structure forms a refill unit which can be exchanged when the carrier tape runs out.

The transfer head preferably comprises a roller which is preferably rotatably connected to the transfer head. Such a roller, along which the ribbon is guided, again provides for an improvement in the operation of the transfer device. Particularly the correct take-up of used tape is hereby ensured. The roller guides the rear side of the ribbon.

In another embodiment the coating removal means can be provided with glue discharge means. The glue pulled or scraped off the carrier tape is hereby discharged from the removal means. As a result the removed glue cannot affect the further functioning of the device.

The coating removal means preferably comprise two or three scraping means for scraping two or three sides of the ribbon. The coating removal means preferably comprise one or two upright flanges for scraping a side edge of the ribbon.

In another embodiment the coating transfer device has a housing and a refill unit accommodated therein. The refill unit can be accommodated in the housing, whereby the housing is reusable. The refill unit comprises the head, the reels and the mechanism for the feed and take-up of the carrier tape. The housing preferably has a receiving space for the refill unit.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure IA shows a partly cut-away perspective view of a first embodiment of a coating transfer device according to the invention;

Figure IB shows a detail view of the transfer device of figure IA; Figure 2 shows a partial side view of the transfer device of figure IA;

Figure 3 shows a transfer head of the transfer device of figure IA, and

Figure 4 shows a view of a second embodiment of a coating transfer device according to the invention, provided with a refill unit.

Figure 1 shows a glue transfer device 1, wherein one housing part is removed and another housing part 2 is visible. Housing parts 2 together form a housing and enclose a space 4 in which the diverse components 3 of the transfer device are received. Housing parts 2 are mutually connected by means of pins 5 which are inserted into holes provided in the other housing part.

On the shown housing part 2 are arranged two shafts, the central axes 9, 10 of which are indicated in figure IA. Visible is a toothed wheel 8 and a core part 44 which is fixed thereto and which is mounted around shaft 9. A similar toothed wheel (not shown in figure IA) and a core part 46 fixed thereto are mounted around shaft 10. The toothed wheels engage each other so that rotation of the one toothed wheel results in rotation of the other toothed wheel. Attached to core part 44 are friction shoes 45 which are in frictional contact with a feed reel 11, onto which is wound a carrier tape 18 provided with a coating on the coating side. A take-up reel 12 is fixed to core part 46. Unwinding of the tape 18 results in rotation of feed reel 11. Toothed wheel 8 co-rotates due to the connection on the basis of friction. Take-up reel 12 is driven by the rotation of toothed wheel 8 and winds the used tape onto the reel. The size of the toothed wheels and the varying diameters of feed and take-up reels 11, 12 determine the mutual rotation ratio.

A tape 18 is wound around reels 11 and 12. Unused tape 18 provided with a coating, in this case glue in a pattern, is wound onto feed reel 11, the supply reel. Tape 18 is guided from feed reel 11 along the bottom to a transfer head 13 (arrow 16) , where it is guided around an application tip 14 and back into housing 2 (arrow 17) , along the top of feed reel 11 and between the two reels 11, 12 and is finally wound onto take-up reel 12. A slotted hole with arrow 15 is provided in the core of take-up reel 12. A user can insert a tool into the slotted hole and rotate it as according to arrow 15 to enable the transport of tape in the device without coating being dispensed.

In the situation of use the user will hold device

I and, when a line of glue is being applied, will move it according to arrow 19 over a substrate, for instance the paper to which glue must be applied. Tape 18 will hereby be wound and unwound as described. Glue is dispensed onto the substrate close to application tip 14.

Transfer head 13 is shown in more detail in figures IB, 2 and 3. Head 13 is formed by injection moulding. The body of head 13 comprises a central part 20. A part 21 of central part 20 protrudes rearward as seen according to the view of figure 2. End part 21 is provided with a bore 22 in which a pin protruding inward from housing part 2 can be received in order to connect head 13 to housing parts 2. Shaft parts protruding from housing parts 2 can also be arranged in bore 22 instead of a pin. Central part 20 also comprises a bore 35 into which can be inserted a pin or two shaft parts connected to housing parts 2. The pin/hole connections provide fixing of housing parts 2 and the enclosing of head 13 therebetween. A part 23 protrudes toward the front side of head

13. Two wings 24, 25 are arranged on either side on a front end of part 23, wherein shaft parts 26 are arranged on the sides directed toward each other close to the outer end of wings 24, 25. Shaft parts 26 serve as a shaft for a roller 27 which is not shown in figure 3 but which can be seen in figures IB and 2. Roller 27 can rotate relative to wings 24, 25. Roller 27 guides the rear side of tape 18 around application tip 14. On the underside of head 13 is arranged a rib 28 in which a ridge 29 is formed. Tape 18 is guided over this ridge 29.

Rib 28 with ridge 29 forms a guide means for tape 18, at least for that part of tape 18 situated between reel

II and application tip 14.

Tape 18 has a coating side, in this case the outer side, designated with 30 on which glue is arranged, and a rear side designated with 31. Rear side 31 should be glue-free. However, winding tape 18 around reel 11 has the result that it is also possible for glue residues to be present on rear side 31 of tape 18. Coating side 30 is kept on the outside when it is guided over roller 27. Glue on the coating side can be transferred onto a substrate.

Tape 18 is guided in a manner such that the rear side 31 of tape 18 is moved over ridge 29, wherein the ridge acts as glue removal means. Glue residues present on rear side 31 are removed from this side by ridge 29 and will therefore not come to lie on roller 27. This prevents glue residues being able to accumulate on and close to the application tip or between the mechanism for transporting the tape, whereby the device becomes blocked in the case of accumulation. By using the coating removal means in the form of rib 28 with ridge 29 a considerable improvement in the functioning of such coating transfer devices is achieved in surprisingly effective manner.

The glue residues come to lie on rear side 34 of rib 28 as seen in the transport direction of the tape. Although mention is also made in this text of scraping glue from rear side 31 of the tape, it appears more as if the glue is pulled away from rear side 31 of the tape. Glue is in any case removed from an undesired position on the tape and stored in order to prevent accumulation of glue residues at locations which are important for the functioning of the device. The advantages of the invention become particularly apparent when glue is applied to tape 18 in the form of dots, i.e. in a pattern instead of continuously. Such glue elements can easily come to lie on

rear side 31 of tape 18 and result in impaired functioning of the device.

The skilled person will be familiar with embodying the coating removal means according to the invention in different ways.

Figure IA shows a situation wherein the feed reel is partly unwound. Tape 18 herein runs off reel 11 at a determined diameter. The line between the last contact point of tape 18 with reel 11, roughly designated with 32 in figure IA, and dispensing point 14 close to roller 27 is shown in figure 2 with a continuous line 36. As unwinding continues, this line in figure 2 will come to lie higher due to the decreasing diameter. This fictitious line is indicated in figure 2 with dotted line 33. It can be seen that on the contrary this line 33 lies even closer to middle part 20 of head 13 than the actual line 36 of tape 18. For good operation contact must be ensured between tape 18 and coating removal means 28, 29 at the greatest possible diameter, in the case of a full feed reel 11. The coating removal means must therefore extend so far that they are in contact with tape 18 when this tape 18 is running at the greatest possible diameter. This ensures that tape 18 always runs over scraper 29.

Rib 28 can be placed closer to and/or between wings 24,25. In each case ridge 29 will protrude beyond the fictitious line 33. The glue present on the rear side 31 of tape 18 is collected on rib 28 on the side designated 34. Discharge means can optionally be present on this side 34 for the purpose of discharging the glue. Glue collecting at this location has considerably less drastic consequences than glue collecting on roller 27 or other components which can become blocked.

It is noted that rib 28 does not have to be provided with ridge 29 for removing glue from rear side 31 of the tape. The advantage of ridge 29 is that the two protruding legs on either side of tape 18 can also remove glue residues on the side edges of tape 18 and/or can provide for guiding of tape 18.

Ridge 29 can be embodied in different ways. In a preferred embodiment the ridge 29 is a sharp edge, although a more rounded embodiment also has the desired functionality.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of a coating transfer device. This is a so-called refill unit 37 which can be inserted into a housing 38. Housing 38 comprises two openings 41, 42 which lie opposite each other. Refill unit 37 is arranged in the housing via the rear side of the housing, through opening 41. Transfer head 13 finally protrudes through opening 42 on the front side. Refill unit 37 comprises a primary structure 40 on which reels 11, 12 and transfer head 13 are mounted. At the rear the refill unit comprises a cap 39 which provides a closure for opening 41 in housing 38. Releasable connecting means 43 are provided between cap 39 and housing 38. After use the refill unit 37 can hereby be removed from housing 38 and replaced with a new refill unit. The coating removal means are preferably accommodated in the refill unit, for instance as shown in the first embodiment, although it is also possible to arrange them in housing 38.

The skilled person will be able to embody the scraping according to the invention in different ways. It is important here in all cases that the scraper guides the tape 18 and is also adapted to scrape glue from at least one side of tape 18. The scraper will be arranged in each case upstream of the dispensing tip, which can also be

designed in diverse ways. The functionality of the device and the application tip in particular is hereby enhanced considerably.