Splicing device and method for splicing sheets of material

Abstract

A splicing device is provided, including: a punch plate and a counter plate arranged oppositely to the punch plate, the punch plate and the counter plate being relatively movable versus each other and configured to splice two sheets of material arrangeable in between the punch plate and the counter plate, the punch plate including an array of splicing protrusions and the counter plate including an array of splicing holes, the array of splicing holes including a number of splicing holes and the array of splicing protrusions including a number of splicing protrusions, a number of splicing holes being at least the same as a number of splicing protrusions, and a position of the splicing protrusions in the array of splicing protrusions corresponding to a position of the splicing holes in the array of splicing holes.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A splicing device, comprising:
 a punch plate and a counter plate arranged oppositely to the punch plate, wherein the punch plate and the counter plate are relatively movable versus each other and configured to splice two sheets of material arrangeable in between the punch plate and the counter plate,   wherein the punch plate comprises an array of splicing protrusions and the counter plate comprises an array of splicing holes,   wherein the array of splicing holes comprises a number of splicing holes and the array of splicing protrusions comprises a number of splicing protrusions,   wherein a number of splicing holes is at least the same as a number of splicing protrusions, and   wherein a position of the splicing protrusions in the array of splicing protrusions corresponds to a position of the splicing holes in the array of splicing holes.   
     
     
         17 . The splicing device according to  claim 16 , wherein both the punch plate and the counter plate comprise an array of splicing protrusions and an array of splicing holes. 
     
     
         18 . The splicing device according to  claim 17 , wherein splicing protrusions and splicing holes are arranged in an alternating manner on each of the punch plate and the counter plate. 
     
     
         19 . The splicing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the punch plate and the counter plate are arranged parallel to each other. 
     
     
         20 . The splicing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the splicing protrusions are splicing pins. 
     
     
         21 . The splicing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the splicing protrusions have a round, circular, triangular, polygonal, square, or star-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         22 . The splicing device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a detacher configured to detach a sheet of material from the punch plate or from the counter plate. 
     
     
         23 . The splicing device according to  claim 22 , wherein the detacher is provided at least at one of the punch plate and the counter plate. 
     
     
         24 . The splicing device according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the detacher comprises a detacher plate, and   wherein the detacher plate is a spring biased detacher plate.   
     
     
         25 . The splicing device according to  claim 24 , wherein a first elastically mounted detacher plate of the detacher is connected to the punch plate and a second elastically mounted detacher plate of the detacher is connected to the counter plate. 
     
     
         26 . The splicing device according to  claim 24 , wherein detacher plates comprise an array of through holes, the array of through holes corresponding to the array of splicing protrusions. 
     
     
         27 . A method for splicing sheets of material using a splicing device according to  claim 16 , the method comprising:
 providing a first sheet of material from a first bobbin and providing a second sheet of material from a second bobbin;   positioning the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material in a splicing location and overlapping the first sheet and the second sheet in the splicing location; and   splicing the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material in the splicing location by interpenetration of the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material by an array of splicing protrusions and a corresponding array of splicing holes, thereby moving the array of splicing protrusions and the array of splicing holes versus each other and pressing at least one of the two sheets of material into the array of splicing holes by the array of splicing protrusions, thereby forming a spliced portion of the first and the second sheets of material.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising moving splicing protrusions and corresponding splicing holes along a same straight line for splicing the sheets of material. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising moving a punch plate and a counter plate in an opposite direction and perpendicular to a splicing direction, thereby enhancing a strength of the spliced portion. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising detaching the spliced portion from the array of splicing protrusions by lifting the spliced portion off the splicing protrusions.