EP2013091B1 - Device for dispensing labels on objects, especially self-adhesive labels - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for dispensing etiktten, especially self-adhesive labels, on objects.

Devices or labeling units for labeling objects with self-adhesive labels, which are withdrawn at a Abzieh- or donor edge of a label-carrying web-shaped carrier material (carrier film) by deflecting this material around the dispenser edge and passed to the respective object to be labeled, are known.

For moving the carrier material over the dispenser edge and thus for the removal of the labels from the carrier material, a first feed unit is provided in known devices, which is driven by a drive intermittently or clocked, so z. B. can be applied in each work cycle to an object moved past the dispenser edge a label. Another feed unit is used for continuously removing the existing from the labels and the carrier label material from a supply roll and for conveying this label material in a loop slot of a loop forming, which is provided in the conveying direction between this further feed unit and the dispenser edge to an adjustment between the continuous peeling of the label material from the supply roll and the clocked advancing movement of the label material or of the carrier material over the dispenser edge. The looper forms from the label material in the loop shaft without pulleys and only using an air or gas flow, a so-called "massless" or "almost massless" loop, so that for the intermittent feed movement of the label material or for the start-stop operation of the Label material over the dispenser edge moving feed unit constantly enough label material is available. Another drive is provided for a receptacle or a winding mandrel for an empty reel, to which the empty, ie the labels no longer having web-shaped carrier material wound wi rd.

The publication DIE 195 22 295 A1 discloses a method and apparatus for controlling the tension of a label tape in a labeler. The device has a first and second feed device, wherein the first feed device is provided in the feed direction to the dispenser edge and the second feed device to the dispenser edge. The regulation of the web tension takes place by means of the rotary encoder connected to the dancer lever. The rotary encoder determines the deflection of the dancer lever, which changes when the web tension fluctuates. Depending on the rotational position or on the angle of rotation of the dancer lever, the control motor that drives the feed device is controlled.

The publication US 4,366,034 discloses a device for applying labels and the like. The device has a first feed device formed by a pair of rollers arranged in front of the loop former, a second feed device arranged after the dispenser edge and a third feed device following in the feed direction.

A disadvantage of known devices is that, in particular with thin carrier material to hitting or fluttering, ie to an oscillating, lateral deflection of the label or carrier material in the course or on the web length between the loop former and the dispenser edge and / or in the course or on the web length after the dispenser edge and in front of the empty bobbin having winding mandrel can come, and as a result, to a noise and / or production disruption by tearing of the carrier material. In order to avoid in particular production disturbances, thicknesses in the range between 20 and 25 μm have hitherto been usual for the carrier material. Labeling materials with thinner support materials, for example in the range of 15 microns, as they were useful for reasons of saving material and / or disposal costs and to increase the number of labels per supply reel, can not be processed production-safe with known devices.

For the purposes of the invention, "article" is to be understood as meaning a wide variety of articles and / or products which are provided with one or more labels, in particular also containers, such as e.g. Bottles, cans, containers etc.

The object of the invention is to provide a device with which the aforementioned disadvantages are avoided. To solve this problem, a device according to the patent claim 1 is formed. Further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

By acting on the web-shaped label material on its web length between the loop former and the dispenser edge and / or the web-shaped carrier material at least in a subsequent to the dispenser edge portion of the web length between the dispenser edge and the winding mandrel with an additional web tension fluttering of the label material or the carrier material effectively prevented.

Further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figure, which shows in plan view a labeling unit for processing self-adhesive labels.

• ein Wickeldorn bzw. eine Aufnahme 3 für einen Vorrat an Etikettenmaterial 4 in Form einer Vorratsrolle 5, von der während des Etikettierens das aus dem bandförmigen Trägermaterial 4.1 und den daran haftenden selbstklebenden Etiketten 4.2 bestehende Etikettenmaterial 4 abgezogen wird,
• eine Aufnahme bzw. ein Wickeldorn 6 zum Aufwickeln des leeren Trägermaterials 4.1 ohne Etiketten 4.2 auf eine Leerspule 7,
• ein Schlaufenbildner 8 zur Bildung einer annähernd "massenlosen" Schlaufe aus dem Etikettenmaterial 4 in einem Schlaufenschacht 8.1,
• eine Spenderkante 9, über die das Etikettenmaterial 4 unter Umlenkung um nahezu 180° geführt ist, und zwar zur Abgabe der selbstklebenden Etiketten 4.2 an an dieser Spenderkante vorbeigeführte, zu etikettierende Gegenstände 10, beispielsweise Flaschen der dergleichen Behälter.

The labeling unit denoted by 1 in the figure consists inter alia of a flat housing or support 2, on the upper side of which various functional elements of the labeling unit 1 are provided, namely

• a winding mandrel or a receptacle 3 for a supply of label material 4 in the form of a supply roll 5, from which the label material 4 consisting of the strip-shaped carrier material 4.1 and the self-adhesive labels 4.2 adhering thereto is withdrawn during labeling,
• a receptacle or a winding mandrel 6 for winding up the empty carrier material 4.1 without labels 4.2 on an empty spool 7,
• a loop former 8 for forming an approximately "massless" loop from the label material 4 in a loop slot 8.1,
• a dispensing edge 9, over which the label material 4 is guided under deflection by almost 180 °, namely for dispensing the self-adhesive labels 4.2 at this donor edge guided past, to be labeled objects 10, for example, bottles of the same container.

Furthermore, on the carrier 1 in addition to different pulleys 11 and guides 12 also described in more detail below Rollspeicher 13 and 14 and feed units 15, 16, 17 are provided for the label material 4 and 4.1 of the substrate.

In detail, the label material 4 in the illustrated embodiment of the supply roll 5 via three pulleys 11, on the roller storage 13 to maintain a predetermined web tension, on the feed unit 15 for withdrawing the label material 4 from the roll 5 and for conveying the label material 4 in the Loop former 8, through the loop former 8, via the feed unit 16 and a plurality of pulleys 11 guided to the dispenser edge 9. The empty carrier material 4.1 is in the illustrated embodiment of the dispenser edge 9 via the feed unit 17 and a plurality of pulleys to the feed unit 18 and from there via the roller storage 14 and its roles to the recording 6 and the local empty reel 7 for winding the not more required substrate 4.1 out.

The feed units 15-18 each consist of a driven roller 15.1, 16.1, 17.1 or 18.1 and a freely rotatable counter roller 15.2, 16.2, 17.2 and 18.2. The label material 4 or the carrier material 4.1 is in each case passed between the two rollers of the corresponding feed unit 15-18.

For the delivery of the labels 4.2 to the objects 10 moved past the dispenser edge 9, a clocked removal of the carrier material 4.1 from the dispenser edge 9 is required so that the feed unit 17 or the driven roller 17.1 of this device is driven in a clocked manner by the associated drive.

With the feed unit 15, the label material 4 is continuously withdrawn from the supply or the roll 5. For this purpose, the feed unit 15 is driven continuously, in such a way that during a working cycle of the clocked driven feed unit 17 funded length of the substrate 4.1 corresponds to the withdrawn by the conveyor 15 in the same time unit of the roll 5 length of label material 4.

The receptacle 6 is controlled by a voltage of the substrate 4.1 measuring sensor 19 driven such that during operation of the labeling unit 1 with the receptacle 6 is always wound such a length of substrate 4.1, that this substrate in the course or on the web length between the roller storage 14 and the receptacle 6 has a predetermined web tension, the support material 4.1 is thus wound onto the bobbin 7, without it comes on the track length between the roll memory 14 and the receptacle 6 to flutter or beating of the substrate 4.1.

The feed units 16 and 18 are driven synchronously with the feed unit 17, also clocked in such a way that the conveying speed of the feed unit 16 by an amount x is smaller than the conveying speed n of the feed unit 17, i. the conveying speed of the feed unit 16 is n-x. The feed unit 18 is designed so that its conveying speed is greater by an amount y than the conveying speed n of the feed unit 17, i. the conveying speed of the feed unit is 18 n + y. Furthermore, both feed units 16 and 18 are designed such that the label material 4 or the carrier material 4.1 is guided with slippage between the rollers 16.1 and 16.2 or 18.1 and 18.2.

By differing from the conveying or feed speed of the feed unit 17 conveying speeds of the feed units 16 and 18 it is ensured that the label material 4 and the substrate 4.1 on the web length between the feed unit 16 and the dispenser edge 9 or on the web length between the dispenser edge. 9 and the feed unit 18 has a predetermined constant as possible web tension and thus no hitting or fluttering of the label material 4 and the substrate 4.1 occurs in these areas despite the clocked feed by the feed unit 17 and resulting noise and production disturbances are avoided by tearing of the substrate 4.1 ,

The different feed speeds of the feed units 16, 17 and 18 are realized, for example, that although these feed units or their rollers 16.1, 17.1 and 18.1 are driven by a common intermittent or clocked drive, but via drive trains with different gear ratio, and / or realized in that the driven rollers 16.1, 17.1 and 18.1 have different diameters corresponding to the different feed speeds.

The feed unit 16 is located in the embodiment shown directly at the outlet of the loop former 8 and the loop shaft 8.1, in which case a roller of the feed unit 16, for example, the counter roll 16.2, is formed by a deflection roller or roller anyway necessary at this outlet. The feed unit 18 is provided directly at the inlet of the roller storage 14 (dancer roller storage). A roller or roller of this feed unit, for example, the counter-roller 18.2, here is preferably the immediately provided at the inlet of this roller storage role.

The loop former 8 is also used in the illustrated embodiment to compensate for the continuous feed movement of the label material 4 on the web length between the supply roll 5 and the feed unit 15 and the clocked feed movement of the label material 4 on the web length between the feed unit 16 and the dispenser edge 9 and is so formed in that its loop slot 8.1, the loop from the label material 4 without the use of pulleys, eg is formed by a loop passage through the flowing gaseous medium, for example by compressed air.

By using the feed units 15-18 it is also possible to feed label material 4 backwards, i. to move against the feed direction required when processing the labels 4.2. This makes it possible in a particularly simple manner, after the consumption of a supply roll 5 to connect the end of the label material 4 with the beginning of the label material 4 a new, patch on the receptacle 3 and the local winding mandrel role.

The invention has been described above by means of an embodiment. It is understood that changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive idea underlying the invention.

Above, it was assumed that the label material 4 as well as the carrier material 4.1 are each passed under slip through the feed units 16 and 18 respectively. In principle, it is also possible to provide for these feed units controlled drives, so then these feed units or their drives using the web tension measuring or detecting sensors are driven so that the respectively required, inter alia, the flutter preventing web tension is reached.

Furthermore, it is also possible for one or more feed units 15-18 to drive both rollers or rollers 15-18.1 or 15.2-18.2 in opposite directions.

The sensors which measure or detect the web tension may, for example, be a movable roller bearing on the label material 4, which is deflected from its normal position as a function of the existing web tension by a certain distance.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

label unit

2

carrier

3

Pickup or mandrel

4

label material

4.1

support material

4.2

label

5

supply roll

6

Pickup or winding mandrel

7

empty spool

8th

looper

9

dispenser edge

10

object to be labeled

11

idler pulley

12

guide

13, 14

roll storage

15, 16, 17, 18

feed unit

15.1, 16.1, 17.1, 18.1

driven roller or roller of the feed unit

15.2, 16.2, 17.2, 18.2

counter-roller

19

Sensor for measuring web tension

Claims (13)

1. Device for dispensing labels (4.2) on objects (10), especially self-adhesive labels, by pulling off the labels (4.2) from a path-like support material (4.1) of a label material (4) on a dispensing edge (9) with a first feed unit (17), provided in the feed direction of the support material (4.1) after the dispensing edge (9), for the clocked feed of the label material (4) fed from a supply (3, 5) to the dispensing edge (9) by means of a loop-forming device (8) and a second feed unit (16) for generating a defined path tension of the label material (4) on its path length between the loop-forming device (8) and the dispensing edge (9), wherein means (18) for generating a defined path tension of the support material (4.1) are provided on at least one part, following the dispensing edge (9), of its path length between the dispensing edge (9) and a receptacle (6, 7) for the empty support material (4.1) and wherein the means (18) for generating a defined path tension are formed by at least a third feed unit (18) for the label material and/or support material (4, 4.1) with a feed speed or conveying speed that deviates from the first feed unit (17).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the second feed unit (16) is designed such that the label material (4) has a constant or essentially constant path tension applied on its path length between the loop-forming device (8) and the dispensing edge (9).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the third feed unit (18) is designed such that the support material (4.1) has a constant or essentially constant path tension applied at least on the part of its path length that follows the dispensing edge (9).
4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, between the loop-forming device (8) and the dispensing edge (9), the second feed unit (16) is provided with a feed speed or conveying speed that is reduced compared to the first feed unit (17).
5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, in the feed direction or conveying direction of the support material (4.1) before the receptacle (6, 7) for the empty support material (4.1), the third feed unit (18) is provided with a feed speed or conveying speed that is increased compared to the first feed unit (17).
6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second and/or third feed unit (16, 18) are driven synchronously with the first feed unit (17) with, however, the feed speed differing from the first feed unit.
7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the loop-forming device (8) is designed to form an approximately massless loop of the label material (4).
8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the label material (4) and/or the support material (4.1) are each moved under slack through the second and/or third feed unit (16, 18).
9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first and/or second and/or third feed unit each have at least two rolls or rollers (16.1, 17.1, 18.1; 16.2, 17.2, 18.2) which between themselves form a gap for feeding through the label material or support material (4, 4.1) and of which at least one roll or roller (16.1, 17.1, 18.1) each can be revolvingly driven by a drive.
10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second and/or third feed unit (16, 18) has an adjustable drive by means of which the feed speed or conveying speed of these feed units can be adjusted or controlled depending on the path tension.
11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by sensors (19) for measuring the path tension.
12. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second feed unit (16) is provided directly at the outlet of the loop-forming device (8) or at the outlet of a loop duct (8.1) of this loop-forming device (8).
13. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drive for the feed units (15, 16, 17, 18) can be switched for a motion of the label material (4) and/or the support material (4.1) for [sic] a feed direction or conveying direction that is opposite to the normal feed direction or conveying direction.

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