EP3119681B1

EP3119681B1 - System for positioning an information tag on a bag

Info

Publication number: EP3119681B1
Application number: EP15715842.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Otello ARTOSI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-20
Filing date: 2015-03-18
Publication date: 2017-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2035-03-18
Also published as: EP3119681A1; AU2015232985B2; WO2015140727A1; AU2015232985A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical sector of packaging bags containing a product. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for positioning an informative tag on a bag containing a product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

As is known, during packaging of bags, the bags must be provided with an informative tag which identifies the product internally thereof, indicates the weight thereof, its place of packaging, etc.
During the packaging operation, the empty bags are conveyed along an advancement direction from a feeding station to a filling station. Then each bag, which exhibits a relative open edge, is maintained with a vertical axis and filled using a hopper.
Once the bag has been filled, it is conveyed towards a sewing station in which a sewing machine closes the bag at the open end thereof.
The informative tag must be positioned on the bag upstream of the sewing station such that it can be fixed to the bag during the sewing operation thereof.
For this purpose, the informative tags are cut manually by an operator and are arranged piled on one another.
Each informative tag is collected and positioned on the bag by means of a cylinder which performs a run perpendicular to the advancement direction of the bag, which is moved in the vertical position towards the sewing station.
The above-described solution is however prone to some drawbacks.
In fact, the positioning of an informative tag on a bag is not optimal: it is not possible, in practice, to establish a precise position at which to apply the informative tag on the bag.
Further, once applied and sewn on a bag, the informative tags are very often not aligned with the edge of the bag.
This is due to the fact that the tags are cut manually by an operator and then stacked one on another before being collected; consequently, the tags exhibit irregularities and the alignment thereof is often imprecise. It is therefore not possible to have a single reference for the application of the tag onto the bag.
Document DE 66 09 637 discloses a known system, for positioning an informative tag on a bag to be closed containing a product, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Document US 2 998 153 discloses a known machine with three conveyors for attaching gummed labels to envelopes and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
The aim is attained with a system for positioning an informative tag on a bag containing a product according to claim 1.
The proposed system advantageously enables positioning an informative tag on a bag containing a product precisely, in a predetermined position on the bag.
Further, the disclosed system is able to make the tags available with a vertical orientation before the positioning thereof on the bag: this obviates the drawback of the prior art due to the stacking of the tags, which contributed to a positioning of the tag on the bag that was not optimal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the invention and further advantages will more fully emerge in the following description, with the aid of the accompanying tables of drawings, in which:

figure 1 illustrates a view from above of a system according to the invention, in a first operating situation;
figure 2 illustrates a partial and larger-scale view of the system of figure 1;
figure 2A shows detail K of figure 2 in a larger-scale view;
figures 3 and 4 illustrate views alike to that of figure 2, in different operating situations;
figures 3A and 4A illustrate respectively detail H and J of figure 3 and figure 4 in a larger-scale view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the accompanying figures, reference numeral (1) denotes a system for positioning an informative tag (C) on a bag (S) containing a product according to the present invention: In particular, the bag (S) is open at a relative edge (B) thereof and is moved with a vertical arrangement along an advancement direction (D).
The system (1) comprises a first conveyor (2) and a second conveyor (3) (illustrated only partially in the figures) which: are wound on pulleys (20, 30) having a vertical axis; they each comprise an active branch (21, 31) which develops along the advancement direction (D), a curved portion (22, 32) wound on a pulley (20, 30) and a connecting portion (23, 33) which connects the active branch (21, 31) with the curved portion (22, 32); they are arranged flanked so that the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) are in contact with one another so as to receive and retain the edge (B) of the bag (S); they are actuated with a same advancement velocity so that the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) are mobile with a same direction in order to convey the bag (S) towards a sewing station (not illustrated).
The system further comprises: a supply group (4) of tags (C), in turn comprising:

a dispensing device (40) which dispenses a tag (C) with a vertical orientation along a supply direction (A) (see in particular figures 2, 2A);
a third conveyor (41) wound on vertical-axis pulleys (400), which develops along the supply direction (A) and which is actuated with a supply velocity equal to the advancement velocity.

The third conveyor (41) comprises an active branch (410) comprising a first portion (411) which at least partially faces a tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40), and a second portion (412) which faces and is in contact with the curved portion (22) of the first conveyor (2), such that a gripping zone (P) is defined between the second portion (412) and the curved portion (22) (see for reference figures 2, 2A).
In other words, the gripping zone (P) defines a curved path for the tag (C), during which curved path (C) is retained and drawn between the second portions (412) and the curved portion (22).
The supply group (4) further comprises a roller (42) flanked to the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41), actuable nearingly to the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) so as to press the tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40) against the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41), determining a drawing of the tag (C) in such a way that the tag (C) is received in the gripping zone (P) (see figure 2A). The roller (42) (which for example moves transversally to the supply direction (A)) brings and maintains the tag (C) on the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) and therefore the tag (C) is drawn at the supply speed.
In particular, the third conveyor (41) is positioned so that the tag (C) retained in the gripping zone (P) is drawn up to being received and retained between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3).
The system (1) further comprises synchronising means (which for example comprise a photocell) for detecting the position of the bag (S) along the advancement direction (D) and actuating the supply group (4) such that the tag (C), once received between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) is arranged on the bag (S) in a predetermined position (see figures 4, 4A).
The disclosed system (1) advantageously enables positioning of an informative tag (C) on the bag (S) in a precise and predetermined position (which position is adjustable, i.e. can be chosen time by time), differently to the prior art.
By activating the activating group (4) in appropriate phase relation with the movement of the bag (S), it is possible to predetermine (thanks to the synchronising means) the position of the tag (C) on the bag (S) (for example centrally or in proximity of an edge of the bag (S)).
Further, the fact that the tag (C) is retained during the drawing thereof along the path which goes from the dispensing device (40) to the gripping zone (P) and from there between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) ensures that the tag (C) is not creased or crumpled during the travel.
According to the illustrated preferred embodiment, the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2) and the connecting portion (33) of the second conveyor (3) extend obliquely from a relative first end (230, 330) adjacent to the corresponding active branch (21, 31), to a second end (231, 331) adjacent to the corresponding curved tract (22, 32); the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2) and the connecting tract (33) of the second conveyor (3) are at a reciprocal distance which is minimal at the first ends (230, 330) thereof and which is maximal at the relative second ends (231, 331) thereof.
In other words, the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2) and the connecting portion (33) of the second conveyor (3) form a V-shaped entry for facilitating the receiving operation of the edge (B) of the bag (S) by the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (see for example figures 1, 2).
In the illustrated preferred embodiment the system (1) comprises guide means (5) arranged in outlet from the gripping zone (P) and conformed such as to maintain the tag (C) in outlet from the gripping zone (P) in contact with the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2), so as to be drawn by the first conveyor (2) and be received and retained between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3).
The presence of the guide means (5) advantageously guarantees that the tag (C) is retained optimally up until it is received between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor.
In particular, the guide means comprise a guide wall (5), preferably made of a material having a low coefficient of friction (see for reference figures 3 and 3A in particular).
In an embodiment of the invention, the third conveyor (41) is wound on idle pulleys (400) and is drawn (or moved) by the curved portion (23) of the first conveyor (2). This specification advantageously guarantees that the supply velocity and the advancement velocity coincide particularly practically and inexpensively.
In an alternative variant to the one described above, the third conveyor (41) is wound on driven pulleys. This variant can be necessary in a case where the tags (C) exhibit a considerable thickness, and which therefore must be drawn into the gripping zone (P) between two motorised conveyors.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the roller (42) is idle.
In a further alternative variant, the roller (42) can be motorised; this specification is useful in a case where the tags (C) are significantly thick.
In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the supply group (4) further comprises support means (43) which comprise an abutting wall (433) and at least a lateral wall (434) (preferably two) which develop along the supply direction (A) in such a way that a tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40) is received restingly on the abutting wall (433) with a vertical orientation and projects beyond the lateral wall (434) in the supply direction (A) so as to at least partially face the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) (see in particular figure 2A).
In other words, the support means (43) constitute a sort of waiting station in which a dispensed tag (C) remains, in part facing the lateral wall (434) and in part the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) up until the synchronising means, having detected the bag (S) while it is nearing, activate the roller (42).
In the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing device (40) comprises an inlet opening which receives a continuous strip (T) constituted by a plurality of tags (C) adjacent to one another and consecutive; an outlet opening; drawing means (not illustrated) actuable for drawing the continuous strip (T) along the supply direction (A), in a step-fashion, from the inlet opening to the outlet opening; cutting means (6), arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, in proximity of the outlet opening, for cutting a tag (C) from the continuous strip (T) and to enable dispensing thereof (see figure 1).
The fact that the tags (C) are adjacent to one another to form a continuous strip (T) and are cut by the cutting means (6) immediately before the dispensing thereof advantageously avoids the drawbacks of the prior art due to the manual cutting of the tags by an operator.
The dispensing device (40) can further comprise printing means, arranged between the inlet opening and the cutting means (6), for printing information on the continuous strip (T).
In the variant illustrated in figure 1, externally of the input opening of the dispensing device (40) the continuous strip (T) is wound in a roll (R); further, the drawing means are actuable for drawing the continuous strip (T) from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, determining the unwinding of the roll (R).
In particular, in the accompanying figures of the drawings the advancement direction (D) is perpendicular to the supply direction (A). In other words, the third conveyor develops substantially perpendicularly with respect to the development of the first conveyor (2) and the second conveyor (3).
Further, the movement velocity of the bag (S) along the advancement direction (D) is preferably identical to the advancement velocity (and therefore the supply velocity).
The product contained in the bag (S) can be of any type, for example it can be a granular material, floury products, powders, liquids, etc.
It is important to take account of the fact that, differently to known systems, with the system (1) of the invention it is further possible to position a tag (C) on a bag (S), which tag is made of any type of material, including materials having a low coefficient of friction.
It is understood that the above has been described by way of non-limiting example, and any constructional variants are understood to be comprised in the scope of the invention as defined in the appendent claims.

Claims

A system (1) for positioning an informative tag (C) on a bag (S) to be closed containing a product, which bag (S) is open at a relative edge (B) thereof and is moved with a vertical arrangement along an advancement direction (D);
the system (1) comprising:
a first conveyor (2) and a second conveyor (3), which:
are wound on pulleys (20, 30) having a vertical axis; the conveyors each comprise an active branch (21, 31) which develops along the advancement direction (D), a curved portion (22, 32) wound on a pulley (20, 30) and a connecting portion (23, 33) which connects the active branch (21, 31) with the curved portion (22, 32); they are arranged flanked so that the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) are in contact with one another so as to receive and retain the edge (B) of the bag (S); they are actuated with a same advancement velocity so that the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) are mobile with a same direction in order to convey the bag (S) towards a sewing station;

a supply group (4) of tags (C), comprising:
- a dispensing device (40) which dispenses a tag (C) with a vertical orientation along a supply direction (A);

- a third conveyor (41) wound on vertical-axis pulleys (400), which develops along the supply direction (A) and which is actuated with a supply velocity equal to the advancement velocity; the third conveyor (41) comprises an active branch (410) comprising a first portion (411) which at least partially faces a tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40),

- a roller (42) flanked to the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41), actuable near to the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) so as to press the tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40) against the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41), determining a drawing of the tag (C) in such a way that the tag (C) is received in a gripping zone (P);

the system (1) further comprises synchronising means for detecting the position of the bag (S) along the advancement direction (D) and actuating the supply group (4) such that the tag (C) once received between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3) is arranged on the bag (S) in a predetermined position;
the system (1) being characterized in that
the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41) further comprises a second portion (412) which faces and is in contact with the curved portion (22) of the first conveyor (2), such that the gripping zone (P) is defined between the second portion (412) and the curved portion (22), and in that
the third conveyor (41) is positioned so that the tag (C) retained in the gripping zone (P) is drawn up to being received and retained between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3).
The system of the preceding claim, wherein the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2) and the connecting portion (33) of the second conveyor (3) extend obliquely from a relative first end (230, 330) adjacent to the corresponding active branch (21, 31), to a second end (231, 331) adjacent to the corresponding curved tract (22, 32); the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2) and the connecting tract (33) of the second conveyor (3) are at a reciprocal distance which is minimal at the first ends (230, 330) thereof and which is maximal at the relative second ends (231, 331) thereof.
The system (1) of the preceding claim, further comprising guide means (5) arranged in outlet from the gripping zone (P) and conformed such as to maintain the tag (C) in outlet from the gripping zone (P) in contact with the connecting portion (23) of the first conveyor (2), so as to be drawn by the first conveyor (2) and be received and retained between the active branch (21) of the first conveyor (2) and the active branch (31) of the second conveyor (3).
The system (1) of the preceding claim, wherein the guide means comprise a guide wall (5).
The system (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the third conveyor (41) is wound on idle rollers, and is drawn by the curved portion of the first conveyor.
The system (1) of any one of claims from 1 to 4, wherein the third conveyor (41) is wound on driven pulleys.
The system (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply group (4) further comprises support means (43) which comprise an abutting wall (433) and at least a lateral wall (434) which develop along the supply direction in such a way that a tag (C) dispensed by the dispensing device (40) is received restingly on the abutting wall (433) with a vertical orientation and projects beyond the lateral wall (434) in the supply direction (A) so as to at least partially face the first portion (411) of the active branch (410) of the third conveyor (41).
The system (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing device (40) comprises an inlet opening which receives a continuous strip (T) constituted by a plurality of tags (C) adjacent to one another and consecutive; an outlet opening; drawing means actuable for drawing the continuous strip (T) along the supply direction (A), in a step-fashion, from the inlet opening to the outlet opening; cutting means (6), arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, in proximity of the outlet opening, for cutting a tag (C) from the continuous strip (T) and to enable dispensing thereof.
The system (1) of the preceding claim, wherein the dispensing device (40) further comprises printing means, arranged between the inlet opening and the cutting means (6), for printing information on the continuous strip (T).
The system (1) of claim 8 or 9, wherein externally of the inlet opening of the dispensing device the continuous strip (T) is wound in a roll (R); and wherein the drawing means are actuable for drawing the continuous strip (T) from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, determining the unwinding of the roll (R).