FR2713804A1 - Automatic distribution of self-adhesive non-precut post franking labels - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic distributor (1) of post franking labels (3) assuring the selective sampling of the non-precut labels on a continuous self adhesive band (9) wound on a core (11) in a roll (5). The band consists of a pressure sensitive adhesive layer (34) interleaved between an impermeable support (32) and an antistick protection layer (36). The distributor has a complex (7) band (9) guide path and a cutting system (62,63,24,26) mounted on the guide path (7). There are intermittent drive means (61, 64) to forward the band and cut pieces, also a means of detecting the band position; and a means of controlling the system. The active cutting elements (62,63) are coated with a composite material of a metal oxide base impregnated with a non-metallic polymer and/or the adhesive layer (34) is essentially a copolymer of acrylic and or vinyl. The metal oxide is chromium oxide and the impregnant is PTFE.

Description

AUTONOMOUS DISTRIBUTOR OF POSTAGE STICKERS
SELF-ADHESIVE AND NON-CUT POSTAL
The present invention relates to the specific field of mail processing. It is particularly aimed at an automatic distributor of self-adhesive, non-precut postal franking stickers, as part of a franking module. These postage stickers are delivered by this automatic distributor integrated into a mail processing machine.

This dispenser is of the type described in patent applications EP-0.173.329, EP-0.202.486 and EP-0.532.390 filed in the name of the applicant. A cutting mechanism incorporated in the dispenser allows labels of variable length to be taken from a continuous roll tape by programmed sectioning.

To our knowledge, these rolls are generally formed by strips of gummed paper and not by adhesive tapes, in the exclusive application to the mail processing machine, for automatic distribution of postal stamps.

To solve the technical problem posed by fouling with self-adhesive tapes, active parts of a cutting mechanism integrated into these automatic franking sticker dispensers, the applicant has already proposed in a French patent application registered the October 7, 1992 under number FR-92/11888, an extremely simple solution. This solution consists in providing on a tape with a printable support lined with an adhesive material, savings zones devoid of this adhesive material on the glued side of this support.

Patent application EP-0.345.130 (Arjomari-Prioux, Arjo
Wiggins SA) claims a self-adhesive security support applied to the forgery of official documents such as passports and identity cards. "According to an essential characteristic, this self-adhesive support intended to be placed on a substrate comprises at least one printable planar structure, covered with a layer of adhesive, the planar structure and the adhesive being such that the layer of adhesive is partially absorbed in the thickness of the planar structure ".

The adhesive tapes currently used in various fields of application cannot be used as they are to solve the technical problem set out below in the specific field of mail processing.

The invention proposes to address the difficulties encountered with the automatic distribution of self-adhesive stickers from a continuous adhesive tape in a roll, to be unrolled and cut to a variable required length, in postal franking stickers. This roller is of the type marketed by the company BARNIER -VALENCE (France).

The technical problem posed consists essentially a) on the one hand, by fouling, by particles of adhesive tape, of the active parts of the cutting mechanism integrated in the sticker dispenser, and b) on the other hand, by the holding defective adhesive tape inside a complex guide and transport path.

This problem is not a priori resolved with the self-adhesive tapes currently marketed in various fields of application including mail processing, or with the cutting mechanisms generally integrated in known distributors of franking stickers.

The invention therefore aims to remedy this drawback.

To this end, it relates to an automatic distributor of self-adhesive and non-precut postal franking stickers intended, on the one hand, to protect from contamination the active parts of a cutting mechanism associated with this distributor. labels, itself integrated into a mail processing machine, and on the other hand, to provide an integrated roller for labels, a suitable behavior in the form of a sectionable ribbon in variable lengths in a complex transport path. This roller is of the type comprising a core on which is wound a layer of active adhesive under the effect of pressure, interposed between a printable support and a non-stick protective film.

According to an essential characteristic, this dispenser is characterized in that, in order to reconcile a great instantaneous adhesion force, an aptitude for non-fouling, an ease of cutting and an optimal flexibility of the self-adhesive tape in wide ranges of temperatures and humidity levels: a) the active parts of the cutting members are coated with a layer of composite material consisting of an oxide-based metal impregnated with a polymerized non-metallic material; and / or b) the adhesive layer essentially comprises at least one acrylic and / or vinyl copolymer.

According to another particularity, these oxides are chromium oxides.

According to another particular feature, this polymerized non-metallic material is "Teflon" in the form of fluorocarbon resin or of polyfluoroethylene-propylene.

According to another particular feature, the adhesive layer is a mixture of alkyl acrylate copolymers.

According to another particular feature, this acrylic copolymer comprises monomers based on alkyl acrylates as units of major or minor component, and an ethylenically unsaturated compound comprising a siloxane functional group.

According to another particular feature, this roll has, for a strip width of less than 50 mm, elementary thicknesses corresponding to the printable support, the adhesive layer and the protective film substantially in the ratios 9, 4 and 7 respectively.

These features make it possible to solve the technical problem described above.

The cutting members thus obtained, associated with the self-adhesive tape thus produced, make it possible to reduce both the tendency for adhesion of the amalgamated particles of adhesive and paper to the active edges, as well as the tendency for wear of these edges, while providing high hardness at these edges, and optimal behavior in the guide and transport path to this tape.

Other features and advantages will emerge more clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which - FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively represent partial perspective views. from above and from below an automatic distributor of postage stamps in accordance with the invention; - Figure 3 shows a front view of another cutting mechanism capable of being integrated into the dispenser illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 - Figure 4 shows a partial sectional view along IV-IV of Figure 3, cutting mechanism illustrated in this figure 3 - figure 5 represents a partially cut away top view of the cutting mechanism illustrated in figure 3 - figure 6 represents a perspective view of a roll for self-adhesive and not self-adhesive postage stickers precut, incorporated in the dispenser illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; and FIG. 7 represents a plan view of a full-size envelope, provided with a postal franking sticker coming from the roll and from the dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6.

In accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic distributor 1 of postage stamps 3 comprises three articulated parts, an upper flap 8, a main guide part 6, and a lower guide part 4, which cooperate with one another to form a guide path 7. A roller 5 incorporated upstream of these parts comprises a self-adhesive tape 9 wound on a core 11.

This main part 6 comprises two lateral guides 60 delimiting this guide path 7, and has - a cutting means consisting of a knife 62 and a counter-roller 63 articulated and forming scissors, - rollers 61, 64 forming intermittent tape drive means 9 mounted on the path 7 relative to the cutting means 62, 63 to ensure, simultaneously downstream and upstream thereof, holding the tape and its drive at a given feed rate, - mechanical sensors 66, 67, 68 forming the means for detecting the ribbon and the stickers, one of which 66 is mounted upstream of the cutting means 62, 63 and detects the end of the ribbon and of which the other two 67, 68 are mounted downstream of the cutting means 62, 63 on the path, the first sensor 67 being at a distance from the cutting means equal to the length of the short stickers and assigned to the detection of an initial position of the ribbon on its path and whose second sensor 68 is mounted at a distance of the cutting means equal to the length of the long stickers and assigned to the detection of an additional advance of the ribbon on its path, from the initial position, before actuation of the cutting means, for the removal of each sticker of length desired, - at least one roller 65 forming the means for ejecting each label removed, at a discharge speed greater than the advance speed, mounted downstream of the first sensor 67 and separated from the drive means 61, 64 from a distance less than the length of the short stickers, - motors (not visible) constituting the control means of the drive means 61, 64 and of the cutting means 62, 63 connected to said sensors 66, 67, 68, comprising an input receiving a signal for selecting the short thumbnails and long thumbnails to be taken and triggering in correspondence the distribution sequences of the desired thumbnail, from the detection signal of the p initial position of the ribbon and of the signal for detecting the rest position of the cutting means.

The flap 8 carries counter rollers 84, 86 cooperating with the rollers 61, 64 of the main part 6.

The lower part 4 carries at least one counter-roller (not visible) cooperating with the roller or rollers 65 of the main part 6.

A variant of the cutting means 62, 63 is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. They essentially comprise - a support member 22 also serving for guiding the adhesive tape 9; - A hinge shaft 28 mounted on this support member 22 via a shoulder 81 and a threaded end portion 82 cooperating with a washer 83 and a nut 84; - A fixed blade 24 held at one end by stops of the support member 22, and mounted at the other end on the articulation shaft 28; - A coupling mechanism 10 comprising an arm 101 driven around the shaft 8 by a crank pin 102, itself actuated by the output shaft of a DC motor 103; the crank pin 102 cooperates with the arm 101 by means of an axis 104 sliding in a slot 105 in the arm 101; - A movable blade 26 mounted at one end on the articulation shaft 28 and provided at this end with an extension part 61 made integral with the arm 101 of the coupling mechanism 10; a return spring 62 connects this movable blade 6 to the support member 22 and serves as a wear compensator for the blades.

The assembly constituted by the two blades 24 and 26 as well as the arm 101 is functionally pressed against the shoulder 81 of the shaft 28 at the other end of the latter by a spring 85 retained by a circlip 86.

The blades 24 and 26 preferably have a trapezoidal section, one side of which constitutes the cutting edge of a cutting face.

A detection assembly 20, for example of the optoelectronic type, is fixed to the support member 22 for detecting the passage of the arm 101 at the level of a flag sector 106 of the crank pin 102. This detection makes it possible to control the precise stopping of the engine 103 so that the movable blade 26 is always immobilized in the low position.

The active edges of the fixed 24 and movable 26 blades consist at least partially of a layer of material consisting of the combination of metallic material and non-metallic material; preferably, said material is an oxide-based metal impregnated with a polymerized non-metallic material.

Preferably, the oxides are chromium oxides, and the polymerized non-metallic material is "Teflon", in the form of fluorocarbon resin or polyfluoroethylenepropylene.

A first example of an embodiment process consists of a surface hardening of the blades 24 and 26 followed by an impregnation. The blades 24 and 26 are not necessarily metallic; they may for example be made of rigid polycarbonate.

This hardening is obtained by spraying with a plasma torch a powder microfused with metal oxides. Chromium oxides with a hardness of 1000 HV are preferably used. This projection is possible on plastics which support a temperature of 800C necessary for the passage of the flame. The oxide deposit has a thickness of 0.1 to 0.15 mm.

The impregnation operation is carried out by spraying a sliding varnish at a temperature of around 90 ° C followed by baking at around 400 ° C. The thickness of the varnish is approximately a few hundredths of a millimeter, for example 0.02 mm. This varnish consists of a polymer such as "Teflon" in the form of fluorocarbon resin or polyfluoroethylene-propylene.

The association of chromium oxides with polymers provides both a good ability of the blades to cut cleanly and a non-adhesion to the particles of glue coming from the self-adhesive tape.

A rectification step is desirable prior to or after the impregnation step, to create the cutting edge of the blades.

According to a second example of an embodiment method, the impregnation step consists in spraying under a controlled atmosphere a plastic material such as a polymer or a polyamide onto the cutting blade previously coated with chromium oxides and preheated to a temperature between 100 and 200 C. A stream of "Teflon" powder is then sprayed hot under a controlled nitrogen atmosphere.

According to a third example of an embodiment method, the hardening step is replaced by the manufacture of the blades according to the powder metallurgy. A mixture of powders based on chromium oxides is compacted in a mold before being heated to a temperature below the melting temperature of the mixture in a sintering oven. A forging step to the final form may be necessary depending on the complexity of this form.

As for patent application EP-0.345.130, the invention also relates to a self-adhesive postal security information medium intended to be applied by pressure to a substrate such as a mail item, envelope, package,. ...., after having received a postage impression known as the postal imprint. The postal administration rightly imposes means to prevent falsification and the reuse of a postage sticker 3 on which are generally represented from right to left in FIG. 7, a stamp 13, an office block attachment 15, a possible slogan 17 or advertising flame, and an optional mention 19.

As visible in FIG. 6, a roll 5 for postage stamps 3 includes a tape 9 and a core 11. This continuous tape 9 is formed by a layer of adhesive 34 active under the effect of pressure, interposed between a printable support 32 and a non-stick protective film 36. This roller 5 is intended to be housed inside the automatic distributor 1 of postal stickers 3 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, itself integrated into a franking machine not shown.

Each postage sticker 3 is taken from this self-adhesive roller 5 by cutting to a variable length required by means of a cutting mechanism such as a set of blade 62, 24 and counter blade 63, 26 arranged transversely. to a path 7 for guiding and transporting self-adhesive tape 9. This path 7 can differ greatly from one dispenser to another. In particular, patent application EP-0.532.390 claims, for a design of a compact modular machine whose access to the ribbon transport path is made immediate, and whose usual connection of separate paths of labels and envelopes is eliminated. , a dispenser 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the articulated parts of which cooperate with each other to form a complex guide path 7, the latter having an axis of entry of the ribbon angularly offset from the axis of exit of the labels. postage. This arrangement has a tight bend in space, capable of causing the embossing phenomenon affecting the laminated adhesive tape 9 on the one hand, and problems with guiding and holding or behavior of this laminated tape at different temperatures and various degrees on the other hand.

Deficient holding of the laminated tape 9 inside the complex guide path 7 is due for example to too much flexibility, too much rigidity or insufficient mechanical strength of this tape.

In addition, the gradual fouling of the active areas of the cutting parts by amalgamated particles of resin and paper significantly reduces the cutting efficiency of the self-adhesive tape.

Furthermore, immediate delamination of the printable support 32 or of the substrate 38 on which the franking sticker 3 is stuck is essential to reduce any attempt at postal fraud as much as possible by a mechanical or chemical detachment operation.

Finally, it is advisable to associate with the ability of the ribbon to the non-fouling of the knives and with the optimal flexibility of the latter in wide ranges of temperature and degree of hygrometry, a great instantaneous force of adhesion and an ease. cutting.

In order to reconcile these different requirements, the invention proposes adopting the following two provisions, individually or in combination a) coating the active parts of the cutting means 62, 63; 24, 26 of the dispenser 1, of a layer of composite material consisting of an oxide-based metal impregnated with a polymerized non-metallic material; b) select the adhesive layer 34 of the laminated tape 9 from the acrylic and / or vinyl copolymers.

According to a first embodiment, the adhesive layer 34 is a mixture of alkyl acrylate copolymers, for example butyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate.

According to another embodiment, it is obtained essentially from an aqueous dispersion of vinyl acetate-butyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymer.

According to another embodiment, this acrylic copolymer comprises monomers based on alkyl acrylates as units of major or minor component, and an ethylenically unsaturated compound comprising a siloxane functional group.

This adhesive layer 34 has an adhesive power of at least 400 g for a time of 1 second at a speed of 5 cm / second and under a pressure of 100 g / cm 2.

The printable support 32 which is suitable for self-adhesive coating, for the suitable penetration of a printing ink, and for functional deformations of transport, is a plain wove paper having a grammage of 70 to 110 g per square meter.

The protective film 36 is a silicone coated P.E. paper, provided over its entire length, and in its middle part, with a peel-off slot 40.

The overall average thickness of the laminated tape is 0.20 mm. The average elementary thicknesses of its layers 32, 34, 36 are equal respectively to 0.09 mm, 0.04 mm and 0.07 mm, that is to say in the ratios 9, 4 and 7.

With a view to detecting the end of the strip associated with use without falling of the self-adhesive tape 3, a separation of the final end part of the latter from the core 5 is provided.

Claims (14)

 b) the layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive (34) essentially comprises at least one acrylic and / or vinyl copolymer.  a) the active parts of this cutting means (62, 63; 24, 26) are coated with a layer of composite material consisting of an oxide-based metal impregnated with a polymerized non-metallic material; and or  CLAIMS 1. Automatic distributor (1) of postage stamps (3) ensuring the selective picking of stamps not precut on a continuous self-adhesive tape (9), wound on a core (11) of roll (5) in the form of a layer of adhesive (34) active under the effect of pressure and interposed between a printable support (32) and a protective non-stick film (36), of the type comprising - a complex path (7) for guiding the ribbon (9), - a cutting means (62, 63; 24, 26) mounted on the path (7), - intermittent drive means (61, 64) of the ribbon (9) mounted on this path relatively to said path cutting means to ensure, simultaneously downstream and upstream of the cutting means, that the ribbon is held and driven at a given speed of advance, - detection means (66, 67, 68) of the ribbon and the thumbnails, mounted downstream of the cutting means on the path, one of which (67) of which says first sensor is at a distance from the hub n of cut equal to the length of short vignettes and assigned to the detection of an initial position of the ribbon on its path and of which another (68) said second sensor is mounted at a distance from the cutting means equal to the length of vignettes long and assigned to the detection of an additional advance of the ribbon on its path, from said initial position, before actuation of the cutting means for the removal of each sticker of desired length, - means for controlling these means of drive and of this cutting means connected to these sensors, comprising an input receiving a signal for selection of these short vignettes and of these long vignettes to be taken and triggering in correspondence of the sequences of distribution of the desired vignette, from the detection signal of this initial position of the ribbon and of the signal for detecting the rest position of the cutting means, and - ejection means (65) of each preliminary sticker raised at an evacuation speed greater than this advance speed, mounted downstream of the first sensor and separated from the drive means by a distance less than the length of the short stickers, characterized in that, to reconcile a suitability for non-fouling, ease of cutting, great instantaneous adhesive force and optimum flexibility of the self-adhesive tape (9) in wide ranges of temperature and degree of humidity, 2. Distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that these oxides are chromium oxides. 3. Dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that this polymerized non-metallic material is "Teflon" in the form of fluorocarbon resin or polyfluoroethylene-propylene. 4. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the adhesive layer (34) sensitive to pressure is a mixture of alkyl acrylate copolymers. 5. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adhesive layer (34) sensitive to pressure is obtained essentially from a mixture of butyl acrylate-ethyl acrylate copolymers. 6. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (34) is obtained essentially from an aqueous dispersion of vinyl acetate-butyl acrylate copolymer- acrylic acid. 7. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that this acrylic copolymer comprises monomers based on alkyl acrylates as units of major or minor component, and an ethylenically unsaturated compound comprising a functional group siloxane. 8. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the shear strength of the printable film (32) or of the substrate (38) such as a mail item on which it is applied, is less than the adhesive force existing both between the printable support (32) and the adhesive layer (34) and between the adhesive layer (34) and the substrate (38). 9. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the strip (9) of the roll (5) has, for a strip width less than 50 mm, elementary thicknesses of its three layers (32) , (34), (36) substantially in ratios 9, 4 and 7 respectively. 10. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the self-adhesive tape (9) is free from any connection relative to the core (11) of the roll (5) to promote detection of the end of the strip and avoid a drop of tape of significant length. 11. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the printable support (32) of the self-adhesive tape (9) which is suitable for self-adhesive coating, for suitable penetration of the ink and with functional deformations, has a grammage of 70 to 110 g per square meter. 12. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the adhesive layer (34) of the tape (9) has an adhesive power of at least 400 g for a time of 1 second, at a speed of 5 cm / second and under a pressure of 100 g / cm2 13. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the protective film (36) of the self-adhesive tape (9) is a silicone coated PE paper, provided over its entire length and in its middle part. a detachment slot (40). 14. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the average overall thickness of the self-adhesive tape (9) is equal to 0.20 mm distributed in three average elementary thicknesses of 0.09 mm, 0.04 mm and 0.07 mm corresponding to the three respective layers (32, 34, 36) of this tape, for two strip widths equal to approximately 33.5 mm and 39.5 mm.