DE19624667C2 - Process for labeling containers, in particular bottles - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for labeling containers, in particular bottles according to the preamble of claim 1.

Especially in the beverage industry, it is common to use the containers, namely Cans and bottles, especially plastic bottles (PET bottles) too label. Various possibilities are known from practice for this for example conventional wet labeling using glue. Furthermore, the use of self-adhesive labels is also common. Most recently Time was also suggested at PET, the all-round label Fix labels by shrinking onto the bottle (Brauwelt No. 17/18 1996, Page 774). A disadvantage of this known method that above all that Removing the labels causes more problems by using the Glue or by designing the labels as self-adhesive labels.

A device for labeling containers or bottles is known All-round labels (US 3 959 065), with the below the path of movement on their Bottle mouth hanging from a carrier on a conveyor revolving rotor several winding mandrels are provided, on which by pulling each one length of a label material a self-contained all-round Label shaped, then slipped onto the respective container and through there Shrink fit is fixed.

Also known is a labeling device for bottles (DE 4 87 369), in which the Label the bottles made of glass in a largely manual manner actuated filling device takes place. A glueless labeling is known with this Device just as impossible as all-round labeling.

The object of the invention is to demonstrate a method in which a glueless All-round labeling without problems and with high performance, but above all with  reduced mechanical engineering effort is possible. To solve this problem is executed a method according to claim 1.

The all-round labels are also formed in the method according to the invention not on the containers, but separately from them, ie in the sense of the invention "spatially distant from the containers". The all-round labels are accordingly in the invention in the finished state, for example by means of a gripper on the Container pushed on. The fact that the labeling in the invention Process done within the filling machine will not only reduce the mechanical engineering effort, but this has when using Plastic bottles, especially PET bottles also have the advantage that they are Bottles elastically "inflate" when filled by the filling pressure, so that each time postponed all-round label, at least until the Shrinkage is fixed or additionally fixed. The labels are each through Subtract a predetermined length from a sheet of label material molded, spatially distant from the container, which also in the invention there is the possibility of very high performances with several working in parallel To achieve facilities for shaping the all-round labels.

The label material is, for example, under the influence of heat or heat shrinking material or a shrinking material due to other external influences Material, for example a material that shrinks when dried.

Developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures explained. Show it:

Figure 1 in a simplified representation and in side view of a filling station of a filling machine together with a device for performing the method according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a vacuum gripper for use in the labeling station of FIG. 1 in a simplified representation and in plan view.

In the figures, 1 is a plastic bottle, namely a PET bottle, as is increasingly used in the beverage industry. This bottle 1 is to be provided with an all-round label 2 , ie with a label which completely surrounds the bottle 1 at its cylindrical part 1 'and is connected at two edges at 3 overlapping to form the ring-shaped or cylindrical all-round label. It is also required that the label 2 is held on the bottle 1 without glue.

Fig. 1 shows the inventive method in which takes place the pushing of the shaped device 12 in the closed wrap-around labels 2 on the bottles 1 in each case by a Aufschiebeinrichtung 9 a which is provided at a filling machine, or to the local filling. Of the filling machine, only the rotor 17 rotating around the vertical machine axis is partially shown, namely together with a filling element 18 and the associated fork-shaped bottle carrier or holder 19 with which the respective bottle 1 (PET bottle) with one in the area of the mouth molded upper flange 1 '' is held in the sealing position against the filling element 18 during the filling process.

The all-round labels 2 are pushed on from below onto the bottles 1 free on their bottom, using a vacuum gripper 10 which is guided on a guide 11 and moved up and down by a control curve. The respective label 2 is pushed onto the respective bottle 1 before this bottle is pressurized, ie preloaded or filled under pressure. After the respective bottle has been pressurized, ie in particular after the filling process has been completed, the label is released by the gripper 10 and this moves its starting position downward. The all-round label 2 is kept effective by the pressure prevailing in the bottle 2 as well as by the resulting enlargement of the bottle diameter on the bottle 1 , at least until the label 2 is finally shrunk on the bottle in the manner described above 1 is fixed.

The material used for the all-round labels 2 (shrink-sleeve labels) is, for example, paper, plastic, plastic-paper laminate and / or paper with synthetic fibers. The material shrinking under the influence of heat therefore has shrink film properties. Basically, it is possible to fix the labels 2 by shrinking the bottles after leaving the labeling machine through a tunnel oven.

FIG. 2 shows the gripper 10 again in a top view, specifically together with a stationary device 12 for forming the self-contained all-round labels. The device 12 is essentially designed so that it deducts a specific length of this label material 14 from a supply spool 13 , which contains the label material as a wound web, from the removed length forms a closed loop 14 'forming the all-round label, which each leading end of the loop with which the stripped length of the label material for producing the overlapping connection 3 is connected, for example glued, and then the loop 14 'thus formed is separated from the remaining material 14 , so that the closed all-round label 2 is obtained. Each time a slide-on device 9 moves past, an all-round label 2 produced in this way is transferred to the gripper 10 of this slide-on device.

The advantage of the method according to the invention is that a glue-free labeling of the bottles 1 is possible with high output and using a material which can be drawn off from a supply reel 13 as a web. As a result, it is in particular also possible to remove the labels 2 easily and without residue when reusing and cleaning the bottles 1 . This results in significant simplifications in bottle washing machines, since z. B. Soft baths for removing or softening labels are avoided. Furthermore, the old labels that have been removed dry from the bottles can be disposed of much more easily and in an environmentally friendly manner.

If the label material is a weldable material, for example plastic material, the closed all-round label 2 is preferably formed by welding, so that glue is not required for this either.

It was assumed above that the label material was influenced by Heat shrinks. In principle, however, materials are also conceivable that are made by others external influences can be shrunk, for example by removing water or moisture or by drying.

Reference list

1

bottle

1

'' Bottle belly

1

''Flange

2nd

All-round label

3rd

overlapping connection

9

aPushing device

10th

Gripper

11

leadership

12th

Device for shaping the all-round labels

13

stock

14

loop

17th

rotor

18th

Filling element

19th

Bottle carrier

Claims (11)

1. A method for labeling containers, in particular bottles, with all-round labels ( 2 ) made of a shrinkable label material, being spatially separated from the respective container ( 1 ) to be labeled in a device ( 12 ) for forming the all-round labels ( 2 ) a length forming a label is withdrawn from a web of label material ( 13 ) which is available as a supply, this withdrawn length is formed and connected to the wrap-around label and is separated from the supply, and the wrap-around label ( 2 ) is pushed onto the respective container ( 1 ) and then fixed there by shrinking, characterized in that the respectively shaped all-round label is pushed onto the container in a filling machine. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the device forming the all-round label ( 12 ), the length of material removed in each case is connected to the all-round label ( 2 ) and then separated from the supply ( 13 ). 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the separation of the stripped length from the supply ( 13 ) takes place above when forming the all-round label ( 2 ). 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the all-round label formed in the device is pushed onto the respective container ( 1 ) by means of a gripper ( 10 ). 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding onto the respective container ( 1 ) takes place from below. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container ( 1 ) and / or the all-round label ( 2 ) is provided with a fixing point which causes a temporary fixation of the label, preferably from a water-soluble compound. 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the sliding of the labels when using plastic or PET bottles before loading these bottles with a bias or filling pressure, and that the release of the respective label by the gripper after The respective bottle ( 1 ) is acted upon by the pretensioning or filling pressure, so that the label ( 2 ) is held at this by the expansion of the bottle due to the pretensioning or filling pressure. 8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the Use of a shrinkable paper and / or plastic material and / or paper-plastic laminate and / or paper with synthetic fibers. 9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective label after being pushed on by the action of heat, for example by heat radiation and / or by blowing with hot air and / or by Moving the container through a tunnel oven by shrinking on the container is fixed. 10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shrinking of the respective all-round label is done by drying. 11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the all-round label is formed by welding the label material.