DE19633510A1 - Labelling of printed objects - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for labelling printed objects made of glass, metal, plastic, paper or cardboard, has a number of controllable radiation sources which are switched off and on cyclically. The radiation is designed so that it interacts with the object material, causing structural change. There are lenses to concentrate the beams. The concentrated beams lie in one plane and meet the objects at fixed distances apart, the contact points forming a matrix. The objects are moved past at a preset speed at right angles to the plane of the contact points and the control unit switches the radiation sources so that the contact points form the required lettering or labelling.

Description

The invention relates to a device for Be writing of unprinted or printed objects, in particular of glass, plastic, metal, paper or Cardboard or the like.

In the manufacture of articles or their processing Often the necessity arises of the objects to mark or label to make them identifiable to make, for. B. make a batch marking. Such a requirement occurs, for example, in bottles on, which ge with liquids or solid objects be filled, for example, with drinks, or Pro  products in outer packaging, blister packs or the be filled same, z. As pharmaceuticals or derglei chen. Similar circumstances can be found in foods that must be provided with a best before date. In general, all of them are subject to this labeling requirement Food products and all products affected by Verlas must be properly identified in production.

It is known glass objects with the help of a TEA Label CO₂ pulse laser via a mask.

Instead of a pulse laser can also be a continuous wave ar be provided laser in the vector process is working. Both methods are complicated and prone to failure and need a relatively strong laser.

The TEA pulse laser is mainly there for product identification used where high throughput rates required are. In addition to the high maintenance costs, the TEA Laser has the disadvantage that for each individual lettering Set a separate mask must be used. Therefore, will Such a labeling system only then into consideration pulled, if there is no alternative. Lettering lasers that work according to the vector method become the main  used where the quality of the lettering must be high, such as in the lettering of Keyboards, larger semiconductor devices and general Information labels, but at the product clock rate is relatively low and a labeling performance sufficient by about a dozen characters per second. Vek Labeling lasers therefore hardly become product identifiers drawing used.

In addition, the caption must also from the subject be changed to item or in smaller batches, So far, there is no way to make sure products are safe tig and unchangeable label, since the replacement the masks between each labeling process to time agile and the vector laser is not the required Can reach speeds.

It is also known to use materials with the aid of an ink label printer. The inkjet printer is theoretically capable of capturing the material in tact to change. The disadvantages of the conventional laser are at not to be found on the inkjet labeler. Indeed It should be noted that the ink is a consumable material which is expensive and hard to handle and in  In addition, it is highly toxic in many cases. In life The ink industry is therefore subject to special conditions Handling instructions. Because of these circumstances can the main advantages of laser marking in this Labeling type can not be adopted: No secondary cost due to consumables, no contamination of the marking material with toxic materials. Under be Concurred circumstances is the labeling of glass by means Ink through an inkjet printer possible or unum accessible (in the event of material changes according to the labeling However, the labeling results are basically not resistant to abrasion. Finally, the war costs for industrial inkjet printers Lich.

The prior art has been exemplified by glass bottles are discussed. It is understood that the same applies for objects made of metal, plastic, paper or cardboard or similar.

The invention is therefore based on the object, a Vor to create a direction for labeling objects that with little equipment and operating costs little disturbance is prone to using the benefits of laser marking the inkjet label can unite and expand.  

This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 2 solved.

For the inkjet printer on the to beschrif bordered object, for example Letters and numbers, formed from points, the stock part of one consisting of point lines and point columns Matrix are. In the solution according to the invention according to An Claim 1 are several of a control device clock wise controllable radiation sources provided. The Radiation is suitable to beschrif with the material of object to interact. So can For example, change the material color, a general Material evaporation or a -absprengung or a sim Licher effect occur. With the help of the invention Device also has the option of a top color layer of the object to be removed point by point, without the underlying layer of paint or underlying Damage material. By this effect, a Kon trast the lower layer of the material with the upper one Color layer caused.

According to one embodiment of the invention, it is particularly suitable tion a laser device as a radiation source, preferably  example, a solid-state laser with diode laser as the pump energy source or a similar laser system that consumes works telelessly.

The device according to the invention also has an opti sche arrangement on, from the beam of a radiation source generates at least one spot beam. Im easy In the first case, the beam of a laser is used, wherein one or more spot beams directed in a plane who the perpendicular to the feed direction of the objects runs. In this case, the number of lasers equals light sources or the spot beams of the number of points in the column of the matrix.

The inscription therefore takes place in the case of the invention Device in the current matrix method. To beschrif tende object is in a horizontal plane with it too or fixed speed through the Labeling level led. By an appropriate Tak tion of the radiation sources, resulting from the relationship between the horizontal speed and the desired one Point density in the horizontal plane is determined by the Radiation sources a matrix of a certain number generated by columns and rows. As mentioned, the Ma trix size in the vertical plane, d. H. in the plane of  Spot beams, determined by the number of spot beams and to label the distance of the spot beams on the the object, while the size in the horizontal Level solely by the desired density of points and the maximum clock rate of the laser is determined.

It is also possible to use the beam z. B. a single beam Source with the help of a beam splitter in any to split many rays. The resulting single beam len are each separately by a corresponding Vor direction modulated. They can therefore visually as own permanent sources of radiation are called and it is in the proceed as described above.

In the apparatus according to claim 2 is a single one of a control device cyclically controllable radiation provided source, preferably a laser. His too Radiation is with the material of the counterpart to be labeled standes interacts, so that by structure Change of material a visually recognizable change occurs, as explained above. An optical arrangement he produces at least one beam from the radiation source Spot beam. However, it can with the help of a radiation divider also multiple spot beams are generated. The Spot beam is directed to a deflector, the  the spot beam in a plane perpendicular to the feed line tion of objects gradually or continuously so deflects that on the impact surface of the object points generated between the deflections steps down stand from each other, the the point distance of a Ma trixcolumn corresponds.

Also in this device according to the invention, the Label in the labeling level in the running matrix method. The object to be labeled will be in the horizontal plane with to be detected or firmly defined speed through the labeling level. With the appropriate timing of the radiation source, wel depends on the relationship between the horizontal Ge speed and the desired density of points generates a matrix of L × N points. The matrix size L (vertical plane) is characterized by the clocked and selected, separated by the deflector Rays determined. The size is N (horizontal plane) determined solely by the desired point density. The maximum representable total number of points per second in the Labeling is determined by the maximum clock rate of the beam determined source of influence. In the present case, the point density not greater than 300 dpi.

According to one embodiment of the invention, in the Vor  directions according to the invention, an optical arrangement for Focusing the spot beams are provided. The In The intensity of the radiation at the processing point becomes significant improved, and usually a cheaper mate obtained.

In the apparatus according to claim 1, after an ex staltung the invention are provided that the point radiate the radiation sources onto a segment collector be directed mirror, in a vertical plane has at least as much mirror surfaces as the matrix spal tenpunkte, wherein the mirror surfaces the point Align rays in one level, possibly in one Give angle to each other. The collecting mirror serves for Aligning individual rays in the single vertical Axis and to align the beams to each other when a certain angle to each other (angular misalignment) should have. The angular offset gives the desired Label size. Also in this device is present preferably a lens or the like to provide a Focusing on the labeling level. you increases the intensity of radiation in the labeling level.

In the apparatus according to claim 2 is a suitable  To provide deflection. This can be for example in a deflecting mirror made by a galvanometer is pressed. Alternatively, a rotating drivable Polygon mirror can be provided as a deflection mirror. Finally, an acousto-optical deflection can also be done be provided.

With the devices according to the invention there is the possibility consumption, labels on all materials medium-free, flexible, unadulterated and non-toxic with to realize simple technical means.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below hand of drawings explained in more detail.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a device according to the inven tion,

FIG. 2 shows the generation of a letter with the device according to FIG. 1, FIG.

Fig. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the device according to Fig. 1 in schematic form,

Fig. 4 shows in perspective in greater detail the apparatus of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 1 showing another embodiment of the apparatus of FIG.

Fig. 6 shows another detail of the apparatus of Fig. 5,

FIG. 7 shows another detail of the device according to FIG. 5, FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view in greater detail of the device according to FIG. 5.

In Fig. 1, a laser device 2 is Darge presents schematically, the details of which is still gegan conditions below. It is associated with a conveyor belt 4 , which advances at a certain speed v in the direction of the arrow and placed on the individual bottles 6 , which are to be labeled by means of the laser device 2 . The bottles 6 are made of plastic or glass, for example. In the present case, the bottles are labeled with the letter H. A tax advantage device 8 controls the laser device 2, the control device 8 measuring a signal from a speed 9 is replaced, which measures the speed v of the conveyor belt. 4

The labeling of the bottles 6 takes place according to the current matrix method. The laser device 2 generates either a single spot beam, which deflects the spot beam perpendicular to the feed direction of the belt 4 by means of a non-ge showed deflection device. Alternatively, a corresponding number of individual point lasers can be provided, each of which generates a spot beam, the spot beams lying in a plane which is perpendicular to the feed direction of the conveyor belt 4 . In the case of game of Fig. 2, it is assumed that, for example, seven individual spot beams lie in a plane. Alternatively, a single laser using the deflector can generate seven points at a time. This is the case, for example, when the left hand beam of the hand is to be witnessed. After the left beam of the H is generated, a certain time has elapsed, in which the För derband 4 has advanced the bottle in question a certain way. After this cycle time, which results from the speed of the conveyor belt Ge and the desired distance of the points, the crossbar of the H is generated, where stood in each case only in the position 4 points of light in Taktab, with the individual columns of the matrix are beabstan det , are generated until reaching the rightmost bar of the H, which in turn is generated by all the generable points of the column. For the generation of points 1 to 7 of this column, when using a single deflectable spot beam z. B. 100 μ sec. Per point accordingly about 700 μ sec. Per column needed.

It is understood that the respective bottle is labeled only at the moment when it has taken a given Po tion with respect to the laser device 2 . This can, for. B. by a light barrier (not shown) can be determined. Or an incremental encoder ver is used, which determines its respective position from the feed of the conveyor belt 4 .

As mentioned, the laser device 2 may include a number of individual point lasers. Such a number of point lasers, namely eight, are shown in FIG . They are provided with the reference numeral 12 . About the control device 11 and the control 13 for the laser he follows the momentary switching on and off of the individual laser 12 with the desired clock rate. If, for example, all the lasers 8 are turned on, a matrix column of eight points results, so that a column of eight dots is produced on the bottle 6 , for example by a material blast or the like. In the next switch-on then only those laser 12 are turned on, as is necessary for the generation of the character, for example, only one, if, as shown in Fig. 2, only one point to be generated.

In Fig. 4, the arrangement 10 of eight lasers 12 Darge presents such that in the top row three lasers next to each other, in the middle row two and the lower row in turn three lasers are arranged side by side. It is solid-state laser of known construction type whose pump sources are formed by diode lasers. Each laser 12 generates a spot beam 14 which is directed to a deflection mirror 16 . The beam 18 coming from the deflecting mirrors reaches a collecting mirror 20 . The collecting mirror 20 has in the vertical plane eight Spie gelflächen in the form of mirror segments (not shown GE), which serve to align the coming of the deflecting mirrors 16 beams in a vertical plane. The in-plane eight spot beams 22 may have a more or less large angle with respect to the center axis. You get to a lens 24 , which focuses the rays. You get to a Beschrif processing level 26 , for example, the surface of a Glasbehäl age, for example, the bottle 6 of FIG .. 3

The labeling process with the apparatus of Fig. 1 is as follows. The inscription is made in the ongoing matrix process. Therefore, the object to be labeled in the horizontal plane, that is guided perpendicular to the plane of the beams 22 to be detected or firmly defined Ge speed through the labeling level. By the corresponding control of the individual lasers 12 , which results from the relationship between the horizontal velocity v and the desired point density in the horizontal plane, a matrix of L × N points is generated (where L is the number of columns and N is the number of Lines) ( Figure 2). The matrix size L (vertical plane) is determined by the number of rays in the vertical plane, which is eight in the case of FIG . The size N (horizontal plane) is determined by the desired dot density and the maximum clock rate of the laser 12 be.

It is also possible to reduce the number of lasers 12 and divide the laser beams by means of beam splitters, not shown, into a number of beams which can also be directed into the vertical plane via mirrors. By appropriate control of suitable modulators (not shown), each spot beam in the vertical plane can be activated or deactivated. Such modulators z. B. are controlled by sound waves are known per se.

In the embodiment of FIGS . 5 and 8, a einzi ger laser 30 is provided which generates a spot beam 32 which is directed to a deflection mirror 34 . The deflection mirror 34 directs the beam on a deflection mirror 36 which is actuated by a galvanometer 38 . By Actuate supply of the deflecting mirror 36 , the sequential generation of seven seven point rays 40 z. B. in a vertical plane, which are placed on a lens 42 , which focuses the rays in the direction of a labeling plane 44 of an object to be labeled 46 . The Steuerervor direction 48 controls the clock of the laser 30 and mirror 36th

The labeling operation with the apparatus of Figs. 5 and 8 is as follows. It takes place in the current matrix process. The object to be labeled, z. B. object 46 , is performed in the horizontal plane at a predetermined Geschwin speed through the label level. With a corresponding clocking of the laser 30 , which results from the relationship between the horizontal speed of the object and the desired point density, a matrix of L × N points is generated. The matrix size L (vertical plane) is determined here by the clocked and selected beams separated by the deflection mirror 36 . The size N (horizontal plane) is determined solely by the desired point density (see also Fig. 2). The maximum displayable total number of points per second in the label is determined by the maximum clock rate of the radiation source.

Below are two examples of the essential data:

(a) Size of the desired label: 7 × 5 dots / 3 mm × 2 mm Number of labels per second: 1000 characters / sec. Required clock rate of the laser: 7 × 5 × 1000 = 35 kHz clock rate Deflection frequency of the deflection unit 36 : 5 kHz for unidirectional use (b) size of the desired label: 24 × 10 dots / 6 mm × 4 mm Number of characters per second: 500 characters / sec.   Required clock rate of the laser: 24 × 10 × 5000 = 1.2 MHz Deflection frequency of the deflection unit: 50 kHz for unidirectional use

The inscription itself is made by the interaction the radiation with the material. Depending on the material and Radiation intensity is done enveloping the material color, a material blasting, a material evaporation or a similar effect. In any case, an Ver Change of the material instead, such as the structure, without that a consumable is needed like ink or toner as with conventional labeling methods.

Instead of a normal deflecting mirror 36 , for example, a polygon mirror 50 may be used, which is rotatably driven by a ge suitable device in time. The incoming beam 32 is then deflected into a plane each abge for generating the individual points, as described. Finally, instead of the deflection mirror 36 , an electro-optical deflector or an acousto-optical 52 can be provided, which is controlled by an energy wave, the deflection of the beam 32 is generally dependent on the amplitude of the energy wave. Such acoustic-optical or electro-optical deflection cells are known per se.

If the term is used thermosensitive at the beginning, then there is the influence of the molecules, for example meant by paper, for example ionization, where by a deposit of a consumable, for example Wise toner is allowed at the irradiated point. On such method is not applied to the invention. The inventive method works by the Laser beams directly a change in the irradiated Cause material, for example, by optical means is readable.

Claims (13)

1. Device for labeling printed or unprinted articles from nothing necessarily ther mosensitivem material, in particular of glass, metal, plastic, paper, cardboard or the like, characterized marked by the following features:
a plurality of controllable radiation sources;
a control device that cyclically turns the radiation sources on and off;
the radiation of the radiation sources is such that it interacts with the material of the objects in such a way that without additional consumption medium by a thermal or other radiant energetic (ablative) action a structural change of the material is effected;
an optical arrangement that forms spot beams from the beams of each radiation source;
the spot beams lie in one plane and have a distance from each other when hitting the object, which in total corresponds to the dot pitch of a Ma trixspalte;
a feed device which moves the articles one after the other at a predetermined speed past the device in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the spot beams, the control device controlling the radiation sources during the advancement of the articles so as to create characters on the article; from individual punk th one consisting of point rows and point columns formed the matrix. 2. Device for labeling printed or non-printed objects from not necessarily ther mosensitive material, in particular of glass, metal, plastic, cardboard, paper or the like, characterized by the following features:
a single controllable radiation source;
a control device that cyclically turns the radiation sources on and off;
the radiation of the radiation sources is such that it interacts with the material of the objects in such a way that, without additional consumption medium, a structural change of the material is effected by a thermal or other radiation-energetic (ablative) action;
an optical arrangement that forms a spot beam from the beam of the radiation source;
a deflection device which deflects the spot beam in a plane in steps, wherein the clock coincides with the control clock of the control device and the length of a deflection step on the object corresponds to the dot pitch of a matrix column;
a feed device which moves the articles one after another at a predetermined speed past the device in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the spot beam,
wherein the control device, the radiation source and the deflection device during the advance of the Ge objects so controls that characters on the counter stand arise, which are formed from individual points of a matrix consisting of dot columns and dot lines matrix. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each radiation source ( 12 , 30 ) is formed by a laser. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that that a solid-state laser with diode laser as Punktstrah source is provided. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an optical arrangement ( 24 , 42 ) is provided for focusing the spot beams on the objects. 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spot beams ( 18 ) of the radiation sources ( 12 ) are directed to a segment collecting mirror ( 20 ) which gelflächen in a vertical plane at least as much Spie as the matrix has column points, wherein the Mirror surfaces align the spot beams in a plane, possibly at a predetermined angle relative to each other. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the spot beams ( 22 ) via deflection mirrors ( 16 ) are directed to the collecting mirror ( 20 ). 8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the collecting mirror ( 20 ) is followed by a converging lens ( 24 ). 9. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that one of a galvanometer ( 38 ) operable order steering mirror ( 36 ) is provided. 10. The device according to claim 2, characterized that as a deflection mirror a rotating drivable Polygon mirror is provided. 11. The device according to claim 2, characterized that an acousto-optical deflection cell provided is. 12. The device according to claim 1, characterized that multiple spot beams from a single real Radiation source come and ge by beam splitting are formed. 13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized characterized in that a Geschwindigkeitsmeßvorrich tion is provided, the feed rate of the objects and measures the distance of adjacent Matrix columns determining cycle time of Steuervorrich tion depends on the feed rate.