EP0693424B1 - Label preparation device/method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for preparing labels, in particular labels for packaging cigarette packs.

There are two main types of cigarette packets, the box or rigid pack known generally as the "Hinge-lid pack", as well as the soft pack also called "Soft-pack", each of the two types of pack having its advantages. and reciprocal disadvantages, both during the preparation of packages and during their use.

Generally, the labels for box packages are prepared independently of the cigarette packaging machine, even sometimes by a specialized manufacturer, independent of the tobacco industry. They are supplied in stacks of labels, each of them comprising the beach ribs as well as the cutouts necessary for their assembly on the packaging machine.

As regards the labels for soft packages, they are generally intended to form packages by diamond folds, which does not require prior cutting of the label. Therefore, these labels are obtained from a strip from a preprinted roll directly feeding the packaging machine.

Other types of labels for soft packages are intended to form packages with flat folds and not only in diamond. For this, it is necessary to make cuts on the label, these cuts being quite similar to those provided on a label for box package. However, given the low grammage of the paper, typically 90 to 100 g / m², it is not possible to prepare the labels separately as for those intended for box packages, labels of thin paper comprising cutouts being difficult to separate. one from the other when they are arranged in stacks, this then leading to a jamming of the packaging machine.

The closest prior art is represented by DE-A-31 41 311. The device described in this document shows a system for feeding a strip of a material intended for making a package, a cutting being periodically carried out in the strip in order to make labels. As described, this device requires a stop of the strip when cutting the label, which results in a reduction in the efficiency of the machine as well as strong jerks in the strip.

A first object of the invention is therefore to propose a method making it possible to perform a transverse cut with precision in order to separate a label from a strip of paper.

A second object of the invention is to propose a device intended to be installed on a cigarette packaging machine, said device being fed by a strip of paper and making at least one or more cuts during the passage of said strip in the device, so that it is subsequently possible to precisely separate the label from the paper strip, in order to produce a soft type packaging, comprising one or more folds flat, on the packaging machine.

Generally, given the low rigidity of the paper used, conventional soft type labels do not have grooves to facilitate the making of folds during assembly of the package. Such grooves can however be useful, both to facilitate the making of the folds and to increase their rigidity and improve the aesthetics of the finished package.

Another object of the invention is therefore to add to the previous device means making it possible to make beach grooves.

It may be interesting, given the presence of this device, to add still other elements to improve the label to improve the making or use of the package. Among these elements, there may be means making it possible to make knurled or embossed lines, in order to facilitate the holding of the package as well as its opening, and / or means allowing to deposit a date or a code on each label, as well as means making it possible to prepare the package opening device (s).

Another object of the invention is therefore to add to the previous device one or more of the above means and to make the previous device modular, so as to be able to adapt it to different types of labels while still another aim is to facilitate the synchronization of the various means above. Finally, a final object of the invention is to propose a compact device which can be installed as standard on a new packaging machine or which can be added later to an existing machine.

It should be noted that a person skilled in the art will know how to adapt such a device for the preparation of packaging labels for products other than cigarettes.

In order to achieve the aims mentioned, the invention first of all proposes a method for preparing labels, in particular for making packaging labels for soft type cigarettes, comprising the characteristics indicated in claims 1 and 2 , then a suitable device as described in claims 3 to 13.

• la figure 1 représente une forme d'exécution particulière d'une étiquette réalisable par le dispositif de préparation selon l'invention, et
• la figure 2 représente une vue schématique d'une forme d'exécution du dispositif de préparation d'étiquettes.

Il a été fait mention et il sera fait mention dans la description qui suit ainsi que dans les revendications, de nervures de pliage; on doit entendre par ceci une déformation effectuée à l'endroit où s'effectuera le pli, respectivement sur une ligne de pliage. Cette déformation peut être en relief soit sur la face de l'étiquette correspondant à l'extérieur du pli et par conséquent en creux sur la face opposée, soit au contraire en relief sur la face correspondant à l'intérieur du pli, et en creux sur la face opposée; sur les face où cette déformation est en creux, elle correspond alors à une rainure. Par la suite il ne sera fait mention que de nervures de pliage, englobant l'une ou l'autre des significations ci-dessus.The invention is described below with reference to the drawing comprising the figures where:

• FIG. 1 represents a particular embodiment of a label that can be produced by the preparation device according to the invention, and
• FIG. 2 represents a schematic view of an embodiment of the device for preparing labels.

Mention has been made and will be made in the following description as well as in the claims, folding ribs; by this is meant a deformation carried out at the place where the fold will take place, respectively on a fold line. This deformation can be in relief either on the face of the label corresponding to the outside of the fold and consequently hollow on the opposite face, or on the contrary in relief on the face corresponding to the inside of the fold, and hollow on the opposite side; on the faces where this deformation is hollow, it then corresponds to a groove. Thereafter, only folding ribs will be mentioned, encompassing one or other of the above meanings.

The label 1 in FIG. 1 is only a particular embodiment of a label for packaging a packet of soft type cigarettes, which groups together a certain number of elements which can be produced by the preparation device according to the invention. 'invention. The label 1 is generally of essentially rectangular shape, and is composed of panels separated in particular by fold lines 10, 11, 12, 13 in order to form the lateral faces as well as the lower and upper faces of the package. Compared to a label intended for making a usual soft pack, this is prepared in particular so that two of the panels forming the upper and lower faces can be folded flat; for this, the label 1 includes the cutouts 14, 15 and 16. The end of the cutouts 14 and 15 close to the fold lines 10 can end in a 90 ° portion, as in the cutouts 14, or in a arc of a circle, as on cutout 15. By connecting the ends of these cutout portions to the corresponding fold line by a fold line portion 14A, 15A, it is possible to create a diamond fold primer when assembly of the package, which improves its sealing despite the flat folding of the upper and lower panels.

The cutout 16 is here of a different shape since it also constitutes one of the means of opening the package. For this, in order to form the tear-off tab 16A, it is continued by a partial cut 16B. The fold line portion 16C has the same function as that described above for the other cuts.

In addition to the cuts described above, the device according to the invention can make a certain number of folding grooves, in particular two longitudinal grooves 10A corresponding to the fold lines 10, four transverse grooves 11A, 12A corresponding to the fold lines 11 and 12, as well as possibly oblique grooves 13A for the fold lines 13 necessary for a diamond fold of certain portions of the package. The short folding lines 14A, 15A and 16C mentioned above can also each receive a short folding groove.

Other adjustments can be made to the label 1, such as for example knurled lines. By knurling is meant here an operation by which a roller or a roller having a certain ridged or fluted profile around its periphery is cold pressed on a portion of the label, creating a weakened zone, respectively a cold knurled or embossed line. , thus facilitating its folding or tearing. Thereafter and in order to simplify the terminology, we will only speak of knurling and knurled line.

The transverse fold lines 11 and 12 can be knurled, as shown in 17, on their central portion limited by the fold lines 10. This operation can be carried out in place of or in addition to the creation of the grooves 12A. By this operation, one can obtain a package whose four side corners are rounded, thus improving its aesthetics and rigidity.

Another knurled line can be created as shown in 18, in order to facilitate the opening of the upper face of the package. The portion of the knurled line 18 shown superimposed on the fold line 10 can be superimposed on this line or then offset by a few mm in the direction of the panels forming the lateral faces of the package. The end of this knurled line 18 can end in a cutout 18A or continue to the edge of the label.

If a means for opening the side faces of the package is to be provided, it is easy to add to the device according to the invention means making it possible to create a longitudinal knurled line 19, to add a string or a ribbon d 'tear-off 19B and perform a U-shaped cut of the side border of the label in order to create a tear-off tab 19A. Note the hollow cutout on the opposite border of the label.

Finally, it is possible to add to the device means making it possible to print a date or an alphanumeric code or bar code 19C.

As can be seen in the figure, the longitudinal folding grooves 10A as well as the knurled line 19 do not extend over the entire length of the label 1 but stop a few mm from the lateral borders for a reason which will be explained lower.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the device for preparing labels 2, enabling the operations described above to be carried out, is preferably directly installed on a cigarette packaging machine 3 comprising a frame 30, of which only a portion is visible in Figure 2. The device preparation 2 mainly comprises a frame 20 on which are mounted the various means for these operations. A reel 31 of a continuous strip 32 of paper, of grammage corresponding to the production of a soft package, and one side of which is already printed periodically reproducing the pattern or patterns which will appear later on the outer faces of the package is rotated on an axis 33 fixed either to a portion 30 of the frame of the packaging machine or to a portion of the frame 20. The rotation of the reel 31 is slightly braked in order to keep the strip 32 taut. The twine or tear strip 19B which has been mentioned previously comes from another coil 34, in rotation braked on an axis 35, also integral with the frame 30 or the chassis 20.

After leaving the reel 31, the strip 32 passes through the device 4 making it possible to perform the necessary folding ribs, in particular those described above and referenced 10A, 11A, 12A, 13A, 14A, 15A and 16C. The ribs provided are made using a known technique, by passing the strip 32 between two rollers 40 and 41 fitted with the necessary profiles. The device 5 affixes by printing the code or the date 19C on a portion of the label; it is composed, according to a known technique, of the two rollers 50 and 51 between which the strip 32 passes, one of the rollers, the roller 51 for example comprising printing means in relief or by inking, while the other roller , the roller 50, serves as a support roller. The knurled lines previously identified by 17, 18 and 19 are produced by the knurling device 6 composed of two knurling rollers 60 and 61 of known technique. The device 7 is intended first of all to deposit the twine or tear strip 19B on one face of the strip 32, then to perform the cuts and partial cuts mentioned above and referenced in 14, 15, 16, 16B and 18A. The twine or tear strip 19B is pre-glued in order to adhere to the strip 32 under the effect of the pressure exerted by the roller 70 on the roller 72. A guide roller 71 makes it possible to guide the paper strip 32 so that the angle it makes with respect to the twine or the tear strip 19B when they meet is as small as possible. The necessary cuts and precuts are made by the cutting roller 73 which is provided with cutting means known in the art, the roller 72 serving as a support roller. The U-shaped cut to form the other tear-off tab 19A is made on a second pair of rollers 74 and 75.

At this stage of manufacture, the labels 1 are always attached in the form of a band 32, each portion of the band corresponding to a label 1 comprising all the ribs, cutouts and precuts as well as the necessary knurled lines. All that remains is to make a transverse cut across the strip in order to separate each label 1. For this, there is the cutting roller 77 pressing on the support roller 76. The cutting blade mounted on the roller 77 must be provided with a notch so as not to cut the tab 19A which projects on an edge of the label 1. The cutting rollers 76 and 77 could be integrated with the other devices inside the chassis 20 of the device preparation, but according to a preferred embodiment these latter cutting rollers are separated from the device for reasons of synchronism as will be explained below. As soon as the labels 1 are separated from each other and no longer form a continuous strip, routing means shown diagrammatically at 36 lead each label 1 so that it can be made into a cigarette pack packaging on the rest of the packaging machine 1.

The gathering of the various means making it possible to carry out the operations for preparing a label 1 described above in a relatively compact frame 20, it is possible to simplify the orders for advancing the paper strip 32 during the various preparation operations. as well as the synchronization of the various devices described. For this, a movement command 8, proportional to the operating speed of the packaging machine 1 is directly transmitted to the various devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 mentioned, as can be seen in FIG. 2. This movement transmission and synchronization of the various elementary devices is preferably essentially or solely of the mechanical type, for example by toothed belt. It is obvious that such a control is much simpler than an individual electronic control of each device.

It is necessary for the separation of the labels from the strip by the cutting roller 77 to be made at a very precise location on the strip, the position tolerance of this transverse cutting line being only 1 or 2 tenths of a mm. For this, it is necessary to readjust the position of the strip before making a label separation cut.

The means provided for this purpose can be described as follows: it can be seen in FIG. 2 that the roller 41 has a flat 42, similarly it was mentioned previously that the grooves 10A as well as the knurled line 19 do not cover the entire length of the label. By setting the rollers 40 and 41 performing in particular the longitudinal grooves 10A and the knurling rollers 60 and 61 performing in particular the knurled line 19, so that the strip 32 is opposite the flat 42 at the same time as opposite the non-knurled portion of the knurling rollers 60 and 61 when the portion of strip intended to be cut by the roller cutting 77 is approximately opposite said cutting roller, and since the action of the rollers 50 and 51, 72 and 73, 74 and 75 is periodic and does not act at this time on the strip 32, a relaxation is obtained of the tensile tension imposed on the strip 32. At this instant, the strip 32 is tensioned only by the braking imposed on the reel 31, said strip then being driven by the drive rollers 80. The strip 32 comprises, in one any place, if possible, not visible when the pack is finished, a preprinted mark 19D, the position of which is very precisely determined and which can be detected by a reading cell 81, for example a photoelectric cell. When the cell 81 detects the passage of the mark 19D, the tension of the strip being released, its signal is transmitted to control means 82 which then control the instantaneous speed of drive of the rollers 80 as well as the action of the roll of section 77. In this way, no offset can be cumulated, the cross section for separating the labels always taking place at a very exactly determined distance from the mark 19D.

As shown in the figure, these means allowing the transverse separation section are preferably separated from the preparation device 2, but they could just as easily be integrated therein.

The device for preparing labels has been described for the preparation of a specific embodiment of a label, it is understood that a person skilled in the art will be able to adapt the device according to the desired embodiment of the label. In particular, it is not necessary that all the elementary devices are present, for example if it is not necessary to enter a code or a date, the corresponding device can be omitted, likewise if the knurled lines 17 are not provided, or if only one means of opening the package is desired, the devices necessary for making the other opening means are to be removed, as well as if one does not wish to prepare folding grooves. At a minimum, the label preparation device includes the rollers necessary for making the cutouts 14, 15 and possibly 16, the other elements being optional. Since the device is fed by a strip of paper, the cutting device 76, 77 is also essential, but as we have seen previously, it is generally placed on the packaging machine itself. Likewise, the described succession of the various elementary devices can be modified, it being understood that the cutting device 76, 77 must always be at the end of the line.

Thus, the device described which can be mounted on a new packaging machine or on an existing machine makes it possible in particular to simplify the design of said packaging machine and it becomes possible to obtain a wide variety of embodiments of 'labels by rapid adaptations of the preparation device, the simplification of the training of this device allowing an operation of the packaging machine at high speed.

This device makes it possible in particular to obtain labels whose cutouts and fold lines are designed and arranged in such a way that a packaging made of a single layer of material can be obtained and nevertheless having a high seal.

Claims (13)

1. Process for preparing blanks, especially blanks (1) for making soft-type cigarette-wrapping packs comprising one or more cuts (14, 15, 16, 16B), said process being conducted on a packing machine (3) comprising means (33) for feeding one side with a strip of pre-printed paper (32) coming from a reel (31), as well as means (76, 77) capable of effecting at least one cut (14, 15, 16, 16B) of said blank (1), characterized in that a periodic slackening of the tension on the strip of paper (32) is caused, during which said strip is first of all realigned relative to a marking (19D) thereof, after which transverse cutting means (76, 77) are controlled in order to separate said blank (1) from the strip of paper (32).
2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the realignment of the strip (32) is obtained by a variation of the speed of travel of said strip.
3. Device (2) for preparing blanks, especially blanks (1) for making soft-type cigarette-wrapping packs comprising one or more cuts (14, 15, 16, 16B), said device being disposed directly on the packing machine (3) and comprising means (33) for feeding one side with a strip of pre-printed paper (32) coming from a reel (31), as well as means (76, 77) capable of effecting at least one cut (14, 15, 16, 16B) of said blank (1), characterized in that it further comprises means (42, 50, 51, 72, 73, 74, 75) causing a periodic slackening of the tension on the strip of paper (32) in order to realign said strip relative to a marking (19D) thereof, as well as control means (82) capable of controlling the action of transverse cutting rollers (76, 77) for separating said blank (1) from the strip of paper (32) at the time of said slackening of tension.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that, during the slackening of the tension on the strip of paper, the control means (82) are further capable of controlling the instantaneous speed of driving rollers (80), thus permitting the realignment of said strip of paper relative to a marking (19D) thereof.
5. Device according to one of the claims 3 or 4, characterized in that it further includes means (4) for making at least one fold groove (10A, 11A, 12A, 13A, 14A, 15A, 16C), made up of a shaped roller (41) pressing on a support roller (40).
6. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 5, characterized in that it further includes means (6) for making at least one milled line (17, 18, 19), made up of a shaped roller pressing on a support roller (60, 61).
7. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the means for making fold groove (4) and/or milled lines (6) are provided for making longitudinal grooves (10A) and/or longitudinal milled lines (19) only on a central portion of the length of the blank (1), the disengagement of said means for making longitudinal grooves (10A) and/or longitudinal milled lines (19) permitting said realignment of the strip of paper (32).
8. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 7, characterized in that it further includes means (7) permitting a pre-gummed tear string or tape (19B) to be disposed on one face of the strip of paper (32) corresponding to the inside face of the pack, said tear string or tape being applied to the strip of paper by pressure between two pressure rollers (70, 72) along a milled line (19), said device further comprising means (74, 75) permitting a tearing tongue (19A) to be cut on one end of said milled line (19).
9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that one of said pressure rollers (72) corresponds to one of the support rollers of a cutting device.
10. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 9, characterized in that it further includes means (5) permitting an alphanumeric code or bar code or a date (19C) to be affixed to a surface portion of the blank (1), said means being made up of an imprinting roller (51) pressing the strip of paper (32) against a support roller (50).
11. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 10, characterized in that the cuts and pre-cuts (14, 15, 16, 16B, 18A, 19A) are effected by at least one cutting roller (73, 75) pressing against a support roller (72, 74).
12. Device according to one of the claims 3 to 11, characterized in that the various means (4, 5, 6, 7) permitting making of the fold ribs (10A, 11A, 12A, 13A, 14A, 15A, 16C), the affixing of a code or a date (19C), the milled lines (17, 18, 19), and the cuts (14, 15, 16, 18A, 19A) are driven at proportional speeds directly by a mechanical drive (8) from the packing machine (1).
13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the transverse cutting means (76, 77) permitting the blanks (1) to be separated are controlled by a synchronization cell (81).

Images