EP1280704B1 - Device for applying labels to flat objects - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for applying labels on flat objects.

When processing flat consignments, especially of Letters, postcards, etc. by mail carriers the problem of safe and quick application occurs from labels to flat items. An example of this is the automatic forwarding of shipments. Here are Consignments sorted for forwarding and given accordingly Addressed data that is stored in a database. These shipments are stuck with a label, that both the old address and one possibly covers the barcode applied to the shipment surface. Subsequently the label with a new barcode as well as the corresponding new address. The application of the Labels are made in devices that are automatic Mail distribution systems are integrated. The shipment volume for such distribution systems is different in format, weight and thickness. The shipments are z. B. transported at speeds of 3.6 m / sec, which is high Requirements for the speed at which the application the labels must be done, as well as in the exact positioning who puts labels. A general problem poses about it addition, the handling and especially the transport of the Labels to the shipment surface if the labels are a have a self-adhesive surface.

From US-A-5 200 007 there is an application device from labels to flat items that are isolated on one Edge standing with a conveyor along a conveyor path be transported, described. She has one Label conveyor for conveying on a substrate labels located by a sensor device is controlled to determine the front edge of the shipment and a Nip or. Applicator device for applying / pressing of the labels on the shipment surface. In this Device the labels are printed with distribution information. Labeling at high transport speeds the shipments are not possible with this.

DE 36 22 502 A1 describes a labeling head machine, where the labels on the labeling head, the presses the labels onto the object using openings in the head surface using a vacuum source are connected.

In US Pat. No. 3,660,208, a pressure drum is used for receiving of a label, in which only this label receiving part touches the object on which the label to be applied and the rest of the drum surface is shifted inwards. With a pressure drum according to U.S. Patent 3,883,380 is accordingly two areas Inclusion of the labels.

The invention specified in claim 1 is based on the object a device for applying labels to create flat objects that have a high throughput guaranteed low susceptibility to interference.

On the conveying path of the flat objects, n labeling devices with n > 1 for applying labels are arranged one behind the other.

The design of the pressure and application drums with spatial fixed axis of rotation, with a first shell area, the picks up the labels, and a second one, as far inside offset coat area that the flat objects are not touched, allows flat objects to be pressed against the and transporting application drums without that a label is applied to the object.

The pressure and application drums are in start-stop mode driven, with the label strips on the first, the area of the jacket facing away from the flat objects Pressure and application drum are applied. After takeover a label on the stationary pressure and application drum and acceleration and application of each Label, the pressure and application drum is braked so that the first cladding area from the article conveyor turned away after one turn in the Starting position comes to a standstill.

The labeling devices are then activated as required. It is thus possible to apply several labels to an object or to label every nth object in each device in order to increase the throughput.

In an advantageous embodiment, the second jacket area a circular curvature with the same radius of curvature like the first cladding area, only the center of the circle shifted beyond the axis of rotation.

It is advantageous to have a resilient and / or resiliently mounted Counter roll for pressing the labels onto the objects, especially when transporting the items in flexible belts provided.

The advantageous feeding of a self-adhesive, strapless Label strip perpendicular to the transport plane of the flat Objects with curvature matched to the drum surface allows the application of labels of different heights, by the label strip to different degrees on the Pressure and application drum is pushed and then with the in the curvature adapted knife device is separated.

In an advantageous embodiment, the label conveyor is -Cutting device shaped so that at the entrance slightly curved or uncurved label strips in one the surface of the pressure and Application drum transferred adapted curvature at the exit becomes. It is advantageous to in this guide surface Hold the label strip on the guide surface with a Vacuum source to connect connected openings.

In addition, the guide surface on its side edges the label strip on the guide surface even without Narrow pressure surfaces holding negative pressure with adhesive repellent Have surface.

To move the label strip sideways over the To prevent leadership surface, she has on her lateral edges of the label strip conductive boundary surfaces.

In a further embodiment, it is located in the guide surface a breakthrough for a friction wheel drive from a friction wheel with a controlled drive and a pressure roller, the label strip in the intended Pushes dimensions onto the pressure and application drum.

For an aligned, self-adjusting run of the Label strip over the guide surface of the label conveyor To ensure and cutting device, the friction wheel drive advantageously pivotable on an axis of rotation stored in the middle and perpendicular to the guide surface in the label feed direction is arranged in front of the friction wheel.

The invention is then described in an exemplary embodiment explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

FIG 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht der Vorrichtung zum Aufbringen von selbstklebenden, trägerlosen Etiketten auf flache Gegenstände

FIG 2

eine schematische Draufsicht der Vorrichtung zum Aufbringen der Etiketten

FIG 3

eine schematische Ansicht des Reibradantriebs und seiner Lagerung.

Show

FIG. 1

is a schematic side view of the device for applying self-adhesive, strapless labels on flat objects

FIG 2

a schematic plan view of the device for applying the labels

FIG 3

a schematic view of the friction wheel drive and its storage.

The self-adhesive label strip 1 is from a supply roll 2 by a label strip unrolling device known per se 3 peeled off in tape form and a label conveyor and cutting device 4 supplied.

In the label conveying and cutting device 4 the Label strips 1 on a pressure and application drum 17 perpendicular to the transport plane of the flat objects 20 accordingly of the required length and when it is stationary Pressure and application drum 17 cut off. To the label strip 1 is guided over a shaped guide 7, the in the label strip feed direction 5 of one slightly curved or non-curved guide surface at the entrance into one of the label receiving surfaces of the Pressure and application drum 17 having adapted curvature Guide surface at the exit merges.

In the surface of the guide 7 there are openings that are connected to a vacuum source 6. In the lead 7 is a motor-controlled friction wheel drive, consisting of a friction wheel 8 with drive 9 and pressure roller 10, integrated. In order to becomes the label strip 1 in the direction of the labeling device 11, consisting of the pressure and application drum 17, which on the receiving part also to a vacuum source Has 19 connected openings, a drum drive 18 and a spring-loaded counter roller 26, pushed and even converted into a cylindrical shape.

After using the friction wheel drive the label strip 1 up to a freely definable height 12 above within certain limits the knife device has been advanced, the Knife drive 13, the knife 14 over the label strip 1 on the counter knife 15 and shears off a label 16. The label 16 is now only by the pressure and application drum 17 worn.

On a suitable means of transport, not shown the objects to be labeled 20 become more uniform Speed 21 along a path on which the label conveyor and cutting device 4 facing away from passed the labeling device 11.

During the cutting of the label strip 1, the Pressure and application drum 17 stand. After that she will join the label 16 at the same speed as the speed 21 of the object 20, measured on the outer surface of the drum, accelerated. The direction of movement 22 is in FIG 2 shown. The drum position is controlled by a control and speed with the object to be glued 20 synchronized so that when the part of the Pressure and application drum 17 with the label 16 on the Objective a precise takeover of the self-adhesive Label 16 through the object 20 is possible. The coat the pressure and application drum 17 is in a first area 23 and a second region 24 are formed. The first Sheath region 23 has a circular curvature, wherein the center of the circle lies in the axis of rotation. At the second time The jacket area 24, the jacket surface is shifted inwards so far that a disturbing touch of the objects 20 in the rest position is avoided. This lateral surface can also the same circular curvature as in the first cladding area 23, only the center of the circle is over shifted the axis of rotation. Both jacket areas 23, 24 are connected by corresponding transition areas 25. This causes on the one hand the pressure and application drum 17 at rest, e.g. when cutting labels or during application breaks cannot protrude into the object path and thus the objects 20 or parts thereof are not affected can. On the other hand, a certain amount can be more even when applied Pressure against the flat objects to hand over the self-adhesive label 16. For support the label transfer to the objects 20 can by the follower pressure roller 26 generates a counter pressure.

The motor-controlled friction wheel drive, consisting of friction wheel 8 with drive 9 and pressure roller 10, is on a chassis 27th mounted (FIG 3). The friction wheel 8 and pressure roller 10 are located in an opening 34 of the guide 7. This chassis 27 is at a certain distance 28 in the label strip feed direction 5 can be swiveled on an axis of rotation in front of the friction wheel drive 29 mounted, which is arranged centrally and perpendicular to the guide 7 is. This ensures that the label strip 5 with its longitudinal edges 30 to the side the guide 7 attached boundary surfaces 31 automatically aligns. Is due to any circumstance e.g. one of the Long edges 30 pressed against one of these boundary surfaces 31, so this longitudinal edge 30 by an occurring manager can dodge sideways. This is made possible by the movable arrangement of the friction wheel drive on the chassis 27. As a result of the lateral displacement of the friction wheel 8 there is an inclined position of the friction wheel drive Conveying direction, which causes the friction wheel 8 obliquely over the label strip 1 rolls and thus the lateral deflection of the chassis 27 is withdrawn. The chassis 27 can influenced by the force of a spring 32 in its zero position become. The label strip can be adjusted by varying the spring force 1 to one of the two boundary surfaces 31. So that the edges of the label strip 1 also with the vacuum source 19 switched off not from the guide 7 stand out, are narrow at the boundary surfaces 31 Cover surfaces 33 with adhesive-repellent surfaces attached.

Claims (10)

1. Arrangement for applying labels to flat articles which are transported separately along a predetermined conveying path by means of a conveying arrangement, in the case of which n labelling arrangements, where n > 1, are arranged one behind the other on the conveying path of the flat articles (20) and each labelling arrangement is activated such that every mth not-yet ticketed article (20), where m ≥ 1, from the stream is provided with a label (16), m and n being variables which are independent of one another, and in the case of which each labelling arrangement has a label-conveying and -cutting arrangement (4), which is controlled using a sensor for determining the position of the article (20), and a pressure-exerting and applying drum (17), which is driven in a controlled manner, is provided with a spatially fixed axis of rotation and has a first casing region (23), which accommodates the labels (16) and in which there are located openings which are connected to a negative-pressure source (19) and are intended for retaining the labels (16), with a circular curvature, of which the centre point of the circle is located on the axis of rotation, and has a second casing region (24), of which the surface is displaced inwards to such an extent as to avoid disruptive contact between the flat articles (20) and the second casing region (24), it being the case that the label-conveying and -cutting arrangements (4) and the pressure-exerting and applying drums (17) are designed such that the labels (16) can be directed in each case onto the first casing region (23), directed away from the flat articles, of the resting pressure-exerting and applying drum (17), once a label (16) has been received from the label-conveying and -cutting arrangement (4) onto the stationary pressure-exerting and applying drum (17), the latter is accelerated to more or less the same speed as the moving article and, once the label (16) has been applied, can be braked such that, following a revolution, the first casing region (23), directed away from the transporting path of the articles, passes into the resting starting position again in order to receive the next label (16).
2. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second casing region (24) has a circular curvature with the same radius of curvature as the first casing region (23), of which the centre point of the circle is displaced beyond the axis of rotation.
3. Arrangement according to Claim 1, a resilient and/or resiliently mounted mating roller (26) being provided for pressing the labels (16) onto the articles (20).
4. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that, by means of the label-conveying and -cutting arrangement (4), a self-adhesive, substrate-free label strip (1) is pushed with the adhesive side outwards, perpendicularly to the transporting plane of the flat articles (20), onto that side of the pressure-exerting and applying drum (17) which is directed away from the articles (20), with the curvature adapted to the drum surface, it being possible for the label strip (1), in accordance with the selected label height (12), to be pushed to different extents onto the pressure-exerting and applying drum (17), and it being possible, using the cutter means adapted to the curvature of the pressure-exerting and applying drum (17) at the accommodating location, for that part of the label strip which is located on the stationary pressure-exerting and applying drum (17) to be severed from the rest of the label strip (1).
5. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the label-conveying and -cutting arrangement (4) has a shaped guide (7) over which the label strip (1) is guided and which, in the strip-transporting direction, merges from a guide surface at the label-strip inlet which is curved to a slight extent, if at all, into a guide surface at the label-strip outlet which has a curvature adapted to the surface of the pressure-exerting and applying drum (17) which accommodates the labels (16).
6. Arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that openings which are connected to a negative-pressure source (6) are located in the guide surface for the purpose of attaching the label strip (1) to the guide (7) by suction.
7. Arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that the guides (7), on their lateral borders, have narrow top surfaces (33) which retain the label strip (1) on the guide (7) and have an adhesive-repelling face.
8. Arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that the guide (7), on its lateral borders, has boundary surfaces (31) which direct the label strip (1) and prevent the label strip (1) from yielding laterally beyond the guide surface.
9. Arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that located in the guide surface is a through-passage (34) for a friction-wheel drive which pushes the label strip (1) onto the pressure-exerting and applying drum (7), the friction-wheel drive comprising a friction wheel (8) with a controlled drive (9) and a pressure-exerting roller (10).
10. Arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that the friction-wheel drive is mounted pivotably on a swivel pin (29) which is arranged centrally and perpendicularly to the guide surface, upstream of the friction wheel (8) as seen in the label-feed direction.

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