EP1577218A1

EP1577218A1 - Plant food bag applicator for flower bouquets

Info

Publication number: EP1577218A1
Application number: EP04075769A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paulus Maria Van Der Laan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Crea-Tech International Bv
Priority date: 2004-03-09
Filing date: 2004-03-09
Publication date: 2005-09-21

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for applying food bags (3) to, for example, flower bouquets (4), packed or not, in which in a very inventive way two units (1, 2) by means of an electronic control are adapted to each other, the unit (1) for feeding the separate food bags (3) on the one hand and the unit (2) for the feed of the flower bouquets (4) on the other hand, in which the unit (1) for the automatic feed of the food bags (3) consists of a number of subunits (7, 6, 15) ingeniously adapted to each other, through which, in a very efficient way, the flower bouquets (4) are supplied with food bags (3) at the stems in one wrap.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the application of food bags on flower bouquets, whether they are packed or not and are ready for sale, in short called food bag applicator.
According to the known state of the art flower bouquets, packed or not, are provided with a food bag with transparent tape or a stapler by hand, mostly by the florist or in the greenhouse. The above described procedure is time-consuming and therefore costly and the food bags are each time stuck on a different place on the concerned cover, which certainly does not look professional.
The food bags should give the flower bouquets, especially the packed ones a professional look and the flower bouquets must be provided with a food bag when packed.
In order to keep the stems of the flower bouquets together for packing, a device or assembly is known from the Dutch patent number 1010949, submitted on 05-01-1999 by the patent holders Potveer b.v. in Avenhorn and Bloementechnnisch Bureau "ARNIE" b.v. in Katwijk, with the inventor BONTEKONING, Eduard, Cornelis in Hoogkarspel.
Here, it concerns a packing device for wrapping the subject, such as a flower bouquet packed or not by the stem parts of it with a material strip provided with an adhesive, such as transparent adhesive tape. The wrapping device consists of a coil for feeding the material strip, in which the coil is mounted on a swivelling arm and consists of a driving mechanism for at least one wrap around the subject of the mentioned rotating arm or swivelling arm. Also, there is obviously a supporting surface for, in this case supporting of the flower bouquet with vertical and horizontal fixation means. Further, the packing device moves along with the conveyor belt, on which the flower bouquets are laid at equal mutual distance to achieve a flowing process. The aforementioned device is only suitable to keep the stems of, for example, flower bouquets together with adhesive tape, meaning the device has the disadvantage or the shortcoming that when wrapping the stems of the flower bouquets, a food bag can not be added at the same time, because this demands a number of inventive handlings.
It is the aim of the present invention to provide such a device, which provides flower bouquets packed or not with a food bag while the stems are wrapped with adhesive tape, in which the packed flower bouquet achieves a more professional look and saves much time, thus costs, when food bags are put on large quantities of flower bouquets.
For this, a device for applying a food bag onto packed flower bouquets which are ready for sale is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the mentioned device consists of a unit for handling the food bags and a unit for handling the flower bouquets, packed or not, in which at the position where the food bag is applied on the flower bouquets, packed or not, both units are adapted to each other optimally as regards timing by means of electronic or software control.
The aim of the invention is achieved in such a way, that the application of a tape or elastic together with the food bag around the stems of the flower bouquets packed or not is achieved with two electronic units which are adapted to each other, being a unit for feeding the food bags and a unit for feeding the flower bouquets.
Further, the device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the unit for handling the food bags is constructed of subunits for successively executing specific handlings, with regard to handling the food bag, being for:

feeding and separating
positioning
rotating at an angle α with the first swivelling arm
wrapping with adhesive tape or elastic around the stems and food bag with a second swivelling arm

The advantage is a complete automatized feed of food bags from a strand, in which the food bags are connected to each other by means of a perforated plastic layer.
Furthermore, the device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the subunit for executing the specific handlings of feeding and separation of the food bags consists of two sets of rotating rolls, with a different speed, placed at a mutual distance with a length of the food bag, between which the strand of food bags with matching perforation are separated from each other, after which the single food bag falls into a collecting funnel of the mentioned subunit for positioning by means of the force of gravity.
The advantage is, that the food bags can be fed one by one to the subunit for moving the food bags below and near the stems of the flower bouquets.
Then, the device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the mentioned subunit consists of a first swivelling arm for moving the mentioned picked up food bag at the same time rotates at an angle α around the horizontal axis parallel to the mentioned conveyor belt and which first swivelling arm is provided with a suction cup at the end for holding the food bag.
The advantage is, that the food bags are presented one by one at the correct position below and near the stems of the flowers to be fastened with tape or elastic to the stems of the flower bouquets.
Further, the device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the mentioned subunit for wrapping the stems of the flower bouquet with the food bag with adhesive tape or elastic at the same time consists of an L-shaped horizontal set up second axis of rotation perpendicular to the mentioned conveyor belt with the feed of the flower bouquets, with a roll of single sided adhesive tape or elastic at the end, which is provided with a tensioning mechanism for wrapping and wraps around at least one time.
The advantage is, that the food bags are included in one handling when applying adhesive tape or elastic around the stems of flower bouquets, packed or not.
The preferred construction of the invention will be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawing.
In which:

Fig. 1: shows a schematic side view of the unit for handling the food bags and the unit for handling the flower bouquets, packed or not, which are adapted to each other by means of electronic or software control according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2: ditto as figure 1, but now the subunit constructed as the first swivelling arm moves towards the subunit for feeding and separating the food bags (arrow A) and back (arrow B) to the position as in figure 1;

Fig. 3: ditto as figure 1 and 2, but now the flower bouquet is placed above the first swivelling arm by means of the unit which feeds the flower bouquets, packed or not, for further wrapping with tape or elastic together with the food bag; and
Fig. 4: ditto as figure 1 up to 3, but now the stems of the flower bouquets are wrapped with tape or elastic and the bouquet slides away perpendicularly from the plane of the drawing and the subunit, constructed as the first swivelling arm, moves upwards again (arrow A) to collect the next food bag, after which the cycle repeats itself from figure 1 to 4.

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the unit 1 for handling the fed food bags 3 in strands and the unit 2 for handling the flower bouquets, packed or not, or other bundle shaped products 4, which are adapted to each other by means of electronic or software control (not indicated) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The strand of food bags are in a supply box 5. The first swivelling arm 6 is still in its horizontal position and must move (see figure 2) over an angle α around a horizontal axis 9 of approximately 120 degrees towards the subunit positioning 7 (see also the arrow direction A), for which an electromotor or stepping motor 8 (M) is placed.
The food bags 3 fed in strands, which are separated by a perforation, and are separated into single bags 3 by the subunit feeding and separation 10 and then fall into the funnel 11 of the subunit positioning 7.
The subunit for feeding and separating 10 consists of two rolls 12 and 13, which rotate with different speeds, so that the food bags 3 are torn apart and then fall separately into the mentioned funnel 11.
The conveyor belt 14 of unit 2 feeds the flower bouquets 4 perpendicular onto the plane of scheme in figure 3 towards the observer or away from it.
Figures 1 to 4 also show the subunit for the wrapping together with adhesive tape or elastic 15. The mentioned subunit 15 consists of a second swivelling arm 16 (L-shaped) with also a horizontal axis 17 and at the end of the second swivelling arm 16 a roll 18 with single-sided adhesive tape or elastic 20 for connecting the food bag 3 with the stems of the flower bouquet 4 (see figure 3) by wrapping around at least once.
The end of the first swivelling arm 6 contains a suction cup 19.
In figure 4 the flower bouquet 4 goes perpendicular via the conveyor belt 14 to the observer or away from it (for that reason indicated in dotted lines) and the first swivelling arm 6 again rotates around the axis 9 at an angle α to the subunit for positioning 7 and the cycle begins all over for the next flower bouquet 4.
Further it has to be noted, that the whole and the adaptation of the units 1 and 2 to each other is done electronically or by software.
Finally it has to be emphasized, that the above description constitutes preferred embodiments of the food bag applicator for flower bouquets packed or not, but that further variations and modifications are still possible without departing the scope of this patent document.

Claims

Device for the application of food bags on flower bouquets, packed or not, and ready for sale, in short called food bag applicator, characterized in that, the mentioned device consists of a unit (1) for handling the food bags (3) and a unit (2) for handling the flower bouquets packed or not, in which both units (1, 2) at the position where the food bag (3) is applied on the flower bouquets (4), packed or not, are adapted to each other optimally as regards timing by means of electronic or software control.
Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the unit (1) for handling the food bags (3) is constructed of subunits for successively executing specific handlings, with regard to handling the food bag (3), being for:

feeding and separating (10)

positioning (7)

rotating at an angle α with the first swivelling arm (6)

wrapping with adhesive tape or elastic (18) around the stems and food bag with a second swivelling arm (15)
Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the unit (2) for handling the flower bouquets (4), packed or not, ready for sale, consists of a conveyor belt (14).
Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, the subunit for executing the specific handlings of feeding and separation (10) of the food bags (3) consists of two sets rotating rolls (12, 13) with a different speed placed at a mutual distance with a length of the food bag (3), between which the strand of food bags (3) with matching perforation are separated from each other, after which the single food bag (3) falls into a collecting funnel (11) of the mentioned subunit for positioning (7) by means of the force of gravity.
Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, the mentioned subunit consists of a first swivelling arm (6) for moving the mentioned picked up food bag (3) and with that rotates at an angle α around the horizontal axis (9) parallel to the mentioned conveyor belt (14) and which first swivelling arm is provided with a suction cup (19) at the end for holding the food bag (3).
Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, the mentioned subunit for simultaneously wrapping the stems of the flower bouquet (4) with the food bag (3) with adhesive tape or elastic (15) consists of an L-shaped horizontal set up second axis of rotation (17) perpendicular to the mentioned conveyor belt (14) with the feed of the flower bouquets (4), with at the end of it a roll of single-sided adhesive tape or elastic (18), which is provided with a tensioning mechanism for wrapping and wraps around at least one time.
Device as claimed in aforementioned claims, characterized in that, the supporting parts of the units (1, 2) and the subunits (10, 7, 6, 15) can be made of stainless steel or a steel with a suitable protection.
Device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, the mentioned angle α is approximately 120 degrees.
Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the mentioned electronic control consists of a programmed microprocessor.