EP2818424A1 - System and method for cleaning rotatable elements of a labelling unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit, comprising a labeling unit, the labeling unit comprising: a rotatable element for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation, a drive (4, 16, 19) for driving the rotatable member at a rotational speed, a cleaning member (7, 17) and a liquid discharging member (11, 25, 27) for discharging cleaning liquid onto a surface to be cleaned (12, 15, 21 ) of the rotatable element and / or on the cleaning element, wherein the rotatable element and the cleaning element are formed and / or arranged such that for cleaning a mechanical contact between the surface to be cleaned of the rotatable element and a surface (21) of the cleaning element can be produced , The invention further relates to a method for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling unit using the system, comprising dispensing a cleaning liquid onto the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element and driving the rotatable element at a rotational speed to clean the rotatable element, wherein the Surface of the rotatable element is in mechanical contact with the surface of the cleaning element.

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling.

In a labeling unit, rotatable elements are used in the labeling operation in order to pass on, transport, hold, separate or apply labels or label strips to containers. Such rotatable elements may be, for example, glue rollers, pallet carousels or gripper cylinders. The labels (strips) may be pre-glued or glued in the labeling unit. Adhesive, glue and label residues typically remain in the labeling unit, especially on the rotatable elements, which usually come into direct contact with the labels and the adhesive or glue. Cleaning the rotatable elements is therefore regularly required. When cleaning the rotatable elements of the labeling unit, care must be taken to ensure that only selected elements come into contact with cleaning fluid and dissolved dirt, as other elements, especially drives, could be damaged or impaired by such a contact.

One possibility is to remove and clean the selected elements from the labeling unit. However, a conversion is time consuming. Instead, a CIP (cleaning in place) process would be desirable.

The DE 29 04 126 shows a system in which a glue roller can be cleaned in a Glue without having to be removed from the labeling to which the gluing belongs. In this case, the glue roller is housed in a housing with a service opening through which glue transfer takes place in the labeling operation, and during the cleaning cycle this service opening is usually closed. In the cleaning cycle, wash nozzles release detergent onto the glue roller.

In such a cleaning system, only the glue roller is cleaned, but none of the other rotatable elements. The disadvantage of the known prior art is therefore that no cleaning of the other rotatable elements, which are also contaminated, takes place. Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and a method for cleaning rotatable elements of a labeling unit, which enables various, in particular a plurality of rotatable elements of the labeling unit to be thoroughly cleaned. This object is solved by the subject matter of claims 1 and 12.

The system according to the invention for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling unit comprises a labeling unit. The labeling unit comprises a rotatable element for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation, a drive for driving the rotatable element at a rotational speed, a cleaning element and a liquid dispensing element for dispensing cleaning liquid onto a surface to be cleaned of the rotatable element and / or on the cleaning element. The rotatable element and the cleaning element are designed and / or arranged such that a mechanical contact between the surface to be cleaned of the rotatable element and a surface of the cleaning element can be produced for cleaning.

Mechanical contact will also be referred to simply as a contact below. The surface to be cleaned of a rotatable element is hereinafter referred to simply as the surface of the rotatable element and the surface of a cleaning element as the surface of the cleaning element for the sake of simplicity. Rotatable elements for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation are hereinafter referred to simply as rotatable elements for the sake of simplicity.

Hereinafter, characteristics of the liquid discharging member, the rotatable member and the cleaning member will be described. The system may comprise a plurality of liquid dispensing elements and / or a plurality of rotatable elements and / or a plurality of cleaning elements. In that case, in each case one or more or in particular each liquid dispensing element or rotatable element or cleaning element can have the respective property.

In particular, the first rotatable element and / or the cleaning element can be designed and / or arranged in such a way that contact between the surface of the rotatable element and the surface of the cleaning element can be produced by machine.

The rotatable element can be designed such that it comprises exactly one axis of rotation about which it is rotatable both in the labeling operation and in the cleaning process. In particular, the rotatable element may have a cylinder geometry and the cylinder axis may correspond to the axis of rotation. In particular, the axis of rotation can be arranged horizontally or vertically. Rotatable elements with such a rotation axis are referred to below as horizontally or vertically arranged rotatable elements. The axis of rotation can be arranged stationary or not stationary. In particular, the axis of rotation can be displaced or rotated be arranged. This enables an optimal arrangement of the rotatable element both in the labeling operation and in the cleaning process.

The terms "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the direction of the solder. The axes of rotation can each deviate from a horizontal or vertical orientation less than 20 °, in particular less than 10 °, in particular less than 5 °.

The rotatable element may have a cylinder geometry and the lateral surface of the cylinder may comprise the surface. The surface can be smooth or rough. The surface can be perforated. The surface may be positionally fixed or movable relative to the axis of rotation. The surface can be rotatably mounted about a further axis of rotation or arranged to be displaceable radially or along the circumference of the rotatable element. The surface may be flat or curved, in particular convex or concave with respect to the axis of rotation, be formed. The rotatable element may have a perforated surface and be subjected to negative pressure.

The cleaning element may be in the form of a cylinder. The rotatable element may be in the form of a cylinder, in particular in the form of a carousel or in the form of a roller, in particular in the form of a gripper cylinder, a pallet carousel or a glue roller for gluing labels. Such trained rotatable elements are often components of labeling and are exposed in labeling especially heavy contamination, such as glue, glue, labels or label residues.

A rotatable element or cleaning element designed in the form of a cylinder, also referred to as cylindrical, comprises each rotatable element or cleaning element which has a cylinder geometry. An element in the form of a cylinder does not necessarily have actual (material) lateral surfaces and cover surfaces. For example, the cylindrical shape also includes a hollow cylinder without cover surfaces, a cylinder with a perforated lateral surface, a cylinder with a surface having unevenness or a cylindrically arranged material, which itself does not have strict symmetry, as in the case of a brush or an absorbent material.

A carousel here refers to a device in which a plurality of spokes extend radially away from a rotation axis, at the end of which elements are arranged. These elements can each be rotatable about an axis extending in particular parallel to the axis of rotation. In particular, these elements can be rotatable about axes arranged in the lateral surface of a cylinder, which can be in particular parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder. The Surfaces of all elements together form the surface of the carousel. In the case of a pallet carousel, the elements are rotatable about axes arranged in the lateral surface of a cylinder, which are parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, in particular, starting from the radial direction, by an angle equal to or less than 90 ° in both directions. The elements are each designed to receive and hold a label.

A gripper cylinder comprises a cylinder jacket for holding and transporting labels. Furthermore, the gripper cylinder comprises an element which is designed for removing labels, in particular glued labels, from another rotatable element, in particular the pallet carousel described above. The gripper cylinder may comprise an absorbent material, in particular a pressure sponge for labels.

A glue roller has on the entire circumference of the cylinder jacket on a material which is designed so that it can take up glue or liquid adhesive and give it back on direct contact, for example, on a passing label or tape label.

The rotatable element and the cleaning element may be formed as a cylinder and the lateral surface of the respective cylinder may be the respective surface. In this case, the cylinder axis of the rotatable element and the cylinder axis of the cleaning element can be arranged parallel to each other and the lateral surfaces of the cylinder are in contact, in particular along the entire length of one of the cylinders.

The cleaning element may comprise a leather, a fabric, a flow or a sponge. The materials have in common that they are flexible and / or soft and so can adapt to the shape of the surface of the rotatable element. That is, they can be close to the surface and wipe off dirt and cleaning fluid well. The material may additionally be absorbent, for example a sponge. This has the advantage that removal of the cleaning liquid can be faster and more efficient than by pure dripping and / or air drying. The hardness and flexibility of the material will depend on the possible soiling and the shape and sensitivity of the surface of the rotatable element.

The cleaning element may be in the form of a brush. A brush may have bristles, the bristle hardness, density and length being chosen according to the degree of soiling and surface finish of the surface of the rotatable element. A brush has the advantage that the bristles also comparatively rough surfaces and small openings efficient such as roughened surfaces or suction openings for vacuum-charged rotatable elements.

The cleaning element may be in the form of a wiper lip. A wiper lip is particularly suitable for wiping cleaning fluid from the rotatable element, which can improve the cleaning effect and make drying faster and more efficient. This applies in particular to a smooth surface of a rotatable element and / or in combination with the use of an absorbent material following the application of the wiper lip.

The cleaning element may be in the form of a scraper. The cleaning element may further be arranged and / or formed such that the scraper can be pressed against the rotatable element. Such a scraper has the advantage that coarse and strongly adhering soiling, for example labels or glue residues, can be removed from the surface of the rotatable element in a particularly efficient manner.

The cleaning element may additionally comprise a liquid dispensing element for dispensing cleaning liquid. Thus, cleaning liquid can be applied approximately in the area of application and at the same time or immediately before the application of the leather, the fabric, the flow, the sponge, the brush, the wiper lip and / or the scraper. This allows for more efficient cleaning through targeted application and removal of cleaning fluid and removal of impurities.

The cleaning element may be configured and / or arranged to be brought from a position in which it is not in contact with the rotatable element to a position in which it is in contact with a rotatable element. These positions are referred to as active position or passive position. This allows the cleaning element to be moved away, and thus, for example, in the labeling operation is not in the way, and can be brought into contact with the rotatable element in the cleaning process. The cleaning element may be formed and / or arranged such that it is movable between two active positions.

The cleaning element may be rotatable, for example a rotatable, cylindrical brush. Rotating the brush while it is in contact with the rotatable element allows for thorough and rapid cleaning since the movement can loosen contaminants.

The system may include a detent for the cleaning element. Locking may be advantageous, for example, for the conversion or transportation of the system.

The drive may include a motor. The engine can be operated at different speeds. Furthermore, the drive may comprise a drive shaft with one or more translations. The first drive can be designed such that the respective rotational speed can be changed during operation. This is called the variably adjustable rotation speed. The drive can be designed such that in each case a constant and / or a changing, in particular a discontinuously or continuously changing, rotational speed can be set. The drive can be designed such that it variably and independently drives two rotatable elements of the system. The drive can be arranged above or below the rotatable element or at the same height as the rotatable element and / or the liquid discharge element.

The system may comprise exactly one liquid delivery element. A single liquid dispensing element has the advantage that it allows a more compact design and saves material and costs. For some systems and arrangements, a single liquid dispensing element may already be sufficient to distribute the cleaning liquid over the entire surface of each of the rotatable elements to be cleaned, in particular a movably arranged liquid dispensing element. When using a plurality of liquid discharge elements, the cleaning liquid can be distributed to a larger part of the surface of a rotatable element or to a plurality of rotatable elements simultaneously.

The liquid discharge element may be designed such that it emits cleaning liquid onto the surface of the cleaning element. The liquid discharge element may be designed and / or arranged such that it emits cleaning liquid only on the rotatable element or only on the cleaning element. The liquid dispensing element may be designed and / or arranged such that it dispenses cleaning liquid onto the rotatable element and the cleaning element, in particular simultaneously or successively. This allows, depending on the arrangement of the other elements of the system, that the cleaning liquid can be efficiently distributed to the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element.

The liquid-dispensing element and / or the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element and / or the drive can be designed and / or arranged such that the cleaning liquid can be distributed over in each case 80% of the surface of the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element, in particular above 85 %, especially over 90%, in particular over 95%, especially over 100%. Thus, a large part of the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element can be cleaned of dirt. For example, the liquid dispensing element may be arranged in a stationary manner and may be designed and / or arranged such that it dispenses cleaning liquid onto the surface of the rotatable element while the rotatable element is being driven. Thus, a greater part of the surface of the rotatable element can be covered with cleaning liquid, as if the liquid discharge takes place while the rotatable element is not driven. A sufficiently large number of liquid dispensing elements may be arranged in a stationary manner at suitable locations along the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element. The liquid delivery member may be moved parallel to the axis of rotation or along the circumference of the rotatable member while the rotatable member is driven or not driven.

The liquid dispensing element can be designed such that cleaning liquid can be dispensed with or without pressurization of the cleaning liquid. Dispensing the cleaning liquid with pressurization has the advantage that covering a large area of the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element with cleaning liquid is also possible for large-area rotatable elements or cleaning elements, even if the cleaning liquid only at a few points on the rotatable element or Cleaning element is discharged, in particular when the liquid dispensing element and the rotatable element or cleaning element are not moved during the liquid dispensing. Dispensing the cleaning liquid without pressurization has the advantage that the liquid dispensing element can be made simpler. For example, it is possible to dispense with a compressed air supply.

The liquid dispensing element may be designed and / or arranged such that the cleaning liquid can be dispensed onto the upper edge of the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element. In particular, such that the cleaning liquid can be dispensed at the same time onto the entire upper edge or onto one or more subareas of the upper edge of the rotatable element and / or of the cleaning element at a specific time. The rotatable element and / or the cleaning element can be arranged vertically. In general, but especially in a vertical arrangement, and delivery of the cleaning liquid to the upper edge, gravity has an advantageous effect of distributing the cleaning liquid over the surface of the rotatable element and / or over the surface cleaning element. In this case, optionally can be dispensed with a pressurization of the cleaning liquid.

The liquid delivery element can be arranged to be movable, in particular displaceable and / or rotatable. In particular, a liquid dispensing element can be displaceable and / or rotatable during the dispensing of cleaning liquid along the rotatable element and / or cleaning element or from the rotatable element to the cleaning element. Compared to a liquid dispensing element which is not arranged to be movable, the cleaning liquid with the same number of liquid dispensing elements can thus be distributed over a larger part of the surface. Apart from that, a movable liquid dispensing element can be advantageous for a rebuilding of the system, since with a single or a few liquid dispensing elements different system arrangements can be taken into account.

A liquid discharge element can be arranged fixed in position. The liquid dispensing element may be arranged such that the relative position of the rotatable element and the liquid dispensing element and / or the relative position of the cleaning element and the liquid dispensing element are fixed. Such an arrangement can ensure that the cleaning effect is reliable and reproducible.

The system may include a plurality of liquid dispensing elements disposed in different regions of the system, in particular, such that they can deliver cleaning fluid to various rotatable elements. So the cleaning liquid can be distributed efficiently.

The liquid dispensing element may comprise a nozzle, a spray head, a valve, a conduit with one or more holes or a conduit end, in particular an open or open and closable conduit end. A conduit with one or more holes or an open conduit end may make the system less maintenance intensive and less prone to failure. Valves, spray heads and nozzles are particularly advantageous for automated operation since they are easy to control by machine. In addition, they make it easier to control the exit direction of the liquid.

The liquid dispensing element may be controllable to dispense cleaning fluid and / or to move in the system. If the system comprises a plurality of liquid discharge elements, these may be jointly or separately controllable.

The liquid dispensing element can be arranged and / or formed such that the liquid dispensing takes place in the region of the contact surface between the rotatable element and the cleaning element.

The drive can be designed to drive the rotatable element in both directions of rotation with respect to a rotational axis of the rotatable element. The direction of rotation with respect to an axis of rotation refers to the direction in which an angle range is traversed during rotation about the axis of rotation, for example counterclockwise or clockwise.

The rotatable element may be a first rotatable element, the drive may be a first drive, the rotational speed may be a first rotational speed, and the cleaning element may be a second rotatable element for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation. In this case, the system includes a second drive for driving the second rotatable member at a second rotational speed. The first drive and / or the second drive are designed such that the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed are independently and variably adjustable.

It should be noted that the term "the rotatable element" designates the first rotatable element when the cleaning element is in the form of a rotatable element, the second rotatable element.

Independently adjustable rotational speeds mean that the change of one of the rotational speeds does not cause a change in the respective other rotational speed and, in particular, that the rotational speeds can be the same or different. In particular, the first drive and / or the second drive may be designed such that the tangential velocity of the first rotatable element is not equal to the tangential velocity of the second rotatable element. Driving at different tangential velocities generates friction

The first and / or the second drive are designed to drive the respective rotatable element in both directions of rotation with respect to an axis of rotation of the respective rotatable element. In particular, the first drive and the second drive can be designed such that the first rotatable elements and the second rotatable elements are rotatable in the same and / or opposite directions of rotation. In addition, the axes of rotation of the first and second rotatable elements may be parallel. The drives can be designed to drive the two rotating elements with the same directions of rotation. By friction, which occurs in the thus achieved counter-rotating movement on the surface, impurities can be removed.

The system may include one or more splash guard walls. The system may in particular comprise one or more vertically arranged splash guard walls and / or a splash guard wall arranged horizontally and above the rotatable element and / or cleaning element and the liquid dispensing element and / or a splash guard wall arranged horizontally and below the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element and the liquid dispensing element , In particular, the system may comprise a splash guard which is disposed horizontally and below the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element to which the cleaning fluid is dispensed.

This allows cleaning liquid, which is discharged from the liquid-dispensing element, to be kept away from elements of the labeling unit arranged on the respective other side of the splash-guard wall. In particular, horizontally arranged splash guard walls allow protection of elements of the labeling unit lying above and / or below the liquid delivery element. Vertically arranged splash guard walls allow protection of arranged next to the cleaning elements system elements. A horizontal and under the rotatable element and / or cleaning element arranged splash guard wall also allows underlying elements of the Etikettieraggregates be protected from loosened impurities that drip down with the cleaning liquid.

The following describes properties of the splash guard wall. If the system comprises a plurality of splash guard walls, one or more, in particular each splash guard wall can each have the respective property.

The splash guard wall may deviate from a horizontal or vertical orientation less than 20 °, in particular less than 10 °, in particular less than 5 °.

The splash guard wall may be formed and / or arranged such that cleaning liquid in a space which is separated by the splash guard wall, only in a space area on exactly one side of the splash guard wall arrives.

The splash guard wall may be formed in the form of a plate. The splash guard can be liquid impermeable. The splash guard wall may be formed for example of glass, metal and / or plastic. The splash guard wall may be solvent resistant. In particular, if a use of solvent-containing cleaning liquid is provided, thereby the reliability and life of the splash guard wall is increased. The splash guard wall can be transparent. This allows observation of elements through the splash guard wall. The splash guard wall can be arranged movable or stationary be. A fixed arrangement makes it possible that no conversion must take place between labeling operation and cleaning process. A movable arrangement makes it possible, even in places where it is necessary in the labeling operation that the rotatable elements are not shielded, a splash guard in the cleaning process is possible.

The liquid delivery element, the rotatable element, the cleaning element and the splash guard wall may be arranged such that the liquid delivery to the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element is not affected by the splash guard wall. In particular, the liquid dispensing element, the rotatable element and the cleaning element can be arranged in the same, defined by the splash guard wall, space area.

The drive (s) and the liquid delivery element may be arranged in different spatial regions defined by the splash guard wall. Between each drive and the liquid discharge element, a splash guard wall may be arranged. Thus, in the cleaning process, the drives are protected from cleaning fluid released by the fluid delivery element.

The system may include a label feeder and a splash guard may be disposed between the liquid dispenser and the label feeder. Thus, the label feeder, in particular any labels contained therein, may be protected from cleaning liquid dispensed by the liquid dispenser.

Interconnected splash guard walls can together form a housing. At least three of the plurality of vertically arranged splash guard walls and the splash guard wall disposed horizontally and above the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element and the liquid dispensing element may be connected together to form a housing, wherein the liquid dispensing element, the rotatable element and the cleaning element inside Housing are arranged.

The vertically arranged, interconnected splash guard walls are referred to as side walls of the housing. The spray protection wall arranged horizontally and above the rotatable element, the cleaning element and the liquid discharge element is referred to as the cover of the housing. The connection can be fixed or detachable. In particular, the splash guard walls can be glued, welded, bolted together. The housing may alternatively be worked from a single piece of material. The case exactly four Include side walls and a lid. The housing may comprise, in addition to the cover and the side walls, a splash guard wall, also referred to as the bottom of the housing, disposed horizontally below the rotatable element, the cleaning element and the liquid dispensing element. The housing can be open at the bottom, so do not include a floor. The housing may include a bottom that is perforated. The housing serves to protect elements located outside the housing from the cleaning fluid dispensed from the fluid delivery element.

The drive or drives can be arranged outside the housing. Arranged outside the housing means that they are not arranged in the interior of the housing. The interior of the housing is the volume enclosed by the splash guard walls. The housing can be arranged stationary or movable in the system. All rotatable elements and / or all cleaning elements and / or all liquid delivery elements of the system can be arranged inside the housing.

The system may include a fluid collection device for collecting cleaning fluid, in particular the cleaning fluid that has been dispensed from the fluid delivery element. This makes it possible that the cleaning liquid released from the liquid-dispensing element in the cleaning process and dissolved contaminants can not be distributed or collected on the floor but can be selectively removed, which protects the environment of the system.

The liquid collecting device may be designed and / or arranged such that it completely catches the cleaning liquid. The system may include a fluid drain for discharging the collected cleaning fluid from the fluid collection device. The liquid collecting device may be connected to the liquid outlet. The liquid collecting device may be formed of liquid-impermeable material, in particular metal, plastic and / or glass. The liquid collecting device may be stationary in the system, in particular detachable or non-detachable, be arranged or be movable. The liquid collecting device can be designed, for example, in the form of a gutter, a trough, a collecting basin, a pipe opening and / or a funnel. The liquid collecting device may be formed as a precisely one continuous liquid collecting element, for example as a gutter or trough, or comprise a plurality of non-contiguous liquid collecting elements, for example in the form of several depressions or troughs. If the system includes a housing and the housing has a perforated bottom, the fluid collection device may be located below the perforations. The Liquid collecting device may be formed and / or arranged such that it occupies the entire surface below the liquid discharge element, the rotatable element and the cleaning element, in particular the entire surface below the housing.

The liquid collecting device may be arranged circumferentially and / or formed. Circumferential here means that a coherent channel runs below all vertically arranged splash guard walls. It allows a large part of the cleaning liquid to be collected with little space requirement.

The liquid collecting device may be arranged below one or more, in particular all, of the vertically arranged splash guard walls. In particular, it can be arranged to circulate. This allows cleaning fluid that drains along the splash guard walls and / or can be collected dripping. The system may include, in addition to the vertically disposed splashguards, a horizontally disposed splashguard beneath the rotatable element, the cleaning element, and the liquid delivery element that does not terminate with one, more, or all of the vertically disposed splashguards. The system thus comprises a gap between the horizontal splash guard wall below the rotatable element, the cleaning element and the liquid discharge element and the vertically arranged splash guard walls. In this case, below the non-closing areas, ie below the gap, a liquid collecting device may be arranged, in particular circulating.

The rotatable member and / or the cleaning member may comprise an absorbent material, and the system may further comprise a liquid ejecting member for expressing cleaning liquid from the absorbent material, wherein the liquid ejecting member, the rotatable member and / or the cleaning member are formed and / or arranged in that the absorbent material and the liquid ejection element are compressible.

Absorbent material refers to a material which liquid, in particular the cleaning liquid, receives from its surface into the interior and holds there. The absorbent material may be a textile product, for example a fabric or a flow. The absorbent material may be porous, especially a sponge. By means of a liquid ejection element as described above, it is possible for cleaning liquid to be thoroughly removed from the absorbent material. In this way it is possible to prevent residues of the cleaning liquid in the labeling operation from impairing the function of the rotatable elements or other elements of the labeling unit, or damaging the labels or Moisture or interactions with adhesives or glue affect the labeling operation.

Compressible in this context means that the absorbent material and the Flüssigkeitsausdrückelement can be brought into contact so that the pressure is higher than the ambient pressure, in particular high enough that the absorbent material is deformed, in particular compressed. So liquid can be pressed out of the absorbent material.

The liquid ejection element and / or the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element are movable, in particular pivotable, such that the liquid ejection element can be compressed with the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element.

The system may include a catch for the fluid ejection element. Locking may be advantageous, for example, for the conversion or transportation of the system.

The liquid ejection element may be in the form of a plate, a sphere or a cylinder. The liquid ejection element may be rotatable, in particular it may be in the form of a rotatable sphere or a rotatable cylinder. In the case of a rotatable cylinder, the orientation of the axis of rotation relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element may be fixed, in particular perpendicular or parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element, or variable. The liquid ejection element can be arranged fixed in position or movable, in particular pivotable and / or displaceable.

The liquid ejection element can be designed in particular in the form of a rotatable cylinder with an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element and be movable parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element along its lateral surface and the lateral surfaces can be compressible. Alternatively, the liquid ejection element can be designed in the form of a rotatable cylinder with an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element, which is likewise designed as a cylinder, and the lateral surfaces can be compressible.

The systems described above may comprise a control device, which is designed to control the first drive, the second drive, the cleaning element, the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element for performing an automated cleaning process.

This ensures efficient cleaning. The automated cleaning process may include a pre-programmed or preprogrammed sequence of cleaning steps, in particular in the form of preset or preprogrammed operating parameters of the first drive, the second drive, the cleaning element, the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element. These operating parameters can include, for example, direction of rotation, speed and / or duration of one or both drives, discharge quantity and / or duration of the liquid dispensing element, movement direction and / or speed of the liquid expressing element, etc.

The triggering of the automated cleaning process can be done manually or automatically. The triggering can take place, for example, during a break in operation or retrofitting of the labeling unit.

The system may comprise one or more sensors for detecting soiling in the labeling unit, on the first rotatable element, on the second rotatable element and / or on the cleaning element. The sensor or sensors may be designed and / or arranged for detecting label residues and / or glue residue or carryover. The control device can be designed such that automatically a notification signal or a cleaning process is triggered when detecting label residues and / or glue residue or carryover. The automatically triggered cleaning process may be preceded by automated emptying of the labeling unit.

The method according to the invention for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling unit using a system as described above comprises dispensing a cleaning liquid onto the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element and driving the rotatable element at a rotational speed in order to clean the rotatable element cleaning surface of the rotatable element is in mechanical contact with the surface of the cleaning element. This creates friction on the surface of the rotatable element, which contributes to the cleaning effect.

The cleaning fluid may be water-based or solvent-based. In particular, the cleaning liquid may comprise rinsing agent.

The dispensing of the cleaning liquid, also referred to as liquid dispensing, can take place on exactly one or more areas of the surface of the rotatable element and / or of the cleaning element, hereinafter referred to as dispensing areas, in particular by means of one or more liquid dispensing elements. The dispensing of the cleaning fluid can be done in one or more fixed delivery areas. The method may alternatively include varying the one or more, in particular each, of the delivery areas before and / or during the cleaning process. Thus, the liquid delivery to the system and the cleaning process can be adjusted. Under certain circumstances, the number of required liquid dispensing elements can be reduced.

The method may include varying the dispensing parameters, such as the dispensing amount or the pressure at the dispensing of the cleaning liquid. In particular, in the case of a plurality of fluid delivery elements, the variation of the delivery parameters of the different fluid delivery elements can be effected independently of one another. This improves the flexibility in the cleaning process.

The dispensing of the cleaning liquid can take place in the contact area between the rotatable element and the cleaning element. The dispensing can also take place in an area remote from the contact area. If the liquid is dispensed in the contact area, impurities which are loosened there, for example by friction, can be flushed away directly. If the liquid is dispensed in a remote area, the friction between the rotatable element and the cleaning element may be greater.

The dispensing of the cleaning liquid may begin before or after the driving of the rotatable element begins. Alternatively, the discharge of the cleaning liquid and the driving of the rotatable element may start simultaneously.

The dispensing of the cleaning liquid may end before or after the driving of the rotatable element is completed. Alternatively, the discharge of the cleaning liquid and the driving of the rotatable element may end simultaneously. For example, the driving of the rotatable member may end after the discharge of the cleaning liquid is completed. Thus, cleaning liquid can be removed due to the rotation of the rotatable element. The dispensing of the cleaning fluid and the driving of the rotatable element can take place at least partially simultaneously or take place with a time delay.

The dispensing of the cleaning liquid and / or the driving of the rotatable element can be carried out continuously or discontinuously, in particular with a time delay, in particular alternately.

The rotational speed of the rotatable element and / or the direction of rotation can each be equal to those in the labeling operation. Thus, the parameters do not have to be changed after the labeling operation for the cleaning process.

The rotational speed may not be the same as the rotational speed in the labeling operation. The rotational speeds in the labeling operation are particularly suitable for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels. For example, in the labeling operation, it is important that the rotational speeds of the rotatable elements be coordinated with one another in such a way that a transfer of the labels and a gluing of the labels takes place efficiently. Depending on the system, these rotation speeds may be suitable for the cleaning process. In many cases, however, the choice will fall to other rotational speeds than in Etikettetierbetrieb, since the requirements in the cleaning process are different. The rotational speed of the rotatable element in the cleaning process may be smaller than in the labeling operation. Slow speeds of rotation may be advantageous, for example, with a small amount of cleaning liquid being dispensed by the liquid dispensing elements. The rotational speed of the rotatable element in the cleaning process may be greater than in the labeling operation. For example, fast rotational speeds may permit efficient removal of the cleaning fluid from the rotatable elements.

The direction of rotation can be opposite to the direction of rotation in the labeling operation. The direction of rotation in the labeling operation is particularly suitable for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels. For example, it is important in the labeling operation that the directions of rotation of the rotatable elements are matched to one another such that a transfer of the labels and a gluing of the labels are carried out efficiently. Depending on the system, these directions of rotation may be suitable for the cleaning process. In many cases, however, the choice will be in directions of rotation other than in the labeling operation, since the requirements in the cleaning process are different.

The driving of the rotatable member may be constant-speed driving. The driving of the rotatable member may be constant direction driving. The driving may include varying the rotational speed. This allows the rotational speed to be ideally tuned to the individual steps of the cleaning process. The driving may include varying the direction of rotation before and / or during the cleaning process. This allows the direction of rotation to be ideally tuned to the individual steps of the cleaning process.

The method may include driving one of the cleaning elements described above. This allows a thorough and quick cleaning, since the movement can be solved dirt well. In particular, the method may include driving a rotatable cleaning element. A driving of a cleaning element can in particular be effected in such a way as will be described below for the second rotatable element.

The method may include driving the second rotatable member at a second rotational speed, in particular, driving the second rotatable member at least partially concurrently with the driving of the first rotatable member. This allows a targeted and thorough cleaning of the rotatable elements. Alternatively, the driving of the first rotatable element and the driving of the second rotatable element may be offset in time. The method need not include driving the second rotatable element.

The first rotation speed may be different from the second rotation speed. Thus, cleaning steps for each rotatable element can be optimized individually. In particular, the tangential velocity of the first rotatable element (first tangential velocity) may be different than the tangential velocity of the second rotatable element (second tangential velocity) and / or the angular velocity of the first rotatable element (first angular velocity) may be different than the angular velocity of the second rotatable element (second angular velocity).

In particular, the method may comprise driving the first rotatable element and / or driving the second rotatable element such that the difference between the tangential velocity of the first rotatable element and the tangential velocity of the second rotatable element is not zero. This allows friction to be created by the difference in speed, by which contaminants can be removed from the surface of the rotatable elements.

The method may include driving the first rotatable member in a first rotational direction and driving the second rotatable member in a second rotational direction, wherein the rotational direction of the first rotatable member (first rotational direction) is opposite to the rotational direction of the second rotatable member (second rotational direction). Thus, cleaning steps for each rotatable element can be optimized individually. In addition, the axis of rotation of the first rotatable element may be parallel to the axis of rotation of the second rotatable element. This allows friction to be created by which contaminants can be removed from the surface of the rotatable elements. This effect is similar to different tangential velocities and may optionally be reinforced by the opposite directions of rotation.

If the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element comprise an absorbent material, the method may comprise a squeezing out of cleaning liquid from the absorbent material, in particular after the cleaning liquid has been dispensed onto the rotatable element or onto the cleaning element, in particular onto the element (s) with the absorbent material. This allows the discharged cleaning liquid, which accumulates in the absorbent material during the cleaning process, to be pushed out of the absorbent material again.

The squeezing of the cleaning liquid can be carried out using one of the liquid ejecting elements described above. In particular, the method may include compressing a fluid ejecting element and the absorbent material. Compression means that they are brought into contact so that the pressure is higher than the ambient pressure, in particular high enough that the absorbent material is deformed, in particular compressed. The fluid ejection element may comprise a rotatable cylinder and the disengagement may include rotating the cylinder during compression. Alternatively or additionally, in particular simultaneously, the expression may include a movement of the rotatable cylinder on the surface of the rotatable element parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element. In addition to this, simultaneous driving of the rotatable element can take place. For example, the rotatable element can be cylindrical and the absorbent material can be arranged on its lateral surface, and the axis of rotation of the rotatable element can, for example, be parallel or perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotatable cylinder. With the method described above, even large areas of absorbent material can be efficiently expressed.

The expressions can be carried out simultaneously or with a time delay with the dispensing of the cleaning liquid. The disengagement can take place simultaneously or with a time delay with the driving of the rotatable element or the cleaning element, if this is rotatable. The expressions may be concurrent with the driving and such that the absorbent material and the liquid ejection element remain compressed at least during one complete revolution of the rotatable element or the cleaning element, ie until the rotatable element or the cleaning element has been rotated through an angle of 360 °

The expression of the cleaning liquid can be done exactly once or repeatedly. In particular, expressing a portion of the absorbent material just once or repeated. In particular, the expression of a subregion of the absorbent material can be carried out repeatedly and at the same time or with a time delay with a repeated dispensing of the cleaning liquid onto this subregion. Especially with heavy soiling, which are located inside the absorbent material, which leads to a particularly intensive cleaning.

The expression of the cleaning liquid can take place after the last dispensing of the cleaning liquid of the cleaning process. The expressions can be done exactly once, in particular after completion of the last dispensing of the cleaning liquid of the cleaning process.

The method may include adding an additive to the cleaning fluid to increase the friction between the surface of the rotatable element and the surface of the cleaning element, for example the addition of scouring agent. This increases the cleaning effect. In particular, thereby reducing the friction can be reduced by cleaning fluid in the contact area.

The method may include varying the position, in particular pivoting, shifting and / or rotating, the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid expressing element and / or the cleaning element. In particular, varying the position may include varying between an active position and a passive position or between different active positions, in particular those active positions associated with different rotatable elements. An active position in the liquid ejection member and the cleaning member means a position in which they respectively contact a rotatable member, while in the passive position, they are not in contact with any of the rotatable members. For the liquid dispensing element, an active position means that it can deliver liquid to the rotatable element and / or the cleaning element from this position, and a passive position that from this position does not affect any of the rotatable elements of the system and none of the cleaning elements the system can give off fluid. Due to the above-mentioned features, a liquid dispensing element, a cleaning element and / or a liquid ejection element can be used at different positions in the system, in particular for different rotatable elements. Varying the position of the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element and / or the cleaning element may be simultaneous or delayed with each other and / or with the driving of the rotatable element and / or with the dispensing of liquid. Varying the position of the liquid dispensing element and / or the Fluid expressing element and / or the cleaning element can be carried out in each case at the beginning and / or at the end of the cleaning process. In particular, the position can be varied such that the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element and / or the cleaning element are in the passive position at the end of the cleaning process. This may be required if the corresponding element in the active position would be in the way in the subsequent labeling operation. Thus, all system elements can first be brought into a cleaning position and then into a labeling position.

The varying of the rotational speeds, the directions of rotation, the discharge area and / or the discharge parameters of the liquid discharge elements can be effected by an external drive.

In the methods described above, the method steps can be performed automatically controlled in an automated cleaning process. As described in more detail above in connection with the system, the driving of the first drive, the second drive, the cleaning element, the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element for carrying out an automated cleaning process can be carried out automatically.

Further features and advantages are explained below with reference to the exemplary figures, wherein the same figures are used in the different figures for the same elements.

Figur 1

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung eines ersten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in Draufsicht;

Figur 2

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung des ersten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in einer Schrägansicht;

Figur 3

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung eines zweiten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in Draufsicht;

Figur 4

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung des zweiten Systems zum Reinigen von rotierbaren Elementen eines Etikettieraggregats in einer Schrägansicht;

Figur 5

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung eines dritten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in Draufsicht;

Figur 6

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung des dritten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in einer Querschnittsansicht;

Figur 7

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung eines vierten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in Draufsicht;

Figur 8

eine schematische, nicht maßstabsgetreue Darstellung des vierten Systems zum Reinigen eines rotierbaren Elements eines Etikettieraggregats in einer Querschnittsansicht.

Showing:

FIG. 1

a schematic, not to scale representation of a first system for cleaning a rotatable element of a Etikettieraggregats in plan view;

FIG. 2

a schematic, not to scale representation of the first system for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling in an oblique view;

FIG. 3

a schematic, not to scale representation of a second system for cleaning a rotatable element of a Etikettieraggregats in plan view;

FIG. 4

a schematic, not to scale representation of the second system for cleaning rotatable elements of a Etikettieraggregats in an oblique view;

FIG. 5

a schematic, not to scale representation of a third system for cleaning a rotatable element of a Etikettieraggregats in plan view;

FIG. 6

a schematic, not to scale representation of the third system for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling in a cross-sectional view;

FIG. 7

a schematic, not to scale representation of a fourth system for cleaning a rotatable element of a Etikettieraggregats in plan view;

FIG. 8

a schematic, not to scale representation of the fourth system for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling in a cross-sectional view.

FIG. 1 shows the top view and FIG. 2 an oblique view of a system 1 for cleaning a rotatable element 2 of a labeling. The rotatable element 2 is designed in the form of a gripper cylinder. It is rotatable about a cylinder axis 3 and arranged vertically.

The rotatable element 2 is connected to a first drive 4, which is arranged below the rotatable element 2. The drive may be for example a motor. Thus, the rotatable element 2 with a rotational speed, which is predetermined by the drive 4, driven.

In the figure, possible directions of rotation 5 and 6 of the rotatable element 2 about the axis of rotation 3, which corresponds to the cylinder axis, indicated. The drive 4 is designed such that it allows rotation in at least one of the directions of rotation 5 and 6.

The figure also shows a cleaning element 7, which is formed here by way of example in the form of a cylindrical brush, whose lateral surface is occupied by bristles. The cleaning element 7 is rotatable about the cylinder axis 8. The axis of rotation thus corresponds to the cylinder axis. The cleaning element 7 is connected to a drive 9 for driving the cleaning element 7. The cleaning element 7 is rotatable at a rotational speed.

The drive 9 for driving the cleaning element 7 can also be omitted. The brush can rotate due to the rotation of the rotatable element 2 and the friction. The cleaning element 7 does not have to be rotatable.

The system further comprises a liquid dispensing element 11 attached to a rod 10, for example in the form of a spray head. The liquid discharge element 11 is arranged so that it can deliver cleaning liquid simultaneously to the rotatable element 2 and the cleaning element 7.

As shown in the figure, the surface 12 of the rotatable member 2 is in mechanical contact with the surface of the cleaning member 7 in a certain area, the contact area. The liquid-dispensing element 11 dispenses the cleaning liquid in a targeted manner into the contact area. The liquid discharge element 11 is arranged at the upper end of the rotatable element 2. The fluid delivery element 11 is in an active position.

In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a system shown that the system in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is similar. The rotatable element 13, with the axis of rotation 14 and the surface 15 is formed here in the form of a glue roller. The drive 16 is arranged above the rotatable element 13.

The cleaning element 17 is here designed in the form of a pallet carousel, which is rotatable about the axis of rotation 18 and can be driven by a drive 19. The cleaning element 17 is thus formed in the form of a rotatable element. Thus, the rotatable element 13 is a first rotatable element and the cleaning element 17 is a second rotatable element.

The pallet carousel comprises a plurality of elements 20 whose surfaces 21 together form the surface of the rotatable element. From the axis of rotation 18 away a plurality of spokes 22 extend radially, at the end of the elements 20 are arranged. The elements are here, for example, in each case about an axis 23 arranged in the lateral surface of a cylinder, which is parallel to the axis of rotation 18 of the cylinder, rotatable.

The liquid dispensing element 25 disposed on a rod 24 is as in FIG FIG. 1 trained and arranged.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a system that in addition to the in FIGS. 1 to 4 The elements shown and described above, a Flüssigkeitsausdrückelement 26 shows that here is a rotatable cylinder, which may be formed for example of plastic or metal. This rotatable cylinder has a vertically arranged cylinder axis, which also corresponds to the axis of rotation, and is arranged at the end of a pivotable arm. In an active position, the cylinder is in contact with the surface of at least one of the rotatable elements 2, 13 or 17. The fluid ejecting element 26 is shown in a passive position. The cylinder can not be connected to a drive as shown here. He can be in an active position for example, due to the rotation of the rotatable member and the friction between the surface of the rotatable member and the cylinder co-rotate. The cylinder can also be connected to its own drive, which can drive it so that it rotates.

The system here comprises another fluid delivery element 27. The fluid delivery element 27 is shown in a passive position. It is movably arranged, for example on a telescopic pole, and can be brought into an active position if required. However, such an additional liquid dispensing element can be dispensed with.

The rotatable elements 2, 13 and 17, the cleaning element 7 and the liquid ejection element 26 are in this example at a height. The drives are arranged here below or above all rotatable elements and liquid discharge elements.

The system further includes a bottom open housing. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show vertically arranged splash guard walls 28, 29, 30, 31, which form the side walls of the housing and a horizontally and over the rotatable elements 2, 13, 17, the cleaning element 7 and the liquid discharge elements 11, 25, 27 arranged splash guard wall 32, the lid of the housing forms. The splash guard walls 28 to 32 are connected to each other. For example, it may be glued Plexiglas plates. Inside the housing, the rotatable elements 2, 13, 17, the cleaning element 7 and liquid discharge elements 11, 25, 27 are arranged. The drive 16 is arranged outside the housing, above the horizontally arranged splash guard wall 32.

Below the housing, the rotatable elements and the liquid discharge elements is a horizontal splash guard wall, here in the form of a base plate 33, disposed below which the drives 4, 9 and 19 are arranged. The base plate 33 is formed and arranged such that circumferentially a gap between the side walls 28 to 31 of the housing and the base plate 33 remains. Under this gap, in turn, a liquid collecting device 34 is arranged circumferentially. It is here in the form of a groove which is fixed to the base plate 33, formed as shown in the figure. It may for example be screwed to the base plate 33 or be glued. The gutter may alternatively stand on the ground, let into the ground or be held by a frame. In addition, the liquid collecting device 34 may be connected to a liquid drain, not shown here for discharging the collected cleaning liquid.

This in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 shown system corresponds largely to the in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 shown system. Here, however, all drives 4, 9, 16, 19 above the splash guard wall 32, so the cover of the housing, arranged and it was dispensed with a base plate. In order to reliably absorb cleaning liquid, the liquid collecting device 34 is formed in this case as a basin below the entire housing instead of as a circumferential groove.

The following describes a method for cleaning a rotatable element of a labeling unit. The cleaning process can be carried out, for example, using one of the systems described above.

The liquid discharging member 11 discharges cleaning liquid, and the rotatable member 2 is driven to rotate at a rotational speed. For example, liquid delivery and driving of the rotatable element begin simultaneously. The driving of the rotatable element may alternatively begin before the liquid dispensing or vice versa. In this example, the driving of the rotatable element and the liquid discharge end simultaneously. The driving may alternatively end before the liquid dispensing or vice versa.

In addition, the cleaning element 7 is driven by the drive 9 so that it rotates, wherein the surface 12 of the rotatable element 2 and the cleaning element 7 are in contact. This creates friction. It is particularly efficient to drive the cleaning element 7 so that it rotates at a higher rotational speed, in particular tangential, than the rotatable element 2. The dispensing of liquid and / or the driving of the rotatable element and the driving of the cleaning element can start simultaneously. Alternatively, the liquid dispensing and / or the driving of the rotatable member may respectively begin and end before or after the driving of the cleaning member has begun or is completed.

The cleaning element 7 can not be driven. Due to the contact and the rotation of the rotatable element 2, a cleaning effect already occurs.

Alternatively or additionally, the liquid dispensing element 25, at a certain point in time, continuously dispenses a cleaning liquid, for example warm water with rinsing agent. In addition, at the same time the rotatable members 13 and 17 are driven, which are in contact with each other, wherein the tangential speeds, similar to the labeling operation, the same and the directions of rotation are opposite. If one of the rotatable elements contains an absorbent material, cleaning liquid can also be absorbed in this phase. Alternatively, subsequently or from the beginning, the rotational speed of at least one of the rotatable elements can be changed so that there is a speed difference in the tangential speeds. This results in friction between the surfaces of the rotatable elements 13 and 17. Label residues and dried glue are solved by a kind of scrubbing process. The scrubbing effect can also be achieved by selecting the two directions of rotation equal, so that the movement in the contact area is opposite and friction occurs. Since labels sometimes get stuck in the region of the rotatable elements in the labeling operation, the direction of rotation can at least temporarily be selected such that it is opposite to the direction of rotation in the labeling operation, which facilitates the removal of the label.

In addition, if necessary, the cleaning fluid contributes to the release of dirt. It may, for example, comprise a solvent or a scouring agent. In addition, the cleaning fluid is used to wash away any dirt left over.

Detergents and debris are, if present, intercepted by the protective walls 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and can run down and / or drip down from the rotatable elements and optionally from the protective walls 28 to 31. There, as described above, they can be collected, for example, in a liquid collecting device 34 and collected or discharged.

The rotatable element 2 may comprise an absorbent material and the system may include a liquid ejection element 26. This is placed in an active position during the dispensing of liquid or after the last dispensing of liquid has ended so that it is in contact with the absorbent material and the absorbent material pressed, which corresponds to a compression of the Flüssigkeitsausdrückelements 26 and the absorbent material, so that a squeezing out of the cleaning liquid from the absorbent material. In this case, the rotatable element 2 rotate, for example, if along the circumference in several areas absorbent material is arranged.

A cleaning process can be carried out in particular during a break or conversion of the labeling. In this case, the cleaning process can be automated, which is done for example by a preset cleaning program, in which the sequence of cleaning steps with the directions of rotation, speeds and durations of the drives, the delivery of cleaning liquid, etc. is fixed. In principle, various such cleaning programs can be provided which are triggered manually or automatically in accordance with the circumstances.

The system may further include one or more sensors that detect contaminants on the rotatable elements in the form of label residue or glue carryover. In particular, these may be mechanical or optical sensors. The sensors may be arranged to detect contaminants on a pallet or glue roller.

As soon as a contamination is detected, this can trigger an (audible and / or visual) warning. Alternatively, a cleaning process can be triggered directly. For this purpose, a bottle lock, an emptying of the labeling and then the start of the cleaning process would be performed.

It is understood that in the embodiments described above mentioned features are not limited to these specific combinations and are also possible in any other combinations.

Claims (19)

System (1) for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit, comprising
a labeling unit, wherein the labeling unit comprises: a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation, a drive (4, 16, 19) for driving the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) at a rotational speed, a cleaning element (7, 17),
a liquid discharge element (11, 25, 27) for discharging cleaning liquid onto a surface (12, 15, 21) of the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) to be cleaned and / or onto the cleaning element (7, 17),
wherein the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and the cleaning element (7, 17) are designed and / or arranged such that a mechanical contact between the surface (12, 15, 21) to be cleaned of the rotatable element (2 , 13, 17) and a surface (21) of the cleaning element (7, 17) can be produced. System (1) according to claim 1,
wherein the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) is a first rotatable element (2, 13),
wherein the drive (4, 16) is a first drive,
wherein the rotational speed is a first rotational speed,
wherein the cleaning element (7, 17) is a second rotatable element (17) for holding and / or transporting and / or gluing labels in the labeling operation,
the system comprising a second drive (19) for driving the second rotatable element (17) at a second rotational speed, and
wherein the first drive (4, 16) and the second drive (19) are designed such that the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed are independently and variably adjustable. System (1) according to claim 2, wherein the first drive (4, 16) and / or the second drive (19) for driving the respective rotatable element (2, 17) in both directions of rotation (5, 6) with respect to a rotation axis (3 , 14, 18) of the respective rotatable element (2, 13, 17) are formed. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising
one or more vertically arranged splash guard walls (28, 29, 30, 31) and / or
a horizontally and over the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) and the liquid discharge element (11, 25, 27) arranged splash guard wall (32) and / or
a horizontal and below the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) and the liquid discharge element (11, 25, 27) arranged splash guard wall (33). System (1) according to claim 4, wherein at least three of the plurality of vertically arranged splash guard walls (28, 29, 30, 31) and the horizontally and over the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) and the liquid discharge element (11, 25, 27) arranged splash guard wall (32) are interconnected so that they form a housing,
wherein the liquid discharge element and the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) are arranged in the interior of the housing. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a liquid collecting device (34) for collecting cleaning liquid. System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the liquid collecting device (34) below one or more, in particular all, the vertically arranged splash guard walls (28, 29, 30, 31), is arranged. System (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the liquid collecting device (34) is arranged circumferentially and / or formed. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) comprise an absorbent material,
further comprising a liquid expressing member (26) for expressing cleaning liquid from the absorbent material,
wherein the liquid ejecting member (26), the rotatable member (2, 13, 17) and the cleaning member (7, 17) are formed and / or arranged such that the bibulous material and the liquid ejecting member (26) are compressible. System (1) according to claim 9, wherein the liquid ejection element (26) and / or the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) are movable, in particular pivotable, such that the liquid ejection element (26 ) is compressible with the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17). A system (1) according to claims 9 or 10, wherein the liquid ejection element (26) is in the form of a rotatable cylinder. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a control device, which is designed to drive the first drive, the second drive, the cleaning element, the liquid dispensing element and / or the liquid ejection element for performing an automated cleaning process. Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit using a system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising
Dispensing a cleaning liquid onto the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17),
Driving the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) at a rotational speed to clean the rotatable element (2, 13, 17), wherein the surface (12, 15, 21) of the rotatable element (2, 13, 17 ) is in mechanical contact with the surface (21) of the cleaning element (7, 17). Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to claim 13,
wherein the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) is a first rotatable element (2, 13) and wherein the cleaning element (7, 17) is a second rotatable element (17),
comprising driving the second rotatable element (17) at a second rotational speed, wherein the first rotational speed and / or the second rotational speed are not equal to the respective rotational speed in the labeling operation. A method of cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to claim 14, wherein the driving of the first rotatable element (2, 13) and / or the second rotatable element (17) takes place such that a difference from a tangential velocity of the first rotatable element (2, 13) and a tangential velocity of the second rotatable element (17) is not zero. Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to one of claims 14 or 15, comprising driving the first rotatable element (2, 13) in a first direction of rotation (5) corresponding to a second direction of rotation (6) of the second rotatable element (17) is opposite. Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to one of Claims 13 to 16, comprising driving the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) in a direction of rotation (5, 6) opposite to a direction of rotation in the labeling operation is. Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) and / or the cleaning element (7, 17) comprise an absorbent material,
comprising expressing cleaning liquid from the absorbent material after driving the rotatable element (2) and dispensing the cleaning liquid onto the rotatable element (2, 13, 17) or onto the cleaning element (7, 17) with an absorbent material. Method for cleaning a rotatable element (2, 13, 17) of a labeling unit according to one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the method steps are carried out automatically controlled in an automated cleaning process.

Images