EP3335889B1

EP3335889B1 - Dragging device for marking electrical tags and method for the realization of an automatic loader

Info

Publication number: EP3335889B1
Application number: EP17020572.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rigardo Danilo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-12-14
Filing date: 2017-12-13
Publication date: 2020-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-13
Also published as: EP3335889A1; IT201600126141A1

Description

The present invention concern a device for dragging labels for marking electrical panels to obtain printing by means of an inkjet printer.
The innovation consists in being able to use the labels already present on the market, created to be printed by a plotter.
The object of the invention is also a method of making an automatic loader which uses this dragging system.

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for translating plastic labels and bringing them underneath an inkjet head so as to obtain the labels printed.

PRIOR ART

Document WO 2015/151042 A2 discloses an apparatus and a method for printing marks on media of various formats such as identification plates for cables and electrical components.
In the explanation of the description it will be made reference to the attached drawings, provided for indicative purposes only and therefore not for limiting purposes, in which:

Figure 1 shows schematically a plotter with the adapter plate and some labels inserted in the adapter plate.
Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a label module for terminal blocks seen from above and below to highlight that the upper part, where the printing takes place, is substantially flat, while the lower part presents the pins for attachment to the adapter plate and the hooking pins for the attachment to the terminal blocks.
Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the drawings of two labels for terminal blocks which differ in the shape and thickness of the hooking pins to the terminals.

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the drag system, object of the invention.
Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a possible automatic feeding method.

The printing of labels for the marking of the electrical panels has always presented difficulties because these labels are generally done of rigid plastic material and have a complex shape.
They are injection molded into frames that contain multiple labels. Each label is connected to the frame in one or more points and it is possible to detach it and use it leaving the others unaltered. The shape of the frame facilitates the insertion of the labels in transparent tubes for the marking of electric cables. Other labels, used for the marking of the terminal blocks, present in the lower part the feet that allow their positioning in the special housings that are on the outer edge of the terminal blocks. These last labels are more difficult to print because the side opposite to where the print is made is not flat and the thickness varies according to the type of terminal blocks to which they are applied.
In the first years of marketing of these labels, plotter (1) was used to print on them. The articles containing the labels to be printed (4) were placed on an adapter plate (2) positioned on the printing table (3) of the plotter. In this way labels of different thicknesses were all at the same height respect to the plotter pen (6) and they could be printed.
The adapter plate was itself hooked to the plotter plane and it was not possible to create automatic loaders for this reason. The user needed to hook the labels (4) on the adapter plate and launch the print; at the end of the print, he needed to extract the printed labels and to hook the new items for the next print.
Over time the technology has evolved and, to print on the labels, people has begun to use thermal transfer or inkjet printers modifying the format of the labels in order to be printed by these devices. They used adapter plates also in this case. The adapter plate, in which the article is housed, is made to pass along the print path
The use by the user is similar to that of the plotter, he fits the article into the adapter plate, launches the print and removes it. The substantial difference is the greater printing speed of these last devices compared to that of the plotter. The use of plotters as a printing system is still widespread today again.
A feature of the label frames printable with an adapter plate is to have small cylindrical pins (8) on the underside that allow the label frame to be fixed to the adapter plate and prevent it from moving during printing. These pins on the frame are positioned in as many holes (5) on the adapter plate.
To minimize the number of adapter plates, the frames, even if they host labels of different sizes, have the pins for the fitting to the adapter plate in the same position.
In most cases the frame supporting the labels has a shape similar to Fig. 2 where the pins (8) are located on the two outer sides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists in using the pins themselves as a constraint on the outer edges of a fixed rail, consisted of two parallel walls, which extends from a loading position up to pass the system which moves the print head. The frame is free to slide along this rail and the pins prevent it from moving sideways. A lever actuated by a solenoid, a motorized actuator or anything else, moved longitudinally in the direction of the rail by a motor, hooks the pin and drags the frame under the print head (14) so that all the labels can be printed.
Another lever pushes the pin, or directly the frame, on the corresponding side of the rail and keeps it pressed in order to avoid backlash during the translation. This avoids transversal positioning errors and consequent print centering problems on the individual labels.
With this system consisting of: rail, hooking and dragging it is possible to use articles specifically designed for the plotter on inkjet printer without the need to modify them, or by making minor modifications, with evident saving money given the cost of injection molds.
The essence of the invention is based on the fact that, with this system, it is possible to obtain printing without using an adapter plate, increasing the practicality of use by the user, which no needs anymore to place the labels on the adapter plate to print them and remove them after the print has been performed, with consequent time saving. Furthermore, this system open the way to the possible realization of automatic loaders.
Further characteristics and advantages will be highlighted in the detailed description of the realization, but not exclusive, of the label dragging system according to the present invention.
The printing of labels through the use of a plotter (1) occurs by fitting the frames (9) containing the labels onto an adapter plate (2). The fixing is done by inserting the pins (8) on the frame into the appropriate holes (5) on the plate.
The plate has grooves (7) so as to accommodate the hooking pins of the labels to the terminal blocks. In this way the upper side of the labels is always at the same height even for labels with different thickness (Fig. 3). The plotter pen (6) finds the printable areas always at the same height and then printing is possible.
This is achieved thanks to the fact that the thickness of the frame (9) is always the same and the labels are positioned on it so as to offer the upper part printable at the same height.
Moreover, the hooking pins on the frame (8) are located in the same points also for different labels, this to allow the use of the same adapter plate (2) for the largest possible number of different labels.
From the two previous considerations it is clear that in the labels for plotters there is a sort of standardization that forces the position of the hooking pins and the thickness of the frame.
The thickness remains constant even in the immediate proximity of the hooking pin because there must be a mechanical consistency in the adapter plate between the hole receiving the pin (5) and the slots receiving the lower part of the tags (7).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, it is envisaged to make a guide composed of two parallel walls (13) that form a rail, able to house the frame so that the most external hooking pins (15) are located outside the rail and touch the external sides of the walls (13). In this way the frame is in a forced position and is free to slide longitudinally in the direction of the rail while it is transversely locked..
Two mechanisms are positioned on the sides of the rail, they are moved each one by a corresponding motor in the longitudinal direction (10) of the rail. The two mechanisms are each one composed of an actuated lever (11) which is configured to engage and disengage with the respective most external hooking pin (15), the hooking mechanisms being actuated by a solenoid, a motorized actuator or whatever, they hook two pins, one for side, and drag the frame with the labels along the print path from the stack (16) to the printer head (14). In this way, the printing takes place without the mediation of an adapter plate.
Since the pins placed on the sides of the frame can be arranged in a non-symmetrical manner, the fact of having two separate dragging mechanisms, one on each side, allows to hook the two pins which are in the most suitable position to obtain a force of homogeneous translation.
If, to facilitate the insertion of the frame on the rail, the distance between the two elements of the rail is smaller than that between two pins, there may be a backlash that affects the quality of printing. In this case, another mechanism (12), for example, but not limited to, a lever, a spring, a clutch or whatever, is used to push the pins of one side of the frame towards the corresponding side of the wall. In this way the backlash and any lateral movements, due to the vibrations that are produced when the frame advances on the rail , are eliminated.
An automatic loader system for the printer can be easily implemented by stacking the items at the end of the rail and using the hooking mechanism to extract the items one by one from the stack (Fig. 5).
In the drawing (Fig. 5) illustrating a possible, but not exclusive, method of making an automatic loader, the container that holds the stack of articles in position has not been shown. This one container is structured in such a way as to allow the system to pick up the article and take it to a print position. The hooking and dragging system, consisting of movable levers, is able to disengage the newly printed article by withdrawing the levers, going back and hooking the next article of the stack. In this way all the items in the loader can be printed in succession.

Claims

A device configured to transport a frame (9) with plastic labels along a print path from a stack (16) to a printer head (14), without the use of an adapter plate, the device comprising:
• a printer head (14);

• a frame (9) containing plastic labels and hooking pins (15) on the bottom part of the frame (9);

• a rail consisting of two vertical walls (13) on top of which the frame (9) is placed, the walls (13) being configured to house the frame (9) so that the most external hooking pins (15) of the frame (9) touch the external sides of the walls (13) so that the frame (9) is in a forced position and is free to slide longitudinally in the direction (10) of the rail while it is transversely locked; the most external hooking pins (15) being located outside the rail;

• two hooking mechanisms positioned outside the rail and hooking two of the most external hooking pins (15) of the frame (9), one per side, and dragging the frame (9) with the labels along the print path, the mechanisms are moved each one by a corresponding motor in the longitudinal direction of the rail, each of the mechanisms being composed of an actuated lever (11) which is configured to engage and disengage with the respective most external hooking pin (15);

• an actuated lever device (12) which is positioned on only one side of the rail, the lever device (12) being jointed with the movement of one of the two hooking mechanisms and used to push the respective pin (15) of the hooking mechanism of one side of the frame towards the corresponding side of the wall (13) to remove any backlash.
A method for an automatic loader system for using in a device according to claim 1 comprising the following steps:
• stacking the frames (9) containing the labels and the hooking pins (15) at the end of the rail and using the hooking mechanisms to extract the frames (9) by hooking the frames (9) one by one from the stack (16);

• transporting the frame (9) to a print position under the printer head (14);

• disengaging the frame (9) with the newly printed labels by withdrawing the levers (11), going back and hooking the next frame (9) of the stack (16).