EP4059853A1 - Labeller with slide module - Google Patents

Abstract

Labeller (6), comprising at least one slide assembly (18) mounted so that it can be adjusted in height for pressing labels (8) onto an article web (A), the slide assembly (18) having a base plate (22), at least one pin cassette connected to the base plate (22). (23) and a plurality of pressure pins (19) received by means of the pin cartridge (23), which are mounted on the pin cartridge (23) so that they can be displaced between an extended position (P1) and a retracted position (P2), the pressure pins (19 ) are each formed as a one-piece injection molded parts.

Description

The present invention relates to a labeler having the features of claim 1.

From the EP 2 666 728 B1 a labeller is known to apply labels to a film web in rows. The labeller is arranged on a thermoforming packaging machine after a sealing station. Essentially, the labeller has a label dispenser and a transfer device, to which labels are fed in a row by means of the label dispenser. The transfer device is designed to move the labels it has picked up to a predetermined position above an article web provided underneath, comprising a number of sealed packages positioned next to one another, in order then to press the labels onto the cover film of the respective packages. For this purpose, the transfer device has a large number of pin pusher plates, which are mounted in a height-adjustable manner by means of a lifting device, in order to press the labels firmly onto the cover foil.

In the DE 10 2006 047 488 A1 discloses a labeller with a deposit box, which has a plurality of pressure stamps for applying labels to a film web. The pressure stamps are individually arranged in sleeves so that they can be moved in and out.

EP 3 495 280 A1 discloses a slide assembly, wherein the respective pressing elements are fastened to a base plate of the slide assembly by means of a cassette module designed to receive them. The pressing elements are each made of three individual parts, namely a pin made of polyoxymethylene (POM), a guide pin made of a precious metal, eg an alloy made of X5CrNi18-10, and a pressure pin also made of polyoxymethylene (POM). These three components are placed in an assembly device and are pressed together. However, assembly errors inevitably occur with pressure pins pressed in three parts in this way. For example, these pressure pins can be incorrectly assembled if the pressing forces acting on them vary during the pressing process of the three individual parts. As a result, reworking may be necessary later, which leads to downtimes of the packaging machine.

Added to this is the fact that a guide pin made of stainless steel, due to its rigid design, absorbs transverse forces that load it almost one-to-one during a labeling process transmits other components of the cassette module that can be damaged, or at least loosened, as a result. For example, a terminal block that attaches the guide pin to the cartridge module can be damaged or loosened from its attachment by lateral forces transmitted to it. This problem occurs above all when labels are to be applied to an uneven packaging surface, as a result of which the guide pins, which are designed to be rigid, tend to cross and press against the terminal strips.

The object of the invention is to improve a labeler of the type described above with regard to the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

This object is achieved with a labeller according to claim 1. Improved developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The labeler according to the invention comprises at least one slide assembly, which is mounted in a height-adjustable manner, for pressing labels onto an article web. The slider assembly includes a base plate, at least one pin cartridge connected to the base plate, and a plurality of presser pins received by the pin cartridge and mounted on the pin cartridge for displacement between an extended position and a retracted position.

According to the invention, the pressure pins are each designed as injection molded parts that are produced in one piece.

Due to the fact that the pressure pins are each injection molded in one piece, the above-mentioned production-specific disadvantages can be avoided, which are described in connection with the three-part design of known pressure pins. Above all, different types of plastic can be used for the one-piece injection molding pins, so that the injection molding material can be easily adapted with regard to different requirements for the respective pressing pins, for example with regard to a desired pressing force.

According to a preferred variant, the pressure pins have a guide pin made at least in sections from a polyamide (PA), in particular from a polycaprolactam (PA66) or from nylon (PA66). A guide pin that is injection-molded from such a plastic offers the significant advantage that it can bend elastically in response to transverse forces absorbed by it during a labeling process in such a way that other components adjacent to it, for example one at the lower end of the Pin cartridge clinging terminal block when not particularly loaded at all.

As a result, the terminal block is neither damaged nor loosened from its attachment, so that the downtime of the labeller is reduced overall.

The pressure pins preferably have a pin that can be received by means of the pin cassette at one end of the guide pin and a pressure piece at the other end of the guide pin, the guide pin, the pin and the pressure piece being produced in one piece with one another. This integral design of the respective pressure pins noticeably reduces their manufacturing costs.

It has been found that pressure pins that are made essentially entirely of a polycaprolactam (PA6) or of nylon (PA66) are particularly advantageous for use in the labeler. Above all, these pressure pins are inexpensive to produce.

The special selection of the plastic for the one-piece production of the respective pressure pins is based on a consideration of several factors. On the one hand, the flexural strength must be taken into account, i.e. the dimension that indicates how high the maximum bending stress may be during labeling without the pressure pin being damaged and without it applying the desired pressure force despite its potential deflection.

In terms of flexural strength, it is important to consider how much the pressure pins are allowed to yield to three-dimensional surface contours in order to ensure a desired surface pressure force. In order for the respective pressure pins to be able to bend sufficiently at interfering contours, but not to yield too much, and for labels to be securely attached at a predetermined position, the bending strength of the pressure pins must be neither too low nor too high. If the flexural strength were very low, for example with a pressure pin made of polyethylene (PE-HD), the pressure pin tends to bend quickly, which means that the pressure force required for labeling can no longer be achieved. However, if the flexural strength is very high, such as with a pressure pin made of PA66 GF25 (25% glass fiber reinforced nylon), the pressure pin would only bend very slightly if there was an interference contour, so that a similar negative effect would result as with the well-known pressure pins made of stainless steel. Such rigid pressure pins can even damage the product to be labeled or the label cannot be fully pressed onto the production surface. However, if a high pressing force is required in a special case, the material PA66 GF25 can be the right material for the pressing pins.

In terms of flexural strength, the unreinforced, detectable polyamide PA66 DET and/or impact-resistant polyoxymethylene (POM-HI) are in the middle range between the plastics mentioned above. These two materials do not bend under low lateral forces and therefore offer sufficient stability for the labels to be securely pressed on. Should unforeseen unevenness on the product lead to higher transverse forces, these materials can deform sufficiently elastically.

Another important criterion to consider when selecting the material is the elongation at break. The elongation at break indicates the percentage elongation at which the material breaks. It may be the case here that, for example, polyamides reinforced on a carbon fiber and/or glass fiber basis, such as PA6 (Perlon) reinforced in this way or PA66 (Nylon) reinforced in this way, are not the right plastic for producing the pressure pins. This is because such pressure pins tend to break at very low elongation and are therefore rather unsuitable for uneven packaging. However, this material may be the right choice for special cases in which a high pressing force and less flexibility are required.

With 400% elongation at break, PE-HD offers a very high level of flexibility, but due to the low flexural strength and the low heat resistance, it is not shortlisted for the production of the pressure pins. The heat resistance, i.e. the maximum temperature that the plastic must withstand at least for a short time, is relevant when selecting the preferred material because the labeller, in particular the slide assemblies formed on it, are exposed to high temperatures at least for a short time during cleaning intervals. All the plastics discussed above offer sufficient heat resistance.

In view of the previous evaluation of potential materials, it has been found that the plastic material PA6 or PA66, possibly PA66 DET (detectable), which, in addition to its good technical properties, also has FDA approval, is suitable for the labeler according to the invention for the production of the Pressure pins is very advantageous. The possibility that these materials can be detected is also a very welcome property in the field of packaging technology.

It is conceivable that at least the guide pin of the pressure pins is designed to be reinforced with glass fibers and/or carbon fibers in some sections. With this material reinforcement, high pressing forces can be achieved for the labeling process.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least the guide pin of the pressure pins has a thermoplastic polyurethane. A desired elasticity for the guide pin can thus be set.

Preferably, the pin cartridge includes at least one terminal block attached thereto to hold the presser pins to the pin cartridge. The terminal strip can be clipped onto the pin cassette. The terminal strip can be easily removed to replace any damaged pressure pins.

It is conceivable that, in addition to its fastening function, the terminal block also has a guiding function for several pressing pins. For this purpose, the terminal strip can have several claw-like receptacles for the pressure pins, i.e. their guide pins, on which the pressure pins are slidably mounted.

It is possible for the terminal strip to be designed to absorb transverse forces caused during a labeling process by means of bent pressure pins that come into contact with it.

Due to the fact that the respective pressure pins can bend elastically due to their material composition when they hit an uneven packaging surface, i.e. already bend as such without hitting the cassette module, the lateral forces acting on the terminal block will be so small, if at all, that that the terminal strip is no longer damaged or loosened.

Preferably, the pressing pins each have a weight of 0.3 g to 0.5 g, in particular 0.4 g. Compared to a well-known, three-part press-on pin that weighs approx. 1.4g, this results in a weight advantage of 1g. With an average pin slider plate set with 500 pins, this results in a reduction of 500g of moving mass against gravity. This weight reduction means that the performance of the cross web labeller can be increased significantly.

The unit costs of the injection-molded pressure pin produced in one piece according to the invention will be around 5 to 6 cents. The assembly costs, ie the costs for assembling multi-part pressure pins, are completely eliminated for a one-piece pressure pin according to the invention, which contributes significantly to reducing the production costs. A three-part pressure pin, for example, as described in the introduction to the description, currently costs 20 cents.

Of this, 8 cents go to assembly. Material costs are 12 cents. Consequently, there is a price saving of 14 to 15 cents per pressure pin for the pressure pins according to the invention.

The invention also relates to the use of several pressure pins, each of which is produced as a one-piece injection molded part and/or which has a guide pin which is made at least in sections of a polyamide (PA), in particular a polycaprolactam (PA6) or nylon (PA66), is manufactured, on a slide assembly of a labeller for pressing labels onto an article web.

Figur 1

eine Tiefziehverpackungsmaschine mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Etikettierer,

Figur 2

eine vergrößerte Ansicht des Etikettierers in einer Ausgangsstellung,

Figur 3

eine Ansicht wie in Figur 2 in einer Etikettierstellung,

Figur 4

eine isoliert dargestellte Schieberbaugruppe des Etikettierers,

Figur 5

eine Explosionsdarstellung der in der Figur 4 gezeigten Schieberbaugruppe,

Figur 6

einen Traysealer, an welchem ein erfindungsgemäßer Etikettierer einsetzbar ist,

Figur 7

ein isoliert dargestellter, erfindungsgemäßer Andrückstift, und

Figur 8

eine schematische Darstellung verbiegbarer Andrückstifte

Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the following figures. Show it:

figure 1

a thermoforming packaging machine with a labeller according to the invention,

figure 2

an enlarged view of the labeller in a starting position,

figure 3

a view as in figure 2 in a labeling position,

figure 4

a pusher assembly of the labeler shown in isolation,

figure 5

an exploded view of the in the figure 4 slide assembly shown,

figure 6

a traysealer on which a labeler according to the invention can be used,

figure 7

a pressing pin according to the invention shown in isolation, and

figure 8

a schematic representation of bendable pressure pins

Identical components are provided with the same reference symbols throughout the figures.

1 shows a section of a thermoforming packaging machine 1 with a sealing station 2 into which a bottom film 3 and a cover film 4 are fed in order to produce packaging 5 . In the sealing station 2, for example, twelve packages 5, divided into four lanes S and three rows R, are sealed in one work cycle. A labeler 6 with a controller 7 is arranged after the sealing station 2 in the transport direction T in order to apply labels 8 to the twelve packages 5 from above on the cover film 4 in one work cycle. The controller 7 of the labeler 6 can also be integrated into a controller 9 of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 . The labeler 6 has a label dispenser 10 , a traversing device 11 that can be adjusted in the transport direction T, and a transfer device 12 .

2 shows the label dispenser 10 with a carrier tape 13 for labels 8, the labels 8 being detached from the carrier tape 13 via a dispenser edge 14 and transferred to the transfer device 12. For the sake of clarity, the transmission device 12 is shown without a cover. The labels 8 can be held with their non-adhesive upper side on the transport belt 16 by means of a negative pressure generated within the casing via fans, while a first row R1 of labels 8 with the number of tracks S is picked up by the transfer device 12 . During this phase, a lifting device 17 of the transfer device 12 is in a receiving position.

In order to apply the row R1 of labels 8 downwards onto the lid film 4, the traversing device 11 moves the label dispenser 10 with the transfer device 12 in or counter to the transport direction T into the position in which the row R1 of labels is applied from above to the lid film 4 shall be. The transfer device 12 is then located above an article web A. The traversing device 11 is driven by a schematically illustrated servo motor 15a and a toothed belt drive 15b. However, the transfer device 12 can already be positioned over the article web A of packaging 5 while the first row R1 of labels 8 is being picked up.

In 3 the phase is shown in which the lifting device 17, which has a plurality of slider assemblies 18 with spring-loaded pressure pins 19, has been moved down far enough for the labels 8 to be lifted off the transport belts 16 by the pressure pins 19 and pressed onto the cover film 4. The slide assemblies 18 are moved to the target position by means of a servo motor 20 and a belt drive 21 . This can be set by the operator so that an optimal and predefined pressing force is generated for pressing the labels 8 by the spring-loaded pressing pins 19.

In 4 is one of the in 3 slide assemblies 18 shown shown isolated. The slider assembly 18 is of modular construction. The slider assembly 18 includes in particular a base plate 22 and a plurality of pin cartridges 23 attached thereto. The respective pin cartridges 23 are attached to the base plate 22 by means of a plurality of coupling members 24.

In 4 Six pin cartridges 23 are attached side by side to the base plate 22, each configured to receive four presser pins 19. A pin cartridge 23 is fastened on the outside right in the plane of the image, which is only provided for receiving two pressure pins 19 .

4 also shows that the pin cartridges 23 fastened next to one another on the base plate 22 are held together by means of connector strips 25. Below the connector strips 25, a plurality of terminal strips 26 are attached to the respective pin cassettes 23 in order to attach the pressing pins 19 arranged thereon.

Furthermore shows 4 that the respective pressure pins 19 by means of a spring 27 in accordance with 4 shown extended position P1 are biased. When the labels 8 are pressed onto the cover film 4, the respective pressing pins 19 can be pushed into the pin cartridge 13 carrying them. The pressure pins 19 pushed into the pin cassette 23 are then arranged in a retracted position P2 (see FIG figure 8 ).

figure 5 shows the slide assembly 18 in an exploded view. This makes it clear that the slide assembly 18 as a whole has a multi-part, modular structure, in which it consists in particular of the base plate 22 and the pin cassettes 23 that can be attached thereto. This results in manufacturing advantages because the base plate 22 can be made of a different material than the respective pin cartridges. In particular, this also offers the advantage that no receptacles for the pressure pins 19 have to be produced in the base plate 22 itself, since these are accommodated in the respective pin cassettes 23 . The pin cassettes 23 can be made of an inexpensive material, for example a plastic. This also applies to the respective coupling links 24, which are figure 5 Connector strips 25 shown in isolation and the terminal strips 26.

6 shows a traysealer 28 in a schematic representation, on which the labeler 6 according to the invention can be used. At the traysealer 28, the labeller 6 is supplied with individual packages 5 for the labeling process.

7 shows a pressing pin 19 according to the invention in an isolated representation. The pressure pin 19 has a guide pin 29, at the upper end of which a pin 30 can be accommodated by means of the pin cassette 23 and at the lower end of which a pressure piece 31 is formed. The guide pin 29, the pin 30 and the pressure piece 31 are produced in one piece with one another in an injection molding tool. Above all, it is possible that the in figure 7 The pressure pin 19 shown is made from a polycaprolactam (PA6) or from nylon (PA66) by injection molding.

8 shows schematically what happens when the pressure pins 19 hit an uneven product or packaging surface. The pressure pins 19 bend due to the transverse forces K applied to their pressure pieces 31 . The bending makes it possible for the transverse forces K to be passed on to the terminal strips 26 only to a very small extent, if at all. As a result, damage and/or loosening or detachment of the clamping strips 26 can be avoided. As a result, the usage times of the slide assembly 18 and thus the usage times of the labeller 6 on the thermoforming packaging machine 1 or on the traysealer 18 can be increased, which leads to improved productivity of the packaging machine.

Claims (10)

Labeller (6), comprising at least one slide assembly (18) mounted so that it can be adjusted in height for pressing labels (8) onto an article web (A), the slide assembly (18) having a base plate (22), at least one pin cartridge connected to the base plate (22). (23) and a plurality of pressure pins (19) received by means of the pin cartridge (23), which are mounted on the pin cartridge (23) so that they can be displaced between an extended position (P1) and a retracted position (P2), characterized in that the Pressure pins (19) are each formed as a one-piece injection molded parts. Labeler according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pressure pins (19) have a guide pin (29) made at least in sections from a polyamide (PA), in particular from a polycaprolactam (PA6) or from nylon (PA66). Labeler according to Claim 2, characterized in that the pressure pins (19) have a pin (30) which can be received by means of the pin cassette at one end of the guide pin (29) and a pressure piece (31) at the other end of the shaft (29), the Guide pin (29), the pin (30) and the pressure piece (31) are made in one piece with each other. Labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective pressure pins (19) are made entirely of polycaprolactam (PA6) or nylon (PA66). Labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the guide pin (29) of the pressure pins (19) is designed to be glass fiber and/or carbon fiber reinforced. Labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the guide pin (29) of the pressure pins (19) has a thermoplastic polyurethane. Labeller according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pin cartridge (23) has at least one clamping strip (26) attached thereto in order to hold the pressure pins (19) on the pin cartridge (23). Labeler according to Claim 7, characterized in that the clamping strip (26) is designed to absorb transverse forces (K) caused during a labeling process by means of bent pressure pins (19) which have come into contact with it. Labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing pins (19) each have a weight of 0.3 g to 0.5 g, primarily 0.4 g. Use of a plurality of pressing pins (19), each having a guide pin (29) which is produced at least in sections from a polyamide (PA), in particular from a polycaprolactam (PA6) or from nylon (PA66), on a slide assembly (18) of a Labeler (6) for pressing labels (8) onto an article web (A).

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