FR2807394A1 - Applicator for adhesive label pads has support for spool carrying support strip with drive wheel to unreel spool - Google Patents

Abstract

The applicator has a support (4) for a spool (5) carrying a support strip (6) which is unreeled. A drive wheel (9) unreels the spool and is driven by a servo motor (11) to adjust its position. A position sensor (20) is used to control the feed. A second wheel (14) is driven by a second servo motor (16) to regulate the tensioning force in the strip. A guide reel (18) is also motor driven.

Description

The present invention relates to a tape unwinder / reel for supporting adhesive labels, or similar objects such as small foam plates, or other objects.

Labels and other similar objects, to be taken successively to be placed on articles or devices, can be initially grouped on a paper support strip, delivered in the form of a reel. The strip is unwound from the reel, by a device ensuring its advance step by step, and the labels or other similar objects are taken one by one, at a given point, by appropriate gripping means intervening during the downtime of the advance of the support strip.

In various industrial applications, the taking of labels or other objects must be made in a very precise position, which implies a precise positioning of the support strip, according to the positions of the labels or other objects carried by this band.

In the case where the carrier strip passes over a moving knife located at the point of picking labels or others, the problem of precise positioning is made even more difficult to solve by the recoil of the knife at the time of setting, for the " peeling "of the product, recoil which has the effect of temporarily relaxing the support strip.

The same requirement for precise positioning also exists in the case of a reverse operation of depositing labels or similar objects on a support strip, or in the case of particular operations such as marking labels or other objects.

The currently existing devices, which provide the unwinding / winding of a carrier strip receiving adhesive labels or similar objects, do not allow the taking, removal or marking of these labels or other objects with the desired accuracy. In particular, the current devices do not make it possible to take labels or other objects, on a non-rigid unrolled support strip, in a sufficiently precise manner to put them or mount them automatically, in an assembly line, on industrial products called to receive them.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks or shortcomings, by providing an improved unwinder / retractor, allowing the gripping, removal or marking of adhesive labels or other objects in a very precise position.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is essentially a rewinder / reel for a carrier strip for adhesive labels or similar objects, which comprises in combination - a support for a reel filled with a support strip to unroll, - a wheel driving mechanism for the unwinding of the belt, coupled to a first servomotor providing positioning control of said belt, - a position sensor, located in the zone for gripping, removing or marking the labels or objects, - another coupled wheel a second servomotor operating in torque regulation, to maintain the tension of the strip, these elements being successively encountered in the path of the support strip, and the device further comprising an electronic position or torque control assembly, in connection with both servomotors and with the position sensor.

Preferably, the uncoiler / reel object of the invention also comprises, downstream of the wheel coupled to the second servomotor, a support for a winding reel of the support strip, means being provided for the motorized rotation drive of the winding spool. Advantageously, this winding coil, which collects the "falls" of the support strip, is driven from the second servomotor, for example by means of a belt.

In a preferred embodiment of the device, the driving wheel and the tensioning wheel, respectively coupled to the two servomotors, are sprocket wheels, provided for a support strip having perforations adapted to such wheels, so as to perform a training with "hooking" of the band.

Thus, the invention is based on the principle of the combination of two servomotors, one of which is a "master" servomotor which ensures, according to the information transmitted by the position sensor, the position control of the support strip. , while the other servomotor, which "follows" the rotation of the first one, regulates the torque separately so as to keep the unwrapped tape in tension adapted to the process in progress. Thanks to this particular combination, the defects or variations inherent in the support strip and / or in the labels or other objects placed on this strip are compensated, and a remarkable stopping accuracy of the order of 0 is obtained. 05 mm from the ideal position.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the second servomotor is designed to exert either a regulation in holding torque, or a reduced torque regulation which intervenes in particular at the time of setting, removal or marking of the labels or other objects, to facilitate these operations, once the precise positioning obtained.

The unwinder / rewinder, object of the invention, is applicable inter alia to the taking of labels or other objects by means of an automatic gripping system, in which case it ensures a very precise positioning of the support strip carrying the objects. to be taken, so as to allow the taking of these objects by the automatic gripping system and their automatic assembly on the products called to receive them. In this case of application, the unwinder / reel further comprises, in the gripping zone, a moving knife back and forth on which the support strip passes by being deflected, to create a "peeling" effect; the position sensor, in particular of the optical or photoelectric type, being placed above said moving knife, on a fixed part of the frame to guarantee the durability of the accuracy.

The invention will in any case be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing showing, by way of example, an embodiment of this unwinder / reel for a label carrier tape. adhesives or the like.

The sole figure of the drawing is a perspective view of the unwinder / reel, designated as a whole by the reference 1, which in the illustrated example is associated with a gripper robot 2.

The unwinder / reel 1 has a frame 3, shaped for example in vertical plate, which carries a horizontal support shaft 4, with mechanical braking, for a spool 5 initially filled with a strip 6 to unwind. More particularly, it is a paper strip 6, serving to support adhesive labels or other objects 7 succeeding each other on this strip 6 in a regular pitch.

The support strip 6 has, near its two edges, regularly spaced perforations 8, for its driving by spiked wheels.

Starting from the reel 5, the unrolled support strip 6 passes firstly on a first driving wheel 9 with pins, mounted on an axis 10. The chassis 3 carries a first electric servomotor 11, coupled to the first drive wheel 9. As regards the servomotor 11, it is, in particular, a three-phase electric motor, without brushes, associated with a digital drive and an angular encoder, and a precision mechanical gearbox.

Beyond this drive wheel 9, the support strip 6 passes over a horizontal guide 12, providing lateral guidance of the strip. In front of the guide 12 is a moving knife back and forth 13, on the edge of which the support strip 6 is deflected downwards.

The support strip 6 then passes on a second driving wheel 14 with pins, mounted on an axis 15. The chassis 3 carries a second electric servomotor 16, coupled to the second driving wheel 14. This servomotor 16 is of the same type as the first one. .

Beyond this last driving wheel 14, the support strip 6 passes over a deflection roller 17, and it finally reaches a fall winding coil 18, mounted on a support shaft 19. The winding coil 18 is motorized, its drive being provided from the second servomotor 16, through a cross belt (not shown).

The device further comprises, above the moving knife 13, a position sensor 20, which is here a fiber optic sensor, located in the gripping area of the labels or the like 7 by the robot 2.

The two servomotors 11 and 16 and the position sensor 20 are connected to an electronic control unit for position and torque control (not shown). The first servomotor 11 provides regulation in position of the support strip 6 unwound, according to the position information transmitted by the sensor 20. The second servomotor 16 follows the rotation of the first servomotor <B> 11, </ B> by regulating the torque so as to maintain in constant tension the strip 6 unwound, both servomotors 11 and 16 working in a closed loop.

More particularly, in the application to grip objects 7 illustrated in the drawing, the operation is performed cyclically, with the sequence of phases detailed below - Phase N 1: The first servomotor 11 ensures the unfolding of the strip 6, over a predetermined length (for example 40 mm), while the second servomotor 16 provides regulation in holding torque.

- Phase N 2: The first servomotor 11 causes the stopping of the strip 6, on a short stroke (for example 0.1 mm), after position detection by the optical sensor 20, the second servomotor 16 continuing to provide a torque control.

- Phase N 3: The first servomotor 1 1 performs a spot search of the beam of the optical fiber of the sensor 20, for example to 0.05 mm, the second servomotor 16 continues to provide a torque control holding.

- Phase N 4: The object 7 to be taken is maintained by the robot 2, and the knife 13 is moved back to create a "peeling" effect, the second servomotor 16 still providing regulation in holding torque.

- Phase N 5: The robot 2 takes the taking and removal of the object 7 on the support strip 6, and at the same time the second servomotor 16 goes into "reduced" torque.

- Phase N 6: The knife 13 is advanced, while the second servomotor 16 provides a reduced torque control. Simultaneously, the first servomotor 11 resumes the advance of the band 6, which is thus performed in masked time, hence a time saving.

The same cycle is repeated, the objects 7 are successively taken from the support strip 6, and it is wound without the objects 7, as a fall, on the coil 18 driven from the second servomotor 16, at a speed adapted to create a slight tension on the strip 6, the linear speed of the coil 18 being in all cases greater than the peripheral linear speed of the wheel 14.

The optical sensor 20 can perform the position detection at the point of gripping of the objects 7 by the robot 2, or on the step that precedes this point of engagement, this to avoid any interference with the robot 2. The optical detection is feasible on a edge of each object 7, or on notches formed on an edge of the support strip 6, in correspondence with the positions of the objects 7.

The unwinder / reel, previously described, applies for example to the gripping and laying of small foam plates, intended to surround and protect electronic displays, such as those mounted on mobile phones, the device being in this case embedded in an automatic assembly line.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this unwinder / reel for tape-adhesive label or similar objects, which has been described above as an example; it embraces, on the contrary, all variants of implementation and application respecting the same principle. In particular, one would not depart from the scope of the invention - by changing the positions of the various components of the device, or even by installing the entire device horizontally (and not vertically); using all means equivalent to those described, for example by replacing the optical fiber sensor with a position sensor of another type, such as ultrasound or laser, or a camera placed at any point appropriate, or controlling the winding of the band by any drive mechanism; - by destining this unwinder / retractor labels or objects of any kind, shape and material, placed on a support strip of paper or other film material, any appropriate width; - by replacing the robot with any other suitable automatic gripping system; - by applying the device not to the taking of labels or other objects, but to the opposite operation of removal of labels or other objects, or to particular operations such as the marking which also require a very positioning specific.

Claims (1)

<U> CLAIMS </ U> 1 - Unwinder / rewinder for tape-support of adhesive labels or similar objects, intended for taking, removing or marking these labels or objects in a very precise position, characterized in that it comprises, in combination - a support (4) for a spool (5) filled with a support strip (6) to unwind, - a driving wheel (9) for the unwinding of the strip (6), coupled to a first servomotor (11) providing positioning control of said web (6), - a position sensor (20) located in the area of engagement, removal or marking of the labels or objects (7), - a another wheel (17) coupled to a second servomotor (16) operating in torque regulation, to maintain the tension of the strip (6), these elements being successively encountered in the path of the support strip (6), and the device further comprising an electronic position control assembly e torque, in connection with both servomotors (11, 16) and with position sensor (20). 2 - unwinder / winder according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises, downstream of the wheel (14) coupled to the second servomotor (16), a support (19) for a winding coil (18) of the support strip (6), means being provided for the motorized rotation drive of this winding spool (18). 3 - unwinder / winder according to claim 2, characterized in that the winding spool (18) is driven from the second servomotor (16), for example by means of a belt. 4 - Roller reelroller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the driving wheel (9) and the tensioning wheel (14), respectively coupled to the two servomotors (11, 16), are wheels to pins, provided for a support band (6) having perforations (8) adapted to such wheels. 5 - Unwinder / winder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second servomotor (16) is provided to exert either a torque control or a reduced torque control which occurs especially at the time of taking, removing or marking labels or other objects (7). 6 - Unwinder / winder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the case of application to the taking of labels or other objects (7) by means of an automatic gripping system (2 ), it further comprises, in the gripping zone, a reciprocating knife (13) on which the support strip (6) passes by being deflected, the position sensor (20), in particular of the optical type or photoelectric, being placed above said movable knife (13). 7 - unwinder / reel according to claim 6, characterized by its application to the intake of small foam plates (7) provided to surround and protect electronic displays.