FR2843096A1 - Label applicator has reverse brush to separate labels from carrier strip for passage to applicator rotor - Google Patents

Abstract

The label applicator (1) has a feed (6) for a label carrier strip (4) and guides (8) to feed the strip along a set path past a reverse brush (26) to separate the labels. The applicator has a support (48) downstream of the brush to engage the downstream edge of the label and separate it from the strip. A rotor (50) displaces the labels from the support (48) to an article to be labelled.

Description

The present invention relates to an object labeling machine, of the type

  comprising: - means for driving a strip carrying adhesive labels, - means for guiding the strip along a path having a

  reversal of separation of the labels of the band.

  The invention applies in particular to the labeling of fruits or vegetables.

  A machine of the aforementioned type is described in FR-2 619 079.

  The guide means include an arm pivotally mounted on the

  machine body. The band passes around the arm to form the label separation cusp.

  The arm is also used to detect the presence of a fruit or vegetable to be labeled and triggers, by its pivoting, the functioning of the

tape drive means.

  Frequently, the surface of the fruits or vegetables to be labeled is wet. Also, the adhesion to such an object of the downstream end of a label, separated from the strip at the cusp, may be insufficient. The upstream end of the label therefore remains stuck on the strip and the label does not come off completely. The label then follows the strip along the part of the

  path under the arm and the fruit or vegetable is not labeled.

  An object of the invention is to solve this problem by providing a labeling machine of the aforementioned type which makes it possible to reduce the number of unlabeled fruits.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a machine of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the labeling machine further comprises a label support disposed downstream of the cusp so that the downstream end of a label separates of the strip rests on the support against the effect of the adhesion of the label on the strip, and means for moving

  the separate label from the media to an object.

  According to particular embodiments, the machine may include one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technically possible combination: - the displacement means comprise at least one movable member for pushing the label separated from the support towards the object; - The movable member is a rotary arm; - The displacement means comprise several thrust arms and a rotary hub carrying the arms; - a separate label opening is provided in the support; the means for guiding the strip comprise, at the right of the cusp, a point situated inside the path of the strip and converging towards the strip; and

  - the tip is a non-stick tip.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description which will follow, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the drawings

  attached, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a labeling machine according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the opposite side of the machine of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a schematic partial view taken along the direction 11I1 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the label support of the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 4 is a partial schematic view, enlarged and in section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 and illustrating the start of the separation of a label from the strip, and - FIGS. 5 to 7 are views similar to FIG. 4 illustrating subsequent steps of the separation of the label and of its affixing on an object. FIG. 1 illustrates a labeling machine 1 which comprises: - a body 2 in the form of a fitting, and, carried by the body 2, - a coil 3 on which a strip 4 is wound, - means 6 of driving the strip 4, and - means 8 for guiding the strip 4 along a path

predetermined.

  The strip 4 carries adhesive labels 10 regularly distributed along the strip 4. These labels 10 are only visible in FIGS. 4 to 7.

  The guide means 8 are fixed to the body 2 and include: - a finger 12, - a blade 14, - an idler roller 16, and - a large lateral wing 18 and a small lateral wing 20 located

on either side of the blade 14.

  The blade 14 extends downwards and to the left in FIG. 1. The lateral wing 20 is provided at the downstream edge 22 of the blade 14. The large lateral wing 18 extends downwards beyond the edge downstream 22 of blade 14 and upwards beyond

from its upstream edge.

  As seen more particularly in Figure 4, the blade 14 has at its downstream edge 22 a tip 24 which has a substantially triangular cross section. Thus, the tip 24 converges downwards and to the left in FIG. 1. Preferably, the tip 24 is provided with a non-stick coating such as "TEFLON" (registered trademark) or a material based on silicone. As a variant, the tip 24 may consist of an attached piece

on blade 14.

  The guide means 8 guide the strip 4 at the exit of the reel 3 15 along a path which passes under the finger 12, around the blade 14 passing between

  the lateral wings 18 and 20, then on the idler roller 16.

  This path therefore has a turning back 26 to the right of the downstream edge 22 of the blade 14. It will be noted that the point 24 is located inside the path of the strip 4 and converges towards the strip 4 at the right of the turning back 26.

  It will also be noted that the lateral wings 18 and 20 border

laterally the strip 4.

  The drive means 6 successively comprise from the guide means 8: - a drum 28 of which pins 30 engage in perforations provided in the strip 4, for example between two successive labels 10, - two idle rollers 32 and 34 , and - two rollers 36 and 38 between which the strip 4 passes to be

evacuated from the machine 1.

  The roller 38 is provided with a rubber ring 40.

  The rollers 36 and 38 are integral with pinions which mesh one

  with the other. Only the pinion 42 integral with the roller 36 is shown. The pinion 42 further meshes with a pinion 44 integral with the drum 28.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the machine 1 carries on the side of the body 2 opposite to that carrying the drum 28 an electric stepping motor 46 for

  rotate the drum 28 and the rollers 36 and 38 and thus drive the strip 4.

  The machine 1 further comprises, downstream of the turning back 26 of the path of the strip 4, a support 48 and means 50 for moving the labels 10 from the support 48 towards the objects to be labeled.

  The support 48 is illustrated more particularly by FIGS. 3 and 4. It comprises a substantially rectangular plate of dimensions slightly

  greater than that of a label 10.

  This plate 48 is substantially parallel to the blade 14, and disposed near its downstream edge 22. A slight space is provided between the blade 14 and the

  support 48 to allow the return of the strip 4 under the blade 14 at the cusp 26.

  The plate 48 is for example coated on its upper face with a non-stick material such as "TEFLON" (registered trademark) or a material to

silicone base.

  A slot 52 is formed in the plate 48 from its downstream edge, that is to say from its lower edge, on the left in FIG. 4. This slot 52 is substantially rectangular. It is surrounded by two lateral edges 54 and an upstream edge 56. The slot 52 is of dimensions slightly smaller than those

a label 10.

  The displacement means 50 comprise a wheel itself comprising a hub 58 and a series of arms 60 regularly distributed angularly around the axis A of the hub 58. The wheel 50 is mounted by

  through its hub 58 rotating on the body 2.

  The arms 60 are made of a flexible material. Their free ends 62 are of dimensions slightly smaller than that of the slot 52 of the support 48 in order to be able to pass through the slot 52, as seen on the

  Figure 3. The surfaces of the ends 62 of the arms are preferably rough.

  An electric stepping motor 64 is provided on the body 2 on the same side as the motor 46, as can be seen in FIG. 2. The motor 64 makes it possible to rotate the wheel 50 around its axis A.

  The machine 1 also includes, on the same side as the electric motors 46 and 64, an electronic unit 66 for controlling the latter.

  Conventionally, this control unit 66 can comprise a microprocessor 30 and means for storing a program for controlling the motors 46 and 64. The machine of FIGS. 1 to 4 can be fixed on a frame of a labeling station which further comprises means for scrolling with a constant pitch the objects to be labeled, such as fruit, under the machine 1. Such scrolling means can be constituted by a conveyor. To ensure

  a regular step between the fruits, these can be placed in boxes.

  To label a fruit, the motor 46 causes the drum 28 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 1, as shown by the arrow 68.

  The means 6 thus drive the strip 4 which moves along the path

  predetermined and gradually unwinds from the reel 3.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the downstream or front end 70 of a label 10 reaches the cusp 26, this downstream edge 70 separates from the strip 4. This separation is facilitated by the point 24 and its convergent shape which ensures obtaining a tight cusp 26. In addition, the use of a non-stick tip 24 limits the risks of rupture of the strip 4 despite the

  presence of this tight cusp 26.

  The strip 4 continuing to move along its predetermined path, the downstream edge 70 of the label 10 comes to bear on the upstream or rear edge 56 of the support 48. The label 10 then rests and slides on the

  support 48 against the effect of the adhesion of the label 10 on the strip 4.

  The support 48 then participates with the cusp 26, in the separation of the label 10 from the strip 4, so that the upstream end or

  back 72 of label 10 separates from band 4.

  During this separation of the label 10 illustrated in FIG. 5, the electronic control unit 66 caused the rotation of the wheel 50 in a synchronized manner with that of the drum 28. This rotation takes place in the

  clockwise in Figure 1, as shown by arrow 71.

  Thus, the free end 62 of an arm 60 progressively approaches from the top of the plate 48. When the label 10 is completely detached from the strip 4, it bears on the lateral edges 54 and on the upstream edge 56 of the plate 48 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The arm 60 considered then enters into

  contact with the label 10 and push it through the slot 52.

  The arm 60 therefore drives, in its rotational movement which continues, the label 10 from the support 48. This movement continues until the free end 62 of the arm 60 comes to affix the label 10 to one of the fruits 74 which scroll in FIG. 7 to the left as illustrated by the arrow 76. During this apposition, the arm 60 and in particular its end 62 is elastically deformed to ensure application and therefore satisfactory adhesion of the label 10 on the fruit 74. It will be noted that the roughness of the end 62 of the arm 60 allows the label 10 to accompany the arm 60 during

of its rotation.

  Meanwhile another label 10 has been separated from the strip 4

  and placed on the support 48 to label the fruit according to the fruit 74 already labeled.

  The various stages described above are reproduced in the form of a cycle in order to ensure labeling of the fruits 74 in movement. In particular,

  the electronic unit 66 ensures synchronized rotations of the drum 28 and the wheel 50.

  The machine 1 described above, which uses separate means to ensure on the one hand the separation of the labels 10 from the strip 4 and on the other hand their affixing on the objects 74, makes it possible to ensure satisfactory labeling of the

objects 74.

  Indeed, the risks that a label 10 remains stuck by its end

  upstream 72 to band 4 are reduced.

  It will also be noted that the use of a point 24 at the right of the cusp 26 makes it possible to reduce the risks that the downstream end 70 of a label 10 does not separate from the strip 4. This characteristic proves to be particularly advantageous when the labels 10 are narrow. Note that this last characteristic can be used independently of that

  concerning the presence of the support 48 and the wheel 50.

  It will also be noted that the guide means 8 being fixed relative to the body 2, the length of the path of the strip 4 does not vary during labeling. Thus, the variations in the tension of the strip 4 are limited, which makes it possible to increase the labeling rate. The use of a non-stick tip 24 allows the machine 1 to operate without breaking the strip 4 itself.

at these high rates.

  It will also be noted that the separation of the functions of guiding and affixing the labels makes it possible to adapt more easily to the differences in dimensions between the objects, in the example described thanks to flexible arms 60, without this having any consequence on the tension of the strip 4. Thus, the constraints of guiding and driving the strip 4 resulting from these

  dimensional differences are limited.

  In a variant not shown, the arms 60 may not be

  flexible only at their free ends 62.

  In yet another variant not shown, the motors 46 and 64 30 can be replaced by rotary pneumatic cylinders, the machine 1 being

then supplied with compressed air.

  The machine 1 can also include means for detecting the presence of an object to be labeled, these detection means being connected to the control unit 66 so that it triggers, on the basis of a signal received from the means

  detection, ['labeling of the object by the actuation of motors 46 and 64.

  Machine 1 can be used in fixed form in a station

  labeling as described above or in portable form.

  The support plate 48 may have other shapes than that described above, for example a V shape. In other embodiments not shown, the displacement means 50 may have a structure different from that described above. They can in particular comprise a movable rotary arm

  alternately between the objects 74 to be labeled and the support 48.

  They can also include an electric actuator or pneumatic cylinder whose rod moves back and forth to push the

  labels 10 from the support 48 to the objects 74 to be labeled.

Claims (7)

  1. Machine (1) for labeling objects (74), of the type comprising: - means (6) for driving a strip (4) carrying adhesive labels (10), - means (8) for guiding the strip (4) along a path having a reversal (26) for separating the labels (10) from the strip (4), characterized in that the labeling machine further comprises a support (48) for labels disposed downstream of the cuff (26) so that the downstream end (70) of a label separating from the strip (4) rests on the support against the effect of the adhesion of the label (10) on the strip (4), and means (50) for moving the separate label (10) from the support (48) towards an object (74).   2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement means (50) comprise at least one movable member (60) of   pushing of the separate label (10) from the support (48) towards the object (74).   3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the member mobile is a rotary arm (60).   4. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the displacement means (50) comprise several thrust arms (60) and a   rotary hub (50) carrying the arms.   5. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that an opening (52) for the passage of the separate label (10) is provided in the support (48).   6. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the means (8) for guiding the strip comprise, at the right of the cusp (26), a point (24) situated inside the path of the strip (4) and converging on the strip (4).   7. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the tip (24) is a non-stick tip.