JP2000043836A - Label sticking system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stick labels precisely to articles of different forms by providing a label sticker movably along the conveyance direction so as to stick labels to articles on a conveyor for conveying articles. SOLUTION: A local controller is put in a state in which an air cylinder 52 is contracted via a solenoid valve, and a label printer 30 and label sticker 3 are stopped at a first position P1, followed by setting the height of the label sticker 3 at a high level. When article M1 flows in the conveying direction Dx on a sticking conveyor 1, a detector 34 detects irregular article M1, and the label printer 30 and label sticker 3 serve are operated to stick labels onto the irregular articles M1 after the lapse of a predetermined time. In this case just before or during the sticking time, since articles are positionally regulated in the width direction Dy by means of a pair of side belts 20, labels can be stuck on the predetermined position, even if they are irregular articles M1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label attaching system for attaching a label to a product on a conveyor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a label sticking system in which a product guiding device is provided on a conveyor. An example of this is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, a sticking conveyor (conveying conveyor) 1 downstream of the weighing conveyor 4 is provided with a guide device 2 for guiding a product M1 from both sides in a conveying path on the sticking conveyor 1. It is. The guide device 2 includes, for example, a pair of side belts 20. The pair of side belts 20, 20 can move in the width direction Dy,
The width Y to be guided can be adjusted. The guide device 2 sandwiches a product M1 (hereinafter, referred to as an “irregular product”) M1 having an undefined size or shape as shown in FIGS. This is for transporting the irregular-shaped product M1 along a predetermined route in a stable state. While the irregular-shaped product M1 is being guided by the guide device 2 of FIG. 4B, the first label pasting machine 301 applies a label on the irregular-shaped product M1, thereby allowing the irregular-shaped product M1 to have a predetermined shape. The label can be securely attached to the position.

[0004]

However, since the height of the side belt 20 is higher than that of the tray T shown in FIG. 5C, the product M wrapped with the tray T shown in FIG.
If the first label applicator 301 tries to attach a label to the label (hereinafter, referred to as a "fixed product"), the height of the label attaching head of the first label applicator 301 is increased because the side belt 20 is in the way. . Therefore, the stroke of the first label pasting machine 301 becomes large, and the label pasting position becomes inaccurate.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, two label pasting machines 301 and 302 are provided. For the irregular-shaped product M1, a label is pasted by the first label pasting machine 301. On the other hand, for the fixed-form product M, If the label is attached by the second label attaching machine, the label attaching position becomes accurate. However, this causes a cost increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a label sticking system that can stick labels on products of various shapes with high accuracy and that does not increase the cost by a small amount.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a labeling system comprising a conveyor for conveying goods and a labeling machine for applying labels to the goods on the conveyor. The label pasting machine is provided movably along the transport direction.

In the present invention, the expression "the labeling machine is movably provided" means that the supporting portion itself such as a column for supporting the labeling machine is movable. Also,
In addition to the case where the labeling machine is moved by the driving device along the guide rail or the like, the case where the labeling machine can be slid by hand is included.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, general structural functions of the labeling machine will be described. In FIG. 1, downstream of the weighing conveyor 4, there is provided a pasting conveyor 1 for transporting the wrapped and weighed products M, and one label pasting machine 3 is provided above the pasting conveyor 1. . The label sticking machine 3 sticks a label issued from a label printer 30 (FIG. 2) to the products M and M1 on the sticking conveyor 1.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic structure of the label pasting machine 3. In FIG. 2A, in the label pasting machine 3, the label L printed by the print head 31 of the label printer 30 is held by the pasting head 32 by suction at a negative pressure.
The sticking head 32 reciprocates between an issuing position of the label L and a sticking level for sticking the label L on the film F of the commodity below by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The sticking head 32 is rotated left and right around a vertical axis by a predetermined angle by a turning mechanism (not shown) while descending as shown in FIG. On the product film. The case of the labeling machine 3 is moved together with the label printer 30 in the width direction Dy and the height direction Dz in FIG. 1 by an actuator (not shown), so that the label L is applied to the set application position. The detailed structure of the label pasting machine 3 is described in, for example, JP-A-63-272649.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 6-284, can be adopted.

The sticking conveyor 1 is provided with a detector 34 for detecting the tip of the product M. The detector 34 is for detecting a reference time of the timing at which the label L is applied.
The label L is attached after a predetermined period of time after the detection of.

Next, the main part of the present invention will be described.
In this system, the label pasting machine 3 is a label printer 30
At the same time, it is provided movably along the transport direction Dx. Hereinafter, this structure will be described.

The label sticking machine 3 shown in FIG. 1B is attached to a support 35 via a label printer 30 so as to be able to move up and down (up and down). The column 35 is provided so as to be movable in the transport direction Dx by the moving mechanism 5. Moving mechanism 5
Is provided with a guide rail 50 parallel to the attaching conveyor 1. The support 35 is attached to the guide rail 50 via a slider 51, and the guide rail 50 guides the label pasting machine 3 in the transport direction Dx. One end of an air cylinder (drive device) 52 is attached to the slider 51.

When the air cylinder 52 expands and contracts, the slider 51 moves in parallel along the guide rail 50, and the label pasting machine 3 moves to a first position P1 shown by a solid line and a second position P2 shown by an imaginary line. And stop at In addition, the first
Position P1 is a position where the irregular-shaped product M1 is guided by the guide device 2, while the second position P2 is
The position where the fixed product M is not guided by the guide device 2.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the present system. This system includes a microcomputer 6 for controlling information on products and basic operations of the devices. The microcomputer 6 includes a CPU 60 and a memory 61. The memory 61 includes a product information storage unit 62. The product information storage unit 62 stores a product name, a unit price, a pasting position, and a pasting position for each call number of each product as shown in FIG. In addition to the stop position (P1 o
r P2) is stored.

A display 64 and an operation unit 6 are connected to the microcomputer 6 shown in FIG.
5 and the local controller 66 are connected. The local controller 66 controls the label printer 30, the labeling machine 3, and the solenoid valve 5 in accordance with a command from the microcomputer 6.
3 is controlled. The solenoid valve 53 controls the contraction state and the extension state of the air cylinder 52 (FIG. 1) of the moving mechanism 5. When the air cylinder 52 (FIG. 1) expands and contracts via the solenoid valve 53 based on the stop position information stored for each product in the product information storage unit 62, the label printer 30 shown in FIG. And the label sticking machine 3 stops at the first position P1 and the second position P2.

The local controller 66 shown in FIG. 3A has a built-in timer 67, and after the detector 34 shown in FIG. To the time when the two stop positions P1,
Change according to P2.

Next, the operation of the present system will be described. First, when a product call number is input to the microcomputer 6 from the operation unit 65 of FIG. 3A, the stop information corresponding to the products M and M1 is read from the product information storage unit 62. For example, when the product M1 is an irregular-shaped product such as ham (FIG. 5B), “1” is read as the stop position,
This information is output to the local controller 66. The local controller 66 sets the air cylinder 52 of FIG.
And the label pasting machine 3 is stopped at the first position P1, and as shown by the solid line in FIG.
Set the height of the to a higher level.

Subsequently, when the commodity M1 flows on the attaching conveyor 1 in the transport direction Dx, the detector 34 detects the irregular-shaped commodity M1, and after a predetermined time T1 of the detection, the label printer 30 and the label The sticking machine 3 operates to stick a label on the irregular-shaped product M1. Here, immediately before and at the time of sticking, since the position of the product is regulated in the width direction Dy direction by the pair of side belts 20, it is possible to reliably stick the label at a predetermined position even with the irregular shaped product M1. it can.

On the other hand, when the product M is a product M placed on a tray T such as a sirloin steak, the CPU shown in FIG.
60 is a stop position from the product information storage unit 62 in FIG.
3B is read out, and this information is output to the local controller 66 in FIG. The local controller 66
As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1A, the air cylinder 52 is extended through the solenoid valve 53, and the label printer 30 and the label pasting machine 3 are stopped at the second position P2. As shown in FIG. 1B, it is lowered to a low level. Subsequently, when the commodity M flows on the attaching conveyor 1 in the transport direction Dx, the detector 34 sets the irregular-shaped commodity M
Is detected, and after a lapse of a predetermined time T2 of the detection, the label printer 30 and the label attaching machine 3 are operated to attach a label on the irregular-shaped product M1.

As described above, in the present system, the guide device 2 is used for the goods M that can be stably transported on the tray T.
At the second position P2 that is not guided by the above, a label is attached to the product M. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2A, the label pasting machine 3 can be brought close to the height of the product M, so that the stroke of the pasting head 32 is reduced, and the accuracy of the label pasting position is improved.

In the above embodiment, the stop positions P1 and P2 in FIG. 1 are automatically selected according to the type of the product. However, in the present invention, the stop positions P1 and P2 are selected by the operator.
P2 may be selected. Further, in the present embodiment, the label pasting machine 3 is moved by the air cylinder 52, but the label pasting machine 3 may be moved by a driving device such as a motor other than the air cylinder, or the driving device is not provided. Alternatively, the slider 51 and the labeling machine 3 may be manually moved along the guide rail 50.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The label pasting machine is movably provided along the conveying direction of the conveyor, so labels can be affixed to irregularly shaped products while being guided by the guide device, so that the position and posture of irregularly shaped products during transportation are stable. The label can be affixed in a state where the label is in contact, so that the label can be reliably affixed to a predetermined position. On the other hand, for a standard product, a label can be attached to the product at the second position not guided by the guide device, so that the height of the label applicator can be made close to the height of the product, so that the label can be attached. The position stabilizes. Further, since it is not necessary to provide two label pasting machines, the cost is low.

Further, if the stop position of the labeling machine is automatically selected and set according to the type of the product, the operator does not need to select the stop position for each product.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan layout diagram and a front layout diagram illustrating an embodiment of a label sticking system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view and a perspective view showing a label printer and a label pasting machine.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the present system and a table showing storage contents of a product information storage unit.

FIG. 4 is a layout diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a product.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Pasting conveyor 2: Guide device 3: Label pasting machine 5: Moving mechanism 50: Guide rail 52: Air cylinder

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A label pasting system comprising a conveyor for conveying goods and a label pasting machine for pasting a label to the goods on the conveyor, wherein the label pasting machine is movably provided in the conveying direction. A label attaching system. 2. The guide device according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide device that guides the product from both sides in a transport path on the transport conveyor; a first position where the product is guided by the guide device; A labeling system in which a stop position of the labeling machine is provided at a second position where goods are not guided. 3. The label sticking system according to claim 2, wherein a guide rail for guiding the sticking machine in the transport direction is provided, and the sticking machine is movably provided along the guide rail. 4. The label pasting system according to claim 3, further comprising a driving device for moving the pasting machine along a guide rail. 5. The label pasting system according to claim 4, further comprising a time setting function of changing a timing at which the label pasting machine applies a label according to the stop position of the pasting machine. 6. The label pasting system according to claim 4, wherein a stop position of the pasting machine is selected according to a type of a product.