JP2018002290A - Label folding mechanism and label inserting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding mechanism for folding labels at a desired position while conveying them, and a label inserting device comprising the folding mechanism.SOLUTION: A folding mechanism for folding a label between its first region and its second region includes: a conveyance unit for conveying labels individually along a conveyance plane; a first guide member restricting separation of the first region of the label from the conveyance plane; a second guide member for separating a side edge of a second region side of the label from the conveyance plane; a third guide member for folding the label in cooperation with the first guide member; and a fourth guide member preventing the label from rotating on the conveyance plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanism for folding a label and a label feeding device for feeding a label folded by the folding mechanism into a pack.

As an example of a label that is arranged inside or outside the container and displays information about its contents, there is a label used for an egg pack. Many of such labels are of the seal type and are attached from the outside of the lid of the egg pack, so that it is difficult to separate them at the time of disposal. In order to solve this problem, the present applicant has proposed a method of enclosing a folded label inside the lid of the egg pack (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and such a label is put on the egg pack. We are considering a device that automatically folds the label before it is sealed.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method for automatically folding a corrugated cardboard sheet that is considerably thicker than the above-described label is known (for example, see Patent Document 2). Among them, a ruled line processing is performed in advance between the intermediate region of the unfolded corrugated cardboard sheet and the lid flap and the bottom flap located on both sides thereof, and a bending mechanism for crease along the ruled line is disclosed. Yes. The folding mechanism is provided along the conveying surface, and a first guide member (conveying belt 28) that suppresses the intermediate region of the cardboard sheet from separating from the conveying surface, and a lid flap of the cardboard sheet from the conveying surface. And a second guide member (guide bar 32) for releasing the bottom flap.

With such a folding mechanism, the lid flap and bottom flap of the corrugated cardboard sheet are transported to both sides of the intermediate area by being pushed toward each other by the guide bars on both sides that gradually rise toward the downstream side while being transported. A fold along the direction is formed.

Compared with such folding of corrugated cardboard sheets, the label needs to consider the following. First, in the case of a label, the thickness is smaller than that of a corrugated cardboard sheet, and the label is easily bent due to elasticity. Further, in the above-described label, there is a demand not only for folding both sides but also for folding only one side, that is, for folding in half.

Japanese Patent No. 5621141 JP 59-164126 A

If an attempt is made to apply the cardboard sheet folding mechanism as described above to the label as it is, the label will be displaced within the transport plane by being pushed by the guide bar, and the label may be bent at other than the desired position. It can be considered that the crease is not formed just by doing.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a folding mechanism that can make a crease at a desired position while transporting the label, and a label loading device provided with the folding mechanism.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention takes the following measures. That is, the label folding mechanism according to claim 1 folds the label between the first region and the second region, and transports the labels one by one along the transport surface. A first guide member for preventing the first region of the label from separating from the transport surface, and a second guide member for separating the side edge on the second region side of the label from the transport surface; And a third guide member for folding the label in cooperation with the first guide member, and a fourth guide member for suppressing the label from rotating on the transport surface.

A folding mechanism according to a second aspect is the folding mechanism according to the first aspect, wherein the fourth guide member is disposed on the opposite side of the third guide member across the transport surface, and the label It is a straight line that guides the side edge on the first region side.

A bending mechanism according to a third aspect of the present invention is the bending mechanism according to the first or second aspect, wherein the third guide member is a leaf spring in which a force is applied in a direction approaching the first guide member. It is.

The bending mechanism according to a fourth aspect is the bending mechanism according to the first, second, or third aspect, wherein the second guide member and the third guide member are detachable from the transport unit.

The label feeding device according to claim 5 is disposed above the pack transport surface on which the egg pack is transported, and the label folding mechanism according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, and the folding A discharge port through which the label folded by the mechanism is put into the egg pack.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the folding mechanism which can make a crease | fold at a desired position, conveying a label, and the label insertion apparatus provided with this bending mechanism can be provided.

Schematic which shows typically the label injection apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic arrow view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. BB schematic sectional drawing in FIG. The CC sectional schematic sectional drawing in FIG. 2 also including a label. The figure which shows the label used with the label insertion apparatus concerning the embodiment. Schematic for demonstrating the action | operation after the label injection concerning the embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The label input device 1 according to the present embodiment is disposed above the pack transport surface 11 on which the egg pack P is transported, and is folded in half from above in the egg pack P passing under the label input device 1. Label L. That is, the label loading device 1 is provided above the transport device 10 having the pack transport surface 11, and the label L folding mechanism 9 and the label L folded by the folding mechanism 9 are placed in the egg pack P. And a discharge port 41 to be introduced into the. More specifically, the label loading device 1 is arranged on the downstream side of the first transport unit 2 for transporting the labels L one by one, and the label L facing the front side is face down. The turning part 3 to be reversed, the folding mechanism 9 for folding the label L turned back in the turning part 3 along the conveying direction, and the label L folded in two by the folding mechanism 9 one by one. And a second transport unit 4 provided with a discharge port 41 to be put into the pack P.

The first transport unit 2 transports a preprinted surface L1 of the label L with the surface L1 facing upward, and includes a driving roller 22 and a driven roller 23 disposed above and below the transport path 21 of the label L. Although the main body is configured, the arrangement method of the rollers 22 and 23 forming the pair is not limited to the illustrated one. On the upstream side of the first transport unit 2, there is provided an extraction mechanism 6 for feeding the labels L one by one from the holder 5 in which a plurality of labels L are set, and an area above the first transport unit 2. 7, a printing mechanism 8 for printing on the surface L1 of the label L is arranged.

The turning unit 3 feeds the label L, which has been conveyed one by one from the first conveying unit 2, to the second conveying unit 4 while curving it, a driving roller 31 disposed inside the curve, and this drive A guide member 33 that forms a curved conveyance path 32 between the roller 31 and the roller 31 is mainly configured.

The second transport unit 4 is provided below the first transport unit 2 and transports the label L with the surface L1 facing downward, and is disposed above and below the transport path 42 for the label L. Although the roller 43 and the driven roller 44 are mainly configured, the arrangement method of the rollers 43 and 44 forming the pair is not limited to the illustrated one. In the present embodiment, since the labels L are not connected to each other, a holding plate 45 is provided for suppressing a portion of the label L that is not supported by the driving roller 43 and the driven roller 44 from hanging down on the conveyance path 42. ing. The holding plate 45 is disposed along the conveyance path 42 so as not to interfere with the driving roller 43 and the driven roller 44. Further, on the downstream side of the second transport unit 4, a discharge port 41 through which the label L is introduced into the lid P <b> 1 of the egg pack P is provided.

In the label feeding apparatus 1 described above, first, the label L held by the holder 5 is taken out onto the first transport unit 2 by the extraction mechanism 6, and the driving roller 22 and the driven roller of the first transport unit 2 are removed. 23 is conveyed downstream. In the middle of the first transport unit 2, the expiration date is printed by the printing mechanism 8 in the expiration date column on the surface L <b> 1 of the label L. Thereafter, the labels L that have entered one by one on the upper side of the turning unit 3 move to the lower side while being curved along the guide member 33, and are conveyed to the second conveying unit 4. Then, while being conveyed downstream by the driving roller 43 and the driven roller 44 of the second conveying unit 4, on the way, the folding mechanism 9 causes the region on the side wall of the label L not sandwiched between the rollers 43, 44. L4 is raised from the top wall side region L3. The label L with the crease L6 once is conveyed downstream while the bent state is maintained. Then, at the discharge port 41, the label L is released from the state where the top wall side region L3 is sandwiched between the rollers 43 and 44 that make a pair, and the label L is sent out into the egg pack P.

Next, the label L and the label L bending mechanism 9 used in the label loading apparatus 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the label L has a rectangular shape in plan view made of, for example, cardboard, and is a first region (hereinafter referred to as “the first wall”) located on the top wall P11 side of the lid P1 when accommodated in the container. , Referred to as “top wall side region L3”) and a second region (hereinafter referred to as “side wall side region L4”) located on the side wall P12 side of the lid P1. The label L is printed with various information about the egg E on the surface L1 side. Examples of the information on the egg E include the egg weight, the name of the person in charge of weighing, the packaging place and the expiration date column, the storage method, the usage method, etc., but these may be simplified or omitted in the figure. ing.

The label L is flat when placed, but after being passed through the folding mechanism 9, it is folded into two with the back surface L2 side facing inward. In the present embodiment, the folding mechanism 9 creates a crease L6 at one boundary portion L5 between the top wall side region L3 and the side wall side region L4 of the label L. When passing through the bending mechanism 9, the side wall side region L4 is bent so as to be substantially perpendicular to the top wall side region L3.

The label feeding device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a folding mechanism 9 for attaching a straight crease L6 along the label L conveying direction to the second conveying unit 4 on the downstream side of the turning unit 3. The folding mechanism 9 has a fold L6 between the top wall side region L3 and the side wall side region L4 of the label L, and transports the label L one by one along the transport surface. 4, a first guide member 91 that suppresses separation of the top wall side region L3 of the label L from the holding plate 45, and a second guide member 92 for separating the side wall side region L4 of the label L from the transport surface. A third guide member 93 for forming a crease L6 in the label L in cooperation with the first guide member 91, and a fourth guide for suppressing the label L from rotating on the transport surface. The member 94 is mainly configured. The transport surface of the label L in the present embodiment is virtually formed by arranging a plurality of rollers 43 and 44 that form a pair of the second transport unit 2, and in the present embodiment, along the transport surface. Since the holding plate 45 is disposed, it can be said that a conveying surface is formed on the upper surface side of the holding plate 45.

The first guide member 91 is provided along the transport surface to form the transport path 42 for the label L. Specifically, the first guide member 91 is located above the holding plate 45 of the second transport unit 4. It is a plate-like member provided in parallel with the holding plate 45. The first guide member 91 guides the label L downstream while restricting the movement of the label L in the thickness direction. The first guide member 91 includes an opening 95 for avoiding interference with the driving roller 43 of the second transport unit 4, and an upstream side of the opening 95 is used to suppress the label L from being caught. A guide 96 is provided. The side edge 97 of the first guide member 91 extends in a straight line along the conveyance direction of the label L in the second conveyance unit 4.

The second guide member 92 has a plate shape having a guide surface that gradually moves away from the transport surface toward the downstream side, and the side wall side region L4 of the label L is guided to the guide surface. A side edge L41 of the side wall side region L4 is raised. The second guide member 92 is provided at a position away from the side edge 97 of the first guide member 91 by a certain distance, and is attached perpendicularly to the transport surface. The second guide member 92 is detachably provided on the holding plate 45 of the second transport unit 4.

The third guide member 93 is provided on the downstream side of the second guide member 92, and is used for attaching a crease L <b> 6 to the label L in cooperation with the first guide member 91. The third guide member 93 is disposed so that a gap formed between the third guide member 93 and the side edge 97 of the first guide member 91 gradually decreases toward the downstream side. The third guide member 93 is a plate-like member that can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction of the guide member 93, and the distal end portion 98 of the third guide member 93 located on the downstream side is the first guide member 93. The base end portion 99 of the third guide member 93 located on the upstream side is detachably provided on the holding plate 45 of the second transport unit 4 while abutting the side edge portion 97 of 91. Since the third guide member 93 is curved in the thickness direction and the tip end 98 side is in contact with the first guide member 91, the third guide member 93 is in other words in the direction of the first guide member 91. In this case, it is biased in the conveyance width direction.

The fourth guide member 94 is arranged on the opposite side of the third guide member 93 across the transport surface, and is a linear member that guides the side edge L31 of the label L on the top wall side region L3 side. is there. The fourth guide member 94 is provided on the same plane as the transport surface, and is arranged in a state of being sandwiched between the holding plate 45 and the first guide member 91. Further, the fourth guide member 94 has a plate shape that restricts the movement of the label L in the conveyance width direction, and the side edge portion 90 is along the conveyance direction of the label L in the second conveyance unit 4. It extends in a straight line.

The label L that has passed through the folding mechanism 9 of the label loading device 1 described above is folded into two as follows.

First, the boundary portion L5 of the label L is transported along the first guide member 91 in a state where the top wall side region L3 and the side wall side region L4 of the label L that is not bent are aligned in the transport width direction. The At that time, the top wall side region L3 is restricted by the fourth guide while the vertical movement is restricted by the rollers 43 and 44 and the holding plate 45 and the first guide member 91 forming a pair of the second transport unit 4. The member 94 is transported downstream while the lateral movement of the side edge L31 is restricted. On the other hand, since the movement of the side wall side region L4 is not limited by them, the side edge L41 is guided upward by the second guide member 92.

The side wall side region L4 of the label L whose side edge L41 side is lifted by the second guide member 92 is then pressed in the vicinity of the boundary portion L5 by the third guide member 93 in that state. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the side wall side region L4 in the vicinity of the boundary portion L5 of the label L has a repulsive force to return to the original state with the side edge portion 97 of the first guide member 91. While being sandwiched between the distal end portion 98 of the third guide member 93, creases are applied one after another. At that time, the fourth guide member 94 resists the force that the third guide member 93 pushes the label L toward the side edge L31 of the top wall side region L3, and the fourth guide member 94 moves the top wall of the label L. Since the side edge L31 side of the side region L3 is guided, the label L can form a straight crease L6 along the transport direction without shifting in the transport width direction or rotating on the transport surface.

In addition, after a force is applied in the vicinity of the boundary portion L5 of the label L, the label is put into the lid P1 of the egg pack P without performing special guidance for the side wall region L4. Thus, the label L put into the lid P1 of the egg pack P comes into contact with the two surfaces so that the fold line L6 is located between the top wall P11 and the side wall P12 of the lid P1. . That is, this embodiment does not need an extra guide member for folding until the side wall side region L4 overlaps the top wall side region L3 at the time of folding, and is folded until the two regions L3 and L4 overlap. In this case, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the situation that “the lid is closed while the label L is folded and the side wall side region L4 is not disposed at a desired position” that may occur in some cases.

The egg pack P is a transparent product made of synthetic resin, and is integrally formed with a relatively rigid thickness. The egg pack P includes a container main body P2 in which a plurality of eggs E are accommodated, and an unfolded state (O) and a closed state (C) with a connecting portion P3 provided on one side edge of the container main body P2 as an axis. And a lid P1 that can be opened and closed. The lid P1 includes a flat ceiling wall P11 and four side walls P12 formed continuously around the periphery of the ceiling wall P11, and a portion surrounded by the ceiling wall P11 and the four side walls P12. A space having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed.

The egg pack P mentioned above is conveyed by the conveying apparatus 10 provided with the pack conveyance surface 11 in the state which the cover body P1 opened. The transport device 10 is a conveyor that transports the egg pack P in the same direction as the transport direction of the second transport unit 4 of the label loading device 1, and transports the egg pack P in its longitudinal direction. This conveying apparatus 10 conveys the egg pack P continuously, and a sensor (not shown) for detecting the arrival of the egg pack P is provided on the upstream side. The signal detected by this sensor is output to the discharge means of the label loading device 1.

The label L put into the lid P1 in the unfolded state (O) of the egg pack P by the label feeding device 1 of the present embodiment was folded in two at the folding position as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. While maintaining the state, the top wall side region L3 is held in contact with the top wall P11, and the side wall side region L4 is held in contact with the side wall P12 on the connecting portion P3 side. From this state, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, when the lid P1 is rotated around the connecting portion P3 to be in the closed state (C), the label L is formed between the container body P2, the egg E and the lid P1. Located in the gap formed between them. Specifically, the side wall side region L4 of the label L is disposed on the side wall P12 side on the connection side of the egg pack P, and the top wall side region L3 of the label L is disposed on the top wall P11 side of the egg pack P. .

Thus, according to the bending mechanism 9 of the label L of the present embodiment, the second conveyance unit 4 that conveys the label L one by one along the conveyance surface and the top wall side region L3 of the label L are separated from the conveyance surface. The first guide member 91 that suppresses separation, the second guide member 92 for separating the side edge L41 on the side wall side region L4 side of the label L from the transport surface, and the first guide member 91 cooperate with each other. Since there is provided a third guide member 93 for acting on the label L to make a crease L6 and a fourth guide member 94 for suppressing the rotation of the label L on the conveying surface, the label L While being conveyed, a crease L6 along the conveying direction can be provided.

In the present embodiment, the labels L that are conveyed one by one need to start with a folding trigger. In the present embodiment, the first guide member 91 and the second guide are required. The member 92 cooperates with this role. In that state, by sandwiching the label L in the gap formed between the first guide member 91 and the third guide member 93, the thickness is smaller than the corrugated cardboard sheet, and the situation is that it is elastic and easily bent. The crease L6 can be surely attached to the label L having the.

In particular, according to the label L bending mechanism 9 of the present embodiment, the fourth guide member 94 suppresses the displacement of the label L along the conveyance surface. Therefore, a straight crease L6 can be provided along a desired position of the label L, that is, the boundary portion L5, and the label L can be neatly accommodated in the egg pack P.

The fourth guide member 94 is arranged on the opposite side of the third guide member 93 across the transport surface, and has a linear shape that guides the side edge L31 of the label L on the top wall side region L3 side. Therefore, it is possible to create a so-called bi-fold label L in which only one side of the label L is folded while the side opposite to the crease L6 is supported.

Since the third guide member 93 is a leaf spring having a force applied in a direction approaching the first guide member 91, the third guide member 93 is elastic according to the thickness dimension of the label L. By deforming, the size of the gap between the first guide member 91 and the third guide member 93 is changed, so that labels L of various thicknesses can be handled. Further, the crease L6 is firmly attached by pressing the label L with the leaf spring.

In the present embodiment, the second guide member 92 and the third guide member 93 are detachable from the second transport unit 4, so that when the label L is clogged, the second guide member 92. In addition, the third guide member 93 can be removed from the transport section to perform the work.

The label loading device 1 of the present embodiment is disposed above the pack transport surface 11 on which the egg pack P is transported, and is folded by the label L folding mechanism 9 and the folding mechanism 9 described above. The label L is bent immediately before the label L is put into the egg pack P, so that the label L can be stored in a flat state and management is possible. It becomes easy.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

The folding mechanism is not limited to the one that bends the label placed in the lid of the egg pack. The label may be stored in a container other than an egg pack, or in the case of an egg pack, the label may be placed on the container body side instead of the lid.

The structure of the conveyance unit provided with the bending mechanism of the present invention is not limited to the above-described one. The part from the holder to the discharge port may be formed in a straight line, or may be bent through the turning part as in the above-described embodiment. Moreover, it is also free as to which position of the conveying unit the bending mechanism is arranged. Furthermore, although the 1st guide member of embodiment mentioned above guided the upper surface side of a label, it may guide a lower surface side of a label, for example.

The shape and size of the first to fourth guide members can be variously changed. As an example, the first guide member is not limited to the illustrated plate shape as long as it supports at least the boundary portion side and the side edge side of the first region of the label along the transport direction. Various changes such as a rod-shaped one can be made. However, if it is plate-shaped like this embodiment, there exists an advantage that it is easy to respond | correspond to the label which makes various magnitude | sizes and shapes. In addition, the first guide member has a shape on the side edge portion side, particularly when the label is sandwiched in cooperation with the third guide member so that the force tends to concentrate on the boundary portion of the label. It becomes possible to crease the label more reliably. Specifically, it is conceivable that the side edge of the first guide member is sharp.

Further, the second guide member is not limited to the illustrated plate-like shape as long as it forms a guide surface for raising the side edge side of the second region of the label. Various things can be changed. However, if it is plate-shaped like this embodiment, there exists an advantage that it is easy to respond | correspond to the label which makes various magnitude | sizes and shapes. The third guide member may be a simple upright plate to which no force is applied in the direction approaching the first guide member, or may be a roller-like plate. If it is a spring-like thing, there exists an advantage that the position adjustment of the said 3rd guide member is unnecessary with respect to the label of various thickness. The fourth guide member is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment.

Furthermore, as long as each part fulfill | performs each function mentioned above, these 1st-4th guide members may mutually be connected, or each guide member may be formed integrally.

Moreover, although the 2nd guide member and the 3rd guide member may be fixed with respect to the conveyance part, the thing which can be attached or detached like the embodiment mentioned above is preferable.

In the above-described embodiment, the label put into the container is bent at one place. However, the label put into the container may be bent at two or more places in advance. . In addition, if the label is made of a relatively thick material, the label bent between the closed lid and the egg or supporting projection is flat. It can be pressed against the inside of the lid by the restoring force of the label itself to return to the state, and the information on the label in the container can be easily read from the outside.

The label may have any shape other than a quadrangular shape. However, in order to feed the label in a desired direction, it is preferable that the side edge on the first region side of the label is linear. Further, the size of the label and the arrangement in the egg pack are not limited to those described above. For example, it is conceivable to display a label that is folded over a part of the side wall on the connecting portion side and the top wall using a label smaller than that shown in the figure. As an example, if the fourth guide member is movable in the left-right direction (the direction orthogonal to the label transport direction), the position of the side edge of the fourth guide member is set to the third guide member side. By moving to, it is possible to deal with a label having a small width as described above.

Any material may be used for the label, and the label may not have rigidity or restoring force. The label may be other than paper, for example, a seal with release paper. If such a sticker-type label contains information (characters, etc.) or information (application tickets, fortune tickets, sweepstakes, recipes using eggs, etc.) that improve consumers' willingness to purchase, the container containing the eggs is opened. After that, it can be easily separated from the container and used as a kind of giveaway.

The egg pack is not limited to the illustrated one, and the size, the shape of the container body and the lid, etc. may be anything.

The pack transport surface of the transport device may be anything as long as it can transport the egg pack with the lid open. The transport direction of the pack transport surface is not limited to those formed in parallel with the transport surfaces of the first and second transport units, and may be perpendicular to them. In addition, the transport device is not limited to the one that continuously transports the container, and when the arrival of the container is detected by a sensor provided on the upstream side, the container is transported intermittently, such as transporting the container to the downstream side by a certain distance. The container may be transported.

The embodiment disclosed this time is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the scope described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a label loading apparatus that loads a label into an egg pack.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Label insertion apparatus 4 ... Conveying part 41 ... Release port 9 ... Bending mechanism 91 ... 1st guide member 92 ... 2nd guide member 93 ... 3rd guide member 94 ... 4th guide member 11 ... Pack conveyance surface L ... Label L41 ... Side edge L6 ... Crease

Claims (5)

A folding mechanism that creases between a first region and a second region of the label,
A transport unit that transports labels one by one along the transport surface;
A first guide member for preventing the first region of the label from separating from the transport surface;
A second guide member for separating the side edge of the second region side of the label from the transport surface;
A third guide member for folding the label in cooperation with the first guide member;
A label bending mechanism, comprising: a fourth guide member that suppresses rotation of the label on the conveyance surface. 2. The fourth guide member is disposed on the opposite side of the third guide member across the transport surface, and has a linear shape for guiding a side edge of the label on the first region side. The folding mechanism of the described label. The label bending mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third guide member has a leaf spring shape to which a force is applied in a direction approaching the first guide member. The label bending mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second guide member and the third guide member are detachable from the transport unit. It is arranged above the pack transport surface where the egg pack is transported,
A label folding mechanism according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4,
A label loading device comprising a discharge port for loading a label folded by the folding mechanism into an egg pack.

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