JP2022164907A - Label introducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a label introducing device which enables firm label introduction to a label arranging area on an egg pack.

SOLUTION: A label introducing device introduces labels one by one to a label arranging area formed between eggs lain in two rows in an egg pack. The label introducing device consists of a holding mechanism for holding a label just before introduction as standing upward along the label arranging area by catching the base end of the label and a releasing mechanism for releasing the label, held by the holding mechanism, along the label arranging area to the transfer direction of the egg pack.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a label inserting device for inserting labels into egg cartons.

As an example of a label inserting device for inserting a label into an egg carton, the one shown in Patent Literature 1 is known. This label input device drops labels one by one toward a label arrangement area formed between eggs arranged in two rows of an egg pack. The label just before being dropped into the egg carton is accommodated in a substantially V-shaped space formed by a pair of guide plates. Then, when one of the guide plates is opened to open the input path, the label falls downward along the guide plate due to its own weight, and the label enters the pack.

This label inserting device is used when the egg pack is conveyed in the lateral direction as shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, and when the egg pack is conveyed in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. used in both cases. In either case, the label is typically inserted without stopping the transport of the egg carton.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-10102

The labels that are inserted between the eggs in the egg carton are relatively thin and small pieces of paper. Therefore, although the label inserting device described above guides the label toward the label placement area, the label is greatly affected by the state of the guide plate and the environment around the guide plate. Therefore, there has been a problem that the label cannot be inserted in a desired position and in a desired posture. This problem tends to occur particularly when egg cartons are transported longitudinally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention focuses on such problems, and aims to provide a label inserting device capable of reliably inserting a label into a label placement area of an egg carton.

The label inserting device of the present invention is a label inserting device that inserts labels one by one toward a label placement area formed between eggs arranged in two rows of an egg carton, wherein the base end of the label is A holding mechanism that sandwiches and holds the label immediately before it is put into the egg pack so that it stands along the label arrangement area, and a holding mechanism that holds the label in the same direction as the egg pack conveyed along the label arrangement area. and a release mechanism for releasing the label.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the label injection|throwing-in apparatus which can throw a label into the label arrangement|positioning area|region of an egg pack reliably can be provided.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the side view which represented typically the label injection|throwing-in apparatus which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which represented typically the label injection|throwing-in apparatus seen from the A direction of FIG. It is the figure which represented typically the label injection|throwing-in apparatus seen from the B direction of FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state immediately before the label inserting device of the same embodiment inserts the label into the egg carton. It is a side view which shows a mode that the label injection|throwing-in apparatus of the same embodiment throws a label into an egg carton. It is a figure which shows the state after the label is injected|thrown-in to an egg carton with the label injection|throwing-in apparatus of the same embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a label input system in which a plurality of label input devices according to a modification of the present invention are arranged;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the label inserting device 10 of the present embodiment inserts the label L one by one toward the label arrangement area R formed between the eggs E arranged in two rows of the egg pack PE. It is an investment. The label inserting device 10 includes a conveying mechanism 1, a holding mechanism 2, and an ejecting mechanism 3. Specifically, the label inserting device 10 mainly includes a label stocker 4 and a plurality of rollers 5 .

A plurality of labels L are set in the label stocker 4 as shown in FIG. Each label L is taken out in order from the innermost label in the upright state.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the roller 5 is rotatable around a rotating shaft 51 and uses friction between the surface of the roller 5 and the surface of the label L. As shown in FIG. The rollers 5 are provided in pairs. The roller 5 in contact with the back surface L2 side of the label L is a driving roller, and the roller 5 in contact with the front surface L1 side of the label L is a driven roller. A plurality of pairs of rollers 5 are arranged along the label L transport path 6 . The rollers 5 serve as a transport mechanism 1 that transports the labels L downstream. Further, the rollers 5 play a role of a holding mechanism 2 that sandwiches the label L from both sides of the front surface L1 and the back surface L2 to prevent it from falling downward. The conveying path 6 of this embodiment is formed in a straight line, and the angle of the label L with respect to the conveying direction of the egg pack PE is kept constant. The conveying path 6 is not limited to the illustrated one. For example, a roller 5 or the like is arranged so that the label L is bent in the thickness direction, and at least a part of the conveying path 6 is formed in a curved shape. There may be.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, among the rollers 5, the roller 5a positioned farthest from the label stocker 4, in other words, the roller 5a positioned at the end of the transport path 6 functions as the transport mechanism 1 and the holding mechanism 2. In addition, it acts as a release mechanism 3 that releases the label L and delivers it to the egg pack PE. A portion where the roller 5a is positioned is called a discharge port 7. As shown in FIG.

The rollers 5a at the outlet sandwich and hold the base end portion L4 of the label La just before it is put into the egg carton PE. In addition, the rollers 5a at the discharge port hold the label La upright along the label arrangement region R immediately before it is put into the egg carton PE. The rollers 5 release the label La immediately before being put into the egg pack PE in the same direction as the egg pack PE conveyed along the label placement region R. Note that the label La is one of the labels L that reaches the outlet 7, and has the same structure as the label L. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, each roller 5 is arranged such that its rotating shaft 51 is tilted from the vertical direction. The conveying path 6 of the label inserting device 10 is inclined with respect to the pack conveying device 20 conveying the egg pack PE. In the label inserting device 10, the height position of the discharge port 7 is set lower than the height position of the label stocker 4. - 特許庁The roller 5 holds the label L so that the leading end portion L3 of the label L is positioned below the base end portion L4 of the label L. As shown in FIG.

The label inserting device 10 is installed above the pack conveying device 20, as shown in FIGS. Specifically, the label input device 10 is arranged such that the transport path 6 of the label input device 10 is along the transport direction of the pack transport device 20 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the pack conveying device 20 is, for example, a belt conveyer, and conveys the containers P in the longitudinal direction. The pack conveying device 20 continuously conveys the containers P, and a sensor (not shown) for detecting the arrival of the containers P is provided on the upstream side. A signal detected by this sensor is output to the control section 8 of the label inserting device 10 . Reference numeral 20a denotes a guide portion that guides the packed eggs PE in order to align the label arrangement area R of the packed eggs PE with respect to the conveying path 6 of the label inserting device 10. As shown in FIG.

The label inserting device 10 is controlled by the controller 8 . The control unit 8 is composed of a dedicated or general-purpose computer including a CPU, an internal memory, an input/output interface, an AD conversion unit, and the like. The functions of the control unit 8 are exhibited by the cooperation of the CPU and other peripheral devices according to the programs stored in the internal memory.

Next, the label L and the egg pack PE used in this label inserting device 10 will be described. Note that the label L and the egg pack PE described here are examples, and can be changed in various ways.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the label L is made of, for example, relatively thin paper and has a rectangular shape in plan view. The label L has a leading edge L5 and a trailing edge L6 corresponding to the short sides, and a lower edge L7 and an upper edge L8 corresponding to the long sides. Various information about the egg is printed on the label L on the surface L1 side. Examples of information related to eggs include the weight of the egg, the name of the person in charge of weighing, the place of packaging, the expiration date, the method of preservation, the method of use, etc., but these are simplified or omitted in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the egg pack PE is a container P filled with a plurality of eggs E, which is a so-called regular pack. The container P is made of transparent synthetic resin and has a main body P1 and a lid P2. The body portion P1 includes, for example, ten housing seats P4. The egg E is vertically placed on each accommodation seat P4, and the lower half of the egg E is accommodated while the upper half of the egg E is exposed. The main body portion P1 includes projections P5 that partition the plurality of accommodation seats P4 between the accommodation seats P4 arranged in two rows. The protrusion P5 is for the purpose of preventing contact between the eggs E to be housed, and also for supporting the lower edge L7 of the label L. As shown in FIG. As for the protrusion P5, the label placement region R of the present embodiment is near the center of the container P including the protrusion P5. The lid P2 can be opened and closed via the connecting portion P3, and is formed integrally with the main body portion P1.

Next, the operation of this label inserting device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, an egg pack PE containing 10 eggs E in a container P is conveyed by the pack conveying device 20 with the lid P2 open. The container P is conveyed in the longitudinal direction of the container P, in other words, along the straight label placement region R.

As shown in FIG. 4, the label La to be put into the container P next is held by the roller 5a of the outlet. The base end portion L4 of the label La is sandwiched and held by the rollers 5a of the outlet, but the other portions are not supported anywhere. In other words, only the base end portion L4 of the label La is fixed. The label La is held so that its plane is orthogonal to the transport surface of the pack transport device 20 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, this label La is obliquely held with respect to the pack conveying device 20 in a side view. In other words, the label La is arranged to be inclined with respect to the transport direction of the pack transport device 20 . The leading end L3 of the label La is located below the base end L4 of the label La. More specifically, the corner where the leading edge L5 and the lower edge L7 of the label La intersect is positioned closer to the pack conveying device 20 than the corner where the trailing edge L6 and the lower edge L7 of the label La intersect. is doing.

From this state, when the sensor detects the arrival of the container P, the control unit 8 throws the label La toward the container P from the discharge port 7 when the container P comes under the discharge port 7. Control the roller 5a. The relative positions of the pack conveying device 20 and the label inserting device 10 are defined so that the label placement region R passes directly below the discharge port 7 . Therefore, an inertial force in the direction along the label placement area R acts on the label La discharged from the discharge port 7 by the roller 5a, in addition to gravity. The label La goes through the state shown in FIG. 5, and the leading end L3 comes into contact with the egg pack PE first. While the label La is guided by the eggs E on both sides, the base end L4 then comes into contact with the egg pack PE. In this manner, the label L is accommodated in the desired label placement area R.

As described above, the label inserting device 10 of the present embodiment inserts the labels L one by one toward the label arrangement area R formed between the eggs E arranged in two rows of the egg pack PE. and comprises a holding mechanism 2 and a release mechanism 3 . The holding mechanism 2 holds the label La upright along the label arrangement area R immediately before being put into the egg pack PE, with the base end portion L4 of the label La sandwiched therebetween. The ejecting mechanism 3 ejects the label L held by the holding mechanism 2 in the same direction as the egg pack PE conveyed along the label arrangement area R. With such a configuration, the label L can be reliably inserted into the label arrangement area R of the egg pack PE.

Since the holding mechanism 2 holds the label La such that the leading end L3 is positioned lower than the base end L4 of the label La, the label La immediately before being thrown can be kept as close to the egg pack PE as possible. Further, since the ejection mechanism 3 is the roller 5a that also serves as the holding mechanism 2, the configuration of the ejection port 7 can be simplified.

In addition, this invention is not restricted to embodiment mentioned above.

The label inserting device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 can include a printing mechanism (not shown) that prints on the front surface L1 of the label L and a print confirmation mechanism (not shown) for confirming what has been printed. possible type. A type that does not have a printing mechanism and a printing confirmation mechanism, such as the label input device 10 shown in FIG. 7, may also be used. With such a configuration, the conveying path 6 can be set relatively short. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar parts as those of the embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 7, the label inserting device 10 is also preferable when a plurality of label inserting devices are used side by side along the conveying direction of the egg pack PE. Each label inserting device 10 accommodates different types of labels L, respectively. Which label L of which label inserting device 10 is to be inserted into which egg pack PE is controlled based on a command from the control unit 8 . If the conveying path 6 of the label inserting device 10 is inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the pack conveying device 20 as in this embodiment, the discharge port 7 of one label inserting device 10 can There is no interference with the label stocker 4 of the device 10. - 特許庁Note that the label inserting devices 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 may be arranged similarly.

The holding mechanism 2 is not limited to the roller 5, and may be of any type as long as the label L can be held. The holding mechanism 2 does not need to be a pair of rollers 5, and may be composed of, for example, a fixed guide and a rotating roller that holds the label L in cooperation with this guide. Similarly, the ejecting mechanism 3 is not limited to the roller 5, and may be any mechanism capable of ejecting the label L. The ejecting mechanism 3 does not have to be a pair of rollers 5, but may consist of, for example, a fixed guide and a rotating roller that ejects the label L in cooperation with this guide.

In the above-described embodiment, the pair of rollers 5 serve both as the holding mechanism 2 and the releasing mechanism 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and separate members may be provided for each role.

The label inserting device 10 may be arranged such that the conveying path 6 is horizontal. The label input device 10 is arranged so that the transport direction of the pack transport device 20 and the transport path 6 of the label input device 10 are parallel. With such a configuration, the front end portion L3 and the base end portion L4 of the label L are held at the same height position, and the label L maintains the same posture as after entering the egg pack PE. can wait at

The holding mechanism 2 may be of any type as long as it allows the label L to stand along the label placement region R. For example, the label L is not limited to being completely upright, and may be slightly tilted in the thickness direction as long as it fits in the label placement region R.

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

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a label inserting device capable of inserting a label into an egg pack.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Label input device 2... Holding mechanism 3... Ejecting mechanism PE... Egg pack E... Egg R... Label placement area L... Label L3... Tip part L4... Base end part

Claims (3)

A label input device for inputting labels one by one toward a label placement area formed between eggs arranged in two rows of an egg carton,
a holding mechanism that sandwiches the base end of the label and holds the label standing along the label arrangement area immediately before being put into the egg carton;
and a release mechanism for releasing the label held by the holding mechanism in the same direction as the egg pack conveyed along the label placement area. 2. The label inserting device according to claim 1, wherein the holding mechanism holds the label so that the leading end of the label is located below the base end of the label. 3. The label inserting device according to claim 1, wherein said ejection mechanism also serves as said holding mechanism.

Images