JP2023038508A - Label sticking device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a label sticking device which can stick a label at a correct position and a direction even with respect to an article being difficult to align, and which can be installed in a limited space.SOLUTION: A label sticking device 1 includes: an article conveyance part 11 for conveying an article; an imaging part 121 for imaging the article conveyed on the article conveyance part 11; and a label sticking part 14 which is provided on the side of the article conveyance part 11, and sticks a label to the article at an angle corresponding to a direction of the article imaged by the imaging part 121. The label sticking part 14 includes: an applicator 141 for holding and sticking a label; and an actuator 142 for moving the applicator 141. The actuator 142 moves the applicator 141 only in two directions, which are a vertical direction and a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the article out of the horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a labeling apparatus for labeling articles.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a robot arm disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is used in a process of transporting an article and attaching a label to the article.
In such a labeling process, for articles that are difficult to align, such as frozen chilled products, the orientation of the articles is adjusted manually in order to label them in the correct orientation.

JP 2019-204858 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-500244

In this regard, the robot arms as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are large in size and cannot be installed in a limited space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a labeling apparatus that can affix a label in an accurate position and orientation even to articles that are difficult to align, and that can be installed in a limited space.

In order to achieve the above object, the labeling apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an article conveying section for conveying articles; an imaging section for picking up images of the articles conveyed by the article conveying section; a labeling unit that affixes a label to the article at an angle corresponding to the orientation of the article imaged by the imaging unit, the labeling unit including an applicator that holds and affixes the label; an actuator for moving the applicator, wherein the actuator moves the applicator only in two directions, namely, a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article. do.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the label sticking apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) Appearance perspective view, (b) Front view. 1 is a perspective plan view showing a label application device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a label application device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an article detection section that constitutes the labeling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view showing a label printing unit constituting a label sticking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing (a) a state in which the label printing mechanism is set in a state in which labels can be issued, and (b) the label printing mechanism Indicates the drawn out chiel state. 1 is an external perspective view showing a label issuing section and a label applying section that constitute a label applying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device that controls a labeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an article to be labeled by a labeling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a processing flow diagram showing the flow of processing by the labeling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the labeling unit that constitutes the labeling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, including (a) stop state, (b) standby state, (c) label sucking state, and (d) label. is attached to an article.

●Overview Hereinafter, a labeling apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A labeling device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that issues a label to an article and affixes the label to the article. This labeling apparatus 1 is composed of an article conveying section 11 , an article detecting section 12 , a label issuing section 13 , a labeling section 14 and a display/operation section 15 .

In the present embodiment, there are no particular restrictions on the goods to which the label is affixed, but there are vacuum-packed goods in which the shape of the contents appears on the outside, such as frozen chilled goods, deep-drawn goods, and round-shaped containers. It is suitable for products that are difficult to align or have an irregular shape, such as products that are packed.

The labeling apparatus 1 constitutes an integrated apparatus by means of a frame 16 assembled in a rack.
The frame 16 includes a support frame portion 161 erected vertically from the installation surface, a lower end side connection frame portion 162 connecting the lower end of each support frame portion 161, and an upper end side connection frame portion connecting the upper end of each support frame portion 161. 163 is provided.

A door-like panel 17 that can be opened and closed is fitted between the support frame portion 161-2 and the support frame portion 161-3. This panel 17 can prevent the transportation of articles from being prevented from the outside in an accidental situation, and prevent the worker from being caught in the operation of the labeling equipment or mechanism. In addition, in this embodiment, the panel 17 is transparent, and the operation of the device can be visually recognized even when the panel 17 is closed. In addition, the panel 17 can be opened for maintenance of the device such as label roll replacement.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end side connecting frame portion 163-3 on the downstream side of the upper end side connecting frame portion 163 has a length in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article, and has a length on its upper surface. A groove 163a-3 is provided in the longitudinal direction. Further, among the upper end side connecting frame portions 163, a pair of upper end side connecting frame portions 163-2 and 163-4 having a length in the article conveying direction has a pair of upper end side connecting frame portions 163-2 and 163-4 at substantially intermediate positions thereof, in a direction orthogonal to the article conveying direction. A pair of short protruding members 164 having a length of 164 are provided to protrude inward. On the upper surface side of the projecting member 164, grooves 164a-1 and 164a-2 similar to those provided on the upper surface of the upper end side connection frame portion 163-3 are provided in the longitudinal direction.

Between the upper end side connecting frame portion 163-3 and the protruding member 164-1, and between the upper end side connecting frame portion 163-3 and the protruding member 164-2, there are strip-shaped plates having a length in the article conveying direction. hanging frames 165-1 and 165-2 are suspended. On the lower surface side of both ends in the length direction of the suspension frame 165, grooves 163a-3 of the upper end side connection frame portion 163-3 and grooves 164a-1 and 164a-2 of the projecting members 164-1 and 164-2 are provided. A fitting portion for slidably fitting to each is provided. As a result, the hanging frame 165 can move in a direction orthogonal to the article conveying direction on the upper end side connecting frame portion 163-3 and the protruding members 164-1 and 164-2.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, inside the upper end side connection frame portions 163-2 and 163-4 having a length in the article conveying direction, hanging frames 165-1 and 165-2 and the upper end side A damper 181 such as a spring that elastically expands and contracts in a direction orthogonal to the article conveying direction is interposed between the connecting frame portions 163-2 and 163-4.

A pair of support frames 166-1 and 166-2 having a length perpendicular to the article conveying direction are provided between the pair of hanging frames 165-1 and 165-2 spaced apart from each other. It is handed over. The support frames 166-1 and 166-2 support the actuator 142 that constitutes the label attaching section 14 so as to be suspended from above. The support frames 166-1 and 166-2 are connected to the hanging frames 165-1 and 165-2 via dampers 182 such as springs that elastically expand and contract in the vertical direction.

As a result, in the process of operating the actuator 142 to apply a label to an article, as will be described later, the movement of the arms 1424 and 1425 and the sliders 1422 and 1423 for moving the applicator 141 and attaching a label to the article allows the device to operate. Among the vibrations that are transmitted, the vibrations in the horizontal direction are absorbed by the dampers 181 and the vibrations in the vertical direction are absorbed by the dampers 182 .

●Article transport section 11
The article conveying section 11 conveys an article to be labeled. The article conveying section 11 rotates an endless belt by a predetermined driving source, and the upper surface of the endless belt constitutes an article conveying surface 110 for conveying articles in one direction.
In this embodiment, as will be described later, the arms 1424 and 1425 constituting the labeling section 14 move only in a direction orthogonal to the article conveying direction, that is, up and down and left and right when viewed from the article conveying direction. does not move in any direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure an operation area for the arms 1424 and 1425 in the article conveying direction, and the length of the article conveying surface 110 in the article conveying direction can be shortened.
The imaging unit 121, the label issuing unit 13, and the labeling unit 14, which will be described later, are arranged within the full length of the article conveying unit 11, thereby making the labeling apparatus 1 compact.

An article detecting section 12 is provided above the article conveying surface 110 on the upstream side of the article conveying section 11 . On the side of the article conveying section 11, a label issuing section 13 and a label applying section 14 are provided in sequence along the downstream direction from the position where the article detecting section 12 is provided. A display/operation unit 15 is provided on the opposite side of the label issuing unit 13 with the article conveying surface 110 interposed therebetween.

At the upstream end and the downstream end of the article conveying section 11, there are other conveying sections for conveying articles to the article conveying section 11, and conveying articles conveyed from the article conveying section 11 to the placing table and the sorting mechanism. Other conveying units and the like can be appropriately connected.

●Article detection unit 12
The article detecting section 12 shown in FIG. 4 detects articles on the article conveying surface 110 upstream of the article conveying section 11 . The article detection section 12 is composed of an imaging section 121 and an illumination section 122 .

The imaging unit 121 is realized by a vision sensor or the like. The imaging unit 121 is provided above the upstream portion of the article conveying surface 110, detects an article conveyed on the article conveying surface 110, captures an image of the upper surface of the detected article, and generates a captured image of the article. , a coordinate system is set for the captured image.

A plate-shaped mounting plate 123 having a circular through-hole 123a is provided below the imaging unit 121 and above the article conveying surface 110 . An illumination unit 122 made up of an LED or the like is attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate 123 . The illuminating part 122 has an annular shape with a larger diameter than the through hole 123a of the mounting plate 123, and illuminates the article conveying surface 110 from above.
The imaging unit 121 can photograph the article conveying surface 110 through the through hole 123 a of the mounting plate 123 . As a result of the article conveying surface 110 being illuminated from above by the illumination unit 122, the detection accuracy of the article by the imaging unit 121 can be improved, and the captured image showing the upper surface of the article obtained by imaging can be made clear. .

It should be noted that regardless of the present embodiment, the article detection section 12 can also be configured by only the imaging section 121 . Further, the article detection unit 12, which detects and images an article, can be configured by separate devices such as a sensor for detecting an article and a camera for imaging the article.

● Label issuing department 13
The label issuing section 13 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 is provided between the article detecting section 12 and the label applying section 14 in the article conveying direction. Also, the label issuing section 13 is provided on the same side as the label applying section 14 with respect to the conveying direction of the article, issues a label to be attached to the article, and supplies the issued label to the label applying section 14 .

The label issuing unit 13 includes a roll holding unit 131 that holds a label roll, a label printing mechanism 132 that prints on label paper fed from the label roll and cuts it into sheets, and a label transport that transports the label toward an actuator 142. It has a part 133 and the like. The label printing mechanism 132 further includes a guide roller for feeding the label paper from the label roll, a printing unit such as a print head, a platen roller, and a cutting unit such as a cutter for cutting the printed label paper to a predetermined length. be done.

In addition, the label issued in this embodiment is a linerless label having a printed surface on one side and a sticking surface on which an adhesive layer is formed on the other side, and the label roll is a long band-shaped linerless label. It is made by winding paper into a roll. However, irrespective of this embodiment, a label with a backing sheet can be used by providing a peeling means for the backing sheet. In addition, by appropriate design, it is possible to correspond to a cassette type in which label rolls are set in a predetermined cassette.

The label conveying unit 133 conveys the label on which predetermined information is printed to the label attaching unit 14 side. As shown in FIG. 6, the label conveying section 133 is composed of a plurality of endless belts 1331 arranged side by side at regular intervals in the width direction. Each endless belt 1331 is a cord-like belt having a circular cross-section, so that the contact area between the endless belt 1331 and the label sent onto the label conveying surface 1330 can be reduced. As a result, the suction portion 1411 of the applicator 141, which will be described later, can separate the label on the label conveying surface 1330 from the label conveying surface 1330 and absorb and hold the label without requiring a strong suction force.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the label printing mechanism 132 of the label printing unit 13 is housed in a case 134, and a handle is provided below the case 134 on the side of the article conveying surface 110. 135 are provided. By pulling the handle 135 toward the article conveying surface 110 as shown in FIG. As a result of being able to pull out the label printing mechanism 132 together with the case 134 onto the article conveying surface 110 in this manner, an operator standing on the opposite side of the article conveying surface 110 from the label issuing section 13 is forced to take a cramped posture. maintenance such as label roll replacement can be performed without

●Labeling unit 14
The label attaching unit 14 is provided on the side of the downstream part of the article conveying unit 11 and attaches a label to the upper surface of the article at an angle corresponding to the orientation of the article imaged by the imaging unit 121 . Here, the orientation of the article means the state of the article conveying surface 110 viewed from above, that is, the inclination of the article with respect to the conveying direction in a plan view. Since the articles are not always placed on the article conveying surface 110 so as to face the conveying direction, by attaching the label to the upper surface of the article at an angle corresponding to the orientation of the article, the label can be properly attached to the article. It is affixed in a suitable position.
As shown in FIG. 6, the label applying section 14 is composed of an applicator 141 that holds a label and applies the label to an article, and an actuator 142 that moves the applicator 141 .

The applicator 141 sucks and holds the label issued by the label issuing unit 13 with the adsorption unit 1411, and sticks the label to the article to be labeled. The applicator 141 includes a suction portion 1411 that suctions and holds the label sent out onto the label conveying surface 1330, a support portion 1412 that supports the suction portion 1411 from above so as to be rotatable, arms 1424 and 1425, and a swing suppressing member 1426. It is composed of a connecting portion 1413 that connects with the .

The adsorption part 1411 has a label adsorption surface on the lower surface side. Rotation of the suction fan generates suction force on the label suction surface due to negative pressure, whereby the label can be suctioned to the label suction surface.
The support portion 1412 can rotate the adsorption portion 1411 within a horizontal plane parallel to the label conveying surface 1330 and the article conveying surface 110 . As a result, the direction of the label sucked and held by the label sucking surface of the sucking portion 1411 can be matched with the direction of the article.

The actuator 142 is a so-called cylinder type actuator and is arranged on the side of the article conveying section 11 . The actuator 142 includes a base 1421 composed of a pair of left and right cylinders 14211 and 14212 and a connecting portion 14213 that connects the pair of cylinders 14211 and 14212, a pair of sliders 1422 that move vertically along the cylinders 14211 and 14212, 1423 , comprising a pair of arms 1424 , 1425 connected at one end to the sliders 1422 , 1423 and at the other end to the applicator 141 . By appropriately controlling sliders 1422 and 1423 and arms 1424 and 1425, the actuator 142 moves the applicator 141 only in two directions, i.e., the vertical direction and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the article conveying direction. be able to.

A pair of left and right cylinders 14211 and 14212 constituting a base 1421 use a servomotor, a stepping motor, or the like as a drive unit to move sliders 1422 and 1423 up and down. 141 is moved to a predetermined position. Although the mechanism or structure is not particularly limited, for example, a ball screw shaft connected to the drive section is provided within the internal operating area. A ball nut is screwed onto the ball screw shaft, and sliders 1422 and 1423 are attached to the ball nut. When the drive unit is rotationally driven to rotate the ball screw shaft in a predetermined direction, the sliders 1422 and 1423 move up and down via the ball nuts that move accordingly.

A pair of sliders 1422 and 1423 are provided symmetrically with respect to the cylinders 14211 and 14212 when viewed from the article conveying direction, and are vertically moved independently by the independently driven cylinders 14211 and 14212 .

The arm 1424 is composed of a first arm portion 14241 extending outward from the slider 1422 and second arm portions 14242-1 and 14242-2 bifurcated from the tip of the first arm portion 14241 and extending inward. One end of the first arm 14241 is rotatably connected to the slider 1422, and the other end is connected to one ends of the second arms 14242-1 and 14242-2. In addition, the first arm portion 14241 and the second arm portions 14242-1 and 14242-2 are rotatably connected to each other. 141 are connected.

Arm 1425 is configured similarly to arm 1424 . That is, it is composed of a first arm portion 14251 extending outward from the slider 1423, and second arm portions 14252-1 and 14252-2 bifurcated from the tip of the first arm portion 14251 and extending inward. One end of the first arm 14251 is rotatably connected to the slider 1423, and the other end is connected to one ends of the second arms 14252-1 and 14252-2. In addition, the first arm portion 14241 and the second arm portions 14252-1 and 14252-2 are rotatably connected to each other. 141 are connected.

Among the second arm portions 14242 and 14252, the second arm portion 14242-1 and the second arm portion 14252-1, and the second arm portion 14242-2 and the second arm portion 14252-2 are attached to the applicator at the same location. 141 is connected.
The base 1421 and the applicator 141 are also connected by a bar-shaped rocking suppression member 1426 that connects the base 1421 and the connecting portion 1413 of the applicator 141 . The swing suppressing member 1426 is connected to the applicator 141 at a location different from the location at which the second arm portions 14242 and 14252 are connected. As a result, the applicator 141 is supported at three points, and when the applicator 141 is moved by predetermined control or when the moved applicator 141 is stopped at a predetermined position, the applicator 141 swings along with the operation. can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to accurately affix the label to an appropriate position on the article, and to prevent malfunctions due to swinging of the applicator 141 .

In the label applying section 14 having such a configuration, the movement of the sliders 1422 and 1423 in the up-down direction (vertical direction) corresponds to the movement of the applicator 141 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) in the plane perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article. converted.
As shown in FIG. 10(a), when the sliders 1422, 1423 are at the same height, the arms 1424, 1425 are positioned symmetrically, and the applicator 141 is directly below the base 1421 to which the arms 1424, 1425 are connected. I'm coming to Here, as shown in FIG. 10(b), if the position of the slider 1422 is higher than the position of the slider 1423, the tip of the arm 1425 projects toward the arm 1424, and the applicator 141 moves toward the arm 1424 on the right side of the drawing. side, that is, the label conveying unit 133 side. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(d), when the position of the slider 1423 is higher than the position of the slider 1422, the tip of the arm 1424 protrudes toward the arm 1425, and the applicator 141 moves toward the arm 1425 on the left side of the drawing. That is, it moves to the article transport section 11 side.

By using sliders 1422 and 1423 that move up and down independently of each other, articles of various heights can be handled. In addition, since a sufficient range of movement in the vertical direction can be obtained without lengthening the arms 1424 and 1425, the width of the labeling apparatus 1 as seen from the article conveying direction (front (depth when viewed from above) can also be made compact.

● Display/operation unit 15
The display/operation unit 15 is a device for an operator to input/output information to/from the labeling apparatus 1, and is realized by, for example, a touch panel display in which an information input means and an information output means are integrated. The display/operation unit 15 of the label application device 1 receives information to be printed on the label and information on the article, and outputs information detected by the article detection unit 12 and information on the result of label application.

Note that the display/operation unit 15 may be configured such that the information input means and the information output means are separate bodies. Further, in the present embodiment, although they are provided in the vicinity of one support frame portion 161-2, regardless of this, the article conveying portion 11, the article detecting portion 12, and the label are connected via a wired or wireless communication line. It may be provided at a position physically separated from the mechanisms such as the issuing unit 13 and the labeling unit 14 . Alternatively, it may be configured by a versatile terminal such as a so-called personal computer.

Configuration of Control Device FIG. 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of a control device that controls the labeling device 1 according to this embodiment.
The control device includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that executes a program to centrally control the operation of the labeling device 1, information storage means such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, display and operation A unit 15 and an interface circuit 104 are provided. The control device is further connected to the article conveying section 11 , the article detecting section 12 , the label issuing section 13 and the label attaching section 14 via the interface circuit 104 .

The labeling apparatus 1 uses information storage means such as the CPU 101, RAM 102, and ROM 103 to store at least functional blocks such as a control unit, an article information storage unit, a label information storage unit, a setting information storage unit, and a calculation processing unit as software resources. Configure.

The control section controls the operations of the article transport section 11 , article detection section 12 , label issuing section 13 and label attaching section 14 .

The product information storage unit is a storage unit that stores product information related to products.
The product information includes, for example, information such as the product name, product number, price, and symbol code that encodes various information.

Further, in the article information storage unit, a reference image indicating a reference position for attaching a label to an article is stored for each article. The reference image is provided in the article, and is composed of something that can be identified as an image by the imaging unit 121, such as printed content or stickers printed on the package of the article.
FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of an article W, a reference image M, and label attachment positions. In this example, the sticker attached to the article W constitutes the reference image M. As shown in FIG. In addition, when the reference image M is viewed from the front, an affixing area F for affixing the label R is set on the right side of the reference image M and at a position inside the end portion of the article W by a predetermined length.
When the reference image M on the article W is identified by the article detection section 12, the sticking position and orientation of the label R are determined by the calculation processing section, which will be described later.

The label information storage unit is a storage unit that stores label information regarding the format of the label. The label information includes, for example, information such as the label length that determines the length to cut the label paper, the print position on the label, the print items, and the font of characters to be printed.

The setting information storage unit is a storage unit that stores setting information that needs to be set individually for each article to be labeled. This setting information includes, for example, calibration information corresponding to the height of the article. That is, depending on the height of the article on the article conveying surface 110, the camera coordinates per pixel of the imaging unit 121 are deviated, and the deviation of the camera coordinates leads to the deviation of the label sticking position. In this regard, a correction coefficient corresponding to the height of the article is stored as calibration information in the setting information storage unit, and the imaging unit 121 refers to this calibration information to correct the camera coordinates, thereby accurately capturing the article. An image is generated.

Based on the detection timing of the article by the article detection section 12 and the captured image, the calculation processing section determines the timing of affixing the label to the article, the position and orientation of label affixing on the article, and when the label is affixed on the article conveyance surface 110. to calculate the position of
That is, the calculation processing unit calculates the time required for the article to reach the label attachment position from the detection point based on the distance from the detection position of the article by the article detection section 12 to the label attachment position and the transport speed of the article by the article transport section 11. is calculated to determine the timing of labeling.

In addition, the calculation processing unit refers to the reference image for each item and information related to the labeling area stored in the item information storage unit, identifies the reference image in the captured image of the item, and determines the orientation and position of the reference image. Then, a process of determining the position and orientation of the label on the surface of the article is executed. Further, a process of calculating the position where the label is attached to the article on the article conveying surface 110 and the orientation of the suction unit 1411 according to the orientation of the label is executed.
In the example shown in FIG. 8, from the position of the reference image M on the article W identified by the picked-up image of the article W, the pasting area F on the right side of the reference image M preset as the position where the label R is pasted is specified. do. Further, the orientation of the reference image M is determined from the shape of the reference image M, the orientation of the characters, and the like, and the orientation of the label R to be attached is determined according to the determined orientation of the reference image M.

●Flow of Processing by Labeling Apparatus 1 The flow of processing by the labeling apparatus 1 and the operation of the labeling section 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.
At the start of a series of labeling processes by the labeling apparatus 1, setting information including information relating to the height of the article to be labeled and calibration information corresponding thereto is input.

The labeling apparatus 1 shifts from the stop state to the standby state by starting the labeling process. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the label applying unit 14 holds the pair of sliders 1422 and 1423 at the same height, and the applicator 141 is moved to the article conveying surface 110 or the label conveying surface. The applicator 141 is moved onto the label conveying surface 1330 from a state in which it is not moved to any side of the surface 1330, and this state is set as a standby state so that a command for the label applying operation can be received (S101).

When the imaging section 121 detects an article on the article conveying surface 110 (S102), the article detection section 12 generates a captured image of the detected article (S103).
Note that, in generating the captured image, the imaging unit 121 executes correction processing of the captured image according to the height of the article based on setting information input in advance.

Based on the reference image in the captured image, the calculation processing unit calculates the position and orientation of label attachment on the article, and the label attachment position on article conveying surface 110 (S104). Further, the calculation processing section calculates the time required for the article to reach the label attachment position from the detection point based on the distance from the detection position of the article to the label attachment position and the transport speed of the article by the article transport section 11. , thereby determining the timing of attaching the label (S105).

On the other hand, after the article is detected by the article detection unit 12, the label is issued by the label issuing unit 13 in parallel with the generation of the captured image by the imaging unit 121 (S103) and the processing by the calculation processing unit (S104, S105). (S106).

When the label is issued as shown in FIG. 10(c) and sent out onto the label conveying surface 1330, the label applying unit 14 controls the actuator 142 accordingly to bring the applicator 141 closer to the label. After that, the suction unit 1411 sucks and holds the label (S107).
Further, by rotating the bearing portion 1412, the label attaching portion 14 rotates the suction portion 1411 connected to the bearing portion 1412, and aligns the direction of the sucked label with the direction of the article (S108).

As shown in FIG. 10(d), the label sticking section 14 moves the applicator 141, which has the label sucked and held by the suction section 1411, to the label sticking position on the article conveying surface 110 (S109).
When the timing calculated by the calculation processing unit arrives (S110), the labeling unit 14 lowers the applicator 141 to press the label onto the article on the article conveying surface 110, and affixes the label to the article (S111).
Thus, when the labeling process for one article is completed, the labeling section 14 moves the applicator 141 above the label conveying surface 1330 so as to be ready for the labeling process for the next article.

According to the labeling apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the position and orientation of an article on the article conveying surface 110 can be accurately detected, and even articles that are difficult to align can be labeled at an accurate position and orientation. .
In addition, since the operation range of the actuator 142 and the applicator 141 is limited to a two-dimensional range that is orthogonal to the direction of article conveyance, the labeling apparatus 1 can be made compact, and the limited space can be accommodated. can also be installed.

In the above-described embodiment, the correction coefficient corresponding to the height of the article is stored as calibration information in the setting information storage unit, and the imaging unit 121 refers to this calibration information to correct the camera coordinates. generated an accurate captured image of the article.
On the other hand, in another embodiment, a drive mechanism for moving the imaging unit 121 may be provided, and the vertical position of the imaging unit 121 may be moved by a predetermined control unit based on information regarding the height of the article. Further, a mechanism for manually moving the imaging unit 121 may be provided so that the operator can move the imaging unit 121 to a predetermined position in the vertical direction based on information regarding the height of the article. This also makes it possible to generate an accurate captured image of the article and to set an accurate coordinate system based on the captured image regardless of the height of the article.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the mounting plate 123 is formed with a through hole 123a, so that the imaging unit 121 can be vertically moved through the through hole 123a.
●Summary of embodiment

The present invention relates to a labeling apparatus for labeling articles.

Conventionally, in the process of conveying an article and attaching a label to the article, a robot arm disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-204858) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-500244) is used. ing.
In such a labeling process, for articles that are difficult to align, such as frozen chilled products, the orientation of the articles is adjusted manually in order to label them in the correct orientation.

In this regard, the robot arms as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are large in size and cannot be installed in a limited space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a labeling apparatus that can affix a label in an accurate position and orientation even to articles that are difficult to align, and that can be installed in a limited space.

In order to achieve the above object, the labeling apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an article conveying section for conveying articles; an imaging section for picking up images of the articles conveyed by the article conveying section; a labeling unit that affixes a label to the upper surface of the article at an angle corresponding to the orientation of the article imaged by the imaging unit, the labeling unit being an applicator that holds and affixes the label. and an actuator for moving the applicator, wherein the actuator moves the applicator only in two directions: a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article. characterized by

The actuator has a pair of sliders arranged symmetrically with respect to the conveying direction of the article, and a pair of arms having one end connected to the slider and the other end connected to the applicator, and It may be arranged on the side of the article conveying section.

The arm may convert vertical movement of the slider into horizontal movement of the applicator.

a label issuing unit provided on the same side as the label attaching unit with respect to the conveying direction of the article conveying unit, wherein the imaging unit is provided above an upstream portion of the article conveying unit and the label attaching unit; is provided on the side of the downstream portion of the article conveying section, the label issuing section is provided between the imaging section and the labeling section in the conveying direction of the article conveying section, the imaging section, The label issuing section and the label attaching section may be arranged within the full length of the article conveying section.

The apparatus may further include a control section that moves the position of the imaging section in the vertical direction based on preset information regarding the article conveyed by the article conveying section.

The label attaching unit may attach a label to the article according to a label attachment position and orientation determined based on a reference image provided on the article.

According to the labeling apparatus according to the present embodiment, the position and orientation of articles on the article conveying surface can be detected with high accuracy, and even articles that are difficult to align can be labeled at accurate positions and orientations.
In addition, since the operating range of the actuator and applicator is limited to a two-dimensional range that is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article, the labeling device becomes compact and can be installed in a limited space. can.

Reference Signs List 1: labeling device 11: article conveying section 110: article conveying surface 12: article detecting section 121: imaging section 122: illumination section 13: label issuing section 131: roll holding section 132: label printing mechanism 133: label conveying section 1330: Label Conveying Surface 14 : Label Applied Part 141 : Applicator 1411 : Attracting Part 1412 : Supporting Part 1413 : Connecting Part 142 : Actuator 1421 : Base 14211, 14212 : Cylinder 1422, 1423 : Slider 1424, 1425 : Arm 1426 : Swing suppression Member 15: Operation portion 16: Frames 181, 182: Damper

Claims (6)

an article conveying unit that conveys articles;
an imaging unit that captures an image of an article conveyed by the article conveying unit;
a labeling unit that is provided on the side of the article conveying unit and that affixes a label to the article at an angle corresponding to the orientation of the article imaged by the imaging unit;
The labeling section includes:
an applicator for holding and applying the label;
an actuator for moving the applicator;
The actuator moves the applicator only in two directions: a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article.
A labeling device characterized by:
The actuator is
a pair of sliders provided symmetrically with respect to the conveying direction of the article;
a pair of arms having one end connected to the slider and the other end connected to the applicator;
Arranged on the side of the article conveying unit,
2. A labeling device according to claim 1.
the arm converts vertical movement of the slider into horizontal movement of the applicator;
3. A labeling device according to claim 2.
further comprising a label issuing unit provided on the same side as the label attaching unit with respect to the conveying direction of the article conveying unit;
The imaging unit is provided above an upstream portion of the article conveying unit,
The labeling section is provided on the side of the downstream portion of the article conveying section,
The label issuing unit is provided between the imaging unit and the labeling unit in the conveying direction of the article conveying unit,
The imaging unit, the label issuing unit, and the labeling unit are arranged within the full length of the article conveying unit,
4. A labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
further comprising a control unit that moves the position of the imaging unit in the vertical direction based on preset information about the articles conveyed by the article conveying unit;
5. A labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The labeling unit affixes a label to the article according to a label attachment position and orientation determined based on a reference image included in the article.
A labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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