JPH044239B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides the following features:
The present invention relates to a tube mounting device in which the process of forming the film into a tube and the process of fitting the formed tube into a container are performed as one continuous process.

[Conventional technology]

Labels formed from heat-shrinkable plastic film into tubes (hereinafter also referred to as "shrink tubes") are widely used as product display labels attached to containers such as bottles and cans filled with or packaged with products. Shrink tubes are formed with a diameter slightly larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the part of the container to which they are attached (e.g. bottle mouth or body), and after being placed over the container, it is heated to the surface of the container by a heat shrinking process such as blowing hot air. It is tightened.

The above-mentioned shrink tube is manufactured by cutting a long printed raw film to a predetermined length, overlapping the left and right edges and gluing (center seal), and then attaching it to the container. Until then, it will be folded flat and stored.

In some cases, a long raw film is center-sealed and formed into a tube, and the long tube formed in this way is stored wound on a roll, and when it is attached to a container, it is unrolled from the roll. It is used by cutting it to a predetermined length while taking it out.

In either case, forming the tube and fitting it into the container are done as separate steps;
Since the formed tube is stored after being folded flat, it is necessary to open the tube into a cylindrical shape when installing it in a container.For example, as shown in FIG. By using the tube opening jigs 21, 21 of
A cylindrical opening O is formed, and the opening is fitted into the container B while maintaining that state.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional methods in which forming the tube and attaching it to the container are performed as separate and independent steps have the following problems.

() In the folded tube, the opposite sides f1 and f2 are attracted by static electricity, so
It is not easy to open into a cylindrical shape.

() Even after the tube is opened into a cylindrical shape, strong creases remain on the bent edges f3 and f4 on both sides of the tube, which prevents it from being fitted into a container. This tends to cause unevenness in the color tone of the tube wall thickness and surface design.

() When a tube is stored for a long time, it naturally shrinks and the opening cross-sectional diameter becomes smaller, making it difficult, or in extreme cases impossible, to fit it into a container.

() To alleviate the difficulty of fitting the container into the container,
The tube diameter must be increased to allow for folding and natural shrinkage, which increases the amount of film used. Furthermore, if the tube is too soft, the shape of the tube will be unstable when opened from a flat state, so a thick film with so-called stiffness must be used, which increases the cost of the film accordingly.

() As the tube diameter increases, the amount of heat shrinkage required to make the tube adhere to the surface of the container also increases, which increases the amount of thermal energy consumed and also causes distortion of the designs printed on the tube surface. It becomes easier.

() Since the tube mounting device requires a mechanism to open the flat tube, it is large, has a complicated structure, and is expensive.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a tube mounting device that can carry out tube forming and fitting into a container as one continuous process.

[Means to solve the problem]

The tube mounting device of the present invention uses the surface of a vertically arranged columnar body as a film guide surface and a tube forming surface, and while the heat-shrinkable plastic film (hereinafter referred to as "film") is being transferred, the film is placed in the columnar shape. A tube attachment device that forms a tube surrounding the body and cuts the tip of the formed tube into a unit tube of a predetermined length by fitting it into a container waiting directly below the columnar body, It vacuum suctions the outer surface of the tube that surrounds the body and descends along the columnar body by a distance equal to the length of the unit tube, then stops vacuum suction and returns to the original height position. A tube transfer device having a vacuum suction body that repeats a vertical movement at a predetermined period; and a tube transfer device having a vacuum suction body that repeats vertical movement at a predetermined period; The present invention is characterized by having a tube cutter that repeats the operation of cutting the distal end of the tube to be fitted into a unit tube of a predetermined length in conjunction with the vertical movement of the vacuum suction body.

Furthermore, the tube mounting device of the present invention includes, instead of the tube transfer device having the vacuum suction body, an endless belt stretched over a pulley and brought into contact with the outer surface of the tube in a direction that coincides with the axial direction of the columnar body. A tube transfer device is arranged, which repeats at a predetermined cycle the rotational movement of an endless belt that moves the tube downward along the columnar body by the same length as the length of the unit tube, and the stoppage of the rotational movement. It has a similar configuration.

[Effect]

In the present invention, a tube that is formed along a columnar body while being fed with a long film is not pressed flat by a tube transfer device having a vacuum suction body or an endless belt, and a fold edge line is attached thereto. It moves downward while maintaining the cylindrical shape surrounding the columnar body. Due to the tube transfer, the distal end of the tube that passes through the terminal edge of the columnar body and projects downward is opened in a cylindrical shape, so that it is fitted into the container directly below the columnar body.

That is, forming the tube and fitting it into the container are performed as one continuous process. By using a columnar body with a cross-sectional shape (circular, square, etc.) and size that corresponds to the shape and size of the target container, tube formation and fitting into the container can be performed smoothly.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to drawings showing embodiments.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a columnar body, and a long film F supplied from a raw film roll R is transported downward along the columnar body 1.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a film guide device comprising a plurality of guide rolls for winding the film F along the surface of the columnar body 1 and overlapping the film F with the left and right edges F1, F1 as bonding margins.

3 is a center sealing jig for joining the overlapping surfaces of the left and right edges F1, F1 of the film to form a tube, and is made of, for example, a heat roll for joining by heat fusion.

4 is a tube transfer device. FIG. 2 shows an example of a tube transfer device with a vacuum suction body. The inner surface 42 of the vacuum suction bodies 41, 41 is a suction surface on which a large number of vacuum suction holes 43 are distributed and formed, and the suction surface 42 has a curved surface along the circumferential surface of the columnar body 1 so as to easily attract the tube. have. Reference numeral 44 denotes a vacuum exhaust pipe, which is connected to a vacuum exhaust system (not shown).

The vacuum suction bodies 41, 41 have a vertically divided structure (divided into left and right halves in the figure) so that they can horizontally move toward or away from the tube T surrounding the columnar body 1, and each has a horizontal drive mechanism. The mechanism and the elevating drive mechanism (both not shown) are connected, and horizontal movement (arrow a) and vertical movement (arrow b) are repeated while maintaining a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to the columnar body 1. Its horizontal
In conjunction with the vertical movement, vacuum suction of the suction surface 42 and its stop are repeatedly controlled.

That is, the vacuum suction bodies 41, 41 are close to the columnar body 1, and the outer surfaces of the tube T are vacuum-suctioned to their suction surfaces 42, 42, and the tube T is lowered.
is pulled down, then the vacuum suction is stopped to release the tube from the suction surface, and the tube is evacuated away from the tube and returned to its original position. By repeating this operation at a predetermined period, the tube T moves downward intermittently toward the columnar body 1, and the film F is fed out from the film roll R accordingly. The distance that the vacuum suction bodies 41, 41 move up and down once is set to a length equal to the length of the unit tube cut from the tip end TE of the tube.

5 is a tube fixing jig disposed at the end of the columnar body, and 6 is a cutter for cutting the tube. The fixing jig 5 is for preventing the tube from warping when cutting the tube with a cutter. For example, as shown in FIG. , or enlarged. When the tube T is passing therethrough, the collection chuck is expanded in diameter and separated from the circumferential surface of the tube so as not to obstruct the passage of the tube, and the tip of the tube is extended by a predetermined length to the terminal edge of the columnar body 1. When the tube protrudes further downward and stops moving, its diameter is reduced and the tube is pressed and fixed to the circumferential surface of the columnar body.

The cutter 6 has a cutting blade (for example, a Thomson blade) 62 attached to a vertical rotating shaft 61 as shown in FIG. 5, and rotates the cutting blade 62 at high speed so as to cross the tube T in a horizontal plane. Cut off the protruding part of the tube T by using a knife.

7 and 8 are container transfer devices (for example, belt conveyors), and the container B is sent directly under the columnar body 1 by the transfer device 7, and after the tube is fitted therein, the container B is sent out by the container transfer device 8.

The overall configuration of the device is relatively compact, with a height from top to bottom of, for example, 1 m.
Around or below.

In the above apparatus, the long film F sent out from the raw film roll R is wound around the columnar body 1 by the guide device 2, and is rolled into a tube by the heat roll 3 which is pressed against the overlapped left and right edges F1, F1. It moves downward while being formed. In addition, when starting the operation, the film F may be manually pulled out from the film roll R to the tube transfer device 4 by the operator.

The tube T formed around the columnar body 1 is
Until it reaches the end edge of the columnar body, it is not pressed flat or attached with a bending edge line, but is transported downward while maintaining the form surrounding the columnar body, so that the tube T is The tip part maintains the opening shape, passes through the terminal edge of the columnar body 1, protrudes downward, and continues as it is to the bottle opening B of the container B waiting directly below the columnar body.
It is fitted into 1.a.

Next, the tube fixing jig 5 presses and fixes the circumferential surface of the tube to the columnar body 1, and the cutter 6 cuts off the protruding portion TE of the tube, and then the transfer device 8 is driven to send out the container B1 from directly below the columnar body. At the same time, the next container B2 is sent directly under the columnar body. The same operation as above is performed on the container B2 that has been sent. In this way, tubes can be installed sequentially in a large number of cases.

The container sent out from directly below the columnar body is sent to a heat treatment process, where the tube is subjected to heat shrinkage treatment using hot air or the like.

The tube transfer device 4 in the tube mounting device described above may have an endless belt structure, if desired, instead of having the vacuum suction bodies 41, 41. In FIG. 3, 46 is an endless belt, and the endless belt 46 is stretched between pulleys 45, 45 arranged on the sides of the columnar body 1, and is pressed against the surface of the tube T with an appropriate pressing force. .
The endless belt 46 repeatedly rotates and stops rotating by a rotation drive mechanism (not shown) connected to pulleys. The tube T is transferred downward along the columnar body 1 by the intermittent rotation of the endless belt 46. The film F is unwound from the film roll R as the tube T is transferred.

The belt circumference length caused by one rotation of the endless belt 46 is the same as the length of the unit tube cut from the tip of the tube, and the rotation of the endless belt 46 causes the tip of the tube T to form a columnar body. The vacuum suction body 4 passes through the terminal edge of the vacuum suction body 4 and protrudes downward in its open shape, is fitted into the container B directly below the columnar body, and is cut to a predetermined length.
This is the same as described for the case where 1,41 is used.

The columnar body 1 in the device of the present invention may be either a solid body or a hollow body, and by using one having a cross-sectional shape (circular, square, etc.) and cross-sectional diameter depending on the shape of the target container, the size of the container B can be adjusted. It is possible to obtain tubes of any size depending on the size.

Furthermore, in the above description, the unwinding of the film F from the film roll R is performed by the tube transfer driving force of the tube transfer device 4;
In order to smoothly unwind and feed the film from the film roll R, if necessary, the roll R may be provided with a rotational drive mechanism to rotate it in the unwinding direction in synchronization with the above-mentioned feeding device.

For film center sealing, if film F is made of a material that is not compatible with heat fusion,
Instead of thermal fusion using the heat roll 3, it is possible to press the film with a roll while applying an adhesive to the overlapping surfaces of the left and right edges F1, F1 of the film.

The tip of the tube T protruding downward from the columnar body 1 may be cut off by a cutting method using a cutter (such as a Thomson blade) or a cutting method using a laser or the like.

If necessary to prevent the tube TE fitted into the container from shifting, a tube mounting stand 10 may be placed on the side of the container B as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the material may be received on a mounting table and sent in that state to a heat treatment process to be thermally shrunk.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the tube formed from a long film is not pressed flat, but is transferred as it is along the columnar body and fitted into the container. The various problems mentioned above, such as when the tube is once folded flat for storage and then fitted into a container, are all solved. In other words, () Not only does it not require troublesome and difficult operations to open the tube, but since there is no fold line on the tube, there are no wrinkles or uneven wall thickness after heat shrinkage.
There is no uneven color tone on the printed surface, and the mounting finish is good.

() Since it is given to the container in its cylindrical shape, it can be easily attached even to weak, thin-walled tubes. Furthermore, there is no need to take into account the natural shrinkage of the tube during storage. Therefore, the wall thickness and diameter can be reduced, and the material cost can be reduced accordingly.

() Compared to the conventional method of increasing the diameter of the tube to avoid problems caused by folding the tube or natural shrinkage, the tube diameter can be made smaller, so heat shrinkage treatment is used to secure it to the container. The required heat consumption is reduced and the printed surface of the tube is less distorted.

() The overall structure of the device is compact, and there is no need for a large and complicated mounting device equipped with a mechanism for opening the flattened tube as in the past. Of course, there is no need for space for tube storage.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a vacuum suction body of a tube transfer device, FIG. 3 is a front view showing another example of a tube transfer device, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cutter section, FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of the tube fitted into the container, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view showing a conventional tube opening operation. 1: Column body, 2: Film guide device, 3: Center sealing jig, 4: Tube transfer device,
41: Vacuum suction body, 46: Endless belt, 5: Tube fixing jig, 6: Cutter, F: Film,
T: Tube.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The surface of the columnar body arranged in the vertical direction is used as a film guide surface and a tube forming surface, and while the heat-shrinkable plastic film (hereinafter referred to as "film") is being transferred, the film is placed on the columnar body. A tube mounting device for forming a tube surrounding a columnar body, and fitting the tip of the formed tube into a container waiting directly below the columnar body and cutting it into a unit tube of a predetermined length, the tube attachment device comprising: vacuum suction on the outer surface of the tube surrounding the unit tube and lower it along the columnar body by a distance equal to the length of the unit tube, then stop the vacuum suction and return to the original height position. A tube transfer device having a vacuum suction body that repeatedly moves up and down at a predetermined cycle; the tube transfer device maintains its opening shape by the up and down movement of the vacuum suction body, passes through the terminal edge of the columnar body, and enters the container directly below it. A tube mounting device comprising a tube cutter that repeats the operation of cutting the tip of a tube to be fitted into a unit tube of a predetermined length in conjunction with the vertical movement of the vacuum suction body. 2 The surface of the columnar body arranged in the vertical direction is used as a film guide surface and a tube forming surface, and while the heat-shrinkable plastic film (hereinafter referred to as "film") is being transferred, the film is placed in the tube surrounding the columnar body. A tube mounting device that cuts the tip of the formed tube into a unit tube of a predetermined length by fitting it into a container waiting directly below the columnar body while forming the tube, and the tube is attached to the columnar body by being stretched over a pulley. a rotary motion of the endless belt that is brought into contact with the outer surface of the tube in a direction that coincides with the axial direction of the tube, and that moves the tube downward along the columnar body by a length equal to the length of the unit tube. and a tube transfer device that repeatedly stops its rotational movement at a predetermined cycle, and the tube transfer device maintains the opening shape by the rotational movement of the endless belt, passes through the terminal edge of the columnar body, and is fitted into the container directly below it. 1. A tube mounting device comprising a tube cutter that repeats an operation of cutting the tip of a tube to be attached into unit tubes of a predetermined length in conjunction with the interleaving rotational movement of the endless belt.