KR19990077058A - Product labeling device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A commodity having a conveyor 2 for supplying the commodity 1 and a labeling mechanism 4 for supplying the commodity 1 and attaching the label 3 to the commodity 1 at a labeling position 5. Alternatively, a labeling device for packaged goods is provided such that a feeder 6 feeds the part 7 from the magazine 8 to the labeling position 5 and the part 7 labels at the labeling position 5. It is designed and manufactured to join the goods 1 with some kind of parts 7 so that they can be combined with the parts 7 by (3).

Description

Product labeling device and method

Labeling devices of the kind mentioned below have been known through technical practices for many years. If this is described by way of example only, reference may be made to European Patent No. 0 423 542 and German Utility Model Registration No. 87 06 722. In a known labeling device, a label coated on one side with an adhesive is wound on a continuous label tape. Such label tapes are generally wound on a dispenser spool.

During the actual labeling operation, the label tape is flipped sharply over the so-called discharge edges so that the labels can be placed on the product in progress or pressed against each other in turn according to the strength of the material and then adhered to the product. In either case, the progress of the label tape is usually aligned with the progress of the product moving horizontally so that the label can be provided at exactly a predetermined position of the product.

However, known labeling devices apply only to goods or their packaging. If the device is intended to be supplied with some kind of part, for example a plastic clip for repackaging the product, it is absolutely necessary to put the clip in the package, which interferes with the packaging process. If the clip is to be attached to any part of the outside of the package, such additional manipulation, i.e. if the clip is attached to the product or the package in some form, will cause the same disturbance. In this case, it is necessary to effectively avoid removing the unwanted clip. However, the additional operations required to attach parts of some kind of goods or their packaging are usually not suitable due to price issues. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a labeling device in which any kind of parts can be combined with a product or their packaging at the same time as a labeling operation.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for labeling a product and a method thereof, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for labeling a packaged product. The apparatus according to the invention comprises a conveyor for carrying the goods and a labeling mechanism for feeding the label and for labeling the goods with the label in the labeling position.

1 is a schematic side view of a product labeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic top view showing components connected to each other on a component tape.

The labeling device according to the invention achieves the above object from the features of claim 1. Accordingly, the labeling device of the present invention is provided with a feeding device for supplying parts from a magazine to a labeling position, and is manufactured and designed so that the device can be coupled to the goods by a label at the labeling position.

According to the invention, it is possible at the same time to first combine the goods, packaging or packaging materials with the desired parts and to combine them with the labels of the goods or packaging. It is possible to simultaneously combine two operations by almost one operation, that is to label the product substantially while simultaneously attaching parts to the product.

This is made possible by additionally providing the actual labeling mechanism with a part magazine which provides the part at the labeling position via the feeder. In this process, such a part is provided at a labeling location or is peeled off by performing an adhesive removal role on the part at that location. By using the device of the present invention, the label serves two purposes simultaneously. In other words, it has the purpose of manipulating the connection between the goods or their packaging and the parts provided in the goods, on the other hand with the conventional labeling purpose. Since a paper label is usually used as the label, it is possible to remove a part, which is preferably attached to a product or attached to an edge of the label, by a simple method of tearing off. In this process, the label is particularly damaged at the corners.

In particular, the feeding device may supply the part to the label, preferably at a separation position of the part, so that when the label is peeled off the label tape and moved toward the product, the waiting part is taken by the label and moved toward the product. . As a corresponding method, it is possible for the labeling mechanism to move the label along with the part attached to the label to the commodity to engage the commodity at that location. The combination of the merchandise and the label as well as the combination of the label and the parts can also occur simultaneously. In this case, the steps need to be adjusted very precisely with respect to position and time.

Within the development range of a specific structure, the feeder uses a feed chute to position the part in the correct position on the feed chute, so that the part is fed to the label. Can be. At this time, the position of the part relative to the label is automatically predetermined.

The actual attachment of the label together with the parts already attached to the label can be carried out by a label pressing device. In this case, the goods or their packaging serve as a support. In particular, the label detached from the label tape, together with the part associated with the article, is pressed down by a roller over the article and attached to the article by the adhesive application layer of the label.

The label itself can be made workable on a label tape (sometimes termed a label tape bobbin) or conveying tape that acts as a magazine through the label spool. Eventually, the conveying tape is released from the label spool and then moved to the labeling position via various guide means. In that position, the conveying tape is angled by the conveying tape so that the label can be peeled off or peeled off by the inherent strength of the conveying tape. The conveying tape is then moved back to a takeup spool for winding the empty conveying tape so that the conveying tape itself does not interfere with the labeling operation. Thereby, the conveying tape wound on the recovery spool can be easily removed.

In a similar manner, the goods or parts associated with the packaging of the goods can be made workable on the conveying tape to which they are attached. In this case, however, during the stripping operation, the part should be stripped of the conveying tape and brought into contact with the adhesive side of the label.

In a particularly preferred method, in the form of a part tape which acts as a magazine and is wound on a spool, the part is in contact with a predetermined separation point and is in working condition with the separation point. Eventually, the part is connected to and separated from the part tape during or immediately before the labeling operation. This is made possible by bending the part by applying pressure, cutting, or other mechanical manipulation at a separation point or at a predetermined cutting point. In either case, it is necessary to ensure that the parts are supplied to the label or product precisely at the labeling location. This supply should occur after the label has been peeled off and before the product is labeled.

In order to precisely supply the parts on the one hand and the labels on the other side to the goods or the packaging of the goods, the conveyor, the labeling position and the feeding device must be harmonized with each other in time. In view of the device of a particularly simplified configuration in connection with the present invention, it is possible to provide a labeling mechanism for supplying at least one label and a supply device for supplying a component having a common drive. In this case, each driving means of the labeling mechanism on the one hand and the driving means of the other convenient feeding device are adjusted by a gear mechanism.

Similarly, from the standpoint of positioning parts and performing labeling correctly, there is another advantage when it is possible to detect the arrival of goods, labels and / or parts at the labeling position. The above detection may be performed in a non-contact manner through a sensor to which capacitance or inductance is applied. It is also possible to detect the arrival of labels, parts, as well as goods, using light or mechanical sensors. In either case, it is necessary to ensure that each operation step associated with the part, label and product is correctly associated with each other. After all, this requires precise positioning.

However, the parts associated with the goods may be of a kind that should not exceed the size of the goods. For example, the component may include a tab or handle for placing the product in a customer sales gondola. Similarly, the part may be a clip for closing the package again, which makes it possible to close the package again using the clip after removing the sold part. This makes it possible to easily reseal transparent foils or plastic packages, in particular plastic bags. In particular, parts made of plastic can be glued in the form of part tapes, for example by injection molding techniques, so that rolled-up parts made of plastic can be fed to the labeling position in the same way as the labels themselves. have.

The apparatus according to the invention has an improved function in that the feeding device is connected with a printing device for printing parts on at least one side in the area between the magazine and the labeling position. Such a printing device may be a thermal printer with a replaceable ink ribbon. The thermal printer has an exchangeable stamp and an adjustable printing table. In order to precisely adjust the position of the stamp, the print table is substantially longer than the printed part so that the position of the stamp can be adjusted according to the length of the part. In either case, the printing position is determined by positioning the stamp. During the printing operation, the parts are in the ordered state on the printing table and can only be resumed after raising the stamp.

Similarly, an imprint may be provided on each label. Thus, the labeling mechanism can be connected to a similarly arranged printing press in the area dating back from the labeling position. If the label is a paper label, any kind of preferred printer or printing method can be used.

The method of the present invention solves the problems presented above by the steps of claim 18. Thus, in the case where the goods are carried on the conveyor and the labels are fed to the goods via the labeling mechanism and attached at the labeling position, the method of labeling the goods or packaged goods is supplied by the feeder from the magazine to the labeling position. By being associated with the product by a label at the labeling position, it is further improved and developed. Other parts may be described with reference to the detailed description of the device of the present invention.

The disclosure disclosed herein has the potential to be further improved and developed in an evolutionary manner. For this purpose, reference numerals are given to the claims on the one hand, and reference numerals are given to the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings. According to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, preferred improvements and developments of the disclosed subject matter are described.

1 shows a product labeling apparatus. Commodity 1 may include, for example, james (muesli mixes) packaged in plastic bags or foils. The apparatus has a conveyor 2 for supplying goods 1. This is described in detail in, for example, European Patent No. EP 0 423 542 B1 and will not be described in detail.

In order to supply label 3 and attach it to article 1, the apparatus is provided with a labeling mechanism 4. Label 3 is attached at labeling position 5.

According to the invention, the apparatus comprises a special feeder 6 for feeding the part 7 from the magazine 8 to the labeling position 5. At labeling position 5, part 7 is associated with article 1 by label 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the supply apparatus 6 supplies the label 3 at the point where the component 7 is separated so that the labeling mechanism 4 supplies the label 3 and the component 7 to the product 1 with the label 3 adhered to the component 7. . As a result, both operations of attaching and labeling the component 7 to the article 1 are performed by a single operation.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the apparatus is provided with a pressing device 9 for pressing together the component 7 and the label 3 on the article 1 serving as a support. The pressing device 9 also includes a pressing roller 10 for pressing the label 3 together with the parts 7 on the article 1.

Label 3 is moved from the label spool 11 which acts like a magazine 8 onto the conveying tape 12 and becomes workable. A takeup spool 13 is used to wind the empty conveying tape 12.

As shown in Fig. 2, the component 7 is made workable by way of contact with it through the tape 15 wound on the spool 14 serving as a magazine. The part tape 15 is separated at position 16. More specifically, the part 7 shown in Fig. 2 is a plastic clip that is used to close the packaging of the commodity 1 once again opened.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the feeding device 6 is associated with a printing device 17 for printing the part 7 on one side in the area between the magazine 8 and the labeling position 5. The printing apparatus is in particular a thermal printing machine having an adjustable ribbon table 18 having an exchangeable stamp and an ink ribbon replaceable. The arrangement of the printing apparatus 17 shown only in general can be arbitrarily adjusted and only pointed out that there is a possibility of such arrangement.

The above applies equally to an additional printer 20 for printing label 3. The printer 20 is associated with an area up to the labeling position 5.

Fig. 2 only shows that the imprint is provided by the printing apparatus 17 on the part 7 shown by the plastic clip.

For other embodiments of the present invention, other embodiments of the present invention are not referred to in order to avoid repetition.

In the end, it should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, which is merely an embodiment for explaining the content of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A conveyor (2) for providing a commodity (1) and a labeling mechanism (4) for supplying a label (3) and for attaching the label (3) to the commodity (1) at a labeling position (5), An apparatus for labeling goods 1 or packaged goods 1, A feeder 6 for supplying a component 7 from a magazine 8 to the labeling position 5, the component 7 via the label 3 providing the product at the labeling position 5. A product labeling device, characterized in that it can be combined with (1). 2. The feeding device (6) according to claim 1, wherein the feeding device (6) feeds the component (7) to the label (3) at the separation point of the component (7), and the labeling mechanism (4) supplies the label (3). A product labeling device, characterized in that it is provided to the product (1) together with the component (7) in a state of being bonded to the component (7). 3. A product labeling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the feeding device (6) feeds the component (7) to the label (3) by means of a feed chute. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a crimping device (9) for crimping the components (7) and the label (3) together on the product (1) serving as a support. Commodity labeling device. The product labeling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing device (9) comprises a pressing roller (10). The label (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the label (3) is moved from the label spool (11) acting as a magazine (8) onto the conveying tape (12) to become workable. Product labeling apparatus. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that a takeup spool (13) is provided for winding the empty conveying tape (12). 8. A predetermined separation point according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component (7) is contacted through a tape (15) wound on a spool (14) acting as a magazine (8). The product labeling device, characterized in that the workable state in (16). 9. The article labeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor (2), the labeling mechanism (4) and the feeder (6) are in time coordination with one another. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive device is common to the labeling mechanism 4 for supplying the label 3 and the supply device 6 for supplying the component 7. Product labeling device characterized in that is provided. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arrival of the article (1), the label (3) and / or the component (7) can be detected at the labeling position (5). Product labeling device. 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the arrival of the article (1), the label (3) and / or the component (7) can be detected by a mechanical sensor or a light beam. 13. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (7) is a tab or handle of the article (1). 13. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (7) is a clip for closing the packaging again. 15. A printing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feeding device (6) is for printing at least one surface of the component (7) in the area between the magazine (8) and the labeling position (5). Product labeling device, characterized in that associated with the device (17). 16. The printing device (17) according to claim 15, wherein the printing device (17) has a replaceable stamp (19) and an adjustable print table (18) and is designed as a thermal printer operated by a replaceable ink ribbon. Product labeling device, characterized in that the production. 17. The labeling device (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the labeling mechanism (4) is associated with a printing machine (20) for printing the label (3) in an area dating from the labeling position (5). Product labeling apparatus. The product 1 is carried by the conveyor 2, the label 3 is supplied to the product 1 by a labeling mechanism 4 and the label 3 is placed on the product 1 at a labeling position 5. A device for labeling goods 1 or packaged goods 1, using one of the devices of claims 1 to 17, to which Feed the component (7) from the magazine (8) to the labeling position (5) via the feeder (6), and engage the product (1) at the labeling position (5) via the label (3). Product labeling method.