US20210371149A1 - Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities - Google Patents
Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20210371149A1 US20210371149A1 US17/336,010 US202117336010A US2021371149A1 US 20210371149 A1 US20210371149 A1 US 20210371149A1 US 202117336010 A US202117336010 A US 202117336010A US 2021371149 A1 US2021371149 A1 US 2021371149A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- label
- label roll
- backing substrate
- support bar
- leading
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
- B65C11/00—Manually-controlled or manually-operable label dispensers, e.g. modified for the application of labels to articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H16/00—Unwinding, paying-out webs
- B65H16/005—Dispensers, i.e. machines for unwinding only parts of web roll
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
- B65H29/54—Article strippers, e.g. for stripping from advancing elements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H35/00—Delivering articles from cutting or line-perforating machines; Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices, e.g. adhesive tape dispensers
- B65H35/0006—Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices
- B65H35/002—Hand-held or table apparatus
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H41/00—Machines for separating superposed webs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
- B65C2210/00—Details of manually controlled or manually operable label dispensers
- B65C2210/0072—Specific details of different parts
- B65C2210/0078—Peeling devices
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/41—Winding, unwinding
- B65H2301/413—Supporting web roll
- B65H2301/4132—Cantilever arrangement
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/41—Winding, unwinding
- B65H2301/413—Supporting web roll
- B65H2301/4139—Supporting means for several rolls
- B65H2301/41398—Supporting means for several rolls juxtaposed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
- B65H2405/40—Holders, supports for rolls
- B65H2405/42—Supports for rolls fully removable from the handling machine
- B65H2405/422—Trolley, cart, i.e. support movable on floor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
- B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
- B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
- B65H2701/194—Web supporting regularly spaced adhesive articles, e.g. labels, rubber articles, labels or stamps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
- B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
- B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
- B65H2701/194—Web supporting regularly spaced adhesive articles, e.g. labels, rubber articles, labels or stamps
- B65H2701/19404—Supporting second web with articles as precut portions
Definitions
- This disclosure relates generally to label dispensers and, in particular, to multi-roll label dispensers for dispensing labels to be attached to product packaging at retail facilities.
- Retail facility workers routinely attach labels to product packaging such as boxes, totes, and the like.
- product packaging such as boxes, totes, and the like.
- workers to transport products, boxes, and totes using product-transporting carts referred to as either order filling carts or picking carts.
- order fulfillment e.g., online order fulfillment
- the workers are often tasked with placing labels on product packaging to identify specific handling instructions (e.g., fragile, heavy, refrigerated, frozen, etc.) for certain products.
- This task is typically performed by a worker having several label rolls or several label roll dispensers on the cart and interchangeably hand-picking a label roll or a label dispenser as appropriate for a given package, peeling off a label from the selected label roll, placing the peeled label on the package, and then placing the label roll back or dispenser back onto the cart.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a label dispenser according to some embodiments coupled to an exemplary product-transporting cart;
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged front perspective view of the label dispenser of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged front perspective view showing in more detail how the label dispenser of FIG. 1 is mounted to the support bar of the product-transporting cart of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the label dispenser of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is the same view as in FIG. 3 , but showing the label dispenser with four label rolls thereon;
- FIG. 6 is the same view as in FIG. 5 , but showing only one label roll on the label dispenser and showing a hand of a user pulling the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll through the opening in the label dispenser in the direction shown by the arrow to initiate the separation of the label from the backing substrate of the label roll;
- FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the label dispenser of FIG. 6 , shown with the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll having been pulled further down by the hand of the user than in FIG. 6 to separate more of the label from the from the backing substrate as compared to FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the label dispenser, shown with the label having been fully separated from the backing substrate, and with the label being pulled in the direction of the arrow to detach the trailing end of the label from the body of the label dispenser.
- a multi-label roll label dispenser that may be coupled to a product-transporting cart or another support surface to facilitate a worker at a retail facility in efficiently dispensing labels from different label rolls and attaching the labels to product packaging.
- a system for dispensing labels from at least one label roll includes a cart for transporting consumer products, the cart including a support bar coupled thereto and a label dispenser mounted on the support bar and configured to facilitate a user to dispense the labels from the at least one label roll.
- the at least one label roll includes a backing substrate and peelable labels detachably attached to the backing substrate.
- the label dispenser includes a label roll support arm configured to support at least one label roll thereon, the label roll support arm including a hollow interior configured to permit a horizontal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough and a notch configured to permit an inclined distal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough.
- the label dispenser further includes a label guide arm including an upper portion configured to support a downward-facing surface of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll thereon and a lower portion.
- the lower portion of the label guide arm of the label dispenser includes at least one opening configured to permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pass therethrough.
- the label guide arm of the label dispenser further includes an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from an outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll in response to a force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm.
- the label dispenser includes a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm. The side wall includes a gap permitting a vertical portion of the support bar to pass therethrough.
- FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a system 100 for dispensing labels 195 from one or more label rolls 190 .
- the exemplary system 100 in FIG. 1 includes a label dispenser 120 coupled to a cart 110 that may be used by workers of retail facilities for transporting consumer products (e.g., non-consumable goods such as glassware and consumable goods such as grocery items) that are typically offered for sale to consumers at retail facilities.
- the term “retail facility” may refer to any place of business such as a store, warehouse, sorting facility, and/or distribution facility where consumer products may be stocked, and/or sold, and/or shipped to, and/or shipped from.
- the label dispenser 120 may be manufactured from various materials including but not limited to one or more polymers, co-polymers, and/or plastic materials. In some embodiments, the label dispenser 120 is made using a manufactured mold or from a 3D model using a 3D printer. In some aspects, the label dispenser 120 may have a general overall length about 150 mm and a general overall width of about 70 mm.
- the label dispenser 120 is detachably coupled to the cart 110 via a support bar 112 , which in turn is fixedly (i.e., non-detachably) mounted to a support surface 111 (e.g., a panel) of the cart 110 .
- the term “non-detachably” will be understood to be an attachment that is not meant to be detached.
- the support bar 112 is mounted to the support surface 111 of the cart 110 via a bracket 113 , which may be fixedly attached to the support surface 111 by any suitable means, including but not limited to welding, fasteners and the like.
- the support bar 112 may in turn be fixedly attached to the bracket 113 by welding, one or more threaded nuts, or other suitable means.
- the label dispenser 120 is shown in FIG. 1 as being coupled to the cart 110 , it will be appreciated that the label dispenser may be coupled to a support bar mounted to any suitable stationary support structure, for example, a wall, a shelf, or a cabinet. It will also be appreciated that, in certain implementations, the label dispenser 120 may be coupled to a portable (e.g., hand-held) device (which may include a support bar akin to the support bar 112 ) that would allow the worker to carry the label dispenser 120 independently of the cart 110 .
- a portable (e.g., hand-held) device which may include a support bar akin to the support bar 112 ) that would allow the worker to carry the label dispenser 120 independently of the cart 110 .
- the exemplary support bar 112 is generally U-shaped and has a first horizontal portion 114 that is attached to the bracket 113 , a vertical portion 116 extending generally downwardly from, and generally perpendicularly to the horizontal portion 114 .
- the support bar 112 also includes a second horizontal portion 118 extending generally perpendicularly to the vertical portion 116 and generally in parallel to the first horizontal portion 114 .
- the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 supports the label dispenser 120 thereon.
- the support bar 112 has a distal portion 119 that is angled upwardly (i.e., forming an incline) relative to the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 .
- the inclined distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 may prevent/restrict the label dispenser 120 from sliding off the support bar 112 and may also prevent/restrict the label rolls 190 from sliding off the label dispenser 120 .
- the illustrated label dispenser 120 includes a label roll support arm 122 , which is generally in the shape of an elongated cylinder to permit one or more label rolls 190 to be supported and freely rotate thereon.
- the label roll support arm 122 has a hollow interior 124 sized and shaped to permit the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 of the cart 110 to pass therethrough, such that the label dispenser 120 is fully supported by the support bar 112 alone, with the label roll support arm 122 resting on it, as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the label dispenser 120 also includes a side wall 130 attached to the label roll support arm 122 and interconnecting the label roll support arm 122 and a label guide arm 160 of the label dispenser 120 , which will be discussed in more detail below.
- the side wall 130 of the label dispenser 120 includes a top edge 133 , a bottom edge 134 opposite the top edge 133 , a rear edge 136 , and a front edge 138 .
- the top edge 133 and bottom edge 134 of the side wall 130 of the exemplary label dispenser 120 may be horizontal or angled to give the side wall 130 a generally forwardly wedged contour.
- the exemplary side wall 130 has a rear edge 136 that is generally vertical and generally perpendicular to the top edge 133 and to the bottom edge 134 .
- the front edge 138 of the side wall 130 is generally arcuate from its top end to its bottom end with the front end of the top edge 133 and the top end of the front edge 138 being interconnected by a linear portion 141 that is sloped downwardly in a direction from the front end of the top edge 133 to the top end of the front edge 138 .
- the side wall 130 is configured to include a generally U-shaped gap 140 .
- the U-shaped gap 140 is defined by: (1) the interior-facing surface of the generally vertical rear edge 136 of the side wall 130 ; (2) the interior-facing surface of a generally C-shaped arcuate (having a radius of curvature complementary to the support bar 112 ) rib 142 having opposite ends 143 and 145 and extending from the bottom end of the vertical rear edge 136 ; and (3) the interior-facing surface of a generally vertical arm 144 of the side wall 130 that extends generally upwardly from the end 145 of the rib 142 generally in parallel to the rear edge 136 of the side wall 130 .
- a part of the vertical portion 116 of the support bar 112 and a part of the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 pass through the gap 140 in the side wall 130 .
- the circumference of the vertical portion 116 of the support bar 112 is located between, and, preferably, in abutment with, both the interior-facing surface of the rear edge 136 of the side wall 130 and the interior-facing surface of the vertical arm 144 of the side wall 130 .
- This configuration in combination with a notch 150 in the label roll support arm 122 (which will be discussed in more detail below), locks the vertical portion 116 of the support bar 112 in place and prevents/restricts the label dispenser 120 from rotating relative to the support bar 112 .
- the label roll support arm 122 of the label dispenser 120 includes a notch 150 .
- the notch 128 is generally U-shaped, and creates top free ends 146 and 148 of the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 having a gap 152 therebetween.
- this gap 152 created by the notch 150 in the label roll support arm 122 permits the inclined distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 to pass therethrough and rotationally interlock the support bar 112 and the label roll support arm 122 .
- FIG. 128 is generally U-shaped, and creates top free ends 146 and 148 of the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 having a gap 152 therebetween.
- this gap 152 created by the notch 150 in the label roll support arm 122 permits the inclined distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 to pass therethrough and rotationally interlock the support bar 112 and the label roll support arm 122 .
- the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 passes through and protrudes from the gap 152 formed by the notch 150 and is located adjacent to (or may be in contact with) the top free ends 146 and 148 of the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 .
- the passage of the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 through the notch 150 of the label roll support arm 122 advantageously locks the label roll support arm 122 in place, preventing the label roll support arm 122 from inadvertently rotating when a user (e.g., a worker at a retail facility) pulls downwardly on the backing substrate 192 of the label rolls 190 to dispense one or more labels 195 from the label rolls 190 .
- a user e.g., a worker at a retail facility
- the label roll support arm 122 has an incomplete (generally C-shaped) circumference, with a portion of the circumference that would have been downward-facing being absent. As such, the bottom free ends 147 and 149 of the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 have a gap 154 therebetween.
- the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 coupled with the label roll support arm 122 having the gap 154 in its circumference, permit the label dispenser 120 (e.g., when including four label rolls 190 fully stocked with labels 195 ) to be easily slid onto the support bar 112 and to be easily slid off the support bar 112 (e.g., to replace labels rolls 190 no longer having any labels 195 with new label rolls 190 that are fully stocked with labels 195 ).
- the label dispenser 120 may be slid onto the support bar 112 by inserting the distal portion 119 and a part of the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 through the gap 140 in the side wall 130 of the label dispenser 120 and into the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 .
- the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 may be slid along almost the entire length of the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 until the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 passes through the notch 150 and at least in part protrudes outwardly and generally upwardly from the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the gap 154 in the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 facilitates the insertion of the support bar 112 into the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 .
- the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 when the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 is inserted into the hollow interior 124 of the label roll support arm 122 , at least the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 (and, possibly, a part of the horizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112 ) is permitted to pass through the gap 154 in the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 .
- the label roll support arm 122 has a length that is sufficient to support four label rolls 190 thereon. It will be appreciated that the label roll support arm 122 may be longer in certain implementations to accommodate more than four label rolls 190 , and may be shorter in certain implementations to accommodate fewer than four label rolls 190 .
- a typical label roll 190 includes a backing substrate 192 .
- the backing substrate 192 includes an outward-facing surface having labels 195 removably attached thereto by an adhesive that permits the labels 195 to be peeled by a user from the backing substrate 192 .
- An individual label 195 of a label roll 190 may include one side (visible in FIG. 5 ) having printed indicia (e.g., Fragile, Refrigerate, Keep Frozen, Heavy, Alcohol, Substitution, etc.) and/or a certain color (e.g., red, green, yellow, black, etc.) thereon, and an opposite side (not visible in FIG. 5 but visible in FIG.
- printed indicia e.g., Fragile, Refrigerate, Keep Frozen, Heavy, Alcohol, Substitution, etc.
- a certain color e.g., red, green, yellow, black, etc.
- the label 195 having an adhesive material thereon that permits the label 195 to be detachably attached to the backing substrate 192 and, after being peeled from the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 by a user, to be attached to an exterior surface of the packaging of a consumer product or to a box/tote used for transporting the consumer product.
- the label dispenser 120 includes a label guide arm 160 for facilitating the separation of the labels 195 of the label rolls 190 from the backing substrates 192 of the label rolls 190 .
- the label guide arm 160 includes an upper portion 162 and a lower portion 164 . While the lower portion 164 has been illustrated as having a generally arcuate shape and the upper portion 162 has been illustrated as being in the shape of a straight line that is not co-linear with the arc of curvature of the lower portion 164 , it will be appreciated that the shape of the various features of the label dispenser 120 has been shown by way of example only, and that other shapes may be used in alternative embodiments.
- the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 includes four openings 132 .
- Each of the openings 132 is generally rectangular in shape and has an overall height and width that is sufficient to permit a leading portion of the backing substrate 192 of a label roll 190 to pass therethrough.
- openings 132 that are located adjacent to one another are separated from each other by a rib 172 , with the rib 172 defining one side of the perimeter of such openings 132 .
- the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 includes a free edge 170 located below each opening 132 , such that the free edge 170 defines a bottom side of the perimeter of each opening 132 .
- a sloped surface 174 that extends forwardly and downwardly from the free edge 170 .
- the free edge 170 of the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 facilitates separation of a leading edge 197 of a leading peelable label 195 of the label roll 190 from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 when a user pulls the backing substrate 192 in a downward direction through the opening 132 of the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 .
- the sloped surface 174 extending between the ribs 172 and forwardly/downwardly from the free edge 170 is a straight, non-curved surface, creating an effect akin to a razor's edge that both separates the label 195 from the backing substrate 192 and guides the label 195 in a direction away from the backing substrate 192 .
- the sloped surface 174 may not be in the shape of a single straight line in some embodiments, and may include a curved portion or may be in the form of two straight lines that are at different angles relative to a horizontal plane.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a label dispenser 120 mounted on a support bar 112 (which is in turn mounted to a cart 110 or another support structure via a bracket 113 ) and having four label rolls 190 thereon.
- each of the label rolls 190 includes a generally circular inner opening 191 defined by the inwardly-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 .
- the opening 191 of each label roll 190 has a diameter that is substantially similar but slightly larger than the diameter of the label roll support arm 122 of the label dispenser 120 and permits a user to slide the label rolls 190 onto (and off) the label roll support arm 122 of the label dispenser 120 .
- the backing substrate 192 of each label roll 190 is pulled by the worker over the upper portion 162 of the label guide arm 160 and into a respective one of the openings 132 of the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the labels 195 of any one of the label rolls 190 may be dispensed (i.e., separated from the backing substrate 192 ) as described below.
- a user wishing to dispense a label 195 from any one of the label rolls 190 would grasp the leading portion of the backing substrate 192 , i.e., the portion of the backing substrate 192 not having a label thereon and hanging below the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 , as shown in FIG. 6 .
- the user After grasping the leading portion of the backing substrate 192 , the user would pull the leading portion of the backing substrate 192 in a generally downward direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 6 .
- the generally downward force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate 192 causes the label roll 190 to rotate.
- the rotation of the label roll 190 on the label roll support arm 122 is permitted, since the label roll support arm 122 and the inner opening 191 of the label roll 190 are both generally circular, and since the label roll 190 is not attached to the label roll support arm 122 by an adhesive.
- the forward rotation of the label roll 190 that occurs in response to the application of the downward force by the user does not cause a corresponding forward rotation of the label roll support arm 122 since, as described below, the forward (and rearward) rotation of the label roll support arm 122 is advantageously restricted by the distal portion 119 of the support bar 112 passing through the notch 150 of the label roll support arm 122 and being interlocked in the gap 152 between the top free ends 146 and 148 of the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 .
- the forward (and rearward) rotation of the label roll support arm 122 is additionally advantageously restricted by the vertical portion 116 of the support bar 112 being interlocked in the gap 140 between the interior-facing surface of the rear edge 136 of the side wall 130 and the interior-facing surface of the vertical arm 144 of the side wall 130 .
- the label roll support arm 122 remains in place and does not rotate during the rotation of the label roll 190 that occurs in response to the application of the downward force by the user, and the friction between the inward-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 and the circumference of the label roll support arm 122 permits the label roll 190 to rotate forwardly independently of the label roll support arm 122 and to permit the backing substrate 192 to be unwound from the label roll 190 .
- the backing substrate 192 continues to unwind from the label roll 190 and the leading edge 197 is pulled against the free edge 170 of the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 , such that the free edge 170 , due to its thin profile, is able to get in-between the leading edge 197 of the label 195 and the outwardly-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 , and slide under the leading edge 197 of the label 195 to initiate the separation of the adhesive downward-facing surface 199 of the label 195 from the outwardly-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 , as shown in FIG. 6 .
- the label guide arm 160 includes a lower portion 164 having a generally arcuate contour and an upper portion 162 in the shape of a straight line that is not co-linear with the arc of curvature of the lower portion 164 .
- the label guide arm 160 includes an edge 163 at the transition between the lowermost surface of the upper portion 162 and the uppermost surface of the lower portion 164 . As can be seen in FIGS. 5-8 , this edge 163 is located above the opening 132 through which the backing substrate 192 is fed.
- the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 As the user pulls the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 downwardly, more and more of the backing substrate 192 unwinds from the label roll 190 and slides over the surface of the linear upper portion 162 of the label guide arm 160 until the backing substrate 192 slides over the edge 163 between the upper portion 162 and the lower portion 164 .
- the initial separation of the leading edge 197 of the label 195 from the outwardly-facing surface of the backing substrate 192 does not occur at the free edge 170 defining the bottom side of the perimeter of the opening 132 , but occurs at the edge 163 located above the opening 132 , due to the different angular orientations of the linear upper portion 162 and the arcuate lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 .
- the sloped surface 174 of the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 guides the downward-facing adhesive surface 199 of the label 195 to slide over it, which facilitates the spatial separation between the label 195 and the backing substrate 192 .
- the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 As the user continues to pull the backing substrate 192 of the label roll 190 generally downwardly/forwardly, more and more of the backing substrate 192 unwinds from the label roll 190 and passes through the opening 132 in the lower portion 164 of the label guide arm 160 , and more and more of the label 195 separates from the backing substrate 192 by arcuate surface of the lower portion 164 (located between the edge 163 and the upper perimeter of the opening 132 ) guiding the portion of the label 195 separated from the backing substrate 192 in a direction away from the backing substrate 192 , as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the label 195 will fully separate from the backing substrate 192 .
- the label 195 does not simply fall onto the floor after being fully separated from the backing substrate 192 .
- the present application describes label dispensers that may support several label rolls thereon, and which are mountable to product-transporting carts at retail facilities to improve the efficiency of the process of applying various labels to consumer products and product packaging/shipping containers by the workers of the retail facilities.
- the increase in worker efficiency provided by the label dispensers described herein will result in a significant operation cost savings to the retailers.
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Abstract
A label dispenser coupled to product-transporting carts at retail facilities includes a label roll support arm supporting multiple label rolls thereon, a label guide arm including openings that permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of a label roll to pass therethrough, and a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm. The label guide arm also includes an upper portion located above the openings and configured to support the backing substrates of the label rolls thereon. The label guide arm further includes an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label from the backing substrate in response to a force applied by the user when pulling the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll through the opening of the label guide arm.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/033,096, filed Jun. 1, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- This disclosure relates generally to label dispensers and, in particular, to multi-roll label dispensers for dispensing labels to be attached to product packaging at retail facilities.
- Retail facility workers routinely attach labels to product packaging such as boxes, totes, and the like. In addition, it is common for workers to transport products, boxes, and totes using product-transporting carts referred to as either order filling carts or picking carts.
- During order fulfillment (e.g., online order fulfillment), the workers are often tasked with placing labels on product packaging to identify specific handling instructions (e.g., fragile, heavy, refrigerated, frozen, etc.) for certain products. This task is typically performed by a worker having several label rolls or several label roll dispensers on the cart and interchangeably hand-picking a label roll or a label dispenser as appropriate for a given package, peeling off a label from the selected label roll, placing the peeled label on the package, and then placing the label roll back or dispenser back onto the cart.
- If four different types of labels need to be distributed by the worker among the packages, the worker would have to interchangeably pick up and put down four different label rolls and peel labels therefrom, which is not efficient. A more efficient solution that overcomes this issue is needed.
- Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and apparatuses pertaining to label roll dispensers for dispensing labels from one or more label rolls. This description includes drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a label dispenser according to some embodiments coupled to an exemplary product-transporting cart; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front perspective view of the label dispenser ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged front perspective view showing in more detail how the label dispenser ofFIG. 1 is mounted to the support bar of the product-transporting cart ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the label dispenser ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is the same view as inFIG. 3 , but showing the label dispenser with four label rolls thereon; -
FIG. 6 is the same view as inFIG. 5 , but showing only one label roll on the label dispenser and showing a hand of a user pulling the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll through the opening in the label dispenser in the direction shown by the arrow to initiate the separation of the label from the backing substrate of the label roll; -
FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the label dispenser ofFIG. 6 , shown with the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll having been pulled further down by the hand of the user than inFIG. 6 to separate more of the label from the from the backing substrate as compared toFIG. 6 ; and -
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the label dispenser, shown with the label having been fully separated from the backing substrate, and with the label being pulled in the direction of the arrow to detach the trailing end of the label from the body of the label dispenser. - Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.
- Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
- The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of exemplary embodiments. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
- Generally speaking, pursuant to various embodiments, a multi-label roll label dispenser that may be coupled to a product-transporting cart or another support surface to facilitate a worker at a retail facility in efficiently dispensing labels from different label rolls and attaching the labels to product packaging.
- In one embodiment, a system for dispensing labels from at least one label roll includes a cart for transporting consumer products, the cart including a support bar coupled thereto and a label dispenser mounted on the support bar and configured to facilitate a user to dispense the labels from the at least one label roll. The at least one label roll includes a backing substrate and peelable labels detachably attached to the backing substrate. The label dispenser includes a label roll support arm configured to support at least one label roll thereon, the label roll support arm including a hollow interior configured to permit a horizontal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough and a notch configured to permit an inclined distal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough. The label dispenser further includes a label guide arm including an upper portion configured to support a downward-facing surface of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll thereon and a lower portion. The lower portion of the label guide arm of the label dispenser includes at least one opening configured to permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pass therethrough. The label guide arm of the label dispenser further includes an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from an outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll in response to a force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm. The label dispenser includes a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm. The side wall includes a gap permitting a vertical portion of the support bar to pass therethrough.
-
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of asystem 100 fordispensing labels 195 from one ormore label rolls 190. Theexemplary system 100 inFIG. 1 includes alabel dispenser 120 coupled to acart 110 that may be used by workers of retail facilities for transporting consumer products (e.g., non-consumable goods such as glassware and consumable goods such as grocery items) that are typically offered for sale to consumers at retail facilities. As used herein, the term “retail facility” may refer to any place of business such as a store, warehouse, sorting facility, and/or distribution facility where consumer products may be stocked, and/or sold, and/or shipped to, and/or shipped from. - The
label dispenser 120 may be manufactured from various materials including but not limited to one or more polymers, co-polymers, and/or plastic materials. In some embodiments, thelabel dispenser 120 is made using a manufactured mold or from a 3D model using a 3D printer. In some aspects, thelabel dispenser 120 may have a general overall length about 150 mm and a general overall width of about 70 mm. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 1 , thelabel dispenser 120 is detachably coupled to thecart 110 via asupport bar 112, which in turn is fixedly (i.e., non-detachably) mounted to a support surface 111 (e.g., a panel) of thecart 110. The term “non-detachably” will be understood to be an attachment that is not meant to be detached. In particular, as can be seen inFIG. 1 , thesupport bar 112 is mounted to thesupport surface 111 of thecart 110 via abracket 113, which may be fixedly attached to thesupport surface 111 by any suitable means, including but not limited to welding, fasteners and the like. Thesupport bar 112 may in turn be fixedly attached to thebracket 113 by welding, one or more threaded nuts, or other suitable means. - While the
label dispenser 120 is shown inFIG. 1 as being coupled to thecart 110, it will be appreciated that the label dispenser may be coupled to a support bar mounted to any suitable stationary support structure, for example, a wall, a shelf, or a cabinet. It will also be appreciated that, in certain implementations, thelabel dispenser 120 may be coupled to a portable (e.g., hand-held) device (which may include a support bar akin to the support bar 112) that would allow the worker to carry thelabel dispenser 120 independently of thecart 110. - With reference to
FIGS. 1 and 3 , theexemplary support bar 112 is generally U-shaped and has a firsthorizontal portion 114 that is attached to thebracket 113, avertical portion 116 extending generally downwardly from, and generally perpendicularly to thehorizontal portion 114. Thesupport bar 112 also includes a secondhorizontal portion 118 extending generally perpendicularly to thevertical portion 116 and generally in parallel to the firsthorizontal portion 114. As can be seen inFIG. 3 , thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 supports thelabel dispenser 120 thereon.FIG. 3 also shows that thesupport bar 112 has adistal portion 119 that is angled upwardly (i.e., forming an incline) relative to thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112. Without wishing to be limited to theory, the inclineddistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 may prevent/restrict thelabel dispenser 120 from sliding off thesupport bar 112 and may also prevent/restrict thelabel rolls 190 from sliding off thelabel dispenser 120. - The illustrated
label dispenser 120 includes a labelroll support arm 122, which is generally in the shape of an elongated cylinder to permit one ormore label rolls 190 to be supported and freely rotate thereon. In the illustrated embodiment, the labelroll support arm 122 has ahollow interior 124 sized and shaped to permit thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 of thecart 110 to pass therethrough, such that thelabel dispenser 120 is fully supported by thesupport bar 112 alone, with the labelroll support arm 122 resting on it, as shown inFIG. 3 . - The
label dispenser 120 also includes aside wall 130 attached to the labelroll support arm 122 and interconnecting the labelroll support arm 122 and alabel guide arm 160 of thelabel dispenser 120, which will be discussed in more detail below. With reference toFIG. 4 , theside wall 130 of thelabel dispenser 120 includes atop edge 133, abottom edge 134 opposite thetop edge 133, arear edge 136, and afront edge 138. Thetop edge 133 andbottom edge 134 of theside wall 130 of theexemplary label dispenser 120 may be horizontal or angled to give the side wall 130 a generally forwardly wedged contour. Theexemplary side wall 130 has arear edge 136 that is generally vertical and generally perpendicular to thetop edge 133 and to thebottom edge 134. Thefront edge 138 of theside wall 130 is generally arcuate from its top end to its bottom end with the front end of thetop edge 133 and the top end of thefront edge 138 being interconnected by alinear portion 141 that is sloped downwardly in a direction from the front end of thetop edge 133 to the top end of thefront edge 138. - In the illustrated embodiment, the
side wall 130 is configured to include a generallyU-shaped gap 140. In particular, as can be seen inFIG. 4 , theU-shaped gap 140 is defined by: (1) the interior-facing surface of the generally verticalrear edge 136 of theside wall 130; (2) the interior-facing surface of a generally C-shaped arcuate (having a radius of curvature complementary to the support bar 112)rib 142 having opposite ends 143 and 145 and extending from the bottom end of the verticalrear edge 136; and (3) the interior-facing surface of a generallyvertical arm 144 of theside wall 130 that extends generally upwardly from theend 145 of therib 142 generally in parallel to therear edge 136 of theside wall 130. - In the illustrated embodiment, a part of the
vertical portion 116 of thesupport bar 112 and a part of thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 pass through thegap 140 in theside wall 130. In particular, as can be seen inFIGS. 3 and 4 , when a part of thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 passes through the interior-facing surface of the C-shapedrib 142 and thevertical portion 116 of thesupport bar 112 is positioned in thegap 140 of theside wall 130 of thelabel dispenser 120, the circumference of thevertical portion 116 of thesupport bar 112 is located between, and, preferably, in abutment with, both the interior-facing surface of therear edge 136 of theside wall 130 and the interior-facing surface of thevertical arm 144 of theside wall 130. This configuration, in combination with anotch 150 in the label roll support arm 122 (which will be discussed in more detail below), locks thevertical portion 116 of thesupport bar 112 in place and prevents/restricts thelabel dispenser 120 from rotating relative to thesupport bar 112. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , at its distal end relative to theside wall 130, the labelroll support arm 122 of thelabel dispenser 120 includes anotch 150. As can be seen inFIG. 2 , the notch 128 is generally U-shaped, and creates topfree ends roll support arm 122 having agap 152 therebetween. As can be seen inFIG. 3 , thisgap 152 created by thenotch 150 in the labelroll support arm 122 permits the inclineddistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 to pass therethrough and rotationally interlock thesupport bar 112 and the labelroll support arm 122. In particular, as shown inFIG. 3 , thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 passes through and protrudes from thegap 152 formed by thenotch 150 and is located adjacent to (or may be in contact with) the topfree ends roll support arm 122. - With the
distal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 being located at least in part in thegap 152 formed by thenotch 150, forward rotation of the labelroll support arm 122 is prevented/restricted by the abutment of the topfree end 146 of the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 and one side of thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112. By the same token, rearward rotation of the labelroll support arm 122 is prevented/restricted by the abutment of the topfree end 148 of the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 and the opposite side of thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112. As such, the passage of thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 through thenotch 150 of the labelroll support arm 122 advantageously locks the labelroll support arm 122 in place, preventing the labelroll support arm 122 from inadvertently rotating when a user (e.g., a worker at a retail facility) pulls downwardly on thebacking substrate 192 of the label rolls 190 to dispense one ormore labels 195 from the label rolls 190. - In the illustrated embodiment, the label
roll support arm 122 has an incomplete (generally C-shaped) circumference, with a portion of the circumference that would have been downward-facing being absent. As such, the bottom free ends 147 and 149 of the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 have agap 154 therebetween. Thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122, coupled with the labelroll support arm 122 having thegap 154 in its circumference, permit the label dispenser 120 (e.g., when including four label rolls 190 fully stocked with labels 195) to be easily slid onto thesupport bar 112 and to be easily slid off the support bar 112 (e.g., to replace labels rolls 190 no longer having anylabels 195 with new label rolls 190 that are fully stocked with labels 195). - With reference to
FIG. 3 , thelabel dispenser 120 may be slid onto thesupport bar 112 by inserting thedistal portion 119 and a part of thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 through thegap 140 in theside wall 130 of thelabel dispenser 120 and into thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122. After thedistal portion 119 and a part of thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112 are inserted through thegap 140 in theside wall 130 into thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122, thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 may be slid along almost the entire length of thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122 until thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 passes through thenotch 150 and at least in part protrudes outwardly and generally upwardly from thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122, as shown inFIG. 3 . - Since the outer circumference of the
support bar 112 and the inner circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 are substantially similar in size, and since thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 is inclined relative to thehorizontal portion 118 of thesupport bar 112, thegap 154 in the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 facilitates the insertion of thesupport bar 112 into thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122. In particular, when thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 is inserted into thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122, at least thedistal portion 119 of the support bar 112 (and, possibly, a part of thehorizontal portion 118 of the support bar 112) is permitted to pass through thegap 154 in the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122. Conversely, given the relative dimensions of thesupport bar 112 and thehollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122, if thegap 154 were absent such that the labelroll support arm 122 had a complete circumference, it would have been difficult to insert the horizontal and distal portions of thesupport bar 112, which are angled relative each other, into the generally cylindrical-shapedhollow interior 124 of the labelroll support arm 122 if the labelroll support arm 122 had a complete circumference and lacked thegap 154. - In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 5 , the labelroll support arm 122 has a length that is sufficient to support four label rolls 190 thereon. It will be appreciated that the labelroll support arm 122 may be longer in certain implementations to accommodate more than four label rolls 190, and may be shorter in certain implementations to accommodate fewer than four label rolls 190. - With reference to
FIG. 5 , atypical label roll 190 includes abacking substrate 192. Thebacking substrate 192 includes an outward-facingsurface having labels 195 removably attached thereto by an adhesive that permits thelabels 195 to be peeled by a user from thebacking substrate 192. Anindividual label 195 of alabel roll 190 may include one side (visible inFIG. 5 ) having printed indicia (e.g., Fragile, Refrigerate, Keep Frozen, Heavy, Alcohol, Substitution, etc.) and/or a certain color (e.g., red, green, yellow, black, etc.) thereon, and an opposite side (not visible inFIG. 5 but visible inFIG. 8 ) having an adhesive material thereon that permits thelabel 195 to be detachably attached to thebacking substrate 192 and, after being peeled from thebacking substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 by a user, to be attached to an exterior surface of the packaging of a consumer product or to a box/tote used for transporting the consumer product. - In the illustrated embodiment, the
label dispenser 120 includes alabel guide arm 160 for facilitating the separation of thelabels 195 of the label rolls 190 from thebacking substrates 192 of the label rolls 190. In the illustrated embodiment, thelabel guide arm 160 includes anupper portion 162 and alower portion 164. While thelower portion 164 has been illustrated as having a generally arcuate shape and theupper portion 162 has been illustrated as being in the shape of a straight line that is not co-linear with the arc of curvature of thelower portion 164, it will be appreciated that the shape of the various features of thelabel dispenser 120 has been shown by way of example only, and that other shapes may be used in alternative embodiments. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 includes fouropenings 132. Each of theopenings 132 is generally rectangular in shape and has an overall height and width that is sufficient to permit a leading portion of thebacking substrate 192 of alabel roll 190 to pass therethrough. In the illustrated embodiment,openings 132 that are located adjacent to one another are separated from each other by arib 172, with therib 172 defining one side of the perimeter ofsuch openings 132. Thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 includes afree edge 170 located below eachopening 132, such that thefree edge 170 defines a bottom side of the perimeter of eachopening 132. - Located between the
ribs 172 and recessed relative to the forward-facing surface of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 is asloped surface 174 that extends forwardly and downwardly from thefree edge 170. As described in more detail below, in some embodiments, thefree edge 170 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 facilitates separation of aleading edge 197 of a leadingpeelable label 195 of thelabel roll 190 from the outward-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192 when a user pulls thebacking substrate 192 in a downward direction through theopening 132 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160. To that end, in the illustrated embodiment, thesloped surface 174 extending between theribs 172 and forwardly/downwardly from thefree edge 170 is a straight, non-curved surface, creating an effect akin to a razor's edge that both separates thelabel 195 from thebacking substrate 192 and guides thelabel 195 in a direction away from thebacking substrate 192. However, it will be appreciated that thesloped surface 174 may not be in the shape of a single straight line in some embodiments, and may include a curved portion or may be in the form of two straight lines that are at different angles relative to a horizontal plane. - As mentioned above,
FIG. 5 illustrates alabel dispenser 120 mounted on a support bar 112 (which is in turn mounted to acart 110 or another support structure via a bracket 113) and having four label rolls 190 thereon. In particular, as can be seen inFIG. 5 , each of the label rolls 190 includes a generally circularinner opening 191 defined by the inwardly-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192. Theopening 191 of eachlabel roll 190 has a diameter that is substantially similar but slightly larger than the diameter of the labelroll support arm 122 of thelabel dispenser 120 and permits a user to slide the label rolls 190 onto (and off) the labelroll support arm 122 of thelabel dispenser 120. After the label rolls 190 are slid by a user onto the labelroll support arm 122, to bring the label rolls 190 into their initial label dispensing position, thebacking substrate 192 of eachlabel roll 190 is pulled by the worker over theupper portion 162 of thelabel guide arm 160 and into a respective one of theopenings 132 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160, as shown inFIG. 5 . With the label rolls 190 being on thelabel dispenser 120 as shown inFIG. 5 , thelabels 195 of any one of the label rolls 190 may be dispensed (i.e., separated from the backing substrate 192) as described below. - In particular, with the label rolls 190 being in their initial dispensing position on the
label dispenser 120 as shown inFIG. 5 , a user wishing to dispense alabel 195 from any one of the label rolls 190 would grasp the leading portion of thebacking substrate 192, i.e., the portion of thebacking substrate 192 not having a label thereon and hanging below thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160, as shown inFIG. 6 . After grasping the leading portion of thebacking substrate 192, the user would pull the leading portion of thebacking substrate 192 in a generally downward direction shown by the arrow inFIG. 6 . - The generally downward force applied by the user to the leading portion of the
backing substrate 192 causes thelabel roll 190 to rotate. The rotation of thelabel roll 190 on the labelroll support arm 122 is permitted, since the labelroll support arm 122 and theinner opening 191 of thelabel roll 190 are both generally circular, and since thelabel roll 190 is not attached to the labelroll support arm 122 by an adhesive. - Notably, if the rotation of the
label roll 190 that occurs in response to the application of the downward force by the user were to cause a corresponding forward rotation of the labelroll support arm 122, the mutual rotation of thelabel roll 190 and the labelroll support arm 122 would not create the friction that is necessary to unwind thebacking substrate 192 from thelabel roll 190. In the illustrated embodiments, however, the forward rotation of thelabel roll 190 that occurs in response to the application of the downward force by the user does not cause a corresponding forward rotation of the labelroll support arm 122 since, as described below, the forward (and rearward) rotation of the labelroll support arm 122 is advantageously restricted by thedistal portion 119 of thesupport bar 112 passing through thenotch 150 of the labelroll support arm 122 and being interlocked in thegap 152 between the topfree ends roll support arm 122. - As described above, the forward (and rearward) rotation of the label
roll support arm 122 is additionally advantageously restricted by thevertical portion 116 of thesupport bar 112 being interlocked in thegap 140 between the interior-facing surface of therear edge 136 of theside wall 130 and the interior-facing surface of thevertical arm 144 of theside wall 130. As such, the labelroll support arm 122 remains in place and does not rotate during the rotation of thelabel roll 190 that occurs in response to the application of the downward force by the user, and the friction between the inward-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 and the circumference of the labelroll support arm 122 permits thelabel roll 190 to rotate forwardly independently of the labelroll support arm 122 and to permit thebacking substrate 192 to be unwound from thelabel roll 190. - With reference to
FIG. 6 , while the user pulls thebacking substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 downwardly, more and more of thebacking substrate 192 unwinds from thelabel roll 190 and passes through theopening 132 in thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 until theleading edge 197 of theleading label 195 of thelabel roll 190 comes into abutment with thefree edge 170 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160. Then, with the user is still pulling thebacking substrate 192 generally downwardly, thebacking substrate 192 continues to unwind from thelabel roll 190 and theleading edge 197 is pulled against thefree edge 170 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160, such that thefree edge 170, due to its thin profile, is able to get in-between theleading edge 197 of thelabel 195 and the outwardly-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192, and slide under theleading edge 197 of thelabel 195 to initiate the separation of the adhesive downward-facingsurface 199 of thelabel 195 from the outwardly-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192, as shown inFIG. 6 . - As discussed above, the
label guide arm 160 includes alower portion 164 having a generally arcuate contour and anupper portion 162 in the shape of a straight line that is not co-linear with the arc of curvature of thelower portion 164. As a result, thelabel guide arm 160 includes anedge 163 at the transition between the lowermost surface of theupper portion 162 and the uppermost surface of thelower portion 164. As can be seen inFIGS. 5-8 , thisedge 163 is located above theopening 132 through which thebacking substrate 192 is fed. - In some embodiments, as the user pulls the
backing substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 downwardly, more and more of thebacking substrate 192 unwinds from thelabel roll 190 and slides over the surface of the linearupper portion 162 of thelabel guide arm 160 until thebacking substrate 192 slides over theedge 163 between theupper portion 162 and thelower portion 164. In one aspect, as more and more of thebacking substrate 192 is pulled through theopening 132, the initial separation of theleading edge 197 of thelabel 195 from the outwardly-facing surface of thebacking substrate 192 does not occur at thefree edge 170 defining the bottom side of the perimeter of theopening 132, but occurs at theedge 163 located above theopening 132, due to the different angular orientations of the linearupper portion 162 and the arcuatelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160. - After the separation of the
leading edge 197 of thelabel 195 from thebacking substrate 192 is initiated, thesloped surface 174 of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 guides the downward-facingadhesive surface 199 of thelabel 195 to slide over it, which facilitates the spatial separation between thelabel 195 and thebacking substrate 192. In other words, as the user continues to pull thebacking substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 generally downwardly/forwardly, more and more of thebacking substrate 192 unwinds from thelabel roll 190 and passes through theopening 132 in thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160, and more and more of thelabel 195 separates from thebacking substrate 192 by arcuate surface of the lower portion 164 (located between theedge 163 and the upper perimeter of the opening 132) guiding the portion of thelabel 195 separated from thebacking substrate 192 in a direction away from thebacking substrate 192, as shown inFIG. 7 . - With reference to
FIGS. 7 and 8 , as the user continues to pull thebacking substrate 192 of thelabel roll 190 generally in a downward/forward direction relative to the position of thebacking substrate 192 shown inFIG. 7 , a more and more of thebacking substrate 192 unwinds from thelabel roll 190 and passes through theopening 132 in thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160, and as more and more of thelabel 195 separates from thebacking substrate 192, thelabel 195 will fully separate from thebacking substrate 192. However, thelabel 195 does not simply fall onto the floor after being fully separated from thebacking substrate 192. Instead, due to the arcuate surface of thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 guiding the portion of thelabel 195 being separated from thebacking substrate 192, a portion of theadhesive surface 199 of thelabel 195 proximate the trailingedge 198 of thelabel 195 remains attached to thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 as shown inFIG. 8 , permitting the user to conveniently detach thelabel 195 from thelower portion 164 of thelabel guide arm 160 by peeling thelabel 195 in the direction shown by the arrow inFIG. 8 . After theleading label 195 is detached from thelabel roll 190, the user can detachmore labels 195 from any of the label rolls 190 by repeating the process described above with reference toFIGS. 6-8 - In view of the foregoing, the present application describes label dispensers that may support several label rolls thereon, and which are mountable to product-transporting carts at retail facilities to improve the efficiency of the process of applying various labels to consumer products and product packaging/shipping containers by the workers of the retail facilities. The increase in worker efficiency provided by the label dispensers described herein will result in a significant operation cost savings to the retailers.
- Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of other modifications, alterations, and combinations can also be made with respect to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
Claims (20)
1. A system for dispensing labels from at least one label roll, the system comprising:
a cart for transporting consumer products, the cart including a support bar coupled thereto; and
a label dispenser mounted on the support bar and configured to facilitate a user to dispense the labels from the at least one label roll, the at least one label roll including a backing substrate and peelable labels detachably attached to the backing substrate, the label dispenser comprising:
a label roll support arm configured to support at least one label roll thereon, the label roll support arm including:
a hollow interior configured to permit a horizontal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough; and
a notch configured to permit an inclined distal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough; and
a label guide arm including:
an upper portion configured to support a downward-facing surface of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll thereon;
a lower portion including at least one opening configured to permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pass therethrough;
an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from an outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll in response to a force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm; and
a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm, the side wall including a gap that permits a vertical portion of the support bar to pass therethrough.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the support bar is non-detachably mounted relative to the cart; and
the label dispenser is detachably coupled relative to the cart via the support bar.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket non-detachably coupled to the cart, wherein the support bar is non-detachably coupled to the support bracket.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inclined distal portion of the support bar passing through the notch in the label roll support arm is configured to:
restrict the label dispenser from sliding off the support bar; and
restrict the at least one label roll from sliding off the label roll support arm.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the label roll support arm is configured as an elongated cylinder that permits the at least one label roll to freely rotate on the label roll support arm.
6. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the elongated cylinder has an incomplete perimeter such that a portion of a circumference of the elongated cylinder is absent to create two opposing top free ends of the circumference and two opposing bottom free ends of the circumference, the top free ends having a first gap therebetween and the bottom free ends having a second gap therebetween.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the inclined distal portion of the support bar passing through the notch passes through the first gap between the top free ends;
forward rotation of the label roll support arm is restricted by an abutment of one of the top free ends and a first side of the support bar; and
rearward rotation of the label roll support arm is restricted by an abutment of another one of the top free ends and a second side of the support bar opposite to the first side.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the side wall of the label guide arm includes a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a rear edge, and a front edge, wherein:
the front edge is generally arcuate from a top end of the front edge to a bottom end of the front edge, and
the top edge of the side wall is interconnected with the top end of the front edge by a linear portion that slopes downwardly from the top edge of the side wall in a direction toward the top end of the front edge of the side wall.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gap in the side wall is defined by:
an interiorly-facing surface of a generally vertical rear edge of the side wall;
an interiorly-facing surface of a generally C-shaped arcuate rib having opposite ends; and
an interiorly-facing surface of a generally vertical arm of the side wall, the generally vertical arm extending generally upwardly from one of the ends of the C-shaped arcuate rib in a direction that is generally parallel to the rear edge of the side wall.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal portion of the support bar passes through an interior-facing surface of the C-shaped arcuate rib, and wherein the vertical portion of the support bar is positioned in abutment with both the interiorly-facing surface of the rear edge of the side wall and the interiorly-facing surface of the vertical arm of the side wall to restrict the label dispenser from rotating relative to the support bar.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein, the lower portion of the label guide arm is generally arcuate and the upper portion of the label guide arm is a straight and not co-linear with an arc of curvature of the lower portion.
12. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one opening is a plurality of openings, wherein adjacent openings are separated from each other by a rib that defines one side of a perimeter of the adjacent openings, and
wherein the edge is located below each opening such that the edge defines a bottom side of the perimeter of each opening.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the label guide arm further includes a sloped surface that is located between ribs separating the adjacent openings and that extends forwardly and downwardly relative to the edge that defines the bottom side of the perimeter of each opening.
14. A method for dispensing labels from at least one label roll, the method comprising:
providing a cart for transporting consumer products, the cart including a support bar coupled thereto; and
providing a label dispenser mounted on the support bar and configured to facilitate a user to dispense the labels from the at least one label roll, the at least one label roll including a backing substrate and peelable labels detachably attached to the backing substrate, the label dispenser comprising:
a label roll support arm configured to support at least one label roll thereon, the label roll support arm including:
a hollow interior configured to permit a horizontal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough; and
a notch configured to permit an inclined distal portion of the support bar to pass therethrough; and
a label guide arm including:
an upper portion configured to support a downward-facing surface of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll thereon;
a lower portion including at least one opening configured to permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pass therethrough;
an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from an outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll; and
a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm, the side wall including a gap that permits a vertical portion of the support bar to pass therethrough;
in response to a force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm, separating, by the edge, the leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising positioning the at least one label roll on the label dispenser such that the backing substrate passes over the upper portion of the label guide arm, through the at least one opening, and under the lower portion of the label guide arm.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the separating of the leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate at the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll further comprises the free edge sliding under a leading edge of the leading peelable label to initiate the separating of the leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein in response to an initiation of the separating of the leading peelable label of the at least one label roll from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate, the leading edge of the leading peelable label slides over the lower portion of the label guide arm.
18. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the leading peelable label remains attached to the lower portion of the label guide arm after the leading peelable label is fully separated from the outward-facing surface of the backing substrate; and
further comprising permitting the user to detach the leading peelable label from the lower portion of the label guide arm by pulling the leading peelable label in a direction away from the lower portion of the label guide arm.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising permitting the at least one label roll to rotate on the label roll support arm in response to the force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm.
20. The method of claim 14 ,
wherein:
the label roll support arm is configured as an elongated cylinder that permits the at least one label roll to freely rotate on the label roll support arm;
the elongated cylinder has an incomplete perimeter such that a portion of a circumference of the elongated cylinder is absent to create two opposing top free ends of the circumference and two opposing bottom free ends of the circumference, the top free ends having a first gap therebetween and the bottom free ends having a second gap therebetween; and
the inclined distal portion of the support bar passing through the notch passes through the first gap between the top free ends; and
further comprising, in response to the force applied by the user to the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll to pull the leading portion of the backing substrate of the at least one label roll through the at least one opening of the label guide arm:
restricting forward rotation of the label roll support arm by an abutment of one of the top free ends and a first side of the support bar; and
restricting rearward rotation of the label roll support arm by an abutment of another one of the top free ends and a second side of the support bar opposite to the first side.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US17/336,010 US20210371149A1 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2021-06-01 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
US18/201,636 US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2023-05-24 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
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US202063033096P | 2020-06-01 | 2020-06-01 | |
US17/336,010 US20210371149A1 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2021-06-01 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
Related Child Applications (1)
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US18/201,636 Continuation US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2023-05-24 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
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US20210371149A1 true US20210371149A1 (en) | 2021-12-02 |
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US17/336,010 Abandoned US20210371149A1 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2021-06-01 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
US18/201,636 Active US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2023-05-24 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
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US18/201,636 Active US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2023-05-24 | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
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US (2) | US20210371149A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2024-04-09 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6805184B1 (en) * | 2003-10-31 | 2004-10-19 | Yu Chen Hsiu-Man | Stripping apparatus for label separable paper |
US8568046B2 (en) * | 2007-09-17 | 2013-10-29 | Avery Dennison Corporation | Mounting assembly and method of loading and/or unloading rolls |
US20180057033A1 (en) * | 2016-08-24 | 2018-03-01 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Order fulfillment cart having nesting capability |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5478428A (en) | 1994-08-01 | 1995-12-26 | Grand Rapids Label Company | Label separator and method for separating a label from a backing |
US5570809A (en) | 1995-02-17 | 1996-11-05 | Martin; Rodger D. | Adhesive label dispenser |
JP4307620B2 (en) | 1999-03-30 | 2009-08-05 | 株式会社サトー | Rolled label core holding device for label sticking machine |
US10507858B2 (en) | 2017-08-25 | 2019-12-17 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US20210371149A1 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2021-12-02 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
-
2021
- 2021-06-01 US US17/336,010 patent/US20210371149A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2023
- 2023-05-24 US US18/201,636 patent/US11952162B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6805184B1 (en) * | 2003-10-31 | 2004-10-19 | Yu Chen Hsiu-Man | Stripping apparatus for label separable paper |
US8568046B2 (en) * | 2007-09-17 | 2013-10-29 | Avery Dennison Corporation | Mounting assembly and method of loading and/or unloading rolls |
US20180057033A1 (en) * | 2016-08-24 | 2018-03-01 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Order fulfillment cart having nesting capability |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11952162B2 (en) | 2020-06-01 | 2024-04-09 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Label dispenser for product-transporting carts at retail facilities |
Also Published As
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US20230294867A1 (en) | 2023-09-21 |
US11952162B2 (en) | 2024-04-09 |
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