Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/08—Label feeding
  • B65C9/18—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls
  • B65C9/1803—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls the labels being cut from a strip
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/0015—Preparing the labels or articles, e.g. smoothing, removing air bubbles
  • B65C2009/0018—Preparing the labels
  • B65C2009/0021—Preparing the labels for temporary attachment to transfer means or to the article
  • B65C2009/0025—Preparing the labels for temporary attachment to transfer means or to the article by electrostatical charge
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/08—Label feeding
  • B65C9/18—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls
  • B65C9/1803—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls the labels being cut from a strip
  • B65C2009/1834—Details of cutting means
  • B65C2009/1846—Laser

Definitions

• This invention relates to a label handling system.
• Label handling systems are well known. They usually comprise
• the face-material, adhesive, silicon release and liner are combined as a reel.
• the printer then takes over and the material is printed, die cut and stored
• the liner is used as a transport
• a further major problem is the increased risk of web snaps or failure of the label to release from the liner during application especially at high
• the present invention seeks to overcome the above problems by
• the carrier means and the label are the carrier means and the label.
• the static attraction may be generated in any suitable manner, for example
• the face layer may be treated or coated with e.g.
• the label material may be a laminate construction
• a face material layer comprising a face material layer, having a first side, referred to herein as a
• the label material may be supported on the carrier by static attraction generated between the face
• the label material can be releasably
• the liner may be a lightweight liner, such as is used for supporting
• cutting means are located in opposite juxtaposition with the carrier.
• the label cutting means may take any suitable form, however,
• this includes laser means for cutting the supported label
• the laser means may take any suitable form but preferably provides
• a laser controller may be incorporated in the system which controls
• any excess material generated by the label cutting operation i.e.
• waste matrix is removed leaving the label(s) attached to the carrier means.
• breaks in the labelling material are re-jointed using established 'splicing' techniques.
• the joints are herein referred to as splices.
• the carrier means may take any suitable form but preferably it is a
• the carrier means may be formed from any material however,
• the carrier is constructed from a material which can be
• electrostatically charged e.g. metal or a metallic material, such as steel
• roller or drum which may be generally cylindrical and around which the
• carrier means passes to effect release of the label from the carrier means.
• the drum has a sufficiently small diameter to encourage/effect
• the carrier means is flexible, and this end, a metallic/metal
• the flexibility of the carrier means enables the belt to pass around
• a label transfer means comprising small diameter roller for
• cut labels may be transferred by the carrier means to the
• the speed of the carrier means may be adjustable in accordance with
• the laser controller may be operative to adjust the cutting operation
• the product labelling system includes a control
• the control system may also be operable to control the speed of the
• the laser controller may operate independently or in
• control system is operative to control the relative speed
• the label and product surface have a constant speed
• the label can be applied to the product in a smooth manner, thereby enhancing the accuracy with
• the control system may take any suitable form and may be operable
• control system may incorporate one or more sensors
• the sensors may take any suitable form and may
• edge of the label e.g. whilst within the label handling system.
• control system operable to adjust the speed and/or
• the label application means is operable to effect positional adjustment of the label prior to application of the label to the product at a
• a rotary or linear device It may be a direct contact device in which the
• intermittent e.g. pulsing pressure which may be under control of the control
• the label application mechanism moves
• linear apparatus e.g. a conveyer or rotary apparatus
• a pressure cylinder or drum e.g. a pressure cylinder or drum, or rotary turret.
• the product supply apparatus is operable to supply the
• the product may be retained stationary relative to the product supply
• the product may move relative to the apparatus.
• a label may be wrapped around a product, and the product
• a label supply apparatus such as the label handling
• product pitch is taken to refer to the distance
• control system of the invention may compensate for differences
• the product or vice versa e.g. by repositioning the label supported on the
• This measurement system may also be operable to automatically
• Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of label handling
• Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of product
• FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the control system of the
• Figure 4 is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of
• handling system 200 according to the invention is shown incorporated with a preferred product labelling system 10.
• the labelling system 200 incorporates a label unwind unit 202, a laser
• a carrier means comprising a flexible, thin metal belt 208 in the
• intermediate label transfer drum 212 having a smaller radius than the drum
• unwind unit 202 past a tensioning drum 201 and onto the carrier belt 208.
• the carrier belt is statically charged by a charging bar 220 which
• the label material is carried on the belt past a cutting station 212
• waste take-up unit 206 which rotates by a servo-
• intermediate transfer mechanism 212 for transfer of the labels 214 to the
• the speed of the belt 208 is determined by the control system 100 (shown in Figure 3) of the product labelling system 10, as part of the label
• the flexible nature of the belt enables it to pass around a small radius
• roller 212 such that the label releases from the belt and re-attaches itself to
• system 10 utilises the label handling system described above as a
• the product labelling system 10 incorporates a product supply apparatus 14, a label application device 16, and a control system
• the optical sensors 18,20 and 22 are colour sensitive.
• the main control unit includes data storage capabilities for storing
• the label application mechanism 16 comprises a rubber coated
• rotatable vacuum drum 17 which has apertures arranged on its outer
• the apertures are in fluid connection with a pneumatic system
• the product supply apparatus 14 comprises a linear conveyer 15 in
• Each component 210, 15, 17 has an associated servo axis and reference sensor which is also in
• the conveyor is under fully integrated servo control which allows
• the optical label sensors comprise a label pitch sensor 18 which is
• head pitch i.e. the pitch of labels supplied to the product application system
• the optical product sensor 22 is located adjacent the conveyer 15
• the product pitch i.e. the distance between the product surfaces to be labelled which in this case is equal to the distance
• the position of the product sensor is a
• Each sensor generates signals in response to colour detection of the
• the drum 17 is also electronically geared to the conveyer 15 such
• the label supply drum 210, and drum 17 are electronically geared so
• the label supply 210 drum 17 gear ratio
• the system also allows for manual override of the label and product pitch.
• the control system 100 responds to signals from the label sensor 18 and product sensor 22. Labels are transported to the drum 17 from the
• the label position sensor 20 which detects the leading edge of each
• the drum modifies the pitch of labels supplied on the web 26 to a
• drum axis position and conveyer axis position are captured and
• control system to locate the 'target label' ie the label nearest the
• the drum 17 is effectively accelerated or decelerated under servo control of its dedicated motor M to
• the correction move is, by default, superimposed
• the entire length of the label may be pulsed under control of the
• the drum 17 may be statically charged to generate static
• FIFO First-ln, First-Out
• Both the label handling system 200 and label application means have the product conveyor as their master axis, so the amount of
• the label handling system 200 acts as a label delivery system that
• the position of each label on the transfer mechanism may be sensed,
• label handling system 200 may be required to stop completely.
• the label handling system 200 applies labels to the drum by individual
• label pitch value may be updated during operation.
• Product pitch information may be sampled, or entered by the
• the average product pitch information is less significant than the
• the current feed is started with a

Landscapes

• Labeling Devices (AREA)
• Seeds, Soups, And Other Foods (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26244077

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (7)

• 2000
  • 2000-05-08 EP EP00927455A patent/EP1175348B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-08 DE DE60022641T patent/DE60022641T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-08 AT AT00927455T patent/ATE304479T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-05-08 WO PCT/GB2000/001624 patent/WO2000068091A1/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (7)

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