WO2002034623A1

WO2002034623A1 - Device for binding products, in particular stem products, using adhesive tape

Info

Publication number: WO2002034623A1
Application number: PCT/FR2001/003275
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Lechevalier
Original assignee: Ateliers De Recherches Et Conceptions A.R.C.
Priority date: 2000-10-26
Filing date: 2001-10-22
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Also published as: EP1328440A1; AU2002212425A1; FR2815936A1; FR2815936B1

Abstract

The invention o concerns a binding device comprising a working table (12) for receiving the products to be bound (16), a reel of adhesive tape (66), an arm (24) mobile between a high position and a low position, said arm having a free end (30), an upper head (32) mounted at the arm (24) free end, a lower head (46) mounted beneath the working table (12). It comprises means for reeling off a length of adhesive tape from the reel (66) prior to binding the products (16) so as to constitute in advance an adhesive tape reserve, said reserve capable of being restored to be wound around the products (16) without any significant tensile stress on the adhesive tape (75). Said means preferably comprise at least a roller (74) mobile between a position bringing it close to the fixed roller (72) and a position keeping it away from said fixed roller.

Description

Device for bundling products, in particular rods, by means of an adhesive tape

The invention relates to the bundling of products, in particular stem products such as, for example, bouquets of flowers, leeks or the like.

It relates more particularly to a device for bundling products by means of an adhesive tape, comprising a work table for receiving the products, an adhesive tape dispenser, an arm movable between a high position and a low position, this arm having a free end, an upper head mounted at the free end of the movable arm and a lower head mounted under the work table.

There are already known, in particular from documents FR 2 558 794 and WO 98/01342, bundling devices of this type.

In these devices, the adhesive tape is unwound directly from the reel, usually a spool. Since the turns of adhesive tape adhere to each other, it is necessary to exert a fairly large tensile force on the adhesive tape to unwind a length corresponding to the perimeter of the products to be bundled. The stresses thus exerted on the ribbon can lead to its rupture. On the other hand, there is a risk that the adhesive will come off the products or the lower head.

To counter these risks, it is known to rotate the products on themselves during the descent of the mobile arm. This has the disadvantage of requiring a more complex mechanical production and on the other hand induces a risk of damaging the products.

The present invention relates to a booting device in which a length of adhesive tape necessary for the bundling of products can be obtained without significant tensile force on the ribbon, so that there is no need to rotate it on itself during the descent of the arm and not to risk damaging the products. In addition, this device must be short and compact in order to allow easy integration into a product packaging line. The pitch between two successive products must be low and the capacity of adhesive tape important in order to ensure a great autonomy.

To this end, the invention provides a device for bundling a product of the type defined in the introduction, which comprises means for unwinding a length of adhesive tape from the reel prior to bundling the products in order to preconstitute a reserve of adhesive tape, this reserve can be restored to be wrapped around the products without significant tensile force on the adhesive tape.

Thanks to this characteristic, the risks of breaking the adhesive tape are eliminated. On the other hand, the adhesive tape being able to be unwound effortlessly, there is no risk of it peeling off and it is therefore not necessary to rotate the products on themselves, which eliminates the risk of damaging them.

Preferably, the means for preconstituting a reserve of adhesive tape comprise at least one fixed roller and at least one roller movable between a position close to the fixed roller and a position distant from this fixed roller, and actuation means for bringing said roller back mobile in its remote position so as to unwind a length of adhesive tape from the reel and preconstitute a reserve of adhesive tape, the mobile roller being authorized to return to the close position without having to overcome a significant resistance force so as to restore freely the length of tape.

In a particular embodiment, the actuation means comprise a rod articulated in rotation and supporting said movable roller. The angular movement of the connecting rod can be limited by two stops, at least one of which is adjustable. The connecting rod is advantageously returned to its remote position by a cam secured to the movable arm.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the upper head comprises a deflection roller on which the adhesive tape is wound, the position of this roller relative to the lower head being such that the adhesive tape forms an angle of approximately 45 °. with respect to the horizontal when the movable arm is in the high position.

According to another advantageous characteristic, the return roller and a fixed roller for guiding the adhesive tape situated upstream from the return roller are equidistant from the axis of rotation of the movable arm.

In a particular embodiment, the bundling device comprises a pusher movable in synchronism with the movable arm between a retracted position in which it is under the worktop of the table while the movable arm is in the high position; and an extended position in which it projects above the work table to push the products towards the adhesive tape at the start of the descent of the movable arm from the high position to the low position, the table having an opening for passage of the pusher.

The pusher is advantageously mounted to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis located below the work table. This pusher preferably consists of two parts located on either side of the opening of the work table and sufficiently spaced to allow the passage of the upper and lower heads. The movement of the pusher is advantageously controlled by a rotary cam.

According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the pusher pivots according to an angular pivoting interval which is less than 90 ° and advantageously about 60 °. Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment given by way of illustration, with reference to the appended figures. In these figures:

- Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a bundling device according to the present invention, the movable arm of which is in the high position;

- Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of the bundling device shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1 showing the bundling device at the end of a first phase of the winding of the adhesive tape on products to be bundled;

- Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the bundling device after the lowering of the movable arm;

- Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the lower and upper heads at the start of the cutting phase of the adhesive tape; and

- Figure 6 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 5 showing the same heads at the end of the adhesive tape cutting phase.

The bundling device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a rectangular box 10 located at its lower part. A work table 12 is located above the box 10. A conveyor 14 located at the work table continuously supplies products 16 to be bundled. These products are formed for example by flowers with stems which should be collected and bundled to form a bouquet.

Above the box 10 and the table 12 extends a bracket 18 (see FIG. 2) comprising a bracket arm 20 mounted in cantilever and disposed above the work table 12. A flange 22 is mounted fixed at the end of the stem arm 20, an arm 24 having a swan neck shape is mounted pivoting about a horizontal axis 26. The arm 24 is movable between a high position shown in the figures 1 and 3, and a low position shown in FIG. 4. The mobile arm 24 has a free end 30 carrying a deflection roller 31. A head 32, called upper head in the following, is mounted at the free end 30 of the arm 24. The upper head 32 comprises, among other things, a deflection roller 34 which guides the adhesive tape just before the latter leaves the head.

At its end articulated around the axis 26, the arm 24 comprises a cam 36. The profile of this cam consists of three parts, namely a circular part of small diameter 40, a cam front 42, and a part of cam 44 located beyond the cam front 42. This part 44 is circular and has a diameter greater than that of part 40.

A head 46, called lower head in the following, is mounted under the work table 12. There is also a double pusher 48 consisting of two parts 50 and 52 located on either side of the head 46 (Figure 2) . The pusher 48 is movable in synchronism with the movable arm 24. It is pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal axis 54 which is located below the plane defined by the work table 12. This pivot axis is parallel to the pivot axis 26 of the arm 24. Each of the parts 50 and 52 of the pusher has a substantially circular bearing face 56 shaped to allow the product to be pushed and collected, then ejected.

The pusher 48 is movable between a retracted position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 in which it extends under the work table 12, to allow the arrival of the products 16 to be bundled while the arm 24 is in the high position, and an extended position shown in Figure 4 in which it projects above the table work 12 to push the products 16 towards the adhesive tape, at the start of the descent of the movable arm 24 from its high position to its low position. Between these two positions, the pusher pivots according to an angular interval less than 90 ° and preferably of the order of 60 °.

The working table 12 has an opening 58 for the passage of the pusher 48. The opening 58, preferably of rectangular shape, also allows the passage of the upper head 32 when the movable arm 24 is in the low position (see FIG. 4) . The pivoting of the pusher 48 is controlled by a cam disc 60 comprising a cam groove 61 etched in the disc 60, closed on itself and in which engages a cam finger (not shown). The disc 60 is driven by an electric motor 62 located in the box 10 by means of a shaft 64 (Figure 2).

At the upper part of the flange 22, there is an adhesive tape dispenser. In the example shown, this reel is constituted by a large diameter coil 66 rotatably mounted around an axis 67 on the flange 22. The coil 66 can store a large length of adhesive tape, of the order of 1,000 meters , which allows a great autonomy of the winding device. The coil 66 is braked by a brake 68 which can be adjusted manually by means of a nut 70 so as to ensure the tension of the adhesive tape (FIG. 2).

The winding device also comprises means for preconstituting a reserve of adhesive tape upstream of the movable arm 24. In the embodiment shown, these means consist of a set of fixed rollers and a set of movable rollers in equal number of preferably that of fixed rollers. In the example shown in the figures, there are two fixed rollers 72 and two movable rollers 74. An additional fixed roller 88 is advantageously provided to guide the adhesive tape before it passes over the upper head 32, this is i.e. around the idler rollers 31 and 34. According to the invention, the movable rollers 74 are movable between a position close to the fixed rollers 72 and a position remote from these same rollers 72.

In the example shown, the movable rollers 74 are mounted on an oscillating rod 76 which pivots about an axis 78 on the flange 22. This axis 78 extends parallel to the axis 26 of the movable arm 24. At its end lower, the oscillating rod 76 includes a finger 80 whose function will be explained later. The angular movement of the connecting rod 76 can be adjusted by means of two stops 82 and 84, at least one of which, for example the stop 84, is adjustable. A non-prestressed return spring 86, fixed at one end to the flange 22 and at its other end to the connecting rod 76, biases the latter so as to rotate it anti-clockwise, in order to move the movable rollers away

74 fixed rollers 72.

The course of the adhesive tape 75 is therefore the following. It is unwound from the reel 66, then it passes over a first fixed roller 72, then over a first mobile roller 74, over the second fixed roller 72 and finally over the second mobile roller 74.

The tape 75 is wound on the fixed rollers 72 by its side devoid of adhesive, and on the contrary on the movable rollers 74 by its adhesive side. This is the reason why the movable rollers 74 are provided with a non-stick coating.

The adhesive tape 75 is then wrapped around the fixed roller 88 mounted on the flange 22, then it passes over the upper head.

32 which it leaves after passing over the return rollers 31 and 34. The free end 92 of the adhesive tape is fixed to a roller 94 which is part of the lower head 46, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

The position of the return roller 34 relative to the roller 94 of the lower head 46 is such, when the arm is in the high position (Figure 1 and Figure 3), that the adhesive tape

75 forms an angle of about 45 ° relative to the horizontal, that is to say relative to the plane of the work table 12. Under these conditions, the products to be bundled 16, brought by the conveyor 14, come into contact with the adherent face of the tape 75 by a contact area 100 located above the center of the circle formed by the products to be bundled. The contact zone 100 divides the adhesive tape into a lower zone 101, situated between the contact zone 100 and the free end 92 of the adhesive tape, and an upper zone 103 situated above the contact zone 100.

When the products to be bundled 16 advance to the left, according to the representation of the figures, the lower part 101 of the ribbon 75 is wound on the part of the perimeter of the circle formed by the products to be bundled situated below the contact zone 100 (see figure 3). Taking into account that the angle of inclination of the adhesive tape is 45 °, the length of the lower part 101 of the tape and the arc of a circle of the periphery of the products to be bundled 16 situated below the area contact 100, have substantially equal lengths, so that the ribbon can be wound without the product turning on itself.

Furthermore, according to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the distance between the center of rotation 26 of the movable arm 24 and the fixed roller 88 is equal to the distance between the movable axis 26 and the return roller 34.

We will now describe the different stages of operation of a booting device according to the invention.

FIG. 1 represents the position of the various members of the bundling device at the start of a cycle. The movable arm 24 is in the high position. In this position, as mentioned above, the adhesive tape 75 makes an angle of approximately 45 ° with the horizontal, between the idler roller 34 and the free end 92 fixed on the roller 94 of the lower head 46 The connecting rod 76, bearing against the fixed stop 80, is in its position remote from the fixed rollers 72. Consequently, the movable rollers 74 carried by the connecting rod 76 are also distant from the fixed rollers 72. The webs and returns of the tape adhesive between the fixed rollers 72 and the movable rollers 74 thus form a reserve of adhesive tape unwound before the bundling of the products 16. This reserve of adhesive tape was formed at the end of the previous bundling cycle. In the position of the connecting rod 76 shown in Figure 1, the finger 80 located at the end of the latter, is remote from the cam front 42 by a relatively large distance. This means that the connecting rod 76 can pivot by a relatively large angle before the finger 80 comes into contact with the cam 36.

The bundling device being in the position which has just been described, the products to be bundled brought by the conveyor 14, come into contact with the adhesive side of the adhesive tape according to a contact zone 100, as described above. The advance of the products to be bundled 16 to the left of the work table 12 continuing, the lower part 101 of the adhesive tape is wound on the lower part of the products to be bundled, while the upper part 103 is wound on the upper part of the products to be bundled, until reaching the position shown in FIG. 3. At this stage, the arm 24 has not moved. It remained in the high position, as in FIG. 1. Since the products to be bundled, by moving to the left, moved away from the upper head 32, and particularly from the idler roller 34, a certain length of ribbon adhesive was called. This length of adhesive tape was taken from the reserve by a pivoting of the rod 76 around its axis 78, as shown in FIG. 3, which had the effect of bringing the rollers 74 closer to the rollers 72.

In accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, this length of adhesive tape was released without it being necessary to make a significant tensile force on the tape. Indeed, the connecting rod 76 is free to pivot clockwise. It is only retained by the return spring 86, which is not prestressed and which, moreover, is a weak spring. Thus, apart from the friction forces, the adhesive tape is released effortlessly from traction. This is the reason why the products 16 can remain in the position they occupied when they arrived on the work table 12, without it being necessary to provide any mechanism for rotating them on themselves. Since no significant tensile force is exerted on the adhesive tape, the detachment of the latter at the contact zone 100 does not exist. Likewise, there is no risk of the adhesive tape peeling off at the level of the lower head.

At a certain moment of their progression towards the left of the work table, the products to be bundled 16 come into contact with the rod 102 of a presence detector 104 mounted on the flange 22. This contact with the rod 102 marks the end of the first phase of the bottling process, and the start of a second phase.

The detector 104 controls the electric motor 62 which triggers the rotation of the movable arm 24 by means of a connecting rod and crank transmission mechanism 106, driving in rotation a horizontal shaft 108 placed in the stem arm 20 (see figure 2) at the end of which is mounted the movable arm 24. In the first part of its descent, the arm 24 wraps the upper part 103 of adhesive tape 75 on the upper part of the products to be bundled 16, consuming what remains of the reserve of adhesive tape. The traction exerted on this strip has the effect of making the connecting rod 76 rotate clockwise, and consequently bringing the movable rollers 74 closer to the fixed rollers 72. The connecting rod 76 pivoting clockwise, and the movable arm 24 pivoting towards at the bottom, the space between the finger 80 of the connecting rod 76 and the cam front 42 of the cam 36 is reduced until the one and the other come into contact, as shown in FIG. 3.

From this moment, the direction of rotation of the connecting rod 76 is reversed, and instead of turning clockwise, it begins to rotate counterclockwise, under the effect of the action exerted by the cam front 42 on finger 80. This has the effect of moving the movable rollers 74 away from the fixed rollers and consequently of calling up the adhesive tape 75 from the spool 66. The reserve of adhesive tape is thus reconstituted for the next bundling cycle, but, by elsewhere, this results in the fact that a tensile force on the adhesive tape is required. However, at this stage of the process, the adhesive tape has already been wound over most of the perimeter of the products to be bundled, so that the risks of take-off no longer exist.

Furthermore, the rotation of the electric motor 62 controlled by the presence detector 104, drives the disc 60 via the shaft 64, which causes the pusher 48 to go from its retracted position to its extended position (see fig. re 4). The pusher 48 collects and pushes the products 16 towards the adhesive tape. The latter being thus maintained, there is no risk that the traction exerted on the adhesive tape will make them rotate or damage them.

When the movable arm 24 reaches its low position, the upper head 32 and the lower head 46 are in contact with each other, the products to be bundled 16 are entirely surrounded by the adhesive tape, and a reserve of adhesive tape has was reconstituted between the fixed rollers and the movable rollers, for the next bunching cycle.

The adhesive tape having been closed on itself, and cut, the bundling of the products 16 is finished and the latter can continue their journey to the left of the work table. The pusher 48 then ejects the products which are taken up by the conveyor. The movable arm 24 is raised and returns to the high position as shown in Figure 1. A new cycle can then start again.

The structure of the upper and lower heads will now be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, as well as the cutting of the ribbon and the fixing of the new free end resulting from this cutting on the lower head. As can be seen in Figure 5, the upper head consists of an anvil 110 having a flange 112, a movable blade 114, capable of cutting the ribbon, as well as the return roller 34 already described. The lower head 46 comprises in particular two small diameter rollers 116, located opposite the anvil 110 when the two heads are facing each other, of a roller 118 movable relative to a roller 94, already described. A cam 120 makes it possible to rotate the roller 94 alternately.

In FIG. 5, the upper head 32 and the lower head 46 are in contact with one another. This has the effect of bringing the two ends of the adhesive tape 75 closer to each other, of attaching them to one another by their face covered with adhesive, and of clamping them between the anvil 110 of the upper head and the rollers 116 of the lower head. By the effect of this tightening, the two ends strongly adhere to one another. The two ends separate at the level of the roller 118. The lower end is wound around the roller 118 to come to stick by its free end 92 on the roller 94. The roller 118 is applied to the roller 94 to firmly hold the free end of the adhesive tape on the roller. The other end of the adhesive tape passes over the deflection roller 34 of the upper head 32. From this position, the roller 94 rotates anti-clockwise, and the roller 118 moves away from the roller 94, in order to peel off end 92 of the roll.

Simultaneously, or shortly after, the roller 34 comes into contact with the roller 94 to apply the adhesive-coated side, outside the roller 34, to the roller 94. At this time, the blade 114 lowers to cut the adhesive tape . Preferably, only the upper strand 103 of the ribbon is cut, the free strand 92 retaining its initial length. The free end 92 is then completely detached from the roller 94, the products are released and the tail of the ribbon passes between the rollers 116 and the anvil 110, while the products 16 continue their journey to the left of the work table 12 . The upper strand of the adhesive tape, after cutting, constitutes a new free end 92 ′ (FIG. 6). By rotation of the roller 94 clockwise, and of the deflection roller 34 anti-clockwise, a certain length of adhesive tape is applied to the periphery of the roller 94, on which it is retained by adhesion, but especially by pinching between the roller 94 and the deflection roller 34. Then, the roller 118 is again brought closer to the roller 94, so as to come and clamp the new free end 92 ′ of the adhesive tape on the roller. This end is then firmly held on the roller, so that the upper head 32 can be raised, to resume the high position it occupies in Figure 1. The bundling device is then ready to resume a new cycle.

The device of the invention allows a small gap, also called "pitch" between the products to be bundled. The latter can be as low as 300mm. The device also makes it possible to process products having very different dimensions on the same packaging line. In all cases, it is the product itself which calls for the length of adhesive tape necessary for its bundling.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of example and it is susceptible of numerous variant embodiments, this is the case in particular of the means which make it possible to preconstitute the reserve of adhesive tape or still from the structure of the upper head and the lower head.

Claims

claims

1. Device for bundling products, in particular rods, by means of an adhesive tape (75), comprising a work table (12) for receiving the products (16), a dispenser (66) of adhesive tape, a arm (24) movable between a high position and a low position, this arm (24) having a free end (30), an upper head (32) mounted at the free end (30) of the arm (24), a head lower (46) mounted under the work table (12), characterized in that it comprises means for unwinding a length of adhesive tape from the reel (66) prior to the bundling of the products (16) in order to preconstitute a reserve of tape adhesive (75), this reserve being able to be restored to be wrapped around the products (16) without significant tensile force on the adhesive tape (75).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for preconstituting a reserve of adhesive tape (75) comprise a fixed roller (72) and at least one movable roller (74) between a position close to the fixed roller (72) and a position remote from this roller (72), and actuating means (36, 76, 80) for returning said movable roller (74) to its remote position, so as to unwind a length of adhesive tape from the reel (66) and preconstitute a reserve of adhesive tape, the movable roller (74) being authorized to return to the close position without having to overcome a significant resistance force so as to freely restore the length of adhesive tape.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating means comprise a connecting rod (76) articulated in rotation and supporting said at least one movable roller (74).

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the angular movement of the connecting rod (76) is limited by two stops (82, 84), at least one of which (84) is adjustable.

5. Device according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the connecting rod (76) is returned to its remote position by a cam (36) secured to the movable arm (24).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper head (32) comprises a deflection roller (34), on which the adhesive tape is wound, the position of this roller (34) by relative to the lower head (46) being such that the adhesive tape forms an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the horizontal, when the movable arm (24) is in the high position.

7. Bunching device according to claim 6, characterized in that the deflection roller (34) and a fixed roller (88) for guiding the adhesive tape (75) located upstream of the deflection roller (34) are equidistant from the axis of rotation (26) of the movable arm (24).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a pusher (48) movable in synchronism with the movable arm (24) between a retracted position in which it is under the work plane of the table (12) while the movable arm (24) is in the high position; and an extended position in which it projects above the work table (12) to push the products (16) towards the adhesive tape (75) during the descent of the movable arm (24) from the high position to the position low, the table (12) having an opening (58) for the passage of the pusher.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the pusher (48) is pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal axis (54) located below the work table (12).

10. Device according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the pusher (48) consists of two parts (50, 52) located on either side of the opening (58) of the work table (12) and sufficiently spaced from each other to allow the passage of the upper and lower heads.

11. Device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the movement of the pusher (48) is controlled by a rotary cam (60).

12. Device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the pusher (48) pivots according to an angular pivoting interval which is less than 90 ° and advantageously about 60 °.