WO2004056659A1

WO2004056659A1 - Labeling applicator

Info

Publication number: WO2004056659A1
Application number: PCT/SE2003/002046
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stig Lindgren
Original assignee: Stig Lindgren
Priority date: 2002-12-20
Filing date: 2003-12-19
Publication date: 2004-07-08
Also published as: SE0203811L; SE0203811D0; SE524429C2; AU2003292900A1

Abstract

The invention refers to a labeling applicator for montage on an industrial robot and which is intended to catch labels written out from a printer and to applicate these on an intended place on for example paper rolls in paper mills or whatever other object which shall be labeled. The applicator (1) is pivotably provided on a robot arm (3) included in said robot (2) and comprising two belt conveyors (6,7) which are angle positionable relatively each other and protruding from a fixing plate (4) at the free end (5) of said robot arm (3), said conveyors having conveying belts (8,9) provided with longitudinal air slots (10,11) for air passage of a negative pressure created in respective belt conveyor (6,7) for holding said labels during their pulling out or feeding from actual printer or to said conveying belts (8,9) and also an orientating of said labels into position when these are written out and have left said printer and are laying ready to be applicated after that said conveying belts (8,9) have been stopped, two labels being ready at the same time to be applicated by aid of said robot (2) without an necessary waste of time.

Description

Labeling applicator

The present invention refers to a labeling applicator for montage on an industrial robot and which is intended to catch labels written out from a printer and to applicate these on an intended place on for example paper rolls in paper mills or whatever object, which shall be labeled.

On the market there are today a number of different types of labeling applicators, which all have that inconvenience that they are complicated built up and not directly intended to be mountable in an easy and quick way on for example an industrial robot, which can manage the applicator so that it can be used to applicate labels on different types of objects which shall be labeled. Furtheron these previously known applicators have such a design that they can not manage and applicate two labels in one and the same working moment after each other.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new type of labeling applicator of the kind mentioned above by aid of which the drawbacks mentioned above have been eliminated. The characterizing features of the present invention are set forth in the claims enclosed.

Thanks to the invention a labeling applicator has been provided, which in an excellent way fulfills its purposes at the same time as it also is easy and cheep to manufacture. By that said applicator can be mounted on an industrial robot for example of the type Motoman or ASEA it will be very flexible during the labeling applicating and catching up of labels written out from an actual printer. By the aid of this labeling applicator according to the invention it is possible now to store two labels in the applicator, so that the robot can applicate both labels immediately after each other during the marking of for example paper rolls having bar code labels, so that one label is applicated on the mantle surface of the paper roll and one another on its gable without unnecessary waste of time. The invention will be described closer below by aid of a preferable embodiment example in view of the drawing enclosed, on which

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a labeling applicator according to the invention when the . same is mounted on an industrial robot,

Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of a labeling applicator according to Fig. 1 in a not mounted state,

Fig. 3 shows a partial side view of one half of the applicator having its belt conveyor and resilent squeezing roller and

Fig. 4 shows a front view of the applicator according to Fig. 3.

As can be seen from the drawing the same is illustrating schematically a labeling applicator 1 intended to be mounted on an industrial robot 2 and said applicator 1 is provided to catch labels written out from a printer and to applicate these in an intended place on for example paper rolls in paper mills. Said printer, which is not illustrated in the drawing, can consist of a termotransfer printer, which writes out actual labels intended to be catch by said applicator 1. The applicator 1 is pivotably provided on a robot arm 3 included in said robot 2 and comprises two belt conveyors 6 and 7 which are protruding from a fastening plate 4 at the free end 5 of the robot^' arm 3 and which are positionable in an angle relative each other and said belt, conveyors comprise conveying belts 8 and 9. Said conveying belts 8,9 are provided with longitudinal air slots 10 and 11 for air passage of a negative pressure created in fastening of said labels during their pulling out from the actual printer in a direction outwards onto said conveying belts 8,9. After said pulling out from the printer the labels are orientated in to position on the conveying belts 8,9 by aid of photocells 12, which stop said conveying belts 8,9 in a desired position, so that said labels are brought in to a position, from which they are ready to be applicated.

The belt conveyors 6,7 are pivotably journalled in the fixing plate 4 and are thus adjustable in predetermined angles in relation to each other by aid of air- or hydraulic cylinders 13,14, which are schematically illustrated in the drawing and which are fixed in a centrally orientated fastening plate 21 protruding from the fixing plate 4. In adjusting of the angle of the belt conveyors 6,7 there are also adjusting screws 22 provided. By aid of the cylinders 13,14 the relative angle of said belt conveyors 6,7 are adjusted in connection with the catching of said labels from the printer or during the application of these on actual object. In order to create a vacuum in said belt conveyors 6,7 there are double fans or vacuum ejectors 15,16 provided beneath respective conveying belt 8,9. For moving of said conveying belts 8,9 belt motors 19,20 are provided.

In order to guarantee a safe application of said labels on the actual object respective belt conveyor 6,7 is provided with a resilent squeezing roller 17,18 in its free end.

The labeling applicator 1 according to the invention functions in such a way that the belt conveyors 6,7 are at first adjusted, into the desired angle relative each other. The labels printed out are then hold in position on said belt conveyors 6,7 in that said conveying belts 8,9 are provided with longitudinal air slots 10,11 in creating of a necessary air passage. A negative pressure or vacuum is provided by aid of said fans or said vacuum ejectors 15,16. When a writing out of a label is started from the termotransfer printer the applicator 1 grips the front edge of said label and transports or is pulling out the same onto respective conveying belt 8,9. When the whole label has been written out and has left said printer the feeding of respective conveying belt 8,9 is stopped and a label are now ready to be applicated.

Claims

1. A labeling applicator for montage on an industrial robot and which is intended to catch labels written out from a printer and to applicate these on an intended place on for example paper rolls in paper mills or whatever other object which shall be labeled, characterized in that the applicator

(1) is pivotably provided on a robot arm (3) included in said robot (2) and comprising two belt conveyors (6,7), which are angle positionable relatively each other and protruding from a fixing plate (4) at the free end (5) of said robot arm (3), said conveyors having conveying belts (8,9) provided with longitudinal air slots (10,11) for air passage of a negative pressure created in respective belt conveyor (6,7) for holding said labels during their pulling out or feeding from the actual printer or to said conveying belts (8,9) and also an orientating of said labels into position when these are written out and have left said printer and are lying ready to be applicated after that said conveying belts (8,9) have been stopped, two labels being ready at the same time to be applicated by aid of said robot (2) without an necessary waste of time.

2. An applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that said belt conveyors (6,7) are pivotably journalled in said fixing plate (4) and adjustable into predetermined angles relative each other by aid of air- or hydraulic cylinders (13,14) . ^{' "}

3. An applicator according to. claim 1, characterized in that double fans or vacuum ejectors (15,16) are provided beneath respective conveying belt (8,9) in creating of a negative pressure.

4. An applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that respective belt conveyor (6,7) is provided with a resilent squeezing roller (17,18) at its free end.

5. An applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveying belts (8,9) are provided with photocells (10) in orientating into position of the correct position of the labels on the same.