WO2016166626A1

WO2016166626A1 - Tape guide device for handle applicator head

Info

Publication number: WO2016166626A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/051711
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luciano Gandini
Original assignee: Twin Pack S.R.L.
Priority date: 2015-04-15
Filing date: 2016-03-25
Publication date: 2016-10-20
Also published as: SI3283383T1; ITMI20150542A1; EP3283383A1; PL3283383T3; EP3283383B1; ES2728414T3

Abstract

A tape guide device for handle applicator head comprises a body (1) in which there is formed a central slot which accommodates a pusher (2) driven by an actuator (3) that moves it between a rest position in which it is inside the body (1) and an operative position in which it projects frontally with respect to the body (1). In this way, the device allows to obtain a proper adhesion of the adhesive portion of the tape on the package regardless of the fact that the coupling takes place in correspondence of a flat surface or a groove.

Description

TAPE GUIDE DEVICE FOR HANDLE APPLICATOR HEAD

The present invention relates to a tape guide device which is part of the head of a handle applicator, i.e. a machine for applying a tape that can serve as a handle on different types of packages, typically packages of shrink wrap plastic material that enclose a plurality of beverage containers (e.g. the common pack of 6 bottles of water).

The handle must be applied in a central position on the package so that its transport is balanced, and should start at about half the height of the package to ensure a suitable strength of the coupling with the package. In other words, since the handle consists of a tape that is adhesive in the end portions where it adheres to a side wall of the package and is not adhesive in the central portion that runs through the top of the package and serves as a true handle, its positioning is obliged.

In a traditional handle applicator the coupling of the initial adhesive part of the tape with the package takes place in a passive manner, i.e. the tape is disposed on the head of the handle applicator with the adhesive side towards the outside and the package is brought into abutment on it by a conveyor belt. In practice, a tape guide centrally positions the tape fed from above and acts as an abutment for the package, and after the tape has adhered to the package on a first side it is reeled out to the opposite side guided by the tape guide which keeps it centered so that the tape adheres in a central position also on the opposite side. Since the tape has a typical width of 25-35 mm so as to form a comfortable handle for the user, also the tape guide device must have at least the same width and preferably also greater in order to properly guide the tape in the path from one side of the other.

This system works well when the tape is applied to the package in correspondence with a substantially flat surface, such as e.g. the side of a bottle in the typical case of a 6-pack of bottles arranged in a 3x2 matrix. However it may happen that the tape should be applied on a non-flat surface, e.g. if the package includes only 4 bottles arranged in a 2x2 matrix the central position in which the tape will be applied no longer corresponds to the side of a bottle but rather to the area of contact between two bottles. Consequently, the surface on which the adhesive end of the tape has to adhere will present a groove more or less wide and deep depending on the shape of the bottles and on the level of shrinkage of the shrink wrap material.

In this case the simple passive coupling described above is ineffective because the tape guide is too large to enter the groove, therefore the adhesive region of the tape adheres to the package only partially since the contact takes place along the edges of said region but not in the central strip. This results in an inadequate and potentially dangerous coupling because the handle may come off at the time of application of the load when the package is lifted.

To overcome this problem it is possible to use a narrower tape guide which is able to enter at least partially into the groove, but even this solution has drawbacks. In the first place, although improving the adhesion of the tape within the groove the contact still does not occur on the whole width of the tape, whereby the coupling strength is always less than in the case of the flat surface. Furthermore, since the tape guide is narrower than the tape it is not able to properly perform its guiding function during the reeling out of the tape which therefore tends to slide laterally thus losing the alignment with the central position.

Moreover this instability of the tape during the reeling out from one side of the package to the other side would occur also in the case of application on a flat surface, thus creating a drawback which does not exist in a traditional handle applicator. Note that it would be possible of course to change the tape guide depending on the type of package, but this would imply a downtime that would significantly reduce the productivity of the handle applicator which on the contrary should be able to operate on any type of package.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device which overcomes the above drawbacks. Said object is achieved with a device comprising a thin pusher member pivoted within the body of the tape guide and driven by an actuator to protrude frontally from it only in the case in which the tape is to adhere to the package in correspondence with a groove. Other characteristics are specified in the dependent claims.

The main advantage of this device is to obtain a correct adhesion of the tape on the package regardless of the fact that the coupling takes place in correspondence of a flat surface or a groove, so that the handle applicator can effectively operate on any type of package while maintaining maximum productivity.

Another clear advantage of this device stems from the fact that the pusher member is extracted only when needed, otherwise the tape guide operates in a traditional manner and can therefore be wider than the tape realizing an optimal guiding function.

Further advantages and characteristics of the device according to the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed and non-limiting description of an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 shows a front perspective exploded view of the device;

- Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of the device in the assembled condition with the pusher member in the rest position;

- Figure 3 shows a side view of the device of Fig.2;

- Figure 4 shows a front view of the device of Fig.2;

- Figure 5 shows a view in vertical section of the device along the line V-V of

Fig.4;

- Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig.2 but with the pusher member in the operating position; and

- Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig.5 but with the pusher member in the operating position.

Referring to figures 1 to 5, there is seen that the device according to the present invention comprises an elongated body 1 in which there is formed a central longitudinal slot la which houses a pusher member 2 driven by a rear actuator 3, through a fork 4 that it is rotatably mounted on the pusher 2 by means of a transverse horizontal pin 5 which engages a slot 2a. Actuator 3 is fixed on body 1 by screws (not shown) passing through holes 3 a, while pusher 2 is rotatably mounted on body 1 by means of a transverse horizontal pin 6 which is inserted in a corresponding seat lb formed near the top of body 1 and passes through a hole 2b formed near the top of pusher 2.

Note that slot 1 a is enlarged at the connection between pusher 2 and actuator 3 in order to house fork 4, and that the upper half of body 1 has symmetrical frontal reliefs 1 c along the edges to centrally position the tape that is fed from above. Furthermore, a plurality of rollers 7 are preferably arranged under the bottom end of body 1 in order to improve the sliding of the tape when the device guides it in the path toward the opposite side of the package. More specifically, rollers 7 are rotatably fitted on a shaft 8, parallel to pin 6, which is mounted on body 1 through a pair of side plates 9 that are fastened with screws (not shown).

Figures 2-5 clearly show that when pusher 2 is in the rest position it remains completely housed inside body 1 , so that the device can operate in the traditional way. In particular, the lower portion of body 1 is preferably wider than the upper portion thereof so as to optimally guide the tape minimizing the risk that it can slide off laterally from the device.

In the light of the description above, and with the aid of Figures 6 and 7, the simple and effective operation of the present device is readily understood.

When the tape has to adhere to the inside of a groove rather than to a flat surface, actuator 3 is activated to push out from body 1 pusher 2 that rotates about pin 6 and protrudes on the front face which pushes the tape into contact with the package on which the handle must be applied, so as to push the tape into the groove and achieve an optimal adhesion which ensures an adequate coupling of the handle with the package. Note that the lower portion of pusher 2 is preferably slanted backwards by an angle equal to the angle of rotation of pusher 2 with respect to body 1 , so that in the extracted position illustrated in figures 6 and 7 the front surface of said lower portion is parallel to the front surface of body 1 , having compensated for the rotation around pin 6.

It is clear that the embodiment of the device according to the invention described and illustrated above is just an example susceptible of various modifications. In particular, actuator 3 will typically be a pneumatic actuator but it may also be hydraulic or electromechanical and pusher 2 could be mounted on body 1 so as to perform a translational motion rather than a rotational one. In this case the lower portion of pusher 2 obviously would not be slanted backwards and the connection of pusher 2 with body 1 and/or with actuator 3 would be realized in other ways well known to a person skilled in the art. For example, pusher 2 might also not be connected directly to body 1 but only mounted on actuator 3 which in turn is mounted on body 1, and there might also be provided a second actuator located in a lower position. Any variants and/or additions can therefore be made by those skilled in the art to the above described and illustrated embodiment of the invention while remaining within the scope of the following claims. In particular, further embodiments of the invention may comprise the technical features of one of the following claims with the addition of one or more technical characteristics, taken individually or in any mutual combination, described in the text and/or illustrated in the drawings.

Claims

1. Tape guide device for handle applicator head, said device comprising an elongated body (1) having a frontal face that pushes said tape into contact with an item on which a handle must be applied, characterized in that said body (1) is provided with a central slot (la) that houses a pusher (2) driven by at least one actuator (3) that moves it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body (1) between a rest position in which it is inside the body (1) and an operative position in which it projects with respect to the body (1) on said frontal face.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pusher (2) is rotatably mounted on the body (1) through a rotation pin (6).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower portion of the pusher (2) is slanted backwards by an angle equal to the angle of rotation of the pusher (2) with respect to the body (1) in the operative position.

4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one actuator (3) is connected to the pusher (2) through a fork (4) and the slot (la) is enlarged at said connection in order to house said fork (4).

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper portion of the body (1) has frontal symmetrical reliefs (lc) along its edges.

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further includes a plurality of rollers (7) arranged under the bottom end of the body (1).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the rollers (7) are rotatably fitted on a shaft (8) that is mounted on the body (1) through a pair of side plates (9).

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower portion of the body (1) is wider than its upper portion.