ZA200504567B - Method and plant for applying a heat-shrinkable label to containers - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

: METHOD AND PLANT FOR APPLYING A HEAT-SHRINKIABLE LABEL

TO CONTAINERS s TECHNICAL FIELD

This in vention relates in general to a method for labelling containers by means of a heat-shrinkable label, and a plant for implememting said method.

The m-ethod of the invention can be applied generally to a ny container, and in particular to those containers in the form of a conta ining tub, with the up per mouth of which there is associated an outer rim or collar projecting beyond the outer surface of the tub.

BACKGROUND ART

I15 Inthe known art, containers are labelled by suitable labell ing machines positicaned in series with the machines which form and fill the containers.

Specifically, in the known art a plurality of containers are formed simultaneously such that their outer rims are joined togetther. When the contai ners have been formed with their mouths facing upwvards, they are filled vvith the product which they are to receive, after which the container moutha is sealed by a suitable lid. The filled and sealed containers pass throucgh a separation station where blade-type cutting dewices are present } which incise and/or cut the rims joining the containers tog ether in order to . separate them.

Each container is then inverted and fed to a labelling machine, which mounts from above onto the body of the container a heat—shrinkable label in the form of an annular band, so that it rests on the container outer rim.

The container provided with the label is then fed thro ugh a heating tunnel } where th e label is made to adhere to the container body by heat. On terminati on of this operation the container must be again inverted, and then fed to packaging means of usual type.

The aforesaid method is complicated to carry out as each container must be invert ed to enable the band-shaped label to be meounted on it from above. This complication is accentuated if the conta iners contain different products or the same product but of a different flavour. In such a case suitable smeans must be provided for handling the co ntainers so that the correct label for the product concerned is applied.

An object of this invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known art within thes framework of a simple, reliable and rational solution, able to reduce the final cost. 13

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The inve ntion attains this and other objects by virtue of the characteristics defined i nthe claims. in particular, the invention provides a container label ling method comprising the following operative steps: a. predisposing a support device for at least one cortainer having a mouth w ith which an outer rim is associated, b. from below, mounting onto the body of said at least one container a . heat-shriinkable label in the form of an annular band, c¢. causimg the label to adhere to said container.

According to the invention the label is made to adhere to the container body by a hot fluid which by heating the label causess it to heat-shrink. . Said hot fluid is preferably a jet of steam or hot air.

The method of the invention is implemented by a pla nt comprising a device for supporting and transporting at least one ceontainer, means for mounting a heat-shrinkable label onto said at least o ne container from below, and means for causing said label to adhere tO said container by heat-shrinkable.

Said support device generally grips the container in goroximity to its mouth, but can also support the container from below deperding on the type of container to be labelled.

In a first embodiment of the invention the support de vice comprises two parallel steel cables which support the container rim by acting on the lower surface of the rim. The container is made to translate by a gripper which grips the container rim.

In a different embodiment the support device compri ses grippers for gripping the container rim. in other embodiments of the invention the container is gripped from the interior of its mouth.

According to a first embodiment of the invention said means for causing the label to adhere to the container comprise a shrin kage tunnel provided with heating devices arranged to release a hot fluid \which acts on the outer surface of the label. The hot fluid heats the latoel which by heat- shrinkage then shrinks to adhere to the container. : According to a second and preferred embodiment of” the invention, said means for causing the label to adhere to the contain er are associated with means for mounting the label onto the container frorm below.

From the aforegoing it is apparent that by virtue of the invention, labels <an be applied to containers while still joined together, so enabling multi- . packs to be made up. Moreover the method of the invention is suitable for direct application along the container formirag and filling line, leading to an 5s «overall size reduction and prevention of inte=rface problems. In this respect, the label can be mounted at any point of the machine after the containers have been formed.

For a better understanding of the operation of the method of the invention and the characteristics and constructional merits of the relative means of implementation, reference is made hereinafter to the figures of the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of non-limiting example, two preferred embodiments of the plant for implementing the aforesaid method.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a first embo diment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial view in the direction Ill of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial view in the direction IV of Figure 1.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 show the operative steps of the first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 shows a second embodiment of th e invention.

Figure 10 is a partial view in the direction X of Figure 9.

Figures 11 and 12 show two operative step s of the second embodiment of the invention. . Figure 13 is a partial view in the direction X Ill of Figure 12.

Said figures show the plant 1, which comprises two parallel rows of containers 2 obtained by thermoforming. Each container 2 comprises a

V0) 2004/067385 PCT/IT2003/000034 cup-shaped body 20 with an outer upper rim 21 which projects beyond said body 20, and by means of which each container is joined to the ) adjacent container. The containers 2 of each row are supported by a support and transport device 3 comprising two spaced-apart parallel steel s cables 30 (Figure 2) on which the rim 21 of each container rests.

The containers are advanced along the cables 30 by aa usual gripper, not shown, which grips the rim 21 of the containers and causes then to advance along said cables 30.

Below the containers 2 there are positioned means 4 f or applying an 1©¢ annular band-shaped label 5 to the body 20 of the cormtainers 2. In this embodiment said means 4 are able to mount a label o nto four containers 2 simultaneously. In detail, the means 4 comprise a carriage 40 arranged to translate on guides 410 by virtue of a linkage, not shown.

On the carriage 40 there are provided four vertical hycdraulic cylinder- 1 5 piston units 41, two of which are visible in Figure 1, fom supporting a first horizontal plate 42 and causing it to translate verticallyy.

With the plate 42 there are associated four identical label support units 50, each comprising four rods 45 branching from a movable second plate 43 supported by the plate 42 by virtue of the cylinder-pist-on units 44. 2 0 Said rods 45 are inserted through four matching holess present in the plate 42 and pass beyond the plate to externally receive thes annular labels 5.

In practice, the function of the rods 45 is to maintain tke labels 5 widened while they are mounted onto the body 20 of the conta iner 2. x With reference to Figure 3, the rods 45 of each suppo~rt unit are disposed »5 on the perimeter of an imaginary circumference, the czentre of which passes through the vertical axis of each container and are spaced equally apart. Moreover as the label 5 has to adhere to only arm axial portion of the container body. each label rests on an annular spacer 46 extending . from the plate 42.

Downstream of the carriage 40, means 6 are provided to cause the labels s to adhere to the bodies of the containers 2. Said mean s 6 comprise a tunnel 6 OQ of usual type provided with devices, not shown as they are of known type, for heating the label by means of a hot fluid, such as a jet of steam o r hot air. By the effect of the hot fluid the labels 5 are heated and shrink to adhere to the body 20 of the container 2.

The opearation of the invention is described hereinafter =with reference to

Figures 1, 5,6, 7 and 8.

The labels 5 are firstly positioned on the carriage 40 by means not shown.

The carriage 40 is then moved below the containers 2 =o that each label 5 lies below the respective container 2 on which it is to be mounted. At this 1s point, by operating the cylinder-piston units 41 the plate 42 is made to rise to mount the label on the body of the overlying containeer 2, as shown in

Figure 5.

When the labels 5 have been mounted on the containears 2, the cylinder- piston wanits 41 are operated to lower the plate 43 carrying the rods 45, so that the rods lying between the labels and the containesr bodies are themse Ives lowered (Figure 6).

At this point the carriage 40 is made to translate to brimg the containers 2 into the interior of the heat-shrinkage tunnel 60, where suitable heating : devicess heat the labels 5 which, by the effect of the he=at, shrink to adhere to the body 20 of the containers 2.

On termina tion of the shrinkage process the plate 42 is lowered an d the carriage 40» repositioned outside the shrinkage tunnel, into its initia . position sheown in Figure 1. At this point the cycle is repeated in am identical manner. s Figures 9 to 13 show a second embodiment of the invention for latoelling containers 35. As can be seen from the figures the individual cont ainers 35 are sup yorted by a support device 36 comprising grippers 37 asranged to grip therm in correspondence with an upper collar 38.

In the description of the second embodiment of the invention the s ame reference Mmumerals are used to indicate components identical to those already described.

With reference to Figure 4, this shows that the carriage 40 supports, by means of four identical columns 400, a fixed plate 51 on which fousr support un its 50 for the labels 5 are present.

Each unit 50 comprises four fixed rods 45 on which there is mounted a movable p late 52 which can translate vertically relative to said rod s 45 by virtue of twso cylinder-piston units 53 which connect it to the fixed plate 51.

The movable plate 52 carries both said label support means and t he means for causing each label 5 to adhere to the body of the respective container 35. Specifically, the support means for the labels comp rise the annular spacers 46, and the means for causing the labels to adhe=re comprise for each unit 50 a cylinder 54 mounted about each grougp of four rods 45 ard a series of dispenser nozzles 55 (Figure 13). : The dispe nser nozzles 55 are supported by the movable plate 52, which ~~ comprisess a circuit, not shown, for connecting the dispenser nozz les 55 to a usual system, not shown, for delivering a hot fluid, such as hot asr or steam.

With reference to Figure 13, the dispenser nozzles 55 are equidistant and disposed on an imaginary circumference, the centre of which lies ©n the label axis, and are external to the circumference on which the rods 45 are positioned. In this case the operation of the invention is very simp le, and is illustrated in Figures 9 to 13. With reference to the figures the labels 5 are firstly position ed on the units 50, then the carriage 40 is positioned below the contain ers 35, so that each container 35 lies exactly above the unit 50 carrying the label 5.

When the carriage 40 is in position the cylinder-piston units are operated to raise the mova ble plate 52 so as to mount the labels 5 on the containers 35 by withdrawing them from the rods 45. At this point the pressurized fluid delivery system is operated to heat the labels, winich by

IS heat-shrinkage acihere to the containers 35.

Claims (24)

1. A container labelling method comprising the following operative ) steps :

a. predisposing means for supporting at least one «container in an erect s position,

b. from below, mounting onto the body of said at le2ast one container a heat- shrinkable label in the form of an annular band,

c. causing the label to adhere to said container.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said support means act in proximity to the upper end of the cont ainer.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said at least one container upperly presents an outer rim or collar.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said support means act on said rim or collar.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the label adhe res to the container by heat-shrinkage due to the action of a hot fluid.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterise d in that said fluid is steam.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterise d in that said fluid is hot air.

8. A container labelling plant, comprising a devi ce for supporting and trans porting at least one container, and means for mounting a heat- shrin kable annular band onto said container, characterised in that said . device for supporting said at least one container acts from above on the container suspended in an erect position, the meawns for mounting a heat- shrinkable label onto said container acting from below, means being orovided to cause said label to adhere to said container bby heat- shrinkage. .

9. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that =said at least one Container comprises a rim or collar, said support and traresport device s comprising at least two steel cables supporting the conta iner rim, and at le=ast one gripper arranged to grip said rim to cause said at least one container to translate along said steel cables.

10. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that said support device supports said container by means of a gripper arranged to act in a 10 region close to the container mouth.

1 1. A plant as claimed in claim 10, characterised in theat said support device acts on a collar or rim of the container.

12. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that said means for rmounting said label onto said container comprise at least: one movable support plate for the label disposed vertically.

1 3. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that a unit for rmnaintaining the label vertical is associated with said plate=.

1 4. A plant as claimed in claim 13, characterised in thaat said unit comprises four rods.

15. Aplant as claimed in claim 13, characterised in thaat said unit for rnaintaining the label vertical is movable relative to said p-late.

1 6. A plant as claimed in claim 13, characterised in theat said unit is fe xed relative to said plate. : 1 7. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that said means for causing the label to adhere by heat-shrinkage comprises a system for delivering a hot fluid.

i

18. A plant as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that =said hot fluid is steam. .

19. A pEkant as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that said hot fluid Is air. 5s

20. A plant as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that s aid means for causing the label to adhere by heat-shrinkage are associated with said means for mounting the label onto the container.

21. A plant as claimed in claims 12 and 20, characterise=d in that said means are associated with said plate.

22. A plantas claimed in claim 17, characterised in that said means for causing the label to adhere to the container comprise a cy linder and a plurality of dispensing nozzles for a hot fluid.

23. A plant as claimed in claims 21 and 22, characterised in that said plate comprises a circuit for connecting said dispensing nozzles to said hot fluid delivery system.

24. A plant as claimed in claim 10, characterised by bei ng positioned along the container forming and filling line.