EP1585089A1 - System and apparatus for marking smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for selective marking of cigarettes during packaging has the cigarettes collected in set numbers in a holding grip (2) in which the groups are moved along a process line. Each group of cigarettes are pushed out of the holder by a ram (4) and into the first wrapping stage of the packaging. During the transfer at least one cigarette of each group is marked by a movable printing head (5) without disrupting the packaging process.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for identifying a or several smoking articles. Furthermore, it relates to a smoking article packaging with one or individual labeled smoking articles.

It is known from the prior art that smoking articles, in particular cigarettes with and without filter, on the wrappings, the cigarette paper or the tipping paper of the filter, Can carry labels. The labels can be the information of the Consumers serve or advertising purposes. Examples of this are e.g. in the WO 00/41581, DE 198 39 982 A1, FR 1,541,984 or JP 082 38 083. As far as this is concerned, however, all the cigarettes in a pack are printed, especially the same printed. This can be easily achieved so that the Cigarette paper is printed before the cigarette is produced. But not all Cigarettes would be printed, it would be possible to print at appropriate intervals on the cigarette or tipping paper, e.g. only every third cigarette is printed. In the further course of production, the printed and mixed However, unprinted cigarettes are so strong that packaging is no longer guaranteed can be exactly that the desired number of printed and unprinted cigarettes in every pack arrives. Furthermore, a separate production of unprinted and printed cigarettes imaginable and merging the appropriate numbers for a pack. However, this approach is extremely time-consuming and not normal Production processes can be integrated.

It is the object of the present invention, a method and an apparatus which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, should be ensured that guaranteed a defined number of smoking articles or cigarettes in a pack with text or other characters. The marking should be incorporated into the normal production process and normal Production speeds take place.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a Device according to claim 9 solved. According to claim 16 relates to the present Invention nor a smoking article or cigarette packaging with at least one Smoking article, according to the method of the invention or by means of a inventive device is provided with a label. The Subclaims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

According to the teaching of the present invention, the marking is in Packaging process only applied to the or the smoking article when the Smoking articles are already defined for a packaging already defined. What the device this means that according to the invention at least one identifier on a Location of a smoking article or cigarette packaging machine is arranged at the Smoking articles are already defined for a packaging already defined.

In other words, the printing of the smoking article or cigarettes only as possible short of the final actual packaging instead. In particular, a place and Time useful in the packaging process, where the smoking article or cigarettes for a particular pack are already defined, so that according to the invention advantageously it is ensured that only and just a certain and defined number of Smoke articles with the desired label gets into a packaging.

The application of the label may preferably after assembling the Smoking article for packaging in the smoking article or cigarette packaging machine respectively. After the sorting unit would then be a corresponding means of identification arranged.

An advantageous place for the application of the marking is the field of Pocket chain a cigarette packing machine. There are the smoking articles or Cigarettes already sorted in the defined number for a pack before.

The labeling can be by a printing process, so for example by Inkjet printing or laser printing done, but it is also possible, a Abtragungsvorgang to choose, so for example to install a laser, the material the wrapping of the smoking article ablates and thus allows labeling.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the application of the label occurs during Pushing the smoking article out of a pocket of the bag chain, in particular by means of a opposite the bag of stationary tagging agent. This can be the Arrange labeling particularly advantageous because it does not need to be moved, and the sliding movement generates the necessary linear feed for the progress of the Labeling, so for example for the application of a label.

A single or multiple means of identification, such as a printhead or Multiple printheads can be used to label multiple smoking articles. In particular, at most 50% of the smoking articles are for packaging specially not more than three and more specifically only one smoking article.

Figur 1

eine Tasche einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschinen-Taschenkette in der Seitenansicht;

Figur 2

eine Taschenkette einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine schematisch in der Draufsicht;

Figur 3

einen Teil der Taschenkette mit einem ausgeschobenen Zigarettenblock;

Figur 4

eine Tasche der Taschenkette kurz vor dem erfindungsgemäßen Kennzeichnungsvorgang; und

Figur 5

eine Tasche der Taschenkette beim erfindungsgemäßen Kennzeichnungsvorgang.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features described in the drawings and herein may be used alone or in any combination. Show it:

FIG. 1

a pocket of a cigarette packing machine pocket chain in side view;

FIG. 2

a pocket chain of a cigarette packaging machine schematically in plan view;

FIG. 3

a part of the bag chain with an ejected cigarette block;

FIG. 4

a pocket of the bag chain just before the marking process according to the invention; and

FIG. 5

a pocket of the bag chain in the marking process according to the invention.

Cigarettes are packaged into so-called cigarette blocks before being packaged assembled and transported in bag chains within the packaging machine. In Figure 1, such a cigarette block 1 is shown in a bag 2 in side view. By way of example, the cigarettes are shown in three layers with 8, 7 and 8 cigarettes.

In Figure 2, the bag chain of a cigarette packaging machine is schematically in Top view shown. In the pockets 2, the cigarette blocks 1 are transported, in illustrated example corresponding to the direction of the arrow from right to left. The Cigarette blocks get into a position of the machine in which the cigarette blocks be pushed out of the pockets by an aid, by another Machine part, e.g. grabbed a transport wheel and then with a first serving, the innerliner, to be wrapped. In this example, the tool is for Pushing out as a movable punch 4 shown. In the one shown in FIG Machine position, the cigarette block has just been pushed out of the bag and the movable punch 4 has returned to its rest position. This Movement is widely used in commercially available machines.

With the next movement of the bag chain again a filled bag gets into the Effective range of the movable punch. This situation is shown in FIG. The Printing unit 5 can be seen here above the bag schematically. The actually effective printhead 6 is represented by the circle. The printhead is so above the Abschiebepfad a specific cigarette 7 that exactly this cigarette will be printed can. The position of the printhead is adjustable, so that even with other cigarette numbers can be specifically printed per location a cigarette. It is also possible in this way to determine whether a cigarette is in the middle of the topmost layer or at its edge to be printed.

FIG. 5 shows the pushing out of the cigarette block 1 from the pocket 2. For this the movable punch 4 moves forward and dives into the pocket 2. This is shown by the dashed representation of the partially hidden stamp. At this Movement becomes the cigarette block 1 and with it the cigarette under the printhead 6 pushed past. The stationary printhead uses the movement of the cigarette over an adjustable length a caption with an adjustable text or other characters to print on the cigarette 7. The movement of cigarettes used for the Packaging process is necessary anyway, is therefore advantageously for the advance of the Printing used. To control the start and end of printing, both the Machine cycle are used, as well as special sensors, (not shown in the figure shown) which detect the position of the cigarettes.

In order to print several cigarettes in parallel, more can be used in a similar way Printheads 6 are mounted with narrow pressure units 5. Alternatively, at the Use of printheads or printing technologies that are significantly larger effective Have printing areas, even several cigarettes are labeled at the same time.

The labeling method according to the invention can with the normal speeds the packaging machine during production. It is not a special handling of Cigarettes are needed and can therefore be integrated directly into existing packaging machines. In front In particular, there are no additional movements of cigarettes or printing units in the high production speeds needed.

There are additional embodiments within the scope of the present invention feasible to the cigarettes during transport of the not yet wrapped cigarette block, e.g. also in the Pocket chain, to be printed. For this, e.g. also the printheads are moved.

Claims (16)

A method for identifying one or a single smoking article (7) from a Variety of smoking articles packaged in a single package the labeling in the packaging process only then on the Smoking article (7) is applied when the smoking article for packaging already defined are selected. The method of claim 1, wherein the application of the label after assembling the smoking article (7) for packaging in the Smoking article or cigarette packaging machine takes place. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the application of the marking takes place in the pocket chain of a cigarette packaging machine. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application of the Labeling by printing by inkjet printing or laser printing he follows. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application of the Marked by removal of the envelope of the smoking article (7), especially by laser ablation. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the application of the Labeling when pushing out the smoking article (7) from a bag (2) of Pocket chain takes place, in particular by means of one opposite the bag stationary means of identification (5, 6). The method of claim 6, wherein a plurality of smoking article (7) by means of one or more marking means (5, 6), in particular at most 50% of the smoking article for a packaging, especially at most 3 and even more specifically only one smoking article. Method according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the marking is controlled by the machine cycle of the smoking article or cigarette packaging machine. Apparatus for identifying one or more smoking articles (7) from a plurality of articles of smoking packaged in a single package, characterized in that at least one identification means (5, 6) is arranged at a location of a smoking article or cigarette packaging machine, on which the smoking article (7) are already defined for a packaging. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the identification means (5, 6) is arranged after the sorting unit of a smoking article or cigarette packaging machine which sorts the smoking articles for the packages. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the identification means (5, 6) is arranged in the region of the pocket chain of a cigarette packaging machine. Device according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the identification means (5, 6) is a printing device, in particular an ink jet print head or a laser print head. Device according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the marking means is a removal device which removes material of the envelope of the smoking article, in particular a laser ablation device. Device according to one of claims 11 to. 13, characterized in that the identification means (5, 6) at the Ausschiebeende a pocket (2) of the bag chain is arranged, in particular stationary relative to the pocket (2). Device according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that one or more identification means (5, 6) are provided to mark a plurality of smoking articles (7). Smoking article or cigarette packaging with at least one smoking article (7), in accordance with a method according to claims 1 to 8 or by means of a Device according to one of claims 9 to 15 provided with a label becomes.

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