EP2985235B1 - Label application device with a seal label application device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a labeling device with a pressure device according to the features of claim 1 and to a method according to the features of claim 12.

From the US 6,155,322 and the DE 10 2009 039 000 A1 a labeling device is known, which applies a label on a web-shaped edge of a package, wherein the label is applied to the transversely oriented to the transport direction of the front of the package. In the US 6,155,322 is pressed by means of two opposing pressure body, which move against the transport direction of the applied label, the label both on the top and on the underside of the web-shaped edge in a throat. In this case, the packaging is stopped by means of the pressure body and conveyed only after the pressing of the label to the packaging and the removal of the pressure body on. The label is subsequently pressed by means arranged above and below the packaging brushes in the region of the top and bottom. In the DE 10 2009 039 000 A1 there is only one pressure body which presses the label into a groove located below the edge by means of a parallel guide, while the label is pressed by means of a brush on top of the package. These designs require sufficiently spaced packages and are thus limited in their performance.

Out CH 378 776 A . US 3,558,403 A . US 2009/056872 A1 Labeling devices are known which apply labels by means of limited pivoting movements on packaging.

In DE 43 39 778 A1 and US 3,513,058 A Further labeling devices are disclosed, wherein US 3,513,058 A discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to the preamble of claim 12.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved labeling device for applying sealing labels to ridge-shaped edges of packages.

This object is achieved by a labeling device having the features of claim 1 or by a method for operating such a labeling device having the features of claim 12. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The labeling device according to the invention with a transport unit for transporting packaging and a label dispenser for applying a sealing label to a web-shaped edge of the packaging comprises a pressure device which has a circular shape has moving pressure plate. This allows for folding and pressing of the seal label on the side edge of the package and continuous operation of the labeling device. It is not necessary to stop the packaging and thus also to provide no space between the successive packages. Thus, maximized performance (in the sense of labelable packages per unit of time) is enabled for attaching the seal label around a ridge-shaped edge. The seal label defines a label interconnecting a package top and a package bottom to, for example, hold a flapper package together and / or require destroying the label prior to opening the package.

Preferably, a Umfaltleiste is provided to fold around the edge attached to the edge of the packaging free end of the seal label around the edge. Thus, the seal label can be folded by approximately 90 ° in the direction of the opposite side of the already applied seal label and the pressure device can perform the following folding around another approximately 90 ° and press the seal label to the web-shaped edge.

In this case, the Umfaltleiste preferably has a slope against which the free end of the seal label, which projects beyond the edge of the package, is moved while the package is transported in the transport direction parallel to the Umfaltleiste and the pressure device.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the Umfaltleiste is stationary mounted on the pressure device to be jointly adapted by means of a height-adjustable pressure device to different packaging sizes and thus to different layers of the edge in a simple manner.

The circular path of movement of the pressure plate is preferably produced by means of two jointly synchronously driven discs, on which the pressure plate is mounted by means of a holder. According to the invention remains a leading edge of the pressure plate during the entire circular movement approximately or exactly parallel to the transport direction or parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Preferably, the pressure plate is pivotable about an axis of rotation of the holder in order to compensate for inaccuracies in the packaging, in particular at the edge of the package.

In this case, preferably, the pressure plate is biased by means of compression springs to adjust during the Andruckvorgangs a defined pressure can.

In this case, preferably, the pressure plate is biased by means of compression springs to adjust during the Andruckvorgangs a defined pressure can.

Preferably, a hold-down for the package is provided to hold together the two package halves, namely a package top and a package bottom, while the seal label is dispensed onto the side edge of the package with a free end projecting laterally beyond the edge and during the folding and the Pressing the seal label is done.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the pressure device is arranged laterally of the transport device in order to continuously press on sealing labels to packages which can be transported past the pressure device. The packages can follow each other directly and have transport speeds of up to 1 m / s.

Preferably, the pressure plate is inclined relative to the transport plane of the transport device by an angle in order to prevent a collision of the front edge of the pressure plate with the lateral edge of the packaging. The leading edge approaches the lower or upper side of the web-shaped edge more and more, the more surface of the free end of the seal label is folded and pressed. An inclination of 5 ° to 10 ° is particularly suitable.

An inventive method for operating a labeling device comprising a transport unit for transporting packaging, a label dispenser for applying a seal label on a web-shaped edge of the package and a pressure device is characterized in that the sealing label on the lateral, aligned in the transport direction, web-shaped Edge is applied, then a free end of the label is folded over and is pressed by means of a pressure plate of the pressure device to the edge. Thus, on packages in a package stream, with or without spacing between packages, seal labels can be applied around a web-shaped edge continuously, without any change in transport speed. Here highest achievements are to be achieved. The pressure plate is thereby moved in a circle to allow rapid movements of the pressure plate.

Preferably, the pressure plate is moved transversely to the transport direction to carry out the pressing operation.

It is conceivable that the sealing label is dispensed from below onto the lower wall surface of the packaging and that the pressure device performs the folding and the pressing of the sealing label against the upper edge surface. It is also conceivable that the packaging is transported standing on the transport device and the attachment of the seal label takes place on the upper side and the pressure movement of the pressure plate is approximately vertical.

Fig. 1

eine erfindungsgemäße Etikettiervorrichtung in einer schematischen Seitenansicht,

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte Ansicht einer Andruckvorrichtung,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht der Andruckvorrichtung von unten,

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht der Andruckvorrichtung von unten ohne Abdeckung und

Fig. 5 bis 8

vier Ansichten der Andruckvorrichtung von unten ohne Abdeckung mit vier aufeinanderfolgenden Stellungen während eines Andruckvorgangs.

In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the invention is explained in detail with reference to a drawing. In detail show:

Fig. 1

a labeling device according to the invention in a schematic side view,

Fig. 2

an enlarged view of a pressure device,

Fig. 3

a view of the pressure device from below,

Fig. 4

a view of the pressure device from below without cover and

Fig. 5 to 8

four views of the pressure device from below without cover with four consecutive positions during a pressing operation.

The same components are provided throughout the figures with the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows a labeling device 1 according to the invention with a transport device 2 to transport packages 3 along a transport direction T to a label dispenser 4 and a subsequently arranged in the transport direction T pressing device 5 by the labeling device 1. A controller 6 is provided, which receives information from sensors 7, which are mounted along the transport device 2, to detect the position of the package 3. The label dispenser 4 comprises a dispensing unit 8 for dispensing individual seal labels 9 (see Fig. 2 ) in the transport direction T.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the pressure device 5. The view shows a package 3 as a folded package, which comprises on the back of a hinge, not shown, and a circumferential ridge-shaped edge 10. The edge 10 is defined by an upper, here horizontally oriented edge surface 28 of the upper packaging half and a lower, also horizontally oriented edge surface 29 of the lower packaging half. A hold-down 11 is arranged above the transport device 2 in order to keep the package 3 closed during the application of a sealing label 9 to the upper edge surface 28. The pressure device 5 is height-adjustable relative to the transport device 2 by means of guides 12 and a manual adjusting device 13 in order to be able to adapt the pressing device 5 to the position of the edge 10 of the packaging 3 during the entraining transport of a packaging 3. A Umfaltleiste 14 with a slope 15 is attached to the pressure device 5, to fold along the transport of a package 3, a free end 9 'of the seal label 9 down around the edge 10 by 90 ° before the package 3 and the sealing label 9 the Pressing device 5 achieved.

Fig. 3 shows the pressure device 5 in a view obliquely from below. The Umfaltleiste 14 is attached to the front of the pressure device 5, which faces the transport device 2 attached. The top of the applied to the upper edge surface 28 of the package 3 label 9 is in contact with the underside of the Umfaltleiste 14 during transport in the transport direction T along the pressure device 5 to also as a counterhold while pressing the free end 9 'of the seal label 9 to act the lower edge surface 29 of the rim 10. The pressure device 5 has on its underside a cover 16 and has on its front side an elongated opening 17 which is aligned in the transport direction T. From the opening 17, a pressure plate 18 is partially moved out in the direction of the package 3. The pressure device 5 and the pressure plate 18 is partially inclined relative to the transport plane of the transport device 2 and thus to the underside of the package 3 by an angle β of 5 ° to 10 °, in the direction away from the transport device 2 direction obliquely downward sloping.

In Fig. 4 the pressure device 5 is shown without the cover 16. The pressure plate 18 is pivotally mounted on a holder 21 about a horizontal axis of rotation 22 and resiliently biased with three compression springs 23 against a boundary 24. A front edge 20 of the pressure plate 18 can thus be deflected downward or from the package 3 repellent against the compression springs 23. About the vertical relative position of the pressure device 5 relative to the edge 10 of the package 3, the pressing force of the leading edge 20 is adjustable to the label 9. The holder 21 is connected to two discs 19 in order to perform a rotary movement can. The two discs are synchronously driven by a motor 25 via a not-shown gear.

In order to be able to explain the movement sequence or the pressing process in more detail, are in Fig. 5 to 8 shown in a view from below on the pressure device 5 shown without the cover 16 and the movement of the package 3 four movement positions. In Fig. 5 the label 9 is donated to the upper edge surface 28 of the edge 10 of the package 3 in this view and the pressure plate 18 is in a retracted position. The Packaging 3 is made by means of in Fig. 5 to 8 emitted transport device 2 moves from left to right in the transport direction T.

During transport along the Umfaltleiste 14, the free end 9 'of the seal label 9 is folded on the slope 15 by 90 ° out of the plane. The pressure plate 18 is connected to the two synchronously rotating discs 19 via the holder 21 such that the pressure plate 18 performs a circular movement in a slightly inclined to the horizontal plane, the leading edge 20 is always aligned approximately parallel to the transport direction T of the package 3 to effect a line-shaped pressing of the label 9.

Between FIGS. 5 and 6 rotate the two discs 19 and thus the pressure plate 18 in a clockwise direction. Once the label 9 and the leading edge 20 in the position of Fig. 6 the further rotational movement of the pressure plate 18 and the transport movement of the package 3 causes the leading edge 20 to approach the package 3 and the free end 9 'of the label 9 to fold over and press the lower edge surface 29 of the rim 10 in this view, as in Fig. 7 shown. During this relative movement is particularly advantageous if the movement component of the pressure plate 18 in the transport direction T is synchronous with the transport speed of the package 3. As Fig. 7 shows, the pressure plate 18 moves so far forward until its front edge 20 has swept over the edge 10 of the package 3 in its entire width or at least almost in its entire width.

The sealing label 9 is folded over the edge 10 and now adheres to the upper 28 and lower edge surface 28 and secures the two packaging halves against accidental opening, ie a destroyed seal label 9 indicates an already open packaging 3 at. In the Fig. 1 shown controller 6 controls by means of the information of the sensors 7 and the speed of the transport device 2, the movement of the pressure plate 18th

In Fig. 8 the package 3 is further transported and the pressure plate 18 is rotated back into the retracted position during the further rotational movement.

Claims (14)

1. A labeler (1) with a transport unit (2) for transporting packages (3) in a transport direction (T) and with a label dispenser (4) for applying a sealing label (9) to a web-shaped rim (10) of the package (3) comprising a press-on device (5), characterized in that the press-on device (5) has a pusher plate (18) circularly moved during operation of the labeler, whereby during the entire circular movement a leading edge (20) of the pusher plate (18) is parallel oriented to the transport direction (T) or to the web-shaped rim (10) of the package (3).
2. The labeler according to claim 1, characterized in that a folding bar (14) is provided for folding a free end (9') of the sealing label (9), which has been attached to the rim (10) of the package (3), around said rim (10).
3. The labeler according to claim 2, characterized in that the folding bar (14) has a bevel (15).
4. The labeler according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the folding bar (14) is arranged on the press-on device (5) in a stationary manner.
5. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circular movement of the pusher plate (18) can be produced by means of two synchronously driven disks (19) having the pusher plate (18) attached thereto by means of a holder (21).
6. The labeler according to claim 5, characterized in that the pusher plate (18) is pivotable about a pivot axle (22) of the holder (21).
7. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pusher plate (18) is spring-loaded by means of compression springs (23).
8. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a downholder (11) for the package (3) is provided.
9. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the press-on device (5) is arranged laterally to the transport unit (2).
10. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pusher plate (18) is inclined relative to the transport plane of the transport unit (2) by an angle (β).
11. The labeler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in being adapted for a continuous operation.
12. A method of operating a labeler (1) comprising a transport unit (2) for transporting packages (3) in a transport direction (T) and a label dispenser (4) for applying a sealing label (9) to a web-shaped rim (10) of the package (3), and further comprising a press-on device (5), characterized in that a sealing label (9) is applied to the lateral web-shaped rim (10), which is oriented in the transport direction (T), and that, subsequently, a free end (9') of the label (9) is folded and pressed against said rim (10) by means of a circularly moved pusher plate (18) of the press-on device (5), whereby during the entire circular movement a leading edge (20) of the pusher plate (18) remains parallel oriented to the transport direction (T) or to the web-shaped rim (10) of the package (3).
13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the pusher plate (18) is moved transversely to the transport direction (T).
14. The method according to one of the preceding claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the pressing of the labels by means of a pusher plate (18) takes place during continuous operation.

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