MXPA00012883A - Device for applying a decoration to a crate - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for applying a decoration to containers such as, for example, crates, bottles or cans. The decoration comprises an image transfer label supplied to the containers on a carrier strip. The carrier strip is pressed laterally, by means of a pressure roller, against the containers, which are fed past the pressure roller. A heating device, such as, preferably, a hot air blower, heats the image transfer label on the application side of the carrier strip. Preferably, a flat stream of air is blown, by the hot air blower, against the line of contact between the image transfer label and the container. As a result of the use of highly local heating of the application side of the carrier strip according to the present invention, activation of the image transfer label is obtained without the carrier strip or the surface of the container being heated to a substantial extent. As a result, undesired stretch in the carrier strip is prevented and the temperature of the image transfer label can remain relatively low, so that the quality of the inks is retained and complete transfer to the containers is possible. The pressure roller is also able to operate at relatively low temperatures, so that a long life thereof is obtained. As a result of the highly local heating on the application side, the contact time required for transfer of the image transfer label is reduced substantially, so that a high throughput is possible.

Description

DEVICE TO APPLY A DECORATION TO A DRAWER DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for applying a decoration to containers, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor for feeding containers in a transport direction, - a device for feeding a carrier band to an application station, the carrier band the which is provided on an application side, which is oriented towards the conveyor, with a label for transferring images to be transferred to the container, where - to receive the carrier band, the application station comprises a guide for supporting the carrier band, so that the carrier band makes an acute angle with respect to the direction of transport, as well as a pressing element for pressing the carrier band against the containers. A device of this type is described in International Patent Applications Nos. WO 97/35290, WO 97/35291, WO 97/35292 and European Patent Application no. 96200780.3 on behalf of the Applicant. These applications describe a device for applying labels to transfer washable images which are applied from a carrier band of paper or polypropylene to such containers.

Ref: 126120 * "** - * - '* - --- like, for example, plastic drawers With this device the drawers are fed to the application station on a conveyor The carrier band with the labels to transfer images on it It is unrolled from a supply roller and fed onto a hot pressure roller in the application station, pressure roller which moves back and forth perpendicular to the direction of transport of the drawers. transferring images from the carrier band, during which the label for transferring images is removed from the carrier band while supplying heat and pressure through the pressure element, the surface of the canon is treated with a flame to give the surface the tension In addition, a preheating step is carried out on the drawers by means of a quartz heating element to carry the ca jones at the correct temperature, activating the heat-activated adhesion of the labels to transfer images. Especially when labels are applied to transfer heat activated images, which, for example, are provided with heat-activated adhesive, to heat-sensitive products such as, for example, PET bottles or plastic crates, the problem arises that the surface of the containers can not be heated too much due to the resulting deformation. However, the carrier band, which may have been made of paper or plastic, may likewise not be heated too much as this may damage the carrier band or the label to transfer images and undesirable stretching may occur, which leads to to the incorrect alignment of the labels to transfer images with respect to the containers to be printed. In addition, a too large supply of heat to the carrier band will cause the inks of the label to transfer images to soften, so that the label for transferring images does not detach as a single element of the carrier band. Furthermore, it has been found that the temperature range of the pressure roller is restricted in relation to the life of this roller, which becomes shorter when higher temperatures are used. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned above with which the supply of heat to the carrier band is controlled so that a rapid and complete transfer of the label is possible to transfer images to the container, without the containers having to be preheated to a relatively high temperature. A further main purpose of the present invention is to provide a device of this type with which the ^ * ^, ** »* > . »8eitt-a« - »- aB« -K ^^ ~ ^ ""., », _. ^ ¿»< #r. ^ contact time between the pressure element and the carrier band can be reduced, with which the risk of overheating the carrier band is avoided, whereby the stretch of the carrier band remains within exactly defined limits and with which can take place the complete transfer of the label to transfer images in a reliable and reproducible way. It is also a main purpose of the present invention to provide a device of the aforementioned type with which a long life of the pressing element is ensured. Up to this point the device according to the present invention is characterized in that a heating device is incorporated near the pressure element to dissipate heat to the application side of the carrier band in a preheating region of the carrier band located upstream of the element of pressure. By subjecting the application side of the carrier band to highly localized heating at the time of transfer, just before the label for transferring images is brought into contact with the relevant container by the pressure element, the activation of (the adhesive of) the label for transferring images is obtained without the carrier band or the surface of the container having to be heated to any substantial degree. As the ggíj * ^^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ gj ^^ séjfé ^ gi ^^^^^ j ^^^^ ^^^ £ ^^^^ g? result undesirable stretching of the carrier web is prevented and the temperature of the label for transferring images can remain relatively low, so that the quality of the inks is retained and full transfer to the containers is possible. The pressure roller can also operate at relatively low temperatures, the roller, for example, does not have to be heated at all or only heated to a slight degree. In addition, as a result of the highly localized heating on the application side of the carrier band to complete the transfer of the label to transfer images, the required contact time between the pressure element and the carrier band is shortened, so that the speed production can be increased appreciably, for example up to 500 containers per minute or more. The heating device may have been constructed with silver, rod or hot roller, so that it fits between vessels and the carrier band. Preferably, however, the heating device is equipped to heat the labels to transfer images without mechanical contact with the carrier band and comprises, for example, a radiant heating element or a burner. The containers may be of drawers, trays or other means of packaging wood, plastic or metal which are generally used in the packaging industry or aÉ ^: packaging, as well as plastic or glass bottles and the like. The invention can also be applied to metal cans such as are generally used in the beverage industry. The label for transferring images on the carrier web may be a label for transferring washable images as described in the prior art mentioned above or it may be applied permanently to the container as described in European Patent EP-B 0 441 858. In this context A top coating can be applied on top of the label to transfer images after applying the label to transfer images to the container. Preferably, the heating device according to the invention comprises a hot air blower directed towards the guide. It has been found that much of the controlled local heating of the label to transfer images can take place by means of a directed air flow. Using a slot-shaped exit flow nozzle only the surroundings of the label to transfer images in the immediate vicinity of the contact line between the label to transfer images and the container, in the place of the pressure roller, it is heated. The amount of heat can be controlled very accurately in a simple way by adjusting the volume of the air flow, which can be interrupted quickly if the supply of the carrier band is interrupted. Greater operator safety is achieved as a result since the hot air blower is cooled to room temperature 5 very quickly after shutting down. The outlet flow nozzle of the hot air blower is relatively compact and can be mounted in a simple manner between the carrier band and the blower. The conveyor for the containers can comprises a linear conveyor or can be a rotary conveyor that rotates in the direction opposite to the transport of the carrier band, the containers, which rotate around their own e e in the direction of transport, being transported on the conveyor, as described in International Patent Application WO 97/13645. In a further embodiment the device according to the invention, the pressure element moves back and forth transversely to the direction of transport, between a retracted position and an application position. located near the conveyor for the containers. This embodiment is characterized in that the hot air blower distributes the air flow at an arched blowing angle with respect to the transport direction. When the pressure element is in the retracted position, the air flow will be directed at least partially throughout the band You will have to use a carrier, so that the heating of the carrier band is substantially reduced at that point in time. When the carrier band is moved by the pressure element towards the air space container between the container and the carrier band decreases, the air flow will come into contact with the application side of the carrier band and warm it. When the carrier band has been placed in contact with the container, the air flow is blown into the enclosed space which is delimited by the carrier band and the container, so that a local substance heating takes place, from the label to transfer images , especially along the contact line between the label for transferring images and the container, contact line which is oriented towards the air flow. The blowing angle of the air flow is between ° and 45 °, preferably between 25 ° and 30 °. The blowing angle of the air flow can be adjustable by means of, for example, the arrangement of the outlet flow nozzle so that it can be articulated by means of the suspension of the outlet flow nozzle of a supply pipe of flexible hot air. The air temperature is, for example, between 100 ° C and 350 ° C. The heating element and the fan in the hot air blower are preferably positioned outside the range of the carrier band, for example on one side of the conveyor which is located opposite the application station. The heating device according to the invention is connected to a control unit which interrupts the heating device if the supply of the carrier band is interrupted. An embodiment of the device according to the present invention will be explained in greater detail by means of an example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a flat, schematic view, of a device for applying a label for transferring images to drawers, Figure 2 shows a detail of the heating device according to Figure 1, with the pressure element in the retracted position and Figure 3 shows the device according to FIG. to Figure 2, with the pressure element in the application position. Figure 1 shows a device 1 for applying a label to transfer images to containers, such as drawers 2, which are fed on a conveyor belt 3 in the transport direction T. The drawers 2 are fed to an application station 4 where the label for transferring images is applied to the wall of the drawers 2. Up to this point a carrier band 5 is unrolled from a supply roll 6 and transported * -, - < -ft-w * * - »> J- .- ~ «», Jain ». -. . ^. "^" ^ * I? ^. ^! ¡> ¿& nmA ^ ¡M ^ d ^ S? via a tensioner 7 to the guides 8, 9. The carrier band 5 is provided on its application side 10 with a label for transferring images 11 in the form of patterns at a uniform separation distance to which they have to be transferred 5 from the carrier 5 to the drawers 2. The label for transferring images 11 could have been provided, on the side facing the boxes 2, with a heat-activated adhesive. A pressure roller 12 is arranged between the guides 8, 9 pressure roller which moves forward and towards back transversely in the transport direction T by means of a hydraulic device, which is not shown in the figure. In Figure 1 the pressure roller 12 is shown in its retracted position, so that the carrier band runs free from the pressure roller and can pass over the guides 8, 9. The empty band of carrier material is wound onto a pickup roller 13 downstream of the pressure roller 12. To heat the labels to transfer images 11 onto the application side 10 of the web conveyor 5, the air blower 15 is incorporated which has an outlet flow nozzle 16 which is arranged between the conveyor belt 3 and the carrier band 5, near the guide 8 located upstream. The outlet flow nozzle 16 is connected via a flexible tube 17 to a heat gun 18 and a fan 19. The nozzle of ~ ^ -a? -A¡ ^ 8. -.- t, aat »j? -« aj; _r. j. -_. The output flow 16 is suspended from a flexible section 21 of the tube 17 of the device 15 so that the position of the outlet flow nozzle 16 relative to the direction of transport can be varied. The heating device 15 and the supply roller 6 are connected to a microprocessor 20 which turns off the heating device 15 if the supply of the carrier band 5 of the supply roller is interrupted. As shown in Figure 2, the outlet flow nozzle 16 is grooved construction, the direction of the groove is transverse to the plane of the drawing. The blowing angle α of the air flow distributed by the outlet flow nozzle 16 with respect to the transport direction T is approximately 30 °. The width of the outlet flow nozzle 16 is, for example, 10 mm for the length of approximately 500 mm. The air pressure distributed by the outlet flow nozzle 16 is approximately 1.5 bar. The air flow nozzle is provided with a number of holes, located along a line, which have a diameter of 2 mm, holes which have been every 10 mm to obtain a flat air flow. As shown in Figure 2, when the pressure roller 12 is in the retracted position the air flow blows along the band a ^ uj ^^ -f-i- fí - Íg-fi - ^ - ÍÍ carrier 5 so that in this case the last one does not heat up. As shown in Figure 3, when the carrier band 5 is in the application position the pressure roller 12 presses against a drawer 2 which passes through the pressure station 4. In this case the air flow of the nozzle 16 hits on the line of contact between the carrier band 5 and the drawer 2, which is located perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. As a result, a highly advantageous local heating of the label can take place to transfer images 11 onto the application side 10 of the carrier web 5. In one embodiment polyethylene drawers are heated to a temperature of between 60 ° C to 70 ° C. upstream of the heating device 15. The drawers are fed at a speed of 31 cm / s or 40 drawers per minute along the application station 4. During this operation the carrier band 5 is pressed against the drawers 2 by means of a pressure roller 12 at a temperature of 110 ° C - 150 ° C. the carrier band 5 contains labels for transferring images, for example of the Zweckform type. An air flow of 600 l / min at a temperature of 100 ° C - 350 ° C is blown under a pressure of 80 mbar against the carrier band 5 by means of the heating device 15. An exact transfer of the label to transfer 11 of the carrier strip 5 to the drawers 2 is possible with very high performance and relatively low temperatures of the pressure roller 12. Although the invention has been described with reference 5 to the application of a label for transferring images to drawers of plastic, the invention is not restricted to this and can be employed for a wide variety of packaging materials known in the packaging or packaging industry. Also, instead of a hot air blower it is also It is possible to use other heating devices such as heating devices that make contact with the application side of the carrier band 5 or radiant heating devices such as, for example, heat lamps. In addition, it is also possible to omit guidelines 8, 9, of so that the carrier band is continuously supported by the pressure roller 12. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following 5 claims is claimed as property:

1. A device for applying a decoration to a container, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor for feeding containers in a transport direction (T), a feeding device for feeding a carrier band to an application station, carrier band which is provided on an application side, facing the conveyor, with a label for transferring images to be transferred to the containers, an application station for receiving the carrier band, the carrier band makes an acute angle with respect to the transport direction (T ), which comprises a pressing element for pressing a carrier band against the container, characterized in that the heating device facing the application side is incorporated near the pressure element to dissipate heat to the application side of the carrier band in a preheating region of the localized carrier band ran 25 above the pressure element. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ? ^^^ »j ^ g ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ l ^^^^^^^^^^

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the application station comprises a guide for supporting the carrier band, the heating device placed upstream of the guide, in the vicinity thereof.

The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heating device is equipped to heat the application side of the carrier band without mechanical contact with the carrier band.

The device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the heating device comprises a hot air blower facing the pressure element.

The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the outlet flow nozzle of the hot air blower is positioned between the carrier band and the conveyor.

The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the hot air blower has a slit-shaped air flow nozzle, so that a relatively narrow air flow is formed which is at least as wide as the label for transferring images on the carrier web in the longitudinal direction of the carrier web.

7. The device according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the pressure element moves back and forth, transversely in the transport direction (T), between a retracted position and an application position located near the conveyor to the containers, characterized in that the hot air blower distributes the air flow at an acute blowing angle (a) with respect to the conveying direction (T) of the containers, air flow which is directed at least partially to along the carrier web, without contacting it, when the pressure element is in the retracted position and ends in the space between a relevant container and the pressure element when the pressure element is in the application position. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the blowing angle (a) of the air flow is between 15 ° and 45 °, preferably between 25 ° and 30 °. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the blowing angle () of the air flow is adjustable. The device according to any of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the temperature of the distributed air flow of the hot air blower is between 100 ° C and 350 ° C, preferably between 100 ° C and 200 ° C. ° C. The device according to any of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the heating device contains a fan and a heating element which are arranged out of reach of the carrier band, as well as a flexible tube which is connected to the fan and ends at the outlet flow nozzle. The device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating device is connected to a control unit for turning off the heating device if the supply of the carrier band is interrupted. The device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure element is heated. ~ ^ ^ «-» - ¡- ^ - - ^ ... - ^^^ z ^ * ^ .. jjtjfffif88 ^ * ^ ^ - ^ * - * - > -. - ^, •! «-.« ..i - »- .-« .. «_. ^ a L ^ á ^ Af ^ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for applying a decoration to containers, such as, for example, drawers, bottles or cans. The decoration comprises a label for transferring images supplied to the containers on a carrier band. The carrier band is pressed laterally, by means of a pressure roller, against containers, which are fed along pressure rollers. A heating device, such as, preferably, a hot air blower, heats the label to transfer images on the application side of the carrier web. Preferably, a flat air flow is blown, by the hot air blower, against the contact line between the label for transferring images and the container. As a result of the use of the highly localized heating of the application side of the conveyor belt according to the present invention, it activates the activation of the label for the transfer of images without the carrier band or the surface of the container being heated to a substantial degree . As a result, the undesirable stretching of the carrier web is prevented and the temperature of the label for transferring images may remain relatively low, so that the quality of the inks is keep and the complete transfer to the containers is possible. The pressure roller can also operate at relatively low temperatures, so that long lives are obtained for them. As a result of the highly localized heating over the application area, the contact time required for the transfer of the label to transfer images is substantially reduced, so that a high throughput is possible. "Jfc-. ^. ^^^^^^^ mrn ^^ «. . ~., -. . ,, ..- •