Method and apparatus for labeling containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for labelling containers, wherein labels (5, 25) are transferred by a labelling unit (2) to containers (7, 27) transported by a container transport device (3) onto a carousel and the containers (7, 27) are rotated around their own axis in a transfer area, and the labels (5, 25) are guided by the labelling unit (2) in a first part (I) of the transfer area and are completely transferred out in a second part (II) of the transfer area, and the rotational speed of the containers (7, 27) around their own axis is increased in the second part (II) of the transfer area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for labeling containers and a labeling apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In beverage bottling equipment, containers such as bottles and cans are processed in multiple consecutive steps. In this case, the process steps are typically performed in a separate processing station. These process steps also include labeling, where one or more labels are affixed to the containers.

[0003] In common prior art, during labeling, a labeling unit transfers the label to a container transported by a conveyor. In this case, the rotational speed of the container and the speed of the labeling unit are matched to each other throughout the transfer of the label in the transfer area, and the rotational speed is maintained until the label is completely wrapped around the container.

[0004] In the transfer zone, the outer surfaces of the container and the labeling unit move synchronously. Here, the label size, along with the process speed, determines the size of the transfer zone, and consequently, the size of the entire labeling unit. Furthermore, the process speed also depends on the diameter and indexing of the labeling unit and the container transport device, as well as the container diameter. Since the process speed of such equipment is typically limited, the rated output of the unit decreases with the label size.

[0005] If the transfer area cannot be adapted to the label size due to limitations in the device's structural dimensions, and the process speed cannot be adapted to the label size, then guides for the labels are required, and these guides are integrated into the device. However, these guides are prone to failure and are energy-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that make it possible to increase rated output, thereby increasing production capacity and / or simultaneously reduce the structural size of the apparatus.

[0007] According to the present invention, this objective is achieved using a method and apparatus having the features of the present invention.

[0008] Utilizing these features, it is proposed to increase the rotational speed in the second transfer zone where the label is fully wrapped. Here, the invention leverages the concept of fully utilizing the label transfer zone at the end of the entire labeling process, during which the label is generally no longer guided, but rather the free end of the label in its free-floating state is tightened or wrapped, in order to perform the remaining wrapping process more quickly. This is feasible because the rotational speed of the container at this point is independent of the transfer speed of the labeling unit. By increasing the speed, it is also possible to transfer larger labels to the transport device using shorter guide devices or even without additional guide devices. Therefore, the process speed can be increased, thereby also increasing the rated output and the overall efficiency of the method, because according to the invention, the second part of the transfer zone is independent of the structural dimensions of the labeling device and the rotational speed of the labeling unit. Overall, the method becomes more efficient.

[0009] Preferably, the rotational speed of the container is increased to the maximum possible speed of the turntable and then briefly kept constant. This increase reduces the required structural space, or allows for a reduction in the processing machine's size, by the number of graduations the container makes at the bottle station. Increasing the speed to the maximum possible speed creates an alternative solution. This achieves the highest possible efficiency for the labeling machine.

[0010] Preferably, a servo-driven turntable can be used to control the rotation speed of the container. While it is also possible in principle to increase the rotation speed of the turntable through a corresponding mechanical transmission control device, using a servo-driven turntable is much more advantageous because it makes it possible to adjust the labeling process individually and easily, especially even with different label lengths and labeling machine types.

[0011] It is feasible to use a servo-driven turntable to individually control the rotation speed of each individual container and thereby adapt to the process speed, label size, and container size.

[0012] It is known that labels are actively guided or held at the tray, labeling section, clamping section, or by means of a vacuum cylinder. This is achieved, for example, by using mechanical holding elements such as clamping cylinders, or by using vacuum guidance. These guiding devices hold the labels on the tray of the labeling unit until the labels are transferred to the container, and make it possible to accurately position the labels on the container.

[0013] The method according to the invention can also be used in labeling machines in which a transport device linearly transports containers through a labeling unit that moves along a first circular track, or in machines in which the transport device also moves in a circular motion along a second track.

[0014] By utilizing the rotational motion of the labeling unit and / or conveyor, a constant trajectory curve is generated, ensuring high process safety and enabling high process speeds. Overall, this improves the efficiency of the method.

[0015] Preferably, the rotational speed of the container can be controlled by a control unit. In particular, the control device takes into account the positions of the transport device and the labeling unit, as well as their speeds.

[0016] By utilizing control devices, the control of individual components, as well as external parameters such as label size and container size, can be coordinated. Process speed and safety can thus be optimized, and the method becomes more efficient.

[0017] The advantages of the features described at the beginning according to the invention also apply to the features of the corresponding device in the apparatus of the invention. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 An embodiment of a labeling apparatus according to the present invention is shown, in which both the labeling unit and the transport device are implemented as rotary.

[0019] Figure 2 Detailed diagrams of the labeling unit and container are shown to explain the invention more clearly.

[0020] Figure 3 An embodiment of a labeling device according to the invention is shown, the labeling device comprising a clamping cylinder that transfers a wraparound label to a container.

[0021] Figure 4 Another embodiment of the labeling device according to the invention is shown, which includes a clamping cylinder that can transfer a wraparound label to a container. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Figure 1 The labeling device 1 is shown, which includes a labeling unit 2 and a transport device 3. Figure 1 The top view shows the transfer of label 5 to container 7. The sequence of method steps for a single container 7 or label 5 can be identified based on the individual container 7 and label 5. Labeling unit 2 and transport device 3 are in... Figure 1 It is shown as a rotary type, but at least the transport device can also be implemented as a translational type.

[0023] The labeling unit 2 specifically includes a label magazine 13, a tray turntable 6, and trays 4 that move along a first annular track. These trays are rotatably supported on the tray turntable 6 and are designed to receive, guide, and transfer labels 5 to containers 7. Labels on the trays are held or guided on negative pressure via undisclosed, known vacuum openings into the transfer area.

[0024] Between being retrieved from the warehouse and transferred, the label moves through the printing press 14, where it is glued.

[0025] The transport device 3 includes a container turntable 8 that moves along a second annular track K2, on which containers move in a known manner on a rotatable turntable (not shown) past a labeling unit for transfer. The turntable is preferably a servo motor-driven turntable, its rotation speed individually driven via corresponding control lines 9a of the control device 9.

[0026] In addition, a pretreatment unit 15 may be provided, which prepares the container 7 to be labeled by cleaning, pre-wetting or rinsing, heat treatment and / or radiation treatment and / or plasma treatment and / or corona treatment. Furthermore, a rolling unit 16 and / or brushing unit 17 may be provided downstream of the transfer area to fully apply and press the label 5 placed on the container.

[0027] The transfer area of ​​label 5 consists of a first part I and a second part II, and is characterized by an area in which label 5 is transferred by the tray 4 of the labeling unit 3 to the container 7, and exemplary in... Figure 1 As shown in the diagram, the first part I of the transfer area begins when label 5 contacts container 7 and ends when the active guidance of label 5 at tray 4 stops, particularly when the vacuum is closed.

[0028] The second part II of the transfer area connects to the first part. Since label 4 is no longer actively guided at this point, according to the invention, the rotational speed of the container is increased to completely wrap the label around it.

[0029] The method according to the invention can be performed as follows using the labeling device 1: During rotation around the axis of rotation of the tray turntable 6, the initially unloaded tray 4 is guided through the label library 13 arranged around the periphery of the tray turntable 6 and pivots therein so that the tray 4 receives the label 5 presented on the picture side from the label library 13. The label is held on the tray or guided by vacuum and moves through the glue application station 14, where glue is applied to the back side.

[0030] Then, the label 5 is transferred directly from the tray 4 located in the first part I of the transfer area to the passing container 7, and is wound onto the container by the rotational movement of a turntable (not shown). For this purpose, the tray 4 passes over the container 7 and pivots there, so that the label 5, carried by the tray, unfolds onto the container 7 in conjunction with the rotational movement of the container 7 and its encirclement around the container turntable 8. This reduces slippage between the container 7 and the label 5, making precise transfer possible.

[0031] In this configuration, in the first part I of the transfer zone, the label is still guided or held at the tray using active vacuum. In the second part II of the transfer zone, the vacuum is interrupted, causing the label 5 to no longer be guided by the tray 4, as a portion of the label has already been transferred to the container. Since synchronization between the tray unwinding motion and the outer surface of the container is no longer required at this point, according to the invention, the rotational speed of the container 7 is now increased by means of the control unit 9 by increasing the rotational speed of the container's servo-driven turntable, and then this increased speed is used to completely wind the remaining portion of the label.

[0032] By increasing the rotational speed of container 7 in the second part II of the transfer area, the entire labeling process can be accelerated. Simultaneously, the structural dimensions can be reduced because the increased rotational speed of container 7 eliminates the need for guidance from tray 4, thus shortening the overall transfer area.

[0033] Specifically, after reaching the maximum rotational speed in the process technology, the increased rotational speed of container 7 is briefly kept constant, particularly between 1 and 2 ms, thereby enabling continuous winding of label 5 on container 7.

[0034] Then, the label 5 can be pressed using the rolling and / or brushing unit 17 to finally fix the label in place.

[0035] Additionally, it is feasible to standardize the dimensions of transfer zones I and II and / or the duration of the entire label transfer for different containers 7 and / or labels 5 by means of variable rotation speed adjustment.

[0036] To more clearly explain the label transfer according to the present invention, Figure 2 A single method step is shown according to label 25 or container 27. Here, transfer regions I and II are shown exemplarily and may also cover other angular regions.

[0037] First, the label 25 on tray 24 is actively guided or held by means of vacuum, specifically the tray includes a flexible suction cup 29 that adheres tightly to container 27 during transfer. Furthermore, tray 24 includes vacuum openings 30 that connect the suction cup 29 to a central vacuum cylinder (not shown). However, the transfer according to the invention can also be performed using mechanical holding elements.

[0038] The tray 24 transports the labels along the first annular track K1. With the start of the first part I of the transfer area, the labels 25 begin to be transferred onto the container 27 by the tray 24 or suction cup 29 rolling on the container 27. Here, synchronization is ensured by the rotation of the tray 24 along the third annular track K3 and the rotation of the container 27 along the fourth annular track K4. During the first part I of the transfer area, the labels 25 remain actively held on the suction cup 29 by vacuum to enable precise positioning.

[0039] Once the label 25 has been wrapped around the container 27 for a sufficient length for precise transfer, the vacuum is closed and the tray 24 can detach from the label 25, which is not yet fully wrapped. The second part II of the transfer area now begins, in which the synchronization condition no longer needs to be met, because the container 27 and the tray 4 are no longer in contact with each other via the suction cup 29 and the label 25.

[0040] The transfer process is now accelerated by increasing the rotational speed of container 27 according to the invention. Tag 25 is thus fully wound onto the container at the end of the second part II of the transfer area at the increased speed.

[0041] Figure 3 One embodiment is shown in which the invention is implemented in a labeling device that applies a wraparound label. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the transfer of label rolls or wrap-around labels 35 onto container 37. In this case, the label strip of the label reserve roll 40 is guided in a known manner through the clamping cylinder 34 in the labeling unit 32, so that the wrap-around labels 35 can be transferred to the clamping cylinder. These labels are naturally relatively long, so they can completely wrap around the container. Here, they are guided by the clamping cylinder 34 to the end of the first part I of the transfer area (e.g., by vacuum).

[0042] In the second part II of the transfer area, the end of the label 35a that has not yet been wrapped is in a free-floating state without being guided by the labeling unit 35. Now, according to the invention, the rotation speed of the turntable (not shown) is increased so that the wrap-around label 35 is completely wrapped around the container 37. In this case, the rolling unit 36 ​​can also help improve process safety.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the wraparound label 35 is wrapped around the entire container 37 in a known manner. This results in a longer length compared to other types of labels, such as single labels. This longer length is also reflected in the size of the second portion II of the transfer area compared to the first portion I of the transfer area.

[0044] By increasing the rotational speed of the turntable (not shown) in the second part II of the transfer area, rated output and / or structural dimensions can be greatly increased even when labeling with longer labels 35.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, label 45, particularly a wraparound label, can be transferred to container 47 by clamping cylinder 50. Here, a first portion I of the transfer area is distinguished from a second portion II of the transfer area. In the first portion I of the transfer area, label 45 is guided by the labeling unit, particularly by clamping cylinder 50, in this embodiment. The first portion I of the transfer area begins when label 45 comes into contact with container 47. Then label 45 is partially transferred to container 47. In the first portion I of the transfer area, it is advantageous to synchronize the circumferential speed of clamping cylinder 50 and container 47, as this prevents slippage between clamping cylinder 50 and container 47. Therefore, it is possible to apply label 45 accurately and without wrinkles.

[0046] In the second part II of the transfer zone, in this embodiment, the rotational speed of container 47 about its own axis is increased. Simultaneously, the clamping cylinder 50 can be closed to guide the label 45. Furthermore, the label can also be guided by a vacuum plate 46, which can be mounted on the periphery of the container transport device 43. The vacuum plate 46 may include at least one cavity, particularly three cavities, which can hold the label 45 in the second part II of the transfer zone by applying a negative pressure (e.g., 0.1 bar or 0.2 bar relative to the external pressure). These cavities may include one or more openings in the direction of the label, through which the label is held by the negative pressure present within the cavity.

[0047] The vacuum plate 46 allows the label 45 to be kept at a distance from the subsequent container 47. Simultaneously, the label 45 can be precisely and wrinkle-free wound onto the container 47 through friction with the vacuum plate 46. For this purpose, the vacuum plate 46 can extend at least 50 mm, particularly at least 80 mm, along the circumference of the container transport device 43, so that even longer labels, especially wrap-around labels, can be held by the vacuum plate 46 until the label 45 is completely wound around it. Similarly, several, particularly two or three, vacuum plates 46 can be arranged in a cascaded structure, so that even long labels 45 can be held by the vacuum plate 46 until the label 45 is completely wound around the container 47.

[0048] Especially for longer labels, such as wraparound labels, the labeling apparatus can be implemented (not shown) such that only one labeling unit labels each even-numbered container, while containers lacking labels are labeled by another labeling unit, which is also located at the periphery of the container transport unit. Thus, containers can be arranged compactly and thereby space-savingly on the container transport unit, and the transport performance of the containers can be satisfied by several, particularly two, labeling units.

Claims

1. A method for labeling containers (7, 27) using a machine, wherein a labeling unit (2) transfers a label (5, 25) to a container (7, 27) transported on a turntable by a transport device (3) and the container (7, 27) rotates about its own axis in a transfer area, and the label is guided by the labeling unit (2) in a first portion (I) of the transfer area and completely transferred out in a second portion (II) of the transfer area. Its features are, The labels (5, 25) are guided in the first portion (I) of the transfer area by means of the negative pressure at the labeling unit (2). The rotational speed of the container (7, 27) about its own axis increases in the second part (II) of the transfer region. The negative pressure is interrupted in the second part (II) of the transfer area before the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) is increased.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) is increased to the maximum possible speed of the turntable in the process technology and is briefly kept constant after the increase.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a servo-driven turntable is used to control the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) about its own axis.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein the labels (5, 25) are transported by the labeling unit (2) along the first circular track (K1).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the containers (7, 27) are transported by the transport device (3) along the second circular track (K2).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) about its own axis is controlled by a control unit (9).

7. A labeling device (1) having a labeling unit (2) that transfers labels (5, 25) to containers (7, 27) erected on a turntable of a transport device (3), the labeling device being designed such that the labels (5, 25) are guided in a first portion (I) of the transfer area and completely transferred out in a second portion (II) of the transfer area. Its features are, The guide of the labeling unit (2) is designed such that the labels (5, 25) are guided by negative pressure. The transport device (3) is designed such that the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) about its own axis is increased in the second part (II) of the transfer area in order to completely transfer the label (5, 25) onto the container (7, 27). The negative pressure is interrupted in the second part (II) of the transfer area before the rotational speed of the container (7, 27) is increased.

8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein the turntable of the transport device (3) is servo-driven.

9. The apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the labeling unit (2) is designed such that the labels (5, 25) are transported along a first circular track (K1).

10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 9, wherein the transport device (3) is designed such that the container (7, 27) is transported along the second annular track (K2).

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