Web feeding system with covering element on web leading portion

Abstract

There is described a web feeding system (16) for feeding a web of labelling material having a web leading portion (4a) to a labelling module (7) comprising a splicing device (14); wherein the feeding system (16) comprises at least one transporting band (36) which is attached to the web leading portion (4a); wherein the transporting band (36) comprises an adhesive layer (30) and a covering element (32) which covers the adhesive layer (30) and longitudinally protrudes from the web leading portion (4a), with respect to the longitudinal direction (D1) of said web, the covering element (32) being attached to said leading portion (4a) by the interposition of said adhesive layer (30);the feeding system (16) comprising a positioning device (20) for automatically positioning the web leading portion (4a) of the web (4) in a splicing position with respect to the splicing device (14), by transporting the transporting band (36); wherein the positioning device (20) comprises a retaining group (40) and is configured for transporting said transporting band (36) by means of said retaining group (40) retaining said covering element (32).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a web feeding system for a labelling module, the module being configured for labelling articles adapted to contain a pourable food product, preferably a pourable food product.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a labeling machine comprising the web feeding system. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a supply reel to be used for the web feeding system.BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Labelling machines are known, which are commonly used to prepare, transport and apply labels onto articles, such as bottles, flacons or containers of this sort, destined to be filled with a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product.

[0004] Particularly widespread is the use of glued labels, i.e. portions of a labelling material that are cut at appropriate lengths from a web of labelling material initially wound in form of continuous strip around one or more storage reels and then sprinkled with glue. In detail, the web of labelling material is progressively unwound off the relative reel and then repeatedly cut to obtain successive labels of equal length, upon which glue is applied by gluing means, such as a gluing roller, spray or injector systems or the like. Eventually, the labels so obtained are conveyed and applied onto the respective articles to be labelled.

[0005] Particularly widespread are also labels of the tubular type, known as "sleeve labels" and obtained starting from a web of heat-shrinking film wound in form of a continuous strip around one or more storage reels; the sleeve labels are applied with a certain clearance on the respective articles and then heated in an oven to obtain their shrinking and perfect adhesion to the lateral surfaces of the articles themselves. These type of labels do not require the use of glue.

[0006] Regardless of the type of label used, a known labelling machine typically comprises: a carousel rotatable around a vertical axis and configured to convey a plurality of articles along an horizontal, arc-shaped labelling path; an inlet station, at which the articles to be labelled are received by the carousel; an outlet station, at which the labelled articles exit the carousel; and a labelling module, peripherally arranged relatively to the carousel and configured to prepare, transport and feed a plurality of labels to the carousel at an application station, in order to apply such labels to respective articles.

[0007] According to a well-known configuration, a labelling module typically comprises: one or more support shafts for supporting in a rotatable manner one winding of the web of labelling material at a time, the winding being defined by a continuous strip initially wound in form of a reel; a feed roller for unwinding the web off the relative reel and advance it along a feed path; a plurality of guide rollers, which support, in use, the web progressively unwound from the reel and guide it, in use, along the feed path; a cutting unit for repeatedly cut the web at a cutting station so as to separate a sequence of labels from the web itself; and a label transfer device, for example a known vacuum drum configured to receive, retain and advance each label and to feed each label to the carousel, at the application station.

[0008] Furthermore, in case glued labels are used, the labelling module comprises at least one gluing roller arranged substantially tangent to the vacuum drum, in a position operatively downstream of the cutting unit and upstream of the application station, with respect to the direction of rotation of the vacuum drum, for spreading glue onto at least the (leading and trailing) edges of each single label, prior to their application onto the relative articles.

[0009] In the case of sleeve type labels, the labels are wound in a tube shape about respective forming mandrels advanced by the carousel and carrying at the top the articles to be labeled; the labels are then sealed at the overlapping ends; at this point, the mandrels are retracted back inside the base of the carousel thus allowing the insertion of the articles with clearance in the respective sleeve labels; subsequently, the containers with the "loose" labels applied thereon are sent to the heating oven to obtain heat-shrinking of the labels and perfect adhesion of the latter onto said articles.

[0010] Regardless of the type of labels used, the need is known in the field for automatically splicing the end (or final) portion of a first web wound in a first reel (reel in use) with the initial portion of a second web wound in a second reel (new reel), in order to avoid stopping the labelling machine every time a reel is exhausted, i.e. every time the web of such reel is finished.

[0011] In this regard, labelling machines of the known type comprise a well-known splicing device (or "splicer") operatively arranged between the feeding unit and the guide rollers and configured to splice the end portion of the first web with the initial portion of the second web.

[0012] In detail, the splicing device typically comprises a pair of splicing members or "blocks", each hinged to a fixed frame of the labelling module at a first portion thereof and movable in a pivotable manner between an opening position, in which it is spaced from the other block, and a closing position in which it is closer to the other block.

[0013] Each block comprises a retaining device, typically a vacuum pad fluidly connected to a known vacuum source, for receiving and retaining (by suction) the initial portion of the second web unwound from the second reel. In addition, each pad can support one first web being unwound from the respective reel, during the labelling process.

[0014] Once the initial portion of the second web is positioned on one of the pads, and once the first reel is exhausted or almost exhausted, the pads of each block are movable from a rest condition to a splicing condition to perform the splicing of such initial portion with the end portion of the first web.

[0015] Typically, an adhesive band is applied to the initial portion of the second web, for the firm joining to the first web, once the pads are controlled in the splicing position. Additionally, prior to the splicing operation, a technical operator needs to remove a cover element from the adhesive band.

[0016] In use, before the splicing becomes necessary and while the first web is unwinding from the first reel during the labelling process, an operator manually moves the blocks into the opening position, grasps the initial portion, i.e. the free end flap, of the second web from the rest of the second reel, pulls such free end flap to unwind an initial portion of such second web, and places the free end flap onto the relative pad, which retains it by means of vacuum.

[0017] Hence, the correct positioning of the free end flap of the second web on the respective vacuum pad of the splicing device, which is a crucial variable for a correct labelling operation, is left to the ability of the operator.

[0018] In order to reduce the need of technical operators intervening during the splicing operation the Applicant has introduced a solution (see e.g. WO2024099559A1) based on a positioning device, which automatically places the initial portion of the second web at a splicing position.

[0019] Although the labelling modules of the type described above are functionally valid, the Applicant has observed that they are still open to further improvements.DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0020] A web feeding system according to present description or according to any of the appended system claims is configured for ensuring an optimal quality of the splicing operation in case an automatic positioning device is used to position the initial portion of the second web in the splicing position.

[0021] A labelling machine according to present description or according to any of the appended machine claims comprises web feeding system according to present description or according to any of the appended system claims.

[0022] A supply reel according to present description or according to any of the appended reel claims is configured for helping an operator to prepare a web feeding system according to present description or according to any of the appended system claims.

[0023] The following detailed description is referred to a possible example embodiment of a web feeding system according to present description, to a possible example embodiment of a labelling machine according to present description, and to a possible example embodiment of a supply reel according to present description.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The following detailed description is referred to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic top view, with parts removed for clarity, of a labelling machine comprising the labelling module and the web feeding system; Figure 2 is a larger-scale lateral view, with parts removed for clarity, of the web feeding system of Figure 1, in a first instant; Figures 3 and 4 are larger-scale, perspective views, with parts removed for clarity, of part of the web feeding system of Figure 1, in a second and a third instant, respectively; Figures 5a-5c are larger-scale, schematic lateral views, with parts removed for clarity, of part of the web feeding system of Figure 1, in a fourth instant, in a fifth instant and in a sixth instant, respectively; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a web feeding unit according to the invention, which is part of the web feeding system according to the invention; Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the web leading portion of a web of labelling material, which is provided with a transporting band; Figures 8a-8d schematically illustrates respective steps to be executed by the feeding system prior to a splicing operation; Figure 9A illustrates a first alternative of the supply reel; Figure 9B illustrates a second alternative of the supply reel; Figure 10 shows a cross section of a supporting web of the supply reel, and of a transporting band which is supported by the supporting web. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] With reference to Figure 1, number 1 indicates as a whole a labelling machine for labelling containers 2, such as bottles, flacons, cans or containers of this sort, adapted to contain a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product. The labelling machine 1 comprises a labelling module 7.

[0026] The labelling machine 1 comprises a conveyor 6 for conveying the containers 2. The machine 1 is configured so that the containers 2 are labelled by the labelling module 7 while being conveyed by the conveyor 6. For example, the conveyor 6 can be a carousel.

[0027] The labelling module 7 comprises a splicing device 14. The splicing device 14 is configured for splicing a web of labelling material in use with a new web of labelling material.

[0028] The need of splicing arises when the web of labelling material in use is about to be exhausted. The web of labelling material 4 which is indicated in Figures 1 and 3 is a web of labelling material in use, which is about to be exhausted. The web of labelling material 4 which is indicated in Figures 4, 5A, 5B, and 5C, is the new web of labelling material.

[0029] By splicing the new web of labelling material to the web of labelling material in use it is possible to proceed with the labelling process without interrupting production.

[0030] The labelling machine 1 comprises a web feeding system 16. The web feeding system 16 is configured for feeding a web of labelling material to the labelling module 7.

[0031] The web feeding system 16 comprises a web feeding unit 17. The feeding unit 17 comprises a support 18 for supporting a reel 5 of web of labelling material 4.

[0032] Advantageously, during the preparation of the splicing operation which will be carried out by means of the splicing device 14, it is required that a web leading portion 4a of the new web of labelling material 4 adopts an ideal splicing position with respect to the splicing device 14. Therefore, the real splicing position which is adopted by the web leading portion 4a shall be as close as possible to the ideal splicing position, to optimize the correctness of the splicing operation. The web leading portion 4a which is indicated in Figures 3, 4, 5A, 5B, 5C and 6, belongs to the new web of labelling material. In Figures 5B and 5C, the web leading portion 4a of the new web of labelling material adopts the real splicing position.

[0033] Additionally, an adhesive layer 30 (see Figures 7 and 8) is attached to web leading portion 4a. In particular, adhesive layer 30 allows that web of leading portion 4a of the new web of labelling material is adhesively connected, during the splicing operation, to the web of labelling material in use.

[0034] The feeding system 16 comprises at least one transporting band 36 which is attached to the web leading portion 4a.

[0035] The transporting band 36 comprises the adhesive layer 30 and a covering element 32 which covers the adhesive layer 30 and longitudinally protrudes from the web leading portion 4a, with respect to the longitudinal direction D1 of said web. The covering element 32 is attached to the leading portion 4a by the interposition of said adhesive layer 30. The longitudinal direction D1 is indicated in Figure 7, which shows a longitudinal section of the web leading portion 4a. The section of Figure 7 lies on a plane which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the web of labelling material.

[0036] The feeding system 16 comprises a positioning device 20 for automatically positioning the web leading portion 4a of the web 4 in a splicing position with respect to the splicing device 14, by transporting the transporting band 36. In Figures 3, 4 and 5A, the positioning device 20 is transporting the transporting band 36 to position the leading portion 4a in the splicing position. In Figure 5B and 5C, the leading portion 4a adopts the splicing position.

[0037] The positioning device 20 comprises a retaining group 40 and is configured for transporting said transporting band 36 by means of said retaining group 40 retaining said covering element 32. Retaining group 40 is indicated in Figures 8A-8D. Retaining group 40 comprises a gripper 41.

[0038] The covering element 32 comprises a first portion 33 which is attached to the adhesive layer 31 and a second portion 34 which longitudinally protrudes from the web leading portion 4a, with respect to the longitudinal direction D1 of said web. The first portion 33 and the second portion 34 are indicated in Figure 7.

[0039] The retaining group 40 is configured for retaining said covering element 32 by retaining said second portion 34. The adhesive layer 31 is biadhesive so that the first portion 33 is attached to the adhesive layer 30 on the opposite side with respect to the web leading portion 4a.

[0040] The positioning device 20 is configured for releasing the web leading portion 4a in the splicing position by means of said retaining group 40 detaching the covering element 32 from the adhesive layer 30. In Figures 8B, 8C and 8D, the retaining group 40 is detaching the covering element 32.

[0041] The gripper 41 is configured for retaining the second portion 34 and for peeling off the covering element 32 from the adhesive layer 31 to detach the covering element 32 from the adhesive layer 31. In Figures 3, 4, 5A, and 5B, the gripper 41 is retaining the second portion 34. In Figures 8B, 8C and 8D, the gripper 41 is peeling off the covering element 32.

[0042] The splicing device 14 comprises at least one pad 15 for retaining the web leading portion 4a and a suction device for generating a suction force on the web leading portion 4a for retaining the web leading portion 4a in contact with the pad 15 while the positioning device 20 peels off the cover element 32 from the adhesive layer 30.

[0043] Therefore, a stack of reels 5 of labelling material can be prepared in advance with the covering element of each reel protecting the adhesive layer 30 without the operator having to remove the covering element 32 for each splicing operation. In this way, the automatic positioning can be obtained for each reel 5 of the stack, without a negative impact on the performance of the adhesive layer 31 of each reel 5, because the adhesive layer can remain protected until an instant which is very close to the splicing operation. The automatic positioning device 20 can therefore be used for automatically positioning the web leading portion 4a in the splicing position without having the adhesive layer 31 unprotected for a too long time interval before the splicing operation, because the positioning device 20 transports the web by retaining the covering element 32 which remains operative until an instant which is very close in time to the splicing operation.

[0044] A stack of reels 5 of labelling material is shown in Figure 2.

[0045] The supply reel 38 is configured for enabling an operator to prepare the transporting bands 36 of each reel 5 of labelling material of the stack.

[0046] The supply reel 38 comprises a supporting web 39 for supporting a plurality of transporting bands 36 which are longitudinally distributed along the supporting web 39. The supporting web 39 is indicated in Figures 9a and 9B. The covering element 32 of each transporting band 36 is attached to the supporting web 39 by the interposition of the respective adhesive layer 31 and laterally protruding from the supporting web 39, with respect to a transversal direction D2 which is transversal to the longitudinal extension of said supporting web 39. The supply reel 38 comprises the transporting bands 36. The transversal direction D2 is indicated in Figure 10, which shows a cross section of the supporting web 39 and of one transporting band 36 which is attached on the supporting web 39. The section of Figure 10 lies on a plane which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the supporting web 39.

[0047] For each reel 2 of labelling material of the stack, the operator needs to detach the transporting band 36 from the supporting web 39 and position the band 36 on the leading portion 4a of a respective reel 2 of labelling material.

[0048] For each transporting band 36, the respective first portion 34 of the covering element 32 is attached to the respective adhesive layer 31 on the opposite side with respect to the supporting web 39. For each transporting band 36, the respective second portion 34 of the covering element 32 protrudes laterally from the supporting web 39, with respect to said transversal direction D2. In this way, the detachment of the transporting band 36 by the operator is more simple.

[0049] The supported bands 36 are joined to each other or are intercalated with a plurality of weakening lines made on the supporting band 39, so that between the bands 36 of each couple of consecutive bands there is a respective weakening line. In Figure 9A, the transporting bands 36 are joined to each other. In Figure 9B, there is a respective weakening line between the bands 36 of each couple of transporting bands 36. The alternative of Figure 9B allows a quick preparation by the operator. With the alternative of Figure 9A, the operator needs also to separate the transporting band 36 from the other transporting bands by cutting.

[0050] Gripper 41 comprises two claws 42. Even more specifically, claws 42 when being in a closed condition are approached to one another for gripping free portion 34 and are disengaged from one another when being in an open condition. E.g. claws 42 can be controlled between the closed condition and the open condition by controlling magnetic forces.

[0051] The positioning device 20 comprises at least one robot 44 configured to carry and move retaining group 40. In particular, robot 44 is configured to move retaining group 40 for controlling the peeling off of cover element 32.

[0052] In even more detail, robot 44 comprises a moveable robotic arm 45 carrying retaining unit 40 and moving retaining unit 40 in space when moving itself.

[0053] According to some embodiments, robotic arm 45 can selectively engage and disengage from retaining group 40.

[0054] According to some embodiments, robot 44 can be a cobot (collaborative robot).

[0055] According to some preferred non-limiting embodiments, positioning device 20 is also configured for automatically positioning web leading portion 4a in the splicing position with respect to the splicing device 14.

[0056] The positioning device 20 is configured for automatically loading the web feeding unit 17 on the labelling module 7.

Claims

1. - Web feeding system (16) for feeding a web of labelling material having a web leading portion (4a) to a labelling module (7) comprising a splicing device (14); wherein the feeding system (16) comprises at least one transporting band (36) which is attached to the web leading portion (4a); wherein the transporting band (36) comprises an adhesive layer (30) and a covering element (32) which covers the adhesive layer (30) and longitudinally protrudes from the web leading portion (4a), with respect to the longitudinal direction (D1) of said web, the covering element (32) being attached to said leading portion (4a) by the interposition of said adhesive layer (30) ; the feeding system (16) comprising a positioning device (20) for automatically positioning the web leading portion (4a) of the web (4) in a splicing position with respect to the splicing device (14), by transporting the transporting band (36); wherein the positioning device (20) comprises a retaining group (40) and is configured for transporting said transporting band (36) by means of said retaining group (40) retaining said covering element (32).

2. Web feeding system (16) according to Claim 1, wherein the covering element (32) comprises a first portion (33) which is attached to the adhesive layer (30) and a second portion (34) which longitudinally protrudes from the web leading portion (4a), with respect to the longitudinal direction (D1) of said web, wherein said retaining group (40) is configured for retaining said covering element (32) by retaining said second portion (34), wherein the adhesive layer (30) is biadhesive so that the first portion (33) is attached to the adhesive layer (30) on the opposite side with respect to the web leading portion (4a).

3. Web feeding system (16) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning device (20) is configured for releasing the web leading portion (4a) in the splicing position by means of said retaining group (40) detaching the covering element (32) from the adhesive layer (30).

4. Web feeding system (16) according to Claims 2 and 3, wherein the retaining group (40) comprises a gripper (41) which is configured for retaining the second portion (34) and for peeling off the covering element (32) from the adhesive layer (30) to detach the covering element (32) from the adhesive layer (30).

5. - Labelling machine (1) for labelling containers (2) comprising: - a labelling module (7) comprising a splicing device (14), the splicing device (14) being configured for splicing a web of labelling material in use with a new web of labelling material; - a conveyor (6) for conveying the containers (2), the labelling machine (1) being configured so that the containers (2) are labelled by the labelling module (7) while being conveyed by the conveyor (6); and - a web feeding system (16) according to any of the previous claims.

6. - Labeling machine (1) according to claim 5, wherein the splicing device (14) comprises at least one pad (15) for retaining the web leading portion (4a) and a suction device for generating a suction force on the web leading portion (4a) for retaining the web leading portion (4a) in contact with the pad (15) while the positioning device (20) peels off the cover element (32) from the adhesive layer (31).

7. Supply reel (38) for supplying a transporting band (36) for use in a web feeding system (16) according to any Claims from 1 to 4, comprising a supporting web (39) for supporting a plurality of transporting bands (36) which are longitudinally distributed along the supporting web (39), the covering element (32) of each transporting band (36) being attached to the supporting web (39) by the interposition of the respective adhesive layer (30) and laterally protruding from the supporting web (39), with respect to a transversal direction (D2) which is transversal to the longitudinal extension of said supporting web (39), the supply reel (38) comprising the transporting bands (36).

8. Supply reel (38) according to Claim 7, wherein the web feeding system is according to Claim 2 or 4, and for each transporting band (36), the respective first portion (33) of the covering element (32) is attached to the respective adhesive layer (30) on the opposite side with respect to the supporting web (39) and the respective second portion (34) of the covering element (32) protrudes laterally from the supporting web (39), with respect to said transversal direction (D2).

9. Supply reel (38) according to Claim 7 or 8, wherein the supported bands (36) are joined to each other or are intercalated with a plurality of weakening lines made on the supporting band (39), so that between the bands (36) of each couple of consecutive bands there is a respective weakening line.

Images