Labeling device and program

Abstract

To provide a labeling device capable of properly sticking a label regardless of characteristics of the label when implementing the labeling device corresponding to various labeling methods.SOLUTION: A labeling device that sticks a label to an article along a conveyance direction of the article includes: an article conveyance part that conveys the article; a label issuing part positioned above the article conveyance part; a label supply part that holds the label issued by the label issuing part while maintaining a moving posture along a conveyance direction and conveys the label toward the article conveyance part; and a flow straightening nozzle that is disposed between the label issuing part and the article conveyance part and that sprays gas from one side of the label. The flow straightening nozzle injects gas so that the label maintains a moving posture in accordance with a certain degree with respect to the conveyance direction of the label supply part even when a part of the label held in the label supply part is moved below a lower end of the label supply part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a label attachment device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a device that attaches a printed label to a product (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-148408 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, general labeling devices cannot accommodate various labeling methods, such as attaching a label to the top surface of a product, attaching a label to the top and sides of a product, or attaching a label to the top, sides and bottom of a product, etc. Therefore, in recent years, labeling devices that can accommodate various labeling methods have been developed. However, when trying to accommodate various label attachment methods, particularly when trying to attach labels to the side or bottom, it has become clear that depending on the characteristics of the label, it may not be possible to accommodate them well. In view of this situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a labeling device that can properly apply labels regardless of the characteristics of the labels when implementing a labeling device that is compatible with various labeling methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The labeling device according to the present invention has at least the following configuration. A label application device that applies a label to an article along a transport direction of the article, comprising: an article transport section that transports articles; a label issuing section located upstream of the article transport section; a label supply section that holds the label issued by the label issuing section while maintaining a moving posture along the transport direction and transports the label toward the article transport section; and a straightening nozzle that is located between the label issuing section and the article transport section and injects gas toward the label, wherein the straightening nozzle injects gas so that the label maintains a moving posture that is aligned to a certain extent with respect to the transport direction of the label supply section even when a portion of the label held in the label supply section is moved below a lower end of the label supply section. Moreover, the program according to the present invention has at least the following configuration. a label supply unit that holds the label issued by the label issuing unit while maintaining a moving attitude along a conveying direction and conveys the label toward the item conveying unit; and a flow straightening nozzle that is disposed between the label issuing unit and the item conveying unit and sprays gas onto the label. The method is characterized by executing an injection control step of injecting gas from the straightening nozzle based on the timing when the label supply unit starts transporting the label, and an injection stop control step of stopping the injection of gas from the straightening nozzle based on the timing when the label supply unit stops transporting the label. Here, spraying gas from the rectifying nozzle based on the timing of starting the transport of the label does not mean that the timing of starting the transport and the start of gas spraying are simultaneous, but rather means that the timing is based on the timing, and includes, for example, the start of spraying a certain time after the start of transport (specifically, a certain number of tenths of a second).Similarly, stopping the gas spray from the rectifying nozzle based on the timing of ending the transport of the label does not mean that the timing of ending the transport and the stop of gas spraying are simultaneous, but rather means that the timing is based on the timing, and includes, for example, the stop of spraying a certain time before the end of the transport (specifically, a certain number of tenths of a second). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of articles (products) to which labels are attached by the label attachment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a diagram showing an example of top surface attachment (top surface), (b) is a diagram showing an example of top surface L-shaped attachment (top surface, side surfaces), (c) is a diagram showing an example of vertical U-shaped attachment (U-shaped attachment, top surface and both side surfaces), (d) is a diagram showing an example of horizontal U-shaped attachment (U-shaped attachment, top surface, one side surface, bottom surface), (e) is a diagram showing an example of full perimeter attachment (with gaps), and (f) is a diagram showing an example of full perimeter attachment. [Diagram 2] 1 is an overall perspective view showing an example of a label sticking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a view of the label sticking device as seen from the upstream side in the article transport direction. [Figure 4] 1 is a view of the label conveying device as seen from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an electrical functional block of the label attachment device. [Figure 6] 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a label sticking device, showing a label issuing section, a label supplying section, an upper pressing member, and an air jet section of the label sticking device, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view from above showing an example of the label issuing section, the label supplying section, etc. of the label sticking device. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a label issuing unit, a label supply unit, an upper pressing member, and an air jet unit of a label application device, as viewed from below. FIG. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing how a label is sent out from a label supply unit, where (a) shows the state when no straightening nozzle is provided, and (b) shows the state when a straightening nozzle is provided. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which air is sprayed from a flow straightening nozzle in a peeling direction. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view for explaining an example of a label sticking device. [Figure 11]1A is a diagram for explaining an example of a lower pressing member that affixes a label to the downstream side or bottom surface of a relatively low packaged item (goods), and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining an example of a lower pressing member that affixes a label to the downstream side or bottom surface of a relatively high packaged item (goods). [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which labels are held by a label supply unit. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing an example of a state in which a label is attached to an upper surface and a downstream side surface of an article by an upper pressing member and an air jet unit. [Figure 14] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a label is pressed against an upper surface of an article by an upper pressing member, and at the same time, a label is pressed against a lower surface of the article by a lower pressing member. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] A label application device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a label application device that applies a label to an article along a transport direction of the article, and comprises an article transport section that transports articles, a label issuing section located upstream of the article transport section, a label supply section that holds the label issued by the label issuing section while maintaining a moving posture along the transport direction and transports it toward the article transport section, and a straightening nozzle that is located between the label issuing section and the article transport section and injects gas toward the label, wherein the straightening nozzle injects gas so that the label maintains a moving posture that is aligned to a certain extent with respect to the transport direction of the label supply section even when a portion of the label held in the label supply section is moved below the lower end of the label supply section.

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention includes the contents shown in the drawings, but is not limited thereto. In the following description of each drawing, parts common to parts already described will be given the same reference numerals, and some duplicated description will be omitted.

[0009] (Variations in label attachment) Fig. 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of so-called top-surface pasting of an article, in which a label L with product information and the like printed thereon is pasted on the top surface of an article w such as a commodity. Fig. 1(b) is a diagram showing an example of top-L-shaped pasting (also called top and side pasting). Fig. 1(c) is a diagram showing an example of vertical U-shaped attachment (also called U-shaped attachment or top and both side attachment), and Fig. 1(d) is a diagram showing an example of horizontal U-shaped attachment (also called U-shaped attachment or top, one side and bottom attachment). Fig. 1(e) is a diagram showing an example of full-periphery pasting (with gaps), and Fig. 1(f) is a diagram showing an example of full-periphery pasting. The label application device according to the embodiment of the present invention can apply a label L to an article w such as a commodity in some application forms shown in Fig. 1(a), (b), and (d) among Fig. 1(a) to Fig. 1(f). If a manipulator is added to the device, the label application device can be adapted to all application forms shown in Fig. 1(a) to Fig. 1(f). The arrows shown in Figs. 1(a) to 1(f) indicate the conveying direction of an article w when a label is affixed in the label affixing device.

[0010] (Overall configuration of label attachment device) 2 to 4, a label application device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a U-shaped stand 101. A leg 102 is provided at one vertex on the front side of the U-shaped stand 101. A support 103 is provided at approximately the center of one side of the rear side of the stand 101. Furthermore, screws 105 for adjusting unevenness are provided at the four vertices of the stand 101. A transport section 104 for transporting an article is provided above the legs 102 and the support section 103 and is supported by the legs 102 and the support section 103 .

[0011] The conveying section 104 has an upstream horizontal conveyor 1040 (upstream horizontal conveyors 1040L, 1040R), a downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 (downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L, 1041R), and side conveyors 1042L, 1042R, etc. The upstream horizontal conveyor 1040 is disposed upstream in the article conveying direction, and the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 and the side conveyors 1042L, 1042R are provided downstream in the conveying direction. Here, the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R can be considered to support the parts of the article other than the label application area. In addition, the two downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R are arranged with a larger gap in the width direction than the label application area of ​​the article. From this, the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R and the downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R can be considered to have something in common in that they avoid the label application area of ​​the article and support "the parts of the article other than the label application area." This is because the former supports the article on the side surface where the label is not applied, and the latter supports the article on the area of ​​the bottom surface of the article other than the label application area.

[0012] A label issuing unit 16 and a label supply unit 17 that conveys and holds the labels issued by the label issuing unit 16 to a position where the labels are affixed to articles are provided above the horizontal conveyor 1040 on the upstream side of the transport unit 104. The label issuing unit 16 is supported by the support unit 103 so as to be movable up and down, left and right, and back and forth. The label supply unit 17 is provided downstream of the issuing port of the label issuing unit 16 . In this embodiment, a display operation unit 107 (also called a console) is supported by the support unit 103. The label application device 100 shown in Figures 2 to 4 is capable of top surface application, top surface L-shaped application, and horizontal U-shaped application, but by adding a manipulator (label application assistant unit) not shown downstream of the label supply unit 17, it can also be used for vertical U-shaped application and full-circumference application.

[0013] (Electrical function block of the labeling device) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of electrical functional blocks of the label attachment apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The label application device 100 includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a memory unit 12, a display unit 13, an operation input unit 14, a communication unit 15, a label issuing unit 16 (labeller), a label supply unit 17, an upstream horizontal conveyor 1040 (upstream horizontal conveyors 1040L and 1040R), a downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 (downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R), an air jet unit 19, a flow straightening nozzle 180, side conveyors 1042L and 1042R (second article conveyor), and a detection unit 30 (various sensors, back sensor, etc.). The conveyor 104 includes, for example, the upstream horizontal conveyor 1040, the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041, the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R, etc. The display operation unit 107 (console) includes a display unit 13, an operation input unit 14, and the like. For example, the control unit 11 is electrically connected to a storage unit 12, a display unit 13, an operation input unit 14, and an interface 9 (I / F) via a communication line such as a bus. The interface 9 is electrically connected to a communication unit 15, a label issuing unit 16, a label supply unit 17, an upstream horizontal conveyor 1040 and a downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 of the transport unit, an air jet unit 19, a flow straightening nozzle 180, side conveyors 1042L and 1042R, a detection unit 30, etc. Furthermore, a manipulator (not shown) is additionally connected as necessary. The detection unit 30 has various sensors (such as an optical sensor and a sensor for detecting the number of rotations of a motor) and outputs the detection results to the control unit 11.

[0014] The control unit 11 comprehensively controls each component of the label application device 100 . The storage unit 12 is composed of, for example, a ROM, a RAM, an auxiliary storage unit, etc., and stores a control program that controls each component of the label application device 100, product information, data related to label application, and the like.

[0015] The display unit 13, under the control of the control unit 11, displays a screen as a length receiving means for receiving a designation of the length of the label, and displays related to other setting operations.

[0016] The operation input unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a switch, a button, etc., and outputs a signal according to an operation by an operator to the control unit. Note that the display unit 13 and the operation input unit 14 may be a touch panel display device.

[0017] The communication unit 15, under the control of the control unit 11, communicates with other computers (such as a higher-level management device) via a wired or wireless communication path.

[0018] (Configuration of label issuing unit and label supply unit) 6, the label issuing unit 16 (labeller) includes a roll holder 161 that holds a label roll R made of rolled tack paper (consisting of a surface base material, an adhesive material, and a peeling liner), a printing unit 162, a platen roller 163, and a liner peeling mechanism 164 in a housing 16B (main body) of the label issuing unit 16. An issuing port 165 is provided downstream of the liner peeling mechanism 164. The holder that winds up the liner after the label has been peeled off is not shown. Under the control of the control unit 11, the label issuing unit 16 prints product information, etc. on the label paper RP pulled out from the label roll R, peels the label paper RP from the backing paper at a length according to the product information, generates sheet-like labels L, and outputs the labels L from the issuing port 165. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a guide roller 179 is provided between the issuing port 165 and the label supply unit 17. The label output from the issuing port 165 is supported by the guide roller 179 and moves to the label supply unit 17 by passing over the top of the guide roller 179. The label application device has guide rollers 179, so that even if the issued label is relatively short, the label moved to the label supply unit 17 is supported and transported so as not to deviate from the specified position or angle. For example, if the issued label is relatively long, it may reach the label supply unit 17 without having completely peeled off the backing paper, and while the label is supported by the label supply unit 17, the peeling is completed by the backing paper peeling mechanism 164, and the label can move to the label supply unit 17 while being supported at a specified position and angle. In other words, whether the label is relatively long or relatively short in the transport direction, it is peeled off by the liner peeling mechanism 164 while being supported by the label supply unit 17 and the guide roller 179. When the label issued by the label issuing unit 16 is relatively short, the area supported by the label supply unit 17 is relatively small, so if a guide roller is not provided, the label supported only by the label supply unit 17 is likely to shift due to the impact when the label paper is completely peeled off from the liner. On the other hand, the label application device according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with the guide roller 179, so that even if the label is relatively short, it is peeled off by the liner peeling mechanism 164 while being supported by the label supply unit 17 and the guide roller 179, and therefore it is possible to prevent the label from shifting from the specified position or angle when peeling is complete. In this embodiment, the guide roller 179 is provided on the main body of the label supply unit 17 so as to be rotatable.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 7, the straightening nozzle 180 is provided downstream of the guide roller 179 in the label supply direction. In this embodiment, the straightening nozzle 180 has three nozzles (1801, 1801, 1801) arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The nozzle 1801 sprays gas with a strength similar to that of a gentle breeze. This allows the label L to maintain a moving posture that is aligned to a certain degree with respect to the conveying direction even when a part of the label L is moved below the lower end of the label supply unit 17. More specifically, the moving posture that is aligned to a certain degree means that when a label of a size that can be attached to the bottom surface of an article is supplied, the label reaches a position below the lower end of the article, and the gas spraying force corresponding to this is sufficient, but in this embodiment, the spraying force is set to be a little stronger. This will be described later.

[0020] The reason for providing the straightening nozzle 180 is that some tack papers (or even linerless labels) are prone to curling depending on the characteristics of the product. In particular, curling may occur when the recommended expiration date is exceeded, and even if the expiration date is not exceeded, the risk of curling increases as the expiration date approaches. The type of trouble that occurs when curling occurs will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the label L is sent out from the label supply unit. FIG. 8(a) shows a case where the straightening nozzle 180 is not provided, and FIG. 8(b) shows a case where the straightening nozzle 180 is provided. When the label roll R has a curled tendency, the leading end of the label L is curled as shown in FIG. 8(a). In this state, the leading end of the label L collides with the side of the conveyed object, or if the curl is strong, it rides up on the top surface of the object. Even if the curl is weak, the label L collides with the support member 106 present between the downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R, and the label L does not reach the expected position. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, which is a partially enlarged plan view for explaining an example of a label application device, there are a mixture of places where there is a gap extending to the bottom between the side conveyors and places where the support member 106, which is a structural member of the housing, blocks the space, and it is assumed that the label L passes through the gap and reaches the bottom of the conveyed object. However, if the leading end of the label L is curled and hits the support member 106, the label cannot be attached as intended.

[0022] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have devised a technical idea of ​​straightening the label with gas in order to eliminate the curling tendency of the drooping label when the label is transferred beyond the label supply unit 17 where the label supply unit 17 cannot hold it by suction. That is, before the air jet unit 19 (air pressing means) blows compressed air, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the straightening nozzle 180 blows gas (flow shown as hatched arrows in Fig. 8(b)) along the adhesive surface of the label to move the label L while maintaining a position where the leading end of the label L reaches the lower pressing member 20. As explained above, if the leading end of the label L does not collide with the side of the article being conveyed or the support member 106, it will not become a serious situation, so the gas jet force is slightly stronger (about the same as a gentle breeze) than the force that gives the label a position where it reaches below the bottom end of the article being conveyed, but is not strong enough to cause the label L to hit the lower pressing member 20. However, the gas ejection force needs to be set differently depending on the strength of the curl of the label roll R. For this reason, the strength of the ejection force can be adjusted and set on the setting screen displayed on the display operation unit 107 (console). As described above, the purpose of the rectifying nozzle 180 is to eliminate the curling tendency of the drooping label when the label is transported beyond the label supply unit 17 where the label supply unit 17 cannot suck and hold it, so ideally the rectifying nozzle 180 should be located at the leading edge of the label supply unit 17. If there is no interference from the side of a side conveyor or the like, the rectifying nozzle 180 can be located at this leading edge position. In this case, the label is transported between the conveying surface (suction surface) of the label supply unit 17 and the rectifying nozzle 180. Therefore, if the rectifying nozzle 180 is located at the leading edge of the label supply unit 17, it is expected that the label that has risen due to the curling tendency will not be able to pass between the label supply unit 17 and the rectifying nozzle 180 and will hit the rectifying nozzle, preventing it from being transported. The condition where the curling tendency of the label becomes prominent is when the label is completely separated from the liner or after the linerless label is cut off, so ideally the label should pass between the label supply unit 17 and the straightening nozzle 180 before the curling tendency becomes prominent. In that case, the most suitable position is the position shown in Fig. 8(b), where the leading edge of the printed label passes between the label supply unit 17 and the straightening nozzle 180 until the label is completely peeled off from the liner or before the label is cut by the cutter.

[0023] It is not necessary for the gas to be constantly sprayed at the same strength with a set spray force. Rather, it is desirable to variably control the spray timing and the strength of the spray force. Specifically, the strength of the spray force is changed according to the shape height of the article being conveyed. If the spray is driven intermittently according to the conveying speed and the timing at which the label L is supplied, a more appropriate sticking operation can be performed. On the other hand, the present invention does not exclude a mode in which the spray strength is kept constant during the sticking operation. Furthermore, it is also possible to perform fine-tuned jet control according to the situation. For example, it is possible to adjust the jet control based on the size of the target work (large / small), the shape of the work attachment surface (flat, uneven, mountain-like, valley-like), the material of the work attachment surface (plastic, metal, paper, whether or not the shape changes due to air), etc. This can be called jet control based on the shape of the article. These condition settings can be configured to be performed by inputting settings on the display operation unit 107 (console), or by providing appropriate sensing means so that they are automatically set. In addition, it is possible to inject air when the length of the label to be affixed to the target workpiece exceeds a certain threshold. For example, when the label length is less than 10 cm, not only is it difficult for the label to curl, but the air may also affect the label and impede its transport, which may result in poor label attachment, so it is more appropriate not to inject air. Here, it is preferable to set the threshold value not to a fixed length value, but to a length value that takes into account the diameter of the label roll, for example, as shown in [Table 1]. [Table 1] The reason for this is that when the outer diameter of the label roll is large, the curl of the unwound label per given length is weak and the adverse effects on transport and application in the device are small, whereas as the outer diameter of the label roll becomes smaller, the curl of the unwound label per given length becomes stronger and the adverse effects become greater.The roll diameter may be sensed directly, or may be calculated from the initial value of the roll diameter and the integrated amount of unwound label. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure so that spray control is performed based on the attachment mode. As mentioned above, there are various attachment modes, such as attaching the label only to the top surface of the product (top attachment), attaching to the top and side surfaces (L-shaped attachment), attaching to the top, side and bottom surfaces (U-shaped, C-shaped attachment), and attaching to the entire surface of the product (one periphery, full periphery attachment), and the spray mode is controlled according to the variation in the label attachment mode.

[0024] So far, the control of the strength of the ejection force and the intermittent drive has been described, but the mode of changing the ejection direction will also be described. As a premise, the existence of strong adhesive labels will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In the case of a label with a liner, there are a number of types of adhesive for the label, and in particular in the case of a label called strong adhesive, a situation may occur in which the label is not peeled off properly after printing. Specifically, immediately after printing is completed, the conveying direction of the label L and the liner D is branched off by the liner peeling mechanism 164 (the label L and the liner D are drawn more emphatically than in other figures so that they can be easily confirmed). As shown in FIG. 9, the liner D is structured so that it changes direction at a steep angle at a predetermined position and is pulled downward by the peeling plate and wound up by the liner peeling mechanism 164. Normally, the label L peeled off by the peeling plate is biased to proceed toward the label supply unit 17, but if the adhesive force of the label is strong, the separation between the label and the liner is not performed well by the peeling plate, and the label may be conveyed directly toward the liner peeling mechanism, resulting in peeling failure. As a method to resolve this type of peeling problem, the straightening nozzle can be used to spray air toward the peeling plate instead of the direction described above, sending air between the label and the backing paper to encourage separation. Therefore, if it is determined that the label is a strong adhesive label, the direction of the straightening nozzle can be changed to resolve this peeling problem. The direction can be changed automatically by providing a drive unit to the straightening nozzle, or the spray direction can be changed manually by rotating the straightening nozzle without providing a drive unit. In the case of manual operation, it is preferable to display a message such as "This is a strong adhesive label. Please switch the direction of the straightening nozzle" or an image showing how to switch, which is triggered by the fact that a product using a strong adhesive label is called up as a target for affixing, to assist the manual operator. The straightening nozzle 180 is actually provided at a height position near the guide roller 179 as shown in FIG. 7. The reason for this is that, even for wide labels, the straightening nozzle 180 needs to be provided with a width larger than the gap between the downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R in order to stabilize the label L, and the first requirement is that the straightening nozzle 180 needs to be located so as not to interfere with the downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R even when the label supply unit 17 is lowered downward according to the size of the article to be conveyed. In addition, there is a requirement that the gas ejected from a position slightly away from the position where the label L is to be maintained in its orientation is more evenly dispersed, and the gas does not hit a portion of the label L unevenly, causing the label L to flutter, and that the structure of the label supply unit 17 is maximized while simplifying the layout of the air piping and reducing costs. However, from the viewpoint of correcting the position of the label L at a position away from the label supply unit 17, the rectifying nozzle 180 does not necessarily have to be disposed at the label supply unit 17. For example, a structural part that is suspended separately from the label issuing unit 16 may be provided so that the rectifying nozzle 180 is disposed near the item conveying unit so that gas can be sprayed toward the adhesive surface of the label. This embodiment is advantageous for dealing with strong curling. The relationship between the width and height position of the label supply unit 17 and the rectifying nozzle 180 will be described. The width of the label supply unit 17 is approximately the same as the width of the smallest workpiece that can be sandwiched by the side conveyor. This prevents the label supply unit 17 from coming into contact with the side conveyor even when the side conveyor is closest to the smallest workpiece and is sandwiching it. This allows labels to be supplied to even the smallest workpiece. On the other hand, the width of the rectifying nozzle is approximately the same as the largest label width that can be affixed by this product. This allows air to be supplied to the entire width of not only small labels but also the widest labels, and can eliminate (reduce, alleviate) curling tendencies. In this way, the rectifying nozzle 180 is designed to protrude beyond the width of the label supply unit 17. The height position of the rectifying nozzle 180 is set to a height that does not interfere with the side conveyor even when the label supply unit 17 is lowered to the lowest position.

[0025] The above-mentioned label issuing unit 16 issues labels using tack paper. This is because tack paper is more susceptible to problems such as label roll curling, and is therefore suitable for describing an embodiment that deals with label roll curling. In other words, in the case of linerless labels, the function for dealing with curling tends to be over-specified, but this does not mean that no problems will occur, so it goes without saying that the present invention may be applied to a label application device that issues labels by printing on linerless labels and cutting the labels, without being limited to the description of the embodiment. Although not shown in the figure, the device is provided with a cutting mechanism instead of a liner peeling mechanism.

[0026] The label supply unit 17 pays out and holds the labels issued by the label issuing unit 16 in an inclined direction from above the conveying unit so that the downstream side in the conveying direction is lower. In detail, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the label supply unit 17 has multiple rollers 171, 172, 173 arranged a predetermined distance apart, and endless belts 176L, 176R arranged on a pulley 174 of a drive motor 175, and is configured so that the endless belts 176L, 176R can be rotated by the drive motor 175 (label conveying drive unit). In addition, the label supply unit 17 has an inclined label conveying surface of the endless belts 176L, 176R, and an intake fan 177 (intake unit) is arranged above the label conveying surface, so that the label can be moved downward by the endless belts 176L, 176R while negative pressure is applied to the endless belt side of the label being conveyed.

[0027] In addition, the label supply unit 17 has endless belts 176L, 176R arranged side by side at a predetermined interval, and one or more ventilation holes 178 are provided between the endless belts 176L, 176R, and the intake fan 177 can apply negative pressure to the labels through the ventilation holes 178. In this embodiment, the label L has an adhesive surface and a print surface on the opposite side to the adhesive surface. The print surface of the label abuts against the endless belts 176L, 176R, and is conveyed in a state where negative pressure is applied to the endless belts 176L, 176R.

[0028] (Label supply operation) We will explain how labels are supplied. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a guide roller 179 is provided above the label supply unit 17, a straightening nozzle 180 is provided near the downstream side of the guide roller 179 in the label supply direction, and an upper pressing member 18 is provided at the lower end of the label supply unit 17 to press the label against the upper surface of the article transported by the transport unit. The upper pressing member 18 is, for example, an elastic roller made of resin, rubber, or the like. The upper pressing member 18 may be a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber that protrudes downward, as long as it is configured to be able to press the label against the upper surface of the article transported by the transport unit. An intake fan 177 is provided from the straightening nozzle 180 to the lower end of the label supply unit 17. The intake fan 177 can apply negative pressure to the label through an air vent 178.

[0029] After information is printed on the printing surface and the label L is peeled off from the backing paper, the label L passes through the guide roller 179, where the printed surface of the label L comes into contact with the endless belts 176L, 176R, and the label L is conveyed with negative pressure acting on the endless belts 176L, 176R. When a portion of the label L eventually moves below the lower end of the label supply unit 17, if the label L was peeled off from the label roll R that has a tendency to curl, the leading edge of the label L will curl toward the downstream side in the article conveying direction. To deal with this situation, the flow straightening nozzle 180 blows gas with a strength similar to that of a gentle breeze to keep the label L aligned to a certain extent with respect to the conveying direction of the label supply unit 17.

[0030] An air jet unit 19 (air pressing means) is provided near the lower end of the label supply unit 17. While the flow straightening nozzle 180 ejects gas at a breeze level, the air jet unit 19 ejects strong compressed air. In detail, the air jet unit 19 (air pressing means) is provided at the lower end of the label supply unit 17 and downstream of the upper pressing member 18, and is configured to be able to blow compressed air toward the downstream side of an article conveyed by the conveying unit 104 (such as the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R and the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041), and is able to press and attach a label to the downstream side of the article by the compressed air.

[0031] (Label attachment device configuration) The label application device 100 also has a lower pressing member 20 (see FIG. 11). The lower pressing member 20 is provided below the upper pressing member 18. The lower pressing member 20 is configured to be able to press against the downstream side surface or bottom surface of an article w conveyed by the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 that conveys the article, and can press a label against the downstream side surface or bottom surface of the article w.

[0032] In detail, the lower pressing member 20 is, for example, a plate-like member that protrudes upward and is made of an elastic body such as resin or rubber. The lower pressing member 20 may be a roller or the like, and may be configured to be able to press a label against the downstream side, bottom surface, or corners of the article w transported by the transport unit.

[0033] In the example shown in Fig. 11(a), the lower pressing member 20 is configured so that the height of the contact part 20a that contacts the label can be adjusted. In detail, the lower pressing member 20 has a fixed part 20b fixed to the main body of the label sticking device, a movable piece 20d (movable part) rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 20c relative to the fixed part 20b, and the contact part 20a provided on the movable piece 20d and whose height is adjustable. The movable piece 20d is biased in the standing direction by a biasing means (not shown). In the example shown in FIG. 11(a), the height of the article w is relatively low, and the contact portion 20a is set at a relatively low position so as to contact the downstream side of the article w in the conveying direction. The example shown in FIG. 11(b) is a case where the height of the article w is relatively high, and the contact portion 20a is set at a relatively high position so as to contact the downstream side of the article w in the conveying direction. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, it is also possible to position the upper end of the contact portion 20a below the conveying surface of the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 so that the lower pressing member does not come into contact with the article at all. This is used when attaching the upper surface. In this way, the shape of the lower pressing member 20 is changeable so as to obtain an appropriate pressing force according to the height of the article and the manner in which the label is affixed. The contact portion 20a of the lower pressing member 20 may be equipped with a mechanism for varying the height by a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor depending on the height of the article w, or may be equipped with a mechanism for manually adjusting the height.

[0034] (Label pasting operation) Next, an example of the operation of the label application device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 12, 13, 14, etc. In the example shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14, the label application device 100 performs a horizontal U-shaped application operation (also called U-shaped application or top, one side, and bottom application).

[0035] Driven by the drive motor of the article transport section, the upstream horizontal conveyor 1040, the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041, and the endless belts of the side conveyors 1042L, 1042R rotate, and the article w moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction.

[0036] The label issuing unit 16 issues, from an issuing port 165, a label on which information about the item w (such as product information) is printed by a printing unit 162 (such as a print head). When a label is issued from the issuing port 165 of the label issuing unit 16, the label L is conveyed downward by the label supplying unit 17. In detail, with the printed surface of the label L in contact with the endless belts 176L, 176R of the label supplying unit 17, the label L is sucked by the intake fan 177 (intake unit) of the label supplying unit 17, the endless belts 176L, 176R rotate, and the label L moves downward. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the lower end of the label L moves to a position lower than the bottom surface of the article w or the conveying surface of the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041, and the article w is conveyed in the conveying direction by the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R. Although the action of the gas ejected along the adhesive surface of the label shown by the hatched arrow prevents the leading end of the label L from strongly curling downstream in the article conveying direction, the ejection force is not strong enough to keep the label L in a position where it reaches the lower pressing member 20 as shown in Fig. 8(b), but is strong enough to give the label L a position where it reaches below the bottom end of the article, in other words, to prevent the leading end of the label L from colliding with the support member 106.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 13, a part of the adhesive surface (back surface) of the label L is pressed against the downstream side and top surface of the article w in the conveying direction by the upper pressing member 18 and the air jet unit 19. At this time, the gas ejection from the flow straightening nozzle 180 is stopped. However, since the compressed air from the air jet unit 19 is strong enough to overcome the breeze from the flow straightening nozzle 180, the gas ejection from the flow straightening nozzle 180 may be continued without stopping. However, stopping the gas ejection will naturally result in less waste.

[0038] 14, when the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 and the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R move the article w in the conveying direction, the lower pressing member 20 presses the portion of the label L that is lower than the bottom surface of the article w against the bottom surface of the article w, and affixes the label L to the bottom surface of the article w. Meanwhile, the upper pressing member 18 presses the label L against the top surface of the article w. Then, the article w with the label L affixed thereto is conveyed in the conveying direction by the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041 and the side conveyors 1042L and 1042R.

[0039] In Fig. 12, the label is supplied in such a manner that the bottom end of the label L moves to a position lower than the bottom surface of the article w or the conveying surface of the downstream horizontal conveyor 1041, and the length of the supplied label is long enough to be attached in a horizontal U-shape. However, if a label shorter than this length is supplied, the label is attached in an L-shape on the top, and if a shorter label is supplied, the label is attached on the top. In the case of top-side attachment using a short label, the gas from the flow straightening nozzle 180 is meaningless and only causes disturbance, so that the gas is not ejected. However, top-side attachment using a long label is also possible, and in this case, the gas from the flow straightening nozzle 180 may be effective in reducing the sagging of the label tip during conveyance by the label supply unit 17 and in assisting in top-side attachment.

[0040] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described as a label application device, the technical idea of ​​the present invention can also be conceived as a program that causes a computer of a label application device including an article conveying unit that conveys articles, a label issuing unit located upstream of the article conveying unit, a label supplying unit that holds the labels issued by the label issuing unit while maintaining a moving position along the conveying direction and conveys them toward the article conveying unit, and a straightening nozzle that is located between the label issuing unit and the article conveying unit and sprays gas onto the labels, to execute an injection control step of spraying gas from the straightening nozzle based on a timing at which conveyance of the label by the label supplying unit starts, and an injection stop control step of stopping the injection of gas from the straightening nozzle based on a timing at which conveyance of the label by the label supplying unit ends. <Summary of the embodiment> [Technical field] The present invention relates to a label attachment device and a program. [Background technology] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a device that attaches a printed label to a product (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-148408 A [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, general labeling devices cannot accommodate various labeling methods, such as attaching a label to the top surface of a product, attaching a label to the top and sides of a product, or attaching a label to the top, sides and bottom of a product, etc. Therefore, in recent years, labeling devices that can accommodate various labeling methods have been developed. However, when trying to accommodate various label attachment methods, particularly when trying to attach labels to the side or bottom, it has become clear that depending on the characteristics of the label, it may not be possible to accommodate them well. In view of this situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a labeling device that can properly apply labels regardless of the characteristics of the labels when implementing a labeling device that is compatible with various labeling methods. [Means for solving the problem] (1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is a label application device (label application device 100) that applies a label to an article along a transport direction of the article, the label application device (label application device 100) comprising: an article transport section (side conveyors 1042L, 1042R) that transports articles; a label issuing section (label issuing section 16) located upstream of the article transport section; a label supply section (label supply section 17) that holds the label issued by the label issuing section while maintaining a moving posture along the transport direction and transports the label toward the article transport section; and a straightening nozzle (straightening nozzle 180) that is located between the label issuing section and the article transport section and sprays gas onto the label, wherein the straightening nozzle sprays gas so that the label maintains a moving posture that is aligned to a certain extent with respect to the transport direction of the label supply section even when a part of the label held in the label supply section is moved below the lower end of the label supply section. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a label application device that can properly apply a label regardless of the characteristics of the label.

[0041] (2) One aspect of this embodiment is characterized in that in the label application apparatus (label application apparatus 100) described in (1), the straightening nozzle (straightening nozzle 180) controls spray based on the shape of the article transported by the article conveying section. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a label attachment device that can adjust the spray control based on the size of the target workpiece, the shape of the workpiece attachment surface, the material of the workpiece attachment surface, etc.

[0042] (3) One aspect of this embodiment is a labeling apparatus (labeling apparatus 100) according to (1) or (2), The straightening nozzle (straightening nozzle 180) is characterized in that the jetting is controlled based on the length of the label issued from the label issuing device. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a label application device that can perform appropriate ejection control according to the occurrence state of the curl.

[0043] (4) One aspect of this embodiment is that in the label application device (label application device 100) described in (1) or (2), the straightening nozzle (straightening nozzle 180) controls spraying based on the application manner in which the label is applied to the article by the label supply unit. With this configuration, a label application device can be provided that can perform spray control in accordance with various application methods, such as application to the top surface only (top application), application to the top and sides (L-shaped application), application to the top, sides and bottom (U-shaped or C-shaped application), and application to the entire surface of the product (one-way or full-circumference application).

[0044] (5) One aspect of this embodiment is characterized in that in the label application apparatus (label application apparatus 100) described in (1) or (2), the straightening nozzle (straightening nozzle 180) is arranged near the upper end of the label supply section. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a label application device in which the flow rectifying nozzle 180 does not interfere with the downstream horizontal conveyors 1041L and 1041R even when the label supply unit 17 is lowered downward.

[0045] (6) One aspect of this embodiment is a program that causes a computer (control unit 11) of a label application device (label application device 100) that includes an item conveying unit that conveys items, a label issuing unit located upstream of the item conveying unit, a label supplying unit that holds the label issued by the label issuing unit while maintaining a moving position along the conveying direction and conveys it toward the item conveying unit, and a straightening nozzle that is located between the label issuing unit and the item conveying unit and sprays gas onto the label, to execute an injection control step of spraying gas from the straightening nozzle based on a timing at which the label supplying unit starts conveying the label, and an injection stop control step of stopping the injection of gas from the straightening nozzle based on a timing at which the label supplying unit stops conveying the label. According to this configuration, the labeling device can be operated properly so as to properly apply a label regardless of the characteristics of the label.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments shown in the above-mentioned drawings can be combined with each other as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in terms of purpose, configuration, and the like. Furthermore, the contents of each drawing may be independent embodiments, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to one embodiment obtained by combining the drawings.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, a belt conveyor is used as the conveying section for conveying the articles, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and may be a roller conveyor or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 11...Control unit 13...Display section 17...Label supply section 18...Upper pressing member 19...Air jet section (air pressure section) 20...Lower pressing member 100...Label application device 104...Transportation section 162...Printing section 180...Straightening nozzle 1801…Injection port L……Label w…………Goods

Claims

1. A labeling device that applies a label to an object along a conveyance direction of the object, comprising: an article transport unit that transports articles; a label issuing unit located upstream of the item conveying unit; a label supply unit that holds the label issued by the label issuing unit while maintaining a moving posture along a conveying direction and conveys the label toward the item conveying unit; A flow rectifying nozzle disposed between the label issuing unit and the item conveying unit, which injects gas onto the label; Equipped with The flow straightening nozzle injects gas so that the label maintains a moving posture that is aligned to a certain extent with respect to the conveying direction of the label supply unit even when a part of the label held in the label supply unit is moved below the lower end of the label supply unit. A label application device comprising:

2. The flow straightening nozzle is The ejection is controlled based on the shape of the article conveyed by the article conveying unit.

2. The labelling device according to claim 1.

3. The flow straightening nozzle is Controlling ejection based on the length of the label dispensed in the label dispenser 3. A labelling device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The flow straightening nozzle is The spray is controlled based on the manner in which the label is attached to the article by the label supply unit.

3. A labelling device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The flow straightening nozzle is disposed near the upper end of the label supply unit.

3. A labelling device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a label supply unit that holds the label issued by the label issuing unit while maintaining a moving attitude along a conveying direction and conveys the label toward the item conveying unit; and a flow straightening nozzle that is disposed between the label issuing unit and the item conveying unit and sprays gas onto the label. an injection control step of injecting gas from the flow straightening nozzle based on a timing when the label supply unit starts conveying the label; an injection stop control step of stopping the gas injection from the flow straightening nozzle based on a timing at which the label supply unit finishes conveying the label; A program characterized by executing the above.

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