Label applicator

Abstract

To provide a label sticking device which is advantageous in enhancing a use value and a commercial value while reducing costs.SOLUTION: The label sticking apparatus 10 includes a conveyor 12, a label feeding mechanism 14, an upper-surface label sticking mechanism 16, and a lower-surface label sticking mechanism 18. The transport conveyor 12 has a transport surface 1202 for transporting the article 42, and includes an upstream conveyor 20 serving as an upstream transport portion located on the upstream side in the transport direction, and a downstream conveyor 22 serving as a downstream transport portion arranged separately from a downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 on the downstream side in the transport direction. A lower surface label sticking mechanism 18 is arranged between the downstream end 2002 of an upstream conveyor 20 and the upstream end of a downstream conveyor 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a labelling device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Labeling devices are known that attach labels, on which information such as expiration dates and food names is printed, to articles such as containers containing food. One proposed label application device of this type is one that includes a sticker feeding mechanism above the conveying surface of a pair of left and right conveyors that transport items, which feeds out a long sticker along its length, and an upper label application mechanism that applies the rear longitudinal portion of the sticker fed from the sticker feeding mechanism to the upper surface of the item being transported on the conveyors, and a lower label application mechanism that is provided between the pair of left and right conveyors and applies the front longitudinal portion of the sticker to the lower surface of the item (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-41882 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described conventional device, the bottom label application mechanism is located in the limited space between a pair of left and right transport conveyors, which is disadvantageous in terms of easily and reliably locating the bottom label application mechanism. There is room for improvement in terms of improving the efficiency of the assembly work of the label application device and reducing the cost of the label application device. Furthermore, there is a constraint that the width of the label perpendicular to the longitudinal direction must be smaller than the dimension of the gap between the pair of transport conveyors, so for example, a label of the same width as the item cannot be attached to the item, and there is room for improvement in terms of increasing the useful value and commercial value of the label attachment device. Furthermore, when transporting items that are fan-shaped or circular in plan view, the items form a bridge between the pair of conveyor belts on the left and right, which is disadvantageous in terms of transporting the items stably. In this respect, too, there is room for improvement in terms of increasing the usefulness and commercial value of the label application device. The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a label application device which is advantageous in increasing the usefulness and commercial value of the product while reducing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention is a label application device comprising: a conveying section having a conveying surface for conveying articles; a label feeding mechanism provided above the conveying surface for feeding out a lengthy label along its length; an upper label application mechanism provided above the conveying surface for applying the rear longitudinal portion of the label fed from the label feeding mechanism to the upper surface of the article being conveyed by the conveying section; and a lower label application mechanism provided on the conveying surface for applying the front longitudinal portion of the label to the lower surface of the article, wherein the conveying section is composed of an upstream conveying section located upstream in the conveying direction and a downstream conveying section located downstream in the conveying direction and separated from the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, and the lower label application mechanism is located between the downstream end of the upstream conveying section and the upstream end of the downstream conveying section. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a raw roll support section is provided to support the raw roll on which the label is wound, the label feeding mechanism is configured to include the raw roll support section, and the label is pre-printed. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a raw material support section is provided to support the raw material around which the label is wound, the label feeding mechanism is configured to include the raw material support section, and the label feeding mechanism is provided with a printing section that forms printing on the label. In one embodiment of the present invention, the upstream transport section is configured by a belt conveyor having a single conveyor belt. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the top surface label application mechanism has a label pressure roller that applies the rear longitudinal portion of the label fed from the label feed mechanism to the top surface of the item being transported by the conveying section, and when the rear longitudinal portion of the label is applied to the top surface of the item by the label pressure roller, the front longitudinal portion of the label protrudes downstream in the conveying direction from the front surface of the item, and a release surface that is releasable from the adhesive surface of the label is provided at least at a portion of the conveying surface opposite to the portion where the front longitudinal portion of the label protrudes from the front surface of the item. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the top surface label application mechanism has a label pressure roller that applies the longitudinal rear portion of the label fed from the label feed mechanism to the top surface of the item being transported by the conveying section, and the label pressure roller is configured to apply the longitudinal rear portion of the label from the upper end of the front surface facing downstream in the transport direction of the item to the top surface. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the top surface label application mechanism includes a label pressure roller that applies the longitudinal rear portion of the label fed from the label feed mechanism to the top surface of the item transported by the transport section; a label pressure roller support mechanism that supports the label pressure roller rotatably between a standby position where the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the label pressure roller is lower than the top surface of the item and can press the label onto the top surface of the item; a label pressure roller support mechanism that supports the label pressure roller so that it can move up and down between this standby position and a pressing position where it is displaced upward from the standby position and can press the label onto the top surface of the item; and a label pressure roller biasing member that constantly biases the label pressure roller to the standby position. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the bottom surface label application mechanism includes a label fold-back roller that is provided on the conveying surface and affixes the front longitudinal portion of the label to the bottom surface of the article, a label fold-back roller support mechanism that rotatably supports the label fold-back roller and moves it between a protruding position that protrudes above the conveying surface of the upstream conveying section and a lower position that is spaced below the protruding position, and a label fold-back roller urging member that constantly urges the fold-back roller to the protruding position. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the bottom label application mechanism includes a label fold-back roller that is provided on the conveying surface and applies the front longitudinal end of the label to the bottom surface of the article, and a label guide mechanism is provided above the downstream portion of the upstream conveying section and guides the front longitudinal end of the label between the label fold-back roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the label guide mechanism includes an elastically deformable label guide plate that is inclined so as to displace downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface and guides the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction, and a label guide plate support mechanism that supports the upper end of the label guide plate and positions the label guide plate at a guide position that guides the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, and the label guide plate is elastically deformed by the item being conveyed by the conveying section, and the lower end of the label guide plate contacts the top surface of the item. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the label guide mechanism includes a label guide plate that is inclined so as to displace downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface, guiding the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction; a label guide plate support mechanism that supports the label guide plate so that it can swing between a guide position that guides the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, and a retracted position above the downstream section of the upstream conveying section; and a label guide plate biasing member that constantly biases the label guide plate to the guide position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying section is composed of an upstream conveying section located upstream in the conveying direction and a downstream conveying section separated from the downstream end of the upstream conveying section and positioned downstream in the conveying direction, and a bottom label application mechanism is positioned between the downstream end of the upstream conveying section and the upstream end of the downstream conveying section. Therefore, the lower label application mechanism can be easily and reliably positioned, which is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the assembly work of the label application device and reducing the cost of the label application device. Furthermore, there is no restriction on the width perpendicular to the length direction of the label, so that, for example, a label of the same width as the width of the article can be applied to the article, which is advantageous in increasing the utility value and commercial value of the label application device. Furthermore, if the label feeding mechanism is configured to include a raw material support section that supports the raw material roll on which the pre-printed label is wound, the position of the raw material roll is prevented from shifting in the axial direction of the raw material roll, thereby preventing the printed label from being attached to the item in an oblique (meandering) manner, which is advantageous in improving the accuracy of attaching the label to the item. Furthermore, if the label feeding mechanism is provided with a printing unit that prints on the labels, it is advantageous in that when the information printed on the labels is information such as a best-before date or expiration date that is updated over time, such as a date or time, the necessary printing can be reliably formed on the required number of labels. Furthermore, if the upstream conveying section is configured as a belt conveyor having a single conveyor belt, there is no restriction that the width of the article perpendicular to the conveying direction must be equal to or greater than the dimension that can be spanned between the pair of conveying sections, and therefore labels of various sizes can be affixed to articles of various sizes, which is advantageous in terms of accommodating articles and labels of various sizes. It is also advantageous in terms of stably conveying articles, even if the shape of the article is circular, trapezoidal, sector-shaped, etc. in plan view. Furthermore, if a release surface that is releasable from the adhesive surface of the label is provided at least at the portion of the conveying surface opposite the portion where the front longitudinal portion of the label protrudes from the front surface of the article, the adhesive surface will be prevented from sticking to the conveying surface even if the adhesive surface of the front portion of the label fed out from the label feeding mechanism comes into contact with the conveying surface, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the label to the article. Furthermore, if the label pressure roller is configured to attach the rear longitudinal portion of the label from the upper end of the front surface facing downstream in the conveying direction of the article to the upper surface, the front portion of the label can be displaced in a direction approaching the conveying surface in front of the article, compared to when the rear longitudinal portion of the label is attached only to the upper surface of the article, which is advantageous in enabling the bottom label attachment mechanism to stably attach the label to the bottom surface of the article. Furthermore, if the top surface label attachment mechanism is configured to include a label pressure roller, a label pressure roller support mechanism that supports the label pressure roller so that it can move vertically between a standby position and a pressing position, and a label pressure roller biasing member that constantly biases the label pressure roller to the standby position, the rear part of the label can be stably pressed down by the label pressure roller, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the rear part of the label to the top surface of the article. Furthermore, if the underside label attachment mechanism includes a label fold-back roller, a label fold-back roller support mechanism that supports the label fold-back roller so that it can be moved between a protruding position and a lowered position, and a label fold-back roller biasing member that constantly biases the fold-back roller to the protruding position, the front part of the label can be stably pressed against the underside of the article by the label fold-back roller, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the front part of the label to the underside of the article. Furthermore, if a label guide mechanism is provided above the downstream part of the upstream conveying section to guide the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction between the label fold-back roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, even if the leading part of the label fed out from the label feeding mechanism is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label fold-back roller, the label guide mechanism can guide the leading end of the label in the longitudinal direction between the label fold-back roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, which is advantageous in ensuring that the leading part of the label is attached to the underside of the article. Furthermore, if the label guide mechanism is configured to include an elastically deformable label guide plate that guides the front end of the label in the longitudinal direction, and a label guide plate support mechanism that positions the label guide plate at the guide position, and the label guide plate is elastically deformed by the item being transported in the transport section, so that the lower end of the label guide plate comes into contact with the upper surface of the item, the label guide mechanism can be configured with a simple structure, which is advantageous in terms of easily and reliably forming the label guide mechanism. Furthermore, if the label guide mechanism is configured to include a label guide plate that guides the front end of the label in the longitudinal direction, a label guide plate support mechanism that supports the label guide plate so that it can swing between the guide position and the retracted position, and a label guide plate biasing member that constantly biases the label guide plate to the guide position, the label guide mechanism can be configured with a simple structure, which is advantageous in terms of easily and reliably forming the label guide mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a label application device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a front view of a label application device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sticker feeding mechanism and an upper surface label applying mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lower label application mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view of the lower label application mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view taken along the arrow A in FIG. 5. [Figure 7]FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a label is fed out from the label feeding mechanism in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the rear portion of the label in the length direction is attached from the upper end to the upper surface of the front surface of the article by a label pressing roller. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the front portion of the label in the longitudinal direction is guided from the conveying surface of the upstream conveyor to between the label folding roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveyor. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the front portion of the label in the longitudinal direction is attached to the bottom surface of an article by a label folding roller. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an outer-wound type label raw material, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an inner-wound type label raw material. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a label has been fed out from the label feeding mechanism in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the rear portion of the label in the length direction is attached from the upper end to the upper surface of the front surface of an article by a label pressing roller in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the front portion of the label in the length direction is guided by the label guide plate from the conveying surface of the upstream conveyor to between the label folding roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveyor in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the label guide plate abuts against an article via a label and is elastically deformed in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the label guide plate abuts against an article via the label and elastically deforms, and the front portion of the label in the length direction is attached to the underside of the article by the label folding roller in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a label has been fed out from the label feeding mechanism in the third embodiment. [Figure 18]10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the rear portion of the label in the length direction is attached from the upper end to the upper surface of the front surface of an article by a label pressing roller in the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the front portion of the label in the length direction is guided by the label guide plate from the conveying surface of the upstream conveyor to between the label folding roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveyor in the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 20] 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the label guide plate comes into contact with an article via a label and is displaced upward from the guide position in the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the label guide plate abuts against an article via the label and is displaced to a retracted position in the third embodiment, and the front portion of the label in the longitudinal direction is attached to the underside of the article by the label folding roller. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a front view of a label application device according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the article 42 is, for example, a package made of synthetic resin containing food, and has a flat, substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The item 42 is transported by the transport conveyor 12 described below, and at that time, in a plan view, the item 42 is transported with two opposing sides of its four sides parallel to the transport direction of the transport conveyor 12 and the remaining two sides perpendicular to the transport direction. In this case, the surface facing downstream in the conveying direction of the article 42 is called the front surface 4202, the surface facing upstream in the conveying direction of the article 42 is called the rear surface 4204, the surface facing upward is called the top surface 4206, and the surface facing downward is called the bottom surface 4208. It should be noted that the article 42 is not limited to a food package, and the shape of the article 42 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be any shape such as a circle, trapezoid, or sector when viewed from above.

[0009] In this embodiment, the label 24 attached to the article 42 has a printed surface on the front side on which information including, for example, text information indicating the name of the food product and its expiration date, and / or image information indicating designs such as background patterns and illustrations, is pre-formed (printed), and the back side is an adhesive surface that is attached to the article 42. In this specification, the printing formed on the label 24 includes either or both of the text information and image information. Generally, "printing" often refers to the formation (reproduction) of the same design and the same characters in large quantities, while "printing" often refers to the formation of characters that change dynamically, such as the manufacturing date, expiration date, or lot number, but in this specification, printing will be described as including both the above printing and printing. In this embodiment, the label 24 is described as having printing formed thereon, but the label 24 may be a plain label with no printed text or image information. The labels 24 are, for example, rectangular (oblong) and are attached to a strip-shaped backing 26 (see Figure 3) at predetermined intervals with their length (long side) aligned with the length of the backing 26. The backing 26 with a large number of labels 24 attached thereto is rolled up into a cylindrical shape to form a raw roll 28 of labels 24. The shape of the label 24 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be any shape such as a circle or an oval.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the label application device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a transport conveyor 12 as a transport section, a label feeding mechanism 14, an upper surface label application mechanism 16, and a lower surface label application mechanism 18.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transport conveyor 12 has a transport surface 1202 for transporting items 42, and is composed of an upstream conveyor 20 as an upstream transport section located upstream in the transport direction, and a downstream conveyor 22 as a downstream transport section located downstream in the transport direction and separated from the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. In FIG. 2, the label 24 and the article 42 to which the label 24 is attached are not shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the upstream conveyor 20 includes a pair of driven rollers 20A and 20B, a conveyor belt 20C wound around these rollers, and an upstream conveyor drive unit 20D that drives the conveyor belt 20C. The downstream conveyor 22 includes a pair of driven rollers 22A and 22B, a conveyor belt 22C wound around these rollers, and a downstream conveyor drive unit 22D that drives the conveyor belt 22C. The conveying speeds of the upstream conveyor 20 and the downstream conveyor 22 are the same. In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 20C constituting the upstream conveyor 20 and the conveyor belt 22C constituting the downstream conveyor 22 are each composed of a single conveyor belt, and the conveying surfaces 1202 of these two conveyor belts 20C and 22C extend on the same plane.

[0012] The upstream conveying section is not limited to the conveying conveyor 12 (belt conveyor device), and various conventionally known conveying sections can be used, such as a drive roller conveyor or a conveyor that conveys items 42 by moving a pusher between a pair of free rollers. However, configuring the upstream conveying section as a conveying conveyor 12 (belt conveyor device) having a single conveyor belt as in the embodiment is advantageous in terms of reducing costs. In addition to the various conventionally known conveying sections mentioned above, the downstream conveying section may be formed of a free roller conveyor or a simple smooth surface along which articles 42 are sequentially pushed out by articles 42 pushed out by the upstream conveying section, or may be formed of a chute with an inclined smooth surface. However, constructing the downstream conveying section from a transport conveyor 12 (belt conveyor device) having a single conveyor belt, as in the embodiment, is advantageous in terms of reducing costs.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a raw roll support section 30 is provided to support the raw roll 28 on which a backing sheet 26 having pre-printed labels 24 attached thereto is rolled up, i.e., the raw roll support section 30 supports the raw roll 28 on which the pre-printed labels 24 are rolled up. The label feeding mechanism 14 is provided above the upstream conveyor 20 and feeds the label 24 from the raw web 28 along its length. The label feeding mechanism 14 is composed of a raw roll support section 30 that supports the raw roll 28, a plurality of guide rollers 32A-32F that guide the backing paper 26, a label peeling plate 34 that folds the backing paper 26 (see Figure 2) and peels the label 24 from the backing paper 26 to feed it out, a feed section 36 that transports the backing paper 26 from which the label 24 has been peeled toward a winding section 38, and the winding section 38 that winds up the backing paper 26 from which the label 24 has been peeled from the feed section 36.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple guide rollers 32A-32F include a first guide roller 32A arranged below the raw sheet support section 30, a second guide roller 32B arranged downstream of the first guide roller 32A in the transport direction of the backing paper 26, a third guide roller 32C arranged downstream of the second guide roller 32B, a fourth guide roller 32D arranged downstream of the label peeling plate 34, a fifth guide roller 32E arranged between the fourth guide roller 32D and the feed section 36, and a sixth guide roller 32F arranged between the feed section 36 and the winding section 38.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the label feeding mechanism 14 includes a first label feeding support frame 40A and a second label feeding support frame 40B that are arranged to sandwich the transported backing sheet 26 therebetween. The first and second support frames 40A and 40B for label feeding support both ends of the label peeling plate 34 and both ends of the fourth guide roller 32D, and the first support frame 40A for label feeding supports one end of the third and fifth guide rollers 32C and 32E. The label peeling plate 34 is a rectangular plate having a width greater than that of the backing paper 26, and one end in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the width is formed as a folded edge 3402 that folds the backing paper 26 and peels the label 24 from the backing paper 26. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the label peeling plate 34 is supported by the first and second support frames 40A and 40B for label feeding at an inclination that approaches the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 as it moves downstream in the conveying direction of the upstream conveyor 20, so that the folded edge 3402 is positioned at the lowest position.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, with this type of label unwinding mechanism 14, the feed section 36 and the winding section 38 operate intermittently to pull out the backing paper 26 from the original roll 28, and the backing paper 26 pulled out from the original roll 28 is transported toward the winding section 38 via the first, second, and third guide rollers 32A, 32B, and 32C, the folded edge 3402 of the label peeling plate 34, the fourth guide roller 32D, the fifth guide roller 32E, the feed section 36, and the sixth guide roller 32F. As shown in Figure 3, as the backing paper 26 is transported, one label 24 is peeled off from the backing paper 26 that is folded back at the folded edge 3402 of the label peeling plate 34, and the peeled label 24 is unwound in front of the label peeling plate 34 with its adhesive surface facing the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20; in other words, the label 24 is unwound along its length. As shown in Figure 3, the label 24 is attached to the portion of the backing sheet 26 where the trailing end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction is located on the upper surface 3401 of the label peeling plate 34, and the label feeding mechanism 14 is temporarily stopped when most of the label 24, excluding the trailing end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction, is fed out in front of the label peeling plate 34. That is, as shown in Figure 7, when the label 24 is unwound in front of the label peeling plate 34, the label 24 gradually slopes downward from the rear to the front along the slope of the label peeling plate 34, and the front end of the front part of the label 24 is maintained facing the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20. 7 to 10, the backing paper 26 folded back by the label peeling plate 34 is omitted, and only the label 24 is shown.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top surface label application mechanism 16 is provided above the conveying surface 1202 and applies the longitudinal rear portion of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 to the top surface 4206 of the item 42 being transported by the transport conveyor 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface label application mechanism 16 includes a label pressure roller 44, a label pressure roller support mechanism 46, and a label pressure roller biasing member 48. The label pressure roller 44 adheres the rear portion in the length direction of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42 transported by the transport conveyor 12. In this embodiment, the label pressure roller 44 is formed into a cylindrical shape from a synthetic resin sponge, and when an item 42 being transported on the conveyor 12 contacts the outer surface of the label pressure roller 44 via the label 24, the impact applied to the item 42 by the label pressure roller 44 is reduced, ensuring that the label 24 is reliably attached to the item 42. In this embodiment, the label pressure roller 44 is configured to attach the rear portion of the label 24 in the length direction from the upper end of the front surface 4202 to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42.

[0018] The label pressure roller support mechanism 46 supports the label pressure roller 44 so that it can rotate and move vertically between a standby position P0 (Figure 7) where the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the label pressure roller 44 is lower than the upper surface 4206 of the article 42 and can press the label 24 against the upper surface 4206 of the article 42, and a pressing position P1 (Figure 8) where the roller is displaced upward from the standby position and can press the label against the upper surface of the article. As shown in Figure 7, when the height from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 to the upper surface 4206 of the item 42 is H1 and the height from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 to the lower end of the outer surface of the label pressing roller 44 at the standby position is H2, H1 > H2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the label pressure roller support mechanism 46 includes a label pressure roller support shaft 4602 that rotatably supports the label pressure roller 44, the first support frame 40A for label feeding described above, and a swing arm 4604. The swing arm 4604 has its base end swingably attached to the first label feeding support frame 40A via a support shaft 4002, and its tip end supports the label pressing roller support shaft 4602. In addition, the first support frame 40A for label feeding is provided with a stopper (not shown) that abuts against the swing arm 4604 to restrict the label pressure roller 44 to the standby position P0, and therefore the label pressure roller support mechanism 46 is configured to include the above-mentioned stopper. The label pressure roller biasing member 48 constantly biases the label pressure roller 44 to the standby position P0. In this embodiment, the weight of the label pressure roller 44 and the swing arm 4604 is utilized to constantly bias the label pressure roller 44 to the standby position P0. Therefore, the label pressure roller biasing member 48 is composed of the label pressure roller 44 and the swing arm 4604. It is also possible to provide a spring as the label pressing roller biasing member 48 between the first label feeding support frame 40A and the swing arm 4604 to bias the swing arm 4604 to the standby position P0.

[0020] As shown in Figure 8, when the label pressure roller 44 attaches the rear longitudinal portion of the label 24 from the upper end to the upper surface 4206 of the front surface 4202 of the item 42, the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 protrudes downstream in the conveying direction from the front surface 4202 of the item 42. In this embodiment, the entire conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 is formed as a release surface 49 that is releasable (non-adhesive) relative to the adhesive surface of the label 24, thereby preventing the adhesive surface of the label 24 from sticking to the conveying surface 1202. Such a release surface 49 can be formed by making the conveyor belt 20C out of a non-adhesive material, or by subjecting the conveying surface 1202 of the conveyor belt 20C to a non-adhesive surface treatment. The conveyor belt 22C of the downstream conveyor 22 is made up of a medium friction belt, and is designed to transport the articles 42 stably.

[0021] In addition, instead of making the entire conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 a peeling surface 49, a peeling surface 49 having peelability relative to the adhesive surface of the label 24 may be formed at least at a portion of the conveying surface 1202 opposite the portion where the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 protrudes from the front surface 4202 of the item 42, thereby preventing the adhesive surface of the label 24 from sticking to the conveying surface 1202. In this case, the release surface 49 is formed by adhering a release film that has releasability relative to the adhesive surface of the label 24 to the conveying surface 1202. This release film may be provided over the entire length of the conveying surface 1202, but providing it only at the portion of the conveying surface 1202 where the adhesive surface of the label 24 adheres is advantageous in terms of reducing the amount of release film used. Furthermore, even if the rear longitudinal portion of the label 24 is attached only to the top surface 4206 of the item 42, if the label 24 is weak, the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 protruding from the front surface 4202 of the item 42 may hang down, and the adhesive surface of the label 24 may stick to the conveying surface 1202. In this case, too, a peeling film may be provided at the location where the adhesive surface of the label 24 adheres to the conveying surface 1202.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the bottom label application mechanism 18 is provided on the conveying surface 1202 and applies the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 to the bottom surface 4208 of the item 42, and is positioned between the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 and the upstream end 2202 of the downstream conveyor 22. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the lower label application mechanism 18 includes a label folding roller 50, a label folding roller support mechanism 52, and a label folding roller biasing member . The label folding roller 50 is provided on the conveying surface 1202 and attaches the front portion of the label 24 in the length direction to the lower surface 4208 of the article 42 . In this embodiment, the label folding roller 50 is formed cylindrically from a synthetic resin sponge, similar to the label pressure roller 44, and when an item 42 being transported from the upstream conveyor 20 to the downstream conveyor 22 abuts against the outer surface of the label folding roller 50 via the label 24, the impact applied to the item 42 by the label folding roller 50 is reduced, ensuring that the label 24 is reliably attached to the item 42.

[0023] The label fold-back roller support mechanism 52 supports the label fold-back roller 50 so that it can rotate and move between a protruding position Q0 (Figure 7) that protrudes above the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 and a lower position Q1 (Figure 10) that is spaced downward from the protruding position Q0. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the label fold roller support mechanism 52 includes a label fold support shaft 5202 that rotatably supports the label fold roller 50, a pair of upper and lower rods 5204, and a pair of upper and lower support portions 5206, and the label fold roller support mechanism 52 is supported by a pair of label fold roller support frames 56. The rear of the pair of label folding roller support frames 56 is connected to the frame of the upstream conveyor 20 as shown in Figure 2, and the front of the pair of label folding roller support frames 56 is located between the upstream conveyor 20 and the downstream conveyor 22.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, both ends of the label folding support shaft 5202 are supported by the upper ends of a pair of vertical rods 5204, and the pair of vertical rods 5204 are supported so as to be able to move up and down by a pair of vertical support parts 5206, and the pair of vertical support parts 5206 are supported by the front parts of a pair of label folding roller support frames 56. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a stopper 5208 is provided at the lower end of the pair of vertical rods 5204, and the upper limit position of the vertical rods 5204 is determined when the stopper 5208 abuts against the lower surface of the vertical support portion 5206, and at this upper limit position the label folding roller 50 is in the protruding position Q0. The label folding roller biasing member 54 constantly biases the label folding roller 50 to the protruding position Q0. The label folding roller biasing members 54 are wound around a pair of vertical rods 5204, respectively, and bias both ends of the label folding support shaft 5202 upward.

[0025] Furthermore, when the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 being conveyed by the conveyor belt 20C of the upstream conveyor 20 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the label folding roller 50, if the front portion of the label 24 curves downward, there is a concern that the curved front portion of the label 24 may be caught in the portion of the conveyor belt 20C of the upstream conveyor 20 that is wound around the driven roller 20A (Figure 5). Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a scraper 58 for preventing entrapment is provided. The anti-entanglement scraper 58 is supported by a connecting rod 57 that connects a pair of label folding roller support frames 56, and is positioned below the driven roller 20A of the conveyor belt 20C provided on the downstream end 2002 side of the conveyor belt 20C of the upstream conveyor 20, and is inclined so that it approaches the driven roller 20A as it proceeds downstream in the conveying direction. An upper edge 5802 of the anti-entanglement scraper 58 extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the upstream conveyor 20 . The upper edge 5802 of the anti-entanglement scraper 58 is close to the conveying surface 1202 of the conveyor belt 20C wound around the driven roller, and as shown in Figure 5, a gap S1 of sufficient size to prevent the label 24 from entering is formed between the upper edge 5802 of the anti-entanglement scraper 58 and the conveying surface 1202 of the conveyor belt 20C. In this embodiment, by providing an anti-entanglement scraper 58, when the front portion of the label 24 is about to be caught in the portion of the conveyor belt 20C of the upstream conveyor 20 that is wound around the driven roller 20A, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the upper edge 5802 of the anti-entanglement scraper 58 abuts against the front edge and adhesive surface of the label 24, forcibly peeling the label 24 from the conveying surface 1202 of the conveyor belt 20C, thereby preventing the label 24 from being caught in the conveyor belt 20C.

[0026] Next, the operation of the label application device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, the upstream conveyor 20 and the downstream conveyor 22 operate at the same conveying speed. When the item 42 being transported by the upstream conveyor 20 approaches the vicinity of the front of the label pressing roller 44 in the transport direction, the label feeding mechanism 14 operates to feed the label 24 in front of the label peeling plate 34 with its adhesive surface facing downward, and the label feeding mechanism 14 stops for a moment. At this time, the rear end of the label 24 is attached to the backing 26 on the front end of the label peeling plate 34, and the label 24 gradually slopes downward from the rear to the front in front of the label peeling plate 34, so that the front end of the front part of the label 24 faces the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0027] As the article 42 is conveyed, the rear portion of the label 24 is attached to the upper end of the front surface 4202 of the article 42 by the outer circumferential surface of the label pressure roller 44 biased to the standby position P0, as shown in FIG. As the item 42 continues to be transported, the label pressure roller 44 moves up onto the upper surface 4206 of the item 42, and the label pressure roller 44 moves to a pressing position P1, which is slightly displaced upward from the standby position P0, and the outer surface of the label pressure roller 44, which is positioned at the pressing position P1, presses the rear of the label 24 against the upper surface 4206 of the item 42 and affixes it. At this time, the label feeding mechanism 14 is stopped, and the rear end of the label 24 is peeled off from the backing 26 on the front end of the label peeling plate 34. Furthermore, since the rear portion of the label 24 is attached to the upper end of the front surface 4202 of the item 42, the front portion of the label 24 is displaced in a direction approaching the conveying surface 1202 in front of the item 42, and the front end of the front portion of the label 24 comes into contact with the peeling surface 49. As the article 42 is transported, the label pressure roller 44 presses the rear portion of the label 24 from the upper end of the front surface 4202 to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42, and affixes the label 24 to the article 42, as shown in FIG.

[0028] Furthermore, the front part of the label 24 is transported together with the item 42, and eventually the front part of the label 24 comes into contact with the outer surface of the label fold-back roller 50, which is biased to the protruding position Q0, is bent downward, and is guided between the label fold-back roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, where the front part of the label 24 is folded back in the opposite direction to the conveying direction by the label fold-back roller 50. Then, as shown in Figure 10, as the item 42 is transported, the underside 4208 of the item 42 rides up onto the outer surface of the label fold-over roller 50 via the front part of the label 24, and the weight of the item 42 displaces the label fold-over roller 50 from the protruding position Q0 to a lower position Q1, which is located downward, and the item 42 is transported in this state. As a result, the front portion of the label 24 is pressed against the lower surface 4208 of the article 42 by the label folding roller 50 and is thereby affixed to the lower surface 4208 of the article 42 . In this manner, the label 24 is attached in a U-shape from the top surface 4206 of the article 42 through the front surface 4202 to the bottom surface 4208.

[0029] According to this embodiment, the transport conveyor 12 is composed of an upstream conveyor 20 located upstream in the transport direction and a downstream conveyor 22 separated from the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 and located downstream in the transport direction, and the lower surface label application mechanism 18 is arranged between the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 and the upstream end of the downstream conveyor 22. Therefore, unlike the conventional case where a bottom label application mechanism 18 is provided between a pair of left and right conveyors 12, the bottom label application mechanism 18 can be easily and reliably positioned, which is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the assembly work of the label application device 10 and reducing the cost of the label application device 10. Furthermore, unlike the conventional case where a bottom label application mechanism 18 is provided between a pair of left and right transport conveyors 12, there is no longer any restriction on the width of the label 24 perpendicular to its length, so that, for example, a label 24 having the same width as the item 42 can be applied to the item 42, which is advantageous in increasing the utility value and commercial value of the label application device 10.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the label feeding mechanism 14 is configured to include a roll support section 30 that supports the roll 28 on which the label 24 is wound. This prevents the position of the roll 28 from shifting in the axial direction of the roll 28, thereby preventing the label 24 on which printing has been formed from being affixed to the item 42 in an oblique (meandering) manner, which is advantageous in improving the accuracy with which the label 24 is affixed to the item 42.

[0031] Furthermore, when the conveyor belt 20C constituting the upstream conveyor 20 is constructed from a single conveyor belt as in the present embodiment, unlike the conventional case where a pair of conveying conveyors is provided on the left and right, there is no restriction such as the width of the article 42 perpendicular to the conveying direction being greater than the dimension that can be stretched across the pair of conveying conveyors, and therefore labels 24 of various sizes can be attached to articles 42 of various sizes. This is advantageous in that it can accommodate articles 42 and labels 24 of various sizes, which is advantageous in increasing the utility value and commercial value of the label application device 10. Furthermore, unlike the conventional case where a pair of conveying conveyors is provided on the left and right, the item 42 does not become a bridge between the pair of conveying conveyors on the left and right, which is advantageous in terms of stably transporting the item 42 even if the shape of the item 42 is circular, trapezoidal, fan-shaped, etc. in plan view, and this is also advantageous in terms of increasing the utility value and commercial value of the label application device 10.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, when the rear longitudinal portion of the label 24 is attached to the upper end and upper surface 4206 of the front surface 4202 of the item 42 by the label pressure roller 44, the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 protrudes downstream in the conveying direction from the front surface 4202 of the item 42, and a release surface 49 that is releasable from the adhesive surface of the label 24 is provided at least at a location on the conveying surface 1202 opposite the location where the front longitudinal portion of the label 24 protrudes from the front surface 4202 of the item 42. Therefore, even if the adhesive surface of the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 comes into contact with the conveying surface 1202, the adhesive surface is prevented from sticking to the conveying surface 1202. This prevents the adhesive surface of the label 24 from sticking to the conveying surface 1202 and accidentally pulling the label 24 out in the conveying direction along with the conveying surface 1202, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the label 24 to the item 42.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the label pressure roller 44 is configured to attach the longitudinal rear portion of the label 24 from the upper end of the front surface 4202 facing downstream in the conveying direction of the item 42 to the upper surface 4206. Therefore, compared to when the longitudinal rear portion of the label 24 is attached only to the upper surface 4206 of the item 42, the front portion of the label 24 can be displaced in a direction approaching the conveying surface 1202 in front of the item 42. This is advantageous in enabling the lower surface label application mechanism 18 (label folding roller 50) to stably apply the label 24 to the lower surface 4208 of the item 42, and is advantageous in increasing the usability and commercial value of the label application device 10.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the top surface label application mechanism 16 is configured to include a label pressure roller 44 that applies the longitudinal rear portion of the label 24 fed from the label feed mechanism 14 to the top surface 4206 of the item 42 transported by the transport conveyor 12, a label pressure roller support mechanism 46 that supports the label pressure roller 44 so that it can rotate and move vertically between a standby position P0 (Figure 7) where the lower end of the outer surface of the label pressure roller 44 is lower than the top surface 4206 of the item 42 and can press the label 24 against the top surface 4206 of the item 42, and a pressing position P1 (Figure 8) where it is displaced upward from the standby position and can press the label 24 against the top surface 4206 of the item, and a label pressure roller biasing member 48 that constantly biases the label pressure roller 44 to the standby position P0. Therefore, the label pressure roller 44 can stably press the rear portion of the label 24 against the upper surface 4206 of the article 42, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the rear portion of the label 24 to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the lower surface label application mechanism 18 is composed of a label fold-back roller 50, a label fold-back roller support mechanism 52 that rotatably supports the label fold-back roller 50 and moves it between a protruding position Q0 that protrudes above the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20 and a lower position Q1 that is spaced below the protruding position Q0, and a label fold-back roller urging member 54 that constantly urges the fold-back roller to the protruding position Q0. Therefore, the label folding roller 50 can stably press the front portion of the label 24 against the bottom surface 4208 of the article 42, which is advantageous for stably and reliably attaching the front portion of the label 24 to the bottom surface 4208 of the article 42. Furthermore, for example, legs are provided at the four corners of the underside 4208 of the item 42 that protrude from the underside 4208. Therefore, even if the underside 4208 of the item 42 is spaced upward relative to the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20, the label folding roller 50 is always biased to the protruding position Q0, which is advantageous in stably and reliably attaching the front of the label 24 to the underside 4208 of the item 42.

[0036] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following embodiments, parts and members similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences.

[0037] First, the specifications of the raw material 28 of the label 24 will be described. There are two types of specifications for the raw roll 28 of the label 24: an outer-wound type and an inner-wound type. As shown in Figure 11(A), the outward-wound type raw web 28A has a label 24 adhered to the radially outward surface of the backing paper 26 of the raw web 28A. In the figure, the "P" of the label 24 schematically indicates the printed content formed on the printing surface. Therefore, the label 24 of the outward-wound type raw sheet 28A has a tendency to bend in a cylindrical shape with the printed surface 2402 opposite the adhesive surface 2404 facing radially outward, and this tendency remains even after the label 24 is unwound from the label unwinding mechanism 14, and the tendency becomes more pronounced the weaker the label 24 is. In this case, the front end of the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 contacts the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20, and since it is curved in the direction of being folded back by the label folding roller 50, the front part of the label 24 is smoothly guided between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. Therefore, the front portion of the label 24 is folded back smoothly and without any problems by the label folding roller 50, and the front portion of the label 24 is reliably attached to the lower surface 4208 of the article 42.

[0038] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11(B), in an inward-wound type raw web 28B, the label 24 is adhered to the surface of the backing paper 26 of the raw web 28 facing inward in the radial direction. Therefore, the label 24 on the inward-wound type raw roll 28B has a tendency to bend in a cylindrical shape with the printed surface 2402 opposite the adhesive surface 2404 facing radially inward, and as shown in Figure 12, the tendency of the label 24 remains even when it is unwound from the label unwinding mechanism 14, and as with the outward-wound type raw roll 28A, the tendency of the label 24 becomes more pronounced the weaker the label 24 is. In this case, as shown in Figure 12, the front part of the label 24 fed out from the label feed mechanism 14 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50, and is therefore located at a position above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, even if the front part of the label 24 is attached to the upper end and upper surface 4206 of the front surface 4202 of the item 42, the front end of the front part of the label 24 is located at a position above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20, and the front part of the label 24 is less likely to be guided between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. If the front part of the label 24 passes over the outer surface of the label fold roller 50 without being folded back by the label fold roller 50, a problem occurs in which the front part of the label 24 is not attached to the underside 4208 of the item 42.

[0039] Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 to 16, a label guide mechanism 60A is provided above the downstream part of the upstream conveyor 20 to guide the leading end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, and the provision of this label guide mechanism 60A is what makes the second embodiment different from the first embodiment. The label guide mechanism 60A includes a label guide plate 62A and a label guide plate support mechanism 64A.

[0040] The label guide plate 62A guides the front end of the label 24 in the length direction. The label guide plate 62A is an elastically deformable rectangular plate having a width greater than the width of the label 24 perpendicular to the length direction, and a length perpendicular to the width. The label guide plate 62A may be made of an elastically deformable synthetic resin or an elastically deformable metal, and various conventionally known materials can be used. In this embodiment, a PP (polypropylene) craft sheet is used as the label guide plate 62A.

[0041] As shown in Figures 12-14, the label guide plate support mechanism 64A supports the upper end of the label guide plate 62A above the conveying surface 1202 and positions the label guide plate 62A at a guide position R0 where the front longitudinal end of the label 24 is guided between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. With the upper end, which is one end of the length of the label guide plate 62A, supported by the label guide plate support mechanism 64A, the label guide plate 62A is arranged at an incline so that it displaces downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface 1202, and the lower end, which is the other end of the length of the label guide plate 62A, is at guide position R0 located between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. As shown in FIG. 12, the lower end of the label guide plate 62A forms a gap S2 between the front end of the label guide plate 62A and the conveying surface 1202 at the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, which is large enough for the label 24 to pass through.

[0042] Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16, the operation of the label application device 10 according to the second embodiment when using the raw web 28 of the inward-rolled type label 24 will be described. As shown in Figure 12, when an item 42 being transported by the upstream conveyor 20 approaches the vicinity of the label pressure roller 44 in the transport direction, the label feeding mechanism 14 operates and the label 24 is fed out in front of the label peeling plate 34 with its adhesive surface 2404 facing downward. The label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is folded by the label folding roller 50. A portion of the front part of the label 24 near the front end is located above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0043] As the article 42 is conveyed, the label pressure roller 44 adheres the rear portion of the label 24 to the upper end of the front surface 4202 of the article 42 and also adheres it to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42, as shown in FIG. At this time, the front part of the label 24 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50, and the front end of the front part of the label 24 is located above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the front part of the label 24 is transported along with the item 42, and eventually, the front end of the front part of the label 24 abuts against the label guide plate 62A, causing the front part of the label 24 to bend downward and be guided between the label fold-back roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0045] As shown in Figure 15, as the item 42 is transported, the corner between the upper end of the front surface 4202 of the item 42 and the front end of the upper surface 4206 abuts against the label guide plate 62A via the label 24, causing the label guide plate 62A to elastically deform and climb up onto the upper surface 4206 of the item 42.

[0046] Eventually, as shown in Figure 16, as the item 42 is transported, the front of the label 24 is folded back by the label folding roller 50, the underside 4208 of the item 42 rides up onto the outer surface of the label folding roller 50 via the front of the label 24, the label folding roller 50 is displaced downward, and the front of the label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of the item 42 by the label folding roller 50. Meanwhile, the lower end of the label guide plate 62A comes into contact with the upper surface 4206 of the item 42 via the label 24 as the item 42 is transported, and after passing the label 24, it comes into contact with the upper surface 4206 of the item 42, and after the item 42 has passed, the label guide plate 62A returns to the guide position R0 due to its elasticity.

[0047] According to the second embodiment, a label guide mechanism 60A is provided above the downstream portion of the upstream conveyor 20 to guide the leading end of the label 24 in the length direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. Therefore, even if the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feed mechanism 14 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50, the label guide mechanism 60A can guide the front end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, which is advantageous in ensuring that the front part of the label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of the item 42.

[0048] In this embodiment, the label guide mechanism 60A includes a label guide plate 62A that is elastically deformable and supported at a guide position R0. Therefore, the label guide mechanism 60A that guides the longitudinal front end of the label 24 between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 can be constructed with a simple structure, which is advantageous in forming the label guide mechanism 60A easily and reliably.

[0049] In the second embodiment, a raw roll 28 of inward-wound type label 24 is used, and a case is described in which the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50. However, even when an outwardly wound type raw roll 28A is used and the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in the direction of being folded back by the label folding roller 50, the front part of the label 24 is smoothly guided by the label guide plate 62A, which is of course advantageous in ensuring that the front part of the label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of the article 42.

[0050] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following embodiment, the same parts and members as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences. The label guide mechanism 60B of the third embodiment includes a label guide plate 62B, a label guide plate support mechanism 64B, and a label guide plate biasing member 66.

[0051] The label guide plate 62B guides the front end of the label 24 in the length direction. The label guide plate 62B is a rigid rectangular plate having a width dimension larger than the width dimension perpendicular to the length direction of the label 24 and a length perpendicular to the width, and synthetic resin materials or metal materials can be used as the material for the label guide plate 62B.

[0052] The label guide plate support mechanism 64B supports the label guide plate 62B so that it can swing between a guide position R0, which guides the front longitudinal end of the label 24 between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, as shown in Figures 17-19, and a retracted position R1, which is spaced above the downstream portion of the upstream conveyor 20, as shown in Figure 21. The upper end, which is one end of the length of the label guide plate 62B, is supported by the label guide plate support mechanism 64B, and the label guide plate 62B is arranged at an incline so that it displaces downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface 1202, and the lower end, which is the other end of the length of the label guide plate 62B, is at guide position R0 located between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. With the label guide plate 62B supported by the label guide plate support mechanism 64B, the label guide plate 62B is provided at an incline that displaces downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface 1202. In this embodiment, the label guide plate support mechanism 64B is configured to include a support shaft 6402 that extends parallel to the width direction of the label 24 and supports the upper end, which is one end of the length direction, of the label guide plate 62B, a bearing 6404 that supports the support shaft 6402 so that it can swing and is provided on a frame (not shown), and a stopper (not shown) that is provided on the frame and abuts against the label guide plate 62B to restrict the label guide plate 62B to the guide position R0. As shown in Figure 17, when the label guide plate 62B is at guide position R0, the lower end, which is the other end of the length of the label guide plate 62B, is located downstream of the support shaft 6402 in the conveying direction of the upstream conveyor 20, and is located between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, and a gap S2 sufficient to allow the label 24 to pass through is formed between the lower end of the label guide plate 62B and the conveying surface 1202 at the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0053] The label guide plate biasing member 66 constantly biases the label guide plate 62B to the guide position R0. In this embodiment, the label guide plate biasing member 66 is composed of the label guide plate 62B, and constantly biases the label guide plate 62B to the guide position R0 by utilizing the own weight of the label guide plate 62B. It is to be noted that a spring that biases the label guide plate 62B to the guide position R0 may be provided between the support shaft 6402 and the frame as the label guide plate biasing member 66, if desired.

[0054] Next, with reference to Figures 17 to 21, the operation of the label application device 10 according to the third embodiment when using an original web 28 of an inward-rolled type label 24 will be described. As shown in Figure 17, when an item 42 being transported by the upstream conveyor 20 approaches the vicinity of the label pressure roller 44 in the transport direction, the label feeding mechanism 14 operates and the label 24 is fed out in front of the label peeling plate 34 with its adhesive surface 2404 facing downward. The label guide plate 62B is biased to the guide position R0. The label 24 fed from the label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is folded by the label folding roller 50. A portion of the front part of the label 24 near the front end is located above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0055] As the article 42 is conveyed, the label pressure roller 44 adheres the rear portion of the label 24 to the upper end of the front surface 4202 of the article 42 and also adheres it to the upper surface 4206 of the article 42, as shown in FIG. At this time, the front part of the label 24 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50, and the front end of the front part of the label 24 is located above and away from the conveying surface 1202 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the front part of the label 24 is transported together with the item 42, and eventually, the front end of the front part of the label 24 abuts against the label guide plate 62B biased to the guide position R0, causing the front part of the label 24 to bend downward and be guided between the label fold-back roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 20, as the item 42 is transported, the corner between the upper end of the front surface 4202 and the front end of the upper surface 4206 of the item 42 abuts against the label guide plate 62B via the label 24, causing the label guide plate 62B to swing upward from the guide position R0, and the front part of the label 24 is further guided between the label fold-back roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20.

[0058] Eventually, as shown in Figure 21, as the item 42 is transported, the front of the label 24 is folded back by the label folding roller 50, the underside 4208 of the item 42 rides up onto the outer surface of the label folding roller 50 via the front of the label 24, the label folding roller 50 is displaced downward, and the front of the label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of the item 42 by the label folding roller 50. Then, when the front end of the label guide plate 62B rides up onto the upper surface 4206 of the item 42 via the label 24, the label guide plate 62B is displaced to a retracted position R1 located above the downstream part of the upstream conveyor 20, and the item 42 is transported passing below the front end of the label guide plate 62B. In this way, the label 24 is attached in a U-shape from the upper surface 4206 to the lower surface 4208 of the article 42, and after the article 42 has passed, the label guide plate 62B returns to the guide position R0.

[0059] According to the third embodiment, a label guide mechanism 60B is provided above the downstream portion of the upstream conveyor 20 to guide the leading end of the label 24 in the length direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20. Therefore, even if the front part of the label 24 fed from the label feed mechanism 14 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by the label folding roller 50, the label guide mechanism 60B can guide the front end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20, which is advantageous in ensuring that the front part of the label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of the item 42.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, the label guide mechanism 60B is configured to include a label guide plate 62B that guides the front end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction, a label guide plate support mechanism 64B that supports the label guide plate 62B to be swingable between a guide position R0 that guides the front end of the label 24 in the longitudinal direction between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 and a retracted position R1 located above the downstream part of the upstream conveyor 20, and a label guide plate biasing member 66 that constantly biases the label guide plate 62B to the guide position R0. Therefore, the label guide mechanism 60B that guides the longitudinal front end of the label 24 between the label folding roller 50 and the downstream end 2002 of the upstream conveyor 20 can be constructed with a simple structure, which is advantageous in terms of easily and reliably forming the label guide mechanism 60B.

[0061] As in the second embodiment, the third embodiment also describes a case in which an inward-winding type raw web 28 of label 24 is used and the front portion of label 24 fed from label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is folded back by label folding roller 50. However, even if an outward-winding type raw web 28A is used and the front portion of label 24 fed from label feeding mechanism 14 is curved in the direction in which it is folded back by label folding roller 50, the front portion of label 24 is smoothly guided by label guide plate 62B, which is of course advantageous in ensuring that the front portion of label 24 is attached to the underside 4208 of article 42.

[0062] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it uses a roll 28 on which a backing sheet 26 having a label 24 without printing attached thereto is rolled up, i.e., a roll 28 on which a label 24 without printing is rolled up. As shown in FIG. 22, a web support section 30 is provided to support a web 28 around which unprinted labels 24 are wound. In FIG. 22, the label 24 and the article 42 to which the label 24 is attached are omitted from the illustration. The label feeding mechanism 14A is provided above the upstream conveyor 20 and feeds the label 24 from the raw web 28 along its length. As in the first embodiment, the label feeding mechanism 14A is configured to include a web support section 30 that supports the web 28, a plurality of guide rollers 32A-32F that guide the backing paper 26, a label peeling plate 34 that folds the backing paper 26 (see Figure 2) to peel the label 24 from the backing paper 26 and feeds it out, a feed section 36 that transports the backing paper 26 from which the label 24 has been peeled toward a winding section 38, and the winding section 38 that winds up the backing paper 26 from which the label 24 has been peeled from the feed section 36.Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the label feeding mechanism 14 is provided with a printing section 70 that forms a print on the label 24. In this embodiment, the printing unit 70 is provided on the side of the raw web 28, but the layout of the printing unit 70 is not limited to this and can of course be set appropriately depending on the installation space.

[0063] The label feeding mechanism 14A is composed of guide rollers 72A and 72B that change the transport direction of the backing paper 26 (label 24) from the guide roller 32B, a printing unit 70 that includes a print head and a platen, and a guide roller 72C that supplies the transport direction of the printed label 24 to the guide roller 32C. The operation of peeling the printed label 24 from the backing sheet 26 and attaching it is the same as in the first embodiment. That is, the present invention is also applicable to a label feeding mechanism 14A that forms printing on the label 24 before the label 24 is attached to the article 42. According to the fourth embodiment, not only can the same effects as the first embodiment be achieved, but also, since the label feeding mechanism 14A is provided with a printing unit 70 that forms printing on the label 24, the printing formed on the label 24 can be easily changed. Therefore, for example, when the information printed on the label 24 is information such as a best-before date or expiration date that is updated over time, such as a date or time, this is advantageous in ensuring that the necessary printing is formed on the required number of labels. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10 Labeling device 12 Conveyor (conveying section) 1202 Conveying surface 14, 14A Label feeding mechanism 16 Top label attachment mechanism 18 Bottom label attachment mechanism 20 Upstream conveyor (upstream transport section) 2002 downstream end 20A driven roller 20B Follower roller 20C Conveyor Belt 20D upstream conveyor drive unit 22 Downstream conveyor (downstream transport section) 22A Driven roller 22B Follower roller 22C Conveyor Belt 22D downstream conveyor drive unit 24 Label 2402 Printing surface 2404 Adhesive surface 26 Mount 28 Original fabric 28A outer wound type raw material 28B Inward-wound type raw material 30 Fabric support part 32A First guide roller 32B Second guide roller 32C 3rd guide roller 32D 4th guide roller 32E 5th guide roller 32F 6th guide roller 34 Label peeler 3402 Folded edge 36 Feed section 38 Winding section 40A First support frame for label feeding 4002 Support shaft 40B Second support frame for label feeding 42 Goods 4202 Front 4204 Rear 4206 Top surface 4208 Bottom surface 44 Label pressure roller 46 Label pressure roller support mechanism 4602 Label pressure roller support shaft 4604 Swing arm 48 Label pressing roller biasing member 49 Peeling surface 50 Label folding roller 52 Label folding roller support mechanism 5202 Label folding support shaft 5204 Pair of upper and lower rods 5206 Pair of upper and lower support parts 5208 Stopper 54 Label folding roller biasing member 56 Support frame for a pair of label folding rollers 57 Connecting rod 58 Anti-entanglement scraper 5802 Upper edge 60A, 60B Label guide mechanism 62A, 62B Label guide plate 64A, 64B Label guide plate support mechanism 6402 Support shaft 6404 Bearings 66 Label guide plate biasing member 70 Printing Department 72A, 72B, 72C guide rollers P0 Standby position P1 Pressing position Q0 protruding position Q1 Down position R0 guide position R1 Evacuation position

Claims

1. a conveying section having a conveying surface for conveying an article; a label feeding mechanism provided above the conveying surface and configured to feed a length of label along its length; an upper surface label application mechanism provided above the conveying surface and configured to apply a longitudinal rear portion of the label fed from the label feeding mechanism to an upper surface of the article being conveyed by the conveying section; a bottom label application mechanism provided on the conveying surface and configured to apply a front portion of the label in a longitudinal direction to a bottom surface of the article, the conveying section is composed of an upstream conveying section located on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a downstream conveying section separated from the downstream end of the upstream conveying section on the downstream side in the conveying direction, the lower label application mechanism is disposed between the downstream end of the upstream conveying section and the upstream end of the downstream conveying section; A label application device characterized by:

2. a web support section for supporting the web around which the label is wound; the label feeding mechanism is configured to include the label web support section, The label has pre-printed on it.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

3. a web support section for supporting the web around which the label is wound; the label feeding mechanism is configured to include the label web support section, The label feeding mechanism is provided with a printing unit that forms a print on the label.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

4. The upstream conveying section is configured with a belt conveyor having a single conveyor belt.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

5. the upper surface label application mechanism has a label pressing roller that applies a longitudinal rear portion of the label fed from the label feeding mechanism to the upper surface of the article being conveyed by the conveying section; a front portion of the label in the length direction protruding downstream in the conveying direction from a front surface of the article when the rear portion of the label in the length direction is attached to the top surface of the article by the label pressing roller; a release surface that is releasable from the adhesive surface of the label is provided at least at a portion of the conveying surface that faces a portion where the front portion of the label in the longitudinal direction protrudes from the front surface of the article; 5. The label applicator according to claim 4.

6. the upper surface label application mechanism has a label pressing roller that applies a longitudinal rear portion of the label fed from the label feeding mechanism to the upper surface of the article being conveyed by the conveying section; The label pressing roller is configured to attach the rear portion of the label in the length direction from the upper end of the front surface facing downstream in the conveying direction of the article to the upper surface.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

7. The upper surface label application mechanism includes a label pressure roller that applies the rear portion in the length direction of the label fed from the label feed mechanism to the upper surface of the article transported by the transport unit; a label pressure roller support mechanism that supports the label pressure roller rotatably between a standby position where the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the label pressure roller is lower than the upper surface of the article and can press the label onto the upper surface of the article, and a pressing position where the label pressure roller is displaced upward from the standby position and can press the label onto the upper surface of the article; and a label pressure roller biasing member that constantly biases the label pressure roller to the standby position.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

8. The bottom label attachment mechanism includes a label fold-back roller that is provided on the conveying surface and attaches the front portion of the label in the length direction to the bottom surface of the article, a label fold-back roller support mechanism that rotatably supports the label fold-back roller and moves it between a protruding position that protrudes above the conveying surface of the upstream conveying section and a lower position that is spaced below the protruding position, and a label fold-back roller biasing member that constantly biases the fold-back roller to the protruding position.

2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

9. the bottom label attachment mechanism includes a label folding roller that is provided on the conveying surface and attaches a front portion of the label in a length direction to the bottom surface of the article; a label guide mechanism is provided above the downstream portion of the upstream conveying section to guide the leading end of the label in the length direction between the label turn-up roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section; 2. The label applicator according to claim 1.

10. the label guide mechanism is configured to include an elastically deformable label guide plate that is inclined so as to be displaced downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface and that guides the front end of the label in the length direction, and a label guide plate support mechanism that supports the upper end of the label guide plate and positions the label guide plate at a guide position that guides the front end of the label in the length direction to between the label turn-back roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section, the label guide plate is elastically deformed by the article being transported by the transport unit, and a lower end of the label guide plate contacts an upper surface of the article.

10. The labeling device according to claim 9.

11. The label guide mechanism includes a label guide plate that is inclined to be displaced downstream in the conveying direction as it moves from above to below the conveying surface and that guides the leading end of the label in the length direction; a label guide plate support mechanism that supports the label guide plate so that it can swing between a guide position where the leading end of the label in the length direction is guided between the label turn-back roller and the downstream end of the upstream conveying section and a retracted position above the downstream section of the upstream conveying section; and a label guide plate biasing member that constantly biases the label guide plate to the guide position.

8. The labeling device according to claim 7.

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