Labeling device and method

Abstract

To provide a technology which applies labels to flexible flaps respectively protruding to the outer side of articles.SOLUTION: A label application device 100 applies labels 53 each having an adhesive face 53 to articles J each having a flexible flap L protruding outward and has: a transportation conveyor 34 which transports the articles J; a holding device 70 having support mediums 72, 77, 78, which hold at least a label 53 application area of each flap L in the article J on the transport conveyor 34 in a flat shape, the holding device 70 configured in a manner that the support mediums 72, 77, 78 move at the same speed as a transport speed of the transport conveyor 34 in the same direction as a transport direction of the transport conveyor 34; and a labeler 50 which applies the label 53 to the label 53 application area held in the flat shape by the holding device 70. The above objective is achieved by the label application device 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a labeling device and method for applying labels having adhesive surfaces. [Background technology]

[0002] For the purpose of managing goods in stores, warehouses, logistics centers, etc., labels on which management information, etc. is printed or electronic tag labels (also called RF tags, IC tags, RF labels, etc.) on which management information, etc. is recorded have been affixed to goods handled (goods themselves, product packaging, transport packaging, etc.) Furthermore, labels with adhesive surfaces (generally called adhesive labels or tack labels, or linerless labels) have generally been used as such labels.

[0003] Various devices have been proposed for attaching labels having adhesive surfaces (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6).

[0004] However, these conventional labeling devices are designed to apply labels to parts of the item that are less likely to move or deform, and are not designed to apply labels to flexible flaps that protrude outward when the item has such flaps (for example, handles formed by extending the seal of film packaging). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-104521 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-091246 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-091298 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-044661 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-62965 [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 6484379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a technique for attaching a label to an outwardly protruding flexible flap of an article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] <First aspect> 1. A label application device for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly protruding flexible flap, comprising: a transport conveyor for transporting the article; a holding device having a support for holding at least the label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor and at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor; a labeler that applies the label to the label application area that is held in a flat shape by the holding device; A label application device comprising:

[0008] (Action and effect) In this labeling device, the holding device can hold at least the labeling area of ​​the flap in a flat shape when the label is applied, preventing the flap from moving and resulting in a failed label application, thereby enabling more reliable label application. Furthermore, since the support of the holding device, which moves in the same direction and at the same speed as the transport conveyor while the article is being moved, can hold at least the labeling area of ​​the flap in a flat shape, labels can be applied using a labeler, which is a simple device that does not use a robot.

[0009] <Second aspect> The holding position of the holding device is movable in a height direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to the conveying conveyor, or in a lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to or together with the conveying conveyor, or both of these movements are possible. 1 is a labelling device according to a first embodiment;

[0010] (Action and effect) When applying labels to a wide variety of items, the position of the flap relative to the conveyor may vary depending on the item. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the holding position of the holding device can be automatically or manually adjusted depending on the position of the flap.

[0011] <Third aspect> The support member is provided at least on the flap. The aforementioned The label application area is maintained in a flat shape parallel to the conveying direction, the labeler supplies the label along a diagonal direction so that the adhesive surface of the label contacts the surface of the flap in order from one end to the other end as the flap is held by the support and moves together with the support in the transport direction, the transport conveyor and the holding device the labeler attaches the label to the label application area while conveying the article by the The labelling device according to the first or second aspect.

[0012] (Action and effect) This embodiment is preferable because labels can be continuously attached using a general labeler.

[0013] <Fourth aspect> the holding device is a suction belt conveyor having an endless belt formed with air intake holes as the support; the suction belt conveyor is disposed at a position where its conveying surface follows the passing trajectory of the flap of the article on the conveying conveyor; the transport conveyor and the suction belt conveyor each have a parallel transport portion in which the transport surface is flat and the transport directions are linear and parallel to each other; The conveying speed of the transfer conveyor and the conveying speed of the suction belt conveyor are the same, In the parallel conveying section, the article is positioned on the conveying conveyor, and at least the label application area of ​​the flap is attracted to the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor and maintained in a flat shape, and the labeler applies the label to the label application area while the article is being conveyed by the conveying conveyor and the suction belt conveyor or while temporarily suspending the conveyance. The label application device according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0014] (Action and effect) The holding device is preferably an adsorption belt conveyor as in this embodiment, since it can stably hold the flap in a flat shape with simple control and can be moved stably in that state to the label application position.

[0015] <Fifth aspect> The flap protrudes from the article on the transport conveyor to one side in a lateral direction perpendicular to the transport direction, In the parallel conveying portion, the conveying surface of the transfer conveyor and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor are both horizontal, a guide body having an inclined surface extending at an upward gradient to the vicinity of the conveying surface of the head portion of the suction belt conveyor; A labelling device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0016] (Action and effect) When transporting items in the manner described above, it is preferable to have a guide body such as this, because even if the flap of the item sags due to its own weight, it is lifted by the guide body and smoothly guided onto the suction belt conveyor, where it is adsorbed to the suction belt conveyor.

[0017] <Sixth aspect> a pressure roller facing a conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor is provided downstream of the label affixing position on the suction belt conveyor; The flap to which the label is attached is sandwiched and pressed between the suction belt conveyor and the pressure roller. No. 4 or 5. A label application device according to claim 5.

[0018] (Action and effect) By providing such a pressure roller, the label attached to the flap by the labeler can be firmly pressed against the flap, preventing problems caused by insufficient label attachment (such as the label partially lifting off the flap and sticking to workers or equipment).

[0019] <Seventh aspect> The label is an electronic tag. The labeling device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0020] (Action and effect) As is well known, electronic tags (also called RFID tags, IC tags, RF labels, etc.) have an IC chip and an antenna connected to it in order to store and read information contactlessly by short-range wireless communication, and are widely used in labels for managing goods. RFID (Radio frequency identification) uses such electronic tags to identify objects that correspond to the electronic tags. Product This is an automatic recognition system that writes identification information to an item and reads the identification information stored in an electronic tag via wireless communication.

[0021] When attaching an electronic tag to an item, attaching it to the flap of the item as mentioned above makes it difficult for the electronic tag to be hidden even when the items are stacked for storage, thereby preventing a decline in communication quality for the electronic tag.In addition, if the material or contents of the item have the property of reflecting or absorbing electromagnetic waves, such as metal or water, it is known that if an electronic tag is attached in close proximity to this, communication quality will decline and it will become impossible to read or write information (this is particularly noticeable with microwave electronic tags), but attaching the electronic tag to the flap makes this problem less likely to occur.

[0022] <Eighth aspect> The article has a packaged item and a packaging sheet that covers the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side of the packaged item, The packaging sheet has a first portion extending from a first side of the packaged item to a second side adjacent to the first side of the packaged item, and a second portion extending from a third side opposite the first side of the packaged item so as to overlap the first portion, The flap is a portion where the first portion and the second portion overlap and at least a portion is sealed. The labeling device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0023] (Action and effect) For example, in pillow-type packaging, three-side seal packaging, four-side seal packaging, and strip packaging, flaps such as those of this embodiment remain on the sides of the packaged item, and the labeling device described above is suitable for applying labels to the flaps of such items. The first side of the packaged item is either the front, back, left side, right side, top side or bottom side, and if the first side is the top side, the second side is at least one of the front, back, left side or right side (a flap may be formed on one side, or flaps may be formed in multiple directions), and the third side is the bottom side.

[0024] <Ninth Aspect> a packaging device that forms the article having the flap and then transfers it to the transport conveyor; The article is delivered from the packaging device to the transport conveyor so that the flap is positioned at a holding position by the holding device or upstream of the holding position in the conveying direction. A labelling device according to an eighth embodiment.

[0025] (Action and effect) According to this aspect, when attaching a label after packaging, the label can be attached simply by transferring the article from the packaging device to the transport conveyor without having to adjust the position on the transport conveyor.

[0026] <Tenth Aspect> The device is equipped with a three-sided seal packaging device that, while conveying the packaged items on a packaging conveyor, pulls out a rolled sheet folded in half, places the packaged items between the folded sheets, and forms a bag by joining and cutting the three opening sides of the sheet with an L-shaped sealing member that is L-shaped in a plan view. The L-shaped sealing member includes a first sealing portion that extends in the conveying direction of the packaged items and joins and cuts one end of the sheet, and a second sealing portion that extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first sealing portion and joins and cuts the front and rear portions of the sheet in the conveying direction, The first seal portion includes a welding portion that welds the sheet, and a sealing portion that seals the sheet. Sheet and the welding portion is disposed parallel to the one end side of the Sheet and a fusing portion that fuses the The article is packaged in the sheet by the three-side seal packaging device, and the first seal section The welded portion Welded part by minutes and The fusion portion of the first seal portion fused part minutes The portion located between the and is left as the flap, The transport conveyor is connected in series to the downstream side of the packaging conveyor, and a holding position by the holding device is arranged downstream of the first seal portion in the conveying direction. The labeling device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0027] (Action and effect) In this embodiment, since the packaging conveyor, the transport conveyor and the holding position of the holding device have a specific positional relationship, the item can be simply transferred from the packaging device to the transport conveyor, and the label can be attached after packaging without having to adjust the position on the transport conveyor.

[0028] <Eleventh aspect> 1. A labeling method for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly projecting flexible flap, comprising: The article is transported by a transport conveyor, a support member is used to hold at least a label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, and the support member is moved in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor, and when the flap reaches a label application position by a labeler, the label is applied to the label application area of ​​the flap by the labeler. A labeling method comprising:

[0029] (Action and effect) The eleventh aspect has the same effects as the first aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] The present invention provides advantages such as allowing labels to be applied to protruding flexible flaps on articles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a label application device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of the labeling device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing a main part of the labeling device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a label application device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of the labeling device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a labeler. [Figure 7] 1A, 1B, and 1C are plan, side, and bottom views showing an example of an electronic tag. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which a packaging device is provided. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an L-shaped sealing member. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the film melt-cutting by the L-shaped sealing member in the case of a small-sized workpiece. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing differences in blowout positions depending on the size of the workpiece. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a moving structure for a side seal. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart of control of workpiece packaging by the packaging device. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of adjusting the height of the seal position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] An example of a labeling device will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the x, y, and z directions are perpendicular to one another, the x direction (in the illustrated example, the x positive direction is the conveying direction) and the y direction (in the illustrated example, the lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction) are horizontal directions, and the z direction is vertical. Therefore, the z positive direction side is the upper side, and the z negative direction side is the lower side.

[0033] 1 to 3 show an example of a labeling device 100 for attaching a label 53 having an adhesive surface 53t to a flexible flap L protruding outward from an article J. This labeling device 100 is characterized by comprising: a transport conveyor 34 for transporting the article J; a holding device 70 having a support for maintaining at least the labeling area of ​​the flap L of the article J on the transport conveyor 34 in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the transport direction of the transport conveyor at the same speed as the transport speed of the transport conveyor; and a labeler 50 for attaching a label 53 to the labeling area maintained in a flat shape by the holding device 70. The devices 34, 50, 70, etc. are controlled by a control unit (not shown). In the label application device 100, the label 53 can be applied while the holding device 70 holds at least the label application area of ​​the flap L in a flat shape, preventing the flap L from moving and causing the label 53 to fail to be applied, thereby enabling more reliable application of the label 53. Furthermore, while the article J is moved by the transport conveyor 34, the support of the holding device 70, which moves in the same direction and at the same speed, can hold at least the label 53 application area of ​​the flap L in a flat shape, so the label 53 can be applied using the labeler 50, which is a simple device that does not use a robot. Below, examples of the configuration and operation of each part will be described in order.

[0034] <Goods> The article J is not particularly limited as long as it has a flexible flap L that protrudes outward. The flap L may be provided as a handle or a portion that forms a hole for hanging on a hook for product display, or as a portion provided exclusively for attaching a label. As an example, the article J has a packaged item W and a packaging sheet (such as film 12 described below) that covers six sides of the packaged item W (front, back, left, right, top, and bottom), and the packaging sheet has a first portion L1 that extends from a first side of the packaged item W to a second side adjacent to the first side of the packaged item W, and a second portion L2 that extends from a third side opposite the first side of the packaged item W so as to overlap the first portion, and the flap L may be portions E and F where the first portion L1 and the second portion L2 overlap and are at least partially sealed. The first side of the packaged item W is any one of the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom sides, and if the first side is the top side, the second side is at least one of the front, back, left, and right sides (flaps L may be formed on either one side, or flaps L may be formed on multiple sides as described below), and the third side is the bottom side. For example, in three-sided sealed packaging such as the example shown in Figure 1, as well as gusset bag packaging, four-sided sealed packaging, pillow-type packaging, strip packaging, etc. shown in Figures 8 and 9, such flaps L remain on the sides of the main body M containing the packaged item W. As another example, as shown in Figure 10, one end of a sheet may be fixed to the outer surface of the main body M, and the opposite end may protrude to the side of the item J to form an unfixed flap L.

[0035] The protruding direction of the flap L on the article J may be any of up, down, left, right, front, and back, and is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the protruding position of the flap L on the article J may be located on the periphery of any of the outer surfaces of the main body M, or may be located in the middle of any of the outer surfaces (e.g., as in the illustrated example, the flap L protrudes laterally from the middle in the thickness direction). The flap L is preferably thinner than the main body M, but may also be of approximately the same thickness as the main body M. Furthermore, the flap L may be a part with lower rigidity than the main body M, or may have approximately the same rigidity as the main body M. On the other hand, as in the example shown in FIG. 10, a single article J may have a plurality of flaps L. In this case, the label 53 may be affixed to only one flap L, or the label 53 may be affixed to multiple flaps L.

[0036] The material of the flap L is not limited as long as it is flexible, but it is preferable that it be made of a flexible material such as paper, resin film 12, metal foil, or a sheet made by laminating these, and it is even more preferable that it be made of a material with low breathability.

[0037] The entire surface of at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the flap L may be a label sticking area, or only a part of at least one surface may be a label sticking area.

[0038] <Transport conveyor> The labeling device 100 has a transport conveyor 34 that transports the target article J, and is configured to affix labels 53 to the target article J in the process of being transported by the transport conveyor 34. This makes it possible to automatically affix labels 53 to the objects J simply by placing the objects J one after another on the transport conveyor 34.

[0039] The transport conveyor 34 is a moving body such as an endless belt that is moved in the transport direction by the driving force of a drive source, and any type of known conveyor can be used as long as it can transport the article J on the moving body. For example, a belt conveyor or a plate conveyor whose upper surface is a loading surface can be suitably used. 4It is preferable that the transport conveyor 3 has a loading surface wider than the items J, because, for example, a worker can load a variety of items J of different sizes without worrying about their position or orientation. 4 The type and loading position (including the orientation) of the article J may be constant. 4 The loading of the item J onto the container can also be done mechanically.

[0040] The transport conveyor 34 may be provided as a single conveyor as in the illustrated example, or may be configured by connecting a plurality of conveyors, not shown.

[0041] The transport conveyor 34 may be one that transports continuously at a constant speed, but in order to ensure stable and reliable label application, it is also preferable for the control unit to control it so that it operates intermittently with waiting times at appropriate positions in accordance with various timings, such as the timing of label application.

[0042] <Transport posture> The conveying orientation of the article J is not particularly limited. In the illustrated example, the article J on the conveyor 34 is in an orientation in which the flap L protrudes to one side in the horizontal direction (X direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction, but the article J may be conveyed in an orientation in which the flap L protrudes upward as shown in FIG. 8, or in an orientation in which the flap L protrudes diagonally upward. It is desirable that the flap L be parallel to the conveying direction, but it does not have to be parallel.

[0043] <label> The label 53 has an adhesive surface 53t for contacting the item J and can be attached to the flap of the item J by adhesion of the adhesive surface 53t. Any label, including those called adhesive labels or tack labels, linerless labels, etc., can be used. The label 53 can be a blank label before printing, a label with some or all of the information pre-printed, or a write-on label with all but the write-on area pre-printed. The label 53 attached to the item J does not have to be an electronic tag, but it can also be an electronic tag. In this case, some or all of the information may be pre-written, or the tag may be blank. In this case, the electronic tag may have a printed surface opposite the adhesive surface 53t. The printed surface may be blank, partially printed (e.g., identification information expressed as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code), completely printed, or completely unprinted. Figure 7 shows an example of an electronic tag 110. Electronic tags 110 are typically rectangular with rounded corners, but this is not limited to this. A typical example of the electronic tag 110 is a passive type electronic tag 110 having an IC chip 110i and an antenna 110a connected thereto as inlets 110a and 110i. 1 0, but is not limited to this.

[0044] As is well known, electronic tags (also called RFID tags, IC tags, RF labels, etc.) have an IC chip and an antenna connected to it in order to store and read information contactlessly by short-range wireless communication, and are widely used in labels for managing goods. RFID (Radio frequency identification) uses such electronic tags to identify objects that correspond to the electronic tags. Product This is an automatic recognition system that writes identification information to an object and reads the identification information stored in an electronic tag via wireless communication.

[0045] When an electronic tag is affixed to an item J as a label 53, affixing the electronic tag to the flap L of the item J as described above makes it difficult for the electronic tag to be hidden even when the items J are stacked for storage, thereby preventing a decline in communication quality for the electronic tag. Furthermore, if the material or contents of the item J have the property of reflecting or absorbing electromagnetic waves, such as metal or water, and an electronic tag is affixed in close proximity to this, it is known that communication quality will decline and information will not be able to be read or written (this is particularly noticeable with microwave electronic tags); however, affixing the electronic tag to the flap L makes such a problem less likely to occur.

[0046] <Holding device> The holding device 70 is not particularly limited as long as it has supports 72, 77, 78 that hold at least the label-attaching area of ​​the flap L of the article J on the transport conveyor 34 in a flat shape, and these supports 72, 77, 78 are configured to move in the same direction as the transport direction of the transport conveyor 34 and at the same speed as the transport speed of the transport conveyor 34. One preferred example is an adsorption belt conveyor 71, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, which has an endless belt 72 with air intake holes 73 formed therein and adsorbs the transported article J to the flat transport surface (carrier-side surface) of the endless belt 72 by drawing air through the air intake holes 73 from the back side of the endless belt 72. In this example, the adsorption belt conveyor 71 is positioned so that its transport surface follows the passing trajectory of the flap L of the article J on the transport conveyor 34, and the transport speed of the transport conveyor 34 and the transport speed of the adsorption belt conveyor 71 are made the same. Furthermore, the transport conveyor 34 and the suction belt conveyor 71 each have a parallel transport portion 74 where the transport surfaces are flat and the transport directions are linear and parallel to each other, and in this parallel transport portion 74, the article J is positioned on the transport conveyor 34, and at least the label application area of ​​the flap L is adsorbed to the transport surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 and maintained in a flat shape. Then, in this parallel transport portion 74, while the transport conveyor 34 and the suction belt conveyor 71 are transporting the article J or while the transport is temporarily stopped, the labeler 50 applies the label 53 to the label application area of ​​the flap L. Use of the suction belt conveyor 71 in this manner is preferable because it allows the flap L to be stably maintained in a flat shape with simple control and can be stably moved in that state to the label application position.

[0047] In the illustrated example, the conveying surfaces of both the conveyor 34 and the suction belt conveyor 71 are horizontal and the conveying direction is linear, but they may be partially or entirely inclined. The conveying surfaces of the conveyor 34 and the suction belt conveyor 71 in the parallel conveying section 74 are preferably horizontal, but may be partially or entirely inclined. The orientation of the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to determine it so that it follows the target orientation of the flap L. It can be horizontal when the desired conveying orientation of the article J is one in which the flap L protrudes horizontally, as in the illustrated example. It can be vertical or oblique when the desired conveying orientation of the article J is one in which the flap L extends upward or diagonally upward. The orientation of the conveying surface of the conveyor 34 is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately taking into account the stable conveying orientation of the article J. In the illustrated example, since the flap L protrudes laterally from the middle position in the thickness direction of the article J having horizontal upper and lower surfaces, it is preferable that the conveying surface of the conveyor 34 and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 are parallel to each other at least in the parallel conveying portion 74, and it is particularly preferable that the conveying surface of the conveyor 34 and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 are both horizontal. As can be seen from these examples, the conveying surface of the conveyor 34 and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 may be arranged to be included in the same plane, or at least one of the angle and position may be different.

[0048] The length of the suction belt conveyor 71 is not particularly limited as long as it has a parallel conveying portion 74 including the label 53 affixing position, and may be shorter, the same as, or longer than the length of the transport conveyor 34. In addition, in the transport direction of the articles J, the tail portion of the suction belt conveyor 71 may be the same as the tail portion of the transport conveyor 34 or may be further upstream or downstream, and the head portion of the suction belt conveyor 71 may be the same as the head portion of the transport conveyor 34 or may be further upstream or downstream.

[0049] The suction belt conveyor 71 may be installed beside the conveyor 34 as shown in the example, or may be installed above the conveyor 34, as long as its conveying surface is positioned along the path of the flaps L of the articles J on the conveyor 34. The suction belt conveyor 71 may be constantly operating while the device is in operation, or may be controlled by the control unit to only operate the suction when the label 53 is being attached to the flap L, or when the suction belt conveyor 71 is temporarily stopped to attach the label 53.

[0050] As shown in the illustrated example, when an article J on the conveying conveyor 34 is conveyed in a conveying position in which the flap L protrudes to one side in the horizontal direction, and in the parallel conveying section 74, the conveying surface of the conveying conveyor 34 and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 are both horizontal, if a plate-shaped, rod-shaped, or other guide body 75 having an inclined surface extending at an upward gradient up to the vicinity of the conveying surface of the head portion of the suction belt conveyor 71 is provided as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable because even if the flap L of the article J hangs down due to its own weight, it is lifted by the guide body 75 and smoothly guided onto the suction belt conveyor 71 and is adsorbed by the suction belt conveyor 71.

[0051] 4 and 5, a sandwich-type belt conveyor is exemplified, which conveys the flap L by sandwiching the portion of the flap L further forward than the label application area between a first belt conveyor 77 and a second belt conveyor 78. In particular, of the first belt conveyor 77 and the second belt conveyor 78, the first belt conveyor 77 that contacts the label 53 application surface of the flap L is preferably configured to contact only the portion further forward than the label application area, and the second belt conveyor 78 that contacts the side of the flap L opposite the label 53 application surface is preferably configured to contact the label application area and the portion further forward than the label application area, so that the label application area is supported from the backside by the second belt conveyor 78 while the portion further forward than the label application area is sandwiched between the first belt conveyor 77 and the second belt conveyor 78. In the illustrated example, the first belt conveyor 77 is arranged above and the second belt conveyor 78 is arranged below, and it is assumed that the label 53 is affixed to the upper surface of the flap L from above, so the width of the first belt conveyor 77 is narrower than the width of the second belt conveyor 78 and is configured to contact only the portion closer to the tip than the label affixing area. Other arrangements are the same as in the case of the suction belt conveyor 71 (the second belt conveyor 78 is arranged in the same way as the suction belt conveyor 71).

[0052] The above example is an example of using a belt conveyor, but as long as it holds the flap L and moves at the same speed in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor 34 (in other words, it is capable of conveying the item J while keeping the flap L in a flat shape), the support does not have to be an endless belt, and can be, for example, a support or clamp that moves back and forth along the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor 34.

[0053] It is preferable that the supports 72, 77, 78 maintain at least the label-attaching area of ​​the flap L in a flat shape parallel to the conveying direction, but depending on the orientation of the flap L during conveying and the mechanism of the labeler 50, they may also maintain at least the label-attaching area of ​​the flap L in a flat shape non-parallel to the conveying direction.

[0054] On the other hand, when affixing labels 53 to a wide variety of articles J, the position of the flap L relative to the transport conveyor 34 may vary depending on the article J. For example, if the article J has a flap L that protrudes laterally and the height of the flap L relative to the transport surface of the transport conveyor 34 varies depending on the article J, if the transport surfaces of the suction belt conveyor 71 and the transport conveyor 34 are fixed in a predetermined parallel position (including being included in the same plane), the suction area of ​​the flap L by the suction belt conveyor 71 will decrease, resulting in a decrease in suction force and a tendency for the suction position to shift. Furthermore, in order for the holding device 70 to perform its holding function, it is necessary for the holding position of the holding device 70 to be located at the position where the flap L passes in the lateral direction.

[0055] Therefore, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the holding position of the holding device 70 can be automatically or manually moved in a height direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to the transport conveyor 34. This allows, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the position of the suction belt conveyor 71 to be moved in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, thereby aligning the conveying surface with the base of the flap L of the article J. Additionally or alternatively, it is also preferable that the holding position of the holding device 70 can be moved in a lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to the transport conveyor 34 or together with the transport conveyor. This allows, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the lateral position of the suction belt conveyor 71 to be moved so that the label application area of ​​the flap L is positioned at a predetermined lateral position (e.g., the center) of the suction belt conveyor 71. In these cases, it is preferable to have a moving device for moving the holding position of the holding device 70 using a drive source, and it is more preferable that the control unit can automatically control the moving device to adjust the holding position of the holding device 70 according to the position of the flap L of the article J on the transport conveyor 34.

[0056] When adjusting the holding position by the holding device 70 by automatic control, a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the flap L of the article J on the transport conveyor 34 can be provided upstream of the label application position by the labeler 50, or an identification sensor (e.g., an individual information sensor described in Patent Document 6) for identifying the article J on the transport conveyor 34 can be provided upstream of the label application position, and the target holding position can be obtained by reading out position information of the flap L previously recorded in a database in association with the identification information of the article J based on the detection result. In the illustrated example, since the flap L protrudes almost horizontally to one side in the lateral direction (y direction), it is preferable that the position in the z direction can be controlled by moving the suction belt conveyor 71 up and down relative to the transport conveyor 34, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 2. Additionally or alternatively, it is preferable that the suction belt conveyor 71 can be moved in the y direction relative to or together with the transport conveyor 34.

[0057] <Labeler> The labeler 50 is not particularly limited as long as it can affix the label 53 to the label application area maintained in a flat shape by the holding device 70. As an example, when the supports 72, 77, and 78 maintain at least the label application area of ​​the flap in a flat shape parallel to the conveyance direction, as shown in the illustrated example, the labeler supplies the label in an oblique direction so that the adhesive surface 53t of the label comes into contact with the surface of the flap in order from one end to the other as the flap moves in the conveyance direction together with the supports while being held by the supports, and it is preferable that the labeler affixes the label to the label application area while the article is being transported by the transport conveyor and the suction belt conveyor.

[0058] Furthermore, when the labeler 50 applies the label 53 to the flap L, the control unit may temporarily stop the transport of the article J by the transport conveyor 34, thereby more stably and reliably applying the label 53, or the label 53 may be applied to the moving flap L without stopping the transport of the article J by the transport conveyor 34. In either case, the control unit synchronizes the drive timing and drive speed of the transport conveyor 34 and the conveyors of the holding device 70 so that they are the same as the label supply timing and label supply speed of the labeler 50, thereby allowing the label to be applied without wrinkles from one end to the other end of the adhesive surface 53t.

[0059] Figure 6 shows an example of a labeler 50. This labeler 50 is a so-called tack labeler that peels and affixes labels 53, each having a tacky adhesive surface 53t, from a release sheet 52 (liner, separator). The label roll 50R is a continuous strip-shaped label sheet 51 wound into a roll, with labels 53 repeatedly affixed to the continuous strip-shaped release sheet 52 at predetermined intervals in the continuous direction. The label roll 50R is rotatably supported on a rotating shaft (not shown).

[0060] In this labeler 50, a label sheet 51 fed from a label roll 50R is fed onto an object. Product J The release sheet 52 is intermittently transported at the timing when the label 53 is to be attached to the flap L, and is fed into the folding guide 23G (which may be a plate-shaped one as in the illustrated example, or a rotating or non-rotating shaft). In the folding guide 23G, the release sheet 52 is guided so as to be folded back to the side opposite to the side on which the label 53 is attached. During this folding back, the rigid label 53 is naturally peeled off from the release sheet 52, and as the flap L moves in the conveying direction, the label 53 is supplied obliquely from one end to the other of the adhesive surface 53t of the label 53 so as to come into contact with the surface of the flap L, and is attached to the surface of the flap L. The release sheet 52 remaining after the label 53 has been peeled off is taken up by the take-up shaft 23W. The take-up shaft 23W is driven to rotate by a stepping motor (not shown), and is rotated by the take-up shaft 23W. Product JAt the timing of sticking the labels 53 to the object, the labels 53 are peeled off one by one from the peel-off sheet 52. Product J The film is wound intermittently so that it is attached to the film.

[0061] 1 and 3, in such a labeler, a pressure roller 76 facing the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor 71 is preferably provided downstream of the label application start position (the position where the label 53 and the flap L start to come into contact), so that the flap L to which the label 53 is applied is sandwiched and pressed between the suction belt conveyor 71 and the pressure roller 76. By providing such a pressure roller 76, the label 53 applied to the flap L by the labeler 50 can be firmly pressed against the flap L, preventing problems caused by insufficient application of the label 53 (such as the label 53 partially lifting off the flap L and adhering to workers or equipment). The position of the pressure roller 76 in the conveying direction of the suction belt conveyor 71 is not limited as long as it is downstream of the label application position. However, it is preferable to position a carrier roller or a head pulley (not shown) that supports the conveying surface on the opposite side of the endless belt 72, as this enhances the pressure effect. Instead of the pressure roller 76, an air blowing device may be provided to press the label against the flap L. The pressure roller 76 and the air blowing device may be mounted on the labeler 50.

[0062] Examples of such tack labelers include the L-VIS SL5000 series labeling machine from Lintec Corporation and the LMUe6000N from Sato Holdings Corporation.

[0063] The labeler 50 preferably includes a printing unit 50P that prints print information on the label 53, but does not necessarily have to include the printing unit 50P. In addition, if the label 53 is an electronic tag, the labeler 50 may have a writing unit (not shown) for the electronic tag.

[0064] If the label 53 is an electronic tag and the labeler 50 has a writing unit for the electronic tag, the control unit can be configured so that when supplying the label 53 to be affixed to the item J on the transport conveyor 34, the labeler 50 writes write information about the item J to be affixed to the electronic tag. In this case, as with the one described in Patent Document 6, an individual information sensor (not shown) such as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code reader that detects the individual information of the item J is provided, and the labeler 50 writes write information including at least one of part or all of the individual information detected by the individual information sensor and related information obtained from a database or the like based on the detected individual information to the electronic tag, and the individual information of the object from which the individual information was detected is written to the electronic tag. Product J If the labeler 50 includes a printing unit 50P that prints information on the label 53, the control unit can be configured to print the information in the same way as writing information to an electronic tag.

[0065] <Position detection sensor> In order to detect the position of the article J by the transport conveyor 34, a position detection sensor 36 such as a line sensor or passage sensor that detects the article J is provided upstream of the label application position by the labeler 50 (more preferably upstream of the holding device 70), and the control unit 60 calculates the position of the article J in the transport direction based on the detection result and the transport speed and transport distance of the transport conveyor 34, and can use this for various controls. For example, based on this position detection result, the control unit 60 can control the labeler 50 to perform the operation of applying a label 53 when the flap L of the article J is positioned at the label application position. At the same time, the control unit 60 can temporarily suspend the transport of the article J (not only the transport by the transport conveyor 34, but also the transport operation if the holding device 70 has a function of transporting the flap L, such as the suction belt conveyor 71).

[0066] The position detection sensor 36 may be capable of detecting the lateral position of the article J. Based on the position detection result, the control unit 60 can adjust the movement of the holding position of the holding device 70 described above.

[0067] As these position detection sensors 36, sensors provided in equipment upstream of the transport conveyor 34, like the detection unit 35 described later, may be used.

[0068] <Control unit> The control unit can be configured using a known industrial control device such as a sequencer (PLC) or a computer (PC, microcontroller) alone, or by combining multiple devices depending on the function. For example, basic control and interfaces for conveyors, sensors, robots, etc. can be realized by a sequencer, while information processing and commands to the sequencer based on that information (mode setting, parameter setting, operation start command, etc.) can be realized by a computer. A computer can physically include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), main storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), a communication module, and auxiliary storage devices. When a computer is used, control by the control unit can be realized by loading specific computer software into the CPU or RAM, operating various hardware under the control of the CPU, and reading and writing data to the RAM.

[0069] <Example of labeling device operation> 1 and 2 , an example of the basic operation of the label application device 100 is described below. First, an operator or the like supplies an object J to the upstream side of the conveyor 34. In this example, the object J has a flap L that protrudes in a horizontal direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the conveyor direction (X direction) over the entire length of the conveyor direction. The object J is placed on the conveyor 34 so that the flap L is located upstream of the suction belt conveyor 71 in the conveyor direction. The object J is conveyed by the conveyor 34, and the flap L reaches the tail of the suction belt conveyor 71 and is adsorbed thereon. The suction belt conveyor 71 is driven at the same speed as the conveyor 34, and the flap L is adsorbed onto the suction belt conveyor 71. The object J is conveyed to the label application position without changing its orientation, with the flap L being adsorbed onto the suction belt conveyor 71 and the rest of the object J resting on the conveyor 34. The control unit controls the labeler 50 to perform a label application operation when the object J reaches the label application position. 6, the label 53 is supplied diagonally downward downstream at the same supply speed as the flap conveyance speed by driving the winding shaft 23W, and the adhesive surface 53t of the label 53 is affixed to the surface of the flap L in order from one end on the downstream side, and then pressed by a pressure roller. When printing on the label 53, the labeler 50 supplies the label 53 on which printing information designated for the item J has been printed in advance, and when writing to an electronic tag, the labeler 50 supplies the electronic tag label 53 on which writing information designated for the item J has been written in advance. The item J having the flap L to which the label 53 has been affixed is transported by the transport conveyor 34 and discharged or delivered to equipment installed downstream of the transport conveyor 34. During this transport, the flap L of the item J is peeled off and released at the head of the suction belt conveyor 71.

[0070] <Example with packaging equipment> The labeling device 100 described above can be a standalone device, or can be combined with other devices. One preferred example is a device combined with a packaging device 1 in which a flap L is formed, as shown in Figure 11 (this means that the labeling device 100 is incorporated into the packaging device 1). That is, when the packaging device 1 covers the front, back, left side, right side, top side and bottom side of the packaged item W with a packaging sheet (film 12 in the illustrated example), the packaging sheet secures a first portion L1 (see Figure 1) extending from a first side (top side in the illustrated example) of the packaged item W to a second side (front side in the illustrated example) adjacent to the first side of the packaged item W, and a second portion L2 (see Figure 1) extending from a third side opposite the first side of the packaged item W so as to overlap the first portion L1, and after these first portion L1 and second portion L2 overlap and form a flap L with at least portions E, F sealed, it is preferable to transfer the item J from the packaging device 1 to the transport conveyor 34 so that the flap L is positioned at the holding position by the holding device 70 or upstream of the holding position in the conveying direction. This allows the label 53 to be affixed to the article J after packaging by simply transferring the article J from the packaging device 1 to the transport conveyor 34 without having to adjust the position on the transport conveyor 34.

[0071] 11 in more detail, packaging device 1 is a three-sided seal packaging device that pulls out rolled film 12 (sheet) folded in half, places the packaged item W between the folded film, and forms a bag by thermally fusing the three open sides of film 12 with L-shaped sealing member 40. Packaging device 1 can use film 12 that is not heat-shrinkable or that has heat-shrinkability, and in the latter case, the heat-shrinkable film is fusingly cut to form a bag that contains packaged item W inside, and then heat-shrinks the bag to perform heat-shrink packaging in which packaged item W is tightly packed.

[0072] In this example, a plastic film is used as an example of a sheet used by the packaging device 1, but the sheet is not limited to this. The sheet may be thin enough to be deformable to fit the three-dimensional shape of the packaged item W. Sheets include plastic sheets and paper sheets. The plastic film 12 in this example is an example of a plastic sheet.

[0073] The plastic film 12 may be a heat-shrinkable film. Examples of materials for the plastic sheet (film) include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyamide (PA), and low-density polyethylene (LPDE). The thickness of the plastic film is, for example, about 0.020 mm to 0.100 mm. In this example, a film 12 made of LPDE and having a thickness of 0.030 mm is used.

[0074] The packaging device 1 wraps the packaged item W conveyed on the conveying section 30 in the film 12, and then welds and cuts the open end of the film 12 to place the packaged item W inside the sealed bag. The packaging device 1 also affixes a label 53 to the surface of the bag B made by welding and cutting the film 12.

[0075] The packaging device 1 includes a film supply unit 10, a film reversing opening 20, a conveying unit 30, an L-shaped sealing member 40, a label application device 100, and a control unit 60.

[0076] Film supply unit 10 supplies film 12 to film reversal opening 20. In film supply unit 10, roll film 11, which is formed by winding double-folded film 12 around a paper tube or the like, is supported horizontally and placed on a fixed portion such as a frame (not shown), and guide rollers 13 are provided on the frame (not shown) between roll film 11 and film reversal opening 20. Double-folded film 12, which is pulled out from roll film 11, reaches film reversal opening 20 via guide rollers 13.

[0077] 11, film supply unit 10 is disposed on the left side (negative y-direction side) of film inversion opening 20, conveyance unit 30, etc., when viewed from the downstream side in the conveyance direction (positive x-direction side), and is disposed so as to pull out film 12 in the positive y-direction side. In the section from roll film 11 to film inversion opening 20, of both ends in the width direction (short side), end 12A on the upstream side in the conveyance direction (negative x-direction side) is a folded portion that is folded in half. At end 12B on the opposite side (positive x-direction side), two sheets of film overlap and are not connected to each other.

[0078] The film inverting opening 20 changes the moving direction (longitudinal direction) of the folded film 12 supplied from the film supply unit 10 to the conveying direction. The film inverting opening 20 has two plate-like formers 21 formed in the shape of an approximately right-angled isosceles triangle. The two formers 21 are fixed horizontally on a frame (not shown) so that they are arranged facing each other at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. Each former 21 is arranged so that one side 21A that sandwiches the right angle is the base extending laterally along the conveyor, and the other side 21B that sandwiches the right angle faces the guide roller 13 at an appropriate distance. The folded film 12 is folded inward from the top and bottom at the oblique side 21C of the former 21, forming a U-shaped cross section, and is turned 90 degrees so that it can be supplied in the same direction as the transport direction of the packaged items W.

[0079] At the film reversing opening 20, the folding direction of the end 12A of the folded portion side of the film 12 is reversed, and the direction of movement is changed so that the left side (negative y-direction side) of both ends of the conveyor in the lateral direction extends in the conveyance direction as viewed from the downstream side (positive x-direction side) in the conveyance direction. Furthermore, the two overlapping films of the film 12 are spaced apart by the formers 21 by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction (z-direction). As a result, the film 12 opens vertically between the two formers 21 as viewed from the upstream side (negative x-direction side) in the conveyance direction, allowing the packaged item W to be introduced into the film 12. The formers 21 may be equipped with a driving means to dynamically change the height (i.e., the vertical distance between the two formers 21) depending on the height of the packaged item W (particularly the type of product being packaged).

[0080] The conveying section 30 conveys the packaged items W in the conveying direction (x-positive direction). The conveying section 30 is composed of a plurality of belt conveyors, for example as shown in Fig. 11, and has a feed position adjustment conveyor 31, a supply conveyor 32, a packaging conveyor 33, and a conveyor 34 for the label application device 100.

[0081] The feed position adjustment conveyor 31 adjusts the lateral position of the packaged item W introduced from the previous process so that it is at a predetermined work reference position.

[0082] The supply conveyor 32 feeds the packaged item W into the opening of the film reversal opening 20 and places the packaged item W between the folded film 12. The supply conveyor 32 also operates intermittently in synchronization with the operation of the L-shaped seal member 40 to feed out the packaged item W.

[0083] The packaging conveyor 33 receives the packaged items W whose openings in the film 12 are to be welded and cut by the L-shaped sealing members 40 , and sends the resulting bags B to the labeling device 100 .

[0084] The transport conveyor 34 of the labeling device 100 receives the bag body B to which the label 53 is to be attached, and sends the bag body B with the label 53 attached to it to a subsequent process.

[0085] In this example, each of the conveyors 31 to 34 of the conveying unit 30 is a belt conveyor in which an endless belt is driven as a conveying surface as shown in FIG. 11, for example. A chain, a roller conveyor, a slide table, or the like may be applied to each of the conveyors 31 to 34 of the conveying unit 30. Further, the division of each of the conveyors 31 to 34 of the conveying unit 30 is not limited to the configuration of FIG. 11. For example, a plurality of conveyors shown in FIG. 11 may be combined into one, or may be further subdivided.

[0086] The L-shaped seal member 40 is formed in an L shape in a plan view. The L-shaped seal member 40 welds and cuts the downstream side in the conveying direction of the film 12 and the opening end portion in the lateral direction of the conveyor to form a bag body B that hermetically packages the packaged object W with the film 12. The configuration of the L-shaped seal member 40 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 12 to 17.

[0087] The label affixing device 100 affixes a label 53 to a flap L formed as a part of the bag body B.

[0088] Further, a detection unit 35 for detecting the lateral size of the packaged object W is provided upstream of the cutting position of the conveying unit 30 (the feed position adjustment conveyor 31 or the supply conveyor 32). The detection unit 35 is, for example, a line sensor arranged along the lateral direction of the belt conveyor.

[0089] The control unit 60 controls the operations of each element of the packaging device 1. Particularly in this example, control is performed to adjust the lateral cutting position of the L-shaped seal member 40 so that the bag body B has an appropriate size according to the size of the packaged object W detected by the detection unit 35.

[0090] <Example of L-shaped seal member> Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the L-shaped sealing member 40. The L-shaped sealing member 40 comprises a movable part 40A arranged on the top and a fixed part 40B arranged on the bottom. The fixed part 40B receives the fused portion of the film 12 surrounding the packaged item W transported on the packaging conveyor 33. The movement of the fixed part 40B in the vertical direction is restricted. The movable part 40A is movable in the vertical direction relative to the fixed part 40B, as shown by arrow A in Fig. 12, and the distance between the movable part 40A and the movable part 40A can be changed as desired.

[0091] In addition, when changing the vertical distance between the two formers 21 as described above, the fixed part 40B may also be made movable in the vertical direction, and the distance between the movable part 40A and the fixed part 40B may also be changed according to the distance between the formers 21.

[0092] The lower end surface of the movable part 40A is provided with side seals 41 and end seals 42, which will be described later. When the film 12 is introduced between the movable part 40A and the fixed part 40B, the movable part 40A comes into contact with the fixed part 40B, and the part of the film 12 on the fixed part 40B can be welded and cut by the side seals 41 and end seals 42.

[0093] Side seal 41 (first seal portion) extends in the conveyance direction (x direction) and welds and melts one end of film 12 on the positive y direction side. End seal 42 (second seal portion) extends in the lateral direction (y direction) perpendicular to side seal 41 and melts the upstream portion of film 12 in the conveyance direction.

[0094] The end seals 42 are restricted from moving in the x and y directions (horizontal directions) and weld and cut the film 12 at predetermined positions in the conveyance direction. The downstream leading portion of the film 12 conveyed on the packaging conveyor 33 is welded and cut by the end seals 42 during the film cutting process for the previous packaged item W, and is the portion conveyed downstream separated from the bag body B in which the previous work was packaged. Therefore, when focusing on one bag body B, the end seals 42 weld and cut the front and rear portions in the conveyance direction. These welded portions D by the end seals 42 are shown by dashed lines on bag body B1 in Figure 14.

[0095] On the other hand, the side seals 41 are movable laterally relative to the end seals 42 as shown by arrow Q in FIG.

[0096] FIG. 13 illustrates film fusing using an L-shaped seal member 40 for a small-sized packaged item W. With conventional L-shaped seal members, the L-shaped fusing position is fixed. Therefore, if the lateral dimension of the packaged item W is sufficiently small relative to the lateral dimension of the packaging conveyor 33, the fusing position in the lateral direction may be far from the packaged item W, resulting in a large excess portion of the bag body, making it impossible to package the bag at the appropriate size. In contrast, in this example, the side seal 41 is movable laterally. Therefore, as shown by arrow C in FIG. 13, in the case of a small-sized packaged item W, the side seal 41 is moved in the negative y direction to bring the side seal 41 sufficiently close to the packaged item W, and then one end of the film 12 is fusing-cut. This reduces the excess portion of the bag body B relative to the packaged item W.

[0097] Figure 14 is a diagram showing the difference in fusing positions depending on the size of the packaged item W. When the size of the packaged item W is large, bag body B1 is positioned furthest toward the y-positive side in the horizontal direction, and bag body B1 is also the largest size. On the other hand, when the size of the packaged item W is small, bag body B2 is positioned furthest toward the y-negative side in the horizontal direction, and bag body B2 is also the smallest size. When the size of the packaged item W is medium, bag body B3 is positioned intermediate between the large and small cases in the horizontal direction, and bag body B3 is also of medium size.

[0098] In Figure 14, the fusion-cut portion E of the side seal 41 is shown by a two-dot chain line on the bag body B1. Figure 14 also shows the edge portion (remaining portion) 12C of the film 12 after the bag bodies B1, B2, and B3 have been fusion-cut, and the shape of the edge portion 12C also shows that the fusion-cutting position in the horizontal direction has been changed.

[0099] By making the end seals 42 movable in the lateral direction in this way, it is possible to weld and cut the film 12 at an appropriate position depending on the lateral size of the packaged items W. Furthermore, although the horizontal movement of the end seals 42 is restricted, by adjusting the amount of movement in the conveyance direction of the packaged items W, it is possible to weld and weld the film 12 at an appropriate position depending on the size of the packaged items W in the conveyance direction. Therefore, the L-shaped sealing member 40 of the packaging device 1 of this example can package the packaged items W with appropriate dimensions depending on the size of the packaged items W.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 12 and other figures, side seal 41 has welding portion 43 and fusion-cutting portion 44. Both welding portion 43 and fusion-cutting portion 44 extend in the conveyance direction (x direction) and are arranged in parallel. Fusion-cutting portion 44 is located on one end of film 12 in the positive y direction from welding portion 43. Fusion-cutting portion 44 fuses film 12. Fusion-cutting portion 43 fuses and welds film 12. In this example, "fusion" refers to melting and fixing two opposing films 12 by heating. "Fusion-cutting" refers to melting and cutting two opposing films 12 by heating. "Fusion-cutting" refers to welding two opposing films 12 to a predetermined width along the extension direction and cutting them along the extension direction within the predetermined width of the welded portion. In the "welding and cutting" method, the two films 12 are welded together to maintain a sealed state of the internal space, while the excess part outside the welded part can be cut off.

[0101] "Welding" is an example of "joining," and "fusion cutting" is an example of "cutting." Joining includes welding using heat as well as adhesion using adhesives. Cutting includes cutting using a blade or laser as well as fusion cutting using heat.

[0102] As long as the welding portion 43 can reliably weld the film 12, the fusing portion 44 may be configured to perform only fusing instead of welding and fusing.

[0103] 13, it is preferable that the receiving portion 40B1 of the fixing portion 40B, which receives the welding portion 43 and the fusing portion 44 of the side seal 41, is configured to be movable laterally in the same manner as the side seal 41. When the side seal 41 moves laterally, the receiving portion 40B1 also moves laterally in accordance with the movement of the side seal 41, and can maintain the state in which it receives the welding portion 43 and the fusing portion 44.

[0104] By providing welded portion 43 and fusion-cut portion 44 in this manner, the portion located between them remains on the positive y-direction side of bag body B as a rectangular flat flap L that is separated from the space containing packaged item W. In Fig. 14, fusion-cut portion E of side seal 41 by fusion-cut portion 44 is shown by a two-dot chain line on bag body B1, and welded portion F by welded portion 43 is shown by a dotted line on bag body B1.

[0105] It is also preferable that the welded portion 43 and the fusion-cutting portion 44 are movable together in the lateral direction (y direction) relative to the end seal 42. For example, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, even when the fusion-cutting position is changed, the side seal 41 moves while maintaining a constant distance in the y direction between the welded portion 43 and the fusion-cutting portion 44.

[0106] With this configuration, even if the size of the bag body B is changed according to the size of the packaged item W, the flap L can always be formed with the same width, as shown in Figure 14. If the flap L can be made to have the same width, the label application device 100 can use labels 53 of the same size, eliminating the need to change the label 53 according to the size of the bag body B, and thus simplifying the configuration of the label application device 100.

[0107] <Example of incorporating a labeling device> In this device, the flap L is formed by the side seal 41, so if the conveying conveyor 34 is connected in series downstream of the packaging conveyor 33 and a holding position by the holding device 70 is located downstream of the side seal 41 in the conveying direction (in the illustrated example, an adsorption belt conveyor 71 is located downstream of the side seal 41 in the conveying direction), the conveying conveyor 34 can simply transport the item J handed over from the packaging conveyor 33, and the flap L will reach the holding position by the holding device 70, and the label 53 can be attached without adjusting the position of the item J on the conveying conveyor 34.

[0108] When at least one of the welding unit 43 and the fusing unit 44 moves laterally, the position of the flap L may also move laterally accordingly. Therefore, it is preferable that the holding position of the holding device 70 of the label application device 100 be movable laterally. For example, if the holding device 70 is a suction belt conveyor 71, the holding position is the position of the conveying surface, and therefore the conveyor body including the endless belt 72 can be made movable laterally. The movement of the holding position of the holding device 70 may be manually adjusted by an operator. However, it is also preferable to provide a drive device for moving the holding position of the holding device 70 laterally, and have the control unit 60 automatically control the drive device based on a value calculated according to the amount of lateral movement of at least one of the welding unit 43 and the fusing unit 44, or a value predetermined as corresponding to the amount of lateral movement of at least one of the welding unit 43 and the fusing unit 44. If necessary, the conveyor body including the endless belt 72 of the transport conveyor 34 may be provided so as to be movable laterally, similar to the holding position of the holding device 70. In this case, the conveyor body of the transport conveyor 34 may be configured to move integrally with the lateral movement of the holding position of the holding device 70, or may be configured to move independently.

[0109] <Example of a moving structure for side seals> 15 is a diagram showing an example of the movement structure of the side seal 41. As shown in FIG. 15, the movable portion 40A of the L-shaped seal member 40 has an electric slider 45, a slide table 46, a base 47, and a pair of arms 48 and 49. The base 47 is a member that extends in the y direction like the end seal 42, and the end seal 42 is installed below (in the negative z direction). The electric slider 45 is installed on the surface of the base 47 on the positive x direction side, and connects the slide table 46 to it so that it can slide in the y direction. The slide table 46 is configured to be movable in the y direction by the driving force output by the electric slider 45.

[0110] A pair of arms 48, 49 are installed on the slide table 46 to extend in the x-positive direction. The arms 48, 49 are, for example, plate-like members with their main surfaces in the y-direction, and are arranged substantially parallel to each other with their main surfaces facing each other. The electric slider 45, slide table 46, base 47, and arms 48, 49 are part of the movable unit 40A and are configured to be movable in the up and down direction integrally with the movable unit 40A, as shown by arrow A in FIG. 15 .

[0111] Welding portion 43 and fusing portion 44 of side seal 41 are fixedly provided below (negative z direction) arm portions 48 and 49. As a result, welding portion 43 and fusing portion 44 are controlled so that they can be positioned at any position in the y direction by moving integrally with slide table 46 and arm portions 48 and 49 in the y direction by the driving force of electric slider 45, as shown by arrow Q in Figure 15.

[0112] <Example of packaging control> 16 is a flowchart of packaging control of the packaging device 1 of this example for the packaged item W. The control unit 60 controls the operation of each element of the packaging device 1, which is the main subject of each process in the flowchart of FIG.

[0113] In step S01, the detection unit 35 detects the work width (dimension in the y direction) of the packaged item W that has been transported from the previous process to the conveying unit 30 by the packaging device 1. The detection unit 35 outputs the obtained information on the work width to the control unit 60.

[0114] In step S02, the item W to be packaged is adjusted to a horizontal reference position by the feed position adjustment conveyor 31. The reference position is a position a predetermined distance from the end on the negative y-axis side in the horizontal direction of the conveyor of the transfer section 30, as shown in Fig. 11, for example. This keeps the distance from the end 12A on the folded side of the double-folded film 12 to the end on the negative y-axis side of the item W to be packaged constant regardless of the size of the item W to be packaged.

[0115] Any method can be used to position the packaged items W using the feed position adjustment conveyor 31. For example, the feed position adjustment conveyor 31 can be configured to have a sensor that measures the position of the negative y-axis end of the packaged items W and the above-mentioned reference position, and a positioning mechanism that presses the packaged items W toward the negative y-axis side to position the packaged items W. In this configuration, the lateral position of the packaged items W can be adjusted by operating the positioning mechanism based on the position information from the sensor. Alternatively, a well-known alignment conveyor that can align the lateral positions of the packaged items W may be used as the feed position adjustment conveyor 31. Alternatively, a guide member that can align the lateral position of the packaged items W to the above-mentioned reference position may be installed on the conveying path of the feed position adjustment conveyor 31.

[0116] The feed position adjustment conveyor 31 transports the packaged items W whose positions have been adjusted to the supply conveyor 32.

[0117] In step S03, the supply conveyor 32 introduces the packaged item W positioned at the work reference position between the folded film 12 opened by the film reversal opening 20, and transports it to the packaging conveyor 33.

[0118] In step S04, the packaging conveyor 33 determines whether the packaged item W has reached the fusing position. If the packaged item W has not reached the fusing position (No in step S04), the conveyance continues. If the packaged item W has reached the fusing position (Yes in step S04), the process proceeds to step S05.

[0119] In step S05, the lateral position of the side seal 41 of the L-shaped sealing member 40 is adjusted to match the work width by the electric slider 45 and slide table 46. Based on information about the work width of the packaged item W acquired by the detection unit 35 in step S01, for example, the control unit 60 determines that the position located a distance of the work width in the positive y direction from the work reference position is the position of the end of the packaged item W in the positive y direction. Then, the side seal 41 is moved so that the welding and cutting positions by the side seal 41 are located further in the positive y direction from this end position.

[0120] In step S06, the L-shaped sealing member 40 is lowered to weld and cut the film 12, thereby forming a bag B with the packaged item W sealed inside. The packaging conveyor 33 transports the bag B and hands it over to the transport conveyor 34 of the labeling device 100.

[0121] In step S07, the label application device 100 applies a label 53 to the flap L of the bag B. When the processing of step S07 is completed, this control flow ends, and the packaged item W packaged in the bag B is transported to a subsequent process.

[0122] Here, it is preferable that the label 53 used in this example has information for identifying each package written on it. A specific structure of the label 53 is, for example, an RFID tag, and the above-mentioned information is stored in an IC chip of the RFID tag. Furthermore, "information for identifying each package" includes, for example, information for specifying the packaged item W, the shipping destination, the orderer, etc.

[0123] As described above, the packaging device 1 of this example includes a control unit 60 that controls the movement of the side seals 41 of the L-shaped sealing member 40, and a detection unit 35 that detects the lateral size of the packaged item W. The control unit 60 adjusts the lateral position of the side seals 41 in accordance with the size of the packaged item W detected by the detection unit 35.

[0124] This configuration allows the position of the side seal 41 of the L-shaped sealing member 40 to be automatically adjusted to match the lateral dimensions of each packaged item W being transported into the conveying section 30 of the packaging device 1, making it possible to package the packaged item W with appropriate dimensions according to its size more accurately and easily.

[0125] Furthermore, even if a mixture of multiple packaged items W of various types and sizes is continuously fed through the conveying section 30, the packaging device 1 can automatically package each packaged item W accordingly, thereby improving the versatility of the packaging device 1. In particular, in cases where a large quantity of the same or multiple types of items are divided into predetermined or various numbers and individually packaged, the shapes of the packaged items W are relatively small, and being able to arbitrarily change the package size in both the conveying direction and the lateral direction allows packaging in a more appropriate size, so application of the packaging device 1 of this example is particularly effective.

[0126] Furthermore, when multiple small workpieces are packaged (wrapped) in one bag B, if there are large gaps in the packaging, the internal workpieces may collide with each other during transport, resulting in damage to the workpieces, so it is preferable to optimize the packaging. In this example, by appropriately adjusting the lateral position of the side seal 41, it is possible to package multiple workpieces contained in one bag B so that their relative positions do not shift during transport, thereby optimizing the packaging according to the packaged item W.

[0127] In a typical distribution system, various sizes of products, such as small, medium, and large, are sorted from a common line onto individual conveyor lines, where each line individually packages the products according to their size and quantity. Conventional packaging devices that do not allow for lateral adjustment of the side seal 41 require pre-installation of L-shaped seal members with different lateral seal positions for each packaging device installed on each conveyor line based on the size of the products on that conveyor line. However, in this example, by applying the same packaging device 1 to each of these multiple conveyor lines, the lateral position of the side seal 41 of the L-shaped seal member 40 can be adjusted appropriately based on the size of the products on each conveyor line, allowing for appropriate packaging for each line without prior work such as part replacement. The advantage of being able to individually package a wide variety of products using a single packaging device 1 makes it ideal for distribution applications.

[0128] 16, the control unit 60 adjusts the lateral welding position of the L-shaped sealing member 40 so that the bag body B is an appropriate size, depending on the work width of the packaged item W detected by the detection unit 35. However, this control method is not limited to this control method, as long as the lateral welding position of the L-shaped sealing member 40 can be adjusted appropriately. For example, the control unit 60 may acquire information about the lateral position in advance from a higher-level device, such as a management device that manages the entire conveying system including the packaging device 1, and adjust the lateral position of the L-shaped sealing member 40 based on this acquired information before the packaged item W reaches the welding position.

[0129] Similarly, in this example, as shown in step S04 of the flowchart in Figure 16, the control unit 60 performs fusing after confirming that the packaged item W has reached the fusing position, but the timing of fusing is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 60 may acquire feed amount information in advance from a higher-level device such as the management device described above, and based on this acquired feed amount information, the conveyor may move the packaged item W a predetermined feed amount, thereby automatically sending the packaged item W to the fusing position. In this case, fusing is performed when the conveyor has operated a predetermined amount, without detecting the presence or absence of the packaged item W.

[0130] The height of the sealing position of the L-shaped sealing member 40 may also be adjusted according to the vertical thickness of the packaged item W. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of adjusting the height of the sealing position. Figure 17(A) shows the height position when the vertical thickness of the packaged item W1 is small (thin), and Figure 17(B) shows the height position when the vertical thickness of the packaged item W2 is large (thick).

[0131] In this case, the fixed portion 40B of the L-shaped sealing member 40 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, just like the movable portion 40A. The sealing positions S1 and S2 for the packaged items W1 and W2 can be set to a height approximately half the vertical thickness of the packaged items W1 and W2. The control unit 60 acquires information about the height of the sealing positions S1 and S2 in advance from a higher-level device, such as the management device described above. Alternatively, the control unit 60 may be configured to measure the vertical thickness of the packaged item W moving on the conveyor using a sensor or the like and calculate the sealing positions S1 and S2 based on the measured thickness information. The control unit 60 then moves the fixed portion 40B of the L-shaped sealing member 40 to the acquired or calculated height of the sealing positions S1 and S2.

[0132] As shown in Figure 17(A), for a thin packaged item W1, the height position of the fixing part 40B is close to the conveyor surface, and the sealing position S1 is set relatively low. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 17(B), for a thick packaged item W2, the height position of the fixing part 40B is above the conveyor surface, and the sealing position S2 is set relatively high.

[0133] The present example has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples made by a person skilled in the art as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they comprise the features of the present disclosure. The elements of the above-described specific examples, as well as their arrangement, conditions, shape, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of the above-described specific examples can be combined in various ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise.

[0134] In the above example, the welded portion 43 and the fused portion 44 of the side seal 41 are configured to be movable together in the lateral direction (y direction) relative to the end seal 42, but they may be configured to be movable individually in the lateral direction relative to the end seal 42. This allows the width dimension of the flap L provided on the positive y direction side of the bag body B to be any size, thereby improving the versatility of the packaging device 1.

[0135] In the above example, side seal 41 is configured to have welding portion 43 for welding film 12 and fusing portion 44 for fusing film 12, but it may be configured to have only one of these portions. In other words, side seal 41 may be configured to either fuse film 12 or fusing film 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1...packaging device, 12...film, 33...packaging conveyor, 34...transport conveyor, 35...detection unit, 36...position detection sensor, 40...L-shaped sealing member, 41...side seal, 42...end seal, 43...welding unit, 44...fusing unit, 50...labeler, 53...label, 53t...adhesive surface, 60...control unit, 70...holding device, 71...suction belt conveyor, 72...endless belt, 73...air intake hole, 74...parallel conveying portion, 75...guide body, 76...pressure roller, 77...first belt conveyor, 78...second belt conveyor, 100...label application device, 110...electronic tag, B...bag body, J...article, L...flap, W...packaged item, 53t...adhesive surface.

Claims

1. 1. A label application device for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly protruding flexible flap, comprising: a transport conveyor for transporting the article; a holding device having a support for holding at least the label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor and at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor; a labeler that applies the label to the label application area that is held in a flat shape by the holding device, the holding device is a suction belt conveyor having an endless belt formed with air intake holes as the support; the suction belt conveyor is disposed at a position where a conveying surface thereof follows a passing locus of the flap of the article on the conveying conveyor; the transport conveyor and the suction belt conveyor each have a parallel transport portion in which the transport surface is flat and the transport directions are linear and parallel to each other; The conveying speed of the transfer conveyor and the conveying speed of the suction belt conveyor are the same, a label application device characterized in that, in the parallel conveying section, the article is positioned on the conveying conveyor, and at least the label application area of ​​the flap is adsorbed to the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor and maintained in a flat shape, and while the article is being conveyed by the conveying conveyor and the suction belt conveyor or while temporarily suspending the conveyance, the labeler applies the label to the label application area.

2. The holding position of the holding device is movable in a height direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to the conveying conveyor, or in a lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to or together with the conveying conveyor, or both of these movements are possible.

2. The labeling device of claim 1.

3. the labeler supplies the label along a diagonal direction so that the adhesive surface of the label contacts the surface of the flap in order from one end to the other end as the flap is held by the support and moves together with the support in the transport direction, The labeler attaches the label to the label application area while the transport conveyor and the holding device transport the object.

3. The label application device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The flap protrudes from the article on the transport conveyor to one side in a lateral direction perpendicular to the transport direction, In the parallel conveying portion, the conveying surface of the transfer conveyor and the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor are both horizontal, a guide body having an inclined surface extending at an upward gradient to the vicinity of the conveying surface of the head portion of the suction belt conveyor; The labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a pressure roller facing a conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor is provided downstream of the label affixing position on the suction belt conveyor; The flap to which the label is attached is sandwiched and pressed between the suction belt conveyor and the pressure roller. The labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The label is an electronic tag. The labeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A label application device for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly protruding flexible flap, comprising: The article has a packaged item and a packaging sheet that covers the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side of the packaged item, The packaging sheet has a first portion extending from a first side of the packaged item to a second side adjacent to the first side of the packaged item, and a second portion extending from a third side opposite the first side of the packaged item so as to overlap the first portion, The flap is a portion where the first portion and the second portion overlap and at least a portion of the flap is sealed, a transport conveyor for transporting the article; a holding device having a support for holding at least the label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor and at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor; a labeler that applies the label to the label application area that is held in a flat shape by the holding device; A label application device comprising:

8. a packaging device that forms the article having the flap and then transfers it to the transport conveyor; The article is delivered from the packaging device to the transport conveyor so that the flap is positioned at a holding position by the holding device or upstream of the holding position in the conveying direction.

8. The labeling device of claim 7.

9. A label application device for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly protruding flexible flap, comprising: a transport conveyor for transporting the article; a holding device having a support for holding at least the label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor and at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor; a labeler that applies the label to the label application area that is held in a flat shape by the holding device; a three-sided seal packaging device that, while conveying the packaged items on a packaging conveyor, pulls out a rolled sheet folded in half, places the packaged items between the folded sheets, and forms a bag by joining and cutting the three open sides of the sheet with an L-shaped sealing member that is L-shaped in a plan view; The L-shaped sealing member includes a first sealing portion that extends in the conveying direction of the packaged items and joins and cuts one end of the sheet, and a second sealing portion that extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first sealing portion and joins and cuts the front and rear portions of the sheet in the conveying direction, the first sealing portion has a welding portion that welds the sheet, and a fusing portion that is arranged parallel to the welding portion and closer to the one end of the sheet than the welding portion and that fuses the sheet, The article is packaged with the sheet by the three-side seal packaging device, and the portion of the first seal part between the welded portion by the welding portion of the first seal part and the fused portion by the fusion-cutting portion of the first seal part remains as the flap, the transport conveyor is connected in series to the downstream side of the packaging conveyor, and a holding position by the holding device is arranged downstream of the first seal portion in the conveying direction; A label application device characterized by:

10. 1. A labeling method for applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly projecting flexible flap, comprising: a transport conveyor for transporting the article; a holding device having a support for holding at least the label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, the support being configured to move in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor and at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor; a labeler that applies the label to the label application area that is held in a flat shape by the holding device, the holding device is a suction belt conveyor having an endless belt formed with air intake holes as the support; the suction belt conveyor is disposed at a position where a conveying surface thereof follows a passing locus of the flap of the article on the conveying conveyor; the transport conveyor and the suction belt conveyor each have a parallel transport portion in which the transport surface is flat and the transport directions are linear and parallel to each other; a label application device in which the transport speed of the transport conveyor and the transport speed of the suction belt conveyor are the same; In the parallel conveying section, when the flap reaches a labeling position by the labeler in a state where the article is positioned on the conveying conveyor and at least the labeling area of ​​the flap is attracted to the conveying surface of the suction belt conveyor and maintained in a flat shape, the labeler affixes the label to the labeling area while the article is being conveyed by the conveying conveyor and the suction belt conveyor or while temporarily stopping the conveyance. A labeling method comprising:

11. A method of applying a label having an adhesive surface to an article having an outwardly protruding flexible flap, comprising: The article has a packaged item and a packaging sheet that covers the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side of the packaged item, The packaging sheet has a first portion extending from a first side of the packaged item to a second side adjacent to the first side of the packaged item, and a second portion extending from a third side opposite the first side of the packaged item so as to overlap the first portion, The flap is a portion where the first portion and the second portion overlap and at least a portion of the flap is sealed, The article is transported by a transport conveyor, a support member is used to hold at least a label application area of ​​the flap of the article on the conveyor in a flat shape, and the support member is moved in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor at the same speed as the conveying speed of the conveyor, and when the flap reaches a label application position by a labeler, the label is applied to the label application area of ​​the flap by the labeler. A labeling method comprising:

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