Label roll clips and label rolls with clips

Abstract

To provide a label roll clip capable of a smooth connection operation by stably supporting a delivery end via attachment to a label roll.SOLUTION: A label roll clip 1 attached to a label roll around which a label body in which plural labels are temporarily attached to a belt-like peel paper sheet is wound comprises an upper plate 11 and a lower plate 12 opposed to each other to be spaced at an interval, that extend horizontally; a first nipping part having a vertical wall 13 connecting the upper plate with the lower plate; and a second nipping part having a first support wall 21 and a second support wall 26 that include a region in parallel to the vertical wall. A parallel region on the first support wall and a parallel region on the second support wall are opposed to each other in supportable manner so as to nip the label body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clip for a label roll that is attached to the label roll to facilitate splicing work. A label roll with the clip attached and a splicing device using this label roll will also be mentioned.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a label applicator (labeler) that peels off labels one by one from a label roll in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached and wound around a strip-shaped release liner and continuously attaches them to a predetermined adherent.

[0003] In such a labeler, after all the labels on the label roll have been applied, it is necessary to attach a new label roll. Patent Document 1 describes a belt-like connection device that automatically connects the rear end side of a preceding winding body and the front end side of a subsequent winding body when the feeding of the belt-like body from the preceding winding body is about to end, thereby preventing the feeding of the belt-like body from stopping. As a result, labels can be additionally supplied without stopping the operation of the labeler, and the productivity of the label application process can be kept high.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the tip of the subsequent winding body is unwound in advance. Before unwinding, the tip of the subsequent winding body is attached to the inner circumference band with aluminum tape and secured in place. When unwinding, the unadhesive portion of the aluminum tape at the tip is held upright by an adhesive pad, and the unadhesive portion is then gripped by a chuck and pulled to unwind it.

[0006] However, in the above procedure, there is a possibility that the suction pad and the chuck may interfere with each other, or that the position of the unglued portion will not be stable when the suction pad is retracted, making gripping by the chuck cumbersome. Furthermore, there is a concern that problems may occur during the connection process, such as the adhesive portion of the peeled-off aluminum tape sticking to an unintended area.

[0007] Based on the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a label roll clip that, when attached to a label roll, stably supports the end of the label being fed out, thereby enabling smooth connection work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a label roll clip that is attached to a label roll around which a label body is wound, in which multiple labels are temporarily attached to a strip of release paper. This label roll clip comprises a first clamping section having horizontally extending, spaced-apart opposing upper and lower plates and a vertical wall connecting the upper and lower plates, and a second clamping section having a first support wall and a second support wall, including portions parallel to the vertical wall. The first support wall and the second support wall are First support wall Vertical walls and Parallel parts and the second support wall Vertical walls and parallel parts Between The label is positioned opposite to the label so that it can be held and supported.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention is a label roll with a clip, in which a label roll clip according to the first aspect is attached to a label roll in which a label body, in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a strip of release paper, is wound. In this clip-on label roll, the first clamping portion grips the label body from the width direction. The clamping mechanism is engaged, and the second clamping part opens upwards. A label roll clip is attached to the label roll, and the end of the label roll is supported by a second clamping section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The label roll clip according to the present invention can be attached to a label roll to stably support the end of the roll, enabling smooth connection of the label roll. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a label roll according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a label roll clip according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the clip for the label roll. [Figure 4] This is a right side view of the clip for the label roll. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing a label roll with a clip related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic plan view of a pad, as an example. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the first area of ​​a splicing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows one process of operation of the first area when the splicing device is in use. [Figure 9] This diagram shows one of the processes in operation in the first area. [Figure 10] This diagram shows one of the processes in operation in the first area. [Figure 11] This diagram shows one of the processes in operation in the first area. [Figure 12] This diagram shows one of the processes in operation in the first area. [Figure 13] This figure shows one process of operation in the second area when using the splicing device. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a process of the operation of the second area. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing a process of the operation of the second area. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing a process of the operation of the second area. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing a process of the operation of the second area. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing a process of the operation of the second area. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing a process of the replenishment operation of the adhesive tape. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing a process of the replenishment operation of the adhesive tape. [Figure 21] It is a diagram showing a process of the replenishment operation of the adhesive tape.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 21. First, the label roll used in this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the label roll 100 has a core 101 and a belt-like label body 110 wound around the core 101. The label body 110 has a configuration in which a large number of labels 112 are temporarily attached at equal intervals (pitches) to a belt-like release paper 111 so as to be easily peeled off. One end in the longitudinal direction of the label body 110 is joined to the outer peripheral surface of the core 101, and the label body 110 is wound around the core 101 with the surface to which the label 112 is temporarily attached facing outward. As a result, the other end in the longitudinal direction of the label body 110 becomes the payout end 102.

[0014] (Clip for Label Roll) Next, the clip for the label roll according to this embodiment (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "clip") will be described. By attaching the clip for the label roll to the label roll 100 and supporting the payout end 102, a label roll with a clip according to this embodiment is obtained.

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view of clip 1, and Figure 3 is a front view of clip 1. Clip 1 comprises a first clamping portion 10 and a second clamping portion 20, and is formed to be elastically deformable, for example, from synthetic resin. The first clamping section 10 has a substantially horizontal upper plate 11 and lower plate 12 that are opposed to each other in the vertical direction, and the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 are connected by a vertical wall 13. The distance between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 is slightly smaller than the width of the release paper 111, and the label roll 100 can be clamped from above and below by elastic deformation. On the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12, the surfaces facing each other are provided with irregularities 11a and 12a, respectively, to stabilize the clamping state. The nature of the irregularities can be set as appropriate, and the irregularities may be omitted.

[0016] The second clamping section 20 has a first support wall 21 and a second support wall 26 that extend from the vertical wall 13 in directions opposite to the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12. The first support wall 21 extends horizontally for a certain length from the vertical wall 13, then bends and extends downward. The second support wall 26 is located below the first support wall 21, extends horizontally from the vertical wall 13 for a longer length than the first support wall 21, then bends and extends upward. The portion extending downward from the first support wall 21 and the portion extending upward from the second support wall 26 are both roughly parallel to the vertical wall 13, and the two portions face each other with a gap between them.

[0017] As shown in Figure 4, in the second support wall 26, there is a through-hole 27 in the central part of the upwardly extending portion, and a clamping piece 22, which is part of the downwardly extending portion of the first support wall 21, is located inside the window hole 27. As shown in Figure 3, the clamping piece 22 has a slope 22a that becomes lower as it approaches the window hole 27.

[0018] (Label roll with clip) The label roll 100, with the clip 1 attached and its end stably supported, is set into the splicing device described later as a clip-attached label roll (hereinafter referred to as "clip-attached roll"). The procedure for creating a clip-attached roll is described below.

[0019] First, the end of the label roll 100 is pulled out to a certain length, and the clip 1 is attached near the end. When attaching, the first clamping part 10 is brought closer to the label roll 100, and at least one of the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 is elastically deformed, so that the label roll 100 is clamped between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 from above and below (i.e., in the width direction of the long label body 110).

[0020] Next, the extended end is inserted into the second clamping section 20 from above. The inserted end is guided by the inclined surface 22a of the clamping piece 22, allowing it to smoothly enter the depth of the second clamping section 20. When the lower end of the extended end is inserted below the lower end of the window hole 27, and the extended end protrudes from the clip 1 by a predetermined length (for example, several centimeters), the label roll 100 becomes the roll with a clip 200 shown in Figure 5. In the roll with a clip 200, the extended end 102 is stably supported by the second clamping section 20 of the clip 1 in a state where it extends in the tangential direction in a plan view of the label roll 100.

[0021] When the clip-attached roll 200 is placed on a pad made of cardboard or similar material, the rolled label body 110 is prevented from shifting vertically and losing its shape, allowing for stable movement. Figure 6 shows a schematic plan view of the pad according to this embodiment. The pad 150 has a notch 151. The notch 151 is at least one size larger than the plan view shape of the clip 1 in a plan view. This prevents the clip-attached roll 200 from becoming unstable on the pad 150 due to the clip 1 protruding in the vertical direction, by positioning the clip 1 within the notch 151 and placing the clip-attached roll 200 on the pad 150. To fully achieve this preventative effect, it is preferable that the thickness of the pad 150 be greater than or equal to the sum of the upper plate 11 and lower plate 12 of the clip 1. With this dimensional relationship, even when multiple clip-attached rolls 200 placed on the pad 150 are stacked, rattling and wobbling are less likely to occur, and a stable stacked state can be maintained.

[0022] (Splifying device) Next, a splicing apparatus according to this embodiment that uses a roll with a clip 200 will be described. The splicing device is positioned near the labeler and includes a first area for gripping the end of the clipped roll 200, and a second area for connecting the gripped end to the preceding label roll that is nearing completion.

[0023] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the first area of ​​this embodiment, which is an example. The first area 301 has the function of moving the end of the clipped roll to be attached to the labeler to the second area while properly gripping it. The first area 301 comprises a stocker 310, a table 320, a first chuck 330, and a second chuck 340. The stocker 310 has a lift for moving the clipped rolls. Inside the stocker 310, as shown in Figure 7, multiple clipped rolls 200 are stacked, each resting on a pad 150. The table 320 has a hole that communicates with the inside of the stocker 310, and the clipped rolls 200 inside the stocker 310 can be lifted onto the table 320 by the lift.

[0024] The operation of the splicing device in the first area will be explained. As replacement label rolls, the desired number of clip-equipped rolls 200 are stacked and loaded into the stocker 310.

[0025] When the splicing device is activated, a lift (not shown) grasps the pad 150 on which the topmost stacked clipped roll 200 is placed and moves it upward. After the clipped roll 200 has moved onto the table 320, the pad is supported by an arm that transports the clipped roll 200 to a second area, and the lift retracts downward.

[0026] Next, the first chuck 330 approaches and grips the clip 1, and then, as shown in Figure 8, it retracts slightly and stops so as not to detach the clip 1 from the label roll 100. This ensures that space is available for the second chuck 340 to grip the end of the feed-out section.

[0027] Next, the second chuck 340 approaches the feed end 102 from above and grips it, pulling the feed end upward. As a result, the label body 110 is released from the clip 1, as shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, the first chuck 330 retracts, and clip 1 is removed from the label roll and discarded.

[0028] After clip 1 is removed, the second chuck 340 descends to lower the dispensing end to the same height as the rest of the label roll 100. Then, as shown in Figure 10, the dispensing end is passed into the transport support section 350 and stops. The transport support section 350 is located on the table 320 and has a pair of gripping pieces 351 and 352. The gripping piece 352 is equipped with a suction mechanism. Thus, the transport support section 350 is configured to provide two types of support: mechanical gripping using the pair of gripping pieces 351 and 352, and suction support using only the gripping piece 352. The transport support section 350 grips the unwinding end 102 after the second chuck 340 has stopped. The label body 110 is gripped by the transport support section 350 with appropriate tension applied by the tension roller 360 positioned on the path to the transport support section 350.

[0029] Next, the tip position of the dispensing end is adjusted. First, the second chuck 340 releases its grip on the dispensing end and moves upward, then grips the label body 110 again between the transport support section 350 and the tension roller 360.

[0030] Furthermore, while providing suction support with the gripping piece 352, the mechanical gripping by the gripping pieces 351 and 352 is loosened, and as shown in Figure 11, the label body is pulled back by the second chuck 340, gradually reducing the amount of protrusion from the transport support section 350. A light-reflecting sensor 370 is positioned near the transport support section 350 to monitor the reflected light from the label body protruding from the transport support section 350. When the sensor 370 stops receiving reflected light from the label body, the second chuck 340 stops, and the position of the tip of the dispensing end becomes approximately the same as the front end of the transport support section 350. This completes the adjustment of the tip position of the dispensing end.

[0031] Once the tip position adjustment is complete, the label roll 100 on the table 320 is ready for splicing. After the processing of the preceding label roll, which will be described later, is complete, the tension roller 360 retracts downward and the second chuck 340 retracts upward. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the gripping piece 352 that suction-supports the dispensing end and the label roll 100 are moved to the second area.

[0032] In the second area, the labels are supplied to the labeler from the lead label roll. The second area also contains a connecting head 410 where splicing is performed. As shown in Figure 13, the labels 110A unwound from the lead label roll 100A are guided by a guide roller 420 and are supplied to a labeler (not shown) along a trajectory away from the connecting head 410.

[0033] When a sensor or other device detects that the label material on the preceding label roll is running low, the splicing process with the replacement label roll begins. From the start of the splicing process until its completion, label material is supplied to the labeler from a backup label roll (not shown), allowing labeling to continue without interruption. Specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the guide roller 420 first moves to a position close to the connecting head 410. As a result, the label body 110A approaches the connecting head 410 and is attracted to it.

[0034] Next, the label is cut by the cutter. The label is fed out at a low speed, and after the cutter is adjusted so that the middle of adjacent labels is positioned at the protruding position, the cutter approaches the label that has been attracted to the connecting head 410, and as shown in Figure 15, the label 110A is cut by the cutter 430. After cutting, the core of the preceding label roll and the remaining label attached to the core are retracted and discarded.

[0035] Next, the replacement label roll, which has been prepared in the first area, moves to the second area and stops at the position where the previous label roll was located. The gripping piece 352, which has been supporting the dispensing end by suction, moves to a position facing the connecting head 410, as shown in Figure 16. When the suction of the gripping piece 352 is released in this state, the dispensing end that was being held moves to the connecting head 410 and is held in place by suction. As a result, as shown in Figure 17, the cut end of the label body 110A of the previous label roll and the dispensing end of the label roll that has moved from the first area are held in place by suction of the connecting head 410 with almost no gap between them.

[0036] After the gripping piece 352 retracts, the taping head 440 supporting the adhesive tape 441 approaches the connecting head 410, as shown in Figure 17. The taping head 440 holds the adhesive tape 441 in a suction position with its adhesive surface facing the connecting head 410. When the taping head 440 presses the adhesive tape 441 against the area including the boundary between the cut end of the label body 110A and the unwound end of the label roll that has moved from the first area, as shown in Figure 18, the adhesive tape 441 adheres to the unattached surfaces of the two label bodies, and the two label bodies are connected with almost no gap between them. Therefore, by setting the tip of the unwound end of the clipped roll 200 as the midpoint of the label pitch and using the sensor 370 to align the position of the end of the gripping piece 352 with the unwound end, the label pitch at the connection point can be made approximately the same as in other areas, preventing a decrease in labeling accuracy. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to cut off excess label material to align the spacing between labels, thus reducing the amount of waste generated during the splicing process.

[0037] With the above steps completed, the splicing process is finished. The taping head 440 and guide roller 420 return to their initial positions. When the label supply to the labeler is switched from the backup label roll to the replacement label roll, the label gradually moves away from the connecting head 410, and the trajectory of the label returns to the state shown in Figure 13. After that, the above splicing operation is repeated each time the amount of label material on the preceding label roll falls below a predetermined level, until the clipped roll 200 in the stocker 310 is depleted.

[0038] In this embodiment, the adhesive tape 441 is automatically supplied to the taping head 440. Its operation is described below. The adhesive tape 441 is unwound from an adhesive roll 450, which is wound with the adhesive side facing inward, and as shown in Figure 19, the unwound end of the adhesive tape 441 is supported by suction on the first head 461.

[0039] At an appropriate time after the splicing operation is completed, as shown in Figure 20, the end of the adhesive tape 441 is transferred from the first head 461 to the second head 462. The adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 441 is in contact with the second head 462 and is held in place by suction. However, the surface of the second head 462 is treated to be non-adhesive, so when suction is released, the adhesive surface is easily peeled off from the second head 462.

[0040] The second head 462, which supports the adhesive tape 441, moves to a position opposite the taping head 440, as shown in Figure 21, and hands over the end of the tape to the taping head 440. After the handover, the second head 462 returns to the initial position shown in Figure 19. Subsequently, when the adhesive tape 441 is cut between the first head 461 and the taping head 440 by a cutter (not shown), the replenishment of the adhesive tape is completed.

[0041] As described above, the splicing device according to this embodiment comprises at least a stocker 310 into which a plurality of clip-attached label rolls are loaded, a mechanism (transport support section 350) for gripping and transporting the unwinding ends of the clip-attached rolls, a mechanism (connecting head 410) for supporting the cut end of the preceding label roll and the unwinding end of the replacement label roll side by side, a mechanism (taping head 440) for connecting the ends of the two label bodies supported side by side, and a control unit for controlling the operation of these mechanisms. The above description illustrates an example in which the splicing device has a first area and a second area. The first area and the second area may be separate or adjacent. Furthermore, the first area and the second area may be integrated into a single unit.

[0042] The clip 1 according to this embodiment can be easily attached to and detached from a label roll by having a first clamping portion 10, and can stably support the end of the label roll by having a second clamping portion 20. Since the second clamping portion 20 is open upwards, the end of the label roll can be easily inserted into the second clamping portion 20 from above, and the roll 200 with the clip can be easily manufactured. Furthermore, because the clamping piece 22 of the second clamping section 20 has an inclined surface 22a, the extended end that enters can smoothly enter the depth of the second clamping section and be securely supported.

[0043] Furthermore, since the second support wall 26 is provided with a window hole 27, the extended end that has entered the second clamping portion 20 can be visually inspected, making it easy to confirm whether it has entered sufficiently. Of the first support wall 21, the clamping piece 22 that makes the strongest contact with the inserted dispensing end faces the window hole 27. As a result, the second clamping section 20 has a structure in which there are fewer areas where the dispensing end is strongly clamped from both sides, effectively suppressing damage to the label and preventing the dispensing end from getting caught when pulled out of the clip.

[0044] In this embodiment, the roll with clip has its end portion 102 stably supported by the clip 1. Therefore, when set in a splicing device, the device can reliably grip the end portion and perform the splicing operation. Furthermore, since no adhesive material is used to support the end portion, problems such as the roll sticking to the device and interfering with its operation do not occur.

[0045] In this embodiment, a clip 1 is attached to a label roll 100 to form a roll 200 with a clip, and by setting this in a splicing device, the splicing operation can be efficiently performed automatically by the device. Therefore, by setting a large number of rolls 200 with clips in the splicing device, the unattended operating time of the labeler can be significantly extended, and the productivity of the labeling process can be dramatically improved.

[0046] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it is possible to change the combination of components, make various changes to each component, or delete them, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] For example, in the label roll clip according to the present invention, chamfers may be applied to the surfaces of the first support wall and the second support wall that face each other, such as the periphery of the window opening. This reduces snagging when the dispensing end moves in and out, effectively preventing damage to the label.

[0048] Furthermore, the first and second support walls of the label roll clip only need to have portions parallel to the vertical wall, and there are no particular restrictions on the manner of connection to the vertical wall. Also, these portions do not necessarily need to be perfectly parallel to the vertical wall; they only need to be roughly parallel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Clip for label roll 10 First clamping part 11 Top plate 12 Lower plate 13 Vertical walls 20 Second clamping part 21 First support wall 22 Clamping piece 26 Second support wall 27 Window opening 100 label rolls (replacement label rolls) 100A Label Roll (Pre-label Roll) 102 End of extension 110 Label font 111 Release paper 112 Labels 200 label rolls with clips 310 Storage 350 Transport support section 410 Connecting Head 440 Taping Head

Claims

1. A label roll clip that is attached to a label roll in which a label body is wound, in which multiple labels are temporarily attached to a strip of release paper, A first clamping section having an upper plate and a lower plate that extend approximately horizontally and are spaced apart and facing each other, and a vertical wall connecting the upper plate and the lower plate, A second clamping section having a first support wall and a second support wall, including a portion substantially parallel to the aforementioned vertical wall, Equipped with, The first support wall and the second support wall are positioned opposite each other so as to be able to sandwich and support the label body between substantially parallel portions of the first support wall and substantially parallel portions of the second support wall. Clips for label rolls.

2. The substantially parallel portion of the second support wall is, It is located at a position further from the vertical wall than the portion of the first support wall that is substantially parallel to it, Having a window opening, A clip for a label roll according to claim 1.

3. The substantially parallel portion of the first support wall has a clamping piece at a position opposite to the window opening. A clip for a label roll according to claim 2.

4. A label roll with a clip is provided, wherein a label roll is wound around a label body in which multiple labels are temporarily attached to a strip of release paper, and a label roll clip according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is attached to the label roll, The label roll clip is attached to the label roll such that the first clamping portion clamps the label body from the width direction and the second clamping portion opens upward. The end of the label roll being fed out is supported by the second clamping portion. Label roll with clip.

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