Label feeding device

Abstract

To provide a label loading device that enables the suppression of subtle adjustments to the device when changing label types or lots, and to improve the stability of paper-feeding performance.SOLUTION: A label loading device 1 includes a label setting part 12 in which a plurality of planes of labels L is arranged in a vertical direction, a belt-shaped paper feeding part 13 for sending a label from the plurality of labels in a paper feeding direction, an overfeed protection mechanism 14 capable of adjustably pushing the plurality of labels L in a direction of the paper feeding part 13, a paper feed direction guide 15 for defining a direction of paper sending from the paper feeding part 13, a take-up holding roller 16 with a higher sending speed than the paper feeding part 13, an end detection unit 17 for detecting whether the end of the label L taken up by the take-up holding roller 16 has passed through, a loading standby part 18 for holding a label sent out from the take-up holding roller 16 and dropped down, an opening lid part 19 movable to a position whereby it blocks the lower opening of the loading standby part 18 and to a position whereby it does not block the lower opening when the label L is being loaded into a container, and a standby label detecting part 20 for detecting whether the label L is held in the loading standby part 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a label feeding device. In particular, it relates to a device for feeding labels into a container.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a take-out roller for abutting a label at the leading position in a label group and taking out the label at the leading position, a pressing force applying member for applying a pressing force for abutting the label group against the take-out roller, a guide mechanism for guiding the label taken out by the take-out roller to a packaging container and capable of opening and closing an insertion passage to the packaging container, and a control mechanism for opening the insertion passage to insert a label when it is detected that the packaging container has been conveyed to a predetermined position, and operating the take-out roller to take out the next label when it is detected by the label detection means that there is no label.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Labels enclosed in an egg container may not have uniform dimensions, surface conditions, paper quality, thickness, etc. In conventional label feeding devices, delicate adjustments are required each time the label type is changed, and improving the stability of the paper feeding performance has been an issue.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a label feeding device that can suppress delicate adjustments of the device when changing the label type or lot, and enables improvement in the stability of the paper feeding performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The label dispenser of this disclosure may have its dimensions, label dispenser direction, etc., changed depending on the type and shape of the container, the type of contents inside the container, and the dispenser position.

[0007] The label dispenser (1) is The frame body (11) is set above the container transport section (70), A label set section (12) in which the planes of multiple labels (L) are arranged in the vertical direction (vertical or approximately vertical direction), A belt-shaped paper feed unit (13) that feeds labels in the paper feed direction from a plurality of labels placed on the label set unit (12), The first drive unit (M1) drives the paper feeding unit (13), A mechanism (14) is provided that allows for adjustment of the pressing force from the other side of the plurality of labels (L) toward the paper feeding unit (13) (feed-out roll), and a mechanism (14) is provided that prevents overlapping feeding, A paper feed direction guide (15) defines the paper feeding direction from the paper feeding unit (13), A paper feed roller (16) with a faster feeding speed than the aforementioned paper feed section, A second drive unit (M2) that drives the aforementioned pull-up holding roller (16), The aforementioned Pickup An end detection unit (17) detects whether or not the end of the label (L) picked up by the holding roller (16) has passed, The input standby section (18) holds the labels that have been fed out and dropped from the aforementioned take-up holding roller (16), The opening lid (19) is movable between a position that closes the lower opening of the input waiting section (18) and a position that does not close the lower opening when the label (L) is placed in the container. A third drive unit (M3) that drives the opening cover portion (19), The standby label detection unit (20) detects whether or not a label (L) is held in the input standby unit (18), A container detection unit (21) that detects whether the eggs filled in the container (EP) or the container (EP) is in a predetermined position, A control unit (50) controls the operation of the first drive unit (M1) and the paper feed unit (13), the operation of the second drive unit (M2) and the take-up holding roller (16), and the operation of the third drive unit (M3) and the opening lid unit (19) based on detection information from the terminal detection unit (17), the standby label detection unit (20), and the container detection unit (21). It is equipped with.

[0008] The control unit (50) When the label (L) is not being held by the take-up holding roller (16), the first control unit (51) controls the paper feeding unit (13) and the take-up holding roller (16) so as to feed the label (L) from the paper feeding unit (13) and pass it to the take-up holding roller (16), When the end detection unit (17) detects that the end of the label has passed, the second control unit (52) controls the operation of the paper feed unit (13) to stop the paper feed and controls the operation of the take-up holding roller (16) to hold the label (L) with the take-up holding roller (16), When the standby label detection unit (20) detects that no label is present and the take-up holding roller (16) is holding the label (L), a third control unit (53) controls the operation of the take-up holding roller (16) so as to release the label (L) held by the take-up holding roller (16) and drop it into the input standby unit (18). A fourth control unit (54) controls the operation of the opening cover (19) so that the label (L) held in the input waiting section (18) falls downward from the opening, It may have. The fourth control unit (54) may, after detecting a container with the container detection unit (21), control the unit to open the lid, drop the label (L) onto the container, and close it after a predetermined time, or it may, after receiving a signal from the standby label detection unit (20) that no label has been detected, control the unit to close the lid.

[0009] The label setting section (12) may include a label setting section (121) on which a plurality of labels (L) are placed, an upward rotation support section (122) that rotates freely around a horizontal rotation axis, an arm section (123) extending downward from the upward rotation support section (122), and a weight section (124) provided on the arm section (123) that contacts the other plane side of the label (L) and presses it in that other plane direction. The label setting section (12) may further have a side wall section (125) that is parallel to the belt-shaped plane of the paper feeding section (13) and located in the paper feeding direction.

[0010] The paper feeding section (13) may be an endless belt roller of an elastic material stretched across a pair of rolls, or it may be configured to have a rotary paper feeding roller that rotates around a vertical axis with an elastic material wound around the surface of a large-diameter roll. The elastic body may be made of rubber, and the surface that contacts the label may have an uneven surface formed on it, such as a linear convex pattern, a mesh pattern, a diamond pattern, or a grid pattern.

[0011] The anti-overprinting mechanism (14) may include a contact portion (141) that can contact the label surface, a support portion (142) that extends from the contact portion (141), and a biasing portion (143) that acts on the support portion (142) so that the contact portion (141) applies pressure to the label surface. The surface of the contact portion (141) that comes into contact with the label (L) may have anti-slip properties such as an elastic material, felt, or cork rubber (also known as rubber cork). The contact portion (141) may have a curved surface that conforms to the curved surface of the roll in the feeding direction of the paper feed portion (13).

[0012] The aforementioned paper feed direction guide (15) may be a fixed guide whose guide direction from the entry direction to the paper feed direction is preset in the range of, for example, 60 to 120 degrees, or it may be a movable guide whose guide direction from the entry direction to the paper feed direction can be changed and is adjustable in the range of 0 degrees (direction in which the angle is not changed) to 180 degrees (direction in which the paper is folded back). The paper feed direction guide (15) is a guide mechanism for guiding the feeding direction of the label from the paper feeding unit to the picking and holding roller, and for passing the label from the paper feeding unit to the picking and holding roller, and has at least a wall portion corresponding to the paper feed direction.

[0013] The picking and holding roller (16) may be, for example, a pair of rollers. The pair of rollers may be a driving roll and a driven roll that rotate around a vertical axis, or both may be driving rolls.

[0014] The first, second, and third driving units (M1, M2, M3) may have, for example, a motor, a solenoid, an air cylinder, a drive shaft, a transmission unit, a speed reducer, etc. The first, second, and third driving units (M1, M2, M3) may share one motor. The first and second driving units (M1, M2) may share one motor, and the third driving unit may be configured to have a solenoid, an air cylinder, etc.

[0015] The end detection unit (17), the standby label detection unit (20) and / or the container detection unit (21) may be configured by, for example, a light-emitting and light-receiving type photoelectric sensor (such as an infrared sensor), a proximity sensor (such as an electrostatic sensor), an imaging detector (such as an area sensor, a line sensor).

[0016] The input standby unit (18) has at least an opening (181) downward, and may be, for example, a thin box-type structure adapted to the size of the label, or a structure provided with guide portions on both planes (front surface, back surface) of the label. The input standby unit (18) may have an opening or notch (183) provided in the side wall or the guide portion (180) so that detection by the standby label detection unit (20) is possible.

[0017] The opening lid portion (19) is a lid structure that closes the opening below the input standby unit (18), and may be a structure that operates in a swing type or a slide type by the third driving unit (M3).

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the appearance of a label feeding device. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates an example of the configuration of a label feeding device. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates an example of the configuration of a label feeding device. [Figure 4A] This figure shows an example of the input process. [Figure 4B] This figure shows an example of the input process. [Figure 4C] This figure shows an example of the input process. [Figure 5] An example of the operation flow is shown below. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates an example of the configuration of a label feeding device in a different embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a paper dust removal brush according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 shows an example of the external appearance of the label feeding device 1. Figures 2 to 5 show the specific configuration. Yo Let's explain the operation. The label feeding device 1 comprises a frame body 11, a label setting section 12, a paper feeding section 13, a paper overlap prevention mechanism 14, a paper feeding direction guide 15, a paper take-up holding roller 16, an end detection section 17, a paper feeding standby section 18, an opening lid section 19, a standby label detection section 20, a container detection section 21, and a control unit 50. These will be described in detail below.

[0020] The frame body 11 is set above the container transport unit 70. According to Figure 1, the frame body 11 is rectangular in shape, but is not limited to this. The frame body 11 may be fixed or portable to the frame of the container transport unit 70. The container transport unit 70 transports the container EP with its lid open, and the orientation of the container EP relative to the transport direction is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the containers are transported with the lid facing forward and the filled eggs positioned behind them in the transport direction.

[0021] The label set section 12 has a structure for arranging a bundle of multiple labels L with their planes in the vertical direction (vertical or approximately vertical). The label setting section 12 includes a label placement section 121 on which multiple labels L are placed, an upward rotation support section 122 that rotates freely around a horizontal rotation axis, an arm section 123 extending downward from the upward rotation support section 122, and a weight section 124 provided on the arm section 123 that contacts the other plane side of the label L and presses it in that other plane direction. In this embodiment, a movable side wall 1241 is provided, which can move toward the plane of the bundle of labels L by the pressing force of the weight section 124. The label setting section 12 has a side wall 125 that is parallel to the belt-shaped plane of the paper feeding section 13 and located in the paper feeding direction.

[0022] Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement and structure of the label setting unit 12 and the paper feeding unit 13. The arm section 123 and the weight section 124 move under their own weight while pivotally supported by the upper rotation support section 122, so that the angle (θ) formed by the first imaginary line L1 connecting the position of the upper rotation support section 122 and the position of the part of the weight section 124 that touches the label plane, and the second imaginary line L2 extending perpendicularly from the rotation axis of the upper rotation support section 122 to the horizontal line, can move from, for example, 30 degrees to -10 degrees. With this structure, as labels L are fed sequentially and the number of labels decreases, and the thickness of the label stack decreases, the angle (θ) also decreases, and the pressing force due to gravity also decreases. The distance W1 between the third imaginary line L3, which extends vertically from the point where the belt-shaped paper feeding section 13 contacts the label L, and the first imaginary line L1, is configured to be smaller than the distance W2 between the fourth imaginary line L4 in the vertical direction, which passes through the rotation axis of the upper rotation support section 122 when the arm section 123 is positioned vertically, and the fifth imaginary line L5 in the vertical direction, which passes through the tip of the weight section 124 when the arm section 123 is positioned vertically. The distance W1 may be 0, or the rotation axis of the upper rotation support section 122 may be positioned to the left of the third imaginary line L3. With this configuration, the weight section 124 can move, and the arrangement is such that pressing force is generated even when the weight section 124 contacts the side wall 125 of the belt-shaped paper feeding section 13 or the label setting section 12 with the side wall 1241 in between.

[0023] The paper feeding unit 13 has a belt-like structure that feeds labels in the paper feeding direction from a plurality of labels placed on the label setting unit 12. The paper feeding unit 13 has an endless elastic belt 133 stretched across a pair of rolls 131 and 132. The first drive unit M1 drives the drive roll 131. The endless belt 133 contacts one planar side of the bundle of multiple labels L. The endless belt 133 may have multiple grooves in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction (label feeding direction). The unevenness formed by the multiple grooves has the effect of increasing the frictional force for feeding the labels L. In addition, a paper dust removal brush (Figure 7, 1331) may be provided so as to contact the endless belt 133 to remove paper dust. The paper dust removal brush 1331 may be fixed or rotating. In the case of a rotating brush, the paper dust removal effect is enhanced by controlling the brush 1331 to rotate while the endless belt 133 is stopped. In another embodiment, to remove paper dust from the endless belt 133, air blowing may be performed periodically, or a vacuum may be used for suction. It is desirable that the air blowing or suction treatment be performed at a time when the label feeding operation and the label input operation (the operation of setting the bundle of labels) are not being performed.

[0024] The overlapping prevention mechanism 14 has a structure that allows the pressing force to be adjusted from the other flat side of the bundle of labels L toward the paper feeding section 13 (feed-out roll 132). The overlapping prevention mechanism 14 includes a contact portion 141 that can contact the label surface, a support portion 142 extending from the contact portion 141, and a biasing portion 143 that acts on the support portion 142 to apply pressure to the label surface by the contact portion 141. The surface of the contact portion 141 that contacts the label L is made of cork rubber and has an anti-slip function. The contact portion 141 has a curved surface that follows the curved surface of the roll in the label feeding direction of the paper feeding unit 13.

[0025] The paper feed direction guide 15 defines the direction in which paper is fed from the paper feeding unit 13. In this embodiment, the paper feed direction guide 15 has wall views of an entry straight section, an intermediate curved section, and an exit straight section in a plan view, such that the guide direction changes by 90 degrees from the entry direction to the paper feed direction.

[0026] The take-up and holding roller 16 is set to a faster feed speed than the paper feed unit 13. It consists of a drive roll and a driven roll that rotate around a vertical axis, and the second drive unit M2 drives the drive roll.

[0027] The end detection unit 17 detects whether or not the end of the label L, which has been picked up by the pick-up and holding roller 16, has passed.

[0028] The input standby section 18 holds the labels that have been fed out and dropped from the take-up holding roller 16. The input standby section 18 in this embodiment has a thin box-shaped guide section 180 and a lower opening 181. A notch 183 is formed in the guide section 180 so that the standby label detection section 20 can detect the labels.

[0029] The opening lid portion 19 is movable between a position that closes the lower opening 181 of the input waiting portion 18 and a position that does not close the lower opening 181 when the label L is put into the container EP. The third drive unit M3 drives the opening lid portion 19. In this embodiment, the third drive unit M3 is configured to have a solenoid and operates the support arms (not shown) at both ends of the opening lid portion 19 to switch between the original position that covers the lower opening 181 and the position that forms the opening of the lower opening 181 (without covering it).

[0030] The standby label detection unit 20 detects whether or not a label L is held in the input standby unit 18. The container detection unit 21 detects whether or not a container EP has passed a predetermined position. Based on the detection signal, the container is transported to the label input position at the transport speed, and the timing of label input is calculated by the control unit.

[0031] The control unit 50 controls the operation of the first drive unit M1 and the paper feeding unit 13, the operation of the second drive unit M2 and the take-up holding roller 16, and the operation of the third drive unit M3 and the opening lid unit 19 based on detection information from the end detection unit 17, the label holding detection unit 20, and the container detection unit 21.

[0032] The control unit 50 performs various controls. The first control unit 51 controls the paper feed unit 13 and the take-up and holding roller 16 so that when the take-up and holding roller 16 is not holding the label L, the paper feed unit 13 feeds out the label L and passes it to the take-up and holding roller 16. The second control unit 52 controls the operation of the paper feed unit 13 to stop paper feeding when the end detection unit 17 detects that the end of the label has passed, and also controls the operation of the take-up holding roller 16 to hold the label L with the take-up holding roller 16. The third control unit 53 controls the operation of the take-up and holding roller 16 so that, when the standby label detection unit 20 detects that no label L is present and the label L is being held by the take-up and holding roller 16, the take-up and holding roller 16 releases the label L being held by the take-up and holding roller 16 and drops it into the input standby unit 18. The fourth control unit 54 controls the operation of the opening cover 19 so that the label L held in the input standby unit 18 falls downward through the lower opening 181. The fourth control unit 54 may, after detecting the eggs filled in the container EP or the container EP itself with the container detection unit 21, operate the opening lid 19 to open the lower opening 181 and drop the label L into the container EP, and then control it to close after a predetermined time. Alternatively, it may, after receiving a signal from the standby label detection unit 20 indicating that the label L has not been detected, operate the opening lid 19 to close the lower opening 18. Each control unit may be implemented through the collaboration of hardware such as a processor and memory with a program that describes the control content, or it may be implemented through a combination of dedicated circuitry and firmware, or it may be implemented on a cloud-based, on-premise server, or a general-purpose computer.

[0033] (Operation Flow) Figure 5 shows the overall operation flow. If the take-up holding roller does not hold the label, the rotation of the take-up holding roller and the drive roller 131 of the paper feed section is started (S1: paper feeding process). Labels L are fed one at a time, and the overlap prevention mechanism 14 ensures that they are fed one at a time. The fed labels L are turned 90 degrees as they come into contact with the surface of the paper feed direction guide 15, and are then held and fed by the take-up holding roller 16. The termination detection unit 17 determines whether or not it has detected the end of label L (S2). When the end of the label is detected, the rotation of the drive roller 131 of the paper feed unit 13 is stopped (S3: paper feed stop process). The rotation of the take-up and holding roller 16 is stopped, and the label L is held (S4: label holding process). The standby label detection unit 20 determines whether it has detected that label L is not present in the input standby unit 18 (S5). If no label L is present in the input waiting section 18, the take-up and holding roller 16 is rotated to feed out the label L and drop it into the input waiting section 18. The label L is then placed in the input waiting section 18 (S6: Label waiting process). The rotation of the paper take-up and holding roller 16 is stopped (S7: paper feed standby process). Then, the process returns to S1. The container detection unit 21 is a container detection unit (21) that detects whether or not eggs filled in the container (EP) or the container EP is in a predetermined position, Determine whether or not the detection occurred (S8). When container EP is detected, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the opening lid 19 is operated to drop the waiting label L and place it into container EP (S9: Lid opening and label placement process). The falling speed of label L is calculated in advance, and after a predetermined time has elapsed in accordance with the calculation result, the opening lid 19 is operated to close the opening 181 (S10: Lid return process). Then, the process returns to S5.

[0034] (Input operation flow) The input flow is illustrated in Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C. In Figure 4A, the container detection unit 21 detects whether the eggs filled in container EP or container EP itself is in a predetermined position (a detection position upstream in the transport direction from the label input device). After detection, a predetermined time has elapsed, and when container EP is positioned below the input waiting unit 18 and the opening lid 19, the opening lid 19 is operated (Figures 4B and 4C). The label L falls from the opening 181 and is placed in a predetermined position on container EP (in this embodiment, between the rows of eggs). The timing settings for these operations may be calculated in advance and verified by experiment. The timing for dropping the label L and returning the opening lid 19 may also be calculated in advance and verified by experiment.

[0035] (Another embodiment) (1) In another embodiment of Figure 6, the input guide section 187 may be provided to guide the direction in which the label L falls from the lower opening 181 of the input waiting section 18 falls. The input guide section 187 may be straight or curved in side view. It may be composed of a single member with an area matching the width of the label, or it may be composed of multiple strip-shaped guide pieces. The input guide section 187 may extend from the opening of the lower opening 181. The input guide section 187 may be provided on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the lower opening 181, on the downstream side, or on both sides, and may have different shapes and sizes. (2) A static elimination brush may be placed in the path along which the label L moves from the paper feeding section 13 to the holding roller 16 so as to contact the label L. (3) If the end detection unit 17 does not detect the label L even after the paper feeding unit 13 has been operating for a certain period of time, it may be determined that there is a paper feeding failure or the label is out, and an alarm may be issued by the alarm unit (for example, a speaker, a light, etc.). (4) If the end detection unit 17 does not detect the end of the label L even after the take-up holding roller 16 has been rotating for a certain period of time, it may be determined that there is a label feeding abnormality and an alarm may be issued by the alarm unit (e.g., speaker, light, etc.). (5) The label setting unit 12 may have a label remaining amount detection unit that detects when the number of labels decreases. A photoelectric sensor, proximity switch, limit switch, etc., can be used for the label remaining amount detection unit. By issuing an alarm (e.g., speaker, light, etc.) via an alarm unit to replenish labels when the number of labels becomes low, it is possible to prevent line stoppages due to running out of labels and the occurrence of defective products with missing labels. (6) The label input device 1 may further include a production quantity display unit and a production quantity count unit. The production quantity count value may be displayed on the production quantity display unit as the production quantity of egg cartons. The production quantity of egg cartons may be counted by the number of operations of the third drive unit, the number of detections of the container detection unit 21, the number of detections of the standby label detection unit 20, or a combination of these. Furthermore, a production plan quantity setting management unit may be added, which may output a message indicating that the production plan quantity has been achieved when the production quantity reaches the production plan quantity (a pre-set value). [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1. Label feeding device 11 Frame body 12 Label Set Section 13 Paper feed section 14. Anti-double-feed mechanism 15 Paper feed direction guide 16. Pull-back holding roller 17 Termination detection unit 18 Loading standby section 19 Opening lid part 20 Standby label detection unit 21 Container detection unit EP container

Claims

1. Frame body, A label set section in which multiple labels are arranged vertically, A belt-shaped paper feed unit that feeds labels in the paper feed direction from a plurality of labels placed on the label set unit, A mechanism to prevent overlapping feeding, which allows for adjustment of the pressing force from the other side of the plurality of labels toward the paper feeding section, A paper feed direction guide that defines the paper feeding direction from the paper feeding unit, A paper feed roller with a faster feeding speed than the aforementioned paper feed section, An end detection unit that detects whether or not the end of the label picked up by the aforementioned pick-up and holding roller has passed, An input waiting unit that holds the labels that have been fed out and dropped from the aforementioned collection and holding roller, The opening lid is movable to a position that closes the lower opening of the input waiting section and to a position that does not close the lower opening when the label is placed in the container. The input waiting unit includes a waiting label detection unit that detects whether or not the label is being held, A container detection unit that detects whether the eggs filled in the container or the container itself are in a predetermined position, A container detection unit that detects whether or not it has passed through, The system includes a control unit that controls the operation of the paper feeding unit, the operation of the paper take-up holding roller, and the operation of the opening lid unit based on detection information from the terminal detection unit, the standby label detection unit, and the container detection unit. Label dispenser.

2. The control unit, When the label is not being held by the take-up holding roller, the first control unit controls the paper feeding unit and the take-up holding roller so that the paper feeding unit feeds out the label and passes it to the take-up holding roller. When the end detection unit detects that the end of the label has passed, the second control unit controls the operation of the paper feed unit to stop the paper feed and controls the operation of the take-up holding roller to hold the label. When the standby label detection unit detects that no label is present and the label is being held by the take-up and holding roller, a third control unit controls the operation of the take-up and holding roller to release the label being held by the take-up and holding roller and drop it into the input standby unit. A fourth control unit controls the operation of the opening lid so that the label held in the input waiting section falls downward from the opening, Having, The label dispenser according to claim 1.

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