Labeling machine

Abstract

To provide a label pasting machine capable of stably pasting a label on top and a side surface of a package.SOLUTION: In a label pasting machine 1 of the present invention: a label is pasted on a top surface of a package P that is continuously conveyed on a conveying section 2, so as to protrude laterally from the top surface of the package P; above the lateral protrusion of the label, a base of a vane 18 is fixed to an intermittent rotating shaft 14 arranged parallel to a conveying direction of the conveying section 2 so that a tip of the vane 18 in a stopped state is positioned; and a control device is provided to control the intermittent rotating shaft 14 to start rotation from the stopped state when the lateral protrusion is located below the tip of the vane 18, and stop the rotation after attaching the lateral protrusion to a side surface of the package P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a labeling machine.

Background Art

[0002] As a labeling machine for attaching labels over the upper surface and side surfaces of a box-shaped package (for example, an egg pack), as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-253421 (Patent Document 1), there is one that performs bending of the label and pressing against the side surface of the package with a sponge roller and attaches the label.

[0003] Also, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-154509 (Patent Document 2), there is one that performs bending and attachment by applying a brush that moves up and down by an air cylinder to the side surface of an egg pack.

[0004] [[ID=z20]]Furthermore, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 4032386 (Patent Document 3) and German Patent Application Publication No. 19722067 (Patent Document 4), there is one that attaches a label to the side surface of a container using a rotating brush.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the side-applying method using a sponge roller described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to find the appropriate roller angle when multiple types of packages and labels flow on the same line, and adjustments often take a long time. Furthermore, it is susceptible to the effects of roller wear and misalignment of the packages, resulting in wrinkled and unstable applied labels.

[0007] In the device described in Patent Document 2, the air cylinder operates vigorously, generating mechanical vibrations, and it is assumed that the load on the air cylinder is particularly large in the case of a four-egg carton.

[0008] The rotating brushes described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 had blades arranged radially on a rotating shaft and rotated continuously.

[0009] With this type of continuously rotating brush, the end of the brush easily comes into contact with the lateral protruding edge of the label that extends laterally from the top surface of the pack, causing the label to wrinkle easily.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a labeling machine that can stably and reliably apply labels to the top and side surfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the present invention employs the following means. Specifically, the labeling machine of the present invention is configured such that a label is attached to the upper surface of a package being continuously transported on a transport section, such that the label protrudes laterally from the upper surface of the package. The base of the vane is fixed to an intermittent rotating shaft arranged parallel to the transport direction of the transport section such that the tip of the vane is positioned above the lateral protrusion of the label when the vane is stationary. A control device is provided to control the intermittent rotating shaft, which starts rotating from the stationary state when the lateral protrusion is positioned below the tip of the vane, so as to attach the lateral protrusion to the side surface of the package and then stop.

[0012] The control device preferably includes a motor that transmits power to the intermittent rotating shaft and a control unit that stops the rotation of the motor.

[0013] On the intermittent rotation shaft, 1 to 3 vanes are provided, and the control unit is preferably configured to rotate the intermittent rotation shaft by a predetermined angle in one operation.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, since the vane starts rotating from a position above the side protrusion of the label, the side protrusion can be stably attached to the side surface of the package.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Front view of a label pasting machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Side view of the label pasting machine shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Enlarged front view of the main part of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] Enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] Plan views of FIGS. 3 and 4. [Figure 6] Explanation diagram of the rotation timing of the intermittent drive shaft for a 10 - egg pack. [Figure 7] Explanation diagram of the rotation timing of the intermittent drive shaft for a 4 - egg pack. [Figure 8] Explanation diagram of the rotation timing of the intermittent drive shaft for a 12 - egg pack. [Figure 9] Rotation flowchart of the intermittent rotation shaft for 4 - egg, 6 - egg, and 10 - egg packs. [Figure 10] Rotation flowchart of the intermittent rotation shaft for a 12 - egg pack.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0017] In Figures 1 and 2, the labeling machine 1 comprises a conveying unit 2 for conveying egg cartons P, an upper surface labeling unit 3 for attaching labels M to the upper surface of egg cartons P conveyed by the conveying unit 2, and a side labeling unit 4 for attaching the lateral protrusions Ma of the labels M attached to the upper surface to the side surface of the egg cartons P (see Figures 6, 7, and 8 for labels M and lateral protrusions Ma).

[0018] The transport unit 2 has a conveyor 6 provided on the base 5. This conveyor 6 is a belt conveyor, but is not limited to this. Egg cartons P, each containing eggs and with its lid closed, are transported continuously on this conveyor 6 in a line at a predetermined speed and at predetermined intervals.

[0019] The upper surface attachment section 3 is located above the conveyor 6 and is provided on a first frame 7 erected on the base 5. A delivery roller 8 is provided on the first frame 7. A drum D is mounted on this delivery roller 8. The drum D is made of a strip of cardboard with a label M attached to it and then wound up. The first frame 7 is provided with a winding roller 9 that winds up the strip of cardboard sent out from the delivery roller 8. Multiple guide rollers and a release plate 10 are arranged in the path of the strip of cardboard between the delivery roller 8 and the winding roller 9. Furthermore, a restraining roller 12, which is rotatably supported at the other end of a support arm 11 that is rotatable around one end, is positioned in front of the release plate 10 in the direction of transport. The restraining roller 12 is made of a sponge roller.

[0020] In the upper surface application section 3, the strip-shaped material from the drum D, which is mounted on the delivery roller 8, is fed out from the delivery roller 8, guided by the guide roller, and folded back by the release plate 10. As the strip-shaped material is folded back by the release plate 10, the label M is peeled off from the backing paper, and the remaining backing paper is guided by the guide roller and wound onto the winding roller 9. In other words, the strip-shaped material reaches the winding roller 9 via a guided path from the delivery roller 8.

[0021] The release plate 10 is positioned to face the upper surface of the egg carton P as it moves along the conveyor 6, and a pressing roller 12 supported by a support arm 11 is configured to press the label M, which has been peeled off from the strip-shaped material by the release plate 10, against the upper surface of the egg carton P. As a result, the label M that was attached to the strip-shaped material is attached to the upper surface of the egg carton P.

[0022] In this case, the label M is attached so as to protrude laterally from the top surface of the egg carton P. That is, the label M has a lateral projection Ma that extends outward from the outer edge of the egg carton P (see Figures 6, 7, and 8).

[0023] The side attachment portion 4 is located to the side of the conveyor 6 and is provided on the second frame 13 erected on the transport portion 2.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the second frame 13 is rotatably supported at both ends of an intermittent rotating shaft 14, which is arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor 6. A driven pulley 15 is provided at one end of the intermittent rotating shaft 14. A motor 16 is attached to the conveying section 2, and a drive pulley 17 is provided at the output shaft end of the motor 16. The drive pulley 17 and the driven pulley 15 are linked together by a timing belt. This motor 16 is a reversible motor capable of instantaneous forward and reverse rotation, but is not limited to this, and may also be a C&B motor with a high-precision, high-response clutch and brake built in.

[0025] A vane 18 is provided on the intermittent rotating shaft 14. The base of the vane 18 is fixed to the intermittent rotating shaft 14 such that when the intermittent rotating shaft 14 is stopped, its tip is positioned above the lateral projection Ma of the label M (see Figure 5). A mounting portion 19 is provided on the intermittent rotating shaft 14, and the base of the vane 18 is detachably attached to this mounting portion 19 (see Figure 3).

[0026] The vanes 18 are constructed by arranging elastically deformable nylon brushes or the like in a plate-like shape. In this embodiment, the vanes 18 are arranged 180 degrees on both sides of the intermittent rotation axis 14. The number of vanes 18 is not limited to two; multiple vanes can be arranged radially, with one to three being appropriate.

[0027] The labeling machine 1 is equipped with a control device that controls the intermittent rotation shaft 14 to start rotating from the stopped state when the lateral projection Ma is positioned below the tip of the vane 18, and to stop after attaching the lateral projection Ma to the side surface of the egg carton P.

[0028] This control device consists of a motor 16 that transmits power to the intermittent rotating shaft 14, and a control unit that stops the rotation of the motor 16.

[0029] The control unit includes a pack position detection unit 20 for detecting the position of egg cartons P on the conveyor 6, and a vane position detection unit 21 for detecting the position of vanes 18.

[0030] The pack position detection unit 20 is composed of a photoelectric sensor for detecting the pack end (see Figures 3 and 5).

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the vane position detection unit 21 has a metal plate 22 that rotates together with the drive pulley 17. A sensor 23 for detecting the position of this metal plate 22 is provided on the motor 16. The sensor 23 is a proximity sensor. The motor 16 is configured to stop when the sensor 23 detects the metal plate 22. This stopped state occurs when the tip of the vane 18 is positioned above the label lateral projection Ma. In this embodiment, since two vanes 21 are provided at 180-degree intervals, two metal plates 22 are also provided at 180-degree intervals with respect to the drive pulley shaft.

[0032] Furthermore, the vane position detection unit 21 is not limited to detecting the position of the drive pulley; any unit that can detect the position of the vane 18 is acceptable.

[0033] The control unit is configured to rotate the intermittent rotation shaft 14 by a predetermined angle in a single operation, so as to attach the lateral projection Ma of the label M to the side of the egg carton P.

[0034] Furthermore, the side attachment section 4 is equipped with a lid-side sponge roller 24 that presses down the label M attached to the side of the egg carton P, and is shaped to match the slope of the side of the egg carton P.

[0035] Figures 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the rotation timing of the intermittent rotation shaft 14 for a 10-egg carton P10 and for a 4-egg carton P4. In the diagrams, the dimensions of the vane 18 in the transport direction, the dimensions of the egg carton P and label M in the transport direction, and the positional relationship between the vane 18 and the sensor of the carton position detection unit 20 are shown. The sensor detects the rear end of the egg carton P, and the vane 18 starts rotating after a predetermined time has elapsed. This "predetermined time" is the time until the right end of the label M and the right end of the vane 18 are in the same position. The time is the same for 4-egg, 6-egg, and 10-egg cartons P.

[0036] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the vane rotation timing for a 12-egg carton P12. The sensor detects the front end of the 12-egg carton P12, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the vane 18 begins to rotate. In this case, the "predetermined time" is the time it takes for the left end of the label M and the left end of the vane 18 to be in the same position. Note that if the length of the vane 18 in the transport direction can be matched to the length of the label M, the labels can be attached using the same control as in Figures 6 and 7.

[0037] Figure 9 shows the rotation flow of the intermittent rotating shaft 14 for 4, 6, and 10 egg cartons controlled by the control device, and Figure 10 shows the rotation flow of the intermittent rotating shaft 14 for 12 egg cartons controlled by the control device.

[0038] The pack end detection sensor of the pack position detection unit 20 detects the end of the egg carton P (S1). A predetermined time elapses (S2). The intermittent rotation shaft 14 starts rotating (S3). The vane position detection sensor of the vane position detection unit 21 detects the position of the vane 18 (S4). The rotation of the intermittent rotation shaft 14 stops (S5).

[0039] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, while an egg carton was given as an example of package P, the present invention can be applied to general box-shaped packages.

[0040] The present invention is defined by the claims, not by the scope described above, and all modifications in the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Industrial applicability]

[0041] This invention can be used in a labeling machine. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1. Labeling machine 2. Conveying section 3. Top surface attachment area 4. Side attachment area 5 bases 6 Conveyor 7. First Frame 8 Feed rollers 9. Winding roller 10. Release plate 11 Support Arm 12 Retaining rollers 13. Frame 2 14 Intermittent rotation shaft 15 Driven pulley 16 motors 17 Drive pulley 18. Bane 19 Mounting part 20 Pack position detection unit 21. Vane position detection unit 22 Metal plate 23 sensors 24 Sponge roller for the side of the lid P Package (egg carton) M Label Ma Lateral projection D Drum

Claims

1. A label is attached to the upper surface of a package being continuously transported on the transport section, so as to protrude laterally from the upper surface of the package, and the base of the vane is fixed to an intermittent rotating shaft arranged parallel to the transport direction of the transport section, such that the tip of the vane in a stationary state is positioned above the laterally protruding portion of the label. A labeling machine is provided with a control device that controls the intermittent rotating shaft to start rotating from the stopped state when the lateral projection is positioned below the tip of the vane, and to stop with the lateral projection attached to the side of the package.

2. The labeling machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device starts rotating the intermittent rotating shaft from the stopped state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the package was detected.

3. The labeling machine according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time is the time from when the edge of the package is detected until the edge of the label and the edge of the vane are in the same position.

4. The package is an egg carton that is continuously transported, The label is affixed to the upper surface of a moving egg carton, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in the labeling machine.

5. The intermittent rotating shaft is provided with 1 to 3 vanes, The label applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device includes a motor that transmits power to the intermittent rotating shaft, and a control unit that stops the rotation of the motor so that the intermittent rotating shaft is in a stopped state in a single operation such that the tip of the vane is positioned above the lateral projection of the label.

Images