Sleeve Label Forming Spindle Terminal Guiding Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current devices for forming and transferring sleeve-like labels struggle to guide labels correctly, especially for containers with significant shape variations, leading to label jamming and incorrect fitting.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a terminal guiding body with a lateral access opening at the lower end of the forming spindle, allowing for improved guidance of the label during transfer, and includes angular movement capabilities to adjust the guiding path based on the container's shape, ensuring accurate placement regardless of label length or container shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the forming spindle is used to guide the label during transfer, then the label can be transferred to the container, but the label may jam or fit incorrectly when the container has significant shape variations
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function is segmented between the forming spindle and the terminal guiding body. The forming spindle guides the label during formation, while the terminal guiding body specifically guides the label during transfer to containers with varying shapes, allowing each component to specialize in a specific guiding phase
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal guiding body acts as an intermediary element between the forming spindle and the container. It provides additional guidance during the transfer phase, mediating the interaction between the label and the container to prevent jamming and ensure correct fitting for various container shapes
2Reliability
If the terminal guiding body is added to improve label guidance, then label jamming is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal guiding body is merged with the forming spindle structure, with the guiding body arranged around the top portion of the container and the lateral access opening integrated into the spindle assembly. This combining approach adds the necessary guiding function while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces label jamming and ensures correct fitting of sleeve-like labels on containers with varying shapes, enhancing the efficiency of the labeling process without altering the normal movement of the carousel.
Implementation Method 1
The container and the shrink-sleeve label fitted thereon are then guided toward a heating station, in which the label is subjected to a thermal treatment such as to cause its shrinking by thermal effect and, thus, its tight adhesion to the lateral surface of the respective container
Implementation Method 2
each spindle can be provided with sealing means arranged so as to make the corresponding portion of plastic film adhere to the cylindrical wall and wrap around it
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (1) for forming and transferring a sleeve-like label (2) to a container to be labeled (10), comprising a feeder designed to feed a portion of heat-shrink film (5) to at least one forming spindle (4) and means (7) for wrapping the portion of heat-shrink film (5) around the lateral surface (4a) of the forming spindle (4) in order to provide a sleeve-like label (2) designed to be transferred, by transfer means (9), from the forming spindle (4) to a container to be labeled (10), feeder means (21) being provided which are adapted to move, along an approach path (21a) that has at least one component perpendicular to the axis (100) of the forming spindle (4), the container to be labeled (10) to a labeling position arranged below the forming spindle (4) and pick-up means (22) adapted to pick up the container (10) with the sleeve-like label (2) fitted around the respective lateral surface ( 10a) along a path (22a) for removal from the labeling position which has at least one component perpendicular to the axis (100) of the forming spindle (4); the forming spindle (4) comprises at least one terminal guiding body (13), which is arranged at the lower end (4b) of the forming spindle (4) and has a lower edge (13a) which is arranged at least partially at a lower level than the upper end (10c) of the top portion (10b) of the container to be labeled (10) in the labeling position, the terminal guiding body (13) having at least one lateral access opening (14) that can be crossed by the top portion (10b) of the container to be labeled (10) arriving at the labeling position along the approach path (21a) and leaving the labeling position along the spacing path (22a).