Sliding Element Blowing Head for Label Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing label application devices for individual products are complex and labor-intensive, requiring manual adjustment of the blowing head and housing openings for different label sizes, which is time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A device with a sliding element that can be moved between blocking and unblocking positions to control the housing openings, allowing for automatic alignment of the compressed air pulse with the center of the label, eliminating the need for a separate valve arrangement and simplifying the design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of the blowing head and housing openings is used for different label sizes, then precise alignment of the compressed air pulse can be achieved, but the device becomes complex and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the optimal housing opening configuration based on label dimensions without requiring manual operator intervention. The control unit self-adjusts the blowing head position and selects appropriate housing openings to serve the labelling task autonomously
Solution Approach 2:
The blowing head is designed with dynamic adjustability, allowing its position to be changed automatically based on the label size. The housing openings can also be dynamically selected or activated/deactivated to match different labelling requirements, transforming a static system into an adaptive one
2Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of the blowing head and housing openings is used for different label sizes, then precise alignment of the compressed air pulse can be achieved, but operator labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically processes label dimension data and adjusts the blowing head position and housing opening selection without operator intervention, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating manual adjustment labor
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical adjustment operations are replaced by an automated control system that uses electronic processing and actuation mechanisms to achieve the same alignment precision, substituting operator labor with automated control
3Device complexity
If the blowing head is fixed for a specific label size, then the device structure is simplified, but adaptability to different label sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The blowing head incorporates dynamic positioning capabilities, allowing it to be adjusted to different positions corresponding to different label sizes. The housing openings can also be dynamically selected, enabling the same physical structure to adapt to various labelling scenarios without requiring multiple fixed devices
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
The solution simplifies the label application process by automating the alignment of the compressed air pulse, reducing labor intensity and enabling efficient labeling of products with different label sizes without the need for manual adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
an overpressure is built up in a pressure chamber of the blowing head, and in which the label is transferred from the blow-off position to the product by means of a compressed air pulse directed in a blow-off direction
Implementation Method 2
the label application device has at least one sliding element that can be moved between a first position in which the sliding element can block at least some of the housing openings completely, and a second position, in which the sliding element can unblock at least partially a plurality of these housing openings
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (11) for the labelling of individual products (2), in particular packages or goods, with a feed device (3) for transporting a respective product (2) along a transport path, with a label dispensing device (4) for providing a label (5), and with a label application device (6) with a blowing head (7) for applying the label (5) to the surface of the product (2), wherein the blowing head (7) has a blowing head housing (8) with a pressure chamber (9), wherein the blowing head housing (8) has a housing part (10) with a plurality of housing openings (11) on the side facing towards the feed device (3), which connect the interior of the pressure chamber (9) to the environment of the blowing head housing (8), and through which a compressed air pulse directed in a blow-off direction (A) from the housing openings (11) towards the feed device (3) can escape, wherein the pressure chamber (9) has a compressed air connection (12) for the introduction of compressed air into the pressure chamber (9), and wherein the label application device (6) has at least one sliding element (13, 14, 15) that can be moved between a first position in which the sliding element (13, 14, 15) can block at least some of the housing openings (11) completely, and a second position, in which the sliding element (13, 14, 15) can unblock a plurality of these housing openings at least partially. In order to simplify the structure of such a device (1), the invention proposes that holes (16, 17, 18) are provided in the at least one sliding element (13, 14, 15), which are arranged such that in the second position of the sliding element (13, 14, 15) they can be brought into at least a partial overlap with the housing openings (11) that can be blocked by the sliding element (13, 14, 15) in the first position, and that in the first position of the sliding element (13, 14, 15) they are offset relative to these housing openings (11), such that no overlap is provided. The invention furthermore relates to a method for the labelling of individual products (2).