The present invention relates to a labelling group and to a method for applying a plurality of labels onto respective articles, in particular containers filled with a pourable food product.
Labelling machines are known which substantially comprise:
Labelling machine is known as “roll-feed”, in which the labelling group substantially comprises:
a transfer drum for advancing each label which has been previously cut; and
In particular, a conventional transfer drum is rotatable about an axis, comprises an outer surface which receives a succession of cut labels and covered with glue, and releases those labels at the application station after rotation about its own axis of a certain angle.
In greater detail, the transfer drum advances the cut labels along an arch-shaped trajectory, which is tangent to the articles at the application station.
Still more precisely, the surface of the transfer drum comprises a plurality of air ports, which form a number of conveying sections bounded, each, by a pair of damping pads.
Furthermore, the transfer drum is mounted on a stationary distributor member, which is fluidly connected to a vacuum source and to the air ports of the surface.
The air ports contacting each label are connected in fluidic way with the source of vacuum, as the label advances towards the application station. In this way, the label is retained over the surface.
When being retained by the transfer drum, each label typically has its leading edge held on one pad and its trailing edge held on the other pad.
When each label reaches the application station, the fluidic connection between the air ports and the vacuum source is interrupted, so that the labels can be released and wound onto the respective article.
European patent application no. 13179196.4, in the name of the same Applicant, discloses a labelling group, in which the labels conveyed by the transfer drum can be selectively discarded, without having been applied on the respective articles.
Furthermore, the transfer drum can selectively transfer the labels to a discarding station, which is arranged downstream of the application station with reference to the advancing direction of the transfer drum.
In greater detail, the transfer drum transfers the labels to the discarding station, during the start-up and shut down phases of the labelling group, so as not to transfer the labels to the articles until a proper timing is achieved between the rate of the labels conveyed by the transfer drum and the rate of the articles advanced by the carousel.
In this way, the transfer drum can accelerate to a very high speed without applying labels onto articles and can be therefore matched, only when it has reached the very high speed, with the carousel travelling at the very high speed.
In other words, the transfer drum can be efficiently employed in a labelling machine, which operates at very high rate.
Alternatively, the transfer drum transfers the labels to the discarding station, when a gap occurs in the sequence of articles advanced by the conveyor.
In particular, in order to transfer the labels to the discarding station with no application on the articles, the fluidic connection between the air ports and the vacuum source is established up to the discarding station.
Furthermore, the transfer drum comprises a sucking device, which is arranged at the discarding station and collects all the labels discarded by the transfer device.
Even if well performing, the above-identified solution leaves room for improvement.
In particular, in that solution, the transfer drum is permanently tangential, at the application station, to the outer surface of advancing the articles conveyed by the carousel.
As a result, even if it does not transfer the labels onto respective article, the transfer drum contacts the articles at the application station.
There is, therefore, the risk that the transfer drum could dirty, e.g. with residues of glue, the articles, thus rendering the latter no longer usable and therefore generating a loss of articles.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a labelling group for applying labels onto respective articles, which solves at least one afore-mentioned drawback connected with the known labelling groups in a straightforward, low-cost manner.
According to the present invention, there is provided a labelling group for applying labels onto respective articles, as claimed in claim 1.
The present invention also relates to a method for applying labels onto respective articles, as claimed in claim 14.
In the following a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Number 1 in
In particular, labelling machine 1 is a so-called “roll-fed” labelling machine.
Labelling machine 1 substantially comprises (
Labelling machine 1 is incorporated in a plant 100 for producing labelling articles 11, 11a, 11b.
Plant 100 is only partly shown in
Alternatively, labelling machine 1 could be interposed between the blowing machine and the filling machine.
In greater detail, path P comprises:
In the embodiment shown, path P is shaped as an arch of circumference having centre on axis A.
Each labelling group 4, 5 applies a succession of labels 10 onto respective articles 11, 11a, 11b.
In particular, each label 10 is applied at application station B onto a relative article 11, 11a, 11b.
Each labelling group 4, 5 substantially comprises (
In particular, transfer system 13 transfers labels 10 to be applied on respective articles 11, 11a, 11b from input station J to transfer station H, whereas it transfers labels 10 to be discarded from input station J to discarding station D.
During application of labels 10 on relative articles 11, transfer element 13 is arranged in an operative position (shown in
In greater detail, when transfer element 13 is in the operative position, transfer station H is coincident with application station B.
Discarding station D is arranged downstream of transfer station H, proceeding according to the advancing rotation direction of drum 15.
Application station B is arranged at a first angular distance from input station 3 and discarding station D is arranged at a second angular distance form station J. The second angular distance is greater than the first angular distance.
Axis C is parallel and distinct from axis A.
With reference to
Stator 14 comprises, in turn, a plurality of vacuum sources arranged in respective stationary channels 30a, 30b shaped as arch having centre on axis C (
Drum 15 is independently driven by a motor (not shown) about axis C.
Drum 15 comprises, in turn, a lateral outer surface 18 extending cylindrically about axis C.
Surface 18 comprises a plurality, five in the embodiment shown, of conveying sections adapted to convey respective labels 10 along the arch-shaped trajectory.
Each conveying section is circumferentially bounded by an upstream elastic pad and by a downstream elastic pad, which are angularly spaced from one another.
Drum 15 comprises (
Channels 30a, 30b; 31 extend at given distances from axis A and for given arches about axis C.
In particular, for some angular positions of drum 15, one of channels 31 is superimposed to at least one respective channel 30a, 30b.
In this way, air ports 17 are connected to the vacuum source and can exert a suction action on label 10.
For some other angular positions of drum 15, channels 31 interact with different sections of from channels 30a, 30b.
Accordingly, for these other angular positions of drum 15, air ports 17 are fluidly disconnected from the vacuum source and do not exert any suction action on label 10.
In greater detail, at station J, air ports 17 of the upstream pad of each conveying section are fluidly connected with the vacuum source, so as to suck the trailing edge of respective label 10.
As each conveying section rotates about axis C from station J to transfer station H, respective air ports 17 of that conveying station and of the downstream pad are connected with the vacuum source, so as to suck the remaining part of respective label 10.
In this way, each label 10 is advanced from station J to transfer station H with its leading edge held on the upstream pad and its trailing edge held on the downstream pad.
In particular, when each label 10 reaches transfer station H, channels 30a, 31 are superimposed.
When diverting device 20 is arranged in the first configuration, the fluidic connection between air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H and the vacuum source is interrupted.
In this way, each label 10 is gradually released by drum 15 and transferred outside drum 15 at transfer station H.
As it will evident from the foregoing of the present description, when diverting device 20 is arranged in the first configuration, air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H eject an air jet on label 10, so as to ease the release of labels 10 at transfer station H.
When diverting device 20 is arranged in the second configuration, the fluidic connection between air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H and the vacuum source is maintained.
Furthermore, when diverting device 20 is arranged in the second configuration, air ports 17 do not eject any air jet on labels 10 travelling at transfer station H.
In this way, labels 10 can reach discarding station D, whereat they are sucked by sucking device 21.
Diverting device 20 substantially comprises (
In greater detail, actuator 36 is arranged on stator 14 at transfer station H and comprises, in turn,
Seat 43 opens, on one side, in channel 30a and, on the other side, in a hole 44 of flange 42 which is connected to electro-valve 35a by a duct 46.
Shutter 45 comprises, in turn,
Stem 50 comprises an annular groove 55 which extends about axis F.
Furthermore, stem 50 defines a duct 56 which is fluidly connected with groove 55 and is fluidly connected with channel 30a (
When shutter 45 is in the first position (raised in
Furthermore, when the shutter 45 is in the first position, base 57 is spaced along axis F from flange 42 and abuts against a shoulder defined by housing 41.
When the shutter 45 is in the second position, stem 50 leaves free part of channel 30a, thus maintaining the fluidic connection between the vacuum source and channel 31a connected to air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H. In this way, the vacuum action is exerted on label 10 travelling at transfer station H.
Furthermore, when the shutter 45 is in the second position, base 57 contacts flange 42 and is spaced by shoulder.
Electro-valve 35a can be actuated for generating a flow of air in pressure inside duct 46, thus increasing the pressure in the volume between flange 42 and base 57 and causing shutter 45 to move from the second position to the first position parallel to axis F.
Base 57 is elastically connected to flange 42 by a spring 58, which causes the return of shutter 45 from the first position to the second position.
Housing 41 also comprises a pair of channels 51, 52, between which seat 43 is arranged (
Each channel 51, 52 is fluidly connected, on one side thereof, to a respective duct 47, 48.
Each channel 51, 52 is fluidly connected with air ports 17 set at transfer station H, when shutter 45 is in the first position.
Each channel 51, 52 is fluidly isolated by air ports 17 set at transfer station H, when shutter 45 is in the second position.
More precisely, each channel 51, 52 also comprises:
When shutter 45 is in the first position, groove 55 faces portions 54 of channels 51, 52, thus establishing a fluidic connection between ducts 47, 48 and air ports 17 arranged at transfer station H, by means of superimposed channels 30a, 31.
In this way, when shutter 45 is in the first position (
When shutter 45 is in the second position (
Accordingly, when shutter 45 is in the second position, no jet of air is ejected on label 10 travelling at station A.
Advantageously, transfer element 13 of each labelling group 4, 5 is movable in a fully rest position, in which trajectory Q is spaced from application station B (
In greater detail, transfer station H is spaced from application station B, when transfer element 13 is in the fully rest position.
Furthermore, diverting device 20 is set in the first configuration, when transfer element 13 is in the operative position.
On the contrary, diverting device 20 is set in the second configuration, when transfer element 13 is in the fully rest position.
Transfer element 13 can also assume a plurality of partially rest positions (not shown in
Preferably, diverting device 20 is set in the second configuration, when transfer element 13 is set in one of the partially rest positions (not shown in
In particular, transfer element 13 is movable between the fully rest position and the operative position along a rectilinear path parallel to a direction E.
Direction E is, in the embodiment shown, radial to path P and trajectory Q and lies on a plane orthogonal to axes A, C.
Furthermore, labelling group 4 comprises a control unit 60 (only schematically shown in
In greater detail, control unit 60 is programmed for controlling transfer element 13 in such a way that:
In the embodiment shown, drum 15 is idle, i.e. its rotational speed is null, when transfer element 13 is in the fully rest position.
Furthermore, control unit 60 is programmed for accelerating the rotational speed of drum 15, when transfer element 13 moves from the fully rest position to the operative position, during a start-up step of labelling group 4, 5 (as shown in speed vs time plots in
Preferably, control unit 60 is programmed for accelerating the rotational speed of drum 15 according to a linear ascending ramp up to the highest speed, when transfer element 13 moves from the fully rest position to the operative position, during a start-up step of labelling group 4 (as shown in speed vs time plots in
In the embodiment shown, the highest speed is reached by transfer element 13 before the latter reaches the operative position.
Furthermore, control unit 60 is programmed for decelerating the rotational speed of drum 15 according a linear ramp up to the lowest speed, when transfer element 13 moves from the operative position to the fully rest position (
In the embodiment shown, control unit 60 at first keeps the drum 15 at the highest value and then decelerates drum 15 according to a linear descending ramp, when transfer element 13 moves from the operative position to the fully rest position during a shut-down step of labelling group 4, 5.
Labelling group 4, 5 further comprises (
In the embodiment shown, supporting structure 66 also supports cutting element 9 and glue roller 12.
With reference to
With reference to
Rod 72 and shaft 71 are operatively connected to each other, in such a way that the rotation of shaft 71 about an its own axis parallel to direction E causes the translation of rod 72 parallel to direction E.
In the embodiment shown, shaft 71 comprises, on the opposite side of rotary actuator 70, a portion with a female thread, which screws onto a male thread carried by a portion of rod 72. The male thread of rod 72 is, in particular, arranged on the side of rotary actuator 70.
Connecting means 67 further comprise:
Furthermore, bracket 78 and element 77 are coupled to each other, in such a way that the rotation of element 77 about axis G causes the sliding of bracket 78 parallel to direction E.
Still more precisely, element 77 comprises: a first portion 83 fitted to shaft 76 and a second portion 84 protruding from portion 83 parallel to and spaced from axis G.
Portion 83 is housed in a slot 85 (
Accordingly, when element 77 rotates about axis G driven by motor 75, portion 84 eccentrically rotates about axis G inside slot 85, so causing the movement of bracket 78 and, therefore, of supporting structure 66 parallel to direction E.
Preferably, rotary actuator 70 is operated for arranging transfer element 13 in the operative position, on the basis of the format of articles 11, 11a, 11b while motor 75 is controlled by control unit 60 for displacing transfer element 13 between the operative position and the fully rest position.
Labelling unit 1 further comprises (
In particular, expelling device 81 is arranged upstream of station B.
Gap 82 is delimited by an adjacent upstream article 11a and an immediately adjacent downstream article 11b, proceeding according to the advancing direction of articles 11, 11a, 11b along path P (
Control unit 60 is programmed for moving transfer element 13 from the operative position to the fully rest position and for displacing diverting device 20 from the first configuration to the second configuration, when the signal is generated by sensor 80 (
Preferably, control unit 60 is programmed for keeping the speed of transfer element 13 at a constant value, the highest value in the embodiment shown, when transfer element 13 moves from the operative position to the fully rest position and from the fully rest position to the operative position, as shown in the plot speed versus time in
Control unit 60 is also programmed, when the signal is generated by sensor 80, for moving transfer element 13 from the operative position to the fully rest position, after transfer element 13 has applied a label 10 onto immediately adjacent downstream article 11b (
Furthermore, control unit 60 is programmed for moving back transfer element 13 from the fully rest position to the operative position, before immediately adjacent upstream article 11a has reached application station B (
With reference to
The operation of labelling machine 1 and plant 100 is described in the following, starting from a condition in which labelling groups 4, 5 are in the respective fully rest positions.
Furthermore, the operation of labelling machine 1 and plant 100 is described starting from a condition in which labelling group 4 is operated to apply a plurality of labels 10 onto respective articles 11a, 11, 11b at station B of path P, while labelling group 5 is idle.
Accordingly, the rotational speed of drum 15 of labelling group 5 and, therefore, of strip 8 travelling inside labelling group 5 is null
Conveyor 101 advances a plurality of pre-forms 108 through switch 101. Pre-forms 108 are blown in the blowing machine, so as to form respective articles 11, 11a, 11b. Articles 11, 11a, 11b are filled inside the filling machine and fed to carousel 3 of labelling machine 1.
Carousel 3 rotates about axis A and conveys a sequence of articles 11a, 11, 11b at substantially constant speed along path P from input station I to application station B and from application station B to output station O.
Furthermore, when labelling group 4 is in the fully rest position, respective diverting device 20 is in the second configuration, while transfer station H is coincident with application station B.
As shown in
In particular, control unit 60 accelerates drum 15 according a liner ascending ramp up to the highest speed, which is reached before transfer element 13 reaches the operative position.
The operation of labelling machine 1 and plant 100 is now described with reference to only one label 10, to only one respective conveying section of transfer element 13 of labelling group 4 and to only one respective article 11, 11a, 11b.
Control unit 60 displaces labelling group 4 from the fully rest position to the operative position along direction E by activating motor 75.
In greater detail, the activation of motor 75 causes the rotation of shaft 76 and element 77 about same axis G.
Accordingly, portion 84 rotates eccentrically about axis G inside slot 85 of bracket 78, thus causing the displacement of bracket 78 along direction E with respect to supporting structure 65, and on the opposite side of supporting structure 65 and towards transfer station H.
As a result of the displacement of bracket 78 parallel to direction E, also table 68 and stator 14 of transfer element 13 moves along direction E and towards transfer station H.
At the same time, during the operation of labelling group 4, strip 8 is unwound off reel 7 and fed along path Q by the unwinding rollers.
Afterwards, cutting element 9 cuts, one after the other labels 10 from strip 8.
Drum 15 rotates about axis C so as to transfer along path Q, one after the other, cut label 10 from cutting element 9 to glue roller 12 whereat the glue is applied on cut label 10.
Still more precisely, each conveying section of drum 15 sucks relative label 10 at station J, conveys relative label 10 from station J to transfer station H and then from transfer station H to discarding station D.
In particular, air ports 17 of the upstream pad of each conveying section are fluidly connected with the vacuum source at station I, so as to suck the trailing edge of respective label 10.
As each conveying section rotates about axis C from station I to transfer station H, respective air ports 17 and air ports 17 of the downstream pad are connected to the vacuum source, so as to suck the remaining part of respective label 10.
Due to the fact that diverting device 20 is arranged in the second configuration, air ports 17 of each conveying section of drum 15 remain in fluidic connection with the vacuum source at transfer station H and do not eject any air nozzle onto relative label 10 at transfer station H, which is spaced from application station B.
As a matter of fact, electro-valve 35a is actuated so as to pump air in duct 46, thus arranging shutter 45 in the second position. Thus, stem 50 leaves free part of channel 30a, thus maintaining the fluidic connection between the vacuum source and channel 31a connected to air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H.
Furthermore, groove 55 of stem 50 is spaced from portions 54 of channels 51, 52 along axis F, thus fluidly isolating ducts 47, 48 and air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H.
In this way, labels 10 conveyed by drum 15 are not released at transfer station H but are discarded and sucked away by sucking device 21 at discarding station D.
When labelling group 4 has reached the operative position, path Q is tangent at application station B to the outer surface of articles 11a, 11b, 11c advanced by carousel 3. In other words, transfer station H and application station B coincide with one another.
At this stage, control unit 60 stops motor 75 and displaces diverting device 20 in the first configuration.
In particular, electro-valve 35a is de-activated, so that air is no longer pumped inside duct 46. Spring 58 can thus displace shutter 45 in the first position, in which it fully engages channel 30a. Accordingly, shutter 45 prevents the fluidic connection between the vacuum source and channel 31 connected to air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H coincident with application station B. Thus, no vacuum action is exerted on labels 10 at transfer station H coincident with application station B.
Furthermore, when shutter 45 is in the first position along axis F, groove 55 faces portions 54 of channels 51, 52, thus establishing a fluidic connection between ducts 47, 48 and air ports 17 travelling at station B, by means of superimposed channels 30a, 31a.
As a result, air ports 17 travelling at transfer station H—which coincides with application station B—eject a jet of air of label 10.
Thus, transfer element 13 applies label 10 on article 11, 11a, 11b travelling at application station B, thanks to the fact that the vacuum action is no longer exerted on label 10 travelling at station B and an air jet is ejected on that label 10.
With reference to
In response to that signal, expelling device 81 expels articles 11 to be discarded from path P, thus generating gap 82, which is bounded between upstream article 11a and downstream article 11b, proceeding according to the advancing direction of articles 11, 11a, 11b along path P.
Furthermore, control unit 60 moves transfer element 13 of labeling group from the operative position to the fully rest position, and displaces diverting device 20 in the second configuration, after transfer element 13 has applied label 10 onto downstream article 11b (
In this way, label 10 is conveyed to sucking device 21 at discarding station D.
Still more precisely, control unit 60 keeps at the highest value the rotational speed of drum 15 and therefore of strip 8, when transfer element 13 moves from the operative position to the fully rest position.
Then, control unit 60 moves back transfer element 13 from the fully rest position to the operative position and displaces back diverting device 20 in the first configuration, before upstream article 11a has reached application station B (
In this way, transfer element 13 apply labels 10 onto articles 11a, 11b and none of articles 11, 11a, 11b remains unlabelled.
When labelling of articles 11, 11a, 11b, has been completed, control unit 60 (
In particular, control unit 60 decelerates drum 15 according to a liner descending ramp up to null speed, which is reached in the fully rest position.
Furthermore, in case of not proper operation of labelling group 4, control unit 60 is programmed for moving transfer element 13 in the fully rest position or in the rest position (
In this way, drum 15 does not contact articles 11, 11a, 11b travelling at application station B and there is no risk that drum 15 could dirty articles 11, 11a, 11b travelling at application station B.
From an analysis of the features of labelling group 4, 5 and method made according to the present invention, the advantages it allows to obtain are apparent.
In particular, transfer element 13 can be moved in the fully rest position or in the rest positions, in which trajectory Q of transfer element 13 is spaced from application station B.
In this way, when it is necessary, for several reasons, not to apply labels 10 onto articles 11, 11a, 11b, transfer element 13 can be retracted in the fully rest position or in one of the other partially rest positions, while diverting device 20 is set in the second configuration (
In this condition, drum 15 does not contact articles 11, 11a, 11b travelling at station B.
There is no longer, therefore, the risk that drum can dirty articles 11, 11a, 11b travelling at station B, thus rendering the latter no longer usable.
Furthermore, during a start-up step of labelling group 4 (5) (
In this way, it is possible to accelerate drum 15 at a rotational speed about axis C higher than the rotational speed of drum of customary labelling group described in the introductory part of the present application.
As a result, it is possible to match drum 15 and, therefore, labelling groups 4, 5 with conveyor 3 advancing at very high speed, thus increasing the overall rate of labelling machine 1.
Furthermore, in case article 11 must be discharged upstream of application station B, expelling device 81 creates gap 82 upstream of application B and control unit 60 moves transfer element 13 in the fully rest position (or in one of the partially rest positions) while displaces diverting device 20 in the second configuration (
In this way, drum 15 does not apply labels 10 at application station B and conveys labels 10 to sucking device 21 at discarding station D.
Accordingly, transfer element 13 does not transfer any label 10 to transfer station H, when gap 82 passes through application station B.
Finally, control unit 60 is programmed for:
In this way, all articles 11a, 11b, adjacent to gap 82 are labelled by labelling group 4 (
Finally, it is apparent that modifications and variants not departing from the scope of protection of the claims may be made to labelling group 4, 5 and to the method.
In particular, labelling group 4, 5 could comprise, instead of diverting device 20, a different device which can selectively deviate strip 8 from path Q upstream of cutting element 9.
In other words, that different device prevents strips 8 from reaching cutting element 9 and, therefore, drum 15.
Furthermore, control unit 60 could be programmed for advancing strip 8 and drum 15 of transfer element 13 according to different motion laws, when it moves transfer element 13 between the operative position and the fully rest position.
Finally, gap 82 could be created by controlling switch 1ii, so as to interrupt the flow of pre-forms 108 upstream of labelling machine 1.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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14162536.8 | Mar 2014 | EP | regional |