Patent Grant
11827409
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a labeled cables and methods and apparatuses for affixing labels to cables, and more particularly, methods, and apparatuses for affixing labels to moving cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cable or conduit generally consists of one or more internal conductors and a sheath that envelopes internal conductors. Labels are then applied to the sheath of the cable or conduit to identify characteristics of the cable or conduit, for example, the type and size of the cable or conduit. In the current state of the art, various methods are used to apply specific colors to cable or conduit and/or conduit. One method is to apply an ink directly to an outer sheath of the cable or conduit by spraying, wiping, dripping, brushing, etc. However, colors applied by this method may not be easily removed and the method in which the ink is applied may not be easily managed as liquid or powder is used. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and a method for applying informative labels to cable or conduit and/or conduit without the disadvantages of the existing methods.
One disclosed embodiment of the invention provides a labeled cable comprising an outer surface having corrugations comprising alternating ridges and grooves disposed on the outer surface; and a label having a label body, the label body having an attaching side having an adhesive disposed thereon, the attaching side attachable to the ridges and spanning across the grooves.
In still another disclosed embodiment of the invention an apparatus is configured for affixing a label to a cable moving in a direction parallel to the cable's axis. The label has front and back sides and a perimeter. The apparatus is configured to affix the label to the cable in a manner in which the label wraps completely around a perimeter of the cable. The apparatus includes a bottom push up roller having a channel configured to receive a moving cable; a first roll down roller downstream of the top push up roller disposed lateral to the moving cable and configured to fold down a side of a label onto the cable; a second roll down roller downstream of the first roll down roller disposed lateral to the moving cable on a side opposite to the first roll down roller and configured to fold down a side of a label onto the cable; and a top push down roller having a channel configured to receive a moving cable.
In still another disclosed embodiment of the invention the apparatus is configured to affix the label to the cable in a manner in which the back side of the label is partially flush with an outer surface of the cable, the label body has a thickness of about 1.5 mil to 2.0 mil for maintaining the stiffness of the label body across the grooves, and the label is formed from polyolefin.
In still another disclosed embodiment of the invention the apparatus is configured to affix an electrically conductive label with electrically conductive adhesive on the attaching side to the cable in which the label includes a human readable side containing human recognizable indicia such as alpha numeric characters.
The following description and drawings set forth in detail a number of illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the present invention may be utilized. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto.
A more complete appreciation of the invention is provided by reference to the following detailed description of the appended drawings and figures. The following descriptions, in conjunction with the appended figures, enable a person having skill in the art to recognize the numerous advantages and features of the invention by understanding the various disclosed embodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the invention and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale. The following figures are utilized to best illustrate these features.
Some of the figures included herein illustrate various embodiments of the invention from different viewing angles. Although the accompanying descriptive text may refer to such views as “top,” “bottom” or “side” views, such references are merely descriptive and do not imply or require that the invention be implemented or used in a particular spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise.
FIG. 13G1 is a diagram of one disclosed embodiment for rolling down a label to a moving cable;
The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
From time-to-time, the present invention is described herein in terms of these example environments. Description in terms of these environments is provided to allow the various features and embodiments of the invention to be portrayed in the context of an exemplary application. After reading this description, it will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art how the invention can be implemented in different and alternative environments.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, applications, published applications and other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. If a definition set forth in this section is contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with a definition set forth in applications, published applications and other publications that are herein incorporated by reference, the definition set forth in this document prevails over the definition that is incorporated herein by reference.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
The invention is directed toward a labeled cable and an apparatus for affixing a label to a moving cable, and more particularly some embodiments are directed to a labeled corrugated cable and apparatuses and methods of applying a label to the cable.
Referring now to
In one embodiment, the label 1 may be comprised of electrically conductive material such as electrically conductive polyofelin and may include an electrically nonconductive adhesive.
Referring to
In one disclosed implementation of the invention shown in
A sequence of labels can be repeated all along the length of the cable. In one disclosed embodiment, labels 1 may be placed on successive sections of a steel or metal cable 2 as it is dispensed from a feed roll and just before the strip enters a forming machine where it is convoluted.
In the case of a labeling machine that applies the label to a moving steel strip just before it enters the forming (convoluting) machine, the labeling machine must be able to switch labels quickly and to apply and cure or shrink the label in a short time between when the strip arrives at the labeling machine and when it is delivered into the forming machine.
The labels 1 may be a tag or sticker, for identifying a continuous processed cable, wire, conductor, hose, tube, rod, belt, cord of round, oval, rectangular or other cross sectional shape, that is attached to the outside surface at certain intervals and are emblazoned with human and/or machine readable markings or indicia.
In one disclosed embodiment, the label body 1A may be composed of polyolefin and have a thickness from 1.5 mil to 2.0 mil. However, the label body 1A may be any other shrinkable or non-shrinkable material, or polyester or other plastic or elastomer or paper or a thin, film type metal or natural, organic or inorganic substance or material that will conform to the shape of the cable, wire, conductor, hose, tube, rod, belt, cord of any cross sectional shape.
Referring now to
In a further embodiment, the label 1 does not attach continuously along the length of said cable, wire, conductor, hose, tube, rod, belt, or cord 2 of a particular cross sectional shape but is attached at certain, repeated, determinable intervals and thus requires the tag or label 1, to be of certain length along the cable, wire, conductor, hose, tube, rod, belt, or cord 2 of said cross sectional shape.
In one disclosed implementation, affixing a label 1 to a cable 2 is achieved by attaching the label 1 onto the cable 2 after the cable has been helically wrapped with metal sheathing such as with armored cable or metal-clad cable.
Referring to
In one disclosed embodiment, the cable 2 may be positioned to move over the peel blade 305 at a point 309 along the edge 307 so that the label forms an unequal U shape around the cable when received by the bottom push up roller 220. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In another disclosed embodiment, the roll down rollers 310A, 310B may only have one side wall for folding down the sides of the U shaped label on the cable 2.
Referring to
Referring to
In another disclosed embodiment, illustrated in
In operation, an unlabeled cable 2 moves in a direction in line with its axis as indicated by the thick arrows in the figures. A label dispenser dispenses labels 1 adhered to a backing strip. As the backing strip moves over a peel blade, a label 1 detaches from the backing strip and is caught by the bottom push up roller 220 and is wedged between the cable and the roller 220. As the roller rotates, the label 1 is folded upward over the sides of the cable 2 so that two sides of the label are upright in a U shape. Next, the folded label 1 moves with the cable 2 into the first roll down roller and one side of the label is folded down. Subsequently, the cable 2 with the label 1 having one side folded down enters the second roll down roller 310B and a side wall pushes down the other side of the label 1. Subsequently, the labeled cable 2 is moved under the top push down roller to further press the label against the cable 2.
In another disclosed embodiment, shown in
Since the cable 2 is moving, the label 1 has traveled off of the tamp pad 205 and the grooved tamp pad returns to a lowered position away from the moving cable 2 and another adhesive backed label 1 may be dispensed onto the tamp pad 205. Vacuum holes 214 in the grooved tamp pad in the flat area of the grooved tamp pad are commencing with a vacuum condition to hold the label 1 in place for a specified period of time until the grooved tamp pad is pressed against the moving cable 2 and another U shaped attachment configuration cycle is repeated.
The labeled cable may then move into a bottom push up roller 220 for further securing the label to the cable. Next, the folded label moves with the cable into the first roll down roller and the shorter side of the label is folded down. Subsequently, the cable with the label having the shorter side folded down enters the second roll down roller 310B and a side wall pushes down the other taller side of the label. Subsequently, the labeled cable is moved under the top push down roller to further press the label against the cable.
In yet another disclosed embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13G1, a second tamp having a channel configured to press down a shorter side of a U shaped label 1 is disclosed. Downstream, a third tamp pad may press down the other taller side of the label 1. The second and third tamp pads may be used in place of the roll down rollers 310A, 310B, but otherwise, the components in the above described embodiments may remain the same.
A heat tunnel with a specified opening and a specified length and a specified wattage for heat generation encompasses the moving labeled cable 2 downstream of the rollers. When the When the moving labeled cable 2 enters the heat tunnel, the heat is controlled specifically for shrinking the label 1 in a specified way without damaging the text on the label 1. Independent of how large and bold any text displayed on the label 1 is, the label 1 will not absorb too much heat to damage the label 1. The heat is controllable for different sizes of labeled cable 2.
A release system with a specified range of opening causes the labeling and wrapping mechanisms to part or move away from the moving cable 2. This is to eliminate damage to the labeling and wrapping mechanisms when damaged, frayed, stringy, etc. sections of cable arrive at the labeling wrapping mechanism.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments as may be desired. It is therefore, contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations can be implemented to implement the desired features of the present invention. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein can be applied to the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.
Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.
Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one”, “one or more” or the like; and adjectives such as “conventional”, “traditional”, “normal”, “standard”, “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.
A group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.
The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more”, “at least”, “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in a single package or separately maintained and can further be distributed across multiple locations.
Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/998,883, filed Aug. 20, 2020, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,498,715 on Nov. 15, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/125,623, filed Sep. 7, 2018, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,759,558, issued Sep. 1, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/037,840, filed Jul. 17, 2018, now abandoned, which is a continuation of 15/251,784, filed Aug. 30, 2016, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,046,879 on Aug. 14, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/537,752, filed Nov. 10, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,452,856 on Sep. 27, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/162,557, filed Jun. 16, 2011, now issued as 8,905,108 on Dec. 9, 2014, which claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/133,355, filed Jun. 4, 2008, now abandoned, which claims priority benefit from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/941,737, filed on Jun. 4, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/970,510, filed Sep. 6, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/985,643, filed on Nov. 5, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/985,978, filed on Nov. 6, 2007; and from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/020,392 filed on Jan. 10, 2008. The disclosures of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference in the respective entirety of each.
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| 61020392 | Jan 2008 | US | |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12133355 | Jun 2008 | US |
| Child | 13162557 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16998883 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Child | 17962319 | US | |
| Parent | 16125623 | Sep 2018 | US |
| Child | 16998883 | US | |
| Parent | 16037840 | Jul 2018 | US |
| Child | 16125623 | US | |
| Parent | 15251784 | Aug 2016 | US |
| Child | 16037840 | US | |
| Parent | 14537752 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Child | 15251784 | US | |
| Parent | 13162557 | Jun 2011 | US |
| Child | 14537752 | US |
