Patent Application
20110139360
The present invention relates to apparatus for producing adhesive-backed labels, and more particularly, to a system and method for dispensing application ready/lined labels including a re-lining station facilitating the fabrication of lined labels
Conventional apparatus for producing and dispensing adhesive-backed labels include: (i) a device for printing information/symbology on the face of a label supply, i.e., a web/spool of a label face/liner material, and (ii) a cutting apparatus for stripping the label face/liner material from the web/spool i.e., to produce a single adhesive-backed/lined label. While some of the label producing apparatus provide a stack of individually-printed labels ready for an operator to remove the liner (also referred to as the “backing material”), other label fabrication systems (oftentimes including a device known as “peeler bar”) automatically separate the face material from the liner to provide an application-ready label. With regard to the former, it will be appreciated that the stack of labels facilitates application thereof at a subsequent time or at a remote location, i.e., not within the immediate vicinity of the label producing apparatus. However, the operator is tasked with removing the adhesive backed label from the liner at the time of application which can be a laborious/costly operation. With respect to the former, it will be appreciated that the automated system for stripping the adhesive-backed label face from the liner can be complex, and does not provide the operator with the option of applying the label at a remote location. That is, an operator must apply individual labels immediately upon label dispensation.
Mailing machines are devices which may include a label fabrication and/or dispensing system for the purpose of applying postage to mailpiece envelopes. These machines often include an option to print and dispense postage indicia/franking symbology either; (i) directly on the face of a mailpiece envelope, or (ii) on an adhesive-backed label which can, thereafter, be applied to the mailpiece envelope. With respect to the latter, the option to print a postage indicia/franking label is often selected when the surface contour of the mailpiece envelope is irregular and printing directly on the face may result in a distorted image. Examples include envelopes having irregularly shaped content material, or those including a liner or layer to protect fragile content material (“bubble-wrap” protection).
These options are accommodated by a print station having at least one print head which is moveable, along rails or guides, from one feed path to another. In one operating mode, the print head is positioned in the feed path of a sealed/completed envelope to print on the face of the envelope, and, in another operating mode, the print head is positioned directly over the feed path of a supply/spool of label face/liner material. Once printed, the label is cut, accumulated and/or dispensed in one of two operating modes. In one operating mode, the label dispensing system produces application ready labels, and in another operating mode, the system produces a plurality of lined labels.
Label dispensing systems may receive a supply of label material which is pre-cut, i.e., a supply which includes a plurality of kiss-cuts between each printed label (a cut through the face material without severing the carrying liner material), or a label supply which is un-cut. When the supply is un-cut, the label dispensing system includes a cutting apparatus to produce the necessary kiss-cuts such that labels of variable length may be produced. While label dispensing systems capable of producing a kiss-cut provide greater flexibility with respect to the size of labels produced/dispensed, the cutting apparatus must be remain highly accurate and reliable, over multiple cutting cycles, to prevent severing the liner material. That is, the cutting apparatus must be manufactured to high tolerances and perform reliably over many usage cycles. Accordingly, these cutting apparatus add significant cost to the label dispensing system and/or may adversely impact the function of the label dispensing system, i.e., when the cutting apparatus severs the liner material such that an operator must re-thread the label supply through the various rollers of the label dispensing system.
In addition to the various shortcomings associated with conventional label fabrication/dispensing systems, mailing machines introduce the added complexity of printing currency on the labels which are fabricated. That is, inasmuch as the label fabrication systems commonly associated with mailing machines print currency, these systems must be highly reliable to prevent the operator from incurring additional cost as a result of a torn or damaged postage indica/franking label. It will be appreciated that, once debited from the vault of the mailing machine, a damaged or improperly printed/dispensed postage label cannot be easily/immediately credited without being validated by an authorized source, e.g., a Postal Authority.
A need, therefore, exists for a system and method for fabricating/dispensing adhesive-backed postage labels which (i) accommodates multiple operating modes, i.e., application ready and lined postage labels, (ii) produces postage labels of variable length, (iii) eliminates cutting apparatus required to produce kiss-cuts, and (iv) minimizes complexity for added reliability.
A postage label dispensing system Is provided for dispensing adhesive-backed postage labels comprising (i) a means for stripping the adhesive-backed face material from the liner material of a label material, (ii) a first cutting apparatus, downstream of the stripping means, for cutting the face material to a desired length and producing an adhesive backed postage label having a postage indicia printed thereon, (iii) a means for attaching re-lining material to the adhesive backed postage label (iv) a second cutting apparatus, downstream of the lining means, for cutting the re-lining material to dispense at least one lined postage label, and (v) a processor for controlling the operation of the first and second cutting apparatus. A deflector guide is disposed between the stripping and re-lining means and is re-positionable to engage and disengage the adhesive backed postage labels produced by the upstream means. In the engaged position, the postage labels are directed to the re-lining station and dispensed as a lined label. In the disengaged position, the postage labels are dispensed as application ready labels.
Further details of the present invention are provided in the accompanying drawings, detailed description, and claims.
a is a side schematic view of, the label dispensing system wherein a deflector guide is shown in a first position operative to divert liner material to a take-up reeling mechanism during initial set-up of the label dispensing system.
b is a side schematic view of the label dispensing system wherein a conveyance system reels the label material inwardly in preparation for printing an application ready/lined label.
c is an enlarged view of the deflector guide shown in an engaged position (shown solid lines) to divert adhesive backed face material toward the re-lining station of the label dispensing system and, in a disengaged position, to dispense application ready postage labels.
A system for dispensing and/or fabricating adhesive-backed labels is described herein. The invention is described in the context of a system for dispensing printed labels, a module for dispensing printed labels, and a system for fabricating and dispensing postage labels. The inventive teachings are also described in the context of a mailing machine for printing postage indicia/franking labels, although, it should be appreciated that any label producing and/or dispensing apparatus may be employed. A mailing machine merely provides an illustrative example of one embodiment of the invention, and should not be considered limiting when interpreting the meaning and/or scope of the appended claims.
The mailing machine 10 and label dispensing system 20 of the present invention include a processor 24 which receives operator input through a conventional input device 26, e.g., a touch screen display, keyboard, etc., to control the various operations of the mailing machine 10 and label dispensing system 20. With regard to the mailing machine 10, these inputs may include information regarding the type of mailpieces being processed, their weight, (if the machine is not equipped with a scale, or weigh-on-the-way system), print resolution, vault information, encryption/security inputs, network information, etc. In addition to these inputs, the mailing machine 10 of the present invention includes an option to print postage indicia and/or franking symbology either: (i) on the face of the mailpiece envelope 16, or (ii) on the face of the postage label 22. This is achieved by mounting at least one of the print heads 28 on a moveable carriage 30/rail system 32 which extends orthogonally across the feed path FPE of the processed mailpiece envelope 16 or, the feed path FPS of a web/spool 36 of label material 38. More specifically, the processor 24 is operatively coupled to an actuator (not shown) in the print station 12 to reposition at least one of the print heads 28 along one of the feed paths FPE, FPS depending upon the option selected by the operator. In a first position P1 (shown in phantom lines), the print heads 28 are disposed across the feed path of finished mailpieces and print postage indicia directly on the face of the mailpiece envelope 16. In a second position P2, (shown in solid lines), the print heads 28 are positioned across the feed path FPS of the web/spool supply 36 to print the postage indicia on the face of the label material 38.
While not shown in the schematic illustrations, each feed path FPE, FPS includes a transport system for conveying the finished envelope 16 or supply of label material 38. An envelop transport system may include a series of rollers along an envelope transport deck 42 of the mailing machine 10 for conveying the finished mailpiece through the print station 12 to the stacking tray 14. Similarly, a label material transport system may include rollers (not shown) to pay-out/reel-in the label material 38 along a label transport deck 44 through the print station 12 to the label dispensing system 20.
Before discussing the operation of the label dispensing system 20, it will be useful to provide a brief description of the various components and their arrangement within the mailing machine 10. In the described embodiment and referring to
In
The label stripping station 50 includes a means 52 for stripping the adhesive backed face material 46 from the liner material 48, and a first cutting apparatus 54, downstream of the stripping means 52, for cutting the face material 46 to a desired length. In one operating mode, the adhesive-backed face material 46 is cut and disposed through one dispensing outlet D1 as an application ready label 22R. The application ready label 22R is dispensed through a pair of exit rollers 56 including a point contact roller 56PC opposing the adhesive backing of the postage label 22R to prevent the adhesive backing from adhering to the label 22R as it passes through the nip N2 of the rollers 56PC. In the other operating mode, the adhesive-backed face material 46 is diverted to the downstream label lining station 80 to re-line the face material 46 for dispensing one or more lined labels 22L through another dispensing outlet D2.
The means 52 for stripping the adhesive backed face material 46 from the liner material 48 includes a peeler bar 60 disposed between a first and second pair of rollers 62, 64 for bi-directionally displacing the label material 38 around the peeler bar 60. The first and second roller pairs 62, 64 are each driven by at least one drive motor M62 and M64 respectively, which are electrically coupled to, and controlled by, the processor 24 of the label dispensing system 20. The peeler bar 60 effects an abrupt directional change in the feed path FP of the label material 38 such that as the liner material 48 is pulled across, i.e., frictionally engages, the peeler bar 60, and the adhesive backed face material 46 separates from the liner material 48. That is, the adhesive backed face material 46 is sufficiently stiff and the adhesion sufficiently low to cause the face material 46 to separate from the liner material 48 as the liner material 48 is pulled taut around the peeler bar 60 and collected by a reeling mechanism 66. In the described embodiment, the reeling mechanism 66 is disposed downstream of the second pair of rollers 64, and, a motor M66, drives the reeling mechanism 66 for collecting liner material 48 as it separates from the face material 46.
The first cutting apparatus 54 cuts an application ready label 22R to a desired length, in one operating mode, and adhesive-backed face material 46P in another operating mode. The length of either postage label 22R, or face material 46P is determined by monitoring the position of the leading edge, via a sensing device 70 disposed upstream of the label stripping station 50 and, in the described embodiment, immediately downstream of the print station 12. By monitoring the position of the leading edge together with information concerning the length of each printed label 22, the location of the trailing edge can be determined. More specifically, the processor 24 receives location data from the sensing device 70 to determine the position of the leading edge 22LE. This data, in combination with information acquired from the print station 12, i.e., regarding the length of the printed postage indicia IN, may be used to sever the face material 46 immediately downstream of the printed indicia, i.e., the trailing edge 22TE of the printed indicia IN, whether the printed label 22 is dispensed as an application ready label 22R or as printed face material 46P in preparation for receipt of re-liner material 48R at the re-lining station 80.
The downstream re-lining station 80 includes a means 82 for attaching re-lining material to the adhesive-backing of the printed face material 46P, and a second cutting apparatus 84, downstream of the lining means 82, for cutting the re-lining material 48R and dispensing at least one lined postage label 22L. While the re-lining station 80 may line a single postage label 22L, the re-lining station 80 will generally be used to dispense a plurality of lined labels 22L as a strip or length of lined labels 22L. These lined labels 22L may be applied to mailpieces at a later time and/or at a remote location.
More specifically, the means 82 for attaching re-lining material includes a supply of re-liner material 48R, and a third pair of rollers 86 defining a nip N2 for joining/combining the adhesive-backed material 46P dispersed/produced by the upstream stripping station 50. In the described embodiment, the re-liner material 48R is drawn through a fourth pair of rollers 92 and directed upwardly through a pair of guide members 94a, 94b. The upper and lower guide members 94a, 94b re-direct the re-liner material 48R from a direction having a vertical component to one having a predominately horizontal component, i.e., re-directing the re-liner material 48R to one having a substantially horizontal orientation. In the described embodiment, once the guide members 94a, 94b have re-directed the re-liner material 48R, i.e., to a substantially horizontal direction, the upper guide member 94a terminates prior to the lower guide member 94b, i.e., prior to reaching the nip N2 of the rollers 86. This arrangement allows the adhesive backing of the face material 46P to be joined with the re-liner material 48R upon entering the nip N2 of the rollers 86. The re-liner material 48R may be drawn through the rollers 86, 92 by motors M86 and M92, respectively. In the described embodiment, the supply of re-liner material 48R is provided by a reeling mechanism 96 disposed beneath the guide members 94a, 94b.
In
More specifically, and referring to
In
In
In
In summary, the system for dispensing labels operates in at least two operating modes to dispense printed labels 22R in a condition ready for application, and lined labels 22L which may be used at any time or at any location produced. A first mode of operation dispenses application ready labels for immediate application. In another operating mode. In another operating mode lined labels 22L are dispensed as a stream of tandemly arranged printed labels 22L or stacked for use at a subsequent time or at a remote location. The requirement for kiss-cuts, i.e., a highly accurate cut through the depth of the face material, are eliminated by re-lining station 80 disposed downstream of a stripping station 50. The ability to produce gaps between consecutive labels 22 facilitates removal and application of each lined label 22L
It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the specific embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. The illustrations merely show the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention, and which is susceptible to such changes as may be obvious to one skilled in the art. The invention is intended to cover all such variations, modifications and equivalents thereof as may be deemed to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.
