Labeling device for containers

Abstract

A labeling device includes a container transporter that conveys the containers along a conveyor path and a first conveyor that runs between the return-stations. The labeling stations are arranged along the conveyor path between the return-stations. The frame's frame ends lie at opposite ends of a longitudinal axis. Attachment-sections associated with the frame ends attach to respective return stations, with at least one of them permitting attachment of a return-station at multiple positions along the axis. These attach to the mounts, which have continuous mounting-elements extending between the return-stations along the longitudinal axis. The mounts enable mounting a labeling station in any position between the return-stations using an attachment element that is complementary to the mounts and with which the labeling stations are equipped.

Claims

1. A labeling device for labeling containers, said labeling device comprising a conveyor for the containers, the conveyor having at least one deflectable endless elongate conveyor element that runs between at least two return stations and that comprises holding elements for the containers, wherein said labeling device comprises an inlet/outlet region for the feeding and discharging of containers to and from the conveyor, with at least one labeling station being arranged along the conveyor path of the conveyor element between two of the return stations, an elongate frame that comprises, in a region of its two ends, attachment sections for the at least two return stations, wherein at least one attachment section allows an attachment of the associated return station in multiple positions along the longitudinal axis of the frame, wherein the frame comprises mounting devices for the attachment of at least two labeling stations, wherein the mounting devices are configured as at least one continuous mounting element that extends between the return stations in the longitudinal direction of the frame and that allows mounting in any desired position between the return stations by way of attachment elements that are complementary to the mounting element, and wherein the device comprises different container treatment stations having attachment elements that are complementary to the mounting element.

2. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein the conveyor element is adjustable in length and the distance between at least two of the return stations of the conveyor is adjustable.

3. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least two frame parts arranged one after the other longitudinally, and wherein the frame parts are at least one of variable in number and adjustable relative to one another.

4. The labeling device of claim 3, wherein at least two of the frame parts each carry at least one return station.

5. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein the inlet/outlet region comprises an inlet/outlet device that is configured as an inlet/outlet star.

6. The labeling device of claim 5, wherein the inlet/outlet device is arranged in the region of a return station.

7. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the return stations is driven.

8. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of labeling stations is arranged along the conveyor element between the return stations.

9. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein each return station comprises at least one guide wheel that engages with the conveyor element.

10. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein the holding elements comprise head and/or foot elements for holding the head and/or foot region of containers.

11. The labeling device of claim 10, wherein a vertical position of the head and/or foot elements is adjustable.

12. The labeling device of claim 10, wherein head and/or foot elements are held detachably on the conveyor element.

13. The labeling device of any of claim 10, wherein a head element is configured as a combination head element that comprises a neck handling gripper and a centering tulip, wherein said combination head element is held adjustably and rotatably on the conveyor element so as to enable at least one of the neck handling gripper and the centering tulip to engage with the transported containers.

14. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein at least one labeling station is configured as a hot-melt adhesive labeling station that is arranged in a peripheral region of a return station.

15. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one labeling station comprises one or a plurality of the following labeling stations arranged in the region of the conveyor element: cold-melt adhesive labeling stations, hot-melt adhesive labeling stations, printing stations, inspection stations, monitoring cameras, and aligning units.

16. The labeling device of claim 1, further comprising guide devices that control the position of the conveyor element in the horizontal plane transverse to the conveyor direction, the guide devices being arranged in the path of the conveyor element between the return stations.

17. The labeling device of claim 1, further comprising an additional conveyor arranged vertically above the first conveyor, wherein the additional conveyor element is an upper conveyor element that carries head elements that grip the containers in their upper region, and wherein the conveyor is a lower conveyor element that carries foot elements that support the containers in their lower region.

18. The labeling device of claim 17, wherein a vertical distance between head elements and foot elements is adjustable.

19. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of labeling stations is arranged inside counter-rotating conveyor element sections of the conveyor element.

20. The labeling device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of labeling stations is arranged on the outsides of counter-rotating conveyor element sections of the conveyor element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the schematic drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a a rotary labeling machine,

(3) FIGS. 2-5 embodiments of a linear labeling device,

(4) FIG. 6 shows a labeling device having labeling stations arranged on both sides of a conveyor,

(5) FIG. 7 showspart of an endless conveyor having heads for holding bottles with integrated container rotating and swiveling drives,

(6) FIG. 8 shows part of two conveyors arranged one above the other having heads as well as feet for rotating and holding bottles,

(7) FIG. 9 shows a part of a conveyor having a combination head that contains a centering tulip as well as a neck-handling gripper, and

(8) FIG. 10 shows a diagonally running conveyor.

(9) Parts that are identical or that have the same function are indicated by identical reference signs in all the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 shows a rotary labeling device 10 comprising a rotating conveyor wheel 12 on the periphery of which containers 14 are held in vertical position in holders. The containers 14 are fed to conveyor wheel 12 from a feeder belt 18 via an inlet star 16. The labeled containers are transferred from the conveyor wheel 12 to a discharge belt 20 via an outlet star 19.

(11) In this example, three labeling stations 22a, 22b, 22c are arranged around the periphery of conveyor wheel 12 so that it is possible to achieve a certain throughput that ultimately depends on the treatment length available behind each labeling station 22a, 22b, 22c. Each labeling station 22a, 22b, 22c can be configured as a hot-melt, a cold-melt adhesive labeling station, or as a printing station that applies text or images directly onto the bottle.

(12) A disadvantage of the device shown in FIG. 1 is that its throughput is limited. In the event of a product changeover, a larger conveyor wheel 12 must be used. This usually requires a completely new installation. Moreover, since the conveyor wheel's footprint depends on the square of its diameter, increasing the wheel's diameter will disproportionately increase its footprint. This will then require a re-arrangement of all essential components of the labeling device, for example of all the labeling stations.

(13) FIG. 2 shows an alternative labeling device 30 having a container transporter 31 that includes a flexible endless-conveyor 32 circulating between first and second return-stations 34, 36 thereof. The holders for the containers 14 are arranged at equal distances on the conveyor 32. Examples of a conveyor 32 include a conveyor chain, a link belt, or segmented-conveyor belt.

(14) The first and second return-stations 34, 36 have circular guide wheels over which the conveyor 32 runs. Preferably, at least one of the first and second return-stations 34, 36 is driven.

(15) An inlet star 16 and an outlet star 19 are arranged near each other in a region of the second return-station 36. The inlet star feeds containers 14 from a feeder belt 18. The outlet star 19 transfers containers to a discharge belt 20.

(16) The conveyor 32 has a left and right linear-sections 38, 40. The left linear-section 38 runs to the left of the first and second return-stations 34, 36. The right linear-section 40 runs to the right of the first and second return-stations 34, 36. The left and right linear-sections 38, 40 move in opposite directions. Although the whole container transporter 31 takes up comparatively little space, a total of four labeling stations 22a-22d are arranged next to the left and right linear-sections 38, 40. Although the left and right linear-sections 38, 40 are shown running in one direction, this can be reversed.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a labeling device 50 that is configured very much like the labeling device 30 in FIG. 2. Unlike the labeling device 30 of FIG. 2, the feeder belt 18 forms the inlet device and the discharge belt 20 forms the outlet device, with neither of them being necessarily part of the labeling device 50. Guides located in the inlet and outlet regions of the second return-station 36 promote transfer between the feeder and discharge belts 18, 20 and the container transporter 31.

(18) FIGS. 4 and 5 show a third embodiment 60 of a labeling device. In this third embodiment 60, a frame 62 holds the first and second return-stations 34, 36. This frame 62 comprises outer frame-parts 64 and inner frame-parts 66 that are axially connected to the outer frame-parts 64. The outer frame-parts 64 each carry a return-station 34, 36. The inner frame-parts 66 hold the two outer frame-parts 64 at a defined distance. In FIG. 4, the labeling device 60 has two inner frame-parts 66. In FIG. 5, the labeling device 60 has three inner frame-parts 66. This makes the overall frame 62 in FIG. 5 longer.

(19) An endless conveyor 68 of the labeling device 60 has an adjustable length. In some embodiments, the conveyor 68 is a link chain, in which case length adjustment involves adding and removing links. The ability to add or remove links permits the endless conveyor 68 to match the different lengths of the frames shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The embodiment of the labeling device 60 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 can thus be easily adjusted to a desired size in this way.

(20) It is also possible to adjust the length of the conveyor in the devices depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is also possible, in lieu of adjusting a belt length, to simply use a new conveyor that is longer or shorter. Although this is more difficult than inserting or removing links, it is still a mere fraction of the effort needed to change the diameter of a rotating conveyor.

(21) FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment 70 of a labeling device in which the labeling stations are arranged not only on the outside of the first and second linear-sections 38, 40 of the conveyor 32 but also between them. In this way more labeling stations, in the present case eight labeling stations 20a-20h, can be arranged within a given length of the labeling device. In this embodiment it is an advantage if the first and second return-stations 72, 74 have a somewhat greater radius than in the previous embodiments in which labeling stations 22a-22d are only arranged outside the conveyor 32. This greater radius results in a small increase in the overall width of the labeling device.

(22) In the embodiment of FIG. 6, it is preferable that the labeling stations located within the inner region be those that require minimal intervention by operator personnel. Accordingly it is particularly advantageous that printing, aligning, dating, or inspection systems be arranged within the inner region.

(23) FIG. 7 shows a section of an upper endless-conveyor 80 that is configured as a segmented conveyor having a plurality of segments 84 connected to one another such that they are able to swivel. A neck-handling gripper 82 that suspends a bottle-shaped container 14 by its neck is mounted on each segment 84 as a holder. A rotary drive holds each neck-handling gripper 82 on its associated segment 84 such that the neck-handling gripper 82 can rotate. In this embodiment of a conveyor 80, the bottles are conveyed suspended.

(24) FIG. 8 shows a conveyor 90 having an upper segmented-conveyor 92 and a lower segmented-conveyor 94, each of which has segments arranged one above the other. Each segment 84 of the upper segmented-conveyor 92 contains, as holders, centering tulips 96 for the centering of the top of a bottle 14.

(25) Meanwhile, each segment 84 of the lower segmented-conveyor 94 comprises, as its holder, a round base 98 with a motorized rotary drive. Since the upper segmented-conveyor 92 and the lower segmented-conveyor 94 are driven together by the first and second return-stations 34, 36, they move synchronously with one another. This means that the bottles 14 remain vertical in every conveyor position. To withdraw or feed the bottles 14, one simply increase the distance between the centering tulips 96 and the round bases 98. This is carried out using guide baffles that engage with the corresponding holders 96, 98 or with the actual upper and lower segmented-conveyors 92, 94.

(26) FIG. 9 shows part of a link 102 of a conveyor 100 in which the links 102 are interconnected by vertically running swivel links. Each link 102 of the conveyor 100 contains a mounting 104 in which a rotary drive is arranged and in which a shaft 106 is mounted so that it can swivel about a horizontal axis, preferably by 180°. The shaft 106 and the mounting 104 together form the support section of a combination head 103. On one side of the shaft 106 and at right angles to its axis of rotation is a centering tulip 108. On the opposite side of the shaft 106 is a neck-handling gripper 110.

(27) By actuating the rotary drive in the mounting 104, the shaft 106 can be turned so that either the neck-handling gripper 110 points down, as shown in FIG. 9, or the centering tulip 108 points down. The centering tulip 108 can also be driven to rotate about its own axis by its motorized drive.

(28) A locking screw 112 releases the shaft 106 to allow a replacement shaft or another head to be mounted. The locking screw 112 is preferably arranged in the mounting 104. Using the depicted combination head 103, it is possible to convey a bottles while holding it at the top, in which case the bottle is suspended, or by centering at the top and supporting it from below on a round base of a foot.

(29) FIG. 10 shows the possible configuration of a further embodiment 120 of a labeling device having conveying sections that run at different angles relative to each other. For clarity, the labeling stations themselves have been omitted.

(30) Unlike the previously depicted container transporter 31, which runs linearly, the conveyor 32 of FIG. 10 runs between the first and second return-stations 34, 36 via guides 122. The conveyor 32 thus comprises a first linear-section 124 that is inclined relative to a second linear-section 126 by any desired angle. A suitable range of angles is from 0-120°. This configuration is useful when there is not enough space to accommodate a purely linear labeling device.

(31) It has so far been generally assumed that the first and second return-stations 34, 36; 72, 74 are configured as star wheels that both guide and mechanically drive the conveyor 32. However, the first and second return-stations 34, 36; 72, 74 can also be executed in other ways.

(32) For example, the first and second return-stations 34, 36; 72, 74 can be implemented as rigid guide tracks that do not circulate but that only guide the conveyor 32. In such an embodiment, separate drive motors that are arranged inside the device guide the conveyor 32.

(33) Using an apparatus as described herein considerably reduces the space required by labeling machines that have a plurality of labeling stations. This makes it possible to provide complete and set-up labeling stations for a plurality of different labeling decorations at a labeling machine, in turn making it possible to change over from one container decoration to another container decoration without any set-up time, or at least with a significantly reduced set-up time.