Method for applying at least one enclosing element to a flat product composition, and enclosing element applying device for carrying out the method

Abstract

A method for applying at least one enclosing element to a flat product composition wherein the enclosing element is subsequently applied around a selected edge of the product composition in a perpendicular manner with respect to said edge so as to rest against the product composition. A reliable operation that is independent of the type of enclosing element is achieved in that the selected edge of the product composition is moved forward along a transporting path, the enclosing element is held ready at a specified point of the transporting path so as to intersect the transporting path, the selected edge of the product composition is moved past the specified point, and at the same time the selected edge drives the enclosing element that is held ready.

Claims

1. An enclosing element application device for performing a method for applying at least one enclosing element comprising an individual element made from paper, to a sheet-like product assortment comprising multiple products, including printed products or advertising material, comprising a transportation device for transporting the sheet-like product assortment that defines a transportation path running through an application unit, wherein the application unit is equipped with means for holding ready for use an enclosing element to be applied, comprising an individual element made from paper, at a predetermined point of the transportation path in a position where it crosses the transportation path, wherein stop means are provided, spaced apart on both sides of the transportation path, against which lies the enclosing element to be applied across the transportation path, and is supported in the direction of transportation in such a way that product assortments transported on the transportation path can be moved between the stop means, carrying enclosing elements along with them; and wherein the application unit is equipped with pressure means for pressing the carried-along enclosing element against side faces of a product assortment situated parallel to the transportation path, and arranged behind the stop means in the direction of transportation, wherein the pressure means comprise an upper pressure brush and a lower pressure brush arranged essentially parallel to each other and parallel to the transportation path extending parallel to the transportation path, one above the other at a distance such that the ends of their bristles meet at the level of the transportation path, and that a product assortment transported on the transportation path through the application unit can be moved through between the upper pressure brush and the lower pressure brush.

2. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carried-along enclosing element is printed or is provided with an information carrier selected from the group consisting of magnetic strips and wirelessly readable data storage systems.

3. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carried-along enclosing element is made from a single- or multi-layer paper.

4. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one side of the carried-along enclosing element is provided with an adhesive layer which faces an advanced product assortment during the application process.

5. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper pressure brush of the pressure means of the application unit has long, soft bristles that are bent when a product assortment passes through in the direction of movement and cling to the product assortment as it passes through.

6. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower pressure brush of the pressure means of the application unit has short, hard bristles, having ends which form a portion of the continuous transportation path.

7. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper pressure brush of the pressure means of the application unit has long, soft bristles that are bent when a product assortment passes through in the direction of movement and cling to the product assortment as it passes through, and the lower pressure brush of the pressure means of the application unit has short, hard bristles, having ends which form a portion of the continuous transportation path.

8. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosing elements take a form of pieces of strip, and wherein the means for holding ready for use an enclosing element in the form of a piece of strip to be applied comprise means for holding a strip ready for use, comprising a feed unit with at least one driven roller against which the strip lies, and means for cutting off the piece of strip to be applied from the provided strip.

9. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means for holding ready for use an enclosing element in the form of a piece of strip comprise a gas or air nozzle for aligning and applying the piece of strip against the stop means, said gas or air nozzle being able to generate a gas or air jet directed obliquely upward in the direction of transportation.

10. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means for cutting off the piece of strip to be applied from the provided strip comprise a blade situated at a distance from and parallel to the transportation path and having a cutting edge pointing in the opposite direction to the direction of transportation.

11. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for holding ready for use an enclosing element in the form of a piece of strip comprise a gas or air nozzle for aligning and applying the piece of strip against the stop means, said gas or air nozzle being able to generate a gas or air jet directed obliquely upward in the direction of transportation.

12. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosing elements take the form of individual elements, in particular self-adhesive labels, and wherein the means for holding ready for use an enclosing element in the form of an individual element to be applied comprise means for advancing a carrier tape provided with individual elements, and means for removing or peeling off the individual element to be applied from the carrier tape.

13. The enclosing element application device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for holding ready for use an enclosing element in the form of an individual element to be applied comprise a gas or air nozzle for aligning and applying the individual element against the stop means, said gas or air nozzle being able to generate a gas or air jet directed obliquely upward in the direction of transportation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows several schematic part figures (FIGS. 1A-D) of different steps in a method for applying a piece of strip to a sheet-like product assortment according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective side view of an application unit, suitable for the method according to the invention, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the application unit from FIG. 2, viewed from the side;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a view, similar to FIG. 1, of an application unit in which the strip is fed between two rollers rotating in opposite directions, counter to the direction of transportation;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a view similar to FIG. 4 of an application unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which individual elements, in particular labels, are removed from an advanced carrier tape and are provided so that they can be carried along; and

(7) FIGS. 5A-B show a view from above of two exemplary embodiments for a carrier tape with labels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows several schematic part figures (FIGS. 1A-D) of different steps in a method for applying an enclosing element in the form of a piece of strip to a sheet-like product assortment comprising multiple products according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. An enclosing element is here generally understood to mean an element that can enclose the product assortment from one side.

(9) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an enclosing element application device in the form of a strip application device 10 that comprises a transportation device or transportation path 12 that runs, for example, horizontally and on which product assortments 11a, 11b lie and are transported in sequence through an application unit 30 indicated by a square in dashed lines. In the application unit 30, the product assortments 11a, 11b delivered on the transportation path 12 are provided one after the other at their front edge 31 with a piece of strip 14a that is laid around the edge 31, perpendicular to the edge 31, and lies, in particular adhesively, against the upper and lower side face of the product assortments 11a, 11b (FIG. 1D). Consequently, products situated inside the product assortments 11a, 11b also adhere with one edge to the pieces of strip and are thus fixed inside the product assortment.

(10) The application unit 30 contains two pressure brushes 17a and 17b that are arranged essentially parallel to each other and parallel to the transportation path 12, one above the other at a distance such that, for example, the ends of their bristles meet at the level of the transportation path 12, and that a product assortment 11a,b transported on the transportation path 12 through the application unit 30 can be moved through between the upper pressure brush 17a and the lower pressure brush 17b.

(11) In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the upper pressure brush 17a has long, soft bristles that are oriented perpendicular to the direction of transportation when not in operation and bend in the direction of transportation when a product assortment 11a,b moves through, and lie against or cling to the product assortment 11a,b, and thus can compensate for different thicknesses of the product assortments 11a,b without the need to make any other adjustments to the system. In the example, the lower pressure brush 17b has short, hard bristles that are inclined forward slightly in the direction of transportation, carry the product assortment 11a,b as it is moved past without any appreciable deformation, and so form a perfectly level portion of the transportation path 12.

(12) In this way, the pressure brushes 17a,b ensure that the piece of strip 14a to be applied lies closely against the product assortment 11a,b and at the same time is applied tightly to the rear of the product assortment 11a,b.

(13) In the example, the upper pressure brush 17a has another important function too: its edge that is to the rear in the direction of transportation serves, together with a blade 15 arranged underneath with a cutting edge at the same height vertically, as a stop means for the piece of strip 14a to be applied. As can be seen in FIG. 1B, the strip 14 from which the piece of strip 14a is cut off assumes a position perpendicular to the transportation path 12 by lying against the front edge of the upper pressure brush 17a and the cutting edge of the blade 15. In contrast, the lower pressure brush 17b is set back somewhat in the direction of transportation and does not perform the role of a stop means.

(14) This dual function of the upper pressure brush 17a is advantageous for the operational safety of the device. As soon as a product assortment 11a with its front edge 31 reaches and carries along the strip 14 lying against the upper pressure brush 17a and the blade 15 and crossing the transportation path 12, said strip is pressed against the top of the product assortment 11a and is applied tightly backward, counter to the direction of transportation (FIG. 1C). In this way, on the one hand the strip 14 or piece of strip 14a is applied reliably and with no creases to the product assortment 11a. This is particularly important when a strip provided with an adhesive layer, or an adhesive tape, is applied. On the other hand, the strip 14 is tensioned, which makes it easier to cut off the piece of strip 14a from the strip 14 at the blade 15.

(15) In order to advance the strip 14 and make it lie vertically against the upper pressure brush 17a and the blade 15, a feed unit 13 is provided that has been symbolized in a simplified fashion by a circle in FIG. 1. The feed unit 13 feeds the strip 14, which is for example unreeled from a supply roller (not shown), via two driven rollers rotating in the same direction (26, 27 in FIG. 2) beneath the blade 15, continuously and at a constant speed, counter to the direction of transportation, parallel to the transportation path 12 (FIG. 1A). The feed unit 13 is here designed such that the fed strip 14 is slightly curved transversely, which stabilizes the (freely) guided fed strip 14 in the direction of feed. The feeding speed here is matched to the speed of transportation of the product assortments 11a,b on the transportation path 12 in such a way that the feed unit 13 that feeds the strip 14 at a speed of feeding can always introduce a piece of strip 14a of predetermined length precisely into each gap between two successive product assortments 11a,b. The speed of feeding is here generally lower than the speed of transportation. In particular, the speed of feeding is continuous and preferably constant.

(16) In order to make the strip 14 fed beneath the blade 15 from below nonparallel to the direction of transportation lie against the blade edge and the upper pressure brush 17a, at least one gas or air nozzle 16b is provided that generates an air jet that is directed obliquely upward in the direction of transportation (FIG. 1B), bends the strip 14 around the cutting edge of the blade 15, and lies against the front side of the upper pressure brush 17a. The change in direction of the strip 14 caused by the air jet is influenced by the blade 15 that, as already mentioned above, is arranged essentially parallel to the pressure brushes 17a,b below the lower pressure brush 17b in such a way that a piece of strip 14a is cut off from the strip 14 when the strip 14 is pulled between the pressure brushes 17a,b (FIG. 1B ->FIG. 1C) by the product assortment 11a. While according to FIG. 1D the product assortment 11a is transported through between the brushes 17a,b with the piece of strip 14a lying around the front edge, the feed unit 13 feeds the strip 14 continuously counter to the direction of transportation until the next piece of strip is available again in the next gap between the product assortments 11a and 11b.

(17) To assist the feeding of the strip 14 that is effected nonparallel to the direction of transportation, a pneumatic working guide device 16a is arranged beneath the blade 15, and a reduced pressure is generated on the underside of said device that is oriented parallel to the direction of transportation, said reduced pressure pulling the fed strip 14 toward the underside. The reduced pressure can be generated, for example, by an internal pressure duct with a Venturi nozzle or the like.

(18) An application unit 30, in which only the upper pressure brush 17a has been omitted from FIG. 1 to simplify matters, is shown by way of example in FIGS. 2 and 3 in a perspective side view from different viewpoints. The application unit 30 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is mounted on a central support profile 18. Two parallel mounting plates 19 and 20 are fastened to opposite sides of the support profile 18. A driveshaft 25 is rotatably mounted in the two mounting plates 19, 20 and carries at one end, on the outside of the mounting plate 20, a drive wheel 24 that is fixed in rotation and is designed to engage with a driving toothed belt. At the other end, on the outside of the mounting plate 19, the driveshaft carries a transportation roller 26 that forms the feed unit 13 in combination with a counter-roller 27 that acts as a peel-off roller. The directions of rotation of the transportation roller 26 and counter-roller 27 are synchronized with each other via a gear drive in such a way that they have the same direction of rotation (see rotation arrows in FIG. 1). The two rollers 26 and 27 are each constructed from spaced-apart disks with a knurled circumferential surface and a diameter and position along the shaft that are selected such that the two rollers engage with each other reciprocally by way of their disks. The counter-roller 27 thus peels off the strip lying on the transportation roller 26 from this roller. The structure of individual disks and the knurling of the outer surfaces prevents the risk of sticking when the strip 14 is provided on the side facing the rollers 26, 27 with an adhesive layer.

(19) A two-part blade holder 21, in which a blade 15 is clamped and which carries the lower pressure brush 17b (shown in simplified fashion as a block) on its top, is fastened to the outside of the mounting plate 19. On its side, the blade holder 21 has a first pressurized air connector 22 via which a canal that is integrated in the lower part and generates a reduced pressure on the underside of the blade holder 21 can be supplied with pressurized air. A second pressurized air connector 23 conveys pressurized air to the air nozzle 16b where it emerges through a nozzle orifice in order to make the strip 14 lie against the upper pressure brush 17a and the blade 15. The air nozzle 16b is fastened to the outside of the mounting plate 19 by means of a nozzle support 28. An adjusting device 29 between the air nozzle 16 and the nozzle support 28 allows the height and direction of the air nozzle 16b to be set. The cutting edge of the blade 15 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as a straight edge but it can also be curved in a crescent shape to make the cutting off easier.

(20) Instead of the two rollers 26 and 27 rotating in the same direction according to FIGS. 1 and 2, over which the strip 14 runs, according to FIG. 4 a pair of rollers rotating in opposite directions and between which the strip 14 is transported can also be provided. A deflecting wedge 32, which deflects the strip 14 emerging between the rollers toward the guide device 16a, is then arranged on the underside of the blade holder 21. It is, however, also conceivable to provide only one transportation roller 26 and to use a stationary peel-off element, which engages by way of corresponding fingers in the gaps between the disks of the transportation roller 26, in order to peel the strip 14 of from this roller.

(21) The applied strip 14 or piece of strip 14a can be made from a single- or multi-layer paper and/or plastic film or from a metal, the material properties, thickness and width of which can be adapted to the purpose to be fulfilled. The strip 14 can be printed with information relating to the product assortment 11a,b. The strip 14 can also be provided with different types of information supports such as, for example, magnetic strips or wirelessly readable data storage systems (e.g. RFIDs). The strip 14 can also be color-coded. In the simplest case, the strip 14 is uncoated. However, at least one side of it may also be provided with an adhesive layer which then faces the advanced product assortment 11a,b during the application process. It is also conceivable to fiber-reinforce the strip 14 in order to make it particularly tear-resistant. The edges of the strip 14 can furthermore be provided with notches in order to make it easier to separate the applied piece of strip 14a later. Lastly, it is also conceivable not to cut the piece of strip 14a off from the strip 14 but to separate it in a different manner, for example by using a strip 14 that is transversely perforated at suitable points. Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible to use whole sheets instead of strip-like elements to enclose the product assortment.

(22) FIG. 5 shows an individual element application device 35 that is similar to that in FIG. 4, in which the individual, in particular self-adhesive labels 34 or similar individual elements are advanced on a carrier tape 33. In the region of the air nozzle 16b, the carrier tape 33 is deflected sharply downward so that the individual elements 34 are removed or peeled off from the carrier tape 33 virtually automatically and placed in the transportation path of the product assortments 11a,b under the action of the air jet from the air nozzle 16b. After the labels or individual elements 34 have been removed, the empty carrier tape 33 can be wound up, as indicated in FIG. 5.

(23) It goes without saying that the individual elements or labels 34 can be printed or otherwise provided with optical or electronic information (for example, in the form of bar codes or RFIDs) which can be delivered along with the respective product assortment to the end user or to the forwarding agent for the products.

(24) FIGS. 5A and 5B show a view from above of two exemplary embodiments for a carrier tape 33 carrying a label 34, wherein the individual labels 34 are printed or otherwise provided with a bar code 38, shown by way of example, and textual or pictorial information 39. In addition, weakening means, for example in the form of notches or teeth or the like, can be arranged on the labels 34, which make it easier to detach the labels 34 later in order to break up the product assortment held together by the labels 34. In the case of FIG. 5A, where the labels 34 are spaced apart from the edge of the carrier tape 33 widthwise, the weakening means 36 can be limited to edge regions of the labels 34. In the case of FIG. 5B, where the labels 34 and the carrier tape 33 have longitudinal edges situated directly above one another, the weakening means 37 can be designed so that it can run continuously along the edges of the carrier tape 33 and the labels 34, which greatly simplifies manufacture.

(25) It goes without saying that such weakening means can also be used advantageously with a strip 14 according to FIG. 1.