DEVICE AND METHOD FOR APPLYING GLUE IN A RETURNLESS MANNER

Abstract

A labeling method and a labeling device for applying labels onto containers, said device comprising a gluing unit for applying glue to the labels, in particular with a glue roller, a storage container for storing glue, which container has a device for removing glue from the storage container, said device comprising a deformation unit which is designed such that glue is pressed out of the storage container by deforming the storage container by means of the deformation device.

Claims

1. A labeling device for applying labels onto containers, comprising: a gluing unit for applying glue to the labels, a storage container for storing the glue, and a device for removing the glue from the storage container comprising a deformation unit which is designed such that the glue is pressed out of the storage container by deforming the storage container by means of the deformation device.

2. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the deformation unit is configured such that by application of the deformation unit to the storage container, the accommodation volume of the storage container for glue is reduced.

3. The labeling device according to claim 2, wherein the deformation unit comprises at least one deformation element, which can be brought into contact with the storage container, and where the deformation unit is configured such that the storage container and the deformation element are movable relative to one another, wherein by a relative movement of the deformation element and the storage container, the accommodation volume of the storage container for glue is reduced.

4. The labeling device according to claim 3, wherein the deformation unit comprises a controllable and/or adjustable drive unit which effectuates a movement of the deformation element and/or the storage container.

5. The labeling device according to claim 4, wherein the deformation unit further comprises a programmable logic controlling and/or adjusting unit which is configured to control and/or to adjust the drive unit depending on at least one control parameter from the group formed of the following parameters: a type of the labels to be applied with the glue, a number of the labels to be applied with the glue per time unit, a variety of the glue, a temperature of the glue, an ambient temperature of a glue roller, and a surface of the labels to be applied with the glue.

6. The labeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing for accommodating the storage container, wherein the housing is formed such that it encompasses a part of an outer surface of the storage container in a sleeve-like manner.

7. The labeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating device and/or a cooling device which is configured such that the storage container is heated and/or cooled.

8. The labeling device according to claim 7 further comprising an enclosure which is arranged such that it entirely encompasses the deformation device and the storage container.

9. A storage container for use in a labeling device that is for applying labels onto containers, the labeling device comprising a gluing unit for applying glue to the labels, a storage container for storing the glue, and a device for removing the glue from the storage container comprising a deformation unit which is designed such that the glue is pressed out of the storage container by deforming the storage container by means of the deformation device, wherein the storage container is configured such that it is deformable by application of the deformation unit.

10. A method for labeling containers, comprising: removing glue from a storage container for storing the glue, applying the glue to labels, and removing the glue via pressing out the glue from the storage container by means of deforming the storage container.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the deformation of the storage container occurs by means of application of a deformation unit to the storage container, where the storage container is configured in a deformable manner, and where the deformation unit is applied in such a way that an accommodation volume of the storage container for the glue is reduced.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the accommodation volume of the storage container is reduced by means of a relative movement of the storage container and at least one deformation element of the deformation unit which is brought into contact with the storage container.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the relative movement is controlled and/or adjusted such that a desired amount of the glue is removed from the storage container.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control and/or adjustment occurs on the basis of at least one control parameter from the group which is formed of the following parameters: a type of the labels to be applied with the glue, a number of the labels to be applied with the glue per time unit, a variety of the glue, a temperature of the glue, an ambient temperature of a glue roller, and a surface of the labels to be applied with the glue.

15. The method according to one of the claim 11, further comprising stabilizing a part of an outer surface of the storage container by bringing the part into contact with a housing of the deformation unit for accommodating the storage container.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising heating and/or cooling of the storage container.

17. The labeling device according to claim 1, where the glue is applied to the labels with a glue roller.

17. The method according to claim 13, where the relative movement is controlled and/or adjusted such that the glue is removed with a desired pressure from the storage container.

18. A storage container for use in the a labeling device that is for applying labels onto containers, wherein the storage container is configured such that it is deformable by application of the deformation unit.

Description

[0040] Further features and exemplary embodiments as well as advantages of the present invention are explained in the following in more detail by means of the drawings. It is clear that the embodiments do not exhaust the scope of the present invention. It is further clear that some or all of the features described in the following may also be combined in any other way with one another.

[0041] FIG. 1a shows a schematic top view of a labeling device according to which the glue is applied directly from the glue roller to the labels.

[0042] FIG. 1b shows the gluing unit of FIG. 1a in a detailed view.

[0043] FIG. 2a shows a schematic top view of a labeling device according to which the glue is applied via a pallet carousel to the labels.

[0044] FIG. 2b shows the gluing unit of FIG. 2a in a detailed view.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a device for removing glue according to the present invention

[0046] FIG. 4 shows the deformation of the storage container according to the present invention in two exemplary phases.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a plurality of embodiments of deformable storage containers for glue according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows a modular embodiment of the removing device according to the present invention in a cabinet-like enclosure.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment according to the present invention with a glue printer instead of a glue roller.

[0050] In the following, the same or similar elements are identified with the same reference signs. For clarity reasons, it is dispensed with a repeated description of these elements. In addition, it is clear that in the following embodiments some or all elements can be replaced by or combined with similar elements which are described in connection with other embodiments.

[0051] FIG. 1a shows a schematic top view of a labeling device according to which the glue is applied directly from the glue roller to the labels. The gluing unit of FIG. 1a is shown in a detailed view in FIG. 1b. The shown labeling device has the following elements principally known from the prior art: a supply conveyor 151 for the continuous supply of the containers to be labeled, an infeed star wheel 154 with an upstream infeed worm 153, a guide bend 156, a carousel 157 with a plurality of rotary plates 158 evenly placed on a joint pitch circle, a discharge star wheel 155 and a discharge conveyor 152 for discharging the labeled containers. In the circulation area between the infeed star wheel 154 and the discharge star wheel 155, at the outer periphery of the carousel 157, there is located a labeling unit 161 for applying the labels onto the containers. The labeling unit 161 exemplarily shown here has two label roll capacities 159 and a splicing station 160 lying in between, a cutting unit 163, and a gluing unit 110 with a vacuum cylinder 102 for transferring the pre-sliced, glued labels to the passing containers.

[0052] The labeling process of one container occurs in detail as follows: the containers generally butt-conveyed by the supply conveyor 151 are moved apart from the laterally arranged infeed worm 153 on the division of the infeed star wheel 154 so that this can transfer the accommodated containers in cooperation with the opposing guide bend 156 onto the rotary plates of the rotating carousel 157. There, the containers are clamped by centering bells (not shown) and are tangentially guided past the vacuum cylinder 102 of the labeling unit 110 by the rotating movement of the carousel 157. Simultaneously, from a label roll capacity 159 a label roll is controllably removed and sliced into individual labels in the cutting unit 163. The separated labels which are located with the print image pointing outwards on the rotating vacuum roll 164 during the cutting process are transferred to the vacuum cylinder 102 after the cutting process from where they are guided past the glue roller 101 with the rear side pointing outwards and are provided with glue in a certain area of the label depending on the label type. The labels applied with glue are tangentially fed to the carousel 157 on which the containers are located. The labels to be applied are thereby with the application of glue brought into contact with the containers and are unrolled to the same by means of a suitable movement. After passing the labeling unit 110 and after completion of applying the label onto the container, the labeled container is transferred to the discharge conveyor 152 by the discharge star wheel 155.

[0053] In the detail view of FIG. 1b, in addition to the cutting unit 110, the cutting unit 163 can be seen. The label roll removed from the label roll capacity 159 is supplied to the cutting unit 163 via a return pulley 165 and the roll pair 166. There, the label roll abuts the vacuum roller 164 which rotates in the direction of the arrow 167 and is cut by a separation element 168 pursuant to the cutting marks or the print image. The sliced labels are transferred to the vacuum cylinder 102 which rotates in the direction of the arrow 169. The labels, thus, abut the shell surface 122 of the vacuum cylinder 102 which rotates about the axis 120. The shell surface 122 of the vacuum cylinder 102 comprises elements (not shown) accommodating the beginning or the end of the label, respectively. For accommodating different label lengths, the vacuum cylinder can be exchanged.

[0054] When moving the labels past the glue roller 101, the individual areas or the entire rear side of the labels are brought into contact with the glue roller so that they are provided with glue at certain positions. The amount of the transferred glue thereby depends on the label type and the areas to be applied with glue. In order to be able to provide a label with glue, a gluing unit 110 is required. The gluing unit 110 shown in FIG. 1b is configured without glue pump according to the present invention. By a device 170 which is heatable by means of an optional glue heater 171 for removing glue from the storage container for storing glue, the removed glue is guided via a transport line 173 to a glue application unit 172 which is schematically shown here, and is by means of this transferred to the shell surface 112 of the glue roller 101 rotating about the glue roller axis 111. The glue application unit 172 thereby can comprise a glue strip which is located so close to the glue roller 101 that it removes the surplus glue from the shell surface 112. When using the device according to the invention for removing glue, however, this glue strip can be omitted since a return flow is not required anymore.

[0055] FIG. 2a shows a schematic top view of an alternative labeling device according to which the glue is applied via a pallet carousel to the labels. A detail view of the gluing unit of FIG. 2a is not shown in FIG. 2b. On a rotating carrier 204 of the carousel several removing elements 205, so-called pallets are rotatably arranged. When the pallet carousel is rotated, the accommodating surface of each removing element 205 rolls off the glued surface of the glue roller 201, removes a label 207 from the label container 209 by means of adhesion, whereby this is applied with glue on the rear side, and transmits it to the gripper cylinder 203 that transfers it to the containers. These were supplied beforehand in an infeed flow 251 of an infeed worm 253 which produces the separation required for the infeed star wheel 254. Along the infeed flow 151, moreover, a sensor for determining a flow capacity at containers to be labeled may be arranged. From the infeed star wheel 254, the containers to be labeled are transferred to the rotating plates 258 of a carousel 257 which guides the containers past the gripper cylinder 203. Also here, by means of suitable rotating of the containers accommodated by the rotating plates 258, unrolling of the label to be applied supplied by the gripper cylinder 203 is effectuated on the surface of the container. The label applied to the container may subsequently be pressed on the container by means of brushes 226. The labeled containers are finally transmitted to a discharge flow via a discharge star wheel 255 where an optical sensor 227 can carry out a quality control of the labeled containers.

[0056] Further details of the labeling unit are shown in FIG. 2b. For example, the label container 209 may be switched on the pallet carousel 204 via a pneumatic cylinder 240 in the labeling mode and can be switched off by the same in the idle mode. The pallets 205 of the pallet carousel 204 may be pivoted by a control curve (not shown) such that they are applied with glue by the glue roller 201 and subsequently accommodate one label 207 each from the label container 209. The glue roller 201 can be mounted at a pivoting support 225 by means of a pneumatic cylinder 224, whereby it can be switched on to the pallet carousel 204 in the labeling mode and switched off the same in the idle mode. Via the transport line 273, the glue from the storage container (not shown) removed by the removing unit 270 is supplied to a glue application unit 272 which is schematically shown here, for example in the form of a chamber glue scraper, which transfers the glue to the surface of the glue roller 201. The labels 207 removed by the pallets 205 from the label container 209 are transferred to the gripper cylinder 203. This takes over the respective label 207 by means of a gripper finger 214 and an anvil 215 from the pallet 205, wherein the glued side of the label 207 is placed on gripper sponge 213. The movement of the gripper fingers 214 mounted on gripper arms 216 is thereby effectuated due to the unrolling of the gripper rolls 218 which are also mounted on the gripper arms 217 onto a control curve 216 of the gripper cylinder 203. For transferring the labels 207 to the containers, the gripper fingers 217 are newly opened.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a schematic view of a device 370 for removing glue according to the present invention. According to the invention, the removal of glue occurs from a deformable storage container 380 by applying a deformation unit 350 to the storage container, whereby its accommodation volume 381 for glue is reduced. The pressure thereby produced in the glue presses out the glue amount to be removed through an opening 383 of the container.

[0058] In the not limiting embodiment shown here, deforming the storage container 380 occurs by direct mechanically applying of a deformation element 390 to the wall of the storage container. For this, the deformation element 390 in this embodiment is movable by means of a motor 330 which actuates a shaft 331 that engages a stationary corresponding counter thread 332, relative to the storage container 380 along the longitudinal direction L. The motor 330 may be configured controllably and/or adjustably so that this relative movement can be controlled and/or adjusted by means of a control and/or adjustment unit 339. In the embodiment shown in the Figure, the part of the removing unit 370 supporting the storage container 380 is fixed in place, while the deformation element 390 moves relatively thereto. It is clear that the arrangement can be modified such that the storage container can be moved alternatively or additionally to the deformation element.

[0059] The storage container 380 is linked to a connection 399 of the device with its opening 383, for example, via a screw thread. Due to this screw thread, a drained storage container may thus be exchanged in a simple manner by a filled storage container. Via the opening 383 and the connection 399, the pressed out glue is passed on a transport line 373 which, as described above, further supplies it to the glue roller or a glue printer. Thereby, the transport line may have a control valve 387 for a precise control of the discharged glue amount. Further, a pressure sensor 386 and/or a temperature sensor 338 may be provided measuring the pressure or the temperature of the glue in the transport line 373. The measured data may be transmitted to the control and/or adjustment unit 339 and can, thus, be integrated in the control and/or adjustment of the motor 330 of the drive unit.

[0060] In the embodiment shown here, the deformation element 390 is mounted on a carrier 391, wherein between the deformation element and the carrier, there is provided a spring 392 which pretensions the deformation element vis--vis the carrier. The shown spring 392, thereby, is arranged in a recess 393 of the deformation element 390. Furthermore, the deformation element 390 comprises a bar 394 which is guided in a guide 395 of the carrier 391. At the carrier 391, in this embodiment there are arranged two sensors 396 and 397 which detect a position of a protrusion 398 arranged at the bar 394. Depending on signals transmitted from these sensors which, for example, may be light barriers or magnetically working sensors, a movement of the carrier 391 can be controlled such that the protrusion 398 is always located between the two sensors 396 and 397. In this manner, a predetermined force of the spring 392 can be adjusted on the deformation element 390 and, thus, also a predetermined pressure on the glue located in the storage container 380. Therefore, an excessive pressure which could lead to a break of the container wall may be effectively avoided.

[0061] By relative sliding the deformation element 390 along the longitudinal direction L, the surface of the deformation element which is a reproduction of the form of the upper part of the storage container 380 can initially be brought into mechanical contact with the lower part of the storage container and then, by means of a further sliding, can be slid into the same. Thereby, the storage container is deformed such that the lower part of its wall is pushed into the accommodation volume 381 so that a bent edge 382 of the deformed storage container 380 occurs. By increasing sliding of the deformation element 390, the wall of the storage container is more and more pushed into the interior of the storage container. Thereby, nearly the entire glue contained in the storage container is by and by pressed out of the same. The form of the storage container 380 and the deformation element 390 may be thereby selected such that during the deformation process, there are occurring as few gaps as possible for glue. Accordingly, a punch-shaped deformation element, as shown here, can be formed with a slightly smaller cross-sectional area than that of the storage container in order to be able to be pushed into the same.

[0062] The wall or at least the part of the wall of the storage container 380 to be deformed are formed of a material which can be deformed by the force applied by the deformation unit 350, for example PET, in a corresponding wall thickness. Thereby, the different regions of the wall can be formed of different materials and/or with different wall thicknesses. It is in particular desirable that the upper part of the storage container 380 which is not to be deformed does not deform and bulge in the illustrated embodiment since otherwise a complete draining of the storage container and a controlled glue pressure cannot be guaranteed. For stabilizing the part of the wall of the storage container 380 which is not to be deformed, the deformation device shown here comprises a housing 336 for accommodating this part of the container which is brought into contact with an outer surface of the part of the container which is not to be deformed such that it encompasses this part in a sleeve-like manner. The part of the container wall being in direct mechanical contact with the housing 336, thus, cannot be bulged by the increasing pressure in the accommodation volume 381. In addition, the housing 336 can be provided with a controllable heating and/or cooling device 335 allowing to heat or cool the glue located in the accommodation volume 381 to an optimal working temperature. The control of the heating and/or cooling device 335 thereby can occur by considering the glue temperature measured by the temperature sensor 338.

[0063] A plurality of alternative embodiments of the removing device 370 is conceivable. For example, the deformation element 390 can be configured fixedly, while the storage container 380 is moved by the drive unit 330. In addition, the connection 399 for the opening 383 can be arranged below the storage container 380. It also conceivable to configure the connection 399 and a part of the transport line 373 as part of the deformation element 390, wherein the transport line 373 in case of a moved deformation element 390 preferably comprises at least one flexible part. Form and type of the deformation unit 350 can further be adapted to the forms of the storage containers as described below.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows the deformation of the storage container according to the present invention in two exemplary phases. In part Figure a), the initially double conical storage container 480 had been already deformed by the deformation element 490 to an extent that the accommodation volume 481 for glue inside the storage container 480 was reduced to less than half the amount. Thereby, a majority of the glue originally contained in the storage container had already been pressed out of through the opening 483 and the connection 499. As can be taken from the part Figure, the deformation element 490 due to the deformation process presses a part of the wall 480a of the storage container by into the interior of the storage container. Thereby, the curved upper part of the deformation element 490 is formed such that is has exactly the form of the upper part 480b of the container wall. In particular, the deformation element 490, as already repeatedly mentioned, is configured such that it exactly fits into the part of the storage container not to be deformed, wherein the thickness of the container wall pushed into the interior is also considered.

[0065] In part Figure b) of FIG. 4, the deformation process is completed. The entire lower cone of the storage container 480 was pushed into the interior of the storage container such that the wall elements of the lower and the upper part are essentially placed on one another. Thus, the accommodation volume 481 was nearly reduced to zero so that the glue originally contained in the storage container had been nearly entirely removed therefrom. The deformation element 490 can now be backed to its starting position for exchanging the drained storage container 480, wherein the storage container 480 keeps its deformed end shape. In this manner, the drained storage containers can be stacked for disposal or recycling purposes in a space-saving manner.

[0066] FIG. 5 shows a plurality of embodiments of deformable storage containers for glue according to the present invention. In part Figure a), also the form of the double cone is shown for the storage container 580 according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As in the other part Figures, the container is schematically illustrated, wherein the container wall 585, the accommodation volume 581, and the opening 853 of the container are explicitly identified. In part Figures a) and b), in addition, a center line M of the containers is shown. The part 585b of the container wall shown below this center line M is pushed into the part 585a of the container wall shown above the center line M due to the deformation process. In the not limiting embodiment shown in part Figures a) and b), the part 585a of the container wall 585 not to be deformed is configured with a greater wall thickness than the part 585b to be deformed. Thereby, it can be avoided that the wall element 585a, i.e. the part 585a of the container wall, counteracts due to the deformation to the increase of the internal pressure in the accommodation volume 581. Alternatively thereto, the part 585a not to be deformed can also be formed of a different, more stable material than the part 585b to be deformed. In addition to the forms of the double cone and the sphere, a plurality of alternative forms is conceivable, e.g. an ellipsoid or a double pyramid.

[0067] In part Figure c), an alternative embodiment of the storage container 580 in the form of a tube is shown. Thereby, the tube can be clamped with its narrow end between two pivoted rollers 590a and 590b which are either configured freely rotatable or drivable. In the latter case, the surface of the rollers may be configured with a sufficiently high friction coefficient for pulling through the surface of the outer wall 585 during the deformation process between the rollers. Alternatively or additionally, the narrow end of the tube can be clamped at an element 590c which is movable along the longitudinal direction of the tube which pulls through the tube between the two rollers. Since the rollers 590a and 590b are mounted at a stationary axis, the accommodation volume 581 of the storage container 580 is reduced by this pulling through so that glue is pressed out through the opening 583. The walls 590a and 590b may as well be movably configured in the longitudinal direction of the tube, wherein deforming the storage container 580 occurs by means of sliding the rollers, in this case also non-rotatably configurable, along the longitudinal direction. Instead of the rollers, also wedge-shaped elements can be used. The sliding and/or rotating of the rollers 590a and 590b as well as the sliding of the clamp element 590c can occur by means of the mentioned control and/or adjustment unit by controlling and/or adjusting.

[0068] In part Figure d), a further alternative embodiment of the storage container 580 in form of a spraying device is shown. Here, a cylindrical part of the container wall can be configured rigidly, wherein the reduction of the accommodation volume 581 occurs by sliding of a base element 585c of the storage container which is also configured rigidly. As mentioned above, also this sliding results in a deformation of the storage container in the meaning of the present invention. At the base piece 585c, for this purpose, a bar-shaped deformation element 590d actuates which is moved by means of a controllable and/or adjustable drive unit.

[0069] In part Figure e), finally, a hose-shaped storage container 580 is shown the end of which opposing the opening 583 is clamped by a clamping element 590e of the deformation unit. In the embodiment shown here, the relative movement of the deformation element and the storage container occurs by means of rotating the deformation element 590e. Thereby, the hose-shaped storage container 580 which in particular can be formed of a thin plastic foil, is twisted so that the contained glue is pressed out of the opening 583. Also regarding this embodiment, the amount of the drained storage container is minimized.

[0070] FIG. 6 finally shows a modular embodiment of the removing device according to the present invention in a cabinet-like enclosure. In this embodiment, the deformation unit from which here only the deformation element 690 and the drive unit 630 are schematically shown, and the storage container 680 which in this Figure is already partly deformed with accommodation volume 681 and completely encompassed by a cabinet-like enclosure 637 which in this Figure exemplarily is placed on wheels. The storage container 680 is linked with a transport line 673 for the glue to be removed via a connection 699. A part of this transport line can be fixedly connected to the enclosure 637 and provided with a connecting piece for connecting the corresponding glue line of the labeling unit. In this manner, the removing module for existing labeling machines can be easily refitted.

[0071] The removing module in FIG. 6 is shown in the opened state for exchanging the storage container 680. For this purpose, the cabinet-like enclosure 637 may be provided with the cabinet-like enclosure 637 foldable or movable door units (not shown) which can be opened and closed as required. Seals at the door units may ensure that the enclosure 637 is essentially hermetic in the closed state, i.e. within manufacturing tolerances. Thereby, in the interior of the sealed enclosure 637, a well-defined environment of the removing device is established which can be tempered by means of a controllable and/or adjustable heating and/or cooling device 635 of the module to an optimal working temperature of the used glue. Further, the module can comprise an own control and/or adjustment unit or can be connected to a control and/or adjustment unit of the labeling device.

[0072] In FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of the labeling device shown in FIG. 2b is shown, wherein instead of the glue roller 201, a controllable glue printer 741 is used for printing a variable print image on the contact surface of the pallet 205. Therefore, the glue printer 741 comprises one or more, in particular individually controllable glue nozzles which are arranged with regard to a circumferential path of the pallet 205 regarding their pivoting movement such that the glue jet 742 emitted from the nozzles impinge the contact surface of the pallet 205. In order to achieve a desired glue image on the pallet 205 which, for example, corresponds to the form and/or size of the label 207 to be applied with glue, the glue nozzles of the glue printer 741 may individually or in groups be activated or deactivated via a control and/or adjustment unit of the labeling device. Due to the pivoting movement of the pallet 205, thereby, a two-dimensional applying of glue occurs with a glue pattern predetermined by the control parameters. Similar to the glue application unit 272, the glue printer 741 can be provided precisely with the required amount of glue via a transport line 773 by deforming the storage container by means of the removing unit 770. The glue pressure established thereby may at least partly be used for operating the glue nozzles. If a higher glue pressure is required, a glue pump or a pressure booster pump with a possible media pressure of 30 to 90 bar can be provided. An additional use of a speed mixer or a twin-screw extruder that vents and mixes the glue once more, is also conceivable.

[0073] The described embodiments allow to remove exactly as much glue from a deformable storage container as required for applying glue to the labels to be applied. Thereby, touching dry or running down of surplus glue on the glue roller can be avoided so that an otherwise usual return flow of the surplus glue can be dispensed with. Since the glue in addition hardly comes into contact with the ambient air, the desired glue characteristics can be guaranteed. The use of compressible, exchangeable non-returnable containers as storage containers in addition allows a proper and simple operation of the labeling device without major maintenance efforts and with a long service life. Also the disposal or recycling of the drained containers is simplified by their low capacity amount.