LABELLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING LABELS TO CONTAINERS

• US 20190322403A1
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: STRAUSS, Johannes, HOLZER, Christian, SCHROLL, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 11,628,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0081 Means for forming a label web buffer, e.g. label web loop
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/08 to container bodies B65C3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/183 and transferred by gripping means or feeding rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/42 Label feed control
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 20/34 with rollers

Abstract

A labeling device and a method for applying labels to containers comprising an unwinding unit for receiving thereon at least one supply roll with a label tape; having an intermediate buffer unit for temporarily storing the label tape unwound from the supply roll, the intermediate buffer unit comprising at least one first movable roller unit; a drive unit arranged downstream of the intermediate buffer unit, when seen in the conveying direction and used for driving the label tape in the conveying direction; and processing unit for separating the label tape into the individual labels and for optionally coating the labels with glue and for transferring the labels to the containers wherein the intermediate buffer unit and the drive unit have arranged between them a separately configured, dynamic buffer unit comprising at least one second roller unit which is movable independently of the intermediate buffer unit.

Claims

1. A labeling device for applying labels to containers, comprising:

an unwinding unit for receiving thereon at least one supply roll with a label tape;

an intermediate buffer unit for temporarily storing the label tape unwound from the supply roll, the intermediate buffer unit comprising at least one first movable roller unit;

a drive unit arranged downstream of the intermediate buffer unit when seen in a conveying direction and used for driving the label tape in the conveying direction; and

a processing unit for separating the label tape into the individual labels, wherein

the intermediate buffer unit and the drive unit have arranged between them a separately configured, dynamic buffer unit comprising at least one second movable roller unit, which is movable independently of the intermediate buffer unit.

2. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable roller unit comprises a movement mechanism for a deflection roller, and wherein the movement mechanism and the deflection roller are configured such that, when the labeling device is started within a container interval, a dynamic pulling force acting on the label tape will be limited to 50N or less.

3. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the labeling device comprises deflection rollers for guiding the label tape having a diameter in a range of 0-25 mm.

4. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic buffer unit is arranged directly upstream of the drive unit, when seen in the conveying direction.

5. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable roller unit has a lower mass than the first movable roller unit.

6. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable roller unit comprises fewer deflection rollers than the first movable roller unit.

7. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable roller unit is pretensioned with a second spring element and/or wherein the dynamic buffer unit comprises a damping element so as to dampen the movement of the second movable roller unit.

8. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable roller unit comprises at least one pivotable or movable deflection roller.

9. The labeling device according to claim 8, wherein the second movable roller unit comprises as a movement mechanism pivot lever, so as to pivot the deflection roller about an axis.

10. The labeling device according to claim 8, wherein the second movable roller unit comprises as a movement mechanism a movable and/or spring-tensioned carriage, so as to move the deflection roller along an optionally linear path.

11. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the unwinding unit and the intermediate buffer unit are configured as a separate unit with a carrier frame which is separate from the processing unit.

13. A labeling machine for labeling containers, comprising:

a conveyor for conveying the containers in container holders, and

a labeling device according to claim 1.

14. A system comprising a labeling machine according to claim 13 and a container manufacturing machine and/or a container treatment machine, the labeling machine following the container manufacturing machine or the container treatment machine directly, without intermediate buffering of the containers, and being combined therewith into a block thus forming a plant.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the containers are produced and/or treated and labeled directly afterwards, without intermediate container buffering, by means of a system according to claim 14.

19. The labeling device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit coats the labels with glue and transfers the labels to the containers.

20. The labeling device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the deflection rollers is arranged in the dynamic buffer unit.

21. The labeling device of claim 9, wherein the pivot lever is a spring-tensioned pivot lever.

23. The labeling machine according to claim 13, wherein the conveyor is configured as a carousel.

12. A labeling device for applying labels to containers, comprising

an unwinding unit for receiving thereon at least one supply roll with a label tape;

an intermediate buffer unit for temporarily storing the label tape unwound from the supply roll, the intermediate buffer unit comprising at least one first movable roller unit;

a drive unit arranged downstream of the intermediate buffer unit when seen in a conveying direction and used for driving the label tape in the conveying direction; and

a processing unit for separating the label tape into the individual labels, wherein

the labeling device comprises deflection rollers for guiding the label tape, which have a diameter in a range of 0-25 mm.

22. The labeling device of claim 12, wherein the processing unit coats the labels with glue and transfers them to the containers.

15. A method of applying labels to containers by means of a labeling device, wherein a label tape is unwound from a supply roll by an unwinding unit, wherein the label tape is temporarily buffered in an intermediate buffer unit comprising at least a first movable roller unit, wherein the label tape is driven by a drive unit arranged downstream of the intermediate buffer unit, when seen in a conveying direction, and wherein the label tape is separated into individual labels wherein

the label tape is buffered between the intermediate buffer unit and the drive unit by a separately configured, dynamic buffer unit comprising at least one second roller unit which is movable independently of the intermediate buffer unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the containers are conveyed in container holders of a conveyor of a labeling machine at fixed intervals, wherein, during starting, the label tape is accelerated by the drive unit from a standstill to a labeling speed and, in this process, is removed at least partially from the dynamic buffer unit so that a pulling force occurring in the label tape during acceleration will be limited.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the containers are conveyed in container holders of a conveyor of a labeling machine at fixed intervals, and wherein, in the case of an empty container holder, the label tape is buffered in the dynamic buffer unit so as to interrupt the application of labels for the empty container holder.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual labels are coated with glue and transferred to the containers by a processing unit.

25. The method of claim 16, the pulling force occurring in the label tape during acceleration is limited to less than 50N.