Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With work feeding or handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2003-11-04
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With work feeding or handling means
C156S556000, C156S566000, C156S571000, C156SDIG002, C156SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640865
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label attaching apparatus for attaching a label displaying printed information associated with a material, such as a box, a product, etc. wherein the label is attached on the material transferred by a transfer device.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-142443, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A label attaching apparatus, wherein a label displaying information associated with a material, such as a mail, a product, etc. (abbreviated as “material” below) which the label will be attached, for example, using a bar code, is automatically attached on the material, has been used.
The conventional label attaching apparatus comprises a material transfer mechanism for carrying the material, such as conveyor, a label transfer mechanism for carrying a label printed information associated with the material, a label holder for receiving the label from the label transfer mechanism and transferring the label to the material, and a label attaching member for pressing the label to the material, in order to attach the label on the material.
This type of label attaching apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications, First Publication Nos. Hei 10-264915 and 10-101044, and Second Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 07-084215. Most of this type of label attaching apparatus comprises a label holder that holds the label by air suction. The label attaching apparatus comprising the air suction type label holder has the effects of simplifying and miniaturizing the device. Moreover, when the label is transferred from the label holder to the material, the label holder blows air and the air presses the label against the material in the label attaching apparatus. Therefore, this type of label attaching apparatus needs no special member for attaching the label on the material, other than the label attaching member. From this point of view, the label attaching apparatus can be more simple.
However, it is difficult for the air blow type label attaching apparatus to maintain the position of the label when the label is transferred to the material. Therefore, the label is easily kinked or bent and the attached label is wrinkled or crumpled. In addition, the problem that the dislocation of the position where the label should be attached easily occurs arises. When the distance between the label holder and the material while the label is being transferred from the label holder to the material is large, these problems are more significant. When the label is attached on several kinds of material having different sizes and shapes, the distance between the label holder and the material sometimes cannot be sufficiently reduced.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a label attaching apparatus in which when the distance between the label holder and the surface to which the label will be attached is variable, an inversion or a dislocation of the position at which the label will be attached does not arise, and the label can stably be attached at the required position, and which has an improved the attaching speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a label attaching apparatus for attaching a label on the material, comprising a label holder provided with a label sucking face for sucking and holding the label thereon wherein
the label holder comprises at least one air blowout chamber for supplying air supplied from an air source into a plurality of air blowout pipes having openings formed at the label sucking face, and at least one air suction chamber for dividing negative pressure due to the air suction source into a plurality of air suction pipes having openings formed at the label sucking face.
According to the label attaching apparatus, the plurality of air blowout pipes are connected to the common air blowout chamber; therefore, the air blowout pipes can blow air uniformly and approximately in an instant. Moreover, the plurality of air suction pipes is also connected to the common air suction chamber; therefore, the air suction pipes can suck air uniformly and approximately in an instant. Consequently, it is possible to change between air suction and air blow in an instant, and reliably transfer the label to the material.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a label attaching apparatus, wherein the label sucking surface comprises at least one recess perpendicularly formed to the longitudinal direction of the label sucking face, of which the bottom is provided with the openings of the air blowout pipes and the air suction pipes.
According to the label attaching apparatus, when the label is sucked at the label sucking face, the pressure inside of the recess is negative. Therefore, the label is sucked at the openings of the recesses, and is held reliably by the label holder. When the label is released from the label sucking face, air is blown out from all of the openings of the air blowout pipes positioned at the bottom of the recesses. Therefore, it is possible to transfer the label toward the material while the position of the label is reliably maintained.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a label attaching apparatus, wherein said label holder moves to a label receiving position A where the label holder receives the label from the label transfer mechanism by sucking the label with the label sucking face, a label releasing position B where the label holder releases and transfer the label toward the material, and a waiting position C between the label receiving position A and the releasing position B in a movement of the label holder, and further comprises a label transfer mechanism for transferring the label to the label receiving position A along a label transfer direction, a drive mechanism for the label holder which transfers the label holder from the initial position to the label receiving position A, and from the label receiving position A to the waiting position C in a parallel manner, and a rotation mechanism for the label holder which moves the label holder from the waiting position C to the label releasing position B by rotating the label holder positioned at the waiting position C so that the label sucking face of the label holder faces the surface of the material.
According to the label attaching apparatus, the label transfer mechanism transfers the label to the label receiving position A. When the label holder moves from the initial position to the label receiving position A by the operation of the drive mechanism, the label holder starts air suction. Then, the label at the label receiving position A is sucked by the label sucking face, and held by the label holder. The label holder holding the label moves to the waiting position C by operation of the drive mechanism. When the material is transferred to the label releasing position B, the label holder moves from the waiting position C to the label releasing position B by operation of the rotation mechanism.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a label attaching apparatus, wherein the label holder comprises a positioning member for the label formed at the label sucking face.
According to the label attaching apparatus, the label can be always held at a fixed position of the label sucking face. Therefore, it is possible to attach exactly the label to the required position of the surface of the material.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a label attaching apparatus, wherein the openings of the air blowout pipes which are positioned at least one part of the edges of the label are closed.
A resistance of air (abbreviated as “open air” below) other than air blowing from the air blowout pipes applied to the center part of the label is larger than that of the open air applied to the edge p
Crispino Richard
Purvis Sue A.
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