Package making – Partial cover application – Band or tube
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-03
2001-01-16
Johnson, Linda (Department: 3721)
Package making
Partial cover application
Band or tube
C100S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173557
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tape-leading mechanism for an automatic packer that allows an operator to handle tape-leading operation in a standing position and includes a movable tape-feeding bridge to enable timely controlled tape-feeding and tape-storing operations.
For all currently available automatic packers, one example of which is shown in
FIG. 1
, the tape-leading operation thereof must be handled by an operator in a squatting position, so that a tape
40
for packing can be extended into a housing
50
of the packer via an inlet
52
provided at a lower portion of a side wall
51
of the housing
50
. The tape
40
is then fed into a tape-storing chamber
54
in the housing
50
by a tape-storing unit
53
that feeds the tape
40
in one fixed direction. The tape
40
in the tape-storing chamber
54
is manually led to a tape-operating unit
55
for sending the tape
40
into a tape rail
56
, so that the packer is prepared for performing a packing operation.
In an automatic packer disclosed in an earlier invention of the applicant published under Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 85216683, a tape can be automatically instead of manually led by the tape-storing unit to the tape-operating unit which operates to send the tape into the tape rail. However, the entire operation still requires an operator to squat and thread the tape into the tape inlet. It is inconvenient and troublesome for the operator to squat before the tape can be threaded into the inlet, particularly when the operator is a heavy person, an invalid or a disabled person, or a female operator wearing a short skirt.
Moreover, the tape
40
is wound around a tape reel
57
with a rear end thereof attached to the reel
57
by an adhesive tape (not shown). In the case the rear end of the tape
40
is unexpectedly pulled away from the reel
57
and enters the route of tape in the housing
50
, the adhesive tape attached to the rear end of the tape
40
would stick to rollers forming the tape-operating unit
55
. The operator must remove the adhesive tape before the packer can operate again. This condition will, of course, cause inconvenience and troubles to the whole packing operation.
It is therefore tried by the applicant to develop a tape-leading mechanism for an automatic packer that allows an operator to conveniently complete a tape-leading operation on the packer in a natural standing position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The tape-leading mechanism for an automatic packer according to the present invention includes a housing having a tape inlet provided at an upper portion of a side wall thereof, a tape-storing roller set provided at an inner side of the tape inlet, and a movable tape-feeding bridge interconnecting the tape-storing rollers and a tape-operating unit for automatically feeding a tape to the tape-operating unit which thereafter sends the tape to a tape rail for packing a package.
The movable tape-feeding bridge included in the present invention downward extends into a tape-storing chamber when it is in a normal state, that is, when there is no tape to be fed to the tape-operating unit. And, when there is a tape to be threaded into the housing of the tape-leading mechanism, a push button can be depressed to move the tape-feeding bridge to a position interconnecting the tape-storing rollers and the tape-operating unit. When the tape is successfully led to the tape-operating unit, the tape-feeding bridge turns downward again to send the unused tape into the tape-storing chamber.
A detector outside the housing is connected to a suitable point on the tape feeding route for detecting normal feeding of the tape. When a rear end of the tape passes the detector and is detected, it indicates that a whole reel of tape is used up. The tape-storing rollers are signaled to stop storing tape. And, when the tape in the tape-storing chamber is insufficient for use, the tape-storing rollers is caused to rotate in reverse direction to withdraw the remained tape.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2995080 (1961-08-01), Larsson
patent: 5333438 (1994-08-01), Gurak et al.
Gin Dan Enterprises Corp.
Johnson Linda
Liauh W. Wayne
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