Label feeding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144546-B2
Application number	US-201515308441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A label position detector has a sensor, a support member configured to support a strip-shaped liner sheet of a continuous label body, and an opening/closing member provided openably or closably against the support member. The opening/closing member has a main body installed with the sensor and a cover provided with a slot that causes the sensor to face the conveyance passage for the continuous label body and detachably installed on the main body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A label feeding machine configured to feed labels by conveying a continuous label body along a label continuous direction, the continuous label body being obtained by temporarily attaching the labels onto a strip-shaped liner sheet at equal intervals, an adhesive agent being applied on each of the labels, the label feeding machine comprising:
a label position detector comprising
a sensor configured to optically detect a position of the labels in a course of conveying the continuous label body;
a support member configured to support the strip-shaped liner sheet for the conveyed continuous label body; and
an opening/closing member installed with the sensor and provided openably or closably against the support member such that the sensor faces a conveyance passage for the continuous label body in a closed state of the opening/closing member, and the conveyance passage for the continuous label body is opened in an opened state of the opening/closing member, wherein the opening/closing member comprises
a main body to which the sensor is installed; and
a cover detachably installed on the main body to form a housing space for housing the sensor in combination with the main body, wherein the cover comprises a surface that forms a gap in combination with a support surface of the support member to allow passing of the continuous label body in the closed state of the opening/closing member,

a latching protrusion provided on one side edge of the cover;
a latching recess provided in the main body and detachably engageable with the latching protrusion;
a nut plate provided on another side edge of the cover and configured to face a part of the main body while the latching protrusion is engaged with the latching recess; and
a fixing portion configured to releasably fix the nut plate to the main body.

2. The label feeding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion comprises
a female thread formed on the nut plate, and
a bolt provided with
a male thread portion configured to be inserted into an installation hole of the main body and screwed to the female thread, and
a head linked to the male thread portion and configured to manually rotate the male thread.

3. The label feeding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the cover is formed of a material resistant to sticking of the adhesive agent of the label or capable of preventing sticking.

4. The label feeding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a transparent sensor including a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion configured to transmit light from the light-emitting portion to the continuous label body and to detect a gap between labels using the light-receiving portion,
the support member is formed in a hollowed shape such that any one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion is provided inside the support member,
a slot is configured to expose the any one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion to the conveyance passage for the continuous label body, the slot being formed on the support surface of the support member, and
the other one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion is provided on the opening/closing member.

5. The label feeding machine according to claim 4 , further comprising a positioning mechanism configured to position the light-receiving portion along a width direction of the continuous label body,
wherein a slot of the cover of the opening/closing member is formed in a long hole shape across a movable range of the light-receiving portion moved by the positioning mechanism.

6. The label feeding machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyance roller provided on a support member side and configured to support and convey the continuous label body; and
a pressing roller provided on the main body of the opening/closing member and configured to be pressed to the conveyance roller while the opening/closing member is closed,
wherein the cover has an opening from which the pressing roller protrudes.

7. A label feeding machine configured to feed labels by conveying a continuous label body along a label continuous direction, the continuous label body being obtained by temporarily attaching the labels onto a strip-shaped liner sheet at equal intervals, an adhesive agent being applied on each of the labels, the label feeding machine comprising:
a label position detector comprising
a sensor configured to optically detect a position of the labels in a course of conveying the continuous label body;
a support member configured to support the strip-shaped liner sheet for the conveyed continuous label body; and
an opening/closing member installed with the sensor and provided openably or closably against the support member such that the sensor faces a conveyance passage for the continuous label body in a closed state of the opening/closing member, and the conveyance passage for the continuous label body is opened in an opened state of the opening/closing member,

wherein the opening/closing member comprises
a main body to which the sensor is installed;
a cover detachably installed on the main body to form a housing space for housing the sensor in combination with the main body, the cover having a surface that forms a gap in combination with a support surface of the support member to allow passing of the continuous label body in the closed state of the opening/closing member;
a latching protrusion on one side of the cover; and
a latching recess provided in the main body,

wherein the latching protrusion is configured to detachably engage and disengage with the latching recess.

8. The label feeding machine according to claim 7 , wherein the opening/closing member comprises:
a nut plate provided on a side edge of the cover and configured to face a part of the main body while the latching protrusion is engaged with the latching recess; and
a fixing portion configured to releasably fix the nut plate to the main body,
the fixing portion comprises
a female thread formed on the nut plate, and
a bolt provided with
a male thread portion configured to be inserted into an installation hole of the main body and screwed to the female thread, and
a head linked to the male thread portion and configured to manually rotate the male thread.

9. The label feeding machine according to claim 7 , wherein the surface of the cover is formed of a material resistant to sticking of the adhesive agent of the label or capable of preventing sticking.

10. The label feeding machine according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor comprises a transparent sensor including a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion configured to transmit light from the light-emitting portion to the continuous label body and to detect a gap between labels using the light-emitting portion,
the support member is formed in a hollowed shape such that any one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion is provided inside the support member,
a slot is configured to expose the any one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion to the conveyance passage for the continuous label body, the slot being formed on the support surface of the support member, and
the other one of the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion is provided on the opening/closing member.

11. The label feeding machine according to claim 10 , further comprising a positioning mechanism configured to position the light-receiving portion along a width direction of the continuous label body,
wherein a slot of the cover of the opening/closing member is formed in a long hole s

Assignees

• Sato Holdings Kk

Inventors

• Sasaki Shuzo

Classifications

• B65C9/40

  Controls; Safety devices · CPC title

• B65C9/08 Primary

  Label feeding · CPC title

• B65C9/42 Primary

  Label feed control · CPC title

• G01V8/12

  using one transmitter and one receiver · CPC title