Labeling apparatus for labeling receptacles and a method for operating such a labeling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894624-B2
Application number	US-201715656867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a labeling apparatus for labeling articles. In one implementation, the apparatus may include a transfer drum having at least one label retaining segment adapted to receive and to retain at least one label, a glue application unit adapted to apply glue onto the label, a cleaning unit adapted to clean the transfer drum and a control unit adapted to selectively activate the cleaning unit into at least any one of: a partial cleaning configuration in which the cleaning unit is configured to partially clean the at least one label retaining segment or a full cleaning configuration in which the cleaning unit is configured to fully clean the at least one label retaining segment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A labeling apparatus for labeling articles, comprising:
a transfer drum having at least one label retaining segment comprising a retaining section to retain the at least one label and a transition section to receive the at least one label and to slidingly guide the at least one label to the retaining section, the transfer drum being adapted to convey the at least one label along a path defined by rotation of the transfer drum around a central axis of the transfer drum;
a glue applicator adapted to apply glue onto the at least one label at a glue application station, the glue applicator being arranged adjacent to the transfer drum at the glue application station;
a cleaning device adapted to clean the transfer drum; and
a controller adapted to selectively activate the cleaning device into
a partial cleaning configuration in which the cleaning device is configured to clean the transition section of the label retaining segment and not the retaining section, wherein
the controller is further adapted to control a reduction of a rotational speed of the transfer drum with respect to a nominal working speed of the transfer drum when activating the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration;
the cleaning device comprises a cleaning roller adapted to rotate around a rotation axis and to clean partially or fully the at least one label retaining segment and is further adapted to move between an operative position in which the cleaning roller is designed to clean at least partially the at least one label retaining segment and at least one rest position in which the cleaning roller is disabled from cleaning the at least one label retaining segment;
wherein the cleaning device further comprises an actuation assembly adapted to move the cleaning roller between the operative position and the at least one rest position, and wherein the controller is adapted to control the actuation assembly, in the partial cleaning configuration, such that the actuation assembly continuously moves the cleaning roller between the operative position and the at least one rest position.

2. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to be set into at least one of an automatic mode in which the controller is adapted to activate the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration as a function of an operational status of the labeling apparatus or a manual mode in which the controller is adapted to activate the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration or the as a function of a trigger signal.

3. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further adapted to activate the partial cleaning configuration when the rotational speed of the transfer drum is reduced with respect to the nominal working speed.

4. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device further comprises a driving assembly adapted to actuate rotation of the cleaning roller around the rotation axis.

5. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation axis is inclined with respect to the central axis.

6. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device further comprises a dispenser adapted to apply a cleaning agent onto the cleaning roller.

7. The labeling apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cleaning roller comprises a sponge-like outer surface adapted to absorb the cleaning agent applied by the dispensing assembly.

8. The labeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further adapted to activate the cleaning device into a full cleaning configuration in which the cleaning device is configured to clean the retaining section and transition section of the label retaining segment.

9. The labeling apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to be set into at least one of an automatic mode in which the controller is adapted to activate the cleaning device into the full cleaning configuration as a function of an operational status of the labeling apparatus or a manual mode in which the controller is adapted to activate the cleaning device into the full cleaning configuration as a function of a trigger signal.

10. A method of operating a labeling apparatus, wherein the labeling apparatus has a transfer drum having at least one label retaining segment comprising a retaining section to retain the at least one label and a transition section to receive the at least one label and to slidingly guide the at least one label to the retaining section, a glue applicator, a cleaning device, and a controller; and the method comprising:
selectively activating the cleaning device into
a partial cleaning configuration in which the cleaning device is configured to clean the transition section of the label retaining segment and not the retaining section, wherein
the controller is further adapted to control a reduction of a rotational speed of the transfer drum with respect to a nominal working speed of the transfer drum when activating the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration;
the cleaning device comprises a cleaning roller adapted to rotate around a rotation axis and to clean partially or fully the at least one label retaining segment and is further adapted to move between an operative position in which the cleaning roller is designed to clean at least partially the at least one label retaining segment and at least one rest position in which the cleaning roller is disabled from cleaning the at least one label retaining segment;
wherein the cleaning device further comprises an actuation assembly adapted to move the cleaning roller between the operative position and the at least one rest position, and wherein the controller is adapted to control the actuation assembly, in the partial cleaning configuration, such that the actuation assembly continuously moves the cleaning roller between the operative position and the at least one rest position.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting the controller into at least one of an automatic mode in which the controller activates the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration as a function of an operational status of the labeling apparatus or a manual mode in which the controller activates the cleaning device into the partial cleaning configuration as a function of a trigger signal.

12. The method according the claim 10 , further comprising actuating rotation of the cleaning roller when activating the cleaning device in the partial cleaning configuration.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising applying a cleaning agent onto the cleaning roller.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising activating the partial cleaning configuration when a rotational speed of the transfer drum is reduced with respect to a nominal working speed.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further adapted to activate the cleaning device into a full cleaning configuration in which the cleaning device is configured to clean the retaining section and transition section of the label retaining segment.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising setting the controller into at least one of an automatic mode in which the controller activates the cleaning device into the full cleaning configuration as a function of an operational status of the labeling apparatus or a manual mode in which the controller activates the cleaning device into the full cleaning configuration as a function of a trigger signal.

Assignees

• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• Piazza Gastone
• Andreato Cristian
• Carmichael James
• Pace Raffaele

Classifications

• B65C9/22 Primary

  by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating · CPC title

• B32B37/22

  involving the assembly of both discrete and continuous layers · CPC title

• B08B13/00

  Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning · CPC title

• B65C9/18

  Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls · CPC title

• B65C2009/0071

  Details of glueing devices · CPC title