Label roll and machine having a label roll

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077977-B2
Application number	US-201916517250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

The invention describes, and illustrates, a label roll having a roll core and having a label tape, which is wound up onto the roll core. In order that the amount of time and effort required for changing over the label rolls can be reduced without a disproportionately large amount of space having to be provided for the label compartment, provision is made for the roll core to have a plurality of rollers distributed over its circumference, around which the label tape is wound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A label roll comprising:
a roll core; and
a label tape, which is wound up onto the roll core;
wherein the roll core has a plurality of rollers distributed over its circumference, around which the label tape is wound; and
wherein the roll core has an elongate cross section which is provided with rounded corners and around which the label tape is wound.

2. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein the longate cross section of the roll core is at least essentially oval or at least essentially rectangular.

3. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein the rollers are provided at fixed locations along the circumference of the roll core, and/or wherein the rollers are rubber-coated rollers, and/or wherein the rollers, in particular the roller spindles, are retained in a roll-core housing.

4. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein the roll core has at least one brake lining, and wherein the at least one brake lining is adjustable from a braking position, in which it butts in a force-fitting manner against at least one roller, into a release position, in which it is spaced apart from the at least one roller, and back, and wherein, preferably, in the braking position, the at least one brake lining butts in a force-fitting manner against the at least one roller on a side of the at least one roller which in each case is directed at least essentially away from the label tape.

5. The label roll according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one brake lining is assigned at least one spring means such that the restoring force causes, or at least assists, the adjustment of the at least one spring means into the braking position and/or the release position.

6. The label roll according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one brake lining is formed at least to some extent from a magnetic material, and wherein the at least one brake lining is assigned at least one electromagnet such that the at least one electromagnet can retain the brake lining in the release position and/or the braking position as a result of the magnetic force of the electromagnet, in particular counter to the restoring force of the at least one spring means.

7. The label roll according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one electromagnet is assigned at least one control device for actuating the at least one electromagnet.

8. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein the roll-core housing has lateral mounts, in particular grooves, for accommodating a holder for retaining the label roll in a machine, and/or wherein the roll-core housing has lateral protrusions, in particular tongues and/or ribs, for engagement in a mount of a holder for retaining the label roll in a machine, and/or wherein the roll-core housing has lateral feet for positioning the roll-core housing on an underlying surface such that the label tape is arranged in its entirety above a planar underlying surface.

9. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein the label tape is formed at least essentially from paper or plastic, and/or wherein the label tape is perforated at regular intervals in order for individual segments of the label tape to be severed, and/or wherein the label tape bears at least one label strip, which is adhesively bonded to the label tape in a detachable manner, or bears a plurality of labels which are arranged one behind the other and are adhesively bonded to the label tape in a detachable manner.

10. A machine, in particular shipment locker, for accommodating and/or discharging shipments, in particular items, packaged items and/or parcels, comprising:
at least one label roll which is accommodated in a label compartment and has a label tape, and
a dispensing device for at least partially dispensing the label tape to a user and/or for at least partially dispensing to a user a label strip which is borne by the label tape and/or for dispensing to a user labels which are borne by the label tape,
wherein the label roll is designed according to claim 1 .

11. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein a printer, in particular thermal printer, is provided for printing the label tape, the label strip and/or the labels, and wherein, preferably, the printer draws off the label tape from the roll core for printing purposes, and/or wherein the printer, in particular thermal printer, is provided for dispensing the label tape, the label strip and/or the labels.

12. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein an operating terminal for operation by the user is provided for interaction with the control device such that, in dependence on the operation of the operating terminal, the control device of the roll core is actuatable for activation and/or deactivation of the at least one electromagnet and/or the printer is actuable for drawing off label tape from the label roll, for printing the label tape, the label strip and/or the labels and/or for dispensing the label tape, the label strip and/or the labels.

13. The machine according to claim 12 , wherein the operating terminal, for operation by the user, has a keypad, a touchscreen, reading devices for reading barcodes, in particular two-dimensional barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and/or Near Field Communication (NFC) tags and/or receiving devices for receiving signals via a local wireless network or a cellular network, for example Bluetooth, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and/or Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

14. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the shipment locker is an automated parcel locker, in particular a packstation, which allows the operator himself to pick up and/or post parcels.

15. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the machine is designed for printing and dispensing labels, in particular in the form of customer receipts and/or return labels, in particular with reference to information predetermined via the operating terminal.

16. The label roll according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the label tape contacts the plurality of rollers when the label tape is wound onto the roll core.

Assignees

• Markert Florian
• Dautz Christoph
• Von Gostomski Markus
• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Markert Florian
• Dautz Christoph
• Von Gostomski Markus

Classifications

• B65H2701/192

  Labels · CPC title

• G09F3/02

  Forms or constructions (layered products B32B) · CPC title

• B65D83/0805

  through an aperture in a wall · CPC title

• B65H75/06

  Flat cores, e.g. cards · CPC title

• B65C9/18 Primary

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