Device and method for attaching handles to packages or containers, such as bottles, cans, boxes, pouches, and similar containers, or to groups of packages or containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577873-B2
Application number	US-202117155730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

The application relates to a device and method for attaching handles to packages or containers, such as bottles, cans, boxes, pouches, and similar containers, or to groups of packages or containers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package handle attachment arrangement to attach handles to packages comprising groups of containers, said package handle attachment arrangement comprising:
a conveyor being configured to move packages in a conveying direction;
a handle applicator unit being disposed above said conveyor;
said handle applicator unit being configured and disposed to rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation oriented transverse to the conveying direction;
said handle applicator unit comprising at least two applicator arms oriented radially to the horizontal axis of rotation;
each of said at least two applicator arms comprising a cutting tool configured to cut individual handle strips of self-adhesive strip material from an endless supply strip;
each of said at least two applicator arms comprising at least one support surface configured to support portions of self-adhesive strip material upon rotation of said handle applicator unit, and to press portions of individual handle strips onto packages to form handles for manual carrying of packages; and
a pressure distribution arrangement being operatively connected to each of said at least two applicator arms to generate, at said at least one support surface of each of said at least two applicator arms, pressures of different duration and/or intensity and/or amount, depending on the rotational position of said handle applicator unit, which pressures comprise:
a first pressure comprising a negative pressure to hold portions of self-adhesive strip material against said at least one support surface by vacuum suction upon said handle applicator unit being in a first rotational position, and
at least one other pressure different from said first pressure and different from atmospheric pressure upon said handle applicator unit being in at least one other rotational position different from said first rotational position.

2. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one other pressure is higher than said first pressure.

3. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one other pressure comprises:
a second pressure comprising either atmospheric pressure or a negative pressure; and
a third pressure comprising a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.

4. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said pressure distribution arrangement, for each of said support surfaces, is configured to:
temporarily operatively connect said support surface to a vacuum source to generate said first pressure at said support surface upon said handle applicator unit being in said first rotational position;
temporarily operatively connect said support surface to a pressure source to generate said third pressure at said support surface upon said handle applicator unit being in a third rotational position different from said first rotational position; and temporarily operatively disconnect said support surface from any pressure source or vacuum source to generate said second pressure at said support surface upon said handle applicator unit being in said second rotational position different from said first and third rotational positions.

5. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein said first rotational position comprises a position in which at least one of said support surfaces is in holding contact with a portion of self-adhesive strip material to permit said handle applicator unit to draw self-adhesive strip material from an endless supply strip or transport portions of individual handle strips to packages.

6. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein said third rotational position comprises a position in which said at least one of said support surfaces is disposed to press an adhesive portion of an individual handle strip onto a package, such that, due to said third, positive, pressure, an air gap is created between the adhesive portion and said at least one of said support surfaces to promote disconnection and transfer of the adhesive portion from said at least one of said support surfaces to the package.

7. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein said second rotational position comprises at least one of:
a position in which at least one of said support surfaces is not in contact with a portion of self-adhesive strip material; and
a position in which said at least one of said support surfaces is disposed to press an adhesive portion of an individual handle strip onto a package such that, due to said second pressure being higher than said first, negative, pressure, a reduced suction force or no suction force exists between the adhesive portion and said at least one of said support surfaces to promote disconnection and transfer of the adhesive portion from said at least one of said support surfaces to the package.

8. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein each of said applicator arms is adjustable in length along a corresponding longitudinal axis.

9. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein:
said at least one support surface comprises pairs of support surfaces, one pair for each of said applicator arms; and
each pair of support surfaces comprises:
a first support surface disposed on a front side of its applicator arm and configured to press a first adhesive end of individual handle strips onto the leading side of packages, as viewed along the conveying direction, and thereby initially attach individual handle strips to packages; and
a second support surface disposed on a back side of its applicator arm and configured to press a second adhesive end of individual handle strips onto the trailing side of packages, as viewed along the conveying direction, and thereby completely attach individual handle strips to packages to form package handles.

10. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein:
each of said applicator arms comprises a first plate-shaped format part disposed at a front side thereof, and a second plate-shaped format part disposed at a rear side thereof;
each of said first support surfaces is disposed on a corresponding first plate-shaped format part, and each of said second support surfaces is disposed on a corresponding second plate-shaped format part; and
each of said first and second plate-shaped format parts comprises at least one air opening therein to permit generation of pressure at its corresponding first and second support surface.

11. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of said first and second plate-shaped format parts comprises an elastic material or a foam material to permit elastic deformation of each of said first and second plate-shaped format parts in a substantially radial direction with respect to a central longitudinal axis of its corresponding applicator arm; and
each of said first and second plate-shaped format parts comprises a width that is greater than the width of the self-adhesive strip material.

12. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of said first and second plate-shaped format parts comprises at least one suction head and a folding bellows element arranged on the suction head configured to be elastically deformable or compressible in a substantially radial direction with respect to said central longitudinal axis of its corresponding applicator arm.

13. The package handle attachment arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of said first and second support sur

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Stuhlmann Christopher
• Zahn Volker
• Nitsch Thomas
• Fischer Mathias
• Wertz Michael
• Pau Norman

Classifications

• B65H2301/5151

  transversally to feeding direction · CPC title

• B65B61/14 Primary

  for incorporating, or forming and incorporating, handles or suspension means in packages (attaching, or forming and attaching, string handles or tags to tea-bags B65B29/04) · CPC title

• B65H2402/352

  Turrets · CPC title

• B65H2301/51532

  Blade cutter, e.g. single blade cutter · CPC title

• B65B61/06

  by cutting · CPC title