Method of cutting off labels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685134-B2
Application number	US-202117370708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of cutting off self-adhesive linerless endless tape labels, using a cutter of a label printer, wherein the cutter comprises a transport roller, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a blade unit that is linearly travelable in parallel with the axis of rotation of the transport roller and that has a cutting blade directed in the direction toward the transport roller, where tape labels pass between the transport roller and the blade unit, and are transported further step-wise in a motorized manner, by one label, and, between two consecutive further transport steps, the blade unit is linearly traveled in a motorized manner between a start position and a target position in order to cut off a label, such that the label is completely cut off and is held at the transport roller by the blade unit in the target position of the blade unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of cutting off self-adhesive linerless endless tape labels or carrier tape labels using a cutter of a label printer, wherein the cutter comprises a transport roller, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a blade unit that is linearly travelable in parallel with the axis of rotation of the transport roller and that has a cutting blade directed in a direction toward the transport roller,
the method comprising
passing the endless tape or carrier tape labels between the transport roller and the blade unit,
transporting the endless tape or carrier tape labels further motorically step-wise, in each case by one label, and,
in each case between two consecutive further transport steps, travelling the blade unit motorically and linearly between a start position and a target position in order to cut off a label,

wherein the blade unit is traveled such that the label is completely cut off and is held at the transport roller by the blade unit in the target position of the blade unit.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the cutting blade projects with a fixed overhang over an end face of a blade holder of the blade unit, said end face being disposed in the direction toward the transport roller,
the method further comprising:
disposing the endless tape or carrier tape labels with a lower side on the transport roller,
on the travel of the blade unit, the end face of the blade holder contacting an upper side of the endless tape or carrier tape labels such that the endless tape or carrier tape labels are clamped between the transport roller and the end face of the blade holder, and

holding the cut-off label in a clamping manner at the transport roller by the end face of the blade holder in the target position of the blade unit.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising
travelling the blade unit only so far that, in the target position of the blade unit, the end face of the blade holder with a trailing section is still located in a region of the endless tape or carrier tape labels.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising
travelling the blade unit such that the end face of the blade holder runs along a surface line of the transport roller that is disposed closest to the end face of the blade holder; and/or
travelling the blade unit such that the cutting blade runs along the surface line of the transport roller that has a predefined offset from the surface line disposed closest to the end face of the blade holder.

5. The method in accordance claim 1 , further comprising
detecting by means of a detector device whether the cut-off label has been removed from the transport roller, with the blade unit only being automatically traveled out of the target position when detected that the cut-off label has previously been removed from the transport roller.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 , further comprising
travelling the blade unit out of the target position back to the start position or to a further start position going beyond the target position; and

subsequently transporting, motorically step-wise, the endless tape or carrier tape labels further by one label.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 , further comprising
to cut off a next label, travelling the blade unit from the further start position in a reverse direction of travel into a further target position, with the blade unit in this respect again being traveled such that the next label is completely cut off and is correspondingly held at the transport roller by the blade unit in the further target position of the blade unit, with the blade unit being traveled back into the start position after the removal of the next label.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising
repeating the cutting off of labels continuously first in the direction of travel and then in the reverse direction of travel.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising
travelling the blade unit such that the cutting blade slides along a surface of the transport roller without penetrating into the transport roller.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising
supporting the cutting blade displaceably, and preloading the cutting blade in the direction of the transport roller by means of a spring device.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising
carrying out a reference travel at a respective predefined point in time, and calibrating a reference position of the blade unit by means of a sensor device.

Assignees

• Bizerba Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Haigis Joerg
• Dehner Moritz
• Eppler Pascal
• Hirsch Alexander
• Will Peter

Classifications

• B26D1/105

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• B26D2210/11

  for cutting web rolls · CPC title

• B31D1/027

  involving, marking, printing or coding · CPC title

• B26D5/02

  Means for moving the cutting member into its operative position for cutting · CPC title

• B31D1/026 Primary

  Cutting or perforating (B31D1/022 takes precedence) · CPC title