Film-fitting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278773-B2
Application number	US-201213673184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2012
Priority date	Nov 14, 2011
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A film-fitting device includes a cutting mechanism that cuts a label-forming medium into a predetermined length, a film transfer mechanism that transfers downstream a tubular film arranged around a mandrel, and a shot roller that receives the tubular film transferred by the film transfer mechanism and delivers the tubular film downstream while rotating the tubular film in the circumferential direction. The distance from the cutting mechanism to the shot roller and the distance from the film transfer mechanism to the shot roller are both greater than the length of the tubular film formed by the cutting. Further, rotational drive of the shot roller is carried out by an independent servo motor or stepping motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A film-fitting device which sequentially delivers tubular films downstream while opening each tubular film by arranging the tubular film around a mandrel, and thereby causes the tubular film to be fitted around a body to be subjected to fitting that is transported to a position facing the mandrel, the film-fitting device comprising:
a cutting mechanism that cuts a tube-forming medium into a predetermined length so as to form a tubular film having the predetermined length;
a film transfer mechanism that transfers downstream the tubular film arranged around the mandrel; and
at least one shot roller installed with its rotational shaft being slanted with respect to an axis core of the mandrel, the shot roller receiving the tubular film transferred by the film transfer mechanism, by causing the tubular film to be held between the shot roller and the mandrel, and delivering the tubular film downstream while rotating the tubular film in a circumferential direction,
wherein
a distance from the cutting mechanism to the shot roller and a distance from the film transfer mechanism to the shot roller are both greater than the length of the tubular film formed by the cutting; and
rotational drive of the shot roller is carried out by an independent servo motor or stepping motor.

2. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the shot roller is provided in a pair, and the pair of shot rollers are arranged on opposite sides of a transport path of the body to be subjected to fitting.

3. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein a transfer speed of the tubular film at a point when the film transfer mechanism hands over the tubular film to the shot roller and a downstream moving speed of the tubular film at a point when the tubular film is received by the shot roller are set to substantially identical speeds.

4. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism is provided upstream of the mandrel and forms the tubular film having the predetermined length by cutting, into the predetermined length, the tube-forming medium folded in sheet form.

5. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an angle adjustment mechanism that supports the shot roller in a manner pivotable about an axis that extends in a radial direction of the shot roller from a portion on the mandrel against which the shot roller holds the tubular film, the angle adjustment mechanism serving to adjust an angle of inclination of the shot roller.

6. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 5 , wherein
a ball roller that is freely rotatable in arbitrary directions is mounted on the mandrel; and
the tubular film is to be held between the ball roller and the shot roller.

7. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein
the tubular film is formed to have a tubular shape by overlapping two side edge portions of a film in a width direction with each other and joining the overlapped part, and the tubular film has a non-joint part on a tip side of the joint part at a first side edge portion which is located on an inner side of the overlapped part; and
the shot roller rotates the tubular film in a circumferential direction toward a tip of a second side edge portion of the tubular film which is located on an outer side of the overlapped part.

8. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 7 , wherein
the mandrel includes a tapered and wedge-shaped tubular film opening part toward an upstream side, and a tubular film shaping part that has a circular cross-section and is connected to a downstream part of the tubular film opening part; and
a plurality of longitudinal grooves are provided on an outer surface of the tubular film shaping part.

9. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a rebound prevention member that is provided near a fitting position at which a tubular film is fitted around a body to be subjected to fitting, and that abuts a tubular film that jumps up while surrounding a body to be subjected to fitting.

10. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 9 , wherein the rebound prevention member has an abutting portion that abuts a trailing edge part of the tubular film, and this abutting portion is arranged on an upstream side or a lateral side of each sequentially-transported body to be subjected to fitting, the upstream side and the lateral side defined in terms of a direction in which the tubular film is fitted.

11. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 9 , wherein the rebound prevention member comprises a rotary brush that is placed in sliding contact with an outer surface of the tubular film.

12. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 9 , wherein the rebound prevention member is a check member that, when contacted by an outer surface or an edge part of the tubular film fitted around the body to be subjected to fitting, permits movement of the tubular film in a fitting direction but inhibits movement of the tubular film in a direction opposite to the fitting direction.

13. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one shot roller comprises:
an upper shot roller that holds a tubular film arranged around the mandrel against the mandrel and delivers the tubular film downstream; and
a lower shot roller that receives the tubular film delivered downstream by the upper shot roller, by holding the tubular film against the mandrel, and directly delivers the tubular film downstream so as to fit the tubular film around the body to be subjected to fitting that is transported to the position facing the mandrel,
wherein, when the lower shot roller is holding the tubular film against the mandrel, the lower shot roller is rotating at a rotational speed which equals a converted delivery-direction circumferential speed obtained by converting a fitting speed into a circumferential speed in the tubular film delivery direction.

14. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 13 , wherein a speed of downstream delivery of the tubular film by the lower shot roller is set higher than a speed of downstream delivery of the tubular film by the upper shot roller.

15. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one shot roller comprises:
an upper shot roller that holds a tubular film arranged around the mandrel against the mandrel and delivers the tubular film downstream; and
a lower shot roller that receives the tubular film delivered downstream by the upper shot roller, by holding the tubular film against the mandrel, and directly delivers the tubular film downstream so as to fit the tubular film around the body to be subjected to fitting that is transported to a position facing the mandrel,
wherein, at a point at which the lower shot roller receives the tubular film from the upper shot roller, a converted delivery-direction circumferential speed of the upper shot roller, which indicates a circumferential speed in the tubular film delivery direction, substantially equals a converted delivery-direction circumferential speed of the lower shot roller, which indicates a circumferential speed in the tubular film delivery direction, and the lower shot roller is accelerated after the received tubular film is disengaged from the upper shot roller.

16. The film-fitting device as defined in claim 1 , wherein
in the body to be subjected to fitting, its head part has a smaller diameter than its trunk part;
a grooved part extending along a transport direction of the body to be subjected to fitting is formed in a downstream end part of the mandrel; and
when the body to be s

Assignees

• Fuji Seal Int Inc

Inventors

• Arima Koji
• Sawamura Takuji
• Sonoda Takato
• Sugimoto Hiroshi
• Yabe Daisuke

Classifications

• B65B9/14

  Devices for distending tubes supplied in the flattened state · CPC title

• B65C9/42

  Label feed control · CPC title

• B65C3/065 Primary

  by placing tubular labels around the container (applying preformed tubular sheathings of plastics in general B29C63/18; applying protective covers to closures B67B5/03) · CPC title

• B29C63/423

  specially applied to the mass-production of externally coated articles, e.g. bottles · CPC title