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EP-4735338-A1 - LINEAR LABELING MACHINE

EP4735338A1EP 4735338 A1EP4735338 A1EP 4735338A1EP-4735338-A1

Abstract

A linear labeling machine, which comprises a base frame (2) supporting at least one linear conveyor (3) which is adapted to move products to be labeled along an advancement direction (100) and at least one labeling assembly (4) which is adapted to apply at least one label to the products transiting on the linear conveyor (3); the base frame (2) has an interlocking modular structure provided by component elements that can be assembled together.

Inventors

  • BONARDI, LUCA

Assignees

  • P.E. Labellers S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240426

Claims (7)

  1. 1. A linear labeling machine, comprising a base frame (2) supporting at least one linear conveyor (3) which is adapted to move products to be labeled along an advancement direction (100) and at least one labeling assembly (4) which is adapted to apply at least one label to the products transiting on said linear conveyor (3), characterized in that said base frame (2) has an interlocking modular structure provided by component elements that are configured to be assembled together.
  2. 2. The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said component elements comprise at least two supporting sides (5a, 5b) and at least one longitudinally extended supporting element (6) which can be connected, at its ends, to said supporting sides (5a, 5b).
  3. 3. The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one supporting element (8), which can be fixed freely along the longitudinal extension of said supporting element (6) and defines at least one resting surface for mounting said at least one labeling assembly (4) and/or at least one auxiliary device of the machine.
  4. 4. The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one longitudinal connecting member (11) between said supporting sides (5a, 5b).
  5. 5. The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said linear conveyor (3) is mounted on said supporting sides (5a, 5b).
  6. 6. The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each one of said supporting sides (5a, 5b) has at least two cross-members (12, 13) joined together by at least one pair of posts (14).
  7. 7. The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting sides (5a, 5b) each have at least one respective fixing element (16) for mounting at least one lateral protection of the machine.

Description

LINEAR LABELING MACHINE The present invention relates to a linear labeling machine. Linear labeling machines are known, which make it possible to automatically apply labels on products, such as containers or the like. In particular, the known labeling machines comprise a supporting structure, on which a linear conveyor, which makes it possible to move the containers to be labeled along a substantially straight advancement direction, and one or more labeling assemblies, arranged along the longitudinal extension of the linear conveyor and configured to automatically apply the labels on the products transiting on the linear conveyor, are mounted. Currently, the supporting structure of a linear labeling machine is typically made up of a footing formed by one or more tables, which are placed side by side one after the other along the longitudinal extension of the linear conveyor and which define, on top, a supporting surface, on which the linear conveyor and the labeling assemblies are mounted, as well as any accessory devices required by the labeling operations, such as control video cameras or the like. Currently, each linear labeling machine is designed and built on commission, based on the requirements of the user or based on the type of products to be labeled, the type of labels to be applied, or the production levels required. In particular, the sizes of the labeling assemblies and of the accessory devices are established first, and then the table is designed to accommodate all of these. Therefore, the footing and the associated protections need to be designed every time at high cost, since it is not possible to avail of economies of scale. Furthermore, the time required to produce the machines is rather long, since before proceeding with their assembly one must first wait for all the designed parts to be produced and delivered. The aim of the present invention is to provide a linear labeling machine that is capable of improving the known art in one or more of the above-mentioned aspects. Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a linear labeling machine which can be produced in a shorter time and at lower cost than current linear labeling machines. Another object of the invention is to provide a linear labeling machine which makes it possible to achieve high economies of scale in its production. A further object of the invention is to provide a linear labeling machine which can be easily and rapidly assembled. Another object of the invention is to provide a linear labeling machine which offers the possibility to easily make modifications to its configuration. A further object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known art in an alternative manner to any existing solutions. Another object of the invention is to provide a linear labeling machine which is highly reliable. This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a linear labeling machine according to claim 1, optionally provided with one or more of the characteristics of the dependent claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the linear labeling machine according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows the labeling machine according to the invention in a possible configuration thereof; Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the machine according to the invention, with some parts omitted for the sake of simplicity; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the base frame of the machine according to the invention. With reference to the figures, the labeling machine according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a base frame 2, which supports at least one linear conveyor 3, which is adapted to move the products to be labeled, such as, for example, containers, along an advancement direction 100 that is substantially straight. The base frame 2 furthermore supports one or more labeling assemblies 4, which make it possible to apply at least one label to the products transiting on the linear conveyor 3. The peculiarity of the invention consists in that the base frame 2 has an interlocking modular structure provided by a plurality of component elements that can be assembled together. Conveniently, the component elements of the base frame 2 can be assembled together by means of shape mating or by means of threaded couplings, as will also be described below. In particular, the component elements of the base frame 2 comprise, conveniently, at least two supporting sides 5a, 5b which are designed to be arranged mutually spaced apart along a direction that is substantially parallel to the advancement direction 100 defined by the linear conveyor 3. The modular components of the base frame 2 furthermore comprise at leas