US-12617575-B2 - Label affixing device including peeling part peeling label off release material, affixing part affixing label to adherend, and discharge part through which release material is discharged

US12617575B2US 12617575 B2US12617575 B2US 12617575B2US-12617575-B2

Abstract

A label affixing device includes a first conveying part, a peeling part, an affixing part, a discharge part, and a conveying guide. The first conveying part is configured to convey a tape including a label and a release material affixed thereto. The peeling part is configured to peel the label off the release material. The affixing part is configured to affix the peeled label to an adherend and is disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the label. The release material from which the label has been peeled off is discharged through the discharge part. The discharge part is disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the release material. The conveying guide is switchable between a first position for guiding the tape toward the discharge part and a second position for guiding the peeled label toward the affixing part.

Inventors

Shota Iijima

Assignees

BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240129
Priority Date: 20210730

Claims (20)

1 . A label affixing device comprising: a first conveying part configured to convey a tape from an upstream side toward a downstream side, the tape including a label and a release material affixed to the label; a peeling part configured to peel the label off the release material, the peeling part being disposed further downstream than the first conveying part in a conveying direction of the tape; an affixing part configured to affix the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part to an adherend, the affixing part being disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the label; a discharge part through which the release material from which the label has been peeled off by the peeling part is discharged, the discharge part being disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the release material; a conveying guide switchable between: a first position in which the conveying guide guides the tape toward the discharge part; and a second position in which the conveying guide guides the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part toward the affixing part; and a drive mechanism configured to move the conveying guide between the first position and the second position.
2 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the peeling part and the conveying guide move in conjunction with each other, wherein the peeling part does not peel the label off the release material in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the first position, and wherein the peeling part peels the label off the release material in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the second position.
3 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a third conveying part configured to convey: the tape; or the release material from which the label has been peeled off by the peeling part.
4 . The label affixing device according to claim 3 , wherein a conveying speed at which the tape or the release material is conveyed by the third conveying part is greater than a conveying speed at which the tape is conveyed by the first conveying part.
5 . The label affixing device according to claim 3 , wherein the third conveying part includes a third roller, wherein the label affixing device further comprises: a plurality of third auxiliary rollers adjacent to each other in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction in which the tape or the release material is conveyed, the plurality of third auxiliary rollers being configured to nip, in cooperation with the third roller, the tape or the release material between the plurality of third auxiliary rollers and the third roller, and wherein at least part of the conveying guide disposed in the first position is arranged between the plurality of third auxiliary rollers in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction in which the tape or the release material is conveyed.
6 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveying part includes a first roller, wherein the label affixing device further comprises: a fourth roller opposing the first roller with a conveying path of the tape interposed between the fourth roller and the first roller; and a first cover configured to be opened and closed between: a state where a conveying path through which the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part passes is exposed; and a state where the conveying path through which the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part passes is not exposed, wherein the fourth roller nips the tape while the first cover is closed, and wherein the fourth roller is separated from the tape while the first cover is open.
7 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying guide has a first curved portion formed at a portion of the conveying guide which faces the peeling part, wherein the label affixing device further comprises: a guide portion provided on a conveying path of the tape guided by the conveying guide disposed in the first position, the guide portion being configured to guide the tape along the conveying path of the tape, wherein the guide portion has a second curved portion, wherein the first curved portion is positioned further upstream than an upstream end portion of the guide portion in the conveying direction of the tape, and wherein a radius of curvature of the first curved portion is smaller than a radius of curvature of the second curved portion.
8 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of conveying spurs configured to guide the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part, wherein the conveying guide has at least one protruding portion configured to pass between the plurality of conveying spurs during the course of movement of the conveying guide between the first position and the second position.
9 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying guide disposed in the second position is separated from a conveying path of the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part.
10 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a printing unit configured to print on a portion of the tape, wherein the first conveying part is configured to convey the tape printed by the printing unit.
11 . The label affixing device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a retaining part retaining the conveying guide and the peeling part from both sides in a width direction of the label, wherein, in accordance with movement of the retaining part, the conveying guide and the peeling part move in conjunction with each other.
12 . The label affixing device according to claim 11 , wherein the retaining part is pivotally movable, wherein, in accordance with pivotal movement of the retaining part, the conveying guide moves between the first position and the second position, and wherein a rotating direction of the retaining part when a weight of the peeling part acts on the retaining part in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the second position is opposite a rotating direction of the retaining part when the conveying guide moves from the second position to the first position.
13 . The label affixing device according to claim 11 , further comprising: a frame supporting the retaining part so that the retaining part is pivotally movable; and a pin configured to be inserted through the retaining part to restrict pivotal movement of the retaining part.
14 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a pair of driving parts configured to move end portions of the conveying guide, the end portions being both end portions of the conveying guide in a width direction of the label.
15 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a retaining part retaining the conveying guide, the retaining part having an elongated hole, wherein the conveying guide is configured to move between the first position and the second position by rotating about a rotational shaft, wherein the drive mechanism includes a cam provided with an inserted part inserted into the elongated hole of the retaining part, wherein rotation of the cam causes the conveying guide to move between the first position and the second position, and wherein both in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the first position and in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the second position, the inserted part is disposed at either of both end portions of the elongated hole.
16 . The label affixing device according to claim 15 , wherein a position of the inserted part when the conveying guide is disposed in the first position, a position of the inserted part when the conveying guide is disposed in the second position, and a rotational center of the cam are arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotational shaft of the conveying guide.
17 . The label affixing device according to claim 3 , wherein the third conveying part includes a third roller, wherein the label affixing device further comprises a transmission unit configured to transmit a rotational drive force to the third roller, and wherein the transmission unit prohibits transmission of the rotational drive force to the third roller during movement of the conveying guide between the first position and the second position.
18 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a conveying motor configured to drive at least the first conveying part; and a moving motor configured to move the conveying guide between the first position and the second position, wherein the conveying motor and the moving motor are positioned on the same side of a virtual plane passing through a conveying path of the label.
19 . The label affixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a printing unit configured to print on a portion of the tape, wherein the first conveying part is configured to convey the tape printed by the printing unit, and wherein the label affixing device further comprises: a controller configured to perform: starting printing by the printing unit in a state where the conveying guide is disposed in the first position.
20 . The label affixing device according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform: placing the conveying guide in the first position in a ready state before starting printing.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a by-pass continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/027081 filed on Jul. 8, 2022 claiming priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-126147 filed on Jul. 30, 2021. The entire contents of the International Application and the priority application are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND ART There are known devices for affixing labels to adherends. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-63087 discloses a label printing device. The label printing device prints on label paper a description of items matching the contents of a package and subsequently peels the printed label paper off the backing paper with a peeling roller. The label printing device cuts the printed label paper peeled off the backing paper in conformance with the printed area. With a guide belt, the label printing device conveys the printed and cut label paper toward a conveyor. The label printing device affixes the printed label paper conveyed by the guide belt to a package conveyed by the conveyor. SUMMARY In order to attach a label roll to the label printing device to make the label printing device in a usable state, the user must pull the label paper and backing paper off the label roll and guide them to the peeling roller. Thus, a label affixing device that affixes labels after peeling the labels from a release material is problematic in that attachment of tape including labels and release material to the label affixing device requires time and effort. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a label affixing device to which tape including a label and release material can be easily attached. In order to attain the above and other objects, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a label affixing device including a first conveying part, a peeling part, an affixing part, a discharge part, and a conveying guide. The first conveying part is configured to convey a tape from an upstream side toward a downstream side. The tape includes a label and a release material affixed to the label. The peeling part is configured to peel the label off the release material. The peeling part is disposed further downstream than the first conveying part in a conveying direction of the tape. The affixing part is configured to affix the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part to an adherend. The affixing part is disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the label. The release material from which the label has been peeled off by the peeling part is discharged through the discharge part. The discharge part is disposed downstream relative to the peeling part in a conveying direction of the release material. The conveying guide is switchable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the conveying guide guides the tape toward the discharge part. In the second position, the conveying guide guides the label peeled off the release material by the peeling part toward the affixing part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a label wrapping device 1A. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the label wrapping device 1A (a third cover 123: open). FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the label wrapping device 1A (a first cover 121: open; a fourth cover 124: omitted). FIG. 4 is a plan view of the label wrapping device 1A (the first cover 121: open). FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the label wrapping device 1A divided by line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 as viewed in a direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of an area within frame border W1 in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of an area within frame border W2 in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a peeling and guiding mechanism 4 (a second position). FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of a first roller 301, a second roller 302, and a fourth roller 304 (a nipping position). FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the peeling guiding mechanism 4 (a first position), the first roller 301, and the fourth roller 304 (a separated position). FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the peeling and guiding mechanism 4 (the first position). FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the first roller 301, the second roller 302, and the fourth roller 304 (the separated position). FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the peeling and guiding mechanism 4 (the first position), the first roller 301, and the fourth roller 304 (the nipping position). FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of follow rollers 311 through 313. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a transmission unit 3B (a link mechanism 38: a contact position). FIG. 17 is a right side view of the transmission unit 3B (a motor Mw2: forward rotation; the link mechanism 38: the contact position). FIG. 18 is a right side view of the