Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Device for producing both linerless labels and lined
labels
The invention relates to a device for producing both
linerless labels and lined labels, which device comprises:
- a base frame;
- a hotmelt station arranged on the base frame,
which hotmelt station comprises a first back-up roller, a
hotmelt applicator directed towards the first back-up roller
for applying a coating of hotmelt on a web of material guided
over the first backup-roller and downstream of the hotmelt
applicator, a second back-up roller and a pressure roller
urged against the second back-up roller, wherein a web path
extends from near the bottom of the hotmelt station upwards
through the first nip formed by the first back-up roller and
the hotmelt applicator and over the second back-up roller and
through the second nip formed by the second back-up roller and
the pressure roller ending on a first side of the hotmelt
station.
In the production of labels it is known to provide,
in a production line, a supply of label material in the form
of a web. This label material is typically printed on at least
one side. The printing of the label material can be done in
the same production line or off-line, such that the web of
label material is supplied from a roll.
To provide the typical adhesive layer to the label
material, the web of label material is fed to a hotmelt
station wherein a coating of hotmelt is arranged on the web of
label material, typically on the side opposite of the printed
side.
The web of label material provided with the hotmelt
coating is typically not directly used in the same production
line, such that the web of label material needs to be rolled
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up again. However, the hotmelt coating would stick to the
printed side if no additional measures would be taken.
Accordingly it is known to either have so-called linerless
labels and lined labels.
With linerless labels the printed side of the web of
label material is provided with a release layer, such as a
silicone coating which allows the hotmelt coating to easily
peel of when the web of layer material is rolled up. The
silicone coating is typically applied before the web of label
material is fed to the hotmelt station. The silicone coating
is typically provided by a separate station arranged in the
same production line.
With lined labels a Separate web of liner material
is provided. The web of liner material is merged with the web
of label material, after it has been coated with hotmelt, such
that the liner material covers the hotmelt coating.
A typical production line is either suitable for
linerless labels or for lined labels, but not for both. This
is because with linerless labels the bottom side (viewed when
it is supplied to the device for producing the label) of the
web of label material is to be coated with hotmelt, while for
lined labels the top side of the web of label material is to
be coated with hotmelt.
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to
reduce or even remove the above mentioned disadvantages.
This object is achieved according to the invention
with a device according to the preamble, which device is
characterized by a portal frame arranged on the base frame and
extending over the hotmelt station, wherein a number of guide
rollers are arranged on the portal frame for guiding a web of
material along a web path, which web path extends at least
over the hotmelt station;
wherein the hotmelt station is rotatable arranged on
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the base frame around an axis parallel to the plane of the web
path of the guide rollers between a first position and a
reversed, second position, in which both the first and second
position the plane of the web path of the hotmelt station is
parallel to the plane of the web path of the guide rollers on
the portal frame.
By having the hotmelt station rotatable, in
particular over 1800, the web of label material supplied to
the hotmelt station could be provided on either side with a
hotmelt coating. As the hotmelt station is rotated between two
positions, the first side of the hotmelt station will also be
positioned on two opposite sides. To ensure that the web of
material coated with hotmelt still arrives at a desired end of
the device, the portal frame is provided such that the web of
material coated with hotmelt can be guided from one end over
the hotmelt station to the other end.
In a preferred embodiment of the device according to
the invention, in the first position of the hotmelt station, a
single continuous web path is created by the web path of the
hot melt station continued by the web path of the guide
rollers and wherein in the reversed, second position the web
path of the guide rollers ends into the second nip of hotmelt
station, such that a web of material guided along the web path
of the guide rollers is merged with a web of material guided
along the web path of the hotmelt station.
In the first embodiment, the device is suitable to
be used for linerless labels, wherein only a single web of
label material needs to be fed to the device. In the second
embodiment, the web of label material is fed from the same
position into the device according to the invention, but
because the hotmelt station is rotated, the web of label
material will be provided with a hotmelt coating on the
opposite side. Furthermore, a web of liner material can be fed
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via the rollers on the portal frame, such that the web of
liner material can be merged with the hotmelt coated label
material, such that a lined label is produced.
A further embodiment of the device according to the
invention comprises further a first web alignment arranged on
the portal frame and on the end of the web path of the guide
rollers.
This first web alignment can be used to control the
alignment of the web of material exiting the hotmelt station
and which web is fed directly to the web alignment or is fed
via the web path of the portal frame.
Yet another further embodiment of the device
according to the invention comprises a second web alignment
arranged on the portal frame along the web path of the guide
rollers and upstream of the first web alignment.
The second web alignment can be used in case a
separate web of liner material is to be merged with a hotmelt
coated web of label material. The second web alignment ensures
that the liner material is aligined and arranged on the label
material preventing the combined lined label material from
curling after leaving the device according to the invention.
The invention also relates to a combination of a
device according to the invention and a web of label material,
which is on one side provided with a release layer, such as a
silicone coating, wherein the hotmelt station is rotated into
the first position and wherein the web of label material is
transported from near the bottom of the hotmelt station
upwards through the first nip and over the second back-up
roller and through the second nip, wherein the release layer
is in direct contact with both the first and second back-up
rollers, and wherein the web of label material exits on the
first side of the hotmelt station, continues along the web
path of the portal frame, such that the web of label material
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is transported over the hotmelt station to the second side of
the hotmelt station opposite from the first side.
This combination is typically suitable for producing
linerless labels.
The invention furthermore relates to a combination
of a device according to the invention, a web of label
material, and a web of liner material which is on one side
provided with a release layer, wherein the hotmelt station is
rotated into the second position and wherein the web of label
material is transported from near the bottom of the hotmelt
station upwards through the first nip and over the second
back-up roller and through the second nip, wherein the web of
label material exits on the first side of the hotmelt station,
and wherein the web of liner material is transported via the
web path of the portal frame from the second side of the
hotmelt station, being opposite from the first side, to the
first side of the hotmelt station, wherein the web of liner
material is fed into the second nip of hotmelt station, such
that the web of liner material is merged with the web of label
material and wherein the release layer of the web of liner
material is in direct contact with the applied coating of
hotmelt.
This combination is typically suitable for producing
lined labels, wherein the same device according to the
invention is used as with the combination for producing
linerless labels. The only change to the device is that the
device is rotated from the first position to the second
position.
The invention also relates to a combination of a
device according to the invention, a web of label material,
and a web of liner material which is on one side provided with
a release layer, such as a silicone coating, wherein the
hotmelt station is rotated into the second position and
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wherein the web of liner material is transported from near the
bottom of the hotmelt station upwards through the first nip,
such that the release layer is coated with a hotmelt, and over
the second back-up roller and through the second nip, wherein
the web of liner material exits on the first side of the
hotmelt station, and wherein the web of label material is
transported via the web path of the portal frame from the
second side of the hotmelt station, being opposite from the
first side, to the first side of the hotmelt station, wherein
the web of label material is fed into the second nip of
hotmelt station, such that the web of label material is merged
with the web of liner material and wherein the coating of
hotmelt of the web of liner material is in direct contact with
the web of label material.
This alternative combination is suitable depending
on the orientation of the the print on the web of label
material.
These and other features of the invention will be
elucidated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according
to the invention with the hotmelt station in the first
position.
Figure 2 shows the device of figure 1 with the
hotmelt station in the second position.
Figure 3 shows an alternative use of the device 1 in
the position as shown in figure 2.
Figure 1 shows a device 1 according to the
invention. The device 1 has a base frame 2 on which a hotmelt
station 3 and a portal frame 4 is arranged.
The hotmelt station 3 is rotatable around an axis 5
and shown in the first position. The hotmelt station 3
comprises furthermore a hotmelt applicator 6, which is
directed towards a first back-up roller 7, and a second back-
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up roller 8 with a pressure roller 9 urged against the second
back-up roller 8.
The portal frame 4 is provided with a plurality of
rollers 10, which provide a web path for a web of material,
and with a first web alignment 11 and a second web alignment
12.
In the shown position of the device 1, a web of
label material 13 is fed to the device 1. The web of label
material 13 has a substrate 14 with on the top side a silicone
coating 15. The label material 13 runs along a reversing
roller 16, such that the web of material 13 is transported
from the bottom of the hotmelt station 3 upwards into the
first nip provided by the back-up roller 7 and applicator 6,
where the applicator 6 applies a coating of hotmelt to the
bottom of the substrate 14 of the web 13. The web 13 is then
further transported through the second nip provided by the
back-up roller 8 and pressure roller 9.
The web of label material 13 leaves the hotmelt
station 3 on a first side and is guided along the rollers 10
of the web path of the portal frame 4 to the first web
alignment 11.
After the web alignment 11, the web of label
material 13 leaves the device 1. The web of label material 13
has upon exiting the device 1, a substrate layer 14, the
silicone layer 15 arranged on the top and a hotmelt layer 17
arranged to the bottom of the substrate layer 14, such that a
linerless label is provided.
Figure 2 shows the device 1, wherein the hotmelt
station 3 is rotated around the axis 5 over 180 . A web of
label material 20 is fed to the device 1. The label material
20 is in this case not provided with additional coatings, but
can be printed and could be a laminate on its own. Typically,
the printed side of the web would be on the bottom side when
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fed to the device 1. However, the top side could also be
provided with a print.
The web of label material 20 is transported
horizontally towards the reversing roller 16 and then upwards
into the first nip formed by the first back-up roller 7 and
applicator 6, where the web of label material 20 is provided
with a hotmelt coating. The web 20 is then transported further
into the second nip formed by the second back-up roller 8 and
pressure roller 9.
The rollers 10 on the portal frame 4 guide a web of
liner material 21, which has a substrate 22 and a silicone
layer 23 arranged at the bottom of the substrate 22. The web
of liner material 21 passes the second web alignment 12 to
ensure the correct alignment of the web of liner material 21
before it is fed to the second nip formed by the second back-
up roller and the pressure roller 9, where the web of liner
material 21 is merged with the web of hotmelt coated label
material 20.
This laminate 24 of label material 20 and liner
material 21 passes the first web alignment 11 and then exits
the device 1 for further processing.
As is seen in the enlarged view, the laminate 24 is
composed out of a layer of label material 20, a coating layer
of hotmelt 25, a silicone layer 23 and a layer of liner
substrate material 22, such that a lined label is provided.
Figure 3 shows an alternative use of the device 1,
wherein the hotmelt station 3 is rotated around the axis 5
over 180 , similar to figure 2.
In this case a web of label material 30 is fed to
the device 1 at the top thereof. This is particularly
preferred, if the label material 30 can only be fed to the
device 1 with the top side provided with print, while the
bottom side is to be provided with a hotmelt layer.
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A web of liner material 31 having a substrate 32 and
a release layer 33, such as a silicone layer, is fed at the
bottom to the device 1. The web of liner material 31 is
transported horizontally towards the reversing roller 16 and
then upwards into the first nip formed by the first back-up
roller 7 and applicator 6, where the web of label material 30
is provided with a hotmelt coating. The hotmelt coating is
arranged on top of the release layer 33.
The web 30 is then transported further into the
second nip formed by the second back-up roller 8 and pressure
roller 9 and merged with the label material 30, such that the
hotmelt coating is brought into direct contact with the label
material 30.
This laminate 34 of label material 30 and liner
material 31 passes the first web alignment 11 and then exits
the device 1 for further processing.
As is seen in the enlarged view, the laminate 34 is
composed out of a layer of label material 30, a coating layer
of hotmelt 35, a release layer 33 and a layer of liner
substrate material 32, such that a lined label is provided.
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