Patent Publication Number: US-11390408-B2

Title: System and method for applying tubular bands to containers utilizing angled band ejection

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates generally to machines that apply tubular shrink sleeve material to containers and, more particularly, to a system and method for applying tubular bands, such as tamper evident bands, to the necks of moving containers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Tubular shrink sleeve application devices commonly utilize a mandrel assembly over which a tubular shrink film is moved for cutting, and then the cut sleeve-type label is ejected from the mandrel assembly onto a container located below the mandrel assembly. A downstream application of heat can then be used to shrink the film. These same sleeving machines are used to apply tamper evident bands (TE band) to the cap and neck section of containers. Generally, the TE band is simply a shorter sleeve that is sized so it will not fit around the main body of the container so that the band will engage with the cap and neck section of the container during the heat shrink. The TE band therefore provides an indication of whether the container has been opened. Because of the typical short of height of TE bands, they can be difficult to apply to containers at high speeds. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable and advantageous to provide a system and method that enhances the ability to effectively and expediently apply tamper evident bands. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a machine for applying a tubular band to a container moving in a feed direction includes a mandrel assembly about which tubular film is passed, the mandrel assembly include a central tooling axis and a lower output end. A film cutter is positioned for cutting the tubular film into a tubular band sized for application to a cap and neck section of the container. A band ejection arrangement is associated with the lower output end of the mandrel assembly, wherein the band ejection arrangement includes a tooling segment having a first side facing against the feed direction and a second side facing in the feed direction. A roller wheel protrudes from the first side of the tooling segment and a chamfer is provided at the second side of the tooling segment. The chamfer angles against the feed direction when moving downward along the tooling segment, such that, as the band moves downward over the tooling segment, a first side portion of the band contacts and moves over the roller wheel causing the tubular band to tilt relative to the central tooling axis so as to facilitate ejection of the tubular band in an eject direction that is at a non-zero angle relative to the central tooling axis. 
     In another aspect, a machine for applying a tubular band to a container moving in a feed direction includes a mandrel assembly about which tubular film is passed. The mandrel assembly includes a central tooling axis and a lower output end formed by a tooling segment having a first side facing against the feed direction and a second side facing in the feed direction, with a free-spinning wheel protruding from the first side of tooling segment and a chamfer at the second side of the tooling segment, wherein the chamfer angles against the feed direction when moving downward along the tooling segment. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawing and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawing, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side elevation of one embodiment of a tubular shrink sleeve applying apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged schematic partial side elevation of the lower end of the mandrel assembly; and 
         FIGS. 3-7  depict progressive production and ejection of a band onto a moving container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An exemplary tubular shrink sleeve applying apparatus  30  is shown in schematic form in  FIG. 1  and includes a roll  80  or other supply of tubular film that delivers the film along a film feed path  81  to a pair of tubular film drivers  82  located above the tooling mandrel assembly  50  for moving the film down toward the mandrel assembly. The top of the tooling mandrel assembly is shaped to cause the tubular film to spread from its flat orientation to an expanded orientation as it moves down around the mandrel assembly  50 . A set of film drive rollers  84  control feeding of the film downward along the mandrel assembly (e.g., per arrow  58 ) toward a cutting mechanism  46  that is aligned with a cutting slot  48  in the external surface of the tooling mandrel assembly. Film drivers  84  operate in coordination with drivers  82  and interact with rollers in the sleeve drive slots to move the tubular film downward along the mandrel assembly. 
     A container conveyor  86  passes beneath the lower output end of the mandrel assembly and carries containers  88  in a conveyance direction  90  such that cut bands that are moved off the mandrel assembly move toward the conveyor and any passing container. The container conveyance system  83  may also include an upstream container spacing device  85 , such as a rotating product feed screw, to provide a set distance between successive containers moving past the exit end of the mandrel assembly during sleeve application. One or more sensors  87  may also be provided for detecting container position, with the controller configured to initiate band ejection based upon container detection. The cut band may, for example, be ejected off the mandrel assembly with the assistance of a band ejection arrangement  100 , which includes one or more ejector wheels  102  that engage an external surface of the band to eject the band upon completion of the cut. A downstream application of heat can then be used to shrink the film. Other variations of the apparatus are possible, including embodiments that do not include the film drivers  82  and embodiments in which other mechanisms for sleeve ejection are provided. The various machine components, may, for example, be driven by respective servo-motors that enable precise control of speed and position, with a controller  110  provided for operating the motors etc. 
     Notably, as best seen in  FIG. 2 , the band ejection arrangement  100  includes a tooling segment  120  having a first side  122  facing against the feed direction  90  and a second side  124  facing in the feed direction. A roller wheel  125  (e.g., a free-spinning wheel that is not driven) protrudes from the first side  122  of the tooling segment  120  and a chamfer  126  is provided at the second side of the tooling segment  120 . Notably, the perimeter of the roller wheel  125  protrudes outward (to the right in  FIG. 2 ) from the tooling segment beyond the normal vertically downward path of the tubular film  130 , and the chamfer  126  angles against the feed direction  90  when moving downward along the tooling segment  120 . With this configuration, as will be shown below, as a tamper evident band is ejected downward over the tooling segment  120 , a first side portion  132  of the band contacts and moves over the roller wheel  125  causing the band to tilt relative to a central tooling axis  55  so as to facilitate ejection of the tamper evident band in an eject direction  134  that is at a non-zero angle θ 1  relative to the central tooling axis  55 . The chamfer  126  enables a second side portion  136  of the band to move as needed for the band to tilt. The free-spinning rotation of the roller wheel  125  due to interaction with the band during ejection helps to prevent the band from getting hung up (e.g., as could happen if the first side  122  of tooling segment  120  was chamfered against the feed direction to attempt to achieve the band tilt). 
     A guide  140  is positioned alongside the tooling segment  120 . The guide  140  includes a chamfer  142  that aligns with the chamfer  126  of the tooling segment  120  to form an angled guide channel  144  for the second side portion  136  of the band. Here, the chamfer  142  of the guide  140  and the chamfer  126  of the tooling segment  120  include respective upper ends that are located at a height above a height of a top of the perimeter of the roller wheel  125 , which causes the second side portion  136  of the band to move toward the first side portion  132  of the band before the first side portion  132  contacts the roller wheel. This configuration facilitates immediate tilt of the band as the band moves over the roller wheel section of the tooling segment. 
     As mentioned above, one or more rotatably driven ejector wheels  102  are located alongside the tooling segment  120  for engaging an external surface of the tamper evident band to drive the tamper evident band off of the tooling segment  120  in the eject direction  134 . The ejector wheel(s)  102  are angularly offset from the roller wheel  125  about the central tooling axis  55 . Here, the angular offset is by ninety degrees. The ejector wheel  102  rotates about an axis  104  that, in side elevation view, runs substantially perpendicular to the central tooling axis  55 . The ejector wheel  102  is oriented such that a given point on a perimeter of the ejector wheel rotates in a plane  106  that runs substantially parallel to the central tooling axis  55 . In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, the ejector wheel  102  urges the band downward, parallel to the tooling axis  55 , and it is the interaction of the band with the roller wheel  125  and chamfers  126 ,  142  that transitions the band to move in the eject direction  134 , rather than simply vertically downward. 
     Here, an air ejector  150  is oriented to blow air down and into the tamper evident band as the tamper evident band is ejected in the eject direction  134 . In this case, the air ejector is formed by an air passage  152  (shown in dashed line) that leads to an ejection port  154  located along a lower portion of the chamfer  142  of the guide  140 , so that air is output into a lower section of the angled guide channel  144 . This air ejection aids in ejecting the band and also helps the band maintain its expanded shape during ejection. The air injection may be controlled by a valve  156  associated with an air feed line  158 . 
     Here, the perimeter of the roller wheel  125  also protrudes below a bottom side  160  of the tooling segment  120 . 
       FIGS. 3-7  show a sequence of band production and ejection. In  FIG. 3 , the tubular film  130  has been moved into a position ready for cutting to form a band, with the bottom edge of the film just above the roller wheel  125 . When the container  88  is in the correct position, the cutting mechanism  46  is operated and a band  170  is formed and begins to be ejected, per  FIG. 4 . In  FIG. 4 , the side portion  132  of the band  170  is moving over the roller wheel  125  and the band  170  is already tilted, with the lower edge of band side portion  136  at the bottom of the angled guide channel  144 . As the band  170  ejects, the side portion  136  leaves the guide channel causing some rotation of the band  170  (here counterclockwise) while the band side portion  132  remains moving over the roller wheel  125 , and the lower edge of band side portion  136  contacts the leading side (or downstream side) of the container  88 , per  FIG. 5 . This causes the band  170  to rotate back in the other direction (here clockwise) as the band  170  moves onto the cap and neck region of the moving container  88 , per  FIG. 6 . Per  FIG. 7 , the band  170  moves more fully onto the moving container  88  and continues moving down until it reaches a stop point based upon contact of the lower edge of the band  170  with the walls of the container  88 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 5 , the tubular band  170  moves downward off of the tooling segment  120  while the tubular band is in an orientation in which a central axis  172  of the tubular band  170  is at a non-zero angle θ 2  relative to the central tooling axis  55 . The first side portion  132  of the tubular band is located upstream relative to the feed direction  90 , and the second side portion  136  of the tubular band is located downstream relative to the feed direction  90 . Thus, a lower edge  137  ( FIG. 4 ) of the second side portion  136  of the tubular band  170  moves downward below the tooling segment  120  before a lower edge  133  of the first side portion  132  of the tubular band  170 . 
     In one implementation, the air injection via port  154  occurs continuously during operation of the system. In this implementation, the valve  156  is opened when the machine is turned on, and the valve  156  is closed when the machine is turned off. In another implementation, the air injection via port  154  may be timed to occur in pulses, with each pulse occurring after a band  170  has been cut and the side portion  136  of the band has moved below the port  154 . 
     Thus, the described apparatus provides a desirable system and method for applying tubular bands, such as tamper evident bands, to moving containers at relatively high throughput, achievable by the angular ejection of the bands. 
     It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.