Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
  • B41F33/00—Indicating, counting, warning, control or safety devices
  • B41F33/0081—Devices for scanning register marks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
  • B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
  • B65H23/046—Sensing longitudinal register of web
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
  • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
  • B65H2701/12—Surface aspects
  • B65H2701/124—Patterns, marks, printed information
  • B65H2701/1241—Patterns, marks, printed information register marks
  • B65H2701/12411—Patterns, marks, printed information register marks line

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to a register mark for webs, and more specifically to a register mark for webs containing material for packaging machines .
• the invention also includes a method for providing the register mark to the web.
• PRIOR ART EP 0131 241 Bl. describes a device and a method for using printed optical register marks for longitudinal positioning of a material web in a packaging machine.
• the register marks are a combination of two printed line sets perpendicular to an intended direction for the web, which line sets are read by an optical reading device.
• EP 0131 241 Bl is mainly related to positioning of material webs in packaging machines, for manufacturing packages. Those packages are manufactured in a way well known by a person skilled in the a t.
• the packaging material is formed into a tube by heatsealing two longitudinal edges of the packaging material towards one another. After the forming of the tube, the product to be packaged (often pourable food products like wine, juices or dairy products) are poured into the tube, after which the tube is heat-sealed.
• the result from the above stages is a row of "pillows" of packaging material filled with food product.
• the pillow row is cut to pieces, each piece comprising a single pillow.
• the folding of the pillow into a finished package takes place after the cutting of the pillow row. If the pillow position is wrong with respect to fold lines arranged to facilitate the folding of the pillow portion into a finished package, the folding of the pillow will be less perfect, compared to what would be the case if the pillow -position was correct with respect to the fold lines.
• the register marks primary purpose is to give information to the packaging machine about the packages longitudinal position relative to the web. This information is used to synchronise different operations, like hole punching splice and tube sealing. Having fold lines pressed into the material on appropriate positions facilitates the folding of the pillows to finished products (packages) .
• Lateral mispositioning also leads to less accuracy of the location of the fold lines vs. the actual folding, mainly longitudinal folding.
• the fold lines are pressed in the packaging material by some kind of pressing device.
• the main purpose of the fold lines is to facilitate folding of the packaging material by weakening the material. This can be done in a lot of ways, e.g. cutting or creasing of the packaging material.
• the preferred method is however to crease the packaging material between crease rolls provided with intrusions and protrusions in accordance with the desired fold line pattern. As can be understood, it is very easy to provide further intrusions/protrusions to the crease rolls to provide a relief mark to the packaging material during the fold lining process.
• the present invention solves the above and other problems by providing a register mark comprising a first line set and a second line set, each line set comprising two parallel lines, the first line set being perpendicular to a web direction and the second line set being oblique to the web direction.
• the register mark is preferably of relief type.
• the register marks can readily be provided to the packaging material in the same production stage as the fold lines are provided to the packaging material, which minimises the risk for mispositioning of register mark/fold lines .
• Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a preferred embodiment of the register mark according to the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic view showing an alternative embodiment of the register mark according to the present invention.
• Figure 3 is a schematic view showing a preferred embodiment for a coincidence method used to read the register marks.
• a register mark 200 consists of two line sets, one perpendicular line set (lines 201 and 2D4) and one oblique line set (lines 202 and 203). Both line sets consists of at least two parallel lines 201, 204 and 202, 203, respectively. The angle between the two line sets is denoted with ⁇ .
• FIG 2 an alternative embodiment for the lines 201-204 constituting the register mark is shown.
• this embodiment it is possible to have equal distances between the lines constituting each line set, which can be advantageous in some cases .
• the angle between the two line sets is here also denoted with ⁇ .
• the register mark 200 on the material web is approaching the detector areas D1-D4 on a detector (not shown) . Only a first detector area Dl reads a signal from the line 204, meaning that the signal is treated as a misreading.
• a detector area D2 gets signal from the line 203. Since D3 does not simultaneously gets a signal, the signal from D2 is regarded as a misread.
• both detector areas Dl and D4 gets signal from the perpendicular line set 201,204, which leads the detector system to regard the reading as being a reading of a correct longitudinal position of the web.
• both detector areas D2 and D3 detect signal from the oblique lines 202, 203, leading the system to regard the reading as a correct reading for the lateral position of the web.
• T4 and T5 only single detector area readings occur, leading the system to regard the readings as misreads .
• the reading of the two perpendicular lines 201, 204 by detector areas Dl and D4 and the reading of the two oblique lines 202, 203 by detector areas D2 and D3 will coincide in time, or have a predetermined time separation.
• the angle ⁇ is important for the function of the register mark.
• a high value of the angle ⁇ gives a high accuracy for the lateral positioning, but requires a larger register mark.
• a lower value of the angle ⁇ gives a lower accuracy, but admits the use of a mark with smaller dimensions.
• the overall dimensions of the mark are finally determined by space restrictions, fold line distances and the demand for lateral accuracy.
• the largest lateral mispositioning of the mark also determines the final size of the register mark. If the web for some reason would get so much laterally mispositioned that the register mark is not readable for the reading device, the system is prohibited from making correct lateral adjustments of the web. This could be of course be avoided by providing a larger register mark, but other restrictions for the size, such as package size, should also be considered when the size of the register mark is decided.
• register mark could be of relief type.
• Relief register marking of a packaging material that include fold lines is fairly simple, since the fold lining process readily could be adapted to include the provision of a relief register mark.
• the inclusion of the relief register marking in the fold lining process can be accomplished e.g. by providing extra embossments or grooves in the fold lining rolls, in a way that is easily comprehended by a person skilled in the art .

Landscapes

• Inking, Control Or Cleaning Of Printing Machines (AREA)
• Collation Of Sheets And Webs (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20289168

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Citations (7)

• 2002
  • 2002-10-03 SE SE0202930A patent/SE527359C2/sv unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-09-24 AU AU2003263718A patent/AU2003263718A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-24 WO PCT/SE2003/001487 patent/WO2004030911A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (7)

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