DESCRIPTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a plant for applying labels, for instance
adhesive labels. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a plant
for applying labels to a body comprising a flat surface, in a position of said flat
surface definable at will. In more detail, the objects of the present invention are
a method and a plant for applying labels to a body comprising (for instance delimited
by) a flat surface in a respective position definable at will, and for customising
each label.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] As it is well known, the public utilities, such as phone service providers, electricity
and/or gas suppliers and the like, shall send clients detailed reports on their periodical
consumption. The report sent to the clients is usually in the form of a dossier comprised
of the invoice with the detailed consumption, as well as information and/or advertising
material; this material is increasingly often customised to suit different users groups,
based for instance on geography, consumption level, contract type. Due to the complexity
of the graphics and the structure of these paper dossiers, these utilities (primary
companies) increasingly often outsource to third parties (tertiary companies) the
activities of printing, preparing and enveloping the dossiers, wherein these enveloping
activities also involve mechanical folding according to different methods (for instance
C-fold or Z-fold) based for instance upon the envelope type, using known folding machines.
In this way, the primary company can minimise the staff involved in these activities,
however offering its clients high-quality printed products, that are prepared and
enveloped in line with the company's image and quality standards, but that can be
changed according to the variable company's needs and/or the client group.
[0003] Obviously, tertiary companies supplying this kind of printing and enveloping services
are likely to use increasingly advanced plants, that allow the dossiers to be customised,
without the need for the primary company (for example the gas/electricity supplier
etcetera) of gearing the printing means to the current needs of the company and/or
of the clients.
[0004] In particular, the plants managed by the tertiary companies supplying printing, sorting
and similar services are subdivided into two parts: the first one is designed to process
the files with the information to be sent to every user in the form of a user-dossier,
to print each sheet of the user-dossier, and then to collate and stack all the sheets
of each dossier in an entrance station; the second part of the plant is usually designed
to receive the user-dossier, fold it and prepare it for enveloping. For the sake of
practicality, the envelope has usually a plastic window, through which a portion of
the dossier with the recipient's address can be seen. The second part of the plant
is therefore usually equipped with an overturning station, where the folded dossier
is directed so that its portion with the recipient's information faces the plastic
window of the envelope. In other words, the first part of the plant manages information
about the composition of the dossier and the recipient/user, the dossier being formed
by collating and stacking all the sheets composing it in an entrance station, while
the second part of the plant manages the formed dossier, independently of the information
on the recipient/user. The dossiers shall have a sufficient number of pages to contain
all the data to be communicated to the various users; the dossiers, to which the labels
shall be applied, may be therefore formed from a different number of pages. For this
reason, the plant shall comprise a control system and a plurality of sensors with
the purpose to control the operation of the unit of the plant collating the pages
of the dossiers and the unit (of the plant) feeding the dossiers to the stations arranged
in succession according to the same feeding direction.
[0005] Recently the need has widely arisen of associating a label with the first sheet of
each dossier, for instance an adhesive label, taken from a stack of identical labels,
similarly to what occurs for the first page of newspapers and magazines. The label
is applied to this first sheet downstream of the folding station and upstream of the
enveloping station, i.e. in the second part of the plant. The problem of a plant of
the type described above is that it does not allow the label to be customised. In
view of the above description, the problem of having available a plant for applying
a customised label to a dossier comprising at least one body delimited by a flat surface,
which can be selectively folded in two or more, is currently unsolved, and represents
an interesting challenge for the applicant, aiming at allowing maximum customisation
of the dossiers to be enveloped and sent to the clients.
[0006] In view of the above description it would be desirable to have available a plant
for enveloping labelled dossiers working according to a method providing for applying
at least one customised label to a given dossier, this label being in particular customisable
with information associated with this dossier, thus overcoming the typical drawbacks
of the prior art illustrated above.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to a method and a plant for applying labels, for instance
adhesive labels. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a plant
for applying labels to a body delimited by a flat surface, for instance the outer
sheet of a dossier comprising one or more sheets. In more detail, the present invention
relates to a method and a plant for applying labels to a body of the described type
delimited by a flat surface, and for customising each label, i.e. adapting the label
content (substantially the text) for the dossier and/or the recipient.
[0008] The object of the present invention is thus to provide a plant for applying labels
that allows to solve the above illustrated drawbacks and is therefore suitable to
satisfy a plurality of requirements that to date have still not been addressed, and
therefore suitable to represent a new and original source of economic interest.
[0009] According to the present invention, this object is achieved through a plant and a
method for applying labels according to the appended claims.
[0010] Moreover, according to the present invention the method for applying labels can be
particularly advantageously used for applying at least one label to a body delimited
by a flat surface and for customising each label.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] Further characteristics and advantages of the plant and the method according to the
present invention will be more apparent from the description below, set forth with
reference to the attached figure 1, which illustrate one non-limiting example of embodiment.
In particular:
- figure 1 schematically shows a preferred embodiment of the plant according to the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0012] In figure 1, number 1 indicates, as a whole, a plant for applying at least one customised
label E (for instance adhesive label) to a dossier F (that will be therefore customised
thanks to this label E) comprised of a plurality of stacked sheets C, i.e. a plurality
of previously printed flat bodies C, on at least one of which at least one first code
C1 is indicated, containing information on the composition of the same dossier F.
Each dossier may be for example, although without limitation, of the type generally
used by the primary service suppliers to report the clients their consumptions, and
the related costs, over a given time period. Therefore, at least one sheet C of the
dossier F will present pieces of information useful for unambiguously identifying
the user/recipient of the communication and/or relating to the recipient of the communication
summarised in the sheets C of the dossier F. Moreover, the code C1 may be indifferently
an optical readable code, i.e. a QR code, or a bar code, or any other code presenting
encrypted information, without however limiting the protective scope of the invention.
[0013] Again with reference to figure 1, the plant 1 comprises an entrance station 10, designed
to receive each dossier F along a first given direction D, and a labelling station
20, arranged downstream of the entrance station 10 along the first direction D, this
labelling station 20 being provided with a support portion 200 supporting the dossier
and extending along the given direction D. The labelling station 20 is also provided
with an applying device 202 that faces the support portion 200 and is designed to
apply, for instance to glue, in use, at least one label E (for example an adhesive
label) to the body C delimiting the dossier F (nearest to the applying device 202)
from the side facing the applying device 202. The plant 1, and in particular the labelling
station 20, comprises an operating station 30 provided with a printing unit 300 designed
to print the label E once this latter has been applied onto the sheet/body C, so as
to customise this label with the information contained in the first code C1 and/or
with additional information. Moreover, the information may also comprise more than
one code and therefore, just by way of non-limiting example, a second code C2 that
can be for instance used for tests during the enveloping procedure or for commercial
purposes involving the recipient of the dossier F, for example, although without limitation,
contests and the like. According to the needs and/or circumstances, such as printing
performance (quality, speed, definition, etc.) or costs, the printing unit 300 may
obviously comprise any currently marketed printer, for example an ink-jet printer,
a laser printer or the like, as the printer type does not affect the scope of the
invention; therefore, for the sake of conciseness, it will not be described in detail
below. For the sake of practicality, the printing unit 300 has been represented in
figure 1 through its projection onto the support portion 200 inside the closed line
delimiting the labelling station 20, however without this solution limiting the possible
arrangement of this unit in the various versions of the plant 1.
[0014] The applying device 202 is in particular conceived and designed to apply (for instance
to glue or attach) each label E according to a movement towards the support portion
200 transversally with respect to the first direction D. For the sake of practicality
again, in figure 1 also the applying device has been represented at the side of the
support portion 200. However, it should be specified that this applying device 202
may be more conveniently arranged above the support portion 200, and it will be assumed
in this position in the basic versions of the plant 1 due to obvious economical reasons;
in fact, in this way the applying device 202 has a more simple structure and may comprise
just a member of the Cartesian type to pick the labels E up, known and therefore not
shown.
[0015] The plant 1 furthermore comprises a folding device 40 arranged, as shown in figure
1, between the entrance station 10 and the labelling station 20, and provided with
members structured in a known (and therefore not illustrated) manner and designed
to fold each dossier F so as to isolate a portion P of each sheet/flat body C so that
the label E can be applied thereon. The folding device 40 may be therefore designed
for folding the sheets/bodies C selectively (i.e. one by one) or contemporaneously
(i.e. all together) according to known methods such as C-fold and Z-fold; the folding
device operates so that in the first case (C-fold) a central portion P of the more
external sheet/body C is ready to receive the label E and in the second case (Z-fold)
an upper or lower end portion P' of this sheet is ready to receive the label E, according
to the specific needs. In figure 1 a broken line represents the outer edge of a dossier
F to be folded, while a continuous line represents the already folded dossier F with
the respective portion P ready for labelling.
[0016] The entrance station 10 also comprises an ordering device 102 designed to receive
and stack a given number of flat bodies C (for instance sheets) to form each dossier
F. This ordering device 102 may be conveniently of the type indicated by the Applicant
with the term "turbo code" or of any other type with equivalent function.
[0017] The plant 1 also comprises an enveloping station 70 for enveloping the previously
folded dossier F, this enveloping station 70 being arranged downstream of the operating
station 30. For the sake of practicality, this station may comprise the Applicant's
device CMC 9000. This enveloping station 70 is preceded by an overturning unit 80
arranged downstream of the operating station 30 that can be selectively actuated to
direct the dossier F with a respective first face PF facing or in front of the support
portion 200, based on the envelope type, windowed or not, inside which the folded
and labelled dossier F shall be inserted.
[0018] The operating station 30 may be arranged in correspondence or, alternatively, at
the side of the labelling station, as shown in figure 3. However, in view of the above
description the operating station 30 is conveniently arranged between the labelling
station 20 and the overturning unit 80. The labelling station 20 comprises a feeding
device 204 designed to receive the dossier F from the entrance station 10 through
the folding device 40, to feed the folded dossier F through the labelling station
20 and the overturning unit 80 up to the enveloping station 70.
[0019] Again according to the embodiment schematized in figure 1, the plant 1 also comprises
a control device 50 equipped with an electronic control unit 500 that comprises, in
turn, a logic unit 502 and a memory unit 504 designed to contain information on data
about the composition of each dossier F, this logic unit and this memory unit being
electronically interfaced with each other. The control device 50 further comprises
first sensors 506, arranged outside a box-shaped body containing the control unit
500; these first sensors are associated with the ordering device 102 to detect data
about the composition of the dossier F associated with each first code C1, to determine
for instance the number of flat bodies C to be stacked to form the same dossier F.
The control device 50 also comprises second sensors 508 associated with the operating
station 30 to detect the compliance of the information printed on the label E, for
instance through a second code C2, with corresponding parameters stored in the memory
unit 504. Moreover, the control device 50 comprises third sensors 510 for detecting
the arrangement of the folded and labelled dossier F; these third sensors are electronically
connected to the logic unit 502 and arranged upstream of the overturning unit 80 to
selectively control an overturning of the dossier F upstream of the enveloping station
70, when this is necessary for correctly enveloping the folded dossier F.
[0020] According to the embodiment of figure 1 again, the plant 1 may comprise a rejecting
device 110 arranged downstream of the operating station 30 and designed to reject,
in use, a folded and labelled dossier F when a non-conformity is detected with respect
to the parameters stored in the memory unit 504. Lastly, the control device 50 comprises
an interface device 120 connected to the rejecting device 110 to verify and control,
in use, the rejection of a folded and labelled dossier F when a non-conformity is
detected with respect to corresponding parameters stored in the memory unit 504. The
rejecting device 110 may be indifferently arranged at the side of the overturning
unit 80, as shown in figure 1, or alternatively on the feeding line of the dossiers
F corresponding to the feeding device 204 between the operating station 30 and the
enveloping station 70, according to a scheme not illustrated but clearly apparent
from the description above.
[0021] The applying device 202 comprises a positioning device 2020 designed to arrange (to
apply, for instance to glue) each label E in a geometrically specific area of a body
(sheet) C of the dossier F according to parameters stored in the memory unit 504.
According to a more economical and precise embodiment (not shown), the positioning
device 2020 may be constructed according to a Cartesian scheme, and in particular
with one of the two moving directions parallel to the feeding direction D.
[0022] In view of the above description, the operation of the plant 1 is clearly apparent
to those skilled in the art and is not therefore described in greater detail for the
sake of conciseness. It should be however specified that the plant 1 is designed to
perform a method comprising a step of receiving and stacking a given number of bodies
(sheets) C in the entrance station 10, these bodies C being flat and stacked to form
a dossier F; a step of feeding the dossier F on a respective support portion 200 up
to a labelling station 20; a step of printing, in an operating station 30, on each
label E data about the composition of the dossier F; a step of applying each label
E to the flat body C by means of the applying device 202 in correspondence of the
support portion 200; the step of printing each label E being preceded by the step
of applying the label E to the flat sheet/body C. However, it should be specified
that according to this method the steps of printing and applying each label E may
be both preceded or followed by the step of folding the dossier F, as in both cases
it is possible to arrange the dossier F so that it presents its flat body C with the
respective portion P facing the applying device 202 so that the label E can be applied
thereon. According to what described, the method may also comprise a step of enveloping
the folded and labelled dossier F, this enveloping step being preceded, where necessary,
by a step of overturning the dossier F so as to direct it with a respective first
face PF facing or, selectively, in front of the support portion 200. Thanks to the
presence of the control device 50 and the electronic control unit 500 it is possible
to perform a step of controlling the information on the composition of each dossier
F associated with each flat body C and each label E. The control device 50 and the
respective first and second sensors 506 and 508 as well as the interface device 120
allow to detect the compliance of each dossier F and each label E with given parameters
stored in the memory unit 504, for instance, although without limitation, number of
sheets C, direction with respect to the envelope, etc. It should be also specified
that in the operating method of the plant 1 the step of controlling the information
on the composition of each dossier F may be followed by a step of selectively controlling
an overturning of the dossier F upstream of the enveloping station 70 by means of
the overturning unit 80 arranged downstream of the operating station 30 and/or by
a step of rejecting a folded and labelled dossier F through the rejecting device 110
when a non-conformity is detected with respect to corresponding parameters stored
in the memory unit 504. On the other hand, the step of applying the label E to the
body C is preceded by a step of identifying a given position of the body C of the
dossier F according to parameters stored in the memory unit 504.
[0023] Lastly, it is clearly apparent that variants and modifications can be done to the
plant described and illustrated herein and the related functioning method without
however departing from the protective scope of the invention.
[0024] Moreover, the plant may use the information stored in the memory unit 504, thus allowing
each dossier F to be customised while it is prepared before being enveloped.
[0025] The plant of the invention is therefore suitable to label and envelop dossiers according
to a method that provides for applying at least one label to an already customised
dossier and to customise this label with information associated with this dossier.
1. A plant (1) for applying at least one customised label (E) to a customised dossier
(F), said dossier (F) comprising at least one flat body (C) provided with at least
one first code (C1); said plant (1) comprising: an entrance station (10) designed
to receive said dossier (F) along a first given direction (D); a labelling station
(20) arranged downstream of said entrance station (10) along said first direction
(D) and provided with a support portion (200); said labelling station (20) being provided
with applying means (202) designed to apply, in use, at least one label (E) to said
body (C); an operating station (30) provided with respective printing means (300)
designed to print said at least one label (E) according to said first code (C1) so
as to customise it; characterised in that said printing means (300) are associated with said applying means (202) so as to
print said label (E) after it has been applied to said flat body (C).
2. A plant according to claim 1, characterised in that the applying means (202) are designed to apply each said label (E) according to a
movement towards said support portion (200) transversally to said first direction
(D).
3. A plant according to claim 2, characterised by comprising a folding device (40) arranged between said entrance station (10) and
said labelling station (20) to fold each said dossier (F) so that this latter presents
a respective said flat body (C) with a respective portion (P) facing said applying
means (202) so that said label (E) can be applied thereon.
4. A plant according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said entrance station (10) comprises an ordering device (102) designed to receive
and stack a given number of said flat bodies (C) to form said dossier (F).
5. A plant according to any one of the previous claims, characterised by comprising an enveloping station (70) for enveloping said folded dossier (F) arranged
downstream of said operating station (30).
6. A plant according to claim 5, characterised in that said enveloping station (70) is preceded by an overturning unit (80) that is arranged
downstream of said operating station (30) and can be selectively actuated to direct
said dossier (F) with a respective first face (PF) facing, or opposite to, said support
portion (200).
7. A plant according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that said operating station (30) is flanked by said labelling station (20).
8. A plant according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that said operating station (30) is arranged between said labelling station (20) and said
overturning unit (80).
9. A plant according to any one of the previous claims, characterised by comprising rejecting means (110) arranged downstream of said operating station (30)
to reject, in use, a said folded and labelled dossier (F) when a non-conformity is
detected with respect to corresponding parameters stored in a memory unit (504).
10. A plant according to claim 9, characterised by comprising: a control device (50) comprising an electronic control unit (500) provided
with a logic unit (502) and said memory unit (504), electronically interfaced with
each other; first sensors (506) associated with said ordering device (102) to detect
data about the composition of said dossier (F) associated with each said first code
(C1) to determine said number of said flat bodies (C) to be stacked to form the same
said dossier (F); second sensors (508) associated with said operating station (30)
to detect the compliance of said label (E) with corresponding parameters stored in
said memory unit (504); third sensors (510) for detecting the arrangement of said
folded and labelled dossier (F), electronically connected to said logic unit (502)
and arranged upstream of said overturning unit (80) to control selectively an overturning
of said dossier (F) upstream of said enveloping station (70); interface means (120)
connected to said rejecting means (110) selectively to control, in use, the rejection
of said folded and labelled dossier (F) when a non-conformity is detected with respect
to corresponding parameters stored in said memory unit (504).
11. A plant according to any one of claims 9 and 10, characterised in that said applying means (202) comprise a positioning device (2020) designed to arrange
each said label (E) in a given area of a said body (C) of said dossier (F) according
to parameters stored in said memory unit (504).
12. A plant according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that said applying means (202) are of the Cartesian type.
13. A plant according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterised in that said labelling station (20) comprises feeding means (204) designed to receive said
dossier (F) from said folding device (40) and to feed said dossier (F), provided with
said printed label (E), to said enveloping station (70).
14. A method for applying at least one customised label (E) to a dossier (F) comprising
at least one flat body (C) provided with at least one first code (C1); the method
comprising: a step of feeding said dossier (F) to a labelling station (20) on a respective
support portion (200); a step of applying at least one label (E) to said flat body
(C) in said support portion (200) through applying means (202); a step of printing,
in an operating station (30), on said at least one label (E), data on the composition
of said dossier (F);
characterised in that said step of printing said at least one label (E) follows said step of applying said
at least one label (E).
15. A method according to clam 14, characterised in that said step of printing said at least one label (E) is preceded by a step of folding
said dossier so that it presents said respective flat body (C) with a respective portion
(P) facing said applying means (202) so that said label (E) can be applied thereon.
16. A method according to claim 15, characterised by comprising a step of receiving and stacking a given number of said flat bodies (C)
to form said at least one dossier (F) in said entrance station (10).
17. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterised by comprising a step of enveloping said folded and labelled dossier (F).
18. A method according to claim 17, characterised in that said step of enveloping is preceded by a step of overturning said dossier (F) to
direct it with a respective first face (PF) facing or, selectively, in front of said
support portion (200).
19. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterised by comprising a step of controlling information on the composition of said at least
one dossier (F) contained in said at least one flat body (C) and in said at last one
label (E) through a control device (50) provided with sensing means (508) electronically
interfaced with memory means (504) to detect the compliance of said dossier (F) and
of said label (E) with given parameters stored in said memory means (504).
20. A method according to claim 19, characterised in that said step of controlling is selectively followed by a step of selectively controlling
an overturning of said dossier (F) upstream of said enveloping station (70) through
overturning means (80) arranged downstream of said operating station (30) or a step
of rejecting said folded and labelled dossier (F) through rejecting means (110) when
a non-conformity is detected with respect to corresponding parameters stored in said
memory means (504).
21. A method according to any one of claims 19 to 20, characterised in that said step of applying said at least one label (E) to said body (C) is preceded by
a step of identifying a given position of said body (C) of said dossier (F) according
to parameters stored in said memory unit (504).
22. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, characterised in that said step of feeding said dossier (F) is preceded by a step of forming said dossier
(F) in an entrance station (10).