1. Apparatus for obtaining \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d labels, comprising a carousel that is provided peripherally with a plurality of spindles configured for being wound from portions of plastic film, a sealing device cooperating with said spindles for sealing opposite edges of said portions for obtaining said \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d labels, characterised in that said sealing device comprises a laser device.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said laser device is configured for directing a laser beam from a zone wherein said laser beam acts on first end portions of said edges, to a further zone, wherein said laser beam acts on second end portions of said edges opposite said first end portions, so as to generate a sealed strip.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said laser device is arranged outside said carousel.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said laser device is configured for cooperating sequentially with a plurality of said spindles.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said laser device is configured for moving said laser beam at a speed having a first speed component longitudinal to said spindles and a second speed component that is equal to a peripheral speed at which said edges are moved.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of further laser devices supported on said carousel and cooperating with a plurality of said spindles.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each further laser device of said plurality of further laser devices cooperates with a respective spindle of said plurality of spindles.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each spindle of said plurality of spindles is provided with a side surface, comprising zones arranged at a distance from a longitudinal axis of said spindle that are different from one another.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said side surface comprises a notch extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and configured for receiving parts of said portion.
10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said side surface comprises a plurality of notches distributed on said side surface.
11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein on said side surface there is obtained a plurality of holes through which air can be sucked into said spindle to make said portions adhere to said side surface, and air can be expelled outside said spindle to remove radially said \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d labels from said side surface.
12. Method for labelling containers, comprising advancing a plastic film along an advancing direction, cutting said plastic film transversely to said advancing direction to obtain a portion of plastic film, winding said portion in such a way as to make opposite edges of said portion overlap one another, joining together said edges to obtain a \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d label, characterised in that said joining comprises sealing by means of a laser beam.
13. Method according to claim 12, wherein said sealing comprises directing said laser beam from a first zone, wherein said laser beam acts on first end portions of said edges, to a second zone, wherein said laser beam acts on second end portions of said edges opposite said first end portions, so as to generate a sealed strip.
14. Method according to claim 12, wherein said winding comprises winding said portion on a spindle supported on a carousel.
15. Method according to claim 14, wherein said winding comprises overlapping opposite edges of said portion at a notch of said spindle.
16. Method according to claim 14, wherein after said winding there is provided driving said carousel in such a way as to advance said spindle to a laser device by which said laser beam is generated.
17. Method according to claim 16, wherein said driving comprises moving said laser beam from said first zone to said second zone, at a speed having a first speed component that is longitudinal to said spindle and a second speed component equal to a peripheral speed at which said edges are moved during said advancing.
18. Method according to claim 17, wherein after said moving said laser beam is repositioned from said second zone to said first zone in such a way as to act on a subsequent portion supported on a further spindle adjacent to said spindle.
19. Method according to claim 17, wherein after said moving said laser beam is positioned from said second zone to a third zone in such a way as to act on further second end portions of a subsequent portion supported on a further spindle adjacent to said spindle.
20. Method according to claim 19, wherein after said positioning there is provided further moving said laser beam from said third zone to a fourth zone in such a way as to act on further first end portions of said successive portion to generate a further sealed strip.
21. Method according to claim 20, wherein after said further moving, positioning said laser beam from said fourth zone to said first zone is further provided, in such a way as to act on still further first end portions of a further subsequent portion supported on a still further spindle adjacent to said further spindle.
22. Apparatus, comprising a plurality of spindles rotatable around respective longitudinal axes, each spindle of said plurality of spindles being provided with a side surface shaped to be wrapped by a portion of plastic film to obtain a \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d label, characterised in that said side surface comprises zones arranged at distances from the longitudinal axis of the spindle, said distances being different from one another.
23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said side surface comprises a notch extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and shaped to receive parts of said portion.
24. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said side surface comprises a plurality of notches extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and shaped to receive parts of said portion, said notches being distributed on said side surface.
25. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein on said side surface there is obtained a plurality of holes through which air can be sucked into said spindle means to make said portion stick to said side surface, and air can be expelled out of said spindle to move said \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d label radially away from said side surface.
26. Method for producing \u201cshrink sleeve\u201d labels, comprising winding a portion of plastic film on a curved work surface having a cross section that has an extent that is greater than the extent of a circumference circumscribed to said cross section.
27. \u201cShrink sleeve\u201d label, comprising a longitudinal sealing zone that joins a pair of opposite edges of a portion of plastic film, characterised in that said sealing zone has a significantly reduced width.
28. Label according to claim 27, wherein said sealing zone has a width of the order of a millimetre.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A video coding apparatus comprising:
a block dividing section that divides each of frames of a video signal into a plurality of blocks;
an intraprediction section that generates prediction signals by a plurality of intra prediction modes for each of the blocks divided by the block dividing section;
an interprediction section that generates prediction signals by a plurality of interprediction modes for each of the blocks divided by the block dividing section; and
a prediction mode determination section that selects an optimum prediction mode from among the plurality of intraprediction modes and the plurality of interprediction modes, the prediction mode determination section comprising:
an interprediction mode determination section that selects a first prediction mode candidate from among the plurality of the interprediction modes;
a candidate limiting section that selects a group of candidates from among the plurality of the intraprediction modes to be either one of (1) intraprediction modes using a DCT block size that is the same with a DCT block size used in the first prediction mode candidate or (2) intraprediction modes using a block size that is the same or smaller than a block size used in the first prection mode candidate;
an intraprediction mode determination section that selects a second prediction mode candidate from among the group of candidates selected by the candidate limiting section; and
an intra-inter-prediction mode determination section that selects one of the first prediction mode candidate and the second prediction mode candidate as the optimum prediction mode.
2. A video coding apparatus comprising:
a block dividing section that divides each of frames of a video signal into a plurality of blocks;
an intraprediction section that generates prediction signals by a plurality of intra prediction modes for each of the blocks divided by the block dividing section;
an interprediction section that generates prediction signals by a plurality of interprediction modes for each of the blocks divided by the block dividing section; and
a prediction mode determination section that selects an optimum prediction mode from among the plurality of intraprediction modes and the plurality of interprediction modes, the prediction mode determination section comprising:
an interprediction mode determination section that selects a first prediction mode candidate from among the plurality of the interprediction modes;
a candidate limiting section that that determines a picture type of a picture to which a macroblock subjected to a coding belongs and selects, when the determined picture type is a P-picture, a group of candidates from among the plurality of the intraprediction modes to be either one of (1) intraprediction modes using a DCT block size that is the same with a DCT block size used in the first prediction mode candidate or (2) intraprediction modes using a block size that is the same or smaller than a block size used in the first prection mode candidate;
an intraprediction mode determination section that selects a second prediction mode candidate from among the group of candidates selected by the candidate limiting section; and
an intra-inter-prediction mode determination section that selects one of the first prediction mode candidate and the second prediction mode candidate as the optimum prediction mode.
3. The video coding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the candidate limiting section selects a 16\xd716 size for the block size used in the intraprediction modes when the picture type is a B-picture.