JPH07290686A - Thermal transferring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize formation of a thermal transferring apparatus of this type in a bench scale by transfer printing matters to be transferred with different heights with a simple structure having low noise in the apparatus for transfer printing the matters with a pattern provided on a plate mounted on a heating platen by pressing the plate,mounted on the platen to the matters via a transfer film. CONSTITUTION:The thermal transferring apparatus comprises elevation means for vertically movably supporting a support unit 10 of a heating platen 11 to a pair of guide rails 31 arranged in a vertical direction, for vertically movably supporting a drive unit 40 for vertically moving the unit 10 via a clamping mechanism 43 and vertically moving the unit 40 at an arbitrary height, and clamping means for fixing the unit 40 at the moved position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer device, and more particularly to a thermal transfer device adapted for use on a desk or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer device used for transferring and printing a pattern such as a predetermined pattern or character on the surface of a resin molded product is mounted on a heating plate with a plate having the above pattern engraved on the surface and transferred. It is configured such that the pattern is transferred and printed on the transfer target by pressing the transfer target such as the resin molded product or the like through the film with the pressure and heat from the heating plate. In that case, the above-mentioned hot platen is raised and lowered by an air cylinder in the conventional case, or the
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 23334, it has been customary to convert the rotation of a motor into a reciprocating motion by a crank mechanism.

Further, in this type of thermal transfer apparatus, the height of the receiving base of the transferred material can be adjusted so that the height of the transfer surface is constant even if the height (thickness) of the transferred material is different. It is customary to be able to perform transfer printing on an object to be transferred having an arbitrary height by making it possible to set the height. Further, the above publication discloses a configuration in which the height of the bottom dead center of the heating platen can be changed by changing the length of the crank rod that constitutes the crank mechanism. It is possible to perform transfer printing on a transfer target having different values.

[0004]

By the way, in order to enable transfer printing on transferred objects having different heights, when the height of the receiving table of the transferred objects can be adjusted as described above, the adjustment is performed. Due to the mechanism, this pedestal becomes large, which is an obstacle to making the whole compact especially to enable work on a table, etc., and when the transferred object is low (thin), Since the table has to be raised, the workability of supplying the transferred material onto the receiving table is deteriorated in the case of work on the table or the like.

Further, when the height of the bottom dead center of the heating platen can be adjusted by changing the length of the crank rod, the motor for raising and lowering the heating platen is disclosed as disclosed in the above publication. In addition, a motor and a complicated mechanism for changing the length of the crank rod are required, which hinders desktop or compactification of the thermal transfer device, and the adjustment range of the bottom dead center, that is, handling. There is a drawback in that the range of possible heights of the transferred material cannot be made too large.

Further, in the type in which the heating platen is moved up and down by the air cylinder, by changing the mounting position of the air cylinder or the position of the bottom dead center thereof,
Although it is possible to transfer to a transfer target having a different height, the air cylinder has a large operating noise, which hinders the thermal transfer device from becoming a desktop.

Therefore, the present invention does not require a structure for changing the height of the pedestal of the transferred object, a motor for changing the length of the crank rod, a complicated mechanism, and the like, and An object of the present invention is to realize a thermal transfer device suitable for use on a desk or the like, which enables transfer printing to transfer objects having different heights with a compact and simple structure without using an air cylinder.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by using the following means.

That is, a plate on which a predetermined transfer pattern is formed is attached to a heating platen, and this plate is pressed against an object to be transferred through a transfer film, so that the transfer pattern is transferred by the pressure and heat from the platen. In a thermal transfer device for transferring and printing on an object, a guide member that supports the heating plate so that the heating plate can move up and down, a drive unit for moving the heating plate up and down, and a crank that moves the heating plate up and down along the guide member by the output rotation of the unit. And a mechanism for supporting the drive unit to the guide member so that the drive unit can move up and down, and raising and lowering the drive unit to an arbitrary height, and a fixing unit for fixing the drive unit at the raising and lowering position. It is characterized by having.

[0010]

According to the above construction, the output plate of the drive unit causes the platen to move up and down along the guide member through the crank mechanism, and the plate attached to the platen at the bottom dead center is placed on the lower pedestal. The transfer pattern formed on the plate is transferred and printed on the transferred material by being pressed against the transferred material via the transfer film.

In particular, in the present invention, the drive unit is supported by a guide member for raising and lowering a heating plate so as to be able to move up and down, and a raising and lowering means for raising and lowering it to an arbitrary height, and the raising and lowering position at the raising and lowering position. Since the fixing unit for fixing the drive unit is provided, the position of the bottom dead center of the heating plate, that is, the plate is pressed against the transferred object, although the stroke of raising and lowering the heating plate by the crank mechanism is constant. It is possible to set the position to any height. Therefore, even if the height of the transferred object is different, transfer printing can be performed under a required pressure without adjusting the height of the pedestal.

[0012]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is constructed compactly so as to be suitable for use on a table, and its overall shape is a base 2 and a rear part thereof. It is composed of an upright body portion 3. On the upper surface of the front part of the base part 2, a receiving base 4 of the transferred material is arranged so as to be slidable forward.

On the other hand, an opening portion 3a is provided on the front surface of the main body portion 3, and the hot platen supporting unit 1 is forward from the opening portion 3a.
0 is projected, and the heating plate 11 attached to the lower end of the unit 10 faces the receiving base 4 of the transferred object downward. Further, a film supply device 20 is arranged on both left and right sides of the hot platen support unit 10, and an operation panel 5 on which various keys, switches, indicators and the like are arranged is provided on an upper portion of the front surface of the main body 3. It is provided. Here, the opening 3 a is covered with a bellows member 6 that allows the hot platen supporting unit 10 to move up and down.

The film supply device 20 has a frame 22 attached to the hot platen support unit 10 via support members 21 and 21 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and a transfer film is provided on one end side of the frame 22. The film supply unit 23 that supports the rolls is provided with winding-up units 24 for the transferred film on the other end side, and passes from the supply unit 23 to the winding unit 24 below the heating plate 11. A plurality of guide rollers 2 for guiding the transfer film F
5 ... 25 and the winding roller 2 in the winding section 24
The transfer film F is supplied to the supply unit 23 by driving
Feed motor 2 which is fed out from and supplied below the heating plate 11.
7 and are provided.

Next, the constructions of the hot platen support unit 10 and its lifting mechanism will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, side plates 7 and 8 are provided on both left and right sides inside the main body 3, and a pair of guide rails 3 extending in the vertical direction are formed on the inner surfaces of the side plates 7 and 8.
1, 31 are provided and the hot platen support unit 1
The slide blocks 3 engaged with the guide rails 31 and 31 are provided at both left and right ends of the base member 12 of 0
2, 32 are fixed to each other, so that the entire base member 12 or the hot platen supporting unit 10 is guided by the guide rails 31,
It is vertically movable along 31.

The base member 12 is provided with a frame member 13 projecting forward from the opening 3a in the front surface of the main body 3, and the frame member 1 is also provided.
The heating plate 11 is supported on the front end of the plate 3 via a pipe member 14, and the plate A is attached to the lower surface of the platen.

On the other hand, a hot platen drive unit 40 is housed in the main body 3, and the hot platen drive unit 40 is
A motor 41 and a speed reducer 42 that reduces the output rotation of the motor 41. A crank mechanism 43 is provided between an output shaft 42a of the speed reducer 42 and the base member 12 of the hot platen support unit 10. Has been done.

The crank mechanism 43 is used in the speed reducer 4
Disc 44 fixed to the output shaft 42a of No. 2 and the disc 4
4, one end is rotatably connected to the eccentric position and the other end is fixed to the bracket 45 fixed to the base member 12 by a pin 46.
When the disc 44 rotates together with the output shaft 42a of the speed reducer 42, the whole of the base member 12 or the heating plate support unit 10 is connected via the connecting rod 47. It is designed to go up and down. Here, the connecting rod 47 is configured so that the entire length thereof expands and contracts by rotating the central hexagonal portion 47a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the hot platen drive unit 40 is held by a holding member 51, and a cylindrical portion 51a of the holding member 51 has an output shaft 42a of the transmission 42.
Is pierced through and is rotatably supported via bearings 52, 52, and flange portions 51b, 51b extending to the left and right sides of the holding member 51 are provided with a pair of slide blocks 54 via connecting members 53, 53. , 54 are respectively coupled, and these slide blocks 54, 54 are
The guide rails 31 and 31 are respectively engaged below the pair of slide blocks 32 and 32 fixed to the base member 12 of the hot platen support unit 10.
As a result, the hot platen drive unit 40 including the motor 41 and the speed reducer 42 is also vertically movable along the guide rails 31, 31.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a rearward projecting portion 53a is provided at the lower end of the connecting member 53 connected to one flange portion 51b of the holding member 51, and this projecting portion 53a is provided. A screw shaft 61 is screwed into a screw hole 53b formed in 53a. The screw shaft 61 extends in the up-down direction along the inner surface of the side plate 8 of the side portion of the main body 3, is rotatably erected via upper and lower bearings 62, 62, and has a first umbrella on the upper portion. The gear 63 is fixed. A second bevel gear 64 meshing with the first bevel gear 63 is rotatably provided on the side plate 8 via a bearing 65, and a shaft portion 64 a of the second bevel gear 64 is provided outside the main body 3. The handle 66 is attached to the protruding portion.

Therefore, when the handle 66 is rotated, the screw shaft 61 is moved through the second and first bevel gears 64 and 63.
Rotates, and along with this, the connecting member 53 and the holding member 5
1 to the entire hot platen drive unit 40 is the guide rail 3
It goes up and down along 1,31.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the connecting member 53 connected to the other flange portion 51b of the holding member 51 of the hot platen drive unit 40 includes the side plate 7 on the side portion of the main body portion 3. An extension member 71 extending rearward along the inner surface of the extension member 71 is fixed, and a fixing member 72 is attached to the side plate 7 so as to be located behind the extension member 71.
Is stuck.

The extension member 71 is provided with a vertical groove 71a whose both side surfaces are inclined, and an elongated hole 71b extending in the vertical direction at the bottom of the groove 71a. Further, the fixing member 72 extends forward from the base portion 72a fixed to the side plate 7 through the thin portion 72b, and both side surfaces thereof are inclined surfaces corresponding to the inclination of both side surfaces of the groove 71a of the extension member 71. Then, an engaging portion 72c that engages with the groove 71a is provided so that the inclined surfaces face each other. A screw shaft 73 that penetrates the elongated hole 71b of the extension member 71 is screwed into the engaging portion 72c of the fixing member 72, and the end portion of the screw shaft 73 protruding from the main body 3 to the outside is fixed. A lever 74 is attached.

Therefore, when the screw shaft 73 is rotated in a predetermined direction by the lever 74, the engaging portion 72c of the fixing member 72 engages with the groove 71a of the extension member 71, so that the extension member 71 is moved to the side plate. 7, the extension member 71, the connecting member 53, and the holding member 5 are pressed.
1, the entire hot platen drive unit 40 is fixed, and when the lever 74 is rotated in the opposite direction, the engagement between the extension member 71 and the fixing member 72 is released, and the handle By operating 66, the entire hot platen drive unit 40 can be moved up and down.

In this embodiment, an inverter 80 (FIG. 3) for controlling the start and stop of the motor 41 in the main body 3 is provided.
(See) is stored.

Next, the operation of the thermal transfer device 1 will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the transfer film F is set in the film supply device 20 with the heating platen supporting unit 10 positioned above, and the heating platen 11 is set.
The plate A is attached to the lower surface of the plate, the transfer target B is set on the receiving table 4 of the base 2, and the motor 41 in the hot platen driving unit 40 is operated under the control of the inverter 80 in this state.

By the operation of the motor 41, the speed reducer 42
The disk 44 of the crank mechanism 43 is rotated via the guide rod 43, whereby the entire hot platen support unit 10 is guided by the pair of guide rails 31, 31 via the connecting rod 47 of the crank mechanism 43. And moves downward from the upper position shown in the figure.

Then, at the bottom dead center of the elevation of the crank mechanism 43 or the heating platen supporting unit 10, the plate A attached to the lower surface of the heating platen 11 is set on the pedestal 4 via the transfer film F. The transfer pattern provided on the plate A is transferred and printed on the upper surface of the transfer target B by the pressure at that time and the heat from the heating plate 11 by being pressed against the upper surface of the object B with the required pressure. It will be.

After that, the motor 41 is further rotated to raise the heating platen support unit 10 via the crank mechanism 43, and the motor 27 of the film supply device 20 is rotated to transfer the transferred portion of the transfer film F. Is sent to the winding section 24 side, and the supply section 2
The untransferred portion of the transfer film F fed from the 3 side is supplied below the heating plate 11. In the meantime, the transferred material B on the cradle 4 is replaced with the next product. Then, by repeating the above operation, the transfer printing is successively performed on a plurality of transfer objects of the same type.

By the way, the ascending / descending stroke of the heating platen supporting unit 10 to the heating platen 11 is uniquely determined by the eccentricity of the connecting position of the connecting rod 47 with respect to the disc 44 in the crank mechanism 43, and therefore the heat shown in FIG. When the position of the top dead center of the board support unit 10 is constant, the transferred object set on the receiving table 4 is replaced with, for example, a tall object indicated by the symbol B from a tall object indicated by the symbol B ′. In this case, the plate A does not reach the upper surface of the transferred material B ′ at the bottom dead center of the hot platen supporting unit 10.

Therefore, the thermal transfer device 1 is operated as follows so that transfer printing can be performed even in such a case.

That is, first, the lever 74 shown in FIG. 4 is rotated in a predetermined direction to make the engaging portion 72 of the fixing member 72.
By releasing the engagement of the extension member 71 of c with the groove 71a, the entire hot platen drive unit 40 can be moved up and down along the guide rails 31, 31. Then, when the handle 66 is rotated in a predetermined direction in this state, the screw shaft 61 is rotated through the second and first bevel gears 64 and 63, so that the screw shaft 61 is screwed into the screw hole 53b. The entire hot platen drive unit 40 moves up and down along the guide rails 31 and 31 via the combined connecting member 53 and holding member 51, and the transferred object is transferred from the tall one B shown in FIG. When replacing with the short one B ', the hot platen drive unit 40 is moved downward by the difference in height.

Then, at that position, the lever 74 is rotated in the opposite direction so that the engaging portion 72c of the fixing member 72 is engaged with the groove 71b of the extension member 71, and the extension member 71 is attached to the side plate 7. When pressed against the inner surface, the hot platen drive unit 40 is fixed to the height adjusted as described above via the connecting member 53 and the holding member 51. Then, if the motor 41 is operated via the inverter 80 in this state, the transfer printing can be satisfactorily performed on the short transfer target B ′ shown in FIG. In that case, specifically, while the transfer target to be transferred and printed next is set on the pedestal 4, the crank mechanism 43 in the hot platen drive unit 40 is set at the bottom dead center, and the unit 40 is transferred. Then, the whole is moved downward as described above, and is fixed at a position where the plate A is in contact with the upper surface of the transferred material with an appropriate pressure.

[0037]

As described above, according to the thermal transfer device of the present invention, the transfer pattern provided on the plate is transferred by pressing the plate mounted on the heating plate against the transfer target through the transfer film. In the thermal transfer device for transfer printing to
Since the guide member that supports the heating plate so as to move up and down also supports the drive unit itself that is configured by a motor, a speed reducer, etc. and moves the heating plate up and down through a crank mechanism, the guide unit can be moved up and down. Even if the lift stroke of the hot platen is constant, the position of the bottom dead center of the drive unit, that is, the position of pressing the plate against the upper surface of the transferred object can be arbitrarily set by moving the drive unit up and down.

This eliminates the need for providing a mechanism for adjusting the height of the cradle for the transferred object, a mechanism for changing the stroke of the crank mechanism, and the like, and is common to both the hot platen and its raising / lowering drive unit. By being supported by the guide member, transfer printing can be performed on transfer targets having different heights with a simple structure. Further, the problem of noise that occurs when an air cylinder is used does not occur, and thus a thermal transfer device suitable for use on a desk or the like can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall front view of a thermal transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the device.

3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along the line XX of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line YY of FIG.

5 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of essential parts taken along line ZZ in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Thermal Transfer Device 11 Hot Plate 31 Guide Member (Guide Rail) 40 Drive Unit 43 Crank Mechanism 61, 63, 64, 66 Elevating Means (Screw Shaft, First,
Second bevel gear, handle) 71, 72, 73, 74 fixing means (extending member, fixing member, screw shaft, lever)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transfer plate on which a predetermined transfer pattern is formed is attached to a heating platen and pressed against an object to be transferred through a transfer film, whereby the transfer pattern is transferred by its pressure and heat from the heating platen. A thermal transfer device for transferring and printing on an object, comprising: a guide member that supports the heating plate so that the heating plate can move up and down; a drive unit for moving the heating plate up and down; And a crank mechanism that allows the drive unit to be lifted and lowered by the guide member, and lifts and lowers the drive unit to an arbitrary height, and a fixing unit that fixes the drive unit at the lifted position. And a thermal transfer device.