CN103009800A

CN103009800A - Container printing assembly

Info

Publication number: CN103009800A
Application number: CN2012103578616A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 迪特尔·莱卡姆
Original assignee: Krones AG
Current assignee: Krones AG
Priority date: 2011-09-22
Filing date: 2012-09-24
Publication date: 2013-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2032-09-24
Also published as: EP2572887B1; CN103009800B; DE102011083220A1; EP2572887A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container printing assembly, especially a container printing assembly for applying color printing to a container, such as bottles. The container printing assembly comprises a container conveying device arranged such that the container conveyed in the container conveying device is brought into contact with at least one transfer element on a transfer drum of the container printing assembly. A print head is provided for applying negative image on the transfer element. The transfer drum is pivoted around a transfer drum rotation axis and the transfer element has a convex transfer element surface facing the container. The surfaces of the transfer elements are arranged along the shape of arc pieces along the circle center in interval with the transfer drum rotation axis. The invention also relates to a bottle filling device with the container printing assembly.

Description

Container stamp unit

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of be used to applying colored printing to container, such as bottle, on container stamp unit, it has container conveyance apparatus, this container conveyance apparatus is arranged as follows, namely, the container that in container conveyance apparatus, guides on the transfer cylinder of container stamp unit can with at least one be placed on the circumference of transfer cylinder transfer element contact, wherein, exist at least one to be used to apply the print head of negative film to the transfer element, wherein, transfer cylinder moves the supported and transfer element of mode that the drum rotating axle rotates and has towards the protruding transfer element surface of being configured as of container rotating in addition.

Background technology

By prior art known be used at the different equipment of container outer surface to the container stamp of bottle or same type.

So for example WO 2009/052890A1 discloses at the equipment of container outer surface to bottle or similar container stamp, the equipment of this stamp has at least one printing station, the motion of container on the container conveyer is through the printing zone of this printing station, and the equipment of this stamp has at least one print head and has and forms at least one transfer face and transfer element that arrange at auxiliary conveyer.

Printing station comprises the vertical axle driven transfer cylinder on certain direction around it in addition, on its columniform periphery, with the uniform angular separation of settling around drum shaft stagger ground, preferably can alternatively be provided with a plurality of transfer elements, in corresponding form of implementation, altogether be provided with three transfer elements in other words.Each transfer element is configured to multilayer, and wherein transfer element is comprised of following in other words: take the axle of transfer cylinder as adhesion layer outside with reference to being in, that made by the material that is applicable to trans-printing; Receive the intermediate layer of the caoutchouc elasticity on the adhesion layer, for example made by harder rubber or flexible plastics; And receive the bearing bed that production material or plastics by metal on the intermediate layer are made, utilize each transfer element of this bearing bed fastening on the circumference of transfer cylinder.

For example by WO 2004/009360A1, GB 2376920A, US 6,684,770B2, US 2003/0121428A1, US 7,011,728B2, US 2003/0015105A1, US 6,920,822B2 and US 2005/0045053A1 are also known other equipment.

Although known equipment has made with relatively high quality, in other words with high-quality, especially still sharp keen and distortionless and/or flawless impression and become possibility for the container stamp, but just have small as far as possible excessive tolerance and on this treats the zone for the treatment of stamp of container of stamp, also do not have or do not have as far as possible out-of-flatness when the container that treat stamp.

Summary of the invention

Task of the present invention is to point out following equipment, and this equipment makes in high productivity ratio, in other words a lot of containers in each time quantum, situation under become possibility for the container stamp of bottle or same type with high quality ground.Should make by structure according to the present invention, with high quality and in the situation of high productivity ratio, though can be directly container outer surface give this that have a relatively large excessive tolerance and/or irregular bottle or similarly the container stamp also become possibility.

This task solves in the following way according to the present invention, that is, transfer element movably, especially can swingingly be placed on the transfer cylinder.

Give especially many containers stamp in by this way can each time quantum and can reach simultaneously extraordinary quality.Good that picture can not identify slippage effect (Schmierwirkung) or distortion effect.

The advantageous form of implementation of tool claims in the dependent claims and explains in detail subsequently.

Tool is advantageous so is, when transfer element surface ratio transfer cylinder surface has larger curvature.Transfer element clings to container particularly well by this way, and bottle for example is on the surface.Quality is improved.

Agree to around with the shape of the circular arc part of the centre point at transfer cylinder rotating shaft interval the time when the transfer element surface, efficient is improved.

Also tool is advantageous is, when transfer element is supported in the mode that can rotate around the swinging axle with transfer cylinder rotating shaft interval.Can realize by this way eccentric supporting.Each transfer element is then in that transfer cylinder rotating shaft eccentric ground is supported and in the swinging axle bent around relatively on its outer surface or on the transfer face at it.

Also suitably be, when transfer element had bearing bed by plastics or metal construction, this bearing bed was covered by the intermediate layer of caoutchouc elasticity on vessel side, and this intermediate layer is covered by the adhesion layer of preparing in order to accept negative film on the one side.Then can make pigment on the container of stamp apply quality is improved.

When a plurality of transfer elements with uniform angular separation when the circumference that is configured to columniform periphery of transfer cylinder distributes, can make like this treat stamp each time quantum of container in throughput further improve.Transfer element is stamp differently, thereby can realize the broken colour printing.

The advantageous form of implementation of tool also has following feature, that is, each in the transfer element can be without the guiding of slippage ground through each unique container.Can avoid in this way fuzzy.

If but the side towards each container of transfer element can be configured as the flexible corrugationless of cushion, then reach particularly preferred printing quality.

What can also imagine is, finish as follows on the surface of transfer element, that is, the zone that is higher than not transfer printing pigment can be swelled in the zone of similar seal ground transfer printing pigment.Pigment can be transferred on the position of protuberance of transfer element and final similar letterpress method ground is transferred on the bottle by transfer element in above-described mode via the pigment roller thus.Especially a transfer element is only attached troops to a unit in this case a kind of pigment.So in this case, print head is the pigment roller.

Following also is that tool is advantageous, that is, when having a plurality of print head, these print heads are in order side by side or sequentially to apply liquid, such as pigment or lacquer to certain transfer element and design.The printing that can reach in this way high-quality especially printing, especially broken colour printing and be protected by lacquer.Also tool is advantageous is, when having one or more post processings station, especially as follows post processing station, described post processing station are by the input of energy and/or energy, for example cause drying, engage and/or drying of the dimensional printed chart that is applied directly on the container by infrared-ray, UV ray, microwave energy, warm air or similar fashion.

Tool is advantageous to be, when container supported in container conveyance apparatus as follows, that is, and container, especially bottle, around their rotating shaft, can stamp during container rotates.

The invention still further relates to a kind of bottle pad device with the container stamp unit as explain the front.

Description of drawings

Container stamp unit according to the present invention and the transfer device that is included in are wherein explained in accompanying drawing subsequently.Wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates the design of graphics of the signal of container stamp unit,

Fig. 2 illustrates the container stamp unit that has among a large amount of post processings station, under the state in being included in bottle pad device, Fig. 1, wherein, has inserted a plurality of container stamp units,

Fig. 3 illustrates and begins to apply on the container of stamp in the container stamp unit shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is illustrated in last possible stamp time point and applies the diagram of stamp to the container,

Fig. 5 illustrates the top view of transfer element, and

Fig. 6 illustrates the cross-sectional view that VI along the line is passed the transfer element among Fig. 5, inserts in the container stamp unit as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 such as this transfer element.

These figure only be in essence signal and only be used for understanding the present invention.Identical element is provided with same Reference numeral.

The specific embodiment

Shown in Figure 1 first according to container stamp unit 1 of the present invention.Container stamp unit is provided for applying colored printing to container 2.Container 2 is configured to bottle.Container 2 also can be configured to jar or cup.

Utilize container conveyance apparatus, this container conveyance apparatus shows in Fig. 2 and is provided with there Reference numeral 3, guides the container 2 of container stamp unit 1.Container conveyance apparatus 3 can be configured to the star conveying device and can use circulating conveyor.

Container stamp unit 1 also has transfer cylinder 4.Transfer cylinder 4 has circular cross section.Transfer cylinder 4 has circular cross section.Transfer cylinder 4 has columniform periphery 5.On transfer cylinder 4, also be mounted with transfer element 6.Transfer element 6 illustrates in their original position, and wherein, a transfer element 6 illustrates at its end position 7, that is to say on the vessel surface 9 that coat of colo(u)r or enamelled coating 8 is transferred to container 2 after.

Have four pigment bringing devices or lacquer bringing device 10, they have respectively print head 11.Pigment and/or lacquer can be delivered on the transfer device surface 12 by print head 11.

By one or more print heads 11 negative film is applied on the transfer element surface 12.

Transfer cylinder 4 moves the mode that drum rotating axle 13 rotates to rotate supported.

Each transfer element 6 has the transfer element surface 12 towards each container to be printed 2, and this transfer element shaping surface is protruding.

The shape of circular arc part 14 is agreed on transfer element surface 12.Circular arc part 14 can fine identification in situation about illustrating from above in Fig. 1.Circular arc part 14 is the parts around the circle that does not illustrate of centre point, and wherein, coordinate of the center of circle is in swinging axle 15, and wherein, swinging axle 15 is following axles, that is, transfer element 6 is respectively with can be supported around the mode that this axle rotates.In other words, thus each transfer element 6 be connected on the transfer cylinder 4 that itself can rotate in the mode that can swing around the swinging axle 15 of oneself or rotate.

Transfer element 6 can be individually or is jointly driven.

The transporting and be transported away by container conveyance apparatus 3 and illustrate of container 2 in Fig. 2, this container conveyance apparatus has buffer unit 16.Have a plurality of post processings station 17, these post processing stations and each container stamp unit 1 according to the present invention are adjacent to arrange.

Throughput direction is indicated with arrow 18.The rotation direction of transfer cylinder 4 is indicated with arrow 19.

Must be noted that the identification bundling package profile, embossing, badge, trade mark of being undertaken by video camera 23 can imagine before printing process.Bundling package, the correction of needs that is used for exactly the container 2 of printing process is subsequently rotated by carrying out at corresponding rotary disk control device and the servo motor put on bottle platform.This can be called as pre-orientation.Mold pressing seam in pre-orientation on container side wall, it is valuable especially that this mold pressing is sewn in vial and the PET bottle, can be identified equally, and correspondingly can be by coupling/attention in printing process subsequently.The dimensional printed chart position also can be by coupling/attention.

The rolling without slippage on the transfer element surface 12 of transfer element 6 shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

Original state applying transfer element 6 in pigment or the situation of lacquer to the container 2 shown in Figure 3, and shown in Figure 4 apply coat of colo(u)r or enamelled coating to the container 2 after the end position 7 of transfer element 6.

In Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, transfer element 6 is illustrated from above in independent schematic diagram.As also can identifying among those figure, transfer element 6 has at least three layers.Namely from the nearest bearing bed 20 that is made up by plastics or metal of swinging axle 15, intermediate layer 21 and the outside adhesion layer 22 of caoutchouc elasticity.

In addition, container stamp unit 1 comprises the vertical axle driven transfer type star polygon work on the direction of arrow 19 around it, and this transfer type star polygon work is also referred to as transfer cylinder 4.Rotate and move drum rotating axle 13 and be provided with a plurality of transfer elements 6 with staggering, preferably be provided with six or eight transfer elements that can replace 6 with uniform angular separation.Each transfer element 6 as explaining, is configured to multilayer.On the adhesion layer 22 that is in the outside, can apply trans-printing (Transferdruck).Intermediate layer 21 is made up by harder rubber or flexible plastics.

Print head 11, this print head are the parts of printing station, not in company with arranging rotationally.By print head, complete, with the form of negative in other words mirror image, in other words as negative dimensional printed chart or negative film, be applied to dimensional printed chart on the bottle and be applied on the transfer element surface 12 as transfer face.Transfer element 6 can also be called as palette, especially shift palette.This palette is through print head 11.Print head 11 is the print head 11 of electricity preferably, and comprise a plurality of single print heads that can be automatically controlled for polychrome printing, these single print heads in turn arrange on rotation direction 19, and more precisely for example a single print head is used for polychrome different color combination (Farbsatz) for black and a plurality of single print head.

These single print heads preferably those with the known single print head of title of " drop on demand ink jet (drop on demand) ", and these single print heads have respectively a large amount of spouts in following row, parallel or the substantially parallel ground with following axle (that is to say swinging axle 15) of this row is directed, and transfer element 6 swings around this axle.Each spout is attached troops to a unit electrode.Single print head in other words their electrode by the manipulation device that produces dimensional printed chart electricly, more precisely control to following form, that is, on the spout in the situation that the current potential of the relative spout of current potential of the electrode of subordinate changes, produce picture point and emit printing color for the transfer element surface 12 at transfer element 6.Alternatively, in simple situation, also can use serigraphy instrument such as rotary screen printing equipment.What can imagine in addition is to replace a print head 11 and be mounted to many four print heads 11, in order to also can print off four-color process or be distributed in four printing themes in the district.

What can also imagine is, rotation direction lead on print head 11 ground, the peripheral hardware in transfer shaft and not with described transfer shaft in company with being provided with rotationally following cleaning station or clean bits, utilize swinging axle 15 motions of transfer element 6 cleaned before the transfer element surface 12 of this palette applies new negative film dimensional printed chart through the palette of this cleaning station or clean bits, remove in other words residue pigment and the printing color that exists.The cleaning station is formed by one or more scrapers in simple mode.

Each transfer element 6 that is provided with negative dimensional printed chart on transfer element surface 12 utilizes rotating transfer cylinder 4 to arrive printing zones, when stand upright on put on bottle platform, in other words with its axle directed bottle in vertical direction, move there through out-of-date.

Container conveyance apparatus 3, this container conveyance apparatus also is called the container conveyer, shown in form of implementation in be have a large amount of disc types container carrier, around vertical machine shaft in company with transfer cylinder 4 pivotally driven turntable or rotor, the container carrier of this disc type is to rotate that sub vertical machine shaft arranges on the circumference of rotor with uniform angular separation with staggering and to be to pass through engine around its vertical axle, such as servo motor, rotate with handling.Utilize each container carrier, the end on top is respectively by the element that does not illustrate, and is for example accurately fixing by the centering bell-shaped piece, as lower area by have the centering insert put the bottle dish accurately fixing.

Fixing like this bottle in printing zone around its bottle axis, more precisely rotate as follows, namely, this have zone to be printed, the bottle of bottle sidewall for example, without slippage ground the transfer element 6 of process in other words there 12 rollings of transfer element surface and thus the negative dimensional printed chart of each transfer element 6 is applied on the relevant bottle as just printing.

Each continues to utilize the container carrier of subordinate like this through the bottle of stamp, for example putting bottle dish or putting in bottle platform, erectly in company with the motion of container conveyer and arrive in addition the station that is called as post processing station 17.There by for example effect or energy input, for example reach drying, engage and/or drying of the dimensional printed chart that is applied directly on the bottle by infrared-ray, UV ray, microwave energy, warm air or similar fashion, more precisely, preferably utilize in the bottle of container rot rotation at the bottle axis that continues around it.

The characteristics of printing station are, on each transfer face in other words on each transfer element 6, motion through the print head situation under respectively with negative form, produce complete, be applied to the dimensional printed chart on the bottle.For reach high-quality, especially still clean, without reverse and sharp keen dimensional printed chart, what quite need is, remain on the in other words spacing of predesignating exactly between the single print head of transfer face and print head, wherein, this utilizes the present invention is possible without problems.

At least one or a plurality of printing station can continue to be applied at the circumference of putting bottle platform with distributing, in order to boost productivity or for the quantity that increases color and/or apply protective finish.

What continuation can be imagined is to put on bottle platform before first printing element or implement preliminary treatment by corona ray or similar ray in the machine import.Similarly, can be after last printing station quality and the defective container 2 through stamp eliminating to control dimensional printed chart by the camera system utilization object that manufacturing defect is arranged subsequently be eliminated.

Guarantee by flexible intermediate layer 21, even in the situation of excessive tolerance, the tolerance in the diameter of bottle for example, this tolerance can be in the scope between the 0.5mm to 0.7mm fully, even be exactly in irregular situation, also guarantee transfer face treat mutually stamp bottle zone, for by transfer element 6 to the transfer printing of the dimensional printed chart of each bottle and needs, recline closely.

On the integral body, the corresponding structure of printing station provides following advantage thus, namely, it is high-quality that to be printed in the situation to the very crucial spacing of this necessity that keeps between print head 11 and the transfer face be possible, more precisely, although the obvious excessive tolerance of bottle is arranged, wherein, described tolerance is by the flexible structure of transfer element, namely be compensated in flexible intermediate layer.

Claims

1. be used for applying colored printing to container (2), such as bottle, on container stamp unit (1), described container stamp unit has container conveyance apparatus (3), described container conveyance apparatus is arranged as follows, namely, the container (2) of carrying in described container conveyance apparatus (3) can contact with at least one transfer element (6) that is placed on the circumference of described transfer cylinder (4) on the transfer cylinder (4) of described container stamp unit (1), wherein, exist at least one to be used to apply the print head (11) of negative film to the described transfer element (6), wherein, described transfer cylinder (4) moves the supported and described transfer element (6) of mode that drum rotating axle (13) rotates and has towards the protruding transfer element surface (12) of being configured as of described container (2) rotating in addition, it is characterized in that described transfer element (6) can be movably, especially can swingingly settle at described transfer cylinder (4).

2. container stamp unit according to claim 1 (1) is characterized in that, described transfer element surface (12) agree to around with the shape of the circular arc part (14) of the centre point at described transfer cylinder rotating shaft (13) interval.

3. container stamp unit according to claim 1 and 2 (1) is characterized in that, described transfer element surface (12) has larger curvature than transfer cylinder surface.

4. according to claim 1,2 or 3 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that described transfer element (6) is with can be supported around the mode of rotating with the swinging axle (15) at described transfer cylinder rotating shaft (13) interval.

5. according to claim 1 to one of 4 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that, described transfer element (6) has the bearing bed (20) that made up by plastics or metal and vessel side and is covered by the intermediate layer (21) of caoutchouc elasticity, and described intermediate layer is covered by the adhesion layer of preparing in order to accept negative film (22) in the one side.

6. according to claim 1 to one of 5 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that a plurality of transfer elements (6) distribute with the circumference that is configured to columniform periphery of uniform angular separation at described transfer cylinder (4).

7. according to claim 1 to one of 6 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that each in the described transfer element (6) can be without the guiding of slippage ground through each unique container (2).

8. according to claim 1 to one of 7 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that, described transfer element (6) towards described container (2) but a side can be configured as the flexible corrugationless of cushion.

9. according to claim 1 to one of 8 described container stamp units (1), it is characterized in that, when having a plurality of print heads (11), these print heads are in order side by side or sequentially to apply liquid, such as pigment or lacquer, upward design to certain transfer element (6), and have one or more post processings station (17).

The bottle pad device, it has according to the described container stamp of one of the claims unit (1).