CN112193871A

CN112193871A - Conveying device, conveying system and printing equipment

Info

Publication number: CN112193871A
Application number: CN202011156885.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 饶佳旺; 田腾
Original assignee: Shenzhen Hongrui Precision Digital Jet Printing Equipment Co ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Hongrui Precision Digital Jet Printing Equipment Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-26
Filing date: 2020-10-26
Publication date: 2021-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-26
Also published as: WO2022089042A1; CN112193871B

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of printing, and discloses a conveying device, a conveying system and printing equipment. The conveying device comprises a feeding module, and the feeding module comprises a first base, a conveying mechanism and a positioning mechanism. The conveying mechanism comprises a loading assembly and a conveying driving assembly. The material loading assembly is used for loading a printing substrate; the conveying driving assembly is used for driving the printing substrate carried on the material carrying assembly to advance along a first preset direction. The positioning mechanism comprises two positioning plates and a positioning driving assembly. The two positioning plates are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading component along a second preset direction; the positioning driving assembly is used for driving the two positioning plates to be close to or far away from each other at equal intervals. The conveying device can enable the gap between the two positioning plates to be matched with the width of the printing substrate through the positioning driving assembly so as to restrict the position of the printing substrate along the second preset direction. Therefore, the conveying device can solve the technical problem that the positions of the printing substrates which are stacked in the feeding module at the front and the back are different in the direction vertical to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

Description

Conveying device, conveying system and printing equipment

[ technical field ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of printing, in particular to a conveying device, a conveying system and printing equipment.

[ background of the invention ]

Inkjet printing is a non-contact printing mode, and the inkjet printing equipment does not need to be in physical contact with a printing substrate, so that the material of the printing substrate is not limited. Ink-jet printing is commonly applied to paper, wood, glass, crystal, metal plate, plastic (e.g., circuit board, etc.), and the like.

The printing substrate conveying system inside the jet printing equipment generally comprises a rack, a feeding module, a printing platform, a jet printing module and the like. The printing substrate is stacked on the feeding module by manual work or an external mechanism, the feeding module conveys the printing substrate to a set position, and then the printing platform takes away the printing substrate and conveys the printing substrate to a printing station so that the printing process of the printing substrate is carried out by the spray printing module.

The inventor of the invention finds out that: in the continuous flow process, the positions of the printing substrates stacked in front and back on the feeding module in the direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the printing substrates often have a certain difference, which is inconvenient for the subsequent printing process.

[ summary of the invention ]

The embodiment of the invention aims to provide a conveying device, a conveying system and printing equipment, and aims to solve the technical problem that positions of printing substrates which are stacked in a feeding module in front and back are different in a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

The embodiment of the invention adopts the following technical scheme for solving the technical problems:

a feeding module is applied to conveying printing substrates and comprises a feeding module and a printing platform;

the feeding module is used for bearing the printing base material and conveying the printing base material to a set position, and the feeding module comprises:

a first base;

the conveying mechanism comprises a material loading assembly and a conveying driving assembly, the material loading assembly is mounted on the first base and used for bearing the printing substrate, and the conveying driving assembly is used for driving the printing substrate borne by the material loading assembly to advance along a first preset direction;

the positioning mechanism comprises two positioning plates and a positioning driving assembly, the two positioning plates are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading assembly along a second preset direction, the positioning driving assembly is respectively connected with the two positioning plates, the positioning driving assembly is used for driving the two positioning plates to be close to or far away from each other at equal intervals, and the positioning plates can be used for pushing the edge of the printing substrate in a propping manner, wherein the second preset direction is vertical to the first preset direction;

the printing platform can move to the position below the loading assembly to receive the printing substrate located at the set position.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the conveying mechanism includes two loading assemblies oppositely arranged along the second preset direction, and each loading assembly includes:

the base plates are arranged on the first base, and the base plates of the two loading assemblies are oppositely arranged along the second preset direction;

a driving wheel rotatably mounted on the substrate;

from the driving wheel, rotationally install in the base plate, follow between the driving wheel with follow along first preset direction interval sets up: and

the conveying belt is in a closed ring shape and is wound on the driving wheel and the driven wheel, and the conveying belt is used for bearing the printing base material;

the conveying driving assembly is respectively connected with the two driving wheels and is used for driving the driving wheels to rotate.

As a further improvement of the above, the conveyance driving unit includes:

the connecting shaft extends along the second preset direction and is respectively connected with the two driving wheels, and the two driving wheels are circumferentially fixed relative to the connecting shaft; and

the rotation driving unit is connected with the connecting shaft and used for driving the connecting shaft to rotate so as to enable the driving wheel to rotate synchronously;

the connecting shaft comprises a connecting part, the section of the connecting part is non-circular, and a connecting hole matched with the connecting part is formed in the driving wheel;

the connecting portion is inserted into the connecting hole, so that the driving wheel is in sliding fit with the connecting shaft along the second preset direction.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the conveying mechanism further comprises a distance adjusting driving assembly, and the distance adjusting driving assembly is respectively connected with the two substrates and used for driving the two loading assemblies to approach or depart from each other;

the roll adjustment driving assembly comprises:

the first screw rod extends along the second preset direction and comprises a first connecting part and a second connecting part which are relatively fixed, the screw pitches of the first connecting part and the second connecting part are equal, the screwing directions of the first connecting part and the second connecting part are opposite, the first connecting part is in threaded connection with one substrate, and the second connecting part is in threaded connection with the other substrate; and

and the first rotation driving part is connected with the first screw rod and used for driving the first screw rod to rotate.

As a further improvement of the above solution, the positioning plate includes:

the baffle plates of the two positioning plates are oppositely arranged along the second preset direction;

the supporting part is arranged along the second preset direction, one end of the supporting part is fixed on the baffle, and the other end of the supporting part extends towards the material loading assembly; and

and the limiting part is fixed on the baffle and arranged above the supporting part, and the limiting part and the supporting part are arranged oppositely.

As a further improvement of the above, the positioning drive assembly includes:

the second screw rod extends along the second preset direction and comprises a third connecting part and a fourth connecting part which are relatively fixed, the thread pitches of the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part are equal, the screwing directions of the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part are opposite, the third connecting part is in threaded connection with one positioning plate, and the fourth connecting part is in threaded connection with the other positioning plate; and

and the second turnover driving piece is connected with the second screw rod and is used for driving the second screw rod to rotate.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the printing platform comprises a second base, a material conveying plate and a material conveying driving mechanism;

the second base comprises a platen for bearing a printing substrate, and the platen is arranged lower than the upper surface of the conveying belt;

the material conveying driving mechanism is connected with the material conveying plate and used for driving the material conveying plate to lift between a first preset position and a second preset position relative to the bedplate;

at the first preset position, the upper surface of the material conveying plate is higher than the upper surface of the bedplate;

and at the second preset position, the upper surface of the material conveying plate is lower than or flush with the upper surface of the bedplate, and the upper surface of the bedplate is provided with an accommodating groove for the material conveying plate to enter or pass through in the lifting process.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the device further comprises a first clamping mechanism, and the first clamping mechanism comprises:

the two first pressing components are oppositely arranged along a first preset direction and comprise first pressing pieces, and the first pressing pieces comprise first pressing plates arranged above the bedplate;

the two first lifting assemblies are respectively connected with the two first pressing and holding assemblies in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the first lifting assemblies are used for driving the first pressing and holding assemblies to lift so that the first pressing plates can press or release the printing base materials loaded on the bedplate; and

and the first distance adjusting assembly is respectively connected with the two first lifting assemblies and is used for driving the two first lifting assemblies to mutually approach or depart from each other.

As a further improvement of the above solution, the first pressing member further includes a first pressing rod, and the first pressing assembly further includes a first support plate;

one end of the first pressure lever is connected with the first pressure plate, the other end of the first pressure lever is fixed on the first support plate, and the output end of the first lifting assembly is connected with the first support plate.

As a further improvement of the above solution, the first lifting assembly and the second base are slidably engaged along the first preset direction, and the first distance adjusting assembly includes:

the third screw rod extends along the first preset direction and comprises a fifth connecting part and a sixth connecting part which are relatively fixed, the screw pitches of the fifth connecting part and the sixth connecting part are equal, the screw directions of the fifth connecting part and the sixth connecting part are opposite, the fifth connecting part is in threaded connection with one first lifting assembly, and the sixth connecting part is in threaded connection with the other first lifting assembly; and

and the first rotation driving unit is connected with the third screw rod and used for driving the third screw rod to rotate.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the device further comprises a second clamping mechanism, wherein the second clamping mechanism comprises:

the two second pressing components are oppositely arranged along a second preset direction and comprise second pressing pieces, and the second pressing pieces comprise second pressing plates arranged above the bedplate;

the two second lifting assemblies are respectively connected with the two second pressing and holding assemblies in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the second lifting assemblies are used for driving the second pressing and holding assemblies to lift so that the second pressing plate can press or release the printing substrate loaded on the bedplate; and

and the second distance adjusting assembly is respectively connected with the two second lifting assemblies and is used for driving the two second lifting assemblies to mutually approach or depart from each other.

As a further improvement of the above solution, the second pressing member further includes a second pressing rod, and the second pressing assembly further includes a second support plate;

one end of the second pressure lever is connected with the second pressure plate, the other end of the second pressure lever is fixed on the second support plate, and the output end of the second lifting assembly is connected with the second support plate.

As a further improvement of the above solution, the second lifting assembly and the second base are in sliding fit along the second preset direction, and the second distance adjusting assembly includes:

the fourth screw rod extends along the second preset direction and comprises a seventh connecting part and an eighth connecting part which are relatively fixed, the thread pitches of the seventh connecting part and the eighth connecting part are equal, the rotation directions of the seventh connecting part and the eighth connecting part are opposite, the seventh connecting part is in threaded connection with one second lifting assembly, and the eighth connecting part is connected with the other second lifting assembly; and

and the second rotation driving unit is connected with the fourth screw rod and is used for driving the fourth screw rod to rotate.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the device further comprises a discharging module, the discharging module and the feeding module are arranged at intervals along the second preset direction, and the structure of the discharging module is the same as that of the feeding module;

the printing platform can move between the lower part of the material loading component of the feeding module and the lower part of the material loading component of the discharging module.

a conveying system comprises the conveying device.

As a further improvement of the above, the conveying system further includes a pressing module, and the pressing module includes:

a bracket including a beam;

the material pressing mechanism comprises a material pressing plate and a material pressing driving unit, the material pressing plate is arranged above the material loading assembly, the material pressing driving unit is mounted on the cross beam and connected with the material pressing plate, and the material pressing driving unit is used for driving the material pressing plate to lift so that the material pressing plate can support and press the printing substrate loaded on the material conveying plate in the process that the material conveying plate moves from the first preset position to the second preset position when the printing platform is positioned below the material loading assembly; and

and the beam driving mechanism is connected with the beam and used for driving the beam to lift.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the pressure plate comprises a main plate body and an elastic cushion pad;

the main board body is connected with the pressing driving unit, and the cushion pad is arranged at the bottom of the main board body.

As a further improvement of the above scheme, the swaging driving unit comprises a first cylinder, and an output end of the first cylinder is connected with the swaging plate;

the conveying system further comprises a pressure regulating valve, and the pressure regulating valve is connected with the first air cylinder and used for regulating the air pressure of the first air cylinder.

a printing device comprises the conveying device or the conveying system.

The invention has the beneficial effects that:

the conveying device provided by the embodiment of the invention is applied to conveying printing substrates and comprises a feeding module and a printing platform. The feeding module is used for conveying the printing substrate to a set position; the device comprises a first base, a conveying mechanism and a positioning mechanism. The conveying mechanism comprises a loading assembly and a conveying driving assembly. The material loading assembly is arranged on the first base and is used for loading a printing substrate; the conveying driving assembly is used for driving the printing substrate carried on the material carrying assembly to advance along a first preset direction. The positioning mechanism comprises two positioning plates and a positioning driving assembly. The two positioning plates are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading assembly along a second preset direction; the positioning driving assembly is respectively connected with the two positioning plates and is used for driving the two positioning plates to be close to or far away from each other at equal intervals. The second predetermined direction is perpendicular to the first predetermined direction. The printing platform can move to the lower part of the loading assembly so as to receive the printing substrate conveyed to the set position by the feeding module.

The feeding module in the conveying device provided by the embodiment of the invention can adjust the gap between the two positioning plates to be matched with the width of the printing base material through the positioning driving assembly, so that the edges of the two sides of the printing base material along the second preset direction are respectively restrained by the corresponding positioning plates, and the positions of the printing base materials which are stacked in the feeding module in front and back in the second preset direction are ensured to be consistent. Therefore, the conveying device provided by the embodiment of the invention can solve the technical problem that the positions of the printing substrates which are stacked in the feeding module at the front and the back are different in the direction vertical to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

[ description of the drawings ]

One or more embodiments are illustrated in drawings corresponding to, and not limiting to, the embodiments, in which elements having the same reference number designation may be represented as similar elements, unless specifically noted, the drawings in the figures are not to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one direction of a conveyor system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one direction of a feeder module in the conveyor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one orientation of the feeder module of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in another orientation of the feeder module of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 at A;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printing platform in the delivery device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the platen of FIG. 6 shown hidden therein;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the second base of the printing platform shown in FIG. 6 with the platen hidden and then connected to the first clamping mechanism in one direction;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the second base of the printing platform shown in FIG. 6 with the platen hidden and connected to the first clamping mechanism in another direction;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the platen of the printing platform of FIG. 6 connected to a second clamping mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a connection between a second pressing assembly and a second lifting assembly of the printing platform shown in FIG. 6;

fig. 12 is a perspective view of one direction of the swaging module of fig. 1;

fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of the swaging module of fig. 1 in another orientation;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one orientation of the retainer plate of FIG. 12;

fig. 15 is a perspective view of one direction of the retainer plate of fig. 12.

[ detailed description ] embodiments

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific examples. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to"/"mounted to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or one or more intervening elements may be present therebetween. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and the like as used herein are for descriptive purposes only.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Furthermore, the technical features mentioned in the different embodiments of the invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

In this specification, the term "mounting" includes fixing or limiting a certain element or device to a specific position or place by welding, screwing, clipping, adhering, etc., the element or device may be fixed or movable in a limited range in the specific position or place, and the element or device may be removed or not after being fixed or limited to the specific position or place, and is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1, a perspective view of a conveying system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, the conveying system includes a frame 11 and at least one conveying device 12. Wherein, the frame 11 is used for bearing and installing the conveying device 12; the transport device 12 is used to transport a print substrate (not shown in the figure). The conveying device 12 includes a feeding module 200, a printing platform 300 and an discharging module 400. The feeding module 200 is used for carrying a printing substrate and conveying the printing substrate to a set position. The printing platform 300 is used for cooperating with the feeding module 200 at the feeding station to receive the printing substrate conveyed to the set position by the feeding module 200 and sending the printing substrate to the discharging station; in the process from the feeding station to the discharging station, the printing substrate can sequentially pass through the camera alignment station, the digital printing station and other stations to respectively perform the alignment process and the printing process. Wherein the feeding station is located below the feeding module 200, and the discharging station is located below the discharging module 400. The discharging module 400 is configured to cooperate with the printing platform 300 to receive the printing substrate originally loaded on the printing platform 300 when the printing platform 300 moves to the discharging station, and output the printing substrate to the outside of the conveying device 12, so that the printing substrate can be conveniently printed to perform a complete printing process. Next, taking the printing substrate as a circuit board material as an example, the specific structure of the conveying device will be described in detail; it should be understood that the printing substrate is not limited to circuit board material, and in other embodiments of the present invention, the printing substrate may be any other printable medium such as cardboard, metal plate, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto.

As for the frame 11, please refer to fig. 1, it is a table-shaped structure for carrying and installing the above-mentioned conveying device 12. The housing 11 is of conventional design in the art and the present invention will not be described in detail.

Referring to fig. 1, the conveying device 12 includes a feeding module 200, a printing platform 300, and an output module 400. The feeding module 200 and the discharging module 400 are both mounted at the top of the frame 11, and are arranged at intervals, and the digital printing station is located in the middle of the feeding module and the discharging module. The printing platform 300 is disposed below the feeding module 200 and the discharging module 400, and is movable therebetween to transport the printing substrate from the feeding module 200 to the discharging module 400. In this embodiment, the conveying system includes three conveying devices 12, and the three conveying devices 12 are sequentially and adjacently arranged along a direction perpendicular to the direction from the feeding module 200 to the discharging module 400. Wherein, the upstream conveying device is positioned on the right side along the first preset direction X in the figure, and the downstream conveying device is positioned on the left side; when the feeding module 200 of the downstream conveying device 12 has no printing substrate, the feeding module 200 of the upstream conveying device 12 conveys the printing substrate to the downstream conveying device 12 to complete the bin filling process, and the process is fast connected almost without waiting, so that the method has the advantage of high efficiency. Wherein, a printing trolley mechanism (not shown) is arranged above the three groups of conveying devices 12, and the printing trolley can move left and right along a first preset direction X to switch among three digital printing stations. Through 12 cooperation camera counterpoint mechanisms of three sets of conveyor (not shown), print dolly mechanism and realize that material loading counterpoint, digital printing, the three process of transportation ejection of compact do not wait for to go on simultaneously, material loading counterpoint, digital printing, the switching of transportation ejection of compact in different positions go on moreover, and the digital machining efficiency of printing is high. To better understand the specific structure of the conveying device 12, the specific structures of the feeding module 200, the printing platform 300 and the discharging module 400 in the same conveying device 12 will be described in detail in sequence.

Next, a detailed description will be given of a specific structure of the feeder module 200.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the feeding module 200 respectively shows a perspective view of the feeding module 200 and an exploded view of the feeding module 200 in two directions, and the feeding module 200 includes a first base 210, a conveying mechanism 220 and a positioning mechanism 230. The first base 210 is mounted on the top of the frame 11, and is used for bearing and mounting the conveying mechanism 220 and the positioning mechanism 230. The conveying mechanism 220 includes a loading assembly 221 and a conveying driving assembly 222; the loading assembly 221 is installed on the first base 210 and is used for loading a printing substrate; the conveying driving assembly 222 is used for driving the printing substrate carried on the material loading assembly 221 to move along the first preset direction X shown in the figure. The positioning mechanism 230 includes two positioning plates 231 and a positioning driving assembly 232. The two positioning plates 231 are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading assembly 221 along the second preset direction Y; the positioning driving assembly 232 is respectively connected to the two positioning plates 231, and is configured to drive the two positioning plates 231 to move toward or away from each other at equal intervals, so that a gap between the two positioning plates 231 is adapted to a width of the printing substrate; then, the two side edges of the printing substrate along the second preset direction Y are respectively constrained by the corresponding positioning plates 231, that is, the positioning mechanism 230 can position the printing substrates stacked on the loading assembly 221 front and back, so as to ensure that the positions of the printing substrates along the second preset direction Y are consistent. The "first predetermined direction X" is a horizontal direction when the feeding module 200 is mounted on the rack 100, and is also an arrangement direction between the conveying devices 12; the second preset direction Y is another horizontal direction when the feeding module 200 is installed in the rack 11, and the second preset direction Y is perpendicular to the first preset direction X, and is a direction in which the feeding module 200 in the same conveying device 12 points to the discharging module 400.

Referring to fig. 2, the first base 210 is a hollow rectangular frame-shaped structure, and is used for supporting or mounting the conveying mechanism 220 and the positioning mechanism 230.

The conveying mechanism 220 specifically includes a loading assembly 221 and a conveying driving assembly 222. Referring to fig. 5, which shows a partial enlarged view of a portion a in fig. 3, in conjunction with other figures, the loading assembly 221 is installed in a hollow area inside the first base 210, and the feeding station is specifically located below the loading assembly 221. The loading assembly 221 includes a base plate 2211, a driving wheel 2212, a driven wheel 2213 and a conveying belt 2214. The substrate 2211 is a plate-shaped structure extending along the first predetermined direction X and standing upright. Two guide rods 211 extending along a second preset direction Y are mounted on the first base 210, and the two guide rods 211 are arranged at intervals along the first preset direction X; two ends of the substrate 2211 along the first predetermined direction X are respectively sleeved on the two guide rods 211. The driver 2212 is rotatably mounted on the base 2211, and its rotation axis is the same as the second predetermined direction Y. The driven wheel 2213 is rotatably mounted on the base plate 2211, and is spaced apart from and parallel to the driving wheel 2212 in the first predetermined direction X. The conveyor 2214 is a closed ring structure, and is simultaneously wound around the driving wheel 2212 and the driven wheel 2213, and an upper area of the conveyor, which is away from the bottom of the first base 210, is used for carrying a printing substrate. In this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 220 includes two loading assemblies 221, and the two loading assemblies 221 are disposed oppositely along the second preset direction Y; more specifically, the two loading assemblies 221 have their respective sides of the base 2211 on which the driving wheels 2212 are mounted, and the two conveying belts 2214 are used for carrying printing substrates together, that is: the printing substrate is mounted on top of the two carrier assemblies 221. Preferably, the upper surface of the conveyor 2214 is slightly higher than the upper surface of the base 2211; thus, when the conveyor 2214 carries printing substrates, the base plate 2211 can assist in supporting the printing substrates, so as to avoid the disadvantage that the upper area of the conveyor 2214 has too large concave extent due to too high load and the influence on the normal running of the printing substrates is avoided.

Referring to fig. 3, in conjunction with fig. 4 and fig. 5, the conveying driving assembly 222 is respectively connected to the two driving wheels 2212, and is configured to drive the two driving wheels 2212 to rotate, so as to drive the upper region of the conveying belt 2214 to move along the first predetermined direction X, thereby indirectly driving the printing substrates carried on the conveying belt 2214 to move together. Specifically, the conveying driving assembly 222 includes a connecting shaft 2221 and a rotating driving unit 2222. The connecting shaft 2221 extends along the second predetermined direction Y, and is connected to the two driving wheels 2212, and the two driving wheels 2212 are circumferentially fixed to the connecting shaft 2221, i.e., the driving wheels 2212 cannot rotate relative to the connecting shaft 2221. In this embodiment, the connection shaft 2221 includes a connection portion 2223, and the section of the connection portion 2223 is non-circular, such as a sector, an arch, a regular polygon, or the like; and the driving wheel 2212 is provided with a connecting hole (not shown) adapted to the connecting portion 2223. The connecting portion 2223 is inserted into the connecting hole, so that the driver 2212 is fixed circumferentially with respect to the connecting shaft 2221 and is also slidably fitted with the connecting shaft 2221 along the second predetermined direction Y. It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, if only the driving wheel 2212 needs to be circumferentially fixed with respect to the connecting shaft 2221, the driving wheel 2212 and the connecting shaft may be directly and fixedly connected. The rotation driving unit 2222 is connected to one end of the connecting shaft 2221, and is configured to drive the connecting shaft 2221 to rotate, so that the two driving wheels 2212 rotate synchronously, and further, the upper region of the conveying belt 2214 travels along the first preset direction X. In the present embodiment, the rotary drive unit 2222 includes a motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Specifically, referring to fig. 3 in detail, in conjunction with the other figures, the motor is mounted to the first base 210; the belt transmission mechanism comprises two belt wheels and a synchronous belt, one belt wheel is sleeved on an output shaft of the motor, the other belt wheel is sleeved on the end portion of the connecting shaft 2221, and the synchronous belt is wound on the two belt wheels, so that the motor and the connecting shaft 2221 are linked. It is to be understood that the present invention is not particularly limited to the specific structural form of the rotary drive unit 2222, as long as it can drive the connecting shaft 2221 to revolve; in other embodiments of the present invention, the rotation driving unit 2222 may also include only a motor, or both a motor and a gear train mechanism, or both a motor and a link mechanism, which are not described in detail herein. In addition, in this embodiment, the conveying driving assembly 222 drives the printing substrate to move indirectly by driving the conveying belt 2214, but in other embodiments of the present invention, the conveying driving assembly 222 may also drive the printing substrate to move directly.

Further, in order to conveniently adjust the gap between the two material loading assemblies 221, so that the material loading assemblies 221 can be adapted to load printing substrates with different dimensions, the conveying mechanism 220 further includes a distance adjustment driving assembly 223, and the distance adjustment driving assembly 223 is respectively connected to the two substrates 2211 and is used for driving the two material loading assemblies 221 to approach or move away from each other. Referring to fig. 3, in conjunction with other figures, the distance adjustment driving assembly 223 includes a first screw rod 2231 and a first rotation driving member 2232. The first screw 2231 extends along the second predetermined direction Y, and both ends thereof are rotatably mounted to the first base 210, and are fixed relative to the first base 210 along the second predetermined direction Y. The first screw rod 2231 includes a first connecting portion 22311 and a second connecting portion 22312 fixed relative to each other, and the first connecting portion 22311 and the second connecting portion 22312 have the same pitch and opposite rotation directions; wherein the first connecting portion 22311 passes through one substrate 2211 and is screwed with the substrate 2211, and the second connecting portion 22312 passes through the other substrate 2211 and is screwed with the other substrate 2211; when the first lead screw 2231 rotates circumferentially, the two base plates 2211 will move toward each other or away from each other at equal intervals. Preferably, in order to enable the two ends of the substrate 2211 to move synchronously along the first predetermined direction X, rather than moving one side to drive the other side to move passively, so as to optimize the moving effect of the loading assembly 221, the distance adjustment driving assembly 223 includes two first lead screws 2231, and the two first lead screws 2231 are disposed at two ends of the substrate 2211 at intervals along the first predetermined direction X. In this embodiment, the first rotary driving member 2232 includes a motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Specifically, the motor is mounted to the first base 210; this belt drive mechanism includes three band pulleys and hold-in range at least, and wherein, a band pulley cup joints in this motor is the output shaft, and two other band pulleys cup joint in the tip of first lead screw 2231 respectively one-to-one, and the hold-in range is around locating each band pulley in proper order to realize the interlock between motor and two first lead screws 2231. It is to be understood that, similar to the above-mentioned rotary driving unit 2222, the present invention is not limited to the specific structure of the first rotary driving member 2232, as long as it can drive the first lead screw 2231 to rotate.

For the positioning mechanism 230, the positioning mechanism 230 includes two positioning plates 231 and a positioning driving assembly 232. Referring to fig. 5, in combination with other figures, the two positioning plates 231 are respectively disposed on two sides of the two loading assemblies 221, and each positioning plate 231 includes a baffle 2311 integrally extending along the first predetermined direction X and vertically disposed. In some embodiments, the two baffles 2311 described above enable positioning of the print substrate by: the printing substrate is borne on the material loading assembly, the two baffles 2311 can be abutted against the side edges of the printing substrate in the process of mutually approaching, and the printing substrate is continuously pushed until the gap between the two baffles 2311 is the same as the width of the printing substrate along the second preset direction Y; since the two baffles 2311 are equidistantly close, the positions of the printing substrates stacked in the feeding module in the second predetermined direction Y are consistent when the printing substrates are consistent in specification. That is, the positioning mechanism 230 can solve the problem that the positions of the printing substrates stacked on the feeding module 200 in the front and back direction are different in the second preset direction Y, thereby affecting the subsequent normal printing process. In some embodiments, the two baffles 2311 described above enable positioning of the print substrate by: before the printing substrate enters the feeding module 200, the gap between the two baffles 2311 is adjusted to the width of the printing substrate to be conveyed by the positioning driving assembly 232; in this way, the positions of the printing substrates stacked on the feeding module 200 in the second predetermined direction Y are consistent.

Referring to fig. 3 in conjunction with other figures, the positioning driving assembly 232 includes a second lead screw 2321 and a second rotation driving member 2322. The second lead screw 2321 extends along the second predetermined direction Y, and both ends of the second lead screw are rotatably mounted on the first base 210 and fixed relative to the first base 210 along the second predetermined direction Y. The second lead screw 2321 includes a third connecting portion 23211 (fig. 4) and a fourth connecting portion 23212 fixed relative to each other, and the third connecting portion 23211 and the fourth connecting portion 23212 have the same pitch and opposite rotation directions; the third connecting portion 23211 is indirectly screwed with the positioning plate 231 through a nut fixed to the positioning plate 231, and the fourth connecting portion 23212 is indirectly screwed with the other positioning plate 231 through another nut fixed to the other positioning plate 231. Then, when the second lead screw 2321 rotates in the circumferential direction, the two positioning plates 231 are equally spaced apart from each other. Preferably, in order to enable the two ends of the positioning plate 231 along the first predetermined direction X to move synchronously, rather than moving one side to drive the other side to move passively, so as to optimize the moving effect of the two positioning plates 231, the distance adjustment driving assembly 223 includes two second lead screws 2321, and the two second lead screws 2321 are disposed at the two ends of the positioning plate 231 at intervals along the first predetermined direction X.

In this embodiment, the second epicyclic drive 2322 comprises a motor and a two-belt transmission. Specifically, the motor is mounted to the first base 210. Referring to fig. 3, a belt transmission mechanism includes two belt pulleys and a synchronous belt, wherein one belt pulley is sleeved on the motor as an output shaft, the other belt pulley is sleeved on one end of a second lead screw 2321, and the synchronous belt is wound around the two belt pulleys to establish the linkage between the motor and the second lead screw 2321. Referring to fig. 4, another belt transmission mechanism includes at least two pulleys and a synchronous belt, and establishes linkage between the two second screws 2321 through the pulleys and the synchronous belt, which is similar to the aforementioned belt transmission mechanism in implementation and is not described herein again. Then, the second rotation driving member 2322 can control the two second lead screws 2321 to rotate by the motor therein, thereby controlling the two positioning plates 231 to move toward or away from each other at equal intervals. It is to be understood that, similar to the first rotation driving member 2232, the present invention is not limited to the specific structure of the second rotation driving member 2322, as long as it can drive the second lead screw 2321 to rotate.

Further, in order to prevent the printing substrate (e.g., flexible circuit board) extending out of the two loading assemblies 221 from sagging due to gravity, thereby affecting the transportation of the printing substrate on the feeding module 200, the positioning plate 231 further includes a supporting portion 2312. Specifically, referring to fig. 5 in combination with other drawings, the supporting portion 2312 is a flat plate extending along the first predetermined direction X; along the second predetermined direction Y, one end of the supporting portion 2312 is fixed to the blocking plate 2311, and the other end extends toward the loading assembly 221. The support 2312 is used to support the edge of the print substrate to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages. In practical use, the user can control the gap between two material loading assemblies 221 to be approximately one third of the width of the printing substrate in the second predetermined direction Y, and the gap between the baffle 2311 and the adjacent material loading assembly 221 to be approximately one third of the width of the printing substrate, so as to reduce the sagging degree of the printing substrate at different positions (i.e. between two material loading assemblies 221, between the adjacent baffle and the material loading assembly 221) as much as possible.

Further, referring to fig. 5, the positioning plate 231 further includes a limiting portion 2313, the limiting portion 2313 is fixed on the baffle 2311 and is disposed above the supporting portion 2312, the limiting portion 2313 and the supporting portion 2312 are disposed opposite to each other, and the baffle 2311, the supporting portion 2312 and the limiting portion 2313 together define a receiving groove for receiving the edge of the printing substrate. The limiting portion 2313 can limit the run-out of the printing substrate in the vertical direction in the figure in the process of moving along the first preset direction X; on the other hand, the printing substrate is prevented from irregular jumping in the vertical direction during the process of lifting the printing substrate from the loading assembly 221 by an external mechanism, such as the printing platform 300.

Further, in order to facilitate the printing substrate to accurately advance to the set position under the driving of the conveying mechanism 220 after being positioned by the positioning mechanism 230, the feeding module further includes a sensor 240 and a controller. Specifically, referring back to fig. 2, in conjunction with other figures, the sensor 240 is mounted on the first base 210, and is configured to detect whether the printing substrate moves to a predetermined position along the first predetermined direction X. Optionally, the sensor 240 is a photoelectric switch; it is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the sensor 240 may also be other sensors, such as an infrared sensor or an image sensor, which is not limited herein. A controller (not shown) is connected to the sensor 240, the transport driving assembly 222, and the positioning driving assembly 232, and the controller is configured to control the transport driving assembly 222 to drive the print substrate to travel a set distance along the first preset direction X to reach the set position when the sensor 240 detects that the print substrate travels to the preset position.

Next, the operation principle among the sensor 240, the conveying mechanism 220, the positioning mechanism 230, and the controller will be briefly described with reference to the drawings, taking the center of the printing substrate moving to the center of the feeding module 200 as an example.

Firstly, a user or a worker inputs a specific size of a printing substrate to be transferred to an input module (not shown) connected to the controller, and the controller can control the distance between the two loading assemblies 221 to be one third of the width of the printing substrate according to the specific size parameter; meanwhile, the controller can also control the gap between the two positioning plates 231 of the positioning mechanism 230 to be adapted to the width of the printing substrate in advance according to the above dimension parameters.

The first base 210 has an inlet 212 communicating with the hollow structure, and the printing substrate can move to the loading assembly 221 through the inlet 212; the sensor 240 is disposed above the inlet.

When the sensor 240 detects that the printing substrate has just entered the inlet 212, i.e. the predetermined position, the controller controls the transport driving assembly 222 to drive the transportThe belt 2214 is advanced a set distance so that the center of the print substrate is at the center of the feeder module 200. Wherein the set distance L is equal to the distance L between the sensor 240 and the center of the feeding module 200 along the first preset direction X₁And half L of the length of the printing substrate along the first preset direction X direction₂And (c) the sum. It should be noted that the set distance L may be calculated in advance by the controller after the user inputs the size parameter of the printing substrate.

Next, a detailed description will be given of a specific structure of the printing platform 300.

Referring to fig. 6 to 7, a perspective view of the printing platform 300 and a perspective view of the printing platform 300 after the platen is hidden are respectively shown, in which the printing platform 300 includes a second base 310, a material conveying plate 320 and a material conveying driving mechanism 330. The second base 310 is used for carrying and mounting the material conveying plate 320 and the material conveying driving mechanism 330, and includes a platen 311 for carrying a printing substrate (not shown). The material conveying driving mechanism 330 is connected to the material conveying plate 320, and the material conveying driving mechanism 330 is used for driving the material conveying plate 320 to move up and down between a first preset position and a second preset position relative to the platen 311. Wherein, at the first preset position, the upper surface of the material conveying plate 320 is higher than the upper surface of the platen 311; at the second preset position, the upper surface of the material transporting plate 320 is lower than or flush with the upper surface of the platen 311, and the upper surface of the platen 311 is provided with an accommodating groove 301 for the material transporting plate 320 to enter or pass through during the lifting process.

As for the second base 310, please refer to fig. 6, the second base 310 includes a platen 311, a bottom plate 312, and a plurality of support rods 313. The platen 311 has a flat plate-like structure as a whole, and is horizontally disposed as shown in the figure. The platen 311 is lower than the upper surface of the conveyor 2214, and is used for carrying a printing substrate. The bottom plate 312 is provided below the platen 311 and is disposed opposite to the platen 311. The support rod 313 is arranged between the bedplate 311 and the bottom plate 312, and two ends of the support rod 313 are respectively fixed with the bedplate 311 and the bottom plate 312; in this embodiment, the second base 310 includes six support rods 313, the six support rods 313 are distributed into two oppositely disposed groups, and each support rod 313 in each group is disposed at an edge of the bottom plate 312.

As for the material conveying plate 320 and the material conveying driving mechanism 330, please refer to fig. 6 and 7, the material conveying plate 320 is located on a side of the platen 311 away from the bottom plate 312, the material conveying plate 320 and the platen 311 are disposed opposite to each other along the vertical direction, the projection of the horizontal plane is located on the platen 311, and the cross-sectional profile is smaller than the cross-sectional profile of the printing substrate. Optionally, the material handling plate 320 is substantially in the shape of a four pointed star. The material conveying driving mechanism 330 is connected to the material conveying plate 320 and is used for driving the material conveying plate 320 to move between a first preset position relative to the platen 311 and a second preset position relative to the platen 311 along a direction perpendicular to the platen 311. Wherein, at the first preset position, the upper surface of the material carrying plate 320 is higher than the upper surface of the platen 311, preferably, the first preset position is approximately flush with the upper region of the material loading assembly 221, so that the material carrying plate 320 receives the printing substrate on the feeding module 200; in the second preset position, the upper surface of the material transporting plate 320 is lower than or flush with the upper surface of the platen 311, so that the material transporting plate 320 can place the printing substrate on the surface of the platen 311, and correspondingly, the upper surface of the platen 311 is provided with the accommodating groove 301 for the material transporting plate 320 to enter or completely pass through.

In this embodiment, the accommodating groove 301 includes an accommodating groove (not shown) and a communicating groove (not shown) that are communicated with each other along the vertical direction. The shape of the accommodating groove may be matched with the shape of the material transporting plate 320 or larger than the contour of the material transporting plate 320, and the upper end of the accommodating groove penetrates through the upper surface of the platen 311 and is used for accommodating the material transporting plate 320 when the material transporting plate 320 moves from the first preset position to the second preset position, that is, the second preset position is located in the accommodating groove. One end of the communicating groove penetrates through the bottom wall of the containing groove, and the other end of the communicating groove extends in the direction away from the material conveying plate 320 and penetrates through the lower surface of the bedplate 311; therefore, the cross-sectional profile of the communicating groove is smaller than that of the accommodating groove, so that the bottom wall of the accommodating groove abuts against the material transporting plate 320 in the process that the material transporting plate 320 moves from the first preset position to the second preset position, and the second preset position reached by the material transporting plate 320 every time is consistent. The output end of the material conveying driving mechanism 330 passes through the communicating groove and is fixed with the material conveying plate 320. Optionally, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 includes an air cylinder, and the air cylinder can control the material transporting plate 320 to move between the first preset position and the second preset position by the expansion and contraction of the output end of the air cylinder; it is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the material conveying driving mechanism 330 may be any type of power mechanism, such as a motor screw mechanism, a slider-crank mechanism, etc., as long as it can drive the material conveying plate 320 to move between the first preset position and the second preset position. In addition, in other embodiments of the present invention, the cross-sectional profile of the communicating groove may also be larger than the cross-sectional profile of the material conveying plate 320, so that the entire receiving groove 301 can be passed by the material conveying plate 320, and at this time, the second predetermined position of the material conveying plate 320 may be located in the receiving groove 301 or below the platen.

Next, the operation of the material conveying plate 320 and the material conveying driving mechanism 330 will be briefly described with reference to fig. 6 and 7.

Taking materials: before the printing process is performed, the printing platform 300 moves to the feeding station, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 drives the material transporting plate 320 to ascend from the second preset position to the first preset position, and the material transporting plate 320 lifts and supports the printing substrate originally loaded on the feeding module (not shown in the figure) in the printing process; then, the two loading assemblies 221 and the two positioning plates 231 of the feeding module 200 move to be completely separated from the material conveying plate 320, so as to provide an avoidance space for the downward movement of the material conveying plate 320; then, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 drives the material transporting plate 320 to move from the first preset position to the second preset position, and since the upper surface of the material transporting plate 320 is lower than or flush with the upper surface of the platen 311 at the second preset position, the material transporting plate 320 is carried on the upper surface of the platen 311; next, the negative pressure system (not shown) of the printing platform 300 sucks air to further adsorb the printing substrate onto the printing platform; and then, the printing platform sequentially passes through the alignment station and the printing station along a second preset direction Y so as to perform an alignment process and a printing process.

And (3) discharging: after the printing process is finished, the printing platform 300 moves to the discharging station, the negative pressure system stops sucking air, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 drives the material transporting plate 320 to ascend from the second preset position to the first preset position, and the material transporting plate 320 is lifted and supports the printing substrate originally borne on the platen 311 in the process, so that the discharging module 400 receives the printing substrate. Since the bottom surface profile of the printing substrate is larger than that of the material conveying plate 320, the side edges of the printing substrate are suspended, which facilitates the process of receiving the printing substrate by the material feeding module 400. Then, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 drives the material transporting plate 320 to reset to the second predetermined position, that is, the material transporting plate 320 is accommodated in the accommodating groove, so as to perform the preparation process of the next printing.

Further, in order to avoid the printing substrate moving freely on the platen 311 after the material conveying plate 320 conveys the printing substrate to the surface of the platen 311, and thus the printing pattern cannot be printed accurately at a desired position, the printing platform 300 further includes a first clamping mechanism 340. Specifically, referring to fig. 8 and 9, which respectively show two-directional connection diagrams of the second base 310 hiding the platen 311 and the first clamping mechanism 340, and referring to fig. 6 and 7, the first clamping mechanism 340 includes two first pressing assemblies 341, two first lifting assemblies 342, and a first distance adjusting assembly 343. The two first pressing assemblies 341 are disposed oppositely along the first predetermined direction X; the two first lifting assemblies 342 are respectively connected with the two first pressing assemblies 341 in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and each first lifting assembly 342 is used for driving the corresponding first pressing assembly 341 to lift, so that the first pressing assembly 341 can press or release the printing substrate carried on the platen 311; the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is respectively connected to the two first lifting assemblies 342, and is configured to drive the two first lifting assemblies 342 to move closer to or away from each other.

As for the first pressing assembly 341, please refer to fig. 8, it includes a first pressing member 3411, and the first pressing member 3411 includes a first pressing plate 34111 and a first pressing rod 34112. The first presser 34111 is flat and is provided above the platen 311; the first presser bar 34112 has one end fixed to the first presser plate 34111 and the other end extending in the vertical direction as shown and penetrating the platen 311. Referring to fig. 6, the platen 311 is provided with a first through slot for the first compression rod 34112 to pass through and to travel along the first predetermined direction X. In this embodiment, the first pressing assembly 341 includes at least two first pressing members 3411, and the first pressing members 3411 are arranged at intervals along the second predetermined direction Y shown in the figure. Further, in order to facilitate the above-mentioned first lifting assembly 342 to synchronously drive each first pressing member 3411, the first pressing member 341 further includes a first supporting plate 3412. Specifically, the first supporting plate 3412 is a plate-shaped mechanism horizontally disposed as shown in the figure, one end of each first pressing member 3411 away from the first pressing plate 34111 is fixed to the first supporting plate 3412, and the first supporting plate 3412 is used for being connected to an output end of the first lifting assembly 342, so that the first lifting assembly 342 can indirectly drive each first pressing member 3411 to lift synchronously by driving the first supporting plate 3412 to press or release the printing substrate by each first pressing plate 34111.

With reference to the first lifting assembly 342, referring to fig. 8, the first lifting assembly 342 includes a first lifting driving unit 3421, the first lifting driving unit 3421 is mounted on the bottom plate 312 of the second base 310, and an output end of the first lifting driving unit 3421 is connected to the first supporting plate 3412 for driving the first supporting plate 3412 and the first pressing members 3411 mounted on the first supporting plate 3412 to lift. In this embodiment, the first lifting driving unit 3421 is an air cylinder, the main body of the air cylinder is installed on the second base 310, and the output end of the air cylinder is fixed to the first supporting plate 3412. Alternatively, the number of the first lifting driving units 3421 is two, and the two cylinders are disposed at intervals along the illustrated second preset direction Y to lift the lifting power of the first lifting assembly 342. It should be understood that the present invention does not specifically limit the specific structural form of the first lifting driving unit 3421, as long as it is ensured that the first lifting driving unit 3421 can drive the first pressing member 341 to lift; for example, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the first lifting driving unit 3421 may also be an oil cylinder, a motor screw, a crank block, or other structures.

Further, in order to facilitate the overall assembly and disassembly of the first lifting assembly 342, the first lifting assembly 342 further includes a first mounting base 3422, the first mounting base 3422 is mounted on the bottom plate of the second base 310, and each of the first lifting driving units 3421 is mounted on the first mounting base 3422. Then, the staff can realize the one-off dismouting to first lifting unit 342 through the dismouting to first mount pad 3422, convenient and fast.

Referring to fig. 9, the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is connected to the two first lifting assemblies 342 respectively, and is configured to drive the two first lifting assemblies 342 to move closer to or away from each other, so as to correspondingly drive the two first pressing assemblies 341 to move adaptively to the edge of the printing substrate; the arrangement of the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is convenient for the first clamping mechanism 340 to adapt to printing substrates with different dimensions. In this embodiment, the first lifting assembly 342 is slidably engaged with the second base 310 along the first predetermined direction X through the first mounting seat 3422; specifically, a sliding block is disposed at the bottom of the first mounting seat 3422, and a sliding rail extending along the first predetermined direction X and adapted to the sliding block is disposed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 312, and the sliding block is engaged with the sliding rail, so that the first mounting seat 3422 is slidably engaged with the second base 310. The first distance adjustment assembly 343 includes a third screw 3431 and a first rotation driving unit 3432. The third screw 3431 extends along the first predetermined direction X, and two ends of the third screw are rotatably mounted on the second base 310. The third screw rod 3431 includes a fifth connecting portion 34311 and a sixth connecting portion 34312 fixed relative to each other, the pitch of the fifth connecting portion 34311 is equal to that of the sixth connecting portion 34312, and the rotation directions of the fifth connecting portion 34312 and the sixth connecting portion 34312 are opposite; wherein, the fifth connecting portion 34311 passes through the first mounting seat 3422 of one first lifting component 342 and is in threaded connection with the first mounting seat 3422, and the sixth connecting portion 34312 passes through the other first mounting seat 3422 of the other first lifting component 342 and is in threaded connection with the other first mounting seat 3422; when the third screw 3431 rotates circumferentially, the two first mounting seats 3422 are equally spaced apart from each other. In this embodiment, the first peripheral driving unit 3432 includes a motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Specifically, the motor is mounted to the bottom plate 312 of the second base 310; the belt transmission mechanism includes two belt pulleys and a synchronous belt, wherein one belt pulley is sleeved on the motor and is an output shaft, the other belt pulley is sleeved on the end part of the third screw 3431, and the synchronous belt is wound on the two belt pulleys to realize linkage between the motor and the third screw 3431. The arrangement of the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is convenient for adapting to the printing substrates with different sizes, and on the other hand, the center of the printing substrate can be aligned to the centers of the two first pressing and holding assemblies 341, that is, the arrangement of the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is also convenient for positioning the printing substrate. It is to be understood that, similar to the first elevating driving unit 3421, the present invention does not specifically limit the specific structural form of the first rotation driving unit 3432 as long as it can drive the third screw rod 3431 to rotate.

It should be understood that even though the third screw rod 3431 is indirectly screwed with the first elevation driving unit 3421 through the first mounting seat 3422 in this embodiment, in other embodiments of the present invention, the third screw rod 3431 may also be directly screwed with the first elevation driving unit 3421, that is, as long as the third screw rod 3431 is screwed with the first elevation assembly 342; for example, the first lifting assembly 342 includes a first lifting driving unit 3421, and the fifth connecting portion 34311 and the sixth connecting portion 34312 are directly and respectively connected to the corresponding first lifting driving unit 3421 by screws. Of course, the structural form of the first distance adjusting assembly 343 is not limited in the present invention, for example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first distance adjusting assembly 343 may also be a combination of a motor and a gear rack, a combination of a motor and a synchronous belt mechanism, etc., as long as the first distance adjusting assembly 343 can simultaneously drive the two first lifting assemblies 342 to approach or move away from each other.

Similarly, to further enhance the clamping effect on the printing substrate carried on the platen 311, the printing platform 300 further includes a second clamping mechanism 350. Specifically, referring to fig. 10 to 11, which respectively show a schematic connection diagram of the platen 311 and the second clamping mechanism 350, and a schematic connection diagram of the second pressing component and the second lifting component, in conjunction with other figures, the second clamping mechanism 350 includes two second pressing components 351, two second lifting components 352, and a second distance adjusting component 353. The two second pressing components 351 are oppositely arranged along a second preset direction Y shown in the figure; the two second lifting assemblies 352 are respectively connected with the two second pressing assemblies 351 in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and each second lifting assembly 352 is used for driving the corresponding second pressing assembly 351 to lift, so that the second pressing assembly 351 can press or release the printing substrate carried on the platen 311; the second distance adjusting assembly 353 is respectively connected to the two second lifting assemblies 352, and is configured to drive the two second lifting assemblies 352 to move closer to or away from each other. For convenience of understanding, the specific structures of the second pressing component 351, the second lifting component 352 and the second distance adjusting component 353 are described in detail in turn.

Referring to fig. 11, in addition to the aforementioned second pressing assembly 351, in conjunction with other figures, the second pressing assembly 351 includes a second pressing member 3511, and the second pressing member 3511 includes a second pressing plate 35111 and a second pressing rod 35112. The second pressing plate 35111 is flat and is disposed above the platen 311; one end of the second presser bar 35112 is fixed to the second presser plate 35111, and the other end extends in the vertical direction as shown in the figure and passes through the platen 311. Meanwhile, referring to fig. 6, the platen 311 is provided with a second through slot through which the second press rod 35112 passes and travels along the second preset direction Y shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the second pressing assembly 351 includes at least two second pressing members 3511, and the second pressing members 3511 are arranged at intervals along the first predetermined direction X. Further, to facilitate the above-mentioned second lifting assembly 352 to synchronously drive each second pressing member 3511, the second pressing assembly 351 further includes a second supporting plate 3512. Specifically, the second supporting plate 3512 is a plate-shaped mechanism horizontally disposed as shown in the figure, one end of each second pressing member 3511 away from the second pressing plate 35111 is fixed to the second supporting plate 3512, and the second supporting plate 3512 is used for being connected with the output end of the second lifting assembly 352, so that the second lifting assembly 352 can drive the second supporting plate 3512 to lift, so as to indirectly drive each second pressing member 3511 to lift synchronously, and thus each second pressing plate 35111 presses or releases the printing substrate.

Referring to the second lifting assembly 352, please refer to fig. 11, the second lifting assembly 352 includes a second lifting driving unit 3521, a second mounting seat 3522 and an adapting block 3523. The second elevation driving unit 3521 is indirectly mounted on the bottom surface of the platen 311 through a second mounting base 3522, and an output end thereof is indirectly connected to the second stay 3512 through a transfer block 3523, and drives the second stay 3512 and each of the second pressing members 3511 mounted on the second stay 3512 to be elevated. In this embodiment, the second elevating driving unit 3521 is an air cylinder, a main body of the air cylinder is installed on the bottom surface of the platen 311, and an output end of the air cylinder is fixed to the second support plate 3512 through a substantially L-shaped adapting block 3523; one end of the L-shaped adapting block 3523 is connected to the second support plate 3512, and the other end is connected to the output end of the cylinder. It should be understood that the present invention does not specifically limit the specific structural form of the second elevating driving unit 3521, as long as it is ensured that the second elevating driving unit 3521 can drive the second pressing member 351 to ascend and descend; for example, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the second lift driving unit 3521 may also be an oil cylinder, a motor screw, a crank block, or other structures.

Referring to fig. 10 and 11, in conjunction with other figures, the second distance adjusting assembly 353 is respectively connected to the two second lifting assemblies 352, and is configured to drive the two second lifting assemblies 352 to move closer to or away from each other, so as to correspondingly drive the two second pressing assemblies 351 to adaptively move to the edge of the printing substrate. In this embodiment, the second lifting assembly 352 is slidably engaged with the second base 310 along the second predetermined direction Y through the second mounting seat 3522; specifically, a sliding block is disposed at the top of the second mounting seat 3522, a sliding rail extending along the second preset direction Y and adapted to the sliding block is disposed on the lower surface of the platen 311, and the sliding block is engaged with the sliding rail, so that the second mounting seat 3522 is slidably engaged with the second base 310. The second distance adjusting assembly 353 includes a fourth screw rod 3531 and a second rotation driving unit 3532. The fourth screw rod 3531 extends along the second predetermined direction Y, and both ends of the fourth screw rod 3531 are rotatably mounted at the bottom of the platen 311. The fourth screw rod 3531 comprises a seventh connecting part 35311 and an eighth connecting part 35312 which are fixed relative to each other, and the thread pitches of the seventh connecting part 35311 and the eighth connecting part 35312 are equal and opposite; the seventh connecting portion 35311 is indirectly screwed to the second mounting seat 3522 through a nut mounted to the second mounting seat 3522, and the eighth connecting portion 35312 is indirectly screwed to the other second mounting seat 3522 through another nut mounted to the other second mounting seat 3522. Then, when the fourth screw rod 3531 rotates in the circumferential direction, the two second mounting seats 3522 are equally spaced and close to each other or move away from each other. In this embodiment, the second rotation driving unit 3532 includes a motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Specifically, the motor is mounted to the platen 311; this belt drive mechanism includes two band pulleys and hold-in range, and wherein, a band pulley cup joints and is the output shaft in this motor, and another band pulley cup joints in the tip of fourth lead screw 3531, and this hold-in range is around locating two band pulleys to realize the linkage between motor and the fourth lead screw 3531. The arrangement of the second distance adjusting component 353 is convenient for adapting to the printing substrates with different sizes and specifications on one hand, and on the other hand, the center of the printing substrate can be aligned to the centers of the two second pressing and holding components 351, that is, the arrangement of the second distance adjusting component 353 also facilitates the positioning of the printing substrate. It is to be understood that, similar to the first epicyclic driving unit 3432 described above, the present invention does not specifically limit the specific structural form of the second epicyclic driving unit 3532 as long as it can drive the fourth screw rod 3531 to revolve.

It should be understood that even though the fourth screw rod 3531 is indirectly screwed with the second elevation driving unit 3521 through a nut mounted on the second mounting seat 3522 in the present embodiment, in other embodiments of the present invention, the fourth screw rod 3531 may be directly screwed with the second elevation driving unit 3521, that is, as long as the fourth screw rod 3531 is screwed with the second elevation assembly 352; for example, the second elevating assembly 352 includes a second elevating driving unit 3521, and the seventh connecting portion 35311 and the eighth connecting portion 35312 are directly screwed with the corresponding second elevating driving unit 3521. Of course, the structural form of the second distance adjusting assembly 353 is not limited in the present invention, for example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the second distance adjusting assembly 353 may also be a combination of a motor and a gear rack, a combination of a motor and a synchronous belt mechanism, and the like, as long as the second distance adjusting assembly 353 can simultaneously drive the two second lifting assemblies 352 to approach or move away from each other.

Further, the printing platform further includes a second base driving mechanism (not shown in the drawings), specifically referring to fig. 6 and fig. 1, the second base driving mechanism is connected to the second base 310 and is configured to drive the second base 310 to move along the second preset direction Y, so that the printing platform 300 can reciprocate between different feeding stations, camera alignment stations, printing stations, and discharging stations. Optionally, the second base drive mechanism is a linear motor; it is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the second base driving mechanism may be any other power mechanism capable of realizing linear output.

Next, the operation principle of the first chuck 340 and the second chuck 350 will be briefly described with reference to the drawings.

Before the printing process is performed, the second base driving mechanism drives the second base 310 to move to the feeding station, i.e., below the feeding module 200. Then, the material conveying driving mechanism 330 drives the material conveying plate 320 to perform the material taking process. Then, the first distance adjustment assembly 343 drives the two first lifting assemblies 342 to approach each other until the first pressing rods 34112 in the two first pressing assemblies 341 abut against or approach the edge of the printing substrate; meanwhile, the second distance adjusting assembly 353 drives the two second lifting assemblies 352 to approach each other until the second pressing rods 35112 of the two second pressing assemblies 351 abut against or approach the edge of the printing substrate, so as to push the printing substrate to the center position of each of the first and second pressing assemblies. Next, the first lifting assembly 342 drives the corresponding first pressing assembly 341 to press down, so that the first pressing plate 34111 presses the printing substrate; meanwhile, the second lifting assembly 352 drives the corresponding second pressing assembly 351 to press down, so that the second pressing plate 35111 presses the printing substrate. Finally, the second base driving mechanism drives the second base 310 to move to the printing station.

After the printing process is finished, the second base driving mechanism drives the second base 310 to move to the discharging station. Then, the first lifting assembly 342 drives the corresponding first pressing assembly 341 to lift, so that the first pressing plate 34111 releases the printed substrate; meanwhile, the second lifting assembly 352 drives the corresponding second pressing assembly 351 to lift, so that the second pressing plate 35111 releases the printed substrate. Then, the first distance adjusting assembly 343 drives the two first lifting assemblies 342 to move away from each other, and simultaneously, the second distance adjusting assembly 353 drives the two second lifting assemblies 352 to move away from each other, so as to provide an avoiding space for the printing substrate to ascend. Next, the material conveying driving mechanism 330 drives the material conveying plate 320 to be lifted for the discharging process.

Finally, the outfeed module 400 is described.

The specific structure of the discharging module 400 is substantially the same as that of the feeding module 200, and the difference between the two modules is only that different processes are performed, that is: the feeder module 200 is located upstream of the print station for delivering the print substrate to a set position for receipt by the print platform 300; the discharging module 400 is located downstream of the printing station, and is configured to receive the printing substrate printed by the printing platform 300 and output the printing substrate to the outside of the conveying device 12, specifically, directly convey the printing substrate to the outside of the conveying system 1, or indirectly convey the printing substrate to the outside of the conveying system 1 through the transmission of the downstream discharging module 400. As previously described, the printing platform 300 is movable between a feed station and an exit station. When the printing platform 300 moves to the discharging station, the two positioning plates and the two loading assemblies in the discharging module 400 are far away from each other; then, the first clamping mechanism 340 and the second clamping mechanism 350 release the printing substrate, the material conveying driving mechanism 330 drives the material conveying plate 320 to a first preset position, and the printing substrate is slightly higher than the top of the material loading assembly and approximately equal to the height of the accommodating groove in the positioning plate; then, the two material loading components of the discharging module 400 are close to each other, and the two positioning plates are also close to each other; then, the material transporting driving mechanism 330 drives the material transporting plate 320 to a second predetermined position, and the printed substrate falls on the discharging module 400. Finally, the printed substrate exits the transport 12 under the drive of the outfeed module 400. Referring to fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the discharging module 400 located at the left side directly outputs the printed substrate to the conveying device, and the discharging module 400 located at the middle or the right side outputs the printed substrate to the discharging module 400 located at the left side, so that the printed substrate flows to other devices after passing through each discharging module 400.

It should be noted that the conveying system 1 provided in this embodiment includes a plurality of conveying devices 12, and when the printing process is performed on the printing substrates in one conveying device 12, the printing substrates in other conveying devices 12 may perform other processes such as feeding by the feeding module 200, feeding by the printing platform 300, discharging by the printing platform 300, and discharging by the discharging module 400, so as to reduce the overall waiting time of the printing apparatus, and contribute to improving the printing efficiency of the printing apparatus.

When the printing platform 300 is located at the feeding station, the printing substrate may bounce relative to the material transporting plate 320 during descending along with the material transporting plate 320, so that the position of the printing substrate on the printing platform 300 is offset from the expected position. To overcome this deficiency, the delivery system 1 further includes a swage module 500. Referring to fig. 12 to 13 in combination with fig. 1, there are respectively shown schematic perspective views of two directions of a pressing module 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the pressing module 500 is used for pressing a printing substrate (not shown) during a process that the printing substrate descends along with the material transporting plate 320, so that the printing substrate is relatively fixed with respect to the material transporting plate. The pressing module 500 includes a support 510 and a pressing mechanism 520.

As for the bracket 510, please refer to fig. 12 and 13, which includes a cross beam 511 and a stand 512. Wherein the stand 512 is vertically arranged as shown in the figure; in this embodiment, the number of the stands 512 is two, and the two stands 512 are disposed opposite to each other along the first predetermined direction X, and are respectively located outside the respective conveying devices 12. The cross beam 511 extends along the first predetermined direction X, and is suspended above each feeding module 200, two ends of the cross beam 511 are respectively and correspondingly mounted on a vertical frame 512, and the cross beam 511 is used for bearing and mounting the material pressing mechanism 520. Optionally, the cross beam 511 is a profile; of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the cross beam 511 may also be made of solid steel, steel pipe, or other structures as long as it can bear and mount the pressing mechanism 520. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the two vertical frames 512 have different shapes, wherein one vertical frame 512 is a vertical beam-shaped structure, and the other vertical frame 512 is an inverted "Y" shaped structure; however, it should be understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the two vertical frames 512 can be the same, and the present invention is not limited to the difference between the two vertical frames 512.

As for the pressing mechanism 520, please refer to fig. 12 and 13, which includes a pressing plate 521 and a pressing driving unit 522. The pressure plate 521 is arranged below the illustrated cross beam 511 and corresponds to a feeding station. The pressing driving unit 522 is mounted on the cross beam 511, connected to the pressing plate 521, and configured to drive the pressing plate 521 to move up and down, so that the pressing plate 521 compresses or releases the printing substrate loaded on the material transporting plate 320, thereby preventing the printing substrate from jumping relative to the material transporting plate 320 during the descending process. In this embodiment, the number of the pressing mechanisms 520 is at least two, and the at least two pressing mechanisms 520 are arranged at intervals along the extending direction of the cross beam 511, so as to meet the requirement of pressing and fixing the printing substrates on the plurality of conveying devices 12. For ease of understanding, the specific structure of the single pressing mechanism 520 will be described in detail below.

As for the pressure plate 521, please refer to fig. 14 and 15, which respectively show a perspective view of the pressure plate 521 in two directions, and in conjunction with fig. 12 and 13, the pressure plate 521 includes a main plate 523 and an elastic cushion 524. Specifically, the main plate 523 includes a base portion 5231 located at a central portion, and at least two extending portions 5232 extending outward from edges of the base portion 5231. In this embodiment, the number of the extension portions 5232 is six; it is to be understood that the number of the extensions 5232 is not limited in the present invention, and in other embodiments, the number of the extensions 5232 may be three, four, etc. or any number greater than two. Optionally, the extensions 5232 are distributed in a circumferential array around the center of the base 5231; of course, the center of each array of extensions 5232 can also be other than the center of the base 5231.

The cushion 524 is fixed to a side of the main plate 523 away from the cross beam 511, and is integrally formed in a truncated cone shape and made of an elastic material, such as rubber, silica gel, elastic sponge, or the like. The cushion 524 is used to abut against the printing substrate when the platen 521 descends, and because of its elasticity, the main plate 523 is prevented from directly abutting against the printing substrate rigidly to damage the printing substrate itself. Preferably, the number of the cushion pads 524 is plural, wherein the central portion of the base portion 5231 is provided with a cushion pad 524, and the free end of each extension portion 5232 is also provided with a cushion pad 524, that is, at least some cushion pads 524 in the pressure plate 521 are arranged in a circumferential array; based on this, the pressure plate 521 can press the center and the contour edge of the printing substrate at the same time, so that the stress at each position of the printing substrate is relatively uniform, and the fixing effect of the printing substrate is further improved.

Referring back to fig. 12 and 13, the pressing driving unit 522 includes a first cylinder, a main body of the first cylinder is fixed to the bottom of the cross beam 511, and an output end of the first cylinder is connected to a top portion of the pressing plate 521, that is, a side of the pressing plate 521 away from the cushion 524.

Further, in order to make the pressure applied by the material pressing plate 521 on the printing substrate suitable, which is neither too small to cause the printing substrate to move easily nor too large to damage the driving mechanism of the printing substrate and the material conveying plate, the material pressing module 500 further includes a pressure regulating valve 525. Specifically, referring to fig. 12 and 13, the pressure regulating valve 525 is mounted on the bracket 510, connected to each first cylinder of the pressing mechanism 520, and used for regulating the air pressure of each first cylinder; thus, the worker can adjust the air pressure of each first air cylinder to the proper air pressure by adjusting the pressure regulating valve 525, so as to achieve the purpose.

When the printing platform is located below the pressure plate 521, the operable space of the printing platform for the worker is small, for example, the worker cannot manually place the printing substrate on the printing platform or take away the printing substrate carried on the printing platform quickly and smoothly. To overcome this deficiency, the swage module 500 further includes a beam drive mechanism 530. Specifically, referring to fig. 12 and 13, the end of the cross beam 511 is not fixedly mounted on the stand 512, but is movably mounted on the stand 512 by a cross beam driving mechanism 530. More specifically, the beam driving mechanism 530 is mounted on the stand 512 and connected to the beam 511, and is configured to drive the beam 511 to move up and down, so that the beam 511 and the material pressing mechanism 520 are integrally moved up and down, thereby adjusting an operable space of a worker for the printing platform. In this embodiment, the beam driving mechanism 530 includes a second cylinder, a main body of the second cylinder is mounted on the vertical frame 512, and an output end of the second cylinder is connected to the beam 511; it should be understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the beam driving mechanism 530 may also be any other mechanism capable of driving the beam 511 to ascend and descend, such as an oil cylinder, a motor screw, and the like, which is not limited herein.

The conveying system 1 provided by the embodiment of the invention comprises a rack 11 and a conveying device 12. The conveying device includes a feeding module 200, a printing platform 300, and a discharging module 400.

The feeder module 200 includes a first base 210, a transport mechanism 220, and a positioning mechanism 230. The conveying mechanism 220 includes a loading assembly 221 and a conveying driving assembly 222. The loading assembly 221 is installed on the first base 210 and used for loading a printing substrate; the conveying driving assembly 222 is used for driving the printing substrate carried on the material loading assembly 221 to advance along the first preset direction X. The positioning mechanism 230 includes two positioning plates 231 and a positioning driving assembly 232. The two positioning plates 231 are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading assembly 221 along the second preset direction Y; the positioning driving assembly 232 is connected to the two positioning plates 231 respectively, and is configured to drive the two positioning plates 231 to move toward or away from each other at equal intervals, so that a gap between the two positioning plates 231 is adapted to a width of the printing substrate, thereby positioning the printing substrate. Compared with the conveying system on the market at present, the feeding module 200 in the conveying system 1 provided by the embodiment of the invention can match the gap between the two positioning plates 231 with the width of the printing substrate through the positioning driving assembly 232, so as to position the printing substrate. That is, the printing substrates stacked in the front and back direction of the feeding module 200 are constrained by the two positioning plates 231, and the positions of the printing substrates in the direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the printing substrates are consistent. Therefore, the feeding module provided by the embodiment of the invention can solve the technical problem that the positions of the printing substrates which are stacked in the feeding module at the front and the back are different in the direction vertical to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

In addition, the printing platform 300 in the present conveying system 1 can be lifted to a first preset position by the material transporting plate 320, so as to lift and support the printing substrate located in the material transporting module in the process, and can also be lowered to a second preset position by the material transporting plate 320, so as to place the printing substrate on the surface of the platen 311. The material conveying plate 320 extends out of the platen 311 only during the material taking process, and under the condition that the printing platform 300 does not take materials, the material conveying plate 320 is located at the second preset position and is not exposed out of the printing platform 300, the material conveying plate 320 does not additionally occupy the space of the jet printing equipment, the overall occupied space of the printing equipment comprising the conveying system is favorably reduced, and the miniaturization of the printing equipment is facilitated.

In addition, the pressing module 500 in the present conveying system 1 can timely drive the pressing plate 521 to lift through the pressing driving unit 522, so as to firmly press the printing substrate carried on the material transporting plate onto the material transporting plate 320, which can avoid the disadvantage that the printing substrate jumps relative to the material transporting plate 320 in the process of descending from the feeding module 200 along with the material transporting plate 320, thereby ensuring that the printing substrate can fall on the desired position on the printing platform.

Based on the same conception, the invention also provides a conveying device, which has the same structure as the conveying device in the embodiment, so that the conveying device can also solve the technical problem that the positions of the printing substrates which are stacked in the feeding module in front and back are different in the direction vertical to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

Based on the same inventive concept, the invention also provides printing equipment, which comprises a printing module and the feeding module in the embodiment. Therefore, the printing equipment can also solve the technical problem that the positions of the printing substrates which are stacked in the feeding module at the front and the back are different in the direction vertical to the advancing direction of the printing substrates.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only intended to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, but not to limit it; within the idea of the invention, also technical features in the above embodiments or in different embodiments may be combined, steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveying device is applied to conveying printing substrates and is characterized by comprising a feeding module and a printing platform;

a first base;

the positioning mechanism comprises two positioning plates and a positioning driving assembly, the two positioning plates are oppositely arranged on two sides of the loading assembly along a second preset direction, the positioning driving assembly is respectively connected with the two positioning plates, the positioning driving assembly is used for driving the two positioning plates to be close to or far away from each other at equal intervals, and the second preset direction is perpendicular to the first preset direction;

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises two loading assemblies oppositely arranged along the second preset direction, and each loading assembly comprises:

a driving wheel rotatably mounted on the substrate;

3. The transport device of claim 2, wherein the transport drive assembly comprises:

4. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the conveying mechanism further comprises a distance adjusting driving assembly, and the distance adjusting driving assembly is respectively connected with the two base plates and used for driving the two loading assemblies to approach or depart from each other;

the roll adjustment driving assembly comprises:

5. The transport device of claim 1, wherein the positioning plate comprises:

6. The transport device of claim 1, wherein the positioning drive assembly comprises:

7. The transport device of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the printing platform comprises a second base, a material handling plate, and a material handling drive mechanism;

the second base comprises a platen for bearing a printing substrate, and the platen is arranged lower than the loading assembly;

8. The transport device of claim 7, further comprising a first gripper, the first gripper comprising:

9. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the first clamping member further comprises a first compression bar, and the first clamping assembly further comprises a first support plate;

10. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first lifting assembly is slidably engaged with the second base along the first predetermined direction, and the first distance adjusting assembly comprises:

11. The transport device of claim 8, further comprising a second chuck, the second chuck comprising:

12. The delivery device of claim 11, wherein the second clamping assembly further comprises a second strut;

13. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second lifting assembly is slidably engaged with the second base along the second predetermined direction, and the second distance adjusting assembly comprises:

14. The conveying device according to claim 8, further comprising an ejection module, wherein the ejection module and the feeding module are arranged at intervals along the second preset direction, and the structure of the ejection module is the same as that of the feeding module;

15. A conveying system, characterized in that it comprises at least one conveying device according to any one of claims 7 to 14.

16. The conveyor system of claim 15, further comprising a nip module, the nip module comprising:

a bracket including a beam;

17. The transport system of claim 16, wherein the nip plate comprises a main plate body and a resilient cushion pad;

18. The conveying system according to claim 16, wherein the nip drive unit comprises a first cylinder, an output end of the first cylinder being connected with the nip plate;

19. A printing apparatus, comprising:

the delivery device of any one of claims 1 to 14; alternatively, a delivery system as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 18.