EP1980395A2 - Printing device for printing tags on isolated cables - Google Patents

Abstract

The printer has a re-printer with a first molded half with a first arrangement for partially holding the wire (16), a second molded half with a groove facing the first arrangement and a heating arrangement and an arrangement for moving the two molded halves (4,5) relative to each other so that an intermediate carrier (7) is applied to the wire surface under heating to transfer the identifier to the wire surface.

Description

The invention relates to a printing device for printing insulated round wires with markings.

In electrical or electronic controls, a variety of different wires are used as connecting elements between components or assemblies. These wires are generally provided with an outer insulation made of plastic material. A variety of wires are insulated round wires with selected according to the current density cross sections and thus different diameters. The insulation is done in different colors to visually structure into appropriate groups of the insert.

It is also necessary to give each wire its own marking on both wire ends. These markings are usually specified by the developer of the control in the design documentation and enable the production and the further service error-free and easy handling. Depending on the production volume of the control equipment or devices, the wires are marked by means of appropriate organization forms and identification devices prior to wiring in the device. For a regular By means of automatic marking and bundling technology, complete sets of wires for assemblies or even complete systems are produced. For this purpose, the data are prepared and provided by means of the constructive documents via electronic data processing.

Automatic labeling systems use technically complex ink-jet printers with solvent-based ink for marking or printing. The writing is applied partly around the surface of the wire.

A simpler and used for smaller production quantities marking is sticking the wire with a self-adhesive label. The labels are printed with conventional thermal transfer printers and then wrapped around the wire and glued.

Furthermore, the use of narrow, thin plastic signs with two existing at the ends holes is known. These plastic signs are labeled with the label, e.g. by thermal transfer printing or by handwriting. The wire is passed through both holes one after the other, securing the label with the text outside to the wire.

Also known is the marking of round wires by attaching already pre-printed with a letter or a digit tube or from laterally slotted tube. In this method, a plurality of individual tubes in succession must be plugged onto the wire to display the label. Depending on the respective wire diameter tubes are used with different diameters.

Similar to this solution is the attachment of shrink tubing pieces on the wire. This marking has the significant advantage over the use of individual tubes with one letter that the heat shrink tubing end can already be provided with the complete identification. Printing the Heat shrink tubing is known to be done with a thermal transfer printer.

All of the listed labeling methods, except the elaborate ink-jet printing, do not print directly on the wire insulation, but use an additional object that is labeled and then attached to the wire in a suitable manner.

Another known printing method that can print directly onto the wire insulation uses embossing pliers and essentially operates on a hot stamping technique. In the embossing tongs embossing wheels adapted to the wire diameter are used with preformed letters or numbers. Several embossing wheels are arranged on a pair of pliers and can each be adjusted by turning so that a multi-digit marking is created. The embossing wheels are heated to a correspondingly high temperature. With the closing of the pliers, the embossing wheels come into contact with the round wire to be inscribed and color their contour over a conventional hot stamping foil directly on the wire surface. An advantage of this technology is the direct printing of the insulated wire surface. However, the handling due to the mechanical adjustment of each embossing wheel for each character is very expensive. In addition, each embossing wheel has a fixed character size and only a small, limited character set.

From the listed printing method for printing Runddräten can be seen that conventional printing techniques known with their comfort of the pressure due to the roundness of the surface of the wires can not be used, since their application requires flat pressure surfaces.

Therefore, the technical problem underlying the invention is to form the above-mentioned printing device so that they can print isolated round wires at a predetermined location with any designations avoiding complex designs and handling.

This problem is solved according to the invention with the printing device according to claim 1.

The invention has the advantage that the markings are first printed on a just held intermediate carrier and then due to its flexibility during the transfer printing can be easily transferred to the rounded outer surfaces of the wires. A further advantage is that can serve for the production of the intermediate carrier on the market thermal printer, which are usually provided with a commercial interface, which is used for connection to a computer controllable with a keyboard. The information for the marks to be printed can therefore be easily obtained with a keyboard having a data processing device such as a keyboard. a laptop to the printer. Thereby, the printing device according to the invention can be formed as a comparatively small, portable device that can print wires with different pressure gauges and is easy to use.

Further advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

• Fig. 1 in einer schematischen, perspektivischen Ansicht das Grundprinzip der Erfindung;
• Fig. 2 in einem schematischen Längsschnitt eine erfindungsgemäße Druckeinrichtung;
• Fig. 3 in einer schematischen Vorderansicht ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemäßen, zwei nebeneinander liegende Druckeinheiten aufweisende Druckeinrichtung und
• Fig. 4 in einer der Fig. 2 entsprechenden Ansicht ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemäßen Druckeinrichtung.

The invention will be explained in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments. Show it:

• Fig. 1 in a schematic, perspective view of the basic principle of the invention;
• Fig. 2 in a schematic longitudinal section of a printing device according to the invention;
• Fig. 3 in a schematic front view of a second embodiment of the invention, two juxtaposed printing units having printing device and
• Fig. 4 in one of the Fig. 2 corresponding view of a second embodiment of the Printing device according to the invention.

In Fig. 1 is shown the principle of the invention of transfer printing on round wires. There are a transfer device with mold halves 4) and 5), a wire 16) and the enclosing these contours of in the upper mold half 4) and the lower mold half 5) formed grooves 3). The approximately semicircular grooves 3) extend in the same direction as the inserted into it, to be printed wire. There are a plurality of grooves 3) with different sized cross-section side by side and preferably arranged parallel to each other. A wire to be printed is held in a sized groove in the lower mold half 4). Between the two mold halves 4 and 5, an already printed intermediate carrier, preferably in the form of a retransfer belt 7) is guided above the wire 16), from which a marking 23) is transferred to the wire 16) when the upper mold half 4 moves downwards and the wire 16) is enclosed by the grooves 3. In the upper mold half 5) has a bore 12) is provided, in which a heating system is inserted.

Two embodiments of the invention are in the Fig. 2 and 3 and are described in more detail below.

Fig. 2 shows in a view a printing module with a thermal print head 1) and a pressure roller 2). The pressure roller 2) is mounted on a rocker arm 18) and arranged rotatably about a bearing 15). With a pawl 17) is the rocker 18) biased by a resilient pressure and thus the pressure roller 2) to the thermal print head 1) pressed. A thermal transfer ribbon 24) is fed from a supply reel 6) between the pressure roller 2) and the thermal head 1) to a take-up reel 8). The retransfer belt 7) is also moved by a take-off roller 25) between the pressure roller 2) and the thermal print head 1) and then further via guides 10) and 11) horizontally through the transfer device Fig. 1 ) between the upper Formhälte 4) and the lower mold half 5) on a take-up reel 9) out. Both tapes, thermal transfer ribbon and retransfer ribbon have between the thermal print head 1) and the pressure roller 2) contact, so that in this area the label on the retransfer belt 7) is printed during the transport of both bands. The transport of the retransfer belt 7) is carried out by a motor drive 13) on the take-up reel 9). After the printing of the marking on the retransfer belt 7), the retransfer belt 7) is further transported to the correct position between the upper mold half 4) and the lower mold half 5). With the transport of the retransfer belt 7) or intermediate carrier, the thermal transfer or ink ribbon 24) is simultaneously transported and wound on the take-up roll 8) by its own drive, not shown here.

In the interior of the bore 12) of the upper mold half 4) is a heating element 26) ( Fig. 2 ) is introduced with a thermal sensor and is heated by an electrical supply and control and maintained at a constant operating temperature. In Fig. 1 and 2 is to be printed wire 16) shown. This wire 16) is located in the transfer device and with the area to be printed between the upper mold half 4) and lower mold half 5). The upper mold half 4 is moved downwards for the purpose of transferring the identification from the retransfer belt 7) onto the wire 16) (shown here with an arrow v ), the retransfer belt 7) conforming to the inner contour of the respective groove 3) and thereby around the upper half of the lateral surface of the wire 16) lays.

In Fig. 3 In another view, an embodiment with two pressure units is shown, which are arranged parallel to each other and serve the parallel pressure. Each of the two printing units can be equipped with a different colored transfer ribbon, eg black and white, so that a high-contrast marking can be applied to different colored insulation by selecting the left or the right printing unit.

In the printing unit shown on the right is an upper mold half 4-1) in the upper position. In this upper position, the rest position, the pressure and the transport of the retransfer belt 7 are carried out. In the printing unit shown on the left is an upper mold half 4-2) in the lower position. In this lower position, the transfer of the label from the retransfer tape 7 to a wire 16-1) to 16-3) takes place. In the Fig. 3 is also a lever 19) recognizable. The lever 19) is rotatably mounted together with a wrap spring 22) about a journal 21) and is pressed manually by actuation at a point 20) against the spring pressure of the wrap spring 22) down to the upper mold half 4-2). Thus encloses the upper mold half 4-2) of the printing device shown on the left, together with the lower mold half 5) the wire to be printed 16-3). Both mold halves 4-2) and 5) are in this position for a certain time under pressure against the wire 16-3) and transmit with simultaneous exposure to the heat of the upper mold half 4-2) the marking on the wire 16-3).

The mold halves 4) and 5) have, as in Fig. 3 shown, several parallel grooves with different diameters for different outer diameter of the round wires. In Fig. 3 an embodiment with five grooves for five different wire diameters is shown. The wire to be printed is inserted depending on its diameter in the corresponding groove of the lower mold half, eg small wire diameter 16-1) and large wire diameter 16-2) in the right printing unit Fig. 3 ,

The printing method described allows using the known thermal transfer printing in a simple and advantageous manner, the printing of individual insulated round wires with the complete identification in a printing operation. The marking is first printed on the intermediate carrier with a thermal print head and a transfer film, ie, for example, a retransfer film. The printing of the marking is placed on the retransfer film in such a way that the marking is located after the thermal transfer printing effected by means of the thermal printing head 1) and after the transport of the retransfer film 7 into the transfer printing device above the wire 16 to be printed and with the device according to the invention in a second , Immediately subsequent transfer printing is transferred to the wire 16.

For transferring the identification from the retransfer film 7) to the wire surface, the retransfer film 7) is guided around the wire 16) by up to 180 degrees. For this purpose, the transfer device, consisting of two parts, the upper and the lower mold half 4) and 5), is provided. The lower mold half 5 supports the wire 16) during the transfer printing, the upper mold half 4 adds the printed retransfer film 7 to the wire surface and transfers the printed label from the retransfer film 7 to the wire surface by means of pressure and heat.

The upper mold half 4) surrounds the wire surface with up to 180 ° and thus imprints the upper cylindrical surface of the wire contour. In the upper mold half 4, a heating system is introduced, which generates an appropriate temperature for Umdruck by means of an electronic control. The upper mold half is kept constant at the working temperature and heats when joining both mold halves 4, 5, the printed Retransferfolie 7 and the surface of the insulation of the wire 16. Here we used the advantage that the usual Retransferbänder 7) ansreichend are flexible and - led through the upper groove halves 3) of the upper mold half 4) - clinging to the wire 16) with its under slight pressure lowering on its peripheral surface. The invention thus makes it possible, on the one hand, to print the retransfer film 7) along a substantially flat surface by means of the thermal print head 1) and, on the other hand, to transfer the printed markings to the rounded wire surface with the aid of the upper mold halves 4) having the grooves 3).

For the printing of wires 16-1 to 16-3 of different diameters, the mold halves have a plurality of semicircular grooves 3 guided side by side, in which the wire 16 with the corresponding diameter for printing is inserted. The upper mold half 4 is moved away to insert the wire to be printed 16 upwards and thus gives the space for inserting the wire 16 free ( Fig. 4 ). In this free space, the retransfer belt 7 is guided during printing in the longitudinal direction of the wire 16, in particular for example by means of the guide rollers 10). and 11), and is located at the end of printing just above the wire 16 and in the intended printing area of the wire 16. The retransfer tape 7 is on the roll 25) and is unwound from this and simultaneously wound on the take-up reel 9). The drive takes place with the motor drive 13) on the take-up reel 9). The printing of the marking 23 can take place during the transport of the retransfer film 7) through the thermal printing head 1) against the printing roller 2).

In a particularly preferred and hitherto considered best embodiment Fig. 4 ) of the invention, the lower mold half 5) is mounted on a longitudinally displaceable slide 27, which along a in Fig. 1 preferably parallel to the wire 16) extending carriage guide rail 28 manually or automatically reciprocated. This makes it possible, the mold half 5) with the carriage 27 first from the transfer device after Fig. 1 to drive out until it is located outside the device in a position 29. In this position 29, the lower mold half 5 on the carriage 27 is freely accessible, so that the wire to be printed 16 can be easily inserted into the groove 3 provided for him. The wire 16 is fixed with a device, not shown, on the lower mold half 5, whereupon the carriage 27 back into the Fig. 2 apparent and in Fig. 4 designated by the reference numeral 30 Umdruckstellung is retracted into the transfer device to perform the printing operation. Thereafter, the mold half 5) is moved out again, removed the printed wire and inserted a new wire. In order to ensure a secure hold of the wires in the grooves 3) of the lower mold half 5), this is preferably od means such as brackets, hooks, ribbons. The like. For fixing the wires 16) provided. Such means could also replace the grooves in the lower mold half 5) in whole or in part.

During the movements of the carriage 27, the upper mold half 4 is in each case in the upper position. In the embodiment with (two or more) printing devices according to Fig. 3 are corresponding (two or more) slide 27 and correspondingly many, preferably arranged parallel to each other guide rails 28 are provided. Is in Fig. 3 shown for the right printing device.

Alternatively, the lower mold halves 5 could also be formed as a slide and slidably mounted on the guide rail 28.

The color and Retransferbänder 24) and 7) driving motors are preferably connected in such an electrical circuit that od upon actuation of a push-button. Like. The two bands are transported so much further, as it is for the subsequent transfer or the Arrangement of the provided with the markings part of Retransferbandes 7) in the transfer device is required.

The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, which can be modified in many ways. This applies, for example, for the number of grooves 3) in the mold halves 4) and 5), since in principle in each case a groove 3) would be sufficient to mark wires 16 with a preselected diameter. In this case, wires can be printed with other, eg oval, cross sections instead of round wires. For this reason, it may also be expedient to adapt the contours of the grooves 3 to the respective cross-sectional shape of the wires 16. However, even with the use of circular wires, it is advantageous to form at least the contours of the grooves 3 in the upper mold half 4 not round but flattened to the side (eg oval). As a result, 16 lateral spaces are created for the existing usually made of PVC or rubber insulation of the wires, which allow the onset of the pressure temperature, lateral material migration of the insulating material. It is also clear that in Fig. 3 Also, more than two printing units can be arranged, if desired or required. Further, additional measures can be provided to largely automate the printing operations, including inserting or changing the wires, as well as moving the carriage 27. It would also be possible, the first mold half 5) above and the second mold half 4) below or both mold halves 4, 5) in Fig. 1 to arrange next to each other. Finally, it should be understood that the various features may be applied in combinations other than those described and illustrated.

Claims (13)

Printing device for printing markings (23) on the lateral surface of an insulated wire (16) with a transfer device, which has a first mold half (5) with a first means for partially receiving the wire (16), a second mold half (4) with a first means facing groove (3) and a heating device (26) and means for opposing movement of the two mold halves (4, 5), wherein the arrangement is such that after inserting the wire (16) in the first means and when moving against each other of the two mold halves (4, 5) under pressure and heating by the heating device (26) between the wire (16) and the second mold half (4) arranged and provided with printed markings intermediate carrier (7) at least partially around the lateral surface of the wire ( 16) is placed while the markings (23) are transferred to the lateral surface. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a printing module (1, 2) for printing the markings on the intermediate carrier (7) and a transport device (9, 24) for transporting the intermediate carrier (7) into the transfer printing device. Printing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises means (10, 11) for the correct positioning of the intermediate carrier (7) between the two mold halves (4, 5). Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the intermediate carrier (7) is designed as a retransfer film. Printing device according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the printing module (1, 2) contains a thermal printer (1) intended for printing on the intermediate carrier (7). Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wires (16) consist of round wires and the grooves (3) are formed substantially semicircular. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the two mold halves (4, 5) are each provided with a plurality of mutually associated and adjacent grooves (3) for different wire diameters. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the second mold half (4) via a lever system (19-22) by manual force against the first mold half (5) is movable. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the second mold half (4) by a motor or pneumatic drive against the first mold half (5) is movable. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that two printing modules and their associated transfer printing devices are arranged side by side. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first mold half (5) is designed as a retractable into the transfer device or can be moved out of this carriage or mounted on such a carriage (27). Printing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the first mold half (5) is equipped with means for fixing the wire (16). Printing device according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the grooves (3) have a flattened to the sides contour.

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