FR3011767A1 - UNIVERSAL MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING INFORMATIVE PANELS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for manufacturing an information panel by rolling a first element (3) and a second element (4) having substantially identical dimensions, the machine comprising: - an inclined laying plane (9 ) for receiving the one affixed to the other, the first element (3) and the second element (4), so that one adheres to the other, and provided with a squaring system ( 30) for positioning the first element and the second element in coincidence, having a horizontal stop and a lateral stop, - a rolling mill (17) comprising at least two rollers for rolling the first element and the second element against each other - and a mobile thrust system (40) guided in translation on the laying plane.

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of machines for the manufacture of information display panels that can be used in many applications such as road signs, signposts and according to a preferred application, number plates or mineralogics for motor vehicles without this application being of a limiting nature. The object of the invention relates more specifically, the technical field of machines for the manufacture of informative panels of the plastic type, consisting of a transparent plastic support on the back of which is fixed a plastic film provided with characters, visible through the transparent plastic support. In the preferred technical field of the manufacture of the plastic registration plates, each plate is constituted on the one hand, a retro-reflective plastic film, customizable by printing or by application of transfer characters and secondly a transparent rigid support, for example made of polycarbonate or PET, pre-coated and protected by a film. The assembly is carried out, after the removal of the protective film of the adhesive from the transparent support, ensuring the application of the retro-reflective film on the pre-glued backing. These two elements are then laminated to ensure an effective assembly between the retro-reflective film and the transparent support. In the state of the art, it is known for example from EP0853025, a machine for manufacturing license plates having a laying plane on which centering pins are arranged on four sides to form a system. squaring to allow positioning in coincidence of the retro-reflective film and the transparent support. In practice, the retro-reflective film is positioned flat on the laying plane, between the centering pins. After removal of the protective film, the transparent support is placed between the centering pins and is released to be fixed correctly on the retro-reflective film following its guidance by the centering pins. According to an alternative embodiment, this assembly is moved to be introduced between rolling rolls of which a roll is tangent to said laying plane, for rolling the film and the support against each other.

This document provides for mounting the movable pins on an adjustment system to adapt to different format plates. Such an adjustment system is in practice complex and expensive to implement. In addition, the positioning in coincidence of the film and the support proves in practice difficult to ensure because of the movability of the centering pins not allowing to properly adjust the spacing of the pins to the size of the plates. Furthermore, the random displacement to the rolling mill of the assembly consisting of the retro-reflective film and the transparent support is able to create appearance defects and in particular the creation of air bubbles between the retro-reflective film and the transparent support.

The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a new machine for manufacturing an information panel designed to ensure easy and correct positioning in superimposed coincidence position, two elements and in particular a transparent support and a custom film, for a wide range of information panel sizes, while ensuring perfect adhesion between the two elements. To achieve such objectives, the machine according to the invention relates to a machine for manufacturing an information panel by rolling a first element and a second element having substantially identical dimensions, at least one of the elements being customized. while the other is rigid, at least one side of an element being provided with an adhesive and at least one of the elements is transparent. According to the invention, the machine comprises - a laying plane intended to receive one affixed to the other, the first element and the second element, so that one adheres to the other, and provided with a squaring system for positioning the first element and the second element in coincidence, - a rolling mill comprising at least two rollers for rolling the first element and the second element against each other, at least a first roller being tangent to said installation plan. According to the invention - the laying plane is inclined - the squaring system is open in the direction of the rolling mill and comprises only a horizontal abutment to maintain the first element and the second element on the inclined laying plane, and to ensure their guide in translation to the rolling mill, and a lateral abutment positioned perpendicularly to the horizontal abutment and along an inclined edge of the laying plane, to ensure the referencing of the first element and the second element, - the mill is positioned according to a inclined edge opposite that of the lateral abutment, and a movable thrust system is guided in translation on the laying plane and parallel to the horizontal abutment to act from the edge of the first element and the second element in contact with the abutment. side to ensure their displacement between their affixed position and their position of introduction into the rolling mill.

The machine according to the invention further comprises in combination one and / or the other of the following additional characteristics - the thrust system comprises the lateral abutment mounted to move in translation on the laying plane and parallel to the horizontal abutment, the thrust system comprises at least one passage opening defined by the lateral abutment, for a pusher mounted movable in translation on the laying plane and parallel to the horizontal abutment, a second roll of the rolling mill is movably mounted and provided with a system of tightening with the first roller, - the laying plane is inclined at an angle of between 10 ° and 200 with respect to the horizontal, at least one stop of the squaring system is provided with passages opening in the opposite direction to the laying plane to facilitate the handling and positioning of the first element and the second element on the laying plane, - at least one roll of the rolling mill is driven and rotated thanks to a crank or an electric motor, the laying plane comprises a front edge extending at a higher level with respect to a rear edge, the crank and the control member being positioned near the rolling mill to be accessible. from this front edge. Another object of the invention is to propose a new method of manufacturing an information panel by rolling a first element and a second element having substantially identical dimensions, at least one of the elements being personalized while the other is rigid, at least one side of an element being provided with an adhesive and at least one of the elements is transparent. According to the invention, this new manufacturing method consists in: - sliding on an inclined laying plane the first element to bring it into abutment against a squaring system comprising a horizontal stop to maintain the first element on the plane of inclined installation, and a lateral abutment positioned perpendicularly to the horizontal abutment and along an inclined edge of the laying plane, to position the second element in abutment against the squaring system and then to deposit it in coincidence on the first element so that the adhesive side makes them adhere, - to move in translation a mobile thrust system guided in translation on the laying plane parallel to the horizontal abutment to bring the first element and the second element to a rolling mill positioned along an inclined edge opposite to that of the lateral stop by making them translate along the horizontal stop, and - to roll the first ment and the second element in the mill.

The manufacturing method further comprises in combination with one and / or the following additional features - to provide a first custom element with characters carried on one side and a second rigid and transparent element provided with an adhesive, - to position the first element on the laying surface against the squaring system, with the face provided with the characters facing upwards, - to position the second element above and against the squaring system, with the adhesive side of the second element facing the first element, to release the second element on the first element, - to catch the second element so that the fingers can pass through passages arranged in at least one stop of the squaring system, these passages s 'opening in the opposite direction to the laying plane, to position the second element against the squaring system by passing the fingers in said passages before releasing it on the first element, - rolling the first element and the second element by actuating with one hand a crank or a control member placed to be accessible from a front edge located at the horizontal upper edge of the plane laying, - moving with the other hand, a mobile thrust system guided in translation relative to the laying plane for introducing the first element and the second element in the rolling mill. The invention also aims to protect an informative panel manufactured according to the method according to the invention. Various other features appear from the description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments of the subject of the invention.

Figure 1. is a perspective view 3/4 back of a machine according to the invention of manufacturing information panels. Figure 2 is a perspective view of 3/4 front of a machine according to the invention of manufacturing information panels.

Figure 3 is a side view of the machine according to the invention of manufacturing information panels. Figures 4 to 7 are views illustrating the various characteristic steps of the method according to the invention, the manufacture of information panels.

As is apparent from the figures, the object of the invention relates to a machine 1 designed to manufacture by rolling, an informative panel 2 constituted on the one hand by a first flat element 3 in the form of a plate or a film and secondly a second flat element 4 in the form of a plate or a film and having substantially identical dimensions to the first element 3. At least one of the two elements 3, 4 is customized while the other of the two elements 3, 4 is rigid. It should be noted that at least one of the two elements 3, 4 is transparent and that at least one of the two elements 3, 4 is provided on one side with an adhesive to ensure the connection between the two elements. 3, 4. In the following description, the first element 3 is a generally retro-reflective plastic film while the second element 4 is a transparent rigid support 4. Conventionally, the plastic film 3 has a generally retro-reflective surface. reflective, customizable by printing or by application of characters or signs in the general sense. The transparent rigid support 4 is for example made of polycarbonate or PET. The transparent support 4 has a face 6 provided with an adhesive coated with a detachable protective film not shown. In a preferred application but not exclusively, the panel 2 is intended to constitute a license plate. Of course, the functions assigned to the first 3 and second 4 elements can be inverted. Thus, the first element 3 can be a rigid support while the second element 4 can be customized, the first element 3 and / or the second element 4 having the transparent character. In the same direction, the adhesive can be carried by the face 5 of the plastic film 3 and not by the transparent support 4.

According to the invention, the machine 1 comprises a laying plane 9 having a receiving top surface for, as will be explained in the following description, the film 3 and the support 4 affixed to one another so that one adheres to the other. The laying plane 9 which in the illustrated example is rectangular in shape, is extended peripherally by fallen edges or peripheral walls 10 delimiting a front edge 11 extending facing a rear edge 12, the front edges 11 and rear 12 being interconnected by a left lateral edge 13 and a right lateral edge 14. The front edges 11 and rear 12 are taken into consideration of the normal position of use of the machine for an operator wishing to assemble the film with the support and being placed in front of the front edge 11. The left side edges 13 and right 14 are considered relative to the user placed in front of the front edge 11. As is apparent from the figures, the laying plane 9 is extended to the square by the fallen edges 10 equipped with support legs 15 of the machine. For example, the laying plane and the dropped edges are made from metal plates. According to the invention, the laying plane 9 is inclined relative to the horizontal and advantageously at an angle A between 10 ° and 20 ° relative to the horizontal and typically of the order of 15 °. The laying plane 9 is inclined in the direction of the front edges 11 and rear 12 so that the lateral edges 13, 14 extend at the angle A with respect to the horizontal, with the front edge 11 rising at a higher level than the trailing edge 12 (Fig. 3). The laying plane 9 is thus inclined towards the rear edge 12 and is in the form of a surface facilitating the sliding of the information panel. In other words, for the operator placed in front of the front edge 11, the laying plane 9 is downhill.

The machine 1 comprises a rolling mill 17 for rolling the film 3 and the support 4 against each other. The rolling mill 17 comprises at least two and in the illustrated example, two rollers namely a first roller 18 said lower positioned to be tangent to the laying plane 9 and a second roller 19 said upper mounted in superposed position relative to the first lower roller 18. The rollers 18, 19 are arranged along the right lateral edge 14, with the upper roller 19 which thus extends above, providing a passage for the film and the support. For example, the rollers 18, 19 are protected by a protective shell 20. According to an advantageous variant embodiment, the rolling mill 17 is provided with a clamping system 21 making it possible to ensure the application of the rolling force and to adjust the spacing between the rollers in order to adapt to the different thicknesses of informative panels to be rolled. According to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the rolling mill 17 is of the electric type and comprises a not shown electric motor driving in rotation a roller, namely the lower roller 18. The electric motor which is mounted in a frame 22 is driven by a control member 23 such as a push button in the illustrated example. Preferably, the control member 23 is positioned to be accessible from the front edge 11. In the example illustrated, the control member 23 is mounted on the front face of the frame 22 which is advantageously fixed in a disassemblable manner on the edge fell before. Of course, the machine 1 may include a rolling mill 17 of the manual type. According to this variant, the rolling mill 17 comprises, in place of the chassis 22 for supporting the electric motor and the push button, a crank driving a rotation of a roller, namely the lower roller 18. Advantageously, the lower roller 18 has a receiving axis of the drive crank which leaves the side of the front edge 11 so as to have sufficient room to turn the crank.

In the example illustrated in the drawings, the rolling mill 17 is positioned along a lateral inclined edge, namely the right lateral edge 14. Thus, the push button 23 or the crank is actuated by the right hand of the operator positioned in front of the edge 11. In accordance with the invention, the machine 1 also comprises a squaring system 30 for positioning the film 3 and the support 4 in coincidence, that is to say to ensure their referencing. The squaring system 30 is open in the direction of the mill 17 and comprises only on the one hand, a horizontal abutment 31 for holding the film 3 and the support 4 on the laying plane 9, and to ensure their translation guidance up to at the rolling mill 17, and secondly, a lateral abutment 32 positioned perpendicularly to the horizontal abutment 31. The horizontal abutment 31 extends in a horizontal linear direction, parallel to the rear edge 12 and near this rear edge 12 and over a length adapted to allow the positioning and the translational guidance to the mill 17, for a wide range of information panel sizes, as shown in Figure 2. The lateral stop 32 extends in a linear inclined direction of angle A, parallel to the left edge 13 and near this left edge 13. The horizontal stop 31 and the lateral stop 32 thus define two adjacent flat faces rising from the laying plane 9 e t forming between them a right angle. The height of the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32 is of course chosen to allow the abutment of the support 4 in the distant superimposed position of the film 3, for a wide range of thicknesses for the support 4. Each horizontal stop 31 and lateral 32 is formed by one or more straight rulers rising perpendicularly with respect to the laying plane 9. It must be considered that the horizontal abutment 31 leaves free the surface of the laying plane 9 between the front edge 11 and this horizontal stop 31 to the extent that the squaring system 30 has a single right angle. This arrangement allows, as will be explained below, the sliding of the film 3 on the laying plane for its positioning against the horizontal stop 31 and the lateral stop 32. After positioning, the film 3 is naturally kept in contact with the horizontal abutment 31 and the lateral stop 32 taking into account the inclination of the laying plane 9. In this position of the film 3, the support 4 is placed in the superposed position by means of the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32 as will be described in detail in the following description. The film 3 and the support 4 thus occupy a so-called affixed position in which they are referenced by being contiguous and in contact with the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32. In the example illustrated in the drawings, the horizontal stop 31 and the lateral stop 32 are joined at their right angle located near the intersection of the rear edges 12 and left side 13. Of course, it may be provided that the horizontal stop 31 and the lateral stop 32 are not contiguous. According to an advantageous characteristic of embodiment of the invention, at least one abutment 31, 32 of the squaring system 30 is provided with passages 34 opening in the opposite direction to the laying plane 9 to facilitate handling and setting up film 3 or support 4 on the laying plane. Advantageously, the horizontal stop 31 comprises two passages 34 to allow the passage of the fingers of the two hands supporting at a distance from each other, the film 3 or the support 4 along their longitudinal edges. These passages 34 may be made by cuts made from the upper edge of the abutments or by the spacing of the various constituent parts of the abutments as illustrated in the drawings for the horizontal abutment 31. According to the invention, the machine 1 also comprises a mobile thrust system 40 guided in translation on the laying plane 9 and parallel to the horizontal abutment 31. This mobile thrust system 40 acts from the edge of the film and the support which is in contact with the lateral abutment 32. thrust system 40 is guided in translation to ensure the displacement of the film and the support affixed to one another, between their affixed position and their position of introduction into the rolling mill 17, without having to touch with the hand the film and the support. According to a first exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the thrust system 40 comprises a pusher 41 mounted to move in translation on the laying plane 9 and parallel to the horizontal abutment 31. For example, the pusher 41 is in the form of a right push bar extending above the laying plane 9 and extending to pass through a slot 43 formed in the laying plane 9. The pusher 41 is supported by a carriage 44 which is guided in a slideway 45 arranged on the inner face of the laying plane 9. The pusher 41 is able to move the film and the support between their affixed position that is to say abutment position in the squaring system 30 and their position of insertion into Thus, the pusher 41 is adapted to occupy a position set back from the lateral abutment 32 or in the extension of this lateral abutment 32. It should be noted that the lateral abutment 32 defines a through opening 48. louse r the pusher 41 so as to come into contact with the edge of the film 3 and the support 4 which is in contact with the lateral stop 32 and this, for a range of sizes of information media. In other words, the lateral stop 32 has a limited length to allow the pusher 41 to extend facing a portion of the edge of the film 3 and the support 4. According to a second embodiment, not shown, the The thrust system 40 has the lateral stop 32 mounted to move in translation on the laying plane 9 and parallel to the horizontal abutment 31. In this example, the lateral abutment 32 plays the role of the pusher 41 and is mounted to move in translation on the laying plane 9 according to for example the construction described for the pusher 41. The manufacture of an informational panel 2 using the machine 1 according to the invention follows directly from the description of the machine 25 above. In the following description, the plastic film 3 has a custom face 5 with characters and the transparent support 4 has a face 6 provided with an adhesive coated with a protective film 7 detachable. The plastic film 3 and the transparent support 4 have substantially identical dimensions. Of course, it is clear that the machine 30 can be used while the adhesive is carried by the plastic film 3. The manufacturing method is as shown in Figure 4, to put the film 3 on the inclined laying plane 9 with the custom face 5 with 3 0 1 1 7 6 7 12 characters facing upwards ie in the opposite direction of the laying plane 9. The film 3 is moved to slide it and the abut against the squaring system 30 and in particular against the horizontal abutment 31 and the lateral abutment 32. It should be noted that the film 3 is naturally positioned by descent against the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32 because of the plane of pose 9 inclined. Advantageously, the film 3 remains positioned against the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32 because of the laying plane 9 inclined. The method then consists in removing the detachable protective film 7 from the support 4 and positioning the support 4 above and against the squaring system 30 and in particular, against the horizontal stop 31 and the lateral stop 32, with the face adhesive 6 of the support facing the film 3 (Fig. 5). According to an advantageous characteristic, the support 4 is gripped so that the fingers can pass through the passages 34 thus facilitating the abutment of the support 4 against the abutments 31 and 32 of the squaring system. In this position in which the support 4 is superimposed on the film 3, the support 4 is released to fall by gravity being guided vertically by the horizontal stops 31 and lateral 32. The support 4 is thus deposited in perfect coincidence on the film 3, with the adhesive side adhering the support and the film (Fig. 6). The method according to the invention then consists in bringing the film 3 and the support 4 thus affixed to the rolling mill 17 positioned along the inclined edge opposite that of the lateral abutment 32. For this purpose, as illustrated in FIG. the mobile thrust system 40 is moved in translation on the laying plane parallel to the horizontal abutment 31. Under the effect of a manual pushing force, the pusher 41 is moved along the arrow f to bring the film 3 and the support 4 to the mill 17. During their movement, the film 3 and the support 4 are guided in translation along the horizontal stop 31, without being touched by the operator. The film 3 and the support 4 are then rolled in the rolling mill 17 by rotating the driving roller 18 either by the motor by actuating the push button 23 or by the crank. It should be noted that the rolling operation is carried out by operating with one hand, the straight line in this case, a crank or the control member 23 while the translation operation of the film and the support is carried out by the other hand, namely the left hand which moves the pusher 41 to introduce the film and the support in the rolling mill 17.

In the foregoing description, the support 4 is deposited on the film 3 in order to constitute a panel 2. As explained above, the description of the method remains the same for a panel 2 formed from a first element 3 and a second element 4 in the form of plates or films in the general sense, and having the characteristics of customization, transparency and rigidity as explained above. The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown because various modifications can be made without departing from its scope.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS1- Machine for manufacturing an information panel by rolling a first element (3) and a second element (4) having substantially identical dimensions, at least one of the elements being personalized while the other is rigid, at least one side of an element being provided with an adhesive and at least one of the elements is transparent, the machine comprising: - a laying plane (9) intended to receive one affixed to the other , the first element (3) and the second element (4), so that one adheres to the other, and provided with a squareness system (30) for positioning the first element and the second element coincidence, - a rolling mill (17) comprising at least two rollers for rolling the first element and the second element against each other, at least a first roller (18) being tangent to said laying plane, characterized in that: - the laying plane (9) is inclined, - the squaring system (30) is open ns the direction of the rolling mill (17) and comprises only a horizontal stop (31) to maintain the first element and the second element on the inclined laying plane, and to ensure their guidance in translation to the mill, and a lateral stop ( 32) positioned perpendicularly to the horizontal abutment (31) and along an inclined edge of the laying plane, to ensure that the first element and the second element are referenced, - the rolling mill (17) being positioned along an inclined edge opposite to that the lateral abutment, and a movable thrust system (40) guided in translation on the laying plane and parallel to the horizontal abutment (31) to act from the edge of the first element and the second element in contact with the abutment. side (32) to ensure their displacement between their affixed position and their position of introduction into the rolling mill. 2 - Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the thrust system (40) comprises the lateral stop (32) mounted movably entanslation on the laying plane (9) and parallel to the horizontal stop (31). 3 - Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the thrust system (40) comprises at least one passage opening (48) defined by the lateral stop (32), for a pusher (41) mounted to move in translation on the laying plane (9) and parallel to the horizontal stop (31). 4 - Machine according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a second roller (19) of the rolling mill is movably mounted and provided with a clamping system (21) with the first roller. 5 - Machine according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the laying plane (9) is inclined at an angle A between 10 ° and 20 ° relative to the horizontal. 6 - Machine according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one stop of the squaring system (30) is provided with passages (34) opening in the opposite direction to the laying plane to facilitate handling and placing the first element (3) and the second element (4) on the laying plane (9). 7 - Machine according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one roller (18) of the rolling mill is driven and rotated by means of a crank or an electric motor. 8 - Machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the laying plane (9) comprises a front edge (11) extending at a higher level relative to a rear edge, the crank and the control member being positioned near the rolling mill to be accessible from this front edge. 9 - Method of manufacturing an information panel (2) by rolling a first element (3) and a second element (4) having substantially identical dimensions, at least one of the elements being personalized while the other is rigid, at least one side of an element being provided with an adhesive and at least one of the elements is transparent, characterized in that it consists: - to slide on an inclined laying plane (9 ) the first element to abut against a squaring system (30) comprising a horizontal stop (31) for holding the first element on the inclined laying plane, and a lateral stop (32) positioned perpendicularly to the stop horizontally and along an inclined edge of the laying plane, - to position the second element (4) in abutment against the squaring system and then to deposit it in coincidence on the first element so that the adhesive face makes them adhere, - to move in translati a movable thrust system (40) guided in translation on the laying plane (9) parallel to the horizontal abutment (31) to bring the first element and the second element to a rolling mill (17) positioned along an inclined edge opposite to that of the lateral stop by translating them along the horizontal abutment, and - rolling the first element and the second element in the rolling mill (17). 10 - Process according to claim 9, characterized in that it consists in: - providing a first element (3) personalized with characters carried on one side and a second element (4) rigid and transparent provided with an adhesive, - positioning the first element (3) on the laying plane (9) against the squaring system, with the face provided with the characters facing upwards, - positioning the second element above and against the squaring system (30), with the adhesive side of the second element facing the first element, - to release the second element (4) on the first element (3). 11- Method according to claim 10, characterized in that it consists in: - catching the second element (4) so that the fingers can pass through passages (34) arranged in at least one end of the squaring system, these passages opening in the opposite direction to the laying plane, - positioning the second element (4) against the squaring system (30) by passing the fingers in said passages before releasing it on the first element (3). 12 - Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it consists of: - rolling the first element (3) and the second element (4) by actuating with one hand a crank or a control member placed to be accessible from a front edge located at the horizontal upper edge of the laying plane, - to move with the other hand, a movable thrust system (40) guided in translation relative to the laying plane to introduce the first element (3) and the second element (4) in the rolling mill (17). 13 - Information panel (2) manufactured according to the method according to one of claims 9 to 12.