JP2004264740A - Sheet body detecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a sheet body detecting apparatus which can reliably detect whether a sheet body carried to the outer circumference face of a rotary drum is positioned in a specified fixing position or not and which can decrease the cost. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet body detecting apparatus 60 functions as follows: When the front end of a printing plate 12 is carried to between the outer circumference face of the rotary drum 24 and the rear end of a front chuck 30, the lower end of an arm 98 is shifted against the spring force of a twist coil spring 80 by the front end of the printing plate 12. The swing angle of the arm 98 changed by the shift is detected by an angle sensor 92, which determines the position of the front end of the printing plate 12 carried to between the outer circumference face of the rotary drum 24 and the rear end of the front chuck 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet body detection device applied when positioning a sheet body conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of a rotating member at a predetermined fixed position.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Using a sheet-like printing plate (for example, PS plate, thermal plate, photopolymer plate, etc.) provided with a recording layer (photosensitive layer) on a support, an image is directly applied to the photosensitive layer of this printing plate with a laser beam or the like. A recording technique has been developed (printing plate exposure apparatus). With such a technique, it is possible to quickly record an image on a printing plate.
[0003]
As such a printing plate exposure apparatus, for example, the printing plate is wound around a cylindrical rotating drum and fixed, and the rotating drum is rotated at a high speed, and exposure processing is performed by a recording head disposed in the vicinity of the rotating drum. There is something to do (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0004]
In the printing plate exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of plate-like tip chucks are rotatably supported on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and one side of the tip chuck is separated from the rotating drum. The elastic force is given to the direction to do. In addition, a release lever (tip chuck opening / closing unit) is provided in the vicinity of the rotating drum, and the release lever presses one side of the tip chuck against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, so that the other side of the tip chuck becomes the rotating drum. It is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface. Then, the leading end of the printing plate is conveyed between the other side of the leading end chuck and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.
[0005]
When the front end of the printing plate is transported between the other side of the front end chuck and the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum, the pressing force on one side of the front end chuck by the release lever is released, and the elastic force exerts the other end of the front end chuck. The side presses the front end of the printing plate against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and the front end of the printing plate is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. Further, when the rotating drum is rotated, the printing plate is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and the rear end chuck is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum so that the rear end chuck causes the printing plate to be wound on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. The edge is fixed.
[0006]
By the way, when fixing the printing plate to the tip chuck, a fiber sensor (reflection) is attached to the tip chuck opening / closing unit in order to confirm that the tip of the printing plate has been transported between the tip chuck and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. It is known to detect the position of the front end of a printing plate by attaching a sensor of the type.
[0007]
In such a fiber sensor sheet detection device, the detection part of the fiber sensor is arranged to face a part (detection part) where the front end of the printing plate is exposed between adjacent front end chucks. And the light is irradiated to the front-end | tip part side of a printing plate from the detection part of this fiber sensor, and the position of a printing plate is detected by the reflected light of this light. Here, when the irradiation angle of the light emitted from the detection unit is wide, erroneous detection occurs due to the light reflected by the tip chuck, so it is necessary to widen the interval between adjacent tip chucks.
[0008]
On the other hand, when the interval between adjacent tip chucks is widened, the width of the portion of the printing plate tip not fixed to the tip chuck is widened. For this reason, the printing plate is lifted from the rotating drum during high-speed rotation, which adversely affects the quality of the image recorded on the printing plate. Therefore, it is preferable to apply a type of fiber sensor having a narrow irradiation angle.
[0009]
However, the fiber sensor is expensive. In particular, since the fiber sensor of a narrow irradiation angle type is very expensive, there is a problem that the sheet body detection apparatus is expensive as a whole.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-112142 A
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In consideration of the above facts, the present invention can reliably detect whether the sheet conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum has been positioned at a predetermined fixed position, and can reduce the cost. The object is to obtain a body detection device.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a sheet body detection device according to the invention described in claim 1 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a rotating drum around which the sheet body is wound, and is conveyed along the outer peripheral surface. A clamping member that clamps and fixes a portion between the rotating drum and an outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and is movable toward and away from the rotating drum, and approaches the rotating drum while the rotating drum is stopped at a predetermined rotational position. And a drive unit for driving the clamp member to the fixed release position, and a position of the leading end of the sheet member between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member. In the sheet body detection device for detection, the sheet body is moved by a leading end portion of the sheet body which is provided in the drive unit and is transported between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member. A moving member that is provided in the drive unit, it is characterized by comprising a detecting device for detecting a moving amount of the moving member.
[0013]
In the sheet body detection device according to the first aspect, in a state where the rotary drum is stopped at the predetermined rotation position, the drive unit moves closer to the rotation drum and drives the clamp member to the fixed release position.
[0014]
In this state, when the leading end portion of the sheet body is transported between the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum and the clamp member, the moving member provided in the drive unit is moved by the leading end portion of the sheet body. By detecting the amount of movement of the moving member by a detector provided in the drive unit, the position of the leading end portion of the sheet member conveyed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member is specified. When it is confirmed that the leading end of the sheet body has been conveyed to a predetermined fixed position, the drive unit moves away from the rotating drum, and the leading end of the sheet body moves between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member. It is clamped and fixed.
[0015]
As a result, the position of the sheet body can be accurately detected with a combination of inexpensive components, so that a significant cost reduction can be achieved as compared with the case where an expensive sensor (such as a fiber sensor) is applied.
[0016]
Thus, in the sheet body detection device according to claim 1, it is reliably detected whether or not the sheet body conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum is positioned at a predetermined fixed position, and the cost is reduced. be able to.
[0017]
A sheet body detection device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the sheet body detection device according to the first aspect, wherein the moving member is swingable about a supporting shaft as a fulcrum and is conveyed by the biasing means. It is characterized by being a rod-like arm biased to the opposite side, and the detector is an angle sensor for detecting the swing angle of the arm.
[0018]
In the sheet body detection device according to claim 2, the bar-shaped arm is swingable about the support shaft, and the arm is biased by the biasing means to the side opposite to the sheet transport direction. ing.
[0019]
Here, when the leading end portion of the sheet body is conveyed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member, the arm is moved (swinged) against the biasing force of the biasing means by the leading end portion of the sheet body. The And the position of the front-end | tip part of the sheet | seat body conveyed between the rotating drum outer peripheral surface and the clamp member is specified because an angle sensor detects the rocking | fluctuation angle of the arm changed by this movement.
[0020]
For this reason, the position of the sheet body can be detected by securing a space that allows the rod-shaped arm (width of several millimeters) to be able to engage with the sheet body at the fixed position of the front end of the sheet body by the clamp member. It becomes. As a result, the width of the portion that is not fixed to the clamp member at the front end of the sheet body (detection portion by the sheet body detection device) can be made significantly narrower than in the case where the sheet body detection device by the conventional fiber sensor is applied. Therefore, the sheet member is securely fixed by the clamp member, and the sheet member is prevented from being lifted.
[0021]
On the other hand, when the driving unit is moved away from the rotating drum and the leading end of the sheet body is fixed by the clamp member, the arm is moved away from the rotating drum together with the driving unit, so that the engagement between the arm and the sheet body is achieved. The arm is disengaged and the arm is returned (reset) to the initial position (position before being moved by being pushed by the sheet member) by the urging force of the urging means. Accordingly, the position of the sheet body can be detected even when the next sheet body is fixed to the rotary drum.
[0022]
As described above, in the sheet body detection device according to the second aspect, since the detection unit (arm) can be downsized, the fixing of the sheet body by the clamp member is not hindered, and the sheet body is prevented from being lifted. .
[0023]
A sheet body detection device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the sheet body detection device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the moving member moves along a moving direction of the drive unit with respect to the drive unit. It is characterized by being capable of relative movement.
[0024]
In the sheet body detection device according to the third aspect, the moving member is movable relative to the drive unit along the moving direction of the drive unit.
[0025]
For this reason, when the fixing of the sheet body by the clamp member is released, when the driving unit is moved closer to the rotating drum and the moving member provided in the driving unit comes into contact with the sheet body, the moving member is driven. Move (escape) in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the unit (on the opposite side of the sheet). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sheet body from being damaged by the moving member. When the sheet body is discharged from between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member, the moving member returns to the initial position due to its own weight and is reset.
[0026]
As a result, the next sheet body can be transported at the rotating drum stop position when the sheet body is discharged (fixed release), so that the time required for attaching and detaching the sheet body to and from the rotating drum can be shortened. Can be increased.
[0027]
As described above, in the sheet body detection apparatus according to the third aspect, it is possible to shorten the time required for attaching and detaching the sheet body to and from the rotating drum and to increase productivity.
[0028]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 9 is a side view of a printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10 according to an embodiment to which the sheet body detection device 60 of the present invention is applied.
[0029]
The printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment exposes an image on an image forming layer (photosensitive layer, thermosensitive layer, etc.) on a support in a printing plate 12 such as a photopoly plate or a thermal plate as a sheet ( Recording). The printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10 is divided into a conveyance guide unit 14, a punch unit 16, and an exposure unit 18. The punch unit 16 and the exposure unit 18 are disposed in front of the conveyance guide unit 14, and the punch unit 16. The exposure unit 18 is disposed below the.
[0030]
The conveyance guide unit 14 includes a plate feed guide 20 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape and a plate discharge guide 22 having a substantially square plate shape, and the relative position between the plate feed guide 20 and the plate discharge guide 22 is horizontal. It is V-shaped. The conveyance guide unit 14 has a structure that rotates by a predetermined angle about the right end portion side in FIG. 8, and by this rotation, the plate feeding guide 20 and the plate discharge guide 22 are selectively moved to the punch unit 16 and the exposure unit 18. It can be made to correspond. A printing plate 12 is supplied on the plate supply guide 20.
[0031]
Here, the plate discharge guide unit 14 is rotated so that the plate supply guide 20 corresponds to (opposites) the punch portion 16, whereby the leading end portion of the printing plate 12 on the plate supply guide 20 is conveyed into the punch portion 16. Thus, a predetermined number of punch holes (not shown) such as circular holes and long holes are punched in the front end portion of the printing plate 12 by the punch portion 16. When the processing in the punch unit 16 is completed, the printing plate 12 is returned onto the plate supply guide 20.
[0032]
The exposure unit 18 includes a rotating drum 24. The rotary drum 24 has a cylindrical shape and has a center shaft 26. The center shaft 26 is supported by a pair of support plates 28 (see FIG. 8) facing each other. It can be rotated in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Here, when the printing plate 12 is returned from the punch unit 16 onto the plate supply guide 20 as described above, the conveyance guide unit 14 is rotated so that the plate supply guide 20 corresponds to the exposure unit 18 (of the rotating drum 24). The front end of the printing plate 12 is conveyed onto the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24.
[0033]
A predetermined number (11 in this embodiment) of tip chucks 30 having a square cross-sectional shape as clamp members are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 at a position where the tip of the printing plate 12 is conveyed. A predetermined number of tip chucks 30 are arranged along the left-right direction of the rotary drum 24.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 7, support members 32 are arranged on both left and right sides of the tip chuck 30, and each support member 32 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24. A support shaft 34 is fixed to a rear portion of the tip chuck 30, and the support shaft 34 is supported by each support member 32, so that the tip chuck 30 can freely rotate on the rotary drum 24 via each support member 32. It is supported by. Further, an elastic force is applied to the front side of the tip chuck 30 in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24. Further, a pressing recess 36 having a circular cross-sectional shape is formed on the surface of the front side portion of the tip chuck 30 on the side opposite to the rotating drum 24.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 8, a circular cam shaft 38 is provided above the rotary drum 24, and the cam shaft 38 is rotatably supported between a pair of support plates 28. Elevating cams 40 are fixed in the vicinity of both ends of the cam shaft 38. Each elevating cam 40 has a disk shape, and the center of the cam shaft 38 is disposed immediately above the center.
[0036]
A drive unit 41 is provided below the cam shaft 38. The drive unit 41 includes an elevating member 42 and a release pin 54. A drive frame 44 having a U-shaped cross section is fixed to upper portions of both ends of the elevating member 42 in the left-right direction, and a disk-shaped drive plate 46 is rotatably supported inside each drive frame 44. A tension coil spring 48 is bridged between each drive frame 44 and each support plate 28, and each drive frame 44 is biased upward by the biasing force of each tension coil spring 48. The upper end of the board 46 is in contact with the lower end of each lifting cam 40.
[0037]
Guide plates 50 are fixed to both ends of the elevating member 42 in the left-right direction, and each support plate 28 is provided with guide grooves 52, and each guide plate 50 is partially inserted into each guide groove 52. . Here, when the camshaft 38 is rotated and each elevating cam 40 is rotated to a rotation position in which the center of the camshaft 38 is disposed directly below the center, each drive is driven by the urging force of each tension coil spring 48. The elevating member 42 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 while the upper end of the panel 46 is in contact with the lower end of each elevating cam 40. Further, when the cam shaft 38 is rotated from this state, and each of the elevating cams 40 is rotated (returned) to the rotational position where the center of the cam shaft 38 is disposed right above the center, each elevating cam 40 Each drive panel 46 is pressed and each drive frame 44 is lowered against the urging force of each tension coil spring 48, so that each guide plate 50 is guided by each guide groove 52 and the elevating member 42 is moved. The outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 is approached.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 3, a predetermined number (11 in this embodiment) of cylindrical bar-like release pins 54 are fixed to the lower part of the elevating member 42. The lower end of each release pin 54 is inserted into the pressing recess 36 of each tip chuck 30 and presses the front side of each tip chuck 30. For this reason, the rear end of each tip chuck resists the elastic force. It is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24. As a result, the leading end of the printing plate 12 conveyed from the plate supply guide 20 to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 as described above is conveyed between the rear end of each front end chuck 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24, and the elevating member Positioning is performed by a sheet body detection device 60 provided at a predetermined number (two in the present embodiment) in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of 42.
[0039]
Next, the sheet body detection device 60 will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sheet body detection device 60.
[0040]
The sheet body detection device 60 includes an attachment stay 62 that is fixed to the elevating member 42. The mounting stay 62 is formed of a flat plate, is attached to the rear side of the elevating member 42, and an upper end portion and a lower end portion bent to the elevating member 42 side are fixed to the elevating member 42 by screws 63. A support stay 64 formed of a flat plate is fixed to the lower end portion of the mounting stay 62. The support stay 64 has a mounting portion 66 fixed to the lower end portion of the mounting stay 62 by a screw 65 (see FIG. 2), and a pair of bearing portions projecting vertically downward from both ends of the mounting portion 66. 68 is formed.
[0041]
A housing member 70 is provided between the pair of bearing portions 68. The housing member 70 integrally includes a block-shaped main body portion 72 and a columnar support shaft 74 projecting in the direction of the bearing portion 68 from both end faces of the main body portion 72 facing the bearing portion 68. Yes. Each of the support shafts 74 has a stepped shape, one end of which is integrally formed with the main body 72, and a large diameter portion 76 that protrudes from the tip of each large diameter portion 76 in the direction of each bearing portion 68. And a small-diameter portion 78. Then, the tip of each small diameter portion 78 is inserted and supported through a through hole (not shown) formed in one end portion of each bearing portion 68 (the end portion on the lower rear side in FIG. 1). The housing member 70 is rotatable around the axis of the support shaft 74. A torsion coil spring 80 is stretched between the main body 72 and the bearing 68, and the housing member 70 is centered on the support shaft 74 in the direction of arrow T in FIG. 3 (counterclockwise in FIG. 3). Direction).
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 2, a sensor dog 82 formed of a flat plate is fixed to the front side of the main body 72 of the housing member 70 by screws 84 (see FIG. 1). The protrusion 86 of the sensor dog 82 is a substantially L-shaped plate-like drag 90 fixed to one end of one bearing portion 68 (the lower front end of the left bearing portion 68 in FIG. 2) with a screw 88. 3, the rotation of the housing member 70 in the direction of arrow T in FIG. 3 is restricted.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 1, a bushing hole (not shown) that is a circular hole penetrating the main body 72 in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the support shaft 74 is formed in the main body 72 from the upper surface to the lower surface. A cylindrical bushing 96 is inserted. A cylindrical rod-like arm 98 (3 mm in diameter in this embodiment) serving as a moving member is inserted into the bushing 96 cylinder so as to be movable along the cylinder of the bushing 96. As a result, the arm 98 can be moved relative to the drive unit 41 along the movement direction of the drive unit 41. Further, a disc-shaped retaining member 100 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the arm 98 is provided at the upper end of the arm 98 so as to be concentric with the arm 98, and the arm 98 is prevented from coming out downward. Yes. The arm 98 can swing integrally with the housing member 70 with the support shaft 74 as a fulcrum, and is urged by the torsion coil spring 80 together with the housing member 70 in the direction of arrow T in FIG.
[0044]
As shown in FIG. 2, an angle sensor 92 serving as a detection tool is provided on the front side of the housing member 70 and above the sensor dog 82. The angle sensor 92 is fixed to a flat mounting plate 94 projecting vertically from the front edge of the mounting portion 66 of the support stay 64 toward the rotating drum 24. The angle sensor 92 detects the angle of the housing member 70, that is, the swing angle of the arm 98, and is installed in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10 via a wiring (not shown) installed in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10. The control circuit (not shown) can detect the swing angle of the arm 98. Thereby, the position of the arm 98 is specified by the control circuit.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 8, this arm 98 is located between adjacent tip chucks 30 (in the present embodiment, between the fourth and fifth tip chucks 30 counted from the right side of the rotary drum 24, and the seventh tip). (Between the eighth tip chucks 30). (In FIG. 8, the reference numerals of the constituent members of the sheet body detection device 60 other than the mounting stay 62, the support stay 64, the housing member 70, and the arm 98 are omitted.) As shown in FIG. The lower end of the arm 98 formed in the above is inserted into a groove-shaped digging portion 102 formed in the rotating drum 24.
[0046]
Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the printing plate 12 is conveyed in the direction of the front end chuck 30 (in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 3) on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, and the front end of the printing plate 12 is transferred to each front end chuck 30. When conveyed between the rear end and the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, the lower end of the arm 98 resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 80 by the front end of the printing plate 12, as shown in FIG. 4. Is moved in the direction of arrow F in FIG. For this reason, since the housing member 70 rotates around the axis of the support shaft 74, the angle sensor 92 detects the swing angle of the arm 98 and the housing member 70. Thereby, the position of the arm 98, that is, the position of the front end portion of the printing plate 12 is specified by the control circuit. When the control circuit confirms that the leading end of the printing plate 12 has been conveyed to a predetermined fixed position, the conveyance of the printing plate 12 is stopped and the printing plate 12 is positioned at the predetermined position of the rotary drum 24. The
[0047]
After the positioning of the printing plate 12 is completed, the camshaft 38 is rotated, and as shown in FIG. 5, the elevating member 42 is moved in the direction of arrow U in FIG. As a result, each release pin 54 is separated from the pressing recess 36 of each tip chuck 30, and the pressing of each tip chuck 30 by each release pin 54 is released. Accordingly, the rear end of the predetermined number of front end chucks 30 presses substantially the entire front end of the printing plate 12 against the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 by the elastic force, so that the space between the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 and the front end chuck 30 is increased. The front end of the printing plate 12 is clamped and fixed.
[0048]
At this time, when the elevating member 42 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24, the sheet material detection device 60 fixed to the elevating member 42 is also separated from the rotating drum 24. Therefore, the arm 98 and the housing member 70 that have been moved in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 4 by the printing plate 12 are moved in the direction of arrow R in FIG. The arm 98 and the housing member 70 are returned to the initial position (the state shown in FIG. 5) by pressing 86 on the tip of the drag 90. (The sensor dock 82 and the drag 90 are not shown in FIGS. 3 to 6).
Then, the rotary drum 24 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9, and the printing plate 12 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24.
[0049]
As shown in FIG. 9, a columnar squeeze roller 55 is disposed near the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 on the side of the drive unit 41 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9. When the squeeze roller 55 is moved toward the rotating drum 24, the squeeze roller 55 is rotated while pressing the printing plate 12 wound around the rotating drum 24 toward the rotating drum 24, and the printing plate 12 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24. Let
[0050]
Further, a rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 is disposed in the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 on the arrow B direction side of FIG. The rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 is movable toward the rotary drum 24. A predetermined number of plate-shaped rear end chucks 57 are mounted on the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56, and the predetermined number of rear end chucks 57 are arranged along the left-right direction.
[0051]
Here, when the rear end of the printing plate 12 wound around the rotary drum 24 faces the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56, the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 is lowered, and each rear end chuck 57 is moved to the rotating drum 24 side. Thus, each rear end chuck 57 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24. Thus, the rear end of the printing plate 12 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 by the front end of the predetermined number of rear end chucks 57 pressing substantially the entire rear end of the printing plate 12 against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24. The Further, at the same time that each rear end chuck 57 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, each rear end chuck 57 is detached from the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56, and then the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 57 is raised to the origin position. The
[0052]
As described above, when the front end and the rear end of the printing plate 12 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 by the front end chucks 30 and the rear end chucks 57, the squeeze roller 55 is separated from the rotary drum 24 and then rotated. The drum 24 is rotated at a high speed at a predetermined rotation speed.
[0053]
A recording head 58 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24, and the recording head 58 is read in synchronization with the rotation of the rotating drum 24 toward the rotating drum 24 that is rotated at a high speed. A light beam modulated based on the image data is irradiated, whereby the printing plate 12 is exposed based on the image data. This exposure process is so-called scanning exposure in which the recording head 58 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating drum 24 (sub-scanning) while rotating the rotating drum 24 at high speed (main scanning).
[0054]
When the exposure process for the printing plate 12 is completed, the rotary drum 24 is temporarily stopped at a position where each rear end chuck 57 faces the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56, and the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 is lowered to the rotating drum 24 side. As a result, the mounting of each rear end chuck 57 on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 is released, and the fixing of the rear end of the printing plate 12 by the front end of each rear end chuck 57 is released. At the same time, each rear end chuck 57 is mounted on the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56, and then the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 is raised to the origin position. Further, after the transport guide unit 14 is rotated and the discharge plate guide 22 is made to correspond to the exposure unit 18 (facing the tangential direction of the rotary drum 24), the rotary drum 24 is rotated in the direction of arrow B in FIG. As a result, the printing plate 12 is discharged onto the discharge guide 22 from the rear end side.
[0055]
At this time, the rotary drum 24 is temporarily stopped at a position where each release pin 54 faces each tip chuck 30 and the cam shaft 38 is rotated, so that the elevating member 42 approaches the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 as shown in FIG. As a result, the lower end of each release pin 54 is inserted into the pressing recess 36 of each tip chuck 30. For this reason, the front end of each front end chuck 30 is pressed by each release pin 54 and the rear end of each front end chuck 30 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, so that the printing plate 12 is formed by the rear end of each front end chuck 30. The tip is released.
[0056]
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the elevating member 42 approaches the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 (moved in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 6), the lower end of the arm 98 returned to the initial position is printed. By contacting the plate 12, the arm 98 moves in the direction of arrow P in FIG. Thereby, the printing plate 12 is prevented from being damaged by the arm 98.
[0057]
When the printing plate 12 is discharged to the discharge guide 22, the arm 98 moves in the direction of the opposite arrow P in FIG. 6 due to gravity and returns to the initial position again (the state shown in FIG. 3). Then, the conveyance guide unit 14 is rotated, and the printing plate 12 is discharged from the plate discharge guide 22. As a result, the printing plate 12 is transported to the developing device or printing device (not shown) in the next process adjacent to the printing plate automatic exposure device 10.
[0058]
Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0059]
In the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus 10 configured as described above, when the printing plate 12 is placed on the plate feeding guide 20, the conveyance guide unit 14 is rotated so that the plate feeding guide 20 corresponds to the punch unit 16. The leading end of the printing plate 12 is conveyed into the punch unit 16. The printing plate 12 conveyed into the punch unit 16 is returned to the plate feed guide 20 after a predetermined number of punches have been punched by the punch unit 16 at the tip.
[0060]
Further, the printing guide 12 is conveyed to the exposure unit 18 by rotating the conveyance guide unit 14 so that the plate supply guide 20 corresponds to the exposure unit 18. When the leading end portion of the printing plate 12 is conveyed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 and the rear end of the leading end chuck 30, the lower end portion of the arm 98 is moved by the leading end portion of the printing plate 12 as shown in FIG. It is moved in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 4 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 80. When the angle sensor 92 detects the swing angle of the arm 98 changed by this movement, the position of the front end portion of the printing plate 12 conveyed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 and the rear end of the front end chuck 30. Is identified.
[0061]
Thereby, since the position of the printing plate 12 can be accurately detected with a combination of inexpensive parts, the cost can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where an expensive sensor (such as a fiber sensor) is applied.
[0062]
In addition, a cylindrical bar-shaped arm 98 (diameter of 3 mm in the present embodiment) can be engaged with the front end portion of the printing plate 12 at the detection portion of the front end portion of the printing plate 12 by the arm 98 (between adjacent front end chucks 30). If a certain amount of space is secured, the position of the printing plate 12 can be detected. Thereby, since the interval between the adjacent tip chucks 30 in the detection portion of the leading end portion of the printing plate 12 by the arm 98 can be narrowed, the width of the portion of the leading end portion of the printing plate 12 that is not fixed to the leading end chuck 30 can be reduced. Compared with the case where the sheet sensor 60 using a fiber sensor is applied, it can be made significantly narrower. As a result, the front end portion of the printing plate 12 is securely fixed by the front end chuck 30, so that the printing plate 12 is prevented from being lifted when the rotary drum 24 rotates at a high speed.
[0063]
On the other hand, when it is confirmed that the leading end of the printing plate 12 has been transported (positioned) to a predetermined fixed position, the elevating member 42 is moved in the direction of arrow U in FIG. Is released. For this reason, the front end of the printing plate 12 is sandwiched and fixed between the rear end of the front end chuck 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, and the arm 98 and the housing member 70 are urged by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 80. 5 is moved in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 5 to return to the initial position.
[0064]
Then, the rotating drum 24 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9, and the printing plate 12 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 while being in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 by the squeeze roller 55. The rear end portion of the printing plate 12 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 by the rear end chuck 57.
[0065]
When the fixing of the printing plate 12 to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 24 is completed, an exposure process is performed by irradiating the printing plate 12 with a light beam from the recording head 58 while the rotating drum 24 is rotated at a high speed. .
[0066]
When the exposure process is completed, the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 56 releases the attachment of each rear end chuck 57 to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, and the printing plate 12 is discharged onto the discharge guide 22 from the rear end side.
[0067]
At this time, the rotary drum 24 is temporarily stopped at a position where each release pin 54 faces each front end chuck 30, and the elevating member 42 is moved closer to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24, whereby the printing plate 12 by the front end chuck 30. The tip is unfixed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower end of the arm 98 returned to the initial position comes into contact with the printing plate 12, so that the arm 98 moves in the arrow P direction of FIG. Thereby, the printing plate 12 is prevented from being damaged by the arm 98.
[0068]
When the printing plate 12 is discharged to the discharge guide 22, the arm 98 is reset by returning to the initial position again by moving in the direction opposite to the arrow P in FIG. 6 due to gravity (the state shown in FIG. 3).
[0069]
As a result, the next printing plate can be fed at the stop position of the rotary drum 24 where the printing plate 12 is discharged, so that the time required for attaching and detaching (feeding / discharging plate) the printing plate to and from the rotating drum can be shortened. Can be increased.
[0070]
As described above, the sheet material detection device 60 having the above configuration reliably detects whether or not the printing plate 12 conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 24 is positioned at a predetermined fixed position, and reduces the cost. Can be planned.
[0071]
In the above-described embodiment, the arm 98 is configured to be relatively movable with respect to the housing member 70. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a configuration such as the sheet body detection device 200 illustrated in FIG.
[0072]
In this sheet body detection device 200, the arm 202 and the support shaft 204 are integrally formed, and the arm is changed by changing the stop position of the rotary drum 24 when the printing plate 12 is fed and when the printing plate 12 is discharged. In this configuration, the printing plate 12 is prevented from being damaged by 202. That is, when the printing plate 12 is fed, the position of the front end portion of the printing plate 12 can be detected by stopping the rotary drum 24 at a position where the release pin 54 and the pressing recess 208 of the front end chuck 206 face each other. . On the other hand, when the printing plate 12 is discharged, the arm 202 is lowered to the front side of the front end portion of the printing plate 12 by stopping the rotating drum 24 at a position where the release pin 54 and the pressing recess 210 face each other. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced and cost reduction can be achieved.
[0073]
In the above-described embodiment, the arm 98 is configured to be movable relative to the housing member 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sheet body detection device 60 itself is moved up and down along the lifting direction of the lifting member 42. It is good also as a structure installed so that relative movement with respect to the member 42 is possible.
[0074]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the sheet material detection apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reliably detect whether or not the sheet body conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum is positioned at a predetermined fixed position, and to reduce the cost. Can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sheet body detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sheet body detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the rear end of the front end chuck is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a state in which an arm is moved by a printing plate in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a state where the drive unit is moved away from the rotary drum and the printing plate is fixed by the tip chuck in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a state in which an arm is moved along a moving direction of a drive unit in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a front end chuck in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a main part of an exposure unit in the printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing a printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another example of the sheet body detection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Printing plate automatic exposure equipment
12 Printing plate (sheet body)
24 Rotating drum
30 Tip chuck (clamp member)
42 Lifting member (drive unit)
54 Release pin (drive unit)
60 Sheet body detection device
74 Spindle
80 Torsion coil spring (biasing means)
92 Angle sensor (detection tool)
98 Arm (moving member)

Claims (3)

A clamp member that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum around which the sheet body is wound, and clamps and fixes the front end portion of the sheet member conveyed along the outer peripheral surface between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum;
A drive unit that is movable toward and away from the rotary drum, and moves closer to the rotary drum in a state where the rotary drum is stopped at a predetermined rotational position, and drives the clamp member to a fixed release position;
In a sheet body detection device that is applied to a sheet body attachment and detachment device that detects the position of the tip of the sheet body between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member,
A moving member that is provided in the drive unit and is moved by a front end portion of the sheet member conveyed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and the clamp member;
A detector provided in the drive unit for detecting the amount of movement of the moving member;
The sheet | seat body detection apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The moving member is a rod-like arm that can be swung with a supporting shaft as a fulcrum and is urged to the opposite side of the sheet body by the urging means,
The detector is an angle sensor that detects a swing angle of the arm.
The sheet body detection device according to claim 1. The moving member is movable relative to the drive unit along the moving direction of the drive unit.
The sheet body detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet body detection device is provided.

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