JP2008266453A - Coloring ink for electric wire - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coloring ink for an electric wire capable of preventing a nozzle of an electric wire coloring apparatus from clogging. <P>SOLUTION: The coloring ink for the electric wire colors the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 by ejecting every ink drop of a specific quantity on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. The coloring ink for the electric wire is compounded with not less than 2 pts.wt. and not greater than 10 pts.wt. of ethylene glycol per 100 pts.wt. of an ink main agent containing a solvent, an acrylic resin, and a coloring material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a colored ink for electric wires that is sprayed by a certain amount toward an outer surface of an electric wire to color the outer surface of the electric wire.

  Various electronic devices are mounted on automobiles or the like as moving bodies. For this reason, the automobile or the like is wired with a wire harness in order to transmit electric power from a power source or the like or a control signal from a computer or the like to the electronic device. The wire harness includes a plurality of electric wires as articles and connectors attached to ends of the electric wires.

  The electric wire includes a conductive core wire and a covering portion made of an insulating synthetic resin that covers the core wire. The electric wire is a so-called covered electric wire. The connector includes a terminal fitting and a connector housing that accommodates the terminal fitting. The terminal fitting is made of conductive sheet metal or the like and is attached to the end of the electric wire to be electrically connected to the core wire of the electric wire. The connector housing is made of an insulating synthetic resin and is formed in a box shape. In the wire harness, the connector housing is coupled to the above-described electronic device or the like, so that each electric wire is electrically connected to the above-described electronic device via the terminal fitting, and transmits desired power and signals to the above-described electronic device. .

  When assembling the wire harness, the electric wire is first cut to a predetermined length, and then the covering portion such as the end of the electric wire is removed (peeled), and the terminal fitting is attached. Connect wires as needed. Thereafter, the terminal fitting is inserted into the connector housing. Thus, the wire harness described above is assembled.

  The wires of the wire harness described above need to identify the size of the core wire, the material of the covering portion (change of the material depending on the presence or absence of heat resistance, etc.), the purpose of use, and the like. The purpose of use is, for example, an automobile system (system) in which electric signals such as airbags, ABS (Antilock Brake System) and vehicle speed information, and power transmission systems are used.

  Therefore, when an electric wire used in a wire harness is extruded and coated around the core wire with the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion described above, a colorant of a desired color is mixed into the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion, The covering portion has been colored in a desired color (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3). In this case, when changing the color of the outer surface of an electric wire, it is necessary to stop the extrusion coating apparatus which performs the above-mentioned extrusion coating. In this case, it is necessary to stop the extrusion coating device every time the color of the electric wire is changed, and the time and labor required for the production of the electric wire increase, and the production efficiency of the electric wire tends to decrease.

  Alternatively, the color of the colorant mixed in the synthetic resin has been changed while the extrusion coating apparatus performs extrusion coating. In this case, immediately after changing the color of the colorant, the color of the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion is a color in which the color of the colorant before the change of the covering portion and the color of the colorant after the change are mixed. . For this reason, it was in the tendency for the material yield of an electric wire to fall.

  In order to prevent the reduction in the productivity of the electric wires and the reduction in the material yield of the electric wires, the applicant of the present invention manufactured, for example, a monochromatic electric wire, and if necessary, the outer surface of the electric wire as an article It is proposed that the wire harness is assembled by coloring the desired color (see Patent Document 4). Further, the applicant of the present invention, when coloring a single-color electric wire after manufacture, sprays a certain amount of liquid colored ink for electric wire toward the outer surface of the electric wire as an article, thereby coloring the electric wire. An electric wire coloring device for coloring an electric wire in a desired color by adhering ink droplets to the outer surface of the electric wire has been proposed (see Patent Document 5).

In the electric wire coloring apparatus described in Patent Document 5 described above, electric wire coloring composed of an organic solvent as a solvent, a PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) resin as a binder (binding material), a coloring material, a dispersant, and the like. Ink has been used. This type of electric wire coloring device is used in a cutting process for cutting a long electric wire to a desired length and a crimping process for attaching a terminal fitting to the end of the electric wire. During these steps, the outer surface of the electric wire is used. Is required to be colored.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-111947 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-119833 JP-A-9-92056 International Publication No. 03/019580 Pamphlet JP 2004-134371 A

  The aforementioned colored ink for electric wires is required to be quick-drying. Therefore, when the above-described conventional wire coloring ink is used in the wire coloring device, the wire coloring ink remaining in the nozzle of the wire coloring device is stopped while the operation of the wire coloring device is stopped for a certain time. There is a problem in that the nozzles are solidified by contact with the outside air, which causes clogging of the nozzles. When the nozzle is clogged, there is a problem that the nozzle needs to be cleaned and the productivity of the electric wire is lowered. Further, even when the nozzle is not completely clogged, when the solidified wire coloring ink adheres to the nozzle tip or the like, the wire coloring ink can be sprayed in a predetermined direction. There has been a problem that a defective design may be caused in the colored electric wire.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a colored ink for electric wires that can prevent the nozzle of the electric wire coloring apparatus from being clogged.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the invention described in claim 1 is a colored ink for a wire that is sprayed onto the outer surface of the wire by a certain amount to color the outer surface of the wire. A colored ink for electric wires, characterized in that 2 to 10 parts by weight of ethylene glycol is blended with 100 parts by weight of an ink containing a coloring material.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since 2 parts by weight or more and 10 parts by weight or less of ethylene glycol is blended with 100 parts by weight of the ink main agent, the drying speed of the wire coloring ink is slightly delayed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the wire coloring ink remaining in the nozzle of the wire coloring device from being temporarily suspended from being in contact with outside air and solidifying. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nozzle from being clogged. Further, since the solidified wire coloring ink can be prevented from adhering to the tip of the nozzle or the like, the wire coloring ink can be reliably sprayed in a predetermined direction.

  Hereinafter, an electric wire coloring device (hereinafter simply referred to as a coloring device) 1 as an electric wire processing apparatus using an electric wire coloring ink (hereinafter simply referred to as ink) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Based on The coloring apparatus 1 is an apparatus that cuts the electric wire 3 as an article into a predetermined length and forms a mark 6 on a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 as the article. That is, the coloring device 1 colors the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 as an article, that is, marks.

  The electric wire 3 as an article constitutes a wire harness routed in an automobile as a moving body. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the electric wire 3 includes a conductive core wire 4 and an insulating covering portion 5. The core wire 4 is formed by twisting a plurality of strands. The strand which comprises the core wire 4 is comprised with the electroconductive metal. Moreover, the core wire 4 may be comprised from one strand. The covering portion 5 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyolefin (PE, PP, etc.). The covering portion 5 covers the core wire 4. For this reason, the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3 forms the outer surface of the covering portion 5.

  The covering portion 5 is a single color P. In addition, a desired colorant may be mixed into the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion 5 so that the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 may be a single color P, without mixing the colorant into the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion 5. The single color P may be the color of the synthetic resin itself. When the single color P is the color of the synthetic resin itself without mixing the colorant into the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion 5, the covering portion 5, that is, the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is said to be uncolored. As described above, the term “non-colored” means that the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is the color of the synthetic resin itself without mixing the colorant into the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion 5. The outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 may be uncolored as described above, or may be a single color such as white.

  A mark 6 composed of a plurality of points 7 is formed on the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3. Point 7 is color B (indicated by parallel diagonal lines in FIG. 4). The color B is different from the single color P. A plurality of points 7 are provided, and are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 according to a predetermined pattern. In the illustrated example, the points 7 are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3. Further, the distance between the centers of the adjacent points 7 is determined in advance.

  A plurality of electric wires 3 having the above-described configuration are bundled and a connector or the like is attached to an end portion or the like to constitute the above-described wire harness. The connector is connected to a connector of various electronic devices such as an automobile, and the wire harness, that is, the electric wire 3 transmits various signals and electric power to each electronic device.

  Moreover, the electric wires 3 can be identified by changing the color B of each point 7 of the mark 6 described above into various colors. In the illustrated example, the color B of all the points 7 is made the same, but the color B may be changed for each point 7 to make the color B different between the points 7 as necessary. The color B of each point 7 of the mark 6 is used for identifying the line type and system (system) of the electric wire 3 of the wire harness. That is, the color B of each point 7 of the mark 6 described above is used to identify the line type and purpose of use of each electric wire 3 of the wire harness.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coloring device 1 includes a frame 10, a guide roll 11, a delivery roll 12, a correction unit 13, a slack absorption unit 14, a chemical solution discharge unit 15, a duct 16, and an encoder 17. The cutting mechanism 18 and the control device 19 are provided.

  The frame 10 is installed on a floor of a factory or the like. The frame 10 extends in the horizontal direction. The guide roll 11 is rotatably attached to one end of the frame 10. The guide roll 11 is wound with an electric wire 3 that is long and has no mark 6 formed thereon. The guide roll 11 sends the electric wire 3 in order to the correction unit 13, the slack absorbing unit 14, the chemical solution discharging unit 15, the duct 16, the encoder 17, and the cutting mechanism 18.

  A pair of delivery rolls 12 is provided at the other end of the frame 10. The pair of delivery rolls 12 are rotatably supported by the frame 10 and are arranged along the vertical direction. The delivery roll 12 is rotated at the same rotational speed in opposite directions by a motor (not shown). The pair of delivery rolls 12 sandwich the electric wire 3 between each other and pull the guide roll 11 along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3.

  The delivery roll 12 forms a pulling means that pulls and moves the electric wire 3 along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3. Thus, the delivery roll 12 moves the electric wire 3 along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3, thereby causing the coloring nozzle 31 (described later) of the chemical solution discharge unit 15 and the electric wire 3 to move along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3. Move relative. For this reason, the electric wire 3 moves along the arrow K in FIG. 1 from the guide roll 11 toward the delivery roll 12. An arrow K indicates the moving direction of the electric wire 3.

  The correction unit 13 is provided on the delivery roll 12 side of the guide roll 11, and is provided between the guide roll 11 and the delivery roll 12. That is, the correction unit 13 is provided on the downstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the guide roll 11, and is provided on the upstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the delivery roll 12. The correction unit 13 includes a plate-like unit main body 20, a plurality of first rollers 21, and a plurality of second rollers 22. The unit main body 20 is fixed to the frame 10.

  The first and second rollers 21 and 22 are respectively rotatably supported by the unit body 20. The plurality of first rollers 21 are arranged along the horizontal direction (the movement direction K described above) and are arranged above the electric wires 3. The plurality of second rollers 22 are arranged along the horizontal direction (the moving direction K described above) and are arranged below the electric wires 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the first roller 21 and the second roller 22 are arranged in a staggered manner.

  The correction unit 13 sandwiches the electric wire 3 fed from the guide roll 11 by the feed roll 12 between the first roller 21 and the second roller 22. And the correction unit 13 makes the electric wire 3 linear. Further, the correction unit 13 applies a frictional force to the electric wire 3 by being sandwiched between the first roller 21 and the second roller 22.

  That is, the correction unit 13 applies a first biasing force H <b> 1 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the feed roll 12 pulls the electric wire 3 (the movement direction K described above) to the electric wire 3. The first urging force H1 is weaker than the force with which the feed roll 12 pulls the electric wire 3. For this reason, the correction unit 13 applies tension along the longitudinal direction to the electric wire 3.

  The slack absorbing unit 14 is provided on the delivery roll 12 side of the correction unit 13, and is provided between the correction unit 13 and the delivery roll 12. That is, the slack absorbing unit 14 is provided on the downstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the correction unit 13, and is provided on the upstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the delivery roll 12. The slack absorbing unit 14 is provided between the correction unit 13 and a coloring nozzle 31 described later of the chemical solution discharge unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the slack absorbing unit 14 includes a pair of guide roller support frames 23, a pair of guide rollers 24, a moving roller support frame 25, a moving roller 26, and an air cylinder 27. The guide roller support frame 23 is fixed to the frame 10. The guide roller support frame 23 is erected upward from the frame 10. The pair of guide roller support frames 23 are arranged along the moving direction K of the electric wire 3 with a space therebetween.

  The pair of guide rollers 24 is rotatably supported by the guide roller support frame 23. The guide roller 24 is arranged below the electric wire 3 and guides the electric wire 3 so that the electric wire 3 does not fall out from the moving direction K by contacting the outer peripheral surface with the electric wire 3. For this reason, the guide roller 24 guides the moving direction K of the electric wire 3.

  The moving roller support frame 25 is fixed to the frame 10. The moving roller support frame 25 is erected upward from the frame 10. The moving roller support frame 25 is provided between the pair of guide roller support frames 23.

  The moving roller 26 is rotatably supported by the moving roller support frame 25 and is supported so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The moving roller 26 is disposed above the electric wire 3. The moving roller 26 is supported so as to be movable along a direction orthogonal (crossing) to the moving direction K of the electric wire 3 by being supported so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The moving roller 26 is provided at the center between the guide rollers 24.

  The air cylinder 27 includes a cylinder body 28 and an extendable rod 29 that can be extended and retracted from the cylinder body 28. The cylinder body 28 is fixed to the moving roller support frame 25 and is disposed above the electric wire 3. The telescopic rod 29 extends downward from the cylinder body 28. That is, the telescopic rod 29 extends from the cylinder body 28 in a direction approaching the electric wire 3.

  A movable roller 26 is attached to the telescopic rod 29. The air cylinder 27 is supplied with pressurized gas into the cylinder body 28, thereby causing the telescopic rod 29, that is, the moving roller 26 to intersect (cross) the moving direction K with a second urging force H 2 (shown in FIG. 1). ) Urge downward along the direction. For this reason, the air cylinder 27 urges the moving roller 26 in a direction approaching the electric wire 3 with the second urging force H2. The second urging force H2 is weaker than the first urging force H1.

  When a later-described pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 of the cutting mechanism 18 approach each other and the electric wire 3 stops once to cut the electric wire 3, the electric wire 3 advances along the arrow K due to inertia. Is loosened between the pair of guide rollers 24. At this time, in the slack absorbing unit 14 configured as described above, since the air cylinder 27 urges the moving roller 26 with the second urging force H2, the telescopic rod 29 of the air cylinder 27 extends, and the moving roller 26 Is displaced to a position indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. Then, the slack absorbing unit 14 urges the wire 3 slackened between the above-described guide rollers 24 along a direction orthogonal (crosses) to the moving direction K, absorbs the slack, and stretches the wire 3. Keep on.

  The chemical solution discharge unit 15 is provided on the slack absorption unit 14 on the delivery roll 12 side, and is provided between the slack absorption unit 14 and the delivery roll 12. That is, the chemical solution discharge unit 15 is provided on the downstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the slack absorption unit 14, and is provided on the upstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the delivery roll 12. For this reason, the chemical solution discharge unit 15, that is, a coloring nozzle 31 to be described later, is disposed between the feed roll 12 and the correction unit 13.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the chemical liquid discharge unit 15 includes a unit main body 30, a plurality of coloring nozzles 31, a chemical liquid container 32, and a pressurized gas supply source 33 as a pressurized fluid supply source. The unit main body 30 is fixed to the frame 10. The unit main body 30 supports a plurality of coloring nozzles 31.

  The coloring nozzle 31 sprays liquid ink from a chemical solution container 32, which will be described later, on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 by a predetermined amount. The coloring nozzle 31 attaches droplets of the sprayed ink to the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, and colors (marks) at least a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the coloring nozzle 31 includes a cylindrical (tubular) nozzle body 34, an insert member 35 accommodated in the nozzle body 34, an inflow pipe 36, a nozzle tip 54, a valve And a mechanism 38.

  The insert member 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape (tubular shape), and a flow path 39 through which the colored ink for electric wires passes is formed inside. The flow path 39 is filled with ink supplied from a chemical solution container 32 described later. The inflow pipe 36 communicates with the flow path 39 and guides ink from the chemical liquid container 32 into the flow path 39.

  The nozzle tip 54 includes a first nozzle member 37, a second nozzle member 50, and a connection pipe 51. The first nozzle member 37 is formed in a cylindrical shape and communicates with the inside of the flow path 39, and guides the ink in the flow path 39 to the outside of the coloring nozzle 31. The inner diameter of the first nozzle member 37 is smaller than the inner diameter of the nozzle body 34, that is, the outer diameter of the flow path 39. The first nozzle member 37 is arranged coaxially with the nozzle body 34. The first nozzle member 37 is made of stainless steel.

  The second nozzle member 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The second nozzle member 50 is made of polyetheretherketone (hereinafter referred to as PEEK). The outer diameter of the second nozzle member 50 is equal to the outer diameter of the first nozzle member 37. As described above, the nozzle tip 54 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the ink flows inside and communicates with the insert member 35.

  Further, the inner diameter of the second nozzle member 50 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first nozzle member 37. The second nozzle member 50 is arranged coaxially with the first nozzle member 37 and is connected to the first nozzle member 37.

  The second nozzle member 50 is arranged closer to the electric wire 3 than the first nozzle member 37. Further, the space between the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50 is watertight. Ink flows through the second nozzle member 50 and the first nozzle member 37 along the axial center of the first nozzle member 37 and the like.

  For this reason, the end surface 50 a of the second nozzle member 50 near the first nozzle member 37 protrudes from the inner surface of the first nozzle member 37 toward the inside of the first nozzle member 37. Further, the end surface 50a is formed flat along a direction orthogonal (crossing) to the axis. The end surface 50 a has a step, and is formed between the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50.

  The connection pipe 51 is made of a fluororesin and has a cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the connection pipe 51 is substantially equal to the outer diameters of the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50. The connection pipe 51 is fitted to the outside of both the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50, and connects the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50. Further, the connection pipe 51 makes the second nozzle member 50 detachable from the first nozzle member 37.

  The valve mechanism 38 includes a coil 40, a valve body 41, and a coil spring 42. The coil 40 is provided outside the flow path 39 and is embedded in the insert member 35. A current is applied to the coil 40 from the outside. The valve main body 41 includes a conductive main body 43 and a valve body 44. The main body portion 43 is integrally provided with a cylindrical columnar portion 45 and a disk-shaped disc portion 46 connected to one end of the cylindrical portion 45.

  The main body 43 is accommodated in the flow path 39 with the disk portion 46 facing the proximal end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37 and the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 45 being parallel to the longitudinal direction of the nozzle body 34. Has been. The main body 43, that is, the valve main body 41 is provided so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 45, that is, the longitudinal direction of the nozzle main body 34.

  The valve body 44 is attached to the disc part 46 of the main body part 43. That is, the valve body 44 is accommodated in the insert member 35. The valve body 44 is opposed to the proximal end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37. Since the valve body 44 is attached to the disc portion 46 of the main body portion 43, the valve body 44 can be brought into contact with and separated from the base end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37. In addition, approaching / separating means approaching or leaving. Further, the base end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37 described above forms a base end portion located in the insert member 35 as a housing portion for the nozzle tip portion 54.

  When the valve body 44 comes into contact with the base end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37, the valve body 44 is kept watertight between the base end portion 37 a and the ink in the flow path 39 enters the first nozzle member 37. To prevent that. When the valve body 44 is separated from the base end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37, the ink passes through the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50 toward the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3. Allow to be sprayed.

  Thus, the valve body 44 contacts and separates from the base end portion 37a over the open position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 and the closed position indicated by the solid line in FIG. In the open position, the valve body 44 is separated from the proximal end portion 37 a and sprays ink toward the electric wire 3 through the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50. In the closed position, the valve body 44 comes into contact with the base end portion 37 a and restricts ink from being sprayed toward the electric wire 3 through the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50. The valve body 44 is brought into contact with and separated from the base end portion 37 a to cause ink to be ejected from the nozzle tip portion 54.

  The coil spring 42 urges the disc portion 46 in a direction in which the valve body 44 approaches the proximal end portion 37 a of the first nozzle member 37.

  The coloring nozzle 31 having the above-described configuration is attached to the unit main body 30. Further, when the coloring nozzles 31 are attached to the unit main body 30, a plurality of the coloring nozzles 31 are arranged along the moving direction K of the electric wires 3. In the illustrated example, the unit main body 30 has five colored nozzles 31 arranged along the moving direction K of the electric wire 3.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each coloring nozzle 31 is supported by the unit main body 30 in a state where the uppermost portion of the electric wire 3 is positioned on the extension of the axis of the first nozzle member 37. The coloring nozzle 31 sprays ink along the axis. For this reason, the coloring nozzle 31 sprays a certain amount of ink toward the uppermost portion of the electric wire 3.

  The chemical solution container 32 is provided corresponding to each of the coloring nozzles 31. In the illustrated example, the chemical liquid container 32 and the coloring nozzle 31 correspond one-to-one. The chemical liquid container 32 encloses the ink described above.

  A pressurized fluid supply pipe 58 and a chemical liquid discharge pipe 59 are attached to the chemical liquid container 32. A pressurized gas as a pressurized fluid is supplied to the pressurized fluid supply pipe 58 from the pressurized gas supply source 33. Further, a valve 62 is provided between the pressurized fluid supply pipe 58 and the pressurized gas supply source 33. When the valve 62 is opened, the pressurized gas is supplied into the chemical liquid container 32, and when the valve 62 is closed, the supply of the pressurized gas into the chemical liquid container 32 is stopped.

  The chemical liquid discharge pipe 59 is connected to the inflow pipe 36 of the coloring nozzle 31. When a pressurized gas as a pressurized fluid is supplied into the chemical liquid container 32, the chemical liquid discharge pipe 59 discharges ink in the chemical liquid container 32 toward the inflow pipe 36, that is, the coloring nozzle 31. . That is, the chemical liquid discharge pipe 59 is for discharging ink in the chemical liquid container 32.

  The pressurized gas supply source 33 is connected to a pressurized fluid supply pipe 58 of the chemical liquid container 32 via a valve 62. The pressurized gas supply source 33 supplies a pressurized gas as a pressurized fluid into the chemical liquid container 32 through the valve 62 and the pressurized fluid supply pipe 58. The pressurized gas supply source 33 may be provided corresponding to the plurality of chemical liquid containers 32, and supply pressurized gas to the corresponding chemical liquid containers 32.

  In the chemical solution discharge unit 15 having the above-described configuration, the valve 62 is opened based on a command from the control device 19, and the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply source 33 is supplied into each chemical solution container 32. The Then, in the chemical solution discharge unit 15, the inside of the chemical solution container 32 is maintained at a predetermined pressure according to a command from the control device 19. Then, the ink in each chemical solution container 32 is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31.

  And the chemical | medical solution discharge unit 15 of the structure mentioned above is applied to the coil 40 of arbitrary coloring nozzles 31 based on the command from the control apparatus 19, and the valve body 44 mentioned later is the base end part of the 1st nozzle member 37. Leave 37a. And the chemical | medical solution discharge unit 15 sprays the ink in the flow path 39 of arbitrary coloring nozzles 31 toward the electric wire 3 by fixed amount.

  The ink described above is a liquid material in which a color material (industrial organic material) is dissolved and dispersed in water or other solvent. Examples of organic substances include dyes and pigments (mostly organic materials and synthetic products) as coloring materials, and sometimes dyes are used as pigments and pigments are used as dyes. As a more specific example, the ink is a colored liquid or paint. A detailed description of this ink will be given later.

  The coloring liquid indicates that the dye is dissolved or dispersed in the solvent, and the paint indicates that the pigment is dispersed in the solvent. For this reason, when the coloring liquid adheres to the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3, the dye penetrates into the covering portion 5, and when the paint adheres to the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3, the pigment does not penetrate into the outer covering portion 5. Adhere to 3a.

  That is, the chemical discharge unit 15 dyes a part of the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3 with a dye or applies a pigment to the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3. For this reason, coloring the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 means dyeing (dying) a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 and applying a pigment to a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. Show.

  Further, the solvent is preferably a solvent having affinity with the synthetic resin constituting the covering portion 5. In this case, the dye is surely soaked into the covering portion 5, and the pigment is securely adhered to the outer surface 3a.

  Furthermore, the above-described droplet ejection indicates that liquid ink is urged and ejected from the coloring nozzle 31 toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 in a droplet state, that is, a droplet state.

  The duct 16 is provided on the delivery roll 12 side of the chemical solution discharge unit 15, and is provided between the chemical solution discharge unit 15 and the delivery roll 12. That is, the duct 16 is provided on the downstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the chemical solution discharge unit 15, and is provided on the upstream side in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3 from the delivery roll 12. The duct 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape and allows the electric wire 3 to pass inside. A suction means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump is connected to the duct 16. The suction means sucks the gas in the duct 16 to prevent the solvent or the like in the colored ink for electric wires from being filled outside the coloring device 1.

  The encoder 17 is provided downstream of the feed roll 12 in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the encoder 17 includes a pair of rotors 47. The rotor 47 is supported so as to be rotatable around the axis. The outer peripheral surface of the rotor 47 is in contact with the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3 sandwiched between the pair of delivery rolls 12. The rotor 47 rotates as the core wire 4, that is, the electric wire 3 travels (moves) along the arrow K. That is, the rotor 47 rotates around the axial core as the core wire 4, that is, the electric wire 3 travels (moves) along the arrow K. Of course, the travel (movement) amount of the core wire 4, that is, the electric wire 3 along the arrow K is proportional to the rotational speed of the rotor 47.

  The encoder 17 is connected to the control device 19. The encoder 17 outputs a pulse signal to the control device 19 when the rotor 47 rotates by a predetermined angle. That is, the encoder 17 outputs information corresponding to the amount of movement of the electric wire 3 along the arrow K toward the control device 19.

  Thus, the encoder 17 measures information according to the amount of movement of the electric wire 3 and outputs information according to the amount of movement of the electric wire 3 toward the control device 19. The normal encoder 17 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the amount of movement of the electric wire 3 due to the friction between the electric wire 3 and the rotor 47. However, when the amount of movement and the number of pulses do not necessarily match depending on the state of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, speed information may be obtained at another location, the information may be fed back, and a comparison operation may be performed.

  The cutting mechanism 18 is disposed downstream of the pair of rotors 47 of the encoder 17 in the movement direction K of the electric wire 3. The cutting mechanism 18 includes a pair of cutting blades 48 and 49. The pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 are arranged along the vertical direction. The pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 approach or separate from each other along the vertical direction. When the pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 come close to each other, the electric wire 3 fed by the pair of feeding rolls 12 is sandwiched between each other and cut. When the pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 are separated from each other, of course, they are separated from the electric wire 3.

  The control device 19 is a computer including a known RAM, ROM, CPU, and the like. The control device 19 is connected to the feed roll 12, the encoder 17, the cutting mechanism 18, the coloring nozzle 31, that is, the chemical solution discharge unit 15, and the like. By controlling these operations, the entire coloring device 1 is controlled. I control.

  The control device 19 stores a pattern of the mark 6 in advance. The control device 19 opens and closes (controls) the valve 62 so that the pressure in the chemical solution container 32 can press the ink in the chemical solution container 32 without damaging the chemical solution container 32. Keep pressure. When a predetermined pulse signal, that is, information corresponding to the amount of movement of the electric wire 3 is input from the encoder 17, the control device 19 applies a predetermined time to the coil 40 of the coloring nozzle 31 for a predetermined time. A predetermined amount of ink is sprayed toward the electric wire 3 at a time. The control device 19 shortens the time interval for spraying ink from the colored nozzle 31 when the moving speed of the electric wire 3 increases according to the pattern of the mark 6 stored in advance, and from the colored nozzle 31 when the moving speed of the electric wire 3 decreases. Increase the time interval between ink drops. Thus, the control device 19 colors the electric wire 3 according to a previously stored pattern. The control device 19 causes the colored nozzles 31 to eject ink by a predetermined amount based on the movement amount of the electric wire 3 measured by the encoder 17.

  Moreover, if the control apparatus 19 determines with the information from the encoder 17 that the electric wire 3 moved a predetermined amount, after stopping the sending roll 12, the pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 are brought close to each other to cut the electric wire 3.

  When forming the mark 6 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 with the coloring apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, that is, when coloring the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, the guide roll 11 is first attached to the frame 10. The pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 are separated from each other, and the electric wire 3 wound around the guide roll 11 is sequentially passed through the correction unit 13, the slack absorbing unit 14, the chemical solution discharge unit 15, and the duct 16, and the pair of delivery rolls 12. Put in between.

  Further, a pressurized fluid supply pipe 58 and a chemical liquid discharge pipe 59 are attached to a chemical liquid container 32 in which ink of a predetermined color is sealed, and these are connected to the pressurized gas supply source 33 and the coloring nozzle 31. And the coloring nozzle 31 is attached to the predetermined location of the unit main body 30 of the chemical | medical solution discharge unit 15. FIG. Thereafter, the valve 62 is opened, and the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply source 33 is supplied into each chemical solution container 32. Then, the ink in each chemical solution container 32 is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31.

  Then, the feed roll 12 is driven to rotate, the electric wire 3 is pulled from the guide roll 11 and moved along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3, and the frictional force of the first urging force H1 is applied to the electric wire 3 by the correction unit 13. And the electric wire 3 is stretched. The moving roller 26, that is, the electric wire 3 is urged by the air cylinder 27 with the second urging force H2.

  When a pulse signal in a predetermined order is input from the encoder 17 to the control device 19, the control device 19 applies a predetermined time to the coil 40 of the coloring nozzle 31 at predetermined intervals. Then, the coloring nozzle 31 sprays ink toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 by a certain amount.

  And the solvent mentioned above evaporates from the ink adhering to the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, and dyes the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 with a dye, or applies a pigment to the outer surface 3a. The solvent evaporated from the ink adhering to the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3 is sucked into the suction means from the duct 16. Thus, the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is colored.

  When the control device 19 determines that the electric wire 3 having a predetermined length has been sent out based on information from the encoder 17 or the like, the control device 19 stops the sending roll 12. Then, in particular, the electric wire 3 is loosened between the pair of guide rollers 24 of the slack absorbing unit 14, and the moving roller 26 urged by the second urging force H2 is displaced to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. . Then, the telescopic rod 29 of the air cylinder 27 of the slack absorbing unit 14 extends. The slack absorbing unit 14 absorbs slack in the electric wire 3.

  Then, the pair of cutting blades 48 and 49 approach each other, and the electric wire 3 is sandwiched between the cutting blades 48 and 49 and cut. In this way, the electric wire 3 in which the mark 6 is formed on the outer surface 3a shown in FIG. 4 and the like is obtained.

  In the ink described above, 5 parts by weight or more and 15 parts by weight or less of ethylene glycol (ethylene glycol: 1,2-ethanediol) is added to 100 parts by weight of the ink main component containing a solvent, an acrylic resin, and a coloring material. It is a blend.

  The ink main agent referred to in the present invention is, for example, a mixture of 96 parts by weight of a solvent, 3 parts by weight of an acrylic resin, and 1 part by weight of a coloring material. The solvent is used in consideration of the solubility, volatility, handleability, etc. of the acrylic resin component, and ketones (organic solvents) are used to satisfy these. Specifically, ketones such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone are used. Further, as the solvent, a solvent in which an easily volatile solvent such as highly volatile alcohols such as methanol and ethanol is mixed with the ketones may be used.

  The coloring material may be a coloring component that can be blended in the inkjet ink, and a pigment, a dye, or an intermediate coloring material thereof is used. The content may be a concentration at which clear marking can be performed on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 when the droplet is sprayed on the outer surface of the electric wire 3, and the concentration at which the droplet can be applied.

  Specifically, a pigment that is uniformly dispersed in the acrylic resin solvent and that does not clog the second nozzle member 50 can be appropriately selected and used. Examples of the dye include yellow oil-based oil yellow 129 (CI Solvent Yellow 29) and oil yellow 3G (CI Solvent Yellow 16), and red-colored oil red 513 (CI Solvent Yellow 16). Red 27), oil red RR (CI Solvent Red 24) and the like. Oil blue 2N (C.I. Solvent Blue 35) and Fast Blue 1605 (C.I. Solvent Blue 38) are used in blue, and Oil Black HBB (C.I. Solvent Black 8) and Oil Black BS (C I. Solvent Black 7) and the like are available from Orient Chemical Industries, Ltd.

  Here, when the color of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is dark, it is desirable to use a pigment or a coloring material having an intermediate character between the pigment and the dye as the coloring material. When the color is white or light, it can be suitably used even if it is a dye as a color material.

  As the acrylic resin, polymethyl methacrylate, polymethyl acrylate and a modified product thereof can be used, and these are selected and used, but two or more kinds may be used in combination.

  In addition, as the acrylic resin in the ink of the present invention, an acrylic resin in which a rubber component, which is a flexible component that enhances the fastness of marking, can be used in advance, and such an acrylic resin can be obtained from Asahi Kasei Corporation. It is.

  In addition to the above-mentioned solvent, acrylic resin, and color material, the ink of the present invention contains an appropriate amount of a dispersant that improves the dispersibility of a dispersion component such as a pigment, and a viscosity modifier that adjusts the viscosity. May be.

  The ink of the present invention is obtained by stirring, mixing and dissolving / dispersing the above-mentioned raw materials so as to be uniform. At that time, an appropriate liquid is obtained from the second nozzle member 50 (inner diameter: 0.03 to 0.1 mm). The amount of droplets (10 to 100 nL) is adjusted to the viscosity range to be discharged. Such a viscosity range (at the operating temperature) is 0.3 mPa · s or more and 2.0 mPa · s or less, and the surface tension range is 20 mN / m or more and 30 mN / m or less. Further, the blending amount of the coloring material needs to be equal to or higher than a concentration at which sufficient visibility can be obtained.

  According to this embodiment, since 2 parts by weight or more and 10 parts by weight or less of ethylene glycol is blended with 100 parts by weight of the ink main agent, the drying speed of the ink can be slightly delayed. The ink that is temporarily stopped and remains in the second nozzle member 50 of the coloring apparatus 1 is prevented from being solidified by contact with the outside air. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second nozzle member 50 from being clogged. As described above, since the second nozzle member 50 can be prevented from being clogged, ink can be reliably sprayed toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 by a certain amount.

  Further, since the ink can be prevented from adhering to the end surface 50b (shown in FIG. 3) exposed to the outside air of the second nozzle member 50, the ink adhering to the end surface 50b or the like is sprayed on the ink. Can be prevented. Therefore, ink can be reliably sprayed toward a desired position on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a design defect from occurring on the outer surface 3 a of the electric wire 3.

  Next, the inventors of the present invention provide an ink main component not containing ethylene glycol, and ethylene glycol with 1 part by weight, 2 parts by weight, 5 parts by weight, 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the ink main part. The ink obtained by blending parts by weight, 20 parts by weight, and 30 parts by weight is used in the coloring apparatus 1 described above, and the nozzle 31 is clogged and has good or poor dropability when sprayed toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. It was confirmed. The results are shown in Table 1.

  In the experiment whose results are shown in Table 1, 96 parts by weight of acetone having a purity of 99% or more as a solvent, 3 parts by weight of acrylic resin (PMMA), and an oil-soluble dye as a coloring material were used as the ink main agent. 1 part by weight was used, and the ink had a viscosity of 0.3 mPa · S to 2.0 mPa · S and a surface tension of about 30 mNm. Moreover, in the experiment whose results are shown in Table 1, using the coloring device 1 using the second nozzle member 50 having an inner diameter of 0.065 mm, the electric wire 3 (outer diameter: 1) whose covering portion 5 is made of polypropylene. .4 mm, appearance color: white) while moving in the length direction, marking was performed so that the film thickness after drying was about 10 μm, and the droplet ejection property of the second nozzle member 50 at that time was confirmed. Further, after the operation of the coloring apparatus 1 was stopped for 4 hours, it was restarted and the electric wire 3 was marked, and the clogging property of the second nozzle member 50 at that time was confirmed.

  In Table 1, the drop emissivity is ◯, which indicates a case where the ink spray amount is sufficient. In Table 1, “Δ” indicates that the amount of ink spray is small, but the marking portion (the point 7 described above) can be identified. In Table 1, the drop emissivity is x, indicating that the amount of ink spray is small and the marking portion (the point 7 described above) cannot be identified.

  The clogging property in Table 1 indicates that the ink can be satisfactorily sprayed without cleaning the second nozzle member 50 even if the operation of the coloring apparatus 1 is stopped for 4 hours. In Table 1, the clogging property is Δ, which indicates a case where ink can be sprayed but cannot be sprayed perpendicularly to the electric wire 3. The clogging property in Table 1 indicates that the second nozzle member 50 is clogged and ink cannot be sprayed.

  According to Table 1, it has been clarified that there is a problem in the clogging property of the second nozzle member 50 in the case of the ink containing no ethylene glycol and the ink containing less than 2 parts by weight of ethylene glycol. .

  According to Table 1, it has been clarified that there is a problem in the droplet ejection property of the second nozzle member 50 in the case where the amount of ethylene glycol is greater than 10 parts by weight.

  Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention conducted an environmental test assuming the transport state of the product of the present invention, and confirmed the stability of the ink of the product of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 2.

  Invention products 1 to 8 in Table 2 are 96 parts by weight of acetone containing 99% or more purity as a solvent, 3 parts by weight of acrylic resin (PMMA), and 1 part by weight of oil-soluble dye as a coloring material. 2 parts by weight of ethylene glycol is blended with 100 parts by weight of the ink main component, and the viscosity of the ink is 0.3 mPa · S to 2.0 mPa · S and the surface tension is about 30 mNm. Was used.

  In the experiment whose results are shown in Table 2, the products 1 to 8 of the present invention are put in a container, the temperature of the laboratory is appropriately changed between 1 to 27 ° C. during 130 hours, and the product 1 of the present invention is further changed during this period. Viscosity and density before and after the experiment were measured by applying vibration of ± 30 G (gravity acceleration) to the container containing ˜8.

  According to Table 2, there is almost no change in viscosity and density in any of the products 1 to 8 of the present invention (the third digit after the decimal point is an error of the measuring device), and the ink of the present invention is an electric wire coloring factory. It has become clear that it has the stability to withstand use in the factory and transport to the factory.

  In embodiment mentioned above, it has described regarding the electric wire 3 which comprises the wire harness routed to a motor vehicle. However, in the present invention, it is needless to say that the electric wire 3 may be used not only for automobiles but also for various electronic devices such as portable computers and various electric machines.

  In the embodiment described above, pressurized gas as a pressurized fluid is supplied into the chemical liquid container 32. However, in the present invention, it is needless to say that various fluids such as liquid as well as gas may be pressurized and supplied into the chemical liquid container 32.

  In the above-described embodiment, the coloring nozzle 31 provided with the valve mechanism 38 is shown. However, the nozzle described in the claims of the present invention may be formed in a simple cylinder or orifice without the valve mechanism 38.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50 are separated from each other. However, in the present invention, the first nozzle member 37 and the second nozzle member 50 may be integrated.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above only showed the typical form of this invention, and this invention is not limited to embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a side view which shows the structure of the coloring device of the electric wire provided with the chemical | medical solution discharge unit concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the chemical | medical solution discharge unit of the coloring device of the electric wire which follows the II-II line in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of each coloring nozzle of the chemical | medical solution discharge unit shown by FIG. (A) is a perspective view of the electric wire colored with the electric wire coloring apparatus shown by FIG. (B) is a top view of the electric wire shown by Fig.4 (a).

Explanation of symbols

3 Electric wire 3a Outer surface

Claims (1)

In the colored ink for electric wires that is sprayed onto the outer surface of the electric wire by a certain amount to color the outer surface of the electric wire,
A colored ink for electric wires, wherein 2 parts by weight or more and 10 parts by weight or less of ethylene glycol is blended with 100 parts by weight of an ink main component containing a solvent, an acrylic resin, and a coloring material.

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