JP2009184205A - Following type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a following type printer in which a print head can follow bending, waviness or distortion of a sheet material of a steel or the like. <P>SOLUTION: In this following type printer, by relatively moving the sheet material 5 in its longitudinal direction against the print head 10, characters and marks are printed on the side face of the sheet material 5. This printer includes a clamping mechanism 7 for clamping the sheet material 5 and the print head 10 moving up and down with the clamping mechanism 7. The clamping mechanism 7 clamps the sheet material 5 by an upper arm 11 having an upper face contacting part 11a which can come into contact with the upper face of the sheet material and a lower arm 12 having a lower face contacting part 12a which can come into contact with the lower face of the sheet material 5, and moves up and down by accompanying the displacement in the up and down direction of the sheet material 5 relatively moving in the longitudinal direction under a condition that the sheet material 5 is clamped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a follow-up type printing apparatus that prints characters and symbols on a side surface of a plate material by moving the plate material relative to the print head in the length direction thereof.

  For example, steel sheets rolled at steelworks are rust-prevented and painted on the painting line, and then stored in a stockyard until the next process. When steel plates are stacked, the steel type of the steel plates stacked below cannot be identified. For this reason, the identification mark which consists of a character and a symbol is printed on the side surface of a steel plate.

In a conventional printing apparatus, a print head is fixed and printing is performed while a steel plate is being conveyed. As shown in FIG. 9, the steel plate 1 is placed on the transport roller 2 and transported in the length direction thereof. The print head is fixed and installed at a position aiming at the side surface of the steel plate 1. An identification mark is printed on the side surface of the steel plate 1 by spraying paint from the print head 3 at the same timing while transporting the steel plate 1 in the length direction. A printer for printing on the side surface of this type of steel plate 1 is also disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.
JP 50-108339 A

  If the steel plate is flat and not bent, and the distance between the steel plate and the printing device can be kept constant, the identification mark can be accurately printed on the steel plate as shown in FIG. However, the steel sheet is bent, waved or distorted due to the nature of being rolled. When the steel plate is bent, swelled, or distorted, as shown in FIG. 10B, a phenomenon that half of the characters printed on the side surface of the steel plate may be lost.

  Further, the steel plate may be transported obliquely (with the end surface of the steel plate tilted with respect to the steel plate transport direction). In this case, with the movement of the steel plate, the distance between the print head and the side surface of the steel plate changes. When this happens, the printed identification mark becomes blurred.

  Therefore, the present invention allows the print head to follow the bending, undulation or distortion of a plate material such as a steel plate, and keeps the distance between the side surface of the plate material and the print head constant even when the plate material is conveyed obliquely. It is an object of the present invention to provide a follow-up type printing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a follow-up type printing in which characters and symbols are printed on the side surface of a plate material by moving the plate material relative to the print head in the length direction. The apparatus clamps the plate with an upper arm having an upper surface abutting portion that can be in contact with the upper surface of the plate material and a lower arm having a lower surface contact portion that can be in contact with the lower surface of the plate material. A follow-up type printing apparatus comprising: a clamp mechanism that moves up and down with a displacement in a vertical direction of a plate material that moves relatively in a length direction; and a print head that moves up and down together with the clamp mechanism.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the follow-up type printing apparatus according to the first aspect, the follow-up type printing apparatus has a side contact portion that can contact the side surface of the plate material, and is relatively in the length direction. When the moving plate is displaced in the width direction, the plate is provided with a traversing mechanism that can keep the side contact portion pressed against the side of the plate, and the print head keeps the distance from the side of the plate constant. It is provided in the traversing mechanism so that it is possible.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the follow-up type printing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the clamp mechanism includes a clamp cylinder that connects the upper arm and the lower arm so as to be openable and closable, And a guide portion for guiding the lower arm to slide in the up-down direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the follow-up type printing apparatus according to the second aspect, the traversing mechanism includes a traversing cylinder that presses the side surface abutting portion against a side surface of the plate, and is relative to the length direction. When the plate material moving in the width direction is displaced in the width direction, the rod of the traversing cylinder is lengthened or contracted, so that the state where the side surface contact portion is pressed against the side surface of the plate material can be maintained. And

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the follow-up type printing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the upper surface contact portion and the lower surface contact portion relatively move in the length direction. It is a bearing that sometimes rolls on the surface of a plate material.

  The invention according to claim 6 is a follow-up type printing apparatus that prints characters and symbols on the side surface of the plate material by moving the plate material relative to the print head in the length direction thereof. A lateral surface that has a side surface contact portion that can contact the surface of the plate material, and can keep the side surface contact portion pressed against the side surface of the plate material when the plate material that moves relatively in the length direction is displaced in the width direction. And a print head provided in the traversing mechanism so that the distance between the mechanism and a side surface of the plate can be kept constant.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the follow-up type printing apparatus according to the second or sixth aspect, the side surface contact portion rolls on the surface of the plate material when the plate material relatively moves in the length direction. It is a roller.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, even when the plate material is bent, the clamp mechanism moves up and down with the plate material clamped, and therefore can follow the bending of the plate material. In addition, since the plate material is clamped from both the upper surface side and the lower surface side, the variation in the thickness of the plate material and the displacement of the plate material in the vertical direction can be reliably followed as compared with the case where the contact portion is contacted from only one side. Can do.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the plate material moves obliquely, the distance between the print head and the side surface of the plate material can be kept constant.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the plate material can be clamped by the upper arm and the lower arm, and the clamped upper arm and lower arm can move up and down.

  According to invention of Claim 4, the state which pressed the side surface contact part on the side surface of the board | plate material can be maintained.

  According to invention of Claim 5, when a board | plate material moves to a length direction with respect to a clamp mechanism, it can prevent that the mark is attached to the surface of a board | plate material.

According to the invention described in claim 6, even if the plate material moves obliquely, the distance between the print head and the side surface of the plate material can be kept constant.

  According to invention of Claim 7, when a board | plate material moves to a length direction with respect to a transverse mechanism, it can prevent that a symptom attaches to the side surface of a board | plate material.

  A follow-up type printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a front view of the follow-up type printing apparatus as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction of a steel plate as a plate material, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the follow-up type print apparatus as seen from the steel plate side (as viewed from the arrow II in FIG. Indicates.

As shown in FIG. 1, a follow-up type printer 6 is disposed on the side of the steel plate 5 conveyed by the conveying roller 4. The follow-up type printing apparatus 6 includes a clamp mechanism 7 that clamps the conveyed steel plate 5 from above and below, and a traversing mechanism 8 that presses the print head 10 against the side surface of the steel plate 5.

  The clamp mechanism 7 and the traversing mechanism 8 are installed on the frame 9. The clamp mechanism 7 includes an upper arm 11 disposed on the upper surface side of the steel plate 5 and a lower arm 12 disposed on the lower surface side of the steel plate 5. As shown in FIG. 2, a track rail 13 extending in the vertical direction is fixed to the frame 9. The upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 are attached to a linear motion guide 15 including a track rail 13 as a guide portion so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The traversing mechanism 8 is attached to the lower arm 12 of the clamping mechanism 7. A control panel 14 for controlling the clamp mechanism 7, the traversing mechanism 8 and the print head 10 is attached to the frame 9.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the clamping mechanism 7 and the traversing mechanism 8. In the figure, (a) is a plan view of the lower arm 12 and the traversing mechanism 8, (b) is a front view of the clamp mechanism 7 and the traversing mechanism 8, and (c) is a side view of the clamp mechanism 7 and the traversing mechanism 8. Indicates.

  The upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 project from the track rail 13 toward the steel plate 5 in the shape of scissors. The upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 are formed in a symmetrical shape with the steel plate 5 as the center line. A bearing 11 a that can contact the upper surface of the steel plate 5 is provided at the tip of the upper arm 11 as an upper surface contact portion. A bearing 12 a that can contact the lower surface of the steel plate 5 is provided at the tip of the lower arm 12 as a lower surface contact portion. These bearings 11a and 12a roll in accordance with the movement of the steel plate 5 when the clamped steel plate 5 is conveyed in the length direction. The bearings 11a and 12a are preferably molded with a resin having hardness such as urethane. If it is an iron bearing, the steel plate 5 may be marked, and if it is a soft resin, the stability will deteriorate when clamped.

Two moving blocks 17 and 18 are slidably assembled to the track rail 13 up and down. The upper arm 11 is attached to the upper moving block 17, and the lower arm 12 is attached to the lower moving block 18. The upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 are connected by a clamping cylinder 19 so as to be opened and closed. The main body 19 a of the clamping cylinder 19 is attached to the lower arm 12, and the rod 19 b is attached to the upper arm 11. When the clamping cylinder 19 is operated, the upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 approach or separate from each other. A stopper 20 is fixed to the track rail 13. The stopper 20 is in contact with the lower moving block 18 and supports the weight of the clamp mechanism 7.

  A traverse mechanism 8 is attached to the lower arm 12. The traversing mechanism 8 includes a base 21 that is elongated in the horizontal direction, and a traversing cylinder 22 that is pivotally connected to the base 21 at one end. The print head 10 is connected to the rod 22 a of the traversing cylinder 22. As the rod 22a of the traversing cylinder 22 expands or contracts, the print head 10 approaches or separates from the side surface of the steel plate 5. The linear movement of the print head 10 toward the steel plate 5 is guided by the linear guide 23 on the base 21. On both the left and right sides of the print head 10, a pair of rollers 24 that are side abutting portions that can contact the side surface of the steel plate 5 are provided. The pair of rollers 24 rolls on the side surface of the steel plate 5 while being in contact with the steel plate 5. The material of the roller 24 is preferably a resin having hardness such as urethane like the bearings 11a and 11b.

  The print head 10 is an ink jet printer that performs printing by spraying paint from a nozzle without touching the steel plate 5. Characters and symbols can be printed on the side surfaces of the steel plate 5 by spraying the paint from the nozzles at the same timing on the relatively moving steel plate 5.

  Operations of the clamp mechanism 7 and the traversing mechanism 8 will be described. FIG. 3 shows a standby state before the steel plate 5 is conveyed. In the standby state, the clamping cylinder 19 is extended and the traversing cylinder 22 is contracted. Therefore, the upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 are separated from each other in the vertical direction, and the bearings 11 a and 12 a are not in contact with the steel plate 5. The print head 10 is separated from the side surface of the steel plate 5, and the roller 24 is not in contact with the steel plate 5.

  When the steel plate 5 passes through the clamping mechanism 7, the clamping cylinder 19 is contracted and the upper arm 11 is lowered as shown in FIG. When the clamping cylinder 19 is contracted, the distance between the upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 is decreased. Since the weights of the upper arm 11 and the lower arm 12 are supported by the stopper 20, the position of the lower arm 12 does not change, and only the upper arm 11 is lowered. As the upper arm 11 is lowered, the bearing 11 a attached to the upper arm 11 comes into contact with the upper surface of the steel plate 5.

  When the clamping cylinder 19 is further contracted, the lower arm 12 starts to rise as shown in FIG. Since the bearing 11a of the upper arm 11 is in contact with the upper surface of the steel plate 5, the position of the upper arm 11 does not change. As the lower arm 12 rises, the bearing 12 a attached to the lower arm 12 contacts the lower surface of the steel plate 5. Thereby, the clamping operation is completed. Even after the clamping operation is completed, the clamping cylinder 19 continues to generate a clamping force. With the steel plate 5 clamped, the clamp mechanism 7 is free and can slide up and down with respect to the track rail 13.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the traverse cylinder 22 is extended and the print head 10 is advanced toward the side surface of the steel plate 5. Thereby, the roller 24 contacts the side surface of the steel plate 5. Even after the roller 24 contacts the side surface of the steel plate 5, the traverse cylinder 22 continues to apply pressure to the roller 24. The force with which the roller 24 presses the side surface of the steel plate 5 is a small force that does not affect the conveyance of the steel plate 5. For this reason, when the end surface of the steel plate 5 comes to the print head 10 side, the rod 22a of the traversing cylinder 22 is contracted. When the side surface of the steel plate 5 is separated from the print head 10, the rod 22 a of the traversing cylinder 22 is extended and the roller 24 is kept in contact with the side surface of the steel plate 5 as long as there is a stroke. That is, the state where the roller 24 is pressed against the side surface of the steel plate 5 is maintained by the rod 22a of the traversing cylinder 22 becoming longer or contracting.

  As shown in FIG. 7, if the steel plate 5 is bent or undulated, the portion to be clamped of the steel plate 5 is displaced in the vertical direction as the steel plate 5 moves. Since the clamp mechanism 7 moves up and down as the steel plate 5 is displaced in the vertical direction, the clamp mechanism 7 can follow the bending and undulation of the steel plate 5. Since the print head 10 is attached to the lower arm 12 of the clamp mechanism 7, it moves up and down together with the clamp mechanism 7. Therefore, the identification mark can be printed at a fixed position from the lower surface with the lower surface side of the steel plate 5 as a reference.

Here, by clamping the steel plate 5 from the vertical direction, it becomes easier to follow the variation in the thickness of the steel plate 5 as compared with the case where the bearing is brought into contact with only one of the vertical directions. For example, even if the steel plate 5 becomes thicker in taper shape, the clamping cylinder 19 extends while applying pressure to the bearings 11a and 12a, so that it is possible to follow fluctuations in the thickness of the steel plate 5. In addition, by clamping the steel plate 5 from the vertical direction, it is possible to reliably follow the vertical displacement of the steel plate 5.

  As shown in FIG. 8, if the steel plate 5 is conveyed obliquely, the printing position on the side surface of the steel plate 5 is displaced in the width direction. It is a difficult task to convey the steel plate 5 straight. In FIG. 8, the state in which the steel plate 5 is conveyed obliquely is shown extremely, but the actual inclination is a little gentler. Even if the side surface of the steel plate 5 is displaced in the width direction, the traversing mechanism 8 presses the roller 24 against the side surface of the steel plate 5, so that the distance from the print head 10 to the side surface of the steel plate 5 can be kept constant. Therefore, the printing is not blurred.

  As described above, the steel plate 5 flowing through the line has various states. By causing the print head 10 to follow the movement of the steel plate 5, stable printing becomes possible. Moreover, since it is compact, there are few restrictions on installation space, and expansion to the other side can also be expected. For example, it can be used not only on the side surface of the steel plate 5 but also on the side surface printing of a plate-like material made of non-ferrous metal such as plastic or wood.

1 is a front view of a follow-up type printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. II view of FIG. Detailed views of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism ((a) in the figure shows a plan view of the lower arm and the traversing mechanism, (b) shows a front view of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism, and (c) shows the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism) (Shows side view) Operation diagram of the clamp mechanism ((a) shows a front view of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism, and (b) shows a side view of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism) Operation diagram of the clamp mechanism ((a) shows a front view of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism, and (b) shows a side view of the clamp mechanism and the traversing mechanism) Operation diagram of traversing mechanism ((a) in the figure shows a plan view of the traversing mechanism, (b) shows a front view of the traversing mechanism) Diagram showing the vertical tracking of the clamp mechanism Diagram showing traversing mechanism A perspective view showing a conventional printing apparatus Front view showing an identification mark printed on the side surface of the steel plate ((a) in the figure shows a state where printing is normally performed, (b) shows a state where printing is missing)

Explanation of symbols

4 ... Conveying roller 5 ... Steel plate (plate material)
6: Follow-up type printing device 7 ... Clamp mechanism 8 ... Traversing mechanism 10 ... Print head 11 ... Upper arm 12 ... Lower arm 11a ... Bearing (upper surface contact portion)
12a ... Bearing (lower surface contact part)
15 ... Linear motion guide (guide section)
19 ... Clamping cylinder 20 ... Stopper 22 ... Traversing cylinder 24 ... Roller (side contact portion)

Claims (7)

A follow-up type printing device that prints characters and symbols on the side of a plate by moving the plate in the length direction relative to the print head,
The plate material is clamped by the upper arm having an upper surface contact portion capable of contacting the upper surface of the plate material and the lower arm having the lower surface contact portion capable of contacting the lower surface of the plate material, and the plate material is clamped and relatively relative to the length direction. A clamp mechanism that moves up and down in accordance with the vertical displacement of the plate material that moves automatically,
A follow-up type printing apparatus comprising: a print head that moves up and down together with the clamp mechanism. The follow-up type printer is
Having a side contact portion that can contact the side surface of the plate material, and when the plate material that moves relatively in the length direction is displaced in the width direction, keep the side surface contact portion pressed against the side surface of the plate material. Equipped with a traversing mechanism that can
The follow-up type printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print head is provided in the traversing mechanism so that a distance from a side surface of the plate member can be kept constant. The clamping mechanism is
A clamping cylinder that connects the upper arm and the lower arm so as to be openable and closable;
The follow-up type printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide unit that guides the upper arm and the lower arm to slide in a vertical direction. The traversing mechanism includes a traversing cylinder that presses the side surface abutting portion against the side surface of the plate material,
When the plate material relatively moving in the length direction is displaced in the width direction, the rod of the traversing cylinder is lengthened or contracted so that the side surface contact portion is pressed against the side surface of the plate material. The tracking type printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the following type printing apparatus can be maintained.   The said upper surface contact part and the said lower surface contact part are bearings which roll on the surface of a board | plate material, when a board | plate material moves relatively to a length direction, The one of Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The follow-up type printing apparatus as described. A follow-up type printing device that prints characters and symbols on the side of a plate by moving the plate in the length direction relative to the print head,
Having a side contact portion that can contact the side surface of the plate material, and when the plate material that moves relatively in the length direction is displaced in the width direction, keep the side surface contact portion pressed against the side surface of the plate material. A traversing mechanism that can
A follow-up type printing apparatus comprising: a print head provided in the traversing mechanism so that a distance from a side surface of the plate material can be kept constant.   7. The follow-up type printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side surface contact portion is a roller that rolls on the surface of the plate material when the plate material relatively moves in the length direction.

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