JP2021041648A - Foil transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a foil transfer apparatus capable of adjusting force for pressing workpieces.SOLUTION: A foil transfer device according to the invention includes: a first head 80 which holds a foil transfer tool 120; a second head 90 which supports the first head 80 in a manner that the first head 80 can slide in a vertical direction; a head moving device 60 which moves the second head 90 in the vertical direction; a pressing force adjustment mechanism 200 fixed to the first head 80; an elastic member 100 which pushes the first head 80 downward relative to the second head 90; and a switch 110 which reacts when a vertical position of the first head 80 relative to the second head 90 is moved to a predetermined position. When the switch 110 reacts, lowering of the second head 90 is stopped. The pressing force adjustment mechanism 200 includes: a connection member 210 connected to the elastic member 100; and an adjustment part 220 which moves the vertical position of the connection member 210.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a foil transfer device.

Conventionally, a foil transfer device using a thermal transfer foil has been known. In the foil transfer by the foil transfer device, the thermal transfer foil is superposed on the object to be transferred, and the thermal transfer foil is heated while pressing the thermal transfer foil from above with the foil transfer tool. As a result, the image can be transferred to the surface of the object to be transferred. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a foil transfer device including an optical pen that irradiates a laser beam as a foil transfer tool.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-215599

As described above, in the foil transfer, the thermal transfer foil and the object to be transferred are pressed by the foil transfer tool. In a conventionally known foil transfer device, the pressing force of the foil transfer tool is predetermined. However, the pressing force of the foil transfer tool may have an appropriate value depending on the characteristics of the object to be transferred and the like. For example, if the pressing force of the foil transfer is small when the foil is transferred to the object to be transferred, which is soft but the surface is not smooth, the foil transfer may be performed only on the convex portion of the object to be transferred. On the contrary, for example, in the case of an object to be transferred, which tends to leave a trace of pressing, if the pressing pressure of the foil transfer tool is large, a trace of pressing may remain.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a foil transfer device capable of adjusting a force with which a foil transfer tool presses a work.

The foil transfer apparatus disclosed herein includes a support base that supports a work including a transfer object and a transfer foil, a foil transfer tool, and a first head that holds the foil transfer tool above the support base. A second head that slidably supports the first head in the vertical direction, a head moving device that moves the second head in the vertical direction, a pressing force adjusting mechanism fixed to the first head, and the above. A first connecting portion connected to the second head and a second connecting portion connected to the pressing force adjusting mechanism are provided, and the first head is lowered with respect to the second head via the pressing force adjusting mechanism. An elastic member that pushes down the head, a switch that reacts when the vertical position of the first head with respect to the second head reaches a predetermined position, a control device that controls the foil transfer tool and the head moving device, and the like. To be equipped. The control device controls the head moving device to move the second head downward, and presses the foil transfer tool against the work on the support base. The lowering stop portion that stops the movement of the second head when the first head moves upward with respect to the second head against the elastic force of the elastic member due to the movement of the two heads and the switch reacts. And have.
The pressing force adjusting mechanism fixes the connecting member connected to the second connecting portion of the elastic member and the first head and supports the connecting member, and moves the connecting member up and down with respect to the first head. It is equipped with an adjustment unit that is configured to be able to move the position in the direction.

According to the foil transfer device, the vertical position of the connecting member can be changed by operating the adjusting portion of the pressing force adjusting mechanism. Thereby, the length of the elastic member before the foil transfer tool presses the work can be changed. That is, if the position of the connecting member is raised, the elastic member is compressed, and if the position of the connecting member is lowered, the elastic member is stretched. When the elastic member is compressed by the pressing force adjusting mechanism, the elastic force that the elastic member pushes down the first head becomes large when the foil transfer tool presses the work and the switch reacts. When the elastic member is stretched by the pressing force adjusting mechanism, the elastic force that the elastic member pushes down the first head when the switch reacts becomes small. Since the lowering of the second head is stopped when the switch reacts, the elastic force of the elastic member when the switch reacts is the force that the foil transfer tool presses the work. Therefore, according to the foil transfer device, the force with which the foil transfer tool presses the work can be adjusted.

It is a perspective view which shows the foil transfer apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure around a head. It is a front view which shows typically the structure around a head. It is a block diagram of a foil transfer apparatus. It is a rear view of a head. It is a schematic vertical sectional view around a connecting member and a transmission part. It is a schematic right side view of the insertion hole. It is a schematic vertical sectional view of the regulation part.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to particularly limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts that perform the same action are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a foil transfer device 10 according to an embodiment. In the following description, left, right, top, and bottom mean left, right, top, and bottom when the user in front of the foil transfer device 10 looks at the foil transfer device 10. Further, the side where the user approaches the foil transfer device 10 is the rear side, and the side away from the foil transfer device 10 is the front side. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The foil transfer device 10 according to the present embodiment is placed on a plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis when the axes orthogonal to each other are the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. Here, the X-axis extends in the left-right direction. The Y-axis extends in the anteroposterior direction. The plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis is a horizontal plane here. The Z axis extends in the vertical direction. However, these are merely directions for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the foil transfer device 10 in any way.

As shown in FIG. 1, the foil transfer device 10 is formed in a box shape. The foil transfer device 10 includes a housing 11 that is open at the front and above. An opening / closing cover is provided at the opening of the housing 11, but the illustration is omitted here. In the internal space of the housing 11, a support base 15 for supporting the work W and a head 70 on which the foil transfer tool 120 is mounted are provided. The head 70 is mounted on a second moving unit 40 that moves in the X-axis direction, and is moved in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis direction moving device 60 that is also mounted on the second moving unit 40. The second moving unit 40 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis direction moving device 50. The second moving unit 40 and the X-axis direction moving device 50 are mounted on the first moving unit 20. The first moving unit 20 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis direction moving device 30. A laser oscillator 130 and a control device 150 are provided inside the wall surface of the foil transfer device 10 (see FIG. 4 for both).

The support base 15 is provided on the bottom surface of the internal space of the foil transfer device 10. The support base 15 is configured on a flat plate. The work W is placed on the upper surface of the support base 15. Here, the work W includes an object to be transferred W1, a thermal transfer foil W2, and a light absorbing film W3. However, the work W may include other than those, for example, a decorative film having irregularities formed on the surface. The transfer material W1, the thermal transfer foil W2, and the light absorption film W3 are stacked and used in this order from the bottom. Although not shown, a jig or the like for fixing the transferred object W1, the thermal transfer foil W2, and the light absorbing film W3 to the support base 15 so as not to move during the foil transfer may be used.

The material and shape constituting the transferred product W1 are not particularly limited. The transfer material W1 may be, for example, resins such as acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polycarbonate (PC), papers such as plain paper, drawing paper, and Japanese paper, and rubber. It may be a kind, leather, or the like.

The thermal transfer foil W2 is placed on top of the transferred object W1. The thermal transfer foil W2 is a foil that transfers an image to the surface of the transfer target W1 by being heated in close contact with the transfer target W1. Here, the thermal transfer foil W2 performs thermal transfer by the energy of light irradiated by the foil transfer tool 120. As the thermal transfer foil W2, for example, a transfer foil generally commercially available for thermal transfer can be used without particular limitation. In the thermal transfer foil W2, a base material, a decorative layer, and an adhesive layer are generally laminated in this order. The decorative layer in the thermal transfer foil W2 includes, for example, metallic foils such as gold leaf and silver foil, half metallic foils, pigment foils, multicolor printing foils, hologram foils, static electricity destruction countermeasure foils, and the like.

The light absorption film W3 is placed on top of the heat transfer foil W2. The light absorbing film W3 is a film that generates heat by receiving light emitted from the foil transfer tool 120. The light absorption film W3 efficiently absorbs light (laser light) in a predetermined wavelength band emitted from the foil transfer tool 120 and converts light energy into heat energy. The light absorption film W3 is made of a resin such as polyimide.

In the present embodiment, the light absorption film W3 and the heat transfer foil W2 are separate bodies, but they may be configured as one sheet. For example, a light absorption layer having the same function as the light absorption film W3 may be formed on the heat transfer foil W2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the Y-axis direction moving device 30 includes a pair of slide shafts 31, a wire 32, a pair of pulleys 33, and a Y-axis direction drive motor 34 (see FIG. 4). The pair of slide shafts 31 are provided inside the left wall and the right wall of the foil transfer device 10, respectively. The pair of slide shafts 31 extend in the Y-axis direction. The first moving unit 20 includes a pair of bushes (not shown) inserted into the pair of slide shafts 31 respectively. The first moving unit 20 is slidably engaged with the pair of slide shafts 31 in the Y-axis direction.

An endless wire 32 is fixed to the first moving unit 20. The wire 32 is wound around a pair of pulleys 33 provided apart in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis direction drive motor 34 is attached to one of the pulleys 33. When the Y-axis direction drive motor 34 is driven, the pulley 33 rotates and the wire 32 travels. As a result, the first moving unit 20 moves in the Y-axis direction along the pair of slide shafts 31. The Y-axis direction drive motor 34 is electrically connected to the control device 150 and is controlled by the control device 150.

The first moving unit 20 is equipped with a second moving unit 40 and an X-axis direction moving device 50. The X-axis direction moving device 50 moves the second moving unit 40 in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis direction moving device 50 includes a pair of slide shafts 51, a wire 52, a pair of pulleys 53 (only the pulley 53 on the right side is shown), and an X-axis direction drive motor 54 (see FIG. 4). ) And. The pair of slide shafts 51 extend in the X-axis direction. The second moving unit 40 includes a pair of bushes 41 (see FIG. 2) inserted into the pair of slide shafts 51, respectively. The second moving unit 40 is slidably engaged with the pair of slide shafts 51 in the X-axis direction. Similar to the Y-axis direction moving device 30, the X-axis direction moving device 50 transmits the driving force of the X-axis direction driving motor 54 to the second moving unit 40 via the pulley 53 and the wire 52. When the X-axis direction drive motor 54 is driven, the pulley 53 rotates and the wire 52 travels, so that the second moving unit 40 moves in the X-axis direction along the pair of slide shafts 51. The X-axis direction drive motor 54 is electrically connected to the control device 150 and is controlled by the control device 150.

The second moving unit 40 is equipped with a head 70 and a Z-axis direction moving device 60 for moving the head 70 in the Z-axis direction. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration around the head 70. In FIG. 2, members other than the head 70 and the Z-axis direction moving device 60 are basically omitted from the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, the Z-axis direction moving device 60 includes a pair of slide shafts 61, a trapezoidal screw 62, and a Z-axis direction drive motor 63. The pair of slide shafts 61 extend in the Z-axis direction. The pair of slide shafts 61 are provided side by side in the left-right direction. A head 70 is slidably engaged with the pair of slide shafts 61 in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the trapezoidal screw 62 extends in the Z-axis direction. The trapezoidal screw 62 is rotated by the Z-axis direction drive motor 63. The Z-axis direction drive motor 63 is arranged above the second moving unit 40. The Z-axis direction drive motor 63 is connected to the upper end of the trapezoidal screw 62. The lower end of the trapezoidal screw 62 meshes with the nut 91 of the second head 90.

FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the configuration around the head 70. Since some members cannot be seen in FIG. 2, the configuration of the head 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Note that FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the head 70, and does not reflect the actual shape, proportions, or the like of the head 70.

As shown in FIG. 3, the head 70 includes a first head 80, a second head 90, a spring 100, a switch 110, and a pressing pressure adjusting mechanism 200. The first head 80 holds the foil transfer tool 120 above the support base 15. The second head 90 slidably supports the first head 80 in the Z-axis direction. As described above, the second head 90 is moved in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis direction moving device 60.

The first head 80 is engaged with a pair of slide shafts 61. As shown in FIG. 3, the first head 80 includes a pair of bushes 81 inserted into a pair of slide shafts 61. However, the first head 80 does not include the pair of bushes 81, and may be engaged with the pair of slide shafts 61 by, for example, through holes. The first head 80 is configured to be movable in the Z-axis direction along the pair of slide shafts 61. A foil transfer tool holding portion 82 is provided in front of the pair of bushes 81 of the first head 80. The foil transfer tool holding unit 82 holds the foil transfer tool 120. The first head 80 further includes a switch bracket 83 for holding the switch 110. The switch bracket 83 is provided above and in front of the bush 81 on the left side. The switch bracket 83 is arranged to the left of the center line in the X-axis direction of the first head 80.

A switch 110 is attached to the switch bracket 83. The switch 110 is a limit switch here. As shown in FIG. 3, the switch 110 includes a switch body 111, a button 112, and an arm 113. The button 112 is provided near the lower end of the right side surface of the switch body 111. The button 112 projects to the right of the right side surface of the switch body 111. The switch 110 is configured to react when the button 112 is pressed to the left.

The arm 113 has a flat plate-shaped arm main body 113a extending diagonally to the lower right, and a tip portion 113b protruding to the right from the lower end of the arm main body 113a. The upper end of the arm body 113a is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the right side surface of the switch body 111. The arm 113 is configured to be rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise in the front view with the upper end of the arm body 113a as the center. When the tip 113b is pushed to the left, the arm 113 rotates clockwise in front view and pushes the button 112. The switch 110 is configured to react when the tip 113b of the arm 113 is pushed to the left.

The second head 90 includes a nut 91 that meshes with the trapezoidal screw 62, and a pair of bushes 92 that are inserted into the pair of slide shafts 61. However, the second head 90 does not include the pair of bushes 92, and may be engaged with the pair of slide shafts 61 by, for example, through holes. The nut 91 and the pair of bushes 92 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. The upper end of the nut 91 is a flange portion 91a that is larger than the other portions in a plan view. The second head 90 further includes a stopper 93 that restricts the downward movement of the first head 80 with respect to the second head 90. The first head 80 is engaged with the second head 90 by hitting the stopper 93 without falling off from the second head 90.

The second head 90 includes a pressing plate 94 that abuts on the tip 113b of the arm 113 of the switch 110. The pressing plate 94 is a flat plate-shaped member and extends in the Z-axis direction. The position of the pressing plate 94 in the Y-axis direction is the same as the position of the tip portion 113b of the arm 113 in the Y-axis direction. A tapered portion 94a is formed at the lower end of the pressing plate 94. When the foil transfer tool 120 does not press the work W, the tapered portion 94a is located to the right of the tip portion 113b of the arm 113, as shown in FIG. The left edge 94b of the pressing plate 94 excluding the tapered portion 94a is located above the tip portion 113b of the arm 113. The left edge 94b of the pressing plate 94 overlaps a part of the tip portion 113b in a plan view.

The spring 100 pushes the first head 80 downward with respect to the second head 90. A nut 91 of the second head 90 is inserted through the spring 100. The upper end of the spring 100 is connected to the second head 90. Specifically, the upper end of the spring 100 is in contact with the lower surface of the flange portion 91a of the nut 91. The phrase "the second head 90 and the spring 100 are connected" here means that they do not need to be fixed to each other and are in contact with each other due to the elastic force of the spring 100. Includes. Hereinafter, the same applies when the two members are said to be "connected". The second head 90 and the upper end of the spring 100 may be fixed.

The lower end of the spring 100 is supported by the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200. The position of the lower end of the spring 100 in the Z-axis direction is moved by the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200, and at any position, the spring 100 is compressed between the second head 90 and the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200. .. Therefore, the spring 100 pushes the first head 80 downward with respect to the second head 90 via the pushing pressure adjusting mechanism 200. The pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 is fixed to the first head 80. The configuration of the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 will be described later.

The foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W from above and irradiates the work W with laser light. The foil transfer tool 120 includes a laser head 121 and an optical path (not shown). The laser head 121 is detachably provided at the lower end of the foil transfer tool 120. The laser head 121 is made of a material that transmits laser light. The laser head 121 is made of, for example, hard glass. The laser head 121 is arranged below the head 70. Therefore, when the head 70 is moved downward by the Z-axis direction moving device 60, the laser head 121 comes into contact with the work W.

The laser light generated by the laser oscillator 130 (see FIG. 4) reaches the foil transfer tool 120 through an optical fiber (not shown). The laser beam reaches the laser head 121 through an optical path (not shown) in the foil transfer tool 120.

The operation of the foil transfer device 10 is controlled by the control device 150. The control device 150 is typically a computer. The control device 150 includes, for example, an interface (I / F) for receiving transfer data or the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) for executing instructions of a control program, and a program executed by the CPU. It is provided with a ROM for storing the program, a RAM used as a working area for deploying the program, and a storage device such as a memory for storing the program and various data.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the foil transfer device 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 150 is electrically connected to the Y-axis direction drive motor 34, the X-axis direction drive motor 54, the Z-axis direction drive motor 63, and the laser oscillator 130 to control their operations. ing. Further, the control device 150 is electrically connected to the switch 110 and receives a signal from the switch 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 150 includes a Y-axis direction movement control unit 151, an X-axis direction movement control unit 152, a Z-axis direction movement control unit 153, and a laser control unit 154.

The Y-axis direction movement control unit 151, the X-axis direction movement control unit 152, and the Z-axis direction movement control unit 153 are the Y-axis direction drive motor 34, the X-axis direction drive motor 54, and the Z-axis direction drive motor 63, respectively. It controls the operation. As a result, the head 70 and the foil transfer tool 120 held by the head 70 move three-dimensionally in the Y-axis direction, the X-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction.

The Z-axis direction movement control unit 153 includes a descent start unit 153a, a descent stop unit 153b, and an ascent control unit 153c. The lowering start portion 153a controls the Z-axis direction moving device 60 to move the second head 90 downward, and presses the foil transfer tool 120 against the work W on the support base 15. When the first head 80 moves upward with respect to the second head 90 against the elastic force of the spring 100 due to the movement of the second head 90 by the lowering start portion 153a, the lowering stop portion 153b reacts when the switch 110 reacts. The movement of the second head 90 is stopped. By controlling the lowering start portion 153a and the lowering stop portion 153b, the force with which the foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W is controlled to be equal to the elastic force of the spring 100 when the switch 110 reacts. The ascending control unit 153c controls the Z-axis direction moving device 60 to elevate the head 70, for example, when the foil transfer is completed or when the trajectory of the foil transfer is interrupted. The pressing force of the foil transfer tool 120 includes the weight of the first head 80 and its mounted object, but in the description of the present embodiment, the description of the weight of the first head 80 and its mounted object is described. Omit. For example, "the sum of the weight of the first head 80 and its load and the first force is equal to the pressing force of the foil transfer tool 120" states that "the first force is the pressing force of the foil transfer tool 120." "Equal".

The laser control unit 154 controls the laser oscillator 130 to irradiate or stop the laser beam. Further, the laser control unit 154 controls the output of the laser light. The foil transfer device 10 irradiates the work W with laser light while pressing the work W with the foil transfer tool 120. By pressing the work W with the foil transfer tool 120, the transferred object W1, the heat transfer foil W2, and the light absorbing film W3 are brought into close contact with each other. Further, by irradiating the light absorbing film W3 with laser light, the light absorbing film W3 generates heat. When the light absorption film W3 and the heat transfer foil W2 are in close contact with each other, the heat generated by the light absorption film W3 is conducted to the heat transfer foil W2. Further, when the heat transfer foil W2 and the transfer material W1 are in close contact with each other, the decorative layer of the heat transfer foil W2 is transferred to the surface of the transfer material W1. The foil transfer device 10 transfers an image to the transfer target W1 by performing foil transfer while moving the positions of the foil transfer tool 120 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

In controlling the force with which the foil transfer tool presses the work W, first, the second head 90 is lowered by the Z-axis direction moving device 60. As a result, the laser head 121 held at the lower end of the foil transfer tool 120 comes into contact with the work W. When the second head 90 is further lowered from here, the first head 80 moves upward with respect to the second head 90 against the elastic force of the spring 100 (actually, the vertical direction of the first head 80). The position of is unchanged, and only the second head 90 moves downward). At this time, the spring 100 is compressed more than before the laser head 121 abuts on the work W. The force with which the foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W is equal to the elastic force of the spring 100 at this time.

When the second head 90 is lowered, the switch 110 moves upward relative to the pressing plate 94. When the second head 90 descends and the tapered portion 94a of the pressing plate 94 moves below the tip portion 113b of the arm 113 of the switch 110, the tip portion 113b of the arm 113 is moved to the left by the left edge 94b of the pressing plate 94. Be pushed. As a result, the button 112 is pressed and the switch 110 reacts.

The foil transfer device 10 is set to stop the descent of the head 70 when the switch 110 reacts as described above. The foil transfer device 10 starts foil transfer from this state. The force with which the foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W during foil transfer is thus adjusted equally to the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time the switch 110 reacts.

The pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 is a mechanism for adjusting the force with which the foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W during foil transfer, in other words, the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time when the switch 110 reacts. In the present embodiment, the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 is configured so that the force with which the foil transfer tool 120 presses the work W during foil transfer (hereinafter, simply referred to as "pressing pressure for foil transfer") can be adjusted in three stages. Has been done. In the conventional foil transfer device, the pressing force for foil transfer is set in advance and cannot be adjusted by the user or the like. However, the appropriate value of the pressing force for foil transfer differs depending on the characteristics of the object to be transferred and the like. For example, when foil transfer is to be performed on a material such as leather, it is preferable that the pressing force of the foil transfer is set large. Since the leather is soft but the surface is not smooth, if the pressing force of the foil transfer when performing the foil transfer to the leather is small, the foil transfer may be performed only on the convex portion of the leather. On the contrary, for example, in the case of an object to be transferred, which tends to leave a trace of pressing, if the pressing pressure of foil transfer is large, a trace of pressing may remain. The foil transfer device 10 according to the present embodiment is configured so that a user or the like can adjust the pressing force of the foil transfer in order to prevent such a defect.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment includes a connecting member 210 and an adjusting unit 220. The connecting member 210 is connected to the lower end of the spring 100 and receives the elastic force of the spring 100. The adjusting unit 220 is fixed to the first head 80 and supports the connecting member 210. The adjusting unit 220 is configured to be able to move the position of the connecting member 210 in the vertical direction with respect to the first head 80.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the head 70. In FIG. 5, some members are not shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the adjusting unit 220 swings with the adjusting lever 230, the rotating shaft 240 for rotating the adjusting lever 230, and the transmitting unit 250 for transmitting the rotational power of the adjusting lever 230 to the connecting member 210. A portion 260 and a fixing portion 270 are provided. The adjusting lever 230 supports the connecting member 210. Here, the adjusting lever 230 indirectly supports the connecting member 210 via the transmission unit 250. The rotation shaft 240 is provided on the first head 80 and supports the adjustment lever 230 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The swinging portion 260 supports the adjusting lever 230 so as to swing in the front-rear direction. The swinging portion 260 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 240, and the adjusting lever 230 rotates around the rotating shaft 240 via the swinging portion 260. The fixing portion 270 is configured so that the adjusting lever 230 can be fixed at a plurality of angles around the rotation shaft 240, here at three angles.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the connecting member 210 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape in a plan view. A circular through hole 210a is formed in the connecting member 210. The connecting member 210 is formed in a ring shape. A nut 91 is inserted through the through hole 210a of the connecting member 210. The upper surface of the connecting member 210 is in contact with the lower end of the spring 100. The connecting member 210 is made of resin here. However, the material of the connecting member 210 is not limited.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical sectional view around the connecting member 210 and the transmitting portion 250. As shown in FIG. 6, the transmission unit 250 is provided below the connecting member 210. The transmission unit 250 includes a rotating member 251 and a rotating shaft 252 that rotatably supports the rotating member 251. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotating member 251 is formed in a substantially C shape with the lower side open in the rear view. The rotating member 251 is formed with a through hole 251a that penetrates in the vertical direction. A nut 91 is inserted through the through hole 251a. The upper surface 251b of the rotating member 251 is formed in a flat surface. The upper surface 251b of the rotating member 251 is in contact with the connecting member 210 from below. Specifically, the upper surface 251b of the rotating member 251 is in contact with the inclined surface 210b formed at the front end of the lower surface of the connecting member 210. The inclined surface 210b is inclined downward toward the rear.

The rotating shaft 252 supports the vicinity of the front end portion of the rotating member 251. The rotation shaft 252 extends in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the rotating shaft 252 supports the rotating member 251 so as to be rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from the right side. The rotating shaft 252 is arranged in front of the connecting member 210.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotating shaft 240 is provided to the left of the connecting member 210. However, the rotating shaft 240 may be provided on the right side of the connecting member 210. The rotation shaft 240 extends in the front-rear direction. The adjusting lever 230 rotates around the rotation shaft 240 clockwise or counterclockwise in rear view. The adjusting lever 230 is configured here in a plate shape. However, the adjusting lever 230 may be formed in a rod shape, for example. The adjusting lever 230 extends in the left-right direction. The adjusting lever 230 has a contact portion 231 that abuts on the rotating member 251 of the transmission portion 250. The contact portion 231 projects upward from the portion of the adjusting lever 230 near the contact portion 231. As shown in FIG. 6, the contact portion 231 is arranged below the rotating member 251 and is in contact with the lower surface 251c of the rotating member 251. As shown in FIG. 5, when the adjusting lever 230 is rotated clockwise in the rear view, the contact portion 231 moves upward. When the adjusting lever 230 is rotated counterclockwise in rear view, the contact portion 231 moves downward. As shown in FIG. 6, when the contact portion 231 moves upward, the lower surface 251c of the rotating member 251 is pushed upward by the contact portion 231. As a result, the rotating member 251 rotates counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 252 when viewed from the right, and moves upward from before the rotation. The inclined surface 210b of the connecting member 210 is in contact with the upper surface 251b of the rotating member 251. Therefore, the connecting member 210 is pushed by the rotating member 251 and moves upward. As a result, the spring 100 is compressed more than before the adjustment lever 230 is rotated.

When the adjusting lever 230 is rotated counterclockwise, the opposite is true, and the rotating member 251 rotates clockwise when viewed from the right. As a result, the rotating member 251 moves lower than before the rotation. As a result, the connecting member 210 moves downward, and the spring 100 becomes longer than before the rotation of the adjusting lever 230. The user can change the length of the spring 100 by rotating the adjusting lever 230.

When the length of the spring 100 changes, in other words, when the position of the lower end of the spring 100 changes, the pressing force of the foil transfer, that is, the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time when the switch 110 reacts changes. The switch 110 reacts when the second head 90 is lowered by a predetermined distance from the time when the foil transfer tool 120 comes into contact with the work W. If the length of the spring 100 is shorter when the foil transfer tool 120 is in contact with the work W, the length of the spring 100 when the switch 110 reacts is also shorter. Therefore, the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time when the switch 110 reacts becomes larger. On the contrary, if the length of the spring 100 is longer when the foil transfer tool 120 is in contact with the work W, the length of the spring 100 when the switch 110 reacts is also longer. Therefore, the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time when the switch 110 reacts becomes smaller.

The pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment includes a fixing portion 270 for fixing the adjusting lever 230 at a predetermined rotation angle. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing portion 270 includes an L-shaped adjusting plate 270a. The adjusting plate 270a is fixed to the right side surface of the first head 80. As shown in FIG. 2, the adjusting plate 270a includes an insertion hole forming portion 271 extending in the front-rear direction and a regulating portion 272 extending in the left-right direction. An insertion hole 271a penetrating in the left-right direction is formed in the insertion hole forming portion 271. An adjusting lever 230 is inserted through the insertion hole 271a.

FIG. 7 is a schematic right side view of the insertion hole 271a. As shown in FIG. 7, the insertion hole 271a is formed with a first step portion 271a1, a second step portion 271a2, and a third step portion 271a3. The plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 are formed on the front side surface of the insertion hole 271a. The positions of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 in the vertical direction are different from each other. Further, the positions of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 in the front-rear direction (directions intersecting the extension direction of the adjusting lever 230) are different from each other. Specifically, the first step portion 271a1 is located at the lowermost position and rearward of the three step portions, and extends in the front-rear direction. The second step portion 271a2 is located above and in front of the first step portion 271a1 and extends in the front-rear direction. The third step portion 271a3 is located further above and in front of the second step portion 271a2 and extends in the front-rear direction. The insertion hole 271a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a stepped front side surface in a side view. The plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 extend in a direction orthogonal to the extension direction (left-right direction) of the adjustment lever 230. However, the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 do not have to extend in a direction orthogonal to the extension direction of the adjustment lever 230, and may support the lower edge of the adjustment lever 230.

The fixing portion 270 is configured to fix the adjusting lever 230 at a plurality of angles around the rotating shaft 240 by supporting the lower edge of the adjusting lever 230 by any of the three step portions 271a1 to 271a3. When the user sets the pressing force of the foil transfer to the smallest level among the three stages, the user places the lower end of the adjusting lever 230 on the first stage portion 271a1. When the user sets the pressing force of the foil transfer to the second level out of the three stages, the user rotates the adjustment lever 230 upward and places the lower end of the adjustment lever 230 on the second stage portion 271a2. .. Similarly, when the user sets the pressing force of the foil transfer to the largest level among the three stages, the user rotates the adjustment lever 230 further upward and raises the lower end of the adjustment lever 230 onto the third stage portion 271a3. Place it.

The plurality of step portions may be provided at the same front-rear direction positions, but in the present embodiment, they are provided at different front-rear direction positions. Therefore, the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment includes a swinging portion 260 that supports the adjusting lever 230 so as to swing in the front-rear direction. The swinging portion 260 may support the adjusting lever 230 so as to be movable (for example, slidable) instead of swinging in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the swing portion 260 swings on a base plate 261 that rotates around a rotation shaft 240, two mounting plates 262 extending rearward from the base plate 261, and two mounting plates 262, respectively. It is equipped with two swing arms 263 that are supported as possible. The mounting plate 262 and the swing arm 263 are swingably connected by a swing shaft 264. The two swing arms 263 support the adjusting lever 230.

The base plate 261 is configured to be rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from the rear. Mounting plates 262 extend rearward from the two opposite ends of the back surface of the base plate 261. The swing shaft 264 extends in a direction orthogonal to the mounting plate 262. The left end of the swing arm 263 is swingably supported by the swing shaft 264. The swing arm 263 swings in the front-rear direction about the swing shaft 264. The right end of the two swing arms 263 supports the left end of the adjustment lever 230. The swinging portion 260 that swingably supports the adjusting lever 230 in the front-rear direction allows the adjusting lever 230 to be moved between the three stepped portions 271a1 to 271a3 provided at different positions in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing portion 270 includes a regulating portion 272 capable of restricting the movement or swing of the adjusting lever 230 in the front-rear direction while the adjusting lever 230 is supported by the step portions 271a1 to 271a3. I have. The front-rear direction, which is the direction in which the regulating unit 272 regulates the movement of the adjusting lever 230, is orthogonal to the left-right direction, which is the extending direction of the adjusting lever 230. FIG. 8 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the regulation unit 272. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the regulating portion 272 includes a long hole 272a, a release knob 272b, a shaft 272c, a spring 272d, a washer 272e, and a bolt 272f.

As shown in FIG. 8, the release knob 272b is formed in a stepped substantially columnar shape. The axis of the release knob 272b extends in the front-rear direction. The head portion 272b1 of the release knob 272b is formed at the front end of the release knob 272b. The head 272b1 is a part where the user grabs it and performs work. The side surface of the head 272b1 may be knurled, for example. Behind the head 272b1, a neck portion 272b2 thinner than the head 272b1 is formed. Behind the neck portion 272b2, a shaft portion 272b3 thinner than the neck portion 272b2 is formed. A seat surface 272b4 facing rearward is formed between the neck portion 272b2 and the shaft portion 272b3.

A through hole 232 provided at the right end of the adjusting lever 230 (the end opposite to the end supported by the rotating shaft 240) is passed through the shaft portion 272b3. The diameter of the through hole 232 is slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 272b3 and smaller than the diameter of the neck portion 272b2. A shaft 272c is arranged behind the adjusting lever 230. The shaft 272c is formed in a cylindrical shape. The shaft 272c is passed through the shaft portion 272b3 of the release knob 272b. The adjusting lever 230 is sandwiched between the seat surface 272b4 of the release knob 272b and the shaft 272c. With the adjusting lever 230 and the shaft 272c passed through the shaft portion 272b3, the rear end of the shaft portion 272b3 (the rear end of the release knob 272b) and the rear end of the shaft 272c are substantially aligned in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the adjusting plate 270a is formed with elongated holes 272a penetrating in the front-rear direction. The elongated hole 272a is formed along a trajectory through which the release knob 272b and the shaft 272c pass when the adjusting lever 230 is rotated around the rotation shaft 240. The release knob 272b and the shaft 272c are inserted into the elongated holes 272a. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear ends of the release knob 272b and the shaft 272c project rearward from the elongated hole 272a. A screw hole 272b5 is formed from the rear end of the release knob 272b toward the front. Bolts 272f are meshed with the screw holes 272b5. As shown in FIG. 5, the size of the bolt 272f in the rear view is larger than the width of the elongated hole 272a. By engaging the bolt 272f with the release knob 272b, the release knob 272b and the shaft 272c are prevented from coming out of the elongated hole 272a even if the release knob 272b is pulled forward. Further, the shaft 272c is prevented from falling off from the release knob 272b by engaging the bolt 272f with the release knob 272b. Further, the adjusting lever 230 is thereby sandwiched between the release knob 272b and the shaft 272c.

As shown in FIG. 8, a spring 272d and a washer 272e are passed through a portion of the shaft 272c in front of the elongated hole 272a. The washer 272e is passed through the shaft 272c behind the spring 272d. As shown in FIG. 2, the size of the washer 272e in the front view is larger than the width of the elongated hole 272a. Then, when the release knob 272b is pushed backward, the spring 272d is compressed between the washer 272e and the adjusting lever 230. Alternatively, when the adjusting lever 230 is moved rearward from the front end of the spring 272d when the spring 272d has a natural length, the spring 272d is compressed.

When the adjusting lever 230 is engaged with any of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3, the adjusting lever 230 is arranged behind the front end of the spring 272d when the spring 272d has a natural length. Therefore, at that time, the spring 272d is compressed. The adjusting lever 230 is pushed forward by the repulsive force of the spring 272d. As a result, the front surface of the adjusting lever 230 is pressed against the front side surface of the insertion hole 271a. As a result, the movement of the adjusting lever 230 in the front-rear direction is restricted.

When the user pushes the head 272b1 of the release knob 272b backward, the spring 272d is compressed by the pushing force of the user. As a result, the restriction on the movement of the adjusting lever 230 in the front-rear direction is released. The user can change the step portion on which the adjustment lever 230 is engaged in the state where the regulation is released. When the release knob 272b is released after moving the adjustment lever 230 above the changed step portion, the movement of the adjustment lever 230 in the front-rear direction is regulated again. As described above, the regulation unit 272 regulates or releases the movement of the adjustment lever 230 in the front-rear direction.

As described above, the foil transfer device 10 according to the present embodiment is fixed to the connecting member 210 connected to the lower end of the spring 100 and the first head 80, supports the connecting member 210, and is connected to the first head 80. It is provided with a pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 including an adjusting portion 220 configured to be able to move the position of the member 210 in the vertical direction. According to the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200, the position of the lower end of the spring 100 can be changed to change the length of the spring 100. Thereby, the pressing force of the foil transfer, that is, the elastic force of the spring 100 at the time when the switch 110 reacts can be changed.

Further, the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is provided on the adjusting lever 230 that supports the connecting member 210 and the first head 80, and the rotating shaft 240 that rotatably supports the adjusting lever 230 in the vertical direction. And a fixing portion 270 capable of fixing the adjusting lever 230 at a plurality of angles around the rotating shaft 240. According to such a configuration, the user can change the pressing force of the foil transfer by a simple operation of rotating the adjusting lever 230. In the present embodiment, the connecting member 210 is indirectly supported by the adjusting lever 230 via the transmission unit 250, but may be directly supported by the adjusting lever 230. Support of the connecting member 210 by the adjusting lever 230 includes direct support and indirect support via other members.

In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 270 includes a plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 having different positions in the vertical direction, and the adjusting lever is supported by supporting the lower edge of the adjusting lever 230 by any of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3. The 230 is configured to be fixed at a plurality of angles around the rotation shaft 240. Since the spring 100 pushes back the adjusting lever 230 downward, the adjusting lever 230 can be reliably fixed according to the configuration in which the lower edge of the adjusting lever 230 is supported by the step portions 271a1 to 271a3.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 are different from each other in positions relating to the intersecting direction (front-back direction) intersecting the extension direction (left-right direction) of the adjusting lever 230, and the adjusting portion 220 is located in the intersecting direction. A swing portion 260 that supports the adjustment lever 230 so that it can swing is provided. Further, the fixing portion 270 includes a regulating portion 272 capable of restricting the swing of the adjusting lever 230 in the crossing direction in a state where the adjusting lever 230 is supported by the step portions 271a1 to 271a3. According to the configuration in which the positions of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 in the intersecting direction are different from each other, the configuration is such that when the adjustment lever 230 is engaged with one step portion, the other step portion is avoided (for example, another step portion). It is not necessary to provide a bent portion) provided on the adjusting lever in order to avoid the above. The pressing pressure adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment corresponds to a configuration in which the positions of the plurality of step portions 271a1 to 271a3 in the intersecting directions are different from each other, and the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is a regulating portion that regulates the swinging of the swinging portion 260 and the adjusting lever 230. It is equipped with 272.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the vertical position of the connecting member 210 is changed by rotating the adjusting lever 230. However, the configuration of the adjusting unit for changing the vertical position of the connecting member is not limited to this. For example, the adjusting unit may change the position of the connecting member in the vertical direction by a member that slides in the vertical direction. Further, even when the adjusting lever is rotated, the rotating shaft does not need to be provided at the end of the adjusting lever. For example, the rotating shaft may be arranged between the contact point (force point of action) with the connecting member of the adjusting lever and the portion (force point) to which the user applies force.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the upper end of the spring 100 is connected to the second head 90, and the lower end of the spring 100 is connected to the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200. According to such a configuration, it is easy to arrange the spring 100 between the second head 90 and the pressing force adjusting mechanism 200. However, the connection portion of the spring with the second head and the connection portion with the pressing force adjusting mechanism are not limited to the upper end and the lower end, respectively. For example, the connection portion of the spring with the second head and the connection portion with the pressing force adjusting mechanism may be provided between the upper end and the lower end of the spring, respectively. Further, the elastic member that pushes the first head downward with respect to the second head via the pushing pressure adjusting mechanism is not limited to the spring.

The configuration of the fixed portion is not particularly limited. The fixing portion may be, for example, a screw fastening of the adjusting lever. The position where the fixing portion fixes the adjustment lever or the like does not have to be selectively configured. The fixing portion may be capable of fixing the adjusting lever or the like at an arbitrary position. The "plurality of positions" such as the adjustment lever includes arbitrary positions. Further, the configurations of the swinging portion and the regulating portion are not limited to those described above. The swinging part is not always necessary, and in that case, the regulating part is not necessary either.

In the above-described embodiment, the foil transfer device 10 is a method of converting the energy of the laser beam into heat, but the transfer energy of the foil transfer device is not limited. The foil transfer device may include, for example, a heat pen.

In addition, unless otherwise specified, the above-described embodiments do not limit the present invention.

10 Foil transfer device 15 Holding base 60 Z-axis direction moving device (head moving device)
70 Head 80 1st head 90 2nd head 100 Spring (elastic member)
110 Switch 120 Foil transfer tool 150 Control device 153a Lowering start part 153b Lowering stop part 200 Pushing pressure adjusting mechanism 210 Connecting member 220 Adjusting part 230 Adjusting lever 240 Rotating shaft 260 Swinging part 270 Fixed part 271a1 First stage part 271a2 Second Step 271a3 Third step 272 Regulator W Work W1 Transferee W2 Thermal transfer foil (transfer foil)
W3 light absorption film

Claims (5)

A support base that supports the work including the transfer material and the transfer foil,
Foil transfer tool and
A first head that holds the foil transfer tool above the support and
A second head that slidably supports the first head in the vertical direction,
A head moving device that moves the second head in the vertical direction,
With the pressing force adjusting mechanism fixed to the first head,
A first connecting portion connected to the second head and a second connecting portion connected to the pressing force adjusting mechanism are provided, and the first head is attached to the second head via the pressing force adjusting mechanism. An elastic member that pushes down and
A switch that reacts when the vertical position of the first head with respect to the second head reaches a predetermined position.
A control device that controls the foil transfer tool and the head moving device,
With
The control device is
A lowering start portion that controls the head moving device to move the second head downward and presses the foil transfer tool against the work on the support base.
When the first head moves upward with respect to the second head against the elastic force of the elastic member due to the movement of the second head by the lowering start portion, and the switch reacts, the second head A descending stop that stops movement, and a descent stop
With
The pressing force adjusting mechanism is
A connecting member connected to the second connecting portion of the elastic member and
An adjusting unit that is fixed to the first head, supports the connecting member, and can move the position of the connecting member in the vertical direction with respect to the first head.
Equipped with a foil transfer device. The first connecting portion is provided at the upper end of the elastic member.
The second connecting portion is provided at the lower end of the elastic member.
The foil transfer device according to claim 1. The adjusting part
An adjustment lever that is configured in the shape of a rod or plate and supports the connecting member,
A rotating shaft provided on the first head and rotatably supporting the adjusting lever in the vertical direction,
A fixing portion capable of fixing the adjusting lever at a plurality of angles around the rotation axis,
Is equipped with
The foil transfer device according to claim 1 or 2. The fixing portion includes a plurality of step portions having different positions in the vertical direction, and by supporting the lower edge of the adjusting lever by any of the plurality of step portions, the adjusting lever is supported by a plurality of steps around the rotation axis. Fix at an angle,
The foil transfer device according to claim 3. The positions of the plurality of steps are different from each other with respect to the intersecting direction intersecting the extension direction of the adjusting lever.
The adjusting portion includes a swinging portion that supports the adjusting lever so that it can move or swing in the crossing direction.
The fixing portion includes a regulating portion capable of restricting the movement or swing of the adjusting lever in the crossing direction while the adjusting lever is supported by the step portion.
The foil transfer device according to claim 4.

Images