JP2021123044A - Flexographic printing plate supporting body - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flexographic printing plate supporting body which is excellent in reproductivity of a fine printing pattern with a simple constitution.SOLUTION: A flexographic printing plate supporting body includes a flexographic printing plate 20 having a printing plate sheet 21 and a base material sheet 22, and vices 3A and 3B for supporting an end part in a printing direction of the flexographic printing plate 20. An end part of the base material sheet 22 protrudes to an outside of the end part of the printing plate sheet 21 at the end part of the printing direction of the flexographic printing plate 20, and a protrusion part 30 of the base material sheet 22 is fixed to a tightening fixing part combining a surface side member 6 and a rear side member 7 of the vices 3A and 3B in a state of sandwiching the protrusion part 30 in the tightening fixing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a flexographic printing plate support in which a vise for mounting a plate cylinder is attached to a flexographic printing plate.

Flexographic printing uses a flexible flexographic printing plate made of resin or rubber (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "printing plate") in which convex parts (images, characters, etc.) for printing are formed on the surface. This is a printing method in which the ink held on the top surface of the convex portion for printing is transferred to an object to be printed with a low printing pressure. This flexographic printing is used for printing on various materials and thick objects to be printed because the convex portion for printing is relatively soft and can follow the surface of the object to be printed having various shapes. ..

For printing using the flexographic printing plate, a rotary type flexographic printing machine as schematically shown in FIG. 7 is generally used. In order to print using this flexographic printing machine, first, vices 3A and 3B for mounting the plate cylinder are attached to both ends of the flexible sheet-shaped printing plate 10 to form a printing plate support, and then the printing plate 10 is used. The vise 3A and 3B are fixed to the plate cylinder 11 in a state of being wound around the plate cylinder 11. Then, by rotating the plate cylinder 11 while supplying ink from the anilox roll 12 to the printing plate 10, the ink held on the convex portion for printing of the printing plate 10 can be transferred to the printing object R for printing. can. Then, by repeating the above series of operations, the same pattern (image or character) can be continuously printed on the printed object R.

In FIG. 7, 13 is a doctor (blade) for uniformly supplying ink from the anilox roll 12 to the surface of the printing plate 10, and 14 is an ink tank. Further, reference numeral 16 denotes a moving stage in which the object to be printed R is positioned at an appropriate position with respect to the printing plate 10 and is fed forward while being pressed against the printing plate 10.

As shown in FIG. 8A, which is a plan view of the printing plate 10 in the printing plate support, and FIG. 8B, which is a front view thereof, the printing plate 10 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view and serves as a printing surface. The front surface side is composed of a printing plate sheet 1 made of a flexible sheet-like body, and the back surface side thereof is composed of a base material sheet 2 for reinforcing the printing plate sheet 1. The base material sheet 2 may be a single sheet or a multilayer sheet in which a plurality of sheets are stacked, and in this example, the base sheet 2 has a configuration in which two sheets are stacked.

A convex portion 1a for printing is provided on the surface of the printing plate 10, that is, the surface of the printing plate sheet 1, and the periphery thereof is a non-printing portion 1b that is not involved in printing. Further, both ends of the printing plate sheet 1 in the printing direction (indicated by thick arrows in the figure) are attached to the plate cylinder 11 (see FIG. 7) via relatively thin bent portions 1c, respectively. A grip portion 1d to be used is provided, and a plurality of positioning pins 4 provided at predetermined intervals on the vise 3A, 3B (indicated by a two-dot chain line) side for mounting the plate cylinder are inserted into each grip portion 1d. Positioning hole 5 is provided (see FIG. 9).

Then, by attaching the vise 3A (holding base side) and the vise 3B (holding end side) for mounting the plate cylinder to both ends or one end (both ends in FIG. 9) of the printing plate 10 in the printing direction, respectively. A print plate support is obtained. When the vices 3A and 3B are attached to both ends in this way, the attachment structure is often symmetrical. Therefore, the mounting structure will be described by taking the vise 3B mounted on the right side of FIG. 8A as an example.

As shown in FIG. 9, the vise 3B includes a front side member 6 arranged on the front side of the end portion of the printing plate 10 and a back side member 7 arranged on the back side thereof, and the front side member 6 is provided. Both 6 and 7 are tightened and fixed by the screw member 8 in a state where the end portion (holding portion 1d) of the printing plate 10 is sandwiched between the back side member 7 and the back side member 7. Reference numeral 9 denotes a screw hole provided in the back side member 7. In this state, the surface of the grip portion 1d of the printing plate 10, that is, the surface of the printing plate sheet 1 is pressed downward by the downward flat surface portion 6a of the front side member 6 of the vise 3B, and the end portion of the printing plate 10 is pressed. The whole is sandwiched between the flat surface portion 6a of the front side member 6 of the vise 3B and the flat surface portion 7a of the back side member 7. Further, the end surface 10a of the printing plate 10 in the printing direction faces the stepped portion 6b of the front side member 6, and the end surface 10a of the printing plate 10 is formed by the stepped portion 6b and the flat surface portion 6a of the front side member 6. It is surrounded and protected from the outside.

According to the configuration of the printing plate support to which the vices 3A and 3B are attached, if the vices 3A and 3B are touched, the shape of the printing convex portion 1a of the printing plate 10 and the physical characteristics of the printing plate 10 as a whole are impaired. It has the advantage that it can be handled without any problems and can be easily attached to or replaced with the plate cylinder 11. Further, the base sheet 2 provided on the back surface side of the printing plate 10 functions as a "tension member" that mainly supports the tension applied to the printing plate 10, and stretches or deforms the flexible printing plate sheet 1. It plays a role in protecting from.

By the way, flexographic printing has traditionally featured environment-friendly printing in which water-based ink is used to transfer to an object to be printed such as cardboard, but in recent years, flat panel displays, solar cell panels, etc. have become larger. With the increase in area), the electrode layer provided on the substrate of liquid crystal display, organic EL, organic TFT, etc. can be printed by taking advantage of the feature that a uniform thin film can be printed at high speed with good reproducibility without damaging the substrate or wiring. Demand for printing (transfer formation) of sealing agents, masking agents, etc. is increasing.

For this reason, flexographic printing is required to print finer print patterns with high accuracy, but the printing surface of the printing plate is composed of a flexible printing plate sheet. No matter how the base sheet on the back side reinforces its strength, if it is repeatedly printed with tension applied in the printing direction, the printed surface will be stretched or distorted, and the printing pattern will be misaligned. Deformation may occur. Therefore, it has been studied to strengthen the mounting structure between the printing plate and the vise to suppress the movement of the printing surface. For example, the fitting portion between the two is made into an eyelet structure to prevent the printing plate from slipping off the vise. Has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 6355879

However, as in Patent Document 1, in the case where the fitting portion between the printing plate and the vise has an eyelet structure, both are positioned and tightened and fixed only by this fitting portion, so that the end portion of the printing plate is used. In addition, a large number of eyelet members must be attached with high positioning accuracy, and there is a problem that a great deal of labor is required to prepare a printing plate.

In addition, since a recess is formed in the printing plate for fitting with the eyelet member, the thickness of the end portion of the printing plate is reduced by that portion to reduce the strength, and the printing plate is stretched or distorted. The print pattern may shift.

Therefore, it is strongly necessary to realize a mounting structure between the vise and the printing plate, which is less likely to cause stretching or misalignment of the printing plate and can repeatedly print fine print patterns with good reproducibility, in a form in which the mounting structure is not complicated. It is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a printing plate support having a simple structure and excellent stability of a printing plate, thereby excellent in reproducibility of fine printing patterns. The purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, the gist of the present invention is the following [1] to [6].
[1] A flexographic printing plate support including a flexographic printing plate and a vise that sandwiches and supports the edges of the flexographic printing plate in the printing direction from the front surface side and the back surface side.
The flexographic printing plate is composed of a printing plate sheet having a convex portion for printing formed on the front surface thereof and a base material sheet integrally provided on the back surface side of the printing plate sheet to reinforce the printing plate sheet. Ori
The vise is a flexo printing plate between the front side member arranged on the front side of the flexo printing plate end portion, the back side member arranged on the back side of the flexo printing plate end portion, and the front side member and the back side member. Equipped with a fixing means to tighten and fix both in a state of sandwiching
At the edge of the flexographic printing plate in the printing direction, the edge of the base sheet protrudes outside the edge of the printing plate.
A flexographic printing plate support in which a protruding portion of the base material sheet is sandwiched between a front side member and a back side member of the vise.

[2] The front member of the vise presses the first flat surface portion for pressing the end surface of the printing plate sheet and the protruding portion surface of the base sheet protruding from the end portion of the printing plate sheet. The flexographic printing plate support according to the above [1], which has a second flat surface portion and a stepped portion facing the end surface of the printing plate sheet.
[3] The flexographic printing according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the edge of the protruding portion of the base material sheet protrudes from the edge of the tightening and fixing portion of the vise by 0 to 10 mm in the printing direction in a plan view. Plate support.
[4] The vise fixing means is composed of a screw hole provided in one of the front side member and the back side member, a through hole provided in the other side, and a screw member screwed into the screw hole. A through hole for inserting the screw member is formed in the protruding portion of the base sheet, the diameter D of the screw portion of the screw member is 2 to 10 mm, and the thread member penetrates the base sheet. The flexographic printing plate support according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the hole diameter H is set to a dimension 0.3 to 8 mm larger than the diameter D of the threaded portion.
[5] The vise fixing means is composed of a screw hole provided in one of the front side member and the back side member, a through hole provided in the other side, and a screw member screwed into the screw hole. A through hole for inserting the screw member is formed in the protruding portion of the base material sheet, and the diameter J of the through hole provided on either the front side member or the back side member is assumed to be J. The relationship between the diameter J and the diameter H of the through hole of the base material sheet is set to any of the above [1] to [4] set to the relationship represented by the following formula (1). The flexographic printing plate support described.
(JH) ≤3 mm ... (1)
[6] The flexographic printing plate support according to any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein the thickness of the base material sheet is 0.1 to 1.2 mm.

In the process of repeating research to solve the above problems, the present inventors tighten the end portion (holding portion) of the printing plate sandwiched between the vise tightly with the vise in order to prevent the printing plate from shifting. Recognizing that the relatively flexible printing plate sheet portion (generally, JIS rubber hardness shore A is about 35 to 70 degrees) is gradually deformed, for example, stretching or kinking occurs, and the printing pattern is more likely to shift. Got

Further, the printing plate support is supported by using a printing plate support (see FIG. 9) having a structure in which the positioning holes on the printing plate side and the positioning pins on the vise side are engaged to position both of them and then tighten and fix the vise. When a high tension is applied to the body and repeated printing is performed, the opening edge of the positioning hole in the base sheet provided for reinforcement on the back surface side of the printing plate is deformed or cracked as if it was forcibly pulled. I found it easy. When such deformation or cracks occur in the base material sheet, it is considered that the flexible printing plate sheet is deformed in a manner that follows the deformation, which reduces the reproducibility of the printing pattern.

Therefore, instead of a structure in which the flexible printing plate sheet on the front side of the printing plate is strongly tightened, a structure in which the base sheet on the back side is securely fixed so that the entire surface does not move is further examined. ..

As a result, in the printing plate, the end portion of the base material sheet on the back surface side of the end portion of the printing plate sheet on the front surface side is configured to protrude to the outside, and the protruding portion is formed into the front side member and the back side member of the vise. When the base sheet is securely fixed and does not move when sandwiched between and fixed, the entire printing plate is free even if the end face of the end of the printing plate sheet on the front side is surrounded by the vise and is free. As a result, they have found that a fine print pattern can be reproduced satisfactorily with almost no elongation or deviation, and have reached the present invention.

That is, in the printing plate support of the present invention, of the edges of the printing plate sheet and the edges of the base sheet, which have conventionally been aligned flushwise, the end of the base sheet is the printing plate sheet. It protrudes to the outside from the end of the vise, and the protruding part is tightened by the tightening and fixing part of the vise.

According to this configuration, among the edges of the printing plate having a relatively large degree of freedom in the past, the edge of the base sheet having poor elasticity is fastened and fixed to the tightening fixing portion, so that the base sheet is fixed. There is no deformation due to excessive force applied around the positioning hole. Further, the relatively flexible printing plate sheet portion at the end of the printing plate is not forcibly tightened, and this portion is not deformed.

Therefore, the entire printing plate is less likely to be stretched or misaligned, and fine print patterns can be repeatedly printed with good reproducibility. According to this configuration, no extra parts are added to the printing plate or vise, and the conventional vise can be attached as it is, so the work of attaching the vise to the printing plate is easy and general purpose. It has the advantage of high sex.

It is a partial cross-sectional view of the printing plate support which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial perspective view of the printing plate used for the said printing plate support. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a printing plate support according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the evaluation method of elongation and deviation in the Example of this invention. It is a graph which shows the evaluation result of the elongation and the deviation in the Example of this invention. It is a graph which shows the evaluation result of elongation and deviation in the comparative example of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of a general flexographic printing machine. An example of a conventional printing plate used in the flexographic printing machine is shown, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows an example of the conventional flexographic printing plate support.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a printing plate support according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is composed of a printing plate 20 and vices 3A and 3B. This printing plate support can be mounted on a flexographic printing machine as shown in FIG. 7, for example, and used for printing, and the vices 3A and 3B attached to the printing plate 20 are shown in FIG. 8 (a). ), (B) and conventionally known vices as shown in FIG. 9 can be used. Therefore, with respect to the vices 3A and 3B, the same parts as those in these figures are assigned the same numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a partial perspective view of the printing plate 20, the printing plate 20 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the front surface side to be the printing surface is a printing plate made of a flexible sheet-like body. It is composed of a sheet 21, and the back surface side thereof is composed of a base sheet 22 for reinforcing the printing plate sheet 21 [see FIGS. 8A and 8B for the overall shape]. ..

Then, at the end of the printing plate 20 in the printing direction (indicated by a thick arrow in FIG. 2), that is, the end on the side where the vices 3A and 3B are attached, the end of the base sheet 22 is the printing plate sheet 21. A through hole 31 is formed in the protruding portion 30 for inserting a screw member 8 for tightening and fixing the front side member 6 and the back side member 7 of the vices 3A and 3B. Has been done. Then, the protruding portion 30 of the printing plate 20 is sandwiched between the front side member 6 and the back side member 7 and tightened and fixed. This is the greatest feature of the present invention.

Similar to the conventional printing plate, a convex portion 21a for printing is provided on the surface of the printing plate 20, that is, the surface of the printing plate sheet 21, and the periphery thereof is a non-printing portion 21b that is not involved in printing. It has become. Further, at the end of the printing plate sheet 21 in the printing direction (indicated by an arrow), a grip portion 21d used for attaching to the plate cylinder 11 (see FIG. 7) via a relatively thin bent portion 21c. 21d is provided with positioning holes 25 for inserting a plurality of positioning pins 4 provided at predetermined intervals on the vise 3A and 3B sides. Then, the surface of the grip portion 21d of the printing plate sheet 21 is pressed downward by the flat portion 6a of the front side member 6. Further, the end surface 21f of the grip portion 21d of the printing plate sheet 21 in the printing direction faces the step portion 6b of the front side member 6.

Among the printing plates 20, as the material constituting the printing plate sheet 21, a material having a certain elasticity even after plate molding, such as resin or rubber, is used. As described above, the printing plate support of the present invention has an electrode layer, a sealing agent, a masking agent, etc. on a printed material such as a substrate in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display, an organic EL, an organic TFT, or the like. Since it is assumed that organic solvent-based inks will be used for transfer formation, it is possible to select materials that are not affected by the type of ink used in the above process, plate cleaning liquid, etc. preferable.

Further, in the printing plate sheet 21, the accuracy of the shape of the convex portion 21a for printing, the alignment mark for positioning, etc. is required. Therefore, in the production of the printing plate sheet 21, these should be formed in an accurate shape and position. A photolithography method is preferably used. In this case, a photosensitive resin composition is used as the material constituting the printing plate sheet 21, and among them, a prepolymer, an acrylate oligomer, and an acrylate monomer having an acrylate as a main skeleton such as urethane, polyester, and polybutadiene. A photosensitive resin composition comprising a mixture of a photopolymerization inhibitor, a photopolymerization initiator, and the like is used.

The hardness of the printing plate sheet 21 is preferably set in the range of 35 to 70 degrees for the JIS rubber hardness shore A. If the shore A hardness is less than 35 degrees, the printing convex portion 21a formed on the printing plate sheet 21 is too soft with respect to the object to be printed (such as a substrate) and may be deformed during printing, resulting in high definition. It is not preferable for maintaining printing. On the contrary, when the shore A hardness of the printing plate sheet 21 exceeds 70 degrees, the surface of the object to be printed and the electrodes and wiring formed on the surface may be damaged, which is not preferable.

Further, the external dimensions of the printing plate sheet 21 are set according to the size of the object to be printed and the plate cylinder 11 (see FIG. 7), but in general, the length dimension in the printing direction is about 1000 to 3000 mm for printing. The width dimension perpendicular to the direction is about 700 to 2700 mm. The length dimension of the relatively thin bent portion 21c in the printing direction is about 0 to 100 mm (when the bent portion 21c is not provided, the length = 0 mm), and the length dimension of the grip portion 21d in the printing direction is 15 to 40 mm. Set to degree. Further, the number of positioning holes 25 provided at the end of the printing plate sheet 21 for inserting the positioning pins 4 of the vices 3A and 3B depends on the dimensions of the printing plate sheet 21, but is usually at least about five. In many cases, 30 or more are provided.

On the other hand, the base material sheet 22 provided on the back surface side of the printing plate sheet 21 for its reinforcement is made by laminating one layer or two or more layers of relatively strong sheets (including a form generally called "film"). In this example, a two-layer sheet made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used, but the material of the sheet is other resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in addition to the above PET. Can be used. Further, a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS) can also be used.

As in the case of the printing plate sheet 21, the material constituting the base material sheet 22 also has an influence depending on the type of ink, plate cleaning liquid, etc. used in the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display, organic EL, organic TFT, etc. It is preferable to select one that does not receive it.

Vise 3A and 3B (returning to FIG. 1) attached to both ends of the printing plate 20 composed of the printing plate sheet 21 and the base sheet 22 in the printing direction are shown in FIG. 9 as described above. It has the same configuration as the conventional product. The front side members 6 of the vices 3A and 3B have a flat surface portion 6a for pressing the surface of the printing plate sheet 21, a bottom surface portion 6c for tightening the back side member 7 via the base sheet 22, and a flat surface portion of the back side member 7. In order to prevent the printing plate 20 from being displaced in the printing direction, the 7a may be formed with a corrugated shape, a saw blade shape, or a rib-shaped uneven shape in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction.

Next, a simple example of a method in which the printing plate sheet 21 and the base sheet 22 are integrally laminated to form a printing plate 20, and vices 3A and 3B are attached to both ends thereof to form a printing plate support. explain.

First, a molding mold (inverted mold) capable of transferring the uneven shape of the printing convex portion 21a or the like of the printing plate sheet 21 used for the printing plate 20 is prepared and placed on a stable horizontal plate or the like. Then, a liquid photosensitive resin composition for forming a printing plate, which is a material of the printing plate sheet 21, is cast into the molding mold, and a transparent base sheet 22 (from a target size) is formed on the horizontal surface thereof. The photosensitive resin composition is cured by irradiating the substrate sheet 22 (intermediate body) with an irradiation line for curing such as ultraviolet rays in that state. , Demold. As a result, the printing plate 20 (intermediate) in which the base material sheet 22 (intermediate) is laminated and integrated on the back surface side of the printing plate sheet 21 can be obtained. In addition, in order to completely complete the curing, heating or the like may be performed separately.

Then, the base sheet 22 (intermediate body) in the obtained printing plate 20 (intermediate body) is cut into predetermined dimensions in which both ends in the printing direction protrude outward from both ends of the printing plate sheet 21. , A through hole 31 is formed in a protruding portion 30 (see FIG. 2) of the base material sheet 22 in a predetermined arrangement to remove an unnecessary portion. In this way, the target printing plate 20 (finished product) can be obtained.

Next, vices 3A and 3B are attached to both ends of the obtained printing plate 20 in the printing direction, respectively. In the mounting work, first, the positioning holes 25 of the printing plate 20 are fitted into the positioning pins 4 provided on the back side members 7 of the vices 3A and 3B, and the holding portion 21d of the printing plate 20 and the printing plate sheet 21 are inserted. The protruding portion 30 of the end portion of the base material sheet 22 protruding outward from the end portion of the back member 7 is placed on the flat surface portion 7a of the back side member 7 at an appropriate position. At this time, the through hole 31 of the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 is arranged so as to overlap the screw hole 9 of the back side member 7.

Then, in a state where both ends of the printing plate 20 are positioned and engaged on the back side members 7 of the vices 3A and 3B, the printing plate 20 is sandwiched and the front side member 6 is superposed on the printing plate 20. Then, the target printing plate support can be obtained by tightening the front side member 6 to the back side member 7 side by the screw member 8.

The printing plate support thus obtained can be mounted on, for example, the flexographic printing machine shown in FIG. 7 and used for flexographic printing in the same manner as in the conventional case.

According to this printing plate support, conventionally, in the engaging portion between the positioning hole 25 and the positioning pin 4, the base sheet 22 is integrally locked with the end portion of the printing plate sheet 21 and has a relatively high degree of freedom. Since the end portion of the base sheet 22 is fastened and fixed to the tightening and fixing portions of the vices 3A and 3B, the base sheet 22 is not deformed by applying an excessive force around the positioning hole 25. Further, since it is not necessary to forcibly tighten the end portion of the relatively flexible printing plate sheet 21, deformation such as stretching or kinking does not occur in this portion.

Therefore, the entire printing plate 20 is less likely to be stretched or misaligned, and fine print patterns can be repeatedly printed with good reproducibility. According to this configuration, the flat surface portion 6a of the front side member 6 of the vise 3A and 3B is pressed against the surface of the end portion of the printing plate sheet 21, and the end surface 21f also faces the stepped portion 6b of the front side member 6. Therefore, the front side member 6 has a structure in which the end portion of the printing plate sheet 21 is protected from the outside. Moreover, no extra parts are added to the printing plate 20 or the vices 3A and 3B, and the conventional vices 3A and 3B can be attached as they are. Therefore, the vices 3A and 3B can be attached to the printing plate 20. It has the advantages of easy work and high versatility.

In the printing plate support of the present invention, the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 protruding from the end portion of the printing plate sheet 21 is a tightening and fixing portion between the front side member 6 and the back side member 7 of the vices 3A and 3B. It is important that the protruding portion 30 is sandwiched between the two, and the protruding portion 30 needs to be sufficiently tightened by the screw member 8 tightened to this portion. For that purpose, it is preferable that the edge 30a of the protruding portion 30 is flush with the edge 6d of the front member 6 or slightly protrudes to the outside. The dimension of the protrusion width P (see FIG. 1) depends on the size of the printing plate 20, but is usually preferably 0 to 20 mm, and particularly preferably 0 to 10 mm. That is, if the protrusion width P is too narrow, the vise 3A and 3B may be insufficiently tightened to the base sheet 22, and conversely if it is too wide, the printing plate support may be pressed via the vise 3A and 3B. It is not preferable because it may make the work when attaching to the plate cylinder (see FIG. 7) difficult.

Further, in the printing plate support of the present invention, the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 is formed with a through hole 31 for inserting the screw member 8 which is a tightening means. When the diameter D of the threaded portion is, for example, about 2 to 10 mm, the diameter H of the through hole 31 of the protruding portion 30 is preferably set to a dimension larger by about 0.3 to 8 mm than the diameter D of the threaded portion. Above all, it is particularly preferable to increase the size by about 0.5 to 5 mm. That is, if the through hole 31 for inserting the screw member 8 is set too large for the screw portion of the screw member 8, the tightening area of the protruding portion 30 with respect to the vices 3A and 3B becomes small, and the tightening area with respect to the base sheet 22 becomes small. It is not preferable because the tightening force may not be sufficiently reflected. Further, if the through hole 31 is too small, it is difficult to tighten the screw member 8 and the workability thereof may be impaired, which is not preferable.

Further, the diameter J of the through hole 50 for inserting the screw member 8 provided in the front side member 6 for tightening the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 from above (see FIG. 1, reference numeral J is not shown). The diameter H of the through hole 31 of the base material sheet 22 is preferably set to the relationship shown in the following formula (1).
(JH) ≤3 mm ... (1)

That is, the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 50 on the front side member 6 side not only functions to press the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 31 on the base sheet 22 side from above so as not to move, but also penetrates. An unreasonable force is applied to the peripheral edge of the opening of the hole 31 to prevent the portion from being turned up or stretched and deformed. Therefore, it is desirable to firmly press the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 31 with the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 50 on the front side member 6, for example, the diameter J of the through hole 50 on the front side member 6 side. It is preferable that the diameter H of the through hole 31 on the base sheet 22 side is set smaller than the diameter H. On the other hand, if the diameter J is made larger than the diameter H by more than 3 mm, the degree of freedom of the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 31 on the base sheet 22 side is increased, and the portion may be deformed. Not preferred. Expressing this relationship by an equation, it becomes the above equation (1).

However, in consideration of the size of the screw member 8 to be inserted into the through holes 50 and 31, and how large the through hole 31 on the base sheet 22 side should be set with respect to the threaded portion, the above may be considered. The diameter J of the through hole 50 on the front side member 6 side is preferably smaller than the diameter H of the through hole 31 on the base sheet 22 side by a maximum of 5 mm.

Further, in the printing plate support of the present invention, the base material sheet 22 reinforces the printing plate sheet 21 from the back surface side, and the protruding portion 30 to the outside is sandwiched between the vices 3A and 3B. It plays a role of fixing the entire printing plate 20 and suppressing elongation and displacement, and although it has flexibility, it is required to have a certain degree of strength and quality stability. Therefore, the thickness of the base sheet 22 is particularly preferably 0.1 to 1.2 mm, particularly 0.1 to 0.8 mm. That is, if the thickness of the base sheet 22 is too thin, the strength at the sandwiched portion when the protruding portion 30 is sandwiched between the vices 3A and 3B may be weakened, and conversely, if the base sheet 22 is too thick, printing may be performed. It is not preferable that the flexibility of the entire plate is impaired.

In the above example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a positioning hole 25 is provided on the end side of the printing plate 20, and the printing plate 20 is tightened and fixed further to the end side of the positioning hole 25. The printing plate 20 is sandwiched between the front side member 6 having the stepped portion 6a and the back side member 7 having the positioning pin 4 and the screw hole 9 by providing the screw hole 9 of the above. As the above, a plate-shaped one having no step portion 6a can also be used.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the printing plate 20 is not provided with the positioning hole 25, the back side member 7'is not provided with the positioning pin 4, and the through hole 31 provided in the protruding portion 30 of the base sheet 22 is formed. Positioning is performed by aligning the screw holes 9 provided on the back side member 7'with each other, and in that state, the plate-shaped front side member 6'is placed from above and screwed and fixed by the screw member 8. The printing plate 20 can be positioned and fixed at the same time.

According to this configuration, a flat plate-shaped member can be used as the front side member 6', which simplifies the overall configuration and is suitable.

Further, in the configuration of FIG. 3, a positioning hole (corresponding to the positioning hole 25 in FIG. 2) is provided in the protruding portion 30 of the base sheet 22 in addition to the through hole 31 for inserting the screw member 8, and the back side thereof. By providing a positioning pin (corresponding to the positioning pin 4 in FIG. 1) on the member 7'side and further providing a through hole for inserting the positioning pin on the front side member 6', the back side member 7'is first positioned. Positioning may be performed by engaging the pin with the positioning hole of the base material sheet 22, and in that state, the front side member 6'may be placed from above and screwed and fixed by the screw member 8. Also in this configuration, since the flat plate-shaped front member 6'can be used, the configuration is relatively simple and suitable.

Then, in the above series of embodiments, screw fixing by the screw member 8 and the screw hole 9 is exemplified as the fixing means for tightening and fixing the vices 3A and 3B, but the fixing means is not limited to this, and the spring is used. Various fixing means such as the clamp mechanism used can be used.

Further, in the above series of embodiments, in the fixed portion of the printing plate 20 by the left and right vices 3A and 3B, the configuration of the present invention (the protruding portion 30 is extended to the base sheet 22) is extended at both both ends in the printing direction. , A configuration in which the protruding portion 30 is tightened and fixed with vices 3A and 3B) is applied, but the configuration of the present invention does not necessarily have to be applied to both both ends thereof, and only one of them is applied. It may be. When it is applied to either end, it is more preferable to apply it to the end on the upstream side (additional side) in the printing direction in terms of effect.

Next, examples of the present invention will be described together with comparative examples. That is, first, the Example product and the Comparative Example product were prepared as follows.

[Example 1]
The printing plate support shown in FIG. 1 was produced. The details of the configuration are as follows. Alignment marks 40 and 41 were formed on the surface of the printing plate 20, that is, on the upstream side and the downstream side of the surface of the printing plate sheet 21, as schematically shown in FIG.
<Printing plate sheet 21>
Material: Acrylate butadiene rubber (shore hardness 55 degrees)
Thickness of grip 21d: 2.36 mm
Size of printing plate sheet 21: Length in printing direction x Width = 100 mm x 50 mm
<Base sheet 22>
Material: PET (2-layer laminated PET sheet)
Thickness: 0.76 mm
Size of base sheet 22: Length in printing direction x Width = 150 mm x 50 mm
Printing direction length of the protruding part 30: 5 mm
The length P: 25 mm at which the edge 30a of the protruding portion 30 protrudes from the edge 6d of the front side member 6.
Diameter H of through hole 31 for inserting screw member 8: 7.5 mm
<Vise 3A, 3B>
Material: Stainless steel screw member 8 screw diameter D: 4.0 mm

[Example 2]
The length in the printing direction was shortened so that the edge 30a of the protruding portion 30 of the base sheet 22 was flush with the edge 6d of the front member 6 of the vices 3A and 3B. Other than that, the same printing plate support as in Example 1 was obtained.

[Example 3]
The length in the printing direction is lengthened so that the edge 30a of the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 protrudes 10 mm outward from the edge 6d of the front side member 6 of the vices 3A and 3B. Other than that, the same printing plate support as in Example 1 was obtained.

[Example 4]
The diameter H of the through hole 31 in the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 was set to 8.0 mm. Other than that, the same printing plate support as in Example 1 was obtained.

[Example 5]
The diameter H of the through hole 31 in the protruding portion 30 of the base material sheet 22 was set to 11 mm. Other than that, the same printing plate support as in Example 1 was obtained.

[Comparative Example 1]
A printing plate support having the configuration shown in FIG. 9 was produced. In this product, in the printing plate 10, the end portion of the printing plate sheet 1 and the end portion of the base sheet 2 are flush with each other, and the protruding portion 30 as in the first embodiment is not provided. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

<Evaluation>
Each of the above-mentioned Example 1 product and Comparative Example 1 product is attached to the plate cylinder of the rotary type flexographic printing machine shown in FIG. 7, and printing is repeated on the object to be printed (paper), and each printing process of a predetermined number of sheets is repeated. The displacements of the alignment marks 40 and 41 on the printing plate support were measured. The results are shown in FIG. 5 (Example 1) and FIG. 6 (Comparative Example 1).
The displacements of the alignment mark 40 on the upstream side and the alignment mark 41 on the downstream side indicate deviations from their initial positions. The difference between the two displacements indicates the distance that the printing plate 20 itself extends between the two alignment marks 40 and 41.

From the results of FIGS. 5 and 6 above, it can be seen that the product of Example 1 does not extend between the two because the displacements of the alignment marks 40 and 41 are small and the displacements of the alignment marks overlap each other. On the other hand, in the product of Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that the displacements of the alignment marks 40 and 41 are large, and the displacements are greatly extended between the two. For this reason, when the number of printed sheets increases, it is considered that the printing is deviated and accurate printing cannot be reproduced.

Further, the printing was repeated in the same manner for the products of Examples 2 to 5 and the displacements of the alignment marks 40 and 41 were measured. As a result, although the displacement is slightly larger than that of the first product of Example, none of them extends between the two, and the print reproducibility is much better than that of the first product of Comparative Example. all right.

The flexographic printing plate support of the present invention is provided on a substrate such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL, or an organic TFT because it has a simple structure but does not easily stretch or shift and can maintain high print reproducibility for a long period of time. It can be used for fine printing of electrode layers, sealants, masking agents, etc.

3A, 3B vise 6 Front side member 7 Back side member 20 Printing plate 21 Printing plate sheet 22 Base material sheet 30 Overhang

Claims (6)

A flexographic printing plate support having a flexographic printing plate and a vise that sandwiches and supports the edges of the flexographic printing plate in the printing direction from the front side and the back side.
The flexographic printing plate is composed of a printing plate sheet having a convex portion for printing formed on the front surface thereof and a base material sheet integrally provided on the back surface side of the printing plate sheet to reinforce the printing plate sheet. Ori
The vise is a flexo printing plate between the front side member arranged on the front side of the flexo printing plate end portion, the back side member arranged on the back side of the flexo printing plate end portion, and the front side member and the back side member. Equipped with a fixing means to tighten and fix both in a state of sandwiching
At the edge of the flexographic printing plate in the printing direction, the edge of the base sheet protrudes outside the edge of the printing plate.
A flexographic printing plate support characterized in that a protruding portion of the base material sheet is sandwiched and fixed between the front side member and the back side member of the vise. The front side member of the vise presses the first flat surface portion for pressing the end surface of the printing plate sheet and the second flat portion for pressing the protruding portion surface of the base sheet protruding from the end portion of the printing plate sheet. The flexographic printing plate support according to claim 1, which has a flat surface portion and a stepped portion facing the end face of the printing plate sheet. The flexo according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the edge of the protruding portion of the base sheet protrudes from the edge of the front member of the vise on the side where the base sheet protrudes by 0 to 10 mm in the printing direction in a plan view. Print plate support. The vise fixing means is composed of a screw hole provided in either one of the front side member and the back side member, a through hole provided in the other side, and a screw member screwed into the screw hole. A through hole for inserting the screw member is formed in the protruding portion of the base material sheet, the diameter D of the screw portion of the screw member is 2 to 10 mm, and the diameter of the through hole of the base material sheet. The flexographic printing plate support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein H is set to a dimension 0.3 to 8 mm larger than the diameter D of the threaded portion. The vise fixing means is composed of a screw hole provided in either one of the front side member and the back side member, a through hole provided in the other side, and a screw member screwed into the screw hole. A through hole for inserting the screw member is formed in the protruding portion of the base material sheet, and if the diameter J of the through hole provided on either the front side member or the back side member is taken as the diameter J, this diameter J The flexographic printing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the relationship between the size and the diameter H of the through hole of the base material sheet is set to the relationship represented by the following formula (1). Plate support.
(JH) ≤3 mm ... (1) The flexographic printing plate support according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base sheet has a thickness of 0.1 to 1.2 mm.

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