JP2021130548A - Roll printing/laminating continuous processing device and method, roll position detector - Google Patents

Abstract

To realize automation of roll printing/laminating continuous processing, and improvement in operability and productivity.SOLUTION: A roll printing/laminating continuous processing device consists of a printer that can print on rolls, a laminator that can take in printed rolls and laminate them and a roll position detector that has an upper optical sensor part and a lower sensor part, and detects the drooping position of the printed rolls that move between the printer and the laminator. In a state where the upper optical sensor part has detected rolls, the roll position detector stops laminator taking in rolls before the lower sensor part detects rolls, makes it start taking in rolls at the time point that the lower sensor part has detected rolls, makes it continue to take in rolls until the upper optical sensor part determines that the rolls are un-detected, and stops it taking in rolls at the time point the upper optical sensor part has determined the rolls are un-detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention is an apparatus and method for continuous roll printing / laminating processing in which a printed roll printed on a roll by a printer is immediately taken into a laminator and laminated to produce a final product, or a printer and a laminator. The present invention relates to a roll position detecting device that enables continuous roll printing / laminating processing by being provided between them.

In the field of commercial printing, inkjet printers for commercial large-format roll printing, as illustrated in FIG. 1, capable of continuously printing images and the like on rolls, that is, large-format roll paper wound in a roll shape, have become widespread. doing. Further, a laminator for a large-format roll for business use as illustrated in FIG. 2 for covering the printed surface of the printed roll with a film to protect it is also widespread.

Printing large-format rolls with an inkjet printer generally takes a considerable amount of time, but printers that use solvent-based inks must be stored for at least one day to volatilize the solvent components after printing, and the inks must be stored. If heat or pressure is applied before fixing, the printing may be adversely affected. Therefore, in some cases, the laminating process cannot be performed immediately after printing. However, in recent years, LED-UV curable inkjet printers that use UV curable ink that cures immediately when irradiated with UV light have begun to spread, and it has become possible to immediately wind up printed rolls or apply laminating processing. ing.

On the other hand, the applicant can transfer a UV-printed image with a finish as if it were directly printed on the surface of a wide range of materials to be transferred, especially a three-dimensional object including a curved surface, and can be manufactured with a minimum number of steps using a UV printer. A technique for developing an image transfer sheet and its manufacturing method, an image transfer method using the image transfer sheet, and obtaining Patent No. 6260878, and preventing the generation of air bubbles that are likely to occur when transferring a large-format printed image. No. 6454048 has been obtained. In these techniques, in the process of manufacturing an image transfer sheet, an image is directly printed on the glue surface of a glued sheet having a glue layer on a release paper, and a transparent transfer film is crimped with a laminator from above. It is characterized by. Therefore, although the image layer formed by the UV ink cures quickly after printing, the printed sheet cannot be basically wound up and stored because the glue surface is exposed in the parts other than the image. rice field.

Therefore, the printed sheet is stored in an unrolled state until it is laminated, and then laminated after printing, or the printed sheet sent from the printer is directly introduced into the laminator for printing and laminating. It is conceivable to perform processing continuously. As described above, large-format roll printing by an inkjet printer requires a considerable amount of time, so from the viewpoint of work efficiency of the entire process, it is desirable to perform continuous processing in which rolls are directly sent from the printer to the laminator.

However, in performing such continuous processing, if the capture speed of the roll of the laminator is constant, the transmission speed of the printed roll from the printer varies greatly depending on the pattern and density of the image to be printed, so that the transmission speed is captured. If the speed is exceeded, the roll may loosen and hang down to the floor and become dirty, and if it is lower than the speed, the roll may break. In order to prevent these, it is necessary for the operator to constantly monitor the change in the delivery speed of the printed roll and stop / restart the intake of the laminator as appropriate by using a foot switch or the like, which restrains the operator in simple work for a long time. This will reduce productivity.

On the other hand, conventionally, in the field of electrophotographic equipment using rolls, equipment-specific conditions such as roll paper slippage and roll diameter tolerance due to roll transfer, power supply voltage fluctuation of speed variable motor, load fluctuation, temperature fluctuation, etc. There is a problem of print blurring and paper cutting due to fluctuations in the amount of paper slack due to the above. Advanced techniques for controlling the rotational speed of the transport drive unit have been proposed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-293462

In this prior art, the position of the drooping end of the roll is detected by a set of optical sensors, the increase in the amount of slack is calculated by the CPU (microcomputer) based on the elapsed time of the detected roll, and the calculation result is used to calculate the amount of increase in the amount of slack. It automatically changes the speed.

However, while the delivery speed of the printed roll of the inkjet printer varies greatly depending on the image to be printed as described above, if the amount of slack of the roll between the printer and the laminator is controlled within a range that does not hinder it. , It is not necessary to calculate the amount of increase in the amount of slack as in the prior art. In addition, most commercial laminators can arbitrarily set the roll capture speed, but as in the conventional technology, in order to link this with a sensor and change it by CPU control, the speed control mechanism of the laminator Needs modification.

The present invention does not require modification of the speed control mechanism of the laminator, and automates roll printing / laminating continuous processing by providing a simple roll slack detection mechanism between the existing printer and the laminator, resulting in work efficiency. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for continuous roll printing / laminating processing and a roll position detection apparatus capable of improving productivity and productivity.

The invention described in claim 1 for solving the above problems includes a printer capable of printing on a roll, a laminator capable of taking in a printed roll and laminating, and an upper sensor and a lower sensor. A roll printing / laminating continuous processing device including a roll position detecting device capable of detecting a drooping position of a printed roll extending between the laminator and the printed roll and controlling the uptake of the printed roll of the laminator. In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the detection device stops the take-up of the roll of the laminator until the lower sensor detects the roll, and when the lower sensor detects the roll, the detection device takes in the roll. It is characterized in that the roll uptake is continued until the upper sensor does not detect the roll, and the roll uptake is stopped when the upper sensor does not detect the roll.

The invention according to claim 2 is a roll printing / laminating continuous processing method in which a printed roll printed by a printer is intermittently taken into a laminator and laminated.
It has an upper sensor and a lower sensor provided between the printer and the laminator, detects the hanging position of the printed roll across the printer and the laminator, and captures the printed roll of the laminator. In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the roll position detection device capable of controlling the operation stops the intake of the roll of the laminator until the lower sensor detects the roll, and the lower sensor detects the roll. At that point, the roll uptake is started, the roll uptake is continued until the upper sensor detects the roll, and when the upper sensor does not detect the roll, the roll uptake is stopped. It is a feature.

Further, the invention according to claim 3 is provided between the printer and the laminator in a roll printing / laminating continuous processing method in which a printed roll printed by a printer is intermittently taken into a laminator and laminated. The roll position detecting device having an upper sensor and a lower sensor and capable of detecting the hanging position of the printed roll across between the printer and the laminator and controlling the uptake of the printed roll of the laminator. In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the laminator roll uptake is stopped until the lower sensor detects the roll, and when the lower sensor detects the roll, the roll uptake is started, and the upper part is taken up. It is characterized in that the roll uptake is continued until the sensor does not detect the roll, and when the upper sensor does not detect the roll, the roll uptake is stopped.

The present invention is intended to have an effect of improving work efficiency in continuously processing printing and laminating by directly introducing a printed roll from a printer into a laminator in the manufacturing process of an image transfer sheet according to the patented invention of the applicant. It was done. However, according to the present invention, it is not limited to the production of the image transfer sheet, but is general, simply by adding a simple and low-cost roll position detection device without making any special modification to the existing printer or laminator. Since most of the time required for the large-format roll printing / laminating continuous processing process can be unmanned, the effect of greatly improving work efficiency and productivity is achieved. Further, in order to link printers and laminators of different manufacturers with CPU control, it is necessary to modify both devices, which increases the cost. However, if the roll position detection device according to the present invention is used, the foot switch circuit of the laminator can be used. It can be applied to any manufacturer of printers and laminators, and can be expected to have the effect of realizing large-format roll printing / laminating continuous processing at low cost.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the roll position detecting device 1 based on the embodiment of the present invention, in which the printer P is arranged on the right back side and the laminator L is arranged on the left front side.

The main body of the roll position detection device 1 is a substantially rectangular base frame 10 composed of vertical girders 11a (printer side) and 11b (laminator side) and horizontal girders 12a and 12b installed on the floor surface, and each vertical girder. It consists of two vertical frames 13 standing on each of 11a and 11b, and horizontal frames 14 (printer side) and 15 (laminator side) attached so as to face the tops of each pair of vertical frames 13. Further, on both sides of the vertical girder 10 of the base frame, leg fixing frames 16 capable of fixing the leg PL of the printer P and the leg LL of the laminator L are provided, respectively, and the printed roll of the printer P is sent out. The side and the roll take-in side of the laminator L can be fixed so as to face each other.

Further, the horizontal frame 14 on the printer side is provided with the upper optical sensor 17a, and the horizontal frame 15 on the laminator side is provided with the upper reflector 17b facing each other, and the light emitted from the upper optical sensor 17a is provided on the upper reflector. The presence of the object is detected by the object blocking the first detection line S1 that is reflected back to 17b. Similarly, the vertical girder 11a is provided with a lower optical sensor 18a, the vertical girder 11b is provided with a pair of lower reflectors 18b, and the second detection line S2 detects the presence of an object. Further, both ends of the plurality of belts 19 are fixed to the two horizontal frames 14 and 15 and hung in a U shape. The belt 19 is configured to prevent the roll R from touching the floor and becoming soiled even if the roll R hangs down beyond the second detection line S2 between the printer P and the laminator L due to an unforeseen situation.

Further, the signal of detection / non-detection of the object by the first detection line S1 and the second detection line S2 is sent to the relay device (not shown) by a cable, and the operation / stop of the roll R uptake by the laminator L is started. It is converted into a command signal and sent to the laminator L by a cable.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a roll printing / laminating continuous processing apparatus according to an embodiment, which is composed of a printer P, a laminator L, and a roll position detecting apparatus 1. The printer P is an inkjet printer for large-format roll paper for business use, and the paper feed roller feeds the printed roll R to the left. On the other hand, the laminator L is a laminator for large-format roll paper for business use, and while the fed roll R is sandwiched between upper and lower rubber rollers and taken in, a transfer film is crimped onto the printing surface and laminated, and finally wound as a product. take.

The laminator L is equipped with a foot switch (not shown) for stopping / operating the rotation of the rubber roller with the foot in addition to the switch on the operation panel, and the cable from the relay device of the roll position detection device 1 described above is provided. It is connected in parallel to the operation circuit of the foot switch. As a result, the intake of the roll R by the laminator L can be activated / stopped by the command signal from the relay device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view stepwise showing the operating states (1) to (4) of the printer P, the laminator L, and the roll position detecting device 1, and is omitted except for the configuration related to the sending and taking of the roll R. doing. Here, the transmission speed v1 of the roll R by the printer P may fluctuate at any time depending on the form and density of the image to be printed, whereas the acquisition speed of the roll R by the laminator L is v2 initially set by the operator. It is fixed at and either stopped or activated. The capture speed v2 of the laminator L has a relationship of v2> v1 with respect to the maximum value of the transmission speed v1 of the printer P assumed by the form and density of the printed image.

Further, the detection / non-detection state of the roll R of the upper and lower optical sensors and the operating state (sending speed, capturing speed) of the printer P and the laminator L at the time of entering each of the operating states (1) to (4). The relationships are set as shown in Table 1.

In the roll printing / laminating continuous processing process, when the printed roll R is sent out from the printer P after the start of printing, the operator inserts the front end portion of the roll R into the laminator L so that the roll can be taken in, and then the roll. The laminator L is energized when the R hangs down and reaches the state (1) below the first detection line S1. However, at this point, since the upper optical sensor detects the roll R, the laminator L is stopped and the uptake is not started.

After that, when the roll R continues to be sent out from the printer P and the roll R hangs down to the second detection line S2 and both the upper and lower optical sensors detect the roll R (2), the laminator L starts taking in the roll R. ..

When the capture by the laminator L starts, the capture speed v2 is larger than the assumed maximum value of the feed speed v1, so that the capture amount by the laminator L exceeds the feed amount of the printer P, and the drooping of the roll R gradually decreases. Move to (3).

After that, when the position of the hanging portion of the roll R reaches above the first detection line S1 and both the upper and lower optical sensors do not detect the roll R (4), the laminator L stops capturing. .. Therefore, the roll R is in a tense state and does not break. On the other hand, since the printer P continues to send out, the roll R starts to hang down again, falls below the first detection line S1 and returns to the state (1) detected by the upper optical sensor, and then repeats this cycle. ..

Although the device and method for continuous roll printing / laminating processing and the specific configuration of the roll position detection device according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the technical aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above. It can be improved or modified within the scope of the idea and they belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

The present invention is particularly suitable for continuous processing of large-format roll printing / laminating processing, and is a process when a plurality of processing processes having different processing speeds are continuously performed in a field such as surface processing of a roll sheet-like material. It can also be used for general material transfer systems.

Example of inkjet printer for commercial large format roll printing Example of laminator for large format rolls for business use Perspective view of the roll position detection device according to the embodiment Schematic side view of roll printing / laminating continuous processing equipment Schematic diagram showing the operating state of the roll printing / laminating continuous processing device step by step

P Printer L Laminator R Roll S1 1st detection line S2 2nd detection line 1 Roll position detection device 10 Base frame 11a Vertical girder (printer side)
11b Vertical girder (laminator side)
12 Horizontal girder 13 Vertical frame 14 Horizontal frame (printer side)
15 Horizontal frame (laminator side)
16 Leg fixing frame 17a Upper optical sensor 17b Upper reflector 18a Lower optical sensor 18b Lower reflector

Claims (3)

It has a printer that can print on rolls, a laminator that can take in printed rolls and perform laminating, and an upper sensor and a lower sensor, and detects the drooping position of the printed roll that extends between the printer and the laminator. A roll printing / laminating continuous processing device including a roll position detecting device capable of controlling the uptake of printed rolls of the laminator.
The roll position detecting device is
In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the intake of the roll of the laminator is stopped until the lower sensor detects the roll.
When the lower sensor detects the roll, the roll capture is started, and the roll is taken in.
Roll capture is continued until the upper sensor detects the roll.
A roll printing / laminating continuous processing apparatus, characterized in that the loading of rolls is stopped when the upper sensor determines that the rolls are not detected. In the roll printing / laminating continuous processing method in which the printed rolls printed by the printer are intermittently taken into the laminator and laminated.
It has an upper sensor and a lower sensor provided between the printer and the laminator, detects the hanging position of the printed roll across between the printer and the laminator, and captures the printed roll of the laminator. By a roll position detector that can control
In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the intake of the roll of the laminator is stopped until the lower sensor detects the roll.
When the lower sensor detects the roll, the roll capture is started, and the roll is taken in.
Roll capture is continued until the upper sensor detects the roll.
A roll printing / laminating continuous processing method, wherein the upper sensor stops taking in the roll when the roll is not detected. A roll position detection device that controls the operation or stop of the capture of the laminator that continuously captures and laminates the printed rolls printed by the printer.
The roll position detecting device has an upper sensor and a lower sensor, and has an upper sensor and a lower sensor.
In the state where the upper sensor detects the roll, the intake of the roll of the laminator is stopped until the lower sensor detects the roll.
When the lower sensor detects the roll, the roll capture is started, and the roll is taken in.
Roll capture is continued until the upper sensor detects the roll.
A roll position detecting device, characterized in that the loading of a roll is stopped when the upper sensor determines that the roll is not detected.

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