JP2024034929A - Screen plate manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a screen plate manufacturing device capable of manufacturing a screen plate with a compact configuration. [Solution] A transport mechanism in the screen plate manufacturing device has a transport roller 141 and a tension unit, and the tension unit has a plurality of tension rollers 142 arranged in the width direction of the screen master, a storage case 161 that stores the plurality of tension rollers 142, the storage case 161 being configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis Ax, a lock mechanism 168 that fixes the storage case 161 to a predetermined fixed position, and a biasing member 162 that presses the tension roller 142 toward the transport roller 141 side when the storage case 161 is located at the fixed position, and the tension roller 142 is pressed toward the transport roller 141 side by the biasing force from the biasing member 162 when the storage case 161 is located at the fixed position. [Selected Figure] Figure 10

Description

The present invention relates to a screen plate manufacturing apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Screen printing is conventionally known in which printing is performed on paper, T-shirts, etc. using a screen plate. Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for producing a screen plate. This device processes a screen master fixed to a frame to produce a screen plate. Specifically, this device produces a screen plate by melting resin on the surface of a screen master using a thermal head (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-198979

Conventional screen plate manufacturing apparatuses have the problem of increasing the size of the apparatus because they perforate a screen master fixed to a frame.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a screen plate manufacturing apparatus that can produce a screen plate with a compact configuration.

A screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is a screen plate manufacturing apparatus that heats and perforates a heat-melt film while moving a screen master on which a heat-melt film is formed on silk. A heating perforation unit that melts and perforates a heat-melting film, a conveyance guide that guides the screen master to the side of the heating perforation unit, and a conveyance mechanism that carries out the perforated screen master, the conveyance mechanism is a conveyance roller located downstream of the heating perforation part in the conveyance direction of the screen master, and a conveyance roller located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller across the conveyance path of the screen master, and applies pressure to the screen master. a tension section for applying tension; the tension section is configured to accommodate a plurality of tension rollers arranged in the width direction of the screen master; an opening is formed therein, and the tension section accommodates the plurality of tension rollers; a storage case that is held in a state exposed to the outside through the opening and is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the screen master; and a storage case that is held at a predetermined fixed position. and a biasing member that presses the tension roller toward the transport roller when the accommodation case is located at the fixed position, and the tension roller When the storage case is fixed at the fixed position, it is pressed toward the conveyance roller by the urging force from the urging member.

The storage case has an opening formed therein, and is configured to fit into the roller holder member from above, and a roller holder member that holds the tension roller with the tension roller exposed through the opening. a roller cover member, the roller holder member and the roller cover member are configured to mutually rotate around a rotation center coaxial with the rotation shaft, and the biasing member is configured to rotate around a rotation center coaxial with the rotation axis. It may also be a coil spring disposed between the roller holder member and the roller cover member.

The rotation axis, which is the center of rotation of the storage case, is located at a position on the upstream side of the storage case in the conveying direction of the screen master, and the tension roller is arranged to move the screen master further than the rotation axis. The biasing member may be located further downstream of the tension roller.

The roller holder member is arranged below an upper holder member in which a shaft support part for supporting the shaft of the tension roller is formed, and a first opening constituting the opening part, and the upper holder member. a lower holder member in which a second opening constituting the opening is formed, and the shaft support part is provided as a bent part by bending a part of the upper holder member. You can leave it there.

The roller holder member includes an upper holder member in which a first opening forming the opening is formed, and a second member disposed below the upper holder member forming the opening. A lower holder member in which an opening is formed, and a member constituting a shaft support part that supports the shaft of the tension roller may be fixed to the upper holder member or the lower holder member by a fixture or welding.

Another aspect of the present invention is a screen plate manufacturing apparatus that heats and perforates a heat-melt film while moving a screen master on which a heat-melt film is formed on silk. a conveying mechanism for conveying the screen master, a heating perforation section having a thermal head for melting the heat-melting film of the screen master conveyed by the conveying mechanism, and guiding the screen master to a side of the thermal head. The conveyance mechanism includes a conveyance roller located downstream of the heating perforation section in the conveyance direction of the screen master, and a conveyance roller located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller across the conveyance path of the screen master. a tension section that applies pressure to the screen master; the tension section includes a plurality of tension rollers arranged in a width direction of the screen master; and a housing case that accommodates the plurality of tension rollers. a storage case configured to hold the plurality of tension rollers in a state exposed to the outside through an opening and to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the screen master; and a biasing mechanism configured to be able to adjust a pressing force for pressing the tension roller toward the conveyance roller.

The biasing mechanism may include a plurality of biasing units that can operate independently for each of the tension rollers.

The urging mechanism may include an elastic member that presses the tension roller toward the conveyance roller, and an adjustment mechanism that changes the force pressing the tension roller by changing the shape of the elastic member.

The adjustment mechanism includes a moving member that contacts the elastic member to change the shape of the elastic member, a drive mechanism that moves the moving member using a driving force of a motor, and a control circuit that controls the operation of the drive mechanism. may be provided.

The control circuit operates the drive mechanism so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively large when the perforation density of the screen master exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the control circuit operates the drive mechanism so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively large, and the perforation density of the screen master exceeds the predetermined threshold. In the following cases, the drive mechanism may be operated so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively small.

The control circuit refers to a storage unit in which the perforation densities of the plurality of screen masters are associated with the positions of the moving members moved by the plurality of drive mechanisms, and determines the position according to the perforation density of the screen masters. The drive mechanism may be operated such that the moving member is located at the position where the moving member is located.

According to the present invention, it is possible to produce a screen plate with a compact configuration, and it is possible to provide a screen plate manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 with some parts omitted. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the screen plate manufacturing device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a screen plate manufacturing device. It is a figure which shows typically the operation|movement which an insert guide opens and closes. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a tension roller and its surrounding structure. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of one of the modified examples of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows a part of screen plate manufacturing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing parts constituting the transport mechanism of FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the structure and operation of a transport mechanism. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a movable range defining structure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a peripheral structure of a thermal head.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 with some parts omitted. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus. In the following description, words indicating directions such as top, bottom, left, and right are used in accordance with the orientation of objects shown in the drawings, but such descriptions are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[Overview of screen plate manufacturing equipment]
First, an overview of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 of this embodiment will be explained. The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 is an apparatus for manufacturing a screen plate, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 (particularly FIG. 3), the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 mainly includes a casing 10, a conveyance path forming member 20, and a heating perforation section. 30, a transport mechanism 40, and a control circuit 80.

The power supply system for the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 is arbitrary. The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 can be driven at 24V using an AC adapter, for example. In the following, it will be exemplified that the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 includes a built-in battery (not shown).

The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 is an apparatus that manufactures a screen plate by heating and perforating a hot melt film while moving the screen master S, as will be described later.

The screen master S is, for example, a sheet-like member in which a heat-melting resin film is formed on the surface of silk woven in a grid pattern. Furthermore, silk is also called ``gauge''.

The screen master S is pulled out from the roll R in this embodiment. The screen plate is produced by cutting out the screen master S, and has openings corresponding to the designs and characters to be printed in screen printing. In screen printing, printing is performed by applying ink to the object to be printed through this opening.

The screen master S is pressed and held between a thermal head 31 and a platen roller 35 in a heating perforation section 30, and is perforated by the heating of the thermal head 31. In such a method, there is a possibility that the screen master S may shrink depending on the area to be melted. It is assumed that this shrinkage reduces the accuracy of the manufactured screen plate.

In the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 of this embodiment, shrinkage can be suppressed by holding the screen master S between the conveyance roller 41 and the tension roller 42 of the conveyance mechanism 40. Further, in this embodiment, as an example, the pressing force of the tension roller 42 against the conveyance roller 41 can be adjusted. With such a configuration, by adjusting the pressing force, it is possible to prevent the accuracy of the screen plate from decreasing due to shrinkage of the screen master S.

(Screen master)
As described above, the screen master S is a member in which a resin member is formed on the surface of silk woven in a grid pattern. The screen master S is a continuous elongated member pulled out from the roll R. As the sheet-like member, for example, Tetron (made of polyester, registered trademark), nylon (made of 66-nylon, registered trademark), stainless steel (SUS304), V screen (made of polyarylate), etc. are preferable. In particular, Tetron (registered trademark) has low screen elongation, allows for high tension settings, and reduces errors during printing.

A conventional screen plate manufacturing apparatus has a configuration in which a thermal head applies heat to a screen master held in a frame (not shown) to melt a resin material. On the other hand, in S100 of the present embodiment, since the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 does not need to hold the screen master S with a frame, the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 can be downsized.

[Configuration of each part of screen plate manufacturing equipment]
(Case 10)
The housing 10 includes a pair of side frames 12 shown in FIG. 1 and a frame member (not shown) that connects the side frames 12 to each other. As the side frame 12, a first side frame 12-1 and a second side frame 12-2 are provided.

The distance between the first side frame 12-1 and the second side frame 12-2 is such that the roll R can be removably set between the first side frame 12-1 and the second side frame 12-2. The length is set to . The housing 10 defines the outer shape of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100. Although the shape of the casing 10 is arbitrary, in this embodiment, the casing 10 is formed in the shape of a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped.

Note that the housing 10 may be configured to be able to mount rolls R of screen masters S corresponding to B5, A4, A3, and larger sizes.

(Conveyance path forming member 20)
As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance path forming member 20 is a member that forms a conveyance path for the screen master S to the heating perforation section 30, and includes a guide plate 21, an insert guide 22, and a screen guide 23.

The guide plate 21 guides the screen master S pulled out from the roll R toward the heating perforation section 30 side. The guide plate 21 extends in the width direction of the screen master S. The guide plate 21 is inclined toward the heating perforation part 30 side so that the screen master S can be conveyed smoothly.

The screen guide 23 is a pair of members arranged on the guide plate 21 and guides both sides of the screen master S.

The insert guide 22 is arranged above the guide plate 21. The insert guide 22 cooperates with the guide plate 21 to guide the screen master S toward the heating perforation. The insert guide 22 forms an inclined passage extending parallel to the slope of the guide plate 21 . Furthermore, in this example, the insert guide 22 is formed to have a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape. The gap formed between one surface of this triangular shape and the surface of the guide plate 21 (screen master transport path) can be easily adjusted. The gap is preferably 0.5 to 5 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 3 mm. The insert guide 22 is formed to have a relatively long length along the conveyance direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 3) of the screen master S, and thereby can guide the screen master S well toward the heating perforation section 30. It is now possible to do so. According to such a configuration, the conveyance path is formed relatively long, and the occurrence of clogging of the screen master S is reduced.

For example, the insert guide 22 is configured to rotate around a rotation axis in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the insert guide 22 rotates around a rotating shaft provided coaxially with the platen roller 35 (details below).

(Heating perforation part 30)
The heating perforation section 30 is a part that perforates the screen master S by applying heat to the screen master S. The heating perforation section 30 has a thermal head 31, a support plate 32, an elastic body 33, and a platen roller 35, as shown in FIG.

Note that, although detailed illustration is omitted, the thermal head 31 may have a structure including a block-shaped member and a plurality of heating elements disposed on the block-shaped member. The block member is larger than the thermal head 31 arranged in the width direction of the screen master S, and has a cooling function of dissipating heat generated from the thermal head 31.

The thermal head 31 has a plurality of heating elements arranged in the width direction of the screen master S. The heating element is, for example, a heating resistor. The thermal head 31 melts the heat-melting film of the screen master S. The plurality of heating resistors generate heat at predetermined timings according to print data generated by the control circuit 80. The heating resistor disposed in the area to be perforated in the screen master S generates heat, and the other heating resistors do not generate heat, so that only a predetermined area in the width direction of the screen master S is perforated.

The support plate 32 is configured to be movable in the direction toward and away from the screen master S side. Specifically, the support plate 32 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, for example.

The elastic body 33 is disposed below the thermal head 31 and applies an upward biasing force to the support plate 32. As a result, the thermal head 31 is pressed against the platen roller 35. With this configuration, the screen master S is held between the platen roller 35 and the thermal head 31.

The platen roller 35 is arranged on the opposite side (above the figure) of the thermal head 31 across the conveyance path along which the screen master S is conveyed. The platen roller 35 has an elastic roller member with a circular cross section, and is rotatably supported by a shaft (not shown). In this embodiment, as an example, the shaft of the platen roller 35 is fixed and the position of the shaft does not move. However, the thermal head 31 may be fixed and the platen roller 35 may be moved.

The screen master S is perforated while the platen roller 35 remains in contact with the thermal head 31. The pressure with which the platen roller 35 contacts the thermal head 31 is, for example, constant. In the configuration of this embodiment, the pressure between the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35 is adjusted by the bias of the elastic body 33, the tension of the screen master S can be adjusted, and the deflection of the screen master S before drilling is also prevented. Therefore, the screen master S can be punched with high accuracy.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of opening and closing the insert guide 22. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), the insert guide 22 is configured integrally with the insert lever 25 and rotates around a rotation shaft (not shown) coaxial with the platen roller 35. As shown in FIGS. The insert levers 25 are provided on both sides of the insert guide 22, as shown in FIG. The insert lever 25 has a cam portion 25a that abuts a part of the support plate 32, as shown in FIG. The cam portion 25a is, for example, formed in a shape having a plurality of step portions (cam-shaped portions).

When the insert guide 22 is in the most closed state as shown in FIG. 5(a), the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35 are in contact with each other. When the insert guide 22 is rotated from this state to the position shown in FIG. It is pushed down, and the thermal head 31 moves slightly downward. However, in the state shown in FIG. 5(b), the platen roller 35 is still in contact with the thermal head 31.

When the insert guide 22 is further rotated to the position shown in FIG. 5(c), the support plate 32 is further pushed down due to the contact between the second step part of the cam part 25a and the support plate 32. As a result, the thermal head 31 moves further downward, and the gap d between the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35 opens.

According to the configuration in which the gap between the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35 can be widened by rotating the insert guide 22 in this way, for example, the screen master S can be moved between the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35. Easy to set up. Further, for example, when cleaning the thermal head 31, cleaning can be performed with good work efficiency.

(Transport mechanism 40)
The conveyance mechanism 40 is a mechanism that carries out the screen master S that has been pulled out from the roll R and that has been perforated by the heating perforation section 30 . As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the conveyance mechanism 40 includes a conveyance roller 41, a tension roller 42, a motor 43 (FIG. 4), and a roller drive mechanism 44 (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance roller 41 is arranged downstream of the heating perforation section 30 in the conveyance direction. The conveyance roller 41 is an elastic roller having a circular cross section, and supports the lower surface of the screen master S (the front side on which the resin film is applied). In this embodiment, the conveyance roller 41 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis in the horizontal direction.

In this embodiment, a plurality of tension rollers 42 are arranged along the width direction of the screen master S, as shown in FIG. Specifically, three tension rollers 42 are arranged: tension roller 42-1, tension roller 42-2, and tension roller 42-3. Note that the number of tension rollers is not limited to this. The tension roller 42 is located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller 41 across the conveyance path of the screen master S, and presses the screen master S against the conveyance roller 41 during operation of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100.

The motor 43 is a drive source that generates a driving force that rotates the conveyance roller 41. The motor 43 is, for example, an electromagnetic motor, such as a stepping motor, and the operation of the motor 43 is controlled by a control circuit 80. In the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100, only one motor 43 may be provided, or a plurality of motors 43 may be provided.

The roller drive mechanism 44 is a mechanism including a gear train consisting of a plurality of gears, and transmits the driving force of the motor 43 to the conveyance roller 41 at a predetermined gear ratio. Note that the motor 43 may be one that generates a driving force for a drive mechanism for rotating the platen roller 35. In this way, when the motor 43 is provided as a common drive source for rotating the platen roller 35 and the conveyance roller 41, the configuration of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 can be simplified and made compact, and the cost can be reduced. It is advantageous in this respect.

(Control circuit 80)
The control circuit 80 is a circuit for controlling the operation of each part of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100. The control circuit 80 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and functions as a data acquisition unit, a printing unit, etc. by executing a program stored in a storage unit. As shown in FIG. 4, as an example, control signals are supplied to the motor 43 and the thermal head 31 to control their operations.

The control circuit 80 uses a data acquisition unit to acquire data such as characters and images from the outside, and generates print data indicating which area on the screen master S is to be punched and how, based on the data. The control circuit 80 generates print data for the screen master S, for example, based on two-dimensional data of an image to be finally formed. As for a specific method of generating print data, a conventionally known technique can be used, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

(Biasing mechanism 50)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the tension roller 42 and its surrounding structure. The tension roller 42 and its surrounding structure will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6. As described above, when heat is applied to the screen master S to heat and perforate a predetermined area, the problem of shrinkage of the screen master S may occur. That is, unlike when printing on paper with a thermal head, in the screen master S, the heat from the thermal head 31 melts the resin material on the surface of the silk, so the larger the area of melted resin material, the more the screen master S shrinkage tends to occur.

When the screen master S shrinks, the screen plate may become distorted depending on the case, and the accuracy of the screen plate decreases. In order to solve such a problem, the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 of this embodiment is provided with a biasing mechanism 50, as an example. The urging mechanism 50 is a mechanism that presses the tension roller 42 toward the conveyance roller 41 side with a predetermined pressing force.

For example, the biasing mechanism 50 is provided with a plurality of springs in the width direction of the conveyance roller 41.

In this embodiment, a configuration in which the biasing mechanism 50 is provided as a biasing unit for each tension roller 42 is illustrated as an example, but one biasing mechanism 50 is provided for a plurality of tension rollers 42. It may be. FIG. 6 depicts a biasing mechanism 50-1, a biasing mechanism 50-2, and a biasing mechanism 50-3 that can operate independently of each other. For example, the biasing mechanism 50-1, the biasing mechanism 50-2, and the biasing mechanism 50-3 all have the same configuration. In the following description, the biasing mechanism 50 will be explained using the biasing mechanism 50-1 as an example.

As schematically shown in FIG. 6, the biasing mechanism 50 includes a roller support member 51, an elastic member 52, a moving plate 53, a fixed plate 54, and an adjustment screw 55.

The roller support member 51 is a member that rotatably supports the tension roller 42. Specifically, the roller support member 51 supports the tension roller 42 so that the rotation axis of the tension roller 42 and the rotation axis of the conveyance roller 41 are parallel to each other. The roller support member 51 is configured to be movable in the direction toward and away from the conveyance roller 41 (vertical direction in the figure).

The elastic member 52 is a member that presses the tension roller 42 against the conveyance roller 41 side, and is, for example, a coil spring or a plate spring.

The moving plate 53, the fixed plate 54, and the adjustment screw 55 constitute an adjustment mechanism that changes the force with which the tension roller 42 is pressed. Specifically, the movable plate 53, the fixed plate 54, and the adjustment screw 55 change the shape of the elastic member 52, thereby changing the urging force from the elastic member 52 and changing the force pressing the tension roller 42.

The moving plate 53 is arranged above the elastic member 52 and is movable in the vertical direction. A part of the adjusting screw 55 is engaged with the moving plate 53, and as the adjusting screw 55 rotates, the moving plate 53 moves vertically along the axial direction of the adjusting screw 55. When the moving plate 53 moves downward, the elastic member 52 is contracted, and the elastic member 52 urges the tension roller 42 toward the conveyance roller 41 side.

The fixing plate 54 is, for example, a member fixedly disposed as a part of the housing 10, and has an adjustment screw 55 inserted therethrough. For example, the adjustment screw 55 extends vertically through a screw hole in the fixing plate 54. For example, the adjustment screw 55 is turned by a user using a screwdriver. For example, when the adjusting screw 55 is rotated clockwise, the adjusting screw 55 moves downward. In the example of FIG. 6, when the adjustment screw 55 is rotated clockwise, the position of the fixed plate 54 remains unchanged, and the adjustment screw 55 and the movable plate 53 move downward while the adjustment screw 55 is screwed in. However, the present invention is not limited to such a specific configuration, and can be modified in various ways.

[Operation of screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100]
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 configured as described above operates as follows. First, as an example, the user attaches the roll R between the side frames 12 of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100, draws the screen master S pulled out from the roll R along the guide plate 21, and places it in the heating perforation section 30. Pass it through. When passing the screen master S through the heating perforation section 30, the user lifts up the insert guide 22 to open it, and with the thermal head 31 separated from the platen roller 35, the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 35. The user further draws the screen master S toward the transport mechanism 40 and sets the screen master S so that the screen master S is held by the transport roller 41 and the tension roller 42.

In this manner, with the screen master S set, the control circuit 80 of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 generates print data for forming the image data based on the input image data. The control circuit 80 operates the platen roller 35, the conveyance roller 41, and the thermal head 31, and heats and perforates the screen master S at a predetermined position while conveying the screen master S based on the generated print data.

After the heating perforation by the thermal head 31 is completed, the control circuit 80 operates the platen roller 35 and the transport mechanism 40 to transport the screen master S by a predetermined distance to the downstream side. By successively performing such operations of heating perforation and conveyance, openings are formed in the screen master S according to predetermined print data. After completing a series of heating perforation operations, the user separates a portion of the screen master S from the screen master S. In this way, a screen plate for screen printing is produced.

(effect)
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100 of the present embodiment configured as described above perforates a sheet-like screen master S to form a screen plate, and therefore transports the screen master S held in the frame. The screen plate manufacturing device S100 can be configured compactly compared to the necessary devices.

Furthermore, in the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100, the position of the tension roller 42 among the conveyance roller 41 and the tension roller 42 included in the conveyance mechanism 40 is provided to be variable. is adjustable. With such a configuration, by adjusting the pressing force and stably holding the screen master S, it is possible to prevent the accuracy of the screen plate from decreasing due to shrinkage of the screen master S.

As a specific example of use, for example, in the case of data in which the perforation density at the center of the screen master S is relatively high and the perforation density at both ends is relatively low, the user may select one of the three biasing mechanisms 50. Adjustment may be made so that the biasing force is increased at the center portion and the biasing force is weakened at both ends.

<Modified example>
In the above embodiment, the adjustment screw 55 is turned by the user. However, in the screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment screw 55 may be automatically rotated by a drive mechanism. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a modified example of the present invention.

The screen plate manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 7 includes a drive mechanism 90 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. Specifically, as in the above embodiment, the screen plate manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 7 includes a moving plate 53, etc., which is a moving member that comes into contact with the elastic member 52 to change the shape of the elastic member 52, and a control circuit 80. and further includes a drive mechanism 90 for moving the moving plate 53.

The drive mechanism 90 includes, for example, a rotating member (not shown) that contacts the adjusting screw 55 and rotates the adjusting screw 55, and a drive section that rotates the rotating member. The drive unit includes, for example, a drive source such as a motor.

The control circuit 80 transmits a control signal to the drive mechanism 90 and controls the operation of the drive mechanism 90. The control circuit 80 may automatically adjust the force with which the biasing mechanism 50 biases the tension roller 42 according to the perforation density of the screen master S, for example. Specifically, the control circuit 80 specifies the perforation density of the screen master S based on the print data, and when the specified perforation density exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control circuit 80 controls the control circuit 80 so that the force pressing the tension roller 42 becomes relatively large. The drive mechanism 90 is operated. By doing this, when the perforation density is relatively high (in other words, when the screen master S tends to shrink), the holding force of the screen master S by the tension roller 42 and the conveyance roller 41 is increased, and the screen master S is stably held. It becomes possible to convey the screen master S while holding it therebetween.

For example, the control circuit 80 may operate the drive mechanism 90 so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively small when the perforation density of the screen master S is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

In addition, the "perforation density" in the above is specifically, as an example, when there are three tension rollers 42, the screen master S is divided into three in the width direction, and the perforation density of the area corresponding to each tension roller 42 is defined as the "perforation density". The pressing force of each tension roller 42 may be adjusted accordingly.

When the standard perforation density is set in stages, a plurality of positions where the moving plate 53 should be located may be set in advance accordingly. For example, when the perforation density is a first density, which is the highest, the moving plate 53 moves to the lowest first position, and when the perforation density is a second density, which is smaller than the first density, the moving plate 53 moves to a second position above the first position, and when the perforation density is a third density smaller than the second density, the moving plate 53 moves to a third position above the second position. As such, a plurality of perforation densities and a plurality of positions corresponding to each perforation density may be associated.

The data of such a correspondence table may be stored in the storage unit of the control circuit 80, and in this case, the control circuit 80 can store the perforation densities of the plurality of screen masters S and the moving members moved by the plurality of drive mechanisms. The drive mechanism 90 may be automatically operated so that the moving member is located at a position corresponding to the perforation density of the screen master by referring to the storage unit associated with the position of the screen master.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist. be. As an example, in the embodiment described above, the tension roller 42 is urged by the elastic member 52, but in one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member 52 may be omitted. Further, the number of tension rollers 42 is not limited to three, and two or four or more may be provided. Moreover, the holding force between the tension roller 42 and the conveyance roller 41 may be configured to be adjustable by making the position of the conveyance roller 41 variable instead of moving the tension roller 42.

<Second embodiment>
The tension roller and its surrounding structure of the screen plate manufacturing device may be as follows. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S110 of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing parts constituting the transport mechanism of FIG. 8.

The screen plate manufacturing apparatus S110 of this embodiment includes a transport mechanism 140 having a configuration different from that of the above embodiment. The other configurations are, for example, the same as those of the above embodiment, and therefore, redundant explanation will be omitted.

The conveyance mechanism 140 includes a conveyance roller 141 and a tension section 160. The conveyance roller 141 has the same configuration as the conveyance roller 41 of the first embodiment.

The tension section 160 is located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller 141 across the conveyance path of the screen master S. The tension section 160 is a structural section that applies a pressing force to the screen master S. Specifically, the tension section 160 includes a tension roller 142, a housing case 161, a biasing member (biasing mechanism) 162, and a locking mechanism 168.

Although detailed illustration is omitted in FIG. 8, a plurality of tension rollers 142 are provided as in the first embodiment.

The storage case 161 is a storage case that stores the plurality of tension rollers 142. The housing case 161 is made of metal, for example. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the storage case 161 has a slightly flat rectangular cross-sectional shape in this example. This makes it possible to eliminate bending of the storage case since it is long. The housing case 161 includes, for example, a roller holder member 165 and a roller cover member 163.

Note that in the configurations shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, a member that increases the rigidity of the roller cover member 163 may be fixed to the roller cover member 163. Such a member may be, for example, a bracket member extending in the longitudinal direction of the roller cover member 163.

The roller holder member 165 is a member that has an opening 165h and holds the tension roller 142 in a state where the tension roller 142 is exposed from the opening 165h. The roller cover member 163 is a member attached to the roller holder member 165 from above so as to cover the tension roller 142. Specifically, the roller cover member 163 is provided to fit into the roller holder member 165. These more detailed structures will be described later with reference to FIG.

According to the configuration of this embodiment in which the tension roller 142 is arranged inside the housing case 161, the tension roller 142 and the biasing member 162 are housed inside the housing case 161, so that it can be made compact. Further, such a configuration has the advantage that dust and foreign matter are less likely to adhere to the tension roller 142 and its surrounding structure, and the performance of the tension roller 142 and, by extension, the conveyance mechanism 140 can be maintained over a long period of time.

The housing case 161 has an opening 161h as shown in FIG. The opening 161h is formed on the lower surface of the storage case 161 (that is, the surface facing the conveyance roller 141). The tension roller 142 is held in a state exposed to the outside through the opening 161h, and with this configuration, the screen master S is held between the conveyance roller 141 and the tension roller 142.

The urging member 162 is a member for pressing the tension roller 142 toward the conveyance roller 141 side. The biasing member 162 is, for example, a coil spring. The surrounding structure of the biasing member 162 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9. Note that in FIG. 9, some members are omitted for convenience of explanation.

In this example, the roller holder member 165 has a laminated structure in which an upper holder member 165A and a lower holder member 165B are laminated. These members may be fixed to each other with, for example, screws. Note that the roller holder member 165 does not necessarily have to have a laminated structure, and may be composed of a single member.

The upper holder member 165A has a plurality of openings 165h formed at positions corresponding to the positions of the tension roller 142, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the upper holder member 165A has an opening 165h-1, an opening 165h-2, and an opening 165h-3. The opening 165h constitutes an opening 161h (FIG. 8) of the housing case 161.

A shaft support portion 165g that supports the shaft of the tension roller 142 is formed in the upper holder member 165A. One shaft support portion 165g is formed at each end of the opening 165h. The shaft support portion 165g may be, for example, plate-shaped, rod-shaped, or square-shaped, and in this embodiment, it is provided as a bent portion obtained by bending a part of the member of the upper holder member 165A. For example, the shaft support portion 165g is formed perpendicular to the lower surface of the upper holder member 165A.

The shaft support portion 165g may be provided as a separate member from the upper holder member 165A, but according to the configuration of this embodiment, the structure is simplified and a structure with good assembly workability is provided. Ru. Note that the shaft support portion 165g may be, for example, a plate-shaped member fixed to the upper holder member 165A by welding or a fixing device such as a screw. Further, the shaft support portion 165g prepared as a separate member in this manner may be fixed to the lower holder member 165B (details will be described below) by welding, a fixture, or the like.

Lower holder member 165B is arranged below upper holder member 165A. The opening 165i may be larger than the opening 165h, or may be the same size. Similar to the upper holder member 165A, the lower holder member 165B has an opening 165i forming an opening 161h (FIG. 8). Specifically, the lower holder member 165B has an opening 165i-1, an opening 165i-2, and an opening 165i-3.

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, the roller holder member 165 is schematically depicted as a single member, but specifically, the roller holder member 165 is formed into a U-shape in cross-section, as an example. It is constructed by overlapping the upper holder member 165A and lower holder member 165B.

The roller cover member 163 is a cover that covers the roller holder member 165 from above. The roller cover member 163 and the roller holder member 165 are connected to each other so as to rotate about a rotation axis Ax shown in FIG. 8, for example. The rotation axis Ax is provided on the upper side of the storage case 161 on the upstream side in the transport direction of the screen master S. Further, in a state where the roller cover member 163 is locked, the roller holder member 165 slightly rotates relative to the roller cover member 163 around a rotation center extending in the left-right direction of the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S100. It is designed to move.

The reason for this configuration is to enable the roller holder member 165 to elastically move relative to the roller cover member 163 while the roller cover member 163 is fixed to the lock mechanism 168. According to such a configuration, even if, for example, the thickness of the screen master S fluctuates, the tension roller 142 can freely move in the thickness direction of the screen master S.

In this embodiment, in particular, the tension roller 142 is arranged downstream of the rotation axis Ax, and the biasing member 162 is arranged further downstream of the tension roller 142. The biasing member 162 may be disposed between the tension roller 142 and the rotation axis Ax, but as in this embodiment, the biasing member 162 is placed between the tension roller 142 and the rotation axis Ax, which is the rotation center. If the roller holder member 165 is disposed at a position further away from the roller cover member 163, the roller holder member 165 can be moved favorably with respect to the roller cover member 163 even if the urging force of the urging member 162 is relatively small. The biasing member 162 may be arranged in any configuration as long as it can apply the pressing force of the tension roller 142.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the roller holder member 165 moves upward relative to the roller cover member 163 around the rotation axis Ax. In the state shown in FIG. 8, the biasing member 162 applies a force to the roller holder member 165 in a direction (downward in the figure) to separate the roller holder member 165 from the roller cover member 163. In this state, when an upward force as shown in the figure is applied to the roller holder member 165, the roller holder member 165 moves slightly upward as shown in FIG. 10(c).

In the configuration of this embodiment, the housing case 161 is configured to rotate as a whole around the rotation axis Ax shown in FIGS. 8 and 10(a). The rotation axis Ax, which is the center of rotation of the storage case 161, is located at a position on the upstream side of the storage case 161 in the transport direction of the screen master S. 10(b) shows a state in which the storage case 161 is located at a predetermined fixed position and the tension roller 142 and the conveyance roller 141 are in contact, and FIG. 10(a) shows the state before the storage case 161 is located in the fixed position. It is in the open state.

The operation of the tension section 160 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c). FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the structure and operation of the transport mechanism. First, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the user rotates the open storage case 161 in a downward direction around the rotation axis Ax.

When the housing case 161 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 10(b), the locking mechanism 168 engages with a portion of the roller cover member 163, and the housing case 161 is fixed at a predetermined fixed position. In this state, for example, the biasing member 162 is slightly compressed compared to the state shown in FIG. 10A, and the tension roller 142 is pressed toward the conveying roller 141 by the biasing force from the biasing member 162.

Note that the lock mechanism 168 may have any shape as long as it is a member that engages with a part of the housing case 161, and may be, for example, a lock lever with an engaging claw formed therein. The position of the lock lever itself may be variable, for example, in the vertical direction in the figure, so that the position at which the storage case 161 is fixed may be adjustable.

In the state shown in FIG. 10B, for example, when an upward force is applied to the tension roller 142, the roller cover member 163 does not move because it is fixed by the lock mechanism 168, but the roller holder member 165 does not move. It rotates and moves so as to approach the roller cover member 163. According to such a configuration, as described above, even if, for example, the thickness of the screen master S fluctuates, the tension roller 142 can freely move in the thickness direction of the screen master S, and the tension The screen master S is held well by the rollers 142 and the conveyance rollers 141.

In the configuration of the second embodiment as described above, the screen plate manufacturing apparatus S110 includes the tension section 160, and the tension section 160 includes the tension roller 142, the storage case 161, the lock mechanism 168, and the attached device. The tension roller 142 is housed inside the housing case 161.

Further, the tension roller 142 is pressed toward the conveyance roller 141 side by the urging force from the urging member 162 while the storage case 161 is located at the fixed position. In particular, the tension roller 142 provided on the roller holder member 165 is configured to be movable in the thickness direction of the screen master S, so that it can hold the screen master S well even if the thickness of the screen master S changes, for example. and can be transported.

<Modified example>
Although a specific example of the second embodiment has been described above, the invention disclosed in this embodiment is not limited to the specific configuration described above, and can be modified in various ways.

For example, in the above description, it has been explained that the roller holder member 165 moves around the rotation axis Ax with respect to the roller cover member 163, but in order to define the movable range of the roller holder member 165 with respect to the roller cover member 163, The structure may be as shown in FIG. 11, for example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a movable range defining structure.

Specifically, in the movable range defining structure shown in FIG. 11, a longitudinal long hole 165k is formed in the roller holder member 165. A fixing screw 169 is fastened to the side surface of the roller cover member 163. The tip of the fixing screw 169 passes through the elongated hole 165k. According to such a configuration, the roller holder member 165 can be rotated relative to the roller cover member 163 within a movable range corresponding to the movable range of the fixing screw 169 relative to the elongated hole. Note that a plurality of movable range defining structures are provided, and for example, there may be two or three movable range defining structures.

This method of defining the movable range using the elongated hole 165k and the fixing screw 169 is particularly advantageous for the compact screen plate manufacturing apparatus S110 in that it does not require a complicated structure. For example, the length of the elongated hole 165k in the vertical direction is sufficiently longer than the diameter of the shaft of the fixing screw 169 (for example, 3 times or more), while the length of the elongated hole 165k in the horizontal direction is longer than the diameter of the shaft of the fixing screw 169. The diameter of the fixing screw 169 may be approximately equal to (for example, less than 1.5 times) the diameter of the fixing screw 169 .

Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the thermal head 31 moves downward while maintaining a horizontal posture as shown in FIG. It's okay. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the peripheral structure of the thermal head 31. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 12, a part of the support plate 32 is supported by the support body 39, and when the insert lever 25 is lifted as shown in the figure, it is in the open state. The cam portion 25a of the insert lever 25 comes into contact with a portion of the downstream side of the support plate 32 in the conveyance direction, and the support plate 32 is pushed downward.As a result, the support plate 32 uses the part supported by the support body 39 as a fulcrum. It rotates downward and becomes open.

Although the first and second embodiments have been described above, both embodiments may be combined. For example, in the tension section 160 as in the second embodiment, the pressing force of the tension roller 142 may be configured to be individually adjustable as in the first embodiment. Specifically, for example, the accommodation case 161 may be provided with an adjustment screw 55 as in the first embodiment, and the pressing force may be adjusted by turning the adjustment screw 55. The adjustment screw 55 may be rotated by a drive mechanism 90 as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

Regarding variations and modifications of the present invention, for example, all or part of the device can be configured by being functionally or physically distributed and integrated in arbitrary units. In addition, new embodiments created by arbitrary combinations of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiment resulting from the combination have the effects of the original embodiment.

(Additional note)
This specification discloses the following invention:
1. A screen plate manufacturing apparatus that heats and perforates a heat-melt film while moving a screen master on which a heat-melt film is formed on silk, the apparatus comprising: a transport mechanism that transports the screen master pulled out from a roll; and a transport mechanism that transports the screen master pulled out from a roll; A thermal head that melts the heat-melting film of the screen master that is transported by a mechanism, and a transport guide that guides the screen master toward the thermal head, and the transport mechanism is configured to a conveyance roller disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the screen master and configured to rotate by power from a drive source; and a conveyance roller located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller across the conveyance path of the screen master, the screen a plurality of tension rollers arranged in the width direction of the master; and a biasing mechanism that presses the tension rollers toward the conveyance roller side, the urging force being adjustable toward the conveyance roller side. A screen plate manufacturing device having a pressure mechanism and a pressure mechanism.

10 Housing 12 Side frame 12-1 First side frame 12-2 Second side frame 20 Conveying path forming member 21 Guide plate 22 Insert guide 23 Screen guide 25 Insert lever 25a Cam part 30 Heating perforation part 31 Thermal head 32 Support plate 33 Elastic body 35 Platen roller 40 Conveyance mechanism 41 Conveyance roller 42 Tension roller 43 Motor 44 Roller drive mechanism 50 Biasing mechanism 51 Roller support member 52 Elastic member 53 Moving plate 54 Fixed plate 55 Adjustment screw 80 Control circuit 90 Drive mechanism 140 Conveyance mechanism 141 Conveyance roller 142 Tension roller 160 Tension part 161 Storage case 161h Opening 162 Biasing member 163 Roller cover member 165 Roller holder member 165A Upper holder member 165B Lower holder member 165g Shaft support part 165h Opening 165k Long hole 165i Opening 168 Lock mechanism 169 Fixing Screw Ax Rotating axis R Roll S Screen master S100 Screen plate manufacturing device S110 Screen plate manufacturing device

Claims (11)

A screen plate manufacturing device that heats and perforates a heat-melt film while moving a screen master on which a heat-melt film is formed on silk,
a heating perforation unit that melts and perforates the heat-melting film of the screen master;
a conveyance guide that guides the screen master toward the heating perforation section;
a transport mechanism for transporting the perforated screen master;
Equipped with
The transport mechanism is
a conveyance roller located downstream of the heating perforation section in the conveyance direction of the screen master;
a tension section that is located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller across the conveyance path of the screen master and applies pressure to the screen master;
have,
The tension part is
a plurality of tension rollers arranged in the width direction of the screen master;
The plurality of tension rollers are housed and an opening is formed, the plurality of tension rollers are held in a state exposed to the outside from the opening, and the rotation axis is centered on a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the screen master. A storage case configured to be rotatable as a
a locking mechanism that fixes the storage case at a predetermined fixed position;
an urging member that presses the tension roller toward the conveyance roller when the storage case is located at the fixed position;
has
The tension roller is pressed toward the transport roller by a biasing force from the biasing member when the storage case is fixed at the fixed position by the lock mechanism.
Screen plate manufacturing equipment. The storage case is
a roller holder member having an opening formed therein and holding the tension roller in a state where the tension roller is exposed through the opening;
a roller cover member provided to fit into the roller holder member from above;
has
The roller holder member and the roller cover member are configured to mutually rotate around a rotation center coaxial with the rotation axis,
The biasing member is a coil spring disposed between the roller holder member and the roller cover member.
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1. The rotation axis, which is the center of rotation of the storage case, is located at a position on the upstream side of the storage case in the conveying direction of the screen master,
The tension roller is disposed downstream of the rotation shaft in the conveying direction of the screen master,
The biasing member is disposed further downstream of the tension roller.
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The roller holder member is
an upper holder member in which a shaft support part for supporting the shaft of the tension roller is formed, and a first opening forming the opening part;
a lower holder member disposed below the upper holder member, in which a second opening constituting the opening is formed;
has
The shaft support part is provided as a bent part obtained by bending a part of the upper holder member,
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2. The roller holder member is
an upper holder member in which a first opening constituting the opening is formed;
a lower holder member disposed below the upper holder member, in which a second opening constituting the opening is formed;
has
A member constituting a shaft support portion that supports the shaft of the tension roller is fixed to the upper holder member or the lower holder member by a fixture or welding.
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2. A screen plate manufacturing device that heats and perforates a heat-melt film while moving a screen master on which a heat-melt film is formed on silk,
a conveyance mechanism that conveys the screen master pulled out from the roll;
a heating perforation unit having a thermal head that melts the heat-melting film of the screen master transported by the transport mechanism;
a conveyance guide that guides the screen master toward the thermal head;
Equipped with
The transport mechanism is
a conveyance roller located downstream of the heating perforation section in the conveyance direction of the screen master;
a tension section that is located on the opposite side of the conveyance roller across the conveyance path of the screen master and applies pressure to the screen master;
have,
The tension part is
a plurality of tension rollers arranged in the width direction of the screen master;
A housing case for housing the plurality of tension rollers, the housing case holding the plurality of tension rollers in a state exposed to the outside through an opening, and rotating around a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the screen master. a storage case configured to be movable;
has
a biasing mechanism configured to be able to adjust a pressing force that presses the tension roller toward the transport roller;
A screen plate manufacturing device with The biasing mechanism includes a plurality of biasing units that can operate independently for each of the tension rollers.
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6. The biasing mechanism is
an elastic member that presses the tension roller against the conveyance roller;
an adjustment mechanism that changes the force pressing the tension roller by changing the shape of the elastic member;
has,
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7. The adjustment mechanism is
a moving member that comes into contact with the elastic member to change the shape of the elastic member;
a drive mechanism that moves the moving member with the driving force of a motor;
a control circuit that controls the operation of the drive mechanism;
Equipped with
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8. The control circuit includes:
When the perforation density of the screen master exceeds a predetermined threshold, operating the drive mechanism so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively large;
If the perforation density of the screen master is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the driving mechanism is operated so that the force pressing the tension roller becomes relatively small.
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9. The control circuit includes:
Referring to a storage unit in which the perforation densities of the plurality of screen masters are associated with the positions of the moving members moved by the plurality of drive mechanisms,
operating the drive mechanism so that the moving member is located at the position corresponding to the perforation density of the screen master;
The screen plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10.