JP3438148B2 - Method and apparatus for setting the temperature of printing ink in an ink mechanism of a printing press - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting the temperature of printing ink in the inking mechanism of a printing press.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The flowability properties of printing inks, such as their ability to flow and their viscosity, affect the action of the ink in the ink mechanism (eg, with respect to the ink mist), a property known as the ink setting property, or a penetration property. , And it is known to have a very important effect on the transfer characteristics of the image tone value and area.

Manufacturers of printing inks provide printing inks with different flow properties suitable for the particular printing function being performed. In the printing operation, for example, according to the individual properties of the substance to be printed, a printing ink suitable for the substance in terms of its viscosity and tackiness is selected.
For example, newsprint inks, B-material (ie, poor quality B-material) inks, matte or glossy papers, and other specific printing inks that are compatible with similar substances are contemplated. Therefore, the printing operation needs to maintain a properly matched series of ink stocks, which is costly and complex, especially from the standpoint of maintaining stocks.

The flowability properties of inks are further influenced by the composition of the ink and by the individual temperature of the ink.
As a result of tests and surveys, for all printing inks,
It has been shown that there is always a clear linear relationship between the plastic viscosity U or the logarithm of the viscosity value and the inverse of the absolute temperature. K.-H. Schirmer, and S. Yoshijima, "The fluidity properties of printing inks at different temperatures" (Munich 1973).
See article.

The specified predetermined initial temperature of the ink is an important aspect for accurate, reproducibly precise ink metering control, for example in the area of the duct roller acting as metering control or metering roller. The printer generally puts the ink into the print room long before it is used to accomplish its purpose, so the ink takes on the temperature of the print room. Therefore, the measuring device, for example the doctor device of the ink scraper or the duct roller, is set to this temperature.

During the printing process, there is some appreciable increase in temperature, especially in the ink mechanics and cylinder areas, which changes the flow capacity and viscosity of the ink and has a detrimental effect on the printed image. To prevent such effects, one or more rollers of the inking mechanism are subjected to a temperature control action to prevent changes in ink temperature during the printing process. In this regard, the coolant is preferably flowed through the ink vibrator roller. However, it is also possible to provide a temperature control of the duct roller, which is specifically intended to influence the temperature of the ink in the area of the duct roller, together with its metering control action.

However, it has been found that the influence exerted by the above method on the temperature of the ink, which is essentially a consideration for the tone value setting and for the quality of the printed image, is insufficient. This is especially a result of the generally high temperature capability of the inking mechanism, which depends on the number, placement, and nature of the ink rollers.

Before and after this, reference will be made to what is known as ink mechanism inertia. This is the time that elapses before the conditioning process performed has the proper response at the print carrier location. Furthermore, it should be noted that this time depends largely on the degree of surface coverage of the printed article. In a known sheet-feed offset printing press, it takes about 90 seconds after the adjustment operation is performed until the printed image is affected. With an actual printout of 10,000 sheets per hour, this time lapse corresponds to about 250 sheets of waste. On modern roll-fed offset presses, where 50,000 copies per hour is no exception, there are 13 equivalent adjustment process times for tone values and surface areas.
Seconds, which corresponds to a waste of about 180 copies.

On the other hand, for example, the time during which the adjustment operation performed by the ink band adjusting screw affects the printed image is already considerably short today. In the case of the sheet feed offset printing machine of the above type, this time is, for example,
Only about 2.25 seconds, which corresponds to about 7 sheets. With a roll-fed offset press of the type described above, the adjustment time is only about 0.5 seconds, which also corresponds to about 7 sheets.

It is clear that the control of the image quality by controlling the temperature of the inking mechanism is totally unsatisfactory.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of setting the temperature of printing ink in a printing press which allows the temperature of the ink to be set to an appropriate value for rapid and accurate regeneration. That is.

Another object of the present invention is a method for setting the temperature of printing ink in a printing press, which enables sensitive control of the temperature of the ink, thereby achieving an improved printed image. Be prepared.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of setting the temperature of the printing ink in a printing press, including controlling the temperature of the minimum amount of ink to achieve the desired fluidity properties.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to enable delicate and accurate ink temperature control using a simple device configuration.
It is provided with a device for setting the temperature of the printing ink in the printing machine.

[0015]

According to the principle of the first aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are to take out ink from an ink storage tank or an outflow container cooperating therewith by a duct roller and transfer it to an ink mechanism. , A method of setting the temperature of the printing ink in the ink mechanism of the printing machine. The ink is directly temperature-controlled in front of and / or in the ink storage tank by another temperature control means, and set to a required temperature.

Here, due to the known linear relationship between the flowability of a printing ink and its temperature, at least two points of the curve are known, for example by measurement, over a wide range. It should be noted that it is possible to determine the sex character. Adjusting or controlling the temperature of the ink makes it possible to achieve a specific and positive influence on the flowable properties of the printing ink.

According to a preferred feature of the method of the present invention, the ink is temperature controlled in a separate temperature control container located upstream of the ink reservoir, from which the ink is formed between the ink reservoir and the duct roller. To a substantially wedge shaped ink inlet area or nip. In this way, the temperature-controlled vessel can be equipped with the necessary heating and / or cooling means, adapted to the required function to perform optimally.

Preferably, the temperature control container contains a small amount of ink so that the desired temperature can be set within a very short period of time.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the ink is temperature controlled by a temperature control member which engages the ink inlet area or nip between the ink reservoir and the duct roller. This actuation process made it unnecessary to have a separate temperature control vessel and simplified the equipment structure required to carry out the method.

In a preferred feature, the temperature control means is regulated by a closed regulation circuit which depends on the nature of the ink and / or printed image sensed by a suitable sensor. Properties associated with the ink are, for example, the surface tension or the temperature of the ink detected by a sensor known per se, while the properties of the printed image are given in particular by the ink density detected by a densitometer.

In a preferred feature of the method, the stored ink held in the inlet nip formed between the ink reservoir and the duct roller is sufficient for the duct roller to have a low number of revolutions, preferably less than ten revolutions of the duct roller. Only. Therefore, the stored ink is quickly set to the desired temperature.

In another preferred feature of the method of the present invention, the basic temperature adjustment for providing the average temperature is performed by controlling the temperature of the duct roller and / or the inking mechanism, and the final temperature control for providing the desired final temperature is the temperature control means. , So that the final temperature control is effectively superposed on the basic temperature control. With this processing method, the output of the temperature control means can be maintained at a low level.

In accordance with the second inventive principle of the present invention, the above and other objects, the temperature of the printing ink in an inking mechanism of a printing press, including a duct roller and an ink reservoir or an outlet container associated therewith. Is achieved by the device for setting. In front of and / or in the ink reservoir, another temperature control means providing direct temperature control is associated with the duct unit.

In a preferred feature, a temperature control container having a temperature control member for heating and / or cooling the ink therein is provided upstream of the ink storage tank, and in this case,
Temperature controlled ink is introduced into the duct roller or ink inlet nip zone by one or more outlets.

According to another feature, the temperature control member fits in the ink reservoir in the area of the inlet nip formed between the ink reservoir and the duct roller.

Modern ink systems often include ink agitating means extending in the region of the inlet nip of the ink reservoir. In this case, according to a preferred feature of the invention, the temperature control member can simultaneously form the ink stirring means. This association of individual components with multiple functions can reduce the number of components required.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0028]

According to the method of the present invention, temperature control is performed by another temperature control device immediately before being taken out by the duct roller, and the temperature controlled ink storage amount is as small as possible. The ink in the wedge-shaped ink inlet area, also referred to as the temperature controlled ink reservoir or the entry nip of the outflow container, allows the shortest reaction time, and thus
For example, it has been found that the desired temperature is reached in the print area. In this way, the time required for the complete performance of the ink temperature adjustment process is significantly reduced, regardless of the inertia of the printing mechanism with respect to temperature variations.

The method according to the invention makes it possible to keep the temperature of the ink constant, which is the main purpose of the previous method and apparatus, and to allow a specific and systematic control of the temperature of the ink and its fluidity properties. . This can significantly reduce the previously required storage requirements for inks with different flow properties, as these properties are now specifically set and can be adjusted by controlling the temperature of the ink. .

[0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the arrangement shown here is a duct roller 2 and an ink storage designated 4 in FIG. Includes a tank or spill container. The ink in the ink storage tank 4 is taken out by the duct roller 2 and transferred to the ink mechanism of the printing machine. The ink reservoir 4 has two side walls and a bottom wall, but in FIG. 2 only one of the side walls on the viewer side is shown at the end of the ink reservoir 4 and is given the reference numeral 6. The side wall of the ink storage tank 4 is in a closed relationship with the end surface of the duct roller 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the ink storage tank 4 has a partition 10 extending at least approximately parallel to the axis 8 of the duct roller 2 in an area away from the duct roller 2 and in proximity to the duct roller 2 and in a substantially wedge-shaped ink inlet area. Alternatively, it is divided into other regions 12 forming the nip 13. In this way, the stored ink maintained in the ink inlet region 13 formed between the ink storage tank 4 and the duct roller 2 is sufficient if the number of revolutions of the duct roller is low, preferably 10 revolutions or less of the duct roller. is there. Also, the temperature of the stored ink maintained in the ink inlet area 13 can thereby be quickly adapted to the individually required temperature.

The bottom of the area 12 close to the duct roller 2 is formed by a scraper or doctor device 14 known per se which can be set slightly closer to the duct roller 2. The doctor device 14 may be any structure capable of suitable metering or quantitative control of the application of ink to the duct roller 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the doctor device 14 is formed by a number of tongues 14 'arranged in a side-by-side relationship without gaps. Each tongue can be moved mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically relative to the peripheral surface of the duct roller 2 by means of a respective suitable associated adjusting device which is actuated in a suitable manner. is there. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjusting device is, for example, a manual ink band screw 16.

A temperature control container 18 containing a relatively small amount of stored ink is provided on the duct roller 2. The temperature control container 18 is provided with heating / cooling means 20 shown diagrammatically, whereby the stored ink in the temperature control container 18 is quickly set to the desired temperature.

The temperature control container 18 is provided on the duct roller 2 and upstream of the ink storage tank 4 in the rotation direction of the duct roller 2, and is connected to the ink supply pipe 22 oriented at least substantially parallel to the axis 8 of the duct roller. It works together. The ink supply tube 22 has one or more drop nozzles 24, which are evenly distributed over the length of the ink supply tube 22 and are directed against the duct roller 2. Thus, the ink supply tube 22 delivers the temperature-controlled ink from the temperature control container 18 to the duct roller 2 by means of a row of drop nozzles 24 directed directly at the duct roller 2. The entire stored ink contained in the temperature control container 18 and that contained on the duct roller and in the ink inlet nip region 13 is stored in the duct roller 2
With a small amount, such as a small number of revolutions, the temperature change in the temperature control container 18 has a rapid effect on the temperature of the inlet region 13, thus, the degree of inertia with respect to the temperature of the ink, in other words, The time difference between the execution of the adjustment process and the time when the adjustment is realized in the print area is very short.

Referring also to FIG. 3, there is also shown a portion of the printing press, showing the duct roller 32 and the ink reservoir or outflow container 34 operatively associated therewith. The ink storage tank or outflow container 34, together with the duct roller 32,
A generally wedge shaped ink inlet area or nip 36 is formed. The stored ink (not shown in FIG. 3) maintained in the ink inlet area 36 during operation is preferably small, just enough to accommodate the slight rotation of the duct roller.

An ink agitator, generally designated 38, is associated with the ink reservoir 34. In the illustrated embodiment, it includes a conical stirring member 42 that rotates about axis 40 and is movable along ink reservoir 34 parallel to axis of rotation 44 of duct roller 32. The rotational movement of the stirring member 42 around the shaft 40 and the simultaneous parallel movement of the duct roller 32 with respect to the shaft 44 cause the ink in the ink storage tank 34 to be constantly stirred.
This means that heavy components of ink will not collect in the ink reservoir.

As shown diagrammatically, the ink agitation member 42 includes temperature control means 46 to provide suitable heating / cooling. With this configuration, the stored ink in the ink storage tank 34 is quickly set to a desired temperature.

The heating and / or cooling means 46 includes a sensor 50.
The properties of the ink linked to the conditioning structure 48 for detecting the properties of the appropriate ink and / or the properties of the printed image are, for example, temperature or viscosity, while the properties of the printed image are especially those on the printed image. Is the density of. This arrangement can provide a closed regulation circuit, whereby the temperature in the ink inlet area 36 is constantly regulated to a value set as a reference or target value, which guarantees the properties of the ink and / or the image. The conditioning arrangement specifically controls the supply of ink to the ink reservoir 34 and also the forward movement of the scraper or doctor member 52 adjustable relative to the duct roller 32 by the swath adjusting screw 54 of the overall machine control assembly. It may be a part.

[0038]

The method and apparatus according to the present invention maintain the ink temperature at an optimum value at all times even when the ambient conditions are constantly changed, and the ink temperature can meet a specific requirement, for example, printing, through a long-term printing process. It is possible to adapt specifically and rapidly to different properties in terms of the material used.

As noted above, the temperature control effect provided by the constructs 20 and 46 may be, for example, a duct roller (eg, shown at 2 in FIG. 2) or one or more rollers of an inking mechanism, or a machine. Overlying the basic temperature control provided by the temperature control of one or more of the cylinders.

It is understood that the methods and apparatus described above are provided by way of illustration of the principles of the invention and that various other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. To be done. so

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a duct roller and a temperature control container provided upstream thereof along with an ink supply pipe having a large number of drop nozzles.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the duct roller, the temperature control container and the supply pipe of FIG. 1 together with an ink storage tank forming an ink introduction nip area.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another assembly including a duct roller and an ink reservoir associated therewith, which is provided with a temperature control and ink agitating member that engages the ink introduction nip region.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 duct rollers 4 ink storage tank 13 Wedge-shaped ink introduction area 18 Temperature control container 20 Heating / or cooling means 22 Ink supply pipe 34 Ink storage tank 42 Ink stirring member 46 Heating and / or cooling means

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-5-96708 (JP, A) JP-A-5-338120 (JP, A) JP-A 61-163859 (JP, A) Actual development Sho-61- 20331 (JP, U) Fukui 4-135334 (JP, U) US Patent 5218905 (US, A) US Patent 5036762 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41F 31/02 B41F 31/03

Claims (15)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of setting the temperature of the printing ink to transfer ink to Lee <br/> ink mechanism of the printing press is removed from the ink reservoir (4, 34) by a duct roller (2, 32), The ink flows upstream of the ink storage tank (4, 34).
The temperature is controlled in the temperature control container (18) provided,
A wedge-shaped ink introduction region (1
3) temperature of the printing ink, which is supplied to
How to set. 2.The ink is applied to the duct roller (2, 32).
Ink from the ink storage tank (4, 34)
To set the temperature of the printing ink to be transferred to the link mechanism
At The ink was fitted in the wedge-shaped ink introduction area (36).
Being temperature controlled by temperature control members (42, 46)
Characterized byHow to set the temperature of the printing ink. 3. A method according to claim 2 , characterized in that the inks are agitated simultaneously by the temperature control members (42, 46). 4. claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the temperature of the ink is set to a different value according to different print object
The method according to any one of the above items. According to the nature of the ink and / or printing image is detected by wherein temperature control means (46) is suitable sensors (50), claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is adjusted by a closed regulating circuit The method according to any one of 1. 6. The storage ink maintained in the wedge-shaped ink introduction area (13) is only sufficient for a small number of revolutions of the duct roller, preferably less than ten revolutions of the duct roller. 6. The method according to any one of 1 to 5 . 7. The basic temperature control is carried out by controlling the temperature of the duct roller (2) and / or the ink mechanism, and the final temperature control for giving a desired temperature is carried out by the temperature control means (20). Item 8. A method according to any one of items 1 to 7. 8. A device for setting a temperature of printing ink in an ink mechanism of a printing machine, which includes a duct roller and a duct unit having an ink storage tank for supporting the duct roller, the device being interlocked with the duct unit (2, 32). Ink storage
Having a heating or cooling member (20) upstream of the tank (4)
A temperature control container (18) is provided and the temperature
The degree control container (18) is a duct roller (2) or wedge-shaped in
Specially characterized by having an outlet directed to the introduction area (13)
A device that sets the temperature of the printing ink to be collected. 9. A duct roller and ink supporting it.
Ink machine for printing press including duct unit having storage tank
In the device that sets the temperature of the printing ink in the structure
Te, the association with the duct unit (2, 32), and wherein the temperature control member fitted to the ink reservoir (34) in the region of the wedge ink introduction region (36) (42, 46) is provided A device that sets the temperature of printing ink. 10. Temperature control means according to claim 9, characterized in that has no ink stirring means simultaneously. 11. The ink stirring means is movable in the direction of a rotatable stirring member axis (44) of the duct roller (4
2) and the stirring member is heating or cooling means (46)
11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising: 12. In order to supply the ink to the ink reservoir (4), it is arranged upstream of the ink reservoir in the direction of the duct roller (2) and on the shaft (8) of the duct roller (2). Ink supply pipes (2
2) is provided on which one or more drop nozzles are arranged which are evenly distributed over the length of the ink supply tube and which are directed towards the duct roller (2). Any one of claims 8 to 11
The device according to the item. 13. An ink storage tank (4) is separated from a duct roller (12) by a partition (10) provided in parallel with the duct roller, and a region close to the duct roller to form a wedge-shaped ink introduction region (13). Device according to any one of claims 8 to 12 , characterized in that it is divided into a region (12) to be formed. 14. An adjusting unit having a sensor for detecting a property of ink and / or a printed image, and a temperature control unit (4).
Device according to any one of claims 8 to 13 , characterized in that it comprises means (48) for controlling the temperature of 6). 15. A part of a machine control assembly (48) in which the adjusting means controls the supply of ink to the ink reservoir (34) and controls the doctor member (52) advancing to the duct roller (32). 15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device is.