JP5801591B2 - Thermal transfer apparatus and thermal transfer method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer apparatus and a thermal transfer method for painting on a surface of a metal body using a transfer sheet.

  There are a roll type thermal transfer device and a hot stamp type thermal transfer device as a thermal transfer device for producing a painting product by transferring a pattern made of a pattern, characters, etc. to the surface of a metal body. In the roll type thermal transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a metal sheet is placed directly below a transfer roll and a transfer sheet in a state where a transfer sheet having a transfer layer on the sheet surface is passed under the rotating and heated transfer roll. The transfer sheet is pressed against the metal body by the transfer roll, and the transfer layer of the transfer sheet is transferred to the metal body by the pressure and heat at that time. The hot stamp type thermal transfer apparatus performs thermal transfer in substantially the same operation as the roll type thermal transfer apparatus using a flat plate instead of the transfer roll.

  In these thermal transfer methods, when a roll-shaped transfer sheet is used, only the transfer layer of the transfer sheet adheres to the metal body after transfer, and the base sheet is peeled off. On the other hand, when a sheet-like transfer sheet is used, it is necessary to sequentially insert the metal body and the transfer sheet before transfer, and to take out the metal body in a state where the transfer sheet is in close contact after transfer.

JP 2002-104350 A

  In the metal body after the transfer, there are a transfer sheet in which the transfer layer is adhered and the base sheet is peeled off, and a transfer sheet is in close contact with the transfer sheet. Here, if the metal body after transfer is further formed, it is preferable to form the metal body in a state where the transfer sheet is in close contact with the metal body. This is because, when the transfer sheet is in close contact with the metal body, the metal body can be molded with the surface transfer layer protected by the base sheet, and dust adheres to the transfer layer on the surface or during molding. This is because problems such as peeling of the transfer layer can be prevented. However, in the above-described thermal transfer method, there is a possibility of taking time in taking out the transfer sheet before transfer, positioning the metal body and the transfer sheet, taking out the metal body with the transfer sheet after transfer, and the like. Cannot be manufactured efficiently.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer apparatus and a thermal transfer method capable of efficiently producing an intermediate product in which a transfer sheet is in close contact with a metal body after transfer.

The first characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus according to the present invention is to hold a roll feeding portion for holding the transfer sheet and an end portion of the transfer sheet so as to supply the transfer sheet to the metal body to be decorated. And a sheet drawing portion for pulling out the transfer sheet,
A placement section that can be placed in a state where the metal body and the transfer sheet are stacked together;
A transfer pressure unit that presses the transfer sheet against the metal body placed in the placement unit and transfers a pattern to the metal body;
And a sheet cutting portion for cutting the transfer sheet drawn out from the placement portion while maintaining the contact state with the metal body by the sheet drawing portion after the transfer is completed.

Conventionally, in order to transport a metal body with a transfer sheet after transfer, the metal body is held and transported. In this configuration, the transfer sheet that is in close contact with the metal body after transfer is pulled out from the placement section by the sheet pull-out section, and then the transfer sheet is cut by the sheet cutting section. When the transfer sheet is pulled out by the sheet drawing portion, the transfer sheet is easily tensioned in the direction along the transfer surface of the metal body, so that the base sheet of the transfer sheet is difficult to peel from the metal body. Further, a new transfer sheet can be supplied to the mounting portion at the same time by pulling out the transfer sheet in which the metal body is in close contact with the mounting portion by the sheet drawing portion.
As described above, since the supply of the transfer sheet to the metal body and the removal of the metal body with the transfer sheet after the transfer can be performed smoothly, the metal body with the transfer sheet can be efficiently produced.

According to a second characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus of the present invention, the sheet height when the transfer sheet is pulled out is spaced above the placement surface of the placement portion, and the sheet position is set as the sheet reference height. It is possible to project and retreat between the height of the placement surface of the placement portion and the sheet reference height, and the placement state of the metal body is abutment placement in which the metal body is brought into contact with the placement surface. The state can be changed to the separated placement state in which the metal body is separated from the placement surface until the transfer sheet reaches the position of the sheet reference height, and the pressing operation of the transfer sheet is completed. When pulling out the metal body and the transfer sheet, a placement state switching mechanism that is set to the separated placement state;
A standby unit disposed adjacent to the mounting unit so as to be able to receive the metal body while maintaining the height of the metal body when the metal body and the transfer sheet are pulled out from the mounting unit. It is in the point.

With this configuration, when the placement state switching mechanism pulls out the metal body with the transfer sheet after transfer, the metal body with the transfer sheet protrudes from the placement surface to lift the metal body from the placement surface. Is placed in a separated state until the sheet reaches the sheet reference height position. As a result, the transfer sheet is supported in a linear state in the pulling-out direction, and the transfer sheet is drawn out smoothly. Therefore, the transfer sheet in close contact with the metal body is difficult to peel off.
Further, when pulling out the metal body and the transfer sheet from the mounting section, the standby section adjacent to the mounting section can receive the metal body while maintaining the height of the metal body. The body is supported and conveyed while the transfer sheet is maintained at the sheet reference height. For this reason, when pulling out a metal body and a transfer sheet from a mounting part, peeling of the transfer sheet by the dead weight of a metal body can be prevented, and the metal body to which the transfer sheet adhered can be manufactured stably.

  A third characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharge unit disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the standby unit so as to position the metal body and the transfer sheet in the sheet drawing direction in the sheet cutting unit. It is in the point.

This configuration is intended to cut the transfer sheet most efficiently. Temporarily, it is possible to cut the transfer sheet drawn out from the placement unit immediately after being drawn out to the standby unit arranged adjacent to the placement unit. However, in this case, since the sheet cutting part and the sheet drawing part are close to the position of the transfer pressure part, an extra pulling length of the transfer sheet is required to avoid this, resulting in poor yield.
Therefore, as in this configuration, a standby unit adjacent to the placement unit is provided, and adjacent to the downstream side of the standby unit so that the metal body and the transfer sheet are positioned in the sheet cutting unit on the downstream side in the drawing direction of the transfer sheet. It was equipped with an arranged discharge part. Thereby, the transfer pressure unit and the sheet cutting unit can be separated, and the margin of the transfer sheet in the metal body can be shortened by causing the standby unit to wait for the metal body with the transfer sheet. Even if the size of the metal body is changed, the margin of the transfer sheet in the metal body can be shortened by changing the length of the standby portion. As a result, the transfer sheet can be used effectively.

The fourth characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus of the present invention has a plurality of conveying rollers that can individually raise and lower the discharge section,
The sheet drawing portion can reciprocate above the discharge portion, and the plurality of conveying rollers are maintained at a lowered position that does not interfere with the sheet drawing portion when the sheet drawing portion passes above the discharge portion. Is in a point configured to be.

As in this configuration, when the discharge unit includes a plurality of conveyance rollers that can be raised and lowered individually, and the sheet extraction unit can reciprocate above the discharge unit, the sheet extraction unit and the conveyance roller in the upper and lower regions of the discharge unit And the space for installing the thermal transfer apparatus can be reduced.
The sheet extraction unit needs to pull out the transfer sheet while maintaining the sheet height at the sheet reference height, and the conveyance roller needs to support the metal body with the transfer sheet so that the position of the transfer sheet is at the sheet reference height. is there. Therefore, in this configuration, the plurality of conveying rollers are maintained at the lowered position where they do not interfere with the sheet drawing portion when the sheet drawing portion passes above the discharge portion. For this reason, by raising the conveyance roller after the sheet extraction portion passes above, the transfer sheet can be pulled out while the sheet extraction portion is maintained at the sheet reference height in the discharge portion. The metal body with the transfer sheet can be supported so that the position of the sheet becomes the sheet reference height.

A fifth characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a sheet support portion that protrudes and retracts toward the transfer sheet on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet of the mounting portion, and the standby portion can be raised and lowered. ,
When pulling out the transfer sheet by the sheet pull-out unit, the sheet support unit is retracted from the transfer sheet and the standby unit is held in the raised position,
When the drawing of the transfer sheet by the sheet drawing portion is completed, the sheet support portion protrudes with respect to the transfer sheet,
When the transfer pressure unit approaches the transfer sheet, the sheet support unit is retracted from the transfer sheet and the standby unit is held at the lowered position.

  With this configuration, when the transfer sheet is pulled out by the sheet drawing portion, the sheet support portion is retracted from the transfer sheet, so that the metal body with the transfer sheet can be smoothly fed. In addition, since the standby portion is held at the raised position, the metal body with the transfer sheet can be maintained so that the position of the transfer sheet becomes the sheet reference height, so the metal body with the transfer sheet can be smoothly conveyed. it can.

  When drawing out of the transfer sheet is completed, there is a possibility that the transfer sheet mistakenly comes into contact with the placement portion because the metal body is not yet placed on the placement portion. At this time, for example, in the case where the placement unit is configured by a hot plate, there arises a problem that the transfer layer is dissolved by the transfer sheet coming into contact with the placement unit. In this configuration, when the transfer sheet is completely pulled out, the sheet support portion protrudes from the transfer sheet, so that the transfer sheet can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the placement portion.

  When the transfer pressure unit is close to the transfer sheet, the sheet support unit retracts from the transfer sheet and the standby unit changes its position to the lowered position, so that the metal sheet downstream is allowed to bend downward. Is done. For this reason, when the transfer sheet bends downward due to its own weight, the influence of the heat of the transfer pressure unit on the transfer sheet positioned in the standby unit can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress a change in the length of the transfer sheet in the feeding direction due to heating of the transfer sheet positioned in the standby unit, and to suppress a decrease in position accuracy of the transfer sheet in the feeding direction.

A sixth characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharge unit disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the standby unit so as to position the metal body and the transfer sheet in the drawing direction of the transfer sheet at the sheet cutting unit. ,
The sheet drawer part is composed of a moving clamp having upper and lower clamping parts,
A fixed clamp that is fixed to the discharge portion and has upper and lower clamping portions is provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet with respect to the moving clamp,
Forming a plurality of concave receiving portions in the width direction of the transfer sheet on the surface of the lower clamping portion of the fixed clamp facing the moving clamp;
A plurality of convex claw portions that fit into the concave receiving portion are formed in the width direction of the transfer sheet on a surface of the lower clamping portion of the moving clamp facing the fixed clamp.

  The transfer sheet is cut by the sheet cutting portion, and the end portion protrudes downstream of the fixed clamp. The end of the transfer sheet may hang down due to its own weight, for example, may be curled. In this case, the end portion of the transfer sheet is not properly inserted into the moving clamp, and the gripping state of the end portion of the transfer sheet by the moving clamp is hindered.

  Therefore, in this configuration, a concave receiving portion is formed on the surface of the lower clamping portion of the fixed clamp facing the moving clamp, and the concave receiving portion is fitted on the surface of the lower clamping portion of the moving clamp facing the fixed clamp. A convex nail portion is formed. By forming the concave receiving part and the convex claw part, the end of the transfer sheet is convex when the moving clamp returns and moves toward the fixed clamp and the convex claw part fits into the concave receiving part. It is guided between the inclined surfaces of the claw portion and inserted between the upper and lower clamping portions of the moving clamp. For this reason, even when the end portion of the transfer sheet protruding from the downstream side of the fixed clamp hangs down, the end portion of the transfer sheet can be securely gripped by the upper and lower clamping portions of the moving clamp.

  According to a seventh characteristic configuration of the thermal transfer apparatus of the present invention, the standby unit includes a plurality of conveying rows in a width direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the transfer sheet, and the length of the standby unit in the feed direction can be changed. It is the point which comprised at least 1 pair of adjacent conveyance row parts among the said several conveyance row parts so that relative movement was possible along the said feed direction.

As in this configuration, a plurality of transport row portions are provided, and at least one pair of adjacent transport row portions is configured to be relatively movable along the feed direction, so that a pair of adjacent transport row portions are relatively moved. Thus, the overlapping area of both of the transporting row portions is changed, and the length of the standby portion in the feeding direction can be changed and adjusted.
That is, the length of the standby portion in the feeding direction can be easily changed according to the size of the metal object to be decorated, and as a result, the distance between the standby portion and the sheet cutting portion can be adjusted. The margin of the transfer sheet that extends from the metal body can be shortened. Thereby, the yield of a transfer sheet can be improved.

The characteristic means of the thermal transfer method of the present invention includes a step of pulling out the transfer sheet by gripping an end of the transfer sheet from a sheet feeding portion that holds a roll-shaped transfer sheet;
A step of arranging a metal body to be decorated on the placement portion in a state of being superimposed on the transfer sheet drawn out from the sheet feeding portion;
A process of transferring the pattern onto the metal body by pressing the transfer sheet against the metal body placed on the mounting portion;
A step of pulling out the transfer sheet while maintaining a close contact state with the metal body from the placement portion after the transfer is completed;
And a step of cutting the transfer sheet drawn out while maintaining a close contact state with the metal body.

With this configuration, the transfer sheet that is kept in close contact with the metal body after the transfer is pulled out from the placing portion by the sheet pulling portion, and then the transfer sheet is cut by the sheet cutting portion. When the transfer sheet is pulled out by the sheet drawing portion, the transfer sheet is easily tensioned in the direction along the transfer surface of the metal body, so that the base sheet of the transfer sheet is difficult to peel from the metal body. Further, a new transfer sheet can be supplied to the mounting portion at the same time by pulling out the transfer sheet in which the metal body is in close contact with the mounting portion by the sheet drawing portion.
As described above, since the supply of the transfer sheet to the metal body and the removal of the metal body with the transfer sheet after the transfer can be performed smoothly, the metal body with the transfer sheet can be efficiently produced.

Side view of thermal transfer device Top view of thermal transfer device It is a figure which shows a metal body mounting process, Comprising: (a) is before the mounting of a metal body, (b) shows the state after mounting of a metal body. It is a figure which shows a transcription | transfer process, Comprising: (a) shows the state before transcription | transfer, (b) shows the state after transcription | transfer. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a sheet drawing process, in which FIG. 5A illustrates a state before the transfer sheet is pulled out, and FIG. 5B illustrates a state in the middle of pulling out the transfer sheet. Diagram showing the operation of the standby unit It is a figure which shows a sheet | seat cutting process, Comprising: (a) is a cutting preparation stage, (b) shows the state by which a sheet | seat is cut | disconnected. Diagram showing the removal process Perspective view of fixed clamp and moving clamp It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a fixed clamp and a moving clamp, Comprising: (a) is a separation state, (b) shows a proximity state. The figure which shows the length adjustment mechanism of a waiting area

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The thermal transfer apparatus 1 of the present invention takes out the metal body 11 decorated by the transfer sheet 12 with the transfer sheet 12 kept in close contact therewith. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thermal transfer apparatus 1 includes a sheet feeding unit 2 that holds a roll-shaped transfer sheet 12, a mounting unit 3 that mounts a metal body 11, and a transfer pressure unit (transfer roll). ) 4, a sheet cutting unit 5 that cuts the transfer sheet 12, and a sheet drawing unit (moving clamp) 6 that holds the end of the transfer sheet 12.

  The placement unit 3 for the metal body 11 is disposed on a transfer table 8 that slides in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12. In addition to the placement unit 3, the sheet feeding unit 2 is disposed on the transfer table 8 on the upstream side of the placement unit 3, and the fixed clamp 14, the sheet cutting unit 5, and the moving clamp 6 are disposed on the downstream side of the placement unit 3. Is arranged. Further, a standby unit 9 and a discharge unit 10 are arranged adjacent to each other on the downstream side of the mounting unit 3. After the transfer, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 is moved from the placement unit 3 to the standby unit 9. The metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 in the standby unit 9 is transferred to the discharge unit 10, and the transfer sheet 12 is cut by the sheet cutting unit 5, and then discharged to the outside.

  The sheet feeding unit 2 is loaded with the transfer sheet 12 rolled around the support shaft 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the placement unit 3 for the metal body 11 is configured to be slidable to one side perpendicular to the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 by a rail body 31 provided in the lower part. The end 12 </ b> A of the transfer sheet 12 loaded in the sheet feeding unit 2 is held by the moving clamp 6. The sheet height when the moving clamp 6 pulls out the transfer sheet 12 is spaced above the placement surface 32 on which the metal body 11 is placed in the placement section 3, and the position of the transfer sheet 12 at this time is It is defined as the sheet reference height H.

  The placement surface 32 is provided with a plurality of pin members 33 that can project and retract between the height of the placement surface 32 and the sheet reference height H. The mounting surface 32 is a hot plate that is heated by a heater (not shown) embedded therein. The mounting surface 32 and the pin member 33 function as a mounting state switching mechanism for the metal body 11, and abutment mounting is performed in which the metal member 11 is brought into contact with the mounting surface 32 by retracting the pin member 33 from the mounting surface 32. It is possible to switch between the placed state and the separated placement state in which the metal member 11 is separated from the placement surface 32 until the transfer sheet 12 is at the sheet reference height H by projecting the pin member 33.

The placement state switching mechanism is set to the separated placement state when the pressing operation of the transfer sheet 12 against the metal body 11 is completed and the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 are pulled out from the placement unit 3. As a result, the transfer sheet 12 is supported in a linear state in the pulling-out direction, and the transfer sheet 12 can be pulled out smoothly.
The tip of the pin member 33 that is in contact with the metal body 11 is smoothed. In addition to the pin member 33, a plurality of suction holes 34 are provided in the mounting surface 32, and the metal body 11 mounted on the mounting surface 32 is sucked and held when thermal transfer is performed by the transfer roll 4. Is done.

The thermal transfer apparatus 1 includes a feed direction sensor (not shown) for the transfer sheet 12 and a width direction sensor (not shown) for the transfer sheet 12. The feed direction sensor is provided in the sheet feeding unit 2 or the placement unit 3, and the width direction sensor is provided in the placement unit 3.
The feed direction sensor is a sensor that detects dot-like feed direction marks formed on the transfer sheet 12 at regular intervals according to the pattern to be transferred. When the feed direction sensor detects the feed direction mark, the drawing operation of the transfer sheet 12 by the moving clamp (sheet drawing portion) 6 is stopped. The width direction sensor is a sensor that detects a linear width direction mark formed in the longitudinal direction on the side portion of the transfer sheet 12. For example, the feed direction of the transfer sheet 12 is detected by detecting the width direction mark by two sensors, a width direction sensor installed on the upper side of the placement unit 3 and a width direction sensor installed on the lower side of the placement unit 3. The inclination with respect to is adjusted.

  The transfer roll 4 serving as a transfer pressure unit is heated by a heating device (not shown) and can be moved up and down by an air cylinder 41. The metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 move forward in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 by the movement of the transfer table 8 with respect to the lowered transfer roll 4. As a result, the transfer roll 4 presses the transfer sheet 12 against the metal body 11 placed on the placement unit 3 while being in rotational contact with the transfer sheet 12 moving forward.

  The standby unit 9 disposed adjacent to the placement unit 3 receives the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 drawn from the placement unit 3. When the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 are pulled out from the placement section 3, the standby section 9 is held at a position where the metal body 11 can be supported and received while maintaining the height of the metal body 11. The standby unit 9 is provided with a plurality of transport rollers 15 that support and transport the metal body 11. The plurality of transport rollers 15 are configured to be able to move up and down integrally, and when the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 are pulled out from the placement unit 3, the transport rollers 15 are held at the raised position.

  On the downstream side of the standby unit 9, a discharge unit 10 is adjacently disposed so as to position the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 in the sheet cutting unit 5 in the drawing direction of the transfer sheet 12. The discharge unit 10 is provided with a plurality of transport rollers 16 that support and transport the metal body 11. The plurality of transport rollers 16 are configured to be individually movable up and down, and when the metal body 11 and the transfer sheet 12 are pulled out from the placement unit 3, the plurality of transport rollers 16 are sequentially lifted and held at the raised position. Is done. By providing the discharge unit 10, the transfer roll 4 and the sheet cutting unit 5 can be separated from each other, and by allowing the standby unit 9 to wait for the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12, the margin of the transfer sheet 12 in the metal body 11 can be increased. Can be shortened.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a sheet support portion 13 that protrudes and retracts from the transfer sheet 12 is provided between the placement portion 3 and the standby portion 9. The fixed clamp 14 is disposed between the standby unit 9 and the discharge unit 10, and the sheet cutting unit 5 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the fixed clamp 14. The fixed clamp 14 has upper and lower clamping portions 14A and 14B, and the transfer sheet 12 is held by the upper and lower clamping portions 14A and 14B. The moving clamp 6 reciprocates on the downstream side of the fixed clamp 14 and above the discharge unit 10. The moving clamp 6 has upper and lower clamping parts 6A and 6B, and the upper and lower clamping parts 6A and 6B grip the end 12A of the transfer sheet 12. The sheet cutting unit 5 cuts the transfer sheet 12 held between the fixed clamp 14 and the moving clamp 6 in the width direction. The sheet cutting unit 5 is provided with a rotary cutter for cutting sheets.

[Transfer sheet]
The transfer sheet 12 includes a base sheet 12b and a transfer layer 12a formed on the base sheet 12b. The base sheet 12b is a sheet body that supports the transfer layer 12a. As the substrate sheet 12b, a known transfer sheet substrate sheet can be used. Constituent materials of the base sheet 12b include polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene resins, acrylic resins, polycarbonate resins, polyamide resins, polyimide resins, olefin resins, urethane resins, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resins. Preferably, at least one synthetic resin selected from the group consisting of: Examples of the base sheet 12b include a single layer sheet formed from the above synthetic resin, a laminated sheet in which two or more single layer sheets are laminated, and a copolymer sheet using the above synthetic resin. In particular, as the transfer sheet 12 used in each embodiment of the present invention, a base sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate resin having good dimensional stability and not easily deformed by printing and drying can be easily selected.

  The transfer layer 12a includes, for example, a pattern layer that expresses characters and patterns, and an adhesive layer that improves the adhesion between the object to be decorated and the transfer layer. A hard coat layer that secures the strength of the surface of the metal body 11 and improves scratch resistance, an anchor layer that improves interlayer adhesion, or a plurality of similar layers such as a plurality of design layers may be provided. A release layer for improving the peelability of the transfer layer 12a from the base sheet 12b may be provided between the base sheet 12b and the transfer layer 12a. The pattern layer or the like is formed on the base sheet 12b by a printing method such as a gravure printing method, a screen printing method, or an offset printing method, or a coating method such as a gravure coating method, a roll coating method, or a comma coating method.

[Metal body]
The metal body 11 is a metal press plate etc., for example. The surface of the metal body 11 is not pretreated at all, or the following treatment is performed. For example, surface treatment such as alumite treatment (when the metal body 11 is aluminum), frame treatment, plasma treatment, etc. on the surface of the metal body 11 and application of an adhesive in advance so that the transfer layer 12a is easily formed. Etc., or a sheet to which the transfer layer 12a is easily bonded is attached in advance. For the surface treatment of the metal body 11 and the surface covering material, it is necessary to select a suitable material according to each combination of the metal body 11 and the transfer layer 12a transferred to the surface.

Below, the operation | movement process of the thermal transfer apparatus 1 is demonstrated using FIGS.
[Metal body placement process]
FIG. 3A shows a state in which the transfer sheet 12 is supplied from the sheet feeding unit 2 to the placement unit 3 and is realized by a sheet drawing process after transfer, which will be described later. From this state, the placement unit 3 is pulled out from the lower position of the transfer sheet 12 to the side position, and the metal body 11 is placed on the placement surface 32. After that, by returning the placement portion 3 on which the metal body 11 is placed to a position below the transfer sheet 12, the metal body 11 is overlaid on the transfer sheet 12 as shown in FIG. . At this time, the end portion of the transfer sheet 12 is gripped by the upper and lower clamping portions 14A and 14B of the fixed clamp 14, and the movable clamp 6 is in an open state. Further, the sheet support unit 13 is retracted from the transfer sheet 12, and the conveyance roller 15 of the standby unit 9 is held at the lowered position.

[Transfer process]
Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the transfer roll 4 in the raised position is lowered. Thereafter, the transfer table 8 is moved in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 (right direction in FIG. 4A). As a result, the transfer roll 4 rolls on the metal body 11 via the transfer sheet 12, and the pattern (transfer layer 12 a) of the transfer sheet 12 is formed on the metal body 11 by the heat and pressure of the transfer roll 4 at that time. Transferred to the surface. When the transfer roll 4 is lowered, the sheet support unit 13 is retracted from the transfer sheet 12, and the conveyance roller 15 of the standby unit 9 is held at the lowered position. Thereby, the downward bending of the transfer sheet 12 on the downstream side of the metal body 11 is allowed, and the influence of the heat of the transfer roll 4 on the transfer sheet 12 positioned in the standby unit 9 is suppressed. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the transfer roll 4 moves to the position of the upstream end of the metal body 11, the transfer is completed.

[Sheet withdrawal process]
Next, as shown in FIG. 5A, the transfer roll 4 is raised, the pin member 33 of the placement unit 3 protrudes, and the placement state of the metal body 11 is changed to the separation placement state. The conveyance roller 15 is held at the raised position. At this time, the sheet support portion 13 is retracted. The upper and lower holding portions 14A and 14B of the fixed clamp 14 are opened to release the transfer sheet 12, and the upper and lower holding portions 6A and 6B of the moving clamp 6 are closed to hold the end 12A of the transfer sheet 12. Thereafter, the moving clamp 6 travels along the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 above the conveying roller 16 of the discharge unit 10 (FIG. 5B). The metal body 11 is separated from the placement surface 32 of the placement unit 3 and slides on the pin member 33 and is conveyed while being supported by the conveyance roller 15 of the standby unit 9 and the conveyance roller 16 of the discharge unit 10.

  As the moving clamp 6 travels, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 of the standby section 9 is moved to the discharge section 10, and the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 of the placement section 3 is moved to the standby section 9 and mounted. A new transfer sheet 12 is pulled out from the sheet feeding unit 2 to the placement unit 3. At this time, a plurality of pin members 33 arranged on the placement surface 32 of the placement unit 3 protrude toward the metal body 11, and the conveyance roller 15 of the standby unit 9 is raised and held at that position.

  Thus, the mounting state of the metal body 11 in the mounting unit 3 is set to the separated mounting state, and the height of the metal body 11 of the standby unit 9 is maintained at the height of the metal body 11 of the mounting unit 3. Thus, the standby unit 9 can receive the metal body 11. As a result, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 is supported and conveyed while the transfer sheet 12 maintains the sheet reference height H, and the transfer sheet 12 can be prevented from being peeled off due to the weight of the metal body 11. Since the sheet support portion 13 is retracted from the transfer sheet 12, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 is smoothly fed. In addition, since the standby unit 9 is held at the raised position, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 can be maintained so that the position of the transfer sheet 12 becomes the sheet reference height H, and the metal with the transfer sheet 12 can be maintained. The body 11 can be transported smoothly.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6E, the individual transport rollers 16 of the discharge unit 10 are held at a lowered position where they do not interfere with the moving clamp 6 before the moving clamp 6 passes above. When the moving clamp 6 passes above the moving clamp 6, the moving clamp 6 is sequentially raised and held at that position.

For this reason, the moving clamp 6 and the conveying roller 16 can be arranged in an overlapping manner in the upper and lower regions of the discharge unit 10, and the installation space for the thermal transfer device can be reduced.
Further, by sequentially raising the conveying roller 16 after the moving clamp 6 passes above, the moving clamp 6 can pull out the transfer sheet 12 while maintaining the sheet reference height H in the discharge unit 10, The conveyance roller 16 can support the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 so that the transfer sheet 12 is positioned at the sheet reference height H.

  Note that, when the transfer sheet 12 is pulled out by the moving clamp 6, the transfer table 8 returns and moves in a direction opposite to the transfer direction of the transfer sheet 12 (left direction in FIG. 5B). For this reason, the transfer roll 4 returns to the position on the downstream side of the placement unit 3.

[Sheet cutting process]
As shown in FIG. 7A, when the sheet drawing process is completed, the upper and lower clamping portions 14A and 14B of the fixed clamp 14 are closed, and the transfer sheet 12 is held by the fixed clamp 14 and the moving clamp 6. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7B, the sheet cutting unit 5 cuts the transfer sheet 12 at a portion protruding from the upstream end of the metal body 11 located in the discharge unit 10 in the width direction. Thus, the transfer sheet 12 in close contact with the metal body 11 is separated from the continuous body of the transfer sheet 12.

  When the transfer sheet 12 has been pulled out, the metal body 11 has not yet been placed on the placement unit 3, and thus there is a possibility that the transfer sheet 12 will accidentally contact the placement unit 3. . At this time, for example, when the placement unit 3 is configured by a hot plate, the transfer layer 12 comes into contact with the placement unit 3 to cause problems such as dissolution of the transfer layer 12a. Thus, in the present embodiment, when the transfer sheet 12 is completely pulled out, the sheet support portion 13 is protruded with respect to the transfer sheet 12, and the transfer sheet 12 contacts the placement surface 32 of the placement portion 3. It is surely prevented.

[Removal process]
Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper and lower clamping portions 6 </ b> A and 6 </ b> B of the moving clamp 6 are opened, and the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 separated at the discharge portion 10 is taken out. Thereafter, after all the conveying rollers 16 are lowered, the movable clamp 6 is moved in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 and returned to a position near the fixed clamp 14 (position of the end portion 12A of the transfer sheet 12). Then, the pin member 33 of the mounting surface 32 is retracted (FIG. 3A), and a new metal body 11 is mounted on the mounting portion 3 (FIG. 3B). Thereafter, by repeating the above steps, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 kept in close contact can be continuously produced.

In this way, the transfer sheet 12 in close contact with the metal body 11 after the transfer is pulled out of the placement unit 3 by the moving clamp 6, and then the transfer sheet 12 is cut by the sheet cutting unit 5. When the transfer sheet 12 is pulled out by the moving clamp 6, tension easily acts on the transfer sheet 12 in the direction along the transfer surface of the metal body 11, so that the base sheet 12 b of the transfer sheet 12 is difficult to peel from the metal body 11. Further, by pulling out the transfer sheet 12 in which the metal body 11 is in close contact with the placement unit 3 by the moving clamp 6, a new transfer sheet 12 can be simultaneously supplied to the placement unit 3.
As described above, since the supply of the transfer sheet 12 to the metal body 11 and the removal of the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 after transfer can be performed smoothly, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 can be efficiently manufactured. it can.

  The transfer sheet 12 is cut by the sheet cutting portion 5, and the end portion 12 </ b> A protrudes downstream of the fixed clamp 14. The end 12A of the transfer sheet 12 may hang down due to its own weight, for example, may be curled. As a result, the end portion 12A of the transfer sheet 12 is not properly inserted between the upper and lower sandwiching portions 6A and 6B of the moving clamp 6, and the holding state of the end portion 12A of the transfer sheet 12 by the moving clamp 6 is hindered. Also become.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a concave receiving portion 17 is formed on the surface of the lower clamping portion 14 </ b> B of the fixed clamp 14 facing the moving clamp 6, and the lower clamping portion 6 </ b> A of the moving clamp 6 is A convex claw portion 18 that fits into the concave receiving portion 17 is formed on the surface facing the fixed clamp 14. A plurality of concave receiving portions 17 and convex claw portions 18 are formed in the width direction of the transfer sheet 12. Further, the convex claw portion 18 has an inclined surface 18 </ b> A that is inclined in the direction (downward) away from the transfer sheet 12 on the side (upper side) of guiding the transfer sheet 12.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the fixed clamp 14 returns from the state in which the movable clamp 6 is separated to the fixed clamp 14 as shown in FIG. 10B. When the moving clamp 6 comes close to the fixed clamp 14, the convex claw portion 18 is fitted to the concave receiving portion 17, and at this time, the end portion 12 </ b> A of the transfer sheet 12 is guided to the inclined surface 18 </ b> A of the convex claw portion 18. It is inserted between the upper and lower clamping parts 6A, 6B of the moving clamp 6. Therefore, even when the end portion 12A of the transfer sheet 12 that protrudes downstream of the fixed clamp 14 hangs down, the end portion 12A of the transfer sheet 12 can be securely held by the upper and lower clamping portions 6A and 6B of the moving clamp 6. Can do.

The standby unit 9 is configured to change the length of the transfer sheet 12 in the feeding direction. As shown in FIG. 11A, the conveyance roller 15 of the standby unit 9 includes three conveyance column portions 15 </ b> L, 15 </ b> C, and 15 </ b> R in the width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12. The central conveyance row portion 15C is fixed to the placing portion 3 side, and the conveyance row portions 15L and 15R on both sides are movable along the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 with respect to the central conveyance row portion 15C.
By moving the conveying line sections 15L and 15R on both sides, the feed length of the standby section 9 in the state shown in FIG. 11A can be increased or reduced as shown in FIG. 11B. That is, the feed length of the standby unit 9 can be adjusted as a result by changing the overlapping area between the central conveyance line 15C and the conveyance lines 15L and 15R on both sides.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a dust removal roll 22 on the base sheet 12 b side of the transfer sheet 12 and a dust removal roll 23 on the transfer layer 12 a side are arranged in the sheet feeding portion 2. The dust collecting rolls 22 and 23 are both surface-treated with an adhesive material. However, since the dust removal roll 23 contacts the transfer layer 12a of the transfer sheet 12, the adhesiveness of the dust removal roll 23 is set lower than the adhesion of the dust removal roll 22 on the base sheet 12b side.

  When the transfer sheet 12 is fed from the sheet feeding unit 2 and sent from the standby unit 9 to the discharge unit 10, static electricity may be generated by receiving a frictional force. As described above, when static electricity is generated in the transfer sheet 12, dust or the like is attracted and adhered to the transfer sheet 12. For this reason, in the thermal transfer apparatus 1, a static eliminator (not shown) is installed in the sheet feeding unit 2 and the sheet cutting unit 5. For example, the sheet feeding unit 2 irradiates the static eliminator on the transfer layer 12 a side of the transfer sheet 12, and the sheet cutting unit 5 irradiates the static eliminator on the base sheet 12 b side of the transfer sheet 12. It is advisable to remove the charge on both sides of twelve.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the transfer roll 4 only moves up and down, and the example in which the metal body 11 moves in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12 as the transfer table 8 moves has been described. Instead, the transfer roll 4 may be configured to move up and down and move in the feed direction of the transfer sheet 12. Further, instead of the transfer roll, a hot stamp type thermal transfer apparatus may be used.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the conveyance roller 16 of the discharge unit 10 is raised and lowered is shown. However, the conveyance roller 16 of the discharge unit 10 may be held at a predetermined height without being raised or lowered. . However, in this case, since the moving clamp 6 cannot travel above the discharge unit 10, it is necessary to secure a traveling region of the moving clamp 6 on the downstream side of the discharge unit 10, and the installation space of the entire apparatus increases.

(3) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the standby unit 9 and the discharge unit 10 are disposed adjacent to the mounting unit 3 of the metal body 11 in this order is shown. However, the standby unit 9 is not provided and is directly discharged to the mounting unit 3. The structure which arrange | positions the part 10 adjacently may be sufficient.

(4) In the above embodiment, the metal body 11 has been described using a flat plate. However, the metal body 11 is not limited to a flat plate, and may have a three-dimensional shape having a slightly raised portion. . When the metal body 11 has a three-dimensional shape, the shape of the transfer pressure unit (transfer roll) 4 needs to correspond to the shape of the transfer (decoration) region of the metal body 11.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the standby unit 9 includes a plurality of conveyance row units 15L, 15C, and 15R is shown in order to make it possible to change the length of the standby unit 9 in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12. However, instead of this, the entire standby unit 9 may be configured to be stretchable in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet 12.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the feeding direction sensor and the width direction sensor are provided in order to match the position of the transfer sheet 12 in the feeding direction and the width direction has been described. For example, the transfer sheet 12 may be aligned by a CCD camera, or an alignment mechanism may be added to the placement unit 3.

(7) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 is conveyed using a roller. However, the metal body 11 with the transfer sheet 12 may be conveyed using a belt. Alternatively, the metal member 11 may be conveyed so as to slide on the member that supports the metal body 11.

(8) As for the pin member 33 which comprises a mounting state switching mechanism, it is preferable that the diameter of the support part of the transfer sheet 12 is 5 mm or less. When the diameter of the pin member 33 is 5 mm or less, the metal body 11 is hardly deformed by the hole of the pin member 33 and the hole accommodating the pin member 33 during the thermal transfer by the transfer roller 4. Further, the placement state switching mechanism may be constituted by a roller, a wire, a belt, or the like instead of the pin member 33.

(9) In the above embodiment, the sheet cutting unit 5 includes the rotary cutter. However, the sheet cutting unit 5 is not limited to the rotary cutter, as long as the transfer sheet 12 can be cut, such as a heat cutter. Any type of cutter can be used.

  The present invention forms a decorative layer on the surface of a metal body in a metal product used in various fields, such as automobiles, household appliances, mobile phones, personal computers, regardless of interior and exterior products. When widely available.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal transfer apparatus 2 Sheet | seat delivery part 3 Placement part 4 Transfer roll (transfer pressurization part)
5 Sheet cutting part 6 Moving clamp (Sheet extraction part)
8 Transfer Table 9 Standby Section 10 Discharge Section 11 Metal Body 12 Transfer Sheet 13 Sheet Support Section 14 Fixed Clamp 15 Conveying Roller 16 Conveying Roller 17 Concave Receiving Section 18 Convex Claw Section 32 Mounting Surface (Mounting State Switching Mechanism)
33 pin member (mounting state switching mechanism)
H Seat reference height

Claims (8)

In order to supply a transfer sheet to a metal object to be decorated, a sheet feeding unit that holds the transfer sheet in a roll shape, and a sheet drawing unit that grips an end of the transfer sheet and pulls out the transfer sheet ,
A placement section that can be placed in a state where the metal body and the transfer sheet are stacked together;
A transfer pressure unit that presses the transfer sheet against the metal body placed in the placement unit and transfers a pattern to the metal body;
A thermal transfer apparatus comprising: a sheet cutting unit that cuts the transfer sheet drawn out from the placement unit while maintaining the close contact state with the metal body by the sheet drawing unit after the transfer is completed. The transfer sheet height when drawing out the sheet are spaced above the mounting surface of the mounting section, the seat height of the the height of the mounting surface of the mounting section as a sheet reference height It is possible to project and retreat between the sheet reference height, the mounting state of the metal body, the contact mounting state in which the metal body is in contact with the mounting surface, and the transfer sheet from the mounting surface When the metal body and the transfer sheet are pulled out, the metal body can be changed to a separated placement state in which the metal body is separated until the sheet reaches the position of the sheet reference height. , A mounting state switching mechanism set to the separated mounting state;
A standby unit disposed adjacent to the mounting unit so as to be able to receive the metal body while maintaining the height of the metal body when the metal body and the transfer sheet are pulled out from the mounting unit. The thermal transfer apparatus according to claim 1.   The thermal transfer apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a discharge unit disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the standby unit so as to position the metal body and the transfer sheet in the drawing direction of the transfer sheet at the sheet cutting unit. The discharge unit has a plurality of transport rollers that can be raised and lowered individually,
The sheet drawing portion can reciprocate above the discharge portion, and the plurality of conveying rollers are maintained at a lowered position that does not interfere with the sheet drawing portion when the sheet drawing portion passes above the discharge portion. The thermal transfer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the thermal transfer apparatus is configured as described above. A sheet support part that protrudes and retracts toward the transfer sheet on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet of the placement part, and the standby part can be raised and lowered,
When pulling out the transfer sheet by the sheet pull-out unit, the sheet support unit is retracted from the transfer sheet and the standby unit is held in the raised position,
When the drawing of the transfer sheet by the sheet drawing portion is completed, the sheet support portion protrudes with respect to the transfer sheet,
When the said transfer pressurization part adjoins to the said transfer sheet, the said sheet | seat support part is retracted | retracted from the said transfer sheet, and it is comprised so that the said standby part may be hold | maintained in a lowered position. The thermal transfer apparatus according to item. A discharge section disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the standby section so as to position the metal body and the transfer sheet in the drawing direction of the transfer sheet in the sheet cutting section;
The sheet drawer part is composed of a moving clamp having upper and lower clamping parts,
A fixed clamp that is fixed to the discharge portion and has upper and lower clamping portions is provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the transfer sheet with respect to the moving clamp,
Forming a plurality of concave receiving portions in the width direction of the transfer sheet on the surface of the lower clamping portion of the fixed clamp facing the moving clamp;
The thermal transfer apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a plurality of convex claw portions that fit into the concave receiving portion are formed on a surface of the lower clamping portion of the moving clamp facing the fixed clamp in the width direction of the transfer sheet. .   The standby unit includes a plurality of conveyance rows in a width direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the transfer sheet, and at least one set of the plurality of conveyance rows so that the length of the standby unit in the feed direction can be changed. The thermal transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein adjacent conveyance row portions are configured to be relatively movable along the feeding direction. A step of pulling out the transfer sheet by gripping an end of the transfer sheet from a sheet feeding portion for holding a roll-shaped transfer sheet;
A step of arranging a metal body to be decorated on the placement portion in a state of being superimposed on the transfer sheet drawn out from the sheet feeding portion;
A step of transferring the pattern to the metal body by pressing the transfer sheet against the metal body placed on the mounting portion;
A step of pulling out the transfer sheet while maintaining a close contact state with the metal body from the placement portion after the transfer is completed;
And a step of cutting the transfer sheet drawn out while maintaining a close contact state with the metal body.

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