JPH032665B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for printing marks on round objects.

For example, in order to print a mark such as a product name on the circumference of a cylindrical object such as a diode, that is, a so-called round object, the conventional method is to provide a groove on the outer periphery of the index drum that is large enough for the lead wire to fit into. A diode is supplied to the groove, indexed, and with the diode stopped, one mark character is transferred on the circumference.The diode is rotated by the rotational force of the rubber drum and the contact pressure with the diode. A method is adopted in which a mark is transferred and printed on the outer periphery of the glass of the diode, one piece of processing is completed, and the index drum transfers the mark to the next workpiece after the indexing in the same manner. However, with this method, the round object is moved intermittently and only one mark can be printed per rotation of the transfer drum, so the work efficiency is extremely low. This was at the limit of processing capacity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mark printing method and apparatus that can significantly increase the throughput of printing on round objects.

The first gist of the present invention to achieve this object is to have a plurality of round objects arranged at equal intervals on the circumferential surface and a magnet provided below the circumferential surface at least along the lower outer circumference. While the main loader is continuously rotated, a transfer drum, which is rotated at the bottom of the main loader so as to be almost in contact with the main loader, is rotated at a higher speed than the circumferential speed of the main loader, and when the transfer drum comes into contact with a round object, the transfer drum is rotated. This method of printing on round objects is characterized in that printing is performed while rotating the round objects due to the speed difference between the main loader and the main loader. The second gist is a main loader that has a plurality of round objects arranged on its circumference at equal intervals and that rotates continuously, and a main loader that is provided under the circumference along at least the lower part of the outer circumference of the main loader. A transfer drum having a circumferential surface close to the main loader below the main loader, having a transfer rubber on the circumferential surface, and rotating at a faster circumferential speed than the main loader; The apparatus for printing on round objects is characterized in that the relative positions of the main loader and the transfer drum are determined so that the transfer rubber comes into elastic contact with the circumferential surface of the round object.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

First, the device of the present invention will be explained, and then the method of the present invention will be explained along with its operation. FIG. 1 shows, for example, a diode 1 as a round object, and this diode 1 has a glass portion 1a of its main body having a diameter of 2 mmφ and a length of 4 mm, and a mark 2 is printed thereon.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the mark printing device of the present invention, and its configuration includes a stocker 15 in which a large number of diodes are pooled, a rotary loader 3 for dividing the outer circumference into 60 equal parts and taking out the diode 1 from the stocker 15, A first transfer guide 4 for the diode 1 from the rotary loader 3 to the main loader 6, a main loader 6 whose outer circumference is divided into 60 pieces at the same pitch as the rotary loader 3, a magnet 5 to prevent the diode 1 from falling from the groove of the main loader 6, It has a high-precision mark unit 16 for clearly transferring mark characters. This mark unit 16 has a mark ink pot 13 placed at the bottom end of the unit to prevent contamination of the diode 1 due to falling or scattering of ink during the operation of the device, and a metal plate from which a fixed film of ink is spread. A roller 12, a rubber roller 11 that accurately transfers this film thickness, a stamping drum 10 that receives the ink on the rubber roller 11, and a stamping drum 10 that is placed on this stamping drum.
There is a transfer drum 9 with the same diameter as the engraving of character marks, and the distance between each axis can be finely adjusted so that 10 characters can be clearly transferred onto the outer rubber 9a. Further, a second transfer guide 7 is provided at a rotationally downstream position of the main loader 6, so that the diode 1 of the main loader 6 can be taken out and transferred to the next process by a chain 8.

According to the above configuration, the diode 1 taken out from the stocker 15 by the rotary loader 3
is transferred to the main loader 6 by the first transfer guide 4, where a predetermined mark is printed on the transfer drum 9 while being moved approximately semicircularly, and then transferred to the take-out chain 8 by the second transfer guide 7, Transferred to the next process. During the semicircular movement, the diode 1 is prevented from falling by the magnet 5.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which marks are printed on the diode 1 by the transfer drum 9. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the continuous transfer section, and the diode 1 on the main loader 6, which is continuously moving at a speed of v ₁ , is at point A at v ₁
The rubber 9 of the transfer drum 9 moves at about three times the speed of
The diode 1 is rotated by the speed v ₂ (≈3v ₁ ) of the transfer drum 9 during the contact distance AB, and the print on the transfer drum 9 is transferred onto the glass surface around its outer periphery. Therefore, as the diode 1 advances, marks are printed one after another by the rubber 9a formed on each circumference of the transfer drum 9.

Although the main drum 6 is fixed, the transfer drum 9 can be moved up and down using a handle 14 for fine adjustment of the vertical movement of the transfer drum.
The amount of overlap (minus...gap) t between the diode 1 and the glass surface can be finely adjusted. Assuming that the point where the outer periphery of the rubber of the transfer drum 9 separates from the diode 1 after transfer is a point B, the structure is such that the distance AB (the number of rotations of the diode 1) can be freely selected.

Incidentally, with this method, a printing processing capacity of approximately 20 marks/second is guaranteed as an actual result.

As described above, according to the method and apparatus for printing marks on round objects of the present invention, while the round object is continuously moved, the transfer drum is moved at a higher speed, and the relative speed difference is used to print marks on the round object. Since marks are printed on the circumferential surface of the object, continuous printing on round objects is possible, and printing efficiency can be greatly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diode as a round object, FIG. 2 is a front configuration view of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of essential parts for explaining the operation. 1... Diode (round), 2... Mark, 3
...Take-out loader, 4...First transfer guide, 6...Main loader, 7...Second transfer loader, 9...Transfer drum, 9a...Rubber, 1
3...Inkpot, 15...Stocker, 16
...mark unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Continuously rotating a main loader having a plurality of round objects arranged at equal intervals on the outer circumferential surface and magnets provided below the circumferential surface at least along the lower outer circumference; A transfer drum that is rotated at the lower part of the loader so as to be almost in contact with the main loader is rotated at a higher speed than the circumferential speed of the main loader, and when the transfer drum comes into contact with a round object, the round object is rotated due to the speed difference between the transfer drum and the main loader. A method of printing on round objects, which is characterized by printing while rotating the object. 2. A main loader that has a plurality of round objects arranged at equal intervals on its outer circumference and rotates continuously, a magnet provided below the circumference along at least the lower part of the outer circumference of the main loader, and a magnet on the lower side of the main loader. a transfer drum having a circumferential surface close to the main loader, having a transfer rubber on the circumferential surface, and rotating at a faster circumferential speed than the main loader;
A printing apparatus for a round object, characterized in that the relative positions of the main loader and the transfer drum are determined so that the transfer rubber comes into elastic contact with the circumferential surface of the round object.