JPH04132966U - printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The present invention relates to a printing device that performs printing operations with the printing section of the print head separated from the surface to be printed by a predetermined distance, without requiring complicated position control means. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can position a print head with respect to a surface to be printed. [Structure] The present invention is provided with a back-and-forth moving means for moving the print head, in which the printing section is arranged facing the surface to be printed, forward and backward in a direction toward and away from the surface to be printed. When the print head is moved in a direction closer to the surface to be printed, in order to maintain a predetermined printing distance between the printing part of the print head and the surface to be printed, the print head is brought into contact with the surface to be printed and the print head is moved closer to the surface to be printed. This object is achieved by providing printhead positioning means in the lateral areas of the printhead to prevent movement.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a printing device, and more specifically, the printing section of the print head is moved away from the surface to be printed. The present invention relates to a printing device that performs printing operations at a distance of a certain printing distance.

0002

[Conventional technology]

One type of printing device that prints on various printing surfaces is, for example, a dot printer. Printing work such as a printing device equipped with an inkjet type print head. When performing this, the printing part of the above print head should be separated from the printing surface by a specified printing distance. There is something that makes me do it.

0003

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

By the way, when performing printing work using the above-mentioned printing device, the above-mentioned predetermined printing distance In order to ensure that the print head is accurately positioned relative to the printing surface There is. For this reason, for example, the above printing device is used by attaching it to the arm of an industrial robot. In some cases, extremely complicated position control is required to accurately position the print head. There are certain inconveniences. In view of the above-mentioned actual situation, the present invention has been developed to provide a printing target without the need for complicated position control means. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of positioning a print head with respect to a surface. do.

0004

[Means to solve the problem]

Therefore, in this invention, the print head is arranged so that the printing part faces the surface to be printed. Providing a means for moving back and forth to move toward and away from the printing surface. In addition, this back-and-forth movement means moves the print head closer to the printing surface. When moving, set the distance between the printing part of the print head and the printing surface to the specified printing distance. Positioning of the print head to prevent movement of the print head by contacting the above-mentioned printing surface. This object was achieved by providing means in the lateral areas of the print head.

[0005]

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, by moving the printing device close to the printing surface, This allows the distance between the printing part of the print head and the printing surface to be a predetermined printing distance. This eliminates the need for complicated position control means, allowing the print head to be positioned relative to the printing surface. Positioning can be performed easily.

[0006]

【Example】

Hereinafter, the specific configuration of the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings showing one embodiment. do. Figures 1 to 19 show the names and parts of car models in packaging boxes containing large automobile parts. Product No. The printing device related to this invention can be used in printing systems that perform various markings such as An example of application is shown.

[0007] The above-mentioned printing system 1 includes a frame installed on the floor so as to straddle the transport area of the packaging box W. a frame 10, a lifting beam 20A provided on the frame 10 so as to be movable up and down, 20B, 20C, and 20D, each of these lifting beams is installed horizontally movably. 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D. There is.

[0008] The frame 10 includes columns 2A and 2A erected on the floor with a conveyance area in between, 2C and 2C, and columns 2B and 2B, 2D and 2D installed on the side of the conveyance area. The upper part of each column is connected via fixing beams 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. and are connected to each other.

[0009] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the lifting beam 20A includes a pair of upper and lower square pipes. 21, 21, and a side frame 22L that supports both ends of the double square pipes 21, 21. 22R. The lifting beam 20A has a pair of square pipes 21, 21 extending in the horizontal direction. It spans between columns 2A and 2A, and is attached to each side frame 22L and 22R. Each fixed slide base 23 extends vertically to each column 2A, 2A. The guide rails 24 and 24 are respectively slidably fitted. In addition, the racks 25, 25 extending to the columns 2A, 2A are provided with pinion shafts. Pinions 27, 27 supported on the lifting beam 20A via 26 are engaged with each other. These pinions 27, 27 are connected to a servo fixed to the side frame 22R. Driven by a motor 28 via a belt transmission mechanism 29, the lifting beam 20A is guided by the guide rails 24, 24 based on the rotation of the servo motor 28. It moves up and down while moving. That is, the lifting beam 20A, racks 25, 25, pinions 27, 27, The printing device 100A is operated by the servo motor 28, belt transmission mechanism 29, etc. A vertical moving means 200 for vertical movement is configured. Note that the configuration of the lifting beams 20B, 20C, and 20D is the same as that of the lifting beams described above. Since it is basically the same as the system 20A, detailed explanation will be omitted. Also, the lifting beam 20B, 20C and 20D also have left and right movement having the same configuration as the above-mentioned vertical movement means 200. A moving means is provided respectively.

0010 As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the square pipes 21 and 21 of the lifting beam 20A include Guide rails 30, 30 extending in the horizontal direction are fixedly installed. The cables 30, 30 are fixedly attached to a support frame 31 that supports the printing device 100A. The slide bases 32 are slidably fitted to each other. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the side frame 22L of the lifting beam 20A The side frame 22R has a toothed drive pulley 33 and a toothed driven pulley, respectively. A pulley 34 is pivotally supported, and an endless belt 35 is connected between the pulleys 33 and 34. A part of the endless belt 35 supports the printing device 100A. The support frame 31 is fixed to the supporting frame 31. The toothed drive pulley 33 is driven by a servo motor fixed to the side frame 22L. 36 via a belt transmission mechanism 37, thereby causing the printing device 100A to is guided by the guide rails 30, 30 based on the rotation of the servo motor 36. move horizontally. That is, the lifting beam 20A, the toothed drive pulley 33, the toothed driven pulley 34, and the The beltless belt 35, servo motor 36, belt transmission mechanism 37, etc. A left-right moving means 300 for horizontally moving the printing device 100A is configured. There is. Note that the lifting beams 20B, 20C, and 20D also have the above-mentioned left and right moving means. Left and right moving means having the same configuration as 300 are provided respectively.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, columns 2A and Chain sprockets 40A and 40B are pivotally supported on the top of 2B. The chain sprocket 40A has one end attached to the side frame of the lifting beam 20A. It is moored to the arm 22La protruding from the column 22L, and the other end is housed inside the column 2A. A chain 42A that is tied to the counterweight 41 is wrapped around it. Thus, a balancer mechanism is configured. The same procedure is applied to the side frame 22R (not shown) of the lifting beam 20A. The configuration described above makes it possible to raise and lower the lifting beam 20A with a small driving force. becomes possible. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the chain sprocket 40B is an arm 22Ra provided on a side frame 22R of the elevating beam 20B, A chain moored to a counterweight (not shown) housed in column 2B. 42B is wrapped around the lifting beam 20B on the side (not shown) of the lifting beam 20B. The same applies to the frame 22L side and also to the lifting beams 20C and 20D. A balancer mechanism is configured.

0012 As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the printing device 100A is a dot type inkjet printer. A type of print head 101 and an air cylinder actuator as a means of moving back and forth. The print head 101 is equipped with a motor (rodless cylinder) 102, and the print head 101 is It is supported by the support frame 31 via the actuator 102. The cylinder 102a of the actuator 102 is fixed to the support frame 31. and guides 103L and 103R with the cylinder 102a in between. is permanently installed. The front end of the guide rod 103La that is slidably fitted into the guide 103L and the The front end of the cylinder rod 102b in the actuator 102 and the guide The rear end of the cylinder rod 103La and the rear end of the cylinder rod 102b are respectively are connected to each other via a base plate 104 and a rear plate 105. The print head 101 is mounted on the base plate 104, and the print head 101 is mounted on the base plate 104. The jet nozzle (printing part) 101a is placed on the packaging box W (see Fig. 1) as the object to be printed. It is fixedly installed so as to face the printing surface Wa.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 16, the actuator is located in the side area of the print head 101. A guide roller that extends along the forward and backward direction of the print head 101 operated by the A larod 106 is supported by the base plate 104 so as to be able to move forward and backward. At the tip of the guide roller rod 106 (left end in the figure), there is a roller holder plate. A roller holder plate 107 is attached to the roller holder plate 107. A guide roller 109 is pivotally supported via the rollers 108, 108. A spring seat 110 is fixed approximately at the center of the guide roller rod 106. A compression bar is provided between the spring seat 110 and the base frame 104. 111 is interposed. Also, the rear end of the guide roller rod 106 (right side in the figure) A stopper 112 is fixed to the end). On the other hand, as clearly shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the roller holder plate 107 has The guide 103R fixed to the support frame 31 and the base plate 104 are connected. The tip of the guide rod 103Ra that is slidingly fitted to the base plate 105 (left end in the figure) is fixed to the guide rod 103Ra, and the rear plate is fixed to the guide rod 103Ra. A stopper 113 is fixed to the right side of 105 in the figure. From the guide roller rod 106 described above to each element of the stopper 113 and the guide The print head 101 is used to perform predetermined printing as described later by the print rod 103Ra. A print head positioning means 400 is configured to position the print head at the starting position. Note that the configurations of the printing devices 100B, 100C, and 100D are also the same as those described above. Since it is basically the same as the device 100A, detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 19, each of the above-mentioned printing devices 100A, 100B, 100C, and Each air cylinder actuator 102 in 150 to individual electromagnetic switching valves 151A, 151B, 151C, and 151D are each driven through the .

[0015] Below, the operation mode of the printing system 1 will be explained step by step. As shown in Fig. 1, the packaging box W as a printing medium is first The center of the in the work area surrounded by the frame 10 in a manner that coincides with the center of the frame 10. It will be brought in. At this time, each printing device 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D is Each of the above-mentioned lifting beams 20A, 20B, 20C, By the upward movement of 20D, it is occupied at the highest evacuation position, and each vertical lift 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D, respectively. are doing. The initial position of each printing device above depends on the size of the packaging box, printing position, etc. It can be set arbitrarily based on conditions.

[0016] The packaging boxes W brought into the work area are moved by positioning means (not shown). Regardless of the size of the packaging box, the front side of the packaging box should always be aligned with the frame 10. Positioning is performed so that the target is occupied at a fixed position.

[0017] After carrying in the packaging box W, an inspection (not shown) is performed to confirm that the positioning work has been completed. When detected by the output means, each of the printing devices 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D are individual packaging boxes that are input in advance to a controller (not shown). data or individual packaging box data entered manually by the operator at the time of delivery. The cooperative operation of each vertical moving means 200 and each horizontal moving means 300 that operate based on The mark is moved vertically and horizontally along each non-printing surface depending on the position. At this time, the printing devices 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D are In order to reduce work time, predetermined printing is performed on each printing surface simultaneously and in parallel with each other. Transported to starting position. In addition, each of the above prints can be performed by the operator's switch operation without using the above detection means. It can also be configured to initiate transfer of the device. Depending on the type of packaging box, each printing device 100A, 100B, 100C, It is also possible to arbitrarily select and move 100D.

[0018] Each of the above printing devices 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D is When positioned at a predetermined printing position on each printing surface, the air cylinder of each printing device The operation of the cylinder actuator 102 is started. In the state shown in FIG. 18(a), the stopper 112 is moved by the biasing force of the compression spring 111. By contacting the base frame 104, the guide roller 109 moves the print head The inkjet nozzle 101a protrudes further forward than the inkjet nozzle 101a. At the same time, the guide roller 109 is spaced apart from the printing surface Wa of the packaging box W. Ru. When the cylinder rod 102b of the actuator 102 moves to the left, FIG. 18(b) As shown in , the print head 101 approaches the printing surface W of the packaging box W, and the guide roller 109 comes into contact with the printing surface Wa.

[0019] When the cylinder rod 102b moves further to the left, it compresses the compression spring 111 and The print head 101 moves to the left, and then, as shown in FIG. 18(c), the stopper 113 comes into contact with the rear plate 105, causing the left side of the cylinder rod 102b to row, in other words, the left row of the print head 101 is regulated, so that the print head 101, the distance between the inkjet nozzle 101a and the printing surface Wa is set to a predetermined printing value. The printing start position is positioned at a distance T. Also, at the same time that the stopper 113 comes into contact with the rear plate 105, the printing device Proximity switches (not shown) installed at appropriate locations within the facility are turned on. The actuator 102 stops, and the print head 101 returns to the print start position. Stay in.

[0020] When the positioning of the print head 101 to the print start position is completed, the print head 101 is moved to the print start position. The pad 101 is moved horizontally and ejects ink, and the individual data of the packaging box is A desired character pattern based on the above is printed on the printing surface Wa. At this time, due to the action of the print head positioning means 400, the inkjet The distance between the nozzle 101a and the printing surface Wa is always maintained at a predetermined printing distance T. As a result, stable printing operations can be performed and high-quality printing can be obtained.

[0021] When the printing work for the first line is completed, the print head 101 is activated by the actuator 102. After being separated from the printing surface Wa by the operation as shown in FIG. 18(a), the above-mentioned In a similar manner, it is transferred to the second line printing start position, and then the second line is printed. Execute. Thereafter, the above-mentioned printing operation is repeated for a predetermined number of print lines. This completes the printing process.

[0022] When the printing work is completed, each of the above printing devices 100A, 100B, 100C, and and 100D return to the initial positions described above and stop, and then the packaging described above is carried out. The box W is transported by a floor conveyor (not shown) as shown by arrow O in FIG. It is carried out from the frame 10. Below, based on the above-mentioned operations, the subsequent packaging boxes Printing operations are executed one after another.

[0023] The printing device related to the present invention can be used not only for printing on packaging boxes as shown in the examples. It goes without saying that it can be effectively applied to various printing devices for various printing materials. be.

[0024]

[Effect of the idea]

As described above in detail, according to the printing device related to the present invention, the printing section is moved to the printing surface. The print head, which is placed facing the print head, moves toward and away from the printing surface. In addition to providing a back-and-forth moving means for moving, the printing area is moved by this back-and-forth moving means. When the head is moved closer to the printing surface, the printing part of the print head and the printing surface In order to maintain a predetermined printing distance between the print head and the printing surface, the print head should be in contact with the above printing surface. Print head positioning means for preventing movement of the print head is provided in a side area of the print head. There is. According to this configuration, by moving the printing device close to the surface to be printed, This allows the distance between the printing part of the print head and the printing surface to be a predetermined printing distance. This eliminates the need for complicated position control means, allowing the print head to be positioned relative to the printing surface. Positioning can be performed easily.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Conceptual overall perspective view of a printing system that employs a printing device related to the present invention

[Figure 2] Overall plan view of the printing system

[Figure 3] Side view of main parts showing a means for moving the printing device in the printing system

[Fig. 4] Side view of main parts showing a means for moving the printing device in the printing system

[Fig. 5] Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 4

[Fig. 6] Side view of main parts showing a means for moving the printing device in the printing system

[Fig. 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 6

[Fig. 8] A side view of the main parts showing a printing device and a means for moving the printing device related to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of main parts showing a printing device related to the present invention and a means for moving the printing device.

[Figure 10] Side view of main parts showing the balancer mechanism of the printing system

[Fig. 11] Cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Fig. 10

[Figure 12] Plan view of main parts showing the balancer mechanism of the printing system

[Figure 13] Side view of main parts showing the balancer mechanism of the printing system

[Fig. 14] Cross-sectional side view showing a printing device related to the present invention.

[Fig. 15] Overall plan view showing a printing device related to the present invention

[Fig. 16] Cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 14

[Fig. 17] Overall front view showing the printing device related to the present invention

[Fig. 18] (a), (b), and (c) are conceptual diagrams showing the operation mode of the printing device related to the present invention.

[Figure 19] Air circuit diagram for driving the air cylinder actuator in the printing device related to the present invention

[Explanation of symbols]

1...Printing system 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D...Printing device 101...Print head 101a...Inkjet nozzle (printing part) 102...Air cylinder actuator (back and forth movement means) 400...Print head positioning means W...Printed material Wa…Printed surface

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] [Claim 1] A printing device that performs a printing operation with a printing section of a print head separated from a surface to be printed by a predetermined printing distance, the printing section being arranged to face the surface to be printed. a print head, a back-and-forth moving means for moving the print head toward and away from the printing surface; a print head that, when moved in a direction approaching the print surface, comes into contact with the print surface to prevent movement of the print head so that the distance between the print section and the print surface is the printing distance; A printing device comprising: positioning means.