TW202224961A - Printing device and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

In this printing device that prints with a plurality of printing units, decrease in work efficiency and misalignment in a position of printing on a workpiece are minimized. The printing device comprises three or more printing units and a conveying mechanism that conveys a workpiece along a conveying path, the conveying mechanism is provided with a plurality of conveying sections that can move the workpiece along the conveying path while holding the workpiece and that are for receiving the workpiece between printing units at respective receiving positions, the conveying path spans three or more receiving positions, and the plurality of conveying sections move along the conveying path while keeping a constant distance from each other.

Description

Printing device and printing method

The technology disclosed in the description of this case is related to a printing technology.

The requirements for printing workpieces with rotationally symmetrical shapes used in cosmetic bottles and the like have increased. For printing to the curved shape of such a workpiece, it is useful for gravure offset printing through a soft printing cloth, and the like. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2020-082605

[Problems to be Solved by Invention]

In a printing apparatus that conveys a workpiece between a plurality of printing units and can perform printing in each printing unit, a conveying mechanism for conveying a workpiece between two adjacent printing units is provided. Therefore, when conveying a workpiece to another printing unit other than the two printing units, the workpiece must be conveyed by a conveying mechanism different from the above.

In this case, time for transferring the workpiece among a plurality of conveying mechanisms is necessary, and the work efficiency may decrease. In addition, when the workpiece is transferred between a plurality of conveying mechanisms, the position of the workpiece is shifted, and the printing position of the workpiece between the printing units is shifted.

The technology disclosed in the specification of the present application has been completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is a technology for suppressing the reduction of the work efficiency and the shift of the printing position to the workpiece in a printing apparatus that performs printing with a plurality of printing units . [Technical means to solve problems]

The printing device of the first aspect of the technology disclosed in the specification of the present application is used for printing at least one workpiece, and is provided with: 3 or more printing units, which are used to perform the delivery of the workpiece at the corresponding delivery position. , and print the above-mentioned workpieces delivered at the above-mentioned accepting positions; and a conveying mechanism for conveying the above-mentioned workpieces along a conveying path spanning three or more of the above-mentioned accepting positions; Each conveying part is used to transfer and accept the workpiece between each of the aforesaid transfer positions and the corresponding printing unit; a plurality of the conveying parts can hold the workpiece and move along the conveying path; a plurality of the conveying parts are mutually maintained at a certain constant It moves along the above-mentioned conveyance path in the state of distance.

The printing apparatus according to the second aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the printing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the workpiece is held by the respective conveying portions in a state of being held by the holder, and each of the conveying portions is Corresponding to the aforementioned receiving and receiving positions, the aforementioned workpieces in the state held by the aforementioned holder are given and received.

The printing device of the third aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is associated with the printing device of the first or second aspect, wherein the distance between the adjacent conveying parts is an integer multiple of the distance between the adjacent transfer parts , a plurality of the aforementioned conveying parts simultaneously carry out the aforementioned delivery and delivery of the aforementioned workpieces at the corresponding aforementioned delivery/reception positions.

The printing device of the fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is associated with the printing device of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the receiving position and each of the three or more printing units corresponding to each of the three or more printing units include at least the first A receiving position, a second receiving position, and a third receiving position; the plurality of conveying parts include at least a first conveying part and a second conveying part; alternately formed in the conveying path: the first conveying part is located at the first conveying position and a first arrangement in which the second conveying portion is located at the second receiving and receiving position; and a second arrangement wherein the first conveying portion is located in the second receiving and receiving position, and the second conveying portion is located in the third receiving and receiving position.

The printing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the printing apparatus of the fourth aspect, wherein the workpiece is moved from the first conveying section and the second conveying section in the second configuration. After at least one is handed over to the corresponding printing unit, the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit move to form the first arrangement while the corresponding printing unit prints the handed workpiece.

The printing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the printing apparatus of any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the conveying mechanism is further provided with a guide rail along the conveying path, and each conveying portion can move along the conveying path. The aforementioned guide rail moves.

The printing apparatus of the seventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the specification of the present application is related to the printing apparatus of any one of the first to sixth aspects, and further includes: a recovery mechanism that recovers for conveyance from upstream to downstream of the conveyance path The workpiece is printed by the printing unit located on the downstream side of the conveying path among the three or more printing units in which the workpiece is successively printed; and a circulation mechanism for conveying the workpiece recovered by the recovery mechanism to the conveyance The upstream side of the path circulates.

The printing apparatus of the eighth aspect of the technology disclosed in the specification of the present application is related to the printing apparatus of the seventh aspect, and further includes an irradiation unit that irradiates the workpiece recovered by the recovery mechanism with ultraviolet rays; The said workpiece|work which the said irradiation part irradiates an ultraviolet-ray is circulated to the upstream side of the said conveyance path.

The printing apparatus of the ninth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is related to the printing apparatus of any one of the first to eighth aspects, and further includes a carry-in mechanism having a carry-in position spanning the workpiece and a position located at The most upstream transfer position of the transfer path is the transfer path of the most upstream transfer position, and is used to transfer the workpiece through the transfer path; and the transfer mechanism includes a transfer portion that can hold the workpiece and move along the transfer path. It moves, and is used to carry the workpiece into the most upstream printing unit corresponding to the printing unit corresponding to the most upstream supplying and receiving position at the said most upstream supplying and receiving position.

The printing apparatus of the tenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is associated with the printing apparatus of the ninth aspect, wherein any of the conveying parts is not located at the most upstream when the conveying part is located at the most upstream receiving position. Granting location.

The printing method of the eleventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the specification of the present application uses three or more printing units to print at least one workpiece, and includes the following steps: spanning and each corresponding to three or more of the above-mentioned printing units The above-mentioned workpiece is conveyed in the conveying path of three or more transfer positions; and the above-mentioned printing unit prints the above-mentioned workpiece that is handed over at the corresponding above-mentioned transfer position; and the process of conveying the above-mentioned workpiece is performed by at least one of the plurality of transfer parts. In a process of conveying the workpiece, the plurality of conveying parts can hold the workpiece and move along the conveying path, and carry out the delivery of the workpiece between each of the delivery positions and the printing unit; the process of transporting the workpiece is performed by A process of conveying the workpiece by at least one of the plurality of conveying parts moving along the conveying path while keeping a certain distance from each other.

In addition, in relation to the printing method of the eleventh aspect, the distance between the adjacent conveying parts is an integer multiple of the distance between the adjacent transfer parts; and the printing method further includes a plurality of the conveying parts corresponding to The above-mentioned receiving and receiving positions simultaneously carry out the process of giving and receiving the above-mentioned workpieces.

In addition, in relation to the printing method of the eleventh aspect, the above-mentioned delivery position may correspond to each of the three or more printing units including at least a first delivery position, a second delivery position, and a third delivery position, and a plurality of the aforementioned The conveyance unit may include at least a first conveyance unit and a second conveyance unit. In addition, the step of conveying the workpiece may be a step of alternately forming in the conveying path: the first conveying portion is located at the first receiving and receiving position, and the second conveying portion is located between the second receiving and receiving positions. a first arrangement; and a second arrangement in which the first conveying portion is located at the second receiving and receiving position, and the second conveying portion is located at the third receiving and receiving position, and at least one of the plurality of conveying portions conveys the workpiece.

Further, in the above configuration, the step of conveying the workpiece may be a step of delivering the workpiece from at least one of the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit in the second arrangement. After reaching the corresponding printing unit, during the period when the corresponding printing unit prints the handed workpiece, the first conveying part and the second conveying part move to form the first arrangement, and further, by After the workpiece is handed over from the printing unit corresponding to at least one of the first conveyance portion and the second conveyance portion in the first arrangement, the second arrangement is formed, and the second arrangement is formed by at least one of the plurality of conveyance portions. 1 conveys the aforementioned workpiece. [Effect of invention]

According to at least the first and eleventh aspects of the technology disclosed in this specification, since the conveying portion moves along the conveying path spanning three or more printing units, even in the case of printing using a plurality of printing units, the use of The timing of handing over the workpiece among the plurality of conveying mechanisms and the positional deviation that may be caused by the handover. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the work efficiency and the shift of the printing position to the workpiece.

Further, the objects, features, aspects, and advantages related to the technology disclosed in the present specification will become more apparent from the detailed description and drawings shown below.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, in order to explain the technology, detailed features and the like are also shown, but these and the like are only examples, and not all of them are essential features in order to enable the embodiment to be implemented.

In addition, the drawings are shown schematically, and for convenience of description, the configuration is omitted or simplified in the drawings as appropriate. In addition, the mutual relationship of the size and the position of the structure etc. shown in different drawings may not necessarily be described correctly, and may be changed as appropriate. In addition, in some drawings, such as a top view which is not a cross-sectional view, hatching may be added for easy understanding of the content of the embodiment.

In addition, in the description shown below, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same component, and it is shown in figure, and the name and function of the same are also assumed to be the same. Therefore, in order to avoid repetition, there are cases where detailed descriptions of the same are omitted.

In addition, in the descriptions described below, if there is no special objection in the case where it is described as "has", "includes" or "has" a certain element, it is not an exclusive expression excluding the existence of other elements .

In addition, in the description described below, even if ordinal numbers such as "1st" or "2nd" are used, these terms are used for the convenience of understanding the content of the embodiment, and are not limited to The order that may arise from the ordinal numbers, etc.

In addition, in the description described below, expressions expressing a state of equality, such as "identical", "equal", "uniform" or "homogeneous", etc., include a state expressing strict equality unless there is any special objection conditions, and where differences arise within tolerances or within the scope of obtaining the same degree of functionality.

Also, in the descriptions described below, certain positions or directions such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "side", "bottom", "front" or "back" are also used. In the case of the terms used, these terms are used for convenience in order to facilitate the understanding of the content of the embodiment, and have nothing to do with the position or direction of the actual implementation.

<Embodiment> Hereinafter, the printing apparatus and printing method related to this embodiment will be described.

<About the configuration of the printing apparatus> FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the printing apparatus 100 includes six printing units 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, and 101F, and six transfer units corresponding to each printing unit. The position 102A, the accepting position 102B, the accepting position 102C, the accepting position 102D, the accepting position 102E, and the accepting position 102F are the conveying mechanism 403 for conveying the bottle 8 as the workpiece. The configuration of the printing unit 101A, the printing unit 101B, the printing unit 101C, the printing unit 101D, the printing unit 101E, and the printing unit 101F will be described later. Hereinafter, any one of printing unit 101A, printing unit 101B, printing unit 101C, printing unit 101D, printing unit 101E, and printing unit 101F will be referred to as the case of printing unit 101 . Similarly, there is a case where any one of the give and receive position 102A, the give and receive position 102B, the give and receive position 102C, the give and receive position 102D, the give and receive position 102E, and the give and receive position 102F is referred to as the give and receive position 102 .

The printing apparatus 100 performs printing on the side surface of the bottle 8 which is a workpiece. Here, the workpiece is an article having lateral surfaces that are rotationally symmetrical. In the printing apparatus 100, the workpiece is rotated about the axis of rotational symmetry of the side surface (hereinafter referred to as the "axis of rotational symmetry") as an axis, and printing is applied to the side surface.

The workpiece is, for example, a container made of glass or a resin whose main material is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Further, the printing apparatus 100 may include a recovery mechanism 405 that recovers the transport path 403A provided across the six transfer positions 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F. The bottle 8 after printing by the printing unit 101 corresponding to the receiving position 102 on the downstream side (the printing unit 101F on the most positive X-axis side in FIG. 1 ); Circulate upstream.

In addition, the printing apparatus 100 may include an irradiation unit 407 that irradiates the bottle 8 recovered by the recovery mechanism 405 with ultraviolet rays.

In addition, the printing apparatus 100 may include a carrying-in mechanism 404 that carries in the printing unit 101 (the printing unit 101A on the most negative X-axis side in FIG. 1 ) corresponding to the receiving and receiving position 102 on the upstream side of the conveying path 403A. bottle 8.

The driving of the printing unit 101 , the conveying mechanism 403 , the collecting mechanism 405 , the circulation mechanism 406 , the irradiation unit 407 , and the carrying mechanism 404 of the printing apparatus 100 is controlled by the control device 9 .

Here, the control device 9 may include, for example, a memory device including a memory (memory medium), wherein the memory (memory medium) includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a random access memory (random access memory) memory, that is RAM), read only memory (read only memory, that is ROM), flash memory, volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory, magnetic disk, floppy disk, optical disc, compact disc (compact) disc), compact disk or DVD, etc.; a central processing unit (central processing unit) that executes programs such as those stored in the memory device, external CD-ROM, external DVD-ROM, or external flash memory, etc. Processing circuits such as central processing unit (CPU); input devices such as touch panels, mice, keyboards, or various switches that can input information; and output devices such as monitors, liquid crystal display devices, or lamps that can output information.

The conveyance mechanism 403 conveys the bottle 8 in the conveyance path 403A provided over the three or more printing units 101 . Although the conveyance path 403A in FIG. 1 is linear, the conveyance path 403A may include a curve in at least a part thereof. The conveyance path 403A is formed along a part of the guide rail 413 , and the conveyance mechanism 403 conveys the bottle 8 along the guide rail 413 . Furthermore, at the give-and-take position 102A, the give-and-take position 102B, the give-and-take position 102C, the give-and-take position 102D, and the give-and-take position 102E corresponding to each of the printing unit 101A, the printing unit 101B, the printing unit 101C, the printing unit 101D, the printing unit 101E, and the printing unit 101F And the give and receive position 102F, the give and receive of the bottle 8 (ie, the receiving and handing over of the bottle 8) is performed.

The conveying mechanism 403 includes a plurality of conveying parts (a conveying part 414A, a conveying part 414B, a conveying part 414C, a conveying part 414D, and a conveying part 414E), which can hold the bottle 8 and move along the conveying path 403A (along a part of the guide rail 413). Each conveyance part slides with respect to the guide rail 413 via rollers etc.,. In the case shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying mechanism 403 has five conveying parts which is one less than the number of the printing units 101 , but the number of conveying parts is not limited to this, and two or more may be provided.

Moreover, in the case shown in FIG. 1 , the adjacent conveying parts in the conveying path 403A are connected to each other by the connecting part 416 , and the plurality of connected conveying parts are driven by the conveying driving part 415 controlled by the control device 9 . And move along the guide rail 413 at the same time. In other words, the plurality of conveying parts move while maintaining the distance between the adjacent conveying parts. In addition, the movement of the plurality of conveying parts can be controlled by the control device 9 in such a manner that the distance between the adjacent conveying parts is maintained without being connected to each other. In addition, the number of the connected conveying parts is not limited to the number one less than the number of the receiving and receiving positions as shown in FIG. 1 , and it is sufficient to provide two or more conveying parts.

Here, the conveyance drive part 415 is a linear motion mechanism provided with a ball screw and a motor, for example. In the case where the conveyance drive unit 415 that moves the conveyance unit is a linear motion mechanism, even in the case where the conveyance unit is moved across the long conveyance path 403A of the three or more printing units 101, since the chain conveyance Compared with a machine or a belt conveyor, the rigidity is higher, so the allowable degree of the moving speed of the conveying part is higher. Therefore, the high-speed movement of the conveying part can also be realized, and the operation efficiency of the printing apparatus 100 as a whole is improved.

Each delivery position is located on the front side of the corresponding printing unit 101 (the negative direction of the Y axis), and the bottle 8 transferred from the conveying unit to the corresponding printing unit 101 at the delivery position is printed on the side of the printing unit 101 . Moreover, the bottle 8 after printing in each printing unit 101 is handed over from each printing unit 101 to the conveying part arranged at the corresponding position again.

The recovery mechanism 405 includes a hand 405A and an arm 405B. The hand 405A is configured so that the bottle 8 (or the holder 300 described later) can be placed thereon. The arm portion 405B is configured to be extendable and retractable in the longitudinal direction. The arm portion 405B has the hand portion 405A attached to the end portion, and is configured to be rotatable in the XY plane about the fulcrum X on the opposite side to the end portion to which the hand portion 405A is attached. The collection mechanism 405 holds, for example, the bottle 8 after printing by the printing unit 101F located on the most positive X-axis direction side in FIG. 1 with the hand 405A. Specifically, the hand 405A is extended by the arm 405B in a state of facing the conveyance path 403A side, and the hand 405A moves to the receiving and receiving position 102F. Then, after placing the bottle B (the holder 300 ) on the hand 405A, the arm portion 405B contracts. After that, the collected bottles 8 are transferred to the circulation mechanism 406 by rotating the arm portion 405B in the XY plane with the fulcrum X as the center. In addition, the position where the recovery mechanism 405 recovers the bottle 8 may not be the delivery position located at the most downstream of the conveying path 403A (corresponding to the delivery position 102F in this embodiment), but may be a delivery position at other positions. Moreover, it is possible that the position of the recovery mechanism 405 can be adjusted in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction.

The circulation mechanism 406 circulates the bottles 8 delivered from the recovery mechanism 405 to the upstream side of the conveyance path 403A. Specifically, the circulation mechanism 406 conveys the bottle 8 by a belt conveyor or the like that advances from the X-axis positive direction to the X-axis negative direction. Then, the circulation mechanism 406 returns the bottle 8 after printing to the vicinity of the carry-in mechanism 404 (that is, the vicinity of the operator who carries out the carry-in operation of the bottle 8 in the carry-in mechanism 404).

The irradiation unit 407 is located, for example, on the upstream side (the X-axis positive direction side in FIG. 1 ) of the circulation mechanism 406 , and irradiates ultraviolet rays to the bottles 8 recovered by the recovery mechanism 405 . Thereby, for example, the ink pattern in the bottle 8 formed by photocuring the ink is cured and fixed. In addition, a shutter 408 can be provided on the downstream side of the irradiation part 407 (the side in the negative direction of the X axis in FIG. 1 ), and the shutter 408 can be closed when the irradiation part 407 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The timing of opening and closing of the downstream flow is controlled by the control device 9 .

The carrying-in mechanism 404 carries in the bottle 8 to the delivery/reception position 102A located on the most upstream side (the X-axis negative direction side in FIG. 1 ) of the conveyance path 403A. A carry-in path 404A connecting between the carry-in position 423 and the delivery/reception position 102A is formed along a part of the guide rail 413, and the carry-in mechanism 404 conveys the bottle 8 via the carry-in path 404A. Although the loading path 404A in FIG. 1 is linear, the loading path 404A may include a curve in at least a portion thereof. The bottle 8 conveyed to the delivery/reception position 102A is carried into the printing unit 101A by the conveyance mechanism 403 .

The carrying-in mechanism 404 is provided with the carrying-in part 424 which holds the bottle 8 and can move along the carrying-in path 404A (along a part of the guide rail 413). The carry-in portion 424 slides with respect to the guide rail 413 via rollers or the like. In the carry-in position 423, the bottle 8 is installed in the carry-in portion 424 by an operator. And the carrying-in part 424 provided with the bottle 8 is moved by driving the carrying-in driving part 425 controlled by the control apparatus 9, and arrives at 102A of delivery positions. The carry-in drive unit 425 is, for example, a linear motion mechanism including a ball screw and a motor.

When the printed bottle 8 is moved to the vicinity of the carrying-in mechanism 404 by the circulation mechanism 406 , the operator of the carrying-in mechanism 404 can collect the printed bottle 8 , and then use the printing device 100 for printing. The bottle 8 is installed in the carrying part 424 . That is, by performing the collection operation and the installation operation at the same location, the work efficiency is improved.

Although the carrying part 424 and the plurality of conveying parts (connected in FIG. 1 ) move along the common guide rail 413 , the carrying part 424 and the plurality of conveying parts (connected in FIG. 1 ) can move independently. That is, the moving speed and the moving timing of the carrying part 424 and the plurality of conveying parts may be different. In addition, the moving speed of the carrying-in portion 424 may be slower than that of the conveying portion.

In addition, the movement of the plurality of conveying parts (especially the conveying part 414A located at the most upstream of the conveying path 403A) is restricted according to the position of the carrying part 424 by the control of the control device 9 . Specifically, while the carry-in portion 424 is located at the transfer position 102A, the transfer portion 414A restricts the movement of the plurality of transfer portions so that the transfer portion 414A is not positioned at the transfer position 102A.

2 and 3 are diagrams schematically showing an example of the configuration of the printing unit 101 of the printing apparatus 100 . In FIGS. 2 and 3 , the bottle 8 is shown as an example of the workpiece, and the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is shown as an example of the side surface of the workpiece.

It is preferable that the bottle 8 carried in by the carrying part 424 and conveyed by each carrying part is detachably held by the holder 300 . And the holder 300 is arrange|positioned at the upper part of each conveyance part or the carry-in part 424, and the holder 300 is fixed to each conveyance part or the carry-in part 424 by clamping etc. further.

That is, the bottle 8 is conveyed by each conveyance part or the carry-in part 424 in the state hold|maintained by the holder 300. In addition, it is preferable that the bottle 8 is held by the holder 300 when it is collected by the collection mechanism 405, when the irradiation unit 407 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and when it is carried into the delivery position 102A by the carry-in mechanism 404. In addition, the form of the holder 300 is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 which will be described later, as long as it can hold the bottle 8.

The printing apparatus 100 includes three or more printing units 101 . Each printing unit 101 performs, for example, monochrome printing towards the side 80 of the bottle 8 . A plurality of printing units 101 are arranged in the printing apparatus 100, and multi-color printing (including two-color printing) is realized by each printing unit 101 performing single-color printing of different colors.

Each printing unit 101 includes a plate stage unit 1 , an ink filling unit 2 , a transfer unit 3 , and a curing unit 4 . These structures are arranged in the above-mentioned order from the Y-axis positive direction side toward the Y-axis negative direction side.

The bottle 8 at the give and receive position corresponding to each printing unit 101 approaches or separates from the transfer unit 3 and the curing unit 4 in a state held by the holder 300 . FIG. 2 shows a state in which the bottle 8 is separated from the transfer unit 3 and the curing unit 4 in a state held by the holder 300 . On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the bottle 8 approaches the transfer unit 3 and the curing unit 4 in a state held by the holder 300 .

In addition to the above-described approach and separation in each printing unit 101 , the bottle 8 held by the holder 300 is also conveyed along the conveyance path 403A spanning and between the plurality of printing units 101 .

In one printing unit 101 , first, an ink pattern using a photocurable ink is formed by the plate stage unit 1 and the ink filling unit 2 .

Then, the ink pattern is transferred to the transfer unit 3 . Further, the ink pattern is transferred from the transfer unit 3 to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 .

Then, the ink transferred to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is cured by light irradiation from the curing unit 4 . In addition, the method of curing the ink on the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 by the curing unit 4 is not limited to light irradiation such as ultraviolet irradiation, and may be, for example, a method of curing the ink by heat treatment or the like.

The bottle 8 of the holder 300 is held rotatably around the rotational symmetry axis of the side surface 80 . Any one of the above-mentioned processes of the printing unit 101 is performed in a state in which the bottle 8 is held by the holder 300 .

The formation of the ink pattern in the above process and the transfer of the ink pattern to the transfer unit 3 can be performed, for example, in a state where the bottle 8 is separated from the transfer unit 3 and the curing unit 4 (ie, the state shown in FIG. 2 ), or It is performed during the movement of the bottle 8 between the plurality of printing units 101 relative to each other.

In addition, the transfer of the ink pattern to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 and the curing of the ink in the above-mentioned process are performed in the state where the bottle 8 is close to the transfer unit 3 and the curing unit 4 (that is, the state shown in FIG. 3 ). .

In the printing apparatus 100, after the above-mentioned processes are performed in all the printing units 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, and 101F, the bottle 8 is held by the holder 300. The lower part is conveyed from the printing unit 101 , and a process of further curing the ink transferred to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 (main curing process) is performed in the irradiation section 407 . In this case, the ink curing performed in each printing unit 101 is a temporary curing for each single-color printing.

The bottle 8 processed until the end of the actual curing process is unloaded from the holder 300 downstream of the circulation mechanism 406 or near the carry-in mechanism 404 . On the other hand, in the carrying-in mechanism 404, the bottle 8 to be printed next in the printing apparatus 100 is attached to the holder 300 from which the bottle 8 has been removed.

The bottle 8 is attached to and detached from the holder 300 at a position away from the printing unit 101 (eg, the loading position 423 of the loading mechanism 404 ).

The plate stage unit 1 includes a stage 11 and a plate 12 . The plate 12 is arranged on the surface on the Z-axis positive direction side of the stage 11 . Plate 12 is a plate (eg, a gravure plate) used to form ink patterns. The stage 11 can move in any direction of the XYZ direction, and can also move in the rotation direction around the Z axis. For such movements, for example, a cross-roller bearing mechanism is used.

The stage 11 is movable toward the negative direction of the Y-axis from a position on the positive side of the Y-axis when viewed from the ink-filling unit 2 and the transfer unit 3 , and can approach the transfer unit 3 via the ink-filling unit 2 . The stage 11 can also move in the positive direction of the Y-axis, and can be separated from the transfer unit 3 .

The ink filling unit 2 includes a nozzle 21 and an ink supply unit 22 . The ink supply unit 22 supplies photocurable ink (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “ink”) to the nozzles 21 .

The photo-curable ink, for example, contains a pigment as a color developer, a polymer material (including at least one of a monomer and an oligomer) that constitutes a strong polymer layer by polymerization, and a chemical change by exposure to light irradiation Photopolymerization initiators that promote the polymerization of polymer materials by generating active species.

When the stage 11 moves in the negative direction of the Y-axis so that the nozzles 21 and the plate 12 face each other in the Z-axis direction, the ink supplied to the nozzles 21 is ejected from the ejection ports provided at the lower ends of the nozzles 21, and is then applied to the plate 12 The surface on the positive side of the Z axis (hereinafter also referred to as "upper surface").

For example, when the plate 12 is a gravure plate, the upper surface of the plate 12 is scraped by a scraper (not shown). In this way, the ink pattern is formed on the plate 12 by filling the concave portions of the plate 12 with ink and removing the ink other than the concave portions.

The plate 12 on which the ink pattern is formed is further moved in the negative direction of the Y-axis to approach the transfer unit 3 .

The transfer unit 3 includes a printing cloth roller 30 and a motor 33 . The motor 33 rotates the printing cloth roller 30 .

The printing cloth roll 30 includes a printing cloth main body 31 and a printing cloth 32 . The printed cloth main body 31 is, for example, a metal cylinder. The printing cloth 32 is wound around the surface of the printing cloth main body 31. The printing cloth 32 has a cylindrical shape.

The printing cloth roller 30 is supported so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIGS. 2 and 3 .

The surface of the printing cloth 32 allows the ink to adhere and fix. When the stage 11 moves in the negative direction of the Y-axis and the printing cloth roller 30 and the plate 12 face each other in the Z-axis direction, the surface of the printing cloth 32 abuts on the upper surface of the plate 12 . Also, the ink pattern formed on the plate 12 is transferred (transferred to) the surface of the printing cloth 32 .

The bottle 8 is close to the transfer unit 3, the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is in contact with the printing cloth 32, and the printing cloth 32 is in contact with the side surface 80 and rotates in opposite directions to each other.

Thereby, the ink pattern transferred to the printing cloth 32 is further transferred to the side surface 80 . Based on the above-mentioned transfer point of view, it is preferable that the height of the unevenness that may be generated on the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is smaller than the thickness of the printing cloth 32 .

The printing cloth 32 functions as an intermediate transfer body that temporarily adheres and fixes the ink pattern transferred to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 . The printed cloth 32 is formed of an elastic resin material such as silicone resin.

In the above-mentioned transfer, when the bottle 8 is rotated one or more times, it is assumed that the ink pattern on the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is transferred to the printing cloth 32 (hereinafter also referred to as "reverse printing"). The reverse printing disturbs the ink pattern on the side 80 of the bottle 8 . The viscosity of the ink transferred to the side surface 80 is increased as follows, for example, to reduce reverse printing.

Light (ultraviolet rays) is irradiated from the curing unit 4 toward the side 80 of the bottle 8 immediately after receiving the transfer of the ink pattern from the printing cloth 32 . In the case where the printing device 100 is provided with a plurality of printing units 101, the viscosity of the ink is increased by partially polymerizing the polymer material contained in the ink, but under the condition that the entire ink is not cured, irradiation from the curing unit 4 is performed. light (ultraviolet). The above-mentioned conditions are set according to the intensity of the light, for example.

As the viscosity of the ink increases, the adhesion from the side 80 of the bottle 8 to the printing cloth 32 decreases, thereby reducing reverse printing. The aforementioned reduction in adhesion is also desirable from the viewpoint of avoiding contamination of the holder 300 .

FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the holder 300 in a state in which the bottle 8 is held.

The holder 300 holds the bottle 8 rotatably around a rotation axis 309 along the X-axis direction. The bottle 8 is held by the holder 300 in a posture in which the rotational symmetry axis 800 is transverse to the rotational axis 309 . Hereinafter, the circumferential direction and the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis 309 will be simply referred to as the circumferential direction and the radial direction, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the holder 300 includes a holding mechanism 310 and a holding body portion 330 .

The holding mechanism 310 holds one end of the bottle 8 rotatably. One end of the bottle 8 held by the holding portion 310 is an end of one side of the bottle 8 on the axis of rotational symmetry 800 .

The holding mechanism 310 includes a rotation holding portion 311 . The rotation holding portion 311 includes a shaft portion 312 that is rotatably supported around the rotation axis 309 , and a holding member 313 that is coupled to an end portion of the shaft portion 312 .

The holding member 313 detachably holds one end of the bottle 8 . With the holding member 313 holding one end of the bottle 8 , the rotation holding portion 311 rotates around the rotation axis 309 , so that the bottle 8 held by the rotation holding portion 311 also rotates around the rotation axis 309 .

In the example of FIG. 4 , the holder 300 also includes a rotational drive mechanism 500 . The rotation driving mechanism 500 applies a driving force to the rotation holding portion 311 to rotate the rotation holding portion 311 around the rotation axis 309 . The rotation drive mechanism 500 includes a motor 501 , and the rotational force of the motor 501 is transmitted to the rotation holding portion 311 , so that the rotation holding portion 311 rotates around the rotation axis 309 .

In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the rotational drive mechanism 500 transmits the rotational force to the rotational holding portion 311 via the power transmission mechanism 380 . The power transmission mechanism 380 includes various mechanical elements such as gears, pulleys, and belts, and transmits the rotational force from the rotational drive mechanism 500 to the rotation holding portion 311 . The power transmission mechanism 380 may include, for example, a clutch capable of switching between a connected state in which the rotational force from the rotational driving mechanism 500 is transmitted to the rotational holding portion 311 and a disconnected state in which the rotational force from the rotational driving mechanism 500 is not transmitted to the rotational holding portion 311 . .

The shaft portion 312 includes a shaft 314 . The shaft 314 is disposed along the axis of rotation 309 and is rotatably supported about the axis of rotation 309 relative to the holding body portion 330 .

The holding body portion 330 includes a flat base 333 , a support portion 331 , and a support portion 332 . The base 333 has a flat plate-like shape perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The support part 331 is provided in the positive Z-axis direction from the base 333 on the X-axis positive direction side. The support portion 332 is provided in the positive direction of the Z axis from the base 333 at a position separated from the support portion 331 in the negative direction of the X axis.

A holding member 313 is provided at the end of the shaft 314 on the negative side of the X-axis, and a knob member 319 is provided at the end of the shaft 314 on the positive side of the X-axis.

The holding member 313 detachably holds the mouth 81 which is one end of the bottle 8 . The bottle 8 includes a mouth portion 81 , a main body portion 82 , and a bottom portion 83 . The main body portion 82 has a cylindrical shape, and the side surface 80 serving as the outer surface thereof is rotationally symmetric with respect to the rotational symmetry axis 800 . The bottom portion 83 covers the opening on the negative X-axis direction side of the main body portion 82 . The mouth portion 81 is connected to the opening on the X-axis positive direction side of the main body portion 82 , and has a tapered cylindrical shape whose diameter decreases as it moves away from the main body portion 82 . A male screw portion is formed on the outer side surface of the front end of the mouth portion 81 . The holding member 313 has the same shape as the bottle cap.

In a state where the mouth 81 and the holding member 313 are not connected, the operator rotates the knob member 319 in the direction in which the mouth 81 and the holding member 313 are screwed together while holding the bottle 8 and regulating the rotation of the bottle 8 . By this rotation, the mouth portion 81 and the holding member 313 are screwed together. And by this screwing, the mouth part 81 and the holding member 313 are connected. By this connection, the shaft 314 and the bottle 8 are connected in the X-axis direction.

In a state where the holding member 313 and the bottle 8 are connected, the operator rotates the knob member 319 in a direction to release the screwing of the mouth 81 and the holding member 313 while regulating the rotation of the bottle 8 . By such rotation, the holding member 313 is removed from the mouth 81, and the connection between the shaft 314 and the bottle 8 is released.

In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the shaft portion 312 is provided with a self-aligning bearing 315 . The self-aligning bearing 315 rotatably supports the shaft 314 by the holding body portion 330 . Specifically, the shaft 314 is penetratingly fixed to the inner ring of the self-aligning bearing 315 , and the outer ring of the self-aligning bearing 315 is fixed to the holding body portion 330 (support portion 331 ). In addition, the fixing of the outer ring of the self-aligning bearing 315 and the support portion 331 is omitted in FIG. 4 . The inner ring of the self-aligning bearing 315 is free to rotate and tilt relative to the outer ring. Therefore, even if the shaft 314 is deflected relative to the rotation axis 309 , the inner ring of the self-aligning bearing 315 is tilted and displaced relative to the outer ring according to the deflection of the shaft 314 , so that the shaft 314 can rotate while maintaining the deflected state.

In addition, the shape of the mouth portion 81 of the bottle 8 may vary according to product differences. According to the difference in shape, for example, the central axis of the mouth portion 81 is displaced with respect to the rotational symmetry axis 800 of the main body portion 82 . In this case, when the mouth portion 81 of the bottle 8 is attached to the holding member 313 , the rotational symmetry axis 800 of the main body portion 82 of the bottle 8 is offset with respect to the rotational axis 309 . That is, displacement in the radial direction of the bottle 8 is caused.

The displacement of the bottle 8 in this way leads to poor printing. In order to suppress this displacement, in the example shown in FIG. 4 , the support roller 370 is provided in the holder 300 .

The backup roller 370 is arranged radially outward of the bottle 8 , and is in contact with the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 . In the example shown in FIG. 4, although only one back-up roll 370 is shown, a plurality of back-up rolls may be provided. A plurality of backup rollers are in contact with the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 at positions different from each other in the circumferential direction.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the holder 300 also includes a holding mechanism 320 . The holding mechanism 320 includes a rotation holding portion 321 . The rotation holding part 321 pushes the other end (here, the bottom part 83 ) of the bottle 8 to the positive X-axis side rotatably around the rotation axis 309 .

The rotation holding portion 321 includes a shaft 322 , a contact member 323 , and an urging member 324 .

The shaft 322 is disposed along the axis of rotation 309 and is configured to coincide with the axis of the shaft portion 312 (ie, the axis of the shaft 314). The shaft 322 is supported rotatably around the rotation axis 309 with respect to the support portion 332 , and is also supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction with respect to the support portion 332 .

A contact member 323 that is in contact with the bottom portion 83 of the bottle 8 is provided at the end portion of the shaft 322 on the positive direction side of the X-axis. A knob member 325 is provided at the end of the shaft 322 on the negative side of the X-axis.

The size of the contact member 323 when viewed along the axis of rotation 309 is larger than that of the shaft 322 . The pushing member 324 is provided between the contact member 323 and the wall surface on the positive direction side of the X-axis of the support portion 332 . The pushing member 324 pushes the contact member 323 toward the bottom 83 side of the bottle 8 . For example, the urging member 324 includes a spring that is inserted into the shaft 322 . The contact member 323 is pushed toward the bottom 83 side by the push member 324 , and the push force is transmitted to the bottom 83 of the bottle 8 through the contact member 323 . That is, the contact member 323 pushes the bottom portion 83 of the bottle 8 toward the mouth portion 81 side. Thereby, the bottle 8 is clamped by the holding mechanism 310 and the holding mechanism 320 in the X-axis direction.

The operator can move the knob member 325 in the negative direction of the X-axis while resisting the elastic force exerted by the pushing member 324 , so that the contact member 323 can be separated from the bottom portion 83 . Separating the contact member 323 from the bottom portion 83 facilitates the process of removing the holding member 313 from the mouth portion 81 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a control system for controlling the printing apparatus 100 . As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the control device 9 of the printing apparatus 100 controls the driving of each driving unit of the printing apparatus 100 .

Specifically, the control device 9 controls the movement of the stage 11 of each printing unit 101 , the ink supply operation from the ink supply unit 22 , the drive of the motor 33 for rotating the printing cloth roller 30 , and the like.

Further, the control device 9 controls the drive of the conveyance drive unit 415 of the conveyance mechanism 403, the expansion and contraction of the arm portion 405B of the recovery mechanism 405, the drive of the belt conveyor of the circulation mechanism 406, the irradiation operation of ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 407, and the carrying mechanism The drive of the carry-in drive unit 425 of 404, etc.

<About the operation of the printing apparatus> Next, the operation of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , in step ST101 , the operator attaches the bottle 8 to the holder 300 in the carry-in mechanism 404 of the printing apparatus 100 . At this time, when the bottle 8 after printing is attached to the holder 300 , after removing the bottle 8 , the bottle 8 that has not yet been printed is attached to the holder 300 . Furthermore, the operator fixes the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 to the carry-in portion 424 located at the carry-in position 423 . Then, it progresses to step ST102 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST102, by the control of the control apparatus 9, the carrying-in part 424 located in the carrying-in position 423 is moved to the receiving position 102A which is located in the most upstream of the conveyance path 403A. At this time, the conveyance part 414A located at the most upstream of the conveyance path 403A is not located at the transfer position 102A. Then, the process proceeds to step ST103 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST103, under the control of the control device 9, the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is delivered to the corresponding printing unit 101A from the carry-in portion 424 located at the delivery/reception position 102A. Then, it progresses to step ST104 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST104, under the control of the control device 9, in the printing unit 101A, printing is performed on the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 held by the holder 300. Specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the plate stage unit 1 and the ink filling unit 2 form an ink pattern using a photocurable ink. Then, the ink pattern is transferred to the transfer unit 3 . Further, the ink pattern is transferred from the transfer unit 3 to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 . Then, the ink transferred to the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 is cured by light irradiation from the curing unit 4 . Then, the process proceeds to step ST105 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST105 , the carry-in unit 424 located at the transfer position 102A is moved to the carry-in position 423 under the control of the control device 9 . Furthermore, under the control of the control device 9, the plurality of connected conveying units (that is, the conveying unit 414A, the conveying unit 414B, the conveying unit 414C, the conveying unit 414D, and the conveying unit 414E) are connected so that the conveying unit 414A is located at the position 102A. way to move. Here, the timing at which the conveying portion 414A is located at the delivery and receiving position 102A only needs to be the timing after the moving portion 424 is moved from the delivery and receiving position 102A (including immediately after the movement). In addition, the interval between the plurality of conveying parts (that is, the conveying part 414A, the conveying part 414B, the conveying part 414C, the conveying part 414D, and the conveying part 414E) connected by the connecting part 416 is a plurality of transfer positions (that is, the transfer part 414E). In the case of an integer multiple of the interval between positions 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F) (in the case shown in Figure 1, the two intervals are the same), the same At the same time when the conveying part 414A is located at the receiving and receiving position 102A, other conveying parts (at least one of the conveying part 414B, the conveying part 414C, the conveying part 414D and the conveying part 414E) are also located at the corresponding receiving and receiving positions (that is, the receiving and receiving positions corresponding to the conveying part 414B). The position 102B, the accepting position 102C corresponding to the conveying portion 414C, the accepting position 102D corresponding to the conveying portion 414D, and the accepting position 102E corresponding to the conveying portion 414E). Such an arrangement of the conveying units (at least two correspondences among the five conveying units) is referred to as a first arrangement. Then, the process proceeds to step ST106 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

In addition, step ST105 may be performed during the period in which the printing operation of the printing unit 101A of step ST104 is performed (ie, before the printing operation of the printing unit 101A is completed). When step ST105 is performed during the printing operation of the printing unit 101A of step ST104, since step ST106 to be described later can be performed immediately after the printing operation of the printing unit 101A is completed, the overall operation efficiency of the printing apparatus 100 can be improved.

Next, in step ST106, under the control of the control device 9, the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is transferred from the printing unit 101A to the conveying unit 414A located at the transfer position 102A. Then, it progresses to step ST107 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST107, under the control of the control device 9, a plurality of conveying units (that is, the conveying unit 414A, the conveying unit 414B, the conveying unit 414C, the conveying unit 414D, and the conveying unit 414E) are connected to the conveying unit 414A. Move in the manner of being located at the give-and-take position 102B. In addition, the interval between the plurality of conveying parts (that is, the conveying part 414A, the conveying part 414B, the conveying part 414C, the conveying part 414D, and the conveying part 414E) connected by the connecting part 416 is a plurality of transfer positions (that is, the transfer part 414E). In the case of an integer multiple of the interval between positions 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F) (in the case shown in Figure 1, the two intervals are the same), the same At the same time when the transfer portion 414A is located at the transfer portion 102B, other transfer portions (at least one of the transfer portion 414B, the transfer portion 414C, the transfer portion 414D, and the transfer portion 414E) are also located at the corresponding transfer portion (that is, the transfer portion corresponding to the transfer portion 414B). The position 102C, the accepting position 102D corresponding to the conveying portion 414C, the accepting position 102E corresponding to the conveying portion 414D, and the accepting position 102F corresponding to the conveying portion 414E). Such an arrangement of the conveying units (the correspondence relation of the plurality of conveying units being shifted in the same way as the first arrangement) is referred to as a second arrangement. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is the second configuration.

At this time, in order to simultaneously perform printing operations in each of the plurality of printing units 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, and 101F, the carrying position 423 may be fixed to the carrying part 424 The bottle 8 is sequentially moved to the giving and receiving position 102A. In this way, the printing operation is simultaneously performed in the plurality of printing units 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, and 101F, and the operation efficiency of the entire printing apparatus 100 is improved. Then, it progresses to step ST108 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST108, under the control of the control device 9, the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is handed over from the conveying part 414A at the receiving and receiving position 102B to the corresponding printing unit 101B. In addition, even when the bottle 8 held by the holder 300 is fixed to the conveying portion located at another transfer position, the bottle 8 held by the holder 300 is also transferred from the conveying portion to the corresponding printing unit 101 . Here, if the distance between adjacent conveying parts is an integer multiple of the distance between adjacent conveying parts, a plurality of conveying parts can simultaneously convey and accept bottles 8 at the corresponding conveying parts. Then, it progresses to step ST109 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST109, under the control of the control device 9, in the printing unit 101B, the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is printed. Moreover, when the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is transferred to another printing unit 101 in step ST108, printing is also performed on the side surface 80 of the bottle 8 transferred in step ST108 in the printing unit 101. In addition, in the case where the bottle 8 is the bottle 8 that has been printed by the printing unit 101 located on the upstream side of the conveyance path 403A, in step ST109, by performing printing of a color different from the previously completed printing, the Bottle 8 is multicolored. Then, it progresses to step ST110 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST110, under the control of the control device 9, a plurality of conveying units (that is, the conveying unit 414A, the conveying unit 414B, the conveying unit 414C, the conveying unit 414D, and the conveying unit 414E) are connected to the conveying unit 414A. Move in the manner of being located at the give-and-take position 102A. Here, when the carry-in portion 424 is located at the transfer position 102A, the transfer portion 424 moves the transfer portion 414A to the transfer position 102A after the transfer portion 424 moves from the transfer position 102A (including immediately after moving). In addition, in the case where the interval between the plurality of conveying portions connected by the connecting portion 416 is an integral multiple of the interval between the plurality of transfer positions, the transfer portion 414A can be located at the transfer portion 102A at the same time as the other transfer portions are also located corresponding to (ie, the give and receive position 102B corresponding to the transfer part 414B, the give and receive position 102C corresponding to the transfer part 414C, the give and receive position 102D corresponding to the transfer part 414D, and the give and receive position 102E corresponding to the transfer part 414E). That is, it can be set as a 1st arrangement|positioning. Then, the process proceeds to step ST111 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

In addition, step ST110 may be performed during the printing operation of the printing unit 101 of step ST109.

Next, in step ST111, whether or not the conveying portion is located at the delivery/reception position corresponding to each printing unit 101 is determined for each of the delivery/reception positions. Then, when the conveying unit is located at the receiving/receiving position corresponding to the printing unit 101, that is, when "Yes" branched from step ST111 in FIG. 6 is applied, the process proceeds to step ST112 illustrated in FIG. On the other hand, in the case where the conveying unit is not located at the receiving position corresponding to the printing unit 101 , that is, in the case corresponding to the case of “No” branched from step ST111 in FIG. 6 , the process proceeds to step ST113 illustrated in FIG. 6 . .

In step ST112, under the control of the control device 9, the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is handed over to the conveying section located at the transfer position corresponding to each printing unit 101. Then, it returns to step ST107 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

In step ST113, for example, as in the case of the transfer position 102F located at the most downstream of the conveyance path 403A, the transfer portion is not located at the transfer position corresponding to the printing unit 101F, so under the control of the control device 9, the recovery mechanism 405 recovers the The bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 is held. Then, it progresses to step ST114 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST114, under the control of the control device 9, the irradiation unit 407 irradiates the bottle 8 recovered by the recovery mechanism 405 with ultraviolet rays. Thereby, the ink pattern of the bottle 8 is cured and fixed. Then, it progresses to step ST115 illustrated in FIG. 6 .

Next, in step ST115, under the control of the control device 9, the circulation mechanism 406 conveys the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 so as to return to the upstream side of the conveyance path 403A. Then, the circulation mechanism 406 returns the bottle 8 after printing to the vicinity of the carry-in mechanism 404 (that is, the vicinity of the operator who carries out the carry-in operation of the bottle 8 in the carry-in mechanism 404). Then, the bottle 8 is removed from the holder 300 as needed, and the operation is terminated.

<About the effect produced by the above-described embodiment> Next, an example of the effect produced by the above-described embodiment is shown. In addition, in the following description, this effect is described based on the specific structure exemplified in the above-described embodiment, but it can be replaced with other specific structures exemplified in the present specification within the scope of producing the same effect. That is, in the following, there is a case where only one of the specific structures for establishing the corresponding relationship is only representatively described below, but the specific structure for establishing the corresponding relationship may be replaced by other specific structures for establishing the corresponding relationship.

According to the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus includes three or more printing units 101 and the conveying mechanism 403 . The printing unit 101 performs delivery (including both reception and handover) of workpieces at the corresponding delivery positions. Here, the workpiece corresponds to the bottle 8, for example. In addition, the printing unit 101 prints the bottles 8 delivered at the corresponding delivery and reception positions. The conveyance mechanism 403 has a conveyance path 403A spanning three or more transfer positions. Moreover, the conveyance mechanism 403 conveys the bottle 8 in the conveyance path 403A. Furthermore, the conveyance mechanism 403 includes a plurality of conveyance units (for example, conveyance unit 414A, conveyance unit 414B, conveyance unit 414C, conveyance unit 414D, and conveyance unit 414E). Each conveyance part holds the bottle 8 and can move along the conveyance path 403A. Moreover, each conveyance part performs the delivery and delivery of the bottle 8 at the corresponding delivery and delivery position. In addition, the plurality of conveyance parts move along the conveyance path 403A while maintaining a certain distance from each other.

According to such a configuration, since the conveying portion moves along the conveying path 403A spanning three or more transfer positions, even when printing is performed by a plurality of printing units, it is possible to suppress the need for transferring the workpiece between the plurality of conveying mechanisms. time and possible positional offsets resulting from the handover. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the work efficiency and the shift of the printing position to the workpiece. In addition, since the plurality of conveying parts move while keeping a certain distance from each other, the positional relationship in the case where the bottle 8 is fixed to one conveying part is easily maintained for the other conveying parts. Therefore, positioning can be easily performed.

In addition, when other structures illustrated in the description of the present application are appropriately added to the above-mentioned structures, that is, when other structures in the description of the present application that are not mentioned as the above-mentioned structures are appropriately added, the same can also occur. Effect.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the bottle 8 is further held by each conveying part in the state held by the holder 300 . Moreover, each conveyance part performs the delivery/reception of the bottle 8 in the state held by the holder 300 at the corresponding delivery/reception position. According to this structure, since the state held by the holder 300 is maintained even when the bottle 8 is moved, the positioning accuracy is improved.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the distance between adjacent conveying parts is an integral multiple of the distance between adjacent transfer positions. In addition, the plurality of conveying parts simultaneously perform the delivery and delivery of the bottle 8 at the corresponding delivery and delivery positions. According to such a configuration, since the timings of the delivery and reception of the bottles 8 are synchronized in the plurality of delivery parts, the time required to stop the movement of the delivery parts for the delivery and delivery of the bottles 8 can be shortened. That is, if the timing of giving and receiving bottles 8 in the plurality of conveying parts is different, the movement of the plurality of conveying parts must be stopped at the timing of giving and receiving bottles 8 in each conveying part. By synchronizing the timing of giving and receiving, the time for stopping the movement of the conveying part can be shortened.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the give-and-take positions correspond to each of the three or more printing units 101 and include at least the first give-and-take position (the give-and-take position 102A), the second give-and-take position (the give-and-take position 102B), and the third give-and-take position (grant and accept location 102C). Moreover, a 1st conveyance part (414A of conveyance parts) and a 2nd conveyance part (414B of conveyance parts) are included in a some conveyance part at least. In addition, in the conveyance path 403A, the first conveyance portion (the conveyance portion 414A) is located at the first transfer position (the transfer portion 102A), and the second transfer portion (the transfer portion 414B) is positioned at the second transfer position (the transfer position 102B). the first configuration; and the second configuration in which the first transfer part (transfer part 414A) is located at the second transfer position (transfer position 102B), and the second transfer part (transfer part 414B) is positioned at the third transfer position (transfer position 102C) . According to such a structure, the moving distance of each conveyance part can be shortened compared with the case where one conveyance part conveys the same bottle 8 from the upstream of the conveyance path 403A to the downstream. Therefore, the moving speed of the conveying part can also be suppressed.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, after the bottle 8 is delivered to the corresponding printing unit 101 from at least one of the conveying part 414A and the conveying part 414B in the second arrangement, the corresponding printing unit 101 is used for While the handed bottle 8 is being printed, the conveyance unit 414A and the conveyance unit 414B move to form the first arrangement. According to such a configuration, since the delivery and transfer of the bottle 8 is performed immediately after the printing operation of the printing unit 101 is completed, the operation efficiency of the printing apparatus 100 as a whole can be improved.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the conveyance mechanism 403 is provided with the guide rail 413 along the conveyance path 403A. Moreover, each conveyance part is movable along the guide rail 413 . According to such a configuration, the conveying portion is moved by the linear motion mechanism that is driven along the guide rail 413 . In this way, even when the conveying part is moved on the long conveying path 403A, since the rigidity is higher than that of the chain conveyor or the belt conveyor, the allowable degree of the moving speed of the conveying part becomes high. Therefore, the high-speed movement of the conveying part can also be realized, and the operation efficiency of the printing apparatus 100 as a whole is improved.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 100 includes the collection mechanism 405 and the circulation mechanism 406 . The collection mechanism 405 collects the bottles 8 after printing on the printing unit 101F located on the downstream side of the conveyance path 403A among the three or more printing units 101 that sequentially print the bottles 8 conveyed from the upstream to the downstream of the conveyance path 403A. The circulation mechanism 406 circulates the bottles 8 recovered by the recovery mechanism 405 toward the upstream side of the conveyance path 403A. According to this configuration, since the collected bottles 8 are circulated upstream of the conveyance path 403A into which the bottles 8 are loaded, the operator does not need to wait downstream of the conveyance path 403A for collection, and the number of operators can be reduced. In addition, since the bottles 8 are circulated through a circulation mechanism that is a different path from the conveyance path 403A, it is possible to prevent the bottles 8 conveyed downstream from the upstream of the conveyance path 403A for printing and from the downstream side of the conveyance path 403A after printing. The bottles 8 conveyed to the upstream side are stored together. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the conveyance from being stagnant due to mixed storage, and to improve the conveyance efficiency.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 100 is provided with the irradiation part 407 which irradiates an ultraviolet-ray to the bottle 8 collected by the collection|recovery mechanism 405. Then, the circulation mechanism 406 circulates the bottle 8 irradiated with ultraviolet rays through the irradiation unit 407 to the upstream side of the conveyance path 403A. According to such a configuration, since the circulation mechanism 406 is provided between the position of the carrying mechanism 404 for carrying the bottle 8 and the position of the irradiation part 407 , the operator who carries the bottle 8 can be kept away from the irradiation part 407 . Therefore, the influence of the ultraviolet rays of the irradiation part 407, etc. can be suppressed, and an operator can work safely.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 100 includes the carrying-in mechanism 404 . The carry-in mechanism 404 has a carry-in path 404A that spans the carry-in position 423 of the bottle 8, and the most upstream printing unit 101 located on the most upstream of the carrying path 403A, that is, the most upstream printing unit (located in the most negative direction of the X-axis in FIG. 1 ). The give-and-take position corresponding to the printing unit 101A) is the most upstream give-and-take position (the give-and-take position 102A in FIG. 1 ). Moreover, the carrying-in mechanism 404 carries in the bottle 8 via the carrying-in path 404A. Furthermore, the carry-in mechanism 404 includes a carry-in unit 424 . The carrying-in part 424 can hold the bottle 8 and move along the carrying-in path 404A. Moreover, the carry-in unit 424 carries the bottle 8 to the most upstream printing unit (the printing unit 101A located in the most negative X-axis direction in FIG. 1 ) at the delivery/reception position 102A. According to such a configuration, in the carrying path 404A arranged near the operator, the carrying part 424 which is lighter than the plurality of carrying parts which are connected can be moved independently of the plurality of carrying parts. Therefore, since the weight of the object moving in the vicinity of the operator can be reduced, the operator can work safely.

Moreover, according to the above-described embodiment, neither of the conveying parts is located at the receiving and receiving position 102A while the carrying-in part 424 is located at the receiving and receiving position 102A. According to such a configuration, while the operator performs the work with the carry-in portion 424 positioned at the transfer position 102A, the movement of the transfer portion to the transfer position 102A is restricted by the control of the control device 9 . Therefore, the operator can concentrate on the work.

According to the embodiment described above, in the printing method, the bottle 8 is conveyed in the conveyance path 403A spanning three or more printing units 101 . Then, the printing unit 101 prints the bottle 8 that has been handed over at the corresponding give-and-take position. Here, the process of conveying the bottle 8 is a process of conveying the bottle 8 by at least one of the plurality of conveying sections. In addition, the process of conveying the bottle 8 is a process of moving along the conveyance path 403A by a plurality of conveyance parts in a state of keeping a certain distance from each other.

According to such a configuration, since the conveying section moves along the conveying path 403A spanning the three or more printing units 101, even when printing is performed by a plurality of printing units, it is suppressed that the workpiece is transferred between the plurality of conveying mechanisms. time and possible positional shifts resulting from the handover. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the work efficiency and the shift of the printing position to the workpiece.

In addition, the order in which each process is performed can be changed unless it is specifically limited.

In addition, in the case where other structures illustrated in the description of this application are appropriately added to the above-mentioned structures, that is, when other structures in the description of this application that are not mentioned as the above-mentioned structures are appropriately added, the same can also occur. Effect.

In addition, according to the above-described embodiment, the process of conveying the bottle 8 is a process that, in the second arrangement, is handed over to the corresponding printing unit 101 from at least one of the conveying unit 414A and the conveying unit 414B. During the period when the corresponding printing unit 101 prints the delivered bottle 8, the conveying part 414A and the conveying part 414B move to form the first arrangement, and further, when the conveying part 414A and the conveying part 414B are in the first arrangement After at least one of the printing units 101 corresponding to the bottle 8 is handed over, the second arrangement is formed. According to such a configuration, since the delivery and transfer of the bottle 8 is performed immediately after the printing operation of the printing unit 101 is completed, the operation efficiency of the printing apparatus 100 as a whole can be improved.

<About the modification of the above-described embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, there are cases where the material, material, size, shape, relative arrangement relationship or implementation conditions of each component are also described, but It is equal to an example in all levels, and is not restrictive.

Therefore, innumerable variations and equivalents which are not illustrated can be conceived within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification. For example, the case where at least one component is changed, the case where it is added, or the case where it is omitted are included.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, in the case where the name of the material or the like is described without special designation, other additives, such as alloys, etc., are included in the material as long as there is no conflict.

1: Plate stage unit 2: Ink filling unit 3: Transfer unit 4: Curing unit 8: Bottle 9: Control device 11: Stage 12: Plate 21: Nozzle 22: Ink supply unit 30: Printing cloth roller 31: Printing Cloth main body 32: Printing cloth 33, 501: Motor 80: Side 81: Mouth 82: Main body 83: Bottom 100: Printing device 101, 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, 101F: Printing unit 102, 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D , 102E, 102F: Granting and receiving position 300: Holder 309: Rotation axis 310, 320: Holding mechanism 311, 321: Rotation holding part 312: Shaft part 313: Holding member 314, 322: Shaft 315: Self-aligning bearing 319, 325: Knob member 323: Contact member 324 : Retracting member 330 : Holding body parts 331 , 332 : Support part 333 : Base 370 : Back-up roller 380 : Power transmission mechanism 403 : Conveying mechanism 403A: Conveying path 404 : Carrying-in mechanism 404A: Carrying-in path 405 : Recovery mechanism 405A: Hand 405B: arm part 406: circulation mechanism 407: irradiation part 408: shutter 413: guide rails 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E: conveying part 415: conveying driving part 416: connecting part 423: carrying position 424: carrying part 425: Loading drive unit 500: Rotation drive mechanism 800: Rotation symmetry axis X, Y, Z: axis

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the printing unit of the printing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the printing unit of the printing apparatus. Fig. 4 is a side view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the holder that holds the bottle. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a control system for controlling the printing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment.

9: Control device

100: Printing Unit

101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, 101F: Printing Unit

102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, 102F: Granting and receiving positions

403: Transfer mechanism

403A: conveying path

404: Move In Agency

404A: Move in Path

405: Recycling Agency

405A: Hands

405B: Arm

406: Circulation mechanism

407: Irradiation Department

408: Shutter

413: Rails

414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E: Transfer Department

415: Conveying Drive

416: Links

423: Move in position

424: Move-in Department

425: Moving into the drive section

X, Y, Z: axis

Claims (11)

A printing device, which is used for printing at least one workpiece, and has: 3 or more printing units, which are used to perform the delivery of the workpiece at the corresponding delivery position, and to hand over the workpiece at the delivery position. The above-mentioned workpiece is printed; and The conveying mechanism is used for conveying the above-mentioned workpiece along a conveying path spanning and 3 or more of the above-mentioned receiving and receiving positions; The workpiece is given and received between the transfer position and the corresponding printing unit; A plurality of the conveying parts can hold the workpiece and move along the conveying path; A plurality of the conveying parts can keep a certain distance from each other along the conveying path move. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece is further held by each of the conveying parts in the state held by the holder; and each of the conveying parts is at the corresponding receiving position, and the workpiece in the state held by the holder is held by the holder. The aforementioned workpieces are given and accepted. The printing device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the adjacent conveying parts is an integer multiple of the distance between the adjacent conveying parts; and the plurality of conveying parts simultaneously perform the workpiece at the corresponding conveying parts. Granted. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the delivery position corresponds to each of the three or more printing units including at least a first delivery position, a second delivery position, and a third delivery position; and a plurality of the conveying units Including at least a first conveying part and a second conveying part; Alternately formed in the conveying path: the first conveying part is located at the first receiving and receiving position, and the second conveying part is located at the first configuration of the second receiving and receiving position; And the said 1st conveyance part is located in the said 2nd receiving position, and the said 2nd conveyance part is located in the 2nd arrangement|positioning of the said 3rd receiving position. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein after the workpiece is delivered from at least one of the first conveying part and the second conveying part to the corresponding printing unit under the second configuration, the corresponding While the printing unit prints the handed workpiece, the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit move to form the first arrangement. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveying mechanism is further provided with a guide rail along the conveying path; and each of the conveying parts can move along the guide rail. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a recovery mechanism that recovers three or more of the printing units located in the transport path among the three or more printing units that sequentially print the workpiece transported from the upstream to the downstream of the transport path the workpieces after the printing by the printing unit on the downstream side; and a circulation mechanism that circulates the workpieces recovered by the recovery mechanism to the upstream side of the conveying path. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: an irradiation unit that irradiates the workpiece recovered by the recovery mechanism with ultraviolet rays; and the circulation mechanism circulates the workpiece irradiated with the ultraviolet rays through the irradiation unit to the upstream side of the conveyance path . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a carry-in mechanism having a carry-in path spanning the carry-in position of the workpiece and the carry-in position located at the most upstream of the transfer path, that is, the most upstream transfer-receive position, and using Carrying in the workpiece through the carrying path; and the carrying mechanism is provided with a carrying part, the carrying part can hold the workpiece and move along the carrying path, and is used for carrying the workpiece in and the carrying and receiving at the most upstream transfer position. The aforementioned printing unit corresponding to the position is the most upstream printing unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein any of the conveying parts is not located at the most upstream supplying and receiving position during the period when the loading part is at the most upstream supplying and receiving position. A printing method, which uses 3 or more printing units for printing at least one workpiece, and includes the following steps: Crossing and each corresponding to 3 or more of the above-mentioned printing units at more than 3 give-and-take positions The workpiece is transported in the conveying path; and the printing unit prints the workpiece that is delivered at the corresponding receiving position; and the process of conveying the workpiece is a process of conveying the workpiece by at least one of the plurality of conveying parts, The plurality of conveying parts can hold the workpiece and move along the conveying path, and carry out the delivery and acceptance of the workpiece between each of the receiving and receiving positions and the printing unit; A process in which the workpiece is transported by at least one of the plurality of transport sections while moving along the transport path while maintaining a certain distance.

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