WO2017094452A1

WO2017094452A1 - Transfer device, transfer method, and nip assist member

Info

Publication number: WO2017094452A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/083042
Authority: WO
Inventors: 慎也谷口
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス
Priority date: 2015-12-04
Filing date: 2016-11-08
Publication date: 2017-06-08
Also published as: TW201733814A; JP2017100425A

Abstract

Provided is a nip assist member that is attached to the transfer direction downstream-side end portion of a retaining unit in a state where a nip formation surface faces the downstream side in the transfer direction. The nip formation surface is at or below the lowest point, in the thickness direction of a plate-shaped member, of a transfer roller at the downstream side in the transfer direction. The nip formation surface increases in height from the downstream end in the transfer direction towards the upstream side in the transfer direction, so as to connect with one primary surface of the plate-shaped member at the upstream end in the transfer direction.

Description

Transfer device, transfer method, and nip assist member

In this invention, the plate-like member and the transfer roller are carried on one of the plate-like member and the transfer roller by moving the plate-like member relative to the transfer roller while forming a nip portion by contacting the plate-like member and the transfer roller. The present invention relates to a transfer technique for transferring a print pattern to the other.

The disclosures in the following specification, drawings, and claims of the Japanese application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-237694 (filed on Dec. 4, 2015).

In recent years, attempts have been made to perform electrode pattern formation by intaglio printing on devices such as electronic circuit boards and touch panel substrates. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a receiving process for receiving a printing pattern on a plate by a blanket roll that is one mode of a transfer roller, and a transferring process for transferring the printing pattern on the blanket roll to a printing target following the receiving process. An apparatus for performing is described. In this printing apparatus, the control device controls the movement of the plate and the printing object and the raising and lowering movement of the blanket roll to form a nip portion in contact with the printing plate in the receiving process, and in contact with the printing object in the transfer process. To form a nip portion.

Japanese Patent No. 5463737

In the above-described conventional apparatus, in order to form the nip portion satisfactorily, a margin is provided around the print pattern formation area together with the print pattern formation area on the plate. Then, the plate stage is moved relative to the blanket roll, and the blanket roll is lowered at a timing when the blank of the plate on the plate stage moves to a position directly below the blanket roll. As a result, the blanket roll comes into contact with the margin of the plate to form a nip portion. The transfer process basically performs the same control. As described above, in the conventional apparatus, the blanket roll is brought into contact with a plate or a blank to be printed, thereby deforming the surface of the blanket roll to form a nip portion. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a blank area for forming a nip portion on a plate or a printing target, which is one of the main factors that hinder the widening of the print pattern formation area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the holding portion is transferred while the nip portion is formed by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. In a transfer technique for transferring a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other by moving relative to the roller in the transfer direction, a print pattern forming region The purpose is to spread.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the holding portion transfers to the transfer roller while forming a nip portion by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. A transfer device that transfers a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other by relative movement in the direction, with the nip forming surface downstream in the transfer direction A nip assist member mounted on the downstream end in the transfer direction of the holding portion in a state of being positioned on the side, and the nip forming surface is the lowest end of the transfer roller at the downstream end in the transfer direction in the thickness direction of the plate-like member It is characterized by being equal to the point or lower than the lowest point, becoming higher from the downstream end in the transfer direction toward the upstream side in the transfer direction, and connected to one main surface of the plate-like member at the upstream end in the transfer direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing method, wherein the holding portion is formed while contacting one main surface of a flat plate-like member held by the holding portion with the roller surface of the transfer roller to form a nip portion. The thickness of the plate-like member before transferring the print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other by moving relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction. In the direction, the lower end of the transfer roller is the same as or lower than the lowest point of the transfer roller, and becomes higher from the downstream end of the transfer direction toward the upstream side of the transfer direction. A step of attaching a nip assist member having a nip forming surface connected to the main surface to the downstream end portion in the transfer direction of the holding portion, and a holding portion while forming the nip portion by bringing the nip forming surface into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller It is characterized by performing the step of relatively moving in the direction of transcription.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the holding portion is transferred to the transfer roller while forming a nip portion by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. A nip assist member used in a transfer device that transfers a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other by relative movement in the direction. A main body portion attachable to the downstream end portion in the transfer direction and a nip forming surface provided on the main body portion are provided, and the nip forming surface is the outermost end of the transfer roller at the downstream end in the transfer direction in the thickness direction of the plate member. It is the same as the lower point or lower than the lowest point, and becomes higher from the downstream end in the transfer direction toward the upstream side in the transfer direction, and is connected to one main surface of the plate-like member at the upstream end in the transfer direction.

In the invention thus configured, the nip assist member is attached to the downstream end portion in the transfer direction of the holding portion that holds the plate-like member. Therefore, before transferring the print pattern by moving the holding portion relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction, the nip forming surface of the nip assist member contacts the roller surface of the transfer roller to form the nip portion. When the holding portion further moves relative to the transfer direction, the nip portion moves from the nip forming surface to one main surface of the plate-like member, and the printing pattern is transferred. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a margin for forming a nip portion on a technical matter that is essential in the conventional apparatus, that is, a plate-like member (a plate or a printing target in the conventional technology). The formation area of the print pattern on the main surface can be expanded.

A plurality of constituent elements of each aspect of the present invention described above are not essential, and some or all of the effects described in the present specification are to be solved to solve part or all of the above-described problems. In order to achieve the above, it is possible to appropriately change, delete, replace with another new component, and partially delete the limited contents of some of the plurality of components. In order to solve part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, technical features included in one embodiment of the present invention described above. A part or all of the technical features included in the above-described other aspects of the present invention may be combined to form an independent form of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a printing apparatus equipped with an embodiment of a transfer apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the slit nozzle and doctor blade part which comprise an ink supply filling unit. It is a figure which shows the doctor blade part which comprises an ink filling unit. It is a top view which shows typically the positional relationship of an intaglio, a workpiece | work, and a transfer roller. FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4A. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first printing operation by the printing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second sheet printing operation by the printing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in a receiving process. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in a receiving process. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in a receiving process. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in the receiving process performed with the printing apparatus equipped with other embodiment of the transfer apparatus concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in the receiving process performed with the printing apparatus equipped with other embodiment of the transfer apparatus concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the plate nip assistance member in the receiving process performed with the printing apparatus equipped with other embodiment of the transfer apparatus concerning this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a printing apparatus equipped with an embodiment of a transfer apparatus according to the present invention. The printing apparatus 1 mainly includes a base 2, a plate stage unit 10, a plate alignment unit 20, an ink filling unit 30, a roller unit 40, an ink supply and filling unit 50, a work alignment unit 60, A work stage unit 70, a transport stage 80 for moving the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70, and a control unit 90 are provided. In this printing apparatus 1, the control unit 90 controls each part of the printing apparatus 1 according to a preinstalled program, so that ink is printed in a recess (reference numeral 3 a in FIGS. 3 and 4) provided in the flat intaglio 3. A filling process for forming a wiring pattern by filling as a material, a receiving process for transferring the wiring pattern by causing the roller unit 40 to receive the ink of the intaglio 3, and a transferring process for transferring the received ink to the flat work 4. And do. As a result, the printing material is printed on the workpiece 4 with a wiring pattern defined by the concave portions of the intaglio 3.

The base 2 is extended in the horizontal direction Y as shown in FIG. On the upper surface of the base 2, a pair of linear motion guides 81, a linear motion drive unit 82 such as a linear motor disposed between the linear motion guides 81 and a linear scale (not shown) extend in the Y direction. Yes. The linear motion guide 81 and the linear motion drive unit 82 are provided with two

transfer stages

83 and 84, which are driven by the linear motion drive unit 82 to linearly move in the Y direction. Of these two transfer stages, the plate stage unit 10 is mounted on the transfer stage 83 on one side, and the work stage unit 70 is mounted on the transfer stage 84 on the other side. Thereby, the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 can reciprocate in the horizontal direction Y independently of each other. In this specification, in FIG. 1 and each drawing described later, the direction toward the plate stage unit 10 among the transport directions Y of the transport stages 83 and 84 is defined as “Y1” in order to clarify the arrangement relationship of each part of the apparatus. The direction toward the work stage unit 70 is referred to as “Y2”. A horizontal direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction Y is referred to as an “X direction”. In addition, the direction toward the front of the apparatus in the horizontal direction X is referred to as “X1” and the direction toward the back of the apparatus is referred to as “X2”. Further, the vertical direction is referred to as “Z direction”.

The plate stage unit 10 includes a support base 11 disposed on the upper surface of the transport stage 83, a plate stage 12 attached to the upper surface of the support base 11, and holding the intaglio plate 3 on the upper surface, and a plate nip assist member 13. is doing. For this reason, it is possible that the intaglio 3 held by the plate stage 12 can be conveyed in the Y direction by the linear motion drive unit 82 moving the conveyance stage 83 in the Y direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90. It has become. The detailed configuration and operation of the plate nip assist member 13 will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, the work stage unit 70 includes a position adjustment mechanism 71 disposed on the upper surface of the transfer stage 84, a work stage 72 that is attached to the upper surface of the position adjustment mechanism 71 and holds the workpiece 4 on the upper surface, and a work nip assist member. 73. The position adjustment mechanism 71 has a function of driving the work stage 72 with respect to the transfer stage 84 in the X direction and the θ1 direction (rotation direction around the vertical axis). Therefore, the linear motion drive unit 82 moves the transport stage 84 in the Y direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, and the position adjustment mechanism 71 moves the work stage 72 in the X direction in response to an operation command from the control unit 90. The workpiece 4 held on the workpiece stage 72 can be positioned in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ1 direction by moving in the direction and the θ1 direction. The detailed configuration and operation of the work nip assist member 73 will also be described in detail later.

On the upper surface of the base 2, a roller unit 40 is disposed at a substantially central portion in the Y direction. In the roller unit 40, an elevating table 42 is provided so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction Z by an elevating mechanism 41 at both ends of the central portion in the X direction. In this embodiment, the pair of elevating tables 42 is provided on the outer side in the X direction than the space in which the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 move (hereinafter referred to as “stage moving space”). Thereby, interference with the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 is avoided.

The transfer roller 43 is arranged so as to bridge the pair of lifting tables 42 arranged so as to be separated from each other in this way. This transfer roller 43 has a blanket mounted on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical blanket cylinder that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the X direction, and a rotation drive motor (not shown) according to an operation command from the control unit 90. ) Is rotated in the rotation direction θ2 around the rotation axis. In addition, when an elevation command is given from the control unit 90 to the elevation motor (not shown) of the elevation mechanism 41, the elevation motor is actuated accordingly and the transfer roller 43 moves up and down together with the elevation table 42. Thereby, the position of the transfer roller 43 in the vertical direction Z is adjusted with high accuracy.

The ink filling unit 30 and the ink supply filling unit 50 are arranged adjacent to each other on the Y1 direction side and the Y2 direction side of the roller unit 40, respectively. Among these, in the ink supply and filling unit 50,

column members

51 and 51 are erected from the upper surface of the base 2 outside the stage moving space in the X direction. Moreover, the beam member 52 is provided so that the upper end parts of the

column members

51 and 51 may be connected, and the arch-shaped support part 53 is formed so that the said stage movement space may be straddled from upper direction. A slit nozzle and a doctor blade are attached to the support portion 53.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a slit nozzle and a doctor blade part constituting the ink supply and filling unit. The slit nozzle 54 is a nozzle having a long discharge port 541 extending in the X direction, and is arranged with the discharge port 541 facing vertically downward. The slit nozzle 54 is connected to an ink supply unit 55 that supplies a liquid or viscous printing material (hereinafter referred to as “ink”). Therefore, when the ink supply unit 55 supplies ink to the slit nozzle 54 in synchronization with the plate stage unit 10 holding the intaglio 3 being conveyed in the Y2 direction at a position immediately below the slit nozzle 54, the ink is An ink reservoir is formed on the upper surface of the intaglio plate 3 that is discharged downward from the discharge port 541 of the slit nozzle 54 and is held by the plate stage unit 10.

A doctor blade 56 is disposed adjacent to the slit nozzle 54 on the Y2 direction side. The doctor blade portion 56 has a stainless steel plate blade 562 having a tip 561 extending in the X direction. Of the front and back surfaces of the blade 562, the surface facing the Y1 direction is taken as the abdominal surface and the surface facing the Y2 direction is taken as the back surface, and the backup blade 563 is arranged on the back surface. The blades 562 and the backup blade 563 are integrated by sandwiching

plate members

564 and 565. The doctor blade unit 56 configured as described above is connected to an elevating mechanism 57, and the elevating mechanism 57 is operated in accordance with an elevating command from the control unit 90 to elevate the doctor blade unit 56 in the vertical direction Z. Let As a result, the pressure (hereinafter referred to as “pressing pressure”) by which the tip 561 of the doctor blade portion 56 presses the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 (the surface on which the recess 3a is formed) is adjusted, and the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 is adjusted from the slit nozzle 54. It is possible to control the amount of the ink supplied to the recess 3a of the intaglio plate 3 and the filling state thereof.

The ink filling unit 30 is configured in the same manner as the ink supply and filling unit 50 except that the slit nozzle is not provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 1,

column members

31 and 31 are erected from the upper surface of the base 2 outside the stage moving space in the X direction, and upper ends of the

column members

31 and 31 are connected to each other. Thus, a beam member 32 is provided. Thus, an arch-shaped support portion 33 is formed so as to straddle the stage moving space from above. And the doctor blade part comprised as follows with respect to the support part 33 is attached.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a doctor blade portion constituting the ink filling unit. The doctor blade 36 includes a stainless steel plate blade 362 having a tip 361 extending in the X direction, and a backup blade 363 on the Y2 direction side surface (back surface). The blade 362 and the backup blade 363 are integrated by sandwiching

plate members

364 and 365. The doctor blade unit 36 configured as described above is connected to an elevating mechanism 37, and the elevating mechanism 37 is operated in accordance with an elevating command from the control unit 90 to elevate the doctor blade unit 36 in the vertical direction Z. Let Thereby, the pressing pressure of the doctor blade portion 36 against the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 is adjusted, and the amount and filling state of the ink supplied from the slit nozzle 34 to the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 into the concave portion 3a of the intaglio plate 3 are determined. Control is possible. In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the height positions of the

doctor blade portions

36, 56 in the vertical direction Z so that the pressing pressure of the doctor blade portion 36 is larger than that of the doctor blade portion 56. Is controlled.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the description of the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 is continued. A plate alignment unit 20 is disposed on the Y1 direction side of the ink filling unit 30. Also in the plate alignment unit 20, an arch-shaped support portion 23 similar to the ink filling unit 30 and the ink supply filling unit 50 is provided on the upper surface of the base 2. That is, the beam member 22 is provided so as to connect the tops of the four

column members

21, 21. Two

alignment cameras

24 and 25 are attached to the beam member 22 via

position adjusting mechanisms

26 and 27, respectively. In this specification, the

alignment cameras

24 and 25 are referred to as a “first plate alignment camera 24” and a “second plate alignment camera 25”, respectively, in order to distinguish between them.

The position adjusting mechanism 26 has a function of driving the first plate alignment camera 24 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 22. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 26 moves the first plate alignment camera 24 in the X direction and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that a part of the intaglio plate 3 held by the plate stage 12 is moved. High-accuracy imaging is possible.

Further, the other position adjusting mechanism 27 has a function of driving the second plate alignment camera 25 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 22 on the X2 direction side of the second plate alignment camera 25. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 27 moves the second plate alignment camera 25 in the X direction and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that the intaglio plate 3 is different from the region imaged by the first plate alignment camera 24. Can be imaged with high accuracy. The two images picked up in this way are transferred to the control unit 90 and stored in a memory (not shown).

Further, a work alignment unit 60 is disposed on the Y2 direction side of the ink supply and filling unit 50. In the work alignment unit 60, gantry crane-

like support portions

61 and 62 are disposed away from the stage moving space of the work stage unit 70 in the X2 direction side so as to be movable in the Y direction on the upper surface of the base 2 respectively. An alignment camera 64 is attached to the beam member 63 of one support portion 61 so as to be movable in the X direction and the Z direction. An alignment camera 67 is attached to the beam member 66 of the other support portion 62 so as to be movable in the X direction and the Z direction. In this specification, the

alignment cameras

64 and 67 are referred to as “first work alignment camera 64” and “second work alignment camera 67” in order to distinguish between them.

In this embodiment, a position adjusting mechanism 65 is provided to move the first work alignment camera 64 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The position adjusting mechanism 65 includes a drive unit that positions the first work alignment camera 64 in the Y direction by driving the support unit 61 that supports the first work alignment camera 64 in the Y direction with respect to the base 2, and a support unit. And a driving unit that drives and positions the first work alignment camera 64 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 63 of the unit 61. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 65 moves the alignment camera 64 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that a part of the work 4 held by the work stage 72 is moved. High-accuracy imaging is possible.

Also, a position adjustment mechanism 68 is provided to move the second workpiece alignment camera 67 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The position adjusting mechanism 68 includes a drive unit that positions the second work alignment camera 67 in the Y direction by driving the support unit 62 that supports the second work alignment camera 67 in the Y direction with respect to the base 2, and a support. And a driving unit that drives and positions the second work alignment camera 67 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 66 of the unit 62. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 65 moves the alignment camera 64 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that it is the same as the first work alignment camera 64 described above. The part of the workpiece 4 different from the part imaged by the first workpiece alignment camera 64 can be imaged with high accuracy. Note that the two images picked up in this way are also transferred to the control unit 90 and stored in the memory.

Next, the configuration of the nip assist member will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is a plan view schematically showing the positional relationship between the intaglio, the workpiece, and the transfer roller. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4A. The plate stage 12 can hold the intaglio 3 with the upper surface 3b of the intaglio 3 facing upward. As shown in FIG. 4A, the plate nip assist member 13 is detachably attached to the downstream end portion of the plate stage 12 in the transport direction Y, that is, the Y2 direction side end portion, by a plurality of screws. The plate nip assist member 13 has a rectangular column-shaped main body 131 having the same width as the plate stage 12, that is, the length in the X direction. The main body 131 has a trapezoidal shape in the YZ section and has one inclined surface. Then, the inclined surface is attached to the plate stage 12 so as to be located on the downstream side in the transport direction Y, that is, on the Y2 direction side, and functions as the “nip forming surface” of the present invention. Hereinafter, this inclined surface is referred to as a nip forming surface 132.

A plurality of elongated holes 133 extending in the Y direction are formed in the main body 131 at regular intervals in the X direction so that the male threaded portion of the bolt 134 can be inserted. The Y2 direction side part of each elongated hole 133 functions as a locking part for locking the head of the bolt 134. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, male screw portions of bolts 134 are inserted into the respective elongated holes 133 and screwed into female screw portions 121 provided on the plate stage 12 so that the plate nip assist member 13 is thickened on the intaglio plate 3. The plate nip assist member 13 can be detachably attached to the plate nip assist member 13 while being displaceable in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the upstream end 135 in the direction Y of the nip forming surface 132 is positioned at the same height position H12 as the upper surface 3b of the intaglio 3 on the plate stage 12, and is attached so as to be continuously connected to the upper surface 3b. ing.

Further, the downstream end 136 of the nip forming surface 132 in the direction Y is lower than the lowest point in the thickness direction Z of the intaglio 3 of the transfer roller 43 positioned at the receiving transfer position to perform the receiving process and the transfer process as will be described later. Is located at a lower position (hereinafter referred to as “height position H11”). The nip forming surface 132 is an inclined surface having a geometric feature that increases from the downstream end 136 toward the upstream end 135 at a certain rate (hereinafter referred to as “inclination angle”). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the plate stage 12 moves in the Y2 direction in a state where the lowest point of the transfer roller 43 is positioned between the height positions H11 and H12 in the direction Z, the transfer is performed. The roller surface of the roller 43 first contacts the nip forming surface 132 to form a nip portion, and the position of the nip portion moves from the nip forming surface 132 to the upper surface of the intaglio plate 3 as the plate stage 12 moves in the Y2 direction. Go to 3b. Thus, in this embodiment, the plate nip assist member 13 forms the nip portion before the transfer roller 43 and the intaglio plate 3 contact each other, and then smoothly transfers the nip portion to the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3. It has a function. 4B, the configuration of the plate nip assist member 13 has been described in detail, but the work nip assist member 73 is also configured in the same manner, and after the nip portion is formed before the transfer roller 43 and the workpiece 4 come into contact with each other. And has a function of smoothly delivering the nip portion to the upper surface 4b of the workpiece 4.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first printing operation by the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second printing operation by the printing apparatus shown in FIG. In addition, the process shown with a broken line in FIG. 5 which shows the printing operation of the 1st sheet | seat has shown the printing operation | movement of the 2nd sheet | seat. On the other hand, in the figure showing the printing operation of the second sheet, the process indicated by the one-dot chain line indicates the printing operation of the first sheet, and the process indicated by the broken line indicates the printing operation of the third sheet. Here, two operations of printing a pattern defined by the new intaglio 3, for example, a wiring pattern (printing pattern) on the work 4 with ink will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

After the plate stage unit 10 is positioned at the load / unload position where the intaglio plate 3 is transferred to and from the intaglio plate supply / recovery device (not shown) by the transport unit 80, the intaglio plate 3 is transferred from the intaglio plate supply / recovery device to the plate stage 12. It is carried in. Moreover, the workpiece | work 4 corresponding to the said intaglio 3 is prepared. That is, after the workpiece stage unit 70 is positioned at the load / unload position where the workpiece 4 is transferred to and from the workpiece supply / collection device (not shown) by the transport unit 80, the workpiece before printing from the workpiece supply / collection device. 4 is carried into the work stage 72. Since the printing conditions are changed in this way, the

plate alignment cameras

24 and 25 are moved and positioned at positions corresponding to the intaglio 3, and the

work alignment cameras

64 and 67 are moved and positioned at positions corresponding to the work 4. Is done. Thus, when the preparation for the printing operation is completed, the control unit 90 controls each part of the apparatus and starts the first printing operation.

The plate stage unit 10 moves to the plate alignment unit 20 while holding the intaglio plate 3, and two alignment marks formed in advance on the upper surface of the intaglio plate 3 are positioned at the positions directly below the

plate alignment cameras

24 and 25, respectively. As a result, two alignment marks (not shown) provided on the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 enter the imaging field of view of the

plate alignment cameras

24 and 25, respectively, and the alignment mark images are picked up by the

plate alignment cameras

24 and 25, respectively. . Then, the control unit 90 calculates plate alignment information necessary for plate alignment (plate alignment step: step SP1).

When the plate alignment process is completed, the ink supply process (step SP2) is executed. In this ink supply step, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction while holding the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 in a horizontal orientation facing upward, and is positioned at an ink supply position where ink is supplied from the slit nozzle 54. Subsequently, ink is supplied from the ink supply unit 55 to the slit nozzle 54 and discharged onto the upper surface 3 b of the intaglio 3. As a result, an ink reservoir is formed on the intaglio 3.

Then, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y1 direction while holding the ink reservoir on the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3, and when the ink reservoir exceeds the main filling position (the position where the main filling is performed by the doctor blade portion 36), the plate is moved. The stage unit 10 stops moving. Following this, the doctor blade 36 descends and presses the tip 361 (FIG. 3) against the upper surface 3 b of the intaglio 3. In this state, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction. At this time, the ink blade is scraped off by the doctor blade portion 36 and the concave portion 3a is filled with ink. Here, since the pressing force of the doctor blade portion 36 is set to be relatively strong, the ink does not remain on the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 after the doctor blade portion 36 has passed, and only the recess portion 3a is filled with ink. (Main filling step: step SP3). Subsequently, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction to move the intaglio 3 to a receiving transfer position (a position where receiving and transferring are performed by the transfer roller 43), and a receiving process is executed in the roller unit 40 (step ST1). ).

7A to 7C are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the plate nip assist member in the receiving process. In this receiving process, the transfer roller 43 is lowered and positioned at the receiving transfer position. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, the transfer roller 43 is lower than the height position H12 of the upper surface 3b in the thickness direction Z of the intaglio plate 3 held by the plate stage 12, and is at the downstream end of the nip forming surface 132. It is positioned at a position higher than the height position H11 of 136. That is, the lowest point of the transfer roller 43 is located between the height positions H11 and H12, and the difference between the height position of the lowest point and the height position H12 is the size of the nip portion NP formed in the receiving process. Proportional.

As the transfer roller 43 is positioned, the transfer roller 43 rotates in a direction to feed the intaglio 3 in the Y2 direction (hereinafter, this rotation is referred to as “forward rotation”). Further, in synchronization with this forward rotation operation, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction through the receiving transfer position while holding the intaglio plate 3 subjected to the main filling step. During this passage, formation of the nip portion NP by the transfer roller 43 and the plate nip assist member 13 (FIG. 7B), transfer of ink from the intaglio plate 3 to the transfer roller 43 while forming the nip portion NP (FIG. 7C), Is performed continuously. That is, as the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction, the central portion of the nip forming surface 132 contacts the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 to form a linear nip portion NP extending in the X direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the surfaces are in contact with each other to form the nip portion NP. Therefore, there is a problem when the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 directly contacts the end surface of the intaglio plate 3, that is, the intaglio plate 3. It is possible to effectively prevent the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 from being in contact with the corner portion.

Further, as the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction, the linear nip portion NP spreads in the Y direction, and when the Y2 direction side end portion of the intaglio 3 reaches the receiving transfer position as shown in FIG. The part NP has a desired shape. Then, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction through the receiving transfer position while forming the nip portion NP. At this time, the ink filled in the recess 3a is transferred to the outer peripheral surface (roller surface) of the transfer roller 43 and accepted. This receiving process is continued until the intaglio 3 completely passes through the receiving transfer position. In the present embodiment, the first receiving process is performed as described above. While the receiving process is continued, the second ink supply process (step SP4) and the temporary filling process (step) are performed. SP5) is performed. These will be described later.

Thus, before the acceptance process is completed, the work alignment process is performed on the work 4 carried into the work stage 72 (step SW1). In this work alignment process, the work stage unit 70 moves to the work alignment unit 60 while holding the work 4, and two alignment marks formed in advance on the upper surface of the work 4 are directly below the

work alignment cameras

64 and 67, respectively. To position. As a result, the two alignment marks enter the imaging field of view of the

work alignment cameras

64 and 67, respectively, and the alignment mark images are picked up by the

work alignment cameras

64 and 67, respectively. Various data necessary for the alignment process are calculated.

When the acceptance process is completed and the ink supply process (step SP4) and the temporary filling process (step SP5) are completed, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y1 direction while holding the intaglio plate 3. Following this, the workpiece stage unit 70 moves in the Y1 direction while holding the workpiece 4 before printing, and stops moving when the workpiece 4 passes the receiving transfer position. Subsequently, the transfer roller 43 is lowered and positioned at the receiving transfer position. Then, in synchronization with the forward rotation of the transfer roller 43, the work stage unit 70 moves in the Y2 direction and passes through the receiving transfer position. During this passage, the formation of the nip portion NP by the transfer roller 43 and the plate nip assist member 13 and the transfer of ink from the transfer roller 43 to the upper surface 4b of the work 4 while forming the nip portion NP are continuously performed. Is called. These operations are basically performed in the same manner as the receiving process except that the work 4 comes into contact with the transfer roller 43 to form the nip portion NP and the ink transfer direction is different. In other words, as the work stage unit 70 moves in the Y2 direction, the central portion of the nip forming surface 732 contacts the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 to form the linear nip portion NP extending in the X direction. As the stage unit 70 moves in the Y2 direction, the nip portion NP expands in the Y direction, and already has a desired shape when the Y2 direction end of the workpiece 4 reaches the receiving transfer position. Then, the work stage unit 70 moves in the Y2 direction through the receiving transfer position while forming the nip portion NP. At this time, the ink carried on the outer peripheral surface (roller surface) of the transfer roller 43 is transferred from the transfer roller 43 to the upper surface of the work 4 (transfer process: step ST2). The control unit 90 corrects the position where the transfer process is started, thereby enabling high-precision printing. The ink received by the transfer roller 43 from the intaglio 3 can be accurately transferred to the work 4, and as a result, the pattern formed on the intaglio 3 can be printed on the upper surface of the work 4 with high accuracy. In the present embodiment, the second main filling step is executed in parallel with the first sheet transfer step. This point will be described in the printing operation for the second sheet.

When printing on the workpiece 4 is completed, the workpiece stage unit 70 moves in the Y2 direction while holding the workpiece 4, and moves to the load / unload position for the workpiece. The workpiece supply / recovery device (not shown) accesses the workpiece stage unit 70 to replace the workpiece 4. In other words, the first workpiece 4 on which the pattern is printed is unloaded from the workpiece stage unit 70 by the workpiece supply and collection device (work unloading step: step SW2). Thereby, the printing operation for the first sheet is completed.

Next, the printing operation of the second sheet will be briefly described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the second ink supply process is started while the receiving process is performed as described above. This is because, in this embodiment, the distance between the receiving transfer position and the ink supply position is shorter than the length of the intaglio plate 3 in the transport direction Y, and the upper surface of the intaglio plate 3 is kept while the first receiving process is continued. This is because 3b reaches the ink supply position. Therefore, for the printing operation of the second sheet, ink is supplied at the arrival timing, and an ink supply process for forming an ink reservoir on the upper surface 3b of the intaglio 3 is executed (step SP4).

Here, in the surface area of the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 that has undergone the receiving process, a part of the ink may remain on the intaglio plate 3 although most of the ink has transferred from the recess 3a to the transfer roller 43. If left as it is until the next ink supply, the solvent component in the residual ink may volatilize and adhere to the intaglio 3 in a solid state. If the printing operation is continued using the intaglio plate 3 to which such dry ink is adhered, there is a risk of causing printing failure. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the intaglio plate 3 is placed by the doctor blade portion 56 in which the ink reservoir formed as the second printing ink is positioned at the temporary filling position (position where the temporary filling is performed by the doctor blade portion 56). A so-called temporary filling process is performed to roughly level the entire 3b (step SP5).

When this temporary filling process is completed, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y1 direction while holding the intaglio plate 3 and stops moving when the Y2 direction side end of the intaglio plate 3 reaches the main filling position. Subsequently, the doctor blade portion 36 is lowered and the tip 361 is pressed against the upper surface 3 b of the intaglio 3. Thus, the second main filling process is started. Further, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction following the work stage unit 70 moving in the Y2 direction in order to perform the transfer process of the first sheet, and the main filling process proceeds. Then, when the entire intaglio 3 passes through the main filling position, the doctor blade portion 36 is retracted upward to complete the second main filling step (step SP6).

Subsequently, similarly to the first sheet, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction to move the intaglio 3 to the receiving transfer position, and the roller unit 40 executes the receiving process (step ST3). Moreover, while continuing the said reception process, the 3rd ink supply process (step SP7) and temporary filling process (step SP8) are performed.

By the work stage unit 70, the second workpiece 4 is carried in (work loading step: step SW3) and the workpiece alignment step in the work stage unit 70 until the second sheet receiving step is completed. (Step SW4) is executed. When the third ink supply process (step SP7) and the temporary filling process (step SP8) are completed and the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y1 direction, the work stage unit 70 moves in the Y1 direction following the movement. Then, the movement is stopped when the workpiece 4 passes the receiving transfer position. Subsequently, the transfer process (step ST4) and the workpiece carry-out process (step SW5) are executed in the same manner as the first sheet, and the printing operation for the second sheet is completed. Note that the third main filling step (step SP9) is performed in parallel with the transfer step.

As described above, in this embodiment, the plate nip assist member 13 is attached to the Y2 direction side end portion of the plate stage 12. For this reason, the nip forming surface 132 of the nip assist member 13 comes into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 to form the nip portion NP before the transfer of the wiring pattern formed by the ink filled in the recess 3a. Subsequently, when the plate stage 12 further moves in the Y2 direction, the nip portion NP moves from the nip forming surface 132 to the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3, and the ink is transferred to the transfer roller 43. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a blank space for forming the nip portion NP in the intaglio plate 3 and the area for forming the wiring pattern (print pattern) on the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 can be expanded.

In this embodiment, the transfer roller 43 is brought into contact with the nip forming surface 132 that is inclined with respect to the transport direction Y to form the nip portion NP, so that the plate stage 12 in the thickness direction Z of the intaglio plate 3 is used. Even if the positional accuracy of the transfer roller 43 slightly varies, the nip portion NP can be formed reliably and a stable receiving process can be performed. Further, since the nip portion NP is formed by the surface contact between the nip forming surface 132 and the roller surface of the transfer roller 43, the transfer roller 43 can be effectively prevented from being damaged.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the plate nip assist member 13 is configured to be displaceable in the thickness direction Z of the intaglio plate 3, so that the mounting position of the plate nip assist member 13 with respect to the plate stage 12 can be adjusted. Therefore, by adjusting the mounting position of the plate nip assist member 13 in accordance with the thickness of the intaglio plate 3, the upstream end 135 of the nip forming surface 132 has the same height position H12 as the upper surface 3b of the intaglio plate 3 on the plate stage 12. Thus, it is possible to position with high accuracy. Therefore, it can respond to various intaglios 3 and can enhance the versatility of the printing apparatus 1.

It should be noted that the above-described effects are the same as in the work stage unit 70 provided with the work nip assist member 73. That is, before the transfer of the wiring pattern received by the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 to the work 4, the nip forming surface 732 of the nip assist member 73 comes into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 to form the nip portion NP. Subsequently, when the work stage 72 further moves in the Y2 direction, the nip portion NP moves from the nip forming surface 732 to the upper surface 4b of the work 4, and ink is transferred to the work 4. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a blank space for forming the nip portion NP on the work 4, and a wiring pattern (printing pattern) formation area on the upper surface 4 b of the work 4 can be widened. Further, even if the position accuracy of the work stage 72 and the transfer roller 43 in the thickness direction Z of the work 4 slightly varies, the nip portion NP can be formed reliably and stable transfer processing can be performed. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the transfer roller 43 from being damaged by the work 4.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the nip forming surface 132 (732) is finished to an inclined surface that increases at a constant inclination angle from the downstream end 136 (736) to the upstream end 135 (735), but the inclination angle is changed. You may let them. Further, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, a nip forming region R1 in which the nip forming surface 132 is provided inclined like the above embodiment, and a nip stable region R2 finished flat at the height position H12. You may comprise so that it may have. In the printing apparatus 1 using the plate nip assist member 13 having such a nip forming surface 132, the receiving process is executed as follows.

8A to 8C are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the plate nip assist member in the receiving process executed by the printing apparatus equipped with another embodiment of the transfer apparatus according to the present invention. In this receiving process, as shown in FIG. 8A, the transfer roller 43 is positioned and the transfer roller 43 is positioned so that the lowest point of the transfer roller 43 is located between the height positions H11 and H12, as in the above embodiment. The roller 43 rotates forward. In synchronism with this forward rotation operation, the plate stage unit 10 moves in the Y2 direction while holding the intaglio plate 3 subjected to the main filling step, and the nip forming region R1 passes through the receiving transfer position. At this time, similarly to the above embodiment, the transfer roller 43 and the nip forming region R1 come into contact with each other to form the nip portion NP.

When the nip forming region R1 passes the receiving transfer position, as shown in FIG. 8B, the nip portion NP moves between the transfer roller 43 and the nip stable region R2, and the nip stable region R2 is received while the nip portion NP is formed. Pass the transfer position. In the initial stage where the nip portion NP is formed, elongation may occur on the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 or local nip deviation may occur. However, while the nip stabilization region R2 is passing, elongation and local nip deviation are eliminated, and the nip portion NP can be stabilized as designed. And since a receiving process is performed in the state where nip part NP was stabilized, transfer accuracy can be raised.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, the tilt angle changes greatly at the boundary position 137 between the nip forming region R1 and the nip stable region R2, but the boundary position 137 is curved to continuously increase the tilt angle. Therefore, the change of the nip portion NP at the boundary position 137 can be suppressed, and the nip portion NP can be further stabilized. Such a configuration and operational effects are exactly the same for the work nip assist member 73.

In the above embodiment, the receiving process and the transfer process are performed by moving the intaglio 3 and the workpiece 4 in the Y direction with respect to the transfer roller 43 positioned at the receiving transfer position. Alternatively, the transfer roller 43, the intaglio plate 3 and the workpiece may be relatively moved in the Y direction.

In the above embodiment, the ink is exemplified as the printing material. However, for example, a polymer ink for organic EL, a nano metal ink containing copper or silver used for electrode wiring, and the like are included. The work (base material) to which the printing material is transferred includes a substrate for an organic EL display, a substrate used for a touch panel or printed wiring, and the like. However, the “printing material” and “substrate” of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and can be applied to various printing materials and substrates.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the plate stage unit 10 and the transfer roller 43 constitute the “transfer device” of the present invention, and the wiring pattern (print pattern) carried on the intaglio 3 is transferred. Transfer to the roller surface of the roller 43. Here, the plate stage 12 corresponds to an example of the “holding unit” of the present invention. The intaglio 3 and the upper surface 3b correspond to examples of the “plate member” and “one main surface” of the present invention, respectively. The Y2 direction corresponds to the “transfer direction” of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the work stage unit 70 and the transfer roller 43 constitute the “transfer device” of the present invention, and the wiring pattern (print pattern) carried on the roller surface of the transfer roller 43 is the workpiece. 4 is transferred to the upper surface 4b. Here, the work stage 72 corresponds to an example of the “holding unit” of the present invention. The workpiece 4 and the upper surface 4b correspond to examples of the “plate member” and “one main surface” of the present invention, respectively. The Y2 direction corresponds to the “transfer direction” of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the printing apparatus 1 that performs the receiving process and the transfer process. However, the present invention may be applied to a dedicated transfer apparatus that performs only the receiving process. The present invention may be applied to a dedicated transfer device that performs only the transfer process.

Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where the whole upper surface 3b of the intaglio 3 and the upper surface 4b of the workpiece | work 4 were the formation area of a wiring pattern (printing pattern), also when a margin is provided in part. The present invention can be applied. However, the margin is not provided for forming the nip portion NP but can be provided for other purposes.

In the above embodiment, the ink is supplied by the slit nozzle, but the ink supply method is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus that supplies ink using a nozzle dispenser, that is, a device that employs a dispensing system.

In the above embodiment, each of the plate nip assist member 13 and the work nip assist member 73 is configured by a single component (main body portion), but a plate nip assist member is formed by combining a plurality of components. 13 or the work nip assist member 73 may be configured. For example, a combination of a triangular prism having a sloped section and a quadrangular prism having a square section may be used as the plate nip assist member 13. This also applies to the work nip assist member 73.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Reference to the description of the invention, as well as other embodiments of the present invention, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include such modifications or embodiments without departing from the true scope of the invention.

In this invention, one holding surface of a flat plate-like member held by a holding portion and the roller surface of the transfer roller are brought into contact with each other to form a nip portion, and the holding portion moves relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction. Thus, the present invention can be applied to all transfer techniques for transferring a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and the roller surface of the transfer roller to the other.

3. Intaglio (plate member)
3b ... (intaglio) upper surface 4 ... work (plate-like member)
4b ... Upper surface of workpiece 10 ... Plate stage unit 12 ... Plate stage (holding part)
13 ... Plate nip assist member 70 ... Work stage unit 72 ... Work stage (holding part)
73 ... Work nip assist member 132,732 ... Nip forming surface 135 ... Upstream end (of nip forming surface) 136 ... (Down end of nip forming surface) 137 ... Boundary position NP ... Nip part R1 ... Nip forming region R2 ... Nip stability Area Z ... Thickness direction (of plate-like member)

Claims

The holding portion moves relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction while forming a nip portion by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. A transfer device for transferring a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other,
A nip assist member attached to the downstream end of the holding portion in the transfer direction with the nip forming surface positioned downstream in the transfer direction;
The nip forming surface is the same as or lower than the lowest point of the transfer roller at the downstream end in the transfer direction in the thickness direction of the plate-like member, and from the downstream end in the transfer direction to the transfer direction. The transfer apparatus is characterized in that it becomes higher toward the upstream side of the plate and is connected to one main surface of the plate-like member at the upstream end in the transfer direction.
The transfer device according to claim 1,
A downstream region of the nip forming surface in the transfer direction is a nip forming region in which a height in the thickness direction of the plate member changes, and an upstream region of the nip forming surface in the transfer direction of the plate member. A transfer device which is a nip stable region having the same height as the one main surface of the plate-like member in the thickness direction.
The transfer device according to claim 2,
The transfer device in which the nip forming area and the nip stable area are continuous.
The transfer device according to claim 3,
A transfer device in which a boundary position between the nip forming region and the nip stable region is curved.
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The transfer device is configured such that the nip assist member can be attached to the holding portion so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the plate-like member.
The holding portion moves relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction while forming a nip portion by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. Before transferring the print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and the roller surface of the transfer roller to the other,
In the thickness direction of the plate-like member, at the downstream end in the transfer direction, it is the same as the lowest point of the transfer roller or lower than the lowest point and increases from the downstream end in the transfer direction toward the upstream side in the transfer direction. Attaching a nip assist member having a nip forming surface connected to one main surface of the plate-like member at an upstream end in the transfer direction to a downstream end of the holding portion in the transfer direction;
And a step of relatively moving the holding portion in the transfer direction while forming a nip portion by bringing the nip forming surface into contact with a roller surface of the transfer roller.
The holding portion moves relative to the transfer roller in the transfer direction while forming a nip portion by bringing one main surface of the flat plate-like member held by the holding portion into contact with the roller surface of the transfer roller. A nip assist member used in a transfer device for transferring a print pattern carried on one of the main surface of the plate-like member and one of the roller surfaces of the transfer roller to the other,
A main body attachable to the downstream end of the holding portion in the transfer direction;
A nip forming surface provided in the main body,
The nip forming surface is the same as or lower than the lowest point of the transfer roller at the downstream end in the transfer direction in the thickness direction of the plate-like member, and from the downstream end in the transfer direction to the transfer direction. A nip assist member characterized in that it rises toward the upstream side of the plate and is connected to one main surface of the plate-like member at the upstream end in the transfer direction.