JPH0315736B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, and more particularly to an exposure apparatus with an improved transport method for a photosensitive material for large-sized printing plates.

For example, PS plates (photosensitive materials for offset printing, in which a photosensitive resin is coated on an aluminum substrate) are used as photosensitive materials for large-sized printing plates such as those used in newspaper printing. It is also desirable to handle it mechanically.

Therefore, PS plates are set in the supply section of the exposure device using a transportable cart loaded with a large number of the above PS plates.
Therefore, there was a demand for an exposure device that could supply PS plates one by one to the exposure section.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to be suitable for handling large-sized photosensitive materials for printing plates, and to have a compact structure with a small floor space occupied by the exposure device. An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus that has the following characteristics.

The above object of the present invention is to provide an exposure section having an exposure means for exposing a photosensitive material, a supply section for the photosensitive material, an exposure section having an exposure means for exposing the photosensitive material, and a supply section for the photosensitive material. An exposure apparatus comprising a transport/positioning means for transporting the photosensitive material set in the supply section and positioning it in the exposure section, and a transport means for sending the exposed photosensitive material from the exposure section to the next step, The supply section and the exposure section are provided on the front side of the present exposure apparatus, and the supply section is provided so as to be located substantially directly below the exposure section, and the transfer/positioning means includes:
a mechanism for separating and adsorbing and taking out one of the uppermost layers of the plurality of photosensitive materials set in the supply section; a mechanism for transporting the taken-out photosensitive material backward diagonally upward; and a mechanism for transporting the taken out photographic material diagonally upward. This is achieved by an exposure apparatus characterized by having a mechanism for changing the direction of transfer of the photosensitive material that has been received to the front in a substantially horizontal plane, transferring the photosensitive material to the exposure section, and positioning the photosensitive material with respect to the exposure means. be done.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a right side view schematically showing an outline of a PS plate exposure apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. The configuration of the apparatus of this embodiment will be explained below based on both figures.

There is a PS plate supply section (hereinafter simply referred to as "supply section") 10 at the lower front of the apparatus. Supply section 10
The PS version loaded on the transportable trolley can be set as is. It also has a lift-up mechanism that maintains the top layer at a constant position even when the amount of PS plate remaining is low.

Above the supply section 10, there is a plate feeding mechanism 20 that takes out PS plates one by one. The plate feeding mechanism 20 includes a plurality of suction cups 21A, 21B, ... and a plurality of air cylinders AC1, AC2, AC3 and PS that move these up and down.
A take-out section 23 having plate separation air outlets 22A, 22B, etc. is configured to be movable back and forth (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) above the supply section by a motor M1.

At the rear of the plate feeding mechanism 20, there is a plate feeding conveyor 25 that receives the PS plate sent out from the plate feeding mechanism 20 and transports it rearward and diagonally upward. The nip rollers 26A, 26B of the receiving section and the conveyor section 25 are driven by the same motor M2.

Diagonally above the rear of the plate feeding conveyor 25 is a plate feeding/discharging conveyor 30 which has the function of changing the direction of the PS plate.
There is. The supply/discharge conveyor 30 is configured to be able to swing around an axis B as shown by arrow C in FIG. This swinging motion is executed by air cylinder AC4. In addition, the feeding and discharging plate conveyor 30 has
A preliminary adjustment mechanism for the PS plate position is provided. This preliminary adjustment mechanism corrects the position of the PS plate in the front and back direction by contacting the pin with the transfer of the conveyor, and the position in the left and right direction using the air cylinder AC5.

Before the supply/discharge plate conveyor 30 (to the exposure section 40)
There is a guide plate 35 on the other side (with respect to the PS plate transport direction), and an exposure section 40 is located on the other side in the transport direction and above the supply section 10 . The details of the exposure section 40 will be described later, but first we will explain the details of the exposure section 40.
The supply/discharge plate carrier 45 that supplies the PS plate and discharges the PS plate from the exposure section 40 will be described.
The supply/discharge plate carrier 45 has a plurality of suction cups 46A, 4
6B,... is a carrier that adsorbs and transports the right edge of the PS plate, and motor M4 moves it to the exposure section 40.
It is configured to be able to reciprocate between the plate feeding and discharging plate conveyor 30.

The exposure unit 40 includes an exposure light source LP, a cooling fan, an exposure control mechanism, a light-shielding hood, etc. On the surface plate 41, there is a positioning mechanism for positioning in the front-rear direction and left-right direction, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the PS plate on the surface plate 41. A squeezing mechanism 42 and the like for feeding and winding up the document and the cover sheet for vacuum sealing are provided.

The positioning mechanism includes a reference pin 43A on the right edge (corresponding to the so-called "ground side") fixed on the surface plate 41, which sinks into the surface plate 41 during plate feeding, and moves onto the surface plate 41 only when necessary. Protruding rear edge reference pin 4
The three reference pins 3B and 43C and the reference pin
Pusher 4 for abutting and positioning the PS plate
It consists of 4A (left-right direction) and 44B (front-back direction).

Sending out the original and the cover sheet for vacuum sealing
The winding and squeezing mechanism 42 is a moving block 42 that has a cover sheet feeding/winding shaft 42A and a squeeze roller 42B.
The moving block 42C is configured to be movable in the front and rear directions by a motor M5. Further, the seat nip portion 42D is operated by an air cylinder AC6.

The surface plate 41 is provided with air supply holes at a plurality of locations in addition to exhaust holes for achieving a vacuum during exposure of the PS plate. This air supply hole is used when supplying the PS plate to the exposure section, when transporting the PS plate within the exposure section, or when supplying the PS plate to the exposure section.
Having sharp edges when moving the PS plate on the surface plate 41, such as when ejecting the PS plate from the exposure section
This is provided to allow the PS plate to be suspended and moved smoothly by air blowing. As a result, in the device of this embodiment, the PS plate can be transferred smoothly even when the supply/discharge plate carrier 45 is transferred by suctioning only the side edges of the PS plate, a so-called cantilever transfer method. It's becoming possible. Shape of the air hole
The arrangement etc. can take various forms.

The PS plate is discharged from the exposure section 40 by the plate supply/discharge carrier 45, the guide plate 35, and the plate supply/discharge conveyor 30.

In the above description, detailed explanations of the drive control mechanisms of each mechanism are omitted in some parts, but for example, the explanations include setting the supply/discharge plate carrier 45 to the initial position, stopping it at a predetermined position during operation, and The return to the initial position, etc. is performed sequentially in accordance with a program set in the sequence programmer based on signals from the supply/discharge plate carrier detection means provided at each position. The operations of other carriers, conveyors, air cylinders, etc. are similarly controlled. The control unit 60 that performs these controls has a built-in microcomputer, and can easily respond to various step changes.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment constructed as described above will be explained below according to the steps shown in FIG.

(1) Preparation Place the required amount of PS plates in the supply unit 10 with the photosensitive surface facing upward. The original is set at a predetermined position on the cover sheet of the exposure section 40. Leave all the transport means etc. in their initial state. Vacuum pump
_P1 to _P3 , compressor C is operated.

(2) Transfer (1) By pressing the switch, the ejecting section 2 of the plate feeding mechanism 20
3 descends onto the PS plate, picks up one of the top layers, and then rises. At this time, the inner suction cup 21B,
21C is due to the action of air cylinders AC3 and AC2.
The rise of the central part of the PS plate is slightly delayed, and together with the air blowing from the air blowing ports 22A and 22B, it operates to separate and adsorb only the uppermost layer of the PS plate.
The take-out unit 23 that has adsorbed the PS plate is driven by the motor M1 to move backward, and the PS plate is transferred to the plate feeding conveyor 25.
Pass it to the PS version receiving roller pair 26A, 26B.
Thereafter, the PS plate is transported on the plate supply conveyor 25 and reaches the plate supply/discharge conveyor 30.

When it is detected that the PS plate has reached a predetermined position on the plate supply/discharge conveyor 30, the plate supply/discharge conveyor 3
The drive motor M3 of No. 0 switches from normal rotation when transferring the PS plate to low-speed rotation for positioning, and the PS plate undergoes positional adjustment in the front and back direction so as to come into contact with an adjustment pin (not shown), and at the same time, the air cylinder AC5
Press it to the right to adjust the position in the left and right directions. In parallel with this, the plate feeding conveyor 30 is rotated upward by the air cylinder AC4 and reaches a substantially horizontal position, where the PS plate is transferred to the plate feeding/discharging plate carrier 45.
transferred by adsorption. That is, the PS plate is supplied to the waiting position of the supply/discharge plate carrier 45 by the rotational operation, and is sucked by the suction cups 46A, 46B, . . . of the supply/discharge plate carrier 45. When it is detected that the PS plate has been adsorbed, the supply/discharge plate carrier 45 passes above the guide plate 35.
The PS plate is transferred to the exposure section 40. The supply/discharge plate carrier 45 that has reached the exposure section 40 releases the adsorption of the PS plate and waits there.

(3) Positioning The PS plate transferred to the exposure section 40 is subjected to a positioning operation by the above-mentioned positioning mechanism.

As is clear from the above explanation, the positioning operation is based on the right and rear edges of the PS version.
This is done by bringing it into contact with a reference pin. Specifically, first, the PS plate is brought into contact with the rear edge reference pins 43B and 43C by the pusher 44B, and then, while maintaining this state, the PS plate is brought into contact with the rear edge reference pins 43B and 43C by the pusher 44A.
The plate is brought into contact with the ground side reference pin 43A to complete positioning in both directions.

(4) Exposure When positioning is completed in the exposure section 40,
Unfold the cover sheet with the original attached to the PS version. For this, attach the tip of the cover sheet to the
After being held by the nip portion 42D, the motor M5 is driven to move the moving block 42C to feed the original and the cover sheet onto the PS plate, while
Immediately after that, the squeeze roller 42B squeezes from behind.

In synchronization with the completion of the expansion of the cover sheet, the area under the cover sheet is evacuated, and when the predetermined degree of vacuum is reached, the air cylinder AC11 is operated to lower the light-shielding hood onto the cover sheet, and the PS plate is A predetermined printing exposure is performed on the PS plate while preventing unnecessary exposure to areas other than the exposed area. When the exposure is completed, the light-shielding hood is raised, the vacuum is released, the document and the cover sheet are wound up, and the positioning is also released.

(5) Transfer (2) When exposure and associated post-processing operations are completed, the supply/discharge plate carrier 45 adsorbs the PS plate, moves toward the supply/discharge plate conveyor 30, and discharges the PS plate.

(6) Post-processing, etc. Although omitted in the explanation of each step above,
After each transport means, etc. has completed the specified operation, each returns to its initial position, so the next PS plate is fed within the range that does not overlap with the PS plate currently being processed, and preparations for exposure proceed. It is also possible to keep it. If printing exposure is to be continued from the same original, the above-mentioned steps are repeated as many times as necessary for a newly supplied PS plate. If printing exposure is required from another original, the above steps are repeated with only the original or a combination of the original and cover sheet prepared in advance.

The PS plate transport method, exposure method, positioning method, etc. used in the apparatus of the above embodiment are given as examples, and the present invention should not be limited to these.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that various changes can be made within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention regarding the change in the transfer direction, which is a key point of the present invention.

Furthermore, it will be clear that the exposure apparatus of the present invention can be used not only as an exposure apparatus for PS plate shown in the above embodiment but also as an exposure apparatus for various other photosensitive materials.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an exposure section having an exposure means for exposing a photosensitive material, a supply section for the photosensitive material, an exposure section having an exposure means for exposing the photosensitive material, and a supply section for the photosensitive material. a transporting/positioning means for transporting the photosensitive material set in the supplying part and positioning it in the exposure part;
In an exposure apparatus having a transfer means for transporting the exposed photosensitive material from the exposure section to the next process, the supply section and the exposure section are provided on the front side of the exposure apparatus, and the supply section is arranged in a position abbreviated to the exposure section. The transfer/positioning means includes a mechanism for separating and adsorbing one of the uppermost layers of the photosensitive material set in the supply section, and a mechanism for separating and taking out the uppermost layer of the photosensitive material set in the supply section, and a mechanism for moving the taken out photosensitive material backward and diagonally. a mechanism for transporting the material upward; and a mechanism for changing the transport direction of the photosensitive material that has been transported diagonally upward to the front in a substantially horizontal plane;
Since the exposure apparatus is configured to include a mechanism for transporting the photosensitive material to the exposure section and positioning it with respect to the exposure means, it is possible to provide an exposure apparatus suitable for handling large-sized photosensitive materials for printing plates.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic right side view showing an outline of a PS plate exposure apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the same, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation steps of the embodiment apparatus. 10... supply unit, 20... plate feeding mechanism, 25...
Plate feeding conveyor, 30... Plate feeding/discharging conveyor, 35...
... Guide plate, 40 ... Exposure section, 41 ... Surface plate, 4
5... Supply/discharge plate carrier, 60... Control unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An exposure section having an exposure means for exposing a photosensitive material, a supply section for the photosensitive material, a transport/positioning means for transferring the photosensitive material set in the supply section and positioning it in the exposure section, and an exposure section for exposing the photosensitive material. In an exposure apparatus having a transfer means for sending the finished photosensitive material from the exposure section to the next process, the supply section and the exposure section are provided on the front side of the exposure apparatus, and the supply section is placed almost directly below the exposure section. The transfer/positioning means is provided such that the
a mechanism for separating and adsorbing and taking out one of the uppermost layers of the plurality of photosensitive materials set in the supply section; a mechanism for transporting the taken-out photosensitive material backward diagonally upward; and a mechanism for transporting the taken out photographic material diagonally upward. 1. An exposure apparatus comprising: a mechanism for changing the direction of transport of the photosensitive material that has been received to the front in a substantially horizontal plane, transporting the photosensitive material to the exposure section, and positioning the photosensitive material with respect to the exposure means.