JPH0790632B2 - Multicolor printing device for cylindrical containers - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to multicolor overprinting (multicolor without ink overprinting) on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical container formed of metal, plastic, or the like into a tubular shape. The present invention relates to a technique for improving a multicolor printing device for performing printing (including printing), and more particularly, to an improved technique of a rotary drive system of the multicolor printing device.

(Prior Art) As a prior art multicolor printing method for a cylindrical container, the present applicant has proposed a method as described in JP-A-56-72958.

In this prior art, in multicolor printing, one transfer roller transfers two or more colors of ink so that the image lines of ink to be overprinted (referred to as halftone dots or thin lines) are not displaced, and at the time of transfer, The method was also such that the cylindrical container side was forcibly rotated.

In other words, by transferring two or more colors of ink with one transfer roller, it is possible to prevent the relative displacement of the ink positions of the respective colors, and forcibly rotate the cylindrical container side during transfer, It has been attempted to prevent slippage due to collision at the start of contact that occurs when the cylindrical container is contact-rotated by utilizing the rotation of the transfer roller.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-described prior art, a relative rotation error occurs between the rotation of the cylindrical container that is the printing target during printing and the rotation of the transfer roller that transfers ink. If the error occurs, the error will cause image line misregistration. Therefore, in order to prevent the relative rotation error between the two from being minimized, the purpose is to prevent image line misregistration in multicolor printing. It was impossible.

In other words, even if a gear train is adopted as the rotary drive system and each gear is a highly accurate gear, and if no consideration is given to the gear ratio of the gear set that meshes with each other, the backlash at the time of gear meshing is reduced. Even if it is brought close to zero, the shape of the tooth slightly differs for each tooth due to machining error, so if it changes to the degree that the teeth that mesh with each other mesh,
Differences in tooth shape appear as deviations in the image lines accumulated as tooth pitch errors. This is a relative rotation error between the cylindrical container and the transfer roller.

By the way, the printing process in multicolor printing will be described between the cylindrical container and the transfer roller, taking two-color printing as an example.

First, the first color ink is transferred in the first rotation of the first cylindrical container, and the second color ink is transferred in the second rotation of the same cylindrical container.

When transferring the ink of the second color, the ink of the first color is not dried, and therefore the ink of the first color is reversely transferred to the transfer roller side.

Next, when the second cylindrical container is rotatably transferred, the first color ink is transferred in the first rotation, as described above.
The second color ink is transferred on the rotation.

However, if a relative rotation error occurs due to a meshing pitch error at the time of ink transfer, the reversely transferred ink is transferred to the second cylindrical container with a deviation by the error.

Therefore, if printing is repeatedly performed in the above-described steps, the reverse transfer position and the reverse transfer ink transfer position are also sequentially displaced, and the displacement width gradually increases.
It was impossible to overprint precise patterns at high speed.

(Means for Solving Problems) The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, and in order to achieve this object, in the present invention, a plurality of cylindrical containers supporting a cylindrical container are supported. A mandrel cylinder provided with a mandrel, a transfer roller provided with a blanket for transferring ink with an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical container having an equal rotational peripheral speed, and a plurality of transfer rollers for transferring ink to the blanket. A multi-color printing apparatus for a cylindrical container, comprising: a mandrel cylinder, a mandrel, a rotation driving unit that rotationally drives a transfer roller and a transfer roller, and a mandrel rotation shaft that rotates the mandrel, among the rotation driving unit. A gear train between the transfer roller rotating shaft for rotating the transfer roller is provided in a driving connection state, and the gear tray is provided. The gear set of the gear ratio that mesh with each other was set to an integral multiple gear ratio.

(Operation) Therefore, in the cylindrical multicolor printing apparatus of the present invention, as described above, the gear train between the mandrel rotating shaft for rotating the mandrel and the transfer roller rotating shaft for rotating the transfer roller in the rotation driving means. And the gear ratio of the gear set that meshes with each other of the gear train is set to an integral multiple gear ratio, so that the gear mesh position of the start of printing is set to the same position for all the gear trains of the gear train. Therefore, it is possible to always perform the rotational drive in the same gear mesh state with respect to the cylindrical containers that are successively sent, and the cumulatively added pitch error does not occur in the gear train.

(Examples) Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, a multicolor printing device for printing on a can body (an example of a cylindrical container) of a two-piece can used for a container for beverages will be taken as an example.

First, regarding the first embodiment device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,
The configuration and operation will be described.

The multicolor printing apparatus A of the first embodiment is an apparatus of the type in which a mandrel cylinder is driven intermittently, and as shown in FIG. 2, a can body feeding means 1, a mandrel cylinder 2, an upper transfer roller 3, a lower portion, Transfer roller 4, upper transfer roller 5,
6, the lower transfer rollers 7 and 8, the finishing varnish coating roll 9, and the transfer unit 10 are the main components.

The can body supplying means 1 is a molded bottomed cylindrical can body T.
To the mandrel cylinder 2, and sequentially attaches the mandrel 11 to the mandrel 11 of the mandrel cylinder 2, and includes a feeder 12 and an attachment mechanism (not shown) for attaching the mandrel 11 to the mandrel 11.

The mandrel cylinder 2 intermittently rotatably transfers the can body T supported on the circumference in order to print and varnish the outer surface of the can body T. A plurality of mandrels 11 that support the can body T are lined up in the section.

The mandrels 11 are provided in parallel with the cylinder shaft 38 of the mandrel cylinder 2 and projecting at equal intervals on the same circumference.

The upper transfer roller 3 and the lower transfer roller 4 are the can body T.
It is for transferring multicolor ink C to the outer peripheral surface of
Blankets 14 and 15 are wound and fixed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the transfer rollers 3 and 4.

The upper transfer rollers 5 and 6 and the lower transfer rollers 7 and 8 are rollers for providing desired printing on their outer circumferences, and for transferring the predetermined ink C to the blankets 14 and 15 according to the pattern of the plate,
In the embodiment, the upper transfer rollers 5, 6 for transferring the first color ink C1 and the second color ink C2 to the blanket 14 and the lower transfer roller 7, 6 for transferring the third color ink C3 and the fourth color ink C4 to the blanket 15. 8 and.

In addition, the ink C1,
A group of kneading rolls 16, 17, 18, 19 for kneading C2, C3, C4 is provided.

The finish varnish coating roll 9 is a multi-color printed can body T.
This finishing varnish coating roll 9 is provided with a pair of kneading rolls 20 and 21.

The transfer unit 10 is a device that removes the can body T, which has been subjected to multicolor printing and varnishing, from the mandrel 2, attaches it to a transfer chain 24 hung on sprockets 22 and 23, and transfers it to the next dryer.

Next, the rotation driving means B of the first embodiment device will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation driving means B drives the mandrel cylinder 2, the mandrel 11, the transfer rollers 3, 4, and the transfer rollers 5, 6, 7, 8 by using one motor 25 as a drive source. In this rotation driving means B, the mandrel rotating shaft 13 for rotating the mandrel 11 and the transfer roller rotating shaft 26 for rotating the transfer rollers 3 and 4 are in a driving connection state, and A gear train including a gear 101, a second gear 102, a third gear 103, a fourth gear 104, a fifth gear 105, and a sixth gear 106 is provided.

First, the intermittent rotation drive system of the mandrel cylinder 2 includes a motor 25, a first pulley 27, a first timing belt 28, a second pulley 29, a first intermediate shaft 30, a third pulley 31, a second timing belt 32, and a fourth timing belt 32. The pulley 33, the bevel gears 34 and 35, the rotation input shaft 36, the intermittent rotation device 37, and the cylinder shaft 38.

The cylinder shaft 38 is an unrelated drive system for the second gear 102, the third gear 103, and the ninth gear 109 through bearings.

The rotation drive system of the mandrel 11 includes a motor 25 and a first pulley 2
7, first timing belt 28, second pulley 29, first intermediate shaft 30, eighth gear 108, ninth gear 109, tenth gear 110, second
Intermediate shaft 39, eleventh gear 111, twelfth gear 112, third intermediate shaft 40,
13th gear 113, 3rd gear 103, 2nd gear 102, 1st gear 10
1. The mandrel rotating shaft 13 is used.

The eighth gear 108 and the ninth gear 109 are a gear set that meshes with each other, and the second gear 102 and the third gear 103 are formed so as to rotate integrally by the connecting member 41.

The rotation drive system of the transfer rollers 3 and 4 is derived from the third gear 103, and is composed of a fourth gear 104, a fourth intermediate shaft 114, a fifth gear 105, a sixth gear 106, and a transfer roller rotation shaft 26. It is configured.

The rotation drive system of the transfer rollers 5, 6, 7, 8 is derived from the sixth gear 106, and includes a seventh gear 107 and a transfer roller rotating shaft 1.
It is composed of 15.

A powder brake 119 is provided on the transfer roller rotary shaft 115 via pulleys 116 and 117 and a belt 118, and applies a brake torque to the seventh gear 107 so that the tooth surface (tooth contact) meshing with the sixth gear 106 is provided. , Is prevented from changing due to fluctuations in the transmission drive torque.

Further, the gear ratio of each gear set between the mandrel rotating shaft 13 and the transfer roller rotating shaft 26 is set to an integral multiple gear ratio as follows.

1st gear: 2nd gear = 1: 5 3rd gear: 4th gear = 2: 1 5th gear: 6th gear = 1: 2 Incidentally, in the first embodiment, the transfer roller rotation shaft 26 and the transfer roller rotation. The gear ratio between the shafts 115 is also set as follows.

6th gear: 7th gear = 2: 1 That is, while the second gear 102 makes one revolution, the first gear 101 makes five revolutions and the sixth gear 106 makes one revolution. While the mandrel rotating shaft 13 rotated by the first gear 101 makes five revolutions, the transfer process by the upper transfer roller 3 and the one-pitch rotational transfer process are performed on the can barrel T.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

First, the transfer process to the can body T and the rotational transfer process of the can body T will be described.

(A) Transfer process At the start of transfer, as shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the upper transfer roller 5 transfers the first color ink C1 (transfer section S1) and the upper transfer roller 6 transfers the second color ink C2 (transfer section S2).

In this state, while the can body T makes one rotation (first rotation), the upper transfer roller 3 makes 1/5 rotation to transfer the ink C1 of the first color to the outer peripheral surface of the can body T. T is the next 1
While rotating (second rotation), the upper transfer roller 3 further rotates 1/5 to transfer the second color ink C2 onto the outer peripheral surface of the can body T.

At the time of this transfer, the mandrel cylinder 2 is stationary and only the mandrel 11 is rotated, and the peripheral speeds of the can body T, the upper transfer roller 3, and the upper transfer rollers 5 and 6 are slippery. The peripheral speeds are made equal so that they do not exist.

Also at the position of the lower transfer roller 4, the third color ink C3 and the fourth color ink C4 are transferred in the same manner as described above.

The can body T is 2 1 / while the mandrel cylinder 2 is stationary.
Although it makes two revolutions, it is used as a time for damping mechanical vibration at the moment when the mandrel cylinder 2 that transfers the can barrel T to the transfer process stops half revolution other than the two revolutions used for transfer.

(B) Rotational transfer step The can body T, which has finished the transfer, continues to rotate as it is, and while it is further rotated 2 1/2 times, the rotation transfer section P of 1 pitch is used.
Proceed to.

While the can body T is rotationally transferred, the upper transfer roller 3 is
After 1/2 rotation, the upper transfer rollers 5 and 6 rotate once, and the transfer start state shown in FIG. 2 is reached.

In this way, by repeating the transfer process and the rotation transfer process, multicolor printing on the can body T is performed.

Next, the operation of the rotary drive system will be described.

First, in the transfer process, the mandrel cylinder 2 supporting the mandrel rotating shaft 13 rotates (hereinafter referred to as revolution).
Only the mandrel rotating shaft 13 is rotating (hereinafter referred to as rotation) without performing the above.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, in the rotation section N1 in which the second gear 102 rotates by 1/5, the first gear 101 makes one rotation, and further, the rotation section in which the second gear 102 rotates by 1/5. N2, first
The gear 101 rotates once to rotate the mandrel rotating shaft 13 by two rotations, during which transfer is performed.

Then, the rotation section in which the second gear 102 further rotates by 1/2
At N3, the first gear 101 rotates about 2 1/2 rotations and revolves around the rotation transfer section P of 1 pitch.

Further, after the rotational transfer is completed and the mandrel cylinder 2 is stopped, the second gear 102 rotates 1/10 of a rotation section N4.
Then, the first gear 101 makes 1/2 rotation, and the mechanical vibration caused by the impact due to the rotation stop of the mandrel cylinder 2 is eliminated during this period.

That is, the transfer step and the rotation transfer step are performed while the first gear 101 rotates 5 times and the second gear 102 rotates 1 time,
The gear position of the gear 102 at the start of transfer is always at the same position.

Incidentally, while the second gear 102 makes one revolution, the third gear 103 makes one revolution, the fourth gear 104 makes two revolutions, and the fifth gear makes the fourth revolution.
The gear train between the mandrel rotating shaft 13 and the transfer roller rotating shaft 26 rotates from the start of transfer to the end of rotational transfer until just before the start of the next transfer, because the gear train rotates twice like the gear and the sixth gear rotates once. In this section, the same meshing state is always maintained.

Therefore, the pitch error of each gear is not cumulatively added in the process of drive transmission, and only the pitch error due to the machining accuracy of the gear affects the printing accuracy.

In the gear train, a plurality of first gears 101 are provided, and even if the meshing states are the same, only the first gear 101 has different gears incorporated in the gear train. If the processing accuracy of 101 is increased and further equalization is performed, it is possible to make the doublet of the image line as small as 25 μ or less.

Incidentally, a test example conducted by the present inventor will be described below.

(Test specifications) Gear type; helical gear Gear ratio; 1st gear: 2nd gear = 1: 5 3rd gear: 4th gear = 2: 1 5th gear: 6th gear = 1: 2 6th gear: 7th Gear = 2: 1 Printing speed; 250m / min (MAX) Printing plate; Screen frequency # 120 to # 150 (Test result) As a result of the above specifications, the printing speed was 250m / min (MA
Also in X), beautiful multicolor printing with no streaking was obtained.

Next, the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

The multicolor printing device A'of the second embodiment is a device of a type in which a mandrel cylinder is continuously driven to rotate, so that the rotation driving locus M of the can barrel T can be transferred while rotating and revolving at the same time. At the positions of the rollers 3 and 4, some loci are corrected so as to follow the surfaces of the transfer rollers 3 and 4.

Although illustration of the driving means is omitted, it is needless to say that the gear train in which the gear ratio is an integral multiple ratio can be applied to the second embodiment as in the first embodiment.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the present invention can be applied even if there is a design change or the like within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention. included.

For example, the number of gear sets of the gear train is not limited to the embodiment, and the gear ratio is not limited to the embodiment.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the multicolor printer of the present invention, between the mandrel rotating shaft for rotating the mandrel and the transfer roller rotating shaft for rotating the transfer roller in the rotation driving means. Since the gear train of is set in a drive connection state and the gear ratio of the gear set in which the gear train meshes with each other is set to an integer multiple gear ratio, a pitch error that is cumulatively added in the gear train occurs even when printing is repeated. It is possible to obtain the effect that only the machining error of the gear can be used as the pitch error. And, due to this effect, the double-printed image due to reverse transfer is eliminated,
It is possible to prevent image line deviation in multicolor printing, and to perform multicolor printing of a precise pattern at high printing speed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a driving means of a multicolor printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall side view showing the apparatus of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a first view of the apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the action of the gear and the second gear, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the device of the second embodiment. B ... Rotation drive means T ... Can barrel (cylindrical container) 2 ... Mandrel cylinder 3,4 ... Transfer roller 5,6,7,8 ... Transfer roller 11 ... Mandrel 13 ... Mandrel rotating shaft 14 ...... Blanket 26 …… Transfer roller rotating shaft 101 …… First gear (gear train) 102 …… Second gear (gear train) 103 …… Third gear (gear train) 104 …… Fourth gear (gear train) 105 …… 5th gear (gear train) 106 ...... 6th gear (gear train)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Nobuyuki Baba 151-7 Kusakabe, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture (72) Inventor Kabe, Adult 81-5 Naraha, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture (56) References (JP, U)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mandrel cylinder provided with a plurality of mandrels for supporting a cylindrical container, and a transfer roller provided with a blanket for transferring ink to the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical container at the same rotational peripheral speed. A multi-color printing device for a cylindrical container, comprising: a plurality of transfer rollers for transferring ink to the blanket; and a rotation driving means for rotationally driving the mandrel cylinder, the mandrel, the transfer roller and the transfer roller. Among the means, a gear train between a mandrel rotating shaft that rotates the mandrel and a transfer roller rotating shaft that rotates the transfer roller is provided in a driving connection state, and a gear ratio of a gear set of the gear train that meshes with each other is an integer multiple gear. A multi-color printing device for a cylindrical container characterized by being set to a ratio.