EP2946933A1 - Décorateur digital - Google Patents

Décorateur digital Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2946933A1
EP2946933A1 EP15162731.2A EP15162731A EP2946933A1 EP 2946933 A1 EP2946933 A1 EP 2946933A1 EP 15162731 A EP15162731 A EP 15162731A EP 2946933 A1 EP2946933 A1 EP 2946933A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
decorator
printheads
plane
printing unit
print heads
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP15162731.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Paola Ferrari
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP2946933A1 publication Critical patent/EP2946933A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16585—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J25/00—Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J25/304—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J25/00—Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J25/34—Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16585—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
    • B41J2002/16591—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads for line print heads above an endless belt

Definitions

  • Machines are known for printing of decorations on ceramic tiles, based on inkjet technology, which decorating machines are of the digital type.
  • Machines of the known type include a printing head arranged above a conveyor, said conveyor being predisposed for moving forward the ceramic articles to be decorated.
  • the printing unit includes print heads which are stationary and grouped by color on conveyor lines arranged transversely with respect to the forward direction of the conveyor.
  • two parallel rows of print heads are fitted in respective support plates, in turn hold by a metal frame.
  • digital decorators printing units are subject to periodic maintenance, in particular for replacement or repair of the print heads.
  • the plates are removably mounted in the printing unit, so that they can be individually removed for easy maintenance of the print heads when need be.
  • the main drawback is that, following maintenance works, the plates reassembling within the printing unit could be misaligned with respect to the initial position thereof, which misalignment could be imperceptible to the operator while having a very negative impact on the decoration performance in the subsequent printing operation.
  • the system of the known type further implies the danger that one of the plate can slip of the operator's hand as a result of removal thereof, thus falling onto the ground and getting damaged.
  • the technical task at the base of the present invention is therefore to provide a digital decorator enabling cyclical maintenance works of the print heads, allowing at the same time to maintain unchanged the decorations printed on ceramic articles.
  • a further object of the invention herein is to provide a digital decorator allowing to perform maintenance works within a shorter timeframe than that of the known art and able to prevent the decorator parts from being damaged.
  • the digital decorator 1 disclosed by the present invention is preferably of the "single pass” type and is designed for printing decorations on ceramic articles 11, such as tiles or the like, and comprises at least one conveyor 2 for continuously conveying the articles 11 via the decorator 1 along a horizontal and rectilinear path, prior, during and after the printing.
  • the conveyor 2 can be a conveyor belt looped around pulleys or other similar means.
  • the conveyor 2 moves forward the articles 11, which are freely resting, keeping them horizontal.
  • the decorator 1 includes a printing unit 10 which is arranged above the conveyor 2 and comprises a plurality of print heads 3 of the jet ink type. Each print head 3 includes a nozzle array facing downwards towards the conveyor 2.
  • the printing unit 10 is movable between a lower operational position wherein the print heads can perform printing on the articles 11 being carried by the conveyor 2, and an upper maintenance position.
  • the printing unit 10 is at a greater height than that exhibited in the operational position; in addition, said printing unit 10 can be arranged in intermediate positions between the operational position and the maintenance position, as will be better detailed upon explanation of the invention working principles.
  • the print heads are movable in the decorator 1 between a retracted operational position, wherein they lie within a reference plane P, and an extended access position, wherein they project out from the reference plane P.
  • the print heads 3 of the decorator 1 are able to switch from one "retractable" configuration in the printing unit 10, to a configuration in which they inferiorly protrude thus being visible.
  • the print heads 3, in their maintenance position preferably project out from the reference plane P in their entirety, thus being directly accessible to an operator for the purposes of maintenance work.
  • This arrangement makes it available for the printing unit 10 to rise far enough from the conveyor 2 as to create a lower volume suitable for housing the print heads 3 in their access position, and wherein the operator can work easily.
  • the above reference plane P is an ideal plane integral with the printing unit 10 as a whole; of course, since the print heads 3 as well as the several parts they are integral with are movable relative to the rest of the printing unit 10, they can be movable with respect to the reference plane P.
  • the printing unit 10 is suitable for raising and lowering via actuating means known per se, such as linear actuators or similar mechanical parts.
  • the print heads 3 can be arranged based on at least four parallel "color bars" (or “groups of color”) identified by C, M, Y, K in the industry jargon, to indicate the four-colors printing (see Figures 3 - 8 ).
  • each group usually includes two parallel rows of print heads 3 provided for delivering the same color in a manner which is widely known in the technical field the invention herein refers to.
  • the print heads 3 of the same color are mounted integrally but in a removable manner, relative to a respective plane supporting element 4.
  • the supporting element 4 is formed by two layers applied to one another, each consisting of a metal plate (see Figure 2 ).
  • each plane supporting element 4, hereinafter called simply support 4 houses the print heads 3 in respective through holes with the nozzle arrays facing downwards.
  • the supports are elongated and mounted horizontally within the decorator 1, and arranged transversally relative to the conveyor 2, that is, relative to the forward direction of the ceramic articles 11.
  • the print heads 3 are distributed in rows arranged parallel to the longitudinal development of the respective support 4.
  • Such supports are slidably mounted in the printing unit 10; in this way, each of them can move individually and independently, with relative print heads 3 onboard, between an extended access position, wherein they inferiorly project out from the reference plane P, and a retracted operational position.
  • the supports move perpendicularly relative to the planar development thereof, that is, they move vertically.
  • said supports do not stand alone, but they are part of functional movable units 5 related thereto, which constitute what was defined hereinabove in slang terms “color bar” or "color group”, that is to say, a series of parts predisposed for printing with a given color (see for example Figure 3 ).
  • the decorator 1 of the invention can include at least four functional units 5 which are embedded in the printing unit 10, each of which has a bottom constituted by the respective support 4 carrying onboard the print heads 3 of a given color.
  • each functional unit 5 includes at least one distributor 51 (but preferably two of them), for feeding the print heads 3 with ink, which functional unit 5 is vertically movable within the decorator 1 so as to move the print heads 3 between the operational and access positions.
  • each functional unit 5 preferably comprises a supporting structure having a substantially prismatic shape (for example parallelepiped), which is defined inferiorly by the respective support 4, which supporting structure is provided for containing at least the distributors and the electronic control means of the print heads 3, including the cards 52 of the operating logic, the power supply unit 53 and the ink supply ducts for supplying the ink from said power supply unit to the print heads 3, and so on.
  • a substantially prismatic shape for example parallelepiped
  • each functional unit 5 comprises seats for rapid assembly and disassembly of the electronic cards 52 located at the upper portion and near the top thereof.
  • Said seats can be made from plastic elements and supplied with two opposing guide grooves suitable for receiving opposite edges of the cards 52, thereby enabling to easily insert and remove them for the purposes of maintenance work.
  • the printing unit 10 includes a supporting framework comprising a horizontal perimeter frame 6.
  • the functional units 5 are laterally contained, or even better, they are enclosed within the frame 6 provided with cross through holes and vertical holes 61 distributed along opposite sides thereof, preferably the front and rear sides.
  • these sides may be the longest sides.
  • each support 4 is provided with linear guiding elements relative to its longitudinal ends, which linear guiding elements comprise, by way of example, pegs or cylindrical columns which protrude transversely upwards.
  • the linear guiding elements 50 are slidingly inserted in respective through holes 61 of the frame element 6, so as to constrain the supports to perform rectilinear vertical translatory runs.
  • the guides 50 are perpendicular to the relative supports and the holes are thoroughly vertical.
  • This arrangement is functional to the fact that the invention provides centring means 7 for releasably fastening each functional unit 5 to the framework, preferably to the frame 6, in a respective centered position.
  • a centered position is the correct position that the functional unit 5, and in particular the print heads 3, must have in order to perform the printing needed, so as to ensure invariance of the decorations printed.
  • the horizontal frame 6 is then used as a reference.
  • the guides 50 are provided with a shoulder or end stop 500 acting as a stroke-end at the upper free end thereof for the sliding of the functional units 5 relative to aforementioned reference plane P, that is to say, relative to the rest of the printing unit 10.
  • the centring means comprises a plurality of shoulder screws 7.
  • each support 4 includes cross through holes for receiving a corresponding shoulder screw 7, whilst aforesaid frame 6 comprises vertical threaded seats 62 for receiving respective shoulder screws, said vertical threaded seats 62 being aligned with the holes of the supports 4.
  • the seats 62 for the screws 7 are arranged side by side on opposite sides relative to said cross holes of the frame 6 housing the guide.
  • centring means 7 also acts as a releasably fastening means of the print heads 3 supports with respect to the frame 6.
  • the printing units 10 is disposed in its working position wherein it is next to the conveyor 2, and then to the ceramic articles 11 to be decorated (see figures 3 and 4 ).
  • the printing head 10 is lifted in an intermediate position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 .
  • the intermediate position may be located at a lower level or at least at a corresponding level to that of said maintenance works.
  • supporting elements are positioned under the printing unit 10; such supporting elements can be common tanks for collecting bleed ink which are suitable for sliding horizontally above the conveyor 2 and then move under the print heads 3 when the same are being cleaned.
  • the printing unit 10 is lowered until the supports of the print heads 3 abut against the supporting elements.
  • the printing unit 10 is then raised again; during this step, the force of gravity causes the functional units 5, and in particular the supports of the print heads 3, to remain stationary on the supporting elements while the frame 6 is raised.
  • the frame 6 While is being raised, the frame 6 abuts against aforementioned end stops 500 of the guides 50 and, while continuing its raising, it drags the functional units 5 with it until the printing unit reaches the above-mentioned maintenance position.
  • Such arrangement as shown in Figures 7 and 8 is also the one wherein the print heads 3 are in the access position thereof, that is to say, they are fully protruding and easily accessible by the operator.
  • the operator can easily change the print heads 3 or perform repair operations as well as all possible maintenance works required.
  • the supports 4 bearing the print heads 3 are rearranged in the aforementioned retracted position and the shoulder centring screws 7 are reinserted.
  • the important functional characteristics are due to the fact that the print heads 3 have an exclusively rectilinear translation when returning to the retracted position, wherein they are predisposed for the printing, and to the fact that the centring means ensure that the print heads 3 return to the above centring position in which they were placed prior to performing maintenance works.
EP15162731.2A 2014-05-19 2015-04-08 Décorateur digital Withdrawn EP2946933A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMO20140141 2014-05-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2946933A1 true EP2946933A1 (fr) 2015-11-25

Family

ID=51230050

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15162731.2A Withdrawn EP2946933A1 (fr) 2014-05-19 2015-04-08 Décorateur digital

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2946933A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2015177660A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1142717A2 (fr) * 2000-04-04 2001-10-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif pour monter et descendre une tête d'impression, imprimante
US20050280678A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2005-12-22 Andreas Bibl Droplet ejection apparatus alignment
DE102010060406A1 (de) * 2010-11-08 2012-05-10 OCé PRINTING SYSTEMS GMBH Vorrichtung zur Positionierung mindestens eines Druckriegels im Gehäuse einer Druckeinheit bei einem Tintendruckgerät
US20130293633A1 (en) * 2012-05-03 2013-11-07 Delphax Technologies Inc. Injet printer maintenance arrangement and method

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1142717A2 (fr) * 2000-04-04 2001-10-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif pour monter et descendre une tête d'impression, imprimante
US20050280678A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2005-12-22 Andreas Bibl Droplet ejection apparatus alignment
DE102010060406A1 (de) * 2010-11-08 2012-05-10 OCé PRINTING SYSTEMS GMBH Vorrichtung zur Positionierung mindestens eines Druckriegels im Gehäuse einer Druckeinheit bei einem Tintendruckgerät
US20130293633A1 (en) * 2012-05-03 2013-11-07 Delphax Technologies Inc. Injet printer maintenance arrangement and method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2015177660A1 (fr) 2015-11-26

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