JPH034514Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a printing device for flexible containers such as expanded polystyrene containers, and in particular is capable of printing both sides of the outer surface of the container in one step.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cardboard containers are commonly used as containers for transporting various products, whether industrial or agricultural. Styrofoam containers are popular for their watertightness and airtightness, and are only used for fish boxes. This seems to be due to differences in cost, transportability, printing display method, etc.

However, recently, the characteristics of styrofoam containers have attracted attention, and the demand for containers for shipping garden vegetables and the like is increasing. This is because, as distribution channels for direct delivery from producers are being established, it is becoming more important to process products at low temperatures to maintain their freshness, and Styrofoam containers, which are highly watertight and airtight, are the most suitable containers for this purpose. When offering a product to the market, it is essential to print the country of origin, trademark, and design on the container, but it is extremely difficult to print this on containers made of styrofoam. However, Styrofoam containers have a form only after they are molded, so they must be printed in the form of a three-dimensional box-like object after molding. Because it is highly elastic, when pressed by a printing roller, the side wall, which is the printing surface, will be distorted, causing the printing ink to be unevenly distributed and a given relief plate not being in full contact with the side wall.

For this reason, conventionally, when it was necessary to print a display on a Styrofoam container, printing was performed alternately on each side by screen printing. In other words, according to the screen printing method, a hard material is placed on the inside of the elastic side surface, screen printing is applied to one surface on the outside surface, and after that is dried, the other sides are screen printed in the same way. It was time consuming and manual, and each person could only print a few hundred pieces per day. Furthermore, it requires a large space for drying the ink, making it inefficient and impractical. As a result, practical printing has not been possible, and manufacturers of Styrofoam containers have come to an agreement not to print such markings.

However, today, with increasing demand in new fields, if it is not possible to print a label on the outside of a Styrofoam container, it is still necessary to display the country of origin, vendor, trademark, or other descriptive label in some way. This may cause confusion and inconvenience in the product distribution process. In particular, for vegetables and fruits, it is essential to display information such as the place of origin and the vendor. This is because it is a general rule of thumb that even the same product often tastes different depending on where it is produced. Therefore, as the demand for containers increased, the issue of printing was raised.
Development of such a printing device is desired.

Means and Action for Solving the Problems Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a frame base that is slidably placed on a base plate and can move toward and away from each other in the horizontal direction, and a frame base that A pair of drums are interlocked and vertically arranged so as to be able to approach and separate from each other, and have printing letterpresses stretched on their circumferential surfaces; a chain belt that transports the Styrofoam container between the pair of drums with the opening facing upward; and a chain belt that transports the Styrofoam container between the pair of drums from above and the outside of the Styrofoam container. A printing device for styrofoam containers, which is capable of printing both sides of the outer surface of a styrofoam container at once, and is equipped with a restraining plate made of an elastic plate for contacting the printing letterpress with tension on the side surfaces. It is configured as follows. According to such a printing device, after adjusting the distance between the frames in the horizontal direction to suit the size of the Styrofoam container, when the Styrofoam container is conveyed with the opening facing down on the chain belt, the elastic body Since the holding plate made of presses the bottom of the Styrofoam container,
The outer surface of the container is under tension. Therefore, the letterpress printing plates stretched around the circumferential surfaces of the pair of drums are pressed against the outer surface of the container, and the ink supplied from the rollers to the letterpress plates is simultaneously printed on the two outer surfaces of the container.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of the main part, and FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal cross-sectional side view.

In the drawing, a pair of left and right frames 1 and 2 have a common base 3, and one frame 2 is placed so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction on a base plate 4 stretched over the base 3. . Reference numeral 5 denotes a screw shaft for adjusting the mutual spacing by moving the frame 2 closer to or away from the frame 1, one end of which is screwed into a part of the frame 2, and the other end is a part of the frame 1. and are rotatably engaged with each other.
6 is a handle for turning the screw shaft 5; Further, a drive shaft 7 commonly extends in the width direction between the frames 1 and 2, and this drive shaft 7 is connected to a sprocket 8.
It rotates via a drive motor 10 by a chain belt 9 which is wound around the shaft.

Bevel gears 11 and 11 are respectively fixed to the drive shaft 7 between the frames 1 and 2, and sprockets 12 and 12 facing each other between the frames 1 and 2 are respectively fixed. The bevel gear 11 and sprocket 12 on the frame 2 can be moved in the axial direction by turning the drive shaft 7 and a key or spline, respectively. A bevel gear 13 is engaged with the bevel gear 11, respectively, and transmits the rotational force of the drive shaft 7 by changing the direction by 90 degrees. One end of a vertical shaft 14 is fixed to the bevel gear 13, a pair of drums 15, 15 are rotatably attached to this shaft 14, and the other ends are rotatably attached to the frames 1, 2, respectively. It is suspended, and a gear 16 is pivotally supported at the shaft end. As will be described later, a relief plate suitable for printing purposes is stretched around the circumferential surfaces of the pair of drums 15, 15. Gears 17 and 18 are engaged with the gear 16, respectively, and the gears 17 and 18 are engaged with the frame 1 and the gear 16, respectively.
It is rotatably suspended from 2. Gears 17, 18
Shafts 19 and 20 extend downward, respectively, and a pair of rollers 21 and 22 are rotatably suspended from these shafts 19 and 20. The rollers 21 and 22 are in contact with each other, and the pair of drums 1
It is in contact with 5,15. The rollers 21 and 22 knead the printing ink supplied to their upper portions from ejection ports (not shown) and supply the mixed ink to the letterpress plate stretched around the circumferential surface of the drum 15. Reference numeral 23 denotes a printing ink receiver, from which printing ink is ejected and supplied to the upper portions of the rollers 21 and 22, and surplus ink that remains after being applied to the circumferential surfaces of the rollers 21 and 22 is collected.

On the other hand, chain belts 24, 24 are wound around the sprockets 12, 12 of the drive shaft 7, and as shown in FIG. It rotates while being guided by guide rails 25, 25. Support plates 38, 38 are connected to the outer ends of the guide rails 25, 25 in the longitudinal direction thereof, as shown in FIG. The support plates 38, 38 have a substantially inverted L-shape in cross section, and the upper portions of the support plates 38, 38 are connected to the chain belts 24, 24.
Styrofoam container 29 transported by 4
It is something that slides. Therefore, support plate 3
A tape 39 having a low coefficient of friction is stretched over the upper portions 8 and 38 so that the container 29 made of expanded polystyrene can slide smoothly. 26 and 27 are chain belt 2
4 is a sprocket that holds it horizontally. 28 is a roller conveyor connected to the chain belt 24 and provided at an angle. A styrofoam container 29 is hooked to the chain belt 24 for conveyance, and as shown in FIG. It can be hooked and moved on the support plates 38, 38 toward the drums 15, 15. The claws 30, 30 are plates with a right-angled cross section provided at regular intervals on the chain belt 24, and hook the styrofoam containers 29 one by one to forcibly transfer them on the support plates 38, 38. Further, in order to suppress the Styrofoam container 29 moving on the chain belts 24, 24 and to give tension to the outer surface of the Styrofoam container 29, which is the printing surface, and to unify the printing position, the restraining plates 31, 31 are used as frames. It is located between 12 rooms. This holding plate 31 is made of an elastic plate parallel to the transport direction of the Styrofoam container, and as shown in FIG.
is suspended from a support rod 34 so as to be movable up and down. The support rod 34 has a support rod 35 that vertically suspends both ends thereof, and this support rod 35 is supported by a horizontal support rod 36 that is horizontally suspended between the frames 1 and 2. The horizontal suspension rod 36 and the bracket 37 supporting it are loosely engaged, and the bracket 37 can slide on the horizontal suspension rod 36. A tape (not shown) with a low coefficient of friction is stretched over the surface of the presser plate 31 to facilitate the transfer of the styrofoam container 29. The styrofoam container 29 is pressed from above by the presser plate 31 having such a structure, and the reaction force is taken by the support plate 38, which gives tension to the outer surface which is the printing surface, thereby tensioning the printing surface into a flat shape. be.

Therefore, to explain the operation of the above embodiment, first, the distance between the frames 1 and 2 is adjusted in accordance with the width of the side surface of the Styrofoam container 29 on which the printed display is to be displayed. In this operation, the handle 6 is turned to rotate the screw shaft 5, and the frame 2, which engages with the screw shaft, is moved toward or away from the frame 1 by a required dimension on either the left or right side on the base plate 4. By this operation, the bevel gear 1 of the frame 2 engages with the shaft 7 by spline.
1 moves in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 7, but does not disengage from the bevel gear 13. On the other hand, a horizontal support rod 36 horizontally suspended between frames 1 and 2 expands and contracts via a bracket 37 in accordance with the movement of frame 2. Next, a relief plate (not shown) is stretched around the circumferential surfaces of the drums 15, 15. A rubber stamp plate is used for the letterpress, and the rubber stamp plate is aligned with the circumferential surface of the drums 15, 15 and brought into close contact at a constant height. It should be noted that this letterpress needs to rotate the drums 15 and 15 so that they contact the side surface of the Styrofoam container 29 to be printed at the same time, and it is possible to align the timing so that the letterpress plates are stretched facing each other on the circumferential surface. is necessary.

Next, the drive motor 10 is turned on and driven to rotate, and this rotation causes the chain belt 9 to rotate, thereby rotating the shaft 7 via the sprocket 8. The rotation of the shaft 7 causes the bevel gear 11 to rotate, and the bevel gear 13 that engages with the bevel gear 11 and the shaft 14 to rotate. When the shaft 14 rotates, the drum 15 rotates, and as the drum 15 rotates, the gears 16, 17, and 18 rotate. Therefore, the ink rollers 21 and 22 also rotate together with the rotation of the drum 15. Therefore, printing ink is ejected from a spout (not shown) between the ink rollers 21 and 22, and while being kneaded by both rollers, the ink is attached to the letterpress plate stretched on the drum 15, and the excess ink is removed from the ink receiver 23. The ink is received by the ink rollers 21 and 22 and collected to be ejected between the ink rollers 21 and 22 again. On the other hand, the rotation of the shaft 7 causes the sprockets 12, 12 to rotate, and the chain belt 2
4 and 24 rotate in synchrony, and the claws 30 and 3
0 moves toward the drum 15. Therefore, nail 3
The Styrofoam container 29 is connected to the guide rails 25, 25 with its bottom facing up (that is, with its opening facing down) so that one side of the Styrofoam container 29 is hooked to the ends of the Styrofoam containers 29 and 29. It is placed on the support plates 38, 38 that have been prepared. Therefore, the Styrofoam container 29 enters between the drums 15, 15, and when both sides are sandwiched between the letterpress plates to which ink is attached, a printed image is produced. At this time, the holding plate 3
1 and 31 press the bottom surface of the Styrofoam container 29 downward, and the upper surface sides are supported by support plates 38 and 38 connected to the guide rails 25 and 25, so that the printed surface of the Styrofoam container 29 Since the outer surface of the barrel is under tension between the presser plate and the support plate, the printing surface is maintained flat, preventing distortion and lifting, and the drum 1 is always kept in a stable state.
It can come into contact with the letterpress plates stretched over 5 and 15, and can beautifully print on the two outer surfaces. When the printing is finished, the styrofoam container 29 is pushed onto the roller conveyor 28, transported to a predetermined drying place, and held for a predetermined period of time until the printed surface is dried. Since the printing ink is kneaded by the rollers 21, 21, quick-drying ink can be used, and unlike ink used in conventional screen printing, the time required for drying is extremely shortened. In this way, the Styrofoam containers 29 that are hooked on the claws 30, 30 of the chain belts 24, 24 and move on the support plates 38, 38 are successively printed at a constant speed, and a large amount of Styrofoam containers 29 are printed. Printing can be done in a short time.

Effects of the invention According to the invention described above, it is possible to print a printed label on a Styrofoam container between drums covered with a letterpress, which was considered impossible to print effectively except by screen printing. By passing the container with the bottom facing up, both sides of the outer surface of the Styrofoam container, which is the printing surface, can be simultaneously printed in one step. Moreover, the outer surface of the Styrofoam container, which is the printing surface, is under tension when pressed by the holding plate and the support plate, so it can stably contact the drum on which the letterpress is stretched, and the printing surface Printing can be done beautifully and with high precision without distortion or misalignment. Moreover, the device of the present invention can simultaneously print on two outer surfaces of a Styrofoam container, and compared to the conventional screen printing method, which repeatedly prints and dries each side, it exhibits remarkable printing ability. In other words, it has a printing capacity approximately five times higher than that of conventional printers. Furthermore, according to the device of the present invention, it is only necessary to supply and place the Styrofoam containers on the support plate, so any person can easily print Styrofoam containers without requiring any skill unlike conventional screen printing. The print can be displayed on the screen. The ink used is kneaded and supplied using an ink roll, and since quick-drying ink can be used, the time required for drying is greatly reduced, and the ink is circulated and supplied to the letterpress, reducing waste. Compared to conventional methods, the amount of ink used to print the same amount of Styrofoam containers is approximately 1/6.
The device of the present invention has a simple structure and a small number of parts, so it can be manufactured at low cost. Furthermore, since it does not use any complicated electronic parts, it is less likely to break down, has excellent durability, and is extremely easy to maintain. In addition, since the printing speed can be freely adjusted, printing can be done according to the amount used and the amount shipped, and it can be used depending on the purpose, from small to large customers. The device of the present invention makes it possible to develop completely new fields of use for containers made of expanded polystyrene.

Further, according to the printing method of the device of the present invention, various designs can be printed and displayed on the side surface of a Styrofoam container, thereby increasing the utility value as a packaging container. Furthermore, since the frame base can be moved closer or further apart, it has the versatility of being able to be used depending on the size of the Styrofoam container.
Furthermore, since the printing plate can be stretched to a desired height on the drum, desired printing can be applied to Styrofoam containers of various sizes. Further, by preparing several printing devices according to the present invention and arranging them in tandem, each printing device can use different colors to perform multicolor printing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the printing device for expanded polystyrene containers according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main part thereof, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the central part, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of the support plate part. FIG. 1, 2... Frame base, 3... Base, 4... Base plate,
5... Screw shaft, 6... Handle, 7...
Shaft, 8... Sprocket, 10... Drive motor,
15...Drum, 16,17,18...Gear, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 22... Ink roller, 24... Chain belt, 25... Guide rail, 29... Styrofoam container, 30... Nail, 38... Support plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A frame that is slidably placed on a base plate and can be moved toward and away from each other in the horizontal direction, and a letterpress for printing is stretched around the circumferential surface of the frame that is vertically installed in conjunction with this frame so that it can move toward and away from each other. a pair of drums, a roller that is rotatably vertically disposed in contact with the drums and mixes printing ink and supplies the printing ink to the printing letterpress of the drums; a chain belt conveyed between the pair of drums, and an elastic plate for holding down the Styrofoam container from above between the pair of drums and bringing it into contact with the printing letterpress while keeping the outer surface under tension. 1. A printing device for a styrofoam container, comprising a holding plate, and capable of printing both sides of the outer surface of a styrofoam container at once.