JPH0451814B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention is used in photoengraving equipment such as automatic drafting machines and plate-making cameras, in which sheet-like objects such as papers and films of various sizes are placed on a table main body. The present invention relates to a vacuum suction device for sheet-like materials, which is used to suction and hold a sheet material to a suction plate forming a face plate or the like.

[Prior Art] For example, automatic drawing machines commonly used in photolithography processes are used to expose and draw images on photosensitive films, and to cut peel-off films with a cutting head attached to create trimming masks for multiple contact exposures. However, the paper and film used come in various standard sizes, and each time the work is done, it is necessary to suction and hold the required film, etc. on the drawing table using a vacuum suction device. There is.

Conventionally, in this type of vacuum suction device, a gap formed inside a suction plate is divided into a plurality of internal chambers by vertical partition walls, and a large number of suction holes are formed on the surface of the suction plate that penetrate to each of the internal chambers. By forming multiple suction areas by making holes, and selecting each internal chamber appropriately using a switching device and connecting the flow path to a vacuum suction source such as a vacuum pump, the suction area can be adjusted according to the size of the paper or film. The desired suction area is applied.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Conventional vacuum suction devices for sheet-like materials have the above-mentioned configuration, so the position and size of the suction area are fixed to the device, and one device can handle a limited number of different sizes. It can only be used with paper and film. Therefore, if you want to change the size of paper or film to something other than the specified size, it is necessary to replace the entire device, which is inefficient and costly for both the user and the device manufacturer. Therefore, it has not been put into practical use.

In addition, when creating the above-mentioned trimming mask, it is created by cutting the peel layer of the peel-off film in the desired shape using a cutting head and then peeling off the peel layer. Pin holes of the same standard may be cut out to align with the removed part of the mask. However,
Conventionally, drawing tables are made of metal materials such as aluminum or resin, and their surfaces (suction surfaces) are finished with a smooth finish, which can damage the cutter's cutting edge or scratch the resin table, reducing its suction properties. There is a problem with doing so.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned current situation, and it is a relatively simple task as long as only one member is easily replaced and multiple types of the member are prepared in advance. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum suction device for sheet-like objects that can meet all demands regarding the position and size of the suction area and that does not damage the cutting edge of a cutter on the suction surface of the sheet-like object. Consider it a technical issue.

[Means for solving problems]

A suction mat having suction grooves and suction holes corresponding to the shape of films of various sizes, a suction plate with the suction mat mounted on the top surface and having communication holes communicating with each ventilation groove individually, and a vacuum suction source. The above object has been achieved by configuring a vacuum suction device for sheet-like objects from a flow path switching means that connects each air path in a selective manner. That is, the vacuum suction device for sheet-like objects according to the present invention is composed of a thin plate-like body whose lower surface is formed with a smooth surface. The ventilation grooves are formed so that they do not intersect with each other, and a plurality of suction holes penetrating each of the ventilation grooves from the top surface are arranged in a row in the ventilation grooves, and are in close contact with the top surface of the suction plate formed on a smooth surface. A replaceable suction mat, a plurality of communication holes drilled in the suction plate that communicate individually with each of the ventilation grooves of the suction mat, and a plurality of communication holes individually connected to each of these communication holes. A device characterized by comprising a tracheal passageway and a passage switching means to which each of these ventilation passageways is connected and which selectively connects each of the communication holes to a vacuum suction source via each of these ventilation passageways. It is.

[Effect]

When attached to the top surface of the suction plate, each ventilation groove of the suction mat individually communicates with the communication hole and forms an air passage closed by the suction plate surface, and the communication hole is connected to the vacuum suction source by the flow path switching means. Selected and connected,
Suction force acts on the ventilation grooves and suction holes that communicate with the communication holes, and the sheet-like material within the range where the suction holes are arranged is suctioned onto the suction mat. Each ventilation groove is formed in any required size and shape for each suction mat.
Further, the smooth lower surface of the suction mat is in close contact with the smooth upper surface of the suction plate without any gaps.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional front view schematically showing a part of a vacuum suction device for sheet-like material according to an embodiment of the present invention. This vacuum suction device has a suction plate 10
a suction mat 12 mounted on the smooth upper surface of the suction plate 10, a plurality of communication holes 14 drilled in the suction plate 10, a plurality of ventilation pipes 18 connected to each of these communication holes 14 via joints 16, and these Ventilation pipe 1
8 is connected to a flow path switching device 20. The flow path switching device 20 is connected to a vacuum pump 26 via a suction pipe 24, and by switching the adsorption area switching knob 22, a desired one of the plurality of ventilation pipes 18 can be selected. is connected to the vacuum pump 26. The details of how to connect the air circuit to the switching of the suction area will be described later.

FIGS. 2 and 3 each show a plan view of the suction mat viewed from the bottom (the side where the ventilation grooves are formed), and each has three different suction areas. That is, in Fig. 2, A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ in order of decreasing area
There are three rectangular frame-shaped ventilation grooves 30 (30-1, 30
-2, 30-3) They are formed so as not to intersect with each other. Although the number of these suction areas is three for the sake of explanation, it is not necessarily limited to this number, and the shape of the ventilation grooves is not limited to only a rectangular frame shape. That is, the ventilation grooves can be formed in any desired shape as long as they do not intersect with ventilation grooves in other suction areas. This is because by suitably increasing the distribution of the ventilation grooves and, by extension, the suction holes, the sheet-like material can be more uniformly adsorbed. This ventilation groove 3
At the formation position of 0, a large number of suction holes 32 that vertically penetrate from the top surface to the ventilation groove 30 are arranged in a similar square frame shape, and the three rows of suction holes 32 form three suction holes of different sizes. A suction area is formed on the suction mat 12.

Figure 3 shows a suction mat having different suction areas A ₄ , A ₅ , A ₆ from those in Figure 2 in descending order of area, and the ventilation grooves 30 and suction holes 32 are formed in the same way as in Figure 2. . Pin holes 34, 34' are formed at the same position on each suction mat, and positioning pins 36 are formed in the suction plate 10 in correspondence with these pin holes 34, 34' as shown in FIG. By inserting and engaging the pin holes 34, 34' into the pin holes 34, 34', the suction mat 12 is mounted at a fixed position on the suction plate 10.

FIG. 1 also shows the state at this time, in which each communication hole 14 of the suction plate 10 is formed at a position such that it communicates independently with the ventilation groove 30 of each size of the suction mat 12.

H ₁ , H ₂ , and H _{3 in FIGS. 2 and 3} indicate the positions of the communication holes 14 in correspondence with the ventilation grooves 30 of the suction mat 12, and they are individually labeled in descending order of suction area. It corresponds to the ventilation groove 30 of.

In addition, the flow path switching device 20 also corresponds to this order.
It is possible to switch to three stages: S ₁ , S ₂ , and S ₃ . What is noteworthy is that, for example, if you select S ₃ , not only the corresponding communication hole H ₃
Communication holes H ₁ and H ₂ corresponding to S ₁ and S ₂ are also communicated with the vacuum pump, that is, all communication holes corresponding to suction areas smaller than the selected suction size are communicated with the vacuum pump. This is to ensure that the sheet material is evenly adsorbed. In this embodiment, the flow path switching device 20 has three stages, but it goes without saying that it can be set to any number of stages as needed; for example, in this embodiment, it may be set to five stages. However, in this case, since there is no ventilation groove corresponding to the communication hole at the extra step position, the communication hole is closed by the suction mat, so that it does not participate in suction of the sheet-like object.

Further, the communication holes may be provided not at one location but at two or more locations for the ventilation grooves of each suction area. In this case, at the switching position of the flow path switching device 20, the ventilation pipe line 18 may be branched and connected to a joint provided in each communication hole. The upper surface of the suction plate 10 is formed to be a smooth surface, and by coming into close contact with the lower surface of the suction mat 12 made of, for example, soft vinyl chloride material, the lower opening surface of the ventilation groove 30 of the suction mat 12 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the suction plate 10. A ventilation path is formed by closing the air passage.

Next, the operation of sucking and fixing a sheet-like object onto a suction plate using this vacuum suction device will be explained. First, attach the suction mat 12 to the pin hole 34 on the suction plate 10.
Then, the sheet material 28 is placed on the upper surface of the suction mat 12 by selecting an appropriate suction area, and placed in accordance with the suction area corresponding to the size of the suction mat 12. Adjust the adsorption area switching knob 22 of the flow path switching device 20 to the switching position. When the vacuum pump 26 is operated in this state, the suction line 24,
Flow path switching device 20, ventilation pipe line 18, communication hole 1
4 and the ventilation path formed by the ventilation groove 30, air is sucked through a large number of suction holes 32 forming a suction area smaller than the selected suction area. The sheet-like material 28 is attracted to the suction hole 32 by this vacuum suction force, and the sheet-like material 28 is fixed to the upper surface of the suction mat 12. Furthermore, when starting suction, the suction area switching knob 22 is initially set to the minimum area position, and after the vacuum pump is activated, the suction area is switched step by step until the desired suction area is reached.
Since the sheet-like object is suctioned from a small area to a gradually larger area, air pockets are less likely to form between the ventilation grooves in each area, so that more reliable suction can be achieved.

Further, for sheet-like objects 28 of different sizes, the suction area switching knob 22 is operated to place the sheet-like objects 28 on the suction mat 12 in accordance with the suction area of that size. Further, for a sheet-like object of a size that does not fit any of the suction areas of the suction mat, it is replaced with another suction mat that has a suction area of that size, and the same operation as described above is performed.

Next, when the present invention is applied to an automatic drawing machine,
In addition to the effects of the vacuum suction device described above, it will be explained that the suction mat can be configured more effectively.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the invention, and is a longitudinal sectional view of a suction mat. This suction mat has an upper layer 4
0, an intermediate layer 41 and a lower layer 42, each of which is formed of a thin plate made of a soft synthetic resin material such as soft vinyl chloride, and the intermediate layer 41 is made of a thin plate made of soft vinyl chloride, for example. A vacuum suction mat is constructed by adhering these three thin plate-like bodies to each other. The reason why the intermediate layer 41 is made of a hard material is to give the vacuum suction mat as a whole a certain degree of shape retention and to make it easier to handle. The surface of the soft vinyl chloride thin plate forming the upper layer 40 is textured in the form of fine wrinkles. Since the lower layer 42 of the vacuum suction mat is made of a soft material as in the previous embodiment, its lower surface and the suction plate 1
0 and the top surface of the film are completely in contact with each other without any gap between them.

Therefore, even when cutting with a cutter blade to a depth that slightly exceeds the thickness of the sheet material 28 and reaches the surface layer of the vacuum suction mat 10, as when cutting out pin holes in a peel-off film, the vacuum cannot be removed. Since the upper layer 40 of the suction mat is made of a soft material, the tip of the cutter blade will not be damaged. In addition, the upper layer 4 of the vacuum suction mat
Since the surface of 0 is textured,
Even if the surface layer of the upper layer 40 is marked with a cutter blade, the marks are hardly discernible. The vacuum suction mat of this invention has the above-mentioned configuration, but
The scope of the present invention is not limited by the contents of the above description and drawings, and may include various modifications without departing from the gist. For example, the material of the vacuum suction mat is just one example of the above embodiment, and any material may be used as long as it has the same effect. Furthermore, the vacuum suction mat does not need to have a three-layer structure; it may be made entirely of a soft synthetic resin material, or a rigid synthetic resin, metal, etc., although this will make handling a little inconvenient. Further, a two-layer structure may be used in which the ventilation groove forming portion on the surface is made of a soft synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride as described above.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention is configured and operates as described above, when the vacuum suction device of the present invention suctions a sheet-like object, the conventional device can only handle a limited number of types of sheet-like objects. However, by simply replacing the suction mat, it is possible to handle all kinds of sheet materials. When used in an automatic drawing machine to construct a vacuum suction device, it becomes possible to cut through holes in a sheet-like object without damaging the tip of the cutter blade.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, and is a partially sectional front view schematically showing a part of a vacuum suction device for sheet-like material, and FIG. 2 shows one of the constituent members of this vacuum suction device. FIG. 3 is a diagram similarly showing another suction mat. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vacuum suction mat used in the present invention, with the central portion omitted. 10... Suction plate, 12, 12'... Suction mat,
14...Communication hole, 16...Joint, 18...Vent pipe line, 20...Flow path switching device, 22...Adsorption area switching knob, 24...Suction pipe line, 26...Vacuum pump, 28... Sheet-like material, 30, 30-1,
30-2, 30-3... Ventilation groove, 32, 32'...
...Suction hole, 34...Pin hole for positioning, 40...
... Upper layer (soft vinyl chloride thin plate), 41... Middle layer (hard vinyl chloride thin plate), 42... Lower layer (soft vinyl chloride thin plate).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Consists of a thin plate-like body with a smooth lower surface, on the lower surface side, ventilation grooves of a required shape corresponding to the shape of the sheet-like object to be adsorbed of various sizes are formed so as not to intersect with each other, and on the upper surface side. A suction mat, in which a plurality of suction holes penetrating through each of the ventilation grooves are arranged in a row in the ventilation grooves, and is removably mounted in close contact with the upper surface of a suction plate formed on a smooth surface; A plurality of communication holes drilled in the adsorption plate individually communicate with each of the ventilation grooves, a plurality of ventilation pipes individually connected to each of these communication holes, and each of these ventilation pipes are connected, and A vacuum suction device for a sheet-like material, comprising flow path switching means for selectively connecting each communication hole to a vacuum suction source via each ventilation pipe.