Hot Foil Embossing Machine

Abstract

A hot foil stamping machine (10) comprises a press (16) having a support plate (22) and a hook element (38), wherein the support plate (22) comprises a bottom plate (26) and a compensation plate (28), wherein the compensation plate (28) is rotatably attached to the bottom plate (26) to switch between an operating position and a ready position, and wherein the hook element (38) comprises a bottom portion and a top portion, wherein the top portion is arranged at a certain angle relative to the bottom portion. The hook element (38) is rotatably attached to a door (30) of the press (16) via a fixed axis to switch between a release position and a fixed position of the hook element, wherein when the hook element (38) is in its fixed position, the top portion retains the compensation plate (28) in its ready position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a hot foil embossing machine comprising a platen press. Background Art

[0002] Hot foil stamping is a method of transferring patterns and text from foil to sheet material at high temperatures. The sheet material can be cardboard or paper, and the foil is a metallized plastic foil or a thin metal foil. Generally, the foil is pressed onto the surface of the sheet material so that part of the foil is transferred to the sheet material to which it is adhered.

[0003] The press consists of an upper platen and a lower platen. A support plate is mounted on the lower platen to hot emboss the foil. In order to achieve the required pressure during hot embossing, the thickness of the support plate must be accurate to tens of microns.

[0004] For this purpose, the support plate can consist of two pieces, a lower base and a top plate (called compensation plate). Between the lower and top plates, so-called "preparation sheets" are placed at selected locations to control and / or set the pressure at each location over the entire surface of the platen. The compensation plate is raised and kept in the raised position so that the operator can install the preparation sheet.

[0005] In known hot foil embossing presses, the support plate must be completely removed from the press so that the top plate can be lifted into a vertical position during the installation of the preparation sheet. However, such an arrangement requires considerable space in front of the press, which is not ideal due to space constraints. This effect is particularly problematic in the case of so-called vertical and horizontal foil embossing presses, such as the one shown in WO 2020 / 186470 A1, which require additional parts of the hot foil embossing press to extend towards the operator side of the embossing press. Summary of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hot foil embossing machine having a reduced space requirement.Preferably, the hot foil embossing machine should provide a simple and quick set-up procedure.

[0007] The object of the present invention is solved by: A hot foil stamping machine, comprising a press having a support plate and a hook element, the support plate comprising a bottom plate and a compensation plate, the compensation plate being rotatably attached to the bottom plate to switch between an operating position and a ready position, the hook element comprising a bottom and a top, the top being arranged at an angle relative to the bottom. The hook element is rotatably attached to a door of the press by a fixed axis to switch between a release position and a fixed position of the hook element, wherein when the hook element is in its fixed position, the top retains the compensation plate in its ready position.

[0008] A basic idea of ​​the invention is that the top of the support plate can be easily fixed in its ready position by means of hook elements provided in the door of the platen press. This allows a flexible arrangement of the top in its ready position relative to the base plate. In particular, the top is not limited to bringing it into a vertical position, thus allowing the ready position to be optimized with respect to the space available in front of the platen press.

[0009] A door is provided on the operator side (OS) of the platen press to allow an operator of the hot foil press to easily access the support plate and hook elements during installation of the support plate.

[0010] In the preparation position, the compensation plate is arranged close to the door of the platen press for interacting with the hook element. For example, the compensation plate is arranged substantially parallel to the door or at a certain angle to the door.

[0011] The expression "at an angle" means that there is an angle between the respective portions within a range between 0° and 180°, that is, not equal to 0° or 180°.

[0012] The hot foil embossing machine is preferably a vertical and horizontal hot foil embossing machine.

[0013] In order to ensure a reliable interaction between the hook element and the compensation plate, the hook element can be held in its fixed position by means of a resilient element.

[0014] For example, the elastic element is a spring which preferably exerts a force on the compensation plate in a fixed position.

[0015] The top of the hook element preferably comprises an operating element, by means of which the hook element can be switched between a release position and a fixing position.

[0016] The operating element can be operated manually by an operator of the hot foil embossing machine in particular. The operating element can be, for example, a knob, a handle, a grip or a groove.

[0017] Preferably, the operating element is a groove that can be operated by a single finger of the operator. Therefore, in this alternative, the operator only needs one hand to operate the hook element so that the operator can operate the compensation plate at the same time.

[0018] In a variant, the door of the platen press comprises a first door section and a second door section, the second door section being arranged at an angle relative to the first door section.Such a design of the door of the platen press allows an optimization of the space requirements of the overall hot foil embossing press.

[0019] In particular, the first and second door sections may be arranged to surround (ie substantially fold around) a component of the platen press, such as a bobbin or roller providing foil for a hot foil pressing operation.

[0020] For example, in case the hot foil embossing machine is a vertical and horizontal hot foil embossing machine, the first and second gate sections may surround a bobbin on which the foil is wound and which is provided to the sheet to be processed from a direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction.

[0021] In order to avoid that the hook element interferes with other components of the platen press, the bottom of the hook element may be substantially parallel to the first door section or the second door section.

[0022] In a variant, the compensating plate is arranged at an angle between 0° and 90°, preferably between 0° and 40°, relative to the first door segment.

[0023] Preferably, the second hook element is rotatably attached to the door of the platen press opposite to the hook element in the width direction of the door, wherein the second hook element comprises a second bottom portion and a second top portion, the second top portion being arranged at a certain angle relative to the second bottom portion. The second bottom portion of the second hook element is rotatably connected to the door via a second fixed shaft to be switched between a release position and a fixed position.

[0024] The second hook element may further improve the stability of the compensation plate in the preparation position. Furthermore, in case the compensation plate is made of a flexible material, the second hook element may prevent the compensation plate from warping and / or tilting when it is held in the preparation position by the hook element. Thus, mechanical stresses on the compensation plate may be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of damaging the compensation plate during the set-up of the platen press.

[0025] Although the second hook element has a second bottom portion and a second top portion like the hook element, the second hook element is not necessarily the same as the hook element.

[0026] To facilitate the operation of the hook element and the second hook element, the hook element and the second hook element can be connected by a connecting element so that when the hook element is in the release position, the second hook element is in the release position, and when the hook element is in the fixed position, the second hook element is in the fixed position.

[0027] In other words, the hook element and the second hook element perform a coupled movement when they are switched between their respective release positions and fixing positions. Furthermore, when it is necessary to fix the compensation plate in its ready position, the operator of the hot foil stamping machine only needs to manipulate the hook element or the second hook element. This allows the operator to securely fix the compensation plate with one hand, while the other hand can, for example, hold the compensation plate in a desired position.

[0028] In a variant, the connecting element is a rod which is rotatably connected at its first end to the base of the hook element and which is rotatably connected at its second end to the second base of the second hook element.

[0029] When the hook element and the second hook element are switched from the respective releasing positions to the respective fixing positions, the hook element and the second hook element may be rotated in opposite directions.

[0030] This opposite movement can be achieved by connecting the connecting element on different sides of the respective fixing axes of the hook element and the second hook element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of the invention and from the accompanying drawings, which show non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the invention and in which:

[0032] Figure 1 A hot foil embossing machine according to the invention is schematically shown;

[0033] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of selected portions of a platen press of a hot foil stamping press;

[0034] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A schematic front view of a platen press;

[0035] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A side view of a hook element of a hot foil embossing machine;

[0036] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 A rear view of the hook element;

[0037] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A top view of a hook element;

[0038] Figure 7 Shows Figure 5 The hook element and Figure 1 A rear view of a second hook element of a hot foil embossing machine;

[0039] Figure 8 Schematically shows the Figure 2 The press machine Figure 4 the arrangement of the hook elements; and

[0040] Fig. 9 Schematically shows Figure 4 Alternative arrangement of hook elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Figure 1 A hot foil embossing machine 10 is schematically shown and comprises a series of processing stations arranged in parallel but interdependently and forming an integral assembly.

[0042] The hot foil stamping machine 10 comprises, along a feeding direction F, a loading station 12 for loading sheets into the hot foil stamping machine 10 , followed by an inspection station 14 , a platen press 16 , a foil feeding module 18 , and a removal station 20 for collecting and removing processed sheets from the hot foil stamping machine 10 .

[0043] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the type and arrangement of the processing stations of the hot foil embossing machine 10 may vary. Figure 1 As shown, this depends on the type of operation to be performed on the sheet as is known in the art.

[0044] The sheet material to be processed by the hot foil stamping press 10 may be cardboard or paper, to which a metallized plastic foil or a thin metal foil is applied in the stamping press 16 .

[0045] In the illustrated embodiment, the hot foil stamping machine 10 is a vertical and horizontal hot foil stamping machine. Therefore, in the stamping machine 16, a metallized plastic foil or a thin metal foil can be applied to the stamping machine 16 from a foil feed module 18 in a direction opposite to the feed direction F and / or perpendicular to the feed direction F in the depth direction D of the stamping machine 16.

[0046] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of selected portions of the platen press 16 of the hot foil stamp 10 is shown.

[0047] The platen press 16 includes a support plate 22 that can be inserted into and removed from the platen press 16 via a pair of guides 24 .

[0048] The support plate 22 has a lower base plate 26 and a compensation plate 28 rotatably attached to the base plate 26 .

[0049] The compensation plate 28 can be in an operating position and a standby position (eg Figure 2 ) between the operating position, wherein the compensating plate is substantially parallel to the bottom plate 26 (in the Figure 2 The compensation plate 28' is shown as a dotted line).

[0050] In the preparation position, the operator of the hot foil embossing press can place a prepared sheet (not shown) on the base plate 26. The prepared sheet is used to switch and / or set the pressure obtained by the platen 16 during the hot foil embossing process, especially by equalizing the thickness of the support plate 22.

[0051] The platen press 16 has a door 30 which includes a first door section 32 and a second door section 34 , wherein the second door section 34 is arranged at an angle relative to the first door section 32 .

[0052] The door 30 in the closed position surrounds a plurality of first and second bobbins 36 , 37 having metal foil wound thereon which can be applied to a sheet to be processed by the hot foil embossing machine 10 .

[0053] The door 30 can be opened to an inspection position, such as Figure 2 In the inspection position, the operator can enter the interior of the platen press 16, for example, to install and / or remove the first winding drum 36 and the second winding drum 37.

[0054] Due to the design of the door 30 and its orientation relative to the support plate 22 , the door 30 limits the range of motion of the compensating plate 28 when removed from the platen press 16 .

[0055] Therefore, the compensation plate 28 cannot be arranged vertically in the height direction H when the preparation sheet is installed. However, due to the space limitation on the operator side of the hot foil stamping machine 10, that is, Figure 2 On the side shown on the right, further removal of the support plate 22 from the platen press 16 is not desirable.

[0056] Therefore, the hot foil embossing machine 10 includes a hook element 38 .

[0057] The hook element 38 has a bottom portion 40 and a top portion 42 disposed at an angle α relative to the bottom portion 40 (see FIG. Figure 4 ).

[0058] The hook element 38 is arranged close to an edge 39 connecting the first door section 32 and the second door section 34 .

[0059] The hook element 38 is connected to the door 30 via a fixed axis 44 (see Figure 8 ).

[0060] exist Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the hook element 38 is shown in a fixed position, wherein the hook element 38 holds the compensation plate 28 in its ready position.

[0061] Generally, the hook element 38 can be in a fixed position (such as Figure 2 ) and a release position, in which the hook element 38 does not hold the compensation plate 28 in the release position.

[0062] To this end, the hook element 38 can be rotated about the rotation axis R1 (see Figures 4 to 6 ). Thus, the hook element 38 is rotatably connected to the door 30.

[0063] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Schematic front view of a platen press, in which different parts of the platen press 16 are shown in a folded manner.

[0064] exist Figure 3In FIG. 1 , the support plate 22 is being removed from the platen press 16, as indicated by the arrow.

[0065] Furthermore, it is apparent that the first door section 32 and the second door section 34 each include a respective window 46 that allows inspection of the interior of the platen press 16 during operation.

[0066] In addition, Figure 1 and 3 In the perspective view in FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the platen press 16 further includes a second hook element 48 , which is disposed opposite the hook element 38 along the width of the door 30 and is substantially at the same height along the height direction H. Specifically, the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 are located close to the edge 39 connecting the first door section 32 and the second door section 34 .

[0067] Therefore, the compensation plate 28 is held in its ready position from both sides by the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 , so that the compensation plate 28 can be prevented from warping or bending, thereby reducing mechanical stress on the compensation plate 28 .

[0068] exist Figure 4 , a side view of the hook element 38 is shown, wherein the angled orientation between the bottom 40 and the top 42 is easily seen.

[0069] In the illustrated embodiment, the angle α between the bottom 40 and the top 42 is approximately 35°. Generally, the angle α may be in the range between 0° and 90°. Preferably, the angle α is in the range of 20° to 70°.

[0070] Figure 5 A rear view of the hook element 38 is shown. Figure 5 As shown by the double arrow in , the hook element 38 can rotate around the rotation axis R1.

[0071] like Figures 4 to 6 In the orientation shown, the hook element 38 is in its fixed position, ie the compensation plate 28 is held by the contact surface 50 of the hook element 38 .

[0072] according to Figure 5 In the viewing direction in FIG. 1 , in the release position, the hook element 38 will be rotated, for example, by 90° clockwise.

[0073] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the hook element 38 includes an elastic element 52, which is applied as shown. Figure 5 Spring with force F shown.

[0074] The resilient member 52 holds the hook member 38 in its fixed position.

[0075] Figure 6It is a plan view of the hook element 38 , in which the actuating element 58 of the hook element 38 can be seen.

[0076] An operator of the hot foil stamping machine 10 uses the operating element 58 to switch the hook element 38 between the release position and the securing position.

[0077] In the illustrated embodiment, the operating element 58 is a recess in which a finger of an operator can engage to control the hook element 38. Generally, the design of the operating element 58 can be different, for example, the operating element 58 can be a handle, a lever or a knob.

[0078] Furthermore, the top 42 of the hook element 38 has an inclined funnel surface 60 .

[0079] Figure 7 The interaction between the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 is shown.

[0080] The second hook element 48 includes a second bottom portion 62 and a second top portion 64 disposed at an angle relative to the second bottom portion 62 and the contact surface 66 , similar to the hook element 38 .

[0081] Furthermore, the second hook member 48 is rotatably connected to the door 30 via a second fixing shaft 68 .

[0082] Although the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 have similar structures, Figure 7 As shown, the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 need not be structurally identical to each other.

[0083] The hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 are connected by a connecting element 70 which, in the embodiment shown, is a rigid rod.

[0084] The rod is rotatably connected to the base 40 of the hook member 38 at a first end 72 and is rotatably connected to the second base 62 of the second hook member 48 at a second end 74 .

[0085] However, the first end 72 and the second end 74 are connected in the height direction H at opposite sides of the respective fixing axes of the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 .

[0086] Therefore, when the hook element 38 is switched from the fixed position to the released position by rotating about the rotation axis R1, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, by the clockwise rotation indicated by the arrow P1, the second hook element 48 is also switched from the fixed position to the released position, but by rotating in the opposite direction around the rotation axis R2, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the counterclockwise rotation is indicated by arrow P2.

[0087] Therefore, the compensating plate 28 can be fixed in its ready position by means of the hook element 38 and the second hook element 48 by merely actuating the hook element 38 .

[0088] Furthermore, it is sufficient that the hook element 38 is held in its fixed position by the elastic element 52 .

[0089] Thus, the hot foil stamping machine 10 according to the present invention provides a simple, easy to use and reliable mechanism for securing the compensation plate 28 during preparation of the support plate 22 , thereby reducing the necessary space and setup time of the hot foil stamping machine 10 .

[0090] Figure 8 A schematic arrangement of a hook element 38 relative to a door 30 of a platen press 16 is shown.

[0091] The second bottom portion of the hook element 38 is substantially parallel to the first door section 32 of the door 30 of the platen press 16 .

[0092] The fixed shaft 44 rotatably connects the hook member 38 to the first door section 32 .

[0093] exist Fig. 9 , an alternative arrangement of the hook element 38 relative to the door 30 of the platen press 16 is shown.

[0094] In this alternative, the bottom 40 of the hook element 38 is substantially parallel to the second door section of the door 30 of the platen press 16, and the fixed shaft 44 rotatably connects the hook element 38 to the second door section.

[0095] exist Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In the arrangement shown, the hook element 38 only needs to occupy a minimum space on the side of the door 30 facing the interior of the platen press 16. Therefore, the hook element 38 can be arranged according to other parts of the platen press (for example, according to the position of the first winding drum 36 and the second winding drum 37 (see Figure 2 )) to choose which layout to use.

Claims

1. A hot foil stamping machine, comprising a stamping machine (16) having: a support plate (22) comprising a base plate (26) and a compensation plate (28), the compensation plate (28) being rotatably attached to the base plate (26) to switch between an operating position and a ready position, a hook element (38) comprising a bottom portion (40) and a top portion (42), wherein the top portion (42) is arranged at an angle relative to the bottom portion (40), wherein the hook element (38) is rotatably attached to the door (30) of the platen press (16) via a fixed shaft (44) to switch between a release position and a fixed position of the hook element (38), in, The top portion (42) retains the compensation plate (28) in its ready position when the hook element (38) is in its fixed position.

2. A hot foil embossing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hook element (38) is held in its fixed position by a resilient element (52).

3. The hot foil stamping machine according to claim 1, wherein the top portion of the hook element (38) comprises an operating element (58), and the hook element (38) can be switched between the release position and the fixed position by the operating element (58).

4. The hot foil stamping machine according to claim 2, wherein the top portion of the hook element (38) comprises an operating element (58), and the hook element (38) can be switched between the release position and the fixed position by the operating element (58).

5. The hot foil stamping machine of claim 1, wherein the door (30) of the stamping machine (16) comprises a first door section (32) and a second door section (34), the second door section (34) being arranged at an angle relative to the first door section (32).

6. The hot foil embossing machine according to claim 5, wherein the bottom portion (40) of the hook element (38) is parallel to the first door section (32) or the second door section (34).

7. The hot foil embossing machine according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the compensation plate (28) in the preparation position is at an angle between 0° and 180° relative to the first door section (32).

8. A hot foil stamping machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a second hook element (48) is rotatably attached to the door (30) of the press (16) relative to the hook element (38) in a width direction of the door (30), wherein the second hook element (48) comprises a second bottom portion (62) and a second top portion (64), the second top portion (64) being arranged at a certain angle relative to the second bottom portion (62), and The second bottom portion (62) of the second hook element (48) is rotatably attached to the door (30) via a second fixing shaft (68) to switch between a release position and a fixing position of the second hook element (48).

9. A hot foil stamping machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hook element (38) and the second hook element (48) are connected by a connecting element (70) so that when the hook element (38) is in the release position, the second hook element (48) is in the release position, and when the hook element (38) is in the fixed position, the second hook element (48) is in the fixed position.

10. A hot foil embossing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connecting element (70) is a rod which is rotatably connected to the base (40) of the hook element (38) at a first end (72) and is rotatably connected to the second base (62) of the second hook element (48) at a second end (74).

11. The hot foil stamping machine according to claim 8, wherein the hook element (38) and the second hook element (48) rotate in opposite directions when the hook element (38) and the second hook element (48) are switched from their respective released positions to their respective fixed positions.

12. The hot foil stamping machine according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the hook element (38) and the second hook element (48) rotate in opposite directions when the hook element (38) and the second hook element (48) are switched from their respective release positions to their respective fixed positions.

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