A method for solving the problem of matching the surface texture of a can with a digital printed pattern

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of digital printing technology, specifically a method for matching digital printing patterns with the surface texture of a can. Before the surface frame camera performs texture recognition on the glass bottles at the loading and unloading station, a second servo motor drives a screw to rotate, driving a connecting plate to introduce a separating airbag into the inside of the glass bottle. An air pump inflates the separating airbag, causing the non-transparent material to bulge and separate the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle. Then, the surface frame camera performs texture recognition on the glass bottles at the loading and unloading station according to existing technology and matches it with the pattern in the background system of existing technology. After the matching is completed, the station exchange turntable rotates the glass bottles at the loading and unloading station to the printing station. The printing carriage moves with the printing nozzle to print on the glass bottles. The separating airbag can avoid the recognition interference caused by the texture on the lower side of the glass bottle on the surface frame camera, thereby improving the recognition accuracy, and thus improving the printing efficiency and printing quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of digital printing technology, specifically a method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can. Background Technology

[0002] Digital printers, also known as universal flatbed printers or curved surface printers, can print on any material and irregular soft or hard objects. When digitally printing on surfaces such as glass bottles or aluminum wine bottles with 3D textures, it is usually necessary to match the printed pattern with the surface texture.

[0003] The traditional method of matching printed patterns with surface textures involves manual identification and manual feeding, which has drawbacks such as large errors and low efficiency. With the development of intelligence and automation, automatic identification is now widely used. However, when matching printed patterns with surface textures on transparent glass bottles, the transparency of the glass bottles means that the textures on both the top and bottom surfaces will be visible, which can easily interfere with the identification and also result in large errors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: a method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can, comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1. Install a station exchange turntable between the printing station and the loading / unloading station. Install multi-functional clamping components symmetrically on both sides of the upper end of the station exchange turntable, and install a separation mechanism on the multi-functional clamping components. Set a face frame camera on the upper side of the loading / unloading station.

[0007] S2. Place the glass bottle on the multi-functional clamping assembly at the loading and unloading station, and use the separating mechanism to separate the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle.

[0008] S3. Use a surface frame camera to perform texture recognition on glass bottles at the loading and unloading stations and match them with the patterns in the background system.

[0009] S4. Use the station exchange turntable to rotate the glass bottles on the loading and unloading station to the printing station, and use the printing carriage to move the printing nozzle to print on the glass bottles.

[0010] Preferably, the multi-functional clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder and a first servo motor, both of which are fixedly connected to the upper end of the workstation exchange turntable, and the glass bottle is clamped between the clamping cylinder and the first servo motor.

[0011] Preferably, a fill light is provided on the lower side of the surface-mount camera.

[0012] Preferably, the separation mechanism includes a separation airbag and an air pump. The separation airbag is connected to the air pump through a pipe assembly. The output end of the first servo motor is rotatably connected to a mounting housing, and the air pump is fixedly connected to the mounting housing.

[0013] Preferably, the separating airbag is located inside the mounting shell, and the end of the mounting shell away from the first servo motor is provided with an opening for the separating airbag to extend out. A connecting plate is connected to the tube assembly, and a telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the inside of the mounting shell. The output end of the telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the connecting plate.

[0014] Preferably, the tubing assembly includes an elastic flexible tube and an air guide tube. The elastic flexible tube is fixedly connected between the connecting plate and the air pump. One end of the air guide tube is fixed to the connecting plate, and the other end of the air guide tube is fixed to the opening of the partition airbag. The portion of the air guide tube located inside the partition airbag is provided with an air guide hole.

[0015] Preferably, the telescopic drive mechanism includes a second servo motor and a screw. The second servo motor is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting housing. The connecting plate is provided with a threaded hole adapted to the screw. One end of the screw is fixedly connected to the output end of the second servo motor, and the other end of the screw is threaded through the threaded hole and rotatably connected to the mounting housing.

[0016] Preferably, a guide rod is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting shell, and a guide hole adapted to the guide rod is provided on the connecting plate.

[0017] Preferably, the end of the air duct located outside the airbag is fixedly connected to a mounting plate, and the mounting plate and the connecting plate are fixed together by bolts.

[0018] Preferably, the end of the air duct away from the mounting plate extends into the inner side of the partition airbag.

[0019] This invention provides an improved method for matching digitally printed patterns to the surface texture of a can, which has the following improvements and advantages compared to the prior art:

[0020] Firstly, the dual-station design in this invention uses a surface frame camera to perform 3D texture recognition on the surface of the glass bottle at the loading and unloading station. After matching the pattern with the pattern in the background system, the glass bottle at the loading and unloading station is rotated to the printing station by the station exchange turntable for digital printing. This can greatly reduce the printing misalignment rate and improve the printing quality.

[0021] Secondly, before the surface frame camera performs texture recognition on the glass bottles at the loading and unloading station, the present invention uses a telescopic drive mechanism to introduce a separating airbag into the inside of the glass bottle, and uses an air pump to inflate the separating airbag. The non-transparent material separating airbag inflates and separates the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle, which can avoid the recognition interference caused by the texture on the lower side of the glass bottle to the surface frame camera, thereby improving the recognition accuracy, and thus improving the printing efficiency and printing quality. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of the separation airbag of the present invention in the state of action inside the glass bottle;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a front view schematic diagram of the separation airbag of the present invention in the state of action inside the glass bottle;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a demonstration diagram of the expansion of the partition airbag of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the splitting structure of the separating mechanism of the present invention.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1. Clamping cylinder; 2. First servo motor; 3. Glass bottle; 4. Workstation exchange turntable; 5. Separating airbag; 6. Fill light; 7. Frame camera; 8. Printing carriage; 9. Printing nozzle; 10. Air pump; 11. Flexible hose; 12. Connecting plate; 13. Air guide pipe; 14. Mounting plate; 15. Air guide hole; 16. Second servo motor; 17. Screw; 18. Guide rod; 19. Threaded hole; 20. Guide hole. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail, and the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] This invention provides an improved method for matching digitally printed patterns to the surface texture of a can. The technical solution of this invention is as follows:

[0034] like Figures 1-7 As shown, a method for matching digitally printed patterns to the surface texture of a can includes the following steps:

[0035] S1. Install a station exchange turntable 4 between the printing station and the loading / unloading station. Install multi-functional clamping components symmetrically on both sides of the upper end of the station exchange turntable 4, and install a separation mechanism on the multi-functional clamping components. Set a surface frame camera 7 on the upper side of the loading / unloading station. Set a supplementary light 6 on the lower side of the surface frame camera 7 for supplementary lighting, so that the image captured by the surface frame camera 7 is clearer.

[0036] S2. Place the glass bottle 3 on the multi-functional clamping assembly at the loading and unloading station, and use the separating mechanism to separate the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle 3.

[0037] S3. Using the surface frame camera 7, the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station is textured according to the existing technology and matched with the pattern in the background system of the existing technology.

[0038] S4. Using the station exchange turntable 4, the glass bottle 3 on the loading and unloading station is rotated to the printing station. The printing carriage 8 moves with the printing nozzle 9 to print on the glass bottle 3.

[0039] Among them, the workstation exchange turntable 4 adopts any of the existing rotating structures to realize the position exchange of the two multi-functional clamping components.

[0040] Specifically, the multi-functional clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder 1 and a first servo motor 2. Both the clamping cylinder 1 and the first servo motor 2 are fixedly connected to the upper end of the workstation exchange turntable 4. The glass bottle 3 is clamped between the clamping cylinder 1 and the first servo motor 2. The surface frame camera 7 performs texture recognition on the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station according to existing technology, and after matching it with the pattern in the background system of existing technology, the first servo motor 2 drives the glass bottle 3 to rotate until its own texture matches the system pattern, and then the printing operation can be performed. The specific connection structure and principle are existing known technologies, so they will not be described in detail here. For example, the end of the clamping cylinder 1 that contacts the glass bottle 3 is rotatably connected to a clamping seat.

[0041] Specifically, the separation mechanism includes a separation airbag 5 and an air pump 10. The separation airbag 5 is connected to the air pump 10 through a pipe assembly. The output end of the first servo motor 2 is rotatably connected to a mounting shell. The air pump 10 is fixedly connected to the mounting shell. The separation airbag 5 is located inside the mounting shell. An opening for the separation airbag 5 to extend is provided at the end of the mounting shell away from the first servo motor 2. A connecting plate 12 is connected to the pipe assembly. A telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the inside of the mounting shell. The output end of the telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the connecting plate 12.

[0042] Before using the surface frame camera 7 to perform texture recognition on the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station, the telescopic drive mechanism is used to introduce the separating airbag 5 into the inside of the glass bottle 3. The air pump 10 is used to inflate the separating airbag 5. The non-transparent material separating airbag 5 inflates and separates the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle 3. This avoids the recognition interference caused by the texture on the lower side of the glass bottle 3 to the surface frame camera 7, thereby improving the recognition accuracy and thus improving the printing efficiency and printing quality.

[0043] The tubing assembly includes a flexible hose 11 and an air guide tube 13. The flexible hose 11 is fixedly connected between the connecting plate 12 and the air pump 10. One end of the air guide tube 13 is fixed to the connecting plate 12, and the other end of the air guide tube 13 is fixed to the opening of the partition airbag 5. The portion of the air guide tube 13 located inside the partition airbag 5 is provided with an air guide hole 15. The flexible hose 11 allows the connecting plate 12 to move flexibly within the mounting housing.

[0044] The telescopic drive mechanism includes a second servo motor 16 and a screw 17. The second servo motor 16 is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting housing. The connecting plate 12 is provided with a threaded hole 19 that matches the screw 17. One end of the screw 17 is fixedly connected to the output end of the second servo motor 16. The other end of the screw 17 is threaded through the threaded hole 19 and rotatably connected to the mounting housing. A guide rod 18 is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting housing. The connecting plate 12 is provided with a guide hole 20 that matches the guide rod 18.

[0045] When not in use, the second servo motor 16 drives the screw 17 to rotate. The rotating screw 17 drives the connecting plate 12 to move the separator airbag 5 towards the inside of the mounting shell until the separator airbag 5 is completely housed inside the mounting shell, which can better protect the separator airbag 5. In addition, when printing on opaque bottles, the separator airbag 5 is not needed and can be kept inside the mounting shell.

[0046] As another implementation, for lightweight bottles, such as aluminum cans, when printing, the dividing airbag 5 can be used to expand inside the can, thereby clamping the can. This avoids the need for clamping cylinders and other related clamping structures.

[0047] Furthermore, the end of the air duct 13 located outside the partition airbag 5 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 14, and the mounting plate 14 is fixed to the connecting plate 12 by bolts, which facilitates the disassembly and replacement of the partition airbag 5.

[0048] Furthermore, the end of the air guide tube 13 away from the mounting plate 14 extends into the inner side of the partition airbag 5. On the one hand, the air guide tube 13 can guide the partition airbag 5 to ensure that the air guide tube 13 enters the glass bottle 3 smoothly. On the other hand, the air guide tube 13 can prevent the inner wall of the partition airbag 5 from sticking together in the contracted state.

[0049] Working principle: Before the surface frame camera 7 performs texture recognition on the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station, the second servo motor 16 drives the screw 17 to rotate. The rotating screw 17 drives the connecting plate 12 to introduce the separating airbag 5 into the inside of the glass bottle 3. The air pump 10 inflates the separating airbag 5, and the non-transparent material separating airbag 5 inflates to separate the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle 3. Then, the surface frame camera 7 performs texture recognition on the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station according to the existing technology and matches it with the pattern in the background system of the existing technology. After the matching is completed, the station exchange turntable 4 rotates the glass bottle 3 at the loading and unloading station to the printing station. The printing carriage 8 moves with the printing nozzle 9 to print on the glass bottle 3. The separating airbag 5 can avoid the recognition interference caused by the texture on the lower side of the glass bottle 3 on the surface frame camera 7, thereby improving the recognition accuracy and thus improving the printing efficiency and printing quality.

[0050] The foregoing description enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Install a station exchange turntable (4) between the printing station and the loading / unloading station. Install multi-functional clamping components symmetrically on both sides of the upper end of the station exchange turntable (4). Install a separation mechanism on the multi-functional clamping components. Set a face frame camera (7) on the upper side of the loading / unloading station. The multi-functional clamping components also include a first servo motor (2). S2. Place the glass bottle (3) on the multi-functional clamping assembly at the loading and unloading station and use the separation mechanism to separate the upper and lower sides of the glass bottle (3). S3. Use a surface frame camera (7) to perform texture recognition on the glass bottles (3) at the loading and unloading station and match them with the pattern in the background system. S4. Using the station exchange turntable (4), the glass bottle (3) on the loading and unloading station is rotated to the printing station. The printing carriage (8) moves with the printing nozzle (9) to print on the glass bottle (3). The separation mechanism includes a non-transparent separation airbag (5) and an air pump (10). The separation airbag (5) is connected to the air pump (10) through a pipe assembly. The output end of the first servo motor (2) is rotatably connected to a mounting shell. The air pump (10) is fixedly connected to the mounting shell. The separation airbag (5) is located inside the mounting shell. The end of the mounting shell away from the first servo motor (2) is provided with an opening for the separation airbag (5) to extend. A connecting plate (12) is connected to the tube group. A telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the inside of the mounting shell. The output end of the telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the connecting plate (12).

2. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-functional clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder (1) and a first servo motor (2). The clamping cylinder (1) and the first servo motor (2) are both fixedly connected to the upper end of the workstation exchange turntable (4). The glass bottle (3) is clamped between the clamping cylinder (1) and the first servo motor (2).

3. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fill light (6) is provided on the lower side of the surface frame camera (7).

4. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tubing assembly includes an elastic hose (11) and an air guide tube (13). The elastic hose (11) is fixedly connected between the connecting plate (12) and the air pump (10). One end of the air guide tube (13) is fixed to the connecting plate (12), and the other end of the air guide tube (13) is fixed to the opening of the partition airbag (5). The portion of the air guide tube (13) located inside the partition airbag (5) is provided with an air guide hole (15).

5. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic drive mechanism includes a second servo motor (16) and a screw (17). The second servo motor (16) is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting shell. The connecting plate (12) is provided with a threaded hole (19) that matches the screw (17). One end of the screw (17) is fixedly connected to the output end of the second servo motor (16), and the other end of the screw (17) is threaded through the threaded hole (19) and rotatably connected to the mounting shell.

6. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 5, characterized in that: A guide rod (18) is fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting shell, and a guide hole (20) adapted to the guide rod (18) is provided on the connecting plate (12).

7. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 6, characterized in that: The end of the air duct (13) located outside the air bladder (5) is fixedly connected to the mounting plate (14), and the mounting plate (14) and the connecting plate (12) are fixed together by bolts.

8. The method for matching digitally printed patterns with the surface texture of a can according to claim 7, characterized in that: The end of the air duct (13) away from the mounting plate (14) extends into the inner side of the partition airbag (5).

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