A printing substrate support assembly, digital printing machine and printing method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a printing substrate support component, a digital printing machine and a printing method. The printing substrate support component includes: a support body, extending along a first direction, and having two arc-shaped surfaces facing outward in a second direction, the two arc-shaped surfaces are symmetrically arranged, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; a rotation axis, extending along the first direction and connected to the support body, and the support body can rotate around the rotation axis. The present invention uses two symmetrically arranged arc-shaped surfaces to approximately simulate the curves of the human body to support printing substrates such as T-shirts and shirts, which causes little deformation to the printing substrate and can make the printed pattern more accurate. In addition, the two symmetrically arranged arc-shaped surfaces can not only better support the printing substrate, but also can print on the other side of the printing substrate by simply rotating the support assembly after printing one side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of digital printing, in particular to a substrate support component, a digital printing machine and a printing method. Background Art

[0002] As the pursuit of personalization becomes increasingly high, people hope that the clothes they wear can be different from others, which puts forward requirements for personalized customization. At present, for clothes with larger areas such as T-shirts, personalized customization is usually completed by heat transfer. For example, the Chinese invention patent document with publication number CN 114506150A discloses a shared self-service heat transfer system and method, which completes personalized qualitative customization by heat printing. Specifically, it prints the customized picture uploaded by the user on heat transfer paper, and then heat transfers the pattern on the heat transfer paper to the printing substrate such as T-shirts. The customized pattern completed by heat transfer is not firm in color and is easy to fade due to the transfer process, and it has to go through at least two processes of printing and transfer. The procedure is cumbersome and the operation is troublesome. In addition, the heat transfer method requires high-temperature heating during transfer. For temperature-sensitive substrates, such as silk fabrics, the high temperature during transfer can easily damage the substrate.

[0003] In addition to thermal transfer printing, personalized customization can also be achieved through inkjet printing. For example, the Chinese invention patent document with publication number CN113619282A discloses a water-based UV curing ink direct-injection printer and its printing process, which can print patterns on substrates such as shirts. In the existing solutions for completing personalized customization by inkjet printing, represented by this patent document, it is usually necessary to place the substrates such as T-shirts and shirts on a support, use the support to flatten the substrate, and then use the nozzle to perform the printing operation on the surface of the substrate supported into a plane. However, since the substrates such as T-shirts and shirts are three-dimensional products, it is difficult to support them flat, or after supporting them flat, the substrate will be deformed. After the printing is completed and the substrate is restored to its original state, the pattern on the print will also be deformed. At the same time, after the three-dimensional substrate is supported into a plane, it will also affect the area that can be printed, and the operating efficiency is also low. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a support component for supporting the printing substrate when printing on the surface of the printing substrate such as T-shirts and shirts, as well as a digital printing machine and printing method including the support component, which can provide better support for the printing substrate and achieve better printing effect and printing efficiency.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a substrate support assembly, comprising:

[0006] The support body extends along a first direction and has two arc-shaped surfaces facing outward in a second direction, the two arc-shaped surfaces are symmetrically arranged, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

[0007] The rotation shaft extends along a first direction and is connected to the support body, and the support body can rotate around the rotation shaft.

[0008] Furthermore, support rods extending along the first direction are respectively provided at adjacent edges on both sides of the two arc-shaped surfaces of the support body, and the support rods are configured to be able to move toward or away from the rotation axis.

[0009] Furthermore, grooves are provided at adjacent edges on both sides of the two arc-shaped surfaces of the support body, and the support rod is located in the grooves.

[0010] Furthermore, a gear is sleeved on the rotating shaft, and racks are respectively provided on both sides of the gear. Sliders that can slide along the slide rail are respectively provided on the racks, and the bottom end of the support rod is provided on the slider; the slider or rack is driven manually or by a motor to slide along the slide rail to drive the support rod to move toward or away from the rotating shaft.

[0011] Furthermore, the support body includes two symmetrically arranged arc-shaped support plates, the two arc-shaped support plates are connected by a connecting plate, and the rotating shaft is connected to the connecting plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the connecting plate includes an upper connecting plate and a lower connecting plate, and the slide rail is arranged on the lower connecting plate; the lower connecting plate is provided with a strip hole in the same direction as the sliding direction, and each slider is equipped with a driving handle, and the driving handle is connected to the slider through the strip hole, and the operating part of the driving handle is located below the lower connecting plate.

[0013] The present invention also provides a digital printing machine, comprising:

[0014] base;

[0015] The above-mentioned printing material support assembly is arranged on the base through the rotating shaft;

[0016] A vertical rail is provided on the base;

[0017] The nozzle assembly is arranged on the vertical rail and can slide up and down along the vertical rail. The working surface of the nozzle assembly faces the printing material support assembly.

[0018] Furthermore, the base includes a bracket and a rotating plate arranged on the bracket, there are multiple substrate support components, and the multiple substrate support components are symmetrically arranged on the rotating plate. The rotation center of the rotating plate coincides with the center of the outer arc surface of the substrate support component.

[0019] Furthermore, a locking hole is provided at the bottom of the printing material support assembly, and a locking pin is passed through the rotating plate corresponding to each position of the printing material support assembly. The locking pin can move axially. When the locking pin is in the first position, the upper end of the locking pin is located in the locking hole; when the locking pin is in the second position, the upper end of the locking pin is disengaged from the locking hole; an elastic member is provided between the locking pin and the rotating plate, and the elastic member keeps the locking pin in the first position; a pull handle is provided at the bottom of the locking pin; and a driving motor for driving the rotating plate to rotate is provided on the bracket.

[0020] The present invention also provides a printing method, comprising:

[0021] Sleeve the printing material on the printing material support assembly, and place the working surface of the nozzle assembly close to one of the curved surfaces of the printing material support assembly;

[0022] The substrate support assembly is rotated so that the center of rotation coincides with the center of the arc surface to which the working surface of the nozzle assembly is close, and the nozzle assembly is moved axially along the center of rotation, and the nozzle assembly is controlled to spray ink toward the substrate according to a preset pattern.

[0023] The substrate support assembly and digital printing machine of the present invention utilize two symmetrically arranged curved surfaces that approximately simulate the curves of the human body to support substrates such as T-shirts and shirts. This minimizes deformation of the substrate and enables more precise printed patterns. Furthermore, the support assembly can be rotated during printing, maintaining a constant distance between the curved surfaces and the printhead, simplifying control. Furthermore, the two symmetrically arranged curved surfaces not only provide better support for the substrate, but also allow printing on the other side of the substrate by simply rotating the support assembly after printing on one side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the main structure of a digital printing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the digital printing machine of the illustrated embodiment from another angle.

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A side view of the main structure of the digital printing machine of the illustrated embodiment.

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the digital printing machine of the illustrated embodiment with one substrate support assembly removed.

[0028] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A top view of the main structure of the digital printing machine of the illustrated embodiment.

[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the digital printing machine of the illustrated embodiment with one arc-shaped support plate of the substrate support assembly removed.

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another angle of the embodiment shown.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a printing substrate support assembly in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the printing substrate supporting assembly of the present invention supporting the printing substrate.

[0033] In the figure: 1. Base; 2. Vertical rail; 3. Printhead assembly; 4. Substrate support assembly; 5. Drive motor; 6. Drive shaft; 7. Bracket; 8. Rotating plate; 9. Substrate; 401. Arc-shaped support plate; 402. Upper connecting plate; 403. Support rod; 404. Rotating shaft; 405. Gear; 406. Rack; 407. Drive handle; 408. Bar hole; 409. Stop wheel; 410. Locking pin; 411. Operating part; 412. Lower connecting plate; 413. Slide rail; 414. Slider. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present invention and implement it. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0035] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the digital printing machine of the present invention includes:

[0036] Base 1;

[0037] The substrate support assembly 4 is arranged on the base 1 via a rotating shaft 404;

[0038] The vertical rail 2 is provided on the base 1;

[0039] The nozzle assembly 3 is arranged on the vertical rail 2 and can slide up and down along the vertical rail 2. The working surface of the nozzle assembly 3 faces the substrate support assembly 4.

[0040] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, an embodiment of the substrate support assembly 4 of the present invention includes:

[0041] The support body extends along a first direction and has two arc-shaped surfaces facing outward in a second direction, the two arc-shaped surfaces are symmetrically arranged, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

[0042] The rotation shaft 404 extends along the first direction and is connected to the support body. The support body can rotate around the rotation shaft 404.

[0043] Based on the above structure, the two curved surfaces of the supporting body of the substrate support assembly 4 of the present invention are similar to the curve of the human body, which can better support the substrates 9 such as T-shirts and shirts, and cause little deformation to the substrates, making the printed pattern more accurate.

[0044] If the size of the substrate matches the size of the substrate support assembly 4, the substrate can be directly placed on the substrate support assembly 4, so that the substrate and the curved surface of the support body can be fitted together, thereby completing the printing. However, in actual applications, the size of the substrate support assembly 4 is usually designed to be relatively small so that it can accommodate substrates of various sizes. In this case, since the substrate size is larger than the support body, the substrate cannot fit well on the curved surface of the support body. In order to solve this problem, in one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5-8 As shown, support rods 403 extending along the first direction are respectively provided at the adjacent edges on both sides of the two curved surfaces of the support body, and the support rods 403 are configured to be able to move toward or away from the rotation axis 404. The support rods 403 can apply a supporting force to the printing substrate sleeved on the support body so that the printing substrate can fit well on the curved surface of the support body, wherein the support rods 403 can support from the inside to the outside of the printing substrate, or can apply force from the outside to the inside of the printing substrate for support. Preferably, in this embodiment, grooves are provided at the adjacent edges on both sides of the two curved surfaces of the support body, and the support rods 403 are located in the grooves. When in use, the printing substrate 9 is sleeved on the support body, the two sides of the printing substrate 9 extend into the grooves, and the support rods 403 are made to contact the printing substrate 9 from the outside of the printing substrate, so that the support rods 403 move toward the direction of the rotation axis 404, and apply a pressing force to both sides of the printing substrate 9, so that the printing substrate 9 fits well with the curved surface of the support body. Its principle is as follows Figure 9 shown.

[0045] In this embodiment, a gear 405 is mounted on the rotating shaft 404. Racks 406 are mounted on either side of the gear 405. Sliders 414 are mounted on the racks 406, each of which is capable of sliding along a slide rail 413. The bottom end of the support rod 403 is mounted on the slides 414. The slides 414 or racks 406 are driven manually or by a motor to slide along the slide rail 413, thereby moving the support rod 403 toward or away from the rotating shaft 404. By applying force to the gear 405 on the rotating shaft 404 and the two racks 406 on either side, synchronized movement of the support rods 403 on both sides can be achieved. This facilitates operation and ensures that the distance between the two sides of the substrate being stretched and compressed is the same, further ensuring accurate positioning of the substrate's to-be-printed area. To ensure stability during the movement of the racks 406, a stopper 409 is located on the opposite side of the racks 406 from the gear 405, allowing the racks 406 to pass between the gear 405 and the stopper 409.

[0046] In this embodiment, the support body includes two symmetrically arranged arcuate support plates 401, which are connected by a connecting plate, and the rotating shaft 404 is connected to the connecting plate. This structure makes the support body simple, lightweight, and low-cost. To ensure the stability and strength of the support body, reinforcement strips can be provided at the inner edges or the middle of the arcuate support plates 401. In other embodiments, the arcuate support plates 401 of the support body can be integrated with the connecting plates, or the support body can be processed into a solid or hollow structure through a process such as injection molding. As long as the objectives of the present invention can be achieved, all of these are equivalent to the present embodiment.

[0047] In this embodiment, the connecting plate includes an upper connecting plate 402 and a lower connecting plate 412, and a slide rail 413 is provided on the lower connecting plate 412. The lower connecting plate 412 is also provided with a strip-shaped hole 408 in the same direction as the sliding direction. Each slider 414 is equipped with a driving handle 407, which passes through the strip-shaped hole 408 and is connected to the slider 414. The operating portion 411 of the driving handle 407 is located below the lower connecting plate 412. By pushing the operating portion 411 of the driving handle 407, the driving handle 407 pushes the slider 414 to slide on the slide rail 413, thereby driving the support rod 403 to move.

[0048] like Figure 5As shown, in one embodiment of the digital printing machine of the present invention, the base 1 includes a bracket 7 and a rotating plate 8 mounted on the bracket 7. Multiple substrate support assemblies 4 are centrally symmetrically arranged on the rotating plate 8, with the rotation center of the rotating plate 8 coinciding with the center of the outer arcuate surface of the substrate support assembly 4. A drive motor 5 is mounted on the bracket 7 and connected to the rotating plate 8 via a drive shaft 6 to drive the rotating plate 8 to rotate. In this embodiment, there are three substrate support assemblies 4. In other embodiments, there may be two, four, or more substrate support assemblies 4.

[0049] Based on this structure, when performing a printing operation, the substrate is first placed on the substrate support assembly 4. Specifically, one substrate can be placed on each substrate support assembly 4, and the working surface of the nozzle assembly 3 is placed close to the outer curved surface of one of the substrate support assemblies 4.

[0050] The driving motor 5 drives the rotating plate 8 to drive multiple printing material support components 4 to rotate together, and the rotation center coincides with the center of the arc surface close to the working surface of the nozzle assembly 3. At this time, the outer arc surfaces of the multiple printing material support components 4 together constitute the outer surface of a rotating cylinder. The nozzle assembly 3 is started to move along the axial direction of the rotation center, and the nozzle assembly 3 is controlled to spray ink onto the substrate according to the preset pattern.

[0051] During the above-mentioned printing process, the substrate support assembly 4 rotates while the nozzle assembly 3 moves axially, so that the nozzle assembly 3 forms a spiral printing effect on the overall curved surface of the outer side of multiple substrate support assemblies 4. The nozzle assembly 3 only needs one unidirectional movement to complete the printing, which is very efficient. At the same time, the movement speed of the nozzle assembly 3 can be reduced to avoid high-speed round trip affecting the life of the nozzle assembly 3.

[0052] After printing on one side of the substrate is completed, the rotating plate 8 stops rotating, and each substrate support assembly 4 rotates 180 degrees around its own rotation axis 404. The drive motor 5 is then started again to drive the rotating plate 8 and the multiple substrate support assemblies 4 to rotate together, completing the printing operation on the other side of the substrate. The operation is very convenient and quick.

[0053] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, a locking hole is provided at the bottom of the substrate support assembly 4, and a locking pin 410 is provided at a position corresponding to each substrate support assembly 4 on the rotating plate 8. The locking pin 410 is axially movable. When the locking pin 410 is in the first position, the upper end of the locking pin 410 is located in the locking hole; when the locking pin 410 is in the second position, the upper end of the locking pin 410 is disengaged from the locking hole; an elastic member is provided between the locking pin 410 and the rotating plate 8, and the elastic member keeps the locking pin 410 in the first position; a pull handle is provided at the bottom of the locking pin 410. Under normal circumstances, the locking pin 410 is maintained in the first position under the action of the elastic member, at which time the upper end of the locking pin 410 is located in the locking hole of the substrate support assembly 4, thereby locking the substrate support assembly 4 and the rotating plate 8 relative to each other, so that the substrate support assembly 4 can only rotate together with the rotating plate 8 and cannot rotate about its own rotation axis 404. After printing one side of the substrate, when printing the other side, the locking pin 410 is pulled downward, disengaging the upper end of the locking pin 410 from the locking hole of the substrate support assembly 4. The substrate support assembly 4 can now rotate about its own rotation axis 404. After the substrate support assembly 4 has rotated 180 degrees, the locking pin 410 is released. The locking pin 410 moves upward under the action of the elastic member, and its upper end re-enters the locking hole of the substrate support assembly 4, locking the substrate support assembly 4 relative to each other so that printing can proceed on the other side.

[0054] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments for the purpose of fully illustrating the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the claims.

Claims

1. A substrate support assembly, characterized in that: include: The support body extends along a first direction and has two arc-shaped surfaces facing outward in a second direction, the two arc-shaped surfaces are symmetrically arranged, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; a rotating shaft extending along a first direction and connected to the supporting body, wherein the supporting body is rotatable about the rotating shaft; Support rods extending along the first direction are respectively provided at the adjacent edges on both sides of the two curved surfaces of the support body, and grooves are provided at the adjacent edges on both sides of the two curved surfaces of the support body. The support rods are located in the grooves, and the support rods are configured to be able to move toward or away from the rotation axis. The grooves are configured to allow both sides of the printing material to extend into and apply a pressing force to both sides of the printing material from the outside when the support rods move toward the rotation axis.

2. The substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A gear is sleeved on the rotating shaft, and racks are respectively provided on both sides of the gear. Slide blocks that can slide along the slide rails are respectively provided on the racks, and the bottom end of the support rod is provided on the slider; the slider or rack is driven manually or by a motor to slide along the slide rail to drive the support rod to move toward or away from the rotating shaft.

3. The substrate support assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The supporting body includes two symmetrically arranged arc-shaped supporting plates, the two arc-shaped supporting plates are connected by a connecting plate, and the rotating shaft is connected to the connecting plate.

4. The substrate support assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The connecting plate includes an upper connecting plate and a lower connecting plate, and the slide rail is arranged on the lower connecting plate; the lower connecting plate is provided with a strip hole in the same direction as the sliding direction, and each slider is equipped with a driving handle, and the driving handle is connected to the slider through the strip hole, and the operating part of the driving handle is located below the lower connecting plate.

5. A digital printing machine, characterized in that: include: A base, comprising a bracket and a rotating plate disposed on the bracket; The cam is connected to the support frame by a toothed structure, and the toothed structure is connected to the support frame by a toothed structure. The cam is connected to the support frame by a toothed structure, and the toothed structure is connected to the support frame by a toothed structure. A vertical rail is provided on the base; The nozzle assembly is arranged on the vertical rail and can slide up and down along the vertical rail. The working surface of the nozzle assembly faces the printing material support assembly.

6. The digital printing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are multiple printing material supporting components, and the multiple printing material supporting components are centrally symmetrically arranged on the rotating plate.

7. The digital printing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: A locking hole is provided at the bottom of the printing material support assembly, and a locking pin is passed through the rotating plate corresponding to each position of the printing material support assembly. The locking pin can move axially. When the locking pin is in the first position, the upper end of the locking pin is located in the locking hole; when the locking pin is in the second position, the upper end of the locking pin is disengaged from the locking hole; an elastic member is provided between the locking pin and the rotating plate, and the elastic member keeps the locking pin in the first position; a pull handle is provided at the bottom of the locking pin; and a driving motor is provided on the bracket to drive the rotating plate to rotate.

8. The digital printing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: A gear is sleeved on the rotating shaft, and racks are respectively provided on both sides of the gear. Slide blocks that can slide along the slide rails are respectively provided on the racks, and the bottom end of the support rod is provided on the slider; the slider or rack is driven manually or by a motor to slide along the slide rail to drive the support rod to move toward or away from the rotating shaft.

9. The digital printing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The supporting body includes two symmetrically arranged arc-shaped supporting plates, the two arc-shaped supporting plates are connected by a connecting plate, and the rotating shaft is connected to the connecting plate.

10. The digital printing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The connecting plate includes an upper connecting plate and a lower connecting plate, and the slide rail is arranged on the lower connecting plate; the lower connecting plate is provided with a strip hole in the same direction as the sliding direction, and each slider is equipped with a driving handle, and the driving handle is connected to the slider through the strip hole, and the operating part of the driving handle is located below the lower connecting plate.

11. A printing method, characterized in that: include: The printing substrate is placed on the printing substrate support assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, with both sides of the printing substrate extending into the groove; the support rod is moved toward the rotation axis to apply a pressing force to the printing substrate from both sides of the outer side of the printing substrate; and the working surface of the nozzle assembly is brought close to one of the curved surfaces of the printing substrate support assembly; The substrate support assembly is rotated so that the center of rotation coincides with the center of the arc surface to which the working surface of the nozzle assembly is close, and the nozzle assembly is moved axially along the center of rotation, and the nozzle assembly is controlled to spray ink toward the substrate according to a preset pattern.

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