Transfer printing film state sensing device and detection system and printer using same

Abstract

The invention relates to a transfer printing film state sensing device which comprises a protection frame which is fixed on a printing device and synchronously walks with the printing device, a sensor capable of sensing the flatness of a transfer printing film is arranged at the lower end of the protection frame towards the transfer printing film, and the sensor is an optical reflection sensor. The protection frame and the sensor are arranged at the front end of the working direction of the printing device, flatness detection can be carried out on a printing face which is actually printed before printing, and printing quality reduction caused by bumps is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thermal transfer printing, and in particular to a transfer film state sensing device and an applied detection system and printer technology. Background Art

[0002] Thermal transfer technology is a process that transfers patterns or text from a transfer film to a target material through heating and pressure. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) transfer film is widely used for surface decoration of textiles, plastics and other materials due to its good flexibility and transparency. PVC transfer film is applied in rolls. After the pattern or text is printed on the PVC transfer film by a printer, it is cut according to demand.

[0003] Therefore, the flatness of the transfer film is particularly important. As a flatness detection solution, the traditional method is to install a film sensor on the frame on one side of the transfer film roll to monitor the progress of hot stamping and improve the qualified rate of hot stamping products, as disclosed in Chinese patent CN108058477A, ​​a method for making a fully automatic hot stamping machine sensor device.

[0004] However, in actual operation, the deformation of the transfer film is mainly caused by bulging during the cutting process, which easily leads to wrinkles on the film surface. These wrinkles not only affect the beauty of the pattern, but may also cause uneven subsequent printing, seriously affecting product quality. Summary of the invention

[0005] In summary, the present invention aims at the deficiencies of the prior art and proposes a transfer film state sensing device and a detection system and printer applied thereto, so as to more accurately detect the flatness and position of the film, timely discover bulging phenomenon, and ensure printing quality.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The transfer film status sensing device includes a protective frame fixed on the printing device and moving synchronously with the printing device. The lower end of the protective frame is provided with a sensor that can sense the flatness of the transfer film towards the transfer film. The sensor is an optical reflection sensor. The protective frame and the sensor are arranged at the front end of the working direction of the printing device.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, this case sets an optical reflective sensor at the front end of the printing device to sense the bulging state of the transfer film, so that the flatness of the actual printed surface can be detected before printing to prevent the degradation of printing quality caused by bulging. At the same time, the sensor is set at the lower end of the protective frame that moves synchronously with the printing device to protect it and improve the sensing quality. In addition, the drive of the printing device can realize the full-area detection of the printing surface without adding other drive devices.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the outer edge of the protection frame is provided with a protection skirt extending downward around the periphery of the sensor to protect the sensor from external interference and damage.

[0010] In some embodiments, the protection frame is fixedly connected to the printing device via a transition connection cover, so that there is a sensing gap between the sensor and the printing device, reducing the risk of external interference and damage.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is provided with two sensor heads which are arranged obliquely towards each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, there are two sensors, which are staggered toward the inner and outer sides.

[0013] The transfer film state detection system comprises the transfer film state sensing device as described above, and a tool device arranged outside the printing device, wherein the tool device is provided with a stress sensing device.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the stress sensing device is a Hall effect current sensor capable of sensing the change of the electromagnetic valve current and / or a pressure sensitive sensor capable of sensing the tool stress.

[0015] The invention also includes a detection method for transferring film by using the transfer film state detection system as described above.

[0016] A printer comprises the transfer film state detection system as described above.

[0017] In some embodiments, it also includes a U-shaped outer frame arranged around the printing device, and the protection frame is fixedly connected to the U-shaped outer frame to further ensure the installation stability of the transfer film status sensing device and the printing device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a printer used in the transfer film status detection system of this case;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a top view of the printer used in the transfer film status detection system of this case;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the middle part;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation relationship between the protection frame and the sensor;

[0022] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the transfer film status sensing device;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the sensor head of the sensor;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the sensor;

[0025] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the tool device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The features of the present invention and other related features are further described in detail below through embodiments to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art:

[0027] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The same parts are represented by the same figure numerals. It should be noted that the words "left", "right", "up" and "down" used in the following description refer to the directions in the accompanying drawings, and the words "bottom surface" and "top surface", "inside" and "outside" refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively. It should be further explained that "inside" and "outside" are marked in the accompanying drawings for the convenience of explanation. They are relative to the inner cavity of the printer. The inside indicates the direction toward the inner cavity of the printer, and the outside indicates the direction facing the user's operating side.

[0028] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The transfer film state sensing device 100 of this case is applied to a thermal transfer printer and is used to sense abnormal states of the transfer film, such as bulging and deformation. The printer using the transfer film state sensing device 100 of this case is provided with a printing device 200 for printing, which is a device that can move back and forth left and right and is a necessary device of the printer, and will not be described in detail.

[0029] In this case, when the printing device 200 moves left and right, the actual printer in this case adds ink on the right side, so its working direction is on the left side. For the convenience of description, the description of "front end" will be used in the following description, which is the forward direction relative to its working direction. During specific operation, after the printer completes the previous round of printing, it pushes the printed transfer film outward, and the tool device 300 cuts the printed PVC transfer film. At this time, if the cutting is not smooth enough, it is easy to cause abnormal conditions such as bulging and deformation of the transfer film, affecting the next section of printing. For this reason, the transfer film status sensing device 100 of this case will perform pre-sensing before the printing device 200 works to check for hidden dangers of abnormal transfer film.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The transfer film state sensing device 100 of this case includes a protection frame 110 fixed at the front end of the working direction of the printing device 200 and moving synchronously with the printing device 200. A sensor 120 capable of sensing the flatness of the transfer film is provided at the lower end of the protection frame 110 facing the transfer film. Preferably, the sensor 120 can be an optical reflection sensor.

[0031] It should be noted that the optical reflective sensor used in the flatness detection of the transfer film has the advantages of high precision and wide coverage area. In this case, it is set at the lower end of the protection frame 110 that moves synchronously with the printing device 200, and can be protected by it to improve the detection stability and quality. At the same time, the full-area detection of the printing surface can be achieved by using the drive of the printing device without adding other drive devices.

[0032] Secondly, the optical reflective sensor adopts non-contact measurement to avoid physical contact and potential damage to the film, and is suitable for transfer films of various materials and thicknesses. It also has high stability and reliability in long-term use, simple maintenance, and reduced mechanical wear.

[0033] Please continue to refer to 4 and Figure 5 In order to ensure stable operation of the sensor 120, a protective skirt 111 extending downward around the periphery of the sensor is provided on the outer edge of the protection frame 110 to protect the sensor 120 from external interference and damage.

[0034] As described above, the optical reflective sensor has the characteristic of a wide coverage area, but if it is too close to the printing device 200, the distance between the printing device 200 and the transfer film is short, which will affect the operation of the optical reflective sensor. Therefore, in some embodiments, the protection frame 110 is fixedly connected to the printing device 200 through the transition connection cover 130, so that there is a sensing gap between the printing device 200 and the sensor 120, reducing the risk of external interference and damage.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 4 Furthermore, in order to make it work more stably, the printer can set a U-shaped outer frame 210 around the printing device 200, which can protect the printing device 200 and fix the protection frame 110 and the outer frame 210, further ensuring the installation stability of the transfer film state sensing device 100 and the printing device 200. The U-shaped outer frame 210 can be an open-loop setting, which surrounds the printing device 200 on three sides, so that it can present a more stable structure, and the open-loop setting also facilitates the maintenance of the printing device 200.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 5 In order to expand the detection area, in some embodiments, multiple sensors 120 can be provided, preferably two, and staggered toward the inner and outer sides.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7In order to improve the detection accuracy, the sensor 120 can be provided with two sensor heads 121 which are arranged obliquely and facing each other, one of which can be used as a light source for emission and the other as a light source for detection. Such a design can improve the detection range and at least improve the misjudgment caused by mirror reflection during vertical detection, and can also reduce the detection blind area caused by the shadow area. In other words, the detection deviation caused by too bright or too dark can be improved.

[0038] As described above, the transfer film state sensing device 100 of the present case is a detection device that takes into account the abnormality of the transfer film caused by the cutting of the tool device 300. In this regard, the present case also includes a transfer film state detection system using the transfer film state sensing device 100 as described above. The transfer film state detection system also includes a tool device 300 provided with a stress sensing device. That is, the operation mode of the transfer film state sensing device 100 can be selected according to the stress sensing of the tool device 300.

[0039] The tool device 300 includes an inner frame 310 fixedly connected to the printing device 200. The inner frame 310 is used as a fixed frame, and a guide frame 320 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the inner frame 310, and a solenoid valve 350 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the inner frame 310. The driving shaft of the solenoid valve 350 is fixedly connected to the tool holder 330, and drives the tool holder 330 to move in the guide frame 320. The tool holder 340 is fixedly installed on the tool holder 330.

[0040] At this time, the stress sensing device that can be selected is a Hall effect current sensor that can sense the current change of the electromagnetic valve 350 and feedback the sensing information. If the current change exceeds the threshold, the printing device 200 can be idle once before working, that is, when the printing device 200 is idle, the transfer film state sensing device 100 is continuously operated to perform a comprehensive check on the transfer film in advance.

[0041] The reason for performing the idle operation of the printing device 200 according to the sensing value of the stress sensing device is that when the tool device 300 is cutting, the point where the stress of the tool device 300 is the greatest is at the starting position of cutting, that is, the side of the transfer film. This position can also be understood as the position where printing starts. Therefore, during normal operation, if there is an abnormality in the transfer film, because the transfer film status sensing device 100 is at the front end of its working direction, the problem can be detected before the printing device 200 works. Therefore, it is only necessary to perform the idle operation of the printing device 200 for the entire printing area when there is an abnormality in the stress sensing device of the tool device 300. During normal operation, there is no need to perform a global abnormality check, which can improve the working efficiency of the printer.

[0042] As another embodiment of the stress sensing device, a pressure sensitive sensor for sensing the stress of the tool 340 may be provided, preferably on the driving shaft of the electromagnetic valve, to facilitate installation of the stress change signal transmission device. Of course, the pressure sensitive sensor and the Hall effect current sensor as described above may be used simultaneously.

[0043] As mentioned above, this case protects the transfer film sensing device and the detection system and printer used therein. All technical solutions that are the same or similar to this case should be deemed to fall within the protection scope of this case.

Claims

1. A transfer film state sensing device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a protection frame (110) fixed to a printing device (200) and moving synchronously with the printing device (200); a sensor (120) capable of sensing the flatness of the transfer film is provided at the lower end of the protection frame (110) facing the transfer film; the sensor (120) is an optical reflection sensor; and the protection frame (110) and the sensor (120) are arranged at the front end of the working direction of the printing device (200).

2. The transfer film state sensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer edge of the protection frame (110) is provided with a protection skirt (111) extending downward around the outer circumference of the sensor (120).

3. The transfer film state sensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protection frame (110) is fixedly connected to the printing device (200) via a transition connection cover (130).

4. The transfer film state sensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor (120) is provided with two sensor heads (121) which are arranged obliquely towards each other.

5. The transfer film state sensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the sensors (120) is two and they are staggered towards the inner and outer sides.

6. The transfer film status detection system is characterized by: It comprises a transfer film state sensing device (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, and a tool device (300) arranged outside the printing device (200), wherein the tool device (300) is provided with a stress sensing device.

7. The transfer film state detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The stress sensing device is a Hall effect current sensor capable of sensing the change of the electromagnetic valve current and / or a pressure sensitive sensor capable of sensing the tool stress.

8. The transfer film status detection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The transfer film state sensing device (100) selects the printing device (200) to operate idle according to the feedback information from the stress sensing device, and operates the transfer film state sensing device (100) at the same time.

9. A printer, characterized in that A transfer film status detection system as described in any one of claims 6 to 8 is used.

10. The printer according to claim 9, characterized in that It also includes a U-shaped outer frame (210) arranged around the printing device, and the protection frame (110) is fixedly connected to the U-shaped outer frame (210).

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