A cup printer

Abstract

This application discloses a cup printer, comprising: a base with two support plates spaced apart; an angle adjustment plate rotatably mounted between the two support plates; an angle adjustment mechanism mounted on the support plates and connected to the angle adjustment plate for adjusting the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate; a rotary drive mounted on the angle adjustment plate; a hollow disk mounted on the output end of the rotary drive and having a printing station; and a rotating cup part rotatably mounted on the hollow disk, with both ends of the rotating cup part extending to both sides of the hollow disk. This cup printer uses inkjet printing instead of traditional screen printing, eliminating the need for a dedicated screen, reducing screen change costs and time, and improving production flexibility and pattern diversity. Through the angle adjustment mechanism, XZ axis linear module, and height detection component, the cup tilt angle can be flexibly adjusted, the printing range expanded, and the printing distance detected in real time, adapting to cups of different tapers and heights and ensuring printing accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pattern printing technology, and more particularly to a cup printer. Background Technology

[0002] Cups, as everyday beverage containers, are widely used in catering, gifts, and cultural and creative industries. The printing of patterns on their surfaces is a key step in enhancing product added value and personalization. Currently, the industry primarily relies on screen printing technology for cup printing. This technology involves fixing a screen to a frame and using a squeegee to apply pressure to transfer ink to the cup body. Specialized screens need to be made for different patterns, but this technology has high screen replacement costs and long cycles, and is only suitable for simple patterns with a single or few colors. It cannot meet the printing needs of complex graphics such as gradients and multi-colors. Furthermore, during screen printing, ink must penetrate through the mesh, which can easily lead to problems such as blurred pattern edges, color bleeding, and insufficient color registration accuracy, making it difficult to achieve high-precision, high-saturation printing effects.

[0003] Therefore, in the process of printing patterns on the surface of cups, traditional screen printing is inefficient and difficult to quickly switch between complex patterns. As a result, inkjet printing technology, due to its non-contact, high-precision, and flexible characteristics, has been increasingly applied to the surface decoration of cups in recent years. However, existing inkjet printing equipment for cups still has the following technical shortcomings in practical applications: First, the limited freedom of movement of the inkjet head makes it difficult to adapt to cups of varying heights and tapers. In conventional equipment, the inkjet head is typically fixed and cannot move along the cup's axis (i.e., the height direction). When printing patterns on the cup with a height greater than the printhead's own printing range, the printhead cannot achieve line-by-line coverage by moving, severely limiting the printing range. If the coverage area is expanded by increasing the printhead's installation height, the ink droplet accuracy will decrease and the pattern will become blurry due to the excessive printing distance. Furthermore, for tapered cups, the cross-sectional diameter varies at different heights, and existing printheads lack vertical adjustment capabilities perpendicular to the cup's axis. They cannot dynamically adjust the distance between the printhead and the cup surface according to the diameter changes at different positions on the cup, resulting in inconsistent printing distances that affect ink droplet accuracy and pattern clarity.

[0004] Secondly, there is a lack of real-time detection methods for the distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the printhead. Different cups have varying wall thicknesses and cone tilt angles. To ensure printing quality, the cup surface must be parallel to the printhead and at the optimal working distance. Existing equipment typically only allows for indirect adjustment of the cup's tilt angle via mechanical mechanisms, but it cannot determine the actual distance and true parallelism between the cup surface and the printhead after adjustment. Due to the lack of a real-time feedback mechanism, operators struggle to determine whether optimal printing conditions have been achieved, especially when changing to different cup sizes, often requiring repeated adjustments, resulting in low efficiency and difficulty in guaranteeing accuracy. This problem directly leads to ink droplet misalignment, pattern distortion, or blurring during printing, severely impacting the equipment's adaptability to cups of different wall thicknesses and cone angles, and affecting printing consistency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to propose a cup printer to solve the problems of insufficient freedom of movement of the inkjet printhead in existing cup inkjet printing equipment, which makes it difficult to adapt to the printing needs of cups of different heights and tapers. At the same time, the lack of real-time detection means for the distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the printhead leads to limited printing range, reduced ink droplet accuracy, pattern distortion and blurring, and low debugging efficiency and poor consistency when changing cups of different sizes.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the following technical solution is adopted in this application: A cup printer, comprising: The base has two support plates spaced apart. An adjusting plate is rotatably mounted between the two support plates; An angle adjustment mechanism is installed on the support plate and connected to the angle adjustment plate for adjusting the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate; A dividing rotation mechanism is provided on the adjusting plate, and a printing station is provided on the dividing rotation mechanism; A cup-fitting part is disposed on the indexing and rotating mechanism and is used to fit the cup to be printed. The indexing and rotating mechanism is used to drive the cup-fitting part to rotate around the center line of the indexing and rotating mechanism. The frame is mounted on the base; An XZ-axis linear module is mounted on the frame, and the XZ-axis linear module has two-dimensional planar translational degrees of freedom in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. A movable frame is set in the XZ axis linear module; Both the inkjet printer and the height detection component are mounted on the movable frame. The inkjet printer corresponds to the position of the cup-shaped part of the printing station and is used to spray ink onto the cup to be printed. The height detection component is used to detect the distance between the inkjet printer and the corresponding cup-shaped part.

[0007] Optionally, the height detection component includes a mounting bracket, a height linear actuator, a telescopic rod, a lever plate, and a micro switch; the mounting bracket is mounted on the movable frame, the telescopic rod is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket, the height linear actuator is mounted on the mounting bracket and connected to the upper end of the telescopic rod, and the lower end of the telescopic rod is used to abut against the cup fitted on the corresponding cup part; the lever plate is mounted on the telescopic rod, the micro switch is mounted on the mounting bracket, and the micro switch is located below the lever plate and corresponds to the position of the lever plate.

[0008] Optionally, the indexing rotation mechanism includes a rotation drive, a hollow disk, a rotating cup section, a cup section drive, and a magnetic suction component; A rotary drive component is mounted on the angle adjustment plate; A hollow disk is installed at the output end of the rotary drive component, and the printing station is set on the hollow disk; The rotating cup part is rotatably mounted on the hollow disk. Both ends of the rotating cup part extend to both sides of the hollow disk. Multiple rotating cup parts are provided and are arranged in a circle around the center of the hollow disk. The number of the cup-shaped parts is multiple, and each part is installed at the end of the rotating cup part away from the angle adjusting plate; A cup-part drive component is installed on the angle adjustment plate. There are multiple cup-part drive components, and each one corresponds to a cup-rotating part at the workstation where the cup needs to be rotated. A magnetic suction element is disposed at one end of the rotating cup part away from the cup sleeve part and at the output end of each cup part drive element, so that the cup part drive element drives the rotating cup part corresponding to the workstation where the cup needs to be rotated to rotate.

[0009] Optionally, the hollow disk has a clearance opening at its center, and a crossbeam is installed on the angle adjustment plate. The crossbeam extends through the clearance opening to the side of the hollow disk away from the angle adjustment plate. An equidistant linear actuator is installed on the crossbeam, and a connecting frame is provided on the equidistant linear actuator. An ultraviolet lamp is installed on the connecting frame. The number of ultraviolet lamps is consistent with the number of cup parts in the printing station and their positions correspond.

[0010] Optionally, the hollow tray is further provided with a curing station, which corresponds to one of the cup-shaped parts; an ultraviolet lamp is installed on the base, and the position of the ultraviolet lamp corresponds to the cup-shaped part in the curing station, for curing the cup on the cup-shaped part.

[0011] Optionally, the hollow disk is further provided with a pre-treatment station, the curing station is downstream of the printing station, and the pre-treatment station is upstream of the printing station and corresponds to one of the cup portions. A tail end plate is mounted on the crossbeam, and multiple pressing linear drive components are mounted on the tail end plate. Each pressing linear drive component is respectively configured to correspond to a cup fitting portion in the pre-processing station and the printing station. The telescopic end of each pressing linear drive component is rotatably connected to a compression sleeve, which is used to abut against the bottom of the cup on the corresponding cup fitting portion. A surface processor is also provided on the frame, which is used to perform plasma or corona treatment on the cup fitting portion of the pre-processing station.

[0012] Optionally, the hollow disk is further provided with a color tracking station between the pre-processing station and the printing station, the color tracking station corresponding to one of the cup fitting parts; one of the cup fitting drive components corresponds to the cup fitting part in the color tracking station; a color mark sensor is installed on the frame, the color mark sensor is used to identify the seam of the cup, thereby locating the initial position of the pattern printing.

[0013] Optionally, the hollow disc is further provided with a feeding station upstream of the pre-processing station, the feeding station corresponding to one of the cup fitting parts; a feeding conveyor is installed on the base, the feeding conveyor also corresponding to the position of the cup fitting part in the feeding station; a cup fitting mechanism is also provided on the base, the cup fitting mechanism being used to fit the first cup on the feeding conveyor onto the cup fitting part in the feeding station.

[0014] Optionally, the cup-setter mechanism includes a cup-setter linear module, two heightening plates, two cup-clamping linear drivers, a cup-clamping plate, a cup-disassembly linear driver, and a cup-disassembly plate. The cup-setter linear module is mounted on the base and is parallel to and corresponding to the feeding conveyor. The two heightening plates are respectively mounted on the cup-setter linear module. The two cup-clamping linear drivers are respectively mounted on the two heightening plates. The two cup-clamping plates are respectively mounted on the output ends of the two cup-clamping linear drivers, and are respectively located on both sides of the feeding station corresponding to the cup-setter portion, for clamping the cups. The two cup-disassembly linear drivers are spaced apart on the tail end plate. The two cup-disassembly plates are respectively mounted on the output ends of the two cup-disassembly linear drivers. One cup-disassembly plate is used to insert between the edges of the mouths of the two foremost cups on the feeding conveyor, and the other cup-disassembly plate is used to press down on the body of the second cup to prevent the first cup from moving along with the second cup during the set-in process.

[0015] Optionally, the hollow disc is further provided with a feeding station downstream of the curing station, the feeding station corresponding to one of the cup-shaped parts; a feeding conveyor is installed on the base, the feeding conveyor also corresponding to the position of the cup-shaped part in the feeding station; an air passage is provided between the rotating cup part and the cup-shaped part; an air pipe is slidably passed through the angle plate, and one end of the air pipe corresponds to the end of the rotating cup part away from the corresponding cup-shaped part, for blowing air into the rotating cup part after the rotating cup part and the air pipe are connected to blow the cup on the cup-shaped part onto the feeding conveyor.

[0016] Compared to existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this application are: 1. By adjusting the tilt angle of the adjustment plate through the angle adjustment mechanism, the surface of the cup on the cup sleeve is kept parallel to the inkjet component that sprays ink vertically downwards. With the cooperation of multiple cup sleeves on the indexing and rotating mechanism and the inkjet components that correspond one-to-one, each inkjet component includes solid color and color printheads, it is possible to achieve non-deformation printing of conical cups, simultaneous printing of multiple cups, and rapid switching between solid color and color printing, effectively improving printing efficiency and adaptability to different cup shapes.

[0017] 2. The XZ axis linear module drives the inkjet component to move along the axial and vertical axes of the cup. Combined with the telescopic rod in the height detection component on the moving frame pressing the cup body and triggering the micro switch to measure the distance at each point, the feedback control of the angle adjustment mechanism and the module dynamically adjusts the position of the inkjet component to ensure that cups with different wall thicknesses and tapers are always in the optimal printing distance and parallel state, thereby improving the accuracy of ink droplet landing and the clarity of the pattern.

[0018] 3. During printing, ultraviolet lamp 1 pre-cures the ink while it is being sprayed to inhibit ink diffusion. Then, ultraviolet lamp 2 in the curing station performs a second deep curing to enhance adhesion. In conjunction with the pressure linear drive component, the extrusion sleeve axially presses the bottom of the cup to prevent it from falling off. The surface processor performs plasma or corona treatment on the cup in the pre-treatment station to improve ink adhesion. The color mark sensor identifies the seam and positions the printing start point. The cup-mounting mechanism in the loading station and the air blowing mechanism in the unloading station remove the cup. All of these measures ensure that the ink is fully cured, the pattern is accurately aligned, and the loading and unloading are fully automated, guaranteeing the quality of the finished product and production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings further illustrate this application, but the content of the drawings does not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cup printer in the printing state of this application; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram made by this application to illustrate the positional relationship between the hollow disk, the sleeve cup, and the inkjet component; Figure 3This application removes a partial structural diagram under a support plate in order to illustrate the positional relationship between the rotary drive component, the cup drive component, the rotating cup component, the cup sleeve component, the permanent magnet, and the iron sheet. Figure 4 This is a structural diagram provided by this application to illustrate the positional relationship between the angle adjustment mechanism, the support plate, and the angle adjustment plate; Figure 5 This application is a structural schematic diagram illustrating how an XZ axis linear module adjusts the position of the inkjet component in the X and Z axis directions; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the height detection component of this application; Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram provided in this application to illustrate how the equidistant linear actuator adjusts the distance between the ultraviolet lamp and the cup part in the printing station; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram made by this application to illustrate the positional relationship of the curing station, pretreatment station, printing station, color matching station, loading station, and unloading station in the counterclockwise direction; Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram made by this application to show the correspondence between the various pressure linear drive components, the extrusion sleeve and the cup part of the printing station; Figure 10 This is a structural diagram provided by this application to illustrate how feeding and unloading are achieved through a feeding conveyor and an unloading conveyor. In order to show other structures, only part of the tail plate is shown, and the rest is removed. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the cup-stacking mechanism of this application; Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the rotating cup portion and the sleeve cup portion of this application in the axial direction.

[0021] In the attached diagram: 1. Base; 2. Support plate; 3. Angle adjustment plate; 31. Crossbeam; 311. Equidistant linear actuator; 312. Connecting frame; 313. UV lamp one; 4. Angle adjustment mechanism; 41. Angle adjustment drive component; 42. Angle adjustment shaft; 5. Rotary drive component; 6. Hollow disk; 61. Clearance opening; 7. Rotary cup part; 8. Cup sleeve part; 9. Permanent magnet; 10. Cup part drive component; 11. Iron sheet; 12. Frame; 13. Inkjet component; 14. XZ axis linear module; 15. Moving frame; 16. Height detection component; 161. Mounting bracket; 162. Height linear actuator; 163. Telescopic rod; 164. Rod piece; 165. Micro switch; 171. Curing station; 172. Pre-treatment station; 173. Printing station; 174. Color tracking station; 175. Loading station; 176. Unloading station; 18. UV lamp II; 191. Tail end plate; 192. Pressing linear drive; 193. Extrusion sleeve; 20. Surface processor; 21. Color mark sensor; 22. Loading conveyor; 23. Cup fitting mechanism; 231. Cup fitting linear module; 232. Heightening plate; 233. Cup clamping linear driver; 234. Cup clamping plate; 235. Cup disassembly linear driver; 236. Cup disassembly plate; 24. Unloading conveyor; 25. Blowing cup linear driver; 26. Air pipe; 27. Air passage; 28. Lateral linear drive; 29. ​​Cover; 30. Vertical linear drive; 241. Anti-drop frame; 242. Horizontal push linear driver; 243. Vertical linear driver; 244. Guide push linear driver. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, and "several" means one or more, unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

[0023] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, various specific examples of processes and materials are provided in this application, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0026] In this embodiment, by Figures 1-12 A cup printer is provided, comprising a base 1, an adjusting plate 3, an adjusting mechanism 4, an indexing and rotating mechanism, a cup fitting part 8, a permanent magnet 9, a cup part driving component 10, a magnetic suction component, a frame 12, and an inkjet component 13.

[0027] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two support plates 2 are spaced apart on the base 1, and the angle adjustment plate 3 is rotatably installed between the two support plates 2. At the same time, the angle adjustment mechanism 4 is also installed on the support plate 2 and connected to the angle adjustment plate 3 to adjust the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate 3. The indexing rotation mechanism is set on the angle adjustment plate 3, and the indexing rotation mechanism is provided with a printing station 173.

[0028] Since the cup itself has a cylindrical structure, and whether it is the traditional screen printing method or the inkjet printing method of this application, the pattern is printed on the body of the cup. Therefore, the cup fitting part 8 is set on the indexing and rotating mechanism to fit the cup to be printed. The indexing and rotating mechanism is used to drive the cup fitting part 8 to rotate around the center line of the indexing and rotating mechanism. At the same time, the number of cup fitting parts 8 can be set to multiple and distributed at intervals around the center of the indexing and rotating mechanism. Therefore, the angle adjustment mechanism 4 can adjust the tilt of the angle adjustment plate 3, the indexing and rotating mechanism and the cup fitting part 8.

[0029] To further improve printing efficiency, the number of cups in the printing station 173 is set to two. Of course, it can also be set to three, four, etc. The specific number can be determined according to the actual production situation.

[0030] In addition, the frame 12 is mounted on the base 1, and the base 1 is indirectly mounted with inkjet components 13 through other structures. The number of inkjet components 13 is at least one, and the number of inkjet components 13 is consistent with the number of cup portions 8 in the printing station 173. The position of each inkjet component 13 corresponds one-to-one with the cup portion 8 in the printing station 173, so as to spray ink onto the cup to be printed that is fitted into the cup portion 8 and located in the printing station 173 to form a pattern.

[0031] Each inkjet unit 13 contains a solid color printhead and a color printhead to enable the conversion between solid color and color printing on the cup.

[0032] Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of inkjet printers 13 can be set to two, three, four, etc., but the number of inkjet printers 13 must be consistent with the number of cup-holding portions 8 in the printing station 173. Taking two inkjet printers 13 and two cup-holding portions 8 in the printing station 173 as an example, since each inkjet printer 13 consists of a solid color printhead and a color printhead, there are a total of two solid color printheads and two color printheads. The two inkjet printers 13 correspond to the two cup-holding portions 8 in the printing station 173, which means that each cup-holding portion 8 corresponds to one solid color printhead and one color printhead. Therefore, not only can the cups on the two cup-holding portions 8 be printed simultaneously, improving printing efficiency, but also the solid color printhead and the color printhead in one inkjet printer 13 can be switched to perform alternating spraying operations to realize the printing conversion of the cups according to the solid color and color requirements.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 Since the inkjet component 13 sprays ink vertically downwards, only by making the surface of the cup body parallel to the inkjet component 13 can we ensure that the ink droplets on the conical cup surface land accurately without deviation and that the spraying distance is always consistent. Based on this, the angle adjustment mechanism 4 was added above. The angle adjustment mechanism 4 adjusts the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate 3 to achieve this parallel state, thereby effectively avoiding pattern deformation or precision loss caused by the tilt of the cup surface.

[0034] Reference Figure 5Because the cup itself has axial and circumferential dimensions, the inkjet component 13 cannot be displaced in the axial direction of the cup. This directly limits the printing range of the inkjet component 13 in the height direction of the cup. If an attempt is made to expand the coverage area by simply raising the height of the printhead, the ink droplet accuracy will decrease and the pattern will become blurred due to the excessive printing distance, which will seriously affect the printing effect. Based on this technical problem, namely how to achieve effective coverage of the cup in the axial direction of the printhead while maintaining the optimal printing distance, an XZ axis linear module 14 is installed on the frame 12. The XZ axis linear module 14 has two-dimensional planar movement freedom in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a moving frame 15 is installed on the XZ axis linear module 14 to fix the inkjet component 13 to the moving frame 15. The X-axis direction corresponds to the axial direction of the cup, which is parallel to the horizontal direction and is not the axial direction when the cup is tilted. The axial direction is equivalent to the height direction of the cup itself. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cup. Through this optimization, the inkjet component 13 can move in a two-dimensional plane and has axial (X-axis) movement capability, enabling the inkjet component 13 to print line by line or in a fixed position along the height direction of the cup, thus expanding the printing range. At the same time, the movement of the inkjet component 13 in the Z-axis direction can adjust the distance between the inkjet component 13 and the cup body according to the diameter of each position along the height direction of the cup itself, ensuring that the inkjet component 13 is always at the optimal working distance, thereby improving the equipment's adaptability to cups of different sizes and printing accuracy.

[0035] As the XZ-axis linear module 14 moves in the X-axis direction, the inkjet component 13 expands its printing range in the axial direction of the cup (the direction of the cup's own height).

[0036] It should be noted that the printing range is extended by the XZ axis linear module 14, which means that if the printhead is 30mm and the pattern is 50mm, the inkjet component 13 needs to move 20mm along the X-axis during the printing process to print a 50mm pattern.

[0037] Reference Figure 6 Given the differences in wall thickness and cone tilt angle among different cups, simply relying on the angle adjustment mechanism 4 to indirectly adjust the tilt angle between the cup sleeve 8 and the cup cannot determine the actual distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the inkjet component 13 after adjustment. Distance deviation or angle deviation will directly affect the accuracy of ink droplet landing and printing clarity. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the above parameters (the actual distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the inkjet component 13) in real time. Thus, a height detection component 16 is also provided on the moving frame 15. This height detection component 16 is used to measure the distance between the inkjet component 13 and the cup sleeved on the corresponding cup sleeve 8.

[0038] The height detection component 16 calculates the distance between a certain position on the cup and the inkjet printer 13. After measuring a certain position on the cup, the XZ-axis linear module 14 is activated. The XZ-axis linear module 14 moves the height detection component 16 in the X-axis direction and repeats the above operation to detect the distance between the cup and the inkjet printer 13 at various positions on the cup in its own height direction. This provides a basis for the subsequent adjustment of the angle adjustment mechanism 4 and the XZ-axis linear module 14, ensuring that the cup is always in the optimal printing distance and parallel state, effectively improving the equipment's adaptability to cups of different sizes and printing consistency.

[0039] Of course, without adjusting the tilt of the cup body through the angle adjustment mechanism 4, the detected data, namely the distance between the cup body and the inkjet component 13 at various positions in its height direction, can be used during printing. The XZ axis linear module 14 can dynamically adjust the movement of the inkjet component 13 in the X and Z axes directions. The distance between the inkjet component 13 and the surface of the cup body can be dynamically adjusted according to the diameter changes at various positions of the cup body, so that the printing distance is consistent. Compared with the case of inconsistent printing distance, the accuracy of ink droplet landing and pattern clarity are improved. However, the optimal method is to print when the cup body is always in the best printing distance and parallel state.

[0040] The advantage of using the XZ-axis linear module 14 and the height detection component 16 is that the height detection component 16 detects the distance between a certain position on the cup and the inkjet component 13. Combined with the XZ-axis linear module 14 driving the height detection component 16 to move in the X-axis direction and repeatedly measuring, it is possible to obtain the actual distance and relative position relationship between each point on the cup and the inkjet component 13 in real time and accurately. This effectively solves the problem that the distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the printhead cannot be known due to differences in cup wall thickness and taper. It provides a reliable basis for the subsequent adjustment of the angle adjustment mechanism 4 and the XZ-axis linear module 14, ensuring that the cup is always at the optimal printing distance and remains parallel, thereby improving the equipment's adaptability to cups of different sizes and printing consistency.

[0041] In summary, the advantages of this application are as follows: First, by adjusting the tilt angle of the tilt plate 3 through the tilt mechanism 4, the cup surface on the cup part 8 is kept parallel to the inkjet part 13, which helps to ensure that the ink droplets fall without deviation and the spraying distance is consistent when printing on the conical cup surface, and avoids pattern deformation or loss of precision caused by surface tilt.

[0042] Secondly, multiple cup-mounted parts 8 can be set on the indexing and rotating mechanism. The number of cup-mounted parts 8 in the printing station 173 is the same as the number of inkjet parts 13 and their positions correspond one-to-one. This enables printing multiple cups at the same time, improving printing efficiency.

[0043] Third, each inkjet unit 13 contains both solid color printheads and color printheads. By switching between the two types of printheads in the same inkjet unit 13 for alternating spraying, the conversion between solid color and color printing needs can be achieved without changing the equipment, thus enhancing the printing adaptability of the equipment.

[0044] Fourth, an XZ-axis linear module 14 is installed on the frame 12. This module has two-dimensional vertical movement freedom in the X-axis direction corresponding to the cup axis and in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the vertical axis perpendicular to the cup axis. The moving frame 15 on the module is fixed with an inkjet component 13. The inkjet component 13 can move along the height direction of the cup, expanding the printing range in the height direction. At the same time, the inkjet component 13 can move in the Z-axis direction. The distance between the inkjet component 13 and the cup can be adjusted according to the diameter of the cup at different heights, so that the inkjet component 13 maintains a more suitable working distance, improving the adaptability to cups of different sizes and the printing accuracy.

[0045] Fifth, a height detection element 16 is provided on the moving frame 15 to measure the distance between the inkjet component 13 and the cup it is fitted with. After the height detection element 16 measures the distance to a certain position on the cup, it triggers the XZ-axis linear module 14 to move the height detection element 16 along the X-axis and repeat the measurement, thereby obtaining the distance data between each point on the cup and the inkjet component 13 in the height direction. This data provides a basis for the subsequent adjustment of the angle adjustment mechanism 4 and the XZ-axis linear module 14, ensuring that the cup is always at a suitable printing distance and parallel to the inkjet component 13. This effectively improves the equipment's adaptability to cups with different wall thicknesses and tapers, and solves the problem of not being able to know the actual distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the inkjet component 13.

[0046] In some embodiments, the height detection element 16 includes a mounting frame 161, a height linear actuator 162, a telescopic rod 163, a lever 164, and a micro switch 165. The mounting frame 161 is fixed to the movable frame 15, the telescopic rod 163 is slidably assembled in the mounting frame 161, the height linear actuator 162 is mounted on the mounting frame 161 and connected to the upper end of the telescopic rod 163 for driving the telescopic rod 163 to rise and fall, and the lower end of the telescopic rod 163 is used to abut against the cup surface on the cup sleeve part 8. The lever 164 is fixedly mounted on the telescopic rod 163, and the micro switch 165 is mounted on the mounting frame 161 and located below the lever 164 and corresponding to the position of the lever 164.

[0047] Among them, the height linear actuator 162 preferably adopts a push-pull electromagnet because the push-pull electromagnet has an extremely fast response speed. It can drive the telescopic rod 163 to move instantly when energized. Moreover, it has a simple structure and can complete the touch detection simply by turning the power on and off, without the need for a pneumatic source or complex control. In contrast, the cylinder has a gas compression delay and requires supporting components, while the electric push rod has an insufficiently direct response due to the inertia of the motor and is more expensive. Therefore, the push-pull electromagnet is more suitable for this kind of high-frequency, short-stroke simple touch detection requirement.

[0048] Through the mechanism of the height detection component 16, when the telescopic rod 163 descends to contact a certain position on the cup body, the rod piece 164 moves down and triggers the micro switch 165 to calculate the distance between that position on the cup body and the inkjet component 13. After measuring the position of the cup body, the XZ axis linear module 14 is triggered to start. The XZ axis linear module 14 drives the height detection component 16 to move in the X-axis direction and repeats the above operation, thereby detecting the distance between the cup body and the inkjet component 13 at various positions in its own height direction. The change of the signal of the micro switch 165 provides feedback on the relative positional relationship between the cup body and the inkjet component 13, providing a basis for the subsequent adjustment of the angle adjustment mechanism 4 and the XZ axis linear module 14, ensuring that the cup body is always in the optimal printing distance and parallel state, effectively improving the equipment's adaptability to cups of different sizes and printing consistency.

[0049] In summary, the advantages of using the XZ-axis linear module 14 and the height detection element 16 are that by adding a height detection element 16, which includes a mounting bracket 161, a height linear driver 162, a telescopic rod 163, a lever 164, and a micro switch 165, to the moving frame 15, the height detection element 16 utilizes the telescopic rod 163 to descend and contact the surface of the cup, triggering the micro switch 165. Combined with the XZ-axis linear module 14 driving it to move in the X-axis direction and repeatedly measuring, it is possible to obtain the height of each point in the cup and the inkjet component 13 in real time and accurately. The actual distance and relative position relationship effectively solve the problem that the distance and parallelism between the cup surface and the printhead cannot be known due to differences in cup wall thickness and taper. The change of the signal of the micro switch 165 provides a reliable basis for the subsequent adjustment of the angle adjustment mechanism 4 and the XZ axis linear module 14, ensuring that the cup is always at the optimal printing distance and remains parallel, improving the equipment's adaptability to cups of different specifications and printing consistency. At the same time, the height detection component 16 is close to a purely mechanical structure, which has mechanical accuracy, is easy to maintain, and has a simple structure.

[0050] Reference Figure 3 In order to ensure that the printhead can stably print the circular pattern on the entire circumference of the cup, and to ensure that the pattern is complete, continuous and without splicing marks in the circumferential direction, the following settings are made: the indexing rotation mechanism includes a rotation drive 5, a hollow disk 6, a rotating cup part 7, a cup part drive 10 and a magnetic suction part.

[0051] The rotary drive 5 is fixed on the angle adjustment plate 3. A hollow disk 6 is installed at the output end of the rotary drive 5. At the same time, multiple rotating cups 7 are rotatably mounted on the hollow disk 6, and the printing station 173 is also set on the hollow disk 6. These rotating cups 7 are distributed in a circle around the center of the hollow disk 6, and the two ends of the rotating cups 7 extend to both sides of the hollow disk 6. Here, the two sides refer to the two axial sides perpendicular to the disk surface of the hollow disk 6.

[0052] There are multiple cup-mounting parts 8, each installed at the end of the rotating cup part 7 away from the angle plate 3, and at least one cup-mounting part 8 is located at the printing station 173 when printing the cup.

[0053] Multiple cup-part drive units 10 are installed on the angle adjustment plate 3, and each cup-part drive unit 10 corresponds one-to-one with the corresponding cup-rotating part 7 at the workstation where the cup needs to be rotated. A magnetic attraction component is installed at the output end of each cup-part drive unit 10 and at the end of each cup-rotating part 7 near the angle adjustment plate 3, so that the cup-part drive unit 10 can drive the corresponding cup-rotating part 7 at the workstation where the cup needs to be rotated to rotate.

[0054] Specifically, in this embodiment, the magnetic components are all permanent magnets, or they can be made of materials that can be attracted by permanent magnets, such as iron sheets. However, at least one of them is a permanent magnet. For cost considerations, a combination of one permanent magnet and one iron sheet is used. Therefore, a permanent magnet 9 is installed at the end of each rotating cup 7 near the adjusting plate 3, and an iron sheet 11 is installed at the output end of each cup driving component 10. Of course, the installation positions of the permanent magnet 9 and the iron sheet 11 can also be interchanged. In this embodiment, the use of a permanent magnet 9 and an iron sheet 11 in combination, rather than two permanent magnets 9 attracting each other, can achieve seamless and smooth transmission through reliable magnetic attraction, ensuring uniform circumferential rotation of the cup and making the printed pattern complete, continuous, and without splicing marks. On the other hand, the structure is simpler, the cost is lower, and the assembly and alignment are more convenient. At the same time, it avoids the problem that the rotating cup 7 and the cup driving component 10 cannot be disconnected due to excessive attraction of two permanent magnets 9.

[0055] Specifically, the rotary drive 5 rotates the hollow disk 6 and the rotating cup section 7 until the cup to be printed rotates to the printing station 173. At this point, the iron plate 11 on the cup section drive 10 faces the permanent magnet 9 on the rotating cup section 7, and the iron plate 11 and the permanent magnet 9 will attract each other. At this time, the cup section drive 10 can drive the corresponding rotating cup section 7 to rotate, thereby achieving the rotational drive of the cup. In this way, when all the rotating cup sections 7 and the corresponding cup-mounted sections 8 rotate to the printing station 173, they can all drive the cup to rotate through the cup section drive 10, thereby achieving stable printing of the circular pattern around the entire circumference of the cup.

[0056] Besides the need to rotate the cup during the printing process to achieve stable printing of the circular pattern around the entire cup, some other processes also require cup rotation. For example, positioning the cup seams and surface treatment before printing all require cup rotation. Therefore, cup drive components 10 are installed on the angle adjustment plate 3 at all corresponding process positions requiring cup rotation. This means that there are multiple cup drive components 10 spaced apart on the angle adjustment plate 3, the specific number of which needs to be determined according to the actual processing steps of the equipment. Each cup drive component 10 has an iron plate 11 installed at its output end, and the multiple cup drive components 10 correspond one-to-one with the rotating cup section 7 of the corresponding process. Thus, when the rotating drive component 5 rotates the hollow disk 6 and the rotating cup section 7, the iron plate 11 on the cup drive component 10 is aligned with the permanent magnet 9 on the rotating cup section 7 at the corresponding process position. The iron plate 11 and the permanent magnet 9 will attract each other, and the cup drive component 10 can then drive the corresponding rotating cup section 7 to rotate, thereby achieving the rotational drive of the cup.

[0057] It should be noted that most cups on the market, such as paper cups and milk tea cups, are generally truncated cones (also known as conical cups) or cylindrical structures. In order to accommodate cups of different diameters, the cup sleeve 8 is truncated cone in the axial direction, so as to adapt to cups of different diameters and tapers, and achieve a stable fit and reliable connection with the cup mouth.

[0058] Reference Figure 4 Since cups with different tapers require adjustment of the parallel angle between the cup body and the nozzle, and the tilt adjustment of the angle adjustment plate 3 requires structural stability, reliability, and precise control, this embodiment provides an angle adjustment mechanism 4. Specifically, the angle adjustment mechanism 4 includes an angle adjustment drive 41 and two angle adjustment shafts 42. The two angle adjustment shafts 42 are respectively fixedly installed at both ends of the angle adjustment plate 3, and the end of the angle adjustment shaft 42 away from the angle adjustment plate 3 is rotatably connected to the support plate 2 on the same side. The angle adjustment drive 41 is installed on one of the support plates 2 and connected to the angle adjustment shaft 42 on the corresponding side. The angle adjustment drive 41 drives the angle adjustment shaft 42 to rotate, thereby driving the angle adjustment plate 3 to rotate around the axis of the angle adjustment shaft 42, thereby realizing the adjustment of the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate 3. By using two angle adjustment shafts 42 to support both ends of the angle adjustment plate 3 respectively, the angle adjustment plate 3 is subjected to balanced force and has higher structural stability during rotation. At the same time, the angle adjustment function is realized with a simple shaft transmission structure, which solves the problems of large space occupation and high cost of complex adjustment mechanisms, and achieves the effect of compact structure, reliable adjustment, and simple structure to solve complex problems.

[0059] Reference Figure 7During inkjet printing, if the ink cannot be cured in time after being sprayed onto the surface of the cup, it is prone to flow, diffusion, or penetration, resulting in blurred edges and color mixing, which seriously affects printing accuracy and visual effect. Therefore, this embodiment adds a pre-curing structure to the equipment to solve this problem. Specifically, a clearance opening 61 is provided in the center of the hollow disk 6, and a crossbeam 31 is installed on the angle adjustment plate 3. The crossbeam 31 extends through the clearance opening 61 to the side of the hollow disk 6 away from the angle adjustment plate 3. An equidistant linear driver 311 is installed on the crossbeam 31. The equidistant linear driver 311 can be a cylinder. A connecting frame 312 is provided on the equidistant linear driver 311. An ultraviolet lamp 313 is installed on the connecting frame 312. The number of ultraviolet lamps 313 is the same as the number of cup parts 8 in the printing station 173 and their positions correspond. For example, the number of cup parts 8 and ultraviolet lamps 313 in the printing station 173 are both two. The distance between the ultraviolet lamp 313 and the cup can be flexibly adjusted by the equidistant linear driver 311, so that the ultraviolet lamp 313 can irradiate and cure the printing area with ultraviolet light in time while the inkjet component 13 sprays ink onto the cup, thereby realizing the function of printing and curing at the same time, effectively suppressing ink diffusion, and improving the clarity, color saturation and overall printing accuracy of the pattern.

[0060] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 As mentioned above, UV lamp 313 can only perform preliminary pre-curing of ink during the printing process to prevent ink droplet diffusion. However, if the pre-cured ink is not fully cured, its adhesion and weather resistance will still be insufficient, and the pattern will easily wear off or fall off during subsequent handling or use. Therefore, in this embodiment, a curing station 171 is further provided on the hollow disk 6. The curing station 171 corresponds to one of the cup parts 8. At the same time, UV lamp 18 is installed on the base 1. The position of UV lamp 18 corresponds to the cup part 8 in the curing station 171. UV lamp 18 is used to perform a secondary deep curing treatment on the cup on the cup part 8 after the preliminary curing treatment of UV lamp 313, so that the ink is completely cured, thereby further improving the adhesion, wear resistance and color durability of the pattern, and ensuring the stable and reliable quality of the final printed product.

[0061] In summary, the advantages of using UV lamp 1 (313) and UV lamp 2 (18) are as follows: The addition of a pre-curing structure and a secondary curing station (171) to the equipment allows UV lamp 1 (313) to pre-cur ink droplets during the printing process, effectively inhibiting ink flow, diffusion, and penetration, ensuring sharp edges and saturated colors, and improving printing accuracy and visual effects. Subsequently, UV lamp 2 (18) performs a secondary deep curing treatment on the pre-cured cup, ensuring complete ink curing and significantly enhancing the adhesion, abrasion resistance, and color durability of the pattern, ensuring stable and reliable finished product quality. Furthermore, the equidistant linear actuator (311) can flexibly adjust the distance between UV lamp 1 (313) and the cup to adapt to different cup sizes, further improving the equipment's applicability and the consistency of curing effects.

[0062] Reference Figures 8-9 During the cup printing process, the cup sleeve 8 drives the cup to rotate at high speed to achieve circumferential printing. If the cup is only fixed by the sleeve, it is prone to axial loosening, displacement, or even falling off under the influence of centrifugal force or equipment vibration. This can lead to displacement of the pre-processing position, misalignment of the printing position, or distorted pattern, seriously affecting printing accuracy and yield. Therefore, this embodiment adds a pressure positioning structure in the axial direction to solve this problem. Specifically, the hollow disk 6 is also provided with a pre-processing station 172, and the curing station 171 is below the printing station 173. The pre-processing station 172 is upstream of the printing station 173 and corresponds to one of the cup parts 8. A tail end plate 191 is installed on the crossbeam 31. Multiple pressing linear drive components 192 are installed on the tail end plate 191. The pressing linear drive components 192 can be cylinders. The pressing linear drive components 192 are respectively set to correspond one-to-one with the cup parts 8 in the pre-processing station 172 and the printing station 173. The telescopic end of the pressing linear drive component 192 is rotatably connected to the extrusion sleeve 193, which is used to abut against the bottom of the cup on the corresponding cup part 8.

[0063] In summary, by pressing the linear drive 192 to push the extrusion sleeve 193 tightly against the bottom of the cup, a stable axial clamping force is provided as the cup rotates with the sleeve cup part 8. At the same time, because the extrusion sleeve 193 is rotatably connected to the telescopic end, it can rotate synchronously with the cup to avoid frictional resistance, thereby effectively preventing the cup from falling or shifting axially during rotation, ensuring that the inkjet part 13 is always aligned with the preset printing area of ​​the cup body, and greatly improving the accuracy of the printing position and the quality of the pattern.

[0064] Reference Figure 9Because plastic and glass cups have low surface tension and poor ink adhesion, they are prone to ink smudging, scratching, ink bleeding, whitening, and poor adhesion, resulting in blurred and easily detached printed patterns. Therefore, the following setup is implemented: a surface processor 20 is installed on the frame 12. The surface processor 20 is used to perform plasma or corona treatment on the cups mounted on the cup section 8 of the pre-processing station 172. The surface processor 20 can be either a corona processor or a plasma processor, and the type installed can be selected according to the material of the cup being processed. Corona processors are suitable for non-polar, low-surface-energy plastic and paper cups, such as polypropylene cups, polyethylene cups, and paper cups. Plasma processors are suitable for irregularly shaped, glass, metal, complex plastics, and difficult-to-adhere materials, such as glass cups, ceramic cups, metal-coated cups, and composite material cups. Since plasma or corona treatment can activate the surface and increase surface energy, allowing ink to adhere better and preventing smudging and bleeding, different materials require different treatment intensities; therefore, the appropriate pre-processing method must be selected according to the material.

[0065] Reference Figure 7 Because the strong ultraviolet light emitted by the second ultraviolet lamp 18 may scatter around during the secondary deep curing at the curing station 171, if it directly irradiates the cups at the adjacent pre-processing station 172 or printing station 173, it may cause the ink that has not yet been printed or has only been pre-cured to cure unexpectedly, resulting in pattern defects or printhead clogging. Therefore, in this embodiment, a lateral linear drive 28 is installed on the crossbeam 31, and a shielding cover 29 is installed on the lateral linear drive 28; the shielding cover 29 is moved by the lateral linear drive 28. When the UV lamp 18 is working, the shielding cover 29 is positioned so that it blocks the curing station 171, covering the cup portion 8 in the curing station 171. After curing, the lateral linear drive 28 drives the shielding cover 29 to reset, thereby effectively blocking UV light scattering interference when the UV lamp 18 cures the cup in the curing station 171, ensuring that only the cup in the curing station 171 receives deep curing, while the cups in other stations are not affected. This ensures the stability of the printing and pre-processing process and the accuracy of the pattern while achieving complete ink curing.

[0066] Reference Figure 9The types of cups include milk tea cups, paper cups, etc. Among them, paper cups often have relatively obvious seams during the manufacturing process, while other types of cups also have seams but they are not obvious. If the seam position is not identified and avoided before inkjet printing, and a suitable position is selected as the printing starting point, the pattern may cross the seam or be offset, resulting in misaligned and incomplete printed patterns, affecting the appearance and accuracy of the finished product. Therefore, in this embodiment, a color tracking station 174 is added between the pre-processing station 172 and the printing station 173 in the counterclockwise direction of the hollow disk 6. The color tracking station 174 corresponds to one of the cup fitting parts 8, and one of the cup fitting drive components 10 corresponds to the cup fitting part 8 in the color tracking station 174, which is used to drive the cup to rotate in the color tracking station 174. At the same time, a color mark sensor 21 is installed on the frame 12. The color mark sensor 21 is used to identify the seam of the cup, thereby locating the initial position of the pattern printing.

[0067] Specifically, when the cup rotates to the color tracking station 174, the corresponding cup drive component 10 is attracted to the permanent magnet 9 through the iron plate 11, which drives the cup sleeve 8 and the cup to rotate at a constant speed. During this period, the color mark sensor 21 scans the surface of the cup and identifies the seam, providing a reference for the starting position of the subsequent printing station 173, ensuring that the pattern is always printed from the preset position in the circumference of the cup.

[0068] It should be noted that the seam of the cup is positioned to determine the initial printing position. This step can be selected according to the customer's needs. This step does not affect the cup printing process and only serves an aesthetic purpose.

[0069] In summary, the advantages of using the color tracking station 174 and the color mark sensor 21 in this embodiment are that, during the process of the cup driving component 10 driving the cup to rotate at a constant speed, the color mark sensor 21 scans and identifies the seam position on the surface of the cup, thereby locating the starting point of pattern printing. This ensures that the printed pattern always avoids the seam in the circumferential direction and starts printing from the preset position, effectively solving the problem of pattern misalignment, breakage or incompleteness caused by the seam, and greatly improving the consistency, yield and aesthetics of batch printing.

[0070] Reference Figure 10Since the aforementioned solution only involves the processing of cups at each station during the printing process, complete automated production also needs to solve the problem of automatic cup feeding in order to avoid the inefficiency and positioning errors caused by manually fitting cups one by one, this embodiment adds a feeding station 175 upstream of the pre-processing station 172 on the hollow tray. The feeding station 175 corresponds to one of the cup fitting parts 8. At the same time, a feeding conveyor 22, preferably a belt conveyor, is installed on the base 1. One end of the feeding conveyor 22 extends to the outside of the base 1 to facilitate the placement of the cup to be printed. The other end of the feeding conveyor 22 corresponds to the position of the cup fitting part 8 in the feeding station 175. The base 1 is also provided with a cup fitting mechanism 23, which is used to automatically fit the first cup on the feeding conveyor 22 onto the cup fitting part 8 in the feeding station 175.

[0071] With the above structure, the cups to be printed are continuously transported to the designated position by the feeding conveyor 22, and the cup fitting mechanism 23 accurately grabs and fits into the cup fitting part 8, realizing automated feeding of the cups. Then the hollow disk 6 rotates to send the cups to the pre-processing station 172, the printing station 173 and the subsequent station in sequence, thus forming a complete automated process from feeding to printing, greatly reducing manual intervention and improving production efficiency and positioning consistency.

[0072] In addition, refer to Figure 10 The bottom of the feeding conveyor 22, which extends to the outside of the base 1, is also equipped with a feeding box. The feeding box is inclined and has a feeding hopper corresponding to the feeding conveyor 22, which is used to guide the stacked cups into the conveyor. In order to achieve orderly arrangement of the entire row of cups, a concave frame is installed on the feeding hopper. The concave frame is provided with two vertical linear drive members 30 at intervals along the cup guide direction. Each vertical linear drive member 30 has a baffle installed at its telescopic end. The two vertical linear drive members 30 drive the baffle to rise and fall alternately in sequence, thereby realizing the release of multiple rows of cups in the entire row one by one, ensuring that the cups enter the feeding conveyor 22 smoothly and orderly.

[0073] Since the cups are usually stacked on the feeding conveyor 22, if the first cup is directly grabbed and put into the cup-fitting part 8, the subsequent cups are easily dragged along due to the friction between the cups or the nesting gap, causing the feeding position to shift, the cups to tip over, or even jamming. Therefore, this embodiment optimizes the cup-fitting mechanism 23, which not only has the function of cup fitting, but also has the effect of preventing cups from being pulled out, so as to solve the problem of separation and stable gripping of stacked cups.

[0074] Specifically, refer to Figure 11The cup-stacking mechanism 23 includes a cup-stacking linear module 231, two heightening plates 232, two cup-clamping linear actuators 233, a cup-clamping plate 234, a cup-disassembly linear actuator 235, and a cup-disassembly plate 236. The cup-stacking linear module 231 is mounted on the base 1 and is parallel to and corresponding to the feeding conveyor 22. The two heightening plates 232 are respectively mounted on the cup-stacking linear module 231. The two cup-clamping linear actuators 233 are respectively mounted on the two heightening plates 232. The two cup-clamping plates 234 are respectively mounted on... The output ends of the two cup clamping linear actuators 233 are located on both sides of the cup sleeve part 8 corresponding to the feeding station 175, respectively, for clamping the first cup from both sides. The two cup disassembly linear actuators 235 are installed at intervals on the tail end plate 191. The two cup disassembly plates 236 are respectively installed on the output ends of the two cup disassembly linear actuators 235. One cup disassembly plate 236 is used to insert between the cup mouth edges of the two foremost cups on the feeding conveyor 22, and the other cup disassembly plate 236 is used to press the cup body of the second cup.

[0075] More specifically, during operation, the cup disassembly linear actuator 235 first drives the two cup disassembly plates 236 to move downwards: one cup disassembly plate 236 inserts into the gap between the edges of the two cups at the front of the feeding conveyor 22, while the other cup disassembly plate 236 simultaneously presses down on the body of the second cup. Subsequently, the two cup clamping linear actuators 233 drive the cup clamping plates 234 to clamp the first cup from both sides. Finally, the cup fitting linear module 231 drives the entire assembly to move, fitting the first cup onto the cup fitting part 8 of the feeding station 175 to complete the feeding. At the same time, during the cup fitting process, the second cup is blocked and pressed by the two cup disassembly plates 236, effectively separating the first cup from the subsequently stacked cups.

[0076] Among them, the cup clamping plate 234 and the cup disassembly plate 236 have arc-shaped contours on the side that contacts the cup, so as to match the cup with a frustum conical structure or a cylindrical structure.

[0077] In summary, the beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows: by clamping the first cup and restricting the movement of the second cup, the problem of dragging caused by friction or nesting gaps when stacking cups is effectively solved. Simultaneously, the mechanical cup-nesting method completely avoids feeding position deviation, tipping, or jamming malfunctions. Furthermore, the clamping and cup-nesting actions ensure the smooth transfer of the first cup, significantly improving the smoothness of continuous equipment operation and feeding efficiency, providing a stable and reliable positioning foundation for subsequent high-precision printing.

[0078] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 12To achieve fully automated cup feeding and avoid inefficiency or secondary contamination caused by manual cup handling, this embodiment adds a feeding station 176 downstream of the curing station 171 in the hollow disk 6. The feeding station 176 corresponds to one of the cup-fitting parts 8. A feeding conveyor 24 is installed on the base 1. The feeding conveyor 24 can be a belt conveyor. One end of the feeding conveyor 24 extends to the outside of the base 1 to facilitate the discharge of finished products. The other end of the feeding conveyor 24 corresponds to the position of the cup-fitting part 8 in the feeding station 176. At the same time, the rotating cup part 7 adopts a tubular structure, and the cup-fitting part 8 is a cylindrical structure with one open end. The rotating cup part 7 and the cup-fitting part 8 are interconnected and form an air passage 27. One end of the air pipe 26 can slide through the side of the adjusting plate 3 near the hollow disk 6, and this end of the air pipe 26 corresponds to the position of the end of the rotating cup part 7 away from the corresponding cup-fitting part 8.

[0079] In order for the air tube 26 to automatically connect with the airway, a blow cup linear actuator 25 is installed on the side of the adjusting plate 3 away from the hollow plate 6. The blow cup linear actuator 25 can be a cylinder, and the blow cup linear actuator 25 is connected to the air tube 26.

[0080] Specifically, the air pipe 26 is connected to the air source device via a hose to provide airflow to the air pipe 26. When the cured cup rotates with the hollow plate 6 to the unloading station 176, the cup blowing linear actuator 25 drives the air pipe 26 to extend forward, so that the air pipe 26 connects with the port of the rotating cup part 7. Then, compressed air is blown into the rotating cup part 7 through the air source device and the air pipe 26. The airflow enters the cup sleeve part 8 through the rotating cup part 7 and impacts the bottom of the cup, blowing the cup smoothly from the cup sleeve part 8 onto the unloading conveyor 24, which then sends the cup out of the equipment.

[0081] In summary, the system achieves automated and non-destructive cup removal and collection without human intervention. Furthermore, the use of air pressure to blow down the cups avoids surface damage that may be caused by robotic arms, thus improving material handling efficiency while ensuring the surface quality of the finished product.

[0082] In addition, refer to Figure 10 To address the issue of blown cups falling accurately into the feeding conveyor 24, an anti-drop frame 241 is installed at the head of the feeding conveyor 24. The anti-drop frame 241 has an inverted U-shaped structure and covers the feeding conveyor 24. The opening diameter of the anti-drop frame 241 gradually decreases along the conveying direction, which can effectively catch the blown cups and guide them onto the feeding conveyor 24, ensuring that the cups enter the feeding process smoothly and accurately.

[0083] In addition, refer to Figure 10To continuously collect finished cups, a feeding box is provided at the bottom of one end of the feeding conveyor 24 extending outside the base 1. A feeding hopper corresponding to the feeding conveyor 24 is installed at an angle on the feeding box to receive cups stacked in rows. To ensure that the entire row of cups is smoothly guided into the feeding hopper, a cup rack is installed on the feeding conveyor 24. A horizontal push linear driver 242 is installed on the cup rack. The output end of the horizontal push linear driver 242 is connected to a vertical linear driver 243. A push plate is installed on the vertical linear driver 243. At the same time, a guide push linear driver 244 is also provided on the feeding conveyor 24. A guide push plate corresponding to the feeding hopper is installed at the output end of the guide push linear driver 244. During operation, the horizontal push linear driver 242 and the vertical linear driver 243 work together to drive the push plate to push the entire row of cups to the front of the guide push plate. Then, the guide push linear driver 244 drives the guide push plate to push the entire row of cups into the feeding hopper, thereby achieving orderly collection of cups.

[0084] In summary, the cup printer of this application uses inkjet printing instead of screen printing, eliminating the need for screen printing plates, reducing costs, and improving pattern flexibility. Through the angle adjustment mechanism 4, the XZ axis linear module 14, and the height detection component 16, it adapts to cups of different tapers and heights, ensuring precise printing angle and distance. The magnetically detachable drive facilitates maintenance. Pre-curing and secondary curing enhance pattern adhesion and clarity. Combined with pressure positioning, surface treatment, and color tracking positioning, it ensures stable printing and aesthetically pleasing, non-shifting patterns. Equipped with automatic feeding, anti-out-of-cup cup protection, and air-blowing unloading, it achieves full-process automation. The overall equipment is highly adaptable, precise, stable in operation, and highly efficient in production.

[0085] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "embodiment," "one implementation," "some implementations," "illustrative implementation," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the described implementation or example is included in at least one implementation or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same implementation or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more implementations or examples.

[0086] The technical principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are merely for explaining the principles of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application in any way. Based on the explanation herein, those skilled in the art can conceive of other specific embodiments of this application without creative effort, and these equivalent variations or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A cup printer, characterized in that, include: The base (1) is provided with two support plates (2) spaced apart. An adjusting plate (3) is rotatably mounted between the two support plates (2); An angle adjustment mechanism (4) is installed on the support plate (2) and is also connected to the angle adjustment plate (3) for adjusting the tilt angle of the angle adjustment plate (3); A dividing rotation mechanism is provided on the adjusting plate (3), and a printing station (173) is provided on the dividing rotation mechanism. The cup fitting part (8) is disposed on the indexing and rotating mechanism and is used to fit the cup to be printed. The indexing and rotating mechanism is used to drive the cup fitting part (8) to rotate around the center line of the indexing and rotating mechanism. The frame (12) is mounted on the base (1); An XZ-axis linear module (14) is disposed on the frame (12), and the XZ-axis linear module (14) has two-dimensional planar translational degrees of freedom in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction; The movable frame (15) is set on the XZ axis linear module (14); The inkjet component (13) and the height detection component (16) are both disposed on the moving frame (15). The inkjet component (13) corresponds to the position of the cup part (8) of the printing station and is used to spray ink onto the cup to be printed. The height detection component (16) is used to detect the distance between the inkjet component (13) and the corresponding cup part (8).

2. A cup printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height detection component (16) includes a mounting bracket (161), a height linear actuator (162), a telescopic rod (163), a rod plate (164), and a micro switch (165). The mounting bracket (161) is mounted on the movable frame (15), the telescopic rod (163) is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket (161), the height linear actuator (162) is mounted on the mounting bracket (161) and connected to the upper end of the telescopic rod (163), and the lower end of the telescopic rod (163) is used to abut against the cup fitted on the corresponding cup part (8). The rod plate (164) is mounted on the telescopic rod (163), the micro switch (165) is mounted on the mounting bracket (161), and the micro switch (165) is located below the rod plate (164) and corresponds to the position of the rod plate (164).

3. A cup printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The indexing rotation mechanism includes a rotation drive (5), a hollow disk (6), a rotating cup part (7), a cup part drive (10), and a magnetic suction part; A rotary drive component (5) is mounted on the angle adjustment plate (3); A hollow disk (6) is installed at the output end of the rotary drive (5), and the printing station (173) is set on the hollow disk (6); The rotating cup part (7) is rotatably mounted on the hollow disk (6). The two ends of the rotating cup part (7) extend to both sides of the hollow disk (6). The rotating cup part (7) is provided in multiple ways and is distributed around the center of the hollow disk (6). The number of the cup-shaped parts (8) is multiple and they are respectively installed at the end of the rotating cup part (7) away from the angle plate (3); The cup driving component (10) is installed on the angle adjustment plate (3). There are multiple cup driving components (10) and they correspond one-to-one with the cup rotating part (7) at the work station where the cup needs to be rotated. A magnetic suction element is provided at one end of the rotating cup part (7) away from the cup sleeve part (8) and at the output end of each cup part drive member (10) so that the cup part drive member (10) drives the rotating cup part (7) corresponding to the workstation where the cup needs to be rotated to rotate.

4. A cup printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hollow disk (6) has a clearance opening (61) in the center. A crossbeam (31) is installed on the angle adjustment plate (3). The crossbeam (31) extends through the clearance opening (61) to the side of the hollow disk (6) away from the angle adjustment plate (3). An equidistant linear actuator (311) is installed on the crossbeam (31). A connecting frame (312) is provided on the equidistant linear actuator (311). An ultraviolet lamp (313) is installed on the connecting frame (312). The number of ultraviolet lamps (313) is the same as the number of cup parts (8) in the printing station (173) and their positions correspond.

5. A cup printer according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hollow disk (6) is also provided with a curing station (171), which corresponds to one of the cup parts (8); an ultraviolet lamp (18) is installed on the base (1), and the position of the ultraviolet lamp (18) corresponds to the cup part (8) in the curing station (171), which is used to cure the cup on the cup part (8).

6. A cup printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hollow disk (6) is also provided with a pre-processing station (172), the curing station (171) is downstream of the printing station (173), and the pre-processing station (172) is upstream of the printing station (173) and corresponds to one of the cup parts (8). A tail end plate (191) is installed on the crossbeam (31), and a plurality of pressure linear drive components (192) are installed on the tail end plate (191). The pressure linear drive components (192) are respectively configured to correspond one-to-one with the cup sleeves (8) in the pre-processing station (172) and the printing station (173). The telescopic end of the pressure linear drive component (192) is rotatably connected to a compression sleeve (193), which is used to abut against the bottom of the cup on the corresponding cup sleeve (8). A surface processor (20) is also provided on the frame (12), which is used to perform plasma or corona treatment on the cup sleeves (8) sleeved on the pre-processing station (172).

7. A cup printer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The hollow disk (6) is further provided with a color tracking station (174) between the pre-processing station (172) and the printing station (173). The color tracking station (174) corresponds to one of the cup parts (8). One of the cup parts driving components (10) corresponds to the cup part (8) in the color tracking station (174). A color mark sensor (21) is installed on the frame (12). The color mark sensor (21) is used to identify the seam of the cup, thereby locating the initial position of the pattern printing.

8. A cup printer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The hollow disk (6) is also provided with a loading station (175) upstream of the pre-processing station (172), the loading station (175) is corresponding to one of the cup fitting parts (8); a loading conveyor (22) is installed on the base (1), the loading conveyor (22) is also corresponding to the position of the cup fitting part (8) in the loading station (175); a cup fitting mechanism (23) is also provided on the base (1), the cup fitting mechanism (23) is used to fit the first cup on the loading conveyor (22) onto the cup fitting part (8) in the loading station (175).

9. A cup printer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cup-sleeving mechanism (23) includes a cup-sleeving linear module (231), two heightening plates (232), two cup-clamping linear actuators (233), a cup-clamping plate (234), a cup-disassembly linear actuator (235), and a cup-disassembly plate (236). The cup-sleeving linear module (231) is mounted on the base (1), and the cup-sleeving linear module (231) is parallel to and corresponding to the feeding conveyor (22). The two heightening plates (232) are respectively mounted on the cup-sleeving linear module (231). The two cup-clamping linear actuators (233) are respectively mounted on the two heightening plates (232). The two cup-clamping plates (234) are respectively mounted on the two cup-clamping plates. The output end of the linear actuator (233) and the two cup clamping plates (234) are respectively located on both sides of the cup fitting part (8) corresponding to the loading station (175) for clamping the cup; the two cup disassembly linear actuators (235) are installed at intervals on the tail end plate (191); the two cup disassembly plates (236) are respectively installed on the output ends of the two cup disassembly linear actuators (235); one of the cup disassembly plates (236) is used to insert between the edges of the mouths of the two foremost cups on the loading conveyor (22), and the other cup disassembly plate (236) is used to press down the cup body of the second cup to prevent the first cup from moving along with the second cup during the fitting process.

10. A cup printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hollow disc (6) is also provided with a feeding station (176) downstream of the curing station (171), and the feeding station (176) corresponds to one of the cup parts (8); a feeding conveyor (24) is installed on the base (1), and the feeding conveyor (24) also corresponds to the position of the cup part (8) in the feeding station (176); an air passage (27) is provided between the rotating cup part (7) and the cup part (8); an air pipe (26) is slidably provided through the angle plate (3), and one end of the air pipe (26) corresponds to the position of the rotating cup part (7) away from the corresponding cup part (8), and is used to blow air into the rotating cup part (7) after the rotating cup part (7) and the air pipe (26) are connected to blow the cup on the cup part (8) onto the feeding conveyor (24).

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