End seal

Abstract

A seal (40, 50, 120) for sealing off the end of a liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor chamber, with respect to a roll rotating in the chamber, in particular an engraved roll, comprises: a) an elongate main body (10, 20, 100) with an upper face (12, 22, 112), which faces the rotating roll during use, a bottom face (11, 21, 111) opposite the upper face (12, 22, 112), two mutually opposite side faces (13, 14; 23, 24; 113, 114) which during use are perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating roll, and two mutually opposite end faces (15, 16; 25, 26; 115, 116) which during use are parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating roll; b) wherein the upper face (12, 22, 112) has a contact region (12b, 22b, 112b) for placing the seal (40, 50, 120) onto the rotating roll; c) on the upper face (12, 22, 112) additionally a first bearing region (12a, 22a, 112a) for a working doctor and a second bearing region (12c, 22c, 112c) for a closing doctor are present, wherein the two bearing regions (12a, 22a, 112a, 12c, 22c, 112c) are at an angle to each other; d) on the upper face (12, 22, 112) furthermore an anti-wear element (30, 30', 30'') is mounted which extends at least partially, in particular completely, over the contact region (12b, 22b, 112b), such that the contact region (12b, 22b, 112b) is protected against wear caused by the rotating cylinder, and e) the anti-wear element (30, 30', 30'') is firmly clamped on both sides on the opposite side faces (13, 14; 23, 24; 113, 114) of the main body (10, 20, 100).

Description

[0001] Final sealing

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The invention relates to a seal comprising a base body and a wear protection element for sealing the end face of a fluid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, with respect to a roller, in particular an anilox roller, rotating in the chamber. Furthermore, the invention relates to a chamber doctor blade system comprising a fluid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, on which a rotatable roller, in particular an anilox roller, is arranged, and wherein the fluid-storing chamber is sealed with a seal at least in the region of a first end face of the roller. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a seal for sealing a fluid-storing chamber and to a method for producing a seal comprising a base body and a wear protection element.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Printing units for letterpress printing typically include an anilox roller, which inks a printing form mounted on a printing form cylinder. The substrate to be printed, such as paper or fabric, is guided by an impression cylinder and pressed against the printing form cylinder, where the ink is transferred from the printing form to the substrate.

[0006] These days, anilox rollers are usually inked using a chambered doctor blade system. The chambered doctor blade system has a chamber filled with printing ink that is open on one side. The open side of the chamber is pressed against the anilox roller, transferring the ink to the rotating anilox roller. Excess ink is wiped off the surface of the anilox roller using a working doctor blade. Along the longitudinal axis of the doctor blade chamber and the anilox roller, the doctor blade chamber is sealed on one side by the working doctor blade and on the other side by an additional closing doctor blade. At the front end, i.e., near the free ends of the anilox roller, the chamber is sealed with end seals. In a chambered doctor blade system, both the end seals and the doctor blade are subject to wear.The interaction of these two components is crucial for consistent and clean ink transfer throughout the entire printing process.

[0007] In this context, US Pat. No. 9,085,131 B1 (Valley Holdings, LLC) describes, for example, an end seal for an ink chamber of a printing press, e.g. a flexographic printing press. The seal has a compressible base body with an upper side comprising a central area for contact with the printing cylinder and two adjoining areas inclined towards one another for the application of doctor blades. The base body can be made of, for example, foam, rubber, plastic or a composite material. A flat wear protection pad made of felt, polyethylene or polyester can be attached to the upper side. How the wear protection pads are attached is not explained. It is likely that they are glued on, which is complex and prone to errors.

[0008] EP 3 539 776 A1 (wiguTec Gummitechnologie GmbH & o. KG) describes a sealing element for the end-face sealing of a doctor blade chamber with respect to a rotating roller. The sealing body has a base body and a molded part, wherein the base body is made, for example, of an elastic, in particular foamed material and is firmly bonded to the molded part. The molded part is made, in particular, of a material with less elasticity than the base body, e.g. a solid, rubber-like or caoutchouc material. In addition, the base body and the molded part are positively connected to one another on the upper side via projections on the molded part and corresponding recesses in the upper side. In the area of ​​the sealing surface, the sealing body is made of a vulcanizable material into which a sliding material (e.g. PTFE) is vulcanized. The sealing surface consists of two spaced-apart partial surfaces with a channel-shaped recess in between.However, the production of such complex terminations is complex and expensive. Therefore, there is still a need for improved solutions that do not exhibit the aforementioned disadvantages or that do so to a lesser extent.

[0009] Description of the invention

[0010] The object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved end seal for the end-face sealing of a liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, with respect to a roller, in particular an anilox roller, that is adjacent to the chamber and rotates. In particular, the end seal should be as simple and flexible to manufacture as possible and enable reliable sealing.

[0011] The solution to the problem is defined by the features of independent claims 1, 11 and 14.

[0012] A first aspect of the invention therefore relates to a seal for the end-face sealing of a liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, with respect to a roller rotating in the chamber, in particular an anilox roller, comprising: a) an elongated base body with an upper side which, during use, faces the rotating roller, a lower side opposite the upper side, two opposing side surfaces which, during use, are perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating roller, and two opposing end faces which, during use, are parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating roller; b) wherein the upper side has a contact region for applying the seal to the rotating roller; c) on the upper side there is additionally a first support region for a working doctor blade and a second support region for a closing doctor blade, wherein the two support regions are at an angle to one another;d) a wear protection element is further attached to the upper side, which extends at least partially, in particular completely, over the contact area, so that the contact area is at least partially protected from wear by the rotating cylinder; e) the wear protection element is clamped on both sides to the opposite side surfaces of the base body;

[0013] The seal according to the invention is particularly characterized by feature e). This clamps the wear protection element to the base body outside the contact area.

[0014] The contact area refers to the area that comes into contact with the rotating roller during normal use.

[0015] The clamping of the wear protection element to the opposing side surfaces allows for particularly simple attachment to the base body. In particular, the wear protection element can be attached to the base body without the need for additional fastening elements such as screws, pins, holes, or adhesives.

[0016] In addition, the wear protection element can be removed from the base body and repositioned if necessary, should it not be correctly attached the first time. Furthermore, the wear element can be used with different base bodies without the need for complex adjustments.

[0017] Furthermore, it has been shown that the wear protection element is automatically pushed into an optimal position when pressed against the roller due to the clamping mechanism. The positioning of the wear protection element is therefore not particularly critical, which simplifies production.

[0018] Compared to the solutions known from the prior art, the seals according to the invention therefore offer great advantages in many respects.

[0019] Preferably, the wear protection element is attached to the base body without additional fastening means, in particular without screws, pins, holes, and / or adhesives. The wear protection element is clamped in such a way that the wear protection element is held in a force-fitting manner, in particular exclusively force-fitting, in a direction perpendicular to the upper side.

[0020] Force-locking means that a constant force is exerted by the wear protection element on both sides. This can be achieved, for example, by making the wear protection element from an elastic material that can be bent open under the application of force and clamped to the base body.

[0021] In one embodiment, the seal according to the invention consists exclusively of the base body and the wear element. This greatly simplifies the manufacture of the seal, as only two parts need to be joined together.

[0022] In particular, the base body and / or the wear element, particularly preferably both, are each manufactured in one piece.

[0023] Specifically, the base body and / or the wear element are solid bodies with no cavities. This further simplifies manufacturing.

[0024] According to a further embodiment, it is also possible to provide holes and / or recesses in the base body, for example in order to attach the seal to the liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber.

[0025] In particular, there is no mechanical connection between the wear protection element and the upper surface of the base body, in particular no material connection and / or form-fitting connection that could prevent the wear protection element from being removed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface. Thus, the wear protection element can rest on the upper surface of the base body, but it is not attached to it.

[0026] In a direction perpendicular to the top surface, the wear protection element is held in place exclusively by clamping it to the opposite side surfaces. Additional positive or material-locking connections that are effective in the direction perpendicular to the surface are not present in this case.

[0027] The side surfaces connect the top side to the bottom side and are in particular perpendicular to the end faces and / or perpendicular to the bottom side of the base body. Preferably, the wear protection element covers the top side in the contact area across the entire width from one side surface to the other and / or in the contact area, the wear protection element and the base body are essentially the same width at the top side. Thus, where the wear protection element is present, the contact area is completely protected across its entire width and, at the same time, a reliable and simple clamping fixture can be realized. According to a preferred embodiment, the wear protection element covers the top side in the contact area in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the base body and / or in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the roller across the entire length of the contact area.

[0028] Specifically, the entire contact area is covered with the wear protection element, providing complete protection.

[0029] However, this is not mandatory. In a special embodiment, the wear protection element extends only partially over the contact area, while the remaining sections of the contact area are preferably formed by the base body.

[0030] In particular, the wear protection element only partially covers the contact area in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the base body and / or in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the roller, wherein preferably the remaining sections of the contact area are formed by the base body and / or the wear protection element only partially covers the contact area across the width of the contact area, wherein preferably the remaining sections of the contact area are formed by the base body.

[0031] An embodiment in which the contact area is only partially covered across the width of the contact area can be realized, for example, by the wear protection element only partially encompassing the base body from one side surface to the other. Such embodiments have also proven advantageous.

[0032] In particular, the wear protection element is embedded in the surface in such a way that a flush transition to the first support area for the working doctor blade and / or a flush transition to the second support area for the closing doctor blade is present. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the base body has a recess in the contact area. This is particularly such that the wear protection element can be or is embedded essentially flush with the top side of the base body. The recess advantageously extends over part of the contact area or over the entire contact area.

[0033] For example, the recess is shorter than the length of the contact area in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the base body and / or in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the roller. This allows for a design in which the wear protection element only partially covers the contact area.

[0034] The recess is particularly designed such that the wear protection element is held in a form-fitting manner in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the base body and / or in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the roller. This provides additional security for the wear protection element, preventing it from being displaced from the base body during use due to frictional forces generated by the rotating roller. However, such a recess is not mandatory; sufficient attachment to the base body for the intended application can also be achieved simply by clamping.

[0035] In particular, the uppermost regions of the two side surfaces, in particular the regions in which the wear protection element is clamped, are lowered in steps in the contact region towards the respective opposite side and / or a cross-section of the base body is tapered in steps at the upper end in the contact region.

[0036] This allows the wear protection element to be at least partially recessed into the side surfaces, so that it protrudes less or not at all. The recessed areas of the side surfaces and / or the areas in the tapered section of the cross-section of the side surfaces are preferably plane-parallel to the non-recessed areas of the side surfaces. This facilitates the application of the wear protection element while still allowing it to be securely clamped.

[0037] However, the aforementioned recesses and / or depressed areas are not absolutely necessary. In another embodiment, the wear protection element can also be applied to a base body without recesses and / or depressed areas in the contact area. In this case, a non-flush transition to the first support area and / or the second support area can be provided. The wear protection element preferably encompasses the upper side of the base body at least in the contact area, in particular from the upper area of ​​one side surface to the upper area of ​​the opposite side surface. The base body, including the edge areas, is thus optimally protected by the wear element in the area of ​​the contact surface, and the wear element can be optimally secured to the base body.

[0038] The upper areas are in particular the above-described lowered areas of the side surfaces and / or the areas in the tapered section of the cross-section.

[0039] However, designs are also possible in which the wear protection element only partially encompasses the base body in the contact area.

[0040] The wear protection element preferably has a contact surface for contact with the rotating body, as well as lateral clamping elements which are designed in such a way that they encompass the base body.

[0041] In particular, the wear protection element is provided as a U-shaped profile, in particular as a U-shaped plastic profile, with the profile base forming the contact surface for engagement with the rotating body, and the profile legs forming lateral clamping elements for clamping the wear protection element to the side surfaces. When assembled and / or during use, the wear protection element is clamped to the side surfaces of the base body, in particular by the profile legs. The profile legs of the U-shaped profile protrude from the profile base, in particular at an angle of 20-90°.

[0042] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the profile legs of the U-shaped profile are inclined toward each other, in particular so that they protrude from the profile base at an angle of 45-89°, particularly 60-87°, and especially 75-85°. This configuration results in a particularly effective clamping effect on the side surfaces, since the free ends of the profile legs can press against the side surfaces with relatively high pressure.

[0043] Corresponding profiles can be produced relatively easily and inexpensively, for example by extrusion, and can be cut to the required length and, if necessary, adapted to the shape.

[0044] The U-shaped profile is preferably dimensioned such that the inner profile width at its narrowest point is smaller than the width of the base body at the top in the area where the wear protection element is attached. This requires the wear protection element to be elastically bent open when attached to the base body and / or the base body to be elastically compressed in order to attach the wear protection element in the contact area. However, this results in a clamping force automatically acting after the wear protection element is attached, which holds the wear protection element to the base body.

[0045] The profile width at the narrowest point is in particular 1 - 15%, in particular 5 - 12% smaller than the width of the base body at the top in the area in which the wear protection element is attached.

[0046] The contact area for applying the seal to the rotating roller and / or the wear protection element located thereon is, in particular, concavely curved, with the curvature of the contact area and / or the wear protection element preferably complementing the curvature of the rotating roller. This achieves optimal sealing. However, non-concavely curved contact areas and / or wear protection elements can also be provided. Depending on the flexibility of the base body and the wear protection element, it is sufficient for sealing if the seal is pressed against the roller and adapts to the curved roller shape.

[0047] The first support area for a working squeegee and the second support area for a closing squeegee are each designed as a flat surface. This allows the squeegees, usually flat, to be optimally supported across their entire surface.

[0048] The two support areas are preferably designed such that the contact area for applying the seal to the rotating roller is located between the two support areas of the doctor blade.

[0049] For example, the first support area for a working doctor blade and the second support area for a closing doctor blade are positioned at an angle of 90-180° to each other. This is a particularly suitable configuration for a chamber doctor blade system. However, other angles can also be provided for special applications.

[0050] The wear protection element is preferably made of a material that is harder than the material of the base body. In particular, both the base body and the wear protection element are made of plastic. Plastics are easy to machine and typically exhibit a certain degree of elasticity, which, among other things, enables the clamping described above.

[0051] The base body consists, for example, of a felt, a polymer material, a composite material (e.g. felt and rubber), rubber, foam rubber, natural rubber, cellular rubber, cellular vulcanized rubber, foam, polyurethane foam and / or neoprene.

[0052] The base body preferably consists of a foamed polymer material, e.g. a foamed polyethylene.

[0053] The wear protection element consists, for example, of a polymer material, in particular polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, silicone, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, polyetheretherketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylidene fluoride and / or polyamide.

[0054] The wear protection element is made of a non-foamed material.

[0055] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a chambered doctor blade system. This comprises a fluid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, in which a rotatable roller, in particular an anilox roller, is arranged. Furthermore, a working doctor blade resting against the roller and a closing doctor blade resting against the roller are arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the roller. The fluid-storing chamber is sealed at least in the region of a first front end of the roller with a seal as described above, with the seal resting against the rotatable roller with its wear element.

[0056] The contact area for applying the seal to the rotating roller and the wear protection element thereon are in particular concavely curved and the curvature of the contact area and the wear protection element are designed to be complementary to the curvature of the rotating roller.

[0057] This enables a particularly reliable and cost-effective sealing of the doctor blade chamber against the rotating roller.

[0058] Preferably, a second front end of the roller is sealed with a further seal as described above.

[0059] The present invention also relates to the use of a seal as described above for sealing the end face of a liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, with respect to a rotating roller, in particular an anilox roller, in a chamber doctor blade system.

[0060] A further aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a seal as described above, wherein in a first step the base body and the wear protection element are provided as separate components and in a second step the wear protection element is plugged onto the base body so that the wear protection element clamps firmly on both sides to the opposite side surfaces of the base body.

[0061] The base body and wear protection element are defined as described above and can, in particular, have some or all of the optional features mentioned. Similarly, the seal is preferably manufactured in such a way that it has some or all of the optional features of the seal described above.

[0062] In particular, the wear protection element is attached to the base body during production without additional fastening means, in particular without screws, pins, holes and / or adhesives.

[0063] The base body and / or the wear element, particularly preferably both, are advantageously provided in the first step as one-piece separate components.

[0064] The attachment in the second step is preferably carried out by elastic bending of the wear protection element and / or by elastic compression of the base body.

[0065] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention emerge from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims.

[0066] Short description of the drawings

[0067] The drawings used to explain the embodiment show:

[0068] Fig. 1 shows a first one-piece base body which is used to produce a first

[0069] Seal is provided;

[0070] Fig. 2 a second one-piece base body, with a special recess in the contact area;

[0071] Fig. 3 a one-piece wear protection element in the form of a U-shaped

[0072] Plastic profile for application to the second one-piece base body from Fig. 2. Analogous wear protection elements with adapted dimensions can be attached to the first base body from Fig. 1 and the third base body from Fig. 8;

[0073] Fig. 4 shows a first seal for sealing the front side of a doctor blade chamber against a rotating anilox roller adjacent to the chamber;

[0074] Fig. 5 shows a second seal for sealing the front side of a doctor blade chamber, which was produced by attaching the wear protection element from Fig. 3 to the base body from Fig. 2;

[0075] Fig. 6 in the upper half a cross section through the wear protection element from Fig. 3 along the line B - B and in the lower half a cross section through the base body from Fig. 2 along the line A - A;

[0076] Fig. 7 shows a cross section through the seal from Fig. 5 along the line C - C;

[0077] Fig. 8 a third one-piece base body with a partial recess in the

[0078] contact area;

[0079] Fig. 9 shows a third seal for the frontal sealing of a doctor blade chamber, which was produced by attaching a wear protection element analogous to that of Fig. 3 onto the base body of Fig. 8;

[0080] Fig. 10 is a plan view of the first front end of a chamber doctor blade system sealed with a seal from Fig. 5;

[0081] Fig. 1 1 a plan view of the chamber doctor blade system from Fig. 10 along the longitudinal axis of the anilox roller.

[0082] In principle, identical parts in the figures are provided with identical reference symbols.

[0083] Ways to implement the invention

[0084] Fig. 1 shows a first elongated base body 10 with a longitudinal axis 10.1, which is intended for producing a first seal 40 (see Fig. 4). The base body 10 has an upper side 12, which faces the rotating roller when the seal 10 is in use, a lower side 11 opposite the upper side 12, two opposing side surfaces 13, 14, which are perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotating roller during use, and two opposing end faces 15, 16, which are parallel to the rotational axis of the rotating roller during use. The end faces 15, 16 are perpendicular to the side surfaces 13, 14 and perpendicular to the lower side 11.

[0085] Furthermore, the upper side 12 provides a first support area 12a for a working doctor blade, a contact area 12b for applying the seal to the rotating roller, and a second support area 12c for a closing doctor blade. The two support areas 12a, 12c are flat and are at an angle of, for example, 120° to one another. The contact area 12b located between them is lowered compared to the support areas 12a, 12c across the entire width of the base body 10, so that the support area 12b is in the form of a concavely curved recess on the upper side 12. This allows a wear protection element, such as that shown in Fig. 3, to be attached to the base body 10 in such a way that it is embedded essentially flush with the upper side 12 of the base body 10.

[0086] Fig. 2 shows a second elongated base body 20 with a longitudinal axis 20.1, which is intended for producing a second seal 50 (see Fig. 5). The basic structure of the second base body 20, with a top side 22, an opposite bottom side 21, two opposing side surfaces 23, 24, and two opposing end faces 15, 16, is essentially the same as that of the first base body 10.

[0087] Likewise, the upper side 22 further includes a first support area 22a for a working doctor blade, a contact area 22b for applying the seal to the rotating roller, and a second support area 22c for a closing doctor blade. The two support areas 22a, 22c are also flat in the second base body 20 and are at an angle of, for example, 120° to each other.

[0088] However, the contact area 22b of the second base body 20 is designed differently than the contact area 12b of the first base body 10. As with the contact area 12b, the contact area 22b is lowered relative to the support areas 22a, 22c, so that the support area 22b is in the form of a concavely curved recess on the upper side 22. In addition, however, the uppermost areas 23a, 24a of the two side surfaces 23, 24 in the contact area 22b are lowered in a step-like manner along the entire length of the contact area 22b toward the respective opposite side. Thus, the cross-section of the base body 20 is tapered in a step-like manner at the upper end in the contact area 22b (see section along line A-A in Figs. 6 and 7). The lowered areas 23a, 24a are plane-parallel to the non-lowered areas of the side surfaces 23, 24. This allows a wear protection element such as that shown in Fig.3, can be attached to the base body 20 in such a way that it is substantially flush with the top side 22 of the base body 20 and protrudes only slightly or not at all from the side surfaces 23, 24.

[0089] Fig. 3 shows a wear protection element 30 in the form of a U-shaped plastic profile with a rectangular, curved profile base 31 and inwardly inclined profile legs 32, 33. Fig. 6 shows in the upper half a cross section through the wear protection element 30 along the line B - B. The angles 32a, 33a between the profile base 31 and the legs 32, 33 are each 80°, for example.

[0090] The wear protection element 30 is designed to be plugged onto the second base body 20 and clamped in place. For this purpose, the inner profile width 31.1 of the wear protection element 30 is slightly smaller at the narrowest point, or between the free ends of the profile legs 32, 33, than the width 22.1 of the base body 20 in the contact area 22b, or the width between the two depressed areas 23a, 24a of the side surfaces 23, 24. This allows the wear protection element 30 to be plugged onto the base body 20 in the contact area by bending the two profile legs 32, 33 upwards and sliding them onto the depressed areas 23a, 24a. The wear protection element 30 is thus clamped firmly on both sides of the opposite side surfaces 23, 24 in the depressed areas 23a, 24a of the base body 20. The seal 50 thus obtained is shown in Fig. 5 in a perspective view and in Fig.7 in cross-section along the line C - C of Fig. 5. The wear protection element 30 is held force-fitting in a direction perpendicular to the upper side 22 of the base body 20, while it is held form-fitting in a direction along the longitudinal axis 20. 1 of the base body 20 or, when using the seal 50 in a chamber doctor blade system, in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the roller.

[0091] Fig. 4 shows another seal 40, which was produced by attaching a second wear protection element 30' to the first base body 10. The second wear protection element 30' is essentially identical in construction to the wear protection element 30 from Fig. 3, but is wider at its narrowest point, so that it can be clamped firmly in the contact area 12 on the first base body 10. In this case, the wear protection element 30' protrudes significantly from the side surfaces 13, 14.

[0092] Fig. 8 shows a third elongated base body 100 with a longitudinal axis 110.1, which is intended for producing a third seal 120 (see Fig. 9). The basic structure of the third base body 100, with a top side 112, an opposite bottom side 111, two opposing side surfaces 113, 114, and two opposing end faces 115, 116, is essentially the same as that of the first base body 10.

[0093] Likewise, the upper side 112 further includes a first support area 112a for a working doctor blade, a contact area 112b for applying the seal to the rotating roller, and a second support area 112c for a closing doctor blade. The two support areas 112a, 112c are also flat in the third base body 100 and are at an angle of, for example, 120° to each other.

[0094] However, the contact area 112b of the third base body 100 is designed differently than the contact area 112b of the first base body 10. The contact area 112b has a first contact section 112b.1 adjoining the support area 112a and a third contact section 112b.3 adjoining the support area 112c. Between the two contact sections 112b.1, 112b.3 there is a second and depressed contact section 112b.2 in the form of a concavely curved recess on the upper side 112. Fig. 9 shows a third seal 120, which was produced by attaching a third wear protection element 30" onto the first base body 100. The third wear protection element 30" is essentially identical in construction to the wear protection element 30 from Fig. 3, but it is shorter in size so that it only covers the central contact section 112b.2.In the third seal 120, the contact area 112b thus consists of the two exposed contact sections 112b.1, 112b.3 and the central contact section 112b.2, which is protected by the wear protection element 30". The two contact sections 112b.1, 112b.3 are directly in contact with the roller when the seal 120 is applied. The base bodies 10, 20, 100 consist in particular of a one-piece, foamed polymer. The wear protection elements 30, 30', 30"' consist, for example, of a one-piece, unfoamed plastic, which is harder than the respective base bodies.

[0095] Fig. 10 and 11 show a chamber doctor blade system 80, with a liquid-storing doctor blade chamber 60, which is arranged on an anilox roller 70 rotatable about a longitudinal axis 71.

[0096] Parallel to the longitudinal axis 71 of the roller 70, a working doctor blade 61 rests with its free end against the roller 70 in the upper region of the doctor blade chamber 61 for wiping off excess ink. In the lower region, a closing doctor blade 62 rests against the roller 70 in the same way. As shown in Fig. 10, the doctor blade chamber 60 is closed off with a seal 50 at the first front end 70a of the roller 70. The wear protection element 30 present on the base body 20 is pressed against the outer surface of the roller 70 and the two doctor blades 61, 62 rest on the support regions 22a, 22c. The doctor blade chamber is thus completely sealed with the seal 50 in the region of the first front end 70a of the roller 70.

[0097] At the opposite second free end of the roller 70, the doctor chamber 70 is sealed in the same way with a second seal 50', wherein the second seal 50' is identical in construction to the first seal 50. This is shown in Fig. 11.

[0098] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples, which can be modified as desired within the scope of the invention. In summary, it can be stated that the present invention provides a particularly simple and cost-effective seal for sealing the end face of liquid-storing chambers, in particular doctor blade chambers, against a roller, in particular an anilox roller, that is adjacent to the chamber and rotates. The seals are particularly suitable for sealing chamber doctor blade systems in flexographic printing.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Seal (40, 50, 120) for end-face sealing of a liquid-storing chamber, in particular a doctor blade chamber, against a roller rotating in the chamber, in particular an anilox roller, comprising: a) an elongated base body (10, 20, 100) with a top surface (12, 22, 112) which faces the rotating roller when in use, a bottom surface (11, 21, 111) opposite the top surface (12, 22, 112), two opposing side surfaces (13, 14; 23, 24; 113, 114) which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating roller when in use, and two opposing end faces (15, 16; 25, 26; 115, 116) which are parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating roller when in use stand; b) wherein the top surface ( 12, 22, 1 12) has a contact area ( 12b, 22b, 1 12b) for applying the seal (40, 50, 120) to the rotating roller;c) on the upper side (12, 22, 1 12) there is additionally a first support area ( 12a, 22a, 1 12a) for a working squeegee and a second support area ( 12c, 22c, 1 12c) for a closing squeegee, wherein the two support areas ( 12a, 22a, 1 12a, 12c, 22c, 1 12c) are at an angle to each other; d) a wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is further attached to the upper surface (12, 22, 112) which extends at least partially, in particular completely, over the contact area (12b, 22b, 112b) so that the contact area (12b, 22b, 112b) is protected from wear by the rotating cylinder, characterized in that e) the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is clamped on both sides to the opposite side surfaces (13, 14; 23, 24; 113, 114) of the base body (10, 20, 100).

2. Seal according to claim 1, wherein the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is attached to the base body (10, 20, 100) without additional fastening means, in particular without screws, pins, bores and / or adhesives.

3. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") covers the top surface ( 12, 22, 1 12) in the contact area ( 12b, 22b, 1 12b) over the entire width from one side surface ( 13, 14; 23, 24; 1 13, 1 14).

4. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body ( 10, 20, 100) and the wear element (30, 30', 30") are each manufactured in one piece.

5. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body ( 10, 20, 100) has a recess in the contact area ( 12b, 22b, 1 12b) so that the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is substantially flush with the top surface ( 12, 22, 1 12) of the base body ( 10, 20, 100).

6. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") encompasses the top surface ( 12, 22, 1 12) of the base body (10, 20, 100) at least in the contact area ( 12b, 22b, 1 12b), in particular from the upper area of ​​one side surface ( 13, 23, 1 13) to the upper area of ​​the opposite side surface ( 14, 24, 1 14).

7. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is in the form of a U-shaped profile, wherein the profile base (31) forms the contact surface for contact with the rotating body and the profile legs (32, 33) form lateral clamping elements for clamping to the side surfaces ( 13, 14; 23, 24).

8. Seal according to claim 7, wherein the profile legs (32, 33) of the U-shaped profile (30) are inclined towards each other, in particular such that they extend from the profile base (31) at an angle of 45-89°, in particular 60-87°, and in particular 75-85°. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the first support area (12a, 22a, 112a) for a working squeegee and the second support area (12c, 22c, 112c) for a closing squeegee are each designed as a flat surface, and the first support area (12a, 22a, 112a) for a working squeegee and the second support area (12c, 22c, 112c) for a closing squeegee are at an angle of 90° to 180° to each other. Seal according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is made of a material that is harder than the material of the base body (10, 20, 100).Chamber doctor blade system (80), comprising a liquid-storing chamber (60), in particular a doctor blade chamber, on which a rotatable roller (70), in particular an anilox roller, is arranged, and a working doctor blade (61) and a closing doctor blade (62) abutting the roller parallel to a longitudinal axis (71) of the roller (70), wherein the liquid-storing chamber (60) is sealed at least in the region of a first end face (70a) of the roller (70) with a seal (40, 50, 120) according to one of claims 1-10, wherein the seal (40, 50, 120) with its wear element (30, 30', 30") abuts the rotatable roller (70). Chamber doctor blade system according to claim 1, wherein a second end face (70b) of the roller (70) is sealed with a further seal (50') according to one of claims 1-10.Chamber doctor blade system according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the contact area (12b, 22b, 112b) for applying the seal (40, 50, 120) to the rotatable roller (70) and the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") located thereon are concavely curved, and the curvature of the contact area (12b, 22b, 112b) and of the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is designed to be complementary to the curvature of the rotatable roller (70). Use of a seal (40, 50, 120) according to one of claims 1 to 10 for end-face sealing of a liquid-storing chamber (60), in particular. a doctor blade chamber, opposite a rotating roller (70), in particular an anilox roller, in a chamber doctor blade system (80). Method for producing a seal (40, 50, 120) according to at least one of claims 1-10, wherein in a first step the base body (10, 20, 100) and the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") are provided as separate components and in a second step the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is placed onto the base body (10, 20, 100) so that the wear protection element (30, 30', 30") is clamped on both sides to the opposite side surfaces (13, 14; 23, 24; 113, 114) of the base body (10, 20, 100).

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