Printing processing apparatus and printing processing method

Abstract

To suppress a printing quality from deteriorating.SOLUTION: A printing processing apparatus 3 is configured to perform processing including at least cutting and printing on a paper work-piece 1 which is formed in a tabular shape made of corrugated boards and postured along a horizontal direction. The printing processing apparatus comprises: a processing part 5 that performs cutting processing on the work-piece 1 along a contour of a shape in which a corrugate cardboard box is unfolded and causes paper powder to be generated accompanying the cutting processing; a printing part 6 that is arranged in a predetermined region to which the paper powder generated through the cutting processing by the processing part 5 may adhere, and that is configured to print on a printing target surface 2U of the work-piece 1 through a printing head 6N provided to be exposed; and a paper powder processing part 7 that processes the paper powder generated through the cutting processing by the processing part 5. The printing part 6 has an upper printer 6U that performs printing on an upper surface 2U of the work-piece 1 through the upper head 6N that is the head 6N provided directed downward in a vertical direction. The paper powder processing part 7 has an upper surface head cleaner 7U that performs paper powder processing on the upper surface 2U of the work-piece 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus and a print processing method for performing processing including at least cutting and printing on a paper object to be processed. [Background technology]

[0002] As a paper material, accordion-folded (also called "fanfold") cardboard material is known. This cardboard material has creases between successive rectangular sheets, and the sheets are alternately folded at these creases. Such accordion-folded cardboard material is used as material for box-making systems (also called "automatic packaging systems," "variable three-side systems," "automatic three-side packaging," "on-demand packaging," "automatic packaging machines," etc.) that manufacture boxes of optimal size according to the size of the packaged object. This material is cut along the outline of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box to be made in the box-making system (see Patent Document 1). Furthermore, as one of the techniques for processing cardboard materials, a technique is known in which cuts are formed in the material and printing is also performed (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-112906 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-538166 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when both cutting along the outline of the unfolded shape of a cardboard box and printing are performed on a cardboard material, the cut dimensions are longer than when a slit is formed as described above, and a relatively large amount of paper dust is generated. When printing is performed in such an environment, the paper dust may cause a deterioration in print quality. Therefore, there is room for improvement in preventing deterioration of print quality.

[0005] The print processing device and print processing method of the present invention have been invented in consideration of the above problems, and one of the objects of the present invention is to suppress the deterioration of print quality. However, the present invention is not limited to this object. Another object of the present invention is to achieve the effects and advantages derived from the configurations shown in the "Mode for carrying out the invention" described later, which cannot be obtained by conventional techniques. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The print processing device disclosed herein has the configuration described in (1) below. (1) A printing and processing device that performs processing, including at least cutting and printing, on a paper processing object that is flat, made of cardboard, and has a horizontal orientation, A processing unit that performs cutting processing on the processing object along the outline of the shape of the unfolded cardboard box, and generates paper dust due to the cutting processing; a printing unit having an exposed printing head, printing on the printing surface of the object through the head, and disposed in a predetermined area to which paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit may adhere; a paper dust processing unit that processes paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit. A printing processing device characterized by the above.

[0007] The printing processing method disclosed herein has the configuration described in (2) below. (2) A printing and processing method for performing processing including at least cutting and printing on a flat, cardboard-shaped paper processing target that is oriented horizontally, comprising: A processing step of cutting the object to be processed along the contour of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box, which generates paper dust due to the cutting process; a printing step of printing on a printing surface of the processing object through a printing head provided in an exposed state in a predetermined area where paper dust generated by the processing step may adhere; and a paper dust processing step for processing paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit. A printing processing method characterized by the above.

[0008] The first print processing apparatus disclosed herein has the configuration described in (A1) to (A8) below. (A1) A printing and processing device that performs processing, including at least cutting and printing, on a paper processing object that is flat, made of cardboard, and has a horizontal orientation, A processing unit that performs cutting processing on the processing object along the outline of the shape of the unfolded cardboard box, and generates paper dust due to the cutting processing; a printing unit having an exposed printing head, printing on the printing surface of the object through the head, and disposed in a predetermined area to which paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit may adhere; a paper dust processing unit that processes paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit, the printing unit has an upper printer that prints on the upper surface, which is the printing surface, of the object to be processed through an upper head that is the head provided vertically downward; The paper dust processing unit has an upper surface cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the upper surface of the processing object or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the upper surface of the processing object. A printing processing device characterized by the above. (A2) The paper dust processing unit has an upper head cleaner that removes paper dust adhering to the upper head or prevents paper dust from adhering to the upper head. The printing and processing apparatus according to (A1) is characterized in that (A3) The paper dust treatment unit blows gas onto a portion where paper dust removal processing or paper dust adhesion prevention processing is to be performed. The printing and processing apparatus according to (A1) or (A2) is characterized in that (A4) The upper printer includes: an inkjet printer having a nozzle as the upper head for spraying ink droplets onto the upper surface of the object to be processed; and an ultraviolet laser printer in which an objective lens through which an ultraviolet laser is transmitted and irradiated onto the upper surface of the object to be processed, the objective lens being provided as the upper head, is provided with a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser. The print processing device according to any one of (A1) to (A3) above. (A5) The method includes a feed section that supplies, to the processing section, as the processing target, a box-making material in which a rectangular sheet is folded back in a second direction perpendicular to a predetermined first direction on a plane along the fold and the sheets are stacked one on top of the other. The print processing device according to any one of (A1) to (A4) above. (A6) the printing unit has a lower printer that prints on the lower surface, which is the printing surface, of the object to be processed, through a lower head that is the head provided vertically upward; The paper dust processing section has a lower head cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the lower head or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the lower head. The print processing device according to any one of (A1) to (A5) above. (A7) The paper dust processing unit has a bottom surface cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object. The printing and processing device according to (A6) is characterized in that (A8) The lower printer includes: an inkjet printer having a nozzle as the lower head for spraying ink droplets onto the lower surface of the object to be processed; and an ultraviolet laser printer in which an objective lens through which an ultraviolet laser is transmitted and which is irradiated onto the lower surface of the object to be processed, the lower surface of the object being processed being provided with a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser, is provided as the lower head. The printing and processing device according to (A6) or (A7) is characterized in that

[0009] The first printing and processing method disclosed herein has the configuration described in (A9) below. (A9) A printing and processing method for performing processing including at least cutting and printing on a flat, cardboard-shaped paper processing target that is oriented horizontally, comprising: A processing step of cutting the object to be processed along the contour of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box, which generates paper dust due to the cutting process; a printing step of printing on a printing surface of the processing object through a printing head provided in an exposed state in a predetermined area where paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step may adhere; a paper dust processing step for processing paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step, The printing step includes an upper print step of printing on the upper surface, which is the printing surface of the object to be processed, through an upper head that is provided vertically downward as the head, The paper dust processing step includes a top surface cleaning step of removing paper dust adhering to the top surface of the processing object or performing a treatment to prevent paper dust from adhering to the top surface of the processing object. A printing processing method characterized by the above.

[0010] The second print processing device disclosed here has the configurations described in (B1) to (B5) below. (B1) A printing and processing device that performs processing, including at least cutting and printing, on a paper processing object that is flat, made of cardboard, and has a horizontal orientation, A processing unit that performs cutting processing on the processing object along the outline of the shape of the unfolded cardboard box, and generates paper dust due to the cutting processing; a printing unit having an exposed printing head, printing on the printing surface of the object through the head, and disposed in a predetermined area to which paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit may adhere; a paper dust processing unit that processes paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit, the printing unit has a lower printer that prints on the lower surface, which is the printing surface, of the object to be processed, through a lower head that is the head provided vertically upward; The paper dust processing section has a lower head cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the lower head or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the lower head. A printing processing device characterized by the above. (B2) The paper dust processing unit has a bottom surface cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object. The printing and processing apparatus according to (B1) is characterized in that (B3) The paper dust treatment unit blows gas onto a portion where paper dust removal processing or paper dust adhesion prevention processing is to be performed. The printing and processing apparatus according to (B1) or (B2) is characterized in that (B4) The lower printer includes: an inkjet printer having a nozzle as the lower head for spraying ink droplets onto the lower surface of the object to be processed; an ultraviolet laser printer in which an objective lens through which an ultraviolet laser is transmitted and irradiated onto the lower surface of the object to be processed is provided with a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser is provided as the lower head. The print processing device according to any one of (B1) to (B3) above. (B5) The method includes a feed section that supplies, to the processing section, as the processing target, a box-making material in which a rectangular sheet is folded back in a second direction perpendicular to a predetermined first direction on a plane along the fold and the sheets are stacked one on top of the other. The print processing device according to any one of (B1) to (B4) above.

[0011] The second printing and processing method disclosed herein has the configuration described in (B6) below. (B6) A printing and processing method for performing processing including at least cutting and printing on a flat, cardboard-shaped paper processing target that is oriented horizontally, comprising: A processing step of cutting the object to be processed along the contour of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box, which generates paper dust due to the cutting process; a printing step of printing on a printing surface of the processing object through a printing head provided in an exposed state in a predetermined area where paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step may adhere; a paper dust processing step for processing paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step, The printing step includes a lower printing step of printing on the lower surface, which is the printing surface of the object to be processed, through a lower head provided vertically upward as the head, The paper dust processing step includes a lower head cleaning step of removing paper dust adhering to the lower head or preventing paper dust from adhering to the lower head. A printing processing method characterized by the above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the deterioration of print quality can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a printing and processing device and a box-making material used as a processing object of the printing and processing device. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a print processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a print processing apparatus and a print processing method according to an embodiment will be described. These print processing devices and print processing methods perform processing on an object, including at least cutting and printing. The printing and processing apparatus and the printing and processing method use paper materials as the processing target. Specifically, flat, cardboard-shaped paper materials (i.e., cardboard materials) and paperboard for paper containers are used as the processing target. When the printing and processing apparatus and the printing and processing method perform processing such as cutting and printing, the processing target is in a horizontal position.

[0015] In this embodiment, a form in which accordion-folded box-making materials formed by folding continuous cardboard sheets are used as the processing target is mainly illustrated. The box-making materials are sequentially fed out to be processed, such as cut or printed. Some of the box-making materials sequentially fed out and supplied become the processing target to be processed, such as cut or printed, by a printing processing device and a printing processing method. In this embodiment, an example will be given in which the following directions I and II correspond to each other as shown in Table 1 below. Direction I: Direction of box-making materials placed on a horizontal surface before supply Direction II: The direction of the object to be processed after it is fed and during processing such as cutting or printing

[0016] [Table 1]

[0017] The machine direction (first direction, marked "MD" in the figures) and the cross direction (second direction, marked "CD" in the figures) are horizontal directions, and the machine direction and the cross direction are perpendicular to each other. The height direction (third direction, marked "TD" in the figures) is vertical, and is perpendicular to both the machine direction and the cross direction. This height direction corresponds to the direction in which the sheets are stacked. The MD (Machine Direction) direction is also called the "flow direction" and is the direction in which the processing of box-making materials progresses from upstream to downstream. The CD (Cross Direction) direction is the direction perpendicular to the MD direction on a plane along the MD direction. The TD (Transverse Direction) direction is the direction perpendicular to both the MD and CD directions.

[0018] I. One embodiment In the following embodiment, the configuration of the print processing device and the print processing method are described in items [1] and [2]. First, the processing object used in the print processing device and the print processing method is described in item [1]. Next, the print processing device and the print processing method that cut and print the processing object are described in item [2]. Then, the actions and effects of the configurations of items [1] and [2] are described in item [3].

[0019] [1. Processing target] In this section [1], the structure in which the box-making material is folded accordion-like (hereinafter referred to as the "folded structure") is outlined in subsection [1-1], and the printing surface of the box-making material is described in subsection [1-2].

[0020] [1-1. Folding structure] As shown in Fig. 1, the box-making material 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the box-making material 1, a continuous rectangular sheet 2 (only a portion of which is indicated with a reference numeral in Fig. 1) is folded back at creases F (only a portion of which is indicated with a reference numeral in Fig. 1), and the folded sheets 2 are stacked in the height direction. In the box-making material 1 folded in an accordion-like manner in this way, a plurality of creases F extend linearly in the vertical direction on a pair of side surfaces along both the vertical and vertical directions.

[0021] Here, the folding structure of the box-making material 1 will be described with reference to three sheets 2 (shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 1) illustrated below. First sheet 21: A sheet 2 continuous to one side of the second sheet 22 Second sheet 22: A sheet 2 continuous with both the first sheet 21 and the third sheet 23 Third sheet 23: A sheet 2 continuous with the other side of the second sheet 22

[0022] A first fold F1 is provided between the first sheet 21 and the second sheet 22, and the sheets 21 and 22 are continuous with each other through the first fold F1. A second fold F2 is provided between the second sheet 22 and the third sheet 23, and the sheets 22 and 23 are continuous with each other through the second fold F2. The first fold F1 is a fold line F along which the second sheet 22 is folded back toward one side in the horizontal direction (to the right in FIG. 1) relative to the first sheet 21, and is located on the other side in the horizontal direction (to the left in FIG. 1) of the box-making material 1. The second fold F2 is a fold line F along which the third sheet 23 is folded back toward the other side in the horizontal direction (to the left in FIG. 1) relative to the second sheet 22, and is located on one side in the horizontal direction (to the right in FIG. 1) of the box-making material 1.

[0023] According to the box-making material 1 having the above-mentioned folding structure, even materials that are difficult to roll up into a roll can be folded into a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In other words, the cardboard sheet 2, which has higher strength and rigidity (so-called "stiffness") than materials that can be rolled up into a roll, can be packed in a compact form. The box-making material 1, in which the sheet 2 with thus ensured strength and rigidity is folded, is suitable for use as a packaging material in a box-making system that manufactures cardboard boxes that require strength and rigidity.

[0024] The box-making system in which the box-making material 1 is used is not particularly limited, but examples of the automatic packaging system include fully automatic systems such as "Cartonwrap 1000 manufactured by CMC," "CVP-500 manufactured by Neopost," and "TXP-600 manufactured by OS Machinery," as well as semi-automatic systems such as "EM7 manufactured by Pack Size" and "Compack manufactured by Panotec."

[0025] In the box-making system described above, the box-making material 1 is cut along the outline of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box. After the entire circumference is cut along the outline of the unfolded shape (hereinafter referred to as "all-around cutting process"), the flat blank sheet cut out from the box-making material 1 by the all-around cutting process is folded to assemble into a three-dimensional cardboard box.

[0026] Meanwhile, cardboard boxes have been known that are printed with desired designs, letters, etc. For example, a logo mark, contents, etc. are printed on the outer surface of the cardboard box, and an identification mark, lot number, etc. are printed on the inner surface of the cardboard box. For this reason, it is desirable to perform not only the cutting process but also the printing process of the box-making material 1 in advance in the box-making system so that printing can be applied to the outer and inner surfaces when the blank sheets cut out from the box-making material 1 are assembled into a cardboard box (hereinafter referred to as the "box-making state"). Therefore, the box-making material 1 is provided with a printable surface, which will be described next.

[0027] [1-2. Printed surface] The printable surface of the box-making material 1 is provided on at least one of the upper surface 2U (see FIG. 2) and the lower surface 2D (see FIG. 2) of the sheet 2. The "printable surface" here means a surface on which printing can be applied. The upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 is the surface that faces upward when the sheet 2 is fed out from the box-making material 1 and cut all around. This upper surface 2U corresponds to the surface that faces inward (i.e., the "inner surface") when the sheet 2 is assembled into a cardboard box. On the other hand, the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 is the surface that faces downward when the sheet 2 is fed out from the box-making material 1 and cut all around. This lower surface 2D corresponds to the surface that faces outward (i.e., the "outer surface") when the sheet 2 is assembled into a cardboard box.

[0028] When printing is performed on the inner surface of the cardboard box, the upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 is set as the surface to be printed on. On the other hand, when printing is performed on the outer surface of the cardboard box, the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 is set as the surface to be printed on. In other words, the surface to be printed on the sheet 2 is set according to the location of the surface to be printed on the cardboard box in the completed box-making state.

[0029] Methods for printing on the sheet 2 of the box-making material 1 include various printing methods such as inkjet printing, thermal printing, infrared laser printing, a combination of infrared laser printing and printing using thermal-sensitive ink, ultraviolet laser printing, flexographic printing, offset printing, and gravure printing. In this embodiment, inkjet printing and ultraviolet laser printing are exemplified as printing methods for the sheet 2 of the box-making material 1.

[0030] When inkjet printing is used as the printing method, it is possible to print on the sheet 2 without any special processing of the cardboard liner used for the sheet 2 of the box-making material 1. However, the liner used for the sheet 2 may be provided with a printing layer for improving the fixation and color development of the ink when inkjet printing is used. When ultraviolet laser printing is used as the printing method, a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser is provided on the printed surface. In this case, a printing layer for ultraviolet laser printing is provided on the liner used for the sheet 2. For such a printing layer, the printing layers described in Japanese Patent No. 7115620, Japanese Patent No. 7188540, etc. can be used.

[0031] In the embodiment exemplified here, a form will be described in which both the inner and outer surfaces of the cardboard box are set to have surfaces to be printed, and both the upper surface 2U and the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 are set to be printed surfaces. Specifically, a form will be exemplified in which inkjet printing is performed on the upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 (corresponding to the inner surface of the cardboard box), and ultraviolet laser printing is performed on the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 (corresponding to the outer surface of the cardboard box).

[0032] However, the printing method for printing on the upper surface 2U and lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 is not limited to inkjet printing or ultraviolet laser printing, and other printing methods may be used. Also, the sheet 2 may have a printable surface only on one of the upper surface 2U and lower surface 2D. When only the inner surface of the cardboard box is set to have a surface to be printed, the sheet 2 has a printable surface only on the upper surface 2U. When only the outer surface of the cardboard box is set to have a surface to be printed, the sheet 2 has a printable surface only on the lower surface 2D. The box-making material 1 having the printable surface set as described above is used as a processing target for a printing and processing device and a printing and processing method described next.

[0033] [2. Printing equipment and printing method] The printing and processing device and printing and processing method of this embodiment perform processing including at least cutting and printing on box-making materials 1 to produce blank sheets to be assembled into cardboard boxes. In the printing and processing device of this embodiment, cutting and printing processes are performed continuously (so-called "in-line"), and the printing and processing method of this embodiment is carried out. As described above, since it is preferable to use the box-making material 1 as a packaging material for a box-making system, it is preferable that a printing and processing device be incorporated into part of the box-making system, and it is preferable that a printing and processing method be carried out as part of the box-making system.

[0034] [2-1.Print processing equipment] First, the print processing device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The print processing device 3 is provided with a feed section 4, a processing section 5, a printing section 6, and a paper dust processing section 7 (parts 4 to 7), which are listed below. Feed section 4: A section that supplies box-making materials 1 to the processing section 5 Processing section 5: A section that processes the box-making material 1 supplied from the feed section 4 Printing section 6: A part that prints on the printing surface of box-making material 1 Paper dust processing section 7: This section removes paper dust or prevents paper dust from adhering.

[0035] ==Feed section== The feed section 4 is disposed on the most upstream side of the print processing device 3, and sequentially feeds and supplies the box-making materials 1. In this feed section 4, the sheets 2 are fed out in sequence from the upper side of the box-making materials 1. 2 is provided with a rotor 41 having a triangular shape in a side view as a member for supporting the sheet 2. The rotor 41 is rotatably supported by a support 42. The sheet 2 is hung over the rotor 41, and is provided along the conveying path of the printing and processing device 3 via a guide roll 43 (so-called "paper threading").

[0036] The sheet 2 lifted by the rotating body 41 is unfolded while being lifted upward from the top surface of the box-making material 1, and is transported downstream in the transport direction MD. Note that "unfolding" here means that the sheet 2 that was folded back at the fold F is folded back at the fold F. The sheet 2 of the box-making material 1 supplied by the feed section 4 as described above is processed in the processing section 5, which will be described next.

[0037] ==Processing section== The processing unit 5 processes the box-making materials 1 supplied by the feed unit 4. The processing unit 5 is provided with a cutting unit 51 that performs all-around cutting along the contour of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box on the box-making material 1. The cutting unit 51 can use the configuration of a part that performs all-around cutting in an existing box-making system.

[0038] The processing unit 5 is also provided with a crease providing unit 52 that provides creases to the box-making material 1. The crease providing unit 52 is a part that provides creases to the parts of the cardboard box that are to be folded. The crease providing unit 52 can use the configuration of a part that provides creases in an existing box-making system. When the cutting unit 51 performs cutting all around the box-making material 1 and the line providing unit 52 provides lines, a part of the box-making material 1 is cut out and processed into a blank sheet with lines provided thereto.

[0039] When the above-mentioned processing is performed in the processing unit 5, the cutting unit 51 cuts the entire periphery of the box-making material 1 (paper processing target), which causes the generation of paper dust. The process of forming creasing lines on the box-making material 1 by the creasing unit 52 may also result in the generation of paper dust. The printing unit 6, which will be described next, is disposed in the vicinity of the processing unit 5, which is a source of paper dust.

[0040] ==Print Department== The printing unit 6 is disposed in a predetermined area where paper dust generated during the all-around cutting process by the processing unit 5 may adhere. The "predetermined area" here refers to an area located close enough to the processing unit 5 that paper dust generated during the all-around cutting process by the processing unit 5 may scatter and adhere to the printing unit 6. The predetermined area includes an area adjacent to the processing unit 5.

[0041] 2 illustrates a form in which the printing unit 6 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the processing unit 5. However, the printing unit 6 may also be disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the processing unit 5. Note that one example of the reason for disposing the printing unit 6 in a predetermined area is that there are layout constraints on adding a printing unit 6 to an existing box making system that does not have a printing unit 6.

[0042] The printing unit 6 of this embodiment is provided with the following two types of printers 6U and 6D. Upper Printer 6U: Printer that prints on the top surface 2U of Sheet 2 Lower Printer 6D: Printer that prints on the lower surface 2D of Sheet 2 The printers 6U, 6D have printing heads 6N, 6L that are provided in an exposed state, and print on the upper surface 2U and lower surface 2D (printed surface) of the sheet 2 through the heads 6N, 6L. The upper surface 2U and lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 are printed in an exposed form in the printing unit 6.

[0043] Here, an example is given in which an inkjet printer and an ultraviolet laser printer are used as the printers 6U and 6D. The inkjet printer is a printer that performs inkjet printing by spraying ink droplets from nozzles provided as printing heads 6N, 6L onto the printing surface of the sheet 2. In other words, the inkjet printer is provided with nozzles as the heads 6N, 6L that spray ink droplets onto the printing surface of the sheet 2.

[0044] The ultraviolet laser printer is a printer that performs laser printing by irradiating an ultraviolet laser that passes through the heads 6N, 6L onto a printing layer on the printing surface of the sheet 2. In other words, the ultraviolet laser printer is provided with objective lenses as the heads 6N, 6L that transmit the ultraviolet laser that is irradiated onto the printing surface of the sheet 2, which has a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser.

[0045] The upper printer 6U is a printer disposed above the sheet 2. It is preferable to use at least one of an inkjet printer and an ultraviolet laser printer as the upper printer 6U. In view of the fact that the cost of providing a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser is reduced, an inkjet printer is more suitable for use as the upper printer 6U than an ultraviolet laser printer. On the other hand, in view of preventing ink from adhering (in other words, transferring) to items contained in a cardboard box that is assembled by folding blank sheets cut out from the box-making material 1 immediately after printing by the upper printer 6U, an ultraviolet laser printer is more suitable for use as the upper printer 6U than an inkjet printer.

[0046] When an inkjet printer is used as the upper printer 6U, a nozzle facing vertically downward is provided as a head 6N ("upper head"), and ink droplets are sprayed from this head 6N onto the upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 to perform inkjet printing. In addition, when an ultraviolet laser printer is used as the upper printer 6U, an objective lens facing vertically downward is provided as a head 6N (the "upper head"), and the ultraviolet laser that passes through this head 6N is irradiated onto the printing layer on the upper surface 2U to perform laser printing.

[0047] The lower printer 6D is a printer disposed below the sheet 2. It is preferable to use at least one of an ultraviolet laser printer and an inkjet printer as the lower printer 6D. From the viewpoint of improving the print resolution, an ultraviolet laser printer is more suitable for use as the lower printer 6D than an inkjet printer.

[0048] When an ultraviolet laser printer is used as this lower printer 6D, an objective lens facing vertically upward is provided as a head 6L ("lower head"), and the ultraviolet laser passing through this head 6L is irradiated onto the printing layer on the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 to perform laser printing. When an inkjet printer is used as the lower printer 6D, a nozzle facing vertically upward is provided as a head 6L ("lower head"), and ink droplets are sprayed from this head 6L onto the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 for inkjet printing.

[0049] Since the printing unit 6 is disposed in a specified area, if the paper dust is not removed, the paper dust may adhere to the heads 6N, 6L of the printers 6U, 6D or the surfaces 2U, 2D of the sheet 2, resulting in printing defects. Therefore, the print processing device 3 is provided with a paper dust processing unit 7, which will be described next.

[0050] ==Paper Dust Processing Unit== The paper dust processor 7 is a part that processes paper dust generated by the full-circumference cutting process performed by the processing unit 5. If paper dust is not processed by the paper dust processor 7, problems may occur in printing by the printing unit 6, and therefore the paper dust processor 7 is provided in the printing unit 6.

[0051] The paper dust processor 7 of this embodiment is provided with a cleaner that processes paper dust at a predetermined location. Note that the "predetermined location" refers to the location where paper dust processing is performed. The above-mentioned "paper dust processing" refers to processing for removing paper dust or processing for preventing the adhesion of paper dust. Furthermore, "paper dust removal processing" refers to processing for removing paper dust that adheres to a specified location, and "processing for preventing the adhesion of paper dust" refers to processing for preventing the adhesion of paper dust to a specified location.

[0052] The paper dust processing unit 7 illustrated here is provided with cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L at four predetermined locations, as shown in Table 2. Focusing on the top surface cleaner 7U among the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L, the top surface cleaner 7U is a cleaner that removes paper dust adhering to the predetermined location, or prevents paper dust from adhering to the predetermined location, with the top surface 2U of the sheet 2 being the predetermined location.

[0053] [Table 2]

[0054] The surface cleaners 7U and 7D are cleaners that remove paper dust from the surface to be printed, and the head cleaners 7N and 7L are cleaners that remove paper dust from the heads 6N and 6L provided for printing. The upper surface cleaner 7U and the upper head cleaner 7N are disposed above the sheet 2, and are provided to prevent printing defects caused by the upper printer 6U. The lower surface cleaner 7D and the lower head cleaner 7L are disposed below the sheet 2, and are provided to prevent printing defects caused by the lower printer 6D.

[0055] An air cleaner that blows gas onto a predetermined location can be used for each of the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L. In a configuration in which an air cleaner is used for the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L, if paper powder is attached to the predetermined location, the paper powder is blown away by the blown gas, thereby removing the paper powder attached to the predetermined location, and if not, the gas blown to the predetermined location prevents the paper powder from adhering to the predetermined location. The cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L are not limited to air cleaners, and known devices such as brushes and wipers can be used. Paper dust adhering to a given location can be removed or prevented from adhering to the given location by brushing the given location or wiping the given location with a wiper.

[0056] [2-2. Print processing method] Next, a print processing method carried out by the above-mentioned print processing device 3 will be described. In the print processing method of this embodiment, the above-mentioned units 4 to 7 constituting the print processing device 3 carry out processes in which the "unit" in the name is replaced with "process." In detail, the feed process is carried out in the feed unit 4, the process process is carried out in the process unit 5, the printing process is carried out in the printing unit 6, and the paper dust processing process is carried out in the paper dust processing unit 7.

[0057] In the processing step, a cutting step is performed by cutting unit 51, and a creasing step is performed by creasing unit 52. In this processing step, all-around cutting is performed on box-making material 1 in the cutting step, creasing is applied to box-making material 1 in the creasing step, and the all-around cutting, etc., causes the generation of paper dust. The printing process is carried out in a predetermined area where paper dust generated during the processing process may adhere to the sheet 2. In the printing process, the upper surface 2U and the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 are printed using the exposed printing heads 6N and 6L.

[0058] In the printing process illustrated here, an upper printing process is performed by the upper printer 6U, and a lower printing process is performed by the lower printer 6D. In the upper printing process, ink droplets are sprayed from a head 6N facing vertically downward onto the upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 for inkjet printing. In the lower printing process, an ultraviolet laser that passes through a head 6L facing vertically upward is irradiated onto the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2 for laser printing.

[0059] In the paper powder processing section 7, a cleaning process is performed by each of the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L. Specifically, an upper surface cleaning process is performed by the upper surface cleaner 7U, a lower surface cleaning process is performed by the lower surface cleaner 7D, an upper head cleaning process is performed by the upper head cleaner 7N, and a lower head cleaning process is performed by the lower head cleaner 7L. To describe each cleaner process in detail, in the upper surface cleaner process, paper dust is removed from the upper surface 2U of the sheet 2, and in the lower surface cleaner process, paper dust is removed from the lower surface 2D of the sheet 2. In addition, in the upper head cleaner process, paper dust is removed from the head 6N of the upper printer 6U, and in the lower head cleaner process, paper dust is removed from the head 6L of the lower printer 6D.

[0060] In the above-described print processing method, the feeding step is carried out first, and then the processing step is carried out. In the print processing method mainly exemplified in this embodiment, the printing step is carried out after the processing step. However, the printing step may be carried out before the processing step, or the printing step may be carried out in parallel with the processing step.

[0061] The paper dust processing step is preferably carried out before the printing step from the viewpoint of preventing printing defects in advance, and is preferably carried out in parallel with the printing step from the viewpoint of preventing defects during printing in advance. If the printing surfaces of the processing objects are supplied in sequence, the paper dust processing step may be carried out continuously. However, with regard to the upper head cleaning process and the lower head cleaning process, in order to prevent printing defects caused by problems such as rubbing and drying on the head 6N of the upper printer 6U and the head 6L of the lower printer 6D, which use the inkjet printing method, it is preferable to perform them intermittently, at least not while the ink particles are being sprayed.

[0062] [3. Actions and Effects] Since the print processing device 3 and the print processing method of the present embodiment have the above-mentioned configuration, the following actions and effects can be obtained. (1) According to the printing and processing device 3 of this embodiment, if the paper dust generated in conjunction with the full-circumference cutting process by the processing unit 5 is not processed, there is a risk of causing printing defects in the printing unit 6 arranged in a specified area. However, the paper dust in specified locations in the printing unit 6 is processed by the paper dust processing unit 7. Therefore, the deterioration of the print quality by the printing unit 6 can be suppressed.

[0063] (2) Surfaces 2U, 2D of the sheet 2, which are the printing surfaces of the printers 6U, 6D provided in the printing unit 6, are subjected to paper dust processing by surface cleaners 7U, 7D provided in the paper dust processing unit 7. Therefore, printing is performed by the printers 6U, 6D on surfaces 2U, 2D of the sheet 2 from which paper dust has been removed or from which adhesion of paper dust has been prevented. Therefore, deterioration in the quality of printing by the printers 6U and 6D can be suppressed.

[0064] (3) The upper surface 2U of the sheet 2 is more prone to paper dust adhesion than the lower surface 2D of the sheet, because paper dust is less likely to fall off or accumulate thereon. Therefore, for the upper surface 2U and lower surface 2D, which are the surfaces to be printed, paper dust on the upper surface 2U is more likely to cause printing defects than paper dust on the lower surface 2D. Therefore, the upper surface cleaner 7U, which processes paper dust on the upper surface 2U, can process paper dust on the surface to be printed more efficiently than the lower surface cleaner 7D, which processes paper dust on the lower surface 2D. Therefore, printing defects caused by the upper printer 6U can be effectively suppressed.

[0065] (4) The heads 6N, 6L exposed to the printers 6U, 6D of the printing unit 6 are subjected to paper dust processing by head cleaners 7N, 7L provided in the paper dust processing unit 7. Therefore, in the printers 6U, 6D, printing is performed through the heads 6N, 6L in a state in which paper dust has been removed or in which adhesion of paper dust has been prevented. From this point of view as well, deterioration in the print quality of the printers 6U and 6D can be suppressed.

[0066] (5) The head 6L provided vertically upward in the lower printer 6D is more likely to have paper dust adhered thereto than the head 6N provided vertically downward in the upper printer 6U for the same reason as the top surface of the sheet 2. Therefore, paper dust from the head 6L provided in the lower printer 6D is more likely to cause printing defects than paper dust from the head 6N provided in the upper printer 6U. Therefore, the lower head cleaner 7L that processes paper dust on the head 6L provided in the lower printer 6D can process paper dust more efficiently than the upper head cleaner 7N that processes paper dust on the head 6N of the upper printer 6U. Therefore, printing defects caused by the lower printer 6D can be effectively suppressed.

[0067] (6) When air cleaners that blow gas onto predetermined locations are used as the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L, paper dust is disposed of without contacting the predetermined locations. This type of non-contact paper dust disposal helps to prevent deterioration of the printing quality of the printing unit 6. When brushes or wipers are used as the cleaners 7U, 7D, 7N, and 7L, the brushes or wipers come into contact with predetermined locations to remove paper dust, thereby ensuring the removal of paper dust.

[0068] (7) According to the feed section 4 of the printing and processing device 3, the accordion-folded box-making material 1 is supplied to the processing section 5, so that the sheet 2 to be processed in the processing section 5 is continuously supplied, and the sheet 2 to be printed in the printing section 6 is also continuously supplied. Therefore, the processing efficiency of the processing section 5 can be improved, and the printing efficiency of the printing section 6 can also be increased. (8) In addition, the printing processing method can achieve the same effects and advantages as the printing processing device.

[0069] [II. Modifications] The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly stated in the embodiment. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the embodiment. In addition, the configurations can be selected as necessary, and can be combined appropriately.

[0070] For example, the printing section may be provided with at least one of an upper printer and a lower printer. When only an upper printer is provided in the printing unit, at least one of an upper head cleaner and an upper surface cleaner may be provided in the paper dust processing section. When only a lower printer is provided in the printing unit, at least one of a lower head cleaner and a lower surface cleaner may be provided in the paper dust processing section.

[0071] If the upper printer or the lower printer is omitted, or if the upper head cleaner or the top surface cleaner or the lower head cleaner or the bottom surface cleaner is omitted, poor print quality can be suppressed with a simple configuration. However, both an inkjet printer and an ultraviolet laser printer may be provided in the upper printer, and similarly, both an inkjet printer and an ultraviolet laser printer may be provided in the lower printer. In addition, the processing object is not limited to the accordion-folded box-making material, but may be a strip-shaped paper material or a sheet-shaped paper material, and may be at least a material that generates paper dust when cut. Also, the feed section that supplies the processing object to the processing section may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Box-making materials (processing targets) 2 seats 21 First Sheet 22 Second Sheet 23 Third Sheet 2U top surface (printed surface) 2D bottom side (printed side) 3 Printing processing equipment 4 Feed section 41 Rotating Body 42 Post 43 Guide Roll 5 Processing section 51 Cut section 52 Ruler 6 Printing Department 6U Upper Printer 6D Lower Printer 6L Head (Lower Head) 6N Head (Upper Head) 7 Paper dust processing unit 7U Top Cleaner 7N Upper Head Cleaner 7D Underside cleaner 7L Lower Head Cleaner F fold F1 first fold F2 second fold F3 3rd fold

Claims

1. A printing and processing device that performs processing, including at least cutting and printing, on a paper processing object that is flat, made of cardboard, and has a horizontal orientation, A processing unit that performs cutting processing on the processing object along the outline of the shape of the unfolded cardboard box, and generates paper dust due to the cutting processing; a printing section having an exposed printing head, printing on the printing surface of the object through the head, and disposed in a predetermined area to which paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing section may adhere; a paper dust processing unit that processes paper dust generated by the cutting process by the processing unit, the printing unit has an upper printer that prints on the upper surface, which is the printing surface, of the object to be processed through an upper head that is the head provided vertically downward; The paper dust processing unit has an upper surface cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the upper surface of the processing object or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the upper surface of the processing object. A printing processing device characterized by the above.

2. The paper dust processing unit has an upper head cleaner that removes paper dust adhering to the upper head or prevents paper dust from adhering to the upper head.

2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The paper dust treatment unit blows gas onto a portion where paper dust removal processing or paper dust adhesion prevention processing is to be performed.

2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The upper printer includes: an inkjet printer having a nozzle as the upper head for spraying ink droplets onto the upper surface of the object to be processed; and an ultraviolet laser printer in which an objective lens through which an ultraviolet laser is transmitted and irradiated onto the upper surface of the object to be processed, the objective lens being provided as the upper head, is provided with a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser.

2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The method includes a feed section that supplies, to the processing section, as the processing target, a box-making material in which a rectangular sheet is folded back in a second direction perpendicular to a predetermined first direction on a plane along the fold and the sheets are stacked one on top of the other.

2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. the printing unit has a lower printer that prints on the lower surface, which is the printing surface, of the object to be processed, through a lower head that is the head provided vertically upward; The paper dust processing section has a lower head cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the lower head or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the lower head.

6. The print processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The paper dust processing unit has a bottom surface cleaner that performs a process of removing paper dust adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object or a process of preventing paper dust from adhering to the bottom surface of the processing object.

7. The print processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The lower printer includes: an inkjet printer having a nozzle as the lower head for spraying ink droplets onto the lower surface of the object to be processed; and an ultraviolet laser printer in which an objective lens through which an ultraviolet laser is transmitted and which is irradiated onto the lower surface of the object to be processed, the lower surface of the object being processed being provided with a printing layer that changes color when irradiated with an ultraviolet laser, is provided as the lower head.

7. The print processing apparatus according to claim 6.

9. A printing and processing method for performing processing including at least cutting and printing on a flat, cardboard-shaped paper processing target that is oriented horizontally, comprising: A processing step of cutting the object to be processed along the contour of the unfolded shape of the cardboard box, which generates paper dust due to the cutting process; a printing step of printing on a printing surface of the processing object through a printing head provided in an exposed state in a predetermined area where paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step may adhere; a paper dust processing step for processing paper dust generated by the cutting process in the processing step, The printing step includes an upper print step of printing on the upper surface, which is the printing surface of the object to be processed, through an upper head that is provided vertically downward as the head, The paper dust processing step includes a top surface cleaning step of removing paper dust adhering to the top surface of the processing object or performing a treatment to prevent paper dust from adhering to the top surface of the processing object. A printing processing method characterized by the above.

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