Ink replacement mechanism

Abstract

To provide an ink replacement mechanism that can automate all of confirmation work for replacement of ink and prevention of erroneous injection of ink so as to make the confirmation work more efficient and to prevent a sheet from being wasted.SOLUTION: An ink replacement mechanism, which replaces a used empty ink container with an ink container storing ink, in a printing machine, is provided with at least: an ink supply part having ink automatic supply means that supplies ink to an inker provided on the printing machine; a preliminary ink container standby part that makes the ink container stand-by; preliminary ink container conveying means that conveys the ink container conveyed from the preliminary ink container standby part, to the ink supply part; an ink container conveying part having empty ink container ejecting means that ejects the empty ink container; an ink information reading part that reads out ink information on the ink container; and a control part that controls replacement of the empty ink container with the ink container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink replacement mechanism that automates the ink replacement operation and the confirmation operation for preventing misfeeding in the ink replacement of a printing machine.

Background Art

[0002] Printing methods include intaglio printing, offset printing, gravure printing, etc. Among them, intaglio printing is a printing method in which intaglio ink is applied to the entire surface of a plate surface with indentations of characters and lines, and this is wiped off with a cloth, roller, doctor, etc., and the intaglio ink remaining in the indented part is transferred to a substrate. This method is used for printing valuable printed matter such as banknotes and securities because a unique printed line with a raised texture can be obtained.

[0003] In addition, the intaglio ink used for intaglio printing is characterized by significantly higher viscosity and lower fluidity compared to the ink used for offset printing, etc. Therefore, the ink supply means varies depending on the viscosity and fluidity of the ink. In the case of intaglio ink, manual feeding by a person and automatic feeding by a device are examples.

[0004] As an example, when supplying intaglio ink to the ink pot of an intaglio printing machine, there are a method of taking out the intaglio ink from an ink container with an ink ladle and manually feeding it by a person, and a method of using an automatic supply device equipped with a positive displacement or air pump. The applicant of the present application has proposed a technology related to an automatic intaglio ink supply device equipped with a pump (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the gravure ink automatic supply device described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional gravure ink automatic supply device, the gravure ink (2) is drawn from a suction port (15) connected to an ink container (3) in which the gravure ink (2) is stored by an ink automatic supply means (11) using a pump. Next, the gravure ink (2) is transported through a supply pipe (14) such as a hose to an ink pot part (50) located inside the gravure printing machine, and the gravure ink (2) is discharged from a discharge port (16) arranged above the gravure ink pot (51), so that the gravure ink (2) is supplied.

[0006] In addition, in the printing of valuable printed matter such as banknotes, it is common to use inks of multiple colors or inks having functionality. When an operator exchanges the ink, the applicant has proposed an ink supply monitoring device for preventing the occurrence of waste paper due to incorrect ink filling (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0007] The technology of Patent Document 2 continuously inspects the functionality of the gravure ink in the ink pot non - contact, and when the gravure ink is incorrectly filled, it notifies the operator by an alarm or the like to prevent the occurrence of waste paper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] However, Patent Document 1 enables automatic supply of intaglio ink from an ink container set in an intaglio ink automatic supply device to an intaglio ink pot. However, when the intaglio ink in the ink container during supply runs out, an operator has to remove the empty ink container from the intaglio ink automatic supply device and set a new ink container in the intaglio ink automatic supply device, and also perform a confirmation operation to prevent misloading of the intaglio ink, which is not efficient in terms of work efficiency.

[0010] Also, when using a plurality of intaglio inks simultaneously, if the plurality of ink containers become empty at the same time, it takes time for an operator to perform operations such as replacing the ink containers, and there is a risk of waste paper due to so-called pot drying where the intaglio ink in the ink pot runs out.

[0011] Moreover, Patent Document 2 enables notification to an operator when intaglio ink is misloaded. However, since it detects the functionality of the intaglio ink supplied to the ink pot, when misloading is detected, the intaglio ink that should not be originally set adheres to the inside of the ink pot and supply pipes such as hoses. To recover from this, it is necessary to clean the inside of the ink pot and the hoses, and during that time, the printing machine cannot be operated, leading to an increase in downtime.

[0012] The present invention solves the above problems by automating all operations for ink replacement and confirmation operations for preventing ink misloading, and performing confirmation for preventing misloading simultaneously during ink replacement, thereby providing an ink replacement mechanism capable of improving work efficiency and preventing the occurrence of waste paper.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] The ink exchange mechanism of the present invention is an ink exchange mechanism for replacing a container in which ink is stored in a printing press, and includes an ink supply unit having an ink automatic supply means for supplying ink from the ink container to an inker provided in the printing press, a spare ink container standby unit for waiting for the ink container, a spare ink container conveying means for conveying the ink container conveyed from the spare ink container standby unit to the ink supply unit, an ink container conveying unit having an empty ink container discharging means for discharging an empty ink container in the ink supply unit, an ink information reading unit for reading ink information of the ink container from the spare ink container standby unit to the ink supply unit, and a control unit for controlling the replacement of the ink container and the empty ink container according to the reading result of the ink information reading unit, and is characterized by at least including these components.

[0014] Further, the ink exchange mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the ink supply unit includes at least two or more ink automatic supply means.

[0015] Further, the ink exchange mechanism of the present invention is characterized by further including an ink lid attaching / detaching unit for removing an ink lid attached to the ink container and attaching an ink lid to the empty ink container.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the ink exchange mechanism of the present invention, it becomes possible to automate all the operations of ink replacement and confirmation work for preventing incorrect input that were conventionally performed by operators, and the need for cleaning the ink pot and hoses due to incorrect ink input is eliminated, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of waste paper due to the drying up of the ink pot.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments can be implemented within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims.

[0019] Regarding the type of ink of the ink replacement mechanism in the present invention, there is no particular limitation as long as it is an ink that can be automatically supplied. It can be any ink such as gravure ink, offset ink, gravure ink, etc. In this specification, gravure ink will be described.

[0020] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) according to the present invention. The outline of the intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 2. The intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) includes at least an intaglio ink supply unit (10), a spare ink container standby unit (20), an ink container transport unit (30), an ink information reading unit (40), and a control unit (60). Further, although not shown, the intaglio ink supply unit (10) includes, for example, an ink automatic supply means (11) composed of a container fixing means (12), an ink supply means (13), a supply pipe (14), a suction port (15), and a discharge port (16). The ink container transport unit (30) includes a spare ink container transport means (31) and an empty ink container discharge means (32). The configuration of the control unit (60) is not particularly limited, but for example, it can include a storage means (61), a determination means (62), and a command means (63). Further, an intaglio printing machine (not shown) includes an inker unit (50), and the inker unit (50) includes an intaglio ink pot (51) and a duct roller (52), and may further include a supply amount detection means (53).

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) according to the present invention. The ink exchange process in the present invention will be briefly described with reference to Figure 3. First, when the ink container (3) being supplied in the intaglio ink supply unit (10) becomes empty, the empty ink container (4) is discharged through the empty ink container discharge means (32) (in the direction of the black arrow). Next, the ink container (3) in the spare ink container standby unit (20) is supplied to the intaglio ink supply unit (10) through the spare ink container transport means (31) (in the direction of the white arrow). At this time, the ink information of the ink container (3) is read by the ink information reading unit (40) to prevent misloading.

[0022] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment is an example of an intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) that supplies one type of intaglio ink (2). The details of the arrangement and configuration of each part of the intaglio ink exchange mechanism (1) according to this embodiment will be described.

[0023] (Intaglio Ink Supply Unit) FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an ink automatic supply means (11) provided in the intaglio ink supply section (10) in the present embodiment. The ink automatic supply means (11) supplies the intaglio ink (2) from an ink container (3) in which the intaglio ink (2) is stored to an inker section (50). In the following description, the ink container in which the intaglio ink (2) is stored will be described as the ink container (3), and the used empty ink container will be described as the empty ink container (4). As shown in FIG. 4, an ink container (3) in which the intaglio ink (2) is stored is arranged below the ink automatic supply means (11). Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the ink automatic supply means (11) fixes the ink container (3) by a container fixing means (12), and the ink supply means (13) descends and contacts the intaglio ink (2) in the ink container (3), thereby drawing the intaglio ink (2) from a suction port (not shown). Next, the intaglio ink (2) is discharged from a discharge port (not shown) located above an inker section (not shown) inside the intaglio printing press through a supply pipe (14).

[0024] The location where the ink automatic supply means (11) is arranged is not limited as long as it can supply the intaglio ink (2) to the inker section (50). However, since the shorter the supply path is, the less the conveyance loss of the intaglio ink (2) is, it is preferably arranged near an intaglio printing press (not shown). An example of the configuration of the inker section (50) is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view of the inker section (50), and FIG. 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA'-BB' of the inker section (50). As shown in FIG. 5, the inker section (50) includes an intaglio ink pot (51) and a duct roller (52). Each configuration in the inker section (50) will be described below.

[0025] The intaglio ink pot (51) is arranged at a position to receive the intaglio ink (2) supplied from the discharge port (16) of the ink automatic supply means (11), and the duct roller (52) is arranged at a position connected to the intaglio ink pot (51). The intaglio ink (2) supplied from the ink automatic supply means (11) is stored in the intaglio ink pot (51) and transferred to the duct roller (52).

[0026] Further, a supply amount detection means (53) may be provided above the gravure ink pot (51). By detecting the amount of the gravure ink (2) in the gravure ink pot (51) with the supply amount detection means (53) using an optical sensor, a liquid level sensor, a camera sensor, etc., it becomes possible to automatically manage the supply amount of the gravure ink (2). As described above, the ink unit (50) has been explained, but the configuration of the ink unit (50) may not be provided in the present invention.

[0027] The size, material, etc. of the ink container (3) shown in FIG. 4 are not particularly limited, and a pail can, a drum can, a container, etc. can be used. From the viewpoints of workability and strength, a stainless-steel pail can having a handle is particularly desirable.

[0028] The container fixing means (12) is not particularly limited in shape and fixing means as long as it can fix the ink container (3). For example, a stopper or a fixing pin can be used.

[0029] The ink supply means (13) may be in a form that can draw in the gravure ink (2) in the ink container (3) and supply it to a discharge port (not shown) through the supply pipe (14). For example, a pump can be used. Since the gravure ink (2) has a high viscosity, a positive displacement pump is particularly desirable.

[0030] (Standby section for reserve ink container) The standby section for reserve ink container (20) shown in FIG. 3 is arranged upstream of the gravure ink supply section (10), receives a signal from a control section (60) described later, and supplies the ink container (3) to the ink container transport section (30). As the transport method of the ink container (3), a roller conveyor, an AGV, etc. can be used. In the present embodiment, a form using a roller conveyor (21) will be described. Further, in the present embodiment, since there is one type of gravure ink (2) to be supplied, an example is shown in which the transport line of the standby section for reserve ink container (20) also has one line corresponding thereto. However, when there are a plurality of types of gravure ink (2), a plurality of lines may be provided correspondingly.

[0031] Regarding the replenishment of the ink container (3) to the standby section (20) for the spare ink container, the operator may directly carry it, or an ink storage warehouse (not shown) may be arranged further upstream of the standby section (20) for the spare ink container, and the ink container (3) may be automatically transported using a roller conveyor, an AGV, etc. Also, an ink storage warehouse (not shown) may be arranged on the floor or space above or below the standby section (20) for the spare ink container, and the ink container (3) in the ink storage warehouse on the upper or lower floor or space may be transported to the standby section (20) for the spare ink container by a rack device. Further, a sensor or the like for reading the ink information of the ink container (3) may be provided in the standby section (20) for the spare ink container to confirm whether the ink container (3) transported from the ink storage warehouse is a regular one.

[0032] (Ink Container Transport Section) The ink container transport section (30) includes at least a spare ink container transport means (31) for transporting the ink container (3) supplied from the standby section (20) for the spare ink container to the ink automatic supply means (11) of the gravure ink supply section (10), and an empty ink container discharge means (32) for discharging the empty ink container (4) with the gravure ink (2) emptied downstream in the gravure ink supply section (10). Regarding the transport method of the ink container transport section (30) as well, similar to the standby section (20) for the spare ink container, a roller conveyor, an AGV, etc. can be used, and in this embodiment, the form using a roller conveyor (21) will be described.

[0033] (Ink Information Reading Section) The ink information reading section (40) reads the ink information of the ink container (3) to be replaced, and the following two examples will be described. The first example is a form of reading the ink information given to the ink container (3). Information such as the color, functionality, manufacturing date, manufacturing factory, manufacturing date and time, manufacturing lot, etc. of the gravure ink (2) is given as information such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code as the ink information to the ink container (3). The functionality in the present invention refers to infrared characteristics, magnetism, etc. The ink information reading section (40) reads the ink information of the ink container (3) to be replaced by a barcode reader, a two-dimensional code reader, etc.

[0034] The second example is a form in which the characteristics of the gravure ink (2) itself are read instead of the ink information to be read. In that case, the color and functionality of the gravure ink (2) are directly read by a CCD camera sensor, a magnetic sensor, or the like. In the present embodiment, a form of reading the ink information given to the ink container (3) will be described. Also, the arrangement of the ink information reading unit (40) is not particularly limited as long as it is upstream of the ink automatic supply means (11). In FIG. 3, an example is shown in which the ink container (3) is read while being conveyed on a roller conveyor (21) which is a preliminary ink container conveying means (31). Note that the ink information reading unit (40) may be provided in the preliminary ink container standby unit (20).

[0035] Also, the ink information reading unit (40) may be configured to perform both reading of the ink information of the ink container (3) shown in the first example described above and reading of the characteristics of the gravure ink (2) itself shown in the second example. In that case, it is possible to reliably prevent the misloading of the gravure ink (2).

[0036] (Control Unit) FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control unit (60), and the control unit (60) will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The control unit (60) may include a storage means (61), a determination means (62), and a command means (63). The configuration of the control unit (60) is merely an example, and it is sufficient if the operations of the gravure ink supply unit (10), the preliminary ink container standby unit (20), the ink container conveyance unit (30), and the ink information reading unit (40) can be controlled. Also, when the ink supply unit (50) has a supply amount detection means (53), the supply amount of the gravure ink (2) to the ink supply unit (50) is also controlled. In the present embodiment, a form in which the ink supply unit (50) has a supply amount detection means (53) will be described. The details of each control will be described below.

[0037] The storage means (61) may include a first storage means (61a), a second storage means (61b), and a third storage means (61c). The storage means (61) is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a non-volatile memory.

[0038] The first storage means (61a) pre-sets the regular ink information of the gravure ink (2) supplied from the ink automatic supply means (11) of the gravure ink supply section (10). The regular ink information refers to the color, functionality, etc. of the gravure ink (2) that the ink automatic supply means (11) supplies to the ink car (50). Further, it may store the ink information of the ink container (3) to be exchanged read by the ink information reading section (40). The ink information is the color, functionality, manufacturing date, manufacturing factory, etc. described above. In addition, as printing conditions, the time, lot number, usage amount, etc. at the time of ink replacement can also be stored as ink information together. In that case, history management regarding ink replacement becomes possible.

[0039] The second storage means (61b) stores a program for performing ink replacement processes such as the supply of the gravure ink (2) to the ink car (50), the conveyance of the ink container (3), and the discharge of the empty ink container (4). The flow of the process according to the program will be described in detail later.

[0040] The third storage means (61c) stores the amount of the gravure ink (2) that becomes the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the gravure ink (2) in the gravure ink pot (51).

[0041] The determination means (62) may include a first determination means (62a), a second determination means (62b), and a third determination means (62c), and is composed of a central processing unit (CPU) such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0042] The first determination means (62a) compares the regular ink information of the gravure ink (2) stored in the first storage means (61a) with the ink information of the gravure ink (2) to be exchanged read by the ink information reading section (40), and determines that it is good when both pieces of information are the same, and no when they are different.

[0043] The second determination means (62b) performs a determination process associated with ink replacement according to the program stored in the second storage means (61b). Similar to the second storage means (61b), details will be described later.

[0044] The third determination means (62c) makes a pass / fail determination by comparing the supply amount measured by the supply amount detection means (53) based on the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the amount of the gravure ink (2) in the gravure ink pot (51) stored in the third storage means (61c). In the present embodiment, the description is made with the configuration in which the ink unit (50) has the supply amount detection means (53). However, when the supply amount detection means (53) is not provided, the third storage means (61c) and the third determination means (62c) are not necessary.

[0045] The command means (63) issues a command to replace the ink container (3) or supply the gravure ink (2) to the ink unit (50) based on the determination results of the respective determination means described above. This will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 8 to 12.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the control operation of the gravure ink replacement mechanism (1) in the present embodiment. Each step of FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12.

[0047] First, in FIG. 8(a), when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the supplied gravure ink (2) has run out, a supply stop command for the gravure ink (2) is issued by a command from the command means (63), the supply of the gravure ink (2) stops, and as shown in FIG. 8(b), the ink supply means (13) in the ink automatic supply means (11) rises (STEP1).

[0048] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, when the second determination means (62b) detects the rise of the ink supply means (13) by means of a proximity sensor or the like, the empty ink container (4) is discharged from the gravure ink supply section (10) by the empty ink container discharging means (32) according to a command from the command means (63) (STEP2). The arrow shown in FIG. 9 is an example of the direction in which the empty ink container (4) is discharged.

[0049] Next, as shown in FIG. 10, when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the empty ink container (4) has been discharged, the ink container (3) to be replaced at the forefront of the spare ink container standby section (20) is conveyed to the spare ink container conveying means (31) according to a command from the command means (63) (STEP3), and the ink information of the ink container (3) is read by the sensor of the ink information reading section (40). At this time, in the case of the form in which the ink information is given to the above-described ink container (3), it is obvious that the ink information needs to face the ink information reading section (40). The first determination means (62a) compares the ink information read by the ink information reading section (40) with the regular ink information stored in the first storage means (61a), and determines that it is good if they are the same, and no if they are different (STEP4).

[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, if the determination in STEP4 is good, the ink container (3) in the figure is conveyed to the gravure ink supply section (10) by the spare ink container conveying means (31) (STEP5).

[0051] Next, as shown in FIG. 12, when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the ink container (3) has been conveyed to the container fixing means (12) of the ink automatic supply means (11), the ink supply means (13) that has risen in FIG. 8(b) descends according to a command from the command means (63) and comes into contact with the gravure ink (2) in the ink container (3). After the ink supply means (13) comes into contact with the gravure ink (2), the ink automatic supply means (11) operates and the supply of the gravure ink (2) is restarted.

[0052] In addition, when the determination result of the ink information in STEP4 is negative, the operator is notified by sounding an alarm or the like, and the operator checks the sensors of the ink container (3) and the ink information reading unit (40), and takes necessary measures such as replacing the ink container (3) and adjusting the sensors as needed.

[0053] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 13 is an overall view of the gravure ink replacement mechanism (1) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the gravure ink supply unit (10) includes one ink automatic supply means (11), and the description was made on the configuration in which there is also one type of gravure ink (2) to be supplied. However, in this embodiment, the gravure ink supply unit (10) is a mechanism that includes a plurality of ink automatic supply means (11). In the following description, an example is shown in which the gravure ink supply unit (10) includes three ink automatic supply means (11), and correspondingly, there are also three types of gravure ink (3) to be supplied, and the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0054] (Gravure Ink Supply Unit) FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of the gravure ink supply unit (10) in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the gravure ink supply unit (10) includes three ink automatic supply means (11), which will be described as the first ink automatic supply means (11a), the second ink automatic supply means (11b), and the third ink automatic supply means (11c) from the left. In the description of this embodiment, when referring not to individual ink automatic supply means (11a, 11b, 11c) but to ink automatic supply means in general, it will be described as the ink automatic supply means (11). Also, the ink supplied from the first ink automatic supply means (11a) is the first gravure ink (2a), the ink supplied from the second ink automatic supply means (11b) is the second gravure ink (2b), and the ink supplied from the third ink automatic supply means (11c) is the third gravure ink (2c). When referring not to individual gravure inks (2a, 2b, 2c) but to gravure ink in general, it will be described as the gravure ink (2).

[0055] The three gravure inks (2) in the present embodiment differ in at least one of color and functionality. Therefore, since the type of gravure ink (2) supplied to the ink tank portion (50) is determined for each ink automatic supply means (11), in the present embodiment, it is necessary to prevent incorrect loading of the gravure ink (2) set in the ink automatic supply means (11). A control mechanism for preventing incorrect loading will be described later.

[0056] Also, regarding the container fixing means (12), ink supply means (13), supply pipe (14), suction port (15), and discharge port (16) provided in the ink automatic supply means (11), the description is omitted because they have the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

[0057] (Reserve Ink Container Waiting Section) Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the detailed configuration of the reserve ink container waiting section (20) will be described. FIG. 13 is an example of the arrangement of the reserve ink container waiting section (20) in the present embodiment. Since three types of gravure inks (2) are supplied in the present embodiment, the transport line of the reserve ink container waiting section (20) also has three lines corresponding thereto. As shown in FIG. 13, the ink containers (3) are respectively arranged on separate roller conveyors (21), and the respective roller conveyors (21) are arranged to merge at the downstream ink container transport section (30).

[0058] In the following description, the container storing the reserve ink for the first gravure ink (2a) supplied from the first ink automatic supply means (11a) is referred to as the first ink container (3a), the container storing the reserve ink for the second gravure ink (2b) supplied from the second ink automatic supply means (11b) is referred to as the second ink container (3b), and the container storing the reserve ink for the third gravure ink (2c) supplied from the third ink automatic supply means (11c) is referred to as the third ink container (3c). When referring to the ink containers (3a, 3b, 3c) individually, but when referring to the ink containers in general, they will be described as ink containers (3).

[0059] (Ink Container Transport Section) The ink container transport section (30) has the same configuration as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, since there are three types of intaglio ink (2), the overall control of the ink container transport section (30) is different, and will be described later together with the control section (60).

[0060] (Ink information reading unit) The ink information reading unit (40) has a similar configuration to that of the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] (Inker Department) The inker section (50) is also configured in the same way as in the first embodiment, but since there are three automatic ink supply means (11), the inker section (50) and duct roller (52) (not shown), which correspond to the three automatic ink supply means (11) provided, are also provided in three intaglio ink fountains (51) and three duct rollers (52), whereas the first embodiment only had one each.

[0062] (Control unit) The control unit (60) also has a similar basic configuration to that of the first embodiment, and therefore only the differences will be described.

[0063] The first storage means (61a) stores regular ink information of the intaglio ink (2) corresponding to each of the three automatic ink supply means (11) provided in the intaglio ink supply section (10).

[0064] The second storage means (61b) in this embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment in the control associated with ink change in response to changing the three types of intaglio ink (2). The flow of processing according to the program will be described later.

[0065] The third memory means (61c) stores the amounts of the intaglio ink (2) that are the upper and lower limits of the intaglio ink (2) in each of the three intaglio ink fountains (51).

[0066] The configurations of the first determination means (62a), the second determination means (62b), and the third determination means (62c) are similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0067] Regarding the command means (63) in the present embodiment as well, similar to the first embodiment, based on the determination results in the respective determination means (62), commands for the replacement of the gravure ink (2) and the supply of the gravure ink (2) to the ink portion (50) are given. This will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 15 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 16 to 21.

[0068] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control operation procedure of the gravure ink replacement mechanism (1) in the present embodiment. Each step in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 21. In the present embodiment, the case where the third gravure ink (2c) among the three types of gravure ink (2) being supplied runs out will be described as an example.

[0069] First, in FIG. 16(a), when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the third gravure ink (2c) being supplied has run out and the ink container (4) has become empty, a stop command for the gravure ink supply of the third ink automatic supply means (11c) is issued by a command from the command means (63), the gravure ink supply of the third ink automatic supply means (11c) stops, and as shown in FIG. 16(b), the ink supply means (13) in the third ink automatic supply means (11c) ascends (STEP1).

[0070] Next, as shown in FIG. 17, when the second determination means (62b) detects the ascent of the ink supply means (13) by means of a proximity sensor or the like, the empty ink container (4) is discharged from the third ink automatic supply means (11c) through the empty ink container discharge means (32) by a command from the command means (63) (STEP2).

[0071] Next, as shown in FIG. 18, when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the empty ink container (4) has been discharged, in accordance with a command from the command means (63), among the standby parts for spare ink containers (20), the third ink container (3c) to be exchanged, which is at the forefront of the roller conveyor (21) where the third ink container (3c) is on standby, is conveyed to the spare ink container conveying means (31) (STEP3), and the ink information of the third ink container (3c) to be exchanged is read by the sensor of the ink information reading unit (40). The first determination means (62a) compares the ink information read by the ink information reading unit (40) with the regular ink information stored in the first storage means (61a), and determines that it is good if they are the same and no if they are different (STEP4).

[0072] Next, when the determination in STEP4 is good, as shown in FIG. 19, the third ink container (3c) to be exchanged is conveyed by the spare ink container conveying means (31) to the third automatic ink supply means (11c) (STEP5).

[0073] Next, as shown in FIG. 20, when the second determination means (62b) detects by means of a proximity sensor or the like that the third ink container (3c) has been conveyed to the container fixing means (12) of the third automatic ink supply means (11c), in accordance with a command from the command means (63), the ink supply means (13) that has been raised in FIG. 16(b) descends and comes into contact with the gravure ink (2c) in the third ink container (3c). After the ink supply means (13) comes into contact with the third gravure ink (2c), the third automatic ink supply means (11c) operates and the supply of the third gravure ink (2c) is resumed.

[0074] In addition, when the determination result of the ink information in STEP4 is negative, the operator is notified by sounding an alarm or the like. As shown in FIG. 21, the third ink container (3c) with a negative reading result is transported back by the spare ink container transport means (31) to the original spare ink container standby section (20). The operator checks whether the third spare ink (2c) is the correct ink, whether the sensor of the ink information reading section (40) is malfunctioning, etc. If necessary, replacement of the third ink container (3c), adjustment of the sensor, and other restoration operations are performed. After restoration, the process resumes from STEP3.

[0075] (Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 22 shows a robot-type ink lid attaching / detaching section (70) having a suction means (72) at the tip of an arm (71). The third embodiment is an ink supply automation mechanism (1) further including the ink lid attaching / detaching section (70). Since the gravure ink (2) deteriorates when exposed to air for a long time, there is a risk of printing defects. Therefore, an ink lid (73) may be attached to the container storing the gravure ink (2). In that case, it is necessary to remove the ink lid (73) before replacing the ink container (3) and attach the ink lid (73) when discharging the empty ink container (4). Therefore, by further including the ink lid attaching / detaching section (70) of FIG. 22 in the ink supply automation mechanism (1), the removal of the ink lid (73) of the ink container (3) and the attachment of the ink lid (73) to the empty ink container (4) are automated.

[0076] The ink lid attaching / detaching section (70) shown in FIG. 22 is not particularly limited in shape and material as long as it can attach and detach the ink lid (73). For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a suction means (72) is provided at the tip of an arm (71) that can rotate vertically, horizontally, and in all directions. The suction means (72) can adsorb and lift the ink lid (73) by air suction and remove the ink lid (73) from the suction means (72) by turning off the air.

[0077] An example of an ink supply automation mechanism (1) provided with an ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70) shown in FIG. 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 and 24. Note that since the ink supply automation mechanism (1) in the present embodiment will be described using the same mechanism as that in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, only the portions related to the ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70) will be described with reference numerals.

[0078] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the process of attaching an ink lid (73) to an empty ink container (4). First, in FIG. 23(a), when the empty ink container (4) is discharged from the gravure ink supply unit (10), the ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70) rotates, and the ink lid (73) is lifted by the suction means (72) from the ink lid standby unit (74) that is waiting for the ink lid. Note that the left and right arrows in the figure indicate the rotation direction of the ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70). Next, as shown in FIG. 23(b), the ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70) rotates to above the discharged empty ink container (4), and the ink lid (73) is attached to the empty ink container (4) by turning off the air of the suction means (72).

[0079] FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the process of removing the ink lid (73) from the ink container (3). First, in FIG. 24(a), the ink lid attachment / detachment unit (70) rotates to above the ink container (3) to be replaced, and the ink lid (73) of the spare ink (3) is adsorbed and lifted by the air suction of the suction means (72). Next, as shown in FIG. 24(b), it rotates to above the ink lid standby unit (74), and the ink lid (73) is removed from the suction means (72) by turning off the air of the suction means (72) and is made to wait at the ink lid standby unit (74).

[0080] Although the present invention has been described in detail above, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention in the above configuration. Therefore, all matters included in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be construed as illustrative.

[0081] In particular, various forms are conceivable for the arrangement and configuration of the spare ink container standby section (20) and the ink container conveyance section (30). For example, as shown in FIG. 25, a line connecting the empty ink container discharging means (32), the spare ink container conveying means (31), and the spare ink container standby section (20) may be provided with a gravure ink filling section (80) between the empty ink container discharging means (32) and the spare ink container conveying means (31). With this configuration, the empty ink container (4) discharged after ink replacement is conveyed by the empty ink container discharging means (32), temporarily stopped at the gravure ink filling section (80), filled with gravure ink (2), and supplied as an ink container (3) from the spare ink container conveying means (31) to the spare ink standby section. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to automate the process from the discharge of the empty ink container (4) to the supply of the ink container (3).

[0082] Also, when the spare ink container standby section (20) and the ink container conveyance section (30) are configured by an AGV (not shown), there is no need to arrange a roller conveyor, so it becomes possible to secure space. As an example, the warehouse itself storing the ink container (3) may be used as the spare ink container standby section (20). In that case, the ink information of the ink container (3) is read by the ink information reading section (40) in the warehouse. Next, when the determination result is good, the ink container (3) is conveyed from the spare ink container standby section (20) to the gravure ink supply section (10) by the AGV, and the empty ink container (4) discharged from the gravure ink supply section (10) is collected by the AGV, thereby enabling the supply of the ink container (3) to be exchanged and the discharge of the empty ink container (4).

Explanation of Signs

[0083] 1 Gravure ink replacement mechanism 2 Gravure ink 2a First gravure ink 2b Second gravure ink 2c Third gravure ink 3 Ink container 3a First ink container 3b Second ink container 3c Third ink container 4 Empty ink containers 10 Gravure ink supply section 11 Ink automatic supply means 11a First ink automatic supply means 11b Second ink automatic supply means 11c Third ink automatic supply means 12 Container fixing means 13 Ink supply means 14 Supply pipe 15 Suction port 16 Discharge port 20 Reserve ink container waiting section 21 Roller conveyor 30 Ink container conveying section 31 Reserve ink container conveying means 32 Empty ink container discharging means 40 Ink information reading section 50 Inker section 51 Gravure ink pot 52 Duct roller 53 Supply amount detection means 60 Control section 61 Storage means 61a First storage means 61b Second storage means 61c Third storage means 62 Judgment means 62a First judgment means 62b Second judgment means 62c Third judgment means 63 Command means 70 Ink lid attaching / detaching section 71 Arm 72 Suction means 73 Ink lid 74 Ink lid waiting section 80 Gravure ink filling section

Claims

1. An ink exchange mechanism for exchanging a used empty ink container and an ink container storing ink during ink exchange of a printing machine, comprising: an ink supply unit having an ink automatic supply means for supplying the ink from the ink container to an ink car provided in the printing machine; a spare ink container standby unit for waiting for the ink container; a spare ink container conveying means for conveying the ink container conveyed from the spare ink container standby unit to the ink supply unit, and an ink container conveying unit having an empty ink container discharging means for discharging an empty ink container in the ink supply unit; an ink information reading unit for reading ink information of the ink container from the spare ink container standby unit to the ink supply unit; a control unit for controlling the replacement of the ink container and the empty ink container according to a reading result of the ink information reading unit; The ink exchange mechanism is characterized by comprising at least the above components.

2. The ink exchange mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply unit includes two or more of the ink automatic supply means.

3. The ink exchange mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an ink lid attaching / detaching unit for removing at least an ink lid attached to the ink container.

Images