Embossing machine

Abstract

To prevent a base material after processing from being stuck to an embossing cylinder and not discharged.SOLUTION: An embossing machine for embossing a sheet-like base material W while conveying the base material W, the embossing machine comprising: a cylindrical embossing cylinder 110 having an embossing portion which is a convex portion having a predetermined shape on a peripheral surface thereof; a cylindrical anvil cylinder 120 disposed close to the embossing cylinder with an axis thereof being parallel to the axis of the embossing cylinder; and a blowing unit 177 provided downstream of a position G where the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder are closest to each other in a conveying direction of the base material and configured to blow gas to an outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder from a predetermined direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an embossing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an embossing machine that imparts a raised pattern (or a recessed pattern) to a sheet-like substrate such as paper by feeding the substrate between two cylinders arranged parallel to each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The two cylinders in the embossing machine include an embossing cylinder having a convex embossing portion with a desired shape on its circumferential surface, and an anvil cylinder arranged with its axis parallel to the embossing cylinder. The substrate is fed between the two cylinders while rotating these cylinders in opposite directions. As a result, the substrate is clamped between the two cylinders, and an embossing process corresponding to the shape of the embossing portion is performed on the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-171831 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The embossed substrate is sent out from between the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder (hereinafter referred to as the cylinder gap) as the cylinders rotate. At this time, the substrate is partially deformed to fit the surface of the embossing part, so the substrate may be sent out from the cylinder gap in a state where it is stuck to the surface of the embossing cylinder.

[0005] In conventional embossing machines, a long sheet wound into a roll (roll sheet) is usually used as the substrate. In embossing such a roll sheet, the front end portion of the roll sheet that has passed through the cylinder gap is first set in a sheet feeding mechanism provided downstream of the cylinder gap, and a series of embossing processes for the roll sheet is then started. Therefore, in this series of embossing processes, the substrate that has passed through the cylinder gap is continuously fed downstream by the sheet feeding mechanism, so that the sticking of the substrate to the embossing cylinder as described above does not become a problem.

[0006] However, such embossing machines that use rolled sheets as substrates are generally large devices that are incorporated into sheet material production lines, etc., which has led to problems such as high introduction costs and difficulty in processing small lots. Furthermore, printing on sheet material is usually performed after cutting a rolled sheet material (e.g., base paper) to a specified size, so conventional embossing machines that process rolled sheets have the problem of being unable to emboss printed sheet material.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an embossing machine that can emboss sheet material in a single piece. However, when a single piece of sheet material is embossed in a conventional embossing machine as described above, there is a risk that the sheet material will stick to the embossing cylinder every time it passes through the cylinder gap, making it impossible to process the next sheet material.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide an embossing machine that can stably discharge processed sheet material from between the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder, even when embossing sheet material in the form of individual pieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The embossing machine according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, comprises: An embossing machine that embosses a sheet-like substrate while transporting the substrate, a cylindrical embossing cylinder having a embossing portion, which is a convex portion of a predetermined shape, on its circumferential surface; a cylindrical anvil cylinder arranged adjacent to the embossing cylinder with its axis parallel to that of the embossing cylinder; a blowing unit that blows gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder from a predetermined direction, the blowing unit being provided downstream of a reference position, which is a position where the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder are closest to each other, in the conveyance direction of the base material; It has the following characteristics. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the embossing machine according to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the gas is blown by the blowing unit toward the embossing cylinder in a predetermined direction, specifically, in a direction that allows the gas to enter between the outer circumferential surface of the embossing cylinder and the front end of the substrate that is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface, thereby separating the substrate from the embossing cylinder. Therefore, even when a sheet material is used as the substrate, the processed sheet material can be stably discharged from between the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a processing system including an embossing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a first guide member and a second guide member in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a first schematic diagram showing how the substrate is peeled off from the embossing cylinder. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a second schematic diagram showing how the substrate is peeled off from the embossing cylinder. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a third schematic diagram showing how the substrate is peeled off from the embossing cylinder. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the substrate is not stuck to the embossing cylinder. [Figure 7] These are enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional views of the cylinder gap, showing the effect of adjusting the embossing depth using an adjusting sheet, where (a) is when a thick adjusting sheet is used, (b) is when a medium-thick adjusting sheet is used, and (c) is when a thin adjusting sheet is used. [Figure 8] These are enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional views of the cylinder gap, showing the effect of the adjusting sheet in processing substrates of different thicknesses, where (a) is when a thick adjusting sheet is used, (b) is when a medium-thick adjusting sheet is used, and (c) is when a thin adjusting sheet is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a processing system including an embossing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] The processing system according to this embodiment includes an embossing machine 100, a substrate conveying section 300 that conveys substrate W, which is a sheet-like material, to the embossing machine 100, a substrate supplying section 200 that stores multiple substrates W and supplies the substrates W one by one to the substrate conveying section 300 at a predetermined timing, and a tray-shaped processed substrate storage section 400 that receives the substrate W after it has been processed by the embossing machine 100.

[0014] The substrate conveying section 300 includes a pair of upper and lower conveying rollers 310 and a servo motor 320 that drives them.

[0015] The embossing machine 100 includes a cylindrical embossing cylinder 110 and a cylindrical anvil cylinder 120, a housing 140 that supports both cylinders 110, 120 rotatably with their axes parallel to each other, a motor 150, and a transmission mechanism (not shown) such as a gear that transmits the rotational power of the motor 150 to each cylinder 110, 120.

[0016] The embossing cylinder 110 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 111 made of metal (e.g., steel) and an embossing plate 113 wrapped around the outer periphery of the cylinder body 111. A magnetic sheet (not shown) is attached to the outer periphery of the cylinder body 111. The embossing plate 113 is made of a flexible, magnetic metal plate, and its surface is formed with embossing portions 114, which are convex portions of a desired shape. The embossing plate 113 is detachably attached to the outer periphery of the cylinder body 111 by the magnetic sheet. The embossing cylinder 110 of this embodiment further includes an adjusting sheet 112 interposed between the cylinder body 111 and the embossing plate 113. The adjusting sheet 112 is made of a non-magnetic material such as synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, or polypropylene) or paper, and has a thickness that does not interfere with the magnetic sheet's ability to attach the embossing plate 113 to the cylinder body 111. The thickness of the adjusting sheet 112 can be, for example, 0.6 mm to 0.05 mm (preferably 0.4 mm to 0.1 mm), but is not limited to this. The role of this adjusting sheet 112 will be described later.

[0017] The anvil cylinder 120 also has a cylindrical cylinder body 121 made of metal (e.g., steel). In this embodiment, no sheet or the like is wound around the cylinder body 121 of the anvil cylinder 120, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, a sheet made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber) may be wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder body 121, covering substantially the entire area. Alternatively, a plate (hereinafter referred to as a complementary embossing plate) made of a flexible metal plate having a shape complementary to that of the embossing plate 113 (i.e., having a recess whose shape in the thickness direction is the inverse of that of the embossing portion 114 at a position corresponding to the embossing portion 114) may be wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder body 121, and the substrate W may be embossed by sandwiching the substrate W between the embossing portion 114 provided on the embossing plate 113 and the recess provided on the complementary embossing plate.

[0018] The embossing machine 100 according to this embodiment further includes a first guide member 170 (corresponding to the guide member in this invention) and a second guide member 180 provided downstream of a cylinder gap G (corresponding to the reference position in this invention) where the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120 are closest to each other, a pair of upper and lower feed rollers 160 provided further downstream of the first and second guide members, an air tank 191 filled with compressed air, and an electromagnetic valve 192 provided on piping 193 leading from the air tank 191 to the first guide member 170. The first guide member 170 and the second guide member 180 are provided symmetrically above and below the horizontal plane H including the cylinder gap G. Similarly, the pair of upper and lower feed rollers 160 are also provided symmetrically above and below the horizontal plane H including the cylinder gap G.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the first guide member 170 and the second guide member 180 as viewed from the downstream side of the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120. The first guide member 170 includes a main body 172 and a lid 173, and FIG. 2 shows the lid 173 removed from the main body 172. FIGS. 3 to 5 are cross-sectional views showing the first guide member 170, the second guide member 180, the embossing cylinder 110, and the anvil cylinder 120 cut along a plane perpendicular to their axes. Note that for simplification, the embossing unit 114 is not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0020] The first guide member 170 and the second guide member 180 are both rod-shaped members arranged with their axes parallel to the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120, and guide the substrate W that has passed through the cylinder gap G into between the pair of feed rollers 160. A flat first guide surface 171 (corresponding to the guide surface in the present invention) and a flat second guide surface 181 are provided on parts of the circumferential surfaces of the first guide member 170 and the second guide member 180, respectively, and the first guide surface 171 and the second guide surface 181 are inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane H so that the distance between the first guide surface 171 and the second guide surface 181 decreases from upstream to downstream in the conveyance direction of the substrate W (the direction from right to left in FIGS. 3 to 5).

[0021] A concave groove 174 is formed in a region of the circumferential surface of the main body 172 of the first guide member 170 that is different from the first guide surface 171. By closing this groove 174 with a lid 173, an air passage 175 (corresponding to the gas passage in the present invention) is formed inside the first guide member 170. The lid 173 is fixed to the main body 172 with screws 178. The air passage 175 opens at the end face of the first guide member 170 and at the first guide surface 171. Hereinafter, the opening at the end face will be referred to as an air inlet 176, and the opening at the first guide surface 171 will be referred to as an air outlet 177. A plurality of air outlets 177 (corresponding to the blowing portion in the present invention) are provided at intervals from one another along the axial direction of the first guide member 170. A pipe 193 is connected to the air inlet 176.

[0022] When processing a substrate W in the processing system according to this embodiment, the substrate W is supplied one by one from the substrate supply unit 200 to the substrate conveying unit 300. In the substrate conveying unit 300, a pair of upper and lower conveying rollers 310 are driven by a servo motor 320, and these rollers 310 feed the substrate W between the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120 (i.e., the cylinder gap G). The fed substrate W comes into contact with the embossing unit 114 in the cylinder gap G, whereby the substrate W is embossed. After passing through the cylinder gap G, the processed substrate W is discharged from the cylinder gap G as the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120 rotate.

[0023] A sensor (not shown) is provided at a predetermined point just before or just after the cylinder gap G. The sensor may be, for example, a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, which irradiates light onto the substrate W passing the predetermined point and detects reflection or blocking of the light by the substrate W. When the sensor detects that the leading end of the substrate W has passed the predetermined point, the solenoid valve 192 opens at a predetermined timing thereafter. As a result, compressed air in the air tank 191 is supplied via a pipe 193 to an air inlet 176 provided in the first guide member 170. The air introduced into the first guide member 170 from the air inlet 176 passes through an air passage 175 and is ejected from an air outlet 177 provided in the first guide surface 171. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 , air is blown toward the front end of the substrate W fed out of the cylinder gap G while in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the embossing cylinder 110. The air enters between the front end of the substrate W and the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder 110 (i.e., the surface of the embossing plate 113), causing the front end of the substrate W to be pulled away from the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder 110 (FIG. 4). Then, as the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120 rotate, the front end of the substrate W approaches the first guide member 170 and comes into contact with the first guide surface 171 (FIG. 5). Thereafter, the front end of the substrate W advances downstream while being guided by the first guide surface 171, and reaches between the pair of upper and lower feed rollers 160.

[0024] If the substrate W is not attached to the embossing cylinder 110 when it passes through the cylinder gap G, as shown in Figure 6, the front end of the substrate W will hang down below the horizontal plane (symbol H in Figure 6) including the cylinder gap G due to its own weight and come into contact with the second guide surface 181, and will then proceed downstream while being guided by the guide surface 181 until it reaches between the pair of upper and lower feed rollers 160.

[0025] When the front end of the substrate W reaches between the pair of upper and lower feed rollers 160 , the substrate W is transported further downstream by the feed rollers 160 and stored in the processed substrate storage unit 400 .

[0026] Thus, according to the embossing machine 100 of this embodiment, even if the processed substrate W sticks to the embossing cylinder 110, the air ejected from the air ejection port 177 can peel the substrate W from the embossing cylinder 110. This makes it possible to prevent the substrate W from becoming unable to be discharged from the embossing machine 100, and embossing of a plurality of sheet-like substrates W can be stably performed.

[0027] Next, the role of the adjusting sheet 112 in this embodiment will be described. As described above, in the embossing cylinder 110 of this embodiment, the adjusting sheet 112 is attached between the cylinder body 111 and the embossing plate 113. As described above, the embossing plate 113 is attracted to the cylinder body 111 by the magnetic force of a magnet sheet (not shown), and the adjusting sheet 112 is sandwiched between this cylinder body 111 and the embossing sheet 113. Therefore, by removing the embossing plate 113 from the cylinder body 111 against the magnetic force, the adjusting sheet 112 can be easily removed from the embossing cylinder 110.

[0028] A plurality of adjustment sheets 112 with different thicknesses are prepared in advance, and the adjustment sheet 112 attached to the cylinder body 111 can be replaced as needed. This makes it possible to adjust the distance between the opposing surfaces of the cylinder body 111 and the embossing plate 113, and as a result, it is possible to change the strength (depth) of the embossing process on the base material W, or to emboss base materials W of different thicknesses with a constant strength.

[0029] This point will be explained using a specific example. Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged vertical cross-sectional views of the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120 at the cylinder gap G. The dimensions shown in these figures are all in millimeters. In the examples shown in Figures 7(a) to (c) and 8(a) to (c), the distance between the circumferential surface of the cylinder body 111 of the embossing cylinder 110 and the circumferential surface of the cylinder body 121 of the anvil cylinder 120 is 0.8 mm, and the distance from the back surface of the embossing plate 113 (the surface facing the adjusting sheet 112) to the tip of the embossing portion 114 (the lower end in the figure) is 0.45 mm.

[0030] When the thickness of the base material W is constant, the greater the thickness of the adjusting sheet 112, the greater the depth of indentation of the embossing portion 114 into the base material W (i.e., the strength of the embossing). For example, in the examples of Figures 7(a) to 7(c), the thickness of the base material W is all 0.3 mm, but by using adjusting sheets 112 with thicknesses of 0.25 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.15 mm, respectively, the depth of indentation of the embossing portion 114 into the base material W can be 0.2 mm in the example of Figure 7(a), 0.15 mm in the example of Figure 7(b), and 0.1 mm in the example of Figure 7(c).

[0031] On the other hand, by changing the thickness of the adjusting sheet 112 according to the thickness of the base material W, it is possible to emboss base materials W of different thicknesses with approximately the same intensity. For example, in the examples of Fig. 8, the thickness of the base material W is 0.25 mm in the example of Fig. 8(a), 0.3 mm in the example of Fig. 8(b), and 0.35 mm in the example of Fig. 8(c), but by using adjusting sheets 112 with thicknesses of 0.25 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.15 mm, respectively, as described above, the pressing depth of the embossing portion 114 into the base material W can be set to 0.15 mm in any of the examples of Figs. 8(a) to 8(c).

[0032] Note that the above dimensions are all examples, and the thickness of the adjustment sheet 112 in this embodiment, the distance between the peripheral surfaces of the cylinder bodies 111, 121 of the embossing cylinder 110 and the anvil cylinder 120, the distance from the back surface of the embossing plate 113 to the tip of the embossing portion 114, and the thickness of the substrate W are not limited to those described above.

[0033] Although specific examples of the form for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications are permitted within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0034] For example, the embossing machine 100 in this embodiment may be configured so that the inclination angle of the first guide surface 171 with respect to the horizontal plane H can be adjusted by rotating the first guide member 170 around an axis parallel to the axis of the first guide member 170. This makes it possible to change the angle at which air is blown onto the embossing cylinder 110 depending on the thickness or flexibility of the base material W, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air is ejected from the first guide surface 171 of the first guide member 170, but this is not limiting, and an air ejection unit for blowing the air supplied from the air tank 191 via the piping 193 against the embossing cylinder 110 may be provided separately from the first guide member 170. In this case as well, it is desirable that the air ejection unit be capable of changing the angle at which the air is blown against the embossing cylinder 110.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, air is blown onto the embossing cylinder 110, but the gas blown onto the embossing cylinder 110 is not limited to air and any other gas may be used.

[0037] In addition, in the above embodiment, the embossing cylinder 110 and the first guide member 170 are positioned above the horizontal plane H, and the anvil cylinder 120 and the second guide member 180 are positioned below the horizontal plane H, but these positions may be reversed upside down.

[0038] [Aspect] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described exemplary embodiments are examples of the following aspects.

[0039] (Item 1) An embossing machine according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: An embossing machine that embosses a sheet-like substrate while transporting the substrate, a cylindrical embossing cylinder having a embossing portion, which is a convex portion of a predetermined shape, on its circumferential surface; a cylindrical anvil cylinder arranged adjacent to the embossing cylinder with its axis parallel to that of the embossing cylinder; a blowing unit that blows gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder from a predetermined direction, the blowing unit being provided downstream of a reference position, which is a position where the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder are closest to each other, in the conveyance direction of the base material; It has the following characteristics.

[0040] (2) The embossing machine according to paragraph 2 is an embossing machine according to paragraph 1, a guide member, which is a rod-shaped member disposed with its axis parallel to that of the embossing cylinder, and part of its circumferential surface serves as a guide surface that contacts the tip end of the substrate that has passed the reference position and guides the substrate in a predetermined direction; the guide member includes a gas passage provided therein and a gas outlet that is a hole provided in the guide surface and that ejects the gas introduced into the gas passage, The blowing section blows the gas onto the embossing cylinder through the gas passage and the gas outlet.

[0041] (3) The embossing machine according to paragraph 3 is an embossing machine according to paragraph 1 or 2, The embossing cylinder has a cylindrical cylinder body, an embossing plate which is a thin plate-like member on which the embossing portion is formed and which is wound around the outer periphery of the cylinder body, and an adjustment mechanism which adjusts the distance between the opposing surfaces of the cylinder body and the embossing plate, The adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of adjustment sheets having different thicknesses, and any one of the plurality of adjustment sheets is replaceably interposed between the cylinder body and the embossing plate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 100...Embossing machine 110...Embossing cylinder 111...Cylinder body 112...Adjustable seat 113...Embossed plate 114...Embossed part 120...Anvil cylinder 121...Cylinder body 140…Housing 160...Feed roller 170...First guide member 171...First guide surface 175...Air passage 176...Air intake 177...Air outlet 180...Second guide member 191...Air tank 192...Solenoid valve 193...Plumbing 200...Base material supply section 300...Substrate conveying section 400...Processed substrate storage section G: Cylinder gap W…Base material

Claims

1. An embossing machine that embosses a sheet-like substrate while transporting the substrate, a cylindrical embossing cylinder having a embossing portion, which is a convex portion of a predetermined shape, on its circumferential surface; a cylindrical anvil cylinder arranged adjacent to the embossing cylinder with its axis parallel to that of the embossing cylinder; a blowing unit that blows gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder from a predetermined direction, the blowing unit being provided downstream of a reference position, which is a position where the embossing cylinder and the anvil cylinder are closest to each other, in the conveyance direction of the base material; An embossing machine having:

2. Furthermore, a guide member, which is a rod-shaped member disposed with its axis parallel to the embossing cylinder, and part of its circumferential surface serves as a guide surface that contacts the tip end of the substrate that has passed the reference position and guides the substrate; and the guide member includes a gas passage provided therein and a gas outlet that is a hole provided in the guide surface and that ejects the gas introduced into the gas passage, 2. The embossing machine according to claim 1, wherein the blowing section blows the gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the embossing cylinder through the gas passage and the gas outlet.

3. The embossing cylinder has a cylindrical cylinder body, an embossing plate which is a thin plate-like member on which the embossing portion is formed and which is wound around the outer periphery of the cylinder body, and an adjustment mechanism which adjusts the distance between the opposing surfaces of the cylinder body and the embossing plate, The adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of adjustment sheets having different thicknesses, and any one of the plurality of adjustment sheets is replaceably interposed between the cylinder body and the embossing plate.

3. An embossing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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