Liquid dispensing device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device that reduces an application quantity of pest repelling ink.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device 2, which discharges a liquid to a corrugated cardboard in a manufacturing process of the corrugated cardboard in which at least one liner is pasted to a corrugated core, includes a control device 23. The control device includes: an irregularity detection section 21 that detects irregularity from one surface of the corrugated core molded in a wave shape on an upstream side relative to a pasting position of the corrugated core and the liner; a liquid discharge section 22 that discharges the liquid to the one surface of the corrugated core on the upstream side relative to the pasting position of the corrugated core and the liner; a determination section that determines a non-protruded part in the corrugated core based on the irregularity detected by the irregularity detection section; and a discharge control section that controls the liquid discharge section to discharge the liquid to a position determined as the non-protruded part in the corrugated core.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a technique for discharging liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Corrugated cardboard has high heat retention and moisture retention properties inside, which makes it an environment where pests can easily survive and reproduce. In particular, the space formed by the core sandwiched between the front liner and the back liner of corrugated cardboard is an environment suitable for pests to lay eggs and hatch. In response to this, pest repellent ink is ejected onto the front liner or the back liner so that the ink penetrates into the core, thereby preventing the inhabitation and reproduction of pests. However, a large amount of pest repellent ink is required to penetrate the core, which is one of the factors that increase the manufacturing costs of corrugated cardboard. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-23741 A [Patent Document 2] Publication No. 59-082727 [Patent Document 3] Publication No. 59-087943 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection device that reduces the amount of pest repellent ink applied. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one embodiment, a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid onto cardboard in a manufacturing process in which at least one liner is bonded to a core, includes a control device that includes an unevenness detection unit that detects unevenness from one side of the core that is formed into a corrugated shape upstream of the bonding position between the core and the liner, a liquid ejection unit that ejects the liquid onto one side of the core upstream of the bonding position between the core and the liner, a determination unit that determines non-convex portions in the core based on the unevenness detected by the unevenness detection unit, and an ejection control unit that controls the liquid ejection unit to eject the liquid at a position in the core that is determined to be a non-convex portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a process for manufacturing a cardboard box including the liquid ejection device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device. [Diagram 5] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a cardboard box including a liquid ejection device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0008] <First embodiment> (Cardboard manufacturing process) A manufacturing process of a cardboard box including a liquid ejection device according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of a cardboard box including a liquid ejection device according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, a manufacturing process of a double-sided cardboard box will be described as an example.

[0009] 1, a liquid discharger 2 in this embodiment is provided in a laminating device 1 that performs a manufacturing process for cardboard, specifically a laminating process in the manufacturing process for cardboard. The laminating process is a process in which a front liner F is bonded to the front side of a corrugated core M and a back liner B is bonded to the back side of the corrugated core M. Downstream of the laminating process is a heating process for heating the core M, the front liner F, and the back liner B to ensure adhesion, and downstream of the heating process is a cutting process for cutting the cardboard to a predetermined size.

[0010] The laminating device 1 includes a front liner supply unit 11, a back liner supply unit 12, a corrugated medium supply unit 13, a first stage roller 14, a second stage roller 15, a first adhesive roller 16, and a second adhesive roller 17. The front liner supply unit 11 supplies base paper as the front liner F. The back liner supply unit 12 supplies base paper as the back liner B. The corrugated medium supply unit 13 supplies base paper to be processed into the corrugated medium M.

[0011] The first and second rollers 14 and 15 work together to form a corrugated core M by folding the base paper of the core M. The first adhesive roller 16 applies adhesive to the convex portions of the core M that protrude from the front side, for adhering the front liner F to the core M. The second adhesive roller 17 applies adhesive to the convex portions of the core M that protrude from the back side, for adhering the back liner B to the core M.

[0012] In the lamination process, first, the core M is shaped into a corrugated shape by the first stage roller 14 and the second stage roller 15. In the lamination process, the core M is transported in the transport direction T and folded along creases perpendicular to the transport direction, forming alternating concaves and convexes in the transport direction. After that, an adhesive is applied to the core M by the first adhesive roller 16 and the second adhesive roller 17, and the front liner F and the back liner B are laminated to the core M.

[0013] The liquid ejection device 2 includes an unevenness detection unit 21, a liquid ejection unit 22, and a control device 23. The unevenness detection unit 21 detects unevenness on the surface side of the core M. The liquid ejection unit 22 ejects pest repellent ink containing an agent having a pest repellent effect onto the surface side of the core M. The control device 23 controls the ejection of the pest repellent ink by the liquid ejection unit 22 based on the detection result by the unevenness detection unit 21.

[0014] The unevenness detection unit 21 is provided so as to be capable of detecting unevenness on the surface side of the core M which is formed in a wavy shape and has no front liner F attached thereto, and is configured as a sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object, such as a laser distance sensor or an ultrasonic distance sensor. The liquid ejection unit 22 is provided so as to be capable of ejecting pest repellent ink onto the surface side of the core M which is formed in a wavy shape and has no front liner F attached thereto. The liquid ejection unit 22 is also configured as an inkjet head, and deposits the pest repellent ink by causing droplets of the pest repellent ink to land on the core M.

[0015] In this embodiment, the unevenness detection unit 21 is provided so as to detect unevenness of the core M on the upstream side of the transport direction T with respect to the position where the pest repellent ink is ejected by the liquid ejection unit 22. Also, in this embodiment, a plurality of liquid ejection units 22 are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction T, but one liquid ejection unit 22 may be moved back and forth in the orthogonal direction.

[0016] (Control device hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the control device will now be described with reference to Fig. 2, which is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device.

[0017] 2, the control device 23 of the liquid ejection device 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 231, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 232, a storage device 233, and an input / output I / F 234. The CPU 231 cooperates with the RAM 232 to execute various functions described below. The storage device 233 is a non-volatile memory, and stores various data related to the execution of various functions. The input / output I / F 234 is an interface for inputting and outputting information with the unevenness detection unit 21 and the liquid ejection unit 22, and specifically, as an input, it acquires the detection result by the unevenness detection unit 21, and as an output, it transmits instruction data for causing the liquid ejection unit 22 to eject pest repellent ink.

[0018] (Functional configuration of the control device) The functional configuration and operation of the control device will be described with reference to Fig. 3, which is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 23 has, as its functions, a determination unit 236 and a discharge control unit 237. The determination unit 236 determines a non-convex portion in the core M based on the concaves and convexes detected by the concave-convex detection unit 21. A non-convex portion is a concave portion in the core M. The determination unit 236 determines whether or not a position in the core M detected by the concave-convex detection unit 21 is a concave portion based on a measurement value by the concave-convex detection unit 21. The discharge control unit 237 controls the liquid discharge unit 22 to discharge liquid at a position in the core M determined to be a non-convex portion. When the determination unit 236 determines that the detected position is a concave portion, the discharge control unit 237 causes the liquid discharge unit 22 to discharge pest repellent ink.

[0020] (Control device operation) The operation of the control device will be described below. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the control device. Note that the operation shown in Fig. 4 is executed at a predetermined cycle.

[0021] 4, first, the determination unit 236 determines whether or not a concave portion has been detected by the unevenness detection unit 21 as the application position of the pest repellent ink (S101). Here, the determination unit 236 determines that the detected position is a concave portion when the distance from the center core M measured by the unevenness detection unit 21 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold. Note that the application position of the pest repellent ink may be a non-convex portion, and by appropriately setting the distance threshold, for example, the space between the convex portion and the concave portion of the center core M may be set as the ejection position.

[0022] When a recess is detected (S101, YES), the discharge control unit 237 judges whether a preset time has elapsed since the recess was detected (S102). Here, this set time is set based on the distance between the unevenness detection unit 21 and the liquid discharge unit 22 in the transport direction T and the transport speed of the core M so that the recess detected in the core M approximately coincides with the discharge position by the liquid discharge unit 22. Moreover, the judgment of whether the set time has elapsed is made each time a recess is detected.

[0023] In addition, when the detection position by unevenness detection unit 21 coincides with the discharge position, the judgment regarding the set time can be omitted. Possible methods for coinciding the detection position with the discharge position include tilting unevenness detection unit 21 so that its lower side is closer to liquid discharge unit 22, or providing unevenness detection unit 21 and liquid discharge unit 22 at the same position in the transport direction T.

[0024] If the set time has elapsed (S102, YES), the discharge control unit 237 causes the liquid discharge unit 22 to discharge the pest repellent ink (S103), and the determination unit 236 again determines whether or not a recess has been detected (S101).

[0025] On the other hand, if the set time has not elapsed (S102, NO), the determination unit 236 again determines whether or not a recess has been detected (S101).

[0026] Furthermore, in step S101, if a recess is not detected (S101, NO), the determination unit 236 determines again whether or not a recess is detected (S101).

[0027] As described above, by ejecting pest repellent ink onto the core M at areas other than the protruding portions where adhesive is applied based on detection of the concaves and convexes on the core M, it is possible to impart a pest repellent effect to the cardboard while reducing the amount of pest repellent ink applied. Also, by reducing the amount of pest repellent ink applied, it is possible to suppress deformation and undulation of the cardboard caused by applying a large amount of pest repellent ink.

[0028] <Second embodiment> A description will now be given of a process for manufacturing a cardboard box including a liquid ejection device according to the second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a process for manufacturing a cardboard box including a liquid ejection device according to this embodiment.

[0029] 5, the liquid ejection device 3 according to the present embodiment includes a liquid ejection unit 22 and a control device 23. The liquid ejection device 2 according to the first embodiment includes an unevenness detection unit 21, a liquid ejection unit 22, and a control device 23, but the liquid ejection device 3 according to the second embodiment does not include the unevenness detection unit 21. In addition, the liquid ejection unit 22 is provided with respect to the base paper of the medium M before it is shaped into a corrugated shape by the first and second rollers 14 and 15, that is, upstream of the forming process in which the medium M is shaped into a corrugated shape by the first and second rollers 14 and 15.

[0030] The control device 23 knows the wave pattern of the core M formed by the first stage roller 14 and the second stage roller 15 on the downstream side, and controls the liquid ejection section 22 to eject pest repellent ink to a position that will form a recess on the surface side of the core M.

[0031] In this way, by ejecting the pest repellent ink at a position that will be formed into a recess in the core M, the unevenness detection unit 21 can be omitted and the liquid ejection device 3 can be manufactured at lower cost. Also, the liquid ejection device 3 can be installed at any position between the supply position of the base paper of the core M and the lamination position in the lamination process, which in turn improves the degree of freedom in designing the lamination device 1 in which the liquid ejection device 3 is provided.

[0032] In the above-described two embodiments, the pest repellent ink is applied to the front side of the core M, but the pest repellent ink may be applied to the back side of the core M. Furthermore, the liquid ejection units 22 may be provided on both the front and back sides of the core M, and the pest repellent ink may be applied to both sides.

[0033] In addition, while the two embodiments described above are directed to the manufacturing process of double-sided cardboard, the present invention can be directed to any type of cardboard, such as single-sided cardboard with a liner attached to only one side, double-sided cardboard in which a single-sided cardboard is attached to one side of a double-sided cardboard, and quadruple-sided cardboard in which a single-sided cardboard is attached to one side of a double-sided cardboard.

[0034] In addition, in the two embodiments described above, the pest repellent ink is applied to the core M, but the liquid ejection devices 2 and 3 may be configured to apply a liquid other than the pest repellent ink to the core M.

[0035] Although an embodiment of the invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Laminating device 2 Liquid discharge device 21 Unevenness detection unit 22 Liquid discharge part 23 Control device

Claims

1. A liquid discharge device that discharges liquid onto a corrugated board in a manufacturing process of the corrugated board having at least one liner bonded to a core, the liquid discharge device comprising: an unevenness detection unit that detects unevenness from one surface of the corrugated core, the one surface being located upstream of a bonding position between the core and the liner; a liquid discharger configured to discharge the liquid onto one surface of the core, the liquid discharger being disposed upstream of a bonding position between the core and the liner; a control device including a determination unit that determines a non-convex portion in the core based on the concaves and convexes detected by the concave-convex detection unit, and a discharge control unit that controls the liquid discharge unit to discharge the liquid at a position in the core that is determined to be a non-convex portion, A liquid ejection device characterized in that the unevenness detection unit is provided upstream of the liquid ejection unit, and the ejection control unit causes the liquid ejection unit to eject the liquid when a predetermined time threshold has elapsed since the detection of the non-convex portion.

2. The determination unit determines a recess in the core as the non-convex portion, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the ejection control unit controls the liquid ejection unit so as to eject the liquid to a position determined to be a recess in the core.

3. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the unevenness detection unit is a sensor that measures a distance to the center core, and the determination unit makes a determination based on a preset distance threshold value.

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