Transfer device and foil stamping device

Abstract

To provide a transfer device such as a foil pressing device that can reduce wasteful consumption of a transfer web such as a foil holding film.SOLUTION: A transfer device comprises: a web conveying system that conveys a transfer web whose base sheet holds a material for transfer by roll-to-roll; and transfer means that transfers the material for transfer from the transfer web to an object to be transferred. The web conveying system is configured to be able to execute sending / returning by which at least a portion of the transfer web passing on an upstream end in a transfer section to an upstream of the upstream end, without rewinding the transfer web into an unwound roll.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device and a foil stamping device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a transfer device that transfers a transfer material such as a foil from a transfer web transported by roll-to-roll to a transfer target such as a sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-276472 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is preferable that the transfer device can further reduce waste of the transfer web.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a transfer device capable of reducing wasteful consumption of a transfer web. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a transfer device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a web transport system that transports a transfer web, in which a base sheet holds a transfer material, in a roll-to-roll manner; In a transfer section where the base sheet and the transfer web are in contact with each other over a predetermined length in the conveying direction of the base sheet, and a transfer means for transferring the transfer material from the transfer web to the transfer object. When the upstream end of the transfer region, which is the region where the transfer web on the base sheet is transferred, reaches the downstream end of the transfer section, The transfer web is wound around the unwind roll without being wound around the upstream end of the transfer section. Of which, the length of the transcription section At least some The transfer section is then stored for use in the next transfer. The device is configured to be capable of performing return flow upstream of the upstream end.

[0008] The present invention Other The embodiment of the present invention is a foil stamping device. This device is a foil stamping device that performs foil stamping by transferring a foil from a foil holding film, which is a film having a foil laminated thereon, to a transfer target, and the configuration for transferring the foil from the foil holding film to the transfer target is as described above. Turn of It has the configuration of a photosensitive device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, wasteful consumption of the transfer web can be further reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a printing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a printing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view showing details of a resist portion 24. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5(a) to (d) are diagrams showing the state of foil stamping by a foil stamping device according to a comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the foil stamping device of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of the foil stamping device of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the foil stamping area and its surroundings. [Figure 9] 9 is a further enlarged view of the periphery of the sheet conveying guide 82 shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the foil stamping area and its surroundings. [Figure 11] 11 is a further enlarged view of the periphery of the sheet conveying guide 82 shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the foil stamping area and its surroundings. [Figure 13] 1 is an enlarged view of the foil stamping area when nip rollers 62, 64 are in the raised position. FIG. [Figure 14]14(a) to (f) are diagrams illustrating the return movement by the foil stamping device of FIG. [Figure 15] 15(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the state of foil stamping. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0012] 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a printing system 10 in which a foil stamping device (transfer device) 16 according to an embodiment is used. FIG. 1 is a side view, and FIG. 2 is a plan view. The printing system 10 is a device that performs a predetermined printing on a sheet while transporting the sheet. The material of the sheet varies, including paper, cloth, resin, and metal. Hereinafter, the direction in which the sheet is transported (the direction from right to left in FIGS. 1 and 2) is called the transport direction Y, and the direction perpendicular to the transport direction Y (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1 and the up-down direction in FIG. 2) is called the width direction X.

[0013] The printing system 10 includes a paper feeder 12 that feeds sheets one by one, a varnishing device 14 that applies varnish to the sheets fed one by one, a foil stamping device 16 that performs foil stamping by transferring foil to the varnish on the sheet using the tackiness of the varnish, a stacker 18 that accumulates the sheets, and a control device 20 that performs overall control of the printing system 10. The paper feeder 12, the varnishing device 14, the foil stamping device 16, and the stacker 18 are arranged in a line in this order from the upstream side in the conveying direction Y (the right side in Figs. 1 and 2). The control device 20 is connected to the paper feeder 12, the varnishing device 14, the foil stamping device 16, and the stacker 18 via a network 2.

[0014] The sheet feeding device 12 includes a feeder 22, a corona treatment unit 26, and a registration unit 24. The feeder 22 includes a table 28 and a suction head 30. Sheets are stacked on the table 28. The table 28 is configured to be capable of ascending and descending. The suction head 30 feeds the sheets stacked on the table 28 one by one in order from the top.

[0015] The corona treatment unit 26 (surface modification unit) includes an electrode 36 (applying electrode) arranged above the conveying path 34, and a dielectric roller 38 (opposing electrode) arranged below the conveying path 34 so as to face the electrode 36 from above and below. The corona treatment unit 26 performs surface modification of the sheet sent out by the feeder 22 by corona discharge between the electrode 36 and the dielectric roller 38. Specifically, hydrophilic groups are generated on the surface of the sheet to improve wettability. When the sheet is conveyed in a state where it is adsorbed to the conveying path 34 by the air suction unit 40, the distance between the electrode 36 and the sheet becomes constant, and the corona discharge becomes stable. The air suction unit 40 generates negative pressure by arranging one of the suction ports of an exhaust blower (not shown), but may be configured to generate negative pressure by arranging a suction fan.

[0016] The registration unit 24 aligns the position of the sheet fed by the feeder 22 in the width direction X by abutting against a registration reference guide 32.

[0017] The varnish application device 14 includes a sheet sensor 42, a pair of CCD sensors 44, at least one varnish discharge unit 46, a semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48, and a final curing ultraviolet lamp 50. The pair of CCD sensors 44, the varnish discharge unit 46, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48, and the final curing ultraviolet lamp 50 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. In the illustrated example, the varnish application device 14 includes three varnish discharge units 46, but is not limited to this, and the varnish application device 14 may include one varnish discharge unit 46 extending over the entire width direction X, or may include two or four or more varnish discharge units 46. The semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 and the final curing ultraviolet lamp 50 use LEDs that irradiate ultraviolet rays, but other light sources such as light bulbs and fluorescent lamps may be used as long as they irradiate ultraviolet rays. It is preferable that the light source has adjustable output.

[0018] The sheet sensor 42 detects the sheet fed from the sheet feeder 12 .

[0019] The varnish ejection unit 46 is a line-type inkjet head, although there is no particular limitation. The varnish ejection unit 46 ejects ultraviolet-curable varnish according to the varnish ejection data, triggered by detection of the leading edge of the sheet by the sheet sensor 42, and applies the ultraviolet-curable varnish to the sheet. The varnish ejection data is data that indicates where on the sheet the varnish is to be applied.

[0020] A base image and a plurality of registration marks serving as a reference for identifying the position of the base image may be printed in advance on the sheet fed by the paper feeder 12. The varnish applicator 14 applies varnish so as to have a predetermined relationship with the base image according to varnish discharge data that defines the portion of the sheet to be varnished, and may apply varnish so as to overlap the base image, for example.

[0021] Here, the base image of the sheet may be misaligned or distorted. Therefore, when applying varnish so as to have a predetermined relationship with the base image, it is necessary to correct the varnish discharge data taking into account the misalignment and distortion. For example, the CCD sensor 44 may capture an image of the sheet triggered by the detection of the sheet by the sheet sensor 42, and the control device 20 may perform image analysis of the captured data by the CCD sensor 44, and correct the varnish discharge data of the area surrounded by the registration marks based on the difference from the theoretical positions of the multiple registration marks. For this correction, the method described in JP 2016-083898 A, previously filed by the applicant, may be applied.

[0022] The semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 irradiates the varnish on the sheet with ultraviolet light of a relatively low output to semi-cure the varnish. Semi-curing refers to curing the varnish lightly (for example, to a state where it can be further cured) to a degree that reduces the fluidity of the varnish but does not completely cure it. By semi-curing at least the surface of the varnish, it is possible to prevent the varnish from flowing on the sheet while maintaining the tackiness of the varnish, and to stabilize the position of the varnish on the sheet. The semi-cured varnish is fully cured in the foil stamping device 16. When foil is not transferred to the sheet (foil stamping is not performed), the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 is usually turned off. The semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 may be used when foil stamping is not performed. For example, when the varnish applied to the sheet is prone to bleeding, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 is turned on to semi-cure at least the surface of the varnish. This makes it possible to suppress bleeding of the varnish.

[0023] The main curing ultraviolet lamp 50 irradiates the varnish applied to the sheet with ultraviolet rays to main cure the varnish. When foil is to be transferred to the sheet (foil stamping), the main curing ultraviolet lamp 50 is turned off.

[0024] That is, when foil stamping is performed on a sheet, the varnish is semi-cured by the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48, and the semi-cured varnish is fully cured by the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66 of the foil stamping device 16. In this case, the fully curing ultraviolet lamp 50 is turned off. When foil stamping is not performed on a sheet, that is, when varnish is only applied to a sheet, the varnish is fully cured by the fully curing ultraviolet lamp 50. In this case, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 and the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66 of the foil stamping device 16 are turned off. As described above, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 may be turned on even when foil stamping is not performed. In addition, although an LED that irradiates ultraviolet light is used as the light source of the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66, other light sources that irradiate ultraviolet light may be used.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a varnish discharging unit 46, half 48 UV curing lamps, Books In the portion facing the ultraviolet curing lamp 50, the sheet is depicted as being transported on a single rotating belt, but in the portion facing the varnish ejection unit 46, half The part facing the UV curing lamp 48, Books The portions facing the curing ultraviolet lamps 50 may be configured so that all or some of them are transported by individual rotating belts.

[0026] The foil stamping device 16 transports the web (transfer web) 52 in a roll-to-roll manner. The web 52 in this embodiment is a foil-holding film in which a foil such as a metal foil is held (laminated) on a long film (base sheet). In the foil stamping device 16, the web 52 and the sheet are brought into contact with each other while being transported. The foil held by the web 52 adheres to the semi-cured varnish on the sheet due to its tackiness. In this state, that is, in a state in which the foil is held by the web 52 and adheres to the semi-cured varnish, the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66 irradiates the varnish with ultraviolet light to fully cure the varnish. When the varnish is fully cured, the force of the fully cured varnish to adhere the foil is stronger than the force of the web 52 to hold the foil. In this state, when the sheet is transported and the sheet and the web 52 are separated, the foil held by the web 52 is transferred to the portion of the sheet on which the varnish is applied.

[0027] The stacker 18 accumulates the sheets discharged from the foil stamping device 16 .

[0028] The control device 20 is an information processing terminal such as a PC. The control device 20 accepts input regarding the definition of a print job. The control device 20 may display a predetermined job management screen and accept input regarding the definition of a job via the job management screen. The job definition includes, for example, the number of sheets to be printed (number of copies to be printed), the sheet size of the sheets to be printed, varnish discharge data, whether or not to perform corona treatment, whether or not to perform foil stamping, and adjustment of the pinning strength (degree of hardening of semi-curing). The control device 20 controls the paper feeder 12, the varnish applicator 14, and the foil stamping device 16 based on the job definition.

[0029] The basic configuration of the printing system 10 has been described above.

[0030] As a modification, the printing system 10 may include a printer, instead of the sheet feeder 12, that prints a base image and registration marks on the sheets, and feeds the sheets one by one from the printer.

[0031] The printing system 10 may also include a post-processing device between the foil stamping device 16 and the stacker 18, for cutting or stapling the sheets.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a top view showing the details of the registration unit 24, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 3. The registration unit 24 includes a registration reference guide 32, an oblique feed mechanism 102, an entrance guide 104, a conveyance guide 106, and an exit guide 108. Sa and Sb denote sheets conveyed through the registration unit 24.

[0033] 3 (the right side in the transport direction Y, the left side in FIG. 4, hereinafter referred to as the "reference side") in the width direction X. The registration reference guide 32 extends in the transport direction Y.

[0034] The registration reference guide 32 has a horizontal support surface 32a, a reference surface 32b that rises upward at a right angle from the support surface 32a, and a ceiling surface 32c that is parallel to the support surface 32a and faces the support surface 32a in the height direction (see FIG. 4). The reference surface 32b is parallel to the transport direction Y and extends in the transport direction Y over almost the entire area of ​​the registration section 24.

[0035] The oblique feeding mechanism 102 is provided on the registration reference guide 32 side in the width direction X. The oblique feeding mechanism 102 is composed of an oblique feeding belt 110 and a suction chamber 112. The oblique feeding belt is driven to rotate at an angle with respect to the conveying direction Y so as to approach the registration reference guide 32 toward the downstream side. In this embodiment, four oblique feeding belts 110 are provided at intervals in the width direction X. The number of oblique feeding belts 110 is not limited to four.

[0036] The suction chamber 112 is provided inside the rotating oblique belt 110 (see FIG. 4). The suction chamber 112 is provided with a plurality of openings 110a in a portion corresponding to the gaps between the plurality of oblique belts 110 arranged at intervals in the width direction, in other words, in a portion avoiding the oblique belts 110 in a plan view, in other words, in a portion exposed without being blocked by the oblique belts 110 in a plan view. The openings 112a are arranged at a predetermined interval along the outer side of the end of the oblique belt 110 in the width direction X. When a suction fan (not shown) is turned on, a negative pressure is generated in the suction chamber 112, and air is sucked in through the openings 112a.

[0037] The inlet guide 104 extends in the width direction X adjacent to the upstream end of the resist section 24 in the transport direction Y, i.e., adjacent to the corona treatment section 26. The outlet guide 108 extends in the width direction X adjacent to the downstream end of the resist section 24 in the transport direction Y, i.e., adjacent to the varnish application device 14.

[0038] The conveying guide 106 is a plate member provided on the opposite side in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as the "anti-reference side") from the reference side where the oblique feeding mechanism 102 is provided. The entrance guide 104, the conveying guide 106, and the exit guide 108 receive the lower surface of the sheet being conveyed. The entrance guide 104, the conveying guide 106, and the exit guide 108 are, for example, flat stainless steel plates, and are preferably made of runner stainless steel plates with good sliding properties.

[0039] The sheet that has passed through the corona treatment section 26 is guided by the inlet guide 104 at its lower surface and enters the registration section 24. The oblique belt 110 rotates in a direction in which its upper surface is directed from right to left in FIG. 3. The lower surface of the sheet is attracted to the oblique belt 110 by air suction from the opening 112a, and the sheet is conveyed by the oblique belt 110. While the sheet is conveyed along the rotation direction of the oblique belt 110, its position in the width direction X changes from a position (sheet Sa) away from the reference surface 32b to a position (sheet Sb) where the reference side edge of the sheet abuts against the reference surface 32b. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed along the reference surface 32b while the reference side edge abuts against the reference surface 32b, and is guided by the outlet guide 108 at its lower surface and sent to the varnish application device 14. Therefore, the position of the reference side edge of the sheet in the width direction X is registered at a fixed position defined by the reference surface 32b, and the sheet is sent to the varnish application device 14.

[0040] The position of the resist reference guide 32 in the width direction X is fixed near the reference side of the device. Therefore, the sheet is always registered at the fixed position where the reference side edge is located at the reference surface 32b. That is, the sheet is sent to the varnish application device 14 with the reference side edge as the reference. On the other hand, the position of the resist reference guide 32 in the width direction X may be adjusted according to the size of the sheet in the width direction X so that the center position of the sheet in the width direction X is always a predetermined position in the width direction X of the device. In this case, it is possible to apply the resist reference guide 32 to a device with the center position of the sheet in the width direction X as the reference. In addition, in this case, it is preferable that the oblique feed belt 110 is also movable together with the resist reference guide 32.

[0041] The upper surface of the oblique feed belt 110 is at approximately the same height as the support surface 32a of the registration reference guide 32. Therefore, a sheet whose lower surface is attracted to the conveyor belt 110 moves on the support surface 32a and abuts against the reference surface 32b without bending downward. In addition, since the ceiling surface 32c is formed near the reference surface 32b in the width direction X, the sheet is also prevented from bending upward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as buckling when the reference side edge of the sheet abuts against the reference surface 32b.

[0042] The upper surface of the conveying guide 106 is lower than the upper surface of the oblique conveying belt 110. Therefore, the sheet attracted to and conveyed by the oblique conveying belt 110 is less susceptible to friction with the conveying guide 106, enabling stable conveyance and registration, and preventing the sheet from being damaged by friction with the conveying guide 106. The upper surface of the conveying guide 106 is formed lower than the upper surface of the oblique conveying belt 110 by, for example, 2 to 3 mm.

[0043] Corona Treatment Unit 2 The surface modification section 6 uses corona discharge to generate hydrophilic groups on the sheet surface, enhancing wettability, and effectively prevents varnish from repelling. Device Corona treatment unit near 14 2 6. If placed, apply varnish Device There is concern about the effect of corona discharge on 14, especially varnished Device If an inkjet head is used for the recording medium 14, the durability will be significantly reduced due to the effects of corona discharge. On the other hand, the registration unit 24 registers the sheet by bringing it into contact with the reference surface 32b while conveying it on the oblique conveying belt 110, so the sheet is not stopped, and thus the processing efficiency is good, but a certain conveyance length is required. In this embodiment, the registration unit 24 is a corona processing unit. 2 6 and varnishing Device Since it is placed between 14, it is varnished accordingly. Device 14 is a corona treatment section 2 6. The varnish coating can be separated from the corona discharge. DeviceThis can suppress a decrease in the durability of the sheet conveyor 14. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an apparatus which has good sheet processing efficiency in the resist section and excellent durability.

[0044] Next, a problem to be solved by the foil stamping device 16 according to the present embodiment will be described using a comparative example. In the following, a section of the web transport path, which is the transport path of the web 52, for transferring foil to a sheet will be referred to as a "foil stamping section."

[0045] 5(a)-(d) are diagrams showing the state of foil stamping by a foil stamping device according to a comparative example. In FIG. 5(a)-(d), foil stamping scenes are shown in chronological order. In FIG. 5(a)-(d), the web 52 shown by the solid line indicates an unused web (i.e., a web on which foil is being held). The web 52 shown by the dotted line indicates a used web (i.e., a web from which at least a portion of the foil has been peeled off due to the transfer of the foil to the sheet S1, or a web facing the varnished region R on the sheet S1 in the foil stamping section P and from which the transfer of the foil to the sheet S1 has begun).

[0046] In FIG. 5(a), the sheet S1 is hot-stamped. Shi WardIn FIG. 5(c), when the next sheet S2 arrives at the stamping section P, the feeding of the web 52 is resumed. In FIG. 5(d), the sheet S2 is passing through the stamping section P, and the foil is transferred from the web 52 to the varnish application area R on the sheet S2. In particular, the foil is transferred from the web 52, which was located upstream of the stamping section P in FIG. 5(c). In the example of FIG. 5, the feeding of the web 52 is stopped when the rear end of the sheet S1 reaches the downstream end of the stamping section P (FIG. 5(b)), but may be stopped when the rear end of the varnish application area R on the sheet reaches the downstream end of the stamping section P. Similarly, the timing at which the feeding of the web 52 is resumed may also be the timing at which the varnished region R on the sheet reaches the foil stamping section P.

[0047] Here, the web 52 is fed only while the sheet passes through the stamping section P, or while the varnished area R on the sheet passes through the stamping section P. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of the web 52 that is wound up on the winding roll 76 without being used. However, even if this is done, it is possible to prevent the sheet S1 from being stamped. Shi Ward When the web 52 passes through the stamping section P, i.e., when the web 52 is in the stamping section P as shown in FIG. 5(c), the web 52 is not used for transfer to the next sheet S2, and is therefore wound up unused on the take-up roll 76. In other words, the foil-holding film is wasted.

[0048] If the web 52 present in the stamping section P in FIG. 5(c) is returned upstream of the stamping section P before the next sheet S2 arrives at the stamping section P, it can be used for transfer to the next sheet S2, thereby reducing wasteful consumption. To achieve this, it is possible to reverse the unwinding roll to rewind the web 52, but this may cause wrinkles in the foil rewound onto the unwinding roll. In addition, the foil stamping device 16 according to the present embodiment uses friction shafts for the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft as described below, and the shaft core of the friction shaft of the unwinding shaft is fixed to the housing of the device, and does not include a drive motor for reversing the rotation, so that the unwinding roll cannot be reversed in the first place. Therefore, the foil stamping device 16 according to the present embodiment realizes a "return" in which at least a part of the web 52 that has passed the upstream end of the stamping section P, i.e., at least a part of the web 52 present in the stamping section P, is returned upstream of the stamping section P without rewinding the web 52 onto the unwinding roll.

[0049] Next, the configuration of the foil stamping device 16 will be described in detail. Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the foil stamping device 16. Figures 6 and 7 are side views. Figure 6 shows the nip rollers and the like in a lowered position, and Figure 7 shows the nip rollers and the like in an elevated position.

[0050] The foil stamping device 16 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 54, an unwinding shaft 56, a winding shaft 58, a plurality of guide rollers 60, a first nip roller 62, a second nip roller 64, an ultraviolet lamp 66 for foil stamping, and a sheet detection sensor 77.

[0051] The conveying rollers 54 convey the sheet toward the downstream side in the conveying direction (left side in FIGS. 6 and 7) while nipping the sheet between the paper pressure roller 72, the nip rollers 62, 64, or the paper pressure roller 73.

[0052] The paper pressing rollers 72 are spherical, and a pair of paper pressing rollers 72 are arranged spaced apart in the width direction X relative to one conveying roller 54. At least one of the pair of paper pressing rollers 72 is configured to be movable in the width direction X according to the width of the sheet to be conveyed. With this configuration, only both ends of the sheet to be conveyed in the width direction X are sandwiched between the paper pressing roller 72 and the conveying roller 54 and conveyed. When only one of the pair of paper pressing rollers 72 is movable in the width direction X, a roller-shaped paper pressing member may be used instead of the other paper pressing roller 72 that does not move in the width direction X. The semi-cured varnish on the sheet is exposed upstream of the foil stamping section P in the conveying direction Y (to the right in FIG. 6). If the conveying member comes into contact with the exposed varnish, problems such as the varnish application state being disturbed or the conveying member being soiled may occur. On the other hand, the paper pressing rollers 72 press only both ends of the sheet in the width direction X, thereby preventing the occurrence of such problems.

[0053] The paper pressure roller 73 is a member in which multiple roller portions 73a are intermittently arranged on a single rotating shaft 73b extending in the width direction X. The multiple roller portions 73a are configured not to move in the width direction (axial direction) X. Because the varnish on the sheet has fully hardened downstream of the foil stamping section P in the conveying direction Y, the sheet can be conveyed without the above-mentioned problems occurring even if the roller portion 73a of the paper pressure roller 73 comes into contact.

[0054] The unwinding shaft 56 supports a roll of unused web (hereinafter referred to as the unwinding roll 74). The unwinding shaft 56 and the winding shaft 58 are configured as friction shafts. This friction shaft includes an outer ring that holds a paper tube that is the core of the unwinding roll 74 or the winding roll 76, and a shaft core portion that rotatably holds the outer ring, and is configured to be adjustable in holding torque, which is a resistance when rotating the outer ring relative to the shaft core portion. When an external force acts to rotate the outer ring relative to the shaft core portion, if the rotation torque due to the external force is larger than the holding torque, the outer ring rotates relative to the shaft core portion, and if the rotation torque is smaller than the holding torque, the outer ring maintains a stopped state relative to the shaft core portion. The shaft core portion of the unwinding shaft 56 is fixed to the housing of the device, and the shaft core portion of the winding shaft 58 is rotated by a drive source (not shown). The unwinding shaft 56 has a holding torque set so that when a force acts on the web 52 to rotate along with the sheet or the conveying roller 54 in the foil stamping section P and a force acts to pull the web 52 out of the unwinding roll 74, the outer ring rotates relative to the fixed shaft core portion.

[0055] The multiple guide rollers 60, the first nip roller 62, and the second nip roller 64 define a generally U-shaped web transport path from the unwind roll 74 to the take-up roll 76. The second nip roller 64 is adjacent to the first nip roller 62 on the downstream side of the web transport path. The first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 define a horizontally extending section of the web transport path. In this embodiment, this section corresponds to the foil stamping section P.

[0056] One of the guide rollers 60 defining the web transport path upstream of the foil stamping section P (hereinafter also referred to as guide roller 60a) and one of the guide rollers 60 defining the web transport path downstream of the foil stamping section P (hereinafter also referred to as guide roller 60b) are configured to be movable in the transport direction Y. The guide roller 60a is provided in a section of the web transport path upstream of the foil stamping section P, upstream of the other guide rollers 60 in the transport direction Y in the section of the web transport path where the web 52 advances substantially vertically downward. The guide roller 60b is provided in a section of the web transport path downstream of the foil stamping section P, downstream of the other guide rollers 60 in the transport direction Y in the section of the web transport path where the web 52 advances substantially vertically upward.

[0057] Both guide roller 60a and guide roller 60b are connected to bracket 80. Therefore, guide roller 60a and guide roller 60b are interlocked. When bracket 80 is moved to the upstream side in conveying direction Y (to the right in FIGS. 6 and 7) by a drive device (not shown), guide rollers 60a and 60b also move to the upstream side in conveying direction Y, and when bracket 80 is moved to the downstream side in conveying direction Y (to the right in FIGS. 6 and 7), guide rollers 60a and 60b also move to the downstream side in conveying direction Y.

[0058] When the guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved upstream in the conveying direction Y, the conveying path on the upstream side of the stamping section P in the web conveying path becomes longer and the conveying path on the downstream side becomes shorter. Also, when the guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved downstream in the conveying direction Y, the conveying path on the upstream side of the stamping section P in the web conveying path becomes shorter and the conveying path on the downstream side becomes longer. Preferably, when the guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved in the conveying direction Y, the conveying path on the upstream side of the stamping section P in the web conveying path and the conveying path on the downstream side of the stamping section P in the web conveying path increase and decrease in a complementary manner. When the guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved upstream in the conveying direction Y, the holding torque of the friction shaft of the unwinding shaft 56 is controlled to be increased, and the unwinding from the unwinding roll 74 is stopped so that the outer circumferential ring does not rotate with respect to the shaft core part. As a result, at least a part of the web 52 that has passed the upstream end of the stamping section P, i.e., at least a part of the web 52 present in the stamping section P, is returned to the upstream side of the stamping section P. In other words, the web 52 that has reached the foil stamping section P can be returned without rewinding the web 52 that has been unwound from the unwinding roll 74 back onto the unwinding roll 74. If the resistance to moving the web 52 during return is smaller than the holding torque of the unwinding shaft 56, return is possible with unwinding from the unwinding roll 74 stopped, without performing control to increase the holding torque.

[0059] Between the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64, the web 52 and the sheet come into contact. At this time, the foil is transferred from the web 52 to the semi-cured varnish on the sheet. During the transfer, the varnish on the sheet and the web 52 are temporarily adhered to each other, so that the web 52 is fed at the same speed as the sheet. The second nip roller 64 may be driven to rotate and the web 52 may be fed at the same speed as the sheet. Here, if a drive source for driving the nip rollers 62 and 64 is provided and a speed difference occurs between the surface movement speed between the nip rollers 62 and 64, which holds the foil, and the sheet, which is the sheet to which the foil is transferred, and which is the sheet to which the foil is transferred, and which is the sheet to which the foil is transferred, and which is the sheet to which the foil is transferred, is contacted with the conveying roller 54, this causes wrinkles in the foil. In contrast, in this embodiment, a drive source for driving the nip rollers 62 and 64 is not provided, and the nip rollers 62 and 64 are configured to rotate in response to the movement of the web 52, thereby suppressing wrinkles in the foil.

[0060] The winding shaft 58 winds up the web 52 unwound from the unwinding roll 74 in a roll shape. Hereinafter, the roll-shaped web 52 wound by the winding shaft 58 is referred to as a winding roll 76. The winding shaft 58 is configured as a friction shaft. The holding torque of the winding shaft 58 is set to be smaller than the holding torque of the unwinding shaft 56, and the axial core portion of the winding shaft 58 is driven to rotate by a driving source (not shown). The friction shaft has multiple outer peripheral rings in the axial direction, and has a structure that allows the rotation speed to differ depending on the position in the axial direction (i.e., the width direction X). Specifically, only some of the multiple outer peripheral rings may rotate and the other outer peripheral rings may stop, and further, the rotation speeds of the rotating outer peripheral rings may differ from each other.

[0061] At least one of the guide rollers 60 is fitted with an encoder (not shown) for detecting the number of rotations. The guide roller 60 fitted with the encoder is preferably designed to reduce slippage with the web 52, for example by using a material with a high coefficient of friction on the surface. In the foil stamping section P, the foil on the outer circumferential surface of the web 52 comes into contact with the surface of the sheet or the conveying roller 54, and moves downstream in the conveying direction Y of the sheet by rotating together with these surfaces. The control device 20 calculates the moving speed of the web 52 based on the detection result by the encoder, and controls the number of rotations of the unwinding shaft 56 so that the unwinding speed of the web 52 from the unwinding roll 74 is slower than the calculated moving speed of the web 52. At this time, the moving speed of the web 52 is faster than the unwinding speed caused by the rotation of the unwinding shaft 56, but the circumferential surface of the unwinding shaft 56, which is a friction shaft, rotates relative to the drive input shaft, and the circumferential surface rotates faster than the drive input shaft, so that the web 52 can be unwound so as to be at the same speed as the moving speed of the sheet in the foil stamping section P while maintaining the web 52 in a taut state.

[0062] In addition, the control device 20 controls the number of rotations of the driving rotation of the axial core part of the winding shaft 58 so that the winding speed of the web 52 by the winding roll 76 is faster than the moving speed of the web 52. At this time, the moving speed of the web 52 is slower than the winding by the rotation of the unwinding shaft 56, but the outer peripheral ring forming the circumferential surface of the winding shaft 58 made of a friction shaft rotates about the axial core part which is the drive input shaft, and the drive input shaft rotates idly about the circumferential surface. This allows the web 52 to be wound up so as to be the same speed as the moving speed of the sheet in the foil stamping section P while keeping the web 52 in a taut state.

[0063] The ultraviolet lamp 66 for foil stamping is provided above the web transport path between the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 .

[0064] The first nip roller 62, the second nip roller 64, the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66, and some of the guide rollers 60 are each configured to be movable up and down between a lowered position in Fig. 6 and an elevated position in Fig. 7. The elevated position is a position where the web 52 cannot come into contact with the sheet being transported. The elevated position is a position where the web 52 can come into contact with a sheet being transported that is adjacent to and parallel to the web 52. For example, the control device 20 positions the nip rollers etc. in the elevated position when the sheet is not to be foil stamped (i.e., when the sheet is only to be varnished), and positions the nip rollers etc. in the lowered position when the sheet is to be foil stamped.

[0065] Among the multiple guide rollers 60 that define the web transport path upstream of the stamping section P, a guide roller (hereinafter also referred to as guide roller 60c) located immediately upstream of the first nip roller 62 is disposed adjacent to the first nip roller 62 and moves up and down together with the first nip roller 62 between a lowered position shown in FIG. 6 and an elevated position shown in FIG. 7. Among the multiple guide rollers 60 that define the web transport path downstream of the stamping section P, a guide roller (hereinafter also referred to as guide roller 60d) located immediately downstream of the second nip roller 64 is disposed adjacent to the second nip roller 64 and moves up and down together with the second nip roller 64 between a lowered position shown in FIG. 6 and an elevated position shown in FIG. 7. By providing a guide roller 60 such as the guide roller 60c or the guide roller 60d that is disposed adjacent to the nip rollers 62, 64 and moves up and down together with the nip rollers 62, 64, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the web 52, compared to a configuration that does not include such a guide roller 60.

[0066] The sheet detection sensor 77 is a sensor that detects the timing of transfer in the stamping section P. The sheet detection sensor 77 detects the presence or absence of a sheet at the detection position, and can detect the timing of the leading edge and trailing edge of the sheet passing based on the detection result. When the nip rollers, etc. are in the raised position, the nip rollers, etc. are moved toward the lowered position at a predetermined timing after it is detected that the leading edge of the sheet to be stamped has passed the detection position of the sheet detection sensor 77. In addition, after it is detected that the trailing edge of the sheet to be stamped has passed the detection position of the sheet detection sensor 77, the nip rollers, etc. are moved from the lowered position toward the raised position at a predetermined timing as necessary.

[0067] 8 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the foil stamping section P. Although not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the foil stamping device 16 is provided with a sheet transport guide that supports the sheet and guides the transport of the sheet. At least a portion of the sheet transport guide 82 that corresponds to the foil stamping section P (i.e., that is provided below the foil stamping section P) protrudes above a nip line L that passes through a first nip point N1 at the upstream end of the foil stamping section P and a second nip point N2 at the downstream end. The first nip point N1 is a point between the first nip roller 62 in the lowered position and the transport roller 54 that faces it above and below, and exists on a line segment that connects the rotation axis of the first nip roller 62 in the lowered position and the rotation axis of the transport roller 54 that faces it above and below. The second nip point N2 is a point between the second nip roller 64 in the lowered position and the conveying roller 54 that faces it above and below, and is located on a line segment connecting the rotation axis of the second nip roller 64 when in the lowered position and the rotation axis of the conveying roller 54 that faces it above and below.

[0068] As described above, the semi-cured varnish has tackiness, so that the foil held by the web 52 adheres to the varnish when the sheet is sandwiched between the first nip roller 62 and the conveying roller 54. However, if the sheet separates from the web 52 while being conveyed through the foil stamping section P, for example due to the stiffness of the sheet, the varnish may harden in a state in which the foil that was not adhered to the varnish peels off from the varnish, resulting in a failed transfer. In response to this, at least a portion of the sheet conveying guide 82 protrudes above the nip line L, so that the sheet is pressed against the web 52 in the foil stamping section P, increasing the degree of adhesion between the sheet and the web 52 and preventing the foil from peeling off from the varnish.

[0069] The material of the sheet transport guide 82 is not particularly limited, but since ultraviolet rays from the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66 are irradiated, a material with high heat dissipation and heat resistance, such as metal, is preferable. Some light sources that irradiate ultraviolet rays and can be used for the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66 generate ozone during irradiation depending on the type of wavelength of the ultraviolet rays irradiated. When a light source that generates ozone during irradiation is used as the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66, the material of the sheet transport guide 82 is preferably resistant to ozone.

[0070] The sheet transport guide 82 is not particularly limited as long as it is a guide that supports the sheet, and may be a plate, a block, or a roller. In the illustrated example, the sheet transport guide 82 is a plate that is curved upwardly convex. At least a portion of the sheet transport guide 82 preferably protrudes above the nip line L in the irradiation range of the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66.

[0071] Fig. 9 is a further enlarged view of the periphery of the sheet transport guide 82 shown in Fig. 8 (the ultraviolet lamp 66 for foil stamping is omitted in Fig. 9). When the web 52 is stretched without the sheet transport guide 82, the path of the web 52 between the first nip point N1 at the upstream end of the foil stamping section P (transfer section) and the downstream end, i.e., the tension line, coincides with the nip line L. That is, at least a part of the sheet transport guide 82 protrudes above this tension line. Therefore, the web 52 is pushed up by the sheet transport guide 82, and actually follows the path shown by the thick line in Fig. 9.

[0072] The sheet conveying guide 82 has an upper surface 82x formed of an upwardly convex curved surface. In the range C1 where the web 52 contacts the upper surface 82x, the web 52 has an upwardly convex curved surface similar to the upper surface 82x. In this range C1, the sheet passes between the web 52 and the upper surface 82x. Then, in this range C1, the leading edge of the sheet always faces the tangent direction of the curved surface forming the upper surface 82x in the sheet conveying direction Y. This tangent direction is a direction toward the outside of the curved surface forming the upper surface 82x, that is, a direction intersecting the path of the web 52. For example, when the leading edge of the sheet reaches a predetermined position D1 in the range C1, the leading edge of the sheet faces the tangent direction D2. Therefore, a leading edge direction portion is formed throughout this range C1 so that the leading edge side of the sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of the transfer web in the foil stamping section P.

[0073] In addition, the rear end of the sheet always faces the tangent direction in the sheet conveying direction Y of the curved surface forming the upper surface 82x in this range C1. This tangent direction is a direction toward the outside of the curved surface forming the upper surface 82x, that is, a direction intersecting the path of the web 52. For example, when the rear end of the sheet reaches a predetermined position D3 in the range C1, the rear end of the sheet faces the tangent direction D4. Therefore, a rear end side directing portion is formed throughout this range C1 so that the rear end side of the sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of the transfer web in the foil stamping section P.

[0074] When the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 are in the raised position, the web 52 is separated from the sheet transport guide 82 as shown in Fig. 13(a). When they move to the lowered position, the web 52 comes into contact with the sheet transport guide 82 as shown in Fig. 9. The leading end side directional portion and the trailing end side directional portion are formed when they are in this lowered position.

[0075] This movement to the lowered position may occur after a portion of the sheet near the leading edge has entered the stamping section P. For example, this may occur when the sheet is moved to the lowered position in time with the varnished region R, which is formed only near the trailing edge of the sheet, entering the stamping section P. In such a case, the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 move to the lowered position while a portion of the sheet has already entered the stamping section P, forming a leading edge oriented portion. At that point in time, at position D1, the leading edge of the passing sheet faces the tangential direction D2. Therefore, in the leading edge oriented portion, the leading edge of the passing sheet faces in a direction intersecting the path of the web 52.

[0076] In addition, the movement to the raised position may occur before a portion of the sheet near the rear end exits the stamping section P. For example, this may occur when the sheet is moved to the raised position in time with the varnish application area R, which is formed only near the front end of the sheet, exiting the stamping section P. In such a case, the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 move to the raised position while a portion of the sheet still remains in the stamping section P, and the rear end side directional portion is eliminated. At position D3 until just before the elimination, the rear end side of the passing sheet faces the tangential direction D4. Therefore, in the rear end side directional portion, the rear end side of the passing sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of the web 52.

[0077] 10 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the foil stamping section P, showing another example of the sheet transport guide 82. In this example, the sheet transport guide 82 is a block, and has a flat upper surface (horizontal surface) 82a that protrudes above the nip line L in the irradiation range of the ultraviolet lamps 66 for foil stamping.

[0078] Fig. 11 is a further enlarged view of the periphery of the sheet transport guide 82 shown in Fig. 10 (the ultraviolet foil stamping lamp 66 is omitted in Fig. 11). When the web 52 is stretched without the sheet transport guide 82, the path of the web 52 between the first nip point N1 at the upstream end of the foil stamping section P (transfer section) and the second nip point N2 at the downstream end, i.e., the tension line, coincides with the nip line L. Therefore, the upper surface (horizontal surface) 82a of the sheet transport guide 82 protrudes above the tension line.

[0079] The sheet conveying guide 82 further has an upward inclined surface 82b that is continuous with the upstream end of the upper surface 82a in the conveying direction Y and forms an upward gradient toward the conveying direction Y. The sheet conveying guide 82 also has a downward inclined surface 82c that is continuous with the downstream end of the upper surface 82a in the conveying direction Y and forms a downward gradient toward the conveying direction Y.

[0080] The web 52 is pushed up by the sheet conveying guide 82, and follows the path shown by the thick line in Fig. 11. That is, the web 52 first forms an upward gradient 52a from the first nip point N1 toward the second nip point N2, and reaches the upstream end of the upper surface 82a in the conveying direction Y. Then, the web 52 forms a horizontal path while remaining in contact with the upper surface 82a, until it reaches the downstream end of the upper surface 82a in the conveying direction Y. Then, the web 52 forms a downward gradient 52b, and reaches the second nip point N2.

[0081] In the case of a relatively weak sheet with semi-cured varnish applied to the leading edge of the sheet, the sheet is adhered to the web 52 by the tackiness of the varnish, and the leading edge of the sheet advances along the upward gradient 52a of the web 52. When the sheet reaches a predetermined position D5, the leading edge of the sheet faces the same direction D6 as the upward gradient 52a. Since the web 52 is horizontal on the downstream side of the conveying direction Y, the direction D6 intersects with the path of the web 52. Therefore, a leading edge directional portion is formed on the upward gradient 52a such that the leading edge of the conveyed sheet in the conveying direction faces a direction intersecting with the path of the web 52.

[0082] If the sheet is relatively stiff, or if the sheet is relatively weak but no semi-cured varnish is applied to the sheet near its leading edge, the leading edge of the sheet advances along the nip line L and abuts against the upward slope 82b. After that, the leading edge of the sheet moves up the slope along the upward slope 82b. When the sheet reaches a predetermined position D7, the leading edge of the sheet faces a direction D8 that is an extension of a line connecting the first nip point N1 and the position D7. If the direction D8 is extended, it will intersect with the path of the web 52. Therefore, a leading edge direction portion is formed on the upward slope 82b so that the leading edge side of the conveyed sheet in the conveying direction faces a direction that intersects with the path of the web 52.

[0083] In the case of a relatively weak sheet with semi-cured varnish applied to the sheet near its rear end, the sheet is adhered to the web 52 by the tackiness of the varnish, and the rear end of the sheet advances along the downward slope 52b of the web 52. When the sheet reaches a predetermined position D9, the rear end of the sheet faces the same direction D10 as the downward slope 52b. Since the web 52 is horizontal on the upstream side of the conveying direction Y, the direction D10 intersects with the path of the web 52. Therefore, a rear end side directing portion is formed in the downward slope 52b so that the rear end side of the conveyed sheet in the conveying direction faces a direction intersecting the path of the web 52.

[0084] In the case of a relatively stiff sheet, or in the case of a relatively weak sheet but without semi-cured varnish applied to the sheet near the rear end, when the rear end of the sheet passes the downstream end of the upper surface 82a in the conveying direction Y, it separates from the web 52 and descends the slope along the downward slope 82c. When the sheet reaches a predetermined position D11, the rear end of the sheet faces in a direction D12 that is an extension of a line connecting the position D11 and the second nip point N2. If the direction D12 is extended, it will intersect with the path of the web 52. Therefore, a rear end side directing portion is formed on the downward slope 82c so that the rear end side of the conveying direction of the sheet to be conveyed faces a direction intersecting with the path of the web 52.

[0085] When the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 are in the raised position, the web 52 is separated from the sheet transport guide 82 as shown in Fig. 13(b). When they move to the lowered position, the web 52 comes into contact with the sheet transport guide 82 as shown in Fig. 11. The leading end side directional portion and the trailing end side directional portion are formed when they are in this lowered position.

[0086] Even if this movement to the lowered position occurs after a portion of the sheet near the leading edge has entered the foil stamping section P, if the leading edge of the sheet has reached upper surface 82a at the time of descent, the leading edge of the passing sheet will face direction D6 at position D5. Therefore, in the leading edge direction section, the leading edge of the passing sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of web 52. If the leading edge of the sheet has not yet reached upper surface 82a at the time of descent, the leading edge of the sheet will abut against inclined surface 82b and move up inclined surface 82b, and will face direction D8 when it reaches position D7. Therefore, in the leading edge direction section, the leading edge of the sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of web 52.

[0087] Also, even if the movement to the raised position is performed before a portion of the sheet near the trailing end leaves the foil stamping section P, if the trailing end of the sheet remains on the upper surface 82a at that time, the trailing end side of the passing sheet faces direction D10 at position D9 immediately before that. Therefore, in the trailing end side directing section, the trailing end side of the passing sheet faces a direction intersecting with the path of the web 52. If the leading edge of the sheet has not yet reached the upper surface 82a at the time of the rise, the trailing end of the sheet abuts against the inclined surface 82c and descends the inclined surface 82c, and faces direction D12 when it reaches position D11. Therefore, in the trailing end side directing section, the trailing end side of the sheet faces a direction intersecting with the path of the web 52.

[0088] 9 and 11, a roller member may be used instead of the sheet transport guide 82. That is, the roller member is disposed so that at least a portion of the roller member protrudes above the nip line L that passes through the first nip point N1 at the upstream end of the foil stamping section P and the second nip point N2 at the downstream end of the foil stamping section P. As a result, the roller member pushes up the web 52 with its outer circumferential surface.

[0089] For example, the roller members may be rollers of the same diameter arranged at the same height with a gap in the transport direction Y. In this case, a leading end directional portion is formed in a portion where the outer circumferential surface of the roller member arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction Y pushes up the web 52, and a trailing end directional portion is formed in a portion where the outer circumferential surface of the roller member arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction Y pushes up the web 52.

[0090] The roller member may also be a single roller with a relatively large diameter, disposed between the first nip point N1 and the second nip point N2. In this case, similar to the example of Fig. 9, the leading end directional portion and the trailing end directional portion are formed over the entire portion of the curved outer circumferential surface of the roller member that contacts and pushes up the web 52.

[0091] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the foil stamping section P in yet another example (the ultraviolet foil stamping lamp 66 is omitted in FIG. 12). In this example, a sheet support guide 83 is provided. The sheet support guide 83 has a flat upper surface 83a. This upper surface 83a is a horizontal surface and coincides with a conveying lower surface line L2 connecting the uppermost points of the outer circumferential surfaces of the conveying rollers 54 facing the nip rollers 62 and 64, respectively. In the example of FIG. 12, the conveying roller 54 facing the lower side of the nip roller 62 will also be called conveying roller 54a, and the conveying roller 54 facing the lower side of the nip roller 64 will also be called conveying roller 54b.

[0092] The sheet support guide 83 further has an upwardly sloping surface 83b that is continuous with the upstream end of the upper surface 83a in the conveying direction Y and forms an upward gradient toward the conveying direction Y. In addition, the sheet conveying guide 83 has a bent-back portion 83c that is continuous with the downstream end of the upper surface 83a in the conveying direction Y and is bent downward in the opposite direction to the conveying direction Y.

[0093] The path of the web 52 is shown by the thick line in Fig. 12. That is, the web 52 is stretched horizontally between the nip rollers 62, 64. The height positions of the nip rollers 62, 64 are set so that the web 52 is stretched with a gap D13 between the upper surface 83a of the sheet support guide 83. This gap D13 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the sheet to which the transfer is to be made. The height of the nip rollers 62, 64 may be adjustable according to the thickness of the sheet to be applied.

[0094] The axis of the conveying roller 54a is offset by a distance D14 downstream in the conveying direction Y with respect to the axis of the nip roller 62. A height difference D15 between the axis of the conveying roller 54a and the axis of the nip roller 62 is a value obtained by adding the distance D13 to the sum of the radius of the conveying roller 54a and the radius of the nip roller 62.

[0095] When the leading edge of the sheet is pressed and sandwiched between the conveying roller 54a and the nip roller 62, due to an offset between the conveying roller 54a and the nip roller 62 in the conveying direction Y, the leading edge of the sheet faces a direction D17 that is substantially perpendicular to a line D16 that connects the axial centers of the conveying roller 54a and the nip roller 62. The direction D17 intersects with the path of the web 52. Therefore, in the region sandwiched between the conveying roller 54a and the nip roller 62, a leading edge directing portion is formed that causes the leading edge side of the conveyed sheet in the conveying direction to face a direction intersecting the path of the web 52.

[0096] The axis of the conveying roller 54b is offset by a distance D18 upstream in the conveying direction Y with respect to the axis of the nip roller 64. In the example of Fig. 12, the distance D18 is the same as the distance D14, but is not limited to being the same. The height difference D19 between the axis of the conveying roller 54b and the axis of the nip roller 64 is a value obtained by adding the distance D13 to the sum of the radius of the conveying roller 54b and the radius of the nip roller 64.

[0097] Just before the rear end of the sheet leaves the pressure-clamped state between the conveying roller 54b and the nip roller 64, due to an offset between the conveying roller 54b and the nip roller 64 in the conveying direction Y, the rear end of the sheet faces a direction D21 that is substantially perpendicular to a line D20 connecting the axial centers of the conveying roller 54b and the nip roller 64. The direction D21 intersects with the path of the web 52. Therefore, in the region sandwiched between the conveying roller 54b and the nip roller 64, a rear end side directing portion is formed that causes the conveying direction rear end side of the conveyed sheet to face a direction intersecting the path of the web 52.

[0098] Distance D13 is set to be smaller than the thickness of the sheet, and to an extent that when the sheet enters between the conveying rollers 54a, 54b and the nip rollers 62, 64, the sheet can advance between them in the conveying direction Y while being pressed and sandwiched between the conveying rollers 54a, 54b and the web 52 along the outer sides of the nip rollers 62, 64. In addition, in the portion between the nip rollers 62 and 64, the sheet is supported from below by the sheet support guide 83, so that the sheet is prevented from escaping downward. Therefore, contact between the sheet and the web 52 can be promoted throughout the entire foil stamping section P.

[0099] When the first nip roller 62 and the second nip roller 64 are in the raised position, the web 52 is separated significantly from the sheet support guide 83, as shown in Fig. 13(c). When they are moved to the lowered position, the web 52 and the upper surface 83a of the sheet support guide 83 are spaced apart by a distance D13, as shown in Fig. 12. The leading end directional portion and the trailing end directional portion are formed when they are in this lowered position.

[0100] Even if this movement to the lowered position occurs after a portion of the sheet near the leading edge has entered the foil stamping section P, the leading edge side of the passing sheet faces the direction D17 at position D16. Therefore, in the leading edge directing portion, the leading edge side of the passing sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of web 52.

[0101] Even if the movement to the raised position is performed before part of the trailing end of the sheet leaves the foil stamping section P, the trailing end of the passing sheet faces the direction D21 at position D20 until just before that. Therefore, in the trailing end directing portion, the trailing end of the passing sheet faces a direction intersecting the path of web 52.

[0102] As a modification of the example of Fig. 12, the conveying roller 54a may be disposed slightly higher than in the example of Fig. 12. That is, the height difference D15 between the axis of the conveying roller 54a and the axis of the nip roller 62 may be slightly smaller than the sum of the radius of the conveying roller 54a and the radius of the nip roller 62 plus the distance D13. By disposing in this manner, the leading edge of the sheet that has entered between the conveying roller 54a and the nip roller 62 faces further upward than the direction D17. Therefore, the directivity of the leading edge side directing portion can be increased.

[0103] Similarly, the conveying roller 54b may be disposed slightly higher than in the example of FIG. 12. That is, the height difference D19 between the axis of the conveying roller 54b and the axis of the nip roller 64 may be slightly smaller than the sum of the radius of the conveying roller 54b and the radius of the nip roller 64 plus the distance D13. By disposing them in this way, the rear end of the sheet that has entered between the conveying roller 54b and the nip roller 64 faces further upward than the direction D21. Therefore, the directivity of the rear end side directing portion can be increased.

[0104] When the tension line of the web 52 and the top surface of the sheet to which the foil is to be transferred are completely parallel, even if the web 52 is designed to contact the top surface of the sheet, there is a problem that the web 52 may be slightly separated due to component errors, or the contact pressure may be insufficient even if the web 52 is in contact, resulting in poor transfer. However, in each of the examples of Figures 9, 11, and 12, the leading end side of the sheet faces a direction that intersects with the foil path in the leading end direction portion, so that the sheet and the foil are pressed together at the leading end side of the sheet. Also, the trailing end side of the sheet faces a direction that intersects with the foil path in the trailing end direction portion, so that the sheet and the foil are pressed together at the trailing end side of the sheet. Therefore, the sheet and the foil can be pressed together reliably, and the foil can be reliably transferred to the sheet.

[0105] The leading end directing portion and the trailing end directing portion may both be provided, or only one of them may be provided. In addition, in the case of a thin sheet, the gap D13 may be set to zero, that is, the sheet may wait in a state in which the web 52 contacts the upper surface 83a of the sheet support guide 83. Also, if the gap D13 is smaller than the thickness of the sheet, the upper surface 83a may be lower than the conveying lower surface line L2.

[0106] The above is the detailed configuration of the foil stamping device 16. Next, the operation of the foil stamping device 16 will be described.

[0107] Figures 14(a) to (f) are diagrams for explaining the return by the foil stamping device 16. Figures 14(a) to (f) show return scenes in chronological order. In Figures 14(a) to (d), the web 52 shown by a solid line indicates an unused web, and the web 52 shown by a dotted line indicates a used web.

[0108] In Fig. 14(a), sheet S1 is passing through the foil stamping section P, and foil is being transferred from the web 52 to the varnish applied area R on the sheet S1. As shown in Fig. 14(b), the feeding of the web 52 is stopped at the timing when the rear end (the upstream end in the transport direction Y) of the varnish applied area R on the sheet S1 reaches the downstream end of the foil stamping section P. The control device 20 can determine the timing when the rear end of the varnish applied area R on the sheet S1 reaches the downstream end of the foil stamping section P, based on the varnish discharge data.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 14(c), the nip rollers and the like are moved to the raised position, and the web 52 is separated from the sheet S1 and the conveying rollers 54 (not shown). In FIG. 14(d), the guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved to the upstream side in the conveying direction Y. As shown in FIG. 14(e), the nip rollers and the like are moved to the lowered position at the timing when the front end of the varnished region R of the next sheet S2 reaches the upstream end of the foil stamping section P. By the operations of FIG. 14(c) to FIG. 14(e), at least a part of the web 52 present in the foil stamping section P is returned to the upstream side of the foil stamping section P. That is, a return is realized. Preferably, a return is realized so that all of the unused web 52 present in the foil stamping section P is returned to the upstream side of the foil stamping section P, specifically, so that the web 52 located at the downstream end of the foil stamping section P is located at the upstream end of the foil stamping section P.

[0110] In Fig. 14(f), sheet S2 is passing through the stamping section P, and foil is being transferred from web 52 to varnished area R on sheet S1. At this time, first, guide rollers 60a, 60b are moved downstream in conveyance direction Y to send web 52, which is located upstream of stamping section P and was in stamping section P in Fig. 14(b) and Fig. 14(c), to stamping section P. Once guide rollers 60a, 60b have been moved to a predetermined position (e.g., the limit of the movable range on the downstream side in conveyance direction Y), web 52 is sent to stamping section P by unwinding it from unwind roll 74 (not shown in Fig. 14).

[0111] In addition, since raising the nip rollers etc. in Fig. 14(c) shortens the web transport path, the nip rollers etc. may be raised while taking up the web 52 with the take-up roll 76 so as not to slacken the web 52. In this case, when the nip rollers etc. are lowered in Fig. 14(e), that is, when the transport path becomes longer, the web 52 may be unwound from the unwind roll 74. Note that, since this unwinding causes a small amount of unused web 52 to be sent out to the foil stamping section P, the guide rollers 60a, 60b may be moved in Fig. 14(d) taking this amount into consideration.

[0112] The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each processing step, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Such modifications will be described below.

[0113] (Variation 1) Figures 15(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the state of foil stamping. In this example, there are multiple varnished areas Ri (i = 1, ... N) on the sheet. In this case, as shown in Figures 15(a) and (b), the web 52 that was in contact with the area Rb-k between the varnished area Rk (k = 1, ... N-1) and the varnished area R-k+1 becomes unused.

[0114] 15(a), the length of region Rb-1 in the transport direction Y is equal to or less than the length of the foil stamping section P. In this case, when the rear end of varnish application region R-1 reaches the downstream end of the foil stamping section P, varnish application region R-2 has already reached the foil stamping section P. In this case, since it cannot be sent back, the web 52 that was in contact with region Rb-k is taken up onto the take-up roll 76 unused.

[0115] In Fig. 15(b), the length of region Rb-1 in the transport direction Y exceeds the length of the foil stamping section P. In this case, when the rear end of varnish application region R-1 reaches the downstream end of the foil stamping section P, varnish application region R-2 has not yet reached the foil stamping section P. In this case, the web 52 that was in contact with region Rb-k can be used by feeding back.

[0116] Specifically, the control device 20, at a predetermined timing at the start of the job, identifies the existence of two varnish application areas R-1, R-2 based on the varnish discharge data. Next, it is confirmed whether the length of the area Rb-1 between the two varnish application areas R-1, R-2 exceeds the length of the foil stamping section P. If the length of the area Rb-1 is equal to or less than the length of the foil stamping section, the area Rb-1 is not fed back. If the length of the area Rb-1 exceeds the length of the foil stamping section, the feeding of the web 52 is stopped at the timing when the rear end of the varnish application area R-1 reaches the downstream end of the foil stamping section P, and the web 52 corresponding to the area Rb-1 is fed back.

[0117] According to this modification, wasteful consumption of foil can be further reduced.

[0118] (Variation 2) In the embodiment, the guide rollers 60a and 60b are connected via the bracket 80 and driven by a single driving device, but the present invention is not limited to this. The guide rollers 60a and 60b may not be connected to each other and may be driven by separate driving devices. In this case, the guide rollers 60a and 60b may be interlocked so that the guide roller 60a is moved so that the transport path upstream of the foil stamping section P becomes longer, and the guide roller 60b is moved so that the transport path downstream of the foil stamping section P becomes shorter.

[0119] (Variation 3) In the embodiment, the return is realized by moving the guide roller 60a on the upstream side and the guide roller 60b on the downstream side of the stamping section P, but the return may be realized by moving only the upstream guide roller 60a, that is, by increasing or decreasing only the upstream transport path. More specifically, the return may be realized by unwinding the used web 52 from the winding roll 76 while moving the guide roller 60a so that the upstream transport path becomes longer. In this case, the outer peripheral ring of the friction shaft of the winding shaft 58 rotates in the opposite direction to that during winding.

[0120] (Variation 4) Instead of the guide rollers 60a, 60b, a non-rotating guide may be provided, in which case the guide surface is preferably formed to have low friction.

[0121] (Variation 5) The technical concept of the embodiment is not limited to the case where the foil is transferred to a sheet, that is, the object onto which the foil stamping device 16 transfers the foil may be something other than a sheet.

[0122] (Variation 6) The transfer material held by the web 52 and transferred in a transfer section such as the foil stamping section P is not limited to a thinly stretched metal called a "foil," but may be a thin layer of a material other than metal. It may also be a base web to which a transfer material such as ink is applied, such as an ink ribbon. The long base sheet that carries the transfer material is not limited to a film, but may be a strip of woven fabric or the like that can hold the transfer material and transfer it to the object to be transferred in the transfer section.

[0123] Any combination of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the effects of the combined embodiments and modifications. It is also understood by those skilled in the art that the functions of the constituent elements described in the claims can be realized by each of the constituent elements shown in the embodiments and modifications alone or in conjunction with each other. For example, the conveying system described in the claims is realized by a combination of the unwinding shaft 56, the winding shaft 58, the multiple guide rollers 60, the nip rollers 62 and 64, and the sheet detection sensor 77. The transfer means described in the claims is realized by a combination of the nip rollers 62 and 64, the conveying roller 54 facing the nip rollers 62 and 64, and the ultraviolet lamp 66 for foil stamping. The web conveying path changing mechanism described in the claims is realized by a combination of the guide rollers 60a and 60b, the bracket 80, and a drive device (not shown) that moves the bracket 80. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a semiconductor device, comprising: [Aspect 1] a web transport system that transports a transfer web, the transfer web having a base sheet holding a transfer material, in a roll-to-roll manner; a transfer means for transferring the transfer material from the transfer web to a transfer target; The transfer device is characterized in that the web transport system is configured to be able to perform a return movement of at least a portion of the transfer web that has passed the upstream end of the transfer section, returning the transfer web upstream of the upstream end, without rewinding the transfer web onto the unwind roll. [Aspect 2] 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transport system increases a length of a transport path upstream of the transfer section during the return transport. [Aspect 3] 3. The transfer device according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the transport system increases or decreases a transport path length on an upstream side of the transfer section and a transport path length on a downstream side of the transfer section in a complementary manner during the return transport. [Aspect 4] the transport system includes a first guide that defines a portion of the transport path upstream of the transfer section and a second guide that defines a portion of the transport path downstream of the transfer section; The transfer device described in aspect 3, wherein the transport system interlocks the first guide and the second guide so that, during the return transport, the first guide moves to lengthen the upstream transport path and the second guide moves to shorten the downstream transport path. [Aspect 5] A transfer device described in any one of aspects 1 to 4, characterized in that at least a portion of the transferred material transport guide corresponding to the transfer section protrudes above a nip line passing through a nip point at the upstream end of the transfer section and a nip point at the downstream end of the transfer section. [Aspect 6] a web transport system that transports a transfer web, the transfer web having a base sheet holding a transfer material, in a roll-to-roll manner; a transfer means for transferring the transfer material from the transfer web to a transfer target in a transfer section; The transfer device is characterized in that the web transport system is equipped with a web transport path changing mechanism that increases the transport path length of the transfer web from the unwinding roll to the transfer section when unwinding of the transfer web from the unwinding roll is stopped. [Aspect 7] A foil stamping device that performs foil stamping by transferring a foil from a foil holding film having a foil laminated on a film to a transfer target, comprising: 7. A foil stamping device comprising the configuration of the transfer device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, for transferring foil from the foil holding film to the transfer target. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 10 Printing System 16 Foil stamping device 52 Web 74 Unwinding roll 82 Sheet transport guide 83 Sheet support guide

Claims

1. A web transport system that transports a transfer web, in which a base sheet holds a transfer material, in a roll-to-roll manner; a transfer means for transferring the transfer material from the transfer web to a transfer target in a transfer section in which the base sheet and the transfer web are in contact with each other over a predetermined length in the transport direction of the base sheet, The web transport system is configured to be capable of performing a return movement upstream of the upstream end of the transfer section when the upstream end of a transfer region on the base sheet where the transfer web is transferred reaches the downstream end of the transfer section, without rewinding the transfer web onto a wind-off roll, so that at least a portion of the transfer web that has passed the upstream end of the transfer section, corresponding to the length of the transfer section, can be used for the next transfer. A transfer device characterized by:

2. The sending out of the transfer web is stopped at a timing when the upstream end of the transfer region reaches the downstream end of the transfer section. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

3. When the upstream end of the transfer region reaches the downstream side of the transfer section, the transfer web in the transfer section rises and moves away from the base sheet. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

4. The web transport system lifts the transfer web in the transfer section while winding the transfer web around a take-up roll. The transfer device according to claim 3 .

5. A varnish ejection section is provided upstream of the transfer area, which ejects the ultraviolet-curable varnish onto the base sheet in accordance with varnish ejection data, which is data indicating where on the base sheet the ultraviolet-curable varnish is to be applied; Based on the varnish ejection data, a timing at which the upstream end of the transfer area reaches the downstream end of the transfer section is identified. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

6. When a plurality of the transfer regions are formed on the base sheet in the transport direction of the base sheet, and the length of a gap region in the transport direction of the base sheet where no transfer region is present between an upstream end of a first transfer region and a downstream end of a second transfer region present upstream of the first transfer region exceeds the length of the transfer section in the transport direction of the base sheet, the return is performed between the time when the upstream end of the first transfer region reaches the downstream end of the transfer section and the time when the downstream end of the second transfer region reaches the upstream end of the transfer section. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

7. The web transport system increases a transport path length upstream of the transfer section during the return, and After the return, when transferring to the transfer area where the next transfer is performed, the length of the transport path upstream of the transfer section is reduced, so that the transfer web that exists upstream of the transfer section and that exists in the transfer section immediately before the return is sent to the transfer section. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

8. A foil stamping device for transferring foil from a foil-holding film having foil laminated on a film to a target object, comprising: A foil stamping device comprising the configuration of the transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 as a configuration for transferring foil from the foil holding film to the transfer target.

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