Discharge treatment device and sheet material treatment system

Abstract

To provide a discharge processing device capable of inhibiting a sheet material on which discharge processing is to be performed from being damaged by a scratch.SOLUTION: A discharge processing device 26 comprising an upper electrode 110 disposed above a sheet material conveyance path 120, a lower electrode 112 disposed below the conveyance path 120, and a support member 108b for supporting an undersurface of a sheet material passing through the conveyance path 120 performs discharge processing on the sheet material by causing discharge between the upper electrode 110 and the lower electrode 112. The discharge processing device comprises a sheet material contact material 208 to come into contact with the undersurface of the sheet material, on a top surface of the support member 108b. The sheet material contact material 208 has rigidity lower than that of the support member 108b and has conductivity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge processing device and a sheet material processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a discharge treatment device that includes an upper electrode arranged above a conveyance path of a sheet material, a lower electrode arranged below the conveyance path, and a support member that supports the lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveyance path, and that generates a discharge between the upper and lower electrodes to perform a discharge treatment on the sheet material. As this type of discharge treatment device, a corona treatment device has been proposed that modifies the surface of a sheet material by corona discharge in order to increase the adhesion, i.e., wettability (affinity), when printing or coating the sheet material (Patent Document 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special publication 2016-516571 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of discharge treatment device, the sheet material to be treated may be scratched when it passes through the discharge treatment device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, wish invention The first aspect ofThe discharge treatment device includes an upper electrode arranged above a conveyance path of a sheet material, a lower electrode arranged below the conveyance path, and a support member supporting the lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveyance path, and generates a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to perform a discharge treatment on the sheet material. The discharge treatment device further includes a sheet material contact member on an upper surface of the support member that contacts the lower surface of the sheet material, and the sheet material contact member has lower rigidity than the support member and is electrically conductive. A negative pressure generating unit that generates a negative pressure is disposed below the support member, and the support member is a plate-shaped member having a communication portion that communicates the transport path with the negative pressure generating unit. It is characterized by the following. A second aspect of the present invention is a discharge processing device comprising an upper electrode arranged above a conveying path for a sheet material, a lower electrode arranged below the conveying path, and a support member supporting the underside of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, and which generates a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to perform a discharge processing on the sheet material, characterized in that the upper surface of the support member is provided with a sheet material contact material that contacts the underside of the sheet material, the sheet material contact material having lower rigidity than the support member and being conductive, and the support member being a plate-shaped member made of a conductive material that is fixed to a housing of the discharge processing device and is grounded. A third aspect of the present invention is a discharge processing device comprising an upper electrode arranged above a conveying path for a sheet material, a lower electrode arranged below the conveying path, and a support member supporting the underside of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, wherein a discharge is generated between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to perform a discharge processing on the sheet material, the support member comprising a surface moving member that clamps the sheet material and moves on the surface along the conveying direction of the sheet material, a negative pressure forming unit that forms a negative pressure is arranged below the support member, and a gap is formed between the support member and the electrode that connects the conveying path and the negative pressure forming unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that scratches caused by friction can be suppressed on the sheet material to be subjected to the discharge treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a decorative printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a decorative printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the corona treatment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of two power receiving parts and the guide plate nearby, (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a top view. [Figure 5] FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a corona treatment device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a corona treatment device according to a comparative example. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of two power receiving parts and a guide plate in the vicinity thereof in a comparative example, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a top view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, identical or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of the members in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0009] An embodiment of the discharge treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.

[0010] 1 and 2 are diagrams that schematically show a decorative printing system 10 that includes a corona treatment device 26 that is a discharge treatment device according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 is a plan view. The decorative printing system 10 is an apparatus that applies predetermined decorative printing to a sheet material while transporting the sheet material. The sheet material may be made of a variety of materials, such as paper, cloth, resin, or metal. Hereinafter, the direction in which the sheet material is transported (the direction from right to left in Figs. 1 and 2) will be referred to as 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-and-down direction in Fig. 2) will be referred to as the width direction X.

[0011] The decorative printing system 10 includes a paper feeder 12 that feeds sheet materials one by one, a varnishing device 14 that applies varnish to the fed sheet materials one by one, a foil stamping device 16 that transfers foil to the sheet materials by utilizing the tackiness of the varnish applied to the sheet materials, a stacker 18 that accumulates the sheet materials, and a control device 20 that performs overall control of the decorative printing system 10. The paper feeder 12, varnishing device 14, foil stamping device 16, and stacker 18 are arranged in a line in this order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction Y (the right side in Figures 1 and 2). The control device 20 is connected to the paper feeder 12, varnishing device 14, foil stamping device 16, and stacker 18 via a network 2.

[0012] The sheet feeding device 12 includes a feeder 22, a corona treatment device 26, and a registration unit 24. The feeder 22 includes a table 28 and a suction head 30. Sheet materials are stacked on the table 28. The table 28 is configured to be able to move up and down. The suction head 30 feeds the sheet materials stacked on the table 28 one by one in order from the top.

[0013] The corona treatment device 26 uses corona discharge to modify the surface of the sheet material delivered by the feeder 22. The detailed configuration of the corona treatment device 26 will be described later.

[0014] 2, the registration unit 24 applies a conveying force to the sheet material that is inclined with respect to the conveying direction, thereby conveying the sheet material while abutting one end face in the width direction of the sheet material (the end face on the right side with respect to the conveying direction) against the registration reference guide 32. In this way, the position of the sheet material in the width direction X fed by the feeder 22 is aligned.

[0015] The varnish application device 14 includes a sheet material sensor 42, a pair of CCD sensors 44, at least one varnish dispenser 46, a semi-curing UV lamp 48, and a final-curing UV lamp 50. The sheet material sensor 42, the pair of CCD sensors 44, the varnish dispenser 46, the semi-curing UV lamp 48, and the final-curing UV lamp 50 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. In the illustrated example, the varnish application device 14 includes three varnish dispensers 46, but this is not limited thereto. The varnish application device 14 may include one varnish dispenser 46 extending across the entire width direction X, or may include two or four or more varnish dispensers 46. The semi-curing UV lamp 48 and the final-curing UV lamp 50 use LEDs that emit ultraviolet light, but other light sources that emit ultraviolet light, such as incandescent lamps or fluorescent lamps, may also be used. It is preferable that the light source have adjustable output.

[0016] The sheet material sensor 42 detects the sheet material fed from the sheet feeder 12 and conveyed out of the registration section 24 .

[0017] The varnish discharge unit 46 is not particularly limited, but in the illustrated example is a line-type inkjet head. Triggered by detection of the leading edge of the sheet material by the sheet material sensor 42, the varnish discharge unit 46 discharges UV-curable varnish according to the varnish discharge data, applying the UV-curable varnish to the sheet material. The varnish discharge data indicates where on the sheet material the varnish should be applied.

[0018] A base image and a plurality of registration marks that serve as references for identifying the position of the base image may be printed in advance on the sheet material fed by the paper feeder 12. The varnish applicator 14 applies varnish in a predetermined relationship with the base image in accordance with varnish discharge data that defines the portion of the sheet material to be varnished; for example, the varnish may be applied so as to overlap the base image.

[0019] The image of the base of the sheet material may be misaligned or distorted. Therefore, if the varnish is to be applied so that it has a predetermined relationship with the base image, the varnish dispensing data must be corrected to account for the misalignment or distortion. For example, the CCD sensor 44 may capture an image of the sheet material triggered by the detection of the sheet material by the sheet material sensor 42. The control device 20 may then analyze the captured image data from the CCD sensor 44 and correct the varnish dispensing data for the area surrounded by the registration marks based on any discrepancies between the theoretical positions of the registration marks and the actual positions. This correction can be performed using the method described in JP 2016-083898, previously filed by the applicant.

[0020] The semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 irradiates the varnish on the sheet material with relatively low-power ultraviolet light to semi-cure the varnish. Semi-curing refers to curing the varnish lightly enough to reduce its fluidity but not completely cure it (e.g., to a state where it can be further cured). By semi-curing at least the surface of the varnish, the tackiness of the varnish is maintained while preventing the varnish from flowing on the sheet material, thereby stabilizing the position of the varnish on the sheet material. The semi-cured varnish is then fully cured in the foil stamping device 16. When foil stamping is not performed on the sheet material, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 is usually turned off, but it may also be used when foil stamping is not performed. For example, if the varnish applied to the sheet material is prone to bleeding, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 is turned on to semi-cure at least the surface of the varnish. This prevents the varnish from bleeding.

[0021] The main curing ultraviolet lamp 50 irradiates ultraviolet light onto the varnish applied to the sheet material, thereby main curing the varnish. When foil stamping is to be performed on the sheet material, the main curing ultraviolet lamp 50 is turned off.

[0022] In other words, when foil stamping is performed on a sheet material, the varnish is semi-cured by the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48, and the semi-cured varnish is then 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 material, that is, when varnish is simply applied to the sheet material, 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. However, as mentioned above, the semi-curing ultraviolet lamp 48 may be turned on even when foil stamping is not performed. Furthermore, although an LED that emits ultraviolet light is used as the light source for the foil stamping ultraviolet lamp 66, any other light source that emits ultraviolet light may be used.

[0023] The foil stamping device 16 transports the web 52 roll-to-roll. The web 52 is a foil-holding film in which foil (e.g., metal foil) is held by the film. In the foil stamping device 16, the web 52 and the sheet material are brought into contact while being transported. The foil held by the web 52 adheres to the semi-cured varnish on the sheet material due to its tackiness. In this state, i.e., 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. Once the varnish has fully cured, the adhesive strength of the fully cured varnish to the foil becomes stronger than the strength with which the web 52 holds the foil. In this state, when the sheet material is transported and the web 52 is separated, the foil held by the web 52 is transferred to the varnished portion of the sheet material.

[0024] The stacker 18 accumulates the sheet material discharged from the foil stamping device 16 .

[0025] The control device 20 is an information processing terminal such as a PC. The control device 20 accepts input regarding the definition of a decorative printing job. The control device 20 may display a predetermined job management screen and accept input regarding the job definition via the job management screen. The job definition may include, for example, the number of sheets to be decoratively printed (number of decorative print copies), the size of the sheets to be decoratively printed, varnish ejection 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-cured sheets). The control device 20 controls the paper feeder 12, the varnish applicator 14, and the foil stamping device 16 based on the job definition.

[0026] The basic configuration of the decorative printing system 10 has been described above.

[0027] As a modified example, the decorative printing system 10 may include a printer, instead of the paper feeder 12, that prints a base image and registration marks on the sheet material, and feed the sheet material one by one from the printer.

[0028] The decorative printing system 10 may also include a post-processing device between the foil stamping device 16 and the stacker 18 that cuts and binds the sheet material.

[0029] Next, the configuration of the corona treatment device 26 will be described in detail. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the corona treatment device 26. The corona treatment device 26 includes two corona treatment devices 102 (102a, 102b), a housing 104, and a suction device 106.

[0030] The corona treatment unit 102 includes a discharge unit 110 disposed above the conveying path 120, and a power receiving unit 112 disposed below the conveying path 120 so as to face the discharge unit 110 in the vertical direction. The lengths of the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112 in the width direction X are longer than the length of the sheet material in the width direction X, i.e., the width of the sheet material. The power receiving unit 112 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform corona discharge between itself and the discharge unit 110. The power receiving unit 112 of this embodiment has an upper surface 112f having an arc-shaped cross section perpendicular to the width direction X. The power receiving unit 112 may be a rotating roller having a circular cross section perpendicular to the width direction X, or may be a non-rotating, cylindrical member. In the illustrated example, the corona treatment device 26 has two corona treatment devices 102: an upstream corona treatment device 102a (including an upstream discharge device 110a and an upstream power receiving device 112a) and a downstream corona treatment device 102b (including a downstream discharge device 110b and a downstream power receiving device 112b), but the number of corona treatment devices 102 is not particularly limited.

[0031] The housing 104 includes an upper housing 130 and a lower housing 140, which are positioned above and below the sheet material conveyance path 120. The upper housing 130 includes a box-shaped upper housing detachable portion 132 that is open at the top and a box-shaped upper housing fixed portion 134 that is open at the bottom. The upper housing detachable portion 132 houses the discharge portion 110 of each corona treatment unit 102. The bottom surface of the upper housing detachable portion 132 is open below the discharge portion 110. The upper housing detachable portion 132 is configured to be detachable integrally with the discharge portion 110. When the upper housing detachable portion 132 is attached, the internal space (132s) of the upper housing detachable portion 132 and the internal space of the upper housing fixed portion 134 (134s) are in communication with each other via a detachable-side opening 133 on the top surface of the upper housing detachable portion 132 and a fixed-side opening 135 on the bottom surface of the upper housing fixed portion 134. The lower housing 140 is box-shaped with an open top and houses the power receiving parts 112 of each corona treatment unit 102. A guide plate 108 is provided in the opening in the top surface of the lower housing 140. The guide plate 108 supports the underside of the sheet material passing through the corona treatment unit 26.

[0032] The guide plate 108 has an opening where the discharge section 110 faces the power receiving section 112. This opening divides the plate into a pre-corona treatment guide plate 108a located upstream of the upstream power receiving section 112a, an in-corona treatment guide plate 108b located between the upstream power receiving section 112a and the downstream power receiving section 112b, and a post-corona treatment guide plate 108c. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of two power receiving portions 112 and the guide plate 108 in the vicinity thereof, with FIG. 4A being a perspective view and FIG. 4B being a top view.

[0033] A gap between an upper housing upstream side surface 132a on the upstream side of the upper housing attachable / detachable portion 132 in the conveying direction and a lower housing upstream side surface 140a on the upstream side of the lower housing 140 in the conveying direction forms a carry-in entrance 150 for carrying the sheet material into the housing 104. A gap between an upper housing downstream side surface 132b on the downstream side of the upper housing attachable / detachable portion 132 in the conveying direction and a lower housing downstream side surface 140b on the downstream side of the lower housing 140 in the conveying direction forms a carry-out exit 152 for carrying the sheet material out of the housing 104.

[0034] A conveying means for conveying the sheet material is provided at least either outside the housing 104 or inside the housing 104. In the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the housing 104 includes pre-corona treatment conveying rollers 210 located outside the housing 104 and upstream of the power receiving unit 112, and post-corona treatment conveying rollers 211 located outside the housing 104 and downstream of the power receiving unit 112. The pre-corona treatment conveying rollers 210 are arranged alternately with the pre-corona treatment guide plates 108a in the width direction X, are supported by the pre-corona treatment guide plates 108a, and are conveying means that impart a conveying force to the sheet material heading toward the corona treatment unit 102. The post-corona treatment conveying rollers 211 are arranged alternately with the post-corona treatment guide plates 108c in the width direction X, and are conveying means that impart a conveying force to the sheet material that has passed through the corona treatment unit 102 and is supported by the post-corona treatment guide plates 108c.

[0035] The sheet material is carried into the housing 104 from the carry-in entrance 150 while being supported by the guide plate 108, passes between the discharge section 110 and the power receiving section 112 of the two corona treatment sections 102, and is carried out of the housing 104 from the carry-out exit 152. The upper surface of the guide plate 108 (or the upper surface of the conductive sheet 208, if a conductive sheet 208, described below, is attached) forms a transport path 120 along which the sheet material is transported.

[0036] When a sheet material is transported between the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112 of the corona treatment unit 102, a high-frequency voltage is applied to the discharge unit 110, generating a corona discharge between the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112, and corona treatment is performed on the surface (top surface) of the sheet material moving along the surface of the power receiving unit 112. Because the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112 are wider than the sheet material, corona treatment is performed on the entire surface of the sheet material as it is transported. When corona treatment is performed, ozone (O3) is generated in the air inside the housing 104.

[0037] The dashed arrows in FIG. 3 indicate the flow of air within the housing 104 and the flow of air flowing into the housing 104 . A first exhaust port 160 is formed in the housing 104 on the discharge unit 110 side (i.e., above the transport path 120). More specifically, the first exhaust port 160 is formed in the upper housing 130. In the illustrated example, the first exhaust port 160 is formed in the upper surface of the upper housing fixing portion 134. The housing 104 may be provided with a plurality of first exhaust ports 160. For example, a plurality of first exhaust ports 160 may be formed in the upper housing fixing portion 134 so as to be aligned in the width direction X. Alternatively, a plurality of first exhaust ports 160 may be formed in the upper housing fixing portion 134 so as to be aligned in the transport direction Y. In this case, the first exhaust port 160 may be formed above each corona treatment portion 102.

[0038] Furthermore, a second exhaust port 162 is formed in the housing 104 on the side of the power receiving unit 112 (i.e., below the transport path 120). That is, the second exhaust port 162 is formed in the lower housing 140. In the illustrated example, the second exhaust port 162 is formed in the lower surface of the lower housing 140. The housing 104 may be provided with a plurality of second exhaust ports 162. For example, a plurality of second exhaust ports 162 may be formed in the lower housing 140 so as to be aligned in the width direction X. Alternatively, a plurality of second exhaust ports 162 may be formed in the lower housing 140 so as to be aligned in the transport direction Y. In this case, the second exhaust port 162 may be formed below each corona treatment unit 102.

[0039] The suction device 106 sucks in and exhausts the ozone-containing gas from the housing 104 through the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162. The suction and exhaust of the gas from the housing 104 also has the effect of cooling the corona treatment section 102.

[0040] In this embodiment, the amount of gas sucked from inside the housing 104 by the suction device 106, i.e., the amount of gas exhausted from the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162, is set to be greater from the second exhaust port 162 on the power receiving unit 112 side (lower side) than from the first exhaust port 160 on the discharge unit 110 side (upper side) when no sheet material is brought into the housing 104 (i.e., when the opening on the top surface of the lower housing 140 is not blocked).

[0041] When a sheet material passing between the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112 lifts up from the power receiving unit 112, a corona discharge may occur between the back surface (lower surface) of the sheet material and the power receiving unit 112, preventing corona discharge from occurring on the front surface (upper surface) of the sheet material. When the sheet material lifts up, a stable corona discharge cannot be obtained on the front surface (upper surface) of the sheet material, preventing the desired surface modification effect from being achieved. In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, by increasing the exhaust volume on the lower side compared to the upper side, a negative pressure is generated in the gap between the guide plate 108 and the power receiving unit 112, drawing the sheet material toward the lower internal space 140s, which is the internal space of the lower housing 140, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 3 . The sheet material transported along the transport path 120 is then attracted by this negative pressure, preventing the sheet material passing between the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112 from lifting up from the power receiving unit 112. This allows the sheet material to slide over the power receiving portion 112, and a stable corona discharge can be obtained on the surface (upper surface) side of the sheet material.

[0042] When a single suction device 106 is used to suction from the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162, or when separate suction devices 106 with the same suction volume are used to suction from the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162, the exhaust path is set as follows: That is, the section of the second exhaust path 168, which is the exhaust path from the second exhaust port 162, that has the smallest cross-sectional area is set to be larger than the section of the first exhaust path 166, which is the exhaust path from the first exhaust port 160, that has the smallest cross-sectional area. This makes it possible to satisfy the above-mentioned relationship in exhaust volume.

[0043] For example, if first exhaust port 160 is the portion of first exhaust path 166 where the cross-sectional area is smallest, and second exhaust port 162 is the portion of second exhaust path 168 where the cross-sectional area is smallest, the opening area of second exhaust port 162 is set to be larger than the opening area of first exhaust port 160. This may satisfy the above-mentioned relationship in exhaust volume.

[0044] When separate suction devices 106 are used to suction from the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162, the suction device 106 that suctions from the second exhaust port 162 may be one that has a higher maximum settable suction volume than the suction device 106 that suctions from the first exhaust port 160. Then, by setting the suction volume setting value of the suction device 106 that suctions from the second exhaust port 162 higher than the suction volume setting value of the suction device 106 that suctions from the first exhaust port 160, the above-mentioned relationship between the exhaust volumes can be satisfied.

[0045] The upper housing detachable portion 132 has an entrance-side extending portion 136 that extends downstream in the conveying direction from the lower end of the upper housing upstream side surface 132a. This entrance-side extending portion 136 can also be considered to extend into the housing from the upper edge of the carry-in port 150. The upper housing detachable portion 132 also has an exit-side extending portion 138 that extends upstream in the conveying direction from the lower end of the upper housing downstream side surface 132b. This exit-side extending portion 138 can also be considered to extend into the housing from the upper edge of the carry-out port 152. These extending portions (136, 138) conceal the discharge portion 110 so that it is not visible from the outside and prevent the user from touching the discharge portion 110.

[0046] The inlet-side lower surface 136a of the inlet-side extending portion 136 is inclined downward toward the downstream side in the conveying direction so as to be positioned lower in the downstream side in the conveying direction. The outlet-side lower surface 138a of the outlet-side extending portion 138 is inclined downward toward the upstream side in the conveying direction so as to be positioned lower in the upstream side in the conveying direction.

[0047] As gas within the housing 104 is sucked in through the first exhaust port 160 and the second exhaust port 162, ambient air flows in through the inlet 150 and the outlet 152. The air flowing in through the outlet 152 is a headwind, particularly against the sheet material being transported through the outlet 152, and it is thought that this air hitting the leading edge of the sheet material during transport causes the sheet material to flutter. If the sheet material flutters, it may lift off the power receiving unit 112, preventing stable corona discharge. Unlike the configuration shown in FIG. 3, if the outlet-side lower surface 138a is parallel to the upper surface of the guide plate 108, the air flowing in along the outlet-side lower surface 138a will flow against the sheet material over a wide area, making it impossible to hold the sheet material downward, and it is thought that the sheet material will flutter easily.

[0048] 3, the outlet-side lower surface 138a is inclined downward toward the upstream side in the conveying direction, so that part of the air flowing in from the discharge port 152 has a downward velocity component as it flows along the outlet-side lower surface 138a. In other words, the air flows obliquely downward from the discharge port 152 into the housing 104. It is believed that this obliquely downward airflow presses the sheet material downward, suppressing flapping and resulting in a stable corona discharge.

[0049] Next, the characteristic features of the corona treatment device 26 of this embodiment will be described. 3 and 4, the corona treatment device 26 of this embodiment has a conductive sheet 208 attached to the upper surface of the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b, which is one of the support members that supports the lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveying path 120. The conductive sheet 208 is a sheet material contact member that comes into contact with the lower surface of the sheet material passing above the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b. The conductive sheet 208 has lower rigidity than the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b and is conductive.

[0050] 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of a comparative corona treatment device 26 that does not have a conductive sheet 208. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the comparative corona treatment device 26. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of two power receiving parts 112 and the guide plate 108 in the vicinity thereof in the comparative corona treatment device 26, Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view, and Fig. 7(b) is a top view.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the downstream edge of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b is provided with a plurality of cutouts 108k across the entire width direction X, each cutout being cut from the downstream end toward the upstream side. Here, the reason for providing the notch 108k will be explained. To prevent the sheet material being transported from falling into the gap between the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b and the downstream power receiving part 112b, it is desirable to bring the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b as close as possible to the upper surface 112f of the downstream power receiving part 112b.

[0052] When the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b is configured to be close to the upper surface 112f of the downstream power receiving portion 112b and a guide member whose downstream end has a uniform shape in the width direction X (a guide member having a linear edge parallel to the width direction X) is used for the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, sheet jamming may occur upstream of the downstream discharge portion 110b. This is thought to be due to the following reasons. That is, even if a negative pressure that sucks the sheet material toward the lower internal space 140s is generated in the gap between the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b and the power receiving unit 112, if the edge of the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b is linear and parallel to the width direction X, no downward sucking force acts on the sheet material until the leading edge of the sheet material passes the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b. Therefore, when the leading edge of the sheet material lifts up on the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b due to a headwind or warping of the sheet material in the conveying path 120, the downward suction after passing the downstream end of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b is insufficient, and the leading edge of the lifted sheet material may get caught on a member that forms the upper surface of the conveying path 120, such as the gap between the underside of the upper housing 130 and the downstream discharge unit 110b, causing a sheet jam.

[0053] 7, by providing a notch 108k on the downstream edge of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, a downward suction force can be applied to the sheet material at the position of the notch 108k. As a result, the downstream edge of the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b can attract the sheet material at the position of the notch 108k, while supporting the underside of the sheet material at the portion other than the notch 108k, allowing the sheet material to be delivered to the upper surface 112f of the downstream power receiving portion 112b. In this way, providing the notch 108k prevents the sheet material from falling into the gap between the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b and the downstream power receiving portion 112b and prevents sheet jams caused by the leading edge of the sheet material floating up.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 7, in a configuration in which cutout portion 108k is provided in corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, friction scratches may be formed at a position facing the edge of cutout portion 108k on the underside of the sheet material that has passed through corona treatment device 26. In the example shown in Fig. 7, a conductive metal plate is used as corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, and when the underside of the sheet material rubs against the edge of cutout portion 108k provided in the metal plate, friction scratches are formed on the sheet material.

[0055] The reason why sheet metal is used for the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b is as follows. Specifically, when corona treatment is performed on non-conductive sheet material such as paper or resin film, the sheet material becomes charged. If the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b is also non-conductive, static electricity can cause the sheet material to stick to the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b, resulting in poor transport. In contrast, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b is made of sheet metal and is also grounded. This prevents static electricity from sticking to the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b, preventing transport problems caused by static electricity.

[0056] To prevent scratches at the notch 108k of the metal corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, the inventors created a corona treatment device 26 in which a resin film, sometimes called a Mylar sheet, was attached as a sheet contact material to protect the edge of the notch 108k. When corona treatment was performed by passing sheets of paper through this corona treatment device 26, the sheets stopped inside the device after about five sheets had passed, resulting in a jam. This is thought to be because the sheet contact material, made of a resin film, is non-conductive, and when electrically charged sheets come into contact with the sheet contact material, the sheet contact material becomes charged, and the potential on the surface of the sheet contact material rises enough to stop the sheets after just a few sheets have passed.

[0057] To solve this problem, the corona treatment device 26 of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is configured to use a conductive sheet 208 as a sheet material contact material attached to the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b. The corona treatment device 26 of this embodiment, like the comparative example, has a cutout portion 108k in the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, which prevents the sheet material from falling into the gap between the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b and the downstream power receiving portion 112b, while also preventing sheet jams caused by the leading edge of the sheet material floating up. Furthermore, since the conductive sheet 208 is attached so as to overlap the edge of the notch 108k in the corona treatment inner guide plate 108b, scratches on the sheet material can be prevented. Furthermore, since the sheet material contact material that protects the edge is conductive, the potential of the charged sheet material can be released to the grounded sheet metal inner guide plate 108b of the corona treatment via the conductive sheet 208, which is the sheet material contact material. This makes it possible to prevent clogging of the sheet material caused by an increase in the potential of the sheet material contact material due to repeated paper feed.

[0058] In this embodiment, static electricity removal tape (static electricity removal tape manufactured by Nippon Vilene Co., Ltd., model number: SDT255) is used as the conductive sheet 208, but the present invention is not limited to this. The conductive sheet 208 may be made of conductive fibers or a mesh that is breathable from the back surface to the front surface, or may be a film that is not breathable from the back surface to the front surface. As shown in Figure 4, when the conductive sheet 208 is attached so as not to cover anything other than the edge of the cutout portion 108k, the conductive sheet 208 can be made of not only breathable materials such as conductive fibers or mesh, but also non-breathable film-like materials.

[0059] When a breathable conductive sheet such as a conductive fiber or mesh is used as the conductive sheet 208, it may be arranged to cover a communication portion, such as the cutout portion 108k, that connects the upper and lower portions of the guide plate 108. If the conductive sheet is breathable, it can suck the sheet material located above the guide plate 108 through the communication portion, thereby realizing stable conveyance. Furthermore, the communication portion that exerts the suction force that moves the sheet material downward is not limited to the notch 108k provided at the end of the guide plate 108, but may be a communication hole provided at a location other than the end of the guide plate 108. Furthermore, in an arrangement in which a communicating portion such as the cutout portion 108k is not covered with the conductive sheet 208, even if the edge of the communicating portion is not covered with the conductive sheet 208, the thickness of the conductive sheet 208 may be used to prevent the sheet material from coming into contact with the edge of the communicating portion.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the guide plate 108 is provided with a communicating portion (such as the notch 108k), and the conductive sheet 208 is arranged to prevent contact between the edge of the communicating portion and the sheet material. The configuration for attaching the conductive sheet 208 to the guide plate 108 is not limited to the configuration in which the guide plate 108 has a communicating portion. The guide plate 108, which serves as a support member for supporting the underside of the sheet material, needs to have the rigidity to support the sheet material. If the sheet material rubs against the guide plate 108 made of a highly rigid material, scratches may be caused on the sheet material even if there is no edge of the communicating portion. In such a case, scratches on the sheet material can be prevented by attaching the conductive sheet 208 made of a conductive material that has low rigidity but high sliding properties against the sheet material to the portion of the guide plate 108 that comes into contact with the sheet material.

[0061] Furthermore, although the above-mentioned configuration has been described in which the guide plate 108 to which the conductive sheet 208 is attached is conductive and grounded, as long as the conductive sheet 208 is grounded, the guide plate 108 to which the conductive sheet 208 is attached does not have to be grounded, and furthermore, the guide plate 108 does not have to be conductive. The corona treatment device 26 is a corona discharge device that generates corona discharge from a discharger 110, which is a discharge electrode provided above a conveyance path 120 through which a sheet material passes as it is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction Y by a conveyance mechanism including a pre-corona treatment conveyance roller 210 and a post-corona treatment conveyance roller 211, to a power receiver 112, which is a grounded electrode that contacts the underside of the sheet material. The corona treatment internal guide plate 108b, to which the conductive sheet 208 is attached, is configured as a grounded conductive metal plate. Therefore, the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b supports the underside of the sheet material that has passed through the upstream corona treatment device 102a via the conductive sheet 208 made of conductive fibers, thereby enabling the charge on the sheet material that has passed through the upstream corona treatment device 102a to be released to ground.

[0062] Second Embodiment Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a corona treatment device 26 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the corona treatment device 26 shown in Fig. 5, the suction device 106 is the same as that in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, so the suction device 106 is not shown. 5 includes an in-corona treatment conveying roller pair 220 located midway within the range where the in-corona treatment guide plate 108b, which supports the sheet material between the two corona treatment units 102 (102a, 102b) in the conveying direction Y, supports the sheet material. The in-corona treatment conveying roller pair 220 is a surface moving member that sandwiches the sheet material and moves on the surface along the conveying direction Y.

[0063] In the corona treatment unit 102, the sheet material passes between the discharge unit 110 and the power receiving unit 112, which are spaced apart, and does not include a means for pinching the sheet material to restrict its behavior. Therefore, if multiple corona treatment units 102 are arranged in the conveyance direction Y, the sheet material cannot be prevented from lifting while passing through the multiple corona treatment units 102. The leading edge of the lifted sheet material may become caught in the gap between the lower surface of the upper housing 130 and the downstream discharge unit 110b, resulting in a jam. In contrast, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the pair of transport rollers 220 in the corona treatment unit restricts the sheet material's behavior and prevents it from lifting. Therefore, the notch 108k is not required. Since scratches caused by the edges of the notch 108k are not generated, the conductive sheet 208 is also not required.

[0064] Even in a configuration in which a pair of corona treatment internal conveying rollers 220 is provided, a conductive sheet 208 may be attached to the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b to suppress scratches caused by friction between the sheet material and the corona treatment internal guide plate 108b.

[0065] The surface moving member such as the pair of transport rollers 220 in the corona treatment may be a pair of driving rollers in which at least one of the roller members sandwiching the sheet is driven to rotate, or a pair of driven rollers that are driven to rotate in response to the movement of the surface of the sheet material. The surface moving member is not limited to roller members such as the pair of transport rollers 220 in the corona treatment, but may also be an endless belt.

[0066] 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 the components and treatment processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0067] The above description is merely an example, and each of the following aspects provides unique effects.

[0068] [Aspect 1] In a discharge treatment device such as a corona treatment device 26 that comprises an upper electrode such as a discharge section 110 arranged above a conveying path (such as conveying path 120) for the sheet material, a lower electrode such as a power receiving section 112 arranged below the conveying path, and a support member such as a corona treatment inner guide plate 108b that supports the underside of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, and that generates a discharge between the upper and lower electrodes to perform a discharge treatment on the sheet material, the corona treatment device 26 is characterized in that it has a sheet material contact material such as a conductive sheet 208 on the upper surface of the support member that contacts the underside of the sheet material, and the sheet material contact material has lower rigidity than the support member and is conductive. According to this, by bringing a sheet material contact material that has lower rigidity than the support member into contact with the sheet material, it is possible to prevent scratches from occurring on the sheet material, which may otherwise be caused by friction with the highly rigid support member, while the sheet material contact material being conductive makes it possible to neutralize electricity from the sheet material, thereby preventing transport problems caused by static electricity.

[0069] [Aspect 2] In the discharge treatment device according to the first aspect, the sheet material contact material is a member made of conductive fibers such as static electricity removal tape. According to this, when a sheet material is supported by a support member made of a hard material such as sheet metal and which may cause scratches on the sheet material due to friction with the sheet material, by using a sheet material contact material made of conductive fibers which have lower rigidity than the support member, it is possible to suppress scratches on the sheet material while achieving de-electrification of the sheet material. In addition, by supporting the underside of the sheet material with conductive fibers, the contact area per unit area with the underside of the sheet material is smaller than that of a guide plate (guide plate 108) that supports the sheet material on a flat surface, thereby improving transportability.

[0070] Aspect 3 In the discharge treatment device according to either aspect 1 or 2, a negative pressure forming section such as a lower internal space 140s in which a negative pressure is formed is disposed below the support member, and the support member is a plate-like member such as a corona treatment inner guide plate 108b in which a communication section such as a cutout section 108k that connects the conveying path to the negative pressure forming section is formed. This allows the sheet material to be sucked in through the communicating section, thereby preventing sheet jams caused by the sheet material floating up, while also preventing scratches caused by the sheet material contacting the edge of the communicating section on the support member through the sheet material contact material.

[0071] Aspect 4 In the discharge treatment device of aspect 3, a plurality of lower electrodes, such as two, are provided in the conveying direction of the sheet material, and a support member is arranged between an upstream lower electrode, such as an upstream power receiving unit 112a, located upstream in the conveying direction of the sheet material, and a downstream lower electrode, such as a downstream power receiving unit 112b, located downstream, and the support member has a gap portion between the downstream lower electrode and the support member that communicates with the negative pressure forming portion, and the communicating portion has a cutout shape (cutout portion 108k, etc.) connected to the gap portion. This allows the suction force on the sheet material sucked in by the connecting portion to be conveyed to a position where it is sucked in by the gap between the downstream lower electrode and the support member without being interrupted, thereby more reliably preventing the sheet material from floating up.

[0072] Aspect 5 In the discharge treatment device according to either aspect 3 or aspect 4, the sheet material contact member is arranged so as to avoid a position facing the communicating portion. This can prevent the suction force acting on the communication portion from being obstructed by the sheet material contacting material, and more reliably prevent the sheet material from floating up.

[0073] Aspect 6 In the discharge treatment device according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, a plurality of sheet material contact members are arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet material. This allows multiple sheet material contact materials to be arranged at intervals in the width direction, which allows for greater freedom in the shape of the sheet material contact material than if the sheet material contact material were formed from a single member across the entire width direction, and makes it possible to realize a configuration that can prevent friction between the sheet material and the support member across the entire width direction by using a sheet material contact material with a shape that is easy to create and fix to the support member.

[0074] Aspect 7 The discharge treatment device according to the sixth aspect is characterized in that the communication portion of the support member is located between a plurality of sheet material contact members arranged in the width direction. This prevents the sheet material contact material from obstructing suction from the communicating section, thereby realizing a configuration that can suppress the occurrence of sheet jams caused by the sheet material floating up due to suction at the communicating section, while also suppressing the occurrence of scratches caused by the sheet material contact material.

[0075] Aspect 8 In the discharge treatment device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the support member is a member having a conductive material such as a grounded metal plate. This allows the charge of the sheet material supported by the support member to be released to ground via the conductive sheet material contact material and support member, thereby preventing the sheet material from clogging due to static electricity charged in the sheet material. Examples of members having a conductive material include metal members such as sheet metal, members that are conductively painted or plated, and members made of conductive plastic.

[0076] Aspect 9 In a discharge treatment device such as a corona treatment device 26 that comprises an upper electrode such as a discharge section 110 arranged above a conveying path (conveying path 120, etc.) for the sheet material, a lower electrode such as a power receiving section 112 arranged below the conveying path, and a support member that supports the underside of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, and that generates a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to perform a discharge treatment on the sheet material, the support member is characterized by comprising a surface moving member such as a pair of conveying rollers 220 within the corona treatment that sandwiches the sheet material and moves on the surface along the conveying direction of the sheet material. According to this, the surface moving member can regulate the behavior of the sheet material and prevent the sheet material from floating up, so that a communicating portion such as the cutout portion 108k is not required, and scratches on the sheet material caused by the edges of the communicating portion can be prevented.

[0077] Aspect 10 The discharge treatment device of aspect 9 is characterized in that it has multiple sets, such as two sets, of combinations of upper electrodes and lower electrodes in the conveying direction of the sheet material (such as conveying direction Y), and has a plate-shaped guide plate (such as corona treatment inner guide plate 108b) and a surface moving member (such as corona treatment inner conveying roller pair 220) as support members arranged between two of the multiple lower electrodes. This prevents the sheet material from accumulating in the area supported by the support member between the two lower electrodes arranged at different positions in the conveying direction, thereby making it possible to prevent sheet jams from occurring.

[0078] Aspect 11 In a sheet material processing system such as a decorative printing system 10 that includes a discharge processing means such as a corona processing device 26 that applies discharge processing to sheet material such as sheet material, and a sheet material supply means such as a feeder 22 that supplies sheet material to the discharge processing means, the system is characterized in that the discharge processing means includes a discharge processing device according to any one of aspects 1 to 10. Even if the sheet material becomes charged in the discharge treatment device and static electricity is generated that causes the sheet material to stick to a support member such as a guide member within the discharge treatment device, if the discharge treatment device transports a web-like sheet material, the sheet material can be prevented from becoming stuck in the discharge treatment device due to static electricity by pulling the web-like sheet material from the downstream side of the discharge treatment device. Therefore, in order to prevent scratches on the sheet material due to friction with the support member, a sheet material contact material made of a non-conductor is placed on the upper surface of the support member, and even if the sheet material sticks to the sheet material contact material due to static electricity, the web-like sheet material can be prevented from becoming stuck by pulling the web-like sheet material from the downstream side of the discharge treatment device. On the other hand, in the case of individual sheet materials, if the sheet material sticks to the sheet material contact material due to static electricity, it cannot be pulled from the downstream side of the discharge treatment device, and there is a risk of sheet jamming or other transport problems occurring. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, by using a conductive material as the sheet material contact material, it is possible to prevent scratches on the sheet material caused by the sheet material contact material, and because the sheet material contact material is conductive, it is possible to neutralize the sheet material, thereby preventing transport problems caused by static electricity.

[0079] Aspect 12 The sheet material processing system according to the eleventh aspect is characterized by including a varnish application means such as a varnish application device 14 that applies varnish to the sheet material discharged from the discharge treatment means. According to this, by improving the wettability of the sheet material by the discharge means, it is possible to improve the quality of the varnish application by the varnish application means while suppressing the occurrence of poor transport of the sheet material by the discharge treatment means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10: Decorative printing system 26: Corona treatment device 102: Corona treatment section 108b: Corona treatment inner guide plate 110:Discharge part 112: Power receiving unit 120: Transport route 208: Conductive sheet

Claims

1. an upper electrode disposed above a conveyance path of the sheet material; a lower electrode disposed below the transport path; a support member for supporting a lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, a discharge treatment device for generating a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and performing a discharge treatment on the sheet material, a sheet material contact member provided on an upper surface of the support member and contacting a lower surface of the sheet material; the sheet contact member has lower rigidity than the support member and is electrically conductive; a negative pressure generating unit for generating a negative pressure is disposed below the support member; The discharge treatment device, wherein the support member is a plate-like member having a communication portion formed therein that connects the transport path and the negative pressure generating portion.

2. 2. The discharge treatment device of claim 1, The discharge treatment device is characterized in that the sheet material contact material is made of conductive fibers.

3. In the discharge treatment device of claim 1 or 2, a plurality of the lower electrodes are provided in the conveying direction of the sheet material; the support member is disposed between an upstream lower electrode located on the upstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet material and a downstream lower electrode located on the downstream side, the support member has a gap between it and the downstream lower electrode, the gap communicating with the negative pressure generating unit; The discharge treatment device is characterized in that the communication portion has a notch shape that is connected to the gap portion.

4. The discharge treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The discharge treatment device is characterized in that the sheet material contact member is arranged so as to avoid a position facing the communicating portion.

5. In the discharge treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The sheet material contact material has breathability, The discharge treatment device is characterized in that the sheet material contact material is disposed so as to cover the communicating portion.

6. The discharge treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a plurality of the sheet material contact members are arranged in a width direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet material; The discharge treatment device, characterized in that the communication portion of the support member is located between a plurality of the sheet material contact members arranged in the width direction.

7. In the discharge treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 2. The discharge treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is a member having a grounded conductive material.

8. An upper electrode disposed above a conveying path of the sheet material; a lower electrode disposed below the transport path; a support member for supporting a lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, a discharge treatment device for generating a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and performing a discharge treatment on the sheet material, a sheet material contact member provided on an upper surface of the support member and contacting a lower surface of the sheet material; the sheet contact member has lower rigidity than the support member and is electrically conductive; The discharge treatment apparatus, wherein the support member is a plate-like member having a conductive material that is fixed to a housing of the discharge treatment apparatus and is grounded.

9. an upper electrode disposed above a conveyance path of the sheet material; a lower electrode disposed below the transport path; a support member for supporting a lower surface of the sheet material passing through the conveying path, a discharge treatment device for generating a discharge between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and performing a discharge treatment on the sheet material, the support member includes a surface moving member that holds the sheet material and moves on the surface along the conveyance direction of the sheet material, a negative pressure generating unit for generating a negative pressure is disposed below the support member; The discharge treatment device is characterized in that a gap is formed between the support member and the electrode, the gap connecting the transport path and the negative pressure generating unit.

10. The discharge treatment device according to claim 9, a plurality of combinations of the upper electrode and the lower electrode are provided in the conveying direction of the sheet material; 10. An electric discharge treatment apparatus comprising: a plate-shaped guide plate and the surface moving member as the support member disposed between two of the plurality of lower electrodes.

11. a discharge treatment means for applying a discharge treatment to the sheet material; a sheet material supplying means for supplying the sheet material to the discharge processing means, 11. A sheet material processing system comprising the discharge processing device according to claim 1 as said discharge processing means.

12. 12. The sheet material processing system of claim 11, A sheet material processing system comprising a varnish application means for applying varnish to the sheet material discharged from the discharge treatment means.

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