Foil transfer device

Abstract

To provide a foil transfer apparatus for transferring foil to a lengthy medium, which can be reduced in size in a direction which is orthogonal to a width direction and a vertical direction of a medium so that installation areas can be reduced.SOLUTION: A foil transfer apparatus 1 comprises: an inkjet head 23 that discharges an adhesive to a lengthy medium 2; a medium placement part 27, arranged below the inkjet head 23, on which the medium 2 is placed when an adhesive is applied to the medium; a transfer roller pair 8 that transfers foil to the medium 2 by pressing a foil transfer sheet 3 against the medium 2 having the adhesive applied thereto; a medium feeding-out part 16 on which the medium 2 wound around in a roll shape to which the adhesive is not applied is mounted; and a medium rolling-up part 17 on which the medium 2 wound-around in a roll shape having the foil transferred thereto is mounted. In the foil transfer apparatus 1, the transfer roller pair 8 is arranged lower than the medium placement part 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foil transfer device for transferring a foil onto a long medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, foil transfer devices for transferring foil onto a long medium (recording medium) are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The foil transfer device described in Patent Document 1 includes a supply roll that supplies the medium before the foil is transferred, a recovery roll that recovers the medium after the foil has been transferred, a foil delivery spool that supplies the foil transfer sheet before the foil is transferred onto the medium, and a foil take-up spool that takes up the foil transfer sheet after the foil has been transferred onto the medium. The foil transfer device also includes an inkjet head that ejects adhesive liquid onto the medium supplied from the supply roll, and a pair of foil transfer nip rollers that press the foil transfer sheet against the medium to which the adhesive liquid has been applied.

[0003] In the foil transfer device described in Patent Document 1, the medium is positioned between a supply roll and a recovery roll so that the thickness direction and the up-down direction of the medium coincide, and moves linearly horizontally from the supply roll to the recovery roll. Specifically, the medium moves linearly from the supply roll to the recovery roll in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the width direction and up-down direction of the medium. In this foil transfer device, the inkjet head and the foil transfer nip roller pair are positioned between the supply roll and the recovery roll in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, in this foil transfer device, the medium when the adhesive liquid is applied and the medium when the foil is transferred are positioned on the same plane, and the medium when the adhesive liquid is applied and the medium when the foil is transferred are positioned in the same vertical position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-226880 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the foil transfer device described in Patent Document 1, the medium to which the adhesive liquid is applied and the medium to which the foil is transferred are positioned at the same vertical position, and the area (space) for applying the adhesive liquid to the medium and the area for transferring the foil to the medium are positioned at the same height. Therefore, in this foil transfer device, these two areas must be offset in the front-to-back direction to prevent them from interfering with each other. Therefore, with this foil transfer device, the foil transfer device may become larger in the front-to-back direction, requiring a large installation area for the foil transfer device.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foil transfer device for transferring foil to a long medium, which can be made smaller in dimensions perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium, thereby reducing the installation area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the foil transfer device of the present invention includes an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium, a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, which has a base material on which the foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied, to transfer the foil to the medium, a medium feeding section to which the rolled medium before the adhesive has been applied is attached, a medium winding section to which the rolled medium after the foil has been transferred is attached, and a tension applying mechanism having a tension bar that comes into contact with the medium and applies tension to the medium, the adhesive application mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects adhesive onto the medium, and a medium loading section that is located below the inkjet head and on which the medium is loaded when the adhesive is applied, the pair of transfer rollers are located below the medium loading section, and the tension bar is located between the medium loading section and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction, and toward the opposite side of the transport direction of the medium in the medium loading section It is characterized by applying tension.

[0008] In the foil transfer device of the present invention, the transfer roller pair is disposed below the medium placement section on which the medium is placed when adhesive is applied. That is, in the present invention, the position of the medium when adhesive is applied and the position of the medium when foil is transferred are offset in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to vertically offset the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent interference between the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium while bringing the two areas closer together in a direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device in the direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium, thereby reducing the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device. In addition, in the present invention, the foil transfer device includes a tension applying mechanism having a tension bar that contacts the medium and applies tension to the medium, and the tension bar is positioned between the medium loading section and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the foil transfer device includes a tension bar, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device in the direction perpendicular to the width direction and the vertical direction of the medium. Furthermore, in the present invention, because the tension bar applies tension to the medium after adhesive has been applied but before the foil is transferred, the tension bar can suppress variations in the tension of the medium when the foil is transferred. This prevents foil from being transferred to a slack medium or to a medium under high tension. This prevents, for example, foil from being transferred to a slack medium, which would result in cracks occurring when the medium is stretched after the foil has been transferred. Furthermore, this prevents, for example, foil from being transferred to a medium under high tension, which would result in wrinkles occurring when the tension on the medium is released after the foil has been transferred.

[0009] In the present invention, for example, the transfer roller pair includes a transport roller that contacts the medium and transports the medium, and a foil transfer roller that sandwiches the medium and foil transfer sheet between the transport roller and the foil transfer roller, and the transport roller and the foil transfer roller face each other in a direction perpendicular to the width direction and vertical direction of the medium.

[0010] In the present invention, for example, at least one of the medium feeding unit and the medium winding unit is located below the adhesive application mechanism, which makes it possible to further reduce the size of the foil transfer device in directions perpendicular to the width and up-down directions of the medium, compared to when both the medium feeding unit and the medium winding unit are located at positions offset from the below of the adhesive application mechanism.

[0013] In the present invention, the foil transfer device includes a first heater for heating the medium after adhesive has been applied, and a second heater for heating the medium before the foil is transferred to increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium, and it is preferable that the first heater is positioned above the tension bar and the second heater is positioned between the tension bar and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction.

[0014] With this configuration, the first heater is positioned above the tension bar, and the second heater is positioned between the tension bar and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the foil transfer device includes the first and second heaters, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device in the direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium. Furthermore, with this configuration, even if the tension bar is positioned between the first heater and the pair of transfer rollers, the second heater can increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium when it reaches the pair of transfer rollers. Therefore, the pair of transfer rollers can properly transfer the foil to the adhesive-coated portion of the medium.

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the foil transfer device of the present invention includes an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium, a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, on a base material of which the foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied to transfer the foil to the medium, a medium payout section to which the rolled medium before the adhesive is applied is attached, and a medium take-up section to which the rolled medium after the foil has been transferred is attached. The foil transfer unit has a transfer sheet feeding section to which a foil transfer sheet wound in a roll before the foil is transferred to the medium is attached, and a support body that supports the medium placing section from below, the adhesive application mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects adhesive onto the medium, and a medium placement section that is disposed below the inkjet head and on which the medium is placed when the adhesive is applied, and the transfer roller pair is disposed below the medium placement section; The foil transfer unit is detachably attached to the support. It is characterized by: In the foil transfer device of the present invention, the transfer roller pair is disposed below the medium placement section on which the medium is placed when adhesive is applied. That is, in the present invention, the position of the medium when adhesive is applied and the position of the medium when foil is transferred are offset in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to vertically offset the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent interference between the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium while bringing the two areas closer together in a direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device in the direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium, thereby reducing the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device. In addition, in the present invention, the foil transfer unit is detachably attached to the support. For example, by removing the foil transfer unit from the support and discharging ink from the inkjet head, the foil transfer device can be used as an inkjet printer, thereby increasing the versatility of the foil transfer device.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the foil transfer device of the present invention comprises an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium, a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, on a base material of which the foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied, to transfer the foil to the medium, a medium feeding section to which the rolled medium before the adhesive is applied is attached, and a medium winding section to which the rolled medium after the foil has been transferred is attached, and the adhesive application mechanism comprises an inkjet head that ejects adhesive onto the medium, and a medium loading section that is located below the inkjet head and on which the medium is loaded when the adhesive is applied, The transfer roller pair includes a transport roller that contacts the medium to transport the medium, and a foil transfer roller that sandwiches the medium and the foil transfer sheet between the transport roller and the foil transfer roller; It is located below the medium placement unit, The foil transfer roller is composed of a plurality of divided rollers divided in the axial direction of the foil transfer roller, and is biased toward the conveying roller, with each of the divided rollers being rotatably supported by a bearing at both ends. It is characterized by: In the foil transfer device of the present invention, the transfer roller pair is disposed below the medium placement section on which the medium is placed when adhesive is applied. That is, in the present invention, the position of the medium when adhesive is applied and the position of the medium when foil is transferred are offset in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to vertically offset the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent interference between the area for applying adhesive to the medium and the area for transferring foil to the medium while bringing the two areas closer together in a direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device in the direction perpendicular to the width and vertical directions of the medium, thereby reducing the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device. In addition, in the present invention, the foil transfer roller is composed of a plurality of divided rollers that are divided in the axial direction of the foil transfer roller, and is biased toward the conveying roller, with both ends of the plurality of divided rollers being rotatably supported by bearings.Even if the width of the medium is wide, it is possible to suppress deflection of the foil transfer roller when pressing the medium and foil transfer sheet against the conveying roller. Therefore, even if the width of the medium is wide, the foil can be properly transferred by the transfer roller pair to the portion of the medium where the adhesive is applied.

[0017] In the present invention, the foil transfer device preferably includes an intermediate support member that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the divided roller. This configuration effectively suppresses deflection of the foil transfer roller when pressing the medium and foil transfer sheet against the conveying roller, even when the medium is wide. Therefore, even when the medium is wide, the transfer roller pair can more appropriately transfer foil to the adhesive-coated portion of the medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the foil transfer device of the present invention can be made smaller in size in the direction perpendicular to the width direction and the up-down direction of the medium, thereby reducing the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view illustrating a configuration of a foil transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing an adhesive application surface, which is one surface of the medium shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2A is a front view illustrating the configuration of the pair of transfer rollers shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a side view illustrating the configuration of the pair of transfer rollers shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a side view for explaining the configuration of the tension applying mechanism shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the tension bar shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram for explaining a sensor that detects the position of the tension bar shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7]2A is a side view for explaining the configuration of the movement direction changer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] (Overall configuration of foil transfer device) Fig. 1 is a side view for explaining the configuration of a foil transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an adhesive application surface 2a, which is one surface of a medium 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0022] The foil transfer device 1 of this embodiment is a device for transferring foil (metal foil) to a long medium 2. The foil transfer device 1 presses a long foil transfer sheet 3, which has a base material on which the foil to be transferred to the medium 2 is formed, against the medium 2 after adhesive has been applied, to transfer the foil to the medium 2. The foil transfer device 1 also continuously applies adhesive to the medium 2 and continuously transfers the foil to the medium 2. The medium 2 before adhesive is applied and the medium 2 after the foil has been transferred are wound into a roll. The foil transfer sheet 3 before the foil is transferred to the medium 2 is also wound into a roll.

[0023] Medium 2 is a sheet-like medium made of synthetic resin or paper. If medium 2 has a low tensile modulus, medium 2 is more likely to stretch when tension is applied to medium 2. If tension is applied to medium 2 after the foil has been transferred and medium 2 stretches beyond a predetermined amount, cracks may occur in the foil. Furthermore, if tension is applied to medium 2 when transferring the foil and medium 2 stretches beyond a predetermined amount, wrinkles may occur in the foil transferred to medium 2 when the tension on medium 2 is removed after the foil has been transferred. Therefore, it is preferable that the tensile modulus of medium 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0024] Specifically, the tensile modulus of the medium 2 is 0.1×10 4 kg / cm 2 It is preferable that the value is 0.2 × 10 or more.4 kg / cm 2 More preferably, the above is the case. Therefore, the medium 2 in this embodiment is formed of, for example, one synthetic resin selected from polyvinylidene chloride, high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Alternatively, the medium 2 is formed of a synthetic resin that is a mixture of two or more synthetic resins arbitrarily selected from these synthetic resins. The medium 2 may also be formed of a composite material of fiber and synthetic resin that has a relatively high tensile modulus of elasticity. For example, the medium 2 may be formed of tarpaulin or the like.

[0025] The foil transfer device 1 includes an adhesive application mechanism 5 that applies adhesive to a long medium 2, a support 6 that supports the adhesive application mechanism 5 from below, a medium transport mechanism 7 that transports the medium 2, a pair of transfer rollers 8 that press a foil transfer sheet 3 against the medium 2 after the adhesive has been applied to transfer the foil to the medium 2, a tension application mechanism 10 that has a tension bar 9 that contacts the medium 2 after the adhesive has been applied to apply tension to the medium 2, and a movement direction change unit 11 that changes the movement direction of the medium 2 that overlaps with the foil transfer sheet 3 after it has passed the pair of transfer rollers 8. The tension bar 9 is located between the adhesive application mechanism 5 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the transport direction of the medium 2 (the feed direction of the medium 2). The movement direction change unit 11 is located downstream of the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the transport direction of the medium 2.

[0026] The foil transfer device 1 also includes a first heater 14 for heating the medium 2 after the adhesive has been applied, a second heater 15 for heating the medium 2 before the foil is transferred to increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium 2 (i.e., for activating the adhesive), a medium payout section 16 to which the rolled medium 2 before the adhesive is applied is attached, a medium winding section 17 to which the rolled medium 2 after the foil has been transferred is attached, a transfer sheet payout section 18 to which the rolled foil transfer sheet 3 before the foil is transferred to the medium 2 is attached, and a sheet conveying mechanism 19 for conveying the foil transfer sheet 3 after the foil has been transferred to the medium 2.

[0027] The adhesive application mechanism 5 includes an inkjet head 23 (hereinafter referred to as "head 23") that ejects adhesive onto the medium 2. That is, the adhesive application mechanism 5 applies adhesive to the medium 2 using an inkjet system. The adhesive application mechanism 5 includes a carriage 24 on which the head 23 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 25 that moves the carriage 24 in the main scanning direction (Y direction in FIG. 1, etc.), which is the width direction of the medium 2, a support frame 26 that supports the carriage 24 so that it can move in the main scanning direction, and a platen 27 that is disposed below the head 23. The carriage drive mechanism 25 includes, for example, a belt that is partially fixed to the carriage 24, a pulley around which the belt is stretched, and a motor for rotating the pulley.

[0028] The head 23 mounted on the carriage 24 dispenses adhesive toward the upper surface of the medium 2 placed on the platen 27. That is, the head 23 dispenses adhesive downward. The lower surface of the head 23 is formed with a plurality of nozzles for discharging adhesive. The head 23 also includes, for example, a piezoelectric element for discharging adhesive from the nozzles. The platen 27 is supported from below by the support 6. The platen 27 in this embodiment is a medium placement section on which the medium 2 is placed when the adhesive is applied.

[0029] One surface of the medium 2 is an adhesive-coated surface 2a. Specifically, the one surface of the medium 2 that becomes the upper surface of the medium 2 when placed on the platen 27 is the adhesive-coated surface 2a. The adhesive application mechanism 5 applies adhesive to a portion of the adhesive-coated surface 2a in the width direction of the medium 2. That is, the adhesive-coated surface 2a has a non-adhesive-coated area 2b in the width direction of the medium 2 where no adhesive is applied, and the adhesive-coated surface 2a is composed of an adhesive-coated area 2c where adhesive may be applied and the non-adhesive-coated area 2b. In this embodiment, for example, the areas of the adhesive-coated surface 2a on both ends in the width direction of the medium 2 and the area of ​​the adhesive-coated surface 2a in the width direction of the medium 2 (the area indicated by hatching in FIG. 2) are the non-adhesive-coated areas 2b.

[0030] In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction), which is the width direction of the medium 2, is referred to as the "left-right direction," and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1, etc.) and the left-right direction is referred to as the "front-rear direction." Furthermore, the X1 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is one side of the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is the opposite side, is referred to as the "rear" side. In this embodiment, the medium 2 before adhesive is applied is transported from the rear side to the top surface of the platen 27, and the medium 2 after adhesive is applied is transported from the top surface of the platen 27 to the front side.

[0031] The medium transport mechanism 7 transports the long medium 2 in the longitudinal direction of the medium 2. The medium transport mechanism 7 includes a transport roller 30 and a pad roller 31 that is disposed opposite the transport roller 30 and is biased toward the transport roller 30. The transport roller 30 and the pad roller 31 are disposed upstream of the platen 27 in the transport direction of the medium 2. The transport roller 30 is connected to a drive mechanism that rotates the transport roller 30. The medium 2 is transported while sandwiched between the transport roller 30 and the pad roller 31.

[0032] An after-platen 32 is disposed in front of the platen 27. A guide surface 32a is formed on the surface of the after-platen 32 to guide the medium 2 transported from the platen 27 toward the tension bar 9. The guide surface 32a is formed in a convex curved shape. The medium 2 transported from the platen 27 toward the tension bar 9 comes into contact with the guide surface 32a.

[0033] The tension applying mechanism 10 is disposed below the after-platen 32. The transfer roller pair 8 is disposed below the tension applying mechanism 10. That is, the transfer roller pair 8 is disposed below the tension bar 9. The movement direction changing unit 11 is disposed below the transfer roller pair 8. The specific configurations of the tension applying mechanism 10, the transfer roller pair 8, and the movement direction changing unit 11 will be described later.

[0034] The first heater 14 is disposed inside the after platen 32 so as to follow the guide surface 32a, and is disposed between the adhesive application mechanism 5 and the tension bar 9 in the transport direction of the medium 2. The first heater 14 is also disposed above the tension bar 9. The second heater 15 is disposed between the tension bar 9 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the transport direction of the medium 2. The second heater 15 is also disposed between the tension bar 9 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the up-down direction. The medium 2 comes into contact with the front surface of the second heater 15, which has a convex curved surface.

[0035] The medium feeding unit 16 holds a feeding roll 33, which is the medium 2 wound in a roll shape. The medium feeding unit 16 is attached to the support body 6. The medium feeding unit 16 is arranged below the platen 27. The medium feeding unit 16 is also arranged below the adhesive application mechanism 5. The medium feeding unit 16 has a rotation shaft that is inserted into the inner periphery of the feeding roll 33.

[0036] The medium take-up unit 17 holds a take-up roll 34, which is the medium 2 wound in a roll shape. The medium take-up unit 17 is attached to a support frame 35 fixed to the support body 6. The support frame 35 is disposed in front of the support body 6. The medium take-up unit 17 is disposed below the platen 27. The medium take-up unit 17 is also disposed in front of the after-platen 32 and in front of the adhesive application mechanism 5. The medium take-up unit 17 is also disposed below the transfer roller pair 8 and in front of the transfer roller pair 8.

[0037] The medium winding unit 17 includes a rotating shaft that is inserted into the inner periphery of the winding roll 34 and a drive mechanism that rotates the rotating shaft. The winding roll 34 rotates together with the rotating shaft. The medium winding unit 17 also includes a torque limiter that causes the winding roll 34 to rotate idly, and this torque limiter causes the winding roll 34 to rotate idly so that the tension of the medium 2 being wound around the winding roll 34 does not exceed a predetermined tension.

[0038] The transfer sheet payout unit 18 holds a payout roll 36, which is the foil transfer sheet 3 wound in a roll shape. The transfer sheet payout unit 18 is attached to a support frame 35. The transfer sheet payout unit 18 is disposed, for example, in front of the after platen 32, and is disposed at approximately the same height as the after platen 32 in the up-down direction. The transfer sheet payout unit 18 is also disposed in front of the transfer roller pair 8 and the tension applying mechanism 10.

[0039] The transfer sheet payout unit 18 has a rotary shaft that is inserted into the inner periphery of the payout roll 36. The transfer sheet payout unit 18 also has a torque limiter for causing the payout roll 36 to rotate idly, and this torque limiter causes the payout roll 36 to rotate idly so that the foil transfer sheet 3 is paid out from the payout roll 36 when the tension of the foil transfer sheet 3 reaches a predetermined tension.

[0040] The sheet conveying mechanism 19 is attached to a support frame 35. The sheet conveying mechanism 19 includes a conveying roller 38 and a pad roller 39 that is disposed opposite the conveying roller 38 and is biased toward the conveying roller 38. The conveying roller 38 and the pad roller 39 are disposed downstream of the movement direction change unit 11 in the conveying direction of the foil transfer sheet 3. The conveying roller 38 and the pad roller 39 are also disposed forward of the transfer roller pair 8 and the movement direction change unit 11.

[0041] The transport roller 38 is connected to a drive mechanism that rotates the transport roller 38. This drive mechanism is equipped with a torque limiter for idling the transport roller 38, and this torque limiter causes the transport roller 38 to rotate idly so that the tension of the foil transfer sheet 3 transported by the sheet transport mechanism 19 does not exceed a predetermined tension. The foil transfer sheet 3 is transported while being sandwiched between the transport roller 38 and a pad roller 39. The foil transfer sheet 3 transported by the sheet transport mechanism 19 is, for example, wound up into a roll.

[0042] As described above, the medium take-up unit 17, the transfer sheet feed unit 18, and the sheet transport mechanism 19 are attached to the support frame 35. In addition, the movement direction change unit 11 is attached to the support frame 35. In this embodiment, the movement direction change unit 11, the medium take-up unit 17, the transfer sheet feed unit 18, the sheet transport mechanism 19, the support frame 35, etc. form a foil transfer unit 40. The support frame 35 is fixed to the support body 6 with screws. Therefore, the foil transfer unit 40 is detachable from the support body 6. In other words, the foil transfer unit 40 is detachably attached to the support body 6. Wheels 41 are attached to the lower end of the support body 6 and the lower end of the support frame 35.

[0043] (Configuration of the transfer roller pair) 3A is a front view illustrating the configuration of the transfer roller pair 8 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a side view illustrating the configuration of the transfer roller pair 8 shown in FIG.

[0044] The transfer roller pair 8 is disposed below the platen 27 and above the medium take-up unit 17. That is, the transfer roller pair 8 is disposed between the platen 27 and the medium take-up unit 17 in the up-down direction. The transfer roller pair 8 is also disposed below the second heater 15. The transfer roller pair 8 includes a transport roller 43 that contacts the medium 2 to transport the medium 2, and a foil transfer roller 44 that sandwiches the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 between the transport roller 43 and the transport roller 43.

[0045] The transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44 are rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The foil transfer roller 44 faces the transport roller 43 from the front side. That is, the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44 face each other in the front-to-back direction. The foil transfer roller 44 is also biased toward the transport roller 43. The transport roller 43 is connected to a drive mechanism that rotates the transport roller 43. The foil transfer roller 44 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the transport roller 43.

[0046] The medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 meet at the transfer roller pair 8 and come into close contact between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44. Specifically, the foil-formed surface of the foil transfer sheet 3 and the adhesive-coated surface 2a of the medium 2 come into close contact between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44. Between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44, the foil transfer sheet 3 is positioned on the front side and the medium 2 is positioned on the rear side. The foil transfer roller 44 contacts the foil transfer sheet 3 from the front side, and the transport roller 43 contacts the medium 2 from the rear side. A guide roller 45 is positioned above the foil transfer roller 44 to guide the foil transfer sheet 3, which is paid out from the transfer sheet payout unit 18, to the transfer roller pair 8.

[0047] Between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44, the foil is transferred from the foil transfer sheet 3 to the medium 2. Specifically, the foil is transferred from the foil transfer sheet 3 to the portion of the medium 2 where the adhesive is applied. The medium 2 is heated by the second heater 15 before reaching the transfer roller pair 8. Furthermore, the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 are conveyed by the transfer roller pair 8 while sandwiched between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44. Specifically, the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 are conveyed downward while sandwiched between the transport roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44.

[0048] The foil transfer roller 44 is composed of a plurality of split rollers 46 that are split in the left-right direction (i.e., the axial direction of the foil transfer roller 44). The foil transfer roller 44 of this embodiment is composed of, for example, two split rollers 46, as shown in FIG. 3(A). The split rollers 46 are, for example, rubber rollers. The two split rollers 46 are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

[0049] Each of the two split rollers 46 is rotatably supported at both ends by a bearing 47. Specifically, the split rollers 46 are fixed to a rotation shaft 48 whose axial direction is in the left-right direction, and both ends of the rotation shaft 48 are rotatably supported by the bearings 47. The split rollers 46 are disposed in a position in the left-right direction where the adhesive-coated region 2c of the medium 2 passes. The bearing 47 is disposed in a position in the left-right direction where the adhesive-free region 2b of the medium 2 passes.

[0050] The intermediate portion of the split roller 46 is rotatably supported by an intermediate support member 49. The intermediate support member 49 supports the split roller 46 from the front side. That is, the intermediate support member 49 supports the split roller 46 on the side opposite the conveying roller 43. The intermediate support member 49 also supports the split roller 46 at its center position in the left-right direction. The intermediate support member 49 is provided with a driven roller 50 that rotates following the rotation of the split roller 46.

[0051] As described above, the foil transfer roller 44 is biased toward the conveying roller 43. Specifically, the bearing 47 and the intermediate support member 49 are attached to a frame (not shown), and this frame is biased toward the conveying roller 43. The conveying roller 43 is composed of a single roller. The conveying roller 43 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The surface (outer circumferential surface) of the conveying roller 43 is a smooth surface.

[0052] (Configuration of tension applying mechanism) Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the tension applying mechanism 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the tension bar 9 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating sensors 56 and 57 that detect the position of the tension bar 9 shown in Fig. 4.

[0053] As described above, the tension applying mechanism 10 includes the tension bar 9. In addition to the tension bar 9, the tension applying mechanism 10 also includes a tension coil spring 54 that biases the tension bar 9 in a direction pressing it against the medium 2, and a bar holder 55 that movably holds the tension bar 9. The tension applying mechanism 10 also includes two sensors 56 and 57 for detecting the position of the tension bar 9.

[0054] The tension bar 9 is disposed between the adhesive application mechanism 5 and the pair of transfer rollers 8, and applies tension to the medium 2 after adhesive has been applied but before the foil is transferred. The tension bar 9 is also disposed between the platen 27 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the vertical direction, and between the first heater 14 and the second heater 15. The tension bar 9 is also disposed behind the front surface of the second heater 15 with which the medium 2 comes into contact, and behind the lower end of the guide surface 32a of the after platen 32. The tension bar 9 is in contact with the front side of the medium 2. The tension bar 9 is also in contact with the adhesive-coated surface 2a of the medium 2.

[0055] The tension bar 9 includes a support shaft 59 formed in an elongated cylindrical shape, and a roller 60 rotatably held by the support shaft 59. The support shaft 59 is arranged so that the axial direction of the support shaft 59 coincides with the left-right direction. The roller 60 includes a roller main body 61 formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in the left-right direction, and a cylindrical contact portion 62 fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the roller main body 61. The roller 60 of this embodiment includes, for example, one roller main body 61 and three contact portions 62.

[0056] The length (left-right direction) of the roller main body 61 is shorter than the length (left-right direction) of the support shaft 59. The length (left-right direction) of the contact portion 62 is shorter than the length (left-right direction) of the roller main body 61. The support shaft 59 is inserted into the inner periphery of the roller main body 61, and the roller 60 is rotatable relative to the support shaft 59 with the left-right direction as the axial direction of rotation. Both end portions of the support shaft 59 protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the respective ends of the roller main body 61.

[0057] The contact portion 62 is a cylindrical spacer. The contact portion 62 is fixed to three locations: both left-right ends and the left-right center of the roller main body 61. The contact portion 62 is fixed to the roller main body 61 so that the axis of the contact portion 62 coincides with the axis of the roller main body 61. The outer diameter of the portion of the roller 60 where the contact portion 62 is located is larger than the outer diameter of the remaining portion of the roller 60, and only the contact portion 62 contacts the medium 2. Specifically, only the contact portion 62 contacts the adhesive-coated surface 2a of the medium 2. The contact portion 62 is located at a position where the non-adhesive-coated region 2b of the adhesive-coated surface 2a passes, and the contact portion 62 contacts the non-adhesive-coated region 2b. The roller main body 61 in this embodiment is a bar main body that holds the contact portion 62.

[0058] The bar holding portion 55 supports both ends of the support shaft 59. The bar holding portion 55 is formed on support members 63 arranged on both left and right sides of the roller 60. The rear ends of the support members 63 are fixed to the support body 6. The bar holding portion 55 is formed with a guide groove 55a into which the end of the support shaft 59 is inserted. The guide groove 55a is formed in a straight line (slit shape) with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction. The support shaft 59 is movable in the front-rear direction along the guide groove 55a. In other words, the tension bar 9 is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the bar holding portion 55.

[0059] The tension coil springs 54 are disposed on both left and right sides of the roller 60. One end of the tension coil spring 54 is engaged with an end of the support shaft 59, and the other end of the tension coil spring 54 is engaged with the support member 63. The tension coil spring 54 biases the tension bar 9 rearward.

[0060] Sensors 56 and 57 are transmissive optical sensors having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are arranged facing each other with a gap between them. Sensors 56 and 57 are attached to a support member 63. Sensors 56 and 57 are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-rear direction. Sensor 56 is arranged behind sensor 57 and functions to detect the position of the tension bar 9 from the rear side. Sensor 57 also functions to detect the position of the tension bar 9 from the front side. A light-blocking member 64 is fixed to support shaft 59 via a predetermined member.

[0061] The light-shielding member 64 is formed with a light-shielding portion 64a capable of blocking the communication between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 56, and a light-shielding portion 64b capable of blocking the communication between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 57. In this embodiment, when the tension bar 9 is positioned so that the light-shielding portion 64a blocks the communication between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 56 and the light-shielding portion 64b blocks the communication between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 57, the transport roller 43 becomes operable, and the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 can be transported by the transfer roller pair 8.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the tension bar 9 moves to a position where the light-shielding portion 64a moves out from between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 56 or the light-shielding portion 64b moves out from between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 57 while the conveyance roller 43 is in motion, the conveyance roller 43 stops. Note that in this embodiment, even if the tension bar 9 moves within a predetermined range in the front-to-rear direction, the state in which the light-shielding portion 64a blocks the path between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 56 and the light-shielding portion 64b blocks the path between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 57 is maintained.

[0063] (Configuration of the movement direction change unit) FIG. 7(A) is a side view for explaining the configuration of the movement direction change unit 11 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7(B) is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 7(A).

[0064] The movement direction changing unit 11 includes a first changing roller 67 that bends the medium 2 in a predetermined direction after it has passed through the pair of transfer rollers 8, and a second changing roller 68 that guides the medium 2 in the predetermined direction after it has passed through the first changing roller 67. The first changing roller 67 and the second changing roller 68 are rotatably supported by the support frame 35. The first changing roller 67 and the second changing roller 68 are rotatable relative to the support frame 35 with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation.

[0065] The first changing roller 67 is disposed below the foil transfer roller 44. The second changing roller 68 is disposed in front of the first changing roller 67. The second changing roller 68 is disposed slightly below the first changing roller 67. The shaft center of the winding roll 34 is disposed diagonally below and in front of the second changing roller 68. The conveying roller 38 and the pad roller 39 are disposed diagonally above and in front of the second changing roller 68. The conveying roller 38 and the pad roller 39 are disposed diagonally above and in front of the shaft center of the winding roll 34.

[0066] After passing through the pair of transfer rollers 8, the medium 2 overlaps with the foil transfer sheet 3. The first change roller 67 folds the medium 2, which has overlapped with the foil transfer sheet 3 after passing through the pair of transfer rollers 8, toward the front. The medium 2, which is overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3, passes below the first change roller 67. The foil transfer sheet 3, which is overlapping with the medium 2, is in contact with the outer surface of the first change roller 67. The second change roller 68 serves to guide the medium 2, which has overlapped with the foil transfer sheet 3 after passing through the first change roller 67, diagonally upward and forward. The medium 2, which is overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3, passes above the second change roller 68. The medium 2, which is overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3, is in contact with the outer surface of the second change roller 68.

[0067] The first changing roller 67 and the second changing roller 68 in this embodiment are movement direction changing rollers that change the movement direction of the medium 2 overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3 after it has passed through the transfer roller pair 8. The first changing roller 67 and the second changing roller 68 change the movement direction of the medium 2, which moves downward from the transfer roller pair 8 to the first changing roller 67 while overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3, to an obliquely upward and forward direction. In other words, the first changing roller 67 and the second changing roller 68 change the movement direction of the medium 2 overlapping with the foil transfer sheet 3 to a direction different from the movement direction of the medium 2 from the transfer roller pair 8 to the first changing roller 67 (i.e., the movement direction of the medium 2 from the transfer roller pair 8 to the movement direction changing roller).

[0068] The outer diameter (diameter) of the first changing roller 67 is 2 inches or more. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the first changing roller 67 is 3 inches or more. Specifically, the outer diameter of the first changing roller 67 is 3 inches. The outer diameter of the second changing roller 68 is equal to the outer diameter of the first changing roller 67. Note that the outer diameter of the first changing roller 67 and the outer diameter of the second changing roller 68 may be different.

[0069] The overlapping medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 are separated when they pass through the second change roller 68, which is a movement direction changing roller. The medium 2 separated from the foil transfer sheet 3 is transported forward and taken up by the take-up roll 34. The foil transfer sheet 3 separated from the medium 2 is transported diagonally upward and forward by the sheet transport mechanism 19. The movement direction changing unit 11 is equipped with a guide roller 69 for guiding the foil transfer sheet 3, which has passed through the second change roller 68 and separated from the medium 2, in a predetermined direction.

[0070] The guide roller 69 is rotatably supported by the support frame 35. The guide roller 69 is rotatable relative to the support frame 35 with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The guide roller 69 is arranged diagonally above the front of the second change roller 68. The guide roller 69 is also arranged diagonally above the rear of the axis of the winding roll 34. The foil transfer sheet 3 that has been separated from the medium 2 passes above the guide roller 69. The foil transfer sheet 3 that has been separated from the medium 2 is guided by the guide roller 69 from the second change roller 68 to the diagonally above the front.

[0071] As described above, the medium 2 overlapping the foil transfer sheet 3 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the second change roller 68, and the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate at the position where the foil transfer sheet 3 moves away from the second change roller 68. Therefore, in this embodiment, the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate at a fixed position. Furthermore, after separating from the foil transfer sheet 3, the medium 2 moves slightly along the outer peripheral surface of the second change roller 68 before moving away from the second change roller 68, so when viewed from the left and right, the angle formed between the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 when they separate is constant.

[0072] The medium 2 separated from the foil transfer sheet 3 moves toward the take-up roll 34 and extends linearly forward from the second change roller 68 when viewed from the left and right. The foil transfer sheet 3 separated from the medium 2 moves toward the guide roller 69 and extends linearly diagonally forward from the second change roller 68 when viewed from the left and right. In this embodiment, the angle θ (see FIG. 7(A)) between the medium 2 separated after passing through the second change roller 68 and the foil transfer sheet 3 is an acute angle when viewed from the left and right. That is, the angle θ between the medium 2 extending linearly forward from the second change roller 68 and the foil transfer sheet 3 extending linearly diagonally forward from the second change roller 68 is an acute angle. Specifically, the angle θ is 60° or less. In this embodiment, the angle θ is 45° or less.

[0073] The position at which the medium 2, separated from the foil transfer sheet 3, leaves the second changing roller 68 varies depending on the outer diameter of the winding roll 34. For example, when the outer diameter of the winding roll 34 is relatively large, the medium 2 leaves the second changing roller 68 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7(B). On the other hand, when the outer diameter of the winding roll 34 becomes smaller, the medium 2 leaves the second changing roller 68 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7(B). Furthermore, the angle θ varies depending on the outer diameter of the winding roll 34. Note that if the position of the guide roller 69 is adjustable, the angle θ can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the guide roller 69.

[0074] (Main effect of this form) As described above, in the foil transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the transfer roller pair 8 is disposed below the platen 27. That is, in this embodiment, the position of the medium 2 when the adhesive is applied and the position of the medium 2 when the foil is transferred are offset in the vertical direction, and the area for applying the adhesive to the medium 2 and the area for transferring the foil to the medium 2 are offset in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to bring the area for applying the adhesive to the medium 2 and the area for transferring the foil to the medium 2 closer to each other in the front-to-back direction while preventing the two areas from interfering with each other.

[0075] Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device 1 in the front-to-back direction, which in turn reduces the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device 1. Also, in this embodiment, the medium feeding unit 16 is disposed below the adhesive application mechanism 5, which in turn makes it possible to further reduce the size of the foil transfer device 1 in the front-to-back direction, which in turn makes it possible to further reduce the installation area of ​​the foil transfer device 1.

[0076] In this embodiment, the tension bar 9 is disposed between the platen 27 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the foil transfer device 1 includes the tension bar 9, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device 1 in the front-to-back direction. Also, in this embodiment, the first heater 14 is disposed above the tension bar 9, and the second heater 15 is disposed between the tension bar 9 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the vertical direction, so even if the foil transfer device 1 includes the first heater 14 and the second heater 15, it is possible to reduce the size of the foil transfer device 1 in the front-to-back direction.

[0077] In this embodiment, the tension bar 9 applies tension to the medium 2 after adhesive has been applied but before the foil is transferred. Also, in this embodiment, if the tension bar 9 is positioned so that the light-shielding portion 64a blocks the path between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 56 and the light-shielding portion 64b blocks the path between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 57, the pair of transfer rollers 8 can transport the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3, enabling the foil to be transferred to the medium 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tension bar 9 can suppress variations in the tension of the medium 2 when the foil is transferred.

[0078] Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent foil from being transferred to a medium 2 that is in a slack state or a medium 2 that is under high tension. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, when foil is transferred to a medium 2 that is in a slack state, it is possible to prevent cracks from occurring in the foil when the slack of the medium 2 is removed after the foil has been transferred. Also, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the foil when the tension of the medium 2 that is under high tension is released after the foil has been transferred. In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent cracks and wrinkles from occurring in the foil transferred to the medium 2.

[0079] In this embodiment, a second heater 15 is disposed between the tension bar 9 and the pair of transfer rollers 8 in the conveyance direction of the medium 2 to heat the medium 2 before the foil is transferred and increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the tension bar 9 is disposed between the first heater 14 and the pair of transfer rollers 8, the second heater 15 can increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium 2 when it reaches the pair of transfer rollers 8. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pair of transfer rollers 8 can properly transfer the foil to the portion of the medium 2 where the adhesive is applied.

[0080] In this embodiment, the foil transfer roller 44 is composed of two split rollers 46 that are split in the left-right direction, and each of the two end sides of the two split rollers 46 is rotatably supported by a bearing 47. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the width of the medium 2 is wide, it is possible to suppress deflection of the foil transfer roller 44 when pressing the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 against the conveyance roller 43. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the width of the medium 2 is wide, the transfer roller pair 8 can properly transfer foil to the portion of the medium 2 where the adhesive is applied.

[0081] In particular, in this embodiment, because the middle portion of the divided roller 46 is rotatably supported by the intermediate support member 49, it is possible to effectively suppress deflection of the foil transfer roller 44 when the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 are pressed against the conveying roller 43, even if the width of the medium 2 is wide. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the width of the medium 2 is wide, the transfer roller pair 8 can more appropriately transfer foil to the portion of the medium 2 where the adhesive is applied.

[0082] In this embodiment, the foil transfer unit 40 is detachably attached to the support 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, by removing the foil transfer unit 40 from the support 6 and discharging ink from the head 23, the foil transfer device 1 can be used as an inkjet printer. Therefore, in this embodiment, the versatility of the foil transfer device 1 can be improved. When the foil transfer device 1 is used as an inkjet printer, the medium winding unit 17 is attached to the support 6, for example.

[0083] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, the movement direction change unit 11 may not include the guide roller 69. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the movement direction change unit 11 may not include the second change roller 68. In this case, the overlapping medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate when they pass the first change roller 67. Also, in this case, the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate at the position where the medium 2 moves away from the first change roller 67, so the position where the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate varies depending on the outer diameter of the take-up roll 34.

[0085] Furthermore, if the movement direction changing unit 11 does not include the second changing roller 68 and the overlapping medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate when passing the first changing roller 67, the medium 2 may be positioned in front of the foil transfer sheet 3 between the conveying roller 43 and the foil transfer roller 44, the medium 2 overlapping the foil transfer sheet 3 may be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first changing roller 67, and the conveying roller 38 and the pad roller 39 may be positioned below the take-up roll 34. In this case, the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate at the position where the foil transfer sheet 3 moves away from the first changing roller 67, so that the medium 2 and foil transfer sheet 3 separate at a fixed position.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the foil transfer roller 44 may face the transport roller 43 from the diagonally upper front side, or from the diagonally lower front side. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the medium winding unit 17 may be arranged below the adhesive application mechanism 5. In this case, the medium winding unit 17 is attached to the support body 6, for example. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the medium feeding unit 16 may be arranged behind the adhesive application mechanism 5.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, the foil transfer roller 44 may be configured as three divided rollers 46 separated in the left-right direction. Also, in the above-described embodiment, as long as deflection of the divided rollers 46 can be suppressed, the middle portion of the divided rollers 46 does not need to be supported by the intermediate support member 49. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as long as deflection of the foil transfer roller 44 can be suppressed, the foil transfer roller 44 may be configured as a single roller.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the foil transfer device 1 does not necessarily have to include the second heater 15. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the foil transfer device 1 does not necessarily have to include the movement direction changer 11. In this case, for example, the medium 2 and the foil transfer sheet 3 are separated when they pass through the pair of transfer rollers 8. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the tension bar 9 may be biased by a spring member other than the tension coil spring 54. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 Foil transfer device 2 medium 3 Foil transfer sheet 5. Adhesive application mechanism 6 Support 8 Transfer roller pair 9 Tension bar 10 Tensioning mechanism 14 First heater 15 Second heater 16 Media feeding section 17 Media take-up unit 18 Transfer sheet feeding section 23 head (inkjet head) 27 Platen (media loading section) 40 Foil transfer unit 43 Conveyor roller 44 Foil transfer roller 46 Split roller 47 Bearings 49 Intermediate support member Y: Width direction of the medium, axial direction of the foil transfer roller

Claims

1. The apparatus includes an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium, a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, which has a base material on which a foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied, to transfer the foil to the medium, a medium payout unit to which the medium wound in a roll before the adhesive is applied is attached, a medium winding unit to which the medium wound in a roll after the foil has been transferred is attached, and a tension applying mechanism having a tension bar that contacts the medium and applies tension to the medium, the adhesive application mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects the adhesive onto the medium, and a medium placement unit that is disposed below the inkjet head and on which the medium is placed when the adhesive is applied; the pair of transfer rollers is disposed below the medium placement unit, The tension bar is arranged between the medium loading section and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction, and applies tension to the medium after the adhesive has been applied and before the foil is transferred in the direction opposite to the transport direction of the medium in the medium loading section.

2. the transfer roller pair includes a transport roller that contacts the medium to transport the medium, and a foil transfer roller that sandwiches the medium and the foil transfer sheet between the transport roller and the foil transfer roller; 2. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transport roller and the foil transfer roller face each other in a direction perpendicular to the width direction and the up-down direction of the medium.

3. 3. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the medium supply unit and the medium take-up unit is disposed below the adhesive application mechanism.

4. a first heater for heating the medium after the adhesive has been applied, and a second heater for heating the medium before the foil is transferred to increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive applied to the medium; the first heater is disposed above the tension bar, 4. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the second heater is disposed between the tension bar and the pair of transfer rollers in the vertical direction.

5. a foil transfer unit including an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium; a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, on a base material of which a foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied, to transfer the foil to the medium; a medium payout section to which the medium wound in a roll before the adhesive has been applied is attached; a medium winding section to which the medium wound in a roll after the foil has been transferred is attached; and a foil transfer unit having a transfer sheet payout section to which the foil transfer sheet wound in a roll before the foil has been transferred to the medium is attached; and a support that supports the medium placing section from below, the adhesive application mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects the adhesive onto the medium, and a medium placement unit that is disposed below the inkjet head and on which the medium is placed when the adhesive is applied; the pair of transfer rollers is disposed below the medium placement unit, The foil transfer device is characterized in that the foil transfer unit is detachably attached to the support.

6. The apparatus includes an adhesive application mechanism that applies adhesive to a long medium, a pair of transfer rollers that press a foil transfer sheet, which has a base material on which a foil to be transferred to the medium is formed, against the medium after the adhesive has been applied to transfer the foil to the medium, a medium payout unit to which the medium wound in a roll before the adhesive is applied is attached, and a medium take-up unit to which the medium wound in a roll after the foil has been transferred is attached, the adhesive application mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects the adhesive onto the medium, and a medium placement unit that is disposed below the inkjet head and on which the medium is placed when the adhesive is applied; the transfer roller pair includes a transport roller that contacts the medium to transport the medium, and a foil transfer roller that sandwiches the medium and the foil transfer sheet between the transport roller and the foil transfer roller, and is disposed below the medium placement section; The foil transfer roller is configured by a plurality of divided rollers that are divided in the axial direction of the foil transfer roller, and is biased toward the conveying roller, A foil transfer device characterized in that both ends of the plurality of divided rollers are rotatably supported by bearings.

7. 7. The foil transfer device according to claim 6, further comprising an intermediate support member for rotatably supporting an intermediate portion of the divided roller.

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