Tape application device and tape application method

Abstract

To provide a both-sided tape sticking device and method for sticking a both-sided tape to an object.SOLUTION: There is provided a tape sticking device that has a first roller, a second roller for pressing an object with the first roller, a third roller for supplying a tape to the second roller, a first guide for guiding the object to between the first roller and the second roller, a second guide for receiving the object from between the first roller and the second roller, and a rotation part for rotating the second roller, wherein the tape passes by the side face of the second roller from the third roller, and is supplied to between the first roller and the second roller to be stuck on the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape applying apparatus and a tape applying method. In particular, it relates to an apparatus and a method for applying double-sided tape to a printing plate or the like. [Background Art]

[0002] As a method for printing on cardboard or the like, there is a printing technique using a flexographic plate (Patent Document 1). In flexographic printing, the flexographic plate is set on a roller. Utilizing the rotation of the roller, ink is applied to the surface of the flexographic plate and transferred onto the cardboard. Printing can be easily performed if a flexographic plate is provided. When setting a flexographic plate on a plate cylinder (roller), it is necessary to first bond the flexographic plate to a PET base material with double-sided tape. Thereafter, the PET substrate is set on the roller. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-268291 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, conventionally, when the flexographic plate is large, while a plurality of people pull the flexographic plate, the double-sided tape is gradually applied to the flexographic plate from one side, and the double-sided tape is applied to the flexographic plate by partially pressing by hand. That is, it was a manual method in which double-sided tape is intermittently applied to the flexographic plate from one side. For this reason, wrinkles, air entrapment, or lifting due to insufficient pressing occur between the double-sided tape and the flexographic plate, resulting in poor thickness of the flexographic plate and displacement of the design. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape applying apparatus and a tape applying method that can apply a tape to an object without causing wrinkles, air entrapment, or lifting. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] To solve the above problem, the first roller and the target between the first roller thing The tape application device includes a second roller for applying pressure, a third roller for supplying tape to the second roller, a first guide for guiding the object between the first and second rollers, a second guide for receiving the object from between the first and second rollers, and a rotating part for rotating the second roller, wherein the tape is supplied from the third roller, via the side surface of the second roller, between the first and second rollers, and applied to the object.

[0006] A tape application method is used that includes: a moving step of moving an object on a first guide; a tape application step of guiding the object between a first roller and a second roller, rotating the second roller so that tape is supplied to one side of the object via the second roller, forming a laminate in which the object and tape are stacked, and the laminate passes between the first roller and the second roller so that the tape is attached to the object; and a cutting step of guiding the object to a second guide after the application step so that the rotation of the second roller is stopped and the tape at the end of the object is cut. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The tape application device and tape application method of the present invention allow tape to be applied to an object without causing wrinkles, air bubbles, or lifting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] (a) Cross-sectional view of the flexographic panel unit of Embodiment 1, (b) Plan view of the flexographic panel unit of Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of a printing apparatus using the flexographic plate unit of Embodiment 1 [Figure 3](a)~(c) Cross-sectional view illustrating the assembly method of the flexographic panel unit of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] (a) Cross-sectional view of the tape application device of Embodiment 1, (b) Cross-sectional view of the tape 22 of Embodiment 1 [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the tape application device of Embodiment 1 [Figure 6] Front view of the tape application device of Embodiment 1 [Figure 7] (a) Perspective view of the object in Embodiment 1, (b) to (c) Cross-sectional view of the object 45 being held down by the first roller. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of the tape application device of Embodiment 2 [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the tape application device of Embodiment 2 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The invention will be described below using embodiments, but it is not limited to the following. (Embodiment 1) First, let me explain the technology of flexographic printing.

[0010] <Flexographic printing> Figure 1(a) is a cross-sectional view of the flexographic panel unit 200 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 1(b) is a plan view of the flexographic panel unit 200. The flexographic printing plate 100 has raised areas (not shown in the diagram) on its surface. These raised areas are patterns for printing letters and designs. Printing is performed by applying ink to the tips of these raised areas and transferring that ink to the object to be printed. The flexographic panel 100 is bonded to one side of the base material 12. The fixing part 11 is bonded to the other side.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a printing apparatus using this flexographic plate unit 200. The flexographic plate unit 200 is installed on a cylindrical roll 19. The fixing portion 11 is fitted into the recess 13 of the roll 19, and the flexographic plate unit 200 is fixed. An ink supply roll 16 that supplies ink to the flexographic plate 100 is provided around the roll 19.

[0012] On the other hand, a stage 17 is provided below the roll 19. An object 18 to be printed is held on the stage 17. The roll 19 and the ink supply roll 16 rotate, and the stage 17 moves. As a result, ink is temporarily adhered to the flexographic plate 100, and then adhered to the object 18.

[0013] <Assembly of Flexographic Plate Unit 200> A method for assembling the flexographic plate unit 200 will be described with reference to cross-sectional views of FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 3(c). (1) As shown in FIG. 3(a), a base material 12 having a fixing portion 11, a double-sided adhesive tape 22, and a flexographic plate 100 are prepared.

[0014] (2) As shown in FIG. 3(b), the flexographic plate 100 is bonded to one surface of the double-sided adhesive tape 22. At this time, the positional relationship between the double-sided adhesive tape 22 and the flexographic plate 100 is arbitrary, and no alignment is performed. The double-sided adhesive tape 22 is attached to the entire back surface of the flexographic plate 100.

[0015] (3) As shown in FIG. 3(c), the other surface of the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is attached to the base material 12. At this time, the flexographic plate 100 and the base material 12 are aligned. The alignment will be described below. As a result, the flexographic plate unit 200 is completed.

[0016] <Apparatus and Method for Attaching Double-Sided Adhesive Tape 22 to Flexographic Plate 100> Figure 4(a) shows a cross-sectional view of the tape application device 300 according to the embodiment. In Figure 4(a), the object 45 before the tape 24 is applied and the object 45 after the tape 24 is applied (dotted line) are shown. The tape application device 300 includes a first roller 31, a second roller 32, a third roller 33, a first guide 41, and a second guide 42.

[0017] The first roller 31 is a cylindrical roller that presses against the surface of the object 45. The first roller 31 has a rotating shaft 36 at its center, an elastic body 34 around it, and a non-stick layer 35 on its sides.

[0018] The elastic body 34 is an elastic body for applying pressure to the surface of the object 45, and is made of polyether-based urethane. Its thickness is about 4 cm. Its hardness is about 12.75 N (JIS K 6400-2 Method A). A hardness of 5 to 25 N is good, and 7.5 to 18 N is preferable. Not only polyether-based urethane, but also ester-based urethane and various other types of urethane may be used. The elastic body 34 is softer and more easily deformed than the second roller 32. It is preferable that the elastic body 34 is softer than the object 45.

[0019] Furthermore, the elastic body 34 should have a high rebound modulus in order to firmly adhere the tape 24 to the uneven surface of the object 34. The rebound modulus is defined in JIS K 6400-3. The rebound modulus is the ratio of the applied force to the rebound force, expressed as a percentage. For example, if there is rubber with a rebound modulus of 100%, and a weight is dropped onto it, the weight will bounce back to its original position. If the rebound modulus is 0%, it will not bounce back at all and will remain stationary. In other words, the lower the rebound modulus, the better the absorption of shocks and vibrations. In this embodiment, a high rebound modulus is required, and 30-60% is preferable. 40-60% is also preferable.

[0020] The thickness of the elastic body 34 needs to be 10 mm or more, given that the surface irregularities of the object 34 are 2 to 5 mm. Preferably, it is 20 mm or more. Furthermore, since the elastic body 34 requires rebound elasticity, a continuously firing foam body is preferred. The non-adhesive layer 35 is a silicone-based film, a fluorine-based film, or a film made of a material that the adhesive layer of the tape 24 does not easily adhere to. In particular, a silicone polymer that does not release siloxate is preferable.

[0021] The second roller 32, together with the first roller 31, is a cylindrical roller that applies pressure to the object 45. The positional relationship between the second roller 32 and the first roller 31 is adjusted so that the tape 24 is firmly pressed and adhered to the object 45. When pressure is applied, the second roller 32 hardly deforms, while the elastic body 34 of the first roller 31 deforms.

[0022] The second roller 32 and the first roller 31 apply pressure to the laminated object 45 and tape 24. The rotation of the second roller 32 and the first roller 31 applies pressure to the laminated object from the edges, adhering the tape 24 to the object 45. The material of the second roller 32 is NBR. Its hardness is 35° (durometer, JIS K 6253). Hardness can be used from 15 to 50°. Preferably, it is 25 to 45°. It is not limited to NBR; chloroprene rubber, silicone rubber, or amber rubber may also be used.

[0023] The third roller 33 is a cylindrical roller around which the tape 24 is wound, and it supplies the tape 24 to the second roller 32. The tape 24 is supplied between the second roller 32 and the first roller 31 via the side of the second roller 32.

[0024] The first guide 41 guides the object 45 between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32, and has a flat surface. The object 45 moves along this flat surface. In this example, the object 45 is moved by hand on the first guide 41, guiding it at a low speed between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32.

[0025] The second guide 42 is positioned opposite the first guide 41 and receives the object 45 from between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32. The tape 24 is cut on the second guide 42, resulting in the configuration shown on the left side of Figure 4(a). The first guide 41 and the second guide 42 may be made of metal or resin. They just need to have a flat surface on top.

[0026] The rotating part is the power source that rotates the second roller 32. It is not shown in the diagram, but it is a motor or similar device. The first roller 31 and the third roller 33 have no power source and rotate due to the rotation of the second roller 32. Since the others move only with the rotation of the first roller 31, wrinkles are less likely to occur in the tape 24. There is no inconsistency because there is only one power source.

[0027] The upper surfaces (object movement surface S) of the first guide 41 and the second guide 42 are at the same horizontal height. The upper surface of the second roller 32 is also at the same height, making it easy for the object 45 to move. The first roller 31 and the second roller 32 are located between the first guide 41 and the second guide 42. The third roller 33 is located on the opposite side of the object movement surface S from the first roller 31. The first roller 31 and the second roller 32 are located opposite each other or symmetrically with respect to the object movement surface S.

[0028] The object 45 is a printing plate, flexographic plate, etc. It is necessary to attach adhesive tape to the back of it. It is a flat, plate-like object. In particular, it is designed so that adhesive tape can be attached even to wide, plate-like objects.

[0029] A cross-section of the tape 24 is shown in Figure 4(b). The tape 24 has a two-layer structure, with one side being an adhesive layer 22 and the other side being a protective tape 23. The protective tape 23 is hardly fixed to the adhesive layer 22 and is for handling and transporting the adhesive layer 22. In the tape application device 300, the adhesive layer 22 is positioned to adhere to one surface of the object 45. The non-adhesive layer 35 of the first roller 31 and the adhesive layer 22 are in contact, but the non-adhesive layer 35 is made of a material that is not adhesive to the adhesive layer 22. The tape 24 is in contact with the second guide 42 by its protective tape 23, so the tape 24 does not adhere to the second guide 42. Furthermore, since there is no protective tape 23 on both sides of the tape 24, there is no need to peel off the protective tape 23. For this reason, the device of Embodiment 1 is a simplified device that does not use a complex mechanism.

[0030] For example, the adhesive layer 22 is an acrylic adhesive. The protective tape 23 is release paper. Its thickness is 0.11 mm. In Figure 4(a), the surface of the third roller 33 was an adhesive layer 22. Figure 5 shows the case where the surface of the third roller 33 is a protective tape 23. The path of the tape 24 to guide the adhesive layer 22 to the upper surface differs between Figure 4(a) and Figure 5. Tape 24 is bent once by an angle α while under tension, similar to Figure 4(a). The tape 24 to the left of the first roll 31 is not under tension. Tension is applied to tape 24 from the third roller 33 to the space between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32.

[0031] When tape 24 is under tension, bending it significantly or bending it multiple times increases the likelihood of wrinkles forming, especially if the tape 24 is wide. Bending it only once is preferable. The angle α should be between 0 and 180 degrees. Furthermore, an angle between 15 and 90 degrees is preferable, and 30 to 75 degrees is even better. Bending it multiple times within the above angles is still acceptable.

[0032] Figure 6 shows a front view of the tape application device 300. The width of the tape 24 is approximately 1 m to accommodate various objects 45. The width of the tape 24 is at least 30 cm, preferably 50 cm or more. If the width of the tape 24 is narrow, a complex mechanism can be used, but if the width of the tape 24 is wide, a complex mechanism cannot be used, resulting in a device like that of Embodiment 1. In principle, the tape 24 can be applied to the entire back surface of the object 45. It is also possible to narrow the width of the tape 24 and apply the tape 24 to only a portion of the object.

[0033] <Operation> (1) Place the object 45 on the first guide 41. (2) The object 45 is moved on the first guide 41 and guided between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32. When the object 45 comes into contact with the first roller 31, or just before that, the second roller 32 is rotated by the rotating part. The object 45 is guided between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32. At the same time, the tape 24 is supplied to one side of the object 45 via the second roller 32. Sensors and moving mechanisms may be provided to control it automatically, but the object 45 may also be moved manually to start the rotation of the second roller 32.

[0034] With the object 45 and the tape 24 stacked together (a laminate), the laminate passes between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32, and the tape 24 is attached to the object 45.

[0035] (3) The object 45 is guided from between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32 to the second guide 42, stopping the rotation of the second roller 32. The tape 24 at the end of the object 45 is cut.

[0036] The completed object 45 has the protective tape 23 removed and is attached to the base material 12 (Figure 3(b)).

[0037] <Special Notes> As shown in Figure 4(a), tape 24 is bent once by an angle α while under tension. The tape 24 to the left of the first roll 31 is not under tension. Tension is applied to tape 24 from the third roller 33 to the space between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32.

[0038] When tape 24 is under tension, bending it significantly or bending it multiple times increases the likelihood of wrinkles forming, especially if the tape 24 is wide. Bending it only once is preferable. The angle α should be between 0 and 180 degrees. Furthermore, an angle between 15 and 90 degrees is preferable, and between 30 and 75 degrees is desirable. Note that it is also acceptable to bend it multiple times within the above angle range.

[0039] Figure 7(a) shows a perspective view of a flexographic printing plate as an example of the object 45. The flexographic printing plate has a printable area 46 and a non-printable area 47 on its surface. The printable area 46 has indentations for drawing characters, pictures, figures, etc. The arrangement of the printable area 46 varies depending on the desired pattern. In this embodiment, tape 24 is attached to the back side of the flexographic printing plate. This state is shown in Figures 7(b) and 7(c). Figure 7(b) shows the case where there is no elastic body 34 or when it is hard, and Figure 7(c) shows the case where there is a soft elastic body 34. In the case of Figure 7(c), the elastic body 34 of the first roller 31 can press down equally on the printable area 46 and the non-printable area 47, and the tape 24 can be attached to the back side of the flexographic printing plate without wrinkles or bubbles. The flexographic printing plate is a flexible resin sheet with a thickness of about 0.5 to 10 mm. The printable area 46 has a thickness of 2 to 5 mm.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7(b), if only the raised portion of the printing area 46 is pressed, the tape 24 will not adhere uniformly to the object 45 due to its thickness. Wrinkles may occur in the tape 24. It is preferable to apply pressure with the first roller 31 to the non-printing area 47 as well. With the above structure, the tape application device and tape application method of Embodiment 1 can apply tape to the object without causing wrinkles, air bubbles, or lifting.

[0041] (Embodiment 2): Handling of Tape Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the tape application device of Embodiment 2. It differs from Embodiment 1 in that it has an additional pressing portion 53. Figure 8 shows the state just before the tape 24 is cut, with the tape 24 attached to the object 45. The retaining part 53 prevents the tape 24 from springing up and sticking to the first roller 31 when it is applied and cut.

[0042] The pressing section 53 includes a rod-shaped weight 51 and a frame 52 that supports it. There are frames 52 extending from each end of the weight 51 toward the first roller 31. The frames 52 are positioned independently of the rotation of the first roller 31 and are fixed so that the weight 51 at its tip can move up and down. The weight 51 presses the tape 24 toward the second guide 42 by its own weight. There is no mechanism to control the pressing section 53. This pressing part 53 makes it easier to cut the tape 24 at the cutting position 55.

[0043] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, a suction unit 56 may be provided at the bottom of the second guide 42 instead of a pressing unit 53. That is, when the tape 24 is cut, the suction unit 56 sucks the tape 24 in place, fixing the tape 24 to the second guide 42. Even after the tape 24 is cut, the tape 24 does not move toward the first roll 31. The second guide 42 has a through hole for sucking the tape 24 in place.

[0044] When the next object 45 reaches the space between the first roller 31 and the second roller 32, the suction unit 56 stops suction and releases the tape 24 from its position. Alternatively, before the first roller 31 starts moving, the suction unit 56 stops suction and releases the tape 24 from its position. Note that the tape 24 may be fed in the manner shown in Figure 5.

[0045] (Overall) The object 45 may be something other than a printing plate. The above embodiments can be combined. A separate control unit may be provided to control the rotational speed, position, and pressure between the rollers of the first roller 31, second roller 32, and third roller 33. Alternatively, the control unit may control the suction of the suction unit 56. [Industrial applicability]

[0046] The double-sided adhesive tape of the present invention can be used not only for bonding flexographic plates but also for bonding other printing plates. It can be used in various printing devices and printing methods. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10...Pattern section, 11...Fixing section, 12...Substrate, 13...Recess, 16...Ink supply roll, 17...Stage, 18...Object, 19...Roll, 22...Adhesive layer, 23...Protective tape, 24...Tape, 31...First roll, 32...Second roll, 33...Third roll, 34...Elastic body, 35...Non-adhesive layer, 36...Rotating shaft, 41...First guide, 42...Second guide, 45...Object, 46...Printing area, 47...Non-printing area, 51...Weight, 52...Frame, 53...Pressing section, 55...Cutting position, 56...Suction section, 100...Flexographic plate, 200...Flexographic plate unit, 300...Tape application device.

Claims

1. First Laura and, A second roller pressurizes the object between itself and the first roller, A third roller that supplies tape to the second roller, A first guide that guides the object between the first roller and the second roller, A second guide that receives the object from between the first roller and the second roller, It has a rotating part that rotates the second roller, The tape is supplied from the third roller, via the side surface of the second roller, between the first roller and the second roller, and is applied to the object in the tape application device. The first roller is a tape application device in which an elastic body is located on the outer circumference of a rotating shaft, and a non-adhesive layer is located on the outer circumference of the elastic body.

2. The tape application device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body has a hardness of 5N to 25N according to JIS K6400-2A.

3. The tape application device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body has a rebound modulus of 30% to 60% according to JIS K6400-3.

4. The tape application device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tape is bent only once while under tension.

5. When the object and the tape come into contact, the first roller and the second roller, A tape application device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which applies pressure to the object and the tape.

6. The tape application device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second roller does not deform, the elastic body deforms, and the object and the tape are pressed together.

7. The tape application device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a pressing portion for pressing the tape against the second guide.

8. The tape application device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a suction unit for fixing the tape to the second guide.

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