Printing jig, printing device, and printing method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a printing jig which is disposed at at least one section of the periphery of printing matter, when printing is performed in which a printing pad is caused to move linearly in a first direction towards a printing stage and pressed against printing matter so that an ink image which has been transferred onto a printing surface of the printing pad is transferred onto the printing matter. The printing jig comprises an inside edge that is disposed adjacent to the printing matter in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and that faces a peripheral edge section which is outside of the printing range of the printing matter, in the second direction.

Description

Printing jig, printing device, and printing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to printing performed by linearly moving a printing pad and pressing a printing surface against a surface to be printed, and more particularly to the structure of a printing jig, and a printing device and printing method using the printing jig.

[0002] Conventionally, offset printing involves pressing the printing surface of a printing pad against a printing plate, transferring ink placed on the printing plate according to a printing pattern to the printing pad, and then pressing the printing surface of the printing pad with the ink transferred onto the surface to be printed, thereby printing the printing pattern onto the surface to be printed.

[0003] In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, a printing pad (printing blanket) is pressed against a printing plate. The printing plate has ink placed thereon in a fine dot pattern. The printing pad pressed against the printing plate transfers the ink held on the printing plate. The printing pad is also pressed against the printing plate to transfer the ink, and the ink is then transferred from the printing pad to the printed product.

[0004] The printing pad disclosed in Patent Document 1 transfers ink placed on a printing plate to a printing surface, and then transfers the ink transferred to the printing surface to a printed object. The printing pad is deformed by abutting its apex (lowest part) against a substrate on which the printed object is placed. The printing surface is located on a side away from the apex of the printing pad, and abuts against the side of the printed object as the printing pad deforms. As a result, even if the printed surface of the printed object is inclined with respect to the pressing direction of the printing pad, the printing surface of the printing pad is pressed against the printed surface from an angle close to the normal direction. Therefore, the effects of deformation of the printing pad and the effects of slippage between the printing surface and the printed surface are suppressed, and the accuracy of the image transferred to the printed surface can be suppressed.

[0005] Patent No. 5295005

[0006] However, when printing by pressing the printing pad of Patent Document 1 against the printing surface, if the printing image is to be transferred to the side of the print, the printing pad must be pressed deeply. This causes slippage between the surface of the printing pad and the printing surface, deforming the ink, reducing the accuracy of the printed image and damaging the pad. To print, the entire printing surface must be divided into multiple sections. Therefore, to print the entire print, the process of pressing the printing surface against the printing plate and the process of pressing the printing surface against the printing surface must be repeated multiple times.

[0007] Furthermore, when printing on a large area of ​​a print object, for example, the printing pad may be pressed against a corner of the print object's cross section. In this case, the surface of the printing pad that comes into contact with the corner of the print object experiences high surface pressure. Therefore, there is a problem in that the surface of the printing pad is repeatedly subjected to high loads and may be damaged.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a printing jig, a printing device, and a printing method that can suppress ink sliding deformation and image distortion on printing surfaces with complex shapes, and can also suppress damage to the printing pad.

[0009] The printing jig disclosed herein is a printing jig that is positioned at least in part around a printed object in printing, in which an ink image transferred to the printing surface of the printing pad is transferred to the printed object by moving the printing pad linearly in a first direction toward the printing stage and pressing it against the printed object, and is positioned adjacent to the printed object in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and has an inner edge that faces the peripheral portion, which is the outer part of the printing range of the printed object in the second direction.

[0010] The printing device of the present disclosure includes the printing jig described above, the printing stage to which the printing jig is fixed, and the printing pad that is pressed against the printing jig and the printed object.

[0011] The printing method disclosed herein is a printing method in which an ink image transferred to the printing surface of a printing pad is transferred to a printing object by moving the printing pad linearly in a first direction toward a printing stage and pressing it against the printing object, wherein a printing jig is placed on the printing stage, and the printing jig has an inner edge positioned opposite the peripheral edge of the printing object and a pad receiving surface extending outward from the inner edge, and the printing pad is pressed against the printing object and the printing jig, and the printing pad is pressed against the printing jig until it abuts against the pad receiving surface.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, by arranging the printing jig adjacent to the peripheral edge of the print material, deformation of the printing pad is suppressed and the load from the printing pad is applied as evenly as possible to each part of the print material. As a result, image distortion due to slippage between the print material and the printing surface is suppressed, enabling highly accurate printing, and the load is prevented from concentrating locally on the surface of the printing pad when pressed against the print material, thereby suppressing damage to the printing pad.

[0013] 6 is a side view showing an example of a printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a printing pad 10 included in the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the printing pad 10 included in the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment when pressed against a printed object 70. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an example of a printed object 70 and a printing jig 80 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the printing pad 10 pressed against the printed object 70 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the periphery of a rounded corner 70a at the right end of the printed object 70 in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 7 is changed. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 7 is changed. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the periphery of a protrusion at the left end of the printed object 70 in FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 10 is changed. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in Fig. 10 is changed. Fig. 12 is an example of a functional block diagram of the printing device 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 13 is a flowchart of an example of a method for manufacturing a printed matter 70 by the printing device 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a method for manufacturing the printing jig 80 according to embodiment 1.

[0014] Embodiment 1. A printing jig, a printing apparatus, and a method for producing a printed matter according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the same parts in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, each drawing is a schematic illustration, and the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes shown. Furthermore, in this specification, elastic bodies or elasticity are not limited to bodies in which the load applied thereto and the amount of deformation caused by the load have a linear relationship. They also include bodies in which the load applied thereto and the amount of deformation caused by the load have a non-linear relationship, and which return to their original shape immediately or after a predetermined time when the applied load is removed.

[0015] <Printing Device 100> FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an example of a printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The printing device 100 transfers ink placed on a printing plate 50 to a printing surface 4 of a printing pad 10, and then transfers the ink transferred to the printing surface 4 to a printing surface 71 of a print object 70. The printing surface 71 collectively refers to a surface included in the printing range A and may have an uneven shape. The printing device 100 is capable of printing on an inclined surface when the printing surface 71 is inclined with respect to the pressing direction of the printing pad 10. The pressing direction of the printing pad 10 is the Z direction shown in FIG. 1 and may be referred to as the first direction.

[0016] The printing device 100 includes a printing pad 10 that can move linearly in the vertical direction. The printing pad 10 is moved up and down by a vertical movement device 11 included in the printing device 100, pressing a printing surface 4 against a printing surface 71 of a print object 70 and transferring the ink transferred to the printing surface 4 to the printing surface 71. The printing device 100 also includes a horizontal movement device 12. The horizontal movement device 12 moves the printing pad 10 and the vertical movement device 11 in the horizontal direction. The printing pad 10 is moved above the print object 70, cleaning device 60, activating device 61, air blowing device 62, or printing blank 50 by the horizontal movement device 12. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is moved up and down by the vertical movement device 11 and pressed against the print object 70, cleaning device 60, activating device 61, or printing blank 50, respectively.

[0017] 1, the printing apparatus 100 has, from the left, a printing stage 87 on which the print object 70 is placed, a surface treatment stage 86 equipped with a cleaning device 60, an activation device 61, and an air blowing device 62, and a printing plate stage 85 on which the printing plate 50 is placed. However, in the printing apparatus 100, these stages can be freely positioned and can be changed as appropriate to suit the convenience of the operator or the location where the printing apparatus 100 is installed. Furthermore, each device of the printing apparatus 100 is installed in the printing apparatus 100 as needed, but may not be installed in some cases.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, a blower 66 is installed on the printing stage 87. The blower 66 blows air toward the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10. The printing device 100 may be equipped with either the blower 66 or the air blowing device 62, which may function as both the blower 66 and the air blowing device 62. The blower 66 may also be installed on the surface treatment stage 86 as a blower 66A. In this case, the blower 66 is omitted.

[0019] <Printing Pad 10> FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the printing pad 10 included in the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printing pad 10 of FIG. 1 , showing a cross section passing through the vertex 6 of the printing pad 10 and perpendicular to the support member 7 to which the substrate 5 is fixed. The printing pad 10 is, for example, approximately hemispherical. The shape of the printing pad 10 is not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the printed object 70, such as a bullet shape, a shape with a curved surface formed by rotating a parabola around its axis of symmetry, a shape such as a portion of an ellipsoid cut away, or a shape in which a bullet-shaped or semicircular cross section is continuously extended in a straight line. The printing pad 10 has a peak that first contacts the printed object 70 or the printing plate 50. The peak is configured as a point or a line. This prevents air from being trapped between the printing surface 4 and the printed object 70 or the printing plate 50 when the printing pad 10 is pressed against the printed object 70 or the printing plate 50. By avoiding air entrapment, it is possible to prevent gaps in the transfer of ink 40 from the printing plate 50 to the printing pad 10 and gaps in the printed image applied to the printed material 70. In the first embodiment, a predetermined range of the surface of the printing pad 10, centered on the apex 6, becomes the printing surface 4 that transfers the ink 40 from the printing plate 50 and transfers it to the printed material 70. However, the printing surface 4 may be set so as not to include the apex 6. In other words, the apex 6 may be pressed against the surface of the printing jig 80 or the printing stage 87 without abutting against the surface 71 to be printed. This allows printing to be performed without using the apex, which is prone to entrapment of air.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the substrate 5 of the printing pad 10 comprises an internal layer 1 and an external layer 2 arranged so as to cover the surface of the internal layer 1. The internal layer 1 and the external layer 2 are each fixed to a support member 7. The printing pad 10 may have a multi-layer structure in addition to the two-layer structure.

[0021] The outer layer 2 is formed by molding, for example, silicone rubber. The outer layer 2 is elastic (flexible) and is mixed with silicone oil to make it easily deformable. In the first embodiment, the outer layer 2 has a substantially hemispherical shape, but the shape can be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the printed matter 70, etc. The outer layer 2 deforms when the printing pad 10 is pressed against the printing plate 50, and transfers the ink 40 (see FIG. 3 ) placed on the placement surface 51 of the printing plate 50 to the printing surface 4. The ink 40 placed on the placement surface 51 of the printing plate 50 is arranged in accordance with the image to be printed on the printed matter 70, forming a print pattern.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printing pad 10 included in the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment when pressed against the object to be printed 70. The printing pad 10 moves along the Z direction, pressing the surface of the outer layer 2 against the object to be printed 70, causing the printing surface 4 to deform in response to the surface to be printed 71 and the printing jig 80. In this case, for example, the material of the outer layer 2 constituting the portion close to the printing surface 4 is set to a range of 0 to 20 points on the Asker C hardness scale. The inner layer 1 located inside the outer layer 2 may be formed, for example, from silicone rubber with a higher hardness than the outer layer 2, or may be composed of a material that is less likely to deform, such as plastic foam. For example, the inner layer 1 may be composed of ABS foam, foamed plastic, or other foamed plastic. In other words, the inner layer 1 may have a structure having an internal cavity. For example, the cavity may be microscopic air bubbles. The inner layer 1 may be composed of a material that has an internal cavity but is strong and rigid enough to maintain its shape when pressed against the object to be printed 70.

[0023] The inner layer 1 is located on the side where a force is applied to press the printing surface 4 against the surface 71 to be printed during printing, and is arranged inside the outer layer 2 when viewed from the printing surface 4 side. The support member 7 is connected to the vertical movement device 11, and is the part that transmits the force from the vertical movement device 11 to the printing pad 10.

[0024] In order for the printing pad 10 to deform and conform to the surface of the printing surface 71 and the printing jig 80, it is desirable for the hardness of the printing pad 10 to be set low (soft). Therefore, the hardness of the portion of the printing surface 4 that is pressed against the print object 70, i.e., the hardness of the outer layer 2, must be set lower than that of the inner layer 1. By configuring the outer layer 2 in this manner, the soft layer makes it easier for the printing surface 4 to conform to the printing surface 71, and the overall shape of the printing pad 10 is more easily maintained by the inner layer 1, which is almost undeformed when pressed against the print object 70. At the same time, the outer layer 2, which is pressed directly against the printing surface 71, has the advantage of easily deforming to conform to the curved printing surface 77 and the printing surface 76 that is inclined relative to the direction in which the printing pad 10 moves. However, the hardness of each portion of the substrate 5 is not limited to the above-mentioned hardness.

[0025] The printing pad 10 is preferably configured so that the printing surface 4 has an area at least 1.5 times or more the area of ​​the surface 71 to be printed. This reduces the deformation rate (the ratio of the amount of deformation to the size of the printing pad 10) of the printing pad 10 when pressed against the object 70 to be printed, thereby reducing the slippage of the printing surface 4 relative to the surface to be printed. Furthermore, reducing the hardness of the printing pad 10 also reduces the slippage of the printing surface 4 relative to the surface to be printed. In the first embodiment, the printing surface 4 is located on the surface of the outer layer 2. The surface of the inner layer 1 (the surface facing the printing surface 4) may have a shape similar to that of the surface of the outer layer 2, or may have a shape longer in the pressing direction than the shape of the surface of the outer layer 2. The volume of the inner layer 1, including internal cavities (internal air bubbles), is preferably set to 30% or less of the volume of the entire substrate 5.

[0026] 1, a surface treatment stage 86 is disposed next to the printing stage 87 of the printing apparatus 100. A cleaning device 60 is installed on the surface treatment stage 86. The cleaning device 60 includes, for example, paper or adhesive tape. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the surface of the paper or adhesive tape to remove ink 40, dirt, dust, etc. remaining after printing.

[0027] <Activation Device 61> The activation device 61 includes a reservoir tank for storing liquid and an absorption unit for absorbing and retaining the liquid. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the surface of the absorption unit, causing the liquid retained by the absorption unit to adhere to the printing surface 4. The printing pad 10 facilitates the transfer of the ink 40 placed on the printing plate 50 to the printing surface 4 by adhering or impregnating the substrate 5 with water or a solvent. The liquid is appropriately selected based on the properties of the ink 40 and has the ability to soften hard ink 40. The ink 40 is composed of water or a solvent and a pigment or dye. The liquid used in the activation device 61 is, for example, a synthetic resin such as an acrylic resin or a urethane resin, or a mixture of water, thinner, xylene, or toluene. It is preferable to select a liquid that has a high affinity with the solvent contained in the ink 40. However, the liquid used in the activation device 61 is not limited to the above.

[0028] The absorption unit of the activation device 61 may be constructed, for example, by stacking thin sheet-like absorbent materials. The absorbent material is, for example, made of paper, but is not limited to paper and may be constructed of other materials, such as cloth or resin, as long as they absorb liquid. For example, the absorption unit may be constructed by stacking paper on a sponge-like resin. The surface of the absorption unit against which the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed may become contaminated with ink 40 remaining on the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10, or the surface of the absorption unit may be scraped, causing the paper constituting the absorption unit to tear. Therefore, the top layer of paper in the absorption unit is configured to be peeled off and removed from the top layer of the absorption unit, and the stacked sheets may be removed one by one, or the upper layer may be replaced mechanically. However, the method for replacing the top layer of paper is not limited to this method. The absorption unit is configured so that the paper constituting the top layer can be removed or replaced freely, and the surface is always kept clean and permeated with liquid. Therefore, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 can be activated by pressing it against the surface of the absorption unit. The absorption unit of the activation device 61 is not limited to a stacked structure, but may be made of a single member.

[0029] <Air blowing device 62> The air blowing device 62 adjusts the amount of water or solvent that has adhered to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 by the activating device 61 to an appropriate amount. The air blowing device 62 blows air toward the printing surface 4 after it has been pressed against the activating device 61 and before the ink has been transferred, thereby removing excess water or solvent from the printing surface 4. Note that the type, number, and direction in which the air blowing devices 62 blow air are not limited. Furthermore, if the activating device 61 can control the amount of liquid that adheres to the printing surface 4 to an appropriate amount, the air blowing device 62 may be omitted.

[0030] <Printing plate 50> The printing plate 50 is placed on the printing plate stage 85, and ink 40 is placed on the placement surface 51. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the placement surface 51, thereby transferring the ink 40 to the printing surface 4.

[0031] The printing plate 50 is, for example, an intaglio plate. Alternatively, the printing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment performs, for example, intaglio printing or relief printing. Ink may also be applied to the printing plate 50 by inkjet printing. In other words, the method for applying the ink 40 to the printing plate 50 is not important.

[0032] <Ink Placement Device 63> As shown in Figure 1, the ink placement device 63 includes an ink holding unit 64, which is a roller with a surface made of a material that holds ink. The ink holding unit 64 is configured to rotate around a rotation axis 65. The ink placement device 63 places the ink 40 in the ink-philic region of the placement surface 51 by bringing the ink holding unit 64 into contact with the placement surface 51 of the printing plate 50 and causing the ink holding unit 64 to rotate and move on the placement surface 51. The ink placement device 63 is not limited to the configuration including a roller shown in Figure 1, and may be configured such that the ink holding unit 64 moves perpendicular to the placement surface 51, as long as the ink holding unit 64 and the placement surface 51 of the printing plate 50 can come into contact with each other.

[0033] Since the printing plate 50 has ink-phobic areas and ink-philic areas, and the ink-phobic areas repel ink, the ink deposition device 63 can deposit ink on the ink-philic areas even if the ink-philic areas are small. Furthermore, since the ink-phobic areas repel excess ink, the ink deposition device 63 does not need to be equipped with a doctor blade to remove excess ink after depositing the ink.

[0034] Furthermore, when printing a color image on the surface of the print object 70, multiple monochrome printing plates 50 may be used. In this case, the printing apparatus 100 may be equipped with multiple ink depositing devices 63. Alternatively, one print object 70 may be printed using multiple printing apparatuses 100. In this case, each of the multiple printing apparatuses 100 corresponds to a respective one of the multiple monochrome printing plates 50. Note that, although the ink depositing device 63 for intaglio printing has been described in the first embodiment, ink 40 may also be deposited on the printing plate 50 for relief printing or inkjet printing. The ink depositing device 63 can be changed as appropriate depending on the printing method.

[0035] <Air Blower 66> As shown in FIG. 1 , the printing device 100 includes an air blower 66 that blows air onto the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 after the ink 40 has been transferred thereto. In the first embodiment, the air blower 66 is disposed around the printing stage 87 where the object 70 to be printed is placed. The air blower 66 blows air onto the printing surface 4 with the ink 40 attached thereto and before it is pressed against the surface 71 to be printed. By blowing air toward the printing surface 4, the air blower 66 evaporates liquids, such as solvents, that have adhered to the printing surface 4 and that have soaked into the ink 40 in the activation device 61. This reduces the affinity between the ink 40 and the printing surface 4. It also increases the viscosity of the ink 40. In other words, the ink 40 hardens when blown by the air blower 66.

[0036] The air blowers 66 may be installed in multiple locations so that air is blown onto the printing surface 4. The air blowers 66 may also be equipped with an internal heater to adjust the temperature of the air blown onto the printing surface 4. The temperature of the air blown onto the printing surface 4 may be adjusted by detecting the temperature of the air blown onto the printing surface 4 with a temperature sensor 68 (see FIG. 13 ) and adjusting the heater output accordingly. The temperature sensor 68 may also detect the room temperature of the environment in which the printing device 100 is placed, and adjust the heater output according to the room temperature. For example, the air blower 66 has an air outlet at one end of a cylindrical housing, and a fan and heater 67 installed inside the other end of the housing, with an inlet for taking in air.

[0037] <Printing Jig 80> FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example of the printed matter 70 and printing jig 80 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4. The printed matter 70 and printing jig 80 are placed on a printing stage 87, with the printing jig 80 positioned to surround the periphery of the printed matter 70. However, the printing jig 80 is not limited to one that surrounds the entire periphery of the printed matter 70, and also includes one that is positioned partially around the periphery of the printed matter 70. The cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 4 and other figures is an example of the cross-sectional structure of at least a portion of the printing jig 80, and the entire printing jig 80 does not necessarily have to have a similar cross-sectional structure. The shape of the printing jig 80 is set according to the shape of the printed matter 70 and the printing range A. In the cross-section shown in FIG. 5, the printing range A extends from the portion at the left end of the printed matter 70 that protrudes upward in the Z direction in the X direction perpendicular to the Z direction to the portion at the right end where the corners are rounded into an arc shape. The left end of the printing range A is the point where the R-shape of the tip of the protrusion begins (the end of the R-shape on the side of imaginary line C). The right end of the printing range A is a point on the corner R (a point located on the side of imaginary line C relative to the point where the corner R intersects with the plane of the printed matter 70 along the Z direction). The X direction is sometimes referred to as the second direction.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the printing pad 10 pressed against the printed matter 70 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the printed matter 70 in the cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 4 . The printing jig 80 is configured so that its inner edges 81 and 82 face the peripheral edges 74 and 75 of the printed matter 70. In other words, the printing jig 80 has an inner peripheral surface whose central portion is a generally plate-shaped member and whose shape conforms to the peripheral edges 74 and 75 of the printed matter 70. However, the printing jig 80 is formed by hollowing out the central portion of a plate-shaped member to the shape of the printed matter 70, or by placing a plate-shaped member against the peripheral edges 74 and 75 of the printed matter 70 and cutting it using a cutter or the like to match the shape of the printed matter 70. The inner edges 81 and 82 are included in the inner peripheral surface formed by the printing jig 80. Furthermore, the inner edges 81 and 82 are positioned adjacent to the peripheral edges 74 and 75 of the printed matter 70 or with a predetermined gap G therebetween. If the gap G is extremely small, the printing pad 10 will not fit in, and there is a risk that the edges of the printing area A will not be printed. Therefore, the dimensions of the gap G are set so as to obtain the required printing area A. It is desirable that the material used for the printing jig 80 is one that is easy to adjust and process and that is unlikely to damage the printing pad 10, such as a resin foam such as polyethylene foam, but this is not limited to this.

[0039] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the rounded corner 70a at the right end of the printed material 70 in FIG. 6 . The area of ​​the surface of the printed material 70 outside the printing area A is referred to as the peripheral edge. In FIG. 7 , the surface parallel to the Z direction and part of the rounded corner at the right end of the printed material 70 are the peripheral edge 74. The upper end of the peripheral edge 74 is also the outer edge 72 of the printing area A. Note that the peripheral edge 74 is appropriately set depending on the shape of the printed material 70 and the setting of the printing area A. In FIG. 7 , the printing area A and the area where the printing pad 10 is pressed against the printed material 70 and the printing surface 4 is pressed against and contacts the printed material 70 are coincident. The area where the printing surface 4 and the printed material 70 contact is referred to as the contact area B. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the printing area A and the contact area B are coincident, illustrating an ideal state in which the printing image transferred to the printing surface 4 is transferred to the printing area A.

[0040] Furthermore, although the upper end of the peripheral portion 74 and the outer edge 72 of the printed surface 71 are the ends of the printing range A, in reality, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 may also be pressed against an area inside the peripheral portion 74. In this case, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the print object 70 beyond the printing range A (see FIG. 8 ), but the range of the printed image transferred to the surface of the print object 70 is determined by the printed image transferred from the printing plate 50 to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10. In other words, by pressing the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 against the print object 70 over an area wider than the printed image on the printing surface 4, the printing surface 4 is reliably pressed against the print object 70 up to the edge of the printed image on the printing surface 4, and the printed image is transferred to the printing range A. The outer edge 72 of the printed surface 71 shown in FIG. 7 may be referred to as the first outer edge 72.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the peripheral edge 74 at the right end of the print object 70 has a surface parallel to the Z direction, and the upper end of this surface parallel to the Z direction connects with the rounded corner 70a. The print area A of the print object 70 extends from the upper end of the surface parallel to the Z direction to a point on the imaginary line C side. In other words, the edge of the print area A, i.e., the outer edge 72 of the print surface 71, is located on the surface of the rounded corner 70a. In other words, the upper end of the peripheral edge 74 is a point on the R-corner, and the angle α between the tangent T1 of the surface at the upper end and the imaginary line C is greater than 90°. In other words, the edge of the print area A is a surface that slopes outward from the center (imaginary line C) of the print object 70 toward the print stage 87. When printing by pressing the printing pad 10 against such a surface, the print surface 4 may not be able to properly follow the print surface 71. Furthermore, if the printing pad 10 is pressed too hard against the printing object 70 to ensure contact of the printing surface 4 all the way to the edge of the printing range A, the printing pad 10 may be significantly deformed, resulting in image distortion and ink slippage. Pressing the printing pad 10 too hard against the printing object 70 may also damage the printing pad 10 due to the rounded corners of the printing object 70. Therefore, by using the printing jig 80, the printing surface 4 conforms to the surface 71 to be printed and prevents the printing surface 4 from being pressed too hard against the corners of the printing object 70.

[0042] The inner edge 82 of the printing jig 80 is positioned adjacent to the peripheral edge 74, which is the outer portion adjacent to the printing range A of the print object 70. The inner edge 82 is also positioned to face the peripheral edge 74 of the print object 70 with a gap G between them. The printing jig 80 has a pad receiving surface 83 that extends outward from the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82. The pad receiving surface 83 is an inclined surface having a tangent angle θ of 90° or less with respect to an imaginary line C that passes through the center of the print object 70 and is parallel to the Z direction. In other words, the pad receiving surface 83 is a surface that inclines toward the print stage 87 as it approaches the print object 70. The pad receiving surface 83 is not limited to a flat surface, but may be a curved surface 83a.

[0043] Because the pad receiving surface 83 is a surface that is inclined toward the print object 70, it suppresses deformation of the printing pad 10 that spreads outward (to the right in the X direction in FIG. 7 ) when the printing pad 10 is pressed against it. Furthermore, the pad receiving surface 83 makes it easier for the printing surface 4 to follow the shape of the area including the upper end of the peripheral portion 74 of the print object 70, and it can be pressed with an appropriate load even against surfaces with a tangent angle α of 90° or more. However, the pad receiving surface 83 is not limited to the above-described form; the tangent angle θ can also be greater than 90°, and the printing jig 80 may partially have pad receiving surfaces 83 with a tangent angle θ≧90°.

[0044] Furthermore, the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 is located closer to the printing stage 87 in the Z direction than the end of the printing range A, i.e., the outer edge 72 of the surface to be printed 71. This causes the printing pad 10 to deform so as to enter the gap G between the peripheral edge 74 and the inner edge 82, making it easier for the printing surface 4 to be pressed against a surface that is inclined nearly parallel to the Z direction.

[0045] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 7 is changed. In FIG. 8, the dimensions of the printing jig 80 have been changed so that the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 of the printing jig 80 is moved toward the printing stage 87 compared to FIG. 7. As a result, the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 and the pad receiving surface 83 move downward, and the contact range B expands further outward (toward the printing stage 87). The contact range B has moved closer to the printing stage 87 than the range shown in FIG. 7, and the tangent angle α at the end of the contact range B is also 180° or close to 180°. In this case, because the contact range B is larger than the printing range A, the print image transferred to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is entirely transferred to the printing surface 71, forming the print image in the desired printing range A.

[0046] However, in the printing jig 80 of Figure 8, if the distance in the z direction between the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 of the printing jig 80 and the outer edge 72 of the surface 71 to be printed is increased, the printing pad 10 will be pressed strongly against the rounded corner 70a of the print material, making the printing pad 10 more susceptible to damage. Furthermore, the deformation of the printing pad 10 will be greater, causing the image to stretch and making it more likely for the ink to slip. Therefore, even in cases where the contact area B is larger than the printing area A as in Figure 8, the position of the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 of the printing jig 80 is adjusted so that the contact area B is not excessively large relative to the printing area A.

[0047] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 7 is changed. In FIG. 9, the dimensions of the printing jig 80 have been changed so that the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 of the printing jig 80 is moved away from the printing stage 87 compared to FIG. 7. As a result, the upper end 82a of the inner edge 82 and the pad receiving surface 83 move upward, and the contact range B is narrowed further inward (away from the printing stage 87). The outer edge 72 of the printing surface 71, which is the edge of the printing range A, moves toward the center of the print object 70, and the tangent angle α of the outer edge 72 is greater than but close to 90°. In this case, the contact range B of the printing pad 10 is smaller than the printing range A, and the edge portion of the print image transferred to the printing surface 4 is not pressed against the printing surface 71 and is not transferred.

[0048] However, even with a printing jig 80 such as that shown in Fig. 9, if the printing range A is set in an area further inward (towards the imaginary line C), the print image on the printing pad 10 can be reliably transferred to the printing surface 71. The printing jig 80 in Fig. 9 is formed so that the tangent angle θ of the pad receiving surface 83 with respect to the imaginary line C is smaller than 90°, and therefore the printing pad 10 deforms to fit into the gap G and is appropriately pressed against the area including the rounded corner 70a of the print object 70, which is the upper end of the peripheral edge 74.

[0049] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the protrusion at the left end of the printed matter 70 in FIG. 6 . In FIG. 10 , the surface parallel to the Z direction at the left end of the printed matter 70 and part of the rounded corner of the protrusion 70b form the peripheral edge 75. The upper end of the peripheral edge 75 is the outer edge 73 of the printed surface 77, which is the end of the printing area A. Note that the peripheral edge 75 is set appropriately depending on the shape of the printed matter 70 and the setting of the printing area A. The area where the printing surface 4 and the printed matter 70 contact each other is called the contact area B. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the printing area A and the contact area B coincide, illustrating an ideal state in which the print image transferred to the printing surface 4 is transferred to the printing area A.

[0050] Furthermore, although the upper end of the peripheral portion 75 is the end of the printing range A, in reality, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 may also be pressed against an area inside the peripheral portion 75 shown in Figure 10. In this case, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the print object 70 beyond the printing range A, but the range of the print image transferred to the surface of the print object 70 is determined by the print image transferred from the printing plate 50 to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10. In other words, by pressing the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 against the print object 70 over an area wider than the print image on the printing surface 4, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is reliably pressed against the print object 70 up to the edge of the print image on the printing surface 4, and the print image is transferred to the printing range A.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the peripheral edge 75 at the left end of the printed object 70 has a surface parallel to the Z direction, and the upper end of this surface parallel to the Z direction is connected to the printing surface 77 via a rounded corner. In the printed object 70 shown in FIG. 10 , the printing range A is the area from the center, where the imaginary line C is located, to a point slightly to the side of the imaginary line C from the apex of the protruding portion 70b. The upper end of the peripheral edge 75 is a point on the rounded corner of the protruding portion 70b, which is the outer edge 73 of the printing surface 77. The tangent line T2 of the surface at the outer edge 73 of the printing surface 77 forms an angle β with the imaginary line C. When printing is performed by pressing the printing pad 10 against such a surface without a printing jig 80, the surface pressure applied to the printing surface 4 abutting the protruding portion 70b increases, which may damage the printing surface 4. Furthermore, if the printing pad 10 is pressed hard against the printing object 70 to ensure contact of the printing surface 4 all the way to the edge of the printing range A, the printing pad 10 may be significantly deformed, resulting in image distortion and ink slippage. Pressing the printing pad 10 hard against the printing object 70 may also damage the printing pad 10 due to the rounded corners of the protrusions 70b. Therefore, by using the printing jig 80, the printing surface 4 is allowed to conform to the surface 77 to be printed, and the printing surface 4 is prevented from being pressed too hard against the corners of the printing object 70.

[0052] The inner edge 81 of the printing jig 80 is positioned adjacent to the peripheral edge 75, which is the outer portion adjacent to the printing range A of the printed object 70. The inner edge 81 is also positioned to face the peripheral edge 75 of the printed object 70 with a gap G between them. The printing jig 80 has a pad receiving surface 83b that extends outward from the upper end 81a of the inner edge 81. The pad receiving surface 83b is an inclined surface that forms a tangent angle θ with an imaginary line C that passes through the center of the printed object 70 and is parallel to the Z direction. The tangent angle θ of the pad receiving surface 83b is set to be approximately the same as the tangent angle β at the upper end of the peripheral edge 75 of the printed object 70, i.e., at the outer edge 73 of the surface 77 to be printed. In Figure 10, the pad receiving surface 83b is formed in a shape that extends outward from the printed surface 77 or at a higher position, excluding the gap G and the rounded corners, so that when the printing surface 4 follows the shape of the area including the upper end of the peripheral portion 75 of the printed matter 70, sudden deformation is suppressed.

[0053] A second pad receiving surface 84 is connected to the outer side of the pad receiving surface 83b. The second pad receiving surface 84 has a slope that, for example, decreases outward from the apex 84a. In other words, the tangent angle θ2 of the second pad receiving surface 84 with respect to the imaginary line C may be greater than 90°. Furthermore, the printing jig 80 gradually changes the tangent angles of the pad receiving surfaces 83b and 84 arranged adjacent to the printing surface 77 of the print object 70, thereby suppressing local deformation of the printing surface 4 that comes into contact with the printing jig 80 when the printing pad 10 abuts against it. As a result, even if the print object 70 has a cross-sectional shape that protrudes more than other parts, such as the protrusion 70b, the printing pad 10 is pressed against the print object 70 so that a load is applied evenly. Furthermore, because the second pad receiving surface 84 is disposed outside the pad receiving surface 83b, the printing pad 10 is not significantly prevented from deforming outward (to the left in the X direction) or inward (to the right in the X direction). This prevents the printing surface 4 from sliding over the surface 77 to be printed, thereby preventing a decrease in the accuracy of the printed image. Preferably, the pad receiving surface 83 and the second pad receiving surface 84 are smoothly connected at the apex 84a.

[0054] The printing pad 10 deforms appropriately to fit into the gap G between the peripheral edge 74 and the inner edge 82. Therefore, the printing surface 4 can be easily pressed against a surface having a sharp corner such as the protrusion 70b.

[0055] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 10 is changed. In FIG. 11 , the dimensions of the printing jig 80 have been changed so that the upper end 81 a of the inner edge 81 of the printing jig 80 moves away from the printing stage 87 compared to FIG. 10 . As a result, the upper end 81 a of the inner edge 81 and the pad receiving surface 83 b move upward, narrowing the contact area B further inward (toward imaginary line C). The end of the contact area B moves toward imaginary line C relative to the outer edge 73 of the print surface 77, which is the end of the original print area A, and the tangent angle β at the end of the contact area B is also smaller than in FIG. 10 . For example, the tangent angle β is 90° or less. In this case, the contact area B of the printing pad 10 is smaller than the print area A, and the edge portion of the print image transferred to the print surface 4 is not pressed against the print surface 71 and is not transferred.

[0056] However, even in such a case, if the printing area A is set in a region further inward (toward the imaginary line C), the print image on the printing pad 10 can be reliably transferred to the printing surface 71. In the printing jig 80 of FIG. 11 , the tangent angle θ of the pad receiving surface 83b with respect to the imaginary line C is formed to be smaller than 90°, so the printing pad 10 deforms to enter the gap G and is appropriately pressed against the region including the printing area A. The tangent angle θ is not limited to the above-described form and can also be 90° or greater. The pad receiving surface 83b is not limited to the above-described form and the tangent angle θ can also be 90° or greater, and the printing jig 80 may partially have a pad receiving surface 83b with a tangent angle θ ≥ 90°.

[0057] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the contact state of the printing pad 10 when the shape of the printing jig 80 in FIG. 10 is changed. In FIG. 12, the dimensions of the printing jig 80 have been changed so that the upper end 81a of the inner edge 81 of the printing jig 80 is moved in a direction away from the printing stage 87 compared to FIG. 10. Also, in FIG. 12, the protrusion 70b of the object to be printed 70 is formed with a sharp cross-sectional shape. In such a case, it is desirable to position the pad receiving surface 83b of the printing jig 80 on an extension of the printing surface 77 of the object to be printed 70 so that the printing pad 10 is not pressed strongly against the tip of the protrusion 70b. Because there is a gap G between the object to be printed 70 and the printing jig 80, the printing pad 10 deforms to enter the gap G, thereby reliably pressing against the edge of the printing area A. This allows the printing pad 10 to be pressed appropriately all the way to the tip of the protrusion 70b, which forms the printing area A.

[0058] 12, a second pad receiving surface 84 may be provided adjacent to the pad receiving surface 83b, and the tangent angle θ2 with respect to the imaginary line C may be set to be greater than 90°. This prevents local deformation of the printing surface 4 when the printing pad 10 comes into contact with it.

[0059] (Material of the printing jig 80) The printing jig 80 is formed from a material that is harder than the silicone rubber that constitutes the printing pad 10. For example, the printing jig 80 may be made from a foamed plastic such as polystyrene foam, and it is desirable that the printing jig 80 be made from a material that deforms little when the printing pad 10 is pressed against it. The printing jig 80 is also desirably made from a material that is easy to process so that it can be changed in shape depending on the shape of the object to be printed 70 and the printing area A. For example, the printing jig 80 is made from a foam such as polyethylene foam, polyolefin, or the like. It is desirable that the material that constitutes the printing jig 80 be made from a material that can be cut with a cutter or the like and that allows for fine adjustments.

[0060] <Method for manufacturing printed matter 70 using printing device 100> Fig. 13 is an example of a functional block diagram of the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. Next, a method for manufacturing printed matter using the printing device 100 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the printing device 100 includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer, and includes an arithmetic device 20a and a storage device 20b. The functions of the control device 20, i.e., the functional blocks shown in Fig. 8, are realized using the arithmetic device 20a and the storage device 20b (see Fig. 1).

[0061] The storage device 20b may be a ROM that stores programs and data in advance, or a RAM for temporarily storing data when a program is executed. The storage device 20b may be a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable and Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM). The storage device 20b may also be a removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (Mini Disc), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The storage device 20b can store information obtained from the temperature sensor 68 and information processed by the arithmetic device 20a.

[0062] The arithmetic unit 20a, for example, performs various processes to execute the functions of the control unit 20. For example, the arithmetic unit 20a functions as a pad control unit 21, processing coordinate information of the vertical direction movement device 11 and horizontal direction movement device 12 and information from the acceleration sensor 69, etc., to control the movement of the printing pad 10. Additionally, the arithmetic unit 20a functions as an air blower 22, an air blower 23, an activation unit 24, an ink placement unit 25, or a temperature control unit 26. The air blower 22 controls the operation of the air blower 66, and the temperature control unit 26 controls the operation of the heater 67 of the air blower 66 based on information from the temperature sensor 68, etc. The air blower 23 controls the operation of the air blower 62. The activation unit 24 maintains the appropriate state of the activation device 61 based on information about the state (e.g., the amount of liquid) of the activation device 61. The ink placement unit 25 controls the operation of the ink placement device 63, which places ink 40 on the printing plate 50. The control device 20 does not need to have all of the above functions, and may not have the air blowing unit 22, the air blowing unit 23, the activation unit 24, or the temperature control unit 26 depending on the specifications of the printing device 100.

[0063] 14 is a flowchart of an example of a method for producing a printed matter 70 by the printing device 100 according to embodiment 1. The printing device 100 includes a start step that is performed when the printing device 100 is started up or when operation is resumed, and a repeat step that produces a plurality of printed matters 70. The start step is performed depending on the state of the printing pad 10, and may be omitted.

[0064] (Starting Process) The starting process is a process that is carried out, for example, immediately after starting the printing device 100. Since the surface of the printing pad 10 may not be activated immediately after starting the production of the printed matter 70, a process is carried out to properly activate the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10. Since the printing pad 10 is made of a material, such as silicone rubber, to which hard ink 40 does not easily adhere, even if the printing pad 10 is pressed directly against the printing plate 50, the ink 40 may not be transferred as intended. Therefore, the printing device 100 according to the first embodiment activates the printing surface 4 as necessary in the starting process.

[0065] First, when the printing device 100 is started, the printing device 100 moves the printing pad 10 above the activating device 61 and lowers it toward the activating device 61. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the absorbing unit of the activating device 61, and after a predetermined area including the printing surface 4 comes into contact with the absorbing unit, the printing pad 10 is raised. This is referred to as the activation process (SP1). This allows liquid such as water or solvent that has soaked into the absorbing unit of the activating device 61 to adhere to or soak into the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10. The printing surface 4 has minute irregularities formed on its surface, which can retain liquid from the absorbing unit when it adheres. The irregularities on the printing surface 4 are preferably formed so as to have a height difference of 2 to 5 μm. The pad control unit 21 of the control device 20 controls the vertical movement device 11 and the horizontal movement device 12. This controls the position of the printing pad 10, its movement from the initial position at the start of production toward the activating device 61, and its pressing action. The activation unit 24 controls or notifies the user to maintain a predetermined amount of liquid contained in the absorption unit of the activation device 61. Furthermore, when the absorption unit has deteriorated, the activation unit 24 controls or notifies the user to update the absorption unit.

[0066] After the activation step (SP1) is completed, it is determined whether the amount of liquid adhering to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is appropriate (SP2). If the amount of liquid adhering to the printing surface 4 is not appropriate (NO in SP2), the printing device 100 performs the air blowing step (SP3). In the air blowing step, the air blowing device 62 blows air onto the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 to remove excess liquid adhering to the printing surface 4. Note that an inappropriate amount of liquid adhering to the printing surface 4 refers to an excessive amount of liquid adhering to the printing surface 4. The air blowing unit 23 of the control device 20 controls the operation of the air blowing device 62. When the printing pad 10 moves to a location where it will be hit by air sent from the air blowing device 62, the air blowing unit 23 drives the air blowing device 62 to perform the air blowing step.

[0067] After completing the air blowing step (SP3), it is determined whether the amount of liquid adhering to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is appropriate (SP4). If excess water or solvent is still adhering to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 (NO in SP4), the printing device 100 performs an absorbing step (SP5). In the absorbing step, the printing device 100 presses the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 against the cleaning device 60. This removes excess liquid adhering to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10.

[0068] Note that if an appropriate amount of water or solvent is attached to or soaked into the printing pad 10 (YES in SP2 or YES in SP4), one or both of the air blowing step (SP3) and the absorbing step (SP5) may be omitted. The order of the air blowing step and the absorbing step may be changed. Furthermore, the air blowing step and the absorbing step may be performed multiple times. The operator may visually check whether the amount of liquid attached to the printing surface 4 is appropriate. If the operator determines that excess liquid is attached to the printing surface 4, the operator may issue a command for the absorbing step, and the pad control unit 21 of the control device 20 may move the printing pad 10 to at least one of the air blowing step and the absorbing step.

[0069] (Repeating Process) Once the starting process is complete and the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 has been properly activated, the process moves to the repeating process. The repeating process includes an ink placement process (S1), an ink transfer process (S2), an air blowing process (S3), a printing process (S4), a cleaning process (S5), an activation process (S6), an air blowing process (S8), and an absorbing process (S10). As shown in FIG. 8 , the printing device 100 performs the processes in the following order: ink placement process (S1), ink transfer process (S2), air blowing process (S3), printing process (S4), cleaning process (S5), activation process (S6), air blowing process (S8), and absorbing process (S10). However, the repeating process is not limited to this order. For example, after the ink placement process (S1) and the ink transfer process (S2) are completed, the printing device 100 performs the air blowing process (S3) through the absorbing process (S10). On the other hand, the printing apparatus 100 may perform the next ink depositing step (S1) in parallel while the blowing step (S3) through the absorbing step (S10) are being performed.

[0070] In the repeating process, a print image is formed on the surface of the print object 70 each time the printing process (S4) is performed. The number of print objects 70 is not limited to one, and multiple print objects 70 may be printed simultaneously. When multiple print objects 70 are printed simultaneously, multiple printing pads 10 may be installed in the printing device 100.

[0071] (Ink Deposition Process) The ink deposition process (S1) is a process in which the ink 40 is deposited on the printing plate 50 by the ink deposition device 63. The ink deposition device 63 brings the ink holding portion 64 into contact with the deposition surface 51 of the printing plate 50 and rolls the ink holding portion 64 on the deposition surface 51. The ink 40 absorbed in the ink holding portion 64 is deposited only on the ink-philic regions 58 provided on the deposition surface 51. The ink holding portion 64 in which the ink 40 has been absorbed also comes into contact with the ink-phobic regions 57. However, the ink 40 is not deposited on the ink-phobic regions 57 because they repel the ink 40. It is desirable that the ink 40 be set to a relatively hard viscosity so that it is repelled by the ink-phobic regions 57. For example, the viscosity of the ink 40 is preferably set in the range of 700 P to 1200 P (Poise). The ink placement unit 25 of the control device 20 controls the operation of the ink placement device 63 to place the ink 40 on the printing plate 50 before the printing pad 10 is pressed against the printing plate 50 .

[0072] (Ink Transfer Step) In the ink transfer step (S2), the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is pressed against the mounting surface 51 of the printing plate 50. The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 comes into contact with the ink 40 placed on the ink-philic regions 58 of the printing plate 50 shown in FIG. 11 . The printing pad 10 then moves upward, and the printing surface 4 separates from the mounting surface 51 of the printing plate 50. The ink 40 that has come into contact with the printing surface 4 moves directly to the printing surface 4. The ink 40 is placed on the printing surface 4 in accordance with the ink-philic regions 58 placed on the mounting surface 51 of the printing plate 50. The pressing of the printing pad 10 against the printing plate 50 is also controlled by the pad control unit 21.

[0073] The printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 has water or a solvent attached or soaked in it through the activation step (SP1 or S6), making it easier for the ink 40 to adhere to it. In particular, to obtain a highly accurate printed image, it is necessary to reduce the size of each dot of ink 40 transferred to the printing surface 4 and narrow the spacing between adjacent dots of ink 40. Therefore, it is desirable to use ink 40 with high viscosity. Specifically, as described above, it is desirable for the viscosity of the ink 40 to be in the range of 700 P to 1200 P. According to the printing device 100, the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is activated by the activation device 61, making it easier for the ink 40 to adhere to it even if the viscosity of the ink 40 is high.

[0074] (Blowing step) In the blowing step (S3), the printing pad 10 is moved to a position where air sent from the blower 66 hits the printing surface 4. Once the printing pad 10 has moved to a predetermined position, the blower 66 starts operating and air is blown onto the printing surface 4. After a predetermined time has passed since air was blown onto the printing surface 4, the blower unit 22 of the control device 20 may control the blower 66 to stop operating, or may control the blower 66 to start moving the printing pad 10, which had been stopped. The air blown out from the blower 66 is controlled to a temperature of, for example, 40 to 80°C.

[0075] Furthermore, in the air blowing step (S3), the time for blowing air onto the printing pad 10 may be controlled based on the temperature of the room environment. The air blowing unit 22 receives room temperature information from the temperature sensor 28 and controls the operation of the air blower 66 so that it blows air for a length of time set according to the room temperature. For example, if the room temperature is high, the blowing time is controlled to be shorter.

[0076] Furthermore, the blower unit 22 may adjust the length of time for which air is blown in response to information from a temperature control unit 26 that controls the output of a heater 67 built into the blower 66. Specifically, the blower unit 22 controls the amount of air blown based on information about the temperature of the air blown out from the blower 66, the temperature of which is measured by a temperature sensor 68. By blowing air, the viscosity of the ink 40 on the printing surface 4 may be adjusted to a range of, for example, 900 P or more and 1100 P or less. However, the viscosity of the ink is not limited to that described above.

[0077] (Printing Process) In the printing process (S4), the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10, with the ink 40 attached thereto, is pressed against the object 70 to be printed. The printing device 100 according to the first embodiment can print on the printing surface 71 of the object 70 to be printed, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . The printing surface 71 of the printing pad 10 may have an uneven surface, including a flat surface or a curved surface. Furthermore, the printing range A may have a surface that is inclined or parallel to the Z direction in which the printing pad 10 moves. In the printing process (S4), the printing pad 10 is pressed toward the printing stage 87 so that the printing surface 4, with the ink 40 attached thereto, comes into close contact with the printing surface 71 to be printed. The ink 40 attached to the printing surface 4 comes into contact with the printing range A and is transferred. The movement of the printing pad 10 in the printing process is also controlled by the pad control unit 21.

[0078] The object to be printed 70 is positioned and fixed on the printing stage 87, for example, surrounded by the printing jig 80. This determines the relative positions of the printing pad 10, the object to be printed 70, and the printing jig 80, allowing for accurate printing on the surface to be printed 71. The printing pad 10 is pressed not only against the surface to be printed 71, but also against the surface of the printing jig 80. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 12 , the printing jig 80 has a pad receiving surface 83, or the pad receiving surface 83 and a second pad receiving surface 84, which limits deformation of the printing pad 10 and makes the load applied from the printing pad 10 to the printing range A as uniform as possible. The vertical movement device 11 is controlled so that the printing pad 10 is pressed against at least the pad receiving surface 83 during printing.

[0079] The printing jig 80 is formed according to the shape of the printed matter 70 and the printing area A, and by suppressing unnecessary deformation of the printing pad 10, damage to the printing pad 10 is suppressed, and slippage between the printing surface 4 and the surface to be printed 71 and distortion of the printed image are suppressed.

[0080] (Cleaning Step) In the cleaning step (S5), the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 after the ink 40 has been transferred to the printing surface 71 is pressed against a flat cleaning surface of the cleaning device 60. The ink 40 remaining on the printing pad 10 is adhered to the cleaning surface. The cleaning surface is made of paper or adhesive tape, but is not limited to these.

[0081] (Activation Process, Air Blowing Process, Absorption Process) The activation process (S6) is the same as the activation process (SP1) in the start process. The air blowing process (S8) is the same as the air blowing process (SP3) in the start process. The absorption process (S10) is also the same as the absorption process (SP5) in the start process. The air blowing process (S6) and the absorption process (S10) are performed depending on the amount of liquid such as water or solvent adhering to the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10, and one of them may be omitted, or at least one of them may be performed multiple times. The air blowing process (S8) and the absorption process (S10) are performed depending on the activation state of the printing surface 4 after the state of the printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 is checked (S7 and S9) before each process.

[0082] After determining in S7 or S9 that the state of the printing surface 4 is appropriate for transferring the ink 40, the flow returns to S1 again if the next printed matter 70 is to be printed, or ends (S11) if the production of the printed matter 70 is to be completed. As described above, the printing device 100 performs the start process at startup and then repeats the process to print a large number of printed matters 70.

[0083] When the printing plate 50 is configured, for example, with a plurality of monochrome printing plates 50, printing may be performed using a plurality of printing apparatuses 100 corresponding to the respective monochrome printing plates 50. For example, one printing apparatus 100 is equipped with monochrome printing plates 50 and prints the printed matter 70 using only magenta ink. Thereafter, the printed matter 70 is printed using only cyan ink in another printing apparatus 100 equipped with monochrome printing plates 50. This process can be repeated as many times as there are monochrome printing plates 50.

[0084] When the printing apparatus 100 is equipped with a plurality of printing plate stages 85 and a plurality of ink placement devices 63 corresponding to a plurality of monochrome printing plates 50, the printing apparatus 100 repeats at least the ink placement step, the ink transfer step, and the printing step for one printed object 70 the same number of times as the number of monochrome printing plates 50. The printing apparatus 100 may also repeat at least one of the cleaning step, the activation step, the air blowing step, and the absorbing step the same number of times as the number of monochrome printing plates 50.

[0085] Although the method for producing the printed matter 70 using the printing device 100 has been described above, the production method is not limited to the above, and each step can be modified as appropriate.

[0086] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a method for manufacturing a printing jig 80 according to the first embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 15( a), a flat plate-shaped member slightly higher than the highest point of the printed material 70 is placed around the periphery of the printed material 70. The flat plate-shaped member is then scraped off the top surface and inner edges 81 and 82 while repeatedly printing the printed material 70. The amount of scraping off the member is adjusted while observing the print image on the printed material 70. Note that although a gap is shown between the printed material 70 and the printing jig 80 in FIG. 15, this may not be the case. For example, the printing jig 80 may be pressed horizontally against the printed material 70 to eliminate any gap between the printing jig 80 and the printed material 70. Alternatively, the printed material 70 may be positioned to one side inside the printing jig 80 and then printed. Furthermore, the printing jig 80 is not limited to one that surrounds the entire periphery of the printed material 70, but may also be one that is partially positioned around the periphery of the printed material 70.

[0087] As described above, the first embodiment has been described. However, this embodiment is merely an example, and the embodiments and modified examples may be combined with each other, or may be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, some of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Specifically, the printing jig 80, printing device 100, and printing method described above may include combinations of the features of each item, as shown in Supplementary Notes 1 to 15 below. These combinations are described below. [Supplementary Note 1] A printing jig 80 is disposed around at least a portion of the periphery of a print object 70 in a printing process in which a printing pad 10 is linearly moved in a first direction toward a printing stage 87 and pressed against the print object 70 to transfer an ink image transferred to a printing surface 4 of the printing pad 10 to the print object 70, the printing jig being disposed adjacent to the print object 70 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and having inner edges 81, 82 that face peripheral edges 74, 75 that are portions outside a printing range A of the print object 70 in the second direction. [Supplementary Note 2] The printing jig 80 according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the inner edges 81, 82 are positioned with a gap from the print object 70 in the second direction. [Supplementary Note 3] The printing jig 80 according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, further comprising a pad receiving surface 83 extending outward from the inner edges 81, 82, wherein when at least a part of the outer edge of the printing range of the print object is defined as a first outer edge, the first outer edge has a tangent angle α formed by a tangent to the print surface at the first outer edge and an imaginary line passing through the center of the print object and parallel to the first direction that is greater than 90°, and the inner edges 81, 82 include a first inner edge 82 positioned adjacent to the peripheral edge portion 74 adjacent to the first outer edge. [Supplementary Note 4] The printing jig 80 according to Supplementary Note 3, further comprising a pad receiving surface 83 extending outward from the inner edges 81, 82, [Supplementary Note 5] The printing jig 80 according to Supplementary Note 3 or 4, wherein an upper end 82a of the first inner edge 82 is located closer to the printing stage 87 than the first outer edge 72 in the first direction.[Appendix 6] The printing jig according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5, further comprising a pad receiving surface 83 extending outward from the inner edges 81, 82, and when at least a part of the outer edge of the printing range A of the printed object 70 is defined as a second outer edge 73, the second outer edge 73 has a tangent angle β formed by a line tangent to the surface to be printed 77 at the second outer edge 73 and an imaginary line C passing through the center of the printed object 70 and parallel to the first direction that is smaller than 90°, and the inner edges 81, 82 include a second inner edge 81 located adjacent to the peripheral edge portion 75 adjacent to the second outer edge 73. [Appendix 7] The printing jig 80 according to Appendices 6, wherein an upper end 81a of the second inner edge is located at the same position as the second outer edge 73 or on a side farther from the printing stage 87 than the second outer edge 73 in the first direction. [Appendix 8] The printing jig 80 according to Appendices 6 or 7, further comprising a second pad receiving surface 84 connected to the outside of the pad receiving surface 83b adjacent to the second inner edge 81. [Appendix 9] The printing jig 80 according to Appendices 8, wherein the pad receiving surface 83b adjacent to the second inner edge has a tangent angle θ with respect to the imaginary line C that is smaller than 90°, and the second pad receiving surface 84 has a tangent angle θ2 with respect to the imaginary line C that is 90° or greater. [Appendix 10] The printing jig 80 according to any one of Appendices 1 to 9, made of foamed plastic. [Appendix 11] A printing device 100 comprising the printing jig 80 according to any one of Appendices 1 to 10, the printing stage 87 to which the printing jig 80 is fixed, and the printing pad 10 that is pressed against the printing jig 80 and the object 70 to be printed.[Appendix 12] A printing method for transferring an ink image transferred to a printing surface 4 of a printing pad 10 to a printing object 70 by linearly moving the printing pad 10 in a first direction toward a printing stage 87 and pressing the printing pad 10 against the printing object 70, the printing method comprising: placing a printing jig 80 on the printing stage 87; the printing jig 80 having inner edges 81, 82 positioned opposite peripheral edges 74, 75 of the printing object 70; and a pad receiving surface 83 extending outward from the inner edges 81, 82; pressing the printing pad 10 against the printing object 70 and the printing jig 80; and pressing the printing pad 10 against the printing jig 80 until it abuts against the pad receiving surface 83. [Appendix 13] The printing method according to Appendix 12, wherein the pad receiving surface 83 has an inclined surface having a tangent angle of less than 90° with respect to an imaginary line C that passes through the center of the surface 71 to be printed of the placed print object 70 and is parallel to the first direction, and the print object 70 is positioned so that the inner edge 81 and the peripheral edges 74, 75 are adjacent to each other in second directions X, Y that are perpendicular to the first direction Z. [Appendix 14] The printing method according to Appendix 13, wherein the printing jig 80 further has a second pad receiving surface 84 connected to the outside of the pad receiving surface 83, and the printing pad 10 is pressed against the printing jig 80 until it abuts against the second pad receiving surface 84. [Appendix 15] The printing method according to Appendix 14, wherein the second pad receiving surface 84 has a tangent angle θ2 with respect to the imaginary line C that is 90° or greater.

[0088] 1 Inner layer, 2 Outer layer, 4 Printing surface, 5 Substrate, 6 Vertex, 7 Support member, 10 Printing pad, 11 Vertical movement device, 12 Horizontal movement device, 20 Control device, 20a Arithmetic device, 20b Memory device, 21 Pad control unit, 22 Air blowing unit, 23 Air blowing unit, 24 Activation unit, 25 Ink placing unit, 26 Temperature control unit, 28 Temperature sensor, 40 Ink, 50 (for single color) Printing plate, 51 Placement surface, 57 Ink-phobic area, 58 Ink-philic area, 60 Cleaning device, 61 Activation device, 62 Air blowing device, 63 Ink placing device, 64 Ink holding unit, 65 Rotating shaft, 66 Air blower, 66A Air blower, 67 Heater, 68 Temperature sensor, 69 Acceleration sensor, 70 Printed matter, 70a Corner R portion, 70b Protrusion, 71 printing surface, 72 (first) outer edge, 73 (second) outer edge, 74 peripheral edge, 75 peripheral edge, 76 printing surface, 77 printing surface, 80 printing jig, 81 (second) inner edge, 81a upper end, 82 (first) inner edge, 82a upper end, 83 pad receiving surface, 83a curved surface, 83b pad receiving surface, 84 second pad receiving surface, 84a vertex, 85 printing plate stage, 86 surface treatment stage, 87 printing stage, 100 printing device, A printing range, C virtual line, G gap, R angle, T1 tangent, T2 tangent, X second direction, Y second direction, Z first direction, α (tangent) angle, β (tangent) angle, θ tangent angle, θ2 tangent angle.

Claims

1. A printing tool that is arranged on at least a portion of a periphery of a printed material in printing in which a printing pad is moved linearly in a first direction toward a printing stage and pressed against the printed material to transfer an ink image transferred to a printing surface of the printing pad to the printed material, the printing tool comprising: The printed matter is disposed adjacent to the printed matter in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, A printing jig having an inner edge that faces a peripheral portion that is the outer portion of the printing area of ​​the printed matter in the second direction.

2. The inner edge is The printing jig according to claim 1 , which is positioned with a gap from the printed material in the second direction.

3. a pad receiving surface extending outwardly from the inner edge; When at least a part of the outer edge of the printing range of the printed matter is defined as a first outer edge, the first outer edge is a tangent angle between a tangent to the printed surface at the first outer edge and a virtual line passing through the center of the printed matter and parallel to the first direction is greater than 90°; The inner edge is The printing jig according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a first inner edge located adjacent to the periphery adjacent to the first outer edge.

4. The pad receiving surface adjacent the first inner edge comprises: The printing jig according to claim 3 , further comprising an inclined surface having a tangent angle with respect to the imaginary line that is smaller than 90°.

5. The upper end of the first inner edge is The printing jig according to claim 3 , which is located closer to the print stage than the first outer edge in the first direction.

6. a pad receiving surface extending outwardly from the inner edge; When at least a part of the outer edge of the printing range of the printed matter is defined as a second outer edge, the second outer edge is a tangent angle between a tangent to the printed surface at the second outer edge and a virtual line passing through the center of the printed matter and parallel to the first direction is smaller than 90°; The inner edge is The printing jig according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second inner edge located adjacent to the periphery adjacent to the second outer edge.

7. The upper end of the second inner edge is The printing jig according to claim 6 , which is located at the same position as the second outer edge or on a side farther from the printing stage than the second outer edge in the first direction.

8. The printing jig according to claim 6 , further comprising a second pad receiving surface connected to an outer side of the pad receiving surface adjacent the second inner edge.

9. The pad receiving surface adjacent the second inner edge includes: The tangent angle to the virtual line is less than 90°, The second pad receiving surface is The printing jig according to claim 8 , wherein a tangent angle with respect to the virtual line is 90° or more.

10. 3. The printing jig according to claim 1, which is made of foamed plastic.

11. A printing apparatus comprising: the printing jig according to claim 1 ; the printing stage to which the printing jig is fixed; and the printing pad that is pressed against the printing jig and the printed material.

12. A printing method for transferring an ink image transferred onto a printing surface of a printing pad to a printing material by linearly moving the printing pad in a first direction toward a printing stage and pressing the printing pad against the printing material, comprising: A printing jig is placed on the printing stage, The printing jig is an inner edge located opposite a peripheral edge of the printed matter; a pad receiving surface extending outwardly from the inner edge, Pressing the printing pad against the printing material and the printing jig; The printing pad is The pad is pressed against the printing jig until it abuts on the pad receiving surface.

13. The pad receiving surface is a tangent angle of less than 90° with respect to a virtual line that passes through the center of a surface to be printed of the printed matter placed on the printing surface and is parallel to the first direction; The printing method according to claim 12 , wherein the printing object is arranged so that the inner edge and the peripheral edge are adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The printing jig is A second pad receiving surface is connected to an outer side of the pad receiving surface, The printing pad is The printing method according to claim 13 , wherein the second pad is pressed against the printing jig until the second pad contacts the second pad receiving surface.

15. The second pad receiving surface is The printing method according to claim 14 , wherein the tangent angle to the imaginary line is 90° or more.