Can badge manufacturing device, can badge manufacturing method, and can badge

Abstract

Provided are: a can badge manufacturing device and a can badge manufacturing method capable of suppressing or preventing disturbance in a printed image on a can badge while suppressing effects on productivity; and a can badge in which disturbance in a printed image is suppressed or prevented.　This can badge manufacturing device comprises: a mold unit having a lower mold; a printing unit for printing a predetermined image on any one among a first ink receiving layer included in a transparent first medium and a second ink receiving layer included in a transparent second medium, and the first ink receiving layer and the second ink receiving layer; and a conveyance unit for executing processing for conveying the first medium such that the first ink receiving layer faces upward above a front member loaded in the lower mold, and processing for conveying the second medium such that the second ink receiving layer faces the first ink receiving layer above the first medium. The mold unit manufactures the can badge by connecting the front member and a back member to which the first medium and the second medium are conveyed.

Description

Can badge manufacturing device, can badge manufacturing method, and can badge

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a can badge manufacturing device, a can badge manufacturing method, and a can badge.

[0002] Conventionally, can badge manufacturing devices that impart a predetermined image have been known, and Patent Document 1 discloses a can badge manufacturing device that produces a can badge by crimping a front cover to a back cover. In this can badge manufacturing device, a print image is printed on the printing surface of a transparent film based on image data of a print image that is a mirror image of the image, and the user manually places the printed film on the front cover. In this case, the film is placed so that the printed surface faces the surface of the front cover.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-136210

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, the printed surface of the film comes into direct contact with the surface of the top cover. Therefore, when using an inkjet printer as the printing device, if the ink on the printed surface is not dry, the printed image may be distorted. On the other hand, even if a separate time is set aside for the ink on the printed surface to dry, this may increase the production time and reduce productivity. Another option is to place a porous material such as paper between the printed surface and the top cover, but this creates the problem of obscuring the texture of the top cover.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a can badge manufacturing device and a can badge manufacturing method that can suppress or prevent distortion of printed images on can badges while minimizing the impact on productivity, as well as a can badge in which distortion of printed images is suppressed or prevented.

[0006] The can badge manufacturing device disclosed herein is a can badge manufacturing device that manufactures can badges by connecting a front member and a back member, and includes: a mold unit having a lower mold into which the front member and the back member are loaded; a printing unit that prints a predetermined image on a first ink receiving layer of a transparent first medium, a second ink receiving layer of a transparent second medium, and one of the first ink receiving layer and the second ink receiving layer; and a transport unit that performs the following processes: transporting the first medium above the front member loaded in the lower mold so that the first ink receiving layer faces upward; and transporting the second medium above the first medium so that the second ink receiving layer faces the first ink receiving layer; and the mold unit connects the front member to which the first medium and the second medium have been transported to the back member to manufacture the can badge.

[0007] The disclosed method for producing a can badge is a method for producing a can badge by connecting a front member and a back member, and includes loading the front member into a lower mold, printing a predetermined image on either a first ink receiving layer of a transparent first medium, a second ink receiving layer of a transparent second medium, or the first ink receiving layer and the second ink receiving layer, transporting the first medium above the front member loaded into the lower mold so that the first ink receiving layer faces upward, transporting the second medium above the first medium so that the second ink receiving layer faces the first ink receiving layer, and connecting the front member to which the first medium and the second medium have been transported to the back member to produce the can badge.

[0008] The can badge of the present disclosure comprises a front member, a back member, a transparent first medium and a transparent second medium that are placed on the top surface of the front member and whose peripheral portions are connected between the front member and the back member, the first medium having a first ink-receiving layer, the second medium having a second ink-receiving layer facing the first ink-receiving layer, and further comprising a printing layer formed between the first ink-receiving layer and the second ink-receiving layer.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a can badge manufacturing device and a can badge manufacturing method that can suppress or prevent distortion of printed images on can badges while minimizing the impact on productivity, as well as a can badge in which distortion of printed images is suppressed or prevented.

[0010] 9 is a perspective view showing a can badge manufacturing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the can badge manufacturing device of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the can badge manufacturing device of FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a print medium. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a transparent film. FIG. 14 is a plan view of a print medium on which a predetermined image has been printed. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a front member and a back member. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a can badge. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the transparent film and print medium that are covered on the front member. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a printing unit in the can badge manufacturing device of FIG. 1. FIG. 19 is a side view of the transport unit of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the can badge manufacturing device.

[0011] A badge manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The badge manufacturing device described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , a badge production apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a printing unit 1, a transport unit 2, a die unit 3, a front member supply unit 4, a back member supply unit 5, a pressing unit 6, a removal unit 7, a collection container 8, a badge stocker 9, and a control device 110 ( FIG. 3 ). The printing unit 1 has a housing 80. The transport unit 2 is detachable from the housing 80. Note that, hereinafter, the removal direction of the transport unit 2 from the housing 80 is referred to as the "front," and the direction opposite the "front" is referred to as the "rear." Furthermore, directions that intersect (e.g., perpendicular to) the removal direction and intersect (e.g., perpendicular to) each other are referred to as the "up-down direction" and the "left-right direction." However, the arrangement directions in the badge production apparatus 100 are not limited to the above directions.

[0013] First, we will explain the can badge 10 produced by the can badge production device 100. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , the can badge 10 is produced from a front member 11, a back member 12, a transparent film F, and a print medium W. The front member 11 is first covered with the transparent film F, and then the print medium W is covered on top of the transparent film F. The can badge production device 100 produces the can badge 10 by connecting the front member 11, which is covered with the transparent film F and the print medium W, to the back member 12. One example of the connection between the front member 11 and the back member 12 is crimping. In this embodiment, the transparent film F is an example of the first medium, and the print medium W is an example of the second medium. The front member 11 and the back member 12 are made of a magnetic material, such as a tin-plated steel plate. The front member 11 has a front plate portion 11a that is circular when viewed from above, and an annular front edge portion 11b that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the front plate portion 11a. The back member 12 has a back plate portion 12a that is circular when viewed from above, and an annular back edge portion 12b that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the back plate portion 12a.

[0014] A covered portion Fb of a transparent film F is placed on the surface of the front member 11. A covered portion Wb of the print medium W is placed on the transparent film F. Of these covered portions Wb, Fb, the portions that extend beyond the surface of the front plate portion 11a are folded downward from the outer edge of the front plate portion 11a to cover the surface of the front edge portion 11b, and the portions that extend beyond the surface of the front edge portion 11b are folded upward from the lower end of the front edge portion 11b to be sandwiched between the back surface of the front edge portion 11b and the back edge portion 12b of the back member 12. Then, with the covered portions Wb, Fb sandwiched between the opposing front edge portion 11b and back edge portion 12b, at least one of the front member 11 and the back member 12 is crimped, for example, to produce the can badge 10.

[0015] As shown in Figures 4A and 5, the print medium W is a rectangular, transparent sheet. The print medium W has a downstream end We1 and an upstream end We2 in the first transport direction Dc1 when transported by the transport unit 2 toward the mold unit 3. The print medium W includes a covered portion Wb covering the front member 11, a remaining portion Wa different from the covered portion Wb, a connecting portion Wc connecting the covered portion Wb and the remaining portion Wa, and a linear weakened portion Wd extending linearly from the downstream end of the connecting portion Wc to the downstream end We1. As shown in Figure 6B, the covered portion Wb includes a first front portion Wf1 covering the surface of the front plate portion 11a of the front member 11, a second front portion Wf2 covering the surface of the front edge portion 11b, and a peripheral portion Wg sandwiched between the back surface of the front edge portion 11b and the back edge portion 12b of the back member 12. The connecting portion Wc and the linear weak portion Wd are weak portions, such as perforations, that are weaker than the covered portion Wb and the remaining portion Wa. The connecting portion Wc and the linear weak portion Wd are cut by conveying the remaining portion Wa in a second conveying direction Dc2 opposite to the first conveying direction Dc1 by the conveying unit 2 while the covered portion Wb is pressed by the pressing unit 6 in the mold unit 3, thereby separating the covered portion Wb from the remaining portion Wa. According to the arrangement direction of the can badge manufacturing apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 , the first conveying direction Dc1 is backward, and the second conveying direction Dc2 is forward.

[0016] The configuration of the transparent film F is basically the same as the configuration of the print medium W. As shown in FIG. 4B , the transparent film F is a rectangular, transparent sheet having the same shape and size as the print medium W. The transparent film F includes a downstream end Fe1 and an upstream end Fe2 in the first transport direction Dc1, a covered portion Fb, a remaining portion Fa, a connecting portion Fc, and a linear weak portion Fd, and the covered portion Fb has a first front portion Ff1, a second front portion Ff2, and a peripheral portion Fg. The downstream end Fe1 corresponds to the downstream end We1, the upstream end Fe2 corresponds to the upstream end We2, the covered portion Fb corresponds to the covered portion Wb, the remaining portion Fa corresponds to the remaining portion Wa, the connecting portion Fc corresponds to the connecting portion Wec, and the linear weak portion Fd corresponds to the linear weak portion Wd. The first front portion Ff1 corresponds to the first front portion Wf1, the second front portion Ff2 corresponds to the second front portion Wf2, and the peripheral portion Fg corresponds to the peripheral portion Wg.

[0017] The transparency of the print medium W and the transparent film F is characterized by, for example, light transmittance. The light transmittance of the print medium W can be defined as the ratio between the intensity of incident light incident on the print medium W and the intensity of transmitted light that has passed through the print medium W. The same is true for the light transmittance of the transparent film F. The higher the light transmittance, the higher the transparency. Note that the print medium W and the transparent film F do not have 100% light transmittance.

[0018] The transparent print medium W includes not only a colorless and transparent print medium W, but also a colored and transparent print medium W. When the print medium W is colored and transparent, this includes cases where a colored film, such as red, green, or blue, is used as the print medium W. If a colored film is used as the print medium W, printing of the background image Im2, which will be described later, may be unnecessary in some cases, in which case it is sufficient to print only the object image Im1. Furthermore, the transparent film F includes not only a colorless and transparent transparent film F, but also a colored and transparent transparent film F, and a transparent film F having a light transmittance equal to or greater than that of the print medium W is used. In this embodiment, a colorless and transparent sheet is used as the transparent film F.

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, an object image Im1 and a background image Im2 are printed by the printing unit 1 as predetermined images on the covered portion Wb of the print medium W. The background image Im2 is a base image formed in, for example, red, green, or blue. The object image Im1 is, for example, an image of a character or mark. On the other hand, no image is printed on the transparent film F. The object image Im1 is placed on a portion of the top surface of the front member 11, i.e., on a portion of the surface of the front panel portion 11a. The background image Im2 is placed on at least a portion of the top surface of the front member 11 other than the object image Im1, i.e., on some or all of the surface of the front panel portion 11a other than the portion where the object image Im1 is placed.

[0020] Here, the background image Im2 has a higher transparency than the object image Im1. Therefore, the background image Im2 has a higher light transmittance than the object image Im1. As a result, in the can badge 10 in which the transparent film F and the print medium W are coated on the surface member 11, the texture of the material of the surface member 11, i.e., the metallic luster, is visible through the background image Im2. Therefore, the texture of the background image Im2 has a metallic tone. On the other hand, the object image Im1 has a lower light transmittance than the background image Im2, so the metallic luster of the surface member 11 is not visible through the object image Im1. This allows the metallic luster to be maintained in the background image Im2 while the object image Im1 stands out clearly within the background image Im2.

[0021] From the above, if the metallic luster of the surface member 11 can be substantially seen in the area of ​​the background image Im2, then the transparent film F is included in the transparent first medium. To achieve the effect of substantially seeing the metallic luster of the surface member 11 in the area of ​​the background image Im2, an example of a condition for achieving this effect is to set the luminance values ​​of all RGB colors (luminance values ​​defined in the range of 0 to 255) so that the luminance values ​​are not less than 50. In this case, since the luminance values ​​of the object image Im1 are symmetrical to the luminance values ​​of the background image Im2 in terms of achieving the above effect, the luminance values ​​of the object image Im1 are set so that at least one of the RGB colors is 50 or less.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7 , the print medium W has a substrate W10 and an ink-receiving layer W11 provided on one surface of the substrate W10. The ink-receiving layer W11 is capable of absorbing inkjet ink, for example, and is formed by coating a water-soluble resin, inorganic pigment, or the like on the substrate W10. The transparent film F also has a substrate F10 and an ink-receiving layer F11 provided on the substrate F10 and facing the ink-receiving layer W11 via a printed layer W12 in the can badge 10. The ink-receiving layer F11 is capable of absorbing inkjet ink, for example, and is formed by coating a water-soluble resin, inorganic pigment, or the like on the substrate F10. In this embodiment, the ink-receiving layer W11 corresponds to the second ink-receiving layer, and the ink-receiving layer F11 corresponds to the first ink-receiving layer.

[0023] The printing unit 1 prints an object image Im1 and a background image Im2 on the ink receiving layer F11 of the transparent film F, the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, or one of the ink receiving layer F11 and the ink receiving layer W11. In this embodiment, the printing unit 1 prints the object image Im1 and the background image Im2 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W. In this case, the printing unit 1 uses pigment ink to print an inverted image as the object image Im1 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, which is a normal image when viewed from the substrate W10 of the print medium W. The printing unit 1 also uses pigment ink to print the background image Im2 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W. As a result, a printing layer W12 corresponding to the object image Im1 and the background image Im2 is formed on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, as shown in FIG. 7 . Inkjet printing creates images using dots, so if pigment ink is used to print the background image Im2, lowering the density will create gaps and increase transparency. However, this does not exclude the use of dye ink when printing the background image Im2.

[0024] 3, the control device 110 of the can badge manufacturing device 100 is a computer that includes an interface 111 for sending and receiving data to and from an external device 114, an arithmetic unit 112 such as a CPU for processing data, and a storage unit 113 such as a memory for storing data. The control device 110 is connected to the printing unit 1, the transport unit 2, the mold unit 3, the front member supply unit 4, the back member supply unit 5, the pressing unit 6, and the removal unit 7 via drive circuits 115-121, and controls the operations of these units.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the front member supply unit 4 includes a front member stocker 40, a front member slider 43, a pusher 45, and a pusher motor 46. The front member stocker 40 stores a plurality of front members 11 stacked vertically. The front member slider 43 extends from a position below the front member stocker 40 to the first lower mold 30 disposed at the first mold position P1 of the mold unit 3. The drive of the pusher motor 46 is controlled by the control device 110 so that the pusher 45 moves back and forth along the front member slider 43. As a result, the front member 11 descends from the front member stocker 40 onto the front member slider 43, is pushed by the pusher 45 toward the first lower mold 30, moves on the front member slider 43, and is supplied to the first lower mold 30.

[0026] The back material supply unit 5 includes a back material stocker 50, a back material slider 53, a pusher 55, and a pusher motor 56. The back material stocker 50 stores multiple back materials 12 stacked vertically. The back material slider 53 extends from a position below the back material stocker 50 to the second lower mold 31 when the mold unit 3 is positioned at the first mold position P1. The drive of the pusher motor 56 is controlled by the control device 110 so that the pusher 55 moves back and forth along the back material slider 53. As a result, the back material 12 descends from the back material stocker 50 onto the back material slider 53, is pushed by the pusher 55 toward the second lower mold 31, moves on the back material slider 53, and is supplied to the second lower mold 31.

[0027] The printing unit 1 is, for example, an inkjet printer and includes a head 92 and a movement motor 96a. The ejection operation of the head 92 and the drive of the movement motor 96a are controlled by a control device 110 to eject ink from the head 92 onto the print medium W and move the print medium W relative to the head 92 by driving the movement motor 96a. As a result, the object image Im1 and background image Im2 described above are printed on the covered portion Wb of the print medium W using ink ejected from the head 92, and the print medium W is moved to the transport unit 2. As described above, the printing unit 1 also moves the transparent film F to the transport unit 2 without printing an image on the transparent film F. Note that the printing unit 1 is not limited to an inkjet printer and may be other printers such as a laser printer or thermal printer as long as it is capable of printing an image on the print medium W. Note that the detailed configuration of the printing unit 1 will be described later.

[0028] The transport unit 2 includes a transport motor 23, multiple drive rollers Rk, and multiple driven rollers Ro. The drive roller Rk sandwiches the print medium W and the transparent film F between itself and the driven roller Ro. The drive roller Rk rotates forward in response to the drive of the transport motor 23, transporting the print medium W and the transparent film F above the front member 11 of the first lower mold 30 along the first transport direction Dc1. Meanwhile, the drive roller Rk sandwiches the remaining portion Wa of the print medium W and the remaining portion Fa of the transparent film F between itself and the driven roller Ro. The drive roller Rk rotates reversely in response to the drive of the transport motor 23, transporting the remaining portions Wa and Fa to the collection container 8 along the second transport direction Dc2. The remaining portions Wa and Fa are then collected in the collection container 8 as discarded portions. The drive of the transport motor 23 is controlled by a control device 110. The detailed configuration of the transport unit 2 will be described later.

[0029] The pressing unit 6 has a pressing motor 60, a remaining portion pressing head 65, and a pressing head 66. The remaining portion pressing head 65 and the pressing head 66 press the print medium W against the front member 11 when driven by the pressing motor 60. In this state, the remaining portion Wa of the print medium W is transported in the second transport direction Dc2 by the transport unit 2, whereby the connecting portion Wc and the linear weak portion Wd of the print medium W are cut, separating the covered portion Wb from the remaining portion Wa. This covered portion Wb remains above the front member 11, and the remaining portion Wa is transported to the collection container 8 for collection. Similarly to the print medium W, the transparent film F is also separated into a covered portion Fb and a remaining portion Fa, with the covered portion Fb remaining above the front member 11 and the remaining portion Fa being transported to the collection container 8 for collection. The driving of the pressing motor 60 is controlled by the control device 110.

[0030] The mold unit 3 has a first lower mold 30 that supports the front member 11, a second lower mold 31 that supports the back member 12, a rotary support table 32, an upper mold lifting motor 34, a lower mold moving motor 35, and an upper mold 33. The rotary support table 32 rotates the first lower mold 30 and the second lower mold 31 by driving the lower mold moving motor 35, and moves them to a second mold position P2 facing the upper mold 33, or to a first mold position P1 other than the second mold position P2. The upper mold 33 is raised and lowered by driving the upper mold lifting motor 34. The driving of the upper mold lifting motor 34 and the lower mold moving motor 35 is controlled by a control device 110.

[0031] The first lower mold 30 is at the first mold position P1 when the front member 11 is supplied by the front member supply unit 4 and the coated portions Wb, Fb are transported above the front member 11 by the transport unit 2, after which the first lower mold 30 moves to the second mold position P2 below the upper mold 33. The upper mold 33 then descends to the first lower mold 30 to press the coated portions Wb, Fb against the front member 11, and then rises from the first lower mold 30 to separate the front member 11 covered by the coated portions Wb, Fb from the first lower mold 30. The second lower mold 31 is at the first mold position P1 when the back member 12 is supplied by the back member supply unit 5 and then moves to the second mold position P2 below the upper mold 33. The upper mold 33 then descends to the second lower mold 31 and crimps (connects) the front member 11 and the back member 12 together, sandwiching the peripheral portions Wg, Fg of the coated portions Wb, Fb therebetween. In this way, the can badge 10 is produced.

[0032] The take-out unit 7 has a take-out motor 70, a swing arm 71, a magnet member 72, and a seat 73. The swing arm 71 has the magnet member 72 attached to its tip, and is rotated by the drive of the take-out motor 70 so that the magnet member 72 moves between the second lower mold 31 and the seat 73 at the first mold position P1. As the swing arm 71 rotates, the magnet member 72 attaches to the can badge 10 supported by the second lower mold 31, and then moves the can badge 10 to the seat 73. The can badge 10 slides down the downwardly sloping seat 73 into the can badge stocker 9 and is stored in the can badge stocker 9. The drive of the take-out motor 70 is controlled by the control device 110.

[0033] The printing unit 1 will be described in detail below. The housing 80 of the printing unit 1 includes a main body 84 and an openable / closable cover (not shown) located on the main body 84. As shown in FIG. 8 , the main body 84 is, for example, formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a bottom surface 80b, a front surface 80c, a rear surface 80d, as well as a top surface, left side surface, and right side surface (not shown). For example, the mold unit 3, the front member supply unit 4, the back member supply unit 5, the pressing unit 6, and the removal unit 7 are arranged on the top surface of the main body 84. A control device 110 ( FIG. 3 ) is housed within the main body 84, and the collection container 8 and the badge storage unit 9 are located forward of the main body 84. The transport unit 2 is detached from the housing 80 toward the front. The control device 110 may be built into the transport unit 2 or the mold unit 3, or may be provided externally (e.g., on a personal computer) as a separate unit from the above units and communicate with them. Alternatively, the control device 110 may be achieved by cooperation between a control device provided in each of the above units and an external control device.

[0034] The main body 84 of the housing 80 has a first storage chamber 81 and a second storage chamber 86. The second storage chamber 86 is located above the first storage chamber 81. The first storage chamber 81 is a space that accommodates a cassette 90 for the print medium W. The print medium W is accommodated in the cassette 90 so that its ink-receiving layer W11 is located below the substrate W10. In this embodiment, the cassette 90 corresponds to the second storage section. The cassette 90 is formed in a box shape with an open top and includes a lower plate 90a that supports the print medium W, a rear plate 90b, and a front plate 90c that opens and closes a first opening 82a provided in the front surface 80c of the housing 80. The lower plate 90a is a flat plate that intersects the vertical direction, and the print medium W is placed on top of it. The rear plate 90b is inclined upward from the rear end of the lower plate 90a toward the rear. The front plate 90c rises upward from the front end of the lower plate 90a and covers the first opening 82a when the cassette 90 is housed in the first storage chamber 81. When the cassette 90 is pulled out of the first storage chamber 81, the first opening 82a is opened.

[0035] The user moves the cassette 90 forward from the first storage chamber 81 and pulls it out of the first storage chamber 81. The user then stacks multiple print media W vertically and places them on the lower plate 90a of the cassette 90, storing them in the cassette 90. The user then moves the cassette 90, which now contains the multiple print media W, backward and positions it in the first storage chamber 81. This causes the cassette 90 to be stored in the first storage chamber 81.

[0036] A second opening 86a, which is an opening to the second storage chamber 86, is provided on the top surface of the main body 84. The second storage chamber 86 is a space that houses the head 92. The second storage chamber 86 is in communication with the first storage chamber 81. The print medium W is supplied to the second storage chamber 86 from the cassette 90 housed in the first storage chamber 81, and a predetermined image is printed on the print medium W by the head 92 in the second storage chamber 86. In addition, an outlet 86b is provided on the front surface 80c of the main body 84, through which the print medium W printed by the head 92 is discharged from the second storage chamber 86. The outlet 86b is located above the first opening 82a on the front surface 80c of the main body 84. The second storage chamber 86 is in communication with the outside of the main body 84 via the outlet 86b.

[0037] The first storage chamber 81 is provided with a first supply roller 93 and a curved wall 94, while the second storage chamber 86 is provided with a platen 95, an upstream movable roller 96, and a downstream movable roller 96. The first supply roller 93, the upstream movable roller 96, the downstream movable roller 96, and a second supply roller 98 (described later) each comprise a roller pair. The first supply roller 93 is rotated about an axis extending in the left-right direction by the drive of a first supply motor 93a (FIG. 3). The upstream movable roller 96 and the downstream movable roller 96 are rotated about an axis extending in the left-right direction by the drive of a movement motor 96a (FIG. 3). The drive of the first supply motor 93a and the movement motor 96a is controlled by a control device 110.

[0038] The first supply roller 93 is disposed above the cassette 90 and abuts from above on the uppermost print medium W among the print media W stored in the cassette 90. As the first supply roller 93 rotates, the uppermost print medium W moves upward and rearward along the rear plate 90b of the cassette 90, and then moves from the cassette 90 to the curved wall 94. The curved wall 94 is disposed rearward of the upstream moving roller 96, above the cassette 90, and below the upstream moving roller 96, and is curved convexly rearward. The print medium W moves upward and rearward along the curved wall 94, and then moves forward to the upstream moving roller 96.

[0039] The upstream moving roller 96 rotates behind the platen 95 while sandwiching the print medium W, thereby moving the print medium W onto the platen 95 located in front of it. The platen 95 is located above the cassette 90. The upper surface of the platen 95 faces the lower surface of the head 92 and supports the print medium W supplied from the cassette 90 from below. Ink is ejected from the head 92 onto the print medium W on the platen 95, and an image is printed thereon. The downstream moving roller 96 is located in front of the platen 95 and rotates while sandwiching the print medium W, thereby moving the print medium W toward the discharge opening 86b. The print medium W is then discharged from the discharge opening 86b toward the transport unit 2.

[0040] Furthermore, the printing unit 1 has a tray 97 that stores the transparent film F. The transparent film F is stored in the tray 97 so that its ink-receiving layer F11 is located below the substrate F10. In this embodiment, the tray 97 corresponds to the first storage section. The tray 97 has a rectangular, flat plate shape, is located behind the main body 84, and is inclined upward from the rear surface 80d of the main body 84. The transparent film F is placed on the tray 97.

[0041] A supply port 88 is provided on the rear surface 80d of the main body 84. The lower end of the tray 97 is connected to the part of the rear surface 80d that forms the supply port 88. The tray 97 communicates with the second storage chamber 86 of the main body 84 via the supply port 88. A support base 97a and a second supply roller 98 are provided in the second storage chamber 86. The support base 97a is disposed so as to extend the tray 97 forward, and supports the transparent film F supplied from the tray 97 from below.

[0042] The second supply roller 98 is driven by a second supply motor 98a (FIG. 3) to rotate about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The drive of the second supply motor 98a is controlled by a control device 110 (FIG. 3). The second supply roller 98 is disposed above the support base 97a and contacts from above the uppermost transparent film F among the transparent films F disposed on the tray 97 and the support base 97a. As the second supply roller 98 rotates, the transparent film F is transported to the upstream movable roller 96 located in front, passed over the platen 95 by the upstream movable roller 96, and then discharged by the downstream movable roller 96 through the discharge port 86b into the transport unit 2.

[0043] In this configuration, the printing unit 1 does not print an image on the transparent film F, and sends the transparent film F to the transport unit 2 ahead of the print medium W. The transport unit 2 transports the transparent film F onto the front member 11. As a result, the transparent film F is transported onto the front member 11 loaded in the lower mold 30 with the ink-receiving layer F11 facing upward.

[0044] The printing unit 1 then prints the object image Im1 and background image Im2 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, and sends the print medium W, with the printing layer W12 formed on the ink receiving layer W11, to the transport unit 2. The transport unit 2 transports the print medium W onto the transparent film F placed on the front member 11. As a result, the print medium W is transported onto the transparent film F on the front member 11 so that the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W faces the ink receiving layer F11. Therefore, the printing layer W12 is positioned between the ink receiving layer F11 and the ink receiving layer W11.

[0045] The configuration of the transport unit 2 that transports the transparent film F onto the front member 11 and transports the print medium W onto the transparent film F placed on the front member 11 will be described in detail below.

[0046] A portion of the transport unit 2 is disposed forward of the printing unit 1, and the entire transport unit 2 is disposed forward of the mold unit 3. The transport unit 2 transports the transparent film F and print medium W sent from the printing unit 1 along a transport direction Dc1 toward the mold unit 3, onto a front member 11 that has been supplied prior to the lower mold 30. The transport unit 2 also transports the remaining portion Fa of the transparent film F and the remaining portion Wa of the print medium W along the transport direction Dc2 to a collection container 8. As a result, the remaining portion Wa of the print medium W and the remaining portion Fa of the transparent film F are collected in the collection container 8 as discarded portions. Note that the method of transporting the transparent film F and the method of transporting the print medium W by the transport unit 2 are the same, so the transport of the print medium W will be described below as a representative example.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the transport unit 2 includes support plates 20 and 22, a pair of transport guides 21, a transport motor 23, drive rollers Rk1 to Rk6, and endless drive belts Be1 to Be6.

[0048] The support plates 20 and 22 extend vertically and are spaced apart from each other horizontally. The support plates 20 and 22 are connected by multiple plate connecting shafts 24 extending horizontally. The support plate 20 is provided with a transport guide 21 that curves forward from the rear lower end of the support plate 20 and extends upward. A similar transport guide 21 is provided on the support plate 22. The transport guide 21 has a first guide main body 21a and a second guide main body 21b. A groove-shaped space is provided between the first guide main body 21a and the second guide main body 21b, so that the left and right ends of the print medium W are inserted into the space during transport. The first guide main body 21a is bent or curved forward from the rear lower end of the support plate 20, extending upward, and is also bent or curved backward. The second guide main body 21b is bent or curved forward from the rear lower end of the support plate 20 and extending upward. The first guide body portion 21a is disposed rearward of the second guide body portion 21b as a whole.

[0049] The transport motor 23 is provided on the support plate 22. A drive gear Ga1 is connected to the rotation shaft of the transport motor 23. The drive rollers Rk1 to Rk6 are provided on the support plate 22. A drive gear Gb1 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk1. A drive gear Gb2 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk2. A drive gear Gb3 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk3. A drive gear Gb4 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk4. A drive gear Gb5 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk5. A drive gear Gb6 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive roller Rk6. The drive rollers Rk1 to Rk6 are positioned to the left of the support plate 22. The drive roller Rk1 is located behind and below the drive gear Ga1. The drive roller Rk2 is located in front of the drive roller Rk1 and behind the drive gear Ga1, and above the drive roller Rk1. Drive roller Rk3 is disposed above drive roller Rk2. Drive roller Rk4 is disposed above drive roller Rk3. Drive roller Rk5 is disposed rearward and above drive roller Rk4. Drive roller Rk6 is disposed in front of drive roller Rk5. Drive belt Be1 is tensioned between drive gear Ga1 and drive gear Gb1. Drive belt Be2 is tensioned between drive gear Gb1 and drive gear Gb2. Drive belt Be3 is tensioned between drive gear Gb2 and drive gear Gb3. Drive belt Be4 is tensioned between drive gear Gb3 and drive gear Gb4. Drive belt Be5 is tensioned between drive gear Gb4 and drive gear Gb5. Drive belt Be6 is tensioned between drive gear Gb5 and drive gear Gb6. With this configuration, the driving force of the conveying motor 23 is transmitted to the driving rollers Rk1, Rk2, Rk3, Rk4, Rk5 and Rk6 via the driving belts Be1 to Be6.

[0050] The first guide main body 21a and the second guide main body 21b are each provided with a notch Ng corresponding to the drive rollers Rk2 to Rk4. The drive roller Rk1 has a drive shaft Sa1 extending in the left-right direction and a pair of drive rollers Ro1. A pair of driven rollers Ro2 is provided facing each of the pair of drive rollers Ro1. Each of the pair of driven rollers Ro2 is connected to the driven shaft Sa2. The drive roller Rk2 also has a drive shaft Sa3 extending in the left-right direction and a pair of drive rollers Ro3. A pair of driven rollers Ro4 is provided facing each of the pair of drive rollers Ro3. Each of the pair of driven rollers Ro4 is connected to the driven shaft Sa4. The pair of drive rollers Ro3 are disposed in the notch Ng of the first guide main body 21a, and the pair of driven rollers Ro4 are disposed in the notch Ng of the second guide main body 21b. The left and right edges of the print medium W are then sandwiched between the drive roller Ro3 and the driven roller Ro4. Note that the configuration corresponding to drive rollers Rk5 and Rk6 (i.e., the pair of drive rollers, the pair of driven rollers, the drive shaft, and the driven shaft) is the same as the configuration corresponding to drive roller Rk1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Also, the configuration corresponding to drive rollers Rk3 and Rk4 (i.e., the pair of drive rollers, the pair of driven rollers, the drive shaft, and the driven shaft) is the same as the configuration corresponding to drive roller Rk2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] When the transport motor 23 is driven, the driving force of the transport motor 23 is transmitted to the drive rollers Rk1 to Rk6. As a result, the print medium W is transported to the lower mold 30 by the rotation of the drive roller Ro1 and driven roller Ro2, the rotation of the drive roller Ro3 and driven roller Ro4, the rotation of the drive roller Ro5 and driven roller Ro6, the rotation of the drive roller Ro7 and driven roller Ro8, and the rotation of the drive roller Ro9 and driven roller Ro10.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10 , a transport guide piece 25 is provided between the support plates 20 and 22, positioned above the second guide body 21b and generally forward of the first guide body 21a. The transport guide piece 25 is flexible and made of, for example, resin. The base end of the transport guide piece 25 is fixed to the support plates 20 and 22, and the front end of the transport guide piece 25 is free. The front end of the transport guide piece 25 faces the first guide body 21a. The distance between the transport guide piece 25 and the first guide body 21a decreases toward the rear, i.e., the closer it is to the lower mold 30. The print medium W is guided toward the drive roller Ro9 and driven roller Ro10 by the first guide body 21a and the transport guide piece 25. The print medium W is then transported along the transport direction Dc1 by the drive roller Ro9 and driven roller Ro10 to the lower mold 30.

[0053] In this manner, the first guide body 21a, the second guide body 21b, and the transport guide piece 25 form a first transport path Cp1 for the print medium W toward the lower mold 30 of the mold unit 3. The first transport path Cp1 is a U-shaped path that heads forward, then upward, and then backward. Therefore, the printed layer W12 of the print medium W formed by the printing unit 1 is positioned above the ink-receiving layer W11 before being sent to the first transport path Cp1. Meanwhile, after the printed layer W12 of the print medium W is transported by the first transport path Cp1 to the transparent film F that was previously transported onto the front member 11 loaded in the lower mold 30, it is positioned below the ink-receiving layer W11 (the state shown in FIG. 7 ). This explains why an inverted image is printed on the ink-receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, which appears normal when viewed from the substrate W10 of the print medium W.

[0054] Additionally, a first transport sensor S1, such as a contact sensor, is provided behind the drive roller Ro1 and the driven roller Ro2. Furthermore, a second transport sensor S2, such as a contact sensor, is provided between the first guide main body 21a and the transport guide piece 25. The second drive circuit 116 drives the transport motor 23 when the first transport sensor S1 detects the print medium W supplied from the printing unit 1. Furthermore, when the downstream end of the print medium W is detected by the second transport sensor S2, the second drive circuit 116 controls the drive of the transport motor 23 based on the amount of rotation of the transport motor 23 detected by an encoder (not shown) immediately after detection. This allows the print medium W to be transported to a predetermined position in the mold unit 3 with high precision.

[0055] A transport guide 26 and a transport guide piece 27 are provided between the drive-side roller Ro9 and driven-side roller Ro10 and the drive-side roller Ro11 and driven-side roller Ro12. The transport guide 26 is located above the transport guide piece 27. The transport guide 26 extends in the front-to-rear direction. A rear end 26a of the transport guide 26 (i.e., the end on the lower mold 30 side) is bent upward. On the other hand, the transport guide piece 27 is flexible and is made of, for example, resin. The transport guide piece 27 extends in the front-to-rear direction. A rear end 27a of the transport guide piece 27 is located forward of the rear end 26a of the transport guide 26. The rear end 27a of the transport guide piece 27 is bent downward. The transport guide piece 27 intersects with the first transport path Cp1 in the side view shown in FIG. 10 . In this configuration, the transport guide 26 and the transport guide piece 27 form a second transport path Cp2 for the remaining portions Wa and Fa extending from the lower mold 30 of the mold unit 3 toward the collection container 8 .

[0056] When the print medium W is transported along the first transport path Cp1, the transport guide piece 27 is pushed at its bottom surface by the downstream end of the print medium W, causing it to bend upward. This allows the transport guide piece 27 to transport the print medium W from the drive roller Ro7 and driven roller Ro8 to the drive roller Ro9 and driven roller Ro10. When the print medium W is transported in the transport direction Dc1 and reaches a predetermined position on the lower mold 30, its upstream end is gripped by the drive roller Ro9 and driven roller Ro10 and is located downstream of the first transport path Cp1 relative to the transport guide piece 27. At this time, the flexibility of the transport guide piece 27 causes it to return to a state in which it intersects with the first transport path Cp1 again.

[0057] The printing medium W transported to a predetermined position on the lower mold 30 as described above is subjected to a cutting process by the pressing unit 6 into the covered portion Wb and the remaining portion Wa. A separation process is then performed in which the remaining portion Wa is separated from the covered portion Wb and only the remaining portion Wa is discarded. In the separation process, the second drive circuit 116 reverses the conveyance motor 23 while the covering portion Wb is pressed against the front member 11 arranged on the lower mold 30 by the pressing unit 6. In this case, the driving force of the conveyance motor 23 (i.e., the driving force due to the reverse rotation) is transmitted to the drive rollers Rk5 and Rk6 via the drive rollers Rk1 to Rk4. This separates the remaining portion Wa from the covered portion Wb. After separation, the remaining portion Wa is transported in the conveyance direction Dc2 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the conveyance guide piece 27, where it is guided to the second conveyance path Cp2 and conveyed toward the drive roller Ro11 and the driven roller Ro12. In this case, the rear end 27a of the transport guide piece 27 is bent downward, so that the remaining portion Wa is easily guided to the second transport path Cp2. Thereafter, the remaining portion Wa is transported while being sandwiched between the drive roller Ro11 and the driven roller Ro12, and the remaining portion Wa is collected in the collection container 8.

[0058] A third transport sensor S3, which is, for example, a contact sensor, is provided in front of the drive roller Ro9 and the driven roller Ro10 and behind the drive roller Ro11 and the driven roller Ro12. Whether or not the remaining portion Wa has been transported to the collection container 8 can be determined based on the detection result of the third transport sensor S3.

[0059] Next, the flow of processing by the badge production device 100 will be described with reference to a flowchart. As shown in Fig. 11, the control device 110 first determines whether or not a user has issued an instruction to produce a badge (step S1). If no instruction to produce a badge has been issued (No in step S1), the control device 110 remains in standby mode.

[0060] If there is an instruction to produce a can badge (Yes in step S1), the control device 110 causes the front member supply unit 4 to supply the front member 11 to the lower mold 30 (step S2). Next, the control device 110 causes the transport unit 2 to transport the transparent film F onto the front member 11 (step S3).

[0061] Next, the control device 110 controls the pressing unit 6 to cut the connecting portion Fc of the transparent film F (step S4).Then, the control device 110 controls the transport unit 2 to separate the remaining portion Fa of the transparent film F from the covering portion Fb and transport the separated remaining portion Fa to the collection container 8 (step S5).

[0062] Next, the control device 110 causes the printing unit 1 to print on the print medium W, and then causes the transport unit 2 to transport the printed print medium W onto the covered portion Fb of the transparent film F (step S6). In this case, the print medium W picked up from the cassette 90 is printed as it passes under the head 92 on its way to being transported onto the covered portion Fb of the transparent film F. Next, the control device 110 causes the pressing unit 6 to cut the connecting portion Wc of the print medium W (step S7). Then, the control device 110 causes the transport unit 2 to separate the remaining portion Wa of the print medium W from the covered portion Wb and transport the separated remaining portion Wa to the collection container 8 (step S8).

[0063] Next, the control device 110 moves the lower mold 30 from the first mold position P2 to the second mold position P2 using the rotary support table 32 so that the lower mold 30 is positioned below the upper mold 33 in the mold unit 3, and then lowers the upper mold 33 to hold the front member 11 and the covering portions Wb, Fb held by the lower mold 30 on the upper mold 33 (step S9).The control device 110 then controls the back member supply unit 5 to supply the back member 12 to the lower mold 31, which has moved to the first mold position as the lower mold 30 moves (step S10).

[0064] Next, the control device 110 moves the lower mold 31 from the first mold position P1 to the second mold position P2 using the rotary support table 32 so that the lower mold 31 is positioned below the upper mold 33 while holding the front member 11 and the covering portions Wb and Fb, and then lowers the upper mold 33 to perform the crimping process (step S11). This produces the can badge 10. The control device 110 then moves the lower mold 31 from the second mold position P2 to the first mold position P1 using the rotary support table 32 so that the lower mold 31 while holding the can badge 10 is positioned at the first mold position P1, and then controls the removal unit 7 to remove the can badge 10 (step S12). This places the can badge 10 in the can badge stocker 9. After the removal unit 7 has finished removing the can badge 10, the control device 110 moves the lower mold 30 from the second mold position P2 to the first mold position P1 using the rotary support table 32.

[0065] Thereafter, the control device 110 determines whether or not the predetermined number of can badges 10 have been produced (step S13). If the predetermined number of can badges 10 have not been produced (No in step S13), the control device 110 returns to the processing in step S2 and repeats the subsequent processing. On the other hand, if the predetermined number of can badges 10 have been produced (Yes in step S13), the control device 110 ends the can badge production processing.

[0066] As described above, according to the can badge production device 100 of this embodiment, the printing unit 1 prints an object image Im1 and a background image Im2 on the ink-receiving layer W11 of the print medium W. The print medium W is then transported above the transparent film F so that the ink-receiving layer W11 faces the ink-receiving layer F11. This forms the printed layer W12 between the ink-receiving layer F11 and the ink-receiving layer W11. Therefore, the ink on the printed layer W12 does not directly contact the surface of the front member 11, thereby reducing or preventing the possibility of the object image Im1 and the background image Im2 on the printed layer W12 being distorted. Furthermore, since there is no need to allow a separate time for the ink on the printed layer W12 to dry, the impact on productivity of the can badge 10 is reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce or prevent distortion of the printed image on the can badge 10 while minimizing the impact on productivity.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing unit 1 is provided with both a tray 97 that stores the transparent film F and a cassette 90 that stores the print medium W. This eliminates the need and the hassle of storing the transparent film F and the print medium W alternately in one storage section.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing unit 1 uses pigment ink to print the object image Im1 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W. This makes the object image Im1 clearer and prevents the background (the metallic luster of the front member 11) from showing through compared to when dye ink is used. Furthermore, the printing unit 1 uses pigment ink to print the background image Im2 on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W. This makes it easier for the background (the metallic luster of the front member 11) to show through the transparent film F, allowing the metallic texture of the front member 11 to be expressed.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light transmittance of the background image Im2 is higher than that of the object image Im1, which makes it easier for the background (the metallic luster of the surface member 11) to be seen through the transparent film F, thereby better expressing the metallic texture of the surface member 11.

[0070] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications are possible.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the printing medium W is stored in the cassette 90 and the transparent film F is stored in the tray 97, but this is not limited to this, and the transparent film F may be stored in the cassette 90 and the printing medium W may be stored in the tray 97.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the condition for the metallic luster of the front member 11 to appear through the background image Im2 is that the light transmittance of the background image Im2 is set to be higher than that of the object image Im1. However, this is not limiting. The attenuation rate of the background image Im2 (the rate at which light is attenuated before and after passing through the printed layer W12 due to factors such as absorption, diffusion, and reflection) may be set to be lower than that of the object image Im1.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transparent film F housed in the printing unit 1 and the print medium W printed by the printing unit 1 are sent to the transport unit 2 by a transport mechanism within the printing unit 1, and then the transparent film F and print medium W are transported by the transport unit 2 to the lower mold 30 of the mold unit 3. In other words, the print medium W and the like are transported to the lower mold 30 by two transport mechanisms. However, this is not limited to this. A transport unit can also be used that can transport the print medium W printed by the head and the transparent film F housed in the storage section directly to the lower mold 30.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the printing unit 1 prints an inverted image on the ink receiving layer W11 of the print medium W, which is a normal image when viewed from the substrate W10 of the print medium W. However, this is not limited to this, and the printing unit 1 may print a non-inverted image. In this case, the first transport path Cp1 can be a straight path rather than a U-shaped path to prevent the front and back surfaces of the print medium W from being reversed when the print medium W is transported from the printing unit 1 to the lower mold 30.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the printing unit 1 is provided with both the tray 97 that stores the transparent film F and the cassette 90 that stores the print medium W. However, this is not limited to this, and the printing unit 1 may be provided with only one storage section, and the transparent film F and the print medium W may be stored alternately in that storage section. In this case, the transparent film F is stored with its ink-receiving layer F11 facing upward, and the print medium W is stored with its ink-receiving layer W11 facing downward. This also allows the transparent film F and the print medium W to be processed alternately within the printing unit 1.

[0076] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Printing unit 2 Conveying unit 3 Mold unit 10 Badge 11 Front member 12 Back member 30, 31 Lower mold 33 Upper mold 90 Cassette 97 Tray 100 Badge manufacturing device 110 Control device F Transparent film F10 Base material F11 Ink receiving layer Fa Remaining portion Fb Covered portion Fg Peripheral portion Im1 Object image Im2 Background image W Printing medium W10 Base material W11 Ink receiving layer W12 Printing layer Wa Remaining portion Wb Covered portion Wg Peripheral portion

Claims

1. A can badge production device that produces can badges by connecting a front member and a back member, comprising: a mold unit having a lower mold into which the front member and the back member are loaded; a printing unit that prints a predetermined image on a first ink receiving layer of a transparent first medium, a second ink receiving layer of a transparent second medium, and one of the first ink receiving layer and the second ink receiving layer; and a transport unit that performs the following processes: transporting the first medium above the front member loaded into the lower mold so that the first ink receiving layer faces upward, and transporting the second medium above the first medium so that the second ink receiving layer faces the first ink receiving layer; the mold unit connects the front member to which the first medium and the second medium have been transported, and the back member to produce the can badge.

2. A can badge production apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the second medium further has a substrate on which the second ink receiving layer is provided, and the printing unit prints, as the specified image, an inverted image that appears as a normal image when viewed from the substrate on the second ink receiving layer of the second medium.

3. A can badge production device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing unit has a first storage section for storing the first medium and a second storage section for storing the second medium.

4. A can badge production device as described in claim 1, wherein the specified image includes an object image to be placed on a portion of the upper surface of the front member, and the printing unit forms a printing layer related to the object image using pigment ink.

5. A can badge production device as described in claim 1, wherein the specified image includes an object image placed on a portion of the top surface of the front member, and a background image placed on at least a portion of the top surface of the front member other than the object image and having a light transmittance higher than the light transmittance of the object image.

6. A method for producing a can badge by connecting a front member and a back member, comprising the steps of: loading the front member into a lower mold; printing a predetermined image on one of a first ink receiving layer of a first transparent medium, a second ink receiving layer of a second transparent medium, and the first ink receiving layer and the second ink receiving layer; transporting the first medium above the front member loaded into the lower mold so that the first ink receiving layer faces upward, and transporting the second medium above the first medium so that the second ink receiving layer faces the first ink receiving layer; and connecting the front member to which the first medium and the second medium have been transported to the back member to produce the can badge.

7. A can badge comprising: a front member; a back member; a transparent first medium and a transparent second medium that are placed on the upper surface of the front member and have peripheral portions connected between the front member and the back member, the first medium having a first ink-receiving layer and the second medium having a second ink-receiving layer facing the first ink-receiving layer, and further comprising a printed layer formed between the first ink-receiving layer and the second ink-receiving layer.

Images