Device and method for printing on the edges of stationery products, particularly books

Abstract

A device for printing the edges of stationery products, particularly books, comprises a body (8), a device controller, a printing module (1) with a print controller and a single-pass printhead (1A) containing at least one line of nozzles, as well as a gripping assembly (2) with a pair of rotating clamping jaws (2A, 2B), which include at least one sliding clamping jaw (3A) and clamping jaws linings (3) adapted to hold a workpiece (4) consisting of stationery products, particularly books. The body (8) comprises a loading station (15) for the workpiece (4), which is equipped with a retaining element (16). The invention is characterised in that the longitudinal axis (O2) of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw (2A) is moved, is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A), and that the retaining element (16) or the gripping assembly (2) is movably mounted in the (Z) direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (2A). Another invention concerns a method for printing the edges of stationery products, and its essence lies in that the stack of stationery products forming the workpiece (4) is oriented, during placement in the clamping jaws (2A, 2B), with the edges of the sheets designated for printing positioned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A) in a specified printing cycle. Furthermore, the workpiece (4) is positioned between the clamping jaws (2A, 2B) linings (3) in at least the (Z) direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A), as well as in the vertical (Y) direction, which is perpendicular to the nozzle line of the printhead (1A).

Description

[0001] Device and method for printing on the edges of stationery products, particularly books

[0002] The subject of the invention is a device and a method for printing on the edges of stationery products, particularly books. These solutions are primarily applicable in industrial printing and bookbinding processes carried out on an industrial scale. The device and method can be used for printing on the edges of all types of sheet-based stationery products. In particular, this includes the edges of books, as well as the edges of other stationery products such as calendars, notebooks and notepads, as well as the edges of marketing products like blocks of note pads or the edges of coasters for mugs, glasses and beer mugs, and the edges of other items that can be stacked for processing.

[0003] The vast majority of stationery products, regardless of whether they are printed, like books, or unprinted, like notepads and exercise books, consist of multiple sheets bound together. Typical stationery products take the form of a cuboid, in which the spine, top edge, front edge and bottom edge can be distinguished. To enhance the aesthetics of stationery edges, various methods of decorating the abovementioned edges are used. The prior art includes, for example, the metallisation of book edges, which is achieved by pressing a metallised foil onto a specially sanded book edge. A significantly more modern and efficient method for decorating book edges is printing embellishments, images and graphics on the edges of books, including printing on all three edges of a book.

[0004] CN111572213A discloses a device for printing on the edges of books using pigment printing or UV printing. The device comprises a movable, four-position reel that rotates counterclockwise. The positions are arranged at 90° intervals, and each contains a pair of clamping jaws, consisting of a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. At the first position, at the bottom of the reel, a stack of books is loaded. At the second position, to the right of the first, the edge of the stack intended for printing is cleaned. This cleaning removes dust and paper particles generated during the cutting of the workpiece. At the third position, at the top of the reel, one edge of the stack of books is printed. The printing unit has a narrow printhead mounted on a carriage, meaning that printing a single edge of the book stack requires multiple passes of the printhead over the stack. The next, fourth position is used for unloading the stack of books. The movable reel allows for continuous loading and unloading of book stacks while other operations, such as cleaning and printing, are taking place. Each position of the device has a pair of clamping jaws that hold the stack of books. A positioning plate is used between the clamping jaws to align the stack. In each pair of jaws, one jaw is fixed, while the other is sliding and presses the book stack to a predetermined size, ensuring uniformity of the printing surface across different batches of books. Additionally, the device includes a mechanism for measuring the stroke of the sliding jaw, allowing for adjustments of the stroke of that jaw via its drive mechanism.

[0005] In practical applications, a book edge printing device is also known from Durrer Spezialmaschinen AG, marketed underthe name DIGI-B. In the device datasheets and marketing videos, a book-edge printing device was revealed, using a single-pass printhead. The device enables the printing of all three book edges in a single technological process. The system uses a robot that picks up the book stack from the loading area, rotates the book stack during the printing process and delivers the printed stack to the unloading area. The robot grips the book stack using a pair of rotating clamping jaws. The loading and unloading of book stacks are performed manually by an operator at the same station where the robot's clamping jaws pause. The operator places the stack directly between the clamping jaws of the robot. As a result, the operator must wait until the machine completes the printing process for the entire book stack and deposits the printed stack at the loading point or at an optional second unloading point. Only then can the operator load the next stack for printing. Additionally, changing the book format requires reconfiguring the device, particularly replacing the clamping jaws. During operation, the clamping jaws move between two extreme positions: an open position, allowing the operator to load the book stack, and a closed position, in which the device transports the book stack under the printhead. The printhead of the device allows for the printing of paper products with formats ranging from a minimum of 78x78 mm to a maximum of 360x360 mm, using ink from the CMYK colour palette. The maximum printing speed of the device is 18 m / min, however, the maximum width of the book stack is limited by the width of the printhead, as book edge printing is performed with books oriented so that the longitudinal axis of their spines is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, therefore, the books are positioned perpendicularly to the printing direction. This orientation results from the alignment of the longitudinal axis of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw moves parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead. The device employs a known bleed printing technology, where printing extends to the very edge of the material. In the case of bleed printing for books oriented with their spine's longitudinal axis perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, this results in ink contamination on the edges of the books that are not currently being printed. This arises from the need to also print the area around the product to avoid the risk of unprinted areas of the product due to errors in its geometry, for example when it is longer than the nominal size. In such cases, as the stack of books moves towards the printhead, the stack of books or other stationery products comes into contact with ink that has already been sprayed into the space beneath the head, causing contamination. When printing on all three edges of books with similar colour graphics, this issue is not particularly noticeable, but it prevents printing different colour graphics on each edge or performing bleed printing on only one selected edge of the book.

[0006] The objective of the invention is to address the technical problem of the insufficient efficiency of existing book edge printing devices while also reducing quality issues.

[0007] The first invention concerns a device for printing on the edges of stationery products, particularly books, comprising a body, a device controller, a printing module with a print controller and a single-pass printhead having at least one line of nozzles, and a gripping assembly with a pair of rotating clamping jaws, including at least one sliding clamping jaw and clamping jaw linings adapted for holding between them a stack of stationery products, particularly books. The body comprises a workpiece loading station with a retaining element. The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the longitudinal axis of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw moves, is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, and the retaining element or gripping assembly is movably mounted in a direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead.

[0008] In this description:

[0009] - workpiece is understood to mean a stack of stationery products, particularly books, placed in the gripping assembly of the device for printing on book edges,

[0010] - workpiece width is understood to mean the size of the workpiece corresponding to the distance between the linings of the rotating clamping jaws,

[0011] - length of the graphic file is understood to mean the dimension of the graphic file for printing on the edges of stationery products, corresponding to the workpiece width.

[0012] It is advisable for the gripping assembly to be driven and movably mounted on the body in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Alternatively, the gripping assembly is driven and movably mounted on the body in the horizontal direction, while the printing module and the loading station are driven and movably mounted on the body in the vertical direction. Another alternative is for the gripping assembly to be driven and movably mounted on the body in the vertical direction, while the printing module is driven and movably mounted on the body in the horizontal direction. Yet another alternative is for the printing module to be driven and movably mounted on the body in both the horizontal and vertical directions, while the loading station is driven and movably mounted on the body in the vertical direction. The use of various kinematic configurations of the device allows the printing device to be adapted to specific conditions and the needs of users of such devices. However, in each kinematic configuration, the gripping assembly retains rotating clamping jaws with a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, along which the sliding clamping jaw is moved. Regardless of the device's kinematics, printing is carried out on the workpiece, with the edges of the sheets of stationery products designated for printing in a given print cycle being oriented parallel to the lines of nozzles of the printhead.

[0013] It is advantageous for the gripping assembly, printing module or loading station to have assigned separate drive assemblies to implement movement in the horizontal or movement in the vertical direction. Individual drives assemblies for each movement direction allow for easy and precise control of the device and each motion direction it performs.

[0014] It is also appropriate, in cases where the printing module is driven and movably mounted on the body in the horizontal direction, for the device to comprise at least two gripping assemblies with rotating clamping jaws and at least two workpiece loading stations. This significantly increases the efficiency of printing on book edges. In such a configuration, the printing module prints on one workpiece while the second gripping assembly is being unloaded and subsequently loaded with another workpiece, or the printing module prints on two workpieces simultaneously, which rotate synchronously in the jaws of the gripping assemblies.

[0015] Preferably, the retaining element is movably connected to the loading station in a direction parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead. This allows for particularly easy, even manual, alignment of the symmetry axis of the workpiece, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, with the axis of rotation of the clamping jaw linings.

[0016] It is reasonable for the device to comprises a workpiece receiving station, wherein the loading station or receiving station comprises a system of movable support bumpers. A separate workpiece receiving station allows the operator to prepare the next workpiece at the loading station, ready for collection by the gripping assembly. The receiving station also enables the gripping assembly to deposit the workpiece without the operator's presence. Movable support bumpers implement the operator's work and allow for the secure handling of the assembled stack of stationery products. When the gripping assembly collects the products, the support bumpers adjust their position, enabling the clamping jaws of the gripping assembly to easily grasp the workpiece.

[0017] It is equally advantageous for the loading or receiving station to be movably mounted on the body in a direction parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead. This solution enables the position of workpieces of different formats placed on the loading station to be adjusted to align with the rotational axis of the clamping jaws. In such a design, the gripping assembly may be immovably fixed in a direction parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead.

[0018] It is particularly advantageous for the body to comprises a pair of horizontal rails along which the gripping assembly base is moved in horizontal direction, wherein gripping assembly base has a pair of vertical guides, on which gripping assembly slider is mounted and is moved in the vertical direction, wherein the gripping assembly slider being provided with a fixed clamping jaw and a sliding clamping jaw, wherein the gripping assembly base and the gripping assembly slider are connected to their respective servomechanisms with screw transmissions. This design results in an efficient and high-performance printing device. The structure allows movement to be carried out in accordance with a Cartesian coordinate system. Furthermore, the use of servomechanisms enables easy determination of linear motion data, particularly thanks to integrated sensors for determining the position, speed of the motor rotor and torque. The use of additional sensors is also straightforward. This results in low failure rates and ease of control. Alternatively, it is beneficial for the body to comprise a four-arm bracket rotatably connected to the body, wherein each arm of the four-arm bracket is equipped with a gripping assembly, while the printing module is driven and movably mounted on the body in the horizontal direction. The arms of the bracket define four stations, where various operations can be performed as needed while the gripping assembly holds the workpiece. This design retains the gripping assembly with rotating clamping jaws featuring a longitudinal axis along which the sliding clamping jaw moves, perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead.

[0019] The second invention concerns a method for printing on the edges of stationery products, particularly books, wherein: a nominal graphic file for printing, having a defined length, is input into the print controller of the printing device, a stack of stationery products is placed in the clamping jaws of the printing device, which are provided with clamping jaw linings, and aligned to form a workpiece; the selected edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece is then printed on, based on the input nominal graphic file, using a single-pass printhead containing at least one line of nozzles, wherein upon completion of the printing on the selected edge: the workpiece is rotated around a rotational axis perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, and the next selected edge of the stationery products is printed under the printhead, or the printing process is completed,

[0020] The essence of this invention lies in the fact that the stack of stationery products forming the workpiece is oriented during placement in the clamping jaws with the edges of the sheets designated for printing in specific printing cycle positioned parallel to the nozzle line of the printhead, and furthermore, the workpiece is positioned between the linings of the clamping jaws at least in the direction parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead and in the vertical direction perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, after which the selected edge of the workpiece is printed.

[0021] It is advantageous for the print controller to receive information regarding the number of stationery products forming the workpiece, as well as the nominal graphic file for printing, which has a specified length corresponding to the width of a single edge of a stationery product forming the workpiece, and during printing, the individual edges of successive stationery products forming the workpiece are printed one after another using the input nominal graphic file.

[0022] The method and design of the device allow for the printing of products - stationery products forming the workpiece - sequentially, product by product. Unlike in known solutions, it does not print on all product edges simultaneously. This results from the orientation of the workpiece, where the edges of the sheets designated for printing are aligned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead. This enables the preparation of a single graphic file for the printing process, intended for a single product, which is then printed successively, one after another, on the individual articles forming the edge of the workpiece, in contrast to printing a single graphic file on the edge of the entire stack, meaning simultaneously on all the edges of the stationery articles forming the workpiece. As a result, multiple times smaller files can be rasterised compared to the standard approach, where a file for the edge of the entire stack is rasterised, leading to time savings. Another advantage is the elimination of the need to determine the number of products within the workpiece at the early stage of graphic file preparation. This decision can be made during production, when practical issues related to the geometry of the workpiece forming the stack during compression are assessed. The same graphic file for a single product, particularly a book, can be used, while the appropriate number of stationery articles within the workpiece is specified solely in the device control system and the print controller.

[0023] Another benefit achieved through this method is the elimination of the need to prepare special graphic files for test prints and prints executed at the end of print runs. Using a single graphic file and printing successive products successively allows for an easy test print on a workpiece containing a small number of products - for example, one or two - without requiring the said preparation of a special test graphic file. The same approach applies when the total number of stationery products in the printing cycles not evenly divisible by the optimal number of products forming workpiece. In such cases, the final workpiece contains a different number of products than the preceding ones. The edges of this workpiece can also be printed without the need to prepare a special graphic file.

[0024] This printing method also enables the easy printing of variable data on the successive edges of successive stationery products, for instance, for the personalisation of notebooks or calendars. Widely used software allows for placing variable data from a database onto successive pages of a document file. Such software can be utilised to prepare printing on the edges of successive products within the workpiece. A separate image - a separate document page - can be printed on the edge of each product, and the preparation of such a graphic file with variable data is straightforward. When printing a single graphic file onto the edges of multiple stationery products, there is no automated method for preparing the appropriate file. In such cases, the graphic files for printing on the edges of stacks must be manually modified, which significantly increases costs and the risk of errors.

[0025] The primary advantage of the inventions is the increased efficiency of the process for printing on the edges of stationery products, achieved through both the device and the method. Alongside this increase in efficiency, a high-quality print on book edges has also been obtained. The efficiency improvement results from the modified orientation of the workpiece. In previous solutions, the workpiece was guided under a single-pass printhead with the edges of the sheets designated for printing positioned perpendicularly to the line of nozzles of the printhead. In this orientation, the width of the workpiece was limited by the width of the single-pass printhead. To eliminate this limitation in the device, the longitudinal axis of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw is displaced, is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, and as a result, when placing the stationery products in the clamping jaws, the edges of the sheets designated for printing are aligned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead within a defined printing cycle.

[0026] With this positioning of the clamping jaws, the printing process is executed independently of the specific kinematics of the printing device. In previously known devices, such an arrangement of the workpiece was not possible, as it would result in the compression of the spine and front edge of books, causing damage. Stationery products can only be clamped from the sides of their covers. By maintaining the positioning of the clamping jaws and the orientation of the stationery products with the edges of the sheets designated for printing aligned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead in a defined printing cycle, greater printing efficiency is achieved. In a single operation, a workpiece forming a stack with a greater width can be printed. In this invention, the aforementioned limitation of the workpiece width to the width of the printhead does not apply, meaning the workpiece width can be significantly greater than in previously used solutions. The only limitations in this regard are the mechanical properties of the workpiece, the construction of the gripping assembly, and the maximum image length acceptable by the printing unit software in the print file.

[0027] High quality is particularly important when performing edge printing of books using the bleed printing method, in which it is necessary to use graphics files larger than the actual dimensions of the product to ensure full coverage of the product's surface. The clamping jaws, with an axis along which the sliding clamping jaw is displaced and oriented perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, eliminate the issue of the workpiece of stationery articles colliding with ink already sprayed into the space beneath the printhead. The ink may settle on elements of the clamping jaws, which does not cause print quality issues. Higher print quality is achieved, particularly for single-edge book printing or printing all three edges of a book in different colour schemes.

[0028] In turn, the movable mounting of the retaining element or gripping assembly allows for the adjustment of the position of workpieces of various formats placed on the loading station to match the rotational axis position of the clamping jaws. This corresponds to the positioning of the workpiece in the direction parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead. Ideally, the workpiece is positioned between the clamping jaws so that the horizontal rotation axis of the workpiece, which may correspond to the axis of symmetry of the workpiece, aligns with the axis along which the sliding clamping jaw is displaced, i.e., along the longitudinal axis of the rotating clamping jaws. In this position, it is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead. Obviously, to achieve this axis alignment, the workpiece is also positioned in the direction perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead by appropriately adjusting the movement of the gripping assembly or the loading station. Once positioned, the workpiece axis coincides with the rotation axis of the clamping jaws, which allows for better mechanical load distribution on the clamping jaws and enables the use of a less complex control algorithm for the device's kinematics, as the workpiece maintains symmetry after rotation. This results in a low failure rate of the device, which in turn enhances the efficiency of the printing process.

[0029] The invention is presented in embodiments and in the drawing, which illustrates in:

[0030] Fig. 1 - a schematic layout of the clamping jaws and the direction of printing of the workpiece in a top view;

[0031] Fig. 2 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the first embodiment in a side view; Fig. 3 - the device as in Fig. 2 in another side view;

[0032] Fig. 4 - the device as in Fig. 2 in a top view,

[0033] Fig. 5 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the second embodiment in a side view;

[0034] Fig. 6 - the device as in Fig. 5 in a top view,

[0035] Fig. 7 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the third embodiment in a side view;

[0036] Fig. 8 - the device as in Fig. 7 in a top view,

[0037] Fig. 9 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the fifth embodiment in a side view;

[0038] Fig. 10 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the sixth embodiment in a side view;

[0039] Fig. 11 - the device as in Fig. 10 in a top view,

[0040] Fig. 12 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the seventh embodiment in a side view;

[0041] Fig. 13 - the device as in Fig. 12 in a top view,

[0042] Fig. 14 - a device for printing the edges of stationery products in the eighth embodiment in a top view.

[0043] In every embodiment, the printing device comprises a printing module 1 (Fig. 1) with a single-pass printhead 1A and a gripping assembly 2 with a pair of rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B. In this pair of rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B, one jaw is driven and serves as the sliding clamping jaw 2A, while the other is the fixed clamping jaw 2B. The rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B have a longitudinal axis O2 along which the sliding clamping jaw 2A moves. The clamping jaws 2A, 2B are fitted with clamping jaw linings 3, designed to accommodate a workpiece 4 consisting of stationery products, particularly books 5. Typically, rigid cardboard spacers 6 are placed between the products forming the workpiece 4.

[0044] The printhead 1A enables printing using the direct-to-shape inkjet technology, allowing the entire edge of an object designated for printing to be printed in a single pass. The printhead 1A has a width of 300 mm, corresponding to the printing capability for A4-sized products. The device can use printheads 1A employing pigment, dye-based, UV and solvent inks. Such printheads 1A are known in the prior art. They have at least one line of nozzles that generate ink droplets, which are then deposited onto the material being printed. A straight line L passes through the selected line of nozzles in the printhead 1A.

[0045] The rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B are constructed as one fixed clamping jaw 2B, which maintains a fixed linear position relative to the slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2, and one sliding clamping jaw 2A. The clamping jaws 2A, 2B are also synchronously rotated about their longitudinal axis O2 by a selected angle. The longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B is also the axis along which the sliding clamping jaw 2A is displaced. The longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead, and thus, in the top view, is perpendicular to line L. To achieve rotation of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, each of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B has its own motor 14 that executes the rotational movement of the jaw along with its lining 3. Consequently, the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B rotate the workpiece 4 about its axis of symmetry Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. This corresponds to a rotation around the X-axis in a Cartesian coordinate system. With the clamping jaws 2A, 2B oriented in this way, the arrangement of the workpiece 4 is determined such that the stack of stationery articles forming the workpiece 4 is aligned with the edges of the sheets designated for printing in a specific printing cycle parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. A reference edge of a sheet designated for printing in a specific printing cycle lies along a straight line K. Lines L and K are parallel to each other. Regardless of the embodiment and the specific design of the device and its kinematics, once the workpiece 4 is placed between the linings 3 and during the printing process, the edges of the sheets designated for printing in a specific printing cycle remain parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, while the longitudinal axis O2 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B remains perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. The printing process occurs in the horizontal direction X, corresponding to the X-axis in a Cartesian coordinate system.

[0046] This arrangement has a positive impact on print quality. The device performs edge printing of books using the bleed printing method, in which it is necessary to use graphics files larger than the actual dimensions of the product to ensure full coverage of the product's surface. Thanks to the use of linings 3, which are oriented parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, and consequently, the edges of the sheets designated for printing in a specific printing cycle, the ink mist will fall into the space 7 directly adjacent to the edges of the workpiece 4 without striking them. The device's movement kinematics allow the clamping jaws 2A, 2B to be introduced under the printhead 1A first. As a result, the leading edge of the workpiece 4 does not become stained with ink, which positively affects the quality of the finished products and the colour consistency of the printed graphics on the workpieces. On the remaining edges of the workpiece 4, the ink falls due to gravity without soiling the edges of the workpiece 4.

[0047] Additionally, irrespective of the embodiment, the gripping assembly 2 comprises two rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B fitted with linings 3, which are designed to hold between them stationery products, especially books 5. The linings 3 are replaceable and detachably connected to the clamping jaws 2A, 2B. This allows for their replacement and adjustment in shape to match the stationery products forming the workpiece 4.

[0048] The sliding clamping jaw 2A, along with its drive assembly 10, enables the gripping of the workpiece 4 of varying widths and the secure clamping of the workpiece 4. First embodiment

[0049] The device, according to the first embodiment of the invention (Fig. 2-4), comprises a body 8 with a horizontal rail 9 on which a printing module 1, comprising a singlepass printhead 1A, is movably mounted. In this embodiment, the printhead 1A uses pigment-based ink due to its high print durability, quality of printed graphics and colour stability. The printing module 1 has assigned drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission. This ensures smooth movement and operation of the printing module along the entire length of the rail 9. Thus, the printing module 1 is movably mounted on the body 1 in the horizontal X direction.

[0050] The body 8 has a base 11 of the gripping assembly 2, which includes a pair of vertical guides 12, on which a slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 is slidably mounted in the vertical Y direction. The slider 13 is equipped with the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B - the sliding clamping jaw 2A and the fixed clamping jaw 2B. The movement of the slider 13 along the vertical guides 12 is achieved via another drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission.

[0051] In the gripping assembly 2 there are two rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B provided with linings 3, which are designed to hold between them stationery products, especially books 5. In this embodiment, the linings 3 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B have vertical, flat surfaces, which are useful for printing on cuboidal stationery products such as books, notebooks and calendars. The longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw 2A moves, is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. In this configuration of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, the stack of stationery products forming the workpiece 4 is arranged with the edges of the sheets designated for printing aligned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A.

[0052] The rotating pressure jaws 2A, 2B are constructed as one fixed clamping jaw 2B, i.e., a jaw with a fixed, predetermined linear position, and one movable clamping jaw 2A. The sliding clamping jaw 2A is coupled with a drive assembly 10 that includes a servomechanism 10 connected via a screw transmission to the sliding clamping jaw 2A. The fixed clamping jaw 2B has an immobile linear position but, as indicated earlier, is also a rotating jaw.

[0053] Thus, the gripping assembly 2 and the printing module 1 are each assigned separate drive assemblies 10 to implement the movement of the printing module 1 in the horizontal X direction and the movement of the gripping assembly 2 in the vertical Y direction.

[0054] The body 8, in the area of the base 11 of the gripping assembly 2, has a loading station 15 mounted on it. The loading station 15 includes a retaining element 16, which is movably connected to the loading station 15 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. The retaining element 16 serves to align and arrange the stationery products forming the workpiece 4 and then to position the workpiece 4 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, so that the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, is aligned with the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaw linings 3. Positioning the workpiece 4 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, serves to adjust the position of workpieces 4 of different formats placed on the loading station 15 to the position of the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B. Then, the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4 is identical to the longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B and to the rotation axis O2 of these clamping jaws 2A, 2B, which allows for better mechanical load distribution on the clamping jaws 2A, 2B and enables the use of a simpler algorithm for controlling the device's kinematics, as it maintains the symmetry of the workpiece 4 when rotated around its horizontal symmetry axis Oi. In alternative embodiments, the gripping assembly 2 can also be movably mounted in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, to achieve the same objective. Additionally, the device is equipped with a controller for the device and a print controller, which are not shown in the drawings. These controllers provide control algorithms for the device, ensure smooth production processes and convert graphics into raster images. In particular, the device controller regulates the movement speed of the printing module 1 as it moves in the horizontal X direction. Meanwhile, the print controller can select the appropriate graphic file for printing or rasterise graphic files in real time, adjusting them to the measured actual width of the workpiece 4.

[0055] The workpiece 4 is oriented in the clamping jaws 2A, 2B so that the edges of the sheets intended for printing are parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A (Fig. 1). For the most common products, such as books, notebooks and calendars, the edges of the sheets intended for printing rarely exceed the size of an A4 sheet. The workpiece 4 may therefore have a width greater than the effective printing width of the printhead 1A, as adding additional stationery products to the workpiece 4 increases the width of the workpiece 4, while the height of the workpiece 4 corresponding to the height of the binding and the width of the printhead 1A remains constant. The width of the workpiece 4 is thus dependent on the quantity of printed materials and their thickness, and it is not limited by the width of the printhead. Consequently, a significant number of product copies can be printed in a single printing process. This greatly enhances process efficiency compared to orienting the workpiece 4 so that the edges of the sheets designated for printing are perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, where the maximum number of copies in the workpiece 4 would have to match the effective printing width of the printhead 1A.

[0056] During operation, the gripping assembly 2 is positioned in the vertical Y direction to collect the workpiece 4 from the loading station 15, ensuring that at the moment of collection of the workpiece 4, the symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4 lies along the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, which coincides with the longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B. The workpiece 4 is then clamped between the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, and the gripping assembly 2, with the workpiece 4 secured between the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, is positioned in the vertical Y direction to adjust the workpiece height relative to the printhead 1A. Next, horizontal movement is executed, during which the printing module 1 moves over the workpiece 4 and prints on the selected edge of the workpiece 4. After printing on one edge of the workpiece 4, the gripping assembly 2 rotates the workpiece 4 around its symmetry axis Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. In the case of a workpiece 4 composed of cuboid-shaped stationery products such as books 5, this involves a 90° rotation. Following this, the printing module 1 moves back in the horizontal X direction, during which the next edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece 4, held by the gripping assembly 2, is printed. The described steps are repeated until all selected edges of the workpiece 4 are printed. The process of printing subsequent pages of the workpiece proceeds in the same manner as previously described. The only exception is the printing of the final side of the workpiece 4. In this case, once the complete printing of the last side of the workpiece 4 is completed and the printing module 1 reaches its end position, instead of rotating the workpiece 4, the device initiates the product discharge process at the loading station 15. The slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 moves downward in the vertical Y direction until the lower surface of the product contacts the table of the loading station 15. At this point, the clamping jaws 2A, 2B release the compressed workpiece 4 and remain open, awaiting its removal from the device. Once the printed workpiece 4 has been removed from the device, a new workpiece can be loaded, and the printing process can begin again.

[0057] The device's ability to rotate the workpiece 4 during a single process, ensuring continuous printing, i.e., printing all three edges of stationery products, particularly books, within one technological process, or even printing all three edges and the spine enhances the efficiency of the device and increases the production speed of printed batches, such as books, notebooks, calendars and similar products. The method for printing the edges of stationery products, particularly books, follows a sequence of the following processes, which include:

[0058] - Inputting into the device controller the force with which the workpiece 4 is to be clamped within the gripping assembly 2.

[0059] - Sending the production file to the print controller - a nominal graphic file for printing, with a specified length and containing the graphics to be printed. The file includes as many edges of the document as there are edges of the stack to be printed. Since not only cuboids formed by stacks of books but also other polyhedra may be printed, the number of edges may vary.

[0060] - Initiating the process in the device control system, resulting in all the device's axes reaching their reference positions and the device achieving its initial positions, i.e. the slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 reaches the appropriate height - allowing for the manual insertion of the workpiece 4 into the loading station 15 with the width specified in the device control system.

[0061] The device then indicates readiness for material loading, after which the stack of specified dimensions is loaded into the loading station 15, with the edges of the stationery sheets intended for printing positioned parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, thereby forming the workpiece 4. Next, the stationery products forming the workpiece 4 are aligned and arranged against the movable retaining element 16, followed by positioning the workpiece 4 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, until the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, is aligned with the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaw linings 3. The printing process then started, beginning with the previously described gripping of the workpiece 4 by the gripping assembly 2.

[0062] Second embodiment The device, according to the second embodiment (Fig. 5-6), has a structure analogous to the first embodiment, with the difference that two gripping assemblies 2 and two loading stations 15 are mounted on the body 8.

[0063] Thus, the body 8 is fitted with two bases 11 of the gripping assembly 2, each of which has a pair of vertical guides 12, on which the slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 is slidably mounted in the vertical Y direction, and it is equipped with rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B - a sliding clamping jaw 2A and a fixed clamping jaw 2B. The longitudinal axis O2 of the rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B is also the axis along which the sliding clamping jaw 2A is displaced. The longitudinal axis O2 of the rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. Each gripping assembly 2 has a sliding clamping jaw 2A coupled to the drive system 10, which includes a servomechanism 10 connected via a screw transmission to the sliding clamping jaw 2A. The fixed clamping jaw 2B has an immobile linear position but, as indicated earlier, is also a rotating jaw.

[0064] In the area of the base 11 of each gripping assembly 2, a loading station 15 is mounted. The loading station 15 includes a retaining element 16, which is movably connected to the loading station 15 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A.

[0065] The workpiece 4, held in the clamping jaws 2A, 2B of both gripping assemblies 2, is oriented with the edges of the sheets intended for printing parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A.

[0066] By employing two gripping assemblies, the printing process can be performed for two workpieces 4. While the workpiece 4 placed in one gripping assembly 2 is being printed, a second workpiece 4 can be prepared for printing at the second loading station. Consequently, after printing all edges of one workpiece 4, the printing module 1 can immediately proceed to print the edges of the second workpiece 4. Alternatively, the printing module 1 can print the edges of both workpieces within a single movement cycle in the horizontal X direction. However, this may require stopping during the pass to adjust the graphics for printing on the next workpiece or to modify the movement speed in the horizontal X direction.

[0067] Third embodiment

[0068] The device, according to the third embodiment of the invention (Fig. 7-8), comprises a body 8 that is fixedly connected to the printing module 1, which includes a singlepass printhead 1A.

[0069] The body 8 comprises two horizontal rails 9, on which the base 11 of the gripping assembly 2 is movably mounted in the horizontal X direction, and the base 11 has a pair of vertical guides 12, on which the slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 is slidably mounted in the vertical Y direction. The slider 13 is equipped with rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B - a sliding clamping jaw 2A and a fixed clamping jaw 2B. The construction and operation of the gripping assembly 2 with the clamping jaws 2A, 2B are the same as in the previous embodiments.

[0070] Thus, the base 11 has assigned a drive system 10 that comprises a servomechanism with a screw transmission, ensuring smooth movement of the base 11 along the entire length of the rail 9. The base 11 is therefore movably mounted on the body 1 in the horizontal X direction. Similarly, the slider 13 of the gripping assembly 2 is assigned a drive system 10 that comprises a servomechanism with a lead screw transmission, ensuring smooth movement of the slider 13 along the entire height of the vertical guides 12.

[0071] The loading station 15 is fixedly mounted to the body 8. It has a movable retaining element 16.

[0072] With this design, the printing device allows the gripping assembly 2 to move horizontally in the X direction and vertically in the Y direction, which enables the gripping assembly 2 to pick up an unprinted workpiece 4 from the loading station 15, position the workpiece 4 at an appropriate vertical distance beneath the printhead 1A, and perform the printing of a selected edge of the workpiece 4 by moving the gripping assembly 2 with the workpiece 4 horizontally beneath the stationary printing module 1. At the final stage, the printed workpiece 4 is left at the loading station 15.

[0073] During operation, the gripping assembly 2 is positioned in both the horizontal X and vertical Y directions to collect the workpiece 4 from the loading station 15. The gripping assembly 2, with the workpiece 4 clamped between the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, is then positioned both horizontally and vertically in front of the printing module 1. During this movement, the necessary measurements and calculations are carried out in the device controller or the print controller to determine the linear movement speed required for the horizontal motion beneath the printhead 1A. Next, the horizontal movement is executed, during which the workpiece 4 moves beneath the printhead 1A, and the selected edge of the workpiece 4 is printed. After printing one edge of the workpiece 7, the gripping assembly 2 rotates the workpiece 4 around its symmetry axis Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, and by moving the workpiece 4 both horizontally and vertically, returns to the position in front of the printing module 1. In the case of a workpiece 4 composed of cuboid-shaped stationery products such as books, this involves a 90° rotation. Following this, the next edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece 4 is printed. Once all selected edges have been printed, the gripping assembly 2 both horizontally and vertically to the loading station 15, where the clamping jaws 2A, 2B are released, and the printed product is left for collection by the operator.

[0074] The device's ability to rotate the workpiece 4 during a single process, ensuring continuous printing, i.e., printing all three edges of stationery products, particularly books, within one technological process, or even printing all three edges and the spine enhances the efficiency of the device and increases the production speed of printed batches, such as books, notebooks, calendars and similar products.

[0075] Fourth embodiment The device, according to the fourth embodiment of the invention, which is not shown in the drawings, has the same structure as the device in the third embodiment.

[0076] Additionally, beside the loading station, the body of the device includes a workpiece receiving station. The loading station and the receiving station are located on opposite sides of the body. By implementing two separate stations: a loading station and a receiving station, it is possible to load the next workpiece while the printing cycle is still in progress, which significantly increases efficiency and ensures the continuous printing of successive workpieces. Furthermore, both the loading and receiving stations are movably mounted on the body 8 in the Z direction, parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead.

[0077] The loading and receiving stations are equipped with a system of movable support bumpers that stabilise the workpiece in the loading station before it is gripped by the gripping assembly and also support the workpiece in the receiving station. During the transfer of the workpiece from the loading station to the gripping assembly, the system of support bumpers gradually moves downward, allowing the rotating clamping jaws to progressively enclose the workpiece with a downward movement, which is achieved by the vertical movement of the slider of the gripping assembly along the pair of vertical guides of the base of the gripping assembly. Once the workpiece is fully enclosed by the rotating clamping jaws, it is clamped with a constant force, while simultaneously providing feedback on the linear value to which the workpiece has been compressed, thereby indicating the width of the workpiece under a predetermined constant clamping force. The workpiece is then moved under the printing module by means of the movement of the base of the gripping assembly along the horizontal rails of the body and the movement of the slider of the gripping assembly along the vertical guides of the base of the gripping assembly.

[0078] Fifth embodiment The device, according to the fifth embodiment of the invention (Fig. 9), comprises a body 8 connected to a printing module 1 containing a single-pass printhead 1A.

[0079] The body 8 includes two horizontal rails 9, on which a base 11 of the gripping assembly 2 is movably mounted in the horizontal direction X. The gripping assembly , mounted on the base 11, has a structure analogous to that of the previous embodiments. It comprises rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B - a sliding clamping jaw 2A and a fixed clamping jaw 2B. The operation of the gripping assembly with the clamping jaws 2A, 2B is the same as in the previous embodiments. The base 11 is therefore provided with a drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission, ensuring smooth movement of the base 11 along the entire length of the rail 9. The base 11 is thus movably mounted on the body 1 in the horizontal direction X.

[0080] In this embodiment, the printing module 1 is also driven and is movably connected to the body 8. A base 11' is mounted on the body 8, comprising two vertical guides 12'. A slider 13' is mounted on these vertical guides 12', to which the printing module 1 is attached. The slider 13' is provided with a drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission, ensuring the movement of the slider 13' in the vertical direction Y.

[0081] The loading station 15 is driven and is movably connected to the body 8. A base 11'' is mounted on the body 8, comprising two vertical guides 12''. The loading station, containing a movable stop 16 as in the previous embodiments, is mounted on these vertical guides 12''. The loading station 15 is provided with a drive assembly 10 containing a servomechanism with a screw transmission, ensuring the movement of the loading station 15 in the vertical direction Y.

[0082] Due to this design, the gripping assembly 2 moves horizontally in the X direction. This enables it to pick up the workpiece 4 from the loading station 15 and print the edge of the workpiece 4 while the gripping assembly 2 moves under the printhead 1A, and then returning the printed workpiece 4 to the loading station 15. The loading station 15 moves in the vertical direction Y, allowing the workpiece to be transferred to the level of the gripping assembly 2, where the workpiece 4 is clamped by the gripping assembly 2. The printing module 1 also moves in the vertical direction Y, allowing the printhead 1A to be positioned at the appropriate distance above the workpiece 4 and enabling the printing of the selected edge of the workpiece 4 while the gripping assembly 2 moves horizontally with the workpiece 4 under the stationary printing module 1.

[0083] During operation, the loading station 15, containing the previously printed workpiece 4, is positioned in the vertical direction Y to allow the gripping assembly 2 to release the workpiece 4 at this loading station 15. The gripping assembly 2 then releases the clamping of the workpiece 4, and the operator removes the printed workpiece 4. Next, a new, unprinted workpiece 4 is placed between the open rotating clamping jaws 2A and 2B and clamped by the gripping assembly 2. If the first workpiece 4 in the production cycle is being printed, the operator places the workpiece 4 into the empty rotating clamping jaws 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, the movement of the loading station 15 in the vertical direction Y is performed solely to align the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4, perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, with the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaw linings 3 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B. Next, the gripping assembly 2, with the workpiece 4 clamped between the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, is positioned horizontally in front of the printing module 1. During this movement, necessary measurements and calculations are performed in the device controller or print controller to determine the linear speed of movement during horizontal travel under the printhead 1A. The printing module 1 is then positioned vertically in the Y direction to set the appropriate distance between the workpiece 4 and the printhead 1A. Next, the horizontal movement is executed, during which the workpiece 4 moves beneath the printhead 1A, and the selected edge of the workpiece 4 is printed. After printing one edge of the workpiece 4, the gripping assembly 2 rotates the workpiece 4 around its symmetry axis Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, and by moving the workpiece 4 horizontally, returns to the position in front of the printing module 1. In the case of a workpiece 4 composed of cuboid-shaped stationery products such as books, this involves a 90° rotation. Following this, the next edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece 4 is printed. If all selected edges have been printed, the gripping assembly 2 moves horizontally to the loading station 15, where the clamping jaws 2A, 2B are released, and the printed product is removed by the operator.

[0084] Sixth embodiment

[0085] The device, according to the sixth embodiment of the invention (Fig. 10-11), comprises a body 1 connected to a printing module 8 containing a single-pass printhead 1A.

[0086] The body 8 comprises a horizontal rail 9, on which the printing module 1, containing the single-pass printhead 1A, is movably mounted. The printing module 1 has assigned drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission. This ensures smooth movement and operation of the printing module along the entire length of the rail 9. The printing module 1 is therefore movably mounted on the body 1 in the horizontal direction X. In this embodiment, the body 8 has two vertical guides 12'” mounted on which the rail 9 is movably mounted. The rail 9 is provided with a drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission. This ensures smooth movement of the rail 9 along the entire height of the guides 12'”. As a result, the rail 9 is capable of moving in the vertical direction Y.

[0087] The body 8 has a base 11 that is common to both the gripping assembly 2 and the loading station 15. The gripping assembly 2 is fixedly mounted on the base 2 and has a structure analogous to the previous embodiments. It has rotating clamping jaws 2A, 2B - a sliding clamping jaw 2A and a fixed clamping jaw 2B. The operation of the gripping assembly 2 with the clamping jaws 2A, 2B is the same as in the previous embodiments. T1

[0088] The loading station 15 is driven and is movably connected to the base 11. Two vertical guides 12” are mounted on the base 11. The loading station 15, which includes a movable stop 16 as in the previous embodiments, is mounted on these vertical guides 12”. The loading station 15 is provided with a drive assembly 10 comprising a servomechanism with a screw transmission, ensuring movement of the loading station 15 in the vertical direction Y.

[0089] Due to this design of the printing device, the loading station 15 moves in the vertical direction Y, allowing the workpiece to be transferred to the level at which the gripping assembly 2 is located and where the workpiece 4 is clamped by the gripping assembly 2. The printing module 1 moves horizontally in the X direction and vertically in the Y direction. The movement of the printing module 1 in these directions enables the printhead 1A to be positioned vertically at the appropriate distance above the workpiece 4 and implements the printing of a selected edge of the workpiece 4 as the printing module 1 moves horizontally over the workpiece 4 held by the gripping assembly 2.

[0090] During operation, the loading station 15, containing the previously printed workpiece 4, is positioned in the vertical direction Y to allow the gripping assembly 2 to release the workpiece 4 at this loading station 15. The gripping assembly 2 then releases the clamping of the workpiece 4, and the operator removes the printed workpiece 4. Next, a new, unprinted workpiece 4 is placed between the open rotating clamping jaws 2A and 2B and clamped by the gripping assembly 2. If the first workpiece 4 in the production cycle is being printed, the operator places the workpiece 4 into the empty rotating clamping jaws 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, the movement of the loading station 15 in the vertical direction Y is performed solely to align the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4, perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, with the rotation axis O2 of the clamping jaw linings 3 of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, which is the longitudinal axis of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B. In the device controller or the print controller, necessary measurements and calculations are performed to determine the linear velocity of movement during the horizontal travel of the printhead 1A. The printing module 1 is positioned vertically in the Y direction to set the appropriate distance between the workpiece 4 and the printhead 1A. The printing module 1 then moves horizontally, during which the printhead 1A moves over the workpiece 4 and prints an edge of the workpiece 4. After printing one edge of the workpiece 4, the gripping assembly 2 rotates the workpiece 4 around its symmetry axis Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, and the printing module 1 returns to its position in front of the gripping assembly 2 with the workpiece 4. Following this, the next edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece 4 is printed. If all selected edges have been printed, the gripping assembly 2 releases the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, leaving the workpiece 4 at the loading station 15.

[0091] Seventh embodiment

[0092] The device, according to the seventh embodiment (Fig. 12-13), has a structure analogous to the previous, sixth embodiment, with the difference that two gripping assemblies 2 and two loading stations 15 are mounted on the body 8.

[0093] By employing two gripping assemblies 2, the processing of two workpieces 4 can be carried out simultaneously. While the workpiece 4 placed in one gripping assembly 2 is being printed, a second workpiece 4 can be prepared for printing at the second loading station 15. Consequently, after printing all edges of one workpiece 4, the printing module 1 can immediately proceed to print the edges of the second workpiece 4. Alternatively, the printing module 1 can print the edges of both workpieces within a single movement cycle in the horizontal X direction. However, this may require the printing module 1 to pause during its travel in order to adjust the graphics for printing on the next workpiece or to modify the movement speed in the horizontal X direction.

[0094] Eighth embodiment The body 8 (Fig. 14) includes a four-armed bracket 17 that is pivotally connected to the body 8. Each arm 17A of the four-armed bracket is equipped with a gripping assembly 2, which has the same structure as in the sixth embodiment.

[0095] The body 8 is fitted with a base 11' for the printing module 1, with two horizontal rails 9 on which the printing module 1 is mounted, driven by a drive assembly 10. The printing module 1 has the same structure as in the sixth embodiment and moves in the horizontal X direction.

[0096] During operation, the arms 17A define stations where specific actions are performed on the workpiece clamped between the rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B. The rotation of the bracket 17 is executed at predetermined intervals. At the first station, the workpiece 4 is loaded and clamped by the gripping assembly 2. This process is facilitated by the loading station 15, which includes a movable retaining element 16. The second station is optional. In this embodiment, it serves as a cleaning station 19, where the workpiece 4 is cleaned of any residues from other book production processes. At the third station, a selected edge of the workpiece 4 is printed. The printing is performed by the horizontal movement of the printing module 1 relative to the workpiece 4, which is held by the gripping assembly 2. As in previous embodiments, at the station responsible for printing the workpiece 4, the longitudinal axis O2 of the rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. The fourth station is the receiving station 18. The workpiece 4 is left for collection by the operator.

[0097] Ninth embodiment

[0098] The method for printing the edges of stationery products, particularly books, can be applied to a continuous production process based on printing three edges of the workpiece 4. The method can be fully implemented using any of the devices presented in the described embodiments. Each of these embodiments adheres to the fundamental principles of the invention, namely that the workpiece 4, held in the clamping jaws 2A, 2B of the gripping assembly 2, is oriented such that the edges of the sheets designated for printing are parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. Furthermore, the printing of the edge of the workpiece 4 always occurs when the sheet edges designated for printing in a given print cycle and the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A are parallel to each other. To achieve this, the longitudinal axis O2 of the rotary clamping jaws 2A, 2B is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A. Before the printing process begins, the workpiece 4 is always aligned in the Z direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, so that the horizontal symmetry axis Oi of the workpiece 4, perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, is aligned with the rotation axis of the clamping jaws 2A, 2B, which, in turn, lies along the longitudinal axis O2 of the rotational clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw 2A moves. The printing process is carried out in the horizontal X direction, corresponding to the X- axis in the Cartesian coordinate system, and is executed either by moving the printing module 1 relative to the workpiece 4 or by moving the workpiece 4 relative to the printing module 1.

[0099] The method begins by inputting a nominal graphic file for printing, with a specified length, into the print controller of the printing device, while the gripping force values for the clamping jaws 2A, 2B for the workpiece 4 are entered into the device controller. Next, a stack of stationery products is placed in the clamping jaws 2A, 2B and aligned to form the workpiece 4, after which the printing process is initiated.

[0100] Depending on the kinematics of the device, the workpiece 4 is either guided at a set speed under the single-pass printhead 1A, or the single-pass printhead 1A moves over the workpiece 4, printing the selected edge of the books forming the workpiece 4 based on the input graphic file and the production file, which comprises information about the geometry of the stack and the number of edges to be printed. After printing the selected edge of the workpiece 4, it is rotated around its axis of symmetry Oi, which is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, and it is then guided once more under the printhead 1A, and the next selected edge of the workpiece is printed. The process of rotating and printing continues until all edges of the workpiece have been printed in accordance with the production file. Once all edges of the workpiece 4 have been printed, the workpiece is guided to the receiving station 15, where the clamping jaws 2A, 2B of the gripping assembly 2 are released, marking the end of the process.

[0101] By using both the device and the method for printing the edges of stationery products together, there is no limitation on the width of the workpiece, as printing is performed across the edges of the sheets.

[0102] The device allows the workpiece 4 to be placed in the clamping jaws 2A, 2B of the gripping assembly 2 with the sheet edges designated for printing parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead 1A, which enables the implementation of a printing method in which a nominal graphic file for printing, with a specified length corresponding to the width of a single edge of the stationery product forming the workpiece 4, is input into the controller of the printing device. The length of the graphic file thus corresponds to the width of a single book 5. During the printing process, successive edges of individual stationery products on one edge of the workpiece were printed multiple times and successively under the printhead 1A.

[0103] Legend

[0104] 1 - printing module

[0105] 1A - printhead

[0106] 2 - gripping assembly

[0107] 2A, 2B - rotating clamping jaws

[0108] 2A - sliding clamping jaw

[0109] 2B - fixed clamping jaw

[0110] 3 - clamping jaw lining

[0111] 4 - workpiece

[0112] 5 - books

[0113] 6 - spacers

[0114] 7 - space where the cloud of falling ink will be located

[0115] 8 - body

[0116] 9 - horizontal body rail

[0117] 10 - drive assembly

[0118] 11 - gripping assembly base

[0119] 11' - printing module base

[0120] 11” - loading station base

[0121] 12 - vertical guides on the gripping assembly base

[0122] 12' - vertical guides on the printing module base

[0123] 12” - vertical guides on the loading station base

[0124] 12”' - vertical guides on the body

[0125] 13 - gripping assembly slider

[0126] 13' - printing module slider

[0127] 14 - rotational motors of clamping jaws 2A, 2B

[0128] 15 - loading station

[0129] 16 - retaining element

[0130] 17 - four-armed bracket

[0131] 17A - arms of the four-armed bracket

[0132] 18 - receiving station

[0133] 19 - stack cleaning station

Claims

Claims1. A device for printing the edges of stationery products, particularly books, comprising a body (8), a device controller, a printing module (1) with a print controller and a single-pass printhead (1A) having at least one line of nozzles, and a gripping assembly (2) with a pair of rotating clamping jaws (2A, 2B), including at least one sliding clamping jaw (3A) and clamping jaw linings (3) adapted for holding between them a workpiece (4) made of stationery products, particularly books, wherein the body (8) comprises a workpiece (4) loading station (15) with a retaining element (16), characterised in that the longitudinal axis (O2) of the rotating clamping jaws, along which the sliding clamping jaw (2A) moves, is perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A), and the retaining element (16) or the gripping assembly (2) is movably mounted in the (Z) direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (2A).

2. The device for printing according to claim 1, characterised in that the gripping assembly (2) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in the horizontal direction (X) and the vertical direction (Y).

3. The device for printing according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the gripping assembly (2) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in the horizontal direction (X), and additionally, the printing module (1) and the loading station (15) are driven and movably mounted on the body (8) in the vertical direction (Y).

4. The device for printing according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the gripping assembly (2) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in the vertical direction (Y), and additionally, the printing module (1) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in the horizontal direction (X).

5. The device for printing according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the printing module (1) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in both the horizontal direction (X) and the vertical direction (Y), and additionally, theloading station (15) is driven and is movably mounted on the body (8) in the vertical direction (Y).

6. The device for printing according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the gripping assembly (2), printing module (1), or loading station (15) have assigned separate drive assemblies (10) to implement movement in the horizontal direction (X) or the vertical direction (Y).

7. The device for printing according to any of claims 5 to 6, characterised in that it comprises two gripping assemblies (2) with rotary clamping jaws (2A, 2B) and two loading stations (15) for the workpiece (4).

8. The device for printing according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the retaining element (16) is movably connected to the loading station (5) in the direction (Z), which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (2A).

9. The device for printing according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a workpiece receiving station (4), wherein either the loading station (15) or the workpiece receiving station (4) comprises a system of movable support bumpers.

10. The device for printing according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the loading station (15) or the receiving station is movably mounted on the body (8) in the (Z) direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A).

11. The device for printing according to claim 3 or any of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the body (8) comprises a pair of horizontal rails (9) along which the gripping assembly (2) base (11) is moved in the horizontal direction (X), said gripping assembly base (11) having a pair of vertical guides (12) on which a gripping assembly (2) slider (13) is mounted and movable in the vertical direction (Y), the gripping assembly slider (13) being provided with a fixed clamping jaw (2B) and a sliding clamping jaw (2A), wherein the gripping assembly base (11) of the gripping unit (2) and the gripping assemblyslider (13) are connected to their respective servomechanisms with screw transmissions.

12. The device for printing according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the body (8) comprises a four-armed bracket (17) rotatably connected to the body (8), wherein each arm (17A) of the four-armed bracket (17) is equipped with a gripping assembly (2), while the printing module (1) is driven and movably mounted on the body (8) in the horizontal direction (X).

13. A method for printing the edges of stationery products, wherein: a nominal graphic file for printing, having a defined length, is input into the print controller of the printing device, a stack of stationery products is placed within the clamping jaws (2A, 2B) of the printing device, which are provided with clamping jaws lining (3), and aligned to form a workpiece (4), the selected edge of the stationery products forming the workpiece (4) is then printed on, based on the input nominal graphic file, using a single-pass printhead (1A) containing at least one line of nozzles, wherein upon completion of the printing on the selected edge: the workpiece (4) is rotated around a rotational axis (Oi) perpendicular to the line of nozzles of the printhead (1A), and the next selected edge of the stationery products is printed under the printhead (1A), or the printing process is completed, characterised in that the stack of stationery products forming the workpiece (4) is oriented during placement in the clamping jaws (2A, 2B) with the edges of the sheets designated for printing in a specific printing cycle positioned parallel to the nozzle line of the printhead (1A), and furthermore, the workpiece (4) is positioned between the linings (3) of the clamping jaws (2A, 2B) at least in the (Z) direction, which is parallel to the line of nozzles of theprinthead (1A), as well as in the vertical (Y) direction, which is perpendicular to the nozzle line of the printhead (1A).

14. The method for printing according to claim 13, characterised in that the print controller receives information on the number of stationery products forming the workpiece (4) and a nominal graphic file for printing, having a specified length corresponding to the width of a single edge of a stationery product forming the workpiece (4), and during printing, the individual edges of successive stationery products forming the workpiece (4) are printed one after another using the input nominal graphic file.

Images