JP2003170572A - Printing plate washing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically wash a used printing plate to automatically house the washed printing plate in a hanger rack. <P>SOLUTION: This printing plate washing apparatus is equipped with feed mechanisms 7 and 8 brought into contact with the side surface of the suspended part of a sheetlike printing plate 1 supported on a feed route in a suspended state under pressure to feed and move the sheetlike printing plate by friction, nozzles 9 and 10 for sprinkling a detergent and water over the printing surface of the printing plate, the brush rolls 11 coming into contact with the printing surface to rotate, the air jet nozzles 13 arranged on the feed lower side of the brush rolls 11, the wiping rolls 14 coming into contact with the printing surface of the printing plate to rotate, a waterproof casing 15 for covering the region from the detergent/water sprinkling nozzles to the feed lower side of the wiping rolls 14, a carrier 19 picking out the used printing plate fed out of the waterproof casing 15 to support the same and feeding the printing plate into the hanger rack 16, and the hanger rack 16 into which the printing plate 1 is fed as it is. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing plate cleaning device, and more particularly to a device for automatically cleaning a printing plate for printing a necessary display on a corrugated board and storing it in a hanger rack.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for printing on a corrugated board for assembling a packaging case, a printing plate having the same size as the display surface is set on a printing roll, and the flattened corrugated board is provided with the printing roll. It is printed by sending it to.

By the way, various types of printing plates for printing the above-mentioned display are prepared according to the kind of use of the packaging case, and the used printing plates are stored in a hanger rack or the like and stored until the next use. .

[0004]

However, since the printing ink has adhered to the printing plate after use, if the printing plate is stored in the storage rack as it is, these inks will stain the surroundings and other adjacent printing plates. To get dirty. For this reason, conventionally, the ink is washed off before storing it in a hanger rack,
It was designed so that there was no fear of stains around it.

Conventionally, this cleaning is performed by manually cleaning the used printing plates one by one, drying them, and then hanging them on a hanger rack and storing them. However, there is a problem in that it takes time and labor to store the stamps.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, to automatically wash a used printing plate and to automatically store it in a hanger rack.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the printing plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, two transport paths for suspending and supporting a pair of sheet-shaped printing plates are mutually provided on the sending side. Of the sheet-shaped printing plates that are suspended and supported in the transport path, are arranged in a symmetrical linear arrangement with the center line between them so as to be adjacent on the sending side. A transport mechanism that presses against the lower side surface and feeds and moves the sheet-shaped printing plate by friction, a nozzle that sprays detergent and water on both printing surfaces of the facing printing plate, and the transport on the transport lower side of the nozzle. A brush roll disposed along the path and rotating in contact with the printing surfaces of the both printing plates, an air jet nozzle arranged in the vicinity of the brush roll on the transport lower side of the brush roll, and transported by the air jet nozzle. The above on the lower side A wiping roll which is arranged along the feeding path and rotates in contact with the printing surfaces of the both printing plates, and a waterproof casing which covers from the upper transport side of the nozzle for spraying the detergent and water to the lower transport side of the wiping roll. A carrier that supports the washed printing plate suspended from the waterproof casing and supported by the transport path until it is picked up from the end of the transport path and sent to a hanger rack described later.
A hanger rack in which the printing plate is sent as it is, comprising a printing plate storage hanger rack device which is displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the printing plate.

Therefore, according to this printing plate cleaning apparatus, if one or two printing plates with ink adhered are suspended and supported in the transport path, the printing plate surface will be automatically cleaned thereafter. It automatically advances in the waterproof casing, and from the waterproof casing, it is sent out in a dry state and then sent to the hanger rack as it is for storage, so the processing and storage of the used printing plate can be completely unmanned, Labor saving can be achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing plate washing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the hanger rack device can be moved in any direction by a caster provided on a bottom surface of the printing plate feeding direction. With respect to the displacement movement in the direction orthogonal to the guide device, which is provided on the floor surface and operates only in the displacement direction, the guide device is detachably engaged with the hanger rack device. It is a thing.

After the washing, the hanger rack for storing the printing plate sent out can freely move after the storage work, so that it can be moved in any direction by the casters after the printing plate storing step by the guide device. Racks can be exchanged and the number of storages is unlimited.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing plate cleaning apparatus of the first or second aspect, wherein the water sprayed from the nozzle is hot water. Therefore, the cleaning efficiency is good, the amount of detergent used can be reduced accordingly, and economical cleaning can be performed.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a printing plate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
It is a sectional view taken along line A-A.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a sheet-shaped printing plate, for example, a thick plastic sheet 2 having a thickness of 2 to 3 mm is provided with convex portions 3 ... 3 on the surface for performing necessary printing. The plastic sheet 2 is made of a bendable soft material so that it can be easily wound around a roll.

Reference numeral 4 in the drawing denotes an edge material formed on the edge of the plastic sheet 2, which serves as a locking portion when it is wound around a printing roll (not shown) and fixed, and is opposite to the printing surface. It is provided on the back side of the side.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a guide rail that forms a transport path for suspending and transporting the above-mentioned sheet-shaped printing plate 1, and the introduction part of the entrance has a step-like shape as the cross section goes deeper as shown in FIG. The groove 6 is formed to receive and fit the edge member 4 so that the enlarged printing plate 1 does not fall.

On the extension path of the guide rail 5, drive belts 7 and 7 which contact the back side of the printing plate 1 to move the printing plate 1 by friction are provided, and the pressing rolls 8 and 8 sandwiching the printing plate 1 are provided. Is pivotally supported.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing rolls 8 and 8 are provided at positions where they are engaged with the protrusions of the cross section formed by the edge member 4 of the printing plate 1, and between the pressing roll 8 and the drive belt 7. The printing plate 1 is held and can be fed and moved.

A guide rail 5 constituting a conveying path, a nozzle 9 for spraying a detergent onto the printing surface of the sheet-shaped printing plate 1 along the printing surface of the printing plate 1 which is hung and fed by a drive belt 7. A plurality of nozzles 10 for spraying wash water are provided.

On the lower side in the carrying-in direction, brush rolls 11 ... 11 which rotate in contact with the printing surface of the printing plate 1 are provided at three locations along the carrying path. The brush rolls 11 ... 11 are for cleaning the ink on the printing surface of the printing plate 1 with a brush, and a water spray nozzle 12 is also provided on the outer surface of the brush 11.

As the brush of the brush roll 11, a soft brush is used so as not to damage the printing plate surface. Air blow nozzles 13, 13 are provided on the lower side of the brush roll 11 in the carrying-in direction of the printing plate 1 so as to blow off the water remaining on the cleaning surface of the printing plate 1.

Finally, wiping rolls 14, 14 for finally wiping off the water on the surface of the printing plate 1 are rotatably supported by the printing plate 1 so as to come into contact therewith. The wiping roll 14 is configured by providing a dry soft cloth or the like around the rotation shaft in a brush shape.

Further, from the installation portion of the pressing roll 8 to the wiping roll 14 are housed in the waterproof casing 15 to prevent the detergent and cleaning water from being scattered around. The bottom of the casing 15 has a water tank 15w.
Is provided, and a hot water heater 40 is provided inside.

The transport path for suspending and supporting the printing plate 1 is provided up to the exit portion of the waterproof casing 15, and the exit portion is provided with feed rollers 17 and 17 for feeding the washed printing plate 1 from the transport path. There is.

The hanger rack 16 is arranged in the direction in which the printing plate 1 is fed by the rollers 17, 17. The hanger rack 16 has a plurality of guide grooves 18 having the same cross section as the guide groove 6 provided in the guide rail 5 on the ceiling portion in parallel with each other, and the printing plate 1 sent out from the cleaning device 1
Are carried into the guide groove 18 as they are.

Reference numeral 19 in the drawing denotes a guide carrier for the printing plate 1, which guides and supports the printing plate 1 until the end of the printing plate 1 sent out from the conveying path is grasped and carried into the guide groove 18 of the hanger rack 16. To do.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide carrier 19 is provided with a gripper 20 for gripping the edge member 4 of the printing plate 1. As shown in FIG. 7, this gripper 20 has arms 25, 25 at the tips of the respective pistons 23, 23 of an actuator 24 in which two pistons 23, 23 are housed in a cylinder 22 aligned on an extension axis. The actuator 2 and the actuator 2
By lowering the pressure in the cylinder 22 of No. 4, the two pistons 23, 23 are drawn into the cylinder 22, and this movement causes the printing plate 1 to be sandwiched between the grippers 20, 20. Two pistons 23, 23 project from the cylinder 22 to expand the space between the grippers 20 and move so as to open the printing plate 1.

This gripper 20 is wholly supported by a piston cylinder device 21, and when the printing plate 1 is sent out from the sending roll 17, it is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the open gripper 19 is detected. The printing plate 1 is closed and grasped, and at the same time, the end portion of the printing plate 1 is guided and supported toward the guide groove 18 of the hanger rack 14 by the ejecting operation of the piston cylinder device 21.

Further, at the position of the gripper 20 in the protruding direction, there is provided an expanding guide device 26 for expanding and separating the printing plates 1 already stored in the hanger rack 16. The expansion guide device 26 is attached to a tip end of a piston 28 of the cylinder piston device 27 which is vertically protruded and retracted, and a cylinder piston which is opposed to and protrudes horizontally in a horizontal direction. The device 29, 29 and the guide plates 30, 30 attached to the piston tip of the cylinder piston device 29, 29 and extending in the direction of the hanger rack 16 are configured.

The hanger rack 16 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, when a set of printing plates 1 and 1 is fed into one guide groove, each time it is fed into the other empty guide groove 18 in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the printing plate 1. It moves so as to face each other, and 31 in the figure indicates a control drive device therefor.

The hanger rack 16 may be configured to reciprocate on a guide rail as the moving structure, but as shown in the figure, the caster 32 enables free running.
The control drive may be performed only when the printing plate 1 is fed into the hanger rack 16.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the above control drive device, in which rails 34, 34 are provided on the base surface 33, and a carriage 35 for supporting the hanger rack 16 can travel on the guide rails 34, 34. Piston cylinder 36 for hangup installed and further lifting the hanger rack 16
Is provided.

The carriage 35 can be driven and controlled by a feed screw piece 38 provided with a ball screw which is screwed into a screw rod 37 which is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). ing.

Therefore, after the hanger rack 16 is lifted and supported on the carriage 35 by the hang-up piston cylinder 36, the hanger rack 16 is moved by the width of the guide groove 18 for each printing plate 1 to be fed, and the hang-up piston 16 is moved. When the cylinder 36 is contracted and released from the carriage 35, the caster 32 can freely travel and the storage location can be selected.

The above is the main configuration of the printing plate cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment. In this embodiment, the transport path 5 is used.
In addition, the case where the cleaning brush rolls 11 and the like are arranged symmetrically in a pair is shown, but only one of them may be arranged.

A member denoted by reference numeral 41 in FIG. 5 is a guide guide, so that the printing plate 1 sandwiched between the grippers 20, 20 and sent to the guide 18 of the hanger rack 16 can be correctly guided to the guide 18. It is a guide, and is attached to the tip of the extension of the L-shaped bracket 50 attached to the mounting substrate 28a that extends toward the rack side, and is provided as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 11, this guide is composed of two block pieces 42, 42, and the opposing surfaces 43, 43 of each block piece are fed into the printing plate 1.
The taper surface has a wide side and a guide groove 18 side is formed with a groove 44 narrowing like a funnel, and is interlocked with the protrusion of the grippers 20, 20 to approach the guide guides from both sides of the conveyance path by the operation of the piston cylinder device 45. Is supposed to do.

Next, the operation of the printing plate cleaning apparatus will be described.
First, the edge 4 portion of the printing plate 1 removed from the printing apparatus is inserted into the guide rails 5 and 5, and the printing plate 1 is suspended and supported.

Next, the drive belts 7 and 7 are driven, the detergent is jetted from the nozzle 9 and the washing water is jetted from the nozzles 10 and 12, and the brush rolls 11 ... 11 are rotated. At this time, if hot water is used as the wash water, the washing ability of the detergent is improved, so it is preferable to spray hot water. As a result, the amount of detergent used can be significantly reduced.

The printing plates 1 and 1 are fed and moved by the drive belts 7 and 7 from the guide rails 5 and 5, and fed into the waterproof casing 15, and the detergent is sprayed onto the surface from the nozzle 9.

Then, the rotating brush roll 11 strongly rubs the detergent on the ink on the surfaces of the printing plates 1 and 1, and the detergent elutes the ink. Next, water or warm water is jetted from the nozzles 10 and 12, and the brush rolls 11 ... Which rotate at the same time are brought into contact with each other to rotate, so that the ink melted in the detergent is washed off by the brush rolls 11.

Since the brush roll 11 is also supplied with water or warm water from the nozzle 12, the cleaning is surely performed. During this time, the printing plate 1 is slowly conveyed by the drive belt at a speed suitable for the cleaning process.

Next, air is blown onto the surface of the printing plate 1 from the air blowing nozzle 13 to blow off the adhering water droplets, and finally the water on the printing plate 1 surface is completely wiped off by the wiping roll 14.

The two printing plates are eventually stacked with their front surfaces facing each other and sent out from the waterproof casing 15. The printing plate 1 is sent out by a sending-out roller 17 provided outside the waterproof casing 15, and the grippers 20, 20 of the guide carrier 19 are driven by the detection information to reduce the interval between them, and the printing plates in a stacked state. 1, 1
Grab Then, by the ejection drive of the piston cylinder device 21, the printing plates 1 and 1 that are grasped are hunger rack 16
To the guide groove 18 of.

Prior to this operation, the hanger rack 16
Is moved by the feed control device and is vacated in the guide groove 18
Is waited so as to match the feeding position of the printing plate 1, and then the guide plates 30, 30 of the expansion guide device 26 are moved downward by the cylinder piston device 27 to empty the two guide plates 30, 30. It is lowered to the position of the guide groove 18 and, in that state, by the cylinder piston device 29,
By moving the printing plates 1 and 1 on both sides in the opening direction as indicated by the arrow X, the space between the printing plates 1 and 1 on both sides is expanded by the guide plate 30, and the new printing plate 1 is waited for to be inserted.

The printing plates 1 and 1 which have been washed and sent out are sent to the guide groove 18 in a state of being gripped by the gripper 20, and when one end is inserted into the guide groove 18 in time, the gripper 20 is opened respectively. Is moved in the direction, the grip of the printing plate 1 is released, and the gripper 20 is returned to the original position by the contraction operation of the cylinder piston device 21, and waits until the end of the printing plate that is currently being sent out is sent out.

During this time, the printing plates 1 and 1 are hanger racks 16
When the trailing end is sent out, the gap between the grippers 20 and 20 is narrowed again by the information of the sensor (not shown) that detects it, and the trailing end of the printing plates 1 and 1 is fed. Grab the part.

Then, the cylinder piston device 21 is again ejected at a speed synchronized with the feed speed, and the printing plates 1 and 1 are inserted into the guide groove 18. After this, the grippers 20, 20 return to the open position, and the piston cylinder device 2
By the contraction operation of No. 1, the guide carrier 19 and the expansion guide device 26 are returned to the initial position.

The position of the hanger rack 16 is controlled by the control device so that the other empty guide groove 18 stands by at the feeding position of the printing plate 1. When the printing plate 1 is fully stored in the hanger rack 16, the hang-up cylinder piston device 36 is contracted to release the hanger rack 16 from the carriage, and the hanger rack 16 is moved to another place by using the casters. .

[0049]

As described above, according to the printing plate cleaning apparatus of the present invention, after one or two printing plates are fed along the guide rail, they are automatically cleaned and cleaned. After that, since it is dried and automatically stored in the hanger rack, cleaning and storage management of the printing plate becomes very easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a printing plate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a guide rail.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the transfer device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a main portion of a guide carrier portion.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a main portion of a guide carrier portion.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a main part of the gripper.

FIG. 8 is a side view from a guide carrier portion to a hanger rack.

FIG. 9 is a plan view from a guide carrier portion to a hanger rack.

FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view of the guide device.

FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory view of the guide device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 sheet-like printing plate 2 plastic sheets 5 guide rails 6 grooves 7 drive belt 9 detergent nozzle 10 water nozzle 11 brush roll 12 Watering nozzle 14 Wiping roll 15 Waterproof casing 16 hanger rack 19 carriers 20 gripper 26 Guide device 30 guide plate 32 casters

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pair of sheet-shaped printing plates, which suspends and supports a pair of sheet-shaped printing plates, has a large distance between them on the sending side and is adjacent on the sending side. A conveyance mechanism which is provided in a symmetrical linear arrangement, is pressed against the side surfaces of the hanging portions of the respective sheet-shaped printing plates suspended and supported in the transportation path, and feeds and moves the sheet-shaped printing plates by friction, Nozzles for spraying detergent and water on both printing surfaces of the opposing printing plates, and a brush roll arranged along the carrying path on the lower transport side of the nozzles and rotating in contact with the printing surfaces of the two printing plates. , An air jet nozzle disposed in the vicinity of the brush roll on the transport lower side of the brush roll, and disposed along the transport path on the transport lower side of the air jet nozzle, in contact with the printing surfaces of the both printing plates. Rotating wi low And a waterproof casing that covers from the upper transport side of the nozzle for spraying the detergent and water to the lower transport side of the wiping roll, and a washed mark that is hung from the waterproof casing and supported by the transport path. A carrier that supports the plate until it is picked up from the end of the transport path and is sent to a hanger rack described later, and a hanger rack into which the printing plate is sent as it is, in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the printing plate. A printing plate cleaning apparatus comprising a printing plate storage hanger rack device which is displaceable to. 2. The printing plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hanger rack device is allowed to travel in an arbitrary direction by a caster provided on the bottom surface, and displacement movement in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the printing plate is prevented. A printing plate cleaning apparatus which is provided on a floor surface and operates only in the displacement direction, and is configured to be moved by a guide apparatus that is detachably engaged with the hanger rack device. 3. The printing plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water sprayed from the nozzle is hot water.