EP1591258A1

EP1591258A1 - Apparatus for printing a textile web

Info

Publication number: EP1591258A1
Application number: EP04076275A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernardus Petrus Paulus Morskate
Original assignee: Osiris Technology BV
Current assignee: Osiris Technology BV
Priority date: 2004-04-29
Filing date: 2004-04-29
Publication date: 2005-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2024-04-29
Also published as: DE602004003906T2; DE602004003906D1; ATE349332T1; ES2280006T3; EP1591258B1

Abstract

An apparatus for printing a web of textile (2) comprises: an endless conveyor belt (6) which is guided over a driven roller (4) and a reversing roller (5) and which is driven at a chosen constant speed; and printing means (16) for printing the passing textile web (2) in the zone of the upper active part (9) of the conveyor belt (6) in a number of colours in accordance with an adjustable pattern for selecting; and is characterized in that the printing means (16) comprise a number of frame beams (17-24) extending in transverse direction above said upper active part (9) at determined mutual longitudinal distances along the direction of transport, each of which frame beams (17-24) carries an array of inkjet heads and each of which is immobile during operation relative to the plane defined by the upper active part (9); control means are present which fulfil at least the following functions of: storing a chosen printing pattern by means of inputting pattern information; energizing the inkjet heads such that each head sprays droplets of ink of the relevant colour onto the web at the positions on the web determined by the control means.

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus for printing a web of textile, which apparatus comprises:
a main frame;
an endless conveyor belt which is guided over a driven roller and a reversing roller disposed substantially parallel thereto and which is driven by motor means at a chosen constant speed;
glue dispensing means for applying a glue layer upstream of the active upper part of the conveyor belt for temporary light adhesion of the textile web to this active part such that this web is fixed non-movably relative to the conveyor belt;
optional washing means placed downstream relative to the active part for removing the glue from the conveyor belt;
supply and feed means for feeding a textile web from a supply to the active part of the conveyor belt;
printing means for printing the passing textile web in the zone of the active part of the conveyor belt in a number of colours in accordance with an adjustable pattern for selecting; and
discharge and storage means for removing the printed textile web from the conveyor belt and subsequent storage thereof.
Such an apparatus is known. A known apparatus for instance makes use of paste-like dyes with a number of chosen colours which are printed by means of a so-called screen printing process onto a passing textile web at fixed registration positions with fixed patterns.
Such a printing process is inadequate in the sense that switching to other printing patterns is very time-consuming, that large quantities of usable ink are lost herein and that the relative registration accuracy for the different colours leaves a very great deal to be desired. Variations in the order of 0.2 mm are usual in this prior art.
The invention has for its object to obviate said drawbacks of the prior art. It is a particular object of the invention to provide an apparatus which enables a printing accuracy of about 10 µm while making use of provisions which allow a very rapid change-over to other patterns without any substantial loss of usable coloured ink.
In respect of the above stated objectives, the apparatus according to the invention has the feature that the printing means comprise a number of, for instance 2-8, frame beams extending in transverse direction above said active part at determined mutual longitudinal distances along the direction of transport, each of which frame beams carries an array of inkjet heads and each of which is immobile during operation relative to the plane defined by the active part;
control means are present which fulfil at least the following functions of:
storing a chosen printing pattern by means of inputting pattern information, for instance from a scanner;
energizing the inkjet heads, also in relation to the chosen set speed of the conveyor belt and the mutual distances in the direction of transport between successive inkjet heads for the respective colours, such that each head sprays droplets of ink of the relevant colour onto the web at the positions on the web determined by the control means;
the discharge means comprise drying means for drying the ink applied to the textile web.
It should be understood that according to the invention the textile web is guided at a fixed speed through the apparatus and that the inkjet heads used are in wholly stationary position.
Intermittent driving of the endless conveyor belt could be envisaged such that by making use of movable inkjet heads a temporarily stationary surface for printing is printed by the inkjet heads, followed by a stepwise further transport of the conveyor belt so that a subsequent part of the textile web can be printed in the same manner.
Such a technical embodiment is seen as being very disadvantageous according to the invention in respect of the very complicated controls required, the acceleration forces which occur and the positioning errors inherent to such a system, these being manifested in a poorer printing quality.
The apparatus according to the invention on the other hand makes use of only one moving component, i.e. the endless conveyor belt, which ensures that the textile web for printing is guided through the apparatus at a very precisely controlled fixed speed.
The inkjet beams, which each correspond with a preselected colour, lie at a mutual distance which can be determined by the control unit by means of a simple calibration process such that the determined mutual distances can be taken into account in the calculation of the correct times for energizing the inkjet heads. The mechanical problems of the above described prior art and a possible other solution on the basis of inkjet printing are thus wholly resolved according to the invention by making use of a very simple but very precise and stable mechanical setup with only one drive and a powerful computer system in co-action with very high-quality inkjet heads, whereby the sought-after printing accuracy can be realized. In a test arrangement a resolution of 10 µm has indeed been realized.
The inkjet heads require maintenance with some regularity, in particular cleaning. In a practical embodiment the beams are for instance 2.5 m long (i.e. their dimension in transverse direction of the direction of transport) and placed at a mutual longitudinal distance, i.e. a distance as seen in the direction of transport, of 0.5 m.
It is desirable to make the heads, which are arranged on a necessarily very rigid beam, easily accessible. In view of the desired very high mechanical precision of the apparatus, it is deemed desirable according to the invention to be able to move the beams laterally out of the apparatus and to be able to replace them again with a very high positioning accuracy without any calibration being necessary after such an intervention.
In respect of the above, the invention provides a specific embodiment of the apparatus which has the feature that each beam can be positioned in a fixed position relative to the main frame by means of positioning means, comprising three sets of recesses, for instance V-grooves, and associated protrusions, for instance balls, present on the main frame respectively the beam, and that each beam can be lifted out of the position defined by these positioning means and in the thus obtained free position can be pushed to the outside, for instance for repair or maintenance.
It will be apparent that diverse embodiments of such positioning means are possible which allow a very precise positioning in both the horizontal plane and in the height, thus x, y, z.
In a further embodiment the apparatus has the special feature that each beam is supported by a sub-frame with the general form of a lying U which is laterally displaceable in and out of the apparatus such that, if desired during operation of the apparatus, any sub-frame whose inkjet heads are temporarily not in use can be displaced to the outside, for instance for repair or maintenance.
The summary review below may serve to elucidate the possibilities of the invention.
Use can be made of a desired number of colours and a corresponding number of beams with units of inkjet heads. The number of colours can amount for instance to a maximum of 12, while the beams are placed at mutual distances of 10-100 cm. Printing speeds can be realized of 1-40 m/min. A printing width of for instance 1 cm to 50 m can be realized according to the invention. Given the use of high-quality inkjet heads, the resolution of the finally obtained printed image can amount to 120-400 dpi. It will be apparent that this resolution is also determined by the precision with which the mutual distance between nozzles of the inkjet heads can be maintained relative to the textile web to be printed.
It will be further apparent from the above description that one colour is sprayed per stationary array of nozzles.
It must be ensured that the points of impact of the ink droplets must lie with great precision at a determined distance relative to the inkjet heads. It is of the greatest importance in this respect that the conveyor belt passes the inkjet heads in very stable manner and without notable height difference at the position of these heads. The maximum height variation between the nozzles and the textile surface for printing amounts to about 10 µm.
Printing can take place with different colour systems.
(1) Printing in accordance with the process colour principle. Here a design is printed with the classical colour graduations (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) or dilutions thereof. The colour image is created by differently coloured droplets which together provide a colour graduation.In order to obtain a maximum efficiency of colour space for improvement of the printed image, the system can also be used by working with colour graduations other than the traditional ones. Specific colours are then mixed and used instead of the above stated colours.
(2) Printing in accordance with the spot colour principle. Here a colour separation of a design is made. Each colour separation is printed with a so-called spot colour, i.e. a specific proposed colour.
(3) Combined printing with process colour(s) and spot colours.
The colours which it is wished to print in accordance with the spot colour principle are separated. The remaining part of the design is printed with process colours.
The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a cut-away schematic perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a conveyor with an active upper part which is straight;
Fig. 4 is a view corresponding with Fig. 3 of a conveyor with an active upper part which has a generally curved form;
Fig. 5 shows a more detailed side view of the conveyor according to Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the conveyor according to Fig. 4 and 5;
Fig. 7 is a front view along the direction of transport of a U-shaped frame which can be moved in and out of the apparatus;
Fig. 8a, 8b and 8c show respective stages of the positioning and removal from the apparatus of a beam carrying an inkjet array;
Fig. 9 shows a schematic perspective transparent view of the beam according to Fig. 8 with the associated positioning means;
Fig. 10 is a schematic view of the adjustment in a vertical plane of rollers forming part of the conveyor according to Fig. 3, 4, 5 and 6; and
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the construction enabling a vertical angular setting of the roller according to Fig. 10.
Corresponding elements and components are designated with the same reference numerals in all the figures to be described hereinbelow.
Fig. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for printing a textile web 2 (see also Fig. 2). The apparatus comprises a main frame 3 placed on the ground or a shop floor.
As is particularly apparent from Fig. 3, 4, 5 and 6, apparatus 1 comprises an endless conveyor belt 6 which is guided over a driven roller 4 and a reversing roller 5 disposed substantially parallel thereto and which is driven by motor means (not shown) at a chosen constant speed as according to arrow 7.
The apparatus further comprises glue dispensing means 8 for applying a glue layer upstream of the active upper part 9 of conveyor belt 6 for temporary light adhesion of textile web 2 to this active part 9 such that web 2 is fixed non-movably relative to the conveyor belt during transport by said upper part 9.
A washing device 10 shown in Fig. 5 contains sponge means 11 and a scraper 12 for removing glue residues from conveyor belt 9. These washing means 10 are placed downstream of the active part 9.
Fig. 2 shows a supply and feed unit and a pressure roller 15 which co-acts with roller 4 and which provides an intimate and adhering contact between the active upper part 9 and textile web 2.
A printing unit 16 comprises eight U-shaped frames 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, which are each adapted to generate, under the control of a control unit (not shown), a very small droplet of coloured ink at any point in time determined by the control unit by means of an inkjet head unit added to each frame, one colour for each frame. Printing means 16 are operative in the zone of the active part 9 of the conveyor belt. The printing takes place in accordance with an adjustable pattern to be selected.
Connecting onto printing unit 16 is a dryer 25 which is finally followed by a discharge and storage unit 26 in which the dried web, otherwise than in the infeed unit 13, is not rolled up onto a roll but, swinging back and forth as according to arrow 27 in per se known manner, comes to lie under its own weight in layers of the now printed textile web 28 on a stack 29.
The printing means, of which frames 17-24 form part, comprise frame beams which are added to the respective frames and supported thereby, and each of which carries an array of inkjet heads. During operation each of these arrays is immobile relative to the upper surface defined by the active part.
As shown in Fig. 3, conveyor belt 6 is supported over active part 9 by support surfaces, drawn in this case as rollers 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, where the support positions for the conveyor belt correspond with the zones of the inkjet arrays situated thereabove. Rollers 31-38 are incorporated in the structure such that during operation they have a substantial difference in speed from that of conveyor belt 6. The rollers can for instance be driven or braked or, in the simplest case, be fixed.
Fig. 4, 5 and 6 show an embodiment in which the rollers are ordered in an arc such that active part 9 of conveyor belt 6 is deflected by each roller through an angle in the order of 1°.
Conveyor belt 6 is arranged under tensile stress over rollers 4 and 5.
Fig. 7 shows the U-shaped frame 22 which can be displaced laterally out of apparatus 1 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The U-shape leaves clear an opening 41 such that with a lateral displacement as according to arrow 42 the frame 22 can be moved to the right in the drawing without disrupting the operation of the rest of the apparatus. During normal operation with seven colours for instance one beam corresponding to a colour not in use can thus be removed for service lines.
The upper leg of the U bears a beam 43 which carries an inkjet array in a manner not shown. Beam 43 can be positioned very precisely relative to lower leg 44 by means of respective recesses and protrusions.
Reference numeral 71 designates a supply station for coloured ink. As shown particularly clearly in Fig. 2, this station 2 contains two containers 72, 73, each with its own colour, between which it is possible to switch, or with the same colour for continuation of the printing process when one container is completely empty.
Fig. 8a shows that beam 43 is positioned as according to an arrow 45 such that it comes to lie in its nominal position with great precision in three independent directions.
Fig. 8b shows that by means of a drive 46 the beam 43 can be lifted out of positioning means 47, thus becomes freely suspended and can then be pushed as according to Fig. 8c to the right out of the frame in the direction of arrows 48.
Fig. 9 shows by way of example a beam 43 which is provided on its underside with three V-shaped grooves 51, 52, 53 which co-act with respective balls 54, 55, 56.
Fig. 10 shows the manner in which roller 5 can be tilted in a vertical plane, whereby a certain torsion is created in conveyor belt 6 which has the consequence that the belt undergoes a force whereby it leaves the transverse position it occupies and undergoes a gradual lateral displacement. By appropriate control it is thus possible to achieve that conveyor belt 6 retains it nominal transverse position with very great precision. In this example, not drawn to scale, the □z displacement can amount for instance to a maximum of 0.1 µm. The indicated displacement □y depends on the length of roller 5. This displacement is a second order effect compared to □z, and is therefore wholly negligible.
In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 10, a tilting takes place around the centre of axis 51 to the position 51'. Where this tilting takes places is wholly unimportant. What is important is that the belt undergoes a certain torsion, whereby the side edges of the belt acquire a helical shape with a very small angle.
The bearing on the one side can for instance have a substantially fixed arrangement, while the bearing on the other side of roller 5 is vertically displaceable. This a mechanically very simple but nevertheless wholly reliable solution. Fig. 11 shows such an embodiment wherein on the side which is not drawn roller 5 is rotatable on its rotation shaft 52 substantially at a fixed position, while on the side shown in Fig. 11 it is supported by a bearing 53 which is pivotable relative to a frame beam 56 forming part of a frame by means of a pull rod 54 with a nut 55. A stepping motor 57 is provided with a rotatingly driven nut and an associated screw spindle 58 which, when driven by the stepping motor, can make a reciprocating movement as according to an arrow 59. The upper surface 60 of a cam lever 61 is hereby displaced against sub-frame 62, which can thereby undergo an upward and respectively downward directed displacement with associated adjustment of the position of the axis of shaft 52, whereby the above mentioned helix angle is changed. Not shown is that the control of stepping motor 57 takes place by a control unit which receives transverse position signals from an optical sensor situated in the immediate vicinity of the reversing roller. The embodiment is such that the optical sensor always performs a transverse position measurement at the same longitudinal point of the edge of the conveyor belt, thereby obtaining a determination of the transverse position.
Owing to the measures stated in the introduction the apparatus can display an exceptional accuracy, whereby the printed images realized with the apparatus are of a quality unknown up until now.

Claims

Apparatus for printing a web of textile, which apparatus comprises:

a main frame;

an endless conveyor belt which is guided over a driven roller and a reversing roller disposed substantially parallel thereto and which is driven by motor means at a chosen constant speed;

glue dispensing means for applying a glue layer upstream of the active upper part of the conveyor belt for temporary light adhesion of the textile web to this active part such that this web is fixed non-movably relative to the conveyor belt;

optional washing means placed downstream relative to the active part for removing the glue from the conveyor belt;

supply and feed means for feeding a textile web from a supply to the active part of the conveyor belt;

printing means for printing the passing textile web in the zone of the active part of the conveyor belt in a number of colours in accordance with an adjustable pattern for selecting; and

discharge and storage means for removing the printed textile web from the conveyor belt and subsequent storage thereof;

characterized in that
the printing means comprise a number of, for instance 2-8, frame beams extending in transverse direction above said active part at determined mutual longitudinal distances along the direction of transport, each of which frame beams carries an array of inkjet heads and each of which is immobile during operation relative to the plane defined by the active part;
control means are present which fulfil at least the following functions of:

storing a chosen printing pattern by means of inputting pattern information, for instance from a scanner;

energizing the inkjet heads, also in relation to the chosen set speed of the conveyor belt and the mutual distances in the direction of transport between successive inkjet heads for the respective colours, such that each head sprays droplets of ink of the relevant colour onto the web at the positions on the web determined by the control means;

the discharge means comprise drying means for drying the ink applied to the textile web.
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
characterized in that
each beam can be positioned in a fixed position relative to the main frame by means of positioning means, comprising three sets of recesses, for instance V-grooves, and associated protrusions, for instance balls, present on the main frame respectively the beam, and that each beam can be lifted out of the position defined by these positioning means and in the thus obtained free position can be pushed to the outside, for instance for repair or maintenance.
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2,
characterized in that
each beam is supported by a sub-frame with the general form of a lying U which is laterally displaceable in and out of the apparatus such that, if desired during operation of the apparatus, any sub-frame whose inkjet heads are temporarily not in use can be displaced to the outside, for instance for repair or maintenance.