WO2012167806A1

WO2012167806A1 - Printer for printing on a tape coated with adhesive on one side

Info

Publication number: WO2012167806A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/002847
Authority: WO
Inventors: Armin Pietza
Original assignee: Bixolon Europe Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-06-10
Filing date: 2011-06-10
Publication date: 2012-12-13
Also published as: JP2014519458A; EP2718214A1; CN103732519A

Abstract

The invention relates to a printer for printing on a tape (1) coated with adhesive in some areas on one side, the tape (1) having sticky or adherent areas (2) on the side of the tape coated with adhesive, which areas are located at a distance from each other and form adhesive-free areas (3) therebetween, which adhesive-free areas extend transversely over the entire width (7) of the tape (1), the printer having a cutting device (15, 16), by means of which the tape (1) can be severed, characterized in that the printer has a control device (20), a transporting device (A, 18, 19) for the tape (1), and at least one sensor (12) for detecting an adhesive-free area (3) and/or a sticky or adherent area (2) of the tape (1), in such a way that, in order to sever the tape (1), the control device (20) positions the tape by means of the transporting device (A, 18, 19) in such a way that the cutting device (15, 16) always severs the tape (1) in an adhesive-free area (3).

Description

Printer for printing a tape coated on one side with adhesive

The present invention relates to a printer for printing on one side partially coated with adhesive tape, the tape having on its adhesive coated side adhesive-free areas and adhesive areas which alternate, with at least the adhesive-free areas across the entire width extend the belt, wherein the printer has a cutting device by means of which the tape is severable.

A corresponding volume is known from EP 1053289. That in EP

1053289 is a self-adhesive paper roll and is referred to as endless strip. From the receipt roll individual self-adhesive Klebebons are separable. So that the bons can be touched, they have adhesive-free areas which can be formed on the longitudinal sides of the band or else transversely to the longitudinal extent of the band. In this case, the self-adhesive paper roll can be wound up in such a way that the strip surface provided with the adhesive layer or adhesive layer lies in the direction of the roll interior and the printable strip surface faces outward. The tape can also one or two-sided notches or

CONFIRMATION COPY Have markers that serve to synchronize the printer with the feed, so as to ensure that from the endless strip always at the intended location a Klebebon is separable. It is thus ensured in the band and printer known from EP 1053289 that the adhesive-free area is always available at the upper edge after the separation of the voucher for gripping the voucher. However, the EP 1053289 known band and the associated printer do not prevent adhesive can get to the cutting edges of the cutting device. For printers that print on tapes, which have an adhesive or adhesive layer, there is always the problem that the cutting blades dirty by the adhesive or adhesive and lose their function or the tape is only bad or no longer clean cuts. Cleaning of the cutting device is usually not possible, so that the cutting device must be replaced as a module. It has been found that such printers have a failure rate of about 30% due to the contamination by the adhesive residues.

Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a printer and a corresponding tape, with the bonding of the

Cutting device is avoided.

This object is advantageously achieved in that the printer has a sensor which detects adhesive-free areas and the tape positioned so that the cutting device always cuts the tape only in the adhesive-free area. This advantageously prevents adhesive from getting to the cutting edge of the cutting blade and causing it to become dirty.

The tape according to the invention differs from the tape known from EP 1053289 in that the printer advantageously recognizes the adhesive-free regions of the tape and positions the tape in such a manner to the cutting device or tear-off edge that the tape is always cut through securely in the region of a glue-free region. Advantageously, the adhesive-free Areas are designed to be very narrow, so that the overall liability of the voucher or label is not reduced. The adhesive-free areas extend over the entire width of the band. Advantageously, the adhesive-free areas are a maximum of a few millimeters to less than 0.1 mm wide. The areas coated with adhesive may also be between 0.5 mm to several millimeters or several centimeters wide. Where width is not the bandwidth but the width in the longitudinal extension of the band is meant. If both the adhesive-free and the adhesive areas are formed relatively narrow, bons or labels of any size or length can be printed and cut.

In the band known from EP 1053289, the adhesive-free areas merely serve to enable the separated ticket or the separated label to be gripped in such a way that no adhesive gets to the fingers. EP 1053289 describes that by means of notches or markings on the edges, the printer can determine where the adhesive-free area is, so that the printer can transport or place the belt in such a way that an adhesive-free area of the belt can be grasped. However, these glue-free areas are inevitably made so large that the Bon stick over a relatively large area does not stick to the substrate for lack of adhesive. In order to avoid that edges protrude through the adhesive-free areas of the substrate, it sees the EP 1053289 as advantageous if at the end of a Bon still a small adhesive layer or adhesive layer is arranged. In this embodiment, however, the adhesive inevitably reaches the cutting edges of the cutting device, thereby adversely polluting them.

The printer according to the invention advantageously has at least one sensor for detecting the tack-free areas. In this case, the sensor can detect either the tack-free areas and / or the adhesive or adhesive areas. In the simplest case, light waves or electromagnetic waves are radiated onto the side of the strip by means of a luminous means, which has the adhesive or adhesive layer. The invention is inherent in that the adhesive-free areas the light waves or electromagnetic waves reflect differently than the areas which are coated with adhesive or an adhesive. It is also possible that the differently coated regions of the band are detected on the basis of the transmittance of light beams. It is also possible that ultrasonic sensors are used to detect the areas where ultrasonic waves are directed to the tape, which are reflected differently from the different areas.

Of course, the adhesive-free and adhesive-containing areas can also be determined or distinguished with other sensors, so that severing in the area of the adhesive-free areas is ensured. Thus, e.g. the different thickness or directly the different adhesion or adhesive behavior of the underside is determined by means of at least one sensor and evaluated by the control device.

Due to the nature of the invention to detect the differently coated areas of the tape, the tape must advantageously have no externally visible markings or indentations.

Of course, it is possible to use various types of tapes. Thus, the tape may have multiple layers, wherein, for example, the topmost layer through which it is printed may be a silicone layer. It is also possible that the tape has a carrier film. Also, the tape may have paper as a carrier material. The carrier material may also have a plastic coating, on which in turn a silicone top layer is arranged. In all possible embodiments of the band, it is important that one side, in particular the underside, is at least partially coated with adhesive or an adhesive. The coating is formed in particular by transverse strips, which are arranged as possible at a small distance from each other. The adhesive or adhesive strips should also be as narrow as possible, so that the distances between the points at which the tape by means of cutting or Trennvor- direction is severable, not too far apart.

So that no adhesive leaks laterally, the tape according to the invention can have tack-free strips at its lateral longitudinal edges. However, these areas should be made as narrow as possible so that the edges do not stand out from the ground due to lack of adhesive.

It is also possible that the adhesive or the adhesive material is applied in a dot matrix or strip grid, so that not only transverse, but also longitudinal strips are present, which are provided without adhesive or without adhesive material. This makes it possible not only to limit the length of the Bons or labels by means of the cutter, but also to vary the width of the Bons or labels by at least one additional cutter, which is also ensured here that the cutting through adhesive-free areas cut and do not pollute. In this case, the adhesive-free areas can be determined either by means of additional sensors or else the adhesive-free areas are arranged at predetermined locations, so that no sensors are necessary.

The printer according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures. Show it :

1 shows a plan view of the partially coated with adhesive side of a first possible embodiment of printable band.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the area of adhesive-coated side of a second possible embodiment of the printable band; FIG.

3 shows a cross-sectional view of a band according to the invention;

4 and 5 cross-sectional views through a portion of the invention inventive printer with sensor, cutting device and tape drive device;

Fig. 6: Top view of the partially coated with adhesive side of a third possible embodiment of a printable tape.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the adhesive-coated underside of the band 1, the adhesive being applied in strip form to the band by means of transverse strips 2. Between the adhesive strips 2 are adhesive-free transverse strips 3 in their areas by means of a

Cutting device of a printer, the band is severable. The dashed line S indicates the possible placement of a cutting device. The tape is transported in the longitudinal direction L by means of a transport device. The transport device serves to position the band 1 over the cutting device S. The band has a front side 7 and longitudinal sides 6. To the right of the tape is an enlarged detail of the tape with its adhesive strips 2 shown. Between the adhesive strips 2, the tack-free strips 3 are arranged, wherein the adhesive strips 2 have a width 4 and the non-tacky regions have a width of 5. Die Klebereifen 2 sind an den Klebestreifen 2 an dem Klebstreifen 2 angeordnet. In principle, the widths 4, 5 are arbitrary. On principle, however, it makes sense that the width 5 is chosen to be as small as possible, so that the best possible adhesion of the strip 1 is given. The width 5 depends largely on the dimensioning of

Cutting device off. That is, it must be ensured that the width 5 is chosen so large that during the cutting process no adhesive or adhesive material soils the cutting edges of the cutting device. The width 4 of the adhesive strip 2 should also be made as small as possible, so that the band can be cut at places as close as possible to each other. This ensures that the band can be used in the best possible way. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the adhesive strips 2 have a greater width 4 than the tack-free regions 5.

FIG. 2 shows a second possible embodiment of the invention Band 1 shown, in which the width of an adhesive strip 2 is equal to the width of the tack-free areas. In addition, the edge regions 8 of the band 1 are designed without adhesive, so that it is ensured that no adhesive leaks at the lateral regions of the wound-up band 1. The edge regions 8 should be formed as narrow as possible, so that the edge 6 of the glued-on label or label can not stand out.

3 shows a cross section through the band 1. The band 1 has a carrier layer 9, which on its one side, which is in particular the pressure side, a silicone layer 10, so that this side is not in the rolled-up band 1 with the adhesive strip. 2 of the tape 1 sticks. On the underside of the band 1, the adhesive strips 2 are arranged at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction 2 and form the tack-free regions 3 between them. FIGS. 4 and 5 show a simplified cross-sectional view through a printer with the print head DR and its transport rollers 18, 19 who lead and transport the band 1. Wherein the transport rollers 18, 19 shown on the right can be optionally arranged. On the side on which the adhesive strips 2 are arranged, a light emitting diode 11 is arranged, which emits light beams 13 on the surface 2, 3 of the belt 1 and which are reflected from there, wherein the reflected beams 14 from a light sensor 12, which may be formed by a phototransistor, for example. Depending on whether the light rays 13 strike a tack-free area 3 or an adhesive strip 2, they are reflected to different degrees, the sensor 12 can determine these differences and then the controller 20 processes the signals of the sensor and the

Cutting device 15, 16 and the feed device 18, 19 controls, so that the band 1 is severed only in the region of a tack-free area by means of the cutting blades 15, 16. In FIG. 4, the band 1 is positioned around the sensor 12 in such a way that the light beams 13 strike a tack-free area 3 from which the reflected beams 14 are reflected in the direction of the sensor 12. The reflection The degree of dependency depends on the carrier material of the carrier 9 and the adhesive used for the adhesive strips 2. FIG. 5 shows that the adhesive strips 2 reflect the light rays 13 in a worse manner than the non-stick regions 3, so that the reflected light 14 has a lower intensity. as the reflected light 14, provided that the light rays 13 impinge on the tack-free areas 3.

The sensor 11, 12 shown in Figures 4 and 5 can of course be arranged in the transport direction in front of or behind the print head DR. Figure 6 shows a third possible embodiment of the tape 1 according to the invention, wherein the adhesive is applied dot-like in the grid on the tape, so that the tape 1 point-shaped adhesive regions 2a, which form between them tack-free transverse strips 3 and longitudinal strips 3a, so that cutting devices SL and SQ can cut the tape in the transverse direction and longitudinal direction, so that bons or labels can be produced, which may have a predetermined length and a predetermined width, which can be determined by means of the cutting device SL and SQ. Of course, it is also possible that the splices 2a are not punctiform but strip-shaped, so that the tape has short strips of adhesive or adhesive material in the transverse and longitudinal directions, which are spaced apart and thus form between them tack-free areas in which cut the tape can be, without the adhesive can contaminate the cutter.

Claims

P a t e n t a n s p r u c h e

Printer for printing on a tape (1) which is partially coated with adhesive on one side, the tape (1) having adhesive or adherent areas on its adhesive-coated side

(2), which are spaced apart from one another and form adhesive-free areas (3) between them, which extend across the entire width (7) of the band (1), the printer having a cutting device (15, 16), by means of which the tape (1) can be severed, meaning that the printer has a control device (20), a transport device (A, 18, 19) for the tape (1) and at least one sensor (12) for detecting a glue-free and/or an adhesive one or adhesive area (2, 3) of the band (1), such that the control device (20) for cutting the band (1) positions it by means of the transport device (A, 18, 19) in such a way that the cutting device (15 , 16) the tape (1) is always cut in a glue-free area (3).

Printer according to claim 1, characterized in that the printer has at least one means (11) that emits radiation or sound waves, in particular in the form of a lamp or an ultrasonic transmitter, which emits radiation or sound waves (13) in the direction of the belt (1), the sensor (12) receives the reflected or transmitted rays or waves (14) and the control device (20) uses the different reflection or transmission to determine the adhesive-free and adhesive areas (2, 3) or the transitions between the areas (2,

3) of the tape (1).

Printer according to claim 2, characterized in that over the width (7) of the belt (1) at least at least two sensors (12) and/or at least two means (11) emitting beams or waves are arranged.

4. Printer according to one of claims 1 to 3, d a d u r c h

This means that the printer detects the rays or waves (14) reflected or transmitted by the belt (1) by means of the at least one sensor (12) and, based on the course of the determined radiation intensity or the sound level, determines whether a coated or uncoated area (2, 3) the rays (13) are reflected or transmitted.

5. Printer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light-emitting means (11) is an LED and the sensor (12) is a photodetector, in particular a phototransistor, or that the wave-emitting means is an ultrasonic transmitter and the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

6. Printer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (20) determines the widths (4, 5) of both the adhesive-free areas (3) and the adhesive or adhesive areas (2) and uses the determined values for positioning the Band (1) used relative to the cutting device (15, 16).

7. Printer according to one of the preceding claims, so that the printer has an additional cutting device by means of which the tape can be severed in the longitudinal direction.

8. Printer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional cutting device is adjustable in the transverse direction to the band (1) in such a way that the band (1) can be divided into pieces of different widths.

9. Ribbon (1) for printing, especially for use with a Printer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tape (1) has glue-free or adhesive-free areas and adhesive or adhesive areas (2) on its side coated with adhesive or having an adhesive layer, which are at least in the longitudinal direction (L) of the Band (1) are spaced apart from each other, and between them form glue-free or adhesive-free areas (3) which extend across the entire width (7) of the band (1).

10. Tape according to claim 9, so that the glue-free or adhesive-free areas (3) have a longitudinal extent (5) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the band (1), which is 0.1mm to 5mm long, preferably 1mm to 3.5mm long, particularly preferably 1.5m to 2.5mm long.

11. Tape according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the areas (2) coated with adhesive or an adhesive have a longitudinal extent (4) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the tape (1), which is 1mm to 15mm long, preferably 3mm up to 10mm long, particularly preferably 5mm to 7.5mm long.

12. Tape according to one of claims 8 to 10, so that the areas (2) coated with adhesive or an adhesive are formed by transverse stripes.

13. Tape according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the tape (1) has adhesive-free areas (8) which extend in the longitudinal direction (L), in particular along the edges (6) of the tape (1). - Ken.

14. Band according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized - indicates that the adhesive or adhesive is applied to the band (1) in a matrix form and forms adhesive-free areas that extend in the transverse direction over the entire width (7) of the band (1).

15. Tape according to claim 14, so that the adhesive or adhesive is applied to the tape in points (2a) and these are between linear non-adhesive or adhesive areas (3.) which extend over the entire width (7) of the tape (1). ) as well as linear non-adhesive or adhesive areas extending in the longitudinal direction (L).

(3a) form.