Patent Publication Number: US-6702173-B2

Title: Reflow apparatus in continuous printing and mounting apparatus for film-like printing body

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a reflow apparatus in a continuous printing and mounting apparatus for a film-like printing body which executes a printing operation applied to a film-like printing body and a mounting operation of parts in accordance with a continuous process. 
     2. Conventional Art 
     A reflow apparatus in accordance with a conventional art is structured such that hot plates for preheating and full heating are sequentially arranged along a moving direction of a film-like printing body, the film-like printing body is directly brought into contact with these hot plates so as to be heated, and a warp inhibiting body for inhibiting the film-like printing body from being warped due to heat is arranged in an upper side of the hot plates so as to hold the film-like printing body thereunder. 
     However, the following problems are generated in the conventional reflow apparatus mentioned above. This means a point that in the case that movement of the film-like printing body is stopped because of some kind of troubles, for example, generated in a printing step or a parts mounting step, whereby the film-like printing body is in contact with the hot plates, in particular, with the hot plate for full heating which has the highest temperature, for a longer time than the normal time, various kinds of adverse effects are applied to the film-like printing body itself, the printing operation or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is made by taking the points mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a reflow apparatus structured such as to move all the hot plates apart from the film-like printing body at a time when the movement of the film-like printing body is stopped for a longer time than the normal time because of the generation of trouble or the like, moves the warp inhibiting body upward, and simultaneously insert a shutter for shutting off heat between the film-like printing body and the hot plate for full heating and further, if required, blow a cold blast to this shutter, whereby it is possible to previously prevent the problems mentioned above from being generated. 
     Then, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reflow apparatus in a continuous printing and mounting apparatus for a film-like printing body comprising: 
     hot plates for preheating and full heating being sequentially arranged along a moving direction of a film-like printing body; 
     the film-like printing body being directly brought into contact with the hot plates so as to be heated; and 
     a warp inhibiting body for inhibiting the film-like printing body from being warped due to heat, the warp inhibiting body being arranged in an upper side of the hot plate so as to hold the film-like printing body thereunder, 
     wherein all of the hot plates are simultaneously moved downward at a suitable timing so as to be made apart from the film-like printing body, the warp inhibiting body is moved upward, and a shutter for shutting off the heat is simultaneously inserted between the film-like printing body at a position of the hot plate for full heating and the hot plate. 
     Further, as a mechanism for moving the hot plates downward in the structure mentioned above, there can be listed up one particular structure in which support tubes are provided at positions of the respective hot plates in a supporting plate horizontally fixed to a base frame, guide posts suspended to lower surfaces of supporting tables for the respective hot plates are respectively fitted to the support tubes in a slidable manner so as to freely move the hot plates upward and downward, an operation handling shaft suspended to the lower surfaces of the supporting tables for the respective hot plates is respectively fitted to a support tube provided in the supporting plate in a slidable manner, a lower end surface of the operation handling shaft is slidably in contact with cam plates mounted to a rotating shaft which is rotatably supported through bearing bodies fixed to the base frame, and the rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor which is fixed to the base frame via pulleys and a belt, whereby the hot plates are moved downward. 
     Further, in the structure mentioned above, in addition that the shutter for shutting off the heat is inserted, a cold blast may be blown to the shutter. This case is more effective in view of preventing a temperature of the shutter from being increased, preventing a temperature in the periphery of the film-like printing body from being increased, and preventing the film-like printing body from being warped due to the heat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention, with partial omission; 
     FIG. 2 is a right side view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a partly enlarged perspective view of a warp inhibiting body in accordance with the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partly enlarged view in a state in which a shutter for shutting heat off is inserted. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A description will be given below of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a front view with partial omission manner, FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view, FIG. 3 is a partly enlarged perspective view of a warp inhibiting body, and FIG. 4 is a partly enlarged view in a state in which a shutter for shutting off heat is inserted. 
     In the drawings, reference numeral  1  denotes a base frame. Reference numeral  2  denotes a film-like printing body. Reference numerals  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  denote hot plates which are directly made in contact with the film-like printing body so as to heat the film-like printing body. Among the hot plates, the hot plates  3 ,  4  and  5  are used for preheating, and the hot plates  6  and  7  are used for full heating. Then, these hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are arranged along a moving direction of the film-like printing body  2  in the order of the preheating hot plates and the full heating hot plates. 
     Further, the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are structured such as to be capable of being simultaneously moved downward, and in the present embodiment, the structure is made such that support tubes  10  and  10  are respectively provided at positions of the respective hot plates in a supporting plate horizontally fixed to the base frame  1 , guide posts  17  and  17  suspended to lower surfaces of supporting tables  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16  for the respective hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are respectively fitted to the support tubes  10  and  10  in a slidable manner so as to freely move the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  upward and downward, an operation handling shaft  18  suspended to the lower surfaces of the supporting tables  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16  for the respective hot plates is respectively fitted to a support tube  19  provided in the supporting plate  9  in a slidable manner, a lower end surface of the operation handling shaft  18  is slidably in contact with cam plates  22  and  22  mounted to a rotating shaft  21  which is rotatably supported through bearing bodies  20  and  20  fixed to the base frame  1 , and the rotating shaft  21  is connected to a drive motor  26  which is fixed to the base frame  1  via pulleys  23  and  24  and a belt  25 . 
     Reference numeral  27  denotes a warp inhibiting body for inhibiting the film-like printing body  2  from being warped due to heat. The warp inhibiting body  27  is arranged in an upper side of the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  so as to hold the film-like printing body thereunder. Further, the warp inhibiting body  27  is constituted, as shown in FIG. 3, by a flat plate member  27   a  which is in contact with an upper surface of the film-like printing body  2 , and a holding body  27   b  which mounts a lot of flat plate members  27   a  in parallel. 
     Further, the warp inhibiting body  27  is structured such as to be capable of being moved upward. In the present embodiment, guideposts  28  and  28  are vertically provided in a holding body  27   b , the guide posts  28  and  28  are slidably fitted to support tubes  30  and  30  provided in a supporting plate  29 , and pressure expanding coil springs  31  and  31  are provided between the supporting plate  29  for the guide posts  28  and  28  and the holding body  27   b . Further, the structure is made such that the supporting plate  29  is connected to an operation rod (not shown) of a cylinder  32  which is vertically mounted to the base frame  1  via a connection rod  33 . In this case, the guide posts  28  and  28  are structured such as to slide within a range of a predetermined stroke. 
     Reference numeral  34  denotes a shutter for shutting off heat. The shutter  34  is structured such as to prevent the film-like printing body from being exposed to increased heat of the hot plate. Further, the shutter  34  for shutting off the heat is inserted between the film-like printing body  2  at the positions of the full heating hot plates  6  and  7  and the hot plates  6  and  7  at a time when the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  move downward and the warp inhibiting body  27  moves upward. Further, in the present embodiment, the shutter  34  is structured such as to be retracted in a back side of the hot plates  6  and  7  at a time of heating by means of the hot plates, and be moved forward to be inserted between the hot plates  6  and  7  and the film-like printing body  2  at a time of necessity. In this case, the shutter  34  for shutting off the heat is driven by using a cylinder or the other known suitable means. 
     Further, at a time of inserting the shutter  34  for shutting off the heat, a cold blast may be blown to the shutter  34 . In this case, blowing of the cold blast may be performed by using a known suitable means. 
     Next, a description will be given of an operation of the present embodiment. 
     In a state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the case that movement of the film-like printing body  2  is stopped because of some kind of troubles, for example, generated in a printing step or a parts mounting step, and the film-like printing body is kept stopped for a longer time than the normal time, all of the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are simultaneously moveed so as to be made apart from the film-like printing body  2 , the warp inhibiting body  27  is moved upward, and the shutter  34  for shutting off the heat is simultaneously inserted between the full heating hot plates  6  and  7  and the film-like printing body  2 . 
     Further, the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are moved downward in the following manner. That is, when the drive motor  26  is operated, the rotary shaft  21  is rotated via the pulleys  23  and  24  and the belt  25 . Accompanying with this, the cam plate  22  is rotated, and the rotation is stopped at a time when the operation handling shaft  18  which is slidably in contact with the cam plate  22  reaches a low mountain portion in the cam plate  22 . Accordingly, the hot plates  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are simultaneously moved downward. 
     On the other hand, the warp inhibiting body  27  is moved upward in the following manner. That is, when the cylinder  32  is operated, the supporting plate  29  is moved upward via the connection rod  33 , whereby the warp inhibiting body  27  is moved upward. 
     The present invention has the structure and the operation mentioned above. When the movement of the film-like printing body is stopped for a longer time than the normal time because of the generation of trouble or the like, all of the hot plates are moved downward so as to be made apart from the film-like printing body, the warp inhibiting body is moved upward, and the shutter for shutting off the heat is simultaneously inserted between the film-like printing body and the full heating hot plates. Accordingly, it is possible to shut off the rising heat output from the full heating hot plates having the highest heating temperature with respect to the film-like printing body. Further, in the case of blowing the cold blast to the shutter together with inserting the shutter for shutting off the heat, it is more effective in view of preventing the temperature of the shutter from being increased, preventing the temperature in the periphery of the film-like printing body from being increased, and preventing the film-like printing body from being warped due to the heat.