The present invention relates to a device for conveying and processing a substrate.

More specifically it concerns a device where a substrate is automatically fed in and processed over a part of its surface, after which a subsequent substrate movement follows and again a part of the surface is processed. This step is repeated until the desired part of the surface has been processed.

Such a substrate can be a textile for example, in long strips or as individual articles of clothing for example, plastic, wood, metal or glass, and the process can be printing, engraving, etching, embroidering, milling, laminating or polishing, for example. Normally speaking these types of substrates are flat or practically flat.

Such a device at least consists of a table to support the substrate and to move it easily with practically no resistance, for example by small wheels or by a surface with guides or components that allow smooth movement of the substrate, means for transporting the substrate and a processing unit that performs the desired processing. Normally but not exclusively, the processing unit is a digital processing unit.

In such a device the synchronisation, both in time and space, of the movement of the substrate and the processing of it is of great importance, and for this reason such a device normally has transport means that enable the movement of the substrate, and synchronisation means that are normally connected to the processing unit by a data processing unit to ensure coordination between the transport means and the processing unit so that the entire processing can be brought about.

Traditionally all these components are put together into a working device in a complex way.

The disadvantages of this are that the construction of such a device is complex and thus expensive.

Traditionally the construction can only be done in specialised workshops by specialised people, which also increases the production cost.

This disadvantage extends to the transport of the devices, during which the relatively large devices take up a lot of space, such that the transport is relatively expensive and environmentally polluting.

The disadvantages also extend to the situation where the device has to be replaced or repaired. Here too, the complexity of the device is a detrimental factor, as a high level of knowledge is required on the part of the technician, and a replacement or repair takes a long time, such that not only do the costs increase, but there is also a significant time during which the device cannot be used, with the resulting production loss. In most cases, the substrate has to be presented at a specific distance from the processing unit in order to guarantee optimum functioning of the processing unit.

However, it is disadvantageous to fit attachments between the table and the substrate to vary this distance, because this requires supplementary work and attention from the operator, and constitutes an increased risk of malfunctions .

It is also disadvantageous to adjust the height of the table, because it can be sizeable and a large and expensive lifting installation is thus required. Also the table height will then no longer match other work surfaces before or after the machine on which the substrate is also handled or over which it moves, or the optimum ergonomic working height for the user.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages and other disadvantages by providing a device for conveying and processing a substrate, at least consisting of a frame with a table to support the substrate, means of transport to allow the substrate to move over the table, a processing unit that can process the substrate and which is mounted above the table, and means of synchronisation to synchronise the transport means and processing unit, in which the device is of a modular composition with at least two removable modules, one of which contains the transport means and another module the processing unit.

The advantage of this is that the device can be easily produced in different embodiments from the individual modules. As a result transport can be reduced, which saves costs and relieves the environment.

Another advantage is that the device can be quickly and easily assembled by non-specialised people, while the very precise and specialised construction of the individual modules, in which all components have to be fitted in the correct place and way, in order to operate correctly, can be done by specialised technicians at a central location.

Another advantage is that the device becomes more flexible, because thanks to the modular construction it is possible to replace a certain type of processing unit with another type at relatively low cost.

Another advantage is that simply by removing and refitting a module, a repair or preventive replacement can be done very quickly, thus with little loss of machine time.

A further advantage is that a large part of the device can be reused when only one module is worn.

In a preferred embodiment, the processing unit is affixed to a construction with a height adjustment in order to be able to adjust the distance between the processing unit and the table. The advantage of this is that the distance between the substrate and the processing unit can be adjusted to the optimum value in an easy, reliable, stable and reproducible way, while the optimum height of the table is also guaranteed .

In another preferred embodiment, the table and the processing unit are placed at an angle to the horizontal and the transport means directly drive a roll of substrate.

The specific advantages of this embodiment that uses a substrate on a roll is that the construction is simplified, that the substrate easily proceeds at the correct speed without the need to compensate for the decreasing roll diameter, and that gravity ensures that the substrate is kept sufficiently taut and flat below the processing unit.

In a further preferred embodiment, the device is supplied entirely as a kit of separate components that fit together.

These components are all accurately constructed and their connecting points, such as holes for bolts for example, are accurately indicated and/or prepared.

This has the advantage that transport costs can be saved to an even greater extent, because the entire unit can be packaged more compactly and therefore requires smaller and more compact packaging, and that a low level of specialisation is required to assemble the modules and/or the entire device faultlessly. With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is described hereinafter by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 schematically shows in perspective a device for printing a substrate according to the invention; figure 2 shows a top view according to arrow F2 of the device of figure 1, in which a part has been omitted; figure 3 shows in perspective the part that is designated as F3 in figure 2;

figure 4 shows a cross-section according to the line IV-IV in figure 1;

figure 5 shows a cross-section according to line V-V in figure 1, in which the part of figure 3 is omitted; figure 6 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention.

The device 1 shown in figure 1 primarily consists of a table 2, mounted on a frame 3. Below the table 2 there is a transport module 4 that also contains synchronisation means 5. The transport module 4 contains transport wheels 6 that are the only part of the transport module 4 that can be seen in figure 1.

The printer part 8 of a printer is mounted as the processing unit on the supports 7 on either side of the frame 3, which remains after the parts that take care of the transport and synchronisation of the substrate to be printed have been removed, and in other words contains the printer head with its drive and controller, if applicable. The printer part 8 is considered as a separate module.

The supports 7 are each mounted on two scissorlike lifting mechanisms 9, which in turn are supported on a beam 10 that is connected to the frame 3.

The table 2 has openings 11 for the transport wheels 6 and ball wheels 12. The table 2 can consist of a number of parts .

The frame 3 consists of vertical elements 13, a table frame 14 and horizontal elements 15 that stabilise the vertical elements .

The transport module 4, that is best seen in figures 2 and 3, aside from the synchronisation means 5 consists of two suspension parts 16, a drive motor 17 combined with a driveshaft 18, a transmission shaft 19 that is connected via two gearwheels 20, 21 and a geared belt to the driveshaft 18, two shafts 23, 24 each with three transport wheels 6, that are connected together via gearwheels 25 and a geared belt 26, and one of the two is connected to the transmission shaft 19 via two gearwheels 27, 28 and a geared belt 29.

The synchronisation means 5 comprise a detection switch 5A, substrate detector 5B and a rotation sensor 5C. The shafts 18, 19, 23, 24 are mounted rotatably on the suspension parts 16. The transport module has holes 30.

The synchronisation means 5 are positioned on the suspension parts 16, so that they can register the movement of the driveshaft 18 and substrate and convert it into an electronic signal.

The synchronisation means 5, the transport wheels 6, the gearwheels 20, 21, the driveshaft 18, the transmission shaft 19 and the drive motor 17 come from the aforementioned printer that is used to make the printer part 8, or an identical printer.

The transport module 4 is fastened via the suspension points 31 shown in figure 5 to the table frame 14 and secured with a single bolt 32 per suspension point 31. The fastening is such that the transport wheels 6 extend through the openings 11 of the table 2 above the table 2 to a height suitable for the transport of a substrate located on the table, for example a strip of textile. The suspension points 31 can have an adjusting screw to precisely adjust the height of the transport module 4 in order to enable optimum processing results.

The transport module 4 corresponds with the rest of the device 1 via an electrical connection.

The scissorlike lifting mechanisms 9, best shown in figures 4 and 5, consist of two crossed limbs 33 that are fastened together in their middle by means of a pin 34 and can rotate. An end 35 of each limb 33 is fastened via a hinge 36 to a beam 10 or a support 7 respectively, and the other end 37 is fastened to the support 7 or the beam 10 respectively via a sliding hinge 38 in the support 7 or the beam 10, such that the sliding hinges 38 are located above one another. In order to enable the sliding, the top of the beam 10 and the bottom of the support 7 each have a groove 39 in the longitudinal direction, in which the sliding hinges 38 are affixed such that they can slide.

The four lifting mechanisms 9 are fastened in an identical way with regard to the position of the hinges 36 and the sliding hinges 38 with respect to the frame 3.

The sliding hinges 38 of two lifting mechanisms 9 located on either side of the frame 3 are connected together via a frame 40. Two nuts 41 are mounted on this frame 40, through which there is a threaded rod 42 that is fastened to the rotating shaft of an electric motor 43.

The removal and refitting of the transport module 4 is simple and as follows: The electrical connection or connections between the transport module 4 and the rest of the device 1 are disconnected, parts of the table 2 above the transport module 4 are removed, the bolts 32 with which the transport module 4 is secured are undone, after which the entire transport module 4 can be taken out of the device. The refitting of the same or a different transport module 4 is done in the reverse way. In order to enable this assembly and handling, the transport module 4 is constructed such that it forms a robust unit as a whole that can withstand repeated removal and refitting operations, as well as normal handling in a general mechanical workshop and normal transport, without being damaged or deformed.

The printer part 8 can also be easily detached from the supports 7 and taken away, and fastened back in place again .

The use of the device 1 is simple and as follows, and is described as an example on the basis of the printing of an illustration on a substrate, for example a piece of textile .

In the first step, the right distance between the substrate and the printer part 8 is set. To this end the substrate is laid on the table 2 under the printer part 8. The electric motor 43 is started up such that the threaded rod 42 rotates and the frame 40 starts to move horizontally. This movement is transmitted to two sliding hinged limbs 33, such that via the specific operation of the scissorlike lifting mechanisms 9 the supports 7 change height, and thus the distance between the printer part 8 and the substrate is adjusted. By turning the electric motor 43 in the other direction, the distance is changed in the other direction. The movement directions are indicated with the arrows Q and Q' in figure 4. As a result the required distance between the printer 8 and substrate can be set. If a number of similar substrates are printed one after the other, this step does not need to be repeated each time.

Optionally, the height adjustment can also be done completely manually, such that manual force drives the threaded rod 42 via a crank or similar, and optionally it can also be done completely automatically, such that the height of the substrate is automatically measured and the optimum distance between the substrate and printer part 8 is automatically set on the basis of this, iteratively or otherwise .

Thanks to the scissorlike mechanisms, the supports 7 remain perfectly horizontal, or rather perfectly parallel to the beam 10. Thanks to the construction method, the supports 7 do not descend, and in other words the printer part 8 is always kept at a constant and correct distance from the table 2, and this without the electric motor 43 having to be supplied for this.

In the second step the substrate is laid on the table 2 in such a place that it comes into contact with the detection switch 5A, which starts the synchronisation phase, and with the transport wheels 6. Then the substrate is moved by the transport wheels 6 under the control of a control unit that receives an input from the synchronisation means 5, such that the desired starting position is reached by the printer part 8.

In the third step, the printing operation is performed by the executing the following routine repeatedly until the entire illustration has been printed: by turning the drive motor 17, via the gearwheels 20, 21, 25, 27, 28, shafts 18, 19, 23, 24 and geared belts 22, 26, 29 the transport wheels 6 start to move, which in turn move the substrate under the printer part 8. The synchronisation means 5 signal, on the basis of the number of rotations of the drive shaft 18, if and when the desired movement has been completed. After this, a number of lines of the illustration, depending on the nature of the printer part 8 and the desired resolution, are applied to the textile. When these lines have been printed, the routine is repeated. The routine is also controlled by a control unit.

An alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention is schematically shown in figure 6. In this embodiment the table 2 and the printer part 8 are mounted at the same angle to the horizontal, and the printer part 8 does not have a height adjustment with scissorlike lifting mechanisms 9.

The table 2 is supplemented by a flat guiding part 44 that is suspended by hinges from the frame 3.

The transport module 4 is constructed such that the shafts 23, 24 of the transport wheels 6 are mounted at around the same height. The shafts 23, 24 and the transport wheels 6 on it are placed at such a distance from one another that the smallest roll diameter of a substrate to be processed is greater than the distance between the transport wheels 6 on the separate shafts 23 and 24. The transport module 4 also contains a drive motor 17, synchronisation means 5, and the necessary shafts and geared belts to convey the movement of the drive motor 17 to the transport wheels 6. These parts are not shown in figure 6.

There is no table 2 above the transport module 4.

The operation of the alternative embodiment of figure 6 is largely similar to the first embodiment. The differences are described hereinafter.

A substrate on a roll 45 is placed directly on the transport wheels 6, after which the substrate is guided under the printer part 8 and the operation can be executed.

During the operation the roll 45 is driven via its periphery by the transport wheels 6 such that the right speed of the substrate is always obtained automatically without additional control.

By placing the guiding part 44 on the roll 45, but by having the unrolling of the substrate take place over the guiding part 44, this guiding part 44 acts as a support for the substrate and an extension of the table 2.

The substrate on the table 2 and under the printer part 8 is kept sufficiently flat and taut by the weight of the hanging part 46 of the substrate that has already been printed. The printed part 46 of the substrate can be collected on a surface below the device 1 according to need, but can also be rolled up by a winding mechanism, automatically driven or otherwise, without exerting a tension on the substrate under the printer part 8, by ensuring that a sufficient length of the substrate is always hanging free.

By positioning the- two shafts 23, 24 at around the same height, the roll 45 is kept firmly on the transport wheels 6. Optionally, the roll 45 can be pressed by a pressing roller or pressing wheels, which keep the roll 45 in better contact with the transport wheels 6.

The substrate is not restricted to a substrate consisting of a single layer, but can also consist of a number of layers, for example a layer of textile on a layer of paper that adds strength to the textile. Optionally the layers can be attached together with a reversible adhesive in order to prevent slipping between the two layers and also to be able to easily separate the layers.

Optionally, the supplementary layer or layers can be perforated to prevent spreading of the ink via this layer.

Optionally, the table 2 can have a grating instead of a continuous solid surface.

This alternative embodiment of the device can also be of a non-modular construction. It is also possible to apply the substrate transport and feed-in principle described above to other types of machines, with the advantages as described in the introduction.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described as an example and shown in the drawings, but a device according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of variants, without departing from the scope of the invention, and can be used for an extensive variety of processing techniques and substrates.