MASOTTI GIOVANNI (IT)
| CLAIMS 1. A handling device (100) configured for transporting sheets (10) and/or webs (20) in an apparatus (200) for laser processing, said apparatus (200) comprising: — a cutting station (210) arranged to provide a laser processing of at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) ; — a feeding station (220) upstream of said cutting station (210), said feeding station (220) arranged to send said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) towards said cutting station (210) ; — a receiving station (230) downstream of said cutting station (210) , said receiving station (230) arranged to receive said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) following a laser processing; said handling device (100) characterized in that it is arranged to define a first path ylf on which said at least one sheet (10) is transported, and a second path y2f on which said at least one web (20) is transported; and by that said first path gc is substantially straight and lays in a sliding plane n and said second path y2 is not straight and it is at least partially distanced by said sliding plane p. 2. The handling device (100), according to claim 2, wherein at least one pulling roller (120) is provided arranged at a predetermined distance d from said sliding plane 7G, said pulling roller (120) arranged to convey said or each web (20) on said second path y2. 3. The handling device (100), according to claim 3, wherein said distance d is suitably variable for adjusting the tension of said or each web (20) . 4. The handling device (100), according to claim 3, wherein said at least one pulling roller (120) is located below with respect to said sliding plane p. 5. The handling device (100), according to any of claims from 3 to 5, wherein at least one scroll roller (130) is provided located substantially on the vertical with respect to said or each pulling roller (120), said or each scroll roller (130) arranged to support said at least one sheet (10) for keeping it on said first path Yi 6. The handling device (100), according to claim 6, wherein at least two rollers of sliding (130) are provided pivotally connected by at least one support belt (135) arranged to keep said at least one sheet (10) on said first path g1. 7 . An apparatus (200) for laser processing of sheets (10) and/or webs (20), said apparatus (200) comprising: — a cutting station (210) arranged to provide a laser processing of at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) ; — a feeding station (220) upstream of said cutting station (210), said feeding station (220) arranged to send said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) towards said cutting station (210) ; — a receiving station (230) downstream of said cutting station (210) , said receiving station (230) arranged to receive said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) following a laser processing; said apparatus (200) characterized in that upstream of said cutting station (210) a first handling device (100) is provided, according to claim 1, arranged to define a second path g2, on which said at least one web (20) is transported, and by that downstream of said cutting station (210) a second Handling device (100) is provided, according to claim 1, arranged to define a first path ylf on which said at least one sheet (10) is transported. 8. A handling device (100') configured for transporting sheets (10) and/or webs (20) in an apparatus (200) for laser processing, said apparatus (200) comprising: — a cutting station (210) arranged to provide a laser processing of at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) ; — a feeding station (220) upstream of said cutting station (210), said feeding station (220) arranged to send said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) towards said cutting station (210) ; — a receiving station (230) downstream of said cutting station (210) , said receiving station (230) arranged to receive said at least one sheet (10) and/or at least one web (20) following a laser processing; said handling device (100') defining a path substantially straight and arranged in a sliding plane 7G, said handling device (100') characterized in that it comprises at least one pulling roller (120') configured to be disposed between a pulling configuration, wherein said pulling roller (120') is substantially in contact with said sliding plane p, in order to convey by friction a sheet (10) and/or a web (20), and a release configuration, in which said pulling roller (120') is not in contact with said sliding plane p. |
Apparatus for laser processing of sheets and/or webs
DESCRIPTION
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to the field of laser processing of sheets and webs.
In particular, the invention relates to a handling device in an apparatus that can operate both sheets and webs.
Description of the prior art
Apparatuses are known for engraving and laser processing of sheets and/or webs of various materials, such as for example paper, cardboard, plastic, leather, etc.
In particular, such apparatuses comprise three main stations: a feeding station which forwards the sheet or web on the line, a laser processing station and a station for receiving the sheet or web.
The movement of the sheets or webs between the various stations requires the use of support elements designed to define a path along which these are conveyed. In particular, for the sheets, rollers, nets or other supports are necessary to allow the sheets to remain aligned and not to curve. On the other hand, for the conveyance of belts, traction rollers are necessary to allow tensioning of the belt and at the same time to drag it from the feeding station towards the laser processing station.
These systems are alternative to each other and to switch from sheet processing to web processing, or vice versa, the line must be radically changed, replacing both the feeding and receiving stations and the intermediate elements suitable for handling the sheets or webs to work.
Therefore, in order to be able to work with lasers both sheets and webs, even in staggered times, it is necessary to provide two separate apparatuses, with evident economic expense and increase in size, in addition to a greater number of operators involved in controlling the operations.
Summary of the invention
It is then a feature of the present invention to provide a handling device in an apparatus for laser processing for transporting both sheets and webs, alternately or simultaneously.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide such an apparatus that allows a sheets and webs alignment precision not inferior to the machines of the prior art.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide an apparatus for laser processing that comprises this handling device for transporting sheets and webs. These and other objects are achieved by a handling device for transporting sheets and/or webs according to claim
1.
Other features of the feeding station are described in the claims from 2 to 6.
According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for laser processing of sheets and/or webs is claimed, according to claim 7.
An exemplary embodiment of the handling device is described in claim 8.
Brief description of the drawings
Further characteristic and/or advantages of the present invention are more bright with the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:
— Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus for laser processing according to the prior art;
— Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the handling device for transporting sheets and/or webs, according to the present invention, during the transport of sheets on the first path g 1 ;
— Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the handling device sheets and/or webs, according to the present invention, during the transport of sheets on the second path y 2 ; Fig. 4A diagrammatically shows the geometry of the first path g 1 ;
— Fig. 4B diagrammatically shows the geometry of the second path g 2 ;
— Fig. 5 diagrammatically shows an exemplary embodiment of the handling device for transporting sheets and/or webs having a single path for transporting both sheets and webs.
Description of a preferred exemplary embodiment
With reference to Fig. 1, an apparatus 200 for laser processing of the prior art comprises a cutting station 210 arranged to operate sheets 10 and/or webs 20, a feeding station 220 upstream of the cutting station 210, and a receiving station 230 downstream of the cutting station 210.
The sheets or the webs are sent by the feeding station
220 towards the cutting station 210 by means of handling devices for transporting the sheets or the webs . These devices, present also downstream of the cutting station 210, allow the sheets or the webs to be conveyed to the receiving station 230, once the laser processing has taken place.
The handling device 100, according to the present invention, makes it possible to define a first path y 1 , on which sheets 10 are transported, and a second path y , on which webs 20 are transported, in a simultaneous or alternating manner. With reference to Figs. 2 to 4B, in a first exemplary embodiment, the device 100 comprises a sliding plane p, arranged to define the first path y lf and a pulling roller 120, placed at a predetermined distance d by the sliding plane 7G, arranged to convey the web 20 on the second path y 2 .
The pulling roller 120 can be arranged in a similar manner both above and below the sliding plane n.
With reference to Fig. 5, in an alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention, the device 100 defines a single sliding path y substantially straight and arranged in the sliding plane p.
In this exemplary embodiment, the device 100 comprises a pulling roller 120' configured to be arranged between a pulling configuration, where the pulling roller 120' is substantially in contact with the sliding plane p and receives the contrast of an antagonist roller 125' , and a release configuration, where the pulling roller 120' is not in contact with the sliding plane p and does not receives the contrast of the antagonist roller 125' .
The traction configuration is particularly suitable for the passage of the web 20 since it allows a conveying by friction, whereas the release configuration is arranged to move sheets 10.
The foregoing description some exemplary specific embodiments will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt in various applications the specific exemplary embodiments without further research and without parting from the invention, and, accordingly, it is meant that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiments. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology that is employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation .