IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

• US 20140368841A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altemira Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Showa Aluminum Can Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ojima, Shinichi, Ikeda, Kazunori, Muraoka, Kenyu, Kashiwazaki, Tetsuo, Suwa, Asumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.4
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/20 on articles of uniform cross-section, e.g. pencils, rulers, resistors
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2135 Alignment of dots
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/021 Adaptations for printing on specific media

Abstract

An image forming system (100) is provided with plural image forming apparatuses (200) that form images on can bodies (10), a can-body supply mechanism (300) that supplies can bodies (10) to the plural image forming apparatuses (200) successively, and a can-body discharge mechanism (400) that discharges the can bodies (10) on which images have been formed by the image forming apparatuses (200). Each of the image forming apparatuses (200) receives, at a can-body receiving position (1C), can bodies (10) supplied by the can-body supply mechanism (300). Each of the image forming apparatuses (200) also discharges, at a can-body discharging position (1D), can bodies (10) on which images have been formed. The can-body receiving positions (1C) and the can-body discharging positions (1D) are arranged more to the inner side than a circular virtual line (1B) that passes through the centers of the image forming apparatuses (200).

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

a plurality of image forming apparatuses that cause a can body to make an orbital movement around a center of movement as a center, each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses including a plurality of image forming portions that form an image onto the can body, being arranged in a state of including the plurality of image forming portions, and being arranged radially around a center of arrangement as a center; and

a conveying unit that passes through each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and conveys a can body discharged from each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses,

wherein the conveying unit is provided to pass through a side closer to the center of arrangement than the center of movement of each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses and the conveying unit are provided so that the each image forming apparatus and the conveying unit partially overlap in a case where the image forming system is viewed from above.

3. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses receives a can body having been conveyed at a can-body receiving position and forms an image on the received can body, and

the can-body receiving position provided in the each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses is provided on a side closer to the center of arrangement.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses supports the can body before image formation is performed by inserting a can-body support member arranged along a vertical direction into an inside of the can body formed cylindrically, and after the support, displaces the can-body support member so that the can-body support member is along a direction intersecting the vertical direction to lay down the can body, forms an image on an outer circumferential surface of the can body by ejecting ink downward from above toward the can body in a lying state by each of the plurality of image forming portions, and after forming the image, displaces the can-body support member so that the can-body support member is along the vertical direction.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is provided with a changing mechanism that changes orientation of the can body so that the can body in a standing state lies down, or changes orientation of the can body so that the can body in a lying state stands up.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5, wherein the changing mechanism is arranged inside of a virtual circle that passes through the center of movement provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses that are arranged radially.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein,

after supporting the can body before image formation is performed by the can-body support member, each of the image forming apparatuses moves the can body to pass through each image forming portion included in the plurality of image forming portions by causing the can-body support member to make an orbital movement around the center of movement as a center, and after movement of the can body, performs detachment of the can body from the can-body support member, and

an attitude of the can-body support member is maintained constant during a period from a time when the support of the can body by the can-body support member is made until the detachment of the can body from the can-body support member is made by way of the orbital movement.

8. An image forming system comprising:

a plurality of image forming apparatuses that cause a can body to make an orbital movement around a center of movement as a center, each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses including a plurality of image forming portions that form an image onto the can body, being arranged in a state of including the plurality of image forming portions, and being arranged radially around a center of arrangement as a center; and

a conveying unit that passes through each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and conveys a can body to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses,

wherein the conveying unit is provided to pass through a side closer to the center of arrangement than the center of movement of each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses.

9. The image forming system according to claim 8, wherein each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses and the conveying unit are provided so that the each image forming apparatus and the conveying unit partially overlap in a case where the image forming system is viewed from above.

10. An image forming system comprising:

a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are arranged radially around a predetermined center of arrangement as a center, form an image on a received can body, and discharge the can body on which the image has been formed;

a first conveying unit that conveys a can body to a can-body receiving position provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; and

a second conveying unit that conveys a can body discharged from a can-body discharging position provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses,

wherein the can-body receiving position and the can-body discharging position provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses are provided on a side closer to the center of arrangement.

11. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein each image forming apparatus that constitutes the plurality of image forming apparatuses and at least one conveying unit of the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit are provided so that the one conveying unit and the each image forming apparatus partially overlap in a case where the image forming system is viewed from above.

12. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein,

at the can-body receiving position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, receipt of the can body is performed by inserting a can-body support member arranged along a vertical direction into the can body formed cylindrically, and

at the can-body discharging position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, detachment of the can body from the can-body support member is performed by movement of the can body along a longitudinal direction of the can-body support member arranged along the vertical direction.

13. The image forming system according to claim 12, wherein,

at the can-body receiving position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, the can-body support member is inserted into an inside of the can body by moving the can body toward one direction from one of above and below the can-body support member arranged along the vertical direction, and

at the can-body discharging position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, the can body is detached from the can-body support member arranged along the vertical direction by moving the can body in the one direction.

14. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein

the second conveying unit includes a plurality of suction members that move along a predetermined route while sucking the can body discharged from the can-body discharging position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, and

the sucking members perform the movement along a route formed in substantially an annular shape.

15. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein

the first conveying unit conveys the can body to the can-body receiving position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses by use of a duct, and

the duct is provided on a side closer to the center of arrangement than the can-body receiving position provided in each of the image forming apparatuses.

16. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses uses a digital printing method, and performs image formation onto the can body based on digital image information.

17. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein

each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is capable of forming an image different from one another onto the can body, and

the image forming system further comprises a sorting unit that sorts the can bodies conveyed by the second conveying unit by images formed on the can bodies.

18-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An image forming system comprising:

a first image forming portion that forms an image on an outer circumferential surface of a can body rotating in a circumferential direction;

a first obtaining unit that obtains information related to rotation angle of the can body when image formation by the first image forming portion is started;

a second image forming portion that forms an image on the can body rotating in the circumferential direction after the image is formed on the can body by the first image forming portion;

a second obtaining unit that obtains information related to rotation angle of the can body when image formation by the second image forming portion is started;

a data storing portion that stores image data of the image formed by the second image forming portion; and

a determination unit that determines a starting position of reading of image data used by the second image forming portion based on the information related to the rotation angle obtained by the first obtaining unit and the information related to the rotation angle obtained by the second obtaining unit,

wherein the second image forming portion forms an image on the outer circumferential surface of the can body rotating in the circumferential direction by use of the image data successively being read from the starting position of reading determined by the determination unit.

26. The image forming system according to claim 25, wherein the determination unit determines the starting position of reading based on an angle difference, which is a difference between a rotation angle specified by the information related to the rotation angle obtained by the first obtaining unit and a rotation angle specified by the information related to the rotation angle obtained by the second obtaining unit.

27. The image forming system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a rotating unit that rotates the can body in the circumferential direction,

wherein the rotating unit rotates the can body with a constant speed, without increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the can body, during a period from starting of image formation by the first image forming portion to completion of image formation by the second image forming portion.

28. The image forming system according to claim 25, wherein the first image forming portion and the second image forming portion form an image on the outer circumferential surface of the can body by ejecting ink from above the can body in a lying state.

29. The image forming system according to claim 25, wherein

the first image forming portion and the second image forming portion are arranged at positions different from each other,

the image forming system comprises a moving unit that moves the can body to pass through each of the first image forming portion and the second image forming portion while rotating the can body in the circumferential direction, and

the can body, which moves to pass through each of the first image forming portion and the second image forming portion while rotating in the circumferential direction, performs the movement while rotating with a constant speed without increasing or decreasing the rotation speed thereof.