AUTOMATIC METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CUTTING SUBSTRATES HAVING PRINTED IMAGES
First Claim
1. A method for cutting substrates comprising printed images by way of an automatic cutting device provided with means for the correction of alignment errors, said method comprising the steps of:
- i) Printing a plurality of images on a substrate;
ii) Printing a longitudinal cutting mark close to an edge of said substrate and parallel to edges of said images in a longitudinal or feeding direction and a plurality of transverse cutting marks perpendicular to said longitudinal cutting mark, said transverse cutting marks being arranged between consecutive images printed on said substrate;
iii) Providing an automatic cutting device having a first optical unit configured for the detection of said transverse cutting marks; and
iv) Feeding the substrate into said automatic cutting device;
said longitudinal cutting mark is printed such that it has a discontinuity arranged upstream of each transverse cutting mark with respect to said feeding direction, said discontinuity being spaced from the respective transverse cutting mark by a predefined known measure;
the automatic cutting device is provided with a second optical unit configured for the detection of said discontinuities in the longitudinal cutting mark; and
a control system of the automatic cutting device is configured such that, when the second optical unit detects the discontinuities of the longitudinal cutting mark, the first optical unit is selectively activated for the detection of transverse cut marks printed on the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for cutting substrates with printed images in an automatic cutting device provided with means for correcting alignment errors based on the detection of longitudinal and transverse cutting marks. The longitudinal cutting marks (LM) are provided with a discontinuity (N) arranged upstream of each transverse cutting mark (TM) with respect to a feeding direction (F) of a substrate (S) and spaced therefrom by a predefined known measure (d). The automatic cutting device has a first optical unit configured to detect the transverse cutting marks (TM) and a second optical unit configured to detect the discontinuities (N) in the longitudinal cutting mark (LM). Since the velocity of the substrate is known, the control system activates the first optical unit when the transverse cutting mark (TM) actually passed underneath it.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for cutting substrates comprising printed images by way of an automatic cutting device provided with means for the correction of alignment errors, said method comprising the steps of:
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i) Printing a plurality of images on a substrate; ii) Printing a longitudinal cutting mark close to an edge of said substrate and parallel to edges of said images in a longitudinal or feeding direction and a plurality of transverse cutting marks perpendicular to said longitudinal cutting mark, said transverse cutting marks being arranged between consecutive images printed on said substrate; iii) Providing an automatic cutting device having a first optical unit configured for the detection of said transverse cutting marks; and iv) Feeding the substrate into said automatic cutting device; said longitudinal cutting mark is printed such that it has a discontinuity arranged upstream of each transverse cutting mark with respect to said feeding direction, said discontinuity being spaced from the respective transverse cutting mark by a predefined known measure; the automatic cutting device is provided with a second optical unit configured for the detection of said discontinuities in the longitudinal cutting mark; and a control system of the automatic cutting device is configured such that, when the second optical unit detects the discontinuities of the longitudinal cutting mark, the first optical unit is selectively activated for the detection of transverse cut marks printed on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An automatic device for cutting substrates comprising printed images, said device comprising:
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i) one or more longitudinal cutting units configured to allow cutting of a substrate in a feeding direction; ii) a transverse cutting unit configured to allow cutting of said substrate in a transverse direction perpendicular to said feeding direction; iii) correction means for the correction of alignment errors of a substrate, wherein said correction means comprise a first optical unit arranged in said transverse direction and configured for the detection of transverse cutting marks printed on said substrate; and iv) a control system to which said first optical unit is operatively connected; further comprising a second optical unit that is operatively connected to said control system and is provided with two detection points, said second optical unit being arranged at one end of said automatic device in the transverse direction in such a way that, in use, said two detection points are arranged opposite each other with respect to a longitudinal cutting mark printed along an edge of the substrate fed in the feeding direction; and said control system is configured to activate the first optical unit selectively on the basis of signals indicative of discontinuities in said longitudinal cutting mark received from said second optical unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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Specification