Cylinder for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles contained in coating agent on a substrate and machine for generating optically variable image elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358276-B2
Application number	US-202218837959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Apr 13, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

Examples include a cylinder for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles contained in a coating agent on a substrate. In the region of the outer circumference of the cylinder, in a matrix-like manner, a number of magnetic elements that provide magnetic fields are arranged in n rows extending in an axially parallel manner and in m columns extending in the circumferential direction. Additionally, suction elements with suction openings pointing outwards are also arranged in the circumferential region. A plurality or all of the magnetic elements are arranged one behind the other and are each combined with at least one assigned suction element in respective modular units as action units in a plurality or all of the columns of magnetic elements. The action units can be positioned in each case independently of the other action units in the circumferential direction and/or can be detached from the cylinder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cylinder ( 26 ) for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles (P) contained in a coating agent ( 06 ) on a substrate ( 02 ), the cylinder comprising:
in a region of an outer circumference of the cylinder, in a matrix-like manner, a number of n×m (where n and m are integers greater than one) magnetic elements ( 24 ) that provide magnetic fields, and which are arranged in n rows extending in an axially parallel manner and in m columns extending in a circumferential direction, and,
in the region of the outer circumference, the cylinder further comprising a plurality of suction elements ( 34 ) with suction openings ( 42 ) pointing outwards,
characterized in that each magnetic element ( 24 ) is combined with at least one associated suction element ( 34 ), of the plurality of suction elements ( 34 ), to form a respective modular unit ( 36 ) as an active unit ( 36 ), and as such, each active unit ( 36 ) can be positioned as a whole and independently of all other such active units ( 36 ) in the circumferential direction for positioning a plurality of the active units ( 36 ) or all of the active units ( 36 ) in one or more of the columns extending in the circumferential direction, each of the one or more columns including multiple ones of the active units ( 36 ) so that several or all of the multiple active units ( 36 ) in each column of the one or more columns are arranged one behind the other, and wherein individual active units ( 36 ) can be detached from the cylinder ( 26 ).

2. The cylinder according to claim 1 , characterized in that the active units ( 36 ), on an underside thereof facing into an interior of the cylinder ( 26 ), comprise at least one line interface ( 43 ), and a cylinder inner body ( 32 ), which is comprised by the cylinder ( 26 ) and directly or indirectly carries a respective active unit ( 36 ) on a circumference thereof, on an outer side thereof comprises a plurality of line interfaces ( 46 ) for conducting suction air therethrough.

3. The cylinder according to claim 2 , characterized in that the line interfaces ( 46 ) on the outer side of the cylinder inner body ( 32 ) are formed, or can be formed, by configuring one or more selectively closable feed-throughs ( 47 ) to a passage position, and/or are supplied, or can be supplied, from the interior of the cylinder ( 26 ) with a suction.

4. The cylinder according to claim 2 , characterized in that a carrier element ( 31 ), which comprises the plurality of active units ( 36 ) on a circumference thereof and is carried by the cylinder inner body ( 32 ), on a side facing into the interior of the cylinder ( 26 ) comprises a plurality of line interfaces ( 49 ) cooperating with a plurality of line interfaces ( 46 ) on the cylinder inner body ( 32 ) for conducting the suction air therethrough, and, on an outer side, the carrier element ( 31 ) comprises a plurality of line interfaces ( 51 ) cooperating with respective at least one line interfaces ( 43 ) of the active units ( 36 ) for conducting the suction air therethrough.

5. The cylinder according to claim 4 , characterized in that the plurality of line interfaces ( 51 ) on the outer side of the carrier element ( 31 ) are formed by, or can be formed by, one or more selectively closable feed-throughs ( 54 ) configured to a passage position, and/or are supplied, or can be supplied, from a carrier element interior with a suction and/or that, for a number of line interfaces ( 51 ) which are not completely covered by the active units ( 36 ) positioned on the carrier element ( 31 ), respective feed-throughs ( 54 ) joining the relevant line interfaces ( 51 ) are configured, or can be configured, to be closed by means of closing means ( 58 ) that are removable or can be brought from a closed position into the passage position.

6. The cylinder according to claim 1 , characterized in that the several active units ( 36 ) or all the active units ( 36 ) provided one behind the other in a same column of the one or more columns, or in all of the columns of the one or more columns, are mounted as a group at or on a shared ring-like carrier element ( 31 ) so as to be positionable in the circumferential direction.

7. The cylinder according to claim 6 , characterized in that the active units ( 36 ) mounted at or on the shared ring-like carrier elements ( 3731 ) comprise on both sides of the magnetic element ( 24 ), viewed in an axial direction of the cylinder ( 26 ), at least one respective clamping element ( 72 ; 73 ), whose effective ends, in a mounted state, engage under stop surfaces ( 74 ; 77 ) that extend in the circumferential direction on two end faces of a respective ring-like carrier element ( 31 ) and are directed into the interior of the cylinder ( 26 ) and/or counteract a radial removal of a respective active unit ( 36 ) by cooperation with the at least one respective clamping element ( 72 ; 73 ) situated in a clamping position.

8. The cylinder according to claim 7 , characterized in that each stop surface ( 74 ; 77 ) is formed by a surface, directed into the interior of the cylinder ( 26 ), of a groove ( 76 ; 78 ) extending in the circumferential direction at the end face in the carrier element ( 31 ), into which the at least one respective clamping element ( 72 ; 73 ), formed as a one-armed or two-armed and/or spring-preloaded lever ( 72 ; 73 ), engages with an end thereof which is effective for clamping.

9. The cylinder according to claim 1 , characterized in that, for each active unit ( 36 ), a respective magnetic element ( 24 ) of the magnetic elements ( 24 ), includes one or more magnets ( 27 ) as well as, viewed in an axial direction of the cylinder ( 26 ) on both sides of the magnetic element ( 24 ), a respective suction element ( 34 ) of the plurality of suction elements ( 34 ) is provided.

10. The cylinder according to claim 1 , characterized in that the active unit ( 36 ) comprises a magnetic element carrier ( 37 ), on which a respective magnetic element ( 24 ) of the magnetic elements ( 24 ) can be moved relative to the magnetic element carrier ( 37 ) in an axial direction and/or in the circumferential direction.

11. The cylinder according to claim 10 , characterized in that the respective magnetic element ( 24 ) is mounted so as to be movable in the axial and/or circumferential directions relative to the at least one suction element ( 34 ), of the plurality of suction elements ( 34 ), that is combined with the respective magnetic element ( 24 ) and that is provided in a stationary manner at the magnetic element carrier ( 37 ) or together with the at least one suction element ( 34 ) at the magnetic element carrier ( 37 ).

12. The cylinder according to claim 10 , characterized in that the respective magnetic element ( 24 ) is mounted so as to be movable in the axial and/or circumferential directions between two of the at least one suction elements ( 34 ) that are combined with the respective magnetic element ( 24 ) and that are provided in a stationary manner at the magnetic element carrier ( 37 ) or together with the two at least one suction elements ( 34 ) at the magnetic element carrier ( 37 ).

13. A machine ( 01 ) for generating optically variable image elements ( 03 ) on a substrate ( 02 ), comprising a substrate infeed ( 13 ), at least one printing mechanism ( 04 ), by which the substrate ( 02 ) guided on a transport path through the machine ( 01 ) is and/or can be printed at least on a first side in a matrix-like manner with multiple-ups ( 09 ) having a number m of columns and a number n of rows, a product receiving system ( 22 ), by which processed substrate ( 02 ) can be combined into bundles, as well as at least one alig

Assignees

• Koenig & Bauer Ag

Inventors

• Diehm Tobias
• Müller Michael
• Thony Emmanuel

Classifications

• H01F7/02

  Permanent magnets {[PM]} · CPC title

• B41F15/0809

  with cylindrical or belt-like screens · CPC title

• B05D2252/02

  of indefinite length · CPC title

• B05D3/207

  post-treatment by magnetic fields · CPC title

• B05D1/28

  performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. brushes, pads, rollers · CPC title