Sheet processing machine with cooling roller and inspection device as well as a sheet printing machine with simultaneous double printing unit, curing device and cooling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12502882-B2
Application number	US-202419101292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2024
Priority date	Aug 25, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

Examples include a sheet processing machine to which a transport path is assigned for transporting sheets. The sheet processing machine includes an application device with an application point for applying material to the sheets. A cooling device including a cooling cylinder is arranged along the transport path, downstream from the application point. An inspection transport body is arranged along the transport path, downstream from the cooling cylinder, and has a sensor device of an inspection unit aligned therewith. Examples further include a sheet-fed printing machine with a simultaneous double printing unit and an application point. A curing device with an LED UV radiation source is arranged downstream from the application point and includes two curing units for drying two opposite sides of sheets. A cooling device of the curing device includes a cooling element with a line system, and the cooling section is arranged downstream from the curing section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A sheet processing machine ( 01 ), wherein a transport path is provided for a transport of sheets ( 02 ) assigned to the sheet processing machine ( 01 ), the sheet processing machine ( 01 ) comprising:
at least one application device ( 200 ) configured as a simultaneous printing unit ( 200 ) with at least one application point ( 201 ) including at least a first transfer cylinder ( 204 ) arranged along the transport path for applying material to the sheets ( 02 ), the first transfer cylinder 204 cooperating with multiple forme cylinders ( 202 ) that each provide a different respective material to the first transfer cylinder ( 204 ) for transfer together to a same sheet ( 02 ); at least one cooling device ( 301 ) arranged along the transport path, downstream from the at least one application point ( 201 ), the at least one cooling device ( 301 ) including at least one cooling element ( 303 ) configured as a cooling cylinder ( 303 ), the transport path including a chain gripper system ( 304 ) transferring the sheets ( 02 ) to the at least one cooling device ( 301 ); at least one curing section of the transport path including a curing unit ( 300 ) arranged downstream from the at least one application device ( 200 ) and upstream from the at least one cooling device ( 301 ), a respective operating zone of at least one radiation source ( 302 ) of the curing unit ( 300 ) aligned with a portion of the chain gripper system ( 304 ) included in the at least one curing section of the transport path; and at least one first inspection transport body ( 403 ) arranged along the transport path, downstream from the at least one cooling element ( 303 ), and with which at least one sensor device of a first inspection unit ( 401 ) of an inspection device ( 400 ) is aligned, the first inspection unit ( 401 ) comprising at least one first sensor device for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a visible-light range of an electromagnetic spectrum, and the first inspection unit ( 401 ) comprising at least one second sensor device for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a portion of an infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

2 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that an effective circumference of the cooling cylinder ( 303 ) corresponds to an integer multiple of an effective circumference of at least one forme cylinder ( 202 ) of the multiple forme cylinders ( 202 ).

3 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cooling cylinder ( 303 ) comprises at least one gripper system ( 342 ) for gripping the sheets ( 02 ).

4 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the sheet processing machine ( 01 ) has a transfer point ( 311 ) for transferring the sheets ( 02 ) from the cooling cylinder ( 303 ) to the at least one first inspection transport body ( 403 ).

5 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one radiation source ( 302 ) of the curing unit ( 300 ) is an LED UV radiation source ( 302 ).

6 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that at least one curing section of the transport path is defined by at least one operating zone of the curing unit ( 300 ), and that a cooling section of the transport path is defined by at least one operating zone of the at least one cooling element ( 303 ), and that any cooling section is arranged downstream from any curing section.

7 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that the sheet processing machine ( 01 ) comprises a curing and inspection module ( 600 ), and that the curing and inspection module ( 600 ) comprises the curing device ( 300 ), the at least one cooling element ( 303 ), and the inspection device ( 400 ), and that the curing and inspection module ( 600 ) comprises a dedicated machine frame ( 601 ; 602 ; 603 ).

8 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one cooling element ( 303 ) comprises a line system through which cooling liquid can flow for transport of the cooling liquid.

9 . The sheet processing machine ( 01 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the sheet processing machine ( 01 ) comprises at least one simultaneous double printing unit ( 200 ) including a second transfer cylinder 204 cooperating with multiple other forme cylinders ( 202 ) that each provide a different respective material to the second transfer cylinder ( 204 ).

10 . A sheet-fed printing machine ( 01 ), wherein a transport path is provided for a transport of sheets ( 02 ) assigned to the sheet-fed printing machine ( 01 ), the sheet-fed printing machine ( 01 ) comprising:
at least one application device ( 200 ) configured as a simultaneous double printing unit ( 200 ) with at least one application point ( 201 ) arranged along the transport path for applying material to the sheets ( 02 ), the simultaneous double printing unit ( 200 ) including at least first and second transfer cylinders ( 204 ) arranged along the transport path provided for the transport of sheets ( 02 ) for applying material concurrently to a same sheet ( 02 ), the first transfer cylinder 204 cooperating with multiple first forme cylinders ( 202 ) that each provide a different respective material to the first transfer cylinder ( 204 ) and the second transfer cylinder 204 cooperating with multiple second forme cylinders ( 202 ) that each provide a different respective material to the second transfer cylinder ( 204 ); a curing device ( 300 ), which comprises at least one LED UV radiation source ( 302 ), being arranged along the transport path, downstream from the at least one application point ( 201 ), the curing device ( 300 ) comprising a first curing unit ( 321 ) for drying a first side of the sheets ( 02 ) and a second curing unit ( 322 ) for drying a second side of the sheets ( 02 ) located opposite the first side, the transport path extending between the first curing unit ( 321 ) and the second curing unit ( 322 ); at least one cooling device ( 301 ) assigned to the curing device ( 300 ), and comprising at least one cooling element ( 303 ), respectively, that includes a line system through which cooling liquid can flow for transport of the cooling liquid, the transport path including a chain gripper system ( 304 ) transferring the sheets ( 02 ) to the at least one cooling device ( 301 ); wherein:
at least one curing section of the transport path is defined by at least one operating zone of the curing unit ( 300 ), and the at least one LED UV radiation source ( 302 ) of the curing device ( 300 ) is aligned with a portion of the chain gripper system ( 304 ) associated with the at least one curing section of the transport path;
a cooling section of the transport path is defined by at least one operating zone of the at least one cooling element ( 303 ); and
any cooling section of the transport path is arranged downstream from any curing section of the transport path;
the sheet-fed printing machine ( 01 ) further comprises at least one inspection device ( 400 ), which is arranged so as to be aligned with a region of the transport path that is downstream from the at least one cooling element ( 303 ); and the at least one inspection device ( 400 ) comprises a first inspection unit ( 401 ), the first inspection unit ( 401 ) comprising at least one first sensor device for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a visible-light range of an electromagnetic spectrum, and the first inspection unit ( 401 ) comprising at least one second sensor device for detecting electromagnetic radiation in at

Assignees

• Koenig & Bauer Ag

Inventors

• Bauer Stefan
• Diehm Tobias
• Kress Patrick
• Lanternier Jean-Baptiste
• Schweers Johannes
• Szczukiewicz Sylwia
• Türke Thomas

Classifications

• B41F23/045

  by radiation · CPC title

• B41F21/04 Primary

  Grippers ({B41F21/08, B41F21/10} B41F21/12, B41F21/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41F13/10

  Forme cylinders · CPC title

• B29C2035/0827

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B29C71/04

  by wave energy or particle radiation {, e.g. for curing or vulcanising preformed articles (during moulding, e.g. in a mould B29C35/08)} · CPC title