Cleaning device for the surface of a cylinder of a printer and/or copier

Abstract

A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of a printer and/or a copier includes a cylindrical cleaning element which can be rotated by at least one drive and which includes a cleaning fitting on its outer periphery, and a suction or suctioner conducting at least one suction medium with at least one suction channel aligned towards the outer periphery of the cleaning element and extending along the longitudinal alignment of the cleaning element. In order to achieve a simple technical structure and a low maintenance effort apart from a good cleaning result and reliable dirt removal, a suction slit extending longitudinally of the suction channel is aligned towards the cleaning element opens into the suction channel tangentially to the suction channel cross section.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of at least one of a printer or a copier, the cleaning device comprising: a rotatably driven cylindrical cleaning element having a rotation axis, a longitudinal alignment, an outer periphery and a cleaning fitting on said outer periphery; a suctioner conducting at least one suction medium; said suctioner including at least one suction channel aligned towards said outer periphery of said cleaning element, extending along said longitudinal alignment of said cleaning element and having a suction channel cross section; into said at least one suction channel tangentially to said suction channel cross section; and a humidifier having at least one spray bar extending longitudinally of said at least one suction channel, said at least one spray bar of said humidifier including at least one first spray bar for spraying said cleaning element with water and at least one second spray bar for spraying said cleaning element with detergent, said first and second spray bars being disposed on opposing sides of said at least one suction channel.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suction channel has a longitudinal alignment and an inner cross section outwardly increasing on both sides in said longitudinal alignment.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suction slit is formed by bars and at least one of said bars projects longitudinally from said at least one suction channel and is formed of flexible material.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, which further comprises a rod or an inner tube running through said at least one suction channel and not conducting the suction medium.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one flow directing plate provided in said at least one suction channel next to a suction area of said at least one suction channel adjoining a suction tract.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one squeegee is rod-shaped.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suction channel includes two suction channels each being provided on a respective side of said at least one squeegee.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one drive provided within said cleaning element and fixed on a machine wall of at least one of the printer or the copier.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one drive for said cleaning element includes two drives provided in said cleaning element and fixed on opposing machine walls of at least one of the printer or the copier.

10. A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of at least one of a printer and a copier, the cleaning device comprising: a rotatably driven cylindrical cleaning element having a longitudinal alignment, an outer periphery and a cleaning fitting on said outer periphery; a suctioner conducting at least one suction medium; said suctioner including at least one suction channel aligned towards said outer periphery of said cleaning element, extending along said longitudinal alignment of said cleaning element and having a suction channel cross section; said suctioner including at least one suction slit extending longitudinally of said at least one suction channel, being aligned towards said cleaning element and opening into said at least one suction channel tangentially to said suction channel cross section; and a humidifier having at least one spray bar extending longitudinally of said at least one suction channel, said at least one spray bar of said humidifier including at least one first spray bar for spraying said cleaning element with water and at least one second spray bar for spraying said cleaning element with detergent, said first and second spray bars being disposed on opposing sides of said at least one suction channel.

11. A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of at least one of a printer or a copier, the cleaning device comprising: a rotatably driven cylindrical cleaning element having a longitudinal alignment, an outer periphery and a cleaning fitting on said outer periphery; a suctioner conducting at least one suction medium; said suctioner including at least one suction channel aligned towards said outer periphery of said cleaning element, extending along said longitudinal alignment of said cleaning element and having a suction channel cross section; said suctioner including at least one suction slit extending longitudinally of said at least one suction channel, being aligned towards said cleaning element and opening into said at least one suction channel tangentially to said suction channel cross section; a humidifier having at least one spray bar extending longitudinally of said at least one suction channel; a first module including said cleaning element and drive components; and a second module including said suctioner, components of said suctioner and said humidifier; said second module being demountable from at least one of the printer or the copier without having to demount a component of said first module from at least one of the printer or the copier.

12. The cleaning device according to claim 11, which further comprises a housing shared by components of said second module being separately demountable from components of said first module.

13. The cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein said second module is placed or configured to be placed on said first module in a rucksack-like way.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) A preferred embodiment of the present invention, its structure, function and advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 1, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention in a cut side view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) FIG. 1 schematically depicts a preferred embodiment of a cleaning device 1 according to the invention for cleaning a surface 21 of a cylinder 2 of a printer and/or a copier not shown in more detail. In the present example, the cylinder 2 is the print cylinder of a printer.

(4) The cleaning device 1 comprises a first module 10 and a second module 20, wherein the second module 20 is placed on the first module 10 in a rucksack-like way. Both modules 10, 20 are attached at the printer. Hereby, the second module 20 can be taken-off from the printer without having to demount the first module 10.

(5) In the shown embodiment, the first module 10 comprises a brush-like formed cleaning element 3, which comprises a cleaning fitting 31 in the form of bristles on its outer circumference. The cleaning element 3 is rotatably driven by a drive 9 provided in the cleaning element 3 and fixed on a machine wall or two drives 9 provided in the cleaning element 3 and fixed on opposite machine walls of the printer or copier, that is not depicted, and guided across the surface 21 of the cylinder 2 for cleaning the surface 21 of a cylinder 2 of the printer. For a particularly efficient cleaning of the cylinder 2, the cleaning element 3 moves in the opposite direction of the cylinder 2. In other embodiments of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention, the cleaning element 3 can, however, also be moved in the same direction as the cylinder 2 to be cleaned, or it can stand still compared to the moving cylinder 2.

(6) As can be seen in FIG. 1, the cleaning element 3 is formed cylindrically and is aligned parallelly to the cylinder 2, wherein the cleaning element 3 extends across the entire length of the cylinder 2, so that the entire cylinder circumference of the cylinder 2 can be cleaned of dirt by the cleaning element 3.

(7) The cleaning element 3 can be formed of one or several brush(es) and/or comprise one or several cleaning cloths or wipes on its cylinder circumference. If several brushes are used as cleaning elements 3, the brushes can either be successively arranged in the longitudinal direction of the printing cylinder, or several brushes are provided in the cylinder circumferential direction of the cylinder 2. The cleaning element 3 can generally also be formed rod-like with a varying diameter. However, it is particularly advantageous if the cleaning element 3 is adjusted to the outer form of the cylinder 2 to be cleaned, so that it can be particularly thoroughly cleaned.

(8) In the shown embodiment, the drive driving the cleaning element 3 protrudes into the tube-shaped cleaning element 3 and is on the other hand fixed on a machine wall of the printer, whereby the cleaning device 1 can be formed particularly compactly. In other embodiments of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention, two drives can also be attached or included on both ends of the cleaning element 3. The at least one drive can furthermore also be placed separately from the cleaning element 3 on the cleaning device 1.

(9) The cleaning of the cylinder 2 can take place directly during a printing process, so that the cylinder 2, such as a counterpressure cylinder, is continuously cleaned and a particularly high-quality print result can be generated. In alternative embodiments of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention, in which the cylinder 2 to be cleaned is for example a blanket cylinder, the cleaning of the cylinder 2 can also take place after finishing the printing process and/or before the beginning of the printing process and/or at intervals during the printing process.

(10) The cleaning element 3 is cleaned by means of the components of the second module 20 of the cleaning device 1, so that a transmission of dirt from the cleaning element 3 to the cylinder 2 during the cleaning process of the cylinder 2 is impossible. For this purpose, the second module 20 attached to the first module 10 in a rucksack-like way comprises two suctions 4, 4′, a squeegee 5 as well as two humidifiers 6, 6′.

(11) As shown in FIG. 1, the second module 20, in particular the half of the second module 20 aligned towards the first module 10, is adjusted to the form of the first module 10, in particular to the form of the cleaning element 3.

(12) The suctions 4, 4′ each comprise a suction channel 41, 41′, in which dirt particles, fluids and the like located on the cleaning brush 3, are sucked-away through a suction slit 42, 42′. For a particularly efficient suction, the suction channels 41, 41′ are formed tube-shaped tapering from both ends of the tube to its centre, wherein they extend across the entire length of the brush in the longitudinal direction of the brush. The suction slits 42, 42′ extend over the entire length of the respective suction channel 41, 41′, wherein the suction slits 42, 42′ are provided in such a way that they are aligned towards the cleaning brush 3 and open into the suction channel 41, 41′ tangentially to the suction channel cross-section.

(13) In the shown embodiment, the suction slits 42, 42′ are formed by bars 43, 43′ projecting the respective suction channel 41, 41′, which run longitudinally of the suction channel 41, 41′. In the specific embodiment, the bars 43, 43′ are formed of a flexible material, so that a blockage of the suction slits 42, 42′ is prevented or can be more easily fixed. The remaining components of the cleaning device 1 on the other hand, are formed of a stable, largely inflexible material, such as plastic or metal, but can also be made of other materials in other variants.

(14) The suction medium sucked into the suction channels 41, 41′ is transported away to a shared disposal and/or processing device through tubes (not shown) attached to the suction channels 41, 41′.

(15) To initiate the suction of the suction medium, the suction channels 41, 41′ are connected to a suction system that is not depicted here. Hereby, a suction takes place through both suction channels 41, 41′ at the same time. The respective suction medium can just as well be sucked away independently from one another via the suction channels 41, 41′.

(16) With the cleaning device 1 according the invention, several suctions 4, 4′ or one suction 4, 4′ only can be provided on the first module 10 of the cleaning device 1. The suction channels 41, 41′ can have a round or an angular inner cross section. Just like in the shown embodiment, the suction slit 42, 42′ can extend over the entire length of the suction channel 41, 41′ or can be assembled of several suction slits 42, 42′, which are successively arranged in the longitudinal direction of the suction channel.

(17) For a better formation of the eddy current and thus an improved media guidance, a rod or an inner tube 7 that the suction medium does not flow through, can also be provided centrally in the tube-shaped suction channels 41, 41′ in other embodiments of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention. For optimizing the media guidance, at least one flow directing plate 8 can furthermore be provided within the respective suction channel 41, 41′.

(18) For cleaning the cleaning element 3, in the shown embodiment the squeegee 5, which is led in a guide 51 running along parallelly to the longitudinal extension of the cleaning element 3, is provided between the two suctions 4, 4′ and removes in particular persistently adhering contaminations from the cleaning element 3, which are subsequently sucked away by the suctions 4, 4′.

(19) In the shown embodiment, the squeegee 5 is formed rod-like and it is movable in the guide 51. A setting angle, with which the squeegee 5 is aligned relatively to the cleaning element 3, is furthermore also variable. For a particularly efficient cleaning of the cleaning element 3, in particular the position of the squeegee 5 towards the cleaning element 3 can be changed, so that the squeegee 5 can dip deeper or less deep into the cleaning fitting of the cleaning element 3. Due to the movement of the squeegee 5 towards the cleaning element 3, a possible attrition of the cleaning element 3 during the cleaning process of the cylinder 2 can furthermore be compensated and the cylinder 2 can thus be cleaned with a constant cleaning quality.

(20) In alternative embodiments of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention, several squeegees 5 can also be included in the guide 51. Several guides 51 can furthermore also be provided on the second module 20, which comprise at least one or several squeegees 5. In an alternative embodiment of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention, the squeegee 5 can also be formed for example plate-, strap- or block-shaped.

(21) Apart from the suctions 4, 4′ in the outer areas of the first module 10, a humidifier 6, 6′ each is arranged, each of which has a spray bar 61, 61′. The spray bars 61, 61′ are aligned in longitudinal direction of the cleaning element 3 and extend across the entire length of the cleaning element 3.

(22) In the shown embodiment, the spray bar 61 applies water to the cleaning element 3, whereas the spray bar 61′ applies a detergent to the cleaning element 3. By adding water and detergent to the cleaning element 3, even dried-in contaminations that are difficult to remove can be loosened from the cleaning element 3 by means of the squeegee 5 and the suctions 4, 4′.

(23) The application of water and detergent to the cleaning element 3 preferably takes place continuously during the entire cleaning process, but can also be initiated intermittently, only at the beginning and/or at intervals during the cleaning process or due to a previously determined degree of contamination of the cleaning element 3.

(24) Detergent-water-mixtures can also be sprayed onto the cleaning element 3 by means of the spray bars 61, 61′. For this purpose, the detergent and the water can have been mixed prior to injection, or the detergent and the water are sprayed out of a spray bar 61, 61′ one after the other or at the same time, but separately from each other, through individual spray nozzles provided in the spray bars 61, 61′.

(25) In alternative variants, the cleaning device 1 can also comprise more or less than two humidifiers 6, 6′. The humidifiers 6, 6′ also do not need to comprise a spray bar 61, 61′; instead the humidifiers 6, 6′ can also comprise individual spray nozzles, which are arranged spread-out in the first module 10 of the cleaning device 1 and are aligned towards the cleaning element 3.

(26) Both the first and the second module 10, 20 are enclosed by a housing 100, 200 for an easier installation and removal, which at the same time protects the components of the first and second module 10, 20 from contamination by ink, detergent or the like. Both modules 10, 20 can additionally be enclosed by a shared housing, so that the entire cleaning device 1 can be removed from the printer or can be arranged on it at once.