PLOTTER, RELATED UNIT, AND METHOD FOR CREASING AND CUTTING SHEETS OF PACKAGING MATERIAL

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a plotter for creasing and cutting a sheet of packaging material, the plotter comprising a work surface and a tool-holder head movable on the work surface according to a pre-set creasing pattern and a pre-set cutting pattern. The plotter comprises a creasing unit, configured to be mounted on the tool-holder head, which includes an extruder, configured to extrude at least one profile onto the work surface according to the pre-set creasing pattern, and a creasing tool provided with a groove adapted to couple, in use, with the at least one profile extruded by the extruder thereby obtaining a corresponding folding line on the sheet of packaging material. The invention also relates to a creasing unit and to a creasing method.

Claims

1. A plotter for creasing and cutting a sheet of packaging material, the plotter comprising: a work surface; a tool-holder head movable on the work surface according to a pre-set creasing pattern and a pre-set cutting pattern; and a creasing unit configured to be mounted on the tool-holder head, the creasing unit comprising: an extruder configured to extrude at least one profile onto the work surface according to the pre-set creasing pattern; and a creasing tool provided with a groove adapted to couple, in use, with the at least one profile extruded by the extruder, wherein a corresponding folding line is obtained on the sheet of packaging material.

2. The plotter of claim 1, wherein the extruder comprises a main body, which has a nozzle at a proximal end thereof.

3. The plotter of claim 1, wherein the creasing tool comprises a main body which has at a proximal end thereof a wheel, which comprises a rolling band on which the groove is obtained.

4. The plotter of claim 3, wherein the groove is obtained centrally in the rolling band.

5. The plotter of claim 3, wherein the wheel is rotatably and detachably fastened to the main body of the creasing tool by interlocking coupling of a rolling pin with a fork, which extends from the proximal end of the main body.

6. The plotter of claim 2, wherein, at a distal end of the main body of the extruder and/or of the creasing tool, an annular relief is obtained for interlocking coupling in a tool support of the tool-holder head.

7. A creasing unit comprising: an extruder configured to extrude at least one profile according to a pre-set creasing pattern; and a creasing tool provided with a groove adapted to couple, in use, with the at least one profile extruded by the extruder, wherein a corresponding folding line is formed on a sheet of packaging material.

8. The creasing unit of claim 7, wherein the extruder comprises a main body, which has a nozzle at a proximal end thereof.

9. The creasing unit of claim 7, wherein the creasing tool comprises a main body which has, at a proximal end thereof, a wheel which comprises a rolling band on which the groove is obtained.

10. The creasing unit of claim 9, wherein the groove is obtained centrally in the rolling band.

11. The creasing unit of claim 9, wherein the wheel is rotatably and detachably fastened to the main body of the creasing tool by interlocking coupling of a rolling pin with a fork, which extends from the proximal end of the main body.

12. The creasing unit of claim 7, wherein, at a distal end of the main body of the extruder and/or of the creasing tool, an annular relief is obtained for interlocking coupling in a tool support of the tool-holder head.

13. A method of creasing a sheet of packaging material, wherein the method is conducted with a plotter comprising a work surface, a tool-holder head movable on the work surface according to a pre-set creasing pattern and a pre-set cutting pattern, and a creasing unit configured to be mounted on the tool-holder head, the method comprising the following steps: using an extruder of the creasing unit, extruding onto the work surface of the plotter at least one profile according to the pre-set creasing pattern; placing a sheet of packaging material on the work surface, immediately above the at least one extruded profile; and sliding, according to the pre-set creasing pattern, a creasing tool of the creasing unit on the at least one extruded profile, so that a groove of the creasing tool couples with each extruded profile, thereby obtaining a corresponding folding line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, provided below by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plotter for creasing and cutting a sheet of packaging material according to the present invention, subsequently to a step of extruding a plurality of creasing profiles according to a pre-set creasing pattern;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plotter of FIG. 1 subsequently to a step of creasing the sheet of packaging material according to the pre-set creasing pattern;

[0031] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a tool-holder head of a plotter, standing by to receive an extruder or a creasing tool of a creasing unit according to the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an extruder of the creasing unit, to be mounted on the tool-holder head of FIG. 3;

[0033] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a creasing tool of the creasing unit, to be mounted on the tool-holder head of FIG. 3; and

[0034] FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the creasing tool of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a plotter for creasing and cutting a sheet of packaging material according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated therein.

[0036] The plotter, indicated in general with the reference number 100, comprises a work surface 10, which acts as creasing surface and as cutting surface of a sheet F of packaging material, preferably a sheet of flat or corrugated cardboard.

[0037] The sheet F is fixed to the work surface 10 in a known way, for example by gluing with adhesive or using a suction system placed under the work surface 10.

[0038] The plotter 100 comprises a crossbar 20, which is mounted on the work surface 10 sliding along a pair of longitudinal guides 22. A tool-holder head 30 (shown in FIG. 3) is mounted on the crossbar 20, and is therefore movable with the crossbar 20 according to an axis x and, along the crossbar 20, according to an axis y orthogonal to the axis x. The tool-holder head 30 can be moved according to a third axis (not shown), orthogonal to the axes x and y and can also be rotated.

[0039] As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the tool-holder head 30 comprises a tool support 31, provided with a through hole 33 for insertion of an extruder 40 (shown in FIG. 4) or of a creasing tool 50 (shown in FIG. 5), which together form a creasing unit.

[0040] A single tool support 31 can be provided in the tool-holder head 30, as shown in FIG. 3, or, alternatively, two separate supports can be provided, i.e., one support for the extruder 40 and one support for the creasing tool 50.

[0041] In particular, and as will be described in more detail in the following, the extruder 40 and the creasing tool 50 are mounted in the tool support 31, or in the respective tool support if one support is provided for each tool, of the tool-holder head 30, respectively to extrude, onto the work surface 10, one or more profiles 32 (visible in FIG. 1) according to a pre-set extruding pattern and to produce corresponding folding lines 34 (visible in FIG. 2) on the sheet F of packaging material arranged on the work surface 10 immediately above the profiles 32.

[0042] The creasing pattern can be entered manually by a user U via a graphic interface 24 of the plotter 100 or, alternatively, can be set by the user U on a personal computer 26, positioned in proximity of the plotter 100, or in a remote position with respect to the plotter 100, and transmitted, by cable or wireless, to the plotter 100.

[0043] As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the extruder 40 of the creasing unit comprises a main body 42, preferably substantially cylindrical, which has a nozzle 44 at the proximal end 41 thereof, i.e., an end that, in use, is close to the work surface 10, and a shank 46 at the distal end 43 thereof i.e., an end that, in use, is at a distance from the work surface 10, wherein a wire made of plastic material, for example polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G), passes through the shank to be extruded by the nozzle 44.

[0044] In the main body 42, preferably in proximity of the shank 46, an annular relief 45 is also obtained, the function of which is that of allowing the extruder 40 to be mounted in the tool support 31 of the tool-holder head 30. In particular, the extruder 40 is inserted from above, inside the through hole 33 obtained in the tool support 31, until the annular relief 45 forms an interlocking coupling with a corresponding groove (not shown) obtained on an internal surface of the tool support 31. In mounted position, the nozzle 44 of the extruder 40 protrudes from the bottom of the tool support 31.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 5, the creasing tool 50 comprises a main body 52, which has a proximal end 51, i.e., an end that, in use, is close to the work surface 10, and a distal end, i.e., an end that, in use, is at a distance from the work surface 10. A fork 54 extends from the proximal end 51 of the main body 52, while a shank 56 extends from the distal end 53.

[0046] The creasing tool 50 further comprises a wheel 60, provided with a hub 61 for the passage of a rolling pin 62. In particular, the rolling pin 62 is adapted to be interlocked in the fork 54 extending from the main body 52, so as to allow rotating coupling between wheel 60 and main body 52 of the creasing tool 50.

[0047] Moreover, an annular relief is obtained in the main body 52, preferably in proximity of the shank 56, the function of which is to allow mounting of the creasing tool 50 in the tool support 31 of the tool-holder head 30. In particular, the main body 52 of the creasing tool 50 is inserted from above, inside the through hole 33 provided in the tool support 31, until the annular relief 55 forms an interlocking coupling with a corresponding groove (not shown) obtained on an inner surface of the tool support 31. In this inserted position, the proximal end 51 of the main body 52, and the fork 54 extending therefrom, protrude from the bottom of the tool support 31. Subsequently, the wheel 60 is rotatably and detachably fastened to the main body 52, by interlocking of the respective pin 62 in the fork 54 of the main body 52. The detachable interlocking coupling between main body 52 and wheel 60 of the creasing tool 50 allows easy and immediate replacement of the wheel 60 when the depth or width of the folding lines to be obtained varies.

[0048] Moreover, the wheel 60 has a band 63, intended to roll on the work surface 10, on which a circumferential groove 64 is obtained, which, when the creasing tool 50 is in use, is adapted to couple with each profile 32 extruded by the extruder 40 onto the work surface 10, thereby obtaining the folding lines 34. The circumferential groove 64 is preferably obtained centrally in the rolling band 63. The rolling band 63 is made of plastic material, for example nylon, or of metal, for example aluminium.

[0049] The size of the main body 42 and 52, respectively of the extruder 40 and of the creasing tool 50, varies as a function of the size of the through hole 33 of the tool support 31 of the tool-holder head 30 into which the extruder 40 and the creasing tool 50 must be inserted. Moreover, the system for mounting the extruder 40 and the creasing tool 50 in the tool-holder head 30 can also vary as a function of the model of plotter on which they must be installed.

[0050] The plotter 100 further comprises a blade (not shown) for cutting the sheet F according to a pre-set cutting pattern. The blade can be of tangential or oscillating type and is mounted on the tool-holder head 30 and moved on the work surface 10 according to the pre-set cutting pattern.

[0051] Similarly with respect to the creasing pattern, the cutting pattern can be entered manually by the user U via the graphic interface 24 of the plotter 100 or, alternatively, can be set by the user U on the computer 26, placed in proximity of the plotter 100, or in a remote position with respect to the plotter 100, and transmitted, by cable or wireless, to the plotter 100.

[0052] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a creasing method, conducted using the plotter 100 described above, is now described.

[0053] The method comprises a preliminary step of setting a creasing pattern. The creasing pattern can be entered manually by the user U using the interface 24 of the plotter 100. Alternatively, the creasing pattern can be set on a personal computer 26, in proximity of or in a remote position with respect to the plotter 100, and transmitted to the plotter by cable or wireless.

[0054] The step of setting the creasing pattern is followed by a step of extruding one or more profiles 32. To this end, the extruder 40 of the creasing unit is loaded, manually or automatically, into the tool support 31 of the tool-holder head 30 and the profiles 32 are extruded through the nozzle 44.

[0055] The step of extruding is followed by a step of loading the sheet F of packaging material to be creased onto the work surface 10 and immediately above the extruded profiles 32.

[0056] The step of loading the sheet F is followed by a step of creasing a number of folding lines 34 equal to the number of profiles 32 previously extruded. For this purpose, the creasing tool 50 of the creasing unit is loaded, manually or automatically, into the tool support 31 of the tool-holder head 30 and slides on the sheet F of packaging material according to the pre-set creasing pattern. In particular, during this movement the groove 64 formed in the wheel 60 of the creasing tool 50 couples with each profile 32 extruded onto the work surface 10, thereby compressing the sheet F between groove 64 and profile 32 and obtaining the corresponding folding line 34.

[0057] The step of creasing is followed by the step of cutting the sheet F. For this purpose, the blade is loaded onto the tool-holder head 30 and moved on the sheet F according to the pre-set cutting pattern.

[0058] From the description above, the features of the cutting plotter, of the creasing unit and of the creasing method of the present invention are evident, as are the related advantages. In particular, the plotter and the related unit and creasing method, are such as to produce high quality and precise creasing of the packaging being processed. Moreover, the plotter and the related unit and creasing method, are such as to increase the degree of automation of the production process of the packaging. Furthermore, the creasing unit has a simple structure and can therefore be produced at limited costs. Finally, the creasing unit is applicable to any known flatbed plotter.

[0059] Finally, it is clear that the cutting plotter and the related creasing unit thus conceived are susceptible to numerous modifications and variants; moreover, all the details can be replaced by equivalent technical elements.

[0060] The previous detailed description has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of a new and useful invention, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.