SHEET TURNING APPARATUS

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2024/019089, filed Mar. 8, 2024, which takes priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/451,408, filed Mar. 10, 2023, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a sheet turning apparatus for use in or with a coating machine or assembly.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, pre-primed substrates for inkjet printing have been purchased from manufacturers with very large machines that utilize a Mayer rod or gravure type coating system to flood the substrate in one pass, then utilize a long oven for drying. These substrates are produced in large rolls then cut to smaller sizes for general use.

The current climate in the global packaging market is focused on reducing the use of plastics in packaging. European countries may soon be outlawing the use of plastics. This has led to a need for paper-based sustainable packaging. Accordingly, there is a new focus on Barrier Coating. Traditional methods of applying coatings (flexo coaters, roll coaters, anilox coaters) have failed as they cannot reach the required coating thickness in one pass and drying these coatings is difficult. The coating must provide a strong water/liquid/oxygen barrier as well as be glueable.

Various coating technologies typically apply a coating to an upward facing surface of a sheet to be coated. As such, if both sides of a sheet are to be coated, the sheet must be turned over. However, if turned over too quickly, the coated surface may not be completely dried. Further, turning a sheet, particularly a large sheet, presents technical challenges in the context of a linear production line. As such, in many existing processes, one side of each sheet is coated, the production line terminates in a stack of sheets, and the entire stack is later flipped in order to coat a second side. However, such a process prevents a production line from being fully self-contained or automated.

There is a need for a sheet turning mechanism that can be utilized in the context of a production line and that can consistently turn larger sheets such that opposite sides can be processed in a single line. There is a further need that such a turning mechanism that can facilitate drying of a first side coating, such that the coated surface is no longer wet following the turning of the sheet.

The description provided in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because it is mentioned in or associated with the background section. The background section may include information that describes one or more aspects of the subject technology.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a sheet turning apparatus is provided that includes first and second sheet conveyors configured to convey a sheet along respective sheet paths. The sheet is conveyed by the first sheet conveyor in a first disposition relative to an orientation of the first sheet conveyor.

The sheet turning apparatus further includes a chamber configured to receive the sheet from the first sheet conveyor. The chamber has an orientation different than the orientation of the first sheet conveyor or an orientation of the second sheet conveyor. The sheet is discharged from the chamber to the second sheet conveyor in a second disposition relative to the orientation of the second sheet conveyor. The second disposition is reversed from the first disposition.

In some embodiments, the sheet turning apparatus further includes an air provider configured to provide air to the chamber.

In some such embodiments, the chamber is enclosed by a first outer panel and a second panel opposite the chamber from the first outer panel, and the air provider is configured to provide air to the chamber. The sheet is then deposited into the chamber from the first sheet conveyor and is spaced apart from each of the first panel and the second panel by air from the air provider.

In some embodiments utilizing an air provider, the sheet is a coated sheet, and when the sheet is in the chamber, the sheet is at least partially dried by movement of air from the air provider.

In some embodiments utilizing an air provider, the air provider is further configured to blow air at a sheet moving from the chamber, such that the sheet deflects the air into the chamber.

In some embodiments the air provider is an air knife.

In some embodiments, the chamber extends substantially along a vertically upward direction.

In some embodiments, the chamber includes an opening through which the sheet is provided from the first sheet conveyer to the chamber. The chamber then includes an adjustable sheet stopper spaced apart from the opening in a sheet conveying direction. The sheet stopper is then adjustably located based on a size of a sheet to be turned.

In some embodiments, the first sheet conveyor and the second sheet conveyor include a common component that conveys the sheet.

In some embodiments, the second sheet conveyor is configured to convey the sheet that moves down to the second sheet conveyor from the chamber at least by a weight of the sheet.

In some embodiments, the second sheet conveyor overlaps with an extension of a center line of the chamber, and the chamber extends along the center line.

In some embodiments, the first sheet conveyor includes a first sheet conveying roller and a second sheet conveying roller adjacent to the first sheet conveying roller. The first and second sheet conveying rollers are configured to convey the coated sheet toward the chamber by the first sheet conveying roller rotating in a first rotation direction, and the second sheet conveying roller rotating in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction.

In some such embodiments, the first sheet conveying roller is a common component of the first sheet conveyor and the second sheet conveyor, and the first sheet conveying roller is configured to convey the sheet from the chamber by the first sheet conveying roller rotating in the first rotation direction.

In some embodiments utilizing first and second sheet conveying rollers, the first sheet conveying roller is a driving roller.

In some embodiments utilizing first and second sheet conveying rollers, the first sheet conveying roller includes an outer peripheral surface that includes at least one friction portion.

In some such embodiments, the first sheet conveying roller includes at least one elastic ring around the first sheet conveying roller, the elastic ring forming the at least one friction portion.

In some embodiments, the first sheet conveyor includes at least one sheet conveying belt and the first sheet conveying roller and the second sheet conveying roller are disposed at a downstream side of the sheet conveying belt.

In some embodiments, a sheet path of the second sheet conveyor is horizontal or angled relative to horizontal and vertical directions.

In some embodiments, the first sheet conveyor includes first and second conveyors configured to convey the sheet. The first conveyor is disposed at a downstream side of the second conveyor, and the first conveyor is movable from the second conveyor to create a bypass path along which the sheet moves from the second conveyor to the second sheet conveyor by bypassing the chamber.

Also provided is a method for turning a sheet, the method including conveying, by a first sheet conveyor, a sheet in a first disposition relative to an orientation of the first sheet conveyor. The method further includes receiving, by a chamber, the sheet from the first sheet conveyor.

The chamber has an orientation different than the orientation of the first sheet conveyor or a second orientation of a second sheet conveyor. The chamber then discharges the sheet from the chamber to the second sheet conveyor in a second disposition relative to the orientation of the second sheet conveyor, the second disposition being reversed from the first disposition.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a coating system according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet turning apparatus, taken along the V-V line in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area VI in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional view of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing use of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

EMBODIMENTS

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present disclosure is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the disclosure are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the disclosure expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the disclosure being defined by the claims appended hereto.

This disclosure describes the best mode or modes of practicing the disclosure as presently contemplated. This description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but provides an example of the disclosure presented solely for illustrative purposes by reference to the accompanying drawings to advise one of ordinary skill in the art of the advantages and construction of the disclosure. In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.

It is important to note that the embodiments disclosed are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed disclosures. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a coating system according to some embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the coating system of the present disclosure may include a sheet turning apparatus 101, a feeder 103, a coating module 104, and a stacker 105. The feeder 103 may provide sheets to the coating module 104. The components described may be modular, and as such, some embodiments of a coating system may include additional components, such as various drying and/or printing modules. As discussed in more detail below, the modules may be linked by way of conveyors, such that a sheet passing through the coating system may rest on a conveyor and be carried from the feeder 103 through the coating module 104 to the sheet turning apparatus 101. The coating module 104 may apply coating on the sheets, and provide the coated sheets to the sheet turning apparatus 101. The sheet turning apparatus 101 may turn each of the sheets from the coating module 104. The stacker 105 may stack the sheets from the sheet turning apparatus 101.

Alternatively, once the sheets are turned by the sheet turning apparatus 101, a system may provide a further coating module 104, such that the sheet may be coated on both sides prior to being stacked.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet turning apparatus 101 according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the sheet turning apparatus 101 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a front view of the sheet turning apparatus 101 of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the sheet turning apparatus, taken along the V-V line in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area VI in FIG. 5.

With reference to FIGS. 2-6, in some embodiments, the sheet turning apparatus 101 may include a first sheet conveyor 200, a chamber 300, and a second sheet conveyer 400. The first and second sheet conveyors 200 and 400 may be configured to convey a sheet 810 (e.g., a coated sheet and see FIG. 5) along respective sheet paths of the first and second sheet conveyors 200 and 400. The sheet 810 may be conveyed by the first sheet conveyor 200 in a first disposition relative to an orientation of the first sheet conveyor 200.

With reference to FIGS. 3-6, the chamber 300 may be configured to receive the sheet 810 from the first sheet conveyor 200. The chamber 300 may have an orientation different than the orientation of the first sheet conveyor 200 or an orientation of the second sheet conveyor 400. The sheet 810 may be discharged from the chamber 300 to the second sheet conveyor 400 in a second disposition relative to the orientation of the second sheet conveyor 400. The second disposition may be reversed from the first disposition.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4-6, the first sheet conveyor 200 may include a first sheet conveying roller 210, a second sheet conveying roller 220, and first and second conveyors 240 and 250. The first sheet conveying roller 210, the second sheet conveying roller 220, and the first and second conveyors 240 and 250 may each be configured to convey the sheet 810.

In some embodiments, the first conveyor 240 may be disposed at a downstream side of the second conveyor 250. The second conveyor 250 may convey the sheet 810 from the coating module 104 to the first conveyor 240. The first conveyor 240 may convey the sheet 810 from the second conveyor 250 to the first sheet conveying roller 210 and the second sheet conveying roller 220. In the illustrated embodiment in FIGS. 5-6, the first conveyor 240 may include a sheet conveying belt 241, a roller 242, a roller 243, and a support 244. The sheet conveying belt 241 may be wound around the rollers 242 and 243 and the support 244. The support 244 may be disposed between the rollers 242 and 243. The support 244 may support the sheet 810 via the sheet conveying belt 241. At least one of the rollers 242 and 243 may be a driving roller. The driving roller may rotate the sheet conveying belt 241 to convey the sheet 810. The first conveyor 240 may have another configuration different from the illustrated configuration.

While this disclosure references various belts 241 for conveying sheets 810 throughout this disclosure, it is noted that such belts may be individual belts covering a large width or they may instead comprise individual straps 249 (see FIG. 2) spaced apart across a width of a conveyor. In this manner, only a small portion of a downward facing side of a sheet 810 may be in contact with the straps 249 comprising the corresponding belt 241 at any given time.

With reference to FIGS. 5-6, in some embodiments, the first and second sheet conveying rollers 210 and 220 may be adjacent to each other. In some embodiments, the first and second sheet conveying rollers 210 and 220 may be pressed against each other, for example, by a pressing mechanism 282. The first sheet conveying roller 210 and the second sheet conveying roller 220 may be disposed at a downstream side of the sheet conveying belt 241. The first and second sheet conveying rollers 210 and 220 may be configured to convey the sheet 810 toward the chamber 300 by: (1) the first sheet conveying roller 210 rotating in a first rotation direction 218, and (2) the second sheet conveying roller 220 rotating in a second rotation direction 228. The second rotation direction 228 is opposite to the first rotation direction 218.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first sheet conveying roller 210 and the second sheet conveying roller 220 may be a driving roller. In the illustrated example, the first sheet conveying roller 210 is a driving roller, and may be driven by a motor 281.

FIG. 7 is another cross sectional view of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the first sheet conveying roller 210 may include an outer peripheral surface 2111 that includes at least one friction portion 2113. The friction portion 2113 may reduce the chance of the sheet 810 slipping relative to the roller 210 when the sheet 810 is conveyed by the rollers 210 and 220. The first sheet conveying roller 210 may include at least one elastic ring around the first sheet conveying roller 210. In some embodiments, the elastic ring may form the at least one friction portion 2113.

With reference to FIG. 6, the chamber 300 may be configured to receive the sheet 810 from the first sheet conveyor 200. The sheet 810 may be deposited into the chamber 300 from the first sheet conveyor 200. The chamber 300 may have an orientation different than the orientation of the first sheet conveyor 200 or an orientation of the second sheet conveyor 400.

In the illustrated example, the chamber 300 may be enclosed by a first panel 310 and a second panel 320 opposite the chamber 300 from the first panel 310. In some embodiments, the chamber 300 may extend substantially along a vertically upward direction X1. The chamber 300 may include an opening 340 through which the sheet 810 is provided from the first sheet conveyer 240 to the chamber 300. As shown in FIG. 5, the chamber 300 may include an adjustable sheet stopper 330 spaced apart from the opening 340 in a sheet conveying direction (e.g., the vertically upward direction X1 in the illustrated example). The sheet stopper 330 may be adjustably located based on a size of a sheet 810 to be turned. As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the chamber 300 may include a portion 309 that contacts with the sheet 810 conveyed by the first sheet conveyor 200, and can deflect the sheet 810 such that the sheet 810 moves toward an inside the chamber 300.

With reference to FIGS. 5-6, the air provider 500 may be configured to provide air to the chamber 300. The air provider 500 may be configured to blow air at the sheet 810 moving from the chamber 300, such that the sheet 810 deflects the air into the chamber 300 (see arrow 830 in FIG. 6). Alternatively, when no sheet 810 is present at the outlet of the chamber 300, air from the air provider 500 may deflect by a guide 409 for guiding such a sheet 810 when present. In any event, air from the air provider 500 is continuously directed towards the chamber 300, thereby forming a consistent air cushion 399 within that chamber 300. During use, the sheet 810 in the chamber 300 may be spaced apart from each of the first panel 310 and the second panel 320 by the cushion 399 formed by air from the air provider 500. When the sheet 810 is in the chamber 300, the sheet 810 may be at least partially dried by movement of the air from the air provider 500 forming the cushion 399. The air provider 500 may comprise, but is not limited to, an air knife. The air provider 500 may be any other device that can blow air toward the sheet.

In some embodiments, the sheet 810 may be discharged from the chamber 300 to the second sheet conveyor 400 (see FIGS. 2-4) in a second disposition relative to the orientation of the second sheet conveyor 400. The second disposition is reversed from the first disposition. Accordingly, while the first disposition may include the sheet facing upwards while resting on the first sheet conveyor 200, the second disposition may include the sheet resting upside down relative to the first disposition on the second sheet conveyor 400. The second sheet conveyor 400 may be configured to convey the sheet 810 from the chamber 300. In some embodiments, the second sheet conveyor 400 may include a belt that conveys the sheet 810. The sheet path of the second sheet conveyor 400 may be horizontal, or may be angled to horizontal and vertical directions.

With reference to FIGS. 5-6, in some embodiments, the second sheet conveyor 400 and the first sheet conveyor 200 may include a common component that conveys the sheet 810. The first sheet conveying roller 210 may be the common component of the first sheet conveyor 200 and the second sheet conveyor 400. Therefore, the first sheet conveying roller 210 may be configured to initially convey the sheet 810 from the first sheet conveyor 200 into the chamber 300 and then from the chamber 300 to the second sheet conveyor 400 by the first sheet conveying roller 210 continuously rotating in the first rotation direction 218. In other embodiments, the second sheet conveyor 400 and the first sheet conveyor 200 do not include a common component that conveys the sheet 810. In the illustrated embodiment, the second sheet conveyor 400 is configured to convey the sheet 810 that moves down to the second sheet conveyor 400 from the chamber 300 at least by a weight of the sheet 810. In some embodiments, the second sheet conveyor 400 may overlap with an extension 393 of a center line 395 of the chamber 300, the chamber 300 extending along the center line 395.

By including a common component that conveys the sheet, such as the continuously rotating first sheet conveying roller 210, the apparatus described may ensure that a sheet that enters the chamber and then contacts the roller 210 is consistently directed towards the second sheet conveyor 400 in the second disposition.

As shown in FIG. 7, the sheet turning apparatus 101 may include at least one sheet strap 600 pressed against the second sheet conveyor 400. The sheet strap 600 may guide the sheet 810 to the second sheet conveyer 400 (e.g., the first sheet conveying roller 210 in the illustrated embodiment). In addition, the sheet turning apparatus 101 may further include a guide 409 to guide the sheet 810 from the first sheet conveying roller 210.

In some embodiments, the sheet may not be turned, and in such a case, the sheet 810 may not move toward the chamber 300. For example, the first conveyor 240 may be movable from the second conveyor 250 to create a bypass path along which the sheet 810 moves from the second conveyor 250 to the second sheet conveyor 400 by bypassing the chamber 300.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing use of a sheet turning apparatus according to some embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 8, in 801, a first sheet conveyor 200 may convey the sheet 810 (which has been conveyed by the first conveyor 240 and the second conveyor 250, for example) in a first disposition relative to an orientation of the first sheet conveyor 200. Then, in 803, the chamber 300 may receive the sheet 810 from the first sheet conveyor 200. Then, in 805, the sheet 810 may be discharged from the chamber 300 to the second sheet conveyor 400 in a second disposition relative to the orientation of the second sheet conveyor 400. The second disposition is reversed from the first disposition.

The present embodiments may provide an apparatus that is suitable to turn the sheet 810. In some embodiments, the sheet turning apparatus 101 may include air provider 500 configured to provide air to the chamber 300. Accordingly, the sheet 810 may be at least partially dried by the air. Drying the sheet 810 may reduce the chance that multiple coated sheets stick to each other when the sheets are stacked.

While the present disclosure has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the disclosure.

While all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.