JP6272369B2 - Thermal transfer printing apparatus control method and thermal transfer printing apparatus installed with a program for executing the thermal transfer printing apparatus control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printing apparatus control method and a thermal transfer printing apparatus in which a program for executing the thermal transfer printing apparatus control method is installed. More specifically, the present invention significantly improves the convenience of an operator in a thermal transfer printing operation, Uniformity and accuracy of print quality can be ensured, and the status information of the thermal transfer printing device is grasped in advance and related control is performed, so that defective products due to malfunction of the thermal transfer printing device and work accidents can be prevented. The present invention relates to a control method for a thermal transfer printing apparatus that can be prevented from occurring at the same time, and a thermal transfer printing apparatus in which a program for executing the control method for the thermal transfer printing apparatus is installed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Thermal transfer printing methods are widely used in which a print object is printed by pressing a heat transfer film on which various patterns and pictures are formed on the print object.

  Specifically, in performing the thermal transfer printing method, the operator combines an unprinted print target body with a jig structure fixed to the work table of the thermal transfer printing apparatus, and places a thermal transfer film on the upper part of the print target body. After placement, the thermal transfer film is heated and vacuum-pressed, whereby the thermal transfer film is pressure-printed on the surface of the object to be printed.

  However, the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the prior art relies on the manual operation of the operator for a series of equipment operations and controls such as setting of vacuum pressure, setting of heating temperature, and setting of working time. As a result, it is not possible to ensure the uniformity and accuracy of print quality, it is difficult for the operator to grasp the equipment status information, and technical limitations that prevent the occurrence of defective products and work accidents due to malfunctions. There is.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to significantly improve the convenience of the operator in the thermal transfer printing work, to ensure the uniformity and accuracy of the printing quality, and to grasp the status information of the thermal transfer printing apparatus in advance and perform the related control. Thermal transfer printing apparatus control method capable of preventing the occurrence of defective products and work accidents due to malfunction of the thermal transfer printing apparatus, and thermal transfer installed with a program for executing the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus To provide a printing apparatus.

  The method for controlling the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above-described object is as follows: (a) the thermal transfer printing apparatus preheats a heater provided in the thermal transfer printing apparatus by applying power; and (b) The thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a step of displaying a work execution mode page on a display unit provided in the thermal transfer printing apparatus.

  Preferably, before the step (a), the thermal transfer printing apparatus further includes a step of performing a self-diagnosis mode.

  Further, (c) the thermal transfer printing apparatus further includes a step of receiving an operation control command through an operation control item displayed on the operation execution mode page.

  The work control command is a command to extend the work time of the thermal transfer printing work.

  Further, (d) the thermal transfer printing apparatus further includes a step of interrupting the thermal transfer printing operation when the internal pressure of the thermal transfer printing workbench measured during the thermal transfer printing operation is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference pressure.

  Further, the work control command includes work waiting time information for improving the elongation rate of the thermal transfer printing film and work time information which is a time during which the heat transfer printing work is performed after the work waiting time elapses. And

  On the other hand, the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that a program for executing the control method is installed.

  According to the present invention, the convenience of the operator in the thermal transfer printing operation can be remarkably improved, and the uniformity and accuracy of the printing quality can be ensured.

  In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent occurrence of defective products or work accidents due to malfunction of the thermal transfer printing apparatus by grasping in advance the status information of the thermal transfer printing apparatus and performing related control. It becomes like this.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible throughout the specification, and repeated descriptions and detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that obscure the gist of the present invention are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing the structure of a thermal transfer printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display unit 110, a button unit 120, a work table 130, and an auxiliary heater 140.

  First, the display unit 110 provided in the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention is a touch-type display, and the operator receives operation information and status information of the thermal transfer printing apparatus through the display unit 110 and at the same time, the display unit Various operations of the thermal transfer printing apparatus are controlled through touch input at 110.

  The button unit 120 is provided with a plurality of buttons physically realized. Specifically, a start / end button 121 for controlling the start and end of the transfer operation in the thermal transfer printing apparatus, a power button 122 for controlling the power supply to the thermal transfer printing apparatus, and an abnormal operation of the thermal transfer printing apparatus, A buzzer button 123 for notifying the outside whether or not an abnormal state occurs is included.

  A heat transfer printing operation is performed on the work table 130, and the auxiliary heater 140 is selectively attached and coupled to the upper portion of the main body, and the jig structure used for the heat transfer printing operation is preheated before the printing operation is performed. Have

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a procedure for explaining the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 2, the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. First, the operator applies an external power source to the thermal transfer printing apparatus by pressing a power button provided in the thermal transfer printing apparatus (S210).

  As described above, when the external power supply is applied to the thermal transfer printing apparatus, the control unit of the thermal transfer printing apparatus starts the self-diagnosis mode (S220). At this time, the process of performing the self-diagnosis mode can be directly confirmed by the operator through the display unit 110 as shown in FIG.

  Specifically, when an external power supply is applied to the thermal transfer printing apparatus, the control unit performs a self test to check the state of each component constituting the thermal transfer printing apparatus and whether there is an abnormality.

  For example, the presence or absence of an abnormality including the communication function of the display unit 110 is inspected through touch panel inspection shown in FIG. 3, and in the process inspection, an abnormality of the processing engine in the control unit of the thermal transfer printing apparatus is inspected. The sensor check (Sensor checking) checks the presence or absence of abnormalities in various sensors (such as the temperature sensor and pressure sensor provided inside the workbench) provided in the thermal transfer printing device, and the heating system check (Heating) In the system checking, the main heating temperature control board that controls the main heater inside the work table 130 is inspected. In the secondary heating system check, the auxiliary heater 140 is controlled. To check the auxiliary heating temperature control board.

  When a problem occurs in a specific item while the inspection of the above five items is in progress, “ok” as shown in FIG. 3 is not displayed on the item, and the control unit The self-test is interrupted without checking the inspection items.

  In this case, the operator can arbitrarily perform the administrator mode by inputting a “skip” button shown in FIG. 3 and confirm the details of a specific error.

  On the other hand, the control unit checks whether the auxiliary heater 140 is in a state of being electrically connected to the main body of the thermal transfer printing apparatus (S230). By activating the “auxiliary heater control” icon shown, the administrator can selectively perform the individual control mode for the auxiliary heater 140.

  Next, the control unit performs a preheating mode of the main heater provided in the main body of the thermal transfer printing apparatus (S240). The execution state of the preheating mode is provided to the operator through the display unit 110 as shown in FIG.

  That is, the preheating mode is an operation mode that automatically enters when the execution of the self-inspection mode in step S220 described above is completed. The set temperature information, which is a temperature value that can be arbitrarily input by the operator, and the current temperature information by preheating are displayed through the display unit 110 as shown in FIG.

  In carrying out the present invention, when the set temperature and the current temperature are 5 ° C. or less, the control unit preferably interrupts the execution of the preheating mode and enters the work execution mode shown in FIG. 5 (S250).

  Specifically, in performing the work execution mode, the control unit provides the administrator with various status information and operation information as shown in FIG. 5, and also sets various setting values and operation control commands for the thermal transfer printing apparatus to the operator. Can be input through the display unit 110 (S260).

  That is, through the work execution mode shown in FIG. 5, even after the thermal transfer printing work is started, the operator presses the work extension button 1 to add a work time by a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) each time it is pressed. Will be able to.

  On the other hand, if the total work extension time by pressing the work extension button 1 exceeds 200 seconds in order to prevent an overload from occurring in the thermal transfer printing apparatus, the control unit extends the work time further. It is preferable not to approve.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the work execution mode page displayed on the display unit 110 includes the display item 1 of operation control and operation state, and through this item, the operator can display the current transfer in the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention. The operation state information (operation, stop, preheating) can be confirmed, and the operator can directly input a command (operation, stop, preheat) for controlling the operation of the thermal transfer printing apparatus.

  In addition, the temperature information item 3 shown in FIG. 5 allows the operator to directly input a set temperature value of the main heater (for example, a temperature value selected between 0 ° C. and 180 ° C.), and the operation state of the main heater (HEATER OFF And the internal pressure value of the thermal transfer printing work table 130 can be confirmed and checked through the current pressure state information 4.

  On the other hand, in carrying out the present invention, when the internal pressure of the thermal transfer printing workbench 130 measured during the thermal transfer printing operation is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference pressure (for example, 30 kpa), the control unit displays the thermal transfer printing film. It is judged that the vacuum pressure is leaked due to the damage, and the thermal transfer printing operation is interrupted. Thereafter, a beep sound is transmitted to the outside through a speaker provided in the buzzer button shown in FIG.

  In addition, the operator uses the time information item 5 shown in FIG. 5 to wait for a work waiting time (for example, about 6 seconds to 7 seconds) to improve the elongation rate of the thermal transfer printing film (the extent to which the film is stretched by heat). Information and work time information, which is a time (for example, about 2 minutes 50 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds) during which the thermal transfer printing work is performed through driving of the vacuum motor after the waiting time has elapsed, can be input and confirmed.

  On the other hand, the control unit calculates the operation time by adding the above-described waiting time and work time, and provides the calculated operation time to the operator through the operation time information item 6 shown in FIG. As a result, the operator can confirm information on the accumulated time, which is the progress time of the operation of the thermal transfer printing apparatus.

  Further, the operator can confirm the state of the filter provided at the cooling air inlet through the item 7 shown in FIG. 5 and whether or not the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention is in a steady state.

  At the same time, the operator can arbitrarily enter the standby mode by selecting “idle mode” through the mode selection item 8 shown in FIG. 5, and the management can be performed by selecting “management mode”. The person mode can be arbitrarily performed, and the auxiliary heating control mode for controlling the auxiliary heater 140 can be arbitrarily performed by selecting “auxiliary heater control”.

  On the other hand, when the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention is in a non-operating state or a non-input state of a control command for a predetermined time (for example, 45 minutes or more), the control unit performs an idle mode for safety. (S270) At this time, the display unit 110 displays that the thermal transfer printing apparatus has entered the idle mode, as shown in FIG.

  By entering the idle mode, the control unit sets the set temperature 3 of the main heater shown in FIG. 5 to 100 ° C., and after entering the idle mode, when the predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes) elapses, the control unit Shuts off the power supplied to the main heater. On the other hand, the operator can also restart the power supply to the main heater by inputting the “Idle mode release” button shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the operator selects “management mode” through the mode selection item 8 shown in FIG. 5, the administrator mode is performed. As a result, an administrator mode page as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display unit 110 (S280).

  Specifically, on the administrator mode page shown in FIG. 7, heater control item 1, pressure control item 2, other change control item 3, software version information item 4, and mode transfer item 5 are displayed.

  First, the heater control item 1 shown in FIG. 7 includes a “heater OFF” button that allows the operator to manually turn off the heater power regardless of automatic control by the control unit, and reaches the set temperature value. This includes an “auto tuning” button that is a button that allows the operator to arbitrarily execute an auto tuning operation that is an operation of calculating an optimal control value in the heating process of the main heater.

  In other words, when the operator inputs the set temperature of the main heater after the thermal transfer printing apparatus is completely cooled and then inputs the “auto tuning” button, the control unit sets the temperature of the main heater to reach the set temperature. The optimum control value is automatically calculated.

  On the other hand, the pressure control item 2 shown in FIG. 7 includes a button that allows the operator to manually control the operation and stop (Pump OFF) of the vacuum motor regardless of the control by the control unit.

  In addition, other change control items 3 shown in FIG. 7 include language selection buttons such as Korean, English, Japanese, etc., and buttons for an operator who replaces or cleans the filter to input the usage time of the filter. The “filter reset” button and “Valve OFF” which is a button for checking the electromagnetic valve for controlling the pressure of the vacuum motor are included.

  Also, software version information item 4 shown in FIG. 7 is a program for executing the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention, and displays the version information of software installed in the control unit.

  In addition, the mode movement item 5 shown in FIG. 7 includes the “work mode” button for moving to the work mode page shown in FIG. 5 and the error checked in step S220 described above or generated during operation of the thermal transfer printing apparatus. And an “error check” button that is a button for checking detailed information of the detected error.

  Specifically, when the operator inputs an “error confirmation” button shown in FIG. 7, an error information confirmation page as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 110. With reference to FIG. 8, error information generated and detected in the thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. First, the item “PLC CPU error” is an item for displaying error information obtained by checking the status of the CPU of the processor.

  In addition, the item “temperature sensor disconnection” is an item for displaying whether or not the temperature sensors mounted in the main heater CH0 and the auxiliary heaters 140 and CH1 are damaged. On the other hand, when it is confirmed in step S230 that the auxiliary heater 140 is not connected, the control unit displays the “temperature sensor disconnection” item of the auxiliary heater 140 and CH1 as “ERROR”. .

  In addition, the item “control board error” displays the status of the temperature control board of the main heater CH0, auxiliary heater 140, and CH1, respectively. The item “Error during temperature tuning” displays an error that occurred during the auto-tuning of each of the main heater CH0 and the auxiliary heaters 140 and CH1.

  In addition, the item “Temperature High Alarm” indicates that an overheat state is detected when an excessive increase in internal temperature is detected by the overheat prevention sensor during operation of the thermal transfer printing apparatus. In this case, the control unit sends a beep sound to the outside through a speaker provided in the buzzer button shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the operator selects “auxiliary heater control” through the mode selection item 8 shown in FIG. 5, an auxiliary heating control mode for controlling the auxiliary heater 140 is performed. Accordingly, the auxiliary heater 140 control mode page as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display unit 110.

  On the auxiliary heater 140 control mode page shown in FIG. 9, a temperature setting item 1, an auto tuning item 2, and a state display item 3 are displayed. First, the operator can directly input the set temperature value of the auxiliary heater 140 through the temperature setting item 1, and can also check the operation state (HEATER OFF) of the auxiliary heater 140.

  Further, in the auto-tuning item 2 shown in FIG. 9, the operator can arbitrarily execute an auto-tuning operation which is an operation for calculating an optimum control value in the heating process of the auxiliary heater 140 to reach the set temperature value. It includes an “auto tuning” button.

  That is, when the operator inputs the set temperature of the auxiliary heater 140 and then inputs the “auto tuning” button after the thermal transfer printing apparatus is completely cooled, the control unit reaches the set temperature so that the auxiliary heater 140 optimal control values are automatically calculated.

  In addition, the state display item 3 shown in FIG. 9 displays the connection state information of the auxiliary heater 140. When it is confirmed in step S230 that the auxiliary heater 140 is not connected, the control unit displays the connection status information of the auxiliary heater 140 in the status display item 3 as “heater is not connected”. When it is confirmed that the auxiliary heater 140 is connected, the connection state information of the auxiliary heater 140 is displayed as “heater connection”.

  The operator can also manually cut off the power supply to the auxiliary heater 140 by using the “manual OFF” button included in the status display item 3 shown in FIG.

  The terminology used in the present invention is merely used to describe particular embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “including” or “having” are intended to designate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. It should be understood that one or more other features or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, combinations thereof, etc., or the possibility of addition are not excluded in advance. I must.

  Although the preferred embodiments and application examples of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and application examples described above, and does not depart from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. It goes without saying that various modifications can be made by persons having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention belongs, and such modifications should not be individually understood from the technical idea and perspective of the present invention. .

It is a figure which shows the structure of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the procedure explaining the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the display part of a thermal transfer printing apparatus by the execution process of the control method of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

110 Display unit 120 Button unit 130 Work table 140 Auxiliary heater

Claims (3)

(A) a thermal transfer printing device preheats a heater provided in the thermal transfer printing device by applying power;
(B) the thermal transfer printing apparatus, viewed contains a step of displaying the task execution mode page on the display unit provided in the thermal transfer printing apparatus,
Before the step (a), the thermal transfer printing apparatus further includes a step of performing a self-diagnosis mode,
In the self-diagnosis mode,
a. Touch panel inspection to inspect the presence or absence of abnormality including the communication function of the display unit 110,
b. Process inspection to inspect for abnormalities in the processing engine at the controller of the thermal transfer printing device,
c. Sensor inspection for inspecting whether there is an abnormality in the temperature sensor and pressure sensor provided in the workbench 130,
d. A heating system check that checks the main heating temperature control board that controls the main heater inside the workbench 130; and
e. Secondary heating system check that checks the auxiliary heating temperature control board that controls the auxiliary heater 140
A method for controlling a thermal transfer printing apparatus. The method of controlling a thermal transfer printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: (c) receiving a work control command through a work control item displayed on the work execution mode page. A thermal transfer printing apparatus in which a program for executing the control method according to claim 1 is installed.