Apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks

Details Apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks Apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks

1989-05-23

1991-12-03

Hoag, Willard

Coating apparatus

With means to centrifuge work

118503, B05C 102, B05C 500

Patent

active

050691554

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks as generically defined by the preamble to claim 1.
2. Prior Art
In the manufacture of compact disks or CDs, the following manufacturing steps are performed: pressing of the disk blanks of the CDs, vapor-depositing of an aluminum layer on one side of the disk, lacquering of the side of the disk having the aluminum layer, printing of this side of the disk, and packaging in slip cases.
Known apparatuses for in-line lacquering of compact disks, which are disposed in a production line of the kind in which the individual devices are adapted to one another in terms of capacity, have a single station in the processing apparatus in which the disk, having been provided with the aluminum layer, is initially provided with a lacquer bead, which subsequently is uniformly distributed over the surface of this side of the disk by centrifuging
Since in this kind of production line the lacquering process, including loading and unloading, takes several times as much time as that required for pressing and in particular for the aluminum vapor deposition, such a production line has heretofore been provided with a plurality of parallel lacquering devices, e.g., five in number, which operate either continuously, directly following the aluminum vapor deposition apparatus, or via intermediate magazines.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks of the above-defined type which operates faster, without any loss in the lacquering quality.
For attaining this object, in an apparatus for in-line lacquering of compact disks, a processing apparatus is provided having a lacquer metering station, a lacquer bead centrifuging station spaced apart from the lacquer metering station, a loading station associated with the lacquer metering station, an unloading station associated with the lacquer bead centrifuging station, each station spaced apart by the same distance, and a manipulator, having preferably three parallel grippers which are driven in common to move in harmonic fashion between two adjacent station.
Because the processing apparatus is divided into two stations, and because of the integrated manipulation apparatus, a major time savings of approximately one-half the previous processing time is attainable. This means that the number of parallel-operating lacquering devices required can be reduced by half. It also means that less space is required and the capital investment is lower. A very substantial feature is that because of the harmonic course of motion of the manipulation apparatus, it is assured that the lacquer bead applied in the lacquer metering station does not run off on one side, so that the previously attained quality of uniform lacquer application to the surfaces of the disk remains unchanged, since impact-free, nonbucking acceleration or deceleration of the manipulation apparatus in the horizontal plane is attained.
With a lacquering metering station provided with a turntable for centeringly receiving the compact disk, a lacquer supply device pivotable above the compact disk, the lacquer bead centrifuging station provided with a turntable for the centering reception of the compact disk, with a splash protector surrounding the turntable, and a lacquer collecting device, the loading station having a delivery tray for the centering reception of the compact disk, and the unloading station having a delivery tray, the respective station is capable of receiving and processing or manipulating the applicable compact disk more quickly and simply.
By means of the leverlike parallel mechanism of the grippers of the manipulator, which moves back and forth and with which the parallel grippers are connected for interlocked motion, an advantageous and structurally simple embodiment of the manipulation apparatus is disclosed, for executing the course of the aforementioned harmonic motion. The same is t

REFERENCES:
patent: 3645581 (1972-02-01), Lasch et al.
patent: 4315705 (1982-02-01), Flint
patent: 4447468 (1984-05-01), Keable
patent: 4457259 (1984-07-01), Samuels
patent: 4519767 (1985-05-01), Westerman
patent: 4838979 (1989-06-01), Nishida et al.

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