TRANSPORT SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORT OF OBJECTS ALONG A TREATMENT PATH AND METHOD FOR CENTERING OBJECTS IN TRANSPORT SUPPORTS

Abstract

The invention concerns a transport support for transport of at least one object along the transport path through at least one processing station, and can include transport of at least one printable object along the transport path for printing of a printable object, in which the transport support includes a device by means of which the object can be aligned in the desired position relative to the transport support. The invention also concerns a method for alignment, including centering, of at least one object of a transport support, by means of which at least one object is transported along a transport path to/through at least one processing station, in which the object can be aligned by a device provided in the transport support into a desired position relative to transport support.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a to 1c: show an example according to the prior art for centering of a CD/DVD on a support surface of the transport support.

FIGS. 2 a to 2c: show the centering process of a CD/DVD according to one aspect of the invention.

FIGS. 3 a to 3d: show positioning of a CD directly on a positioning element and subsequent positioning on the support surface in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

FIGS. 4 a to 4c: show a variant as in FIG. 2, but with expansion jaws on the upper end of the positioning element in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5: shows lifting of the CD/DVD from the transport support in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

Claims

1. A transport support apparatus for transport of at least one object along a transport path through at least one processing station, comprising: a transport support including a device for aligning the at least one object in a desired position relative to the transport support.

2. The transport support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aligning device comprises at least one positioning element that can be moved into at least one opening of an object being aligned.

3. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one positioning element is designed as a centering pin which can be moved into an opening of an object being positioned, and wherein the position of the opening can be centered relative to the centering pin.

4. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of said at least one positioning element has outward-expandable expansion jaws.

5. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said positioning element can be moved perpendicular to a support surface provided for the object and wherein said at least one positioning element can be moved from below through an opening in a support surface into an opening of an object lying on the support surface.

6. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support surface is designed essentially circular for positioning of an object in the shape of a circular disk in which the at least one positioning element is arranged centered in the support surface.

7. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning element can be controlled in at least two different positions.

8. The transport support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an upper end of the at least one positioning element is arranged in a first position, beneath the top of the support surface for the object.

9. The transport support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an upper end of the at least one positioning element engages in a second position, in an opening of the object and aligns the object.

10. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the upper end of the at least one positioning element tapers upward so that the upper end has a diameter that measures smaller than the diameter of the opening in the object.

11. The transport support apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one positioning element has a diameter at a distance from the upper end that is greater than the diameter of the opening of the object so that the object can be raised with a positioning element inserted into the opening from the support surface.

12. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the at least one positioning element is designed to be conical.

13. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the at least one positioning element is designed to be hemispherical.

14. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the at least one positioning element is designed to be spherical.

15. The transport support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein movement of the at least one positioning element is controlled during movement, by movement of the transport support along its transport path.

16. The transport support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein movement of the expansion jaws of the at least one positioning element is controlled during movement, by movement of the transport support along its transport path.

17. The transport support apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one positioning element has a lower end, which slides, at least in a partial area of the transport path during movement of the transport support, over an adjustable control cam.

18. The transport support apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one positioning element has a control pin to control the expansion jaws, which slide, at least in a partial area of the transfer path during movement of the transport support, over an adjustable control cam.

19. A method for alignment of at least one object in a transport support comprising: transporting the at least one object along a transport path through at least one processing station, andaligning the at least one object by a device provided on the transport support into a desired position relative to the transport support.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising; aligning the object in a desired position relative to the transport support, bymoving the at least one positioning element, which is arranged in the transport support at the bottom, through an opening in a support surface for the object into an opening of an object.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: positioning the object on the transport support during movement of the transport support.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: raising the object from the support surface of the transport support, andcentering the object for printing treatment during movement of the positioning element into an opening of the object.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: raising the object from the support surface of the transport support, andcentering the object to transfer it in the centered position to a gripper system for removal of the object during movement of the positioning element into an opening of the object.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: lowering the object onto the support surface by return movement of the at least one positioning element, andsecuring the object by suction in the centered position by a partial vacuum on the support surface.

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: removing the object by a gripper system,lifting the object from the support surface, andswitching off the partial vacuum before or during lifting the object from the support surface.

26. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: lowering the object onto the support surface by return movement of the at least one positioning element, andsecuring the object by suction in the centered position by a partial vacuum on the support surface.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: removing the object by a gripper system,lifting the object from the support surface, andswitching off the partial vacuum before or during lifting the object from the support surface.

28. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: moving the at least one positioning element into the opening of the object wherein the object with its opening is positioned by a gripper system on the at least one positioning element moved out from the support surface so that centering occurs immediately in the positioning process.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: moving the at least one positioning element into a transient position by return movement wherein the object has a more limited distance to the support surface than during positioning on the at least one positioning element.

30. The method according to claim 19, wherein objects in the form of circular disks are used as the objects with a center hole.