Back to results
US 2009/0291394 A1Published application
Manufacturing method of printing plate using free-seal, free-quantity liquid photopolymer sachet and apparatus using the same
OwnerHilson Huanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is related to a manufacturing method of a printing plate by using a free-seal, free-quantity liquid photopolymer sachet and an apparatus thereof. Using this technology, the liquid photopolymer sachet is no longer to be limited by quantity with 3 dimensions—width, length and thickness. It is now very free, easy and convenient to use liquid photopolymer resin in a bag to make a printing plate at any width and length with any thickness you want.
Claims15
A method of manufacturing a printing plate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one transparent sachet having one side, which is not sealed, according to a molding specification requirement of the printing plate;
- pouring a liquid photopolymer into the transparent sachet to form a liquid photopolymer transparent sachet, wherein a free input quantity of the liquid photopolymer may be greater than an estimated quantity of the printing plate;
- providing a lower transparent clamping plate;
- evenly placing the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet onto the lower transparent clamping plate, wherein a negative film for plate making may be placed below the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet such that the negative film is interposed between the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet and the lower transparent clamping plate, or the negative film for plate making may be placed above the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet;
- disposing thickness gauges around the transparent sachet, wherein a thickness of each of the thickness gauges is equal to a sum of a predetermined thickness of the printing plate, a thickness of two layers of the transparent sachet and a thickness of the negative film;
- providing at least one thrust rod, which can roll or slide freely and has a diameter or height smaller than the thickness of the thickness gauge, to press against the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet in parallel to the side, which is not sealed, at a position distant from the side, which is not sealed, by a distance such that a stop end, which is movable relative to the liquid photopolymer contained in the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet, is formed to temporarily stop the liquid photopolymer so that the liquid photopolymer contained in the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet is higher than the thickness gauge to prevent the liquid photopolymer from flowing to the side of the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet, which is not sealed;
- providing an upper transparent clamping plate to press against the lower transparent clamping plate evenly and thus to flatten the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet to a thickness the same as the thickness of the thickness gauge, wherein the liquid photopolymer, which is contained in the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet and higher than the thickness gauge, can freely flow to the side, which is not sealed, during the flattening and push the thrust rod outwards until the thrust rod is stopped naturally so that the liquid photopolymer contained in the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet is formed into a uniform liquid photopolymer layer, which has a predetermined thickness and serves as a printing plate body for exposure and hardening procedures according to a size of the negative film;
- taking an exposed printing plate body out of the transparent sachet after the exposure and hardening procedures are finished;
- and performing a washing procedure to finish the printing plate.
6 more elements
An apparatus of manufacturing a printing plate, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one transparent sachet having one side, which is not sealed;
- a liquid photopolymer, which may be poured into the transparent sachet in a freely quantified manner to form a liquid photopolymer transparent sachet;
- a lower transparent clamping plate having an upper surface serving as a working surface, on which a negative film for plate printing and the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet, thickness gauges and at least one thrust rod may be placed;
- the thickness gauges, which are disposed on the upper surface of the lower transparent clamping plate and disposed around the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet;
- the at least one thrust rod, which can roll or slide freely and has a diameter or a height smaller than a thickness of the thickness gauge, for pressing against the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet in parallel to the side, which is not sealed, at a position distant from the side, which is not sealed, by a distance such that a stop end, which is movable relative to the liquid photopolymer contained in the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet, is formed to temporarily stop the liquid photopolymer;
- an upper transparent clamping plate for pressing against the lower transparent clamping plate evenly so as to flatten the liquid photopolymer transparent sachet to a thickness the same as the thickness of the gauge;
- and
- a light source device for outputting light rays to perform an exposure procedure.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.