CN219789662U - Jet printing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a jet printing apparatus, comprising a liquid supply device, which is communicated with a runner structure and is used for conveying liquid to be jet printed to the runner structure; a flow channel structure for communicating the liquid supply device with the plurality of spray needles so that the liquid to be sprayed flows through the spray needles so as to enter the spray needles communicated with the flow channel structure, wherein the flow channel structure is configured into a preset shape and/or a preset length so that the flow resistance formed by the flow channel structure on the liquid to be sprayed flowing through meets preset conditions, and the liquid to be sprayed by different spray needles at different heights is consistent when the spray printing device is configured into a vertical spray mode; and a plurality of spray needles for spraying the liquid to be sprayed. By means of the flow resistance formed by the runner structure, the liquid to be printed in the spray needle can not flow into the runner structure, and therefore the liquid to be printed in the spray needle can be effectively prevented from flowing into other spray needles in the process of implementing spray printing.

Description

Jet printing equipment

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to inkjet printing and, in particular, to inkjet printing apparatus.

Background

Conventional spray printing generally employs a "lateral spray" approach, i.e., the substrate to be sprayed is placed laterally (e.g., substantially horizontally), and the spray printing device is disposed above the substrate to be sprayed and performs spray printing toward the substrate to be sprayed. However, conventional inkjet printing apparatuses are difficult to apply to "vertical inkjet" (i.e., inkjet printing in which the substrate to be inkjet printed is disposed vertically). Because, when being applied to perpendicular spraying with traditional spray printing equipment, a plurality of spray needles in the spray printing equipment are in different altitudes, because the effect of gravity can make the spray printing liquid that waits in the spray needle that is located higher flow to the spray needle that is located lower, influences the spray printing effect.

Disclosure of Invention

The disclosure provides a jet printing device capable of preventing liquid to be jet printed in a needle of the jet printing device from flowing into other needles.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a jet printing apparatus is provided. The jet printing apparatus includes: the liquid supply device is communicated with the flow channel structure and is used for conveying liquid to be printed to the flow channel structure; a flow channel structure for communicating the liquid supply device with the plurality of spray needles so that the liquid to be sprayed flows through the spray needles so as to enter the spray needles communicated with the flow channel structure, wherein the flow channel structure is configured into a preset shape and/or a preset length so that the flow resistance formed by the flow channel structure on the liquid to be sprayed flowing through meets preset conditions, and the liquid to be sprayed by different spray needles at different heights is consistent when the spray printing device is configured into a vertical spray mode; and a plurality of spray needles for spraying the liquid to be sprayed.

In some embodiments, meeting the predetermined condition includes: the flow resistance of the flow channel structure to the liquid to be sprayed is larger than or equal to a preset multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be sprayed in the plurality of spray needles.

In some embodiments, the flow channel structure includes a plurality of branch flow channels, and an output end of each of the plurality of branch flow channels is respectively communicated with a corresponding needle of the plurality of needles.

In some embodiments, the flow channel structure further comprises a backbone flow channel comprising: an input part which is communicated with the liquid supply device; and a plurality of output parts, each of the plurality of output parts being respectively communicated with the input ends of the corresponding branch flow passages of the plurality of branch flow passages.

In some embodiments, meeting the predetermined condition includes: the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the liquid to be printed in the plurality of spray needles when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode is equal to the difference between the first hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the spray needle having the largest height when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode and the second hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the spray needle having the smallest height when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode.

In some embodiments, the stiffness of the flow channel structure is greater than a predetermined stiffness threshold and/or the acid resistance of the flow channel structure is greater than a predetermined acid resistance threshold.

In some embodiments, the liquid supply device comprises a constant flow device configured to deliver liquid to be printed to the channel structure at a predetermined flow rate.

In some embodiments, the inkjet printing apparatus further comprises: a position sensor configured to determine whether the substrate to be jet printed reaches a first predetermined position and to generate a first in-place signal in response to determining that the substrate to be jet printed reaches the first predetermined position; and a control device configured to activate the needle and the liquid supply device within a first predetermined time after receiving the first in-place signal, the first predetermined time being determined based on at least one of: the movement rate of the substrate to be jet printed relative to the needle; fluid inertia of the liquid to be jet printed; the density of the liquid to be jet printed; and the volume of the flow channel structure.

In some embodiments, the inkjet printing apparatus further comprises: and an imaging device configured to acquire an image about the substrate to be jet printed.

In some embodiments, the liquid to be printed comprises a perovskite solution.

In some embodiments, the inkjet printing apparatus further comprises: the number of the multiple-needle spray heads is multiple, the multiple-needle spray heads are sequentially arranged, and each multiple-needle spray head is provided with multiple spray needles; and a control device configured to activate the plurality of needles of the corresponding multi-needle spray head in response to determining that the first end of the substrate to be spray printed reaches the spray printing area corresponding to any one of the plurality of multi-needle spray heads, and to close the plurality of needles of the corresponding multi-needle spray head in response to determining that the second end of the substrate to be spray printed reaches the spray printing area corresponding to any one of the plurality of multi-needle spray heads.

The summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional inkjet printing apparatus applied to vertical inkjet.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a portion of a jet printing apparatus of an embodiment of the present disclosure when configured in a portrait jet mode.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a branching flow channel of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus for jet printing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a jet printing method of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of a method of ejecting liquid to be printed to a vertically disposed substrate to be printed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of a jet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Like or corresponding reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein means open ended, i.e., "including but not limited to. The term "or" means "and/or" unless specifically stated otherwise. The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment. The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like, may refer to different or the same object.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional inkjet printing apparatus 100 applied to vertical inkjet. For ease of illustration, the X-axis and Z-axis are shown with arrows. The X axis represents the horizontal direction and the Z axis represents the vertical direction. The inkjet printing apparatus 100 includes a liquid supply device 104 and a plurality of nozzles 102, and the liquid supply device 104 supplies liquid to be printed to the plurality of nozzles 102 during the inkjet printing process. As mentioned above, if the vertical spraying is to be performed, the substrate 106 to be sprayed is disposed vertically, and when the conventional spray printing apparatus 100 is applied to the vertical spraying, the plurality of spray needles 102 in the spray printing apparatus 100 are at different heights. Due to the gravity, the liquid to be printed in the higher needle 102 flows into the lower needle 102, which affects the printing effect.

To at least partially address one or more of the above problems, as well as other potential problems, example embodiments of the present disclosure propose a jet printing apparatus and a jet printing method solution. In the scheme of the disclosure, the flow passage structure is arranged between the liquid supply device and the spray needles, the flow passage structure is configured such that the flow resistance of the liquid to be sprayed is greater than or equal to the preset multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles, and the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles can not flow into the flow passage structure by virtue of the flow resistance formed by the flow passage structure, so that the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles can be effectively prevented from flowing into other spray needles in the process of implementing spray printing.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus 200 of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The inkjet printing apparatus 200 includes a liquid supply 202, a flow path structure 204, and a needle 206. The liquid supply device 202 is in communication with the flow channel structure 204, and is configured to convey liquid to be printed to the flow channel structure 204. The input end of the flow channel structure 204 is communicated with the liquid supply device 202, the output end of the flow channel structure 204 is communicated with the spray needles 206, and the flow resistance of the liquid to be sprayed by the flow channel structure 204 is larger than or equal to a preset multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles 206 of the multi-needle spray head. The multi-needle nozzle includes a plurality of needles 206, and the plurality of needles 206 are used for ejecting liquid to be printed. In particular, the inkjet printing apparatus 200 further includes a metal plate 208, where the metal plate 208 is configured to drive the needle 206 to move, so that the liquid to be printed is ejected from the needle 206. In some embodiments, the inkjet printing apparatus 200 further includes a control device 210, where the control device 210 may control the liquid supply device 202 to be turned on, so that the liquid supply device 202 delivers the liquid to be printed to the channel structure 204, and control the liquid supply device 202 to be turned off, so that the liquid supply device 202 stops delivering the liquid to be printed to the channel structure 204. The control device 210 may turn the needle on or off. For example, the control device 210 may send a driving signal to the piezoelectric material unit disposed on one side of the metal plate 208, so that the piezoelectric material unit drives the metal plate 208 to move under the control of the driving electric signal, so that the spray needle 206 is started, so that the liquid to be sprayed is sprayed from the spray needle 206. Accordingly, the control device 210 stops sending the driving signal, so that the piezoelectric material unit stops driving the metal plate 208 to move, and the needle 206 stops ejecting the liquid to be printed. The metal plate 208 and the needle 206 belong to components in the multi-needle nozzle of the jet printing apparatus 200, and as an alternative embodiment, the specific structure of the multi-needle nozzle and the control manner of the control device for the multi-needle nozzle (including the metal plate and the needle) can be implemented with reference to the description of the chinese patent 202210480654.3, which is not repeated herein.

As the control device 210, it may be implemented using, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit, micro control unit), a CPU (Central Processing Unit ), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit, graphics processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array ), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, application specific integrated circuit), or the like.

In some embodiments, the flow channel structure 204 includes a plurality of branch flow channels 242, and an output end of each branch flow channel 242 of the plurality of branch flow channels 242 is respectively in communication with a corresponding needle 206 of the plurality of needles 206. One of the plurality of branch flow passages 242, and one of the plurality of pins 206, is shown in fig. 2, 242. In some embodiments, the input end of each branch flow channel 242 is respectively communicated with the liquid supply device 202, and the output end of the branch flow channel 242 is communicated with the spray needle 206. The liquid supply device 202 delivers liquid to be printed to the branch flow passage 242, and the liquid to be printed enters the needle 206 through the branch flow passage 242. The flow resistance of the branched flow passage 242 to the liquid to be printed is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be printed formed in the plurality of needles 206. It will be appreciated that hydrostatic pressure is the pressure created by the self-weight of a stationary fluid (e.g., liquid to be jet printed) and is dependent on the density and vertical height of the fluid. The maximum hydrostatic pressure differential formed by the liquid to be printed in the plurality of pins 206 is the difference between the first hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the largest height pin 206 of the plurality of pins 206 and the second hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the smallest height pin 206 of the plurality of pins 206 when the inkjet printing apparatus 200 is configured in the portrait mode. For ease of illustration, fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a portion of a jet printing apparatus 200 of an embodiment of the present disclosure when configured in a portrait jet mode. Wherein, the height difference between the needle 206 with the largest height among the plurality of needles 206 and the needle 206 with the smallest height among the plurality of needles 206 is represented by h, and the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be printed in the plurality of needles 206 is positively correlated with the height difference h. It should be appreciated that when the inkjet printing apparatus 200 is configured in the portrait mode, the greatest height of the liquid to be printed 206 among the plurality of pins 206 and the smallest height of the liquid to be printed 206 among the plurality of pins 206 form a pressure differential p=pgh, where ρ represents the density of the liquid to be printed, g represents the gravitational acceleration, and the greatest hydrostatic pressure differential of the liquid to be printed in the plurality of pins 206 is positively correlated with the pressure differential P. Flow resistance is the flow resistance (resistance). It should be understood that all viscous fluids, when in motion, have momentum transfer with the object that is creating the relative motion, i.e., generating a reaction force that impedes the flow, i.e., flow resistance. The flow resistance is also known as drag, also known as frictional resistance.

In some embodiments, the flow channel structure 204 is configured such that its flow resistance to the liquid to be printed is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of a maximum hydrostatic pressure differential of the liquid to be printed in the plurality of pins 206, including: the flow channel structure 204 is configured to have a predetermined shape and/or a predetermined length such that the flow resistance of the liquid to be printed by the flow channel structure 204 is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of a maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be printed among the plurality of nozzles 206, so that the amounts of the liquid to be printed ejected by different nozzles 206 at different heights are consistent. For example, the branch flow passages 242 are configured to have a predetermined shape and/or a predetermined length such that the flow resistance of the branch flow passages 242 to the liquid to be printed is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be printed among the plurality of the nozzles 206, so that the amounts of the liquid to be printed ejected by the different nozzles 206 at different heights are uniform.

The branched flow passage 242 shown in fig. 2 has an irregular curved shape as a whole. In some embodiments, the branch flow channel 242 may also have a straight shape, an S-shape, a U-shape, a spiral shape, etc., which is not particularly limited in this disclosure. The cross section of the branch flow path 242 may be circular, triangular, rectangular, etc., or may be irregularly shaped, which is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

It should be noted that the length of the branch flow channel 242 is positively correlated with the flow resistance of the liquid to be printed by the branch flow channel 242, that is, the greater the length of the branch flow channel 242, the greater the flow resistance of the liquid to be printed by the branch flow channel 242.

In some embodiments, the cross-section of the branch flow channel 242 is, for example, rectangular, and the aspect ratio of the cross-section of the branch flow channel 242 is greater than or equal to 5:1.

In some embodiments, the predetermined multiple is 10 times.

In order to make the flow channel structure 204 have a strong pressure-resistant property, the flow channel structure 204 is made of a material having a high rigidity. For example, the stiffness of the flow channel structure 204 is greater than a predetermined stiffness threshold, which may be determined according to factors such as a flow resistance required by the flow channel structure 204 for the liquid to be printed, a fluid inertia of the liquid to be printed, a density of the liquid to be printed, a volume of the flow channel structure, a flow rate of the liquid to be printed delivered to the flow channel structure 204 by the liquid supply device 202, and the like. In this solution, the stiffness of the runner structure 204 is greater than the predetermined stiffness threshold, so that the deformation of the runner structure 204 in the process of jet printing can be ensured to be very small, so that the higher response speed of the needle 206 when spraying the liquid to be jet printed can be ensured, and the hysteresis caused by the deformation of the runner structure 204 can be remarkably reduced.

In some implementations, the flow channel structure 204 further includes, for example, a main flow channel including an input portion and a plurality of output portions, the input portion being in communication with the liquid supply device. Each of the plurality of outputs communicates with an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of flow channels, respectively. For example, the main flow channel and the plurality of branch flow channels 242 are respectively configured to have a predetermined shape and/or a predetermined length, so that the flow resistance of the flow channel structure 204 (i.e., the main flow channel and the plurality of branch flow channels 242 as a whole) to-be-printed liquid is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the to-be-printed liquid in the plurality of spray needles 206, so that the amounts of to-be-printed liquid sprayed by different spray needles 206 at different heights are consistent.

In some embodiments, the plurality of spray needles 206 are at different heights when the spray printing device 200 is configured in a portrait spray mode.

It should be noted that, when the inkjet printing apparatus 200 is configured in the vertical inkjet mode, the control device 210 may be used to turn on the needle 206 and then turn on the liquid supply device 202, so that the liquid supply device 202 sends the liquid to be printed to the runner structure 204, and the liquid to be printed enters the needle 206 through the runner structure 204 and is ejected from the needle 206 toward the substrate 106 to be printed, so as to implement inkjet printing on the substrate 106 to be printed. During the inkjet printing process, the control device 210 may also issue movement control signals for controlling to drive the substrate 106 to be inkjet printed relative to the needle 206 in a direction and/or at a rate defined by the movement control signals. When the jet printing is to be finished, or after the jet printing is finished, the control device 210 firstly closes the liquid supply device 202, so that the liquid supply device 202 stops the flow channel structure 204 to convey the liquid to be jet printed, and then the control device 210 makes the needle 206 continue to jet print for a preset time, so that the liquid to be jet printed in the needle 206 is completely ejected, and the blocking in the needle 206 caused by the residual liquid to be jet printed in the needle 206 is avoided. Finally, the control device 210 causes the needle 206 to stop the jet printing.

The flow resistance of the liquid to be sprayed by the flow channel structure 204 is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be sprayed in the plurality of spray needles 206, so when the liquid supply device 202 stops applying pressure to the liquid to be sprayed (i.e. when the liquid supply device 202 stops delivering the liquid to be sprayed into the flow channel structure 204), the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles 206 can not flow to the flow channel structure 204 due to the relative difference between the flow resistance of the liquid to be sprayed and the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid to be sprayed in the spray needles 206 by the flow channel structure 204 without additional application of other external force. Accordingly, even when configured in the portrait mode, the inkjet printing apparatus 200 may ensure that the liquid to be printed in the plurality of pins 206 does not flow toward the runner structure 204 or other pins 206, so that sufficient liquid to be printed is maintained in the plurality of pins 206, so that when the plurality of pins 206 are again activated to eject the liquid to be printed, the amounts of liquid to be printed ejected by the different pins 206 at different heights are consistent.

It should be noted that, in some application scenarios, the vertical spray mode is required to spray the electroplating solution to the object to be printed 106, and the spray printing apparatus 200 may be used to spray the electroplating solution to the object to be printed 106. The spray printing device 200 can also be used to spray other micro-spray liquids.

In some embodiments, the liquid to be jet printed comprises a perovskite solution. In micro-spray applications, excellent spray results can be obtained with the spray printing apparatus of the present disclosure spraying perovskite solutions.

In some embodiments, to provide the flow channel structure 204 with a relatively strong acid resistance in order to accommodate acidic liquid to be printed, the flow channel structure 204 is made of a material having a relatively high acid resistance such that the acid resistance of the flow channel structure 204 is greater than a predetermined acid resistance threshold. The material used for the flow channel structure 204 includes, for example, but is not limited to, PE (polyethylene), BP (polyvinylchloride), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), and the like.

It should be noted that the jet printing apparatus 200 can overcome the technical problems existing in the prior art in the vertical jet mode, but it does not mean that the jet printing apparatus 200 can only be applied in the vertical jet mode, and the jet printing apparatus 200 can also be applied in the horizontal jet mode.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus 400 of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flow channel structure 204 includes a main flow channel 233 and a plurality of branch flow channels 242. The main flow passage 244 includes an input portion and a plurality of output portions. The inlet of the main flow passage 244 communicates with the liquid supply 202. Each of the plurality of outputs of the main flow passage 244 communicates with an input of a corresponding branch flow passage 242 of the plurality of branch flow passages 242, respectively. The main flow channel 244 and the plurality of branch flow channels 242 are respectively configured to have a predetermined shape and/or a predetermined length, so that the flow resistance of the flow channel structure 204 (i.e., the main flow channel and the plurality of branch flow channels 242 as a whole) to-be-printed liquid is greater than or equal to a predetermined multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the to-be-printed liquid in the plurality of spray needles 206, so that the amounts of to-be-printed liquid sprayed by different spray needles 206 at different heights are consistent.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of the branching flow channel 242 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are shown with arrows for convenience of explanation. In some embodiments, the branch flow channel 242 is, for example, linear, and the cross section of the branch flow channel 242 is, for example, rectangular. The length L1 of the branch flow path 242 (i.e., the dimension of the branch flow path 242 in the X-axis direction) may be any value from 10 to 1000 mm, the width W1 of the branch flow path 242 (i.e., the dimension of the branch flow path 242 in the Y-axis direction) may be any value from 0.2 to 10 mm, and the height H1 of the branch flow path 242 (i.e., the dimension of the branch flow path 242 in the Z-axis direction) may be any value from 0.2 to 10 mm.

In some embodiments, the liquid supply 202 includes, for example, an ink cartridge 224 and a constant flow device 222, the constant flow device 222 being configured to deliver liquid to be printed to the flow path structure 204 at a predetermined flow rate. For example, the constant flow device 222 delivers the liquid to be printed stored in the ink cartridge 224 to the flow path structure 204 at a predetermined flow rate, via control of the control device 210. The constant flow device 222 is, for example, a constant flow pump. The predetermined flow rate may be set reasonably, for example, according to the following factors:

the number of pins 206, e.g., characterized by n;

the thickness of the liquid to be jet printed, which is jet printed on the substrate 106 to be jet printed, is expressed, for example, in th, in microns;

The size of the substrate 106 to be jet printed, wherein the area of the substrate 106 to be jet printed is represented by, for example, a in square meters, a=l×w, wherein L represents the lateral dimension of the substrate 106 to be jet printed and W represents the longitudinal dimension of the substrate 106 to be jet printed;

the rate of movement of the substrate 106 to be jet printed relative to the needle 206, for example, is characterized by v in meters per second;

the amount of spray per unit time of needle 206, e.g., characterized by q, in milliliters per minute;

the time for the single needle 206 to jet print the liquid to be jet printed on the substrate 106 is, for example, characterized by t, in seconds, and the time for the single needle 206 to jet print the liquid to be jet printed on the substrate 106 is t=l/v.

For example, the total spray amount per unit time of the plurality of spray needles 206 of the spray printing device 400 is q×n. The plurality of spray needles 206 of the spray printing device 400 are configured to spray the total amount of spray liquid to the substrate 106 q×n×t. The inkjet printing apparatus 400 performs inkjet printing on the substrate 106 to be inkjet printed to form a thickness th=q×n×t/a of the liquid to be inkjet printed.

In some embodiments, the predetermined flow rate for the constant flow device 222 is anywhere between 10 and 200 milliliters per minute. In some embodiments, the number of pins 206 is, for example, anywhere between 1 and 1000. In some embodiments, the amount of spray per unit time of the needle 206 is anywhere between 0.1 and 10 (milliliters per minute). In some embodiments, the predetermined flow rate corresponding to the constant flow device 222 is a product of the amount of the liquid to be sprayed per unit time of the needle 206 and the number of the needles 206. It should be appreciated that the smaller the size of the needle 206 in the machine direction, the greater the number of needles 206 that can be provided in the jet printing apparatus 400, and the corresponding production efficiency.

In some embodiments, a pressure regulating device (not shown) is further disposed between the constant flow device 222 and the flow channel structure 204, and the pressure regulating device can make the liquid to be printed in the flow channel structure 204 be delivered to the spray needle more smoothly and without fluctuation.

In some embodiments, adjacent ones of the plurality of pins 206 are equidistant between the pins 206. The plurality of pins 206 may be arranged in a plurality of rows. The spray printing resolution that can be achieved with a single row of spray needles is, for example, 10DPI (Dots Per Inch). By arranging a plurality of rows of spray needles, the spray needles 206 can be combined and overlapped at will, so that the spray printing resolution of 10-100 DPI is realized. The plurality of pins 206 may be oriented perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 106 to be printed, or may be configured to form various suitable angles with the surface of the substrate 106 to be printed. In some embodiments, the control device 210 activates and deactivates the control needle 206 at a predetermined switching frequency, such as once a second.

In some embodiments, inkjet printing apparatus 400 also includes a position sensor 212. The position sensor 212 is configured to determine whether the substrate 106 to be jet printed reaches a first predetermined position and to generate a first in-place signal in response to determining that the substrate 106 to be jet printed reaches the first predetermined position. The control device 210 is configured to activate the needle and the liquid supply device within a first predetermined time after receiving the first in-place signal, the first predetermined time being determined based on at least one of: the movement rate of the substrate to be printed relative to the spray needle, the fluid inertia of the liquid to be printed, the density of the liquid to be printed and the volume of the runner structure. The position sensor 212 is, for example, a photoelectric switch, a contact switch, or the like. The first predetermined position is, for example, a reasonable position suitable for notifying the inkjet printing apparatus 400 to start inkjet printing.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a jet printing apparatus 400 for jet printing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 6, when performing the inkjet printing, the inkjet printing apparatus 400 is kept in place and the control device 210 controls such that the substrate 106 to be inkjet printed is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, for example, at a velocity v. The first predetermined position P1 is, for example, a position spaced apart from the needle 206 by a predetermined distance D2, and when the substrate 106 to be printed (for example, the left edge of the substrate 106 to be printed) reaches the first predetermined position P1, it indicates that the substrate 106 to be printed has been sufficiently close to the needle 206 and has entered a sufficiently close target printing area. The position sensor 212 detects that the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the first predetermined position P1, and generates a first in-place signal. The control device 210 activates the needle 206 (e.g., sends a driving signal to the piezoelectric material unit to cause the piezoelectric material unit to drive the metal plate 208 to move under the control of the driving signal, so that the needle 206 is activated) within a first predetermined time after receiving the first in-place signal, and controls the liquid supply device 202 to be turned on after a second predetermined time after the needle 206 is activated so as to deliver the liquid to be printed to the flow channel structure 204. The purpose of this arrangement is, on the one hand, if the liquid supply device 202 is started first and then the needle 206 is started, the situation that the liquid to be printed drops out from the needle 206 is easy to occur, but in this embodiment, the needle 206 is started first and then the liquid supply device 202 is started, so that the situation that the liquid to be printed drops out from the needle 206 can be effectively avoided; in the second aspect, considering that the liquid to be printed changes from stationary to flowing, there is a certain delay time, so that the needle 206 and the liquid supply device 202 are started within a reasonable time range before the substrate 106 to be printed enters the target printing area, so that the substrate 106 to be printed can be effectively ensured to have the liquid to be printed which meets the preset flow rate and be sprayed to the substrate 106 to be printed when the substrate 106 to be printed enters the target printing area, thereby ensuring the printing effect. Wherein the second predetermined time may also be determined based on at least one of: the movement rate of the substrate to be printed relative to the spray needle, the fluid inertia of the liquid to be printed, the density of the liquid to be printed and the volume of the runner structure.

In some embodiments, the position sensor 212 is further configured to determine whether the substrate 106 to be jetted reaches a second predetermined position and to generate a second in-place signal in response to determining that the substrate 106 to be jetted reaches the second predetermined position. The control device 210 is further configured to control the fluid supply device 202 to close for a third predetermined time after receiving the second in-place signal, and to control the needle 206 to stop after a fourth predetermined time after the fluid supply device 202 is closed. The second predetermined position is, for example, a reasonable position suitable for notifying the inkjet printing apparatus 400 to stop the inkjet printing. When the substrate 106 to be jet printed (e.g., the right edge of the substrate 106 to be jet printed) reaches a second predetermined position, it indicates that the substrate 106 to be jet printed has left or is about to leave the target jet printing area. At this time, the liquid supply device 202 is controlled to be turned off, and the liquid to be printed is stopped from being supplied to the needle 206. Then, the nozzle 206 is enabled to continue to spray the liquid to be printed, so as to spray the liquid to be printed remained in the runner structure 204 and the nozzle 206, and avoid blocking the nozzle 206. The third predetermined time may be set appropriately as needed. The fourth predetermined time may be determined based on factors such as the volume of the flow path structure, the amount of liquid to be sprayed per unit time of the needle 206, the number of the needles 206, and the like.

In some embodiments, the jet printing apparatus 400 further includes an image capture device 214. The image pickup device 214 is configured to acquire an image on a substrate to be jet printed. The control device 210 is further configured to adjust at least one of the following in accordance with the print status attribute extracted in relation to the image of the substrate 106 to be printed: the movement rate v of the substrate 106 to be printed relative to the needle 206, and the distance D1 of the substrate 106 to be printed relative to the needle 206.

In practice, the image capturing device 214 faces the substrate 106 to be printed, and obtains an image of the substrate to be printed. The control device 210 extracts the printing state attribute from the image on the substrate 106 to be printed.

In some embodiments, the spray printing device 400 is used to spray plating solution. The chemical substances contained in the sprayed electroplating solution react electrochemically on the surface of the substrate 106 to be printed, so that electroplating is realized. In the process of implementing the plating, it is necessary to ensure that the chemical contained in the plating solution sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 106 to be spray-printed by the spray printing apparatus 400 conforms to a predetermined concentration so as to timely replenish the reacted chemical by spraying the plating solution. The image of the substrate 106 to be printed can reflect the effect of electroplating, and thus, the control device 210 can analyze whether the chemical contained in the electroplating solution sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 106 to be printed by the spray printing apparatus 400 meets a predetermined concentration according to the image of the substrate 106 to be printed. If the control device 210 determines that the chemical substances contained in the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 onto the surface of the substrate 106 to be sprayed meet the predetermined concentration, that is, the desired plating effect is achieved, it indicates that the spray printing state attribute of the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 meets the predetermined requirement, and the replenishment of the chemical substances is timely. At this time, the control device 210 may, for example, increase the moving speed v of the substrate 106 to be printed with respect to the needle 206 and/or increase the distance D1 of the substrate 106 to be printed with respect to the needle 206 according to the printing status attribute. If the control device 210 determines that the chemical substances contained in the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 onto the surface of the substrate 106 to be sprayed do not meet the predetermined concentration, that is, the desired electroplating effect is not achieved, it indicates that the spray printing state attribute of the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 does not meet the predetermined requirement, and the replenishment of the chemical substances is not timely. At this time, the control device 210 may, for example, reduce the moving speed v of the substrate 106 to be printed relative to the needle 206 and/or shorten the distance D1 of the substrate 106 to be printed relative to the needle 206 according to the printing status attribute.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of a jet printing apparatus 900 of an embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of understanding, positive directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis are shown therein, and the range of jet printing of the first multi-needle head 901 is shown with an arrow. In the inkjet printing apparatus 900, the number of multi-needle nozzles is plural, the plurality of multi-needle spray heads are sequentially arranged. For example, the plurality of multi-needle spray heads includes a first multi-needle spray head 901, a second multi-needle spray head 902, and a third multi-needle spray head 903. It should be understood that the number of the multi-needle spray heads can be reasonably set according to the requirements. The control device 210 is further configured to activate the plurality of pins of the corresponding multi-pin jet in response to determining that the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches a corresponding print zone of any one of the plurality of multi-pin jets, and to deactivate the plurality of pins of the corresponding multi-pin jet in response to determining that the second end 162 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches a corresponding print zone of any one of the plurality of multi-pin jets. The first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed is the end of the range of the printing apparatus 900 that is first entered during the printing process, and the second end 162 of the substrate 106 to be printed is the end of the range of the printing apparatus 900 that is later entered during the printing process.

Determining that the first end of the substrate to be jet printed reaches the jet printing area corresponding to any one of the plurality of multi-needle nozzles comprises at least one of the following:

detecting whether a first end of a substrate to be jet printed reaches a jet printing area corresponding to any one of a plurality of multi-needle spray heads by using a position sensor; and

in response to determining that the time elapsed after the first end of the substrate to be jet printed enters the jet printing area of the jet printing apparatus reaches any one of a plurality of predetermined time values, determining a jet printing area corresponding to a multi-needle nozzle corresponding to the predetermined time value, wherein the predetermined time value corresponding to the multi-needle nozzle is determined according to the distance between the multi-needle nozzle and the first multi-needle nozzle of the jet printing apparatus and the moving speed of the substrate to be jet printed relative to the jet needles. The first multi-needle spray head of the spray printing device is the first multi-needle spray head of the spray printing device along the moving direction of the substrate to be sprayed.

In particular implementations, the jet printing apparatus 900 also includes a position sensor. The position sensor may be used to determine whether a first end of the substrate to be jet printed reaches a jet printing area corresponding to any one of the plurality of multi-needle jets. In some implementations, the position sensor includes, for example, a position sensor 904, where the position sensor 904 is disposed in a print zone corresponding to the first multi-needle spray head 901, and when the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the print zone corresponding to the first multi-needle spray head 901, the position sensor 904 generates a first activation signal, and the control device 210 activates the plurality of needles of the first multi-needle spray head 901 in response to the first activation signal. When the second end 162 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to the first multi-needle nozzle 901, the position sensor 904 generates a first closing signal, and the control device 210 closes the plurality of needles of the first multi-needle nozzle 901 in response to the first closing signal.

In some embodiments, the number of the position sensors is plural, and the plural position sensors are respectively disposed corresponding to the plural multi-needle nozzles, so as to determine whether the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed or the second end 162 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to the corresponding multi-needle nozzle.

In some embodiments, the jet printing apparatus 900 further includes a timer (not shown). When the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to the first multi-needle nozzle 901, the position sensor 904 generates a first start signal, and the control device 210 starts the plurality of needles of the first multi-needle nozzle 901 in response to the first start signal. The first activation signal may be indicative of the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be jet printed entering the jet printing area of the jet printing apparatus 900. The timer starts counting in response to the first start signal. When the count value of the timer reaches the first predetermined time value, the timer generates a second activation signal, and the control device 210 activates the plurality of needles of the second multi-needle spray head 902 in response to the second activation signal. The first predetermined time value corresponding to the second multi-needle head 902 is determined according to the distance D3 between the second multi-needle head 902 and the first multi-needle head (i.e., the first multi-needle head 901) of the inkjet printing apparatus 900 and the movement rate v of the substrate 106 to be printed with respect to the needles. When the count value of the timer reaches the first predetermined time value, it may be determined that the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to the second multi-needle nozzle 902. When the count value of the timer reaches the second predetermined time value, the timer generates a third start signal, and the control device 210 starts the plurality of needles of the third multi-needle head 903 in response to the third start signal. The second predetermined time value corresponding to the third multi-needle head 903 is determined according to the distance D4 between the third multi-needle head 903 and the first multi-needle head (i.e., the first multi-needle head 901) of the inkjet printing apparatus 900 and the movement rate v of the substrate 106 to be printed with respect to the needles. When the timing value of the timer reaches the second predetermined time value, it may be determined that the first end 161 of the substrate 106 to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to the third multi-needle nozzle 903.

Based on a similar manner, whether the second end of the substrate to be printed reaches the printing area corresponding to any one of the multiple-needle nozzles can be determined, and the description is omitted here.

It should be noted that, in the specific implementation, at least one of the following may be adjusted according to actual needs: the method comprises the steps of carrying out spray printing on the area of a substrate to be sprayed, moving direction of the substrate to be sprayed relative to spray needles, moving speed of the substrate to be sprayed relative to the spray needles, distance between the spray needles and the substrate to be sprayed, angle between the spray needles and the substrate to be sprayed, position relation between the spray needles and the substrate to be sprayed, number of spray needles which are contained in a plurality of spray heads, distance between the spray needles which are contained in the plurality of spray heads, number of spray heads which are contained in the plurality of spray heads, and distance between the plurality of spray heads.

Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a jet printing method 700 of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 700 may be implemented with the jet printing apparatus 200 of the embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as with the jet printing apparatus 400 and/or the jet printing apparatus 900 of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that method 700 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the illustrated steps may be omitted, the scope of the present disclosure being not limited in this respect.

At step 702, the inkjet printing apparatus is configured in a portrait inkjet mode. It will be appreciated that configuring the inkjet printing apparatus in a portrait mode includes, for example, vertically positioning the substrate to be inkjet printed and orienting the plurality of pins of the inkjet printing apparatus toward the substrate to be inkjet printed. In the vertical spray mode, the plurality of spray needles of the spray printing device are at different heights.

At step 704, liquid to be printed is ejected via a plurality of nozzles of a printing device at different heights toward a vertically disposed substrate to be printed. The method of ejecting the liquid to be printed to the vertically arranged substrate to be printed will be described in detail below.

Fig. 8 illustrates a flow chart of a method 800 of ejecting liquid to be printed to a vertically disposed substrate to be printed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 800 may be implemented with the control device 210. It should be understood that method 800 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the illustrated steps may be omitted, the scope of the present disclosure being not limited in this respect.

At step 802, in response to detecting a first in-place signal indicating that a substrate to be inkjet printed reaches a first predetermined position within a first predetermined time, the needle is controlled to activate, and after a second predetermined time after the needle is activated, the liquid supply device is controlled to open to deliver liquid to be inkjet printed to the channel structure.

At step 804, the duration of the needle actuation state and the flow rate of the liquid supply device delivering the liquid to be jet printed to the channel structure are controlled based on at least one of the rate of movement of the substrate to be jet printed relative to the needle, the distance of the substrate to be jet printed relative to the needle, and the jet printing state attribute. The duration of the start state of the spray needle and the flow of the liquid to be sprayed conveyed to the flow channel structure by the liquid supply device are dynamically adjusted according to the moving speed of the base material to be sprayed relative to the spray needle, the distance of the base material to be sprayed relative to the spray needle and the spray printing state attribute, so that the spray printing effect can be effectively ensured.

In particular embodiments, for example, the control device 210 may negatively correlate the duration of the needle actuation state with the rate of movement of the substrate to be printed relative to the needle, i.e., the greater the rate of movement of the substrate to be printed relative to the needle, the shorter the duration of the needle actuation state.

For another example, the control device 210 controls the flow rate of the liquid to be jet printed delivered to the flow path structure by the liquid supply device according to the jet printing state attribute extracted from the image on the substrate 106 to be jet printed. For example, if the control device 210 determines that the chemical substance contained in the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 onto the surface of the substrate 106 to be sprayed does not meet the predetermined concentration, that is, the desired plating effect is not achieved, it indicates that the spray printing status attribute of the plating solution sprayed by the spray printing apparatus 400 does not meet the predetermined requirement, and the replenishment of the chemical substance is not timely. At this time, the control device 210 may, for example, increase the flow rate of the liquid to be printed delivered to the flow path structure by the liquid supply device according to the printing state attribute.

For another example, the control device 210 may make the flow rate of the liquid to be printed delivered to the flow channel structure by the liquid supply device positively correlate with the distance between the substrate to be printed and the needle, and the smaller the distance between the substrate to be printed and the needle is, the smaller the flow rate of the liquid to be printed delivered to the flow channel structure by the liquid supply device is.

At step 806, the liquid supply device is controlled to be turned off in response to determining that the print status attribute extracted from the image on the substrate to be printed meets a predetermined condition.

In particular, the control device 210 may also determine whether the substrate to be jet printed has left or is about to leave the target jet printing area based on an analysis of the image of the substrate to be jet printed. It should be noted that, the control device 210 may determine whether the substrate to be printed has left or is about to leave the target printing area according to the position of the substrate to be printed in the image related to the substrate to be printed. If the control device 210 determines whether the substrate to be jet printed has left or is about to leave the target jet printing area, the control device 210 controls the liquid supply device to be turned off according to the jet printing state attribute.

At step 808, control stops the needle. As shown before, the liquid supply device is closed first, and then the spray needle is stopped, so that the spray needle can continuously spray the liquid to be sprayed, and the flow channel structure and the liquid to be sprayed remained in the spray needle can be sprayed, so that the spray needle is prevented from being blocked.

In some embodiments, the method 800 may further comprise: adjusting at least one of the following according to the spray printing state attribute extracted from the image of the substrate to be spray printed: the moving speed of the base material to be sprayed relative to the spray needle and the distance of the base material to be sprayed relative to the spray needle. The scheme can ensure that the spray printing achieves the expected effect.

In some embodiments, the liquid to be jet printed comprises a perovskite solution. In micro-spray applications, excellent spray results can be obtained with the spray printing method of the present disclosure to spray perovskite solutions.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the various embodiments described.

The terminology used herein was chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvements in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

The above is merely an optional embodiment of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure, and various modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. that fall within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (11)

1. A jet printing apparatus, comprising:

the liquid supply device is communicated with the flow channel structure and is used for conveying liquid to be printed to the flow channel structure;

a flow channel structure for communicating the liquid supply device with the plurality of spray needles so that the liquid to be sprayed flows through the spray needles so as to enter the spray needles communicated with the flow channel structure, wherein the flow channel structure is configured into a preset shape and/or a preset length so that the flow resistance formed by the flow channel structure on the liquid to be sprayed flowing through meets preset conditions, and the liquid to be sprayed by different spray needles at different heights is consistent when the spray printing device is configured into a vertical spray mode; and

and the spray needles are used for spraying the liquid to be sprayed.

2. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein meeting a predetermined condition includes: the flow resistance of the flow channel structure to the liquid to be sprayed is larger than or equal to a preset multiple of the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference of the liquid to be sprayed in the plurality of spray needles.

3. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein,

the runner structure comprises a plurality of branch runners, and the output end of each branch runner in the plurality of branch runners is respectively communicated with a corresponding needle in the plurality of needles.

4. A jet printing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the flow channel structure further comprises a main flow channel comprising:

an input part which is communicated with the liquid supply device; and

and each of the plurality of output parts is communicated with the input end of a corresponding branch flow passage in the plurality of branch flow passages.

5. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 wherein meeting a predetermined condition includes: the maximum hydrostatic pressure difference formed by the liquid to be printed in the plurality of spray needles when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode is equal to the difference between the first hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the spray needle having the largest height when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode and the second hydrostatic pressure formed by the liquid to be printed in the spray needle having the smallest height when the spray printing device is configured in the portrait mode.

6. Inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the stiffness of the runner structure is greater than a predetermined stiffness threshold and/or the acid resistance of the runner structure is greater than a predetermined acid resistance threshold.

7. A jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply means comprises constant flow means arranged to deliver liquid to be jet printed to the channel structure at a predetermined flow rate.

8. The inkjet printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor configured to determine whether the substrate to be jet printed reaches a first predetermined position and to generate a first in-place signal in response to determining that the substrate to be jet printed reaches the first predetermined position; and

a control device configured to activate the needle and the liquid supply device within a first predetermined time after receiving the first in-place signal, the first predetermined time being determined based on at least one of:

the movement rate of the substrate to be jet printed relative to the needle;

fluid inertia of the liquid to be jet printed;

the density of the liquid to be jet printed; and

volume of the flow channel structure.

9. The inkjet printing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: and an imaging device configured to acquire an image about the substrate to be jet printed.

10. Inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the liquid to be inkjet printed comprises a perovskite solution.

11. The inkjet printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the plurality of the multi-needle spray heads are sequentially arranged, and each multi-needle spray head is provided with a plurality of spray needles; and

And the control device is configured to start the multiple spray needles of the corresponding multiple-needle spray heads in response to determining that the first end of the substrate to be sprayed reaches the spray printing area corresponding to any one of the multiple-needle spray heads, and to close the multiple spray needles of the corresponding multiple-needle spray heads in response to determining that the second end of the substrate to be sprayed reaches the spray printing area corresponding to any one of the multiple-needle spray heads.