EP1740388B1 - Appareil d'impression numerique - Google Patents

Appareil d'impression numerique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1740388B1
EP1740388B1 EP05703208A EP05703208A EP1740388B1 EP 1740388 B1 EP1740388 B1 EP 1740388B1 EP 05703208 A EP05703208 A EP 05703208A EP 05703208 A EP05703208 A EP 05703208A EP 1740388 B1 EP1740388 B1 EP 1740388B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printing
axis stage
linear
printing machine
machine according
Prior art date
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Active
Application number
EP05703208A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP1740388A2 (fr
EP1740388A4 (fr
Inventor
Ofer Ben-Zur
Yossi Pearl
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Kornit Digital Technologies Ltd
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Kornit Digital Technologies Ltd
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Priority claimed from US10/776,163 external-priority patent/US7607745B2/en
Priority claimed from IL162231A external-priority patent/IL162231A/en
Application filed by Kornit Digital Technologies Ltd filed Critical Kornit Digital Technologies Ltd
Publication of EP1740388A2 publication Critical patent/EP1740388A2/fr
Publication of EP1740388A4 publication Critical patent/EP1740388A4/fr
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
    • B41J11/002—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
    • B41J11/002—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
    • B41J11/0021—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation
    • B41J11/00216—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0085—Using suction for maintaining printing material flat
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/28—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
    • B41J3/4078—Printing on textile

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to printing and, more particularly, but not exclusively to digital printing.
  • Common printing methods employ liquid ink made of a pigment and an adhesive in a liquid, volatile, solvent.
  • the liquid ink is applied to the printed substrate using a brush, pipe, stylus, rolling ball or cylinder, by sprinkling droplets such as an ink jet printer, by means of a printing pad or an offset stencil, by forcing the ink through a mesh stencil such as used with screen printing, etc.
  • liquid ink requires that the ink remains at the point it is applied to the printed substrate until the solvent evaporates.
  • liquid ink is applied to substrates that are either absorbing, such as cloth, paper and cardboard, or have a high surface tension with the solvent, such as polished metal and glass, the liquid ink is smeared through or over the printed substrate creating a poor image quality
  • Garment printing is performed today by screen printing press systems that are complex, inflexible, and require a specific set-up for each different print and color.
  • an image file undergoes a mechanical spot-color separation process (each color is printed in black and white on a separate sheet of paper or film).
  • the image is "developed" in a long optical process, into a fine mesh (screen), which is pressed during the printing process against the media.
  • each screen has to be set in the proper station and adjusted with reference to the other screens.
  • Ink is transferred to the garment through the mesh by mechanical means (generally wiping a squeegee along the screen).
  • Garment screen-printing technology requires a special press station for each color level. Print quality is limited due to the high registration requirements between stations; hence printing resolution is relatively low.
  • US Patent 6,095,628 describes and claims an apparatus for inkjet printing pre-programmed viewable indicia onto a substrate.
  • the apparatus is essentially a conventional ink jet printer, and is capable of creating the indicia through ink jet ink depositing upon flat or rigid substrates as a result of controlled platen movement beneath the ink jet printer head and controlled ink jet printer head movement and ink flow control by a programmed CPU.
  • the flexible printing substrate of the patented invention is larger than the platen and portions of the substrate are draped downwardly over edges of the platen and tucked under the platen.
  • US Patent Publication 2003197750 discloses a method of detecting an obstacle that disturbs a printing operation to be performed on a printing surface of a printing portion of a workpiece by a printing head of an ink-jet printer such that the printing head and a planar platen on which the printing portion of the workpiece is set are moved relative to each other between a first position and a second position, with a predetermined spacing maintained between the printing surface of the workpiece and the printing head in a direction perpendicular to the printing surface.
  • the obstacle existing on a plane of printing by the printing head is detected by a sensing device, by scanning the predetermined spacing in a direction intersecting a direction of a relative movement of the printing head and the platen. At the same time the printing head and the platen are moved relative to each other between the first and second printing positions.
  • an ink-jet printing method and printer wherein the obstacle is detectable.
  • US Patent publication No. 2002060728 discloses an ink-jet textile printing system which includes an ink-jet printing mechanism capable of textile printing on a printing object formed by a cloth product such as a T-shirt, a printing tray for holding a printing target range of the printing object flat, and conveying the printing object while positioning the printing target range with respect to the ink-jet printing mechanism, and a printing object formed by a cloth product such as a T-shirt having a partial pre-process portion obtained by partially pre-processing only the printing target range.
  • the present invention relates to a digital printing system for various substrates that permits accurate, high quality, high resolution, multi-color printing directly onto a substrate in a relatively simple system.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention is useful for printing over materials that usually cause the ink to smear over the material, such as fibrous materials, porous materials and other ink absorbing materials, and materials having high surface tension with the ink liquid.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention is thus provided for the garment industry in general, and for T-shirt printing industry in particular.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a pre-printing assembly for wetting the substrate prior to printing.
  • This wetting sub-system typically comprises an array of spraying nozzles operative to apply a wetting composition over the printed material.
  • This wetting composition interferes with the engagement of the ink with the printed material so as to limit the spread of the ink over, or within, the material;
  • the abovementioned wetting assembly and printing assembly preferably comprises of one or more units capable of applying liquid over selected areas of the material to be printed.
  • Such units are known in the art as spraying nozzles, dripping nozzles, droplet injectors, drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, roller pads, stamping pads, offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil, etc.
  • the abovementioned garment handling assembly preferably comprises an accurate X, Y, Z motion system and a printing table. Since the printing system is particularly suited to printing on a garment, it has been described herein with respect to garment printing, by way of example only. However, it will be appreciated that any other suitable substrate can alternatively be utilized.
  • a preferred embodiment of a digital printing system according to the present invention typically comprises electronically controlled wetting and printing units such as spraying nozzles, dripping nozzles, droplet injectors, drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, etc. that are capable of creating image pixels in a controllable manner.
  • electronically controlled wetting and printing units such as spraying nozzles, dripping nozzles, droplet injectors, drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, etc.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown and described below comprises the combination of wetting by spraying technology and printing by inkjet technology. It is appreciated that the present invention pertains to every possible combination of wetting technology and printing technology.
  • Fig. 1 is a simplified perspective drawing of a garment printing system 10 not herein claimed but relevant to an understanding of the present invention.
  • the garment printing system 10 comprises a rigid frame 11 in which an accurate linear motion X-axis stage 12 is installed.
  • the X-axis stage 12 is a linear motor driven stage, and can be a conventional linear stage.
  • the X-axis stage 12 can be any other type of linear stage, like a belt-driven stage, or ball screw driven stage.
  • a printing table assembly 13 is connected to the X-axis stage 12, which preferably provides high acceleration and scanning speed.
  • an accurate linear motion Y-axis stage 14 is installed above the printing table assembly 13, preferably on a bridge 15.
  • the X-axis 12 and the Y-axis 14 stages are known in the art as linear stages, such as linear rails, like rails marketed by THK Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a linear encoder like that sold by RSF Elektronik Ges.m.b.H., Tarsdorf, Austria, and a moving plate supported on the rails.
  • the X-axis stage 12 is a linear motor driven stage, capable of high acceleration rate and stiffness, for example, Anorad brand model LW10 of Rockwell Automation, Shirley, New York, USA.
  • Closed loop control is responsible for the high accuracy and motion smoothness.
  • the position of the printing table 13 along the rails of the X-axis stage 12 is measured by a linear encoder, and is used also to determine the firing timing of the inkjet nozzles and the wetting nozzles.
  • the Y-axis stage 14 is preferably a linear motor stage similar to the X-axis stage 12.
  • a printing head 16 preferably comprising a plurality of inkjet nozzles, is connected to a vertical Z-axis system 17, which is preferably a ball screw driven stage.
  • the Z-axis stage 17 is supported on an Y-axis moving plate 18, to allow motion perpendicular to the direction of movement of the printing table 13.
  • the gap between the printing heads array 16 and the printed surface on the printing table assembly 13 is an important parameter for high quality printing.
  • the Z stage 17 enables movement of the printing heads array 16 in the vertical direction for calibration for different media heights.
  • any other ink applying apparatus can be used for the printing head 16, such as a dripping nozzle, a droplet injector, a drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a roller pad, an offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil.
  • the printing system 10 optionally comprises an ironing unit 19 and also optionally comprises a curing unit 20.
  • the ironing unit 19 is preferably supported on the frame 11 above the X-axis stage 12, preferably on a bridge, such that the printing table assembly 13 can move underneath.
  • the ironing unit 19 prepares the media for printing, as will be further explained in detail below.
  • the curing unit 20 is preferably supported on the bridge 15 over the rigid frame 11. Alternatively, the curing unit 20 can be mounted over a separate bridge in a similar manner to the ironing unit 19.
  • the curing unit 20 is an infrared heating unit that evaporates the ink carrier as printing is accomplished or during print passes.
  • the curing unit 20 is a hot air blower.
  • any other curing unit can be utilized, which is suited to the type of ink printed on the garment.
  • Main computer 21 coordinates a large number of functions. It receives images from an image file, processes the images to be printed, activates the curing unit, and controls the motion systems, the ironing unit, and more. Preferably, movement of the X-axis and the Y-axis stages is coordinated by the microprocessor with the nozzles firing command by a print heads controller, so that precise printing of a desired object or symbol can be performed.
  • computer 21 is augmented with a programmable logic controller (PLC), later shown and described in accordance with Fig. 4 .
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B, and Fig. 2C are respectively side, front and top simplified views of a garment printing system 22 constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention.
  • the printing system 22 comprises a frame 23 that is wider than frame 11 shown in Fig. 1 , and two independent linear X-axis stages 13 are installed instead of one X-axis stage, as in the embodiment described in Fig. 1 .
  • Y-axis stage 14 described in Figs. 2A, 2B and. 2C is substantially the same as Y-axis stage 14 in Fig. 1 .
  • the printing system 22 also comprises two curing units 20, two ironing units 19 and two printing table assemblies 13.
  • the two X-axis stages 12 operate independently from one another.
  • the process of loading and unloading can be carried out on one printing assembly at the same time that printing is being carried out on the second printing assembly.
  • the printing heads array is working substantially continuously, dramatically improving throughput of the system.
  • Each table can be accessed from the same edge of the system, thereby permitting a single worker to operate two printing assemblies.
  • Main computer 21 controls both X-axis stages for independent operation.
  • Fig. 3 is a side view of a printing system 24 not claimed herein but relevant to an understanding of the present invention.
  • the printing system 24 comprises a frame 11, which is the same as frame 11 shown in Fig. 1 and two independently movable printing table assemblies 13 mounted on the same X-axis stage 12.
  • the printing table assemblies 13 are capable of moving back and forth independently of one another. Printing is performed on one printing table 13 while at the same time garments are unloaded and loaded on the second printing table. Each printing table 13 is accessed from the opposite edge of the system, and is loaded and unloaded by a different operator.
  • Main computer 21 controls both printing tables.
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of a wetting system 25 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the wetting system 25 can be added to a printing system, such as the printing systems 10, 22 and 24 described above.
  • the wetting system 25 comprises a tank 26 containing the wetting composition 27, a pump 28, such as MGC4-MGC11DC available from Fluid-o-Tech of 23 via Morimondo, Milan, Italy, connected to the tank 26 through a pipe 29 and operative to pump the wetting composition 27 from the tank 26 to the spraying nozzle 19, such as 1101, available form Teejet, PO Box 7900, Wheaton, IL, USA, via pipe 30, pressure regulator 31, such as CM004R01, available form Camozzi, S.p.A. Via Eritrea 20/I, 25126 Brescia - Italy, pipe 32, manifold 33, pipe 34 and solenoid valve 35.
  • a pump 28 such as MGC4-MGC11DC available from Fluid-o-Tech of 23 via Morimondo, Milan, Italy
  • the spraying nozzle 19 such as 1101, available form Teejet, PO Box 7900, Wheaton, IL, USA
  • pressure regulator 31 such as CM004R01, available form Camozzi, S.p.A.
  • Overflow needle valve 36 such as GS0462216, available from Serto A.G., 25 Schutzenstr, CH-8355 Aadorf, Switzerland, is operative to carry excess wetting composition back to the tank 26 via pipes 37 and 38.
  • Pipe 39 is also operative to carry overflow wetting composition from the solenoid valve 35 to the tank 26.
  • a plurality of solenoid valves 35 and spraying nozzles 19 are constructed to form a battery of spraying nozzles as will be described below.
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • the role of the PLC is to translate the commands effected by the computer 21 into electrical activation to the relevant components.
  • a detailed description of the computer 21 procedure to operate the wetting system 25 is further shown and described below with reference to Fig 15 .
  • the wetting the garment prior to printing limits the penetration of the ink into the garment so that a larger amount of ink remains on the external, visual, layers of the fabric, and that the printing head is thereafter capable of creating smaller dots of ink. Therefore the printed image has a higher quality, through higher resolution and stronger colors.
  • the method and the apparatus for wetting the garment can be alternatively used to coat any other surface that is capable of absorbing the ink, or that has a relatively high surface tension with the ink liquid, so as to limit the smearing of the ink through, or over, the surface.
  • the spraying nozzle 19 can be replaced by other means for applying liquid onto a surface, such as a dripping nozzle, a droplet injector, a drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a roller pad, an offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil.
  • the printing head 16 can be replaced by other means for applying ink onto a surface, such as a dripping nozzle, a droplet injector, a drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a roller pad, an offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil, in any possible combination of wetting technology and printing technology.
  • a dripping nozzle such as a dripping nozzle, a droplet injector, a drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a roller pad, an offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil, in any possible combination of wetting technology and printing technology.
  • a dripping nozzle such as a dripping nozzle, a droplet injector, a drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a continuous piezoelectric inkjet nozzle, a roller pad, an offset printing stencil and a screen printing stencil, in any possible combination
  • Fig. 5 is a perspective drawing of a battery 41 of solenoid valves 35 and spraying nozzles 19, constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the solenoid valves 35 are each connected via the pipe 34, the manifold 33 and the pipe 32 to the pressure regulator 31 (not shown in this figure).
  • Fig. 6 is a perspective drawing of two batteries 41, mounted over a bridge 42 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. It is appreciated that alternatively the batteries 41 can be mounted on bridge 15 of Fig. 1 and Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C , preferably at the opposite side of the printing head 16.
  • Fig. 7 is a simplified perspective drawing of a printing system 43 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the printing system 43 is an improvement of the printing systems 10, 22 and 24 as shown and described in accordance with Figs. 1 , 2A, 2B, 2C and 3 by adding the pre-printing wetting assembly 25.
  • printing system 43 is shown and described as an improvement of the twin axis printing system 22 shown and described in accordance with Figs. 2A, 2B, 2C .
  • Fig. 7 shows the two batteries 41 mounted over the bridge 15, each battery over its respective X-axis 12. Each battery 41 is operative, separately and independently, to spray a wetting composition over the garment prior to printing, as will be described below.
  • the operator instructs the computer 21 to start the printing process.
  • the computer 21, with the aid of the PLC 40 moves the printing table 13, under the battery 41, until one edge of the area to be printed is placed directly below the battery 41.
  • the computer 21 and the PLC 40 operate the adequate spraying nozzles 19, while moving the printing table 13 beneath, until at least a part of the area to be printed is wetted.
  • the spraying nozzles are operated intermittently to apply adequate amount of wetting composition to the wetted area.
  • the garment is ready for printing and the printing table 13 is moved under the printing head 16 to commence printing as will be described below.
  • the computer 21 with the aid of the PLC 40, operate the curing assembly 20 while moving the printing table underneath, to cure, at least partially, the wetting composition, prior to printing.
  • wetting assembly 25, as well as the printing system 43, can be easily modified for printing objects other than garments.
  • Fig. 8 Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B
  • the bath 44 is contains a thinner liquid, and is operative to dip the tips of the spraying nozzles 19 in this thinner liquid when the spraying nozzles are not spraying, as can be seen in Fig. 8 .
  • the computer 21 activates the solenoid 45, also from Camozzi, to move the bath 44 and expose the tips of the spraying nozzles 19, as can be seen in Figs. 9A and 9B .
  • Fig. 10 is simplified perspective drawings of a preferred embodiment of a garment mounting assembly 46, which is a part of the printing table 13, constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the garment mounting assembly 46 comprises a media-holding plate 47 and an openable cover 48.
  • the media-holding plate 47 includes a raised portion 49 of the same size as the image to be printed
  • the cover 48 includes a window 50 of the same shape as raised portion 49.
  • the window 50 is slightly larger in size, preferably a few millimeters, than raised portion 49.
  • the cover 48 is held in an open position by two gas cylinders 51, as known in the industry.
  • at least part of the printing table assembly, for example the raised portion 40 is a vacuum table, to allow holding of non-porous media such as paper, boards, plastic etc.
  • FIG. 11 and Fig. 12 are simplified perspective drawings of the garment mounting assembly 46, with a mounted garment, in an opened and a closed positions, constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 11 shows a garment 52 loaded onto the garment mounting assembly 46.
  • Garment 53 is loaded manually onto the media-holding plate, as the plate's chamfers 53 center the garment on the plate.
  • the cover 48 is closed against the media-holding plate, while gas cylinders 51 urge the cover to the closed orientation.
  • the edges of the garment are stretched slightly by the cover surface that touches the table's lower surface around the raised portion. As a result, the garment is held firmly in place to allow high-resolution printing (i.e., there is substantially no movement of the media during printing or wrinkling).
  • the garment mounting assembly is a simple, flattened plate, made of aluminum or wood on which a textile piece or a garment is positioned.
  • Flattened plates are well known by those who are familiar with the garment printing industry.
  • Printing head assembly 54 comprises an array of printing heads 55, arranged for printing directly on a finished garment, a textile piece or other flexible or rigid medium.
  • Each printing head 55 comprises at least one inkjet nozzle 56.
  • Printing head 55 can be any conventional printing head, such as those marketed by Spectra, Inc., New Hampshire, USA and others known in the industry.
  • printing heads assembly 54 is a massive array of conventional piezoelectric drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet heads, which perform the high-speed printing. It is a particular feature of the present invention that at least a 500, and preferably several thousands (i.e., 2,000) nozzles are provided for simultaneous printing, resulting in a very quick and accurate process.
  • Each printing head 55 consists of dozens of nozzles 56 that are controlled independently by main computer 21, optionally via PLC 40.
  • FIG. 14A, Fig. 14B, Fig.14C and Fig.14D are simplified schematic illustration of several stages of the printing process, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figs. 14A, 14B,14C and 14D show four consecutive passes of a part of a garment, such as garment 53 shown in Fig. 12 , under a single print head, such as the print head 56 of Fig. 13 .
  • the distances between nozzles and between printing heads are bigger than the printing resolution, hence several print passes are needed to complete the image.
  • the printing head 55 moves incrementally in the Y-axis to prepare for the next pass.
  • the computer 21 is programmed to control the relative motion of the printing heads and the printing table assembly so as to obtain this accurate and complete coverage.
  • the printing process is performed while relative motion occurs between the printing heads array 55 and the printing table assembly. At least two axes of motion are needed for this multi-color printing: X-axis motion that is in the printing direction; and Y-axis motion that is perpendicular to the printing direction. As stated above, the distances between nozzles and between printing heads are bigger than the printing resolution, hence several print passes are needed to complete the image. This is accomplished by moving the printing table assembly back and forth along the X-axis while moving the heads array perpendicular to the line of printing. The X-axis is the printing line and the Y-axis is the line on which the printing heads array moves after each pass to fill the gaps between printed lines in the next pass. Multi-color printing is performed as the table surface passes below the drop-on-demand inkjet nozzles array.
  • the Y-axis is the fast-moving axis, while the X-axis moves incrementally to permit filling in of the gaps between printed lines.
  • a printing command is sent by the printing heads driver (not shown) to each nozzle at the exact time and location for ink firing.
  • the printing command is actually an electronic pulse, with exact width, voltage level, rise time and decay time.
  • Printing heads drivers are commercial systems known in the industry, such as Inca drivers, of IncaDigital Printers, Cambridge, England.
  • Fig. 15 is a simplified flow chart of the process of wetting the garment prior to printing, preferably executed by the computer 21.
  • the process of wetting the garment starts with element 57 by loading the image file from the computer's storage.
  • the process progresses to element 58 to determine the edges of the image on the garment, which are also the edges of the area to be wetted.
  • the process continues to element 59 to activate the X-axis 12, which moves the printing table 13.
  • the process advances to element 60 to receive from the encoder the position data of the printing table 13.
  • the process proceeds to element to determine which nozzles to open (element 61) or close (element 62) and sends the appropriate commands (elements 63 and 64) to the nozzle solenoids 35, preferably via the PLC 40.
  • the process is stopped (element 66).

Claims (10)

  1. Machine à imprimer numérique comprenant :
    un cadre rigide ;
    un premier étage d'axe X à mouvement linéaire monté sur ledit cadre ;
    un second étage d'axe X à mouvement linéaire monté sur ledit cadre parallèlement audit premier étage de l'axe, et conçu pour fonctionner indépendamment dudit premier étage de l'axe ;
    un ensemble de table d'impression mobile sur chacun desdits étages d'axe X linéaires ;
    un étage d'axe Y à mouvement linéaire monté sur ledit cadre perpendiculairement auxdits étages d'axe X linéaires, au-dessus desdits ensembles de table d'impression ; et
    un réseau de buses à jet d'encre montées sur ledit étage d'axe Y linéaire pour un mouvement linéaire perpendiculairement audit étage d'axe X.
  2. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle chaque dit ensemble de table d'impression comprend une plaque de maintien de supports et un couvercle ouvrable couplé de façon pivotante à ladite plaque de maintien de supports pour maintenir lesdits supports fermement contre ladite plaque.
  3. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle ladite plaque de maintien de supports comprend une partie en relief, et ledit couvercle comprend une fenêtre de la même forme et légèrement plus grande que ladite partie en relief.
  4. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle au moins l'un dudit étage d'axe X à mouvement linéaire et dudit étage d'axe Y à mouvement linéaire est un étage entraîné par moteur linéaire.
  5. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle au moins une partie de chaque dit ensemble de table d'impression est une table à vide.
  6. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle lesdites buses à jet d'encre comprennent des buses piézoélectriques à jet d'encre du type gouttes à la demande ou des buses piézoélectriques à jet d'encre continu.
  7. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre une unité de séchage située au-dessus de chaque ensemble de table d'impression et conçue pour sécher l'encre sur des supports sur ledit ensemble de table d'impression.
  8. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 7, dans laquelle ladite unité de séchage est un système infrarouge ou une unité de soufflage d'air chaud.
  9. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre une unité de repassage située au-dessus de chaque dit ensemble de table d'impression et conçue pour repasser les supports sur ledit ensemble de table d'impression.
  10. Machine à imprimer selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ledit ensemble de table d'impression est une plaque aplatie.
EP05703208A 2004-02-12 2005-02-10 Appareil d'impression numerique Active EP1740388B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10/776,163 US7607745B2 (en) 2004-02-12 2004-02-12 Digital printing machine
IL162231A IL162231A (en) 2004-05-30 2004-05-30 Direct digital printing process of jet propulsion inkjet on a wet fabric section
PCT/IL2005/000166 WO2005076730A2 (fr) 2004-02-12 2005-02-10 Appareil d'impression numerique

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1740388A2 EP1740388A2 (fr) 2007-01-10
EP1740388A4 EP1740388A4 (fr) 2009-09-23
EP1740388B1 true EP1740388B1 (fr) 2012-04-11

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05703208A Active EP1740388B1 (fr) 2004-02-12 2005-02-10 Appareil d'impression numerique

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Country Link
EP (1) EP1740388B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2007525339A (fr)
AT (1) ATE552981T1 (fr)
DK (1) DK1740388T3 (fr)
IL (1) IL177323A (fr)
WO (1) WO2005076730A2 (fr)

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CN107921786B (zh) * 2015-07-20 2019-09-10 易安技术有限责任公司 用于印刷织物表面的装置和方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IL177323A0 (en) 2008-03-20
WO2005076730A3 (fr) 2007-03-08
DK1740388T3 (da) 2012-07-23
ATE552981T1 (de) 2012-04-15
WO2005076730A2 (fr) 2005-08-25
EP1740388A2 (fr) 2007-01-10
IL177323A (en) 2011-12-29
EP1740388A4 (fr) 2009-09-23
JP2007525339A (ja) 2007-09-06

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