GB2400077A - Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate - Google Patents

Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2400077A
GB2400077A GB0307053A GB0307053A GB2400077A GB 2400077 A GB2400077 A GB 2400077A GB 0307053 A GB0307053 A GB 0307053A GB 0307053 A GB0307053 A GB 0307053A GB 2400077 A GB2400077 A GB 2400077A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
producing
dimensional image
image
dispensing
robot
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0307053A
Other versions
GB0307053D0 (en
Inventor
Steven Ward
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SAYGROVE PRODUCT Manufacturing Ltd
Original Assignee
SAYGROVE PRODUCT Manufacturing Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SAYGROVE PRODUCT Manufacturing Ltd filed Critical SAYGROVE PRODUCT Manufacturing Ltd
Priority to GB0307053A priority Critical patent/GB2400077A/en
Publication of GB0307053D0 publication Critical patent/GB0307053D0/en
Publication of GB2400077A publication Critical patent/GB2400077A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • 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
    • B41J3/4073—Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects
    • 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
    • B41J11/00214—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation using UV radiation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B41M3/001—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns using chemical colour-formers or chemical reactions, e.g. leuco dyes or acids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B41M3/16—Braille printing

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)

Abstract

In apparatus for and a method of producing a three dimensional tactile image details of the image are converted into robot readable form. A robot 4 controls a curable resin dispensing head 2 which in use deposits resin on a suitable substrate to a controlled height in accordance with the image data fed to it. The resin is then cured by ultra violet light to produce the finished tactile image.

Description

Apparatus for and a method of producing a three dimensional image The
present invention relates to apparatus for and a method of producing a three dimensional image on a substrate, particularly, but not exclusively, tactile images.
Methods of and apparatus for producing tactile images are already known.
Such images are used by the visually impaired. In one known method and apparatus, images are formed from a multiplicity of discrete droplets delivered from a multiplicity of nozzles fixed in an array. This delivery of material through a large number of nozzles is complex and leads to increased downtime and maintenance problems. It is an object of the invention to overcome or mitigate these difficulties.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate comprising means for dispensing a curable resin, means for controlling the means for dispensing in accordance with a predetermined program to produce a resin image and means for curing the resin dispensed in order to cure the image on the substrate.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a three dimensional image including the steps of dispensing a curable resin from dispensing means onto a substrate, controlling the means for dispensing in accordance with a predetermined program to produce a resin image and curing the resin dispensed in order to produce a cured image on the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for dispensing advantageously comprises a nozzle to which resin flow is controlled by means of a valve preferably an electrically operable air pressure regulateable pneumatic piston or diaphragm valve. Advantageously, the diameter of the nozzle is variable to enable the amount of resin dispensed to be varied. The means for controlling may comprise a robot. Under the control of the robot the nozzle may rotate through 360 and be adjustable in height relative to the substrate and along the other two X- Y coordinates of a three dimensional coordinate system. The robot is controlled in accordance with a computer programmed to produce the desired image. Image data in jpeg, bitmap or raster or other form is converted via vector coordinate software into a series of X-Y coordinates which are stored as a DXF file. This data is translated by robotic interface software into a series of coordinates ready for importation to the robotic software. This latter software generates a series of commands which can be uploaded to the robot to effect the desired movement. The means for curing may be a portable ultra violet light source or a moveable ultra violet light source attached directly to the robot.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagram of apparatus for forming a tactile image and Figure 2 shows a software flow diagram associated with the apparatus of Figure 1.
Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus for providing a three dimensional tactile image on a substrate comprises a source 1 of curable resin, a resin dispensing head 2, a pneumatic valve 3, a robot 4 for controlling the dispensing head 3, and an ultra violet (UV) resin curing system S. The substrate 6 may be any suitable material such as glass, paper, wood, plastics ceramic or metal. In operation, the valve is controlled by an electronic control 7. The apparatus is controlled in accordance with a software control system which receives details of the image which is to be provided and converts that image into a robot readable form for the control of the robot 4. This software control system comprises an input 10 for receiving information relating to the image in the form of a bitmap raster, a software interface 11, a converter 12 for converting the raster information into a DXF file 13 and translation software 14 for converting the DXF file into robot readable form.
In operation of the apparatus U.V curable resin from source 1 is dispensed through dispensing head 2. This head 2 comprises a nozzle, the diameter of which is chosen having regard to volume dispensing requirements. Operation of the nozzle is controlled via a pneumatic piston or diaphragm valve regulated by air pressure. The system is under positive pressure at all times. To operate the nozzle an electric signal is supplied to the piston or diaphragm valve from control 7. A controlled volume of UV curable resin is released from the nozzle. This is deposited on the substrate in the form of a dot or a line or an arc to a controlled height which may vary from 0.2mm to l.Smm under the control of the robot 4 in accordance with data fed to it.
Referring additionally to Figure 2, information relating to the desired image is provided from input 10 in JPEG, bitmap or raster form. This is converted using vector coordinate software into a series of X, Y coordinates stored as a DXF file 14.
This file 4 is translated, using robotic interface software, into a series of coordinates ready for importation to the robotic software IS.
Having captured the data in a format recognised by the robot the dispensing head/valve assembly is moved to a correct table position in relation to a datum point.
The dispensing head is then moved through a series of coordinates at a controlled speed utilising movement through X, Y. Z axes and 360 rotational head movement in relation to a substrate 6 disposed on the table.
This forms a three dimensional image of dispersed resin on the substrate which may then be cured by exposure to ultraviolet light from the curing system 5.
This exposure may be varied by varying output energy, waveform and/or duration.
The UV curable material will be either clear or coloured dependent upon application. The UV curing system 5 may be a portable UV lamp, an enclosed light source (secondary process) or a moving UV source attached directly to the robot 4.
Dots may be entered independently of the process described above by manually instructing the robot via a teaching pendant, or software to visit a specific coordinate or coordinates and dispense whilst stationary at a controlled height, for a certain time.
Optionally, the data for the DXF file 13 may be subject to a spreadsheet program 15 so that the image may be made to fit a desired substrate size.
It will be appreciated that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and that many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (16)

  1. Claims 1. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a
    substrate comprising means for dispensing a curable resin, means for controlling the means for dispensing in accordance with a predetermined program to produce a resin image and means for curing the resin dispensed in order to cure the image on the substrate.
  2. 2. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for dispensing comprises a nozzle.
  3. 3. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the means for dispensing comprise valve means for controlling the flow of curable resin.
  4. 4. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 3, in which the valve means comprises an electrically operable air pressure regulateable pneumatic piston or diaphragm valve.
    IS
  5. 5. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 2, or in claim 3 or 4 when appendant directly or indirectly to claim 2, in which the nozzle diameter is variable to enable the amount of resin dispensed in use to be varied.
  6. 6. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in any preceding claim in which the means for controlling comprises a robot.
  7. 7. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 6, in which the robot is operative to rotate the nozzle through 360 and to control the height of the nozzle relative to the substrate and its position along two other coordinate axes at right angles to the height axis.
  8. 8. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the means for curing comprises an ultra violet light.
  9. 9. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 8, in which the ultra violet light is portable.
  10. 10. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 8, when appendant to claim 6 or 7, in which the ultra violet light is connected to the robot.
  11. 1]. A method of producing a three dimensional image including the steps of dispensing a curable resin from dispensing means onto a substrate, controlling the means for dispensing in accordance with a predetermined program to produce a resin image and curing the resin dispensed in order to produce a cured image on the substrate.
  12. 12. A method of producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 11, in which the means for dispensing is controlled by a robot which is controlled in l 5 turn by a computer programmed to produce the desired image.
  13. 13. A method of producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 12, in which image data is converted into a series of X-Y coordinates.
  14. 14. A method of producing a three dimensional image as claimed in claim 13, in which the coordinate data is converted by robotic software into a series of commands which are uploaded to the robot to effect the desired movement.
  15. 15. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image substantially as hereinbefore described with referenced to the accompanying drawing.
  16. 16. A method of producing a three dimensional image substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB0307053A 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate Withdrawn GB2400077A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0307053A GB2400077A (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0307053A GB2400077A (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0307053D0 GB0307053D0 (en) 2003-04-30
GB2400077A true GB2400077A (en) 2004-10-06

Family

ID=9955631

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0307053A Withdrawn GB2400077A (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Apparatus for producing a three dimensional image on a substrate

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2400077A (en)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2233928A (en) * 1989-05-23 1991-01-23 Brother Ind Ltd Forming an article from computer controlled jet of photosetting resin droplets.
US5424822A (en) * 1992-08-27 1995-06-13 Daniels; John J. Three-dimensional color image printer
US5512122A (en) * 1991-10-17 1996-04-30 Luminart Inc. Printing method
US6164850A (en) * 1996-06-04 2000-12-26 Speakman; Stuart 3D printing and forming of structures

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2233928A (en) * 1989-05-23 1991-01-23 Brother Ind Ltd Forming an article from computer controlled jet of photosetting resin droplets.
US5512122A (en) * 1991-10-17 1996-04-30 Luminart Inc. Printing method
US5424822A (en) * 1992-08-27 1995-06-13 Daniels; John J. Three-dimensional color image printer
US6164850A (en) * 1996-06-04 2000-12-26 Speakman; Stuart 3D printing and forming of structures

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0307053D0 (en) 2003-04-30

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)