JP2003305832A - Printer having mechanism for adjusting angle of inkjet head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer having a mechanism for adjusting an angle of an inkjet head carried on a carriage that can control a printing resolution of a pattern layer in accordance with a viscosity of ink to be ejected from a plurality of nozzles and a magnitude of a surface tension of the ink on a medium by adjusting the inclined angle of the inkjet head with respect to the moving direction of the carriage, the pattern layer being printed on the surface of the medium by ink drops ejected from the plurality of nozzles arranged in a vertical direction at the lower face of the inkjet head. <P>SOLUTION: A rotary table 60 which can be rotated in the forward and reverse directions within a predetermined angle on a plane parallel to a top face of a table 10 is mounted on the carriage 30 and the inkjet head 50 is mounted on the rotary table 60. The inclined angle of the inkjet head 50 with respect to the moving direction of the carriage 30 can be adjusted by rotating the rotary table 60 at a predetermined angle in the forward or reverse direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surface of a medium (print medium) mounted on a table, a pattern layer composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots, a coating layer,
The present invention relates to a printing device that prints characters or pictures.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the above printing apparatus, while a carriage is traveling above a medium mounted on a table upper surface in a horizontal (X) direction parallel to the table upper surface, nozzles lined up on a lower surface of an inkjet head carried by the carriage are used. 2. Description of the Related Art A printing apparatus is known that ejects ink droplets and relatively moves the carriage above a medium mounted on a table upper surface in a vertical (Y) direction parallel to the table upper surface. According to this printing apparatus, ink droplets are ejected at a predetermined timing from each of a plurality of nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head carried by the carriage while the carriage is traveling above the medium in the horizontal direction parallel to the upper surface of the table. Can be made. Then, the ink droplets can be landed in a dot shape on a predetermined portion of the surface of the medium mounted on the table.
Then, on the medium surface, a pattern layer, a coating layer, which is composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots having a vertical length of a plurality of nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head,
A part of a character or a picture can be printed in a horizontal strip shape.
Then, the carriage can be relatively moved in the vertical direction parallel to the table upper surface above the medium mounted on the table upper surface by the length of the plurality of nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head in the substantially vertical (Y) direction. Then, in the same manner as described above, while the carriage is traveling in the lateral direction parallel to the table upper surface above the medium, ink droplets are ejected at predetermined timing from each of the plurality of nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head carried by the carriage. Can be jetted. Then, on the surface of the medium, a part of a pattern layer, a coating layer, a character or a pictorial diagram, which is composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots having a vertical length of a plurality of nozzles lined up on the lower surface of the inkjet head, is added to the above-mentioned pattern layer. , A coating layer, a part of a character or a picture may be continuously printed in a strip shape in the horizontal direction. Thereafter, by repeating the same steps, it is possible to continuously print a pattern layer, a coating layer, a character or a pictorial diagram composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots in the longitudinal direction of the medium surface.

When a pattern layer, a coating layer, etc. other than characters or pictures is printed on the surface of a medium such as a glass plate by using this printing apparatus, various chemicals are applied to the ink ejected from the nozzle of the ink jet head. Inks containing chemicals or inks containing chemicals are often used. In that case, if the inkjet head is formed from a normal plastic member,
The ink jet head is eroded by the ink and its function is destroyed. Therefore, in the case of ejecting the ink containing the various chemicals or the ink containing the chemicals from the nozzle of the inkjet head, the inkjet head includes the ink containing the chemicals or the chemicals containing the chemicals. An ink jet head formed by using a chemical resistant member such as ceramic or glass that is not corroded by the ink is used.

By the way, fine processing of chemical resistant members such as ceramics and glass is extremely difficult as compared with ordinary plastic members. Therefore, the diameter and pitch of the nozzles formed side by side on the lower surface of the inkjet head made of the chemical-resistant member, the diameter of the nozzles formed side by side on the lower surface of the inkjet head made of plastic member and the pitch of the nozzles. It will be bigger than. The amount of ink droplets ejected at one time from the large-diameter nozzles formed side by side on the lower surface of the ink jet head made of the chemical resistant member is, for example, 80.
It becomes a picoliter. Incidentally, the amount of ink droplets ejected at one time from the small diameter nozzles formed side by side on the lower surface of the inkjet head made of a plastic member is, for example, 2 to 8 picoliters. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the inkjet head 50 made of the chemical resistant member is carried on the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage (not shown) as usual. Then, when ink droplets are ejected onto the surface of the medium 20 from each of the plurality of large-diameter nozzles 52 arranged at a coarse pitch in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head, as shown in FIG. The gap H is wide between the longitudinal (Y) directions of the adjacent ink dots 54 landed on the surface 20. Then, a plurality of ink dots 54 are formed in the vertical (Y) direction on the surface of the medium 20.
It is not possible to form a pattern layer, coating layer, etc. consisting of the above array continuously without any gap and be beautiful. The reason is that the length (Y) of the dot 54 of the ink that has landed on the surface of the medium 20.
This is because the pitch in the direction becomes too coarse. As a means for solving such a problem, as shown in FIG. 8, a method is known in which the inkjet head 50 is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage and is carried by the carriage. There is. According to this method
As shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of nozzles 52 arranged at a coarse pitch in the vertical direction of the lower surface of the inkjet head inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage ejects the droplets to land on the surface of the medium 20. The gap H in the vertical (Y) direction between the adjacent ink dots 54 can be reduced to zero or close to zero. In other words, the pitch of the ink dots 54 landed on the surface of the medium 20 in the vertical (Y) direction can be narrowed. Then, the ink droplets ejected from each of the plurality of nozzles 52 arranged at a coarse pitch in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head continuously form a pattern layer, a coating layer, and the like having no gap in the vertical (Y) direction on the surface of the medium 20. You can print beautifully. In other words, the print resolution in the vertical (Y) direction can be maintained at a predetermined level. 9 and 10, the alternate long and short dash line indicates the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head.

[0005]

However, in a printing apparatus in which the above-mentioned ink jet head 50 is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage and carried by the carriage, the type of ink used for the printing apparatus is different, When the type of the medium used is different, the space between the adjacent ink dots 54 landing on the surface of the medium 20 does not become zero or close to zero, and the adjacent landing on the surface of the medium 20 does not become zero. There may be a gap H between the matching ink dots 54 in the vertical (Y) direction, or conversely, the adjacent ink dots 54 landing on the surface of the medium 20 may overlap with each other in the vertical (Y) direction. I got it. Specifically, if the viscosity of the ink used in the printing device is high, or if the surface tension of the media used in the printing device with respect to the ink is large, the vertical direction of the lower surface of the inkjet head The dot diameter of the ink ejected from the aligned nozzles 52 to land on the medium surface becomes smaller than a desired value, and a gap H is formed between the adjacent ink dots 54 landed on the surface of the medium 20 in the vertical (Y) direction. I missed it. Conversely, when the viscosity of the ink used in the printing apparatus is low or the surface tension of the medium used in the printing apparatus with respect to the ink is small, the ink jet heads are arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface. The dot diameter of the ink ejected from the nozzle 52 and landed on the medium surface is larger than a desired value, and the adjacent ink dots 54 landed on the medium 20 surface overlap each other in the vertical (Y) direction. Oops. Then, the amount of ink used for the pattern layer, the coating layer, and the like, which is composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots to be printed on the surface of the medium, has been unnecessarily consumed.

Therefore, as a result of earnest research, the present inventor has, in order to solve such a problem, incline the ink jet head 50 made of a chemical resistant member carried on the carriage with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage. A means for adjusting the angle is provided to adjust the inclination angle of the inkjet head 50 with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage according to the type of ink and the type of medium used in the printing apparatus. I thought it was good. And
Developed a printing device with variable print resolution in the vertical (Y) direction, equipped with an inkjet head angle adjustment mechanism that adjusts the inclination angle of the inkjet head 50 made of the chemical resistant member with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage. did.

That is, according to the present invention, a printing apparatus capable of varying print resolution is provided with an inkjet head angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting the inclination angle of the inkjet head carried on the carriage with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage (hereinafter referred to as "printing device"). , A printing device).

[0008]

In order to achieve such an object, the printing apparatus of the present invention causes a carriage to run in a lateral (X) direction parallel to a table upper surface above a medium mounted on the table upper surface. Meanwhile, ink droplets are ejected from nozzles lined up on the lower surface of the inkjet head carried by the carriage, or the carriage is relatively moved above the medium mounted on the table upper surface in a vertical (Y) direction parallel to the table upper surface. In a printing device that moves or moves to print a pattern layer, coating layer, characters or pictorial diagram consisting of an array of a plurality of ink dots on the surface of the medium, rotate on a plane parallel to the upper surface of the table by a predetermined angle The carriage is provided with a rotary table for supporting the inkjet head on the rotary table. The table in forward and reverse rotated by a predetermined angle, and characterized in that to be able to vary the printing resolution by adjusting the angle of inclination of the ink jet head with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage.

In this printing apparatus, the rotary table provided on the carriage can be rotated forward and backward by a predetermined angle on a plane parallel to the upper surface of the table on which the medium is mounted. Then, the inkjet head carried on the rotary table can be rotated forward and backward by a predetermined angle on a plane parallel to the table upper surface with respect to the carriage provided with the rotary table. Then, the inclination angle of the inkjet head with respect to the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage is determined by the type of ink used in the printing apparatus.
The size can be adjusted according to the type of media. And
Even if the type of ink used in the printing device is different or the type of media used in the printing device is different, it is ejected from the nozzles arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head to land on the surface of the medium. Distance H between matching ink dots in the vertical (Y) direction
Can be at or near zero. Then, the print resolution in the vertical (Y) direction can be maintained at a predetermined level.

In the printing apparatus of the present invention, at the end of the traveling path of the carriage for traveling in the lateral direction parallel to the upper surface of the table, wiping is performed for wiping the nozzle tips aligned with the lower surface of the ink jet head carried by the carriage. An apparatus, an ink tray for receiving ink droplets to be ejected from nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head, and a capping device that covers the periphery of the nozzle arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head to prevent the ink in the nozzle from drying. The wiping device, the ink receiving tray, and the capping device are provided in accordance with the inclination angle of the inkjet head that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage, and the plane parallel to the table upper surface is normally or reversely determined. Rotate it at an angle to place it in the direction of carriage travel. It is to be preferred to be provided with a rotating means for angular tilt structure.

In this printing apparatus, the wiping device, the ink tray, and the capping device, which are provided at the end of the traveling path of the carriage, are placed on the plane parallel to the upper surface of the table on which the medium is mounted. It can be rotated in the forward and reverse directions by a predetermined angle. Then, the wiping device, the ink tray, and the capping device are rotated forward and backward by a predetermined angle, and the carriage travels in accordance with the tilt angle of the inkjet head that is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the carriage travel direction. It can be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction. And
When the inkjet head inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage is moved to the end of the traveling path of the carriage together with the carriage carrying the head, the inkjet head is inclined at a predetermined angle according to the inclination angle of the inkjet head. With this wiping device, the nozzle tips aligned in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head are precisely wiped, or the nozzle trays that are inclined at a predetermined angle according to the inclination angle of the inkjet head are aligned in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head. It properly receives the ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles without leaking it, and it properly covers the circumference of the nozzles arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head by a capping device that is inclined at a predetermined angle according to the inclination angle of the inkjet head. The ink in the nozzle It to 燥 can Dari reliably prevented.

[0012]

1 to 5 show a preferred embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure thereof, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic structure thereof. Three
Is a plan view of the carriage, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are bottom views of the carriage. The printing apparatus will be described below.

In this printing apparatus, the carriage 30 is carried on the upper surface of the table 10 facing the XY direction while the carriage 30 is running in the lateral (X) direction parallel to the upper surface of the table 10. Ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50, or the carriage 30 is moved to the table 10.
By moving the upper side of the medium 20 mounted on the upper surface in the vertical (Y) direction parallel to the upper surface of the table 10, the medium 2 is moved.
It has a structure in which a pattern layer, a coating layer, a character or a picture, which is composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots, is printed on the 0 surface.

In this printing apparatus, an X-axis guide rail 14 and a Y-axis guide rail 16 intersect each other at right angles on the base 12 in the horizontal (X) direction and the vertical (Y) direction. It is arranged. Carriage 30 is X
It is supported by the shaft guide rail 14 and is configured to be able to travel in the lateral (X) direction along the X-axis guide rail. The X-axis guide rail 14 is supported by the Y-axis guide rail 16 and is configured to be movable in the vertical (Y) direction along the Y-axis guide rail. The carriage 30 supported by the X-axis guide rail 14 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Y-axis guide rail 16
The table 10 is fixed on the base 12.

The above construction is similar to that of the conventional printing apparatus described above, but in this printing apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the XY parallel to the upper surface of the table 10 is used.
A rotary table 60 that rotates a plane forward and backward by a predetermined angle.
Are provided on the lower surface of the carriage 30. And
An inkjet head 50 made of a chemical resistant material such as ceramic or glass is carried on the rotary table 60 with its tip of the nozzles 52 arranged on the lower surface thereof exposed downward. Then, the rotary table 60 is rotated forward and backward by a predetermined angle, and the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage 30 of the inkjet head 50 carried on the carriage 30.
The tilt angle with respect to is adjustable. A fine adjustment screw 62 with a vernier scale is attached to the side of the rotary table 60. The fine adjustment screw 62 is configured to easily and accurately finely adjust the rotation angle of the rotary table 60.

The printing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is
In the printing apparatus configured as described above, the rotary table 60 provided on the carriage 30.
Can be rotated forward and backward by a predetermined angle on an XY plane parallel to the upper surface of the table 10. Then, the inkjet head 50 carried on the rotary table 60 is moved in the XY direction parallel to the upper surface of the table 10 with respect to the carriage 30.
It is possible to rotate a plane by a predetermined angle in the reverse direction. Then, the inclination angle of the inkjet head 50 with respect to the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage 30 can be adjusted to be large or small according to the type of ink used in the printing apparatus and the type of the medium 20. Even if the type of ink used in the printing device is different, or the type of the medium 20 used in the printing device is different,
An interval H between adjacent ink dots 54 that are ejected from the nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 and landed on the surface of the medium 20 in the vertical (Y) direction.
Can be zero or close to zero, as shown in FIG. Then, it is possible to continuously and beautifully print in the longitudinal (Y) direction of the surface of the medium 20 without forming a gap between the pattern layer and the coating layer and without wasting ink. In other words, the print resolution in the vertical (Y) direction can be maintained at a predetermined level.

In this printing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, the carriage 30 is provided at the end of the traveling path of the carriage 30 which is caused to travel in the lateral direction parallel to the upper surface of the table 10.
The tip of the nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 carried by the
2 Wiping device 70 for removing dust and the like adhering to the tip of the nozzle 52 and ensuring smooth ejection of ink droplets from the tip of the nozzle 52, and nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 carried by the carriage 30. Ink receiving tray 80 that receives the ink droplets for the trial ejection for continuously ejecting the ink droplets from the nozzles 52 by performing the trial ejection of the ink droplets, and the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 carried by the carriage 30 It is advisable to provide a capping device 90 that covers the periphery of the nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction and prevents the ink in the nozzles 52 from drying. The wiping device may have a structure in which, for example, a rubber plate 72 for wiping the tips of the nozzles 52 arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 is reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. The ink tray 80 and the capping device 90 are, for example, the nozzles 5 arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50.
Inside the bowl-shaped cap 92 that continuously covers the periphery of 2,
It is preferable that the cap 92, on which the mat 94 that receives and absorbs the ink droplets test-jetted from the nozzle 52 is laid, is configured to move up and down. Then, the wiping device 70, the ink tray 80, and the capping device 9
0 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the forward and reverse directions on the XY plane parallel to the upper surface of the table 10 in accordance with the inclination angle of the inkjet head 50 that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 30. It is preferable to include a rotating unit 100 that inclines a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction. The rotating means 100 of the wiping device 70 is, for example, the base 1
It is preferable that the wiping device 70 is formed on the rotary table 102 that is rotatably supported in the forward and reverse directions on the XY plane. Similarly, the rotating means 100 of the capping device 90 that also serves as the ink tray 80 supports the capping device 90 on the base 12, for example, on the rotary table 104 that rotatably supports the cap 12 on the XY plane. And form it.

In this case, the wiping device 70, the ink receiving tray 80, and the capping device 90 provided at the end of the traveling path of the carriage 30 are rotated in parallel with the upper surface of the table 10 on which the medium 20 is mounted by the rotating means 100. It is possible to rotate the X-Y plane by a predetermined angle in the reverse direction. Then, the wiping device 70, the ink tray 80, and the capping device 90 are attached to the rotary table 6.
It is possible to rotate 0 in the forward and reverse directions by a predetermined angle and tilt it by a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 30 in accordance with the tilt angle of the inkjet head 50 that is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 30. Then, when the inkjet head 50 inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 30 is moved to the end of the traveling path of the carriage 30 together with the carriage 30 carrying the head, the inclination of the inkjet head 50 is increased. Wiping device 70 tilted at a predetermined angle according to the angle
Thus, the tips of the nozzles 52 aligned in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 are accurately wiped by the rubber plate 72, or the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 is attached to the ink receiving tray 80 that is inclined at a predetermined angle according to the inclination angle of the inkjet head 50. Of the nozzles 52 arranged in the vertical direction of the inkjet head 50 are accurately received without leaking, or the capping device 90 is tilted at a predetermined angle according to the tilt angle of the inkjet head 50, so that the lower surface of the inkjet head 50 is vertically aligned. The periphery of the nozzles 52 arranged in line can be accurately covered, and the ink in the nozzles 52 can be reliably prevented from drying.

In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the medium 20 is moved in the vertical (Y) direction on the upper surface of the table 10 without providing the Y-axis guide rail 16 so that the carriage 30 is above the medium 20 mounted on the upper surface of the table 10. The present invention can also be used for a printing apparatus of a type that relatively moves the printer in the vertical (Y) direction.

[0020]

As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the inclination angle of the inkjet head carried on the carriage with respect to the traveling direction (X direction) of the carriage is determined by the ink used in the printing apparatus. The size can be adjusted depending on the type and the type of medium used in the printing apparatus. Even if the type of ink used in the printing device is different or the type of media used in the printing device is different, the ink is ejected from the nozzles arranged in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the inkjet head to land on the surface of the medium. The interval H between the adjacent ink dots in the vertical (Y) direction can be set to zero or a state close thereto. Then, in the vertical (Y) direction of the media surface,
It is possible to continuously and beautifully print a pattern layer, a coating layer, etc. without leaving a gap and without wasting ink. In other words, the print resolution in the vertical (Y) direction can be maintained at a predetermined level.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a carriage of the printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the carriage of the printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the carriage of the printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement state of inkjet heads of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement state of inkjet heads of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an array state of ink dots landed on the surface of a medium using a printing apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement state of ink dots landed on the surface of a medium using a printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 tables 20 media 30 carriage 50 inkjet head 52 nozzles 54 ink dots 60 turntable 70 Wiping device 80 ink tray 90 capping device 100 rotation means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ink droplet is ejected from nozzles lined up on a lower surface of an inkjet head carried by the carriage while the carriage travels in the lateral direction parallel to the table upper surface above a medium mounted on the table upper surface. By moving the carriage above the medium mounted on the upper surface of the table relatively in the vertical direction parallel to the upper surface of the table, a pattern layer, a coating layer, characters or a pattern formed of an array of a plurality of ink dots on the medium surface. In a printing apparatus for printing a drawing, the carriage is provided with a rotary table for rotating a plane parallel to the upper surface of the table forward and backward by a predetermined angle, and the inkjet head is carried on the rotary table, and the rotary table is rotated forward and backward. The specified angle to the ink jet in the running direction of the carriage. Printing apparatus with a jet head angle adjusting mechanism, characterized in that the print resolution can be variably by adjusting the inclination angle of the Toheddo. 2. A wiping device for wiping a nozzle tip lined up on a lower surface of the inkjet head carried by the carriage at an end portion of a traveling path of a carriage which travels in a lateral direction parallel to the upper surface of the table. An ink tray for receiving ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles arranged on the lower surface, and a capping device that covers the periphery of the nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head to prevent the ink in the nozzles from drying, are provided. , The ink tray, and the capping device in accordance with the inclination angle of the inkjet head inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage,
The printing apparatus with an inkjet head angle adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating unit that rotates a plane parallel to the upper surface of the table forward and backward by a predetermined angle to incline the carriage by a predetermined angle.