JP2009137218A - Screen printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a screen printing device showing high productivity and achieving a low cost without a waste of paste by solving a problem of a paste pool. <P>SOLUTION: The printing is conducted by supplying the paste 2 on a screen mask 1 overlapped on an object 3, thinning and spreading the paste 2 for coating by a scraper 4 and pushing the paste 2 to the object 3 through the screen mask 1 by a squeegee 5. A control means 7 can operate the device in a paste-gathering mode. In the paste-gathering mode, the scraper 4 starts to move from a paste-gathering position more remote from a print area than a squeegee-movement ending position, and the squeegee 5 starts to move from a paste-gathering position more remote from the print area than the scraper-movement ending position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The invention of the present application relates to a screen printing apparatus.

Since screen printing apparatuses can perform high-definition printing at high speed, they are actively used in various industrial fields. Recently, as introduced in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-76183, a screen printing apparatus is also used in manufacturing a display device such as a plasma display.
JP 2006-76183 A

Such a screen printing apparatus is required to improve productivity, that is, the printing speed and reduce the printing cost. From this point of view, the conventional screen printing apparatus has the following problems.
13 and 14 are diagrams showing the problems of the conventional screen printing apparatus. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view, and FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view.
In a screen printing apparatus, usually, a plate (hereinafter referred to as a screen plate) 1 is in a horizontal posture and is superimposed on an object 3. A paste-like ink (hereinafter simply referred to as paste) 2 is placed on the screen plate 1 and thinly stretched. This thin extension is referred to as a coat in this specification. Screen printing is performed by pressing the coated paste 2 toward the object 3.

More specifically, the screen printing apparatus includes a scraper 4 as a member that coats the paste 2 and a squeegee 5 as a member that presses the coated paste 2. The pressing of the coated paste 2 is called squeezing in this specification.
As shown in FIG. 14, the screen plate 1 is fixed to a rectangular frame (hereinafter, screen frame) 11. A square printing area 12 is set on the screen plate 1. The printing area 12 is set as an area where the coating and squeezing of the paste 2 is performed at least in this area. The print area 12 includes an area (hereinafter referred to as a pattern area) 13 on which a pattern to be transferred is drawn. Although the print area 12 and the pattern area 13 may be the same, the print area 12 is usually larger than the pattern area 13 and includes a margin outside the pattern area 13.

Both the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are long strip-shaped members that function as a kind of spatula. Both the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are arranged along one side of the square of the screen frame 11. The scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are arranged in parallel at a narrow interval.
The scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 each have a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves linearly in the direction of the other side of the square of the screen frame 11 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that adjusts the distance from the screen plate 1. It is attached.

  The printing method using the conventional apparatus will be described. First, the paste 2 is placed on the screen plate 1. Then, after the scraper 4 is positioned at a height close to the screen plate 1 by the lifting mechanism, the scraper 4 is moved by the moving mechanism, and the coating of the paste 2 is performed as shown in FIG. After the scraper 4 is moved from one end of the rectangular printing region 12 to the other end on the opposite side and coating is performed, the scraper 4 is raised and the squeegee 5 is lowered to abut the screen plate 1. . Then, squeegee 5 is moved from the other end to one end to perform squeezing. At this time, the tip of the squeegee 5 moves while pressing the screen plate 1 against the object 3, and the paste 2 is also pressed against the object 3 through the screen plate 1. As a result, the paste 2 adheres to the object 3 with the pattern formed in the print region 12, and printing is performed.

  In such screen printing, whether it is coated or squeezed, the paste 2 is scraped out, so that the paste 2 is wasted. That is, when the scraper 4 is moved from one end to the other end of the printing region 12 and coated with the paste 2, the remaining paste 2 (hereinafter referred to as paste pool) 22 is placed on the tip of the scraper 4 stopped at the other end. Is formed. When the squeegee 5 is moved from the other end to one end and squeezing is performed, a paste pool 21 is also formed at the other end.

Printing on one object 3 ends with the forward movement of the scraper 4 and the backward movement of the squeegee 5, but the paste pools 21, 22 increase each time printing (reciprocating movement of the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5) is repeated. . If a large amount of paste pools 21 and 22 remain formed, the amount of paste 2 that is wasted increases. Therefore, the operator manually returns the paste pool to the printing area 12 after repeating printing a certain number of times. I am doing. This work is troublesome and must be performed after the apparatus is stopped, which causes a decrease in productivity. In addition, some pastes deteriorate when accumulated in the paste pool for a long time. In this case, it is necessary to frequently perform the work of returning the paste. Therefore, it becomes a cause that productivity falls more.
The invention of the present application has been made in order to solve such problems, and provides a low-cost screen printing apparatus that increases productivity by solving the problem of paste accumulation and does not waste paste. It is an issue.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is directed to superimposing a horizontal screen plate on an object, coating a paste on a printing region set in the screen plate, and applying the coated paste to the screen. A screen printing apparatus that prints a pattern of a printing area by performing squeezing that presses against an object through a plate,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism moves the scraper to a scraper movement end position which is an end of the printing area or a position ahead of the print area.
The squeegee moving mechanism is for moving the squeegee to the end of the printing area or the squeegee movement end position which is the position ahead of the printing area,
The control means can control the scraper moving mechanism to start the movement of the scraper after setting the scraper paste gathering position as the scraper movement start position.
The scraper paste gathering position is a position farther from the printing area than the scraper movement finishing position in the previous coating or the squeegee movement finishing position in the previous squeezing, and the scraper paste gathering position and the end of the printing area The paste is formed at a position where it can be brought close to the print area.
In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that a screen plate in a horizontal posture is superimposed on an object, a paste is coated on a printing region set in the screen plate, and the coated paste is applied to the screen. A screen printing apparatus that prints a pattern of a printing area by performing squeezing that presses against an object through a plate,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism moves the scraper to a scraper movement end position which is an end of the printing area or a position ahead of the print area.
The squeegee moving mechanism is for moving the squeegee to the end of the printing area or the squeegee movement end position which is the position ahead of the printing area,
The control means can control the squeegee moving mechanism to start the movement of the squeegee after setting the squeegee paste close position as the squeegee movement start position,
The squeegee paste position is a position farther from the printing area than the squeegee movement end position at the previous squeezing or the scraper movement end position at the previous coating, and the position between this position and the end of the printing area. It has a configuration in which the paste pool formed therebetween can be brought to the printing area.
In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that a screen plate in a horizontal posture is superimposed on an object, a paste is coated on a printing area set in the screen plate, and the coated paste is applied to the screen. A screen printing apparatus that prints a pattern of a printing area by performing squeezing that presses against an object through a plate,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism has a scraper as a scraper movement start position at a first end portion of the print area or a position in front of the first and a second end portion on the opposite side or a position before the scraper movement end position. Move the scraper,
The squeegee moving mechanism moves the squeegee with the second end of the printing area or a position before the squeegee moving start position as the squeegee moving end position. Yes, it is a device that performs printing once by one reciprocating movement consisting of the forward movement of the scraper and the backward movement of the squeegee,
The control means can control the squeegee movement mechanism so as to start the movement of the squeegee after setting the squeegee paste gathering position as the squeegee paste start position, and sets the scraper paste gather position as the scraper movement start position. Can start moving the scraper,
The squeegee paste position is a position farther from the printing area than the scraper movement end position, and the position where the paste pool formed between this position and the end of the printing area can be moved to the printing area. And
The scraper paste gathering position is a position farther from the printing area than the squeegee movement end position, and a position where the paste pool formed between this position and the end of the printing area can be brought to the printing area. It has the structure of being.

  As described below, according to the invention of each claim of the present application, since the paste pool formed outside the printing area is brought to the printing area by the scraper or the squeegee, low-cost printing without waste of paste can be performed. It becomes possible. Further, since it is not necessary for the operator to return the paste in the paste pool to the printing area, productivity is not reduced.

Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described.
First, the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a screen printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a scraper 4 and a squeegee 5 as in the conventional apparatus. The screen plate 1 in a horizontal posture is superposed on the object 3 to coat the paste 2 and squeezing is performed. In this way, the apparatus prints the pattern in the print area 12.

  This apparatus moves the scraper 4 along the screen plate 1 to move the scraper 4 to coat the paste 2 and moves the squeegee along the coated screen plate 1 coated with the paste 2. A squeegee moving mechanism that causes the squeegee 5 to perform squeezing, a scraper lifting mechanism 41 that adjusts the distance of the scraper 4 to the screen plate 1, and a squeegee lifting mechanism 51 that adjusts the distance of the squeegee 5 to the screen plate 1. I have.

Similarly, the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are long spatula-shaped members and have a length slightly longer than the depth of the printing region 12. Both the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are arranged in parallel along the direction of one side of the square of the screen frame 11 and are arranged side by side at a narrow interval.
The scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 is a mechanism for adjusting the distance to the screen plate 1 by raising and lowering the scraper 4. The squeegee elevating mechanism 51 is a mechanism for adjusting the distance to the screen plate 1 by elevating the squeegee 5. As the scraper elevating mechanism 41 and the squeegee elevating mechanism 51, a mechanism using a servo motor and a precision screw can be employed. It is possible to employ a configuration in which the precision screw is arranged in a vertical posture, the driven body meshing with the precision screw is provided with a rotation stopper, and the rotation of the precision screw is converted into the elevation of the driven body. The scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are fixed to the driven body, and the position of the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 in the vertical direction is controlled by rotating the precision screw by a servo motor and controlling the rotation angle.

In the present embodiment, the scraper moving mechanism and the squeegee moving mechanism are combined with one mechanism 6. This mechanism is simply called a moving mechanism. The moving mechanism 6 can also employ a mechanism using a servo motor and a precision screw. The precision guide is arranged so as to extend horizontally, and the linear guide is arranged so as to extend in parallel at the same height. A configuration is adopted in which the driven body is engaged with a precision screw and guided by a linear guide. The scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 and the squeegee raising / lowering mechanism 51 are fixed to the driven body, and the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are moved in the horizontal direction together with these mechanisms.
The moving direction by the moving mechanism 6 is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the length direction of the scraper 4 or the squeegee 5 (the direction of the other side of the square of the screen frame 11). In the present embodiment, the moving direction is the left-right direction on the paper surface of FIG.

  In addition, the apparatus includes a control unit 7 that controls each mechanism. The control means 7 is a computer including an arithmetic processing unit (processor), a storage unit (memory), an input unit, an interface, and the like. A control program is installed in the storage unit of the control means 7. This control program is a kind of sequence control program, and is a program for controlling each mechanism to operate in a predetermined sequence.

  The apparatus includes a paste dispenser (not shown). The paste dispenser is a mechanism that supplies a predetermined amount of paste 2 onto the printing area 12 of the screen plate 1. In addition, a mechanism for supplying the object 3 directly below the screen plate 1 is provided. Although this mechanism differs depending on the object 3, for example, if the object 3 is paper, a mechanism for supplying paper by roll-to-roll is provided. The apparatus also includes a sensor (not shown) that confirms that the object 3 is placed at a predetermined position with respect to the screen plate 1.

  The apparatus of this embodiment is characterized by a control program provided in the control means 7. The apparatus of the present embodiment can operate in two modes, a normal mode and a paste feeding mode. 2 to 4 are flowcharts showing an outline of a control program provided in the control means 7. Among these, FIG. 2 schematically shows the entire control program, FIG. 3 shows a flowchart in the normal mode, and FIG. 4 shows a flowchart in the paste feeding mode. As shown in FIG. 2, the control program is programmed so that printing in the normal mode is performed a predetermined number of times and then printing is performed once in the paste feeding mode.

The normal mode and the paste feeding mode will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing the operation state in the normal mode, and FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing the operation state in the paste feeding mode.
First, the control program in the normal mode will be described with reference to FIGS.
When the apparatus starts printing, the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are located at a predetermined origin position near one end of the printing area 12. This position may be the end on either side of the printing area 12, but for example, the vicinity of the left end is set as the origin position as shown in FIG. Further, the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are both positioned above the screen plate 1 at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as standby height).

  When it is confirmed by a signal from a sensor (not shown) that the object 3 is located at a predetermined position, the control program issues an operation command to the paste dispenser. Thereby, the paste 2 is deposited on the screen plate 1 as shown in FIG. Next, the control program sends a control signal to the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 to position the scraper 4 at a predetermined height below (FIG. 5 (2)). This height is the height of the scraper 4 when the paste 2 is coated, and is hereinafter referred to as the coat height. Note that the squeegee 5 is maintained at the standby height. The coat height is a position where the lower end of the scraper 4 is slightly higher than the screen plate 1, but the position where the lower end of the scraper 4 is in contact with the screen plate 1 may be the coat height.

  The control program controls the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 to maintain the scraper 4 at the coat height, and in the state where the squeegee 5 is maintained at the standby height, sends an operation command to the moving mechanism 6 and performs a predetermined stroke (hereinafter referred to as coat). The scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are moved only by the stroke). The coating stroke is a distance for the scraper 4 to move from one end of the printing region 12 to the opposite end.

As shown in FIG. 5 (3), the scraper 4 spreads the paste 2 and moves the paste 2 thinly by the movement of the coating stroke, and the coating of the paste 2 is performed.
As shown in FIG. 5A, when printing is started, the squeegee 5 is located above the origin position, and the scraper 4 is located at the origin position by the distance (D) from the squeegee 5. Start moving from before. Accordingly, the movement start position of the scraper 4 in the normal mode mode is a position where the distance D from the end of the printing area 12 is troublesome, and the coating stroke is a distance obtained by adding the distance D to the width W of the printing area 12. Further, the movement end position of the scraper 4 is an end portion on the opposite side of the printing region 12.

  After stopping the scraper 4, the control program sends a control signal to the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 to raise the scraper 4 to be positioned at the standby height. At the same time, the control program sends a control signal to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to position the squeegee 5 at a predetermined height below (FIG. 5 (4)). As shown in FIG. 5 (4), this height is a position where the lower end of the squeegee 5 comes into contact with the screen plate 1 and slightly presses the screen plate 1. This height is called squeezing height.

The control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 so that the squeegee 5 is positioned at the squeegee height, and the scraper 4 is positioned at the standby height. Hereinafter, only the squeezing stroke) is moved. This squeezing stroke is a distance that allows the lower end of the squeegee 5 to reach the left end of the printing area 12 as shown in FIG. During this movement, the lower end of the squeegee 5 is in a state of pressing the paste 2 toward the object 3 and squeezing is performed.
As can be seen from FIG. 5 (3), the position at which the squeegee 5 starts squeezing is a time-consuming position by a distance D from the end of the printing region 12. Therefore, the squeezing stroke is also the width W + distance D of the printing area 12 and is equal to the coating stroke.

  Thereafter, the control program sends a control signal to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to raise the squeegee 5 and position it at the standby height. Thus, a series of operations for one printing is completed. When the printed object 3 is discharged and the next object 3 is located at a predetermined position directly below the screen plate 1, and the sensor detects this, the control program repeats the same steps.

  Next, the paste feeding mode will be described with reference to FIGS. In the pasting mode, only the movement start position of the scraper 4 and the movement start position of the squeegee 5 are different, and the other steps are the same as in the normal mode. However, as described above, the paste gathering mode is performed after printing in the normal mode is repeated several times. Therefore, as described in the background art section, it is assumed that paste pools 21 and 22 are formed on both sides of the screen plate 1.

  First, the state shown in FIG. 6A is the state shown in FIG. 5D. In the normal mode, the squeegeeing is completed (that is, one printing is finished), and the squeegee 5 is set to the standby height. Returned. From this state, the control program first sends a control signal to the paste dispenser to supply the paste.

  Next, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 in a direction away from the printing region 12 (in this case, to the left) by a predetermined distance L1 (FIG. 6 (2)). Next, the control program sends a control signal to the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41, lowers the scraper 4 from this position, and positions it at the coat height ((3) in FIG. 6). Then, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 together by a predetermined coating stroke toward the right. The scraper 4 stops at the movement end position set at the right end of the printing area 12 (FIG. 6 (4)). During this movement, the paste 2 is coated by the scraper 4. The stop position of the scraper 4 at this time is the same as the stop position in the normal mode shown in FIG. Thereafter, the control program sends a control signal to the scraper elevating mechanism 41 to return the scraper 4 to the standby height (FIG. 6 (5)). As can be seen from FIGS. 6 (2) to (4), the coating stroke in the paste gathering mode is the width W of the printing region 12 + the separation distance D + the distance L1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (6), the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 by a predetermined distance L 2 in a direction away from the printing area 12. Then, the control program sends a control signal to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to lower the squeegee 5 and position it at the squeegeeing height (FIG. 6 (6)). In this state, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 from the right to the left by a predetermined squeezing stroke (FIG. 6 (7)). In this case, the movement end position of the squeegee 5 is the same as the movement end position in the normal mode. Squeezing is performed by this movement, and printing on the object 3 is performed. As can be seen from FIGS. 6 (6) and 7 (7), the squeezing stroke in the paste shifting mode is the width W of the printing region 12 + the separation distance D + the distance L 2.

  As can be seen from the above description, the paste gathering mode is a mode in which the scraper 4 is moved to a position before the normal when performing coating, and the squeegee 5 is set to a position before normal when performing squeezing. It is a mode to move after positioning. The scraper 4 brings the paste pool formed at the time of squeezing to the printing area 12 by moving it after being positioned in front, and the squeegee 5 moves the paste pool formed at the time of coating to the printing area 12. Will be sent to.

As can be seen from the above description, in the paste gathering mode, the scraper 4 is retracted by L1 (moved in a direction away from the printing area 12) prior to coating, and the coating is performed by moving the distance a long distance by L1. Then, prior to squeezing, the squeegee 5 is moved backward by L2, and the squeegee is moved by moving a distance longer by L2.
That is, in the paste approach mode, the sequence of retreating the scraper 4 is added in the coat portion, and the coat stroke W + D is rewritten to W + D + L1. The squeegee portion is a sequence in which a squeegee 5 retreat sequence is added and the squeegee stroke is rewritten to W + D + L2.

The receding distances L1 and L2 are appropriately determined depending on the amount of paste 2 remaining after one coat or squeegee, the viscosity of the paste 2, and how often the paste feeding mode is performed. The amount of paste 2 remaining after one coating or squeezing is set as a margin for surely performing coating or squeezing, and is almost constant.
The frequency at which the paste gathering mode is performed depends on the required productivity and the deterioration rate of the paste 2. As described above, in the paste gathering mode, an extra operation of retracting the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 is included, so the time required for one printing (one tact) is slightly longer. Therefore, when high productivity is required, it is desirable to reduce the frequency of the paste gathering mode as much as possible. On the other hand, when the frequency of the paste gathering mode is low, the time during which the paste 2 is in the paste pool becomes long. For this reason, in the case of the paste 2 that easily deteriorates, it is necessary to perform the paste feeding mode with a certain degree of frequency. For example, the volatile component is contained in the paste 2, and the volatile component may be volatilized and denatured over time. Taking this into account, the frequency of the paste gathering mode is optimally determined.

  Further, the shape of the paste pool differs depending on the viscosity of the paste 2. This point will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing points at which the receding distances L1 and L2 are determined according to the viscosity of the paste 2. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the viscosity of the paste 2 is high, the paste 2 accumulates while forming a bulge (mountain) having a certain height. Therefore, the receding distances L1 and L2 necessary for bringing such a paste pool may be relatively short. On the other hand, when the viscosity of the paste 2 is low, the paste 2 spreads gently and accumulates, so that the necessary receding distances L1 and L2 become long. However, when the frequency of the paste gathering mode is low, even if the viscosity of the paste 2 is high, the paste pool may spread over a gentle mountain with time. In this case, long L1 and L2 are required.

  In the present embodiment, the control means 7 can input the frequency of the pasting mode and the receding distances L1 and L2 at the input means. In addition, an update program for updating the control program is installed in the storage unit of the control means 7 based on these input data. The operator inputs the frequency of the paste feeding mode and the receding distances L1 and L2 according to the specification (viscosity, deterioration degree, etc.) of the paste 2 and necessary productivity, and updates the control program by executing the update program.

  According to the apparatus of the above-described embodiment, when the paste gathering mode is executed, the paste pools 21 and 22 are brought to the printing area 12 by the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 and used for printing. Therefore, waste of the paste 2 is eliminated. Further, since the operator does not need to return the paste 2 to the printing area 12, the productivity is remarkably improved in this respect. Furthermore, by appropriately setting the frequency of the paste gathering mode, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the productivity due to the paste gathering mode while preventing the deterioration of the paste 2.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. The apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the configuration of the control program that the control means 7 has.
FIGS. 8 to 11 are diagrams showing two control modes performed by the control program in the second embodiment, FIGS. 8 and 9 show the normal mode, and FIGS. 10 and 11 show the paste feeding mode. ing.

  In the second embodiment, each mechanism can be operated in a special mode called a jump mode. The jump mode is a mode applicable to both the normal mode and the paste feeding mode in the first embodiment. The control means 7 is installed with a program for selecting whether or not to apply the jump mode, and can select whether or not to apply the jump mode by an input from the input means. When the jump mode is selected, a control program having the configuration described below is executed.

First, the normal mode portion to which the jump mode is applied in the control program will be described with reference to FIGS.
The jump mode is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the operation at the end of the movement of the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 is different. The jump mode is a mode in which the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 jump in consideration of the dripping of the paste 2 at the end of the movement of the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5. FIG. 8 shows the jump of the scraper 4, and FIG. 9 shows the jump of the squeegee 5.

  The jumping of the scraper 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. As in the first embodiment, the squeegee 5 moves for squeezing and stops at the movement end position (FIG. 8 (1)). Next, the scraper 4 immediately jumps onto the paste pool 23 in consideration of the dripping of the paste 2. That is, when the squeegee 5 stops at the movement end position, the control program immediately sends a control signal to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to position the squeegee 5 at the standby height (FIG. 8 (2)). Then, the control program returns the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 to the front by a predetermined distance L3. That is, it is moved in a direction approaching the printing area 12 (FIG. 8 (3)). This L3 is determined in advance as the distance at which the scraper 4 is positioned directly above the paste pool 23 formed by the squeegee 5. Since the operations of FIGS. 8A to 8C are performed in a short time, it seems that the scraper 4 has jumped to the upper position of the paste pool 23 in the actual operation.

  The state shown in FIG. 8 (3) is maintained for a short time, and during that time, the paste 2 is put up by the paste dispenser. Next, the control program sends a control signal for the court. That is, a control signal is sent to the moving mechanism 6 to position the scraper 4 immediately above the movement start position. Then, a control signal is sent to the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 to lower the scraper 4 to the coat height ((4) in FIG. 8). Thereafter, a control signal is sent to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 with a predetermined stroke, thereby performing coating (FIG. 8 (5)).

  Next, jumping of the squeegee 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As in the first embodiment, the scraper 4 moves for the coating and stops at the movement end position (FIG. 9 (1)). Next, the squeegee 5 jumps immediately onto the paste pool 24 in consideration of the dripping of the paste 2. That is, when the scraper 4 stops at the movement end position, the control program immediately sends a control signal to the scraper raising / lowering mechanism 41 to position the scraper 4 at the standby height (FIG. 9 (2)). Then, the control program returns the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 by a predetermined distance L4. That is, it is moved in a direction approaching the printing area 12. This L4 is determined in advance as the distance at which the squeegee 5 is located directly above the paste pool 24 formed by the scraper 4. Since the operations of FIGS. 9A to 9C are performed in a short time, it appears that the squeegee 5 has jumped to a position above the paste pool 24 in the actual operation.

  After holding the state shown in FIG. 9 (3) for a short time, the control program sends a control signal for squeezing. That is, a control signal is sent to the movement mechanism 6 to position the squeegee 5 directly above the movement start position. Then, a control signal is sent to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to lower the squeegee 5 to the squeegee height (FIG. 9 (4)). After that, a control signal is sent to the moving mechanism 6 to move the squeegee 5 with a predetermined squeezing stroke to perform squeezing (FIG. 9 (5)).

Next, using FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the paste-adding mode to which the jump mode is applied will be described.
First, the jump of the scraper 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. As in the first embodiment, the squeegee 5 moves for squeezing and stops at the movement end position (FIG. 10 (1)). Next, the scraper 4 performs an operation of jumping immediately onto the paste pool 23 in the same manner as in the normal mode in consideration of the dripping of the paste 2. That is, the control program returns the squeegee 5 to the standby height, and moves the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 closer to the printing area 12 by a predetermined distance L3 (FIG. 10 (2)). After holding the state shown in FIG. 10B for a short time, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6, moves the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 away from the printing area 12, and pastes the scraper 4 into the paste. Position it at the close position. Thereafter, the control program sends a control signal to the scraper lifting mechanism 41 to lower the scraper 4 to the coat height ((3) in FIG. 10). Then, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 to cause the scraper 4 to coat the paste 2 ((4) in FIG. 10).

  Next, jumping of the squeegee 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As in the first embodiment, the scraper 4 moves for the coating and stops at the movement end position (FIG. 11 (1)). Next, the squeegee 5 jumps immediately onto the paste pool 24 in consideration of the dripping of the paste 2. That is, the scraper 4 is positioned at the standby height, and the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are moved closer to the printing area 12 by a predetermined distance L4 (FIG. 11 (2)).

  After holding the state shown in FIG. 11 (2) for a short time, the control program sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 to move the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 away from the printing area 12, and paste the squeegee 5 into the paste. Position it at the close position. Thereafter, the control program sends a control signal to the squeegee lifting mechanism 51 to lower the squeegee 5 to the squeegeeing height (FIG. 11 (3)), sends a control signal to the moving mechanism 6 and scrapes the squeegee 5 with a predetermined stroke. 4 and the squeegee 5 are moved to perform squeezing (FIG. 11 (4)).

  As can be seen from the above description, in the paste mode to which the jump mode is applied, the scraper 4 once jumps to a position close to the printing area 12 after squeezing is finished, then moves back to the paste position, and from there for coating. The operation of starting movement is performed. The squeegee 5 also performs an operation of once jumping to a position close to the printing area 12 after the completion of the coating, then retreating to the paste approach position, and starting movement for squeezing from there.

  Thus, in the second embodiment, the control program is rewritten so that the jump mode is executed. Such a jump mode has the significance of preventing the paste 2 from the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 from dripping into a problematic location. Hereinafter, this point will be described.

  When the above-described coating is performed, the paste 2 is attached to the lower end of the scraper 4 which has stopped at the movement end position and has risen to the standby height. In this state, when the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 move for squeezing, the paste 2 may hang down from the lower end of the scraper 4. The dropped paste 2 falls onto the printing area 12 of the screen plate 1. Although the squeegee 5 moves so as to scrape the dropped paste 2, a portion where the coat of the paste 2 is thick is partially formed, so that there is a possibility that the printing becomes uneven.

Further, when squeezing is performed, the paste 2 is also adhered to the lower end of the squeegee 5 which stops at the movement end position and rises to the standby height. If the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 move for coating in this state, the paste 2 may also hang down from the lower end of the squeegee 5. Although the scraper 4 moves so as to scrape the dripping paste 2, the coat thickness is also locally increased, which may cause uneven printing.
In addition, the paste 2 attached to the lower ends of the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 may fall in such a manner that the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are scattered by reaction when the scraper 4 or the squeegee 5 is raised or lowered, or when the movement is started or stopped. The paste 2 that falls in such a manner as to scatter may adhere to a place on the screen plate 1 where it should not originally adhere, which may cause a printing error.

  In consideration of such a problem, the jump mode is a mode having a time zone in which the scraper 4 or the squeegee 5 is held at a position directly above the paste pool. The above problem is prevented by positioning the paste 2 directly above the paste pool and hanging the paste 2 toward the paste pool. In some cases, the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 may be moved up and down on the paste pool to promote the removal of the paste 2. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic front view illustrating an embodiment that promotes the detachment of the paste 2.

  The apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 also differs only in the configuration of the control program. In the apparatus of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 (1), after the scraper 4 is positioned directly above the paste reservoir 23 in the jump mode, the lowering and rising of the scraper 4 are repeated several times from that position. Is soaked in the paste reservoir or separated from the paste reservoir 23. Thereby, the paste 2 adhering to the lower end is quickly detached and mixed into the paste pool 23.

The same applies to the squeegee 5. As shown in FIG. 12 (2), the squeegee 5 is repeatedly lowered and raised several times, and the lower end of the squeegee 5 is dipped in or separated from the paste reservoir 24. As a result, the paste 2 adhered to the lower end of the squeegee 5 is quickly detached and mixed into the paste pool 24.
In the above description, “several times” may be about 2 to 5 times, although it depends on the amount of paste 2 attached, viscosity, wettability, and the like.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In each of the above-described embodiments, the scraper 4 performs coating on the forward path, and the squeegee 5 performs squeezing on the return path. The present invention can be implemented even if it is not such a form. That is, the scraper 4 may move the forward path and the backward path (one reciprocation) to coat the paste 2, and then the squeegee 5 may reciprocate once to perform squeezing. In this case, the scraper 4 moves in the forward path and stops at the movement end position, then rises to the standby height, and then moves to the paste feeding position. Then, the scraper 4 descends to the court height, reverses from that position, moves on the return path, and performs another coat. That is, the scraper 4 causes the paste pool formed by itself to be applied to the printing area 12 during the coating on the return path.
The same applies to the squeegee 5. When the squeegee 5 moves on the forward path and the return path and performs squeezing, the squeegee 5 moves on the forward path and stops at the movement end position, and then rises to the standby height. The squeegee 5 next moves to the paste feeding position, then descends to the squeezing height, reverses from that position, moves on the return path, and performs squeezing again.

  Note that when the squeegee 5 first moves on the return path, the scraper 4 may move slightly backwards so as to draw the paste pool formed by moving on the outward path, and then the return path may be advanced. This is the same as in the first embodiment. The scraper 4 may also move forward for the first time after moving slightly forward so as to draw the paste pool formed by the squeegee 5 moving on the return path in the previous printing when the scraper 4 moves for the first time.

  As can be seen from the above description, in the present invention, paste gathering includes a case where the scraper 4 draws a paste pool formed by itself and a case where the scrape 5 forms a paste pool formed by the squeegee 5, and the squeegee 5 itself There are a case where the formed paste pool is brought close and a case where the scraper 4 is formed.

  In each of the embodiments described above, since the scraper moving mechanism and the squeegee moving mechanism are combined, the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are always moved together for horizontal movement, but separate mechanisms are used. May be. In this case, after the scraper 4 moves on the forward path and coats, the squeegee 5 may follow the path and move on the forward path to perform squeezing. In this case, one printing may be performed for each forward movement, and the next one printing may be performed for each backward movement.

  As described above, when the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are moved in the same direction and coating and squeegeeing are performed, a paste pool in which the scraper 4 and the squeegee 5 are combined is formed at the moved position. It is formed. This is brought close to the printing area 12 when the scraper 4 starts moving in the next printing. That is, at the time of the next printing, the scraper 4 is retracted to the previous paste gathering position, and coating is performed after the paste reservoir in which the scraper 4 itself and the squeegee 5 are gathered is brought to the printing area 12. In this case, since the amount of paste pool is large, the distance from the end of the printing area 12 to the paste gathering position is expected to be longer than in the first embodiment.

1 is a schematic front view of a screen printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the outline of the control program with which the control means 7 is provided, and shows the whole control program schematically. It is the flowchart which showed the outline of the control program with which the control means 7 is provided, and shows the flowchart in normal mode. It is the flowchart which showed the outline of the control program with which the control means 7 is provided, and shows the flowchart of paste gathering mode. It is the front schematic which showed the operation state in normal mode. It is the front schematic which showed the operation state in paste gathering mode. 3 is a schematic front view showing points at which receding distances L1 and L2 are determined according to the viscosity of paste 2. FIG. It is the front schematic diagram shown about the normal mode which the control program in 2nd embodiment performs. It is the front schematic diagram shown about the normal mode which the control program in 2nd embodiment performs. It is the front schematic diagram which showed the paste gathering mode which the control program in 2nd embodiment performs. It is the front schematic diagram which showed the paste gathering mode which the control program in 2nd embodiment performs. It is the front schematic shown about the embodiment which promotes separation of paste. It is the front schematic which showed the subject of the conventional screen printing apparatus. It is the plane schematic which showed the subject of the conventional screen printing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Screen plate 2 Paste 21 Paste reservoir 22 Paste reservoir 3 Object 4 Scraper 5 Squeegee 6 Moving mechanism 7 Control means

Claims (10)

The screen plate in a horizontal position is superimposed on the object, the paste is coated on the printing area set on the screen plate, and the pattern of the printing area is formed by squeezing the coated paste against the object through the screen plate. A screen printing device for printing,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism moves the scraper to a scraper movement end position which is an end of the printing area or a position ahead of the print area.
The squeegee moving mechanism is for moving the squeegee to the end of the printing area or the squeegee movement end position which is the position ahead of the printing area,
The control means can control the scraper moving mechanism to start the movement of the scraper after setting the scraper paste gathering position as the scraper movement start position.
The scraper paste gathering position is a position farther from the printing area than the scraper movement finishing position in the previous coating or the squeegee movement finishing position in the previous squeezing, and the scraper paste gathering position and the end of the printing area A screen printing apparatus, characterized in that the paste is formed at a position where a paste pool formed between the two parts can be brought to a printing area. The screen plate in a horizontal position is superimposed on the object, the paste is coated on the printing area set on the screen plate, and the pattern of the printing area is formed by squeezing the coated paste against the object through the screen plate. A screen printing device for printing,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism moves the scraper to a scraper movement end position which is an end of the printing area or a position ahead of the print area.
The squeegee moving mechanism is for moving the squeegee to the end of the printing area or the squeegee movement end position which is the position ahead of the printing area,
The control means can control the squeegee moving mechanism to start the movement of the squeegee after setting the squeegee paste close position as the squeegee movement start position,
The squeegee paste position is a position farther from the printing area than the squeegee movement end position at the previous squeezing or the scraper movement end position at the previous coating, and the position between this position and the end of the printing area. A screen printing apparatus, characterized in that the paste is formed at a position where a paste pool formed therebetween can be brought to a printing area. The screen plate in a horizontal position is superimposed on the object, the paste is coated on the printing area set on the screen plate, and the pattern of the printing area is formed by squeezing the coated paste against the object through the screen plate. A screen printing device for printing,
A scraper,
With squeegee,
A scraper moving mechanism that causes the scraper to coat the paste by moving the scraper along the screen plate; and
A squeegee moving mechanism for squeezing the squeegee by moving the squeegee along the screen coated with paste;
A scraper lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the scraper to the screen plate,
A squeegee lifting mechanism for adjusting the distance of the squeegee to the screen plate,
A screen printing apparatus comprising a scraper moving mechanism, a squeegee moving mechanism, a scraper lifting mechanism, and a control means for controlling the squeegee lifting mechanism,
The scraper moving mechanism has a scraper as a scraper movement start position at a first end portion of the print area or a position in front of the first and a second end portion on the opposite side or a position before the scraper movement end position. Move the scraper,
The squeegee moving mechanism moves the squeegee with the second end of the printing area or a position before the squeegee moving start position as the squeegee moving end position. Yes, it is a device that performs printing once by one reciprocating movement consisting of the forward movement of the scraper and the backward movement of the squeegee,
The control means can control the squeegee movement mechanism so as to start the movement of the squeegee after setting the squeegee paste gathering position as the squeegee paste start position, and sets the scraper paste gather position as the scraper movement start position. Can start moving the scraper,
The squeegee paste position is a position farther from the printing area than the scraper movement end position, and the position where the paste pool formed between this position and the end of the printing area can be moved to the printing area. And
The scraper paste gathering position is a position farther from the printing area than the squeegee movement end position, and a position where the paste pool formed between this position and the end of the printing area can be brought to the printing area. A screen printing apparatus, characterized in that The control means has a normal mode in which a scraper movement start position is a scraper normal start position that is closer to the printing area than the scraper paste shift position, and a scraper movement mechanism moves the scraper, and the scraper paste shift position moves the scraper. It is possible to control the scraper moving mechanism in two modes, the paste gathering mode that moves the scraper to the scraper moving mechanism as the starting position,
The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs printing in the paste-feed mode every time a predetermined number of times of printing in the normal mode. The control means includes a normal mode in which a squeegee moving start position is set to a squeegee normal start position that is closer to the printing area than the squeegee paste shift position, and a squeegee movement mechanism moves the squeegee, and the squeegee paste shift position is moved to the squeegee paste It is possible to control the squeegee moving mechanism in two modes, the pasting mode that moves the squeegee to the squeegee moving mechanism as the starting position,
3. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs printing in the paste-feed mode every time a predetermined number of times of printing in the normal mode. The control means moves the scraper to a scraper moving mechanism with a scraper normal start position, which is a position closer to the print area than the scraper paste position, as the scraper movement start position, and moves to the print area from the squeegee paste position. A normal mode in which the squeegee moving start position is used as a squeegee moving start position, and the squeegee moving mechanism is used to move the squeegee to the squeegee moving start position, and the scraper moving position is used as the scraper moving start position. It is possible to control the scraper moving mechanism and the squeegee moving mechanism in two modes, paste paste mode that moves the squeegee to the squeegee moving mechanism with the position as the squeegee moving start position ,
4. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means performs printing in the paste feeding mode every time a predetermined number of times of printing in the normal mode. After the scraper stops at the scraper movement end position, the control means positions the squeegee at a jump position which is a position immediately above the paste pool formed at the end of the scraper movement end position. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 3 or 6, wherein squeegeeing is performed by a squeegee moving mechanism. The control means controls the scraper raising / lowering mechanism so as to raise and lower the scraper at a position directly above the paste reservoir and to make contact with the paste reservoir at the lower end of the scraper and separation from the paste reservoir one or more times. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the screen printing apparatus is a printer. After the squeegee stops at the squeegee movement end position, the control means positions the scraper at a jump position, which is a position immediately above the paste pool formed beyond the squeegee movement end position. 9. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 3, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the scraper moving mechanism performs coating for the next printing. The control means controls the scraper raising / lowering mechanism to raise and lower the squeegee at a position directly above the paste reservoir and to make contact with the paste reservoir at the lower end of the squeegee and separation from the paste reservoir one or more times. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a screen printing apparatus.

Images