JP2011121023A - Droplet ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a droplet ejecting apparatus which ensures a stable printing quality even when ink large in particle size is used. <P>SOLUTION: The droplet ejecting apparatus is provided with a droplet ejection head for ejecting the ink on a substrate, ink packs 150, 151 housing the ink and a contraction part for contracting the ink packs. The inside of ink packs 150, 151 is provided with a stirring member 200 for stirring the ink and a guide part 201 for guiding the movement of the stirring member 200. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a droplet discharge device.

  The droplet discharge device is a device that includes a droplet discharge head capable of ejecting fluid as droplets and discharges various fluids (hereinafter referred to as ink) from the droplet discharge head. As a typical droplet discharge device, for example, an ink jet recording head (hereinafter simply referred to as a recording head) is provided, and fluid ink is ejected and landed on printing paper or the like from nozzles of the recording head. There is an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer that performs printing by forming dots.

  In the droplet discharge device, maintenance such as a flushing process and a suction process is periodically performed in order to maintain or recover a good discharge state of the droplets discharged from the recording head. Of the inks used as the image forming liquid, the white ink, in particular, has a larger particle size than the other color inks and is likely to be clogged. For this reason, the number of times of cleaning increases and the amount of ink consumed increases.

  Therefore, by selectively filling white ink and clogging prevention liquid into the nozzle row that ejects white ink of the recording head, the occurrence of clogging can be prevented and the number of cleanings can be reduced. There is known a technique capable of performing (Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-162023 A

  Such an ink having a large particle diameter is not only easily clogged, but also easily settles in the ink reservoir, which may cause density unevenness in the ink supplied to the recording head.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a droplet discharge device capable of obtaining stable print quality even when ink having a large particle size is used.

  In order to solve the above problems, a droplet discharge device of the present invention includes a droplet discharge head that discharges ink onto a substrate, an ink pack that contains the ink, and a contraction member that contracts the ink pack. The ink pack includes a stirring member that stirs the ink and a guide portion that guides the movement of the stirring member.

  According to the droplet discharge device of the present invention, the ink in the ink pack can be indirectly stirred by contracting the ink pack with the contracting member. Further, the ink in the ink pack can be directly stirred by moving the stirring member in the ink pack. Therefore, even when ink having a large particle size is used, the ink can be prevented from settling in the ink pack by being stirred well. In addition, since there is no ink density unevenness, it is possible to provide a highly reliable apparatus with stable print quality.

In the liquid droplet ejection apparatus, it is preferable that the guide portion has contractibility.
According to this configuration, when the ink pack is contracted by the contracting member, the guide portion can be contracted together with the ink pack. Therefore, the guide portion can guide the stirring member even in a state where the ink pack is contracted.

In the droplet discharge device, it is preferable that the guide portion is formed of a coil spring, and the stirring member moves within the coil spring.
In this way, by using the coil spring as the guide portion, the ink in the ink pack can be stirred well. In addition, since the coil spring causes turbulent flow in the ink, the agitation of the ink can be improved.

In the droplet discharge device, the stirring member is preferably a spherical member.
According to this configuration, the stirring member moves favorably within the coil spring. Therefore, the ink in the pack can be stirred well.

In the droplet discharge device, the ink is preferably an ultraviolet curable ink.
The present invention is particularly effective for an ink pack containing ultraviolet curable ink.

It is a schematic block diagram of a marking system. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a substrate board | substrate. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of a marking apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of a marking apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a carrying-in part. It is a figure which shows the structure of a pre-processing part. It is a figure which shows the structure of a post-processing part. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a carrying-out part. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a marking part. It is sectional drawing explaining the periphery structure of the recording head of a marking apparatus. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the ink supply path | route of a marking apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure in an ink pack. It is a figure which shows the state which the balloon pack expanded in the ink pack. It is a figure which shows the structure inside an ink pack. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the recording head of a marking apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure on a carriage. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a board | substrate conveyance arm. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a maintenance apparatus. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a marking apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the carrying-in operation | movement of the substrate board | substrate in a carrying-in part. It is explanatory drawing of the carrying-out operation | movement of the substrate board | substrate in a carrying-out part.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode of a droplet discharge device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the droplet discharge device is applied to a marking device for marking a defective portion of a substrate substrate (substrate) for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

  First, a schematic configuration of a marking system including a marking device will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, a marking system 500 generates input data including input data including a mark shape and mark coordinates for marking a defective portion of a substrate, generates image data from the input data, and generates recording data from the image data. And a marking device 3 that performs marking by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles to corresponding defective portions of the substrate based on recording data.

  First, prior to the marking operation, a defective portion of the substrate substrate is output to the monitor screen by an inspection apparatus (an apparatus including continuity inspection, image inspection, and other functional inspections). Based on the output screen of the inspection result, the operator performs an input operation to the marking device while visually confirming the substrate substrate. The input unit inputs input data including mark shapes and mark coordinates for marking defective portions of individual IC chips on the substrate substrate.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate substrate P. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate substrate P includes a plurality of IC chips 15 and is separated into a plurality of IC chips 15 by a dicing process performed later. In FIG. 2, various markings are given by the marking device 3.

  For example, a liquid crystal tablet or an image scanner is preferably used as the input unit 1. As will be described later, the liquid crystal tablet can directly input position data such as a mark shape and mark coordinates by pressing on a monitor screen, and can output an input image.

  When the input data is transmitted from the input unit 1 described above, the control unit 2 creates mark image data (bitmap file) from the input data, and generates recording data from the mark image data (bitmap file). For example, a personal computer (PC) is used as the control unit 2. An input unit such as a keyboard and a mouse, a CPU that outputs computation processing and control commands by the computer, a ROM that stores a control program, a work area of the CPU, and temporary data storage A memory such as a RAM for performing storage, a display, and the like are provided.

  The control unit 2 generates recording data from the image data including the mark shape and the mark coordinates, and outputs the recording data to the marking device 3. Specifically, mark shapes and mark coordinates for marking defective chips on the substrate substrate are transmitted through communication cables, and a bitmap file for marking at a specified position is created based on each data. The bitmap file is created based on application software.

  The control unit 2 converts the format of the bitmap file into a data structure for printing based on the driver software, and the recording data (nozzle data) is transmitted to the marking device 3 through a communication cable (USB code). The marking device 3 performs marking by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles of the inkjet head to the corresponding defective chip among the IC chips 15 constituting the substrate substrate P based on the recording data (nozzle data) output from the control unit 2. To do. The marking device 3 can also record individual information (model number, date of manufacture, etc.) for each IC chip 15.

Next, the configuration of the marking device 3 will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the marking device 3, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the marking device 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, the marking device 3 performs a predetermined pretreatment on the carry-in unit 4 for carrying in the magazine in which the substrate substrate P is accommodated and the individual IC chips on the substrate substrate P. To the pretreatment unit 5, the marking unit 6 for marking by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head (droplet ejection head) 60 to the pretreated substrate substrate P, and the substrate substrate P after marking A post-processing unit 7 that performs predetermined post-processing, a substrate transfer arm 8 that transfers the substrate substrate P between the pre-processing unit 5 and the post-processing unit 7, and a substrate substrate P that has been subjected to post-processing. An unloading unit 9 for unloading the magazine containing the unloading unit, the loading unit 4, the pre-processing unit 5, the marking unit 6, the post-processing unit 7, and the substrate transfer unit. 8, unloading unit 9 is in the state in which the outer peripheral portion is surrounded by the device main body 3a. That is, in this embodiment, the shape of the marking device 3 when viewed in plan is a rectangular shape. The apparatus main body 3a is provided with an entrance (not shown) that is accessible inside.

  The pre-processing unit 5 is arranged on the left side when the marking device 3 is viewed from the −Y direction to the + Y direction in the drawing (hereinafter referred to as the device main body 3a viewed from the front side). Further, a post-processing unit 7 is arranged on the right side when the marking device 3 is viewed from the front, and the pre-processing unit 5 and the post-processing unit 7 are arranged so as to face each other so as to sandwich the marking portion 6. ing.

  By arranging the long side direction of the pre-processing unit 5 and the post-processing unit 7 along the depth direction of the apparatus main body 3a in this way, it is possible to suppress the width dimension on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a. .

  As shown in FIG. 4, the preprocessing unit 5 includes a preprocessing unit 50 for performing preprocessing, and a substrate substrate P that is installed above the preprocessing unit 50 and is loaded from the loading unit 4 in the apparatus. It has a two-story structure with a conveying unit 58 for conveying in the depth direction (+ Y direction in FIG. 1). Similarly, the post-processing unit 7 is installed above the post-processing unit 70 for performing post-processing and the post-processing unit 70, and transports the post-processed substrate substrate P toward the unloading unit 9. It has a two-story structure with the conveyance unit 78. The marking unit 6 is disposed above the preprocessing unit 50 and the postprocessing unit 70.

  As described above, in the marking device 3 in the present embodiment, the substrate substrate P is moved in three layers (planar regions) in the device. Specifically, the level (XY plane height) on which the substrate substrate P is transported in the pre-processing unit 50 and the post-processing unit 70 is set as the first level, and the substrate substrate P is marked in the marking unit 6. The hierarchy is the second hierarchy, and the hierarchy in which the substrate substrate P is transferred in the transfer units 58 and 91 is the third hierarchy. In the first to third layers, the height in the Z direction on the XY plane increases in this order.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the carry-in unit 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the carry-in unit 4 includes a lower conveyor 40, an upper conveyor 41, a transfer conveyor 42, and an elevating mechanism 43. The carry-in part 4 is located on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a as shown in FIG. Thereby, the operator can access the magazine 100 well from the front side when carrying the magazine 100 into the carry-in unit 4 or during maintenance of the carry-in unit 4.

  On the lower conveyor 40, a magazine 100 in which a plurality of substrate substrates P before the marking process are accommodated is arranged. The lower conveyor 40 also has a function as a standby place for the magazine 100. The lower conveyor 40 conveys the magazine 100 along the + X direction shown in FIG.

  A transport conveyor 42 for transporting the magazine 100 transported by the lower conveyor 40 toward the preprocessing unit 5 side is installed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the lower conveyor 40 (+ X direction shown in the figure). . The transport conveyor 42 transports the magazine 100 along the + Y direction. The upper surface 40a of the lower conveyor 40 and the upper surface 42a of the transfer conveyor 42 are set at substantially the same height, so that the magazine 100 can be transferred smoothly.

  On the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 42 (+ Y direction shown in the figure), ascending / descending to move the magazine 100 to a position (third layer) that can be delivered to the preprocessing unit 5 as will be described later. A mechanism 43 is installed. In the state where the elevating mechanism 43 is lowered to the lowest level, the placement surface 43a is set to be substantially the same height as the upper surface 42a of the transport conveyor 42, thereby smoothly placing the magazine 100 transported by the transport conveyor 42. It is possible.

  Moreover, the raising / lowering mechanism 43 raises the magazine 100 in steps (refer FIG. 5). As a result, the plurality of substrate substrates P accommodated in the magazine 100 are positioned on the third level and sequentially conveyed to the preprocessing unit 5.

  The upper conveyor 41 is for receiving and transporting the magazine 100 (hereinafter also referred to as an empty magazine 100) from which all the substrate substrates P that have been stored are taken out from the lifting mechanism 43. The upper conveyor 41 includes a receiving mechanism (not shown) (for example, an arm mechanism) for receiving the empty magazine 100 placed on the lifting mechanism 43. In the present embodiment, the empty magazine 100 placed on the upper conveyor 41 is sent to the carry-out section 9 via a conveyance path (not shown) (for example, behind the marking device as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4). It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the preprocessing unit 5 includes a preprocessing unit 50, a transport unit 58 that is installed on the preprocessing unit 50 and transports the substrate substrate P in the + Y direction shown in the figure, and a preprocessing unit 50 and an elevator section 55 that moves the substrate substrate P in the vertical direction between the transport section 58 and the transport section 58. The conveyance unit 58 includes a conveyance belt unit 59 that rotates in a predetermined direction by being stretched around a rotation shaft, and a drive unit (not shown) that drives the conveyance belt unit 59.

  Further, the transport unit 58 includes an arm unit (not shown) that takes out the substrate substrate P from the magazine 100. Accordingly, for example, the substrate can be transported satisfactorily by the transport belt 59 by pulling out the arm portion to a position where the end of the substrate P is brought into contact with the transport belt 59 that is rotationally driven. . At this time, the substrate substrate P is transported through the third level.

  In addition, an elevator unit 55 that carries the substrate substrate P into the pretreatment unit 50 by lowering the substrate substrate P is installed on the side of the transport belt unit 59 on the downstream side in the substrate transport direction. That is, the elevator unit 55 is for moving the substrate substrate P from the third layer to the first layer.

  The elevator unit 55 includes a mounting unit 56 on which the substrate substrate P is mounted, and a driving unit 57 that can move the mounting unit 56 in the vertical direction. In addition, when the substrate substrate P is delivered, the placement portion 56 is set so that the placement surface 56 a is substantially at the same height as the upper surface 59 a of the transport belt portion 59. Accordingly, the substrate is smoothly transferred between the transfer unit 58 and the elevator unit 55.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the preprocessing unit 50. The pre-processing unit 50 is for performing a roughening process (pre-processing) for enhancing the adhesion of marking performed on the substrate substrate P by an inkjet process described later.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the pre-processing unit 50 includes a processing chamber 50 a, a transport unit 52 that is accommodated in the processing chamber 50 a and transports the substrate substrate P, and a substrate substrate that is transported on the transport unit 52. And a processing unit 53 for performing a roughening process on P. As the conveyance part 52, a belt conveyor can be illustrated, for example. In the pretreatment unit 50, the substrate substrate P is transported through the first level.

  The processing chamber 50a is provided with an opening / closing part 51a that opens and closes when the placing part 56 of the elevator part 55 on which the substrate substrate P is placed is taken in and out. The opening / closing part 51a is configured by, for example, a shutter. Further, in the processing chamber 50 a, delivery means (not shown) such as an arm for delivering the substrate substrate P placed on the placement unit 56 to the transfer unit 52 is provided.

  Examples of the processing unit 53 include a hydrogen burner, an excimer laser, a plasma discharge unit, and a corona discharge unit. When a hydrogen burner is used, the surface can be roughened by partially reducing the oxidized surface of the substrate substrate P. When an excimer laser is used, the surface of the substrate substrate P is partially melted and solidified. In the case of using plasma discharge or corona discharge, the surface of the substrate substrate P can be roughened by mechanical grinding. In addition, pretreatment can be performed by using light irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp.

  The conveyance part 52 is provided with the belt conveyor part 52a and the drive part 52b which drives this belt conveyor part 52a. The belt conveyor section 52a can be rotated forward and backward by a driving section 52b. With this configuration, the transport unit 52 can transport the substrate substrate P, which has been roughened by the processing unit 53, to the mounting unit 56 side again, and the mounting unit 56 can be transferred by a delivery unit (not shown). It can be placed on. The elevator unit 55 is configured to raise the substrate substrate P that has been subjected to the roughening process up to the height (third layer) of the upper surface 59a of the transport belt unit 59 of the transport unit 58.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the post-processing unit 7 is installed on the post-processing unit 70, the post-processing unit 70, a transport unit 78 that transports the substrate substrate P to the unloading unit 9, and the post-processing unit 70. And an elevator unit 75 for moving the substrate substrate P in the vertical direction between the transfer unit 78 and the transfer unit 78. The conveyance unit 78 includes a conveyance belt unit 79 that rotates around a rotation shaft (not shown) and rotates in a predetermined direction, and a drive unit (not shown) that drives the conveyance belt unit 79.

  In addition, the post-processing unit 7 includes an arm unit (not shown) that receives the substrate substrate P in the empty magazine 100 that is transferred from the carry-in unit 4 through a transfer path (not shown) and installed in the carry-out unit 9. I have. At this time, the substrate substrate P is transported through the third level.

  Further, an elevator unit 75 that carries the substrate substrate P into the post-processing unit 70 by lowering the substrate substrate P is installed on the side of the transport belt unit 79 on the upstream side in the substrate transport direction. That is, the elevator unit 75 is for moving the substrate substrate P from the third layer to the first layer.

  The elevator unit 75 includes a mounting unit 76 on which the substrate substrate P is mounted, and a driving unit 77 that can move the mounting unit 76 in the vertical direction. The elevator unit 75 is provided in the pretreatment unit 5. It has the same configuration as that of the elevator unit 55. When the substrate substrate P is delivered, the mounting portion 76 has an upper surface 76 a that is installed at substantially the same height as the upper surface 79 a of the conveying belt portion 79. Thereby, the board | substrate conveyance between the conveyance part 78 and the elevator part 75 is performed smoothly.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the post-processing unit 70. The post-processing unit 70 is for performing a main curing process (post-processing) for main-curing the marking applied to the substrate substrate P with the ultraviolet curable ink by the marking unit 6 as described later.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the post-processing unit 70 includes a processing chamber 70 a, a transport unit 72 that is accommodated in the processing chamber 70 a and transports the substrate substrate P, and a substrate substrate that is transported on the transport unit 72. And a lamp unit 73 that irradiates P with ultraviolet rays. An example of the transport unit 72 is a belt conveyor. The lamp unit 73 includes a lamp 73a such as a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, a carbon arc lamp, a chemical lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, or a halogen lamp. More specifically, as the lamp 73a, commercially available lamps such as H lamp, D lamp, and V lamp manufactured by Fusion System can be used. In the post-processing unit 70, the substrate substrate P is transported on the first level.

  In addition, the processing chamber 70a is provided with an opening / closing part 71a that opens and closes when the placing part 76 of the elevator part 75 is taken in and out. The opening / closing part 71a is constituted by, for example, a shutter or the like, and has a function as a substrate inlet or a substrate outlet for taking the substrate substrate P into and out of the post-processing unit 70. Thus, in this embodiment, the substrate entrance and the substrate exit are provided at the same place.

  Providing the opening / closing part 71a in this manner makes it difficult for the ultraviolet rays irradiated in the processing chamber 70a to leak into the apparatus, and the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 147A of the recording head 60 solidifies. The occurrence is suppressed. In addition, in the processing chamber 70a, delivery means (not shown) such as an arm for delivering the substrate substrate P placed on the placement unit 76 to the unloading unit 9 described later is provided.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the carry-out unit 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the carry-out unit 9 includes a lower conveyor 90, an upper conveyor 91, a transfer conveyor 92, and an elevating mechanism 93. The carry-out unit 9 is located on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a as with the carry-in unit 4 as shown in FIG. Thus, the worker can access the magazine 100 well from the front side when carrying out the magazine 100 from the carry-out unit 9 or during maintenance of the carry-out unit 9.

  The upper conveyor 91 is provided with at least one empty magazine 100 in advance, so that the substrate substrate P unloaded from the post-processing unit 7 before the first empty magazine 100 arrives from the loading section 4 can be obtained. It can be accommodated sequentially. In addition, empty magazines 100 are sequentially sent from the carry-in unit 4 to the upper conveyor 91. The upper conveyor 91 also has a function as a standby place for the empty magazine 100. The upper conveyor 91 is configured to carry the empty magazine 100 along the −X direction shown in FIG.

  On the downstream side in the transport direction of the upper conveyor 91 (the −X direction shown in the figure), the empty magazine 100 transported by the upper conveyor 91 is placed, and the substrate substrate is sequentially transported from the post-processing unit 7. An elevating mechanism 93 for lowering the empty magazine 100 is installed at a position (third level) where P can be sequentially stored.

  The elevating mechanism 93 is configured to accommodate the substrate substrate P transported by the transport section 78 of the post-processing unit 7 in the lowermost storage section of the empty magazine 100 in the most elevated state. Further, the elevating mechanism 93 is configured to lower the empty magazine 100 in a stepwise manner so that each accommodating portion is located at the third level. As a result, the substrate substrate P that has been subjected to the marking process can be satisfactorily accommodated in all the accommodating portions of the empty magazine 100.

  On the upstream side (in the + X direction shown in the figure) of the lower conveyor 90, the magazine 100 filled with the substrate substrate P that has been marked is received from the mounting surface 93 a of the lifting mechanism 93 and the lower conveyor 90. A transfer conveyor 92 is provided for transferring to the front. The transport conveyor 92 transports the magazine 100 along the −Y direction.

  The lower conveyor 90 includes a receiving mechanism (not shown) (for example, an arm mechanism) for receiving the magazine 100 placed on the transport conveyor 92. Further, the upper surface 90a of the lower conveyor 90 and the upper surface 92a of the transfer conveyor 92 are set at substantially the same height, so that the magazine 100 transferred by the transfer conveyor 92 can be placed smoothly.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the marking unit 6. As shown in FIG. 9, the marking unit 6 includes a head unit (droplet discharge unit) 65 having a recording head 60 (droplet discharge head), a head unit moving mechanism 62 that reciprocates the head unit 65, It includes a maintenance device 33 used for a cleaning operation or the like for maintaining the ink discharge characteristics of the recording head 60 and a processing stage 6a for performing a marking process using the head unit 65.

  The head unit moving mechanism 62 includes a main body portion 64 provided so as to be spanned between the two support members 63, a guide portion 66 laid in the width direction of the main body portion 64, a drive motor 67, and a drive motor 67. A drive pulley 67a connected to the rotation shaft and driven to rotate by the drive motor 67, an idle pulley 67b provided on the opposite side of the main body 64 in the width direction of the drive pulley 67a, and the drive pulley 67a A belt 62a is provided between the rolling pulley 67b and connected to the carriage 69 of the head unit 65, and a linear scale 68 is installed in the width direction of the main body 64. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive motor 67 is disposed on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a. As a result, the operator can satisfactorily access from the front side during maintenance of the drive motor 67.

  Moreover, the guide part 66 is a guide shaft constructed along the Y-axis direction in the figure of the main-body part 64, and the head unit 65 is movable along a guide axis. Thus, by arranging the head unit moving mechanism 62 along the depth direction of the apparatus main body, it is possible to suppress the width dimension on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a.

  The head unit 65 includes a recording head 60 that ejects ink toward the substrate substrate P carried from the preprocessing unit 5 onto the processing stage 6a by the substrate transfer arm 8, and holds the recording head 60 and the guide. And a carriage 69 that moves along the portion 66. In the present embodiment, four recording heads 60 are attached to the carriage 69. These recording heads 60 are attached to the carriage 69 in a zigzag shape in a plan view. Further, one ultraviolet irradiation unit 95 for temporarily curing the ultraviolet curable ink ejected from the recording head 60 is provided on each side of the carriage 69 in the moving direction.

  The carriage 69 is connected to the belt 62a by attaching a part of the belt 62a to a connecting portion provided on the back side. The head unit 65 including the carriage 69 reciprocates along the main guide shaft 66a and the sub guide shaft 66b according to the movement of the belt 62a that is rotated by driving of the drive motor 67.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the peripheral configuration of the recording head of the marking device 3, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ink supply path of the marking device, and FIGS. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the ink pack, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the main part of the recording head 60. As shown in FIG. 10, the recording head 60 in this embodiment includes an introduction needle unit 117, a head case 118, a flow path unit 119, and an actuator unit 120 as main components.
Two ink introduction needles 122 are mounted side by side on the upper surface of the introduction needle unit 117 with the filter 121 interposed. The sub tanks 102 are respectively attached to these ink introduction needles 122. An ink introduction path 123 corresponding to each ink introduction needle 122 is formed inside the introduction needle unit 117.

  The upper end of the ink introduction path 123 communicates with the ink introduction needle 122 via the filter 121, and the lower end communicates with the case flow path 125 formed inside the head case 118 via the packing 124.

  The sub tank 102 is molded from a resin material such as polypropylene. The sub-tank 102 is formed with a concave portion that becomes the ink chamber 127, and the ink chamber 127 is partitioned by sticking a transparent elastic sheet 126 to the opening surface of the concave portion.

  Further, a needle connection portion 128 into which the ink introduction needle 122 is inserted projects downward from the sub tank 102. The ink chamber 127 in the subtank 102 has a shallow mortar shape, and an opening on the upstream side of the connection channel 129 communicating with the needle connection portion 128 is located slightly below the center of the upper and lower sides on the side surface. Is facing. A tank unit filter (not shown) is provided on the upstream side of the ink chamber 127. A seal member 131 into which the ink introduction needle 122 is liquid-tightly fitted is fitted in the internal space of the needle connecting portion 128.

  The elastic sheet 126 shown in FIG. 10 can be deformed into a direction in which the ink chamber 127 is contracted and a direction in which the ink chamber 127 is expanded. In addition, the ink pressure fluctuation is absorbed by the damper function due to the deformation of the elastic sheet 126. That is, the sub tank 102 functions as a pressure damper by the action of the elastic sheet 126. Accordingly, the ink is supplied to the recording head 60 side in a state where pressure fluctuation is absorbed in the sub tank 102.

  The head case 118 is a hollow box-shaped member made of synthetic resin, and a flow path unit 119 is joined to the lower end surface, the actuator unit 120 is accommodated in an accommodation space formed inside, and the flow path unit 119 side. Is configured such that the introduction needle unit 117 is attached with the packing 124 interposed on the upper end surface on the opposite side.

  A case channel 125 is provided inside the head case 118 so as to penetrate the height direction. The upper end of the case flow path 125 communicates with the ink introduction path 123 of the introduction needle unit 117 via the packing 124.

  The lower end of the case flow path 125 communicates with the common ink chamber 144 in the flow path unit 119. Therefore, the ink introduced from the ink introduction needle 122 is supplied to the common ink chamber 144 side through the ink introduction path 123 and the case flow path 125.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the marking device 3 according to this embodiment includes ink packs 150 and 151 in which two colors of ink are stored. Each of the ink packs 150 and 151 stores white and black ultraviolet curable inks of two colors. The ink packs 150 and 151 are directly mounted on the carriage 69 and are moved along the guide portion 66 together with the head unit 65 in the apparatus main body 3a.

  The ink packs 150 and 151 are connected to the corresponding sub tanks 102 via ink supply tubes 152. One end of the ink supply tube 152 is connected to an ink remaining amount detection unit 155 provided in the ink packs 150 and 151. The ink remaining amount detection unit 155 is for detecting the amount of ink remaining in the ink packs 150 and 151, and outputs an error signal or the like when the amount of ink remaining in the ink pack 150 or 151 decreases or becomes zero. . Thus, the operator can easily grasp the maintenance time such as replacement of the ink packs 150 and 151.

  The other end side of the ink supply tube 152 is divided into four branched portions 152a, and each of the branched portions 152a is connected to the corresponding sub tank 102. A foreign matter removal filter 156 for removing foreign matters contained in the ink supplied from the ink packs 150 and 151 is provided between the branching portion 152a and the remaining ink amount detection portion 155.

  By the way, since the ultraviolet curable ink used in this embodiment generally has a high viscosity, it is necessary to reduce the viscosity by heating in order to discharge the recording head 60 well. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the choke valve 154 and the ink temperature adjustment unit (temperature adjustment unit) 153 are provided between the branching unit 152 a and the sub tank 102. The choke valve 154 is disposed on the ink packs 150 and 151 side with respect to the ink temperature adjustment unit 153.

  The choke valve 154 is used, for example, during choke suction performed during maintenance of the recording head 60 or during initial ink filling. The ink temperature adjustment unit 153 includes, for example, a heater and adjusts the temperature of ink flowing in the ink supply tube 152. As described above, since the marking device 3 according to the present embodiment can adjust the temperature of the ink, even the high-viscosity ultraviolet curable ink can be discharged well.

  As in the present embodiment, the ultraviolet curable ink has a larger particle size than other inks, and thus settles in the ink packs 150 and 151, which may cause clogging of the nozzles 147. White (white) ink stored in the ink pack 150 has a particularly large particle size and is likely to be clogged or settled.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, the marking device 3 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the carriage 69 in a state where the ink packs 150 and 151 are accommodated in the ink pack cases 160 and 161, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, a balloon pack (shrinking member) 165 is accommodated in the ink pack case 160 together with the ink pack 150. The ink pack case 161 contains a balloon pack 165 together with the ink pack 151. The balloon pack 165 can be inflated by supplying air from the outside as shown in FIG. 13 or exhausting the supplied air.

  In the state where the balloon pack 165 is not expanded (the state shown in FIG. 12), a gap is generated between the ink pack cases 160 and 161 and the ink packs 150 and 151 accommodated, respectively.

  That is, the expanded balloon pack 165 expands into the gap, so that the balloon pack 165 presses and contracts the ink packs 150 and 151. Further, by discharging the air in the balloon pack 165, the ink packs 150 and 151 return to the initial state shown in FIG.

  Based on such a configuration, by repeatedly supplying and exhausting air to the balloon pack 165, the balloon pack 165 repeatedly contracts the ink packs 150 and 151, whereby the ink in the ink packs 150 and 151 can be agitated. It is like that.

  The ultraviolet curable ink is prepared by adding an auxiliary agent such as an antifoaming agent or a polymerization inhibitor to a mixture of a vehicle, a photopolymerization initiator and a pigment, and is dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent. ing. The vehicle is prepared by adjusting the viscosity of an oligomer, monomer or the like having photopolymerization curability with a reactive diluent. Therefore, the solvent is not volatilized for the purpose of curing the ink.

  As the vehicle, monofunctional or polyfunctional polymerizable compounds can be used. More specifically, oligomers (prepolymers) such as polyester acrylate, epoxy acrylate, and urethane acrylate can be exemplified, and these materials can also be used as a reactive diluent for adjusting the viscosity as an ink.

  As the photopolymerization initiator, benzophenone series, benzoin series, acetophenone series, and thioxanthone series are widely used. More specifically, 4-benzoyl-N, N, N-trimethyl benzene methanenannium chloride, 2-hydroxy 3- (4-benzoyl-phenoxy) -N, N, N-trimethyl 1-propylene benzene l -N, N-dimethyl N- [2- (1-oxo-2-propenyloxy) ethyl] A quaternary ammonium salt-type water-soluble organic substance such as benzene methanol bromide can be used.

  This type of photopolymerization initiator has different ultraviolet absorption characteristics, reaction initiation efficiency, yellowing, and the like depending on its composition, so that it is properly used depending on the color of the ink.

  As the polymerization inhibitor, any compound that has radical scavenging ability and inhibits radical polymerization can be used. However, in consideration of ejection suitability and the like in the ink jet recording apparatus, at least one compound selected from hydroquinones, catechols, hindered amines, phenols, phenothiazines, and condensed aromatic ring quinones is preferable.

  Examples of hydroquinones include hydroquinone, hydroquinone monomethyl ether, 1-o-2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone, 2-tert-butylhydroquinone and the like. Examples of catechols include catechol, 4-methylcatechol, 4-tert-butylcatechol and the like. Examples of hindered amines include compounds having a tetramethylpiperidinyl group.

Examples of phenols include phenol, butylhydroxytoluene, butylhydroxyanisole, pyrogallol, gallic acid, gallic acid alkyl ester, and the like.
Examples of phenothiazines include phenothiazine. Examples of the condensed aromatic ring quinones include naphthoquinone and the like.

  Further, the polymerization inhibitor may be carbon black or inorganic / organic fine particles having a polymerization-inhibiting functional group introduced on the surface. Examples of the polymerization-preventing functional group include a hydroxyphenyl group, a dihydroxyphenyl group, a tetramethylpiperidinyl group, and a condensed aromatic ring.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the ink packs 150 and 151 each include a stirring ball (stirring member) 200 for stirring ink and a guide portion 201 that guides the movement of the stirring ball. Yes. The guide part 201 is attached to the bottom part of the ink packs 150 and 151.

  In the present embodiment, a coil spring having contractility is used as the guide portion 201, and the stirring ball 200 passes through the spring. In this way, the ink in the ink packs 150 and 151 can be directly stirred by the stirring ball 200 passing through the spring. The guide unit 201 can be deformed following the deformation of the ink packs 150 and 151 generated by the balloon pack 165. Therefore, even when the guide portion 201 is deformed in the ink packs 150 and 151, the stirring ball 200 can be favorably moved in the guide portion 201 (coil spring).

Further, even when the residual ink amount in the ink packs 150 and 151 decreases and the shrinkage amount of the ink packs 150 and 151 increases, the guide portion 201 does not collapse, so the stirring ball 200 moves inside the guide portion 201. The ink inside can be reliably stirred by moving well.
Further, the guide portion 201 has an effect that the spring portion generates a turbulent flow R in the ink, and improves the agitation of the ink in the ink packs 150 and 151.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the actuator unit 120 housed in the housing space 137 of the head case 118 is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators 138 arranged in a comb shape and the piezoelectric vibrators 138 joined together. And a flexible cable 140 as a wiring member for supplying a drive signal from the printer main body side to the piezoelectric vibrator 138. Each piezoelectric vibrator 138 has a fixed end portion bonded to the fixed plate 139 and a free end portion protruding outward from the tip surface of the fixed plate 139. That is, each piezoelectric vibrator 138 is mounted on the fixed plate 139 in a so-called cantilever state.

  Further, the fixing plate 139 that supports each piezoelectric vibrator 138 is made of stainless steel having a thickness of about 1 mm, for example. The actuator unit 120 is housed and fixed in the housing space 137 by bonding the back surface of the fixed plate 139 to the inner wall surface of the case that partitions the housing space 137.

The flow path unit 119 is manufactured by joining and integrating a flow path unit constituent member including a vibration plate (sealing plate) 141, a flow path substrate 142, and a nozzle substrate 143 with an adhesive. This is a member that forms a series of ink flow paths (liquid flow paths) from the common ink chamber 144 to the nozzle 147 through the ink supply port 145 and the pressure chamber 146. The pressure chamber 146 is formed as an elongated chamber in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles 147 are arranged (nozzle row direction).
The common ink chamber 144 communicates with the case flow path 125 and is a chamber into which ink is introduced from the ink introduction needle 122 side. The ink introduced into the common ink chamber 144 is distributed and supplied to each pressure chamber 146 through the ink supply port 145.

  The nozzle substrate 143 disposed at the bottom of the flow path unit 119 is a thin metal plate having a plurality of nozzles 147 arranged in a row at a pitch (for example, 180 dpi) corresponding to the dot formation density, and the lower surface is the nozzle surface. 147A is configured. The nozzle substrate 143 of this embodiment is made of a stainless steel plate material, and in this embodiment, the nozzles 147 are arranged in two rows (ie, nozzle rows) corresponding to each sub tank 102, for a total of eight rows. Has been. One nozzle row is composed of 180 nozzles 147, for example. A flow path substrate 142 disposed between the nozzle substrate 143 and the vibration plate 141 is a flow path section that becomes an ink flow path, specifically, a common ink chamber 144, an ink supply port 145, and a pressure chamber 146. It is a plate-like member in which a section is formed.

  In the present embodiment, the flow path substrate 142 is produced by subjecting a silicon wafer, which is a crystalline base material, to anisotropic etching. The vibration plate 141 is a composite plate material having a double structure in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. In the portion corresponding to the pressure chamber 146 of the vibration plate 141, an island portion 148 to which the tip surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 138 is joined is formed by removing the support plate in an annular shape by etching or the like. Functions as a diaphragm. That is, the diaphragm 141 is configured such that the elastic film around the island portion 148 is elastically deformed in accordance with the operation of the piezoelectric vibrator 138. Further, the vibration plate 141 seals one opening surface of the flow path substrate 142 and also functions as a compliance portion 149. As for the portion corresponding to the compliance portion 149, the support plate is removed by etching or the like in the same manner as the diaphragm portion to make only the elastic film.

  In the recording head 60, when a drive signal is supplied to the piezoelectric vibrator 138 through the flexible cable 140, the piezoelectric vibrator 138 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the element, and accordingly, the island portion 148 enters the pressure chamber 146. Move in the direction of approaching or separating. As a result, the volume of the pressure chamber 146 changes, and the pressure in the ink in the pressure chamber 146 changes. The ink droplet D is ejected from the nozzle 147 by this pressure fluctuation.

  FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration on the carriage 69, and particularly shows the configuration of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 95 in detail. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 95 includes a substrate 171, a light emitting element 172, a frame member 173, a first protective layer 174, a second protective layer 175, and a temperature adjustment mechanism 178. The light emitting element 172, the frame member 173, the first protective layer 174, and the second protective layer 175 are provided on the lower surface 171a side of the substrate 171, and the temperature adjusting mechanism 178 is provided on the upper surface 171b side of the substrate 171.

  The substrate 171 is provided with wiring (not shown) connected to the outside. The light emitting element 172 is, for example, an LED element that emits ultraviolet rays by an electrical signal, and is mounted on the substrate 171 through, for example, a wire 172a. The wire 172a is connected to a wiring (not shown) provided on the substrate, and an electric signal is supplied from the outside to the light emitting element 172 via the wire 172a and the wiring (not shown). The frame member 173 is disposed along the outer periphery of the substrate 171 so as to surround the light emitting element 172.

  The first protective layer 174 is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet rays emitted from the light emitting element 172, for example, a material such as silicone rubber, and is provided so as to cover the entire light emitting element 172 and the wire 172a. In the present embodiment, the first protective layer 174 is provided so as to cover the entire light emitting element 172 and the wire 172a. However, the first protective layer 174 is provided so as to cover at least the light emitting surface 172b of the light emitting element 172. It only has to be done. Therefore, for example, the first protective layer 174 may be provided only on the light emission surface 172b.

  The second protective layer 175 is made of, for example, a material such as silicone oil that transmits ultraviolet rays, and is disposed on the surface 174 a of the first protective layer 174. The second protective layer 175 is provided so as to be replaceable, for example, by replacing silicone oil that is a constituent material.

  Temperature adjustment mechanism 178 includes a heat pipe 176 and a fan 177. The heat pipe 176 includes a heat absorbing member 176a, a heat radiating member 176b, and a circulation member 176c. The heat absorbing member 176a is made of, for example, a material having high thermal conductivity, such as metal, and is disposed on the upper surface 171b of the substrate 171. The heat radiating member 176b is provided at a position distant from the heat absorbing member 176a, and is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as a metal. The heat dissipating member 176b is provided in a plurality of layers in a thin plate shape so as to increase the heat dissipating efficiency, and the respective layers are arranged at intervals. The circulation member 176c is a tubular member provided in contact with the heat absorbing member 176a and the heat radiating member 176b, and a liquid having a high heat capacity such as water is sealed in the tube.

  The fan 177 is provided in the vicinity of the heat radiating member 176b of the heat pipe 176, and diffuses heat released by the heat radiating member 176b of the heat pipe 176. Thus, even when the light emitting element 172 generates heat when the ultraviolet ray UV is emitted, this heat is absorbed from the substrate 171 to the heat absorbing member 176a of the heat pipe 176. In the heat pipe 176, heat moves to the heat radiating member 176b through the liquid circulating in the circulation member 176c, and heat is released from the heat radiating member 176b. In addition, the fan 177 is rotated when the ultraviolet rays are emitted so that the heat released from the heat radiating member 176b can be diffused.

  FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate transfer arm 8. As shown in FIG. 17, the substrate transfer arm 8 holds a main body 80, an arm 82 whose one end is rotatably supported by a support shaft 81 provided on the main body 80, and a substrate substrate P. And a drive unit 85 that is provided on the other end side of the arm unit 82 and drives the holding unit 83 through the support shaft 84 so as to be rotatable and movable up and down. The holding unit 83 sucks the substrate substrate P by, for example, vacuum suction.

  Based on this configuration, the substrate transport arm 8 transports the pre-processed substrate substrate P from the pre-processing unit 5 that is separated from the pre-processing unit 5 to the marking unit 6 and is subjected to the marking process by the marking unit 6. In addition, the substrate substrate P can be transported from the marking unit 6 which is separated from each other to the post-processing unit 7.

  FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the maintenance device 33. As shown in FIG. 18, the maintenance device 33 uses a cap member 34 used for a suction operation for sucking the thickened ink from each nozzle 147 of the recording head 60 and the ink attached to the nozzle surface 147A of the recording head 60. And a wiping member 35 used for wiping operation for wiping, and disposed at the home position.

  Here, the home position is set in the end region outside the processing stage 6a within the moving range of the head unit 65, and when the recording is not performed when the power is turned off or for a long time. This is where the head unit 65 moves. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the maintenance device 33 is set on the front side of the device main body 3a as shown in FIG. As a result, the operator can easily perform maintenance such as cleaning of the cap member 34 or the wipe member 35 by easily accessing the maintenance device 33.

  The wipe member 35 is made of an elastic member such as an elastomer, for example, and can wipe the nozzle surface 147A well. Moreover, the cap member 34 is comprised from the frame-shaped member which can cover the nozzle surface 147A. Further, the cap member 34 is provided with an abutting portion capable of abutting against the nozzle surface 147A on the upper surface, and a space can be formed between the cap member 34 and the nozzle surface 147A. The cap member 34 is connected to a suction pump via a suction tube (not shown) on the bottom surface.

  With this configuration, by driving the suction pump, the space formed between the nozzle surface 147A and the cap member 34 is in a negative pressure state, so that ink can be forcibly discharged from the nozzle 147. It has become. The cap member 34 contains an ink absorber 34a. The ink absorber 34a is formed of a sponge-like member capable of holding (absorbing) ink or a porous member. In the present embodiment, the ink absorber 34a is formed of a nonwoven fabric such as felt.

  When the head unit 65 is located at the home position, the maintenance device 33 performs maintenance processing (ink suction operation, wiping operation, etc.) on the recording head 60. Waste ink discharged from the recording head 60 to the maintenance device 33 is collected by a waste liquid collecting mechanism (not shown) mounted on the maintenance device 33.

  The maintenance device 33 is located on the front side of the device main body 3a. That is, in a state where the marking device 3 is viewed in plan, the maintenance device 33 is arranged along one of the outer peripheries similar to the carry-in unit 4 and the carry-out unit 9.

  The drive motor 67 in the head unit moving mechanism 62 is located on the front side of the apparatus main body 3a. In other words, the drive motor 67 is arranged along one of the outer periphery similar to the carry-in unit 4, the carry-out unit 9, and the maintenance device 33.

  Specifically, in this embodiment, four cap members 34 and four wipe members 35 are arranged on the carriage 69 so as to correspond to the arrangement of the recording head 60. With such a configuration, after the capping operation, the carriage 69 is moved in the + Y direction relative to the maintenance device 33, whereby the wipe member 35 corresponding to the arrangement of the recording heads 60 is attached to the nozzle surface 147A. Can be removed.

Next, the operation of the marking device 3 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
First, the operator installs the magazine 100 in which the substrate substrate P is accommodated in the carry-in unit 4 (step S1). The magazine 100 installed in the carry-in unit 4 is sent from the lower conveyor 40 to the placement surface 43a of the elevating mechanism 43 via the transfer conveyor 42.

  As shown in FIG. 209, the elevating mechanism 43 becomes a position (third level) where the substrate substrate P accommodated in the uppermost accommodating portion in the magazine 100 can be delivered to the preprocessing unit 5. The magazine 100 is raised as follows. At this time, the arm portion (not shown) of the preprocessing unit 5 takes out the substrate substrate P from the magazine 100 and transports it to the elevator section 55 by the transport section 58 (step S2).

  The substrate substrate P placed on the placement unit 56 of the elevator unit 55 is transported into the pretreatment unit 50 (see FIG. 6). At this time, the pre-processing unit 50 guides the substrate substrate P to the inside by opening the opening / closing unit 51a of the processing chamber 50a.

  The substrate substrate P is roughened (pretreated) by the processing unit 53 while being transferred by the transfer unit 52 in the processing chamber 50a (step S3). Thereafter, the transport unit 52 transports again the substrate substrate P that has been subjected to the roughening process by the processing unit 53 to the placement unit 56 side. And the substrate board | substrate P is mounted in the mounting part 56 by the delivery means not shown. The elevator unit 55 raises the substrate substrate P, which has been subjected to the roughening process, to the height (third layer) of the upper surface 59a of the transport belt unit 59 of the transport unit 58.

  The substrate transfer arm 8 rotates the arm portion 82 to position the holding portion 83 above the substrate substrate P on the placement portion 56. The substrate transfer arm 8 adjusts the position of the holding unit 83 by the driving unit 85 and sucks the substrate substrate P. The substrate transfer arm 8 moves to the processing stage 6 a of the marking unit 6 by rotating the arm unit 82 while the substrate substrate P is attracted to the holding unit 83. At this time, the drive unit 85 moves the holding unit 83 up and down to prevent the substrate substrate P from contacting other members in the apparatus.

  The substrate transfer arm 8 releases the suction of the substrate substrate P in the holding unit 83 after aligning the substrate substrate P and the processing stage 6a. Thereby, the transfer from the pretreatment unit 5 to the marking unit 6 on the substrate substrate P is completed (step S4).

  The marking device 3 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles of the inkjet head to the corresponding defective chip among the individual IC chips constituting the substrate substrate P based on the recording data (nozzle data) output from the control unit 2. Mark.

  Since the marking device 3 according to the present embodiment uses ultraviolet curable ink, an electrical signal is supplied from the outside to the light emitting element 172 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 95 when the ink is ejected, and ultraviolet UV is emitted from the light emitting surface 172b. Leave it in a state. Since the material constituting the first protective layer 174 and the second protective layer 175 provided on the light emitting element 172 is silicone that transmits ultraviolet rays, the emitted ultraviolet rays UV are emitted from the first protective layer 174 and the second protective layer 175. And reaches the substrate substrate P.

  If the ultraviolet ray UV is continuously emitted, the light emitting element 172 generates heat. This heat is absorbed from the substrate 171 to the heat absorbing member 176a of the heat pipe 176. In the heat pipe 176, heat moves to the heat radiating member 176b through the liquid circulating in the circulation member 176c, and heat is released from the heat radiating member 176b. The fan 177 is rotated when the ultraviolet rays are emitted so that the heat released from the heat radiating member 176b can be diffused.

  By moving the carriage 69 while emitting ultraviolet light, the ink disposed on the substrate substrate P is irradiated with ultraviolet light. When the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ink is temporarily solidified and fixed on the substrate substrate P. In this way, the marking process is performed on the substrate substrate P (step S5).

  By the way, since the ultraviolet curable ink stored in the ink packs 150 and 151 has a large particle size, there is a risk of sedimentation or clogging of the nozzles 147. In contrast, the marking device 3 according to the present embodiment expands and contracts the balloon pack 165 in the ink pack cases 160 and 161 at a timing when ink is not ejected, for example, at the time of maintenance or before starting the printing process. Yes.

  The ink packs 150 and 151 are contracted by the balloon pack 165 that expands and contracts as shown in FIG. As a result, the ink stored in the ink packs 150 and 151 is agitated. Further, when the ink packs 150 and 151 are contracted, the ink can be directly agitated by moving the agitation ball 200 in the guide portion 201 installed inside.

  After completion of the marking process, the substrate transfer arm 8 rotates the arm portion 82 to position the holding portion 83 above the substrate substrate P on the processing stage 6a. The substrate transfer arm 8 adjusts the position of the holding unit 83 by the driving unit 85 and sucks the substrate substrate P. The substrate transport arm 8 moves to the placement portion 76 of the elevator portion 75 of the post-processing unit 7 by rotating the arm portion 82 with the substrate substrate P attracted to the holding portion 83. At this time, the drive unit 85 moves the holding unit 83 up and down to prevent the substrate substrate P from contacting other members in the apparatus.

  The substrate transfer arm 8 releases the suction of the substrate 83 in the holding unit 83 after aligning the substrate substrate P and the placement unit 76. As a result, the substrate substrate P is transferred from the marking unit 6 to the post-processing unit 7 (step S6).

  The substrate substrate P placed on the placement unit 76 of the elevator unit 75 is conveyed into the post-processing unit 70. At this time, the post-processing unit 70 guides the substrate substrate P to the inside by opening the opening / closing unit 71a of the processing chamber 70a.

  The substrate substrate P is subjected to a main curing process (post-processing) by the lamp unit 73 while being transported by the transport unit 72 in the processing chamber 70a (step S7). Thereafter, the transport unit 72 transports the substrate substrate P, which has been subjected to the main curing process by the lamp unit 73, toward the placement unit 76 again. And the substrate board | substrate P is mounted in the mounting part 76 by the delivery means not shown. The elevator unit 75 raises the substrate substrate P that has been subjected to the main curing process up to the height (third layer) of the upper surface 79 a of the transport belt unit 79 of the transport unit 78.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the transport unit 78 transports the substrate substrate P to the empty magazine 100 placed on the placement surface 93a of the lifting mechanism 93 of the carry-out unit 9 (step S8). At the start of carrying out, the elevating mechanism 93 is in the most elevated state, and the substrate substrate P is accommodated in the lowermost accommodating portion of the empty magazine 100. Then, the elevating mechanism 93 sequentially lowers the empty magazines 100 until the uppermost storage units are positioned at the third level. Thereby, in the magazine 100, the substrate substrate P that has been subjected to the marking process is accommodated in all the accommodating portions.

  The transfer conveyor 92 receives the magazine 100 containing the substrate substrate P from the lifting mechanism 93 and then transfers the magazine 100 to the lower conveyor 90. The lower conveyor 90 can smoothly place the magazine 100 conveyed by the conveyor 92 by a receiving mechanism (not shown). Finally, the operator takes out the magazine 100 placed on the lower conveyor 90 (step S9).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the inside of the ink packs 150 and 151 can be agitated by the expansion and contraction of the balloon pack 165 as described above, the ink particles settle in the ink packs 150 and 151. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to discharge a uniform concentration of ink from each nozzle 147, and it is possible to provide a highly reliable apparatus with stable printing quality.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the ink packs 150 and 151 are compressed from the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the guide unit 201 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the ink packs 150 and 151 may be compressed from the length direction of the guide unit 201. In this case, the guide part 201 made of a coil spring contracts together with the ink packs 150 and 151, but the stirring ball 200 can be moved favorably in the guide part 201, so that the ink can be reliably stirred.

  In the above embodiment, since two types of ink are used, two sub tanks 102 are provided. However, the present invention is naturally applied to a configuration using, for example, three or more types of ink. Is.

P ... Substrate substrate (substrate), 3 ... Marking device (droplet discharge device), 60 ... Recording head (droplet discharge head), 150, 151 ... Ink pack, 165 ... Balloon pack (contracting member), 200 ... Stirring Ball (stirring member), 201 ... guide part

Claims (5)

A droplet discharge head for discharging ink onto a substrate;
An ink pack containing the ink;
A contraction member for contracting the ink pack,
The ink pack includes a stirring member that stirs the ink and a guide portion that guides the movement of the stirring member.   The droplet discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion has contractibility.   The droplet discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the guide portion is formed of a coil spring, and the stirring member moves inside the coil spring.   The droplet discharge device according to claim 3, wherein the stirring member is a spherical member.   The droplet discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the ink is an ultraviolet curable ink.

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