JP2011126114A - Ink supply device and drawing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink supply device and a drawing apparatus which can appropriate commercially available ink tank and ink pack for an ink storage part and can perform a separating and improving operation easily by a simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: The ink supply device includes the ink storage part 60 which stores a pigment ink, a supply tube 61 which supplies the pigment ink from the ink storage part 60 to an inkjet head 27 which performs drawing by ejecting the pigment ink, a posture changing means 62 (stirring means) which stirs the stored pigment ink by oscillating the ink storage part 60 while the supply tube 61 is connected, and a control means 7 which controls the stirring means to operate to stir. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink supply device and a drawing device that supply pigment ink such as ultraviolet curable ink (UV ink) to an inkjet head.

  Conventionally, as an ink supply device of this type, an ink storage unit that stores pigment ink, a circulation channel that circulates pigment ink stored in the ink storage unit, a filter that is interposed in the circulation channel, and a pigment ink And a circulation pump for circulating the gas inside the circulation channel is known (see Patent Document 1). In this ink supply device, the pigment ink is circulated in the circulation flow path by driving the circulation pump as the precipitation of the pigment in the pigment ink (measures for separating the pigment and the solvent).

JP 2005-103841 A

  However, the above-described ink supply apparatus has a problem that the ink supply system has a complicated configuration because a circulation flow path is provided as a measure against separation of pigment ink. Further, since the ink storage portion has a special shape, there is a problem that a commercially available ink tank or ink pack in which pigment ink is stored cannot be used as the ink storage portion. In this case, when the pigment ink in the special shape ink reservoir becomes empty, it is necessary to transfer the pigment ink from a commercially available ink pack or the like to the ink reservoir, and the corresponding operation when it becomes empty becomes complicated. Become. In addition, when a commercially available ink pack or the like is used as the ink reservoir, the pigment on which the pigment ink has settled must be stirred by shaking the ink reservoir manually removed by the person in charge. ) Is complicated.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink supply device and a drawing device that can use a commercially available ink tank or ink pack as an ink reservoir, and can easily perform a separation improving operation with a simple configuration. It is an issue.

  The ink supply device of the present invention includes an ink storage unit that stores pigment ink, a supply tube that supplies pigment ink to an inkjet head that performs drawing by discharging the pigment ink from the ink storage unit, and a state in which the supply tube is connected And a stirring means for stirring the pigment ink stored by swinging the ink storing portion, and a control means for controlling the stirring means to perform a stirring operation.

  According to this configuration, even if a commercially available ink tank and ink pack are used as the ink storage unit, the pigment ink in the ink storage unit can be stirred by the stirring unit. In addition, since the ink reservoir can be swung while the supply tube is connected, the stirring operation (separation improving operation) can be performed quickly and easily.

  In this case, it is preferable that the ink storage part is constituted by a bag-shaped ink pack.

  According to this configuration, even if the ink storage amount is reduced, the ink pack is also reduced accordingly, so that bubbles do not enter the ink pack, and it is possible to always supply ink that does not contain bubbles.

  In this case, it is preferable that the ink reservoir is installed on a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted.

  According to this configuration, since the ink reservoir and the inkjet head are disposed on the same carriage, the supply tube that connects the ink reservoir and the inkjet head can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the sedimentation (stagnation) of the pigment in the supply tube, and it is possible to perform the drawing process by the ink jet head with higher accuracy.

  In this case, the pigment ink is preferably a white ink.

  According to this configuration, even when a white ink that is heavy and easily separated is used, a drawing process can be appropriately performed.

  In the ink supply device, the agitation unit includes a storage unit holding mechanism that detachably holds the ink storage unit, and a storage unit rotation mechanism that reciprocally rotates the ink storage unit via the storage unit holding mechanism. It is preferable to have.

  According to this configuration, the ink storage unit can be easily reciprocated via the storage unit holding mechanism.

  In this case, the storage unit rotation mechanism preferably rotates the ink storage unit back and forth between the upright posture and the inverted posture.

  According to this configuration, since the pigment ink in the ink reservoir is vigorously stirred, the pigment ink separation improving operation can be performed efficiently.

  In the above ink supply device, the agitation means uses a moving table that moves the carriage on which the ink jet head is mounted in one direction as a power source, and the agitation means can detachably attach and detach the ink reservoir. It is preferable to have a rotation holding mechanism for holding and a power transmission mechanism for converting the reciprocating movement of the carriage by the moving table into the reciprocating rotation of the rotation holding mechanism.

  According to this configuration, since the ink storage unit can be stirred using the power of the moving table, it is not necessary to provide a special power source for the stirring means, and the ink supply device can be configured simply. it can.

  In this case, it is preferable that the power transmission mechanism reciprocally rotates the ink storage unit between the upright posture and the inverted posture.

  According to this configuration, the pigment ink in the ink reservoir can be vigorously stirred to appropriately perform the pigment ink separation improvement operation.

  In this case, it is preferable to further include cap means attached to the carriage and sealing the nozzle surface of the ink jet head when not driven.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the pigment ink from leaking from the nozzles of the inkjet head due to pressure fluctuations during the separation improving operation.

  In these cases, the ink storage unit has an ink supply port at the longitudinal end of the ink storage unit, and the control unit controls the agitation unit between the drawing time by the inkjet head and the non-drawing time, It is preferable to change the attitude of the ink storage unit between a vertical position with the ink supply port facing downward and a horizontal position with the ink supply port facing sideways.

  According to this configuration, since the ink supply port is positioned at the bottom of the storage unit main body by changing the posture of the ink storage unit to the vertical orientation during drawing, the ink in the ink storage unit can be used up. On the other hand, when the ink reservoir is changed to the horizontal orientation when not drawing, the separated pigment does not accumulate near the ink supply port, and the separated and accumulated pigment may flow into the supply tube as it is. Therefore, the drawing process can be performed with high accuracy.

  In this case, it is preferable that the control means performs the stirring operation at the start of operation of the apparatus.

When the apparatus is stopped, the pigment ink is not consumed and does not flow, so that the pigment ink is easily separated into the pigment and the solvent.
According to the above configuration, by performing the stirring operation at the start of operation of the apparatus, the pigment ink separated at the time of non-operation is separated and improved, so that drawing processing after operation can be appropriately performed.

  In this case, it is preferable that the control means perform the stirring operation with a stirring intensity corresponding to the length of the apparatus downtime from the end of the previous apparatus operation to the start of the current apparatus operation.

The longer the operation stop time of the apparatus, the more easily the pigment of the pigment ink settles (separates), while the shorter the stop time, the more difficult the separation of the pigment of the pigment ink.
According to the above configuration, by performing the stirring operation with the stirring intensity according to the length of the apparatus downtime, it is possible to perform an appropriate stirring operation according to the length of the apparatus downtime.

  In this case, it is preferable that the control means perform the stirring operation when the apparatus pause time from the end of the previous apparatus operation to the start of the current apparatus operation exceeds a predetermined time.

  According to this configuration, the stirring operation can be performed only when the apparatus down time exceeds the predetermined time and the pigment of the pigment ink is separated and stirring is required. Therefore, unnecessary stirring operation is not performed. Note that the predetermined time is preferably determined experimentally from the ease of settling of the pigment of the pigment ink.

  In this case, it is preferable that the ink storage unit is set in a state where the pigment ink is stored, and the control unit performs the stirring operation at the time of setting.

Before the ink reservoir is set, since the pigment ink in the ink reservoir does not flow, the ink reservoir is easily separated.
According to said structure, since the pigment ink isolate | separated before the setting of an ink storage part is separated and improved, the drawing process after a setting, etc. can be implemented appropriately.

  In this case, the agitation operation is controlled using the number of oscillations of the ink storage unit as a parameter, and further includes oscillation number detection means for detecting the number of oscillations of the ink storage unit by the agitation unit. It is preferable to end the stirring operation when the number of swings detected by the detection means reaches a preset set number of swings.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to monitor the number of swings and reliably swing the ink storage portion by the set number of swings. Therefore, the agitation operation can be performed with the set appropriate agitation intensity (set oscillation frequency).

  In this case, the control means further comprises a suction means for sucking the pigment ink from the ink jet head in close contact with the ink jet head, and a flow rate detecting means for detecting the flow speed of the pigment ink at the time of suction by the suction means. When the detected flow velocity detected by the flow velocity detection means deviates from a preset reference flow velocity range, it is preferable to perform the stirring operation.

Since the viscosity increases as the density of the pigment in the pigment ink increases, the flow rate during suction decreases. In addition, the smaller the density of the pigment, the lower the viscosity, so that the flow rate becomes faster during suction. That is, when the pigment in the pigment ink is not uniformly dispersed, the flow rate is different from the original flow rate.
According to the above configuration, the agitation operation can be performed only when the pigment of the pigment ink is not uniformly dispersed by performing the agitation operation when the flow velocity during suction is out of the reference flow velocity range. . That is, the necessity of the stirring operation can be easily determined by using the flow rate during suction as a reference.

  A drawing apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described ink supply device, and a drawing unit that performs drawing by discharging pigment ink from the inkjet head while moving the inkjet head relative to the workpiece. And

  According to this configuration, a commercially available ink pack or the like can be used as the ink storage unit. Further, by using an ink supply device that can easily perform the separation improving operation with a simple configuration, the drawing device can be easily configured, and the drawing process for the workpiece can be performed satisfactorily.

1 is a perspective view of a drawing apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a side view of a work slider and a feeding / discharging material robot. It is the figure which showed typically the supply system and suction system (suction unit etc.) of the pigment ink of a drawing apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the workpiece | work supply-and-discharge material of the workpiece | work using a supply-and-discharge material robot. It is the side view (a) and front view (b) which showed the ink supply apparatus typically. It is a side view of the stirring flow path part of a supply tube, AA sectional drawing (a), and a perspective view (b). It is the front view which showed typically the storage part holding mechanism of the attitude | position change means. It is a figure explaining the horizontal installation attitude | position (a) and vertical installation attitude | position (b) of an ink storage part (storage part holding | maintenance mechanism). It is a figure explaining the vertical installation attitude | position and inverted position in stirring operation. Side view of the stirring channel part of the supply tube according to the second embodiment, AA sectional view (a), side view of the stirring channel part of the supply tube according to the third embodiment, AA sectional view (b) ). It is the top view which showed typically the power transmission mechanism of the attitude | position change means which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is the top view (a) and side view (b) which showed typically the carriage and ink supply apparatus which concern on 5th Embodiment. It is the side view (a) and front view (b) which showed typically the storage part holding | maintenance mechanism and rocking | fluctuation apparatus of the attitude | position change means which concern on 6th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a drawing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This drawing apparatus draws a manufacturer's logo, standards, management information, etc. by ejecting pigment ink from an inkjet head while moving the inkjet head relative to a work having a plurality of semiconductor ICs and the like. Is.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the drawing apparatus 1 includes a drawing unit 2 that performs drawing by discharging pigment ink from the inkjet head 27 while moving the inkjet head 27 relative to the workpiece W, and the inkjet head 27. The pigment ink is supplied to the maintenance means 3 for performing various maintenance processes, the supply / discharge material means 4 for supplying and removing the workpiece W to the drawing means 2, and the supply tube 61 (ink supply flow path). And an ink supply device 5 that supplies pigment ink to the inkjet head 27 from the ink storage unit 60 that stores the ink. Each of these means (devices) is disposed on the machine base 6. Further, the drawing apparatus 1 is comprehensively controlled by the control means 7. In the present embodiment, ultraviolet curable ink that is cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays is used as the pigment ink. In addition, the workpiece W in the present embodiment is obtained by arranging a plurality of semiconductor ICs and the like on a tray in a matrix. Furthermore, since the semiconductor IC or the like (the package thereof) is often a color with low brightness such as black, in the present embodiment, white pigment ink is used in consideration of visibility. Of course, pigment inks of colors other than white may be used.

  The drawing means 2 is capable of reciprocating between the X-axis table 21 for moving the workpiece W in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis table 22 spanned in the Y-axis direction so as to straddle the X-axis table 21, and the Y-axis table 22. And a carriage 23 on which an ink jet head 27 and the like are mounted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the X-axis table 21 is provided with a work slider 24 on which the work W is positioned and fixed so as to reciprocate in the X-axis direction. The work slider 24 includes a set stage 24a for attracting and fixing the work W, a θ-axis stage 24b for rotating the set stage 24a in the θ-axis direction (rotation about the Z-axis), and the set stage 24a and the θ-axis stage 24b for the Z-axis. A Z-axis stage 24c that moves in the (up and down) direction and an X-axis stage 24d that mounts the stages 24a, 24b, and 24c and reciprocates on the X-axis table 21 are provided. The set stage 24a is composed of a porous plate, and a suction means (not shown) is provided therein. And the workpiece | work W is adsorbed and fixed on the set stage 24a by driving a suction means.

  In the present embodiment, the work slider 24 is moved in the X-axis direction, and the work W sucked and fixed on the set stage 24a is made to face a position (drawing area A1) that intersects the Y-axis table 22. In the present embodiment, the θ-axis stage 24b, the Z-axis stage 24c, and the X-axis stage 24d are driven and fixed on the set stage 24a by using an imaging result in a dot inspection unit 34, which will be described later. Alignment (ink landing position calibration) between the workpiece W and the inkjet head 27 on the carriage 23 is performed.

  The Y-axis table 22 reciprocates a carriage 23 that is cantilevered by a carriage shaft 25 extending in the Y-axis direction so as to face the drawing area A1. In the vicinity of the rear of the carriage shaft 25, a carrier 26 (cable bear) that accommodates an electrical cable and a pigment ink supply system tube (supply tube 61) is attached.

  The carriage 23 has a pair of semi-curing devices that irradiate ultraviolet rays for semi-curing the pigment ink (ultraviolet curable ink) that has landed on the work W from the inkjet head 27 and the inkjet head 27 that ejects the pigment ink. 28 are mounted. The pair of semi-curing devices 28 are disposed on both sides of the inkjet head 27 in the Y-axis direction, and are used one by one as the carriage 23 reciprocates. “Semi-cured” refers to a state where the pigment ink that has landed on the workpiece W is cured to such an extent that it does not flow out, but is not completely cured.

  The drawing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is controlled by the control means 7 to drive the Y-axis table 22 so that the inkjet head 27 faces the workpiece W located in the drawing area A1, and moves the carriage 23 in the Y-axis direction. While the pigment ink is ejected from the inkjet head 27, a predetermined pattern (maker logo, standard, management information, etc.) is drawn on the work W. Thereafter, the pigment ink landed on the workpiece W is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the semi-curing device 28 on the downstream side in the moving direction.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1, the maintenance unit 3 includes a flushing unit 31 that receives the discarded discharge of the pigment ink from the inkjet head 27 before drawing and the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 27 after the suction or discharge of the pigment ink. The wiper unit 32 for wiping the ink, the pigment ink is forcibly sucked from a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head 27, and the suction unit 33 for capping, and the ejection failure of the pigment ink droplets from the inkjet head 27 (dot missing, etc.) A dot inspection unit 34 for inspecting the presence or absence of Each unit is arranged in the Y-axis direction in the order of the flushing unit 31, the wipe unit 32, and the suction unit 33 from the vicinity of the X-axis table 21. A position where the carriage 23 faces the suction unit 33 is a home position A2.

  The flushing unit 31 is provided with an ink receiving portion 31 a for receiving discarded discharge from the inkjet head 27. The discard discharge is performed when the pigment ink is discarded (flushing before drawing) performed while the carriage 23 is moved onto the workpiece W immediately before the drawing process on the workpiece W, and when the drawing process is stopped such as when the workpiece W is replaced. There is a discard discharge (periodic flushing) of the pigment ink, both of which are performed to prevent the viscosity of the pigment ink from increasing in the nozzle.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a flushing tube 31b that communicates with a waste liquid tank 40 of a suction unit 33, which will be described later, is connected to the bottom of the ink receiving portion 31a. The flushing tube 31b is made of a light-shielding material that does not transmit light (ultraviolet rays) in order to prevent the pigment ink from being cured, and a flushing valve 31c that opens and closes the flushing tube 31b is provided on the downstream side. . Then, by driving the ejector 42 of the suction unit 33, the pigment ink discharged into the ink receiving portion 31a is removed by suction. Further, since the flushing unit 31 is adjacent to the drawing area A1, the ejector 42 is driven to generate a suction force, whereby the mist-like mist generated when the pigment ink is ejected onto the workpiece W is sucked and collected. can do. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the floating mist from adhering to the workpiece W.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wiping unit 32 includes a wiping sheet 32a wound in a roll shape, a winding mechanism (not shown) for winding the wiping sheet 32a in one direction, and a wiping sheet 32a. And an elevating cylinder (not shown) that moves up and down to a position to be pressed against the nozzle surface of 27 and a position to be separated. The wipe unit 32 wipes the pigment ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 27 after performing the pigment ink suction process to the inkjet head 27 using the suction unit 33.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the suction unit 33 includes a cap 35 that is in close contact with the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 27, a suction mechanism 36 that sucks pigment ink from a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head 27, and the cap 35 and the suction mechanism 36. And a lifting mechanism (not shown) for moving the cap 35 up and down. The suction process for the inkjet head 27 using the suction unit 33 is performed before the drawing process is started, when initial filling with pigment ink is performed, or when an ejection failure occurs.

  The suction mechanism 36 includes a waste liquid tank 40 that stores the sucked pigment ink, an intake passage 41 connected to an upper space of the waste liquid tank 40, and an ejector 42 that applies a negative pressure to the waste liquid tank 40 through the intake passage 41. And.

  The waste liquid tank 40 is connected to the tank main body 43 in which the pigment ink is stored, the pressure sensor 44 that is connected to the upper space of the tank main body 43 and detects the internal pressure, and is disposed and stored on the side of the tank main body 43. Liquid level detecting means 45 for detecting the liquid level of the pigment ink. When detecting the upper limit liquid level, the liquid level detection means 45 opens the drain port 46 and wastes the pigment ink in a waste liquid facility (not shown). On the other hand, when the lower limit liquid level is detected, the drain port 46 is closed. Further, a trap 47 for preventing the mist of the pigment ink saturated in the tank body 43 from entering the intake passage 41 is provided at the connection portion of the intake passage 41 described above.

  The ejector 42 is connected to a compressed air supply facility E1 that supplies compressed air and an exhaust facility E2 that exhausts compressed air. The ejector 42 is supplied with compressed air whose pressure is adjusted by the electropneumatic regulator 48, and the air in the intake passage 41 is pulled toward the exhaust equipment E2 by the accompanying flow, so that the inside of the tank body 43 is decompressed. Be controlled.

  The flow path mechanism 37 has a suction tube 37a that guides the sucked pigment ink from the cap 35 to the suction mechanism 36, a suction valve 37b that opens and closes the suction tube 37a, and a flow rate that detects the presence or absence of the pigment ink in the suction tube 37a. Detecting means 49.

  The suction tube 37a is made of a light shielding material like the flushing tube 31b, and prevents the sucked pigment ink from being cured in the suction tube 37a. On the downstream side of the suction tube 37a, the flushing tube 31b joins via a joint and is inserted into the tank main body 43.

  The flow rate detection means 49 is disposed between the cap 35 and the suction valve 37b, and detects the flow rate of the pigment ink flowing in the suction tube 37a. The detection result by the flow velocity detection means 49 is sent to the control means 7, and the control means 7 determines whether or not the concentration of the pigment ink is appropriate (whether the pigment and the solvent are separated).

  In the suction processing using the suction unit 33, first, the ejector 42 is driven, the suction valve 37b is opened, and the inside of the cap 35 and the suction tube 37a are sucked empty. Thereafter, the drive of the ejector 42 is temporarily stopped, the lifting mechanism is driven to raise the cap 35, and the cap 35 is brought into close contact with the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 27 facing the home position A2. Then, the pigment ink is sucked out from the plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head 27 by opening the suction valve 37b while the ejector 42 is driven.

By the way, although white pigment ink is used in the present embodiment, generally white pigment ink has particles larger than other color pigments, so the pigment and solvent are separated. It is easy to do (the pigment is easy to settle). For this reason, if the suction process is performed in a state where the separation of the pigment ink occurs in the ink reservoir 60 which is a supply source of the pigment ink, the pigment ink of an appropriate concentration is not filled in the inkjet head 27 and the desired ink is stored. The drawing process cannot be performed.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, when performing the suction process, the flow rate detection means 49 detects the flow rate of the pigment ink flowing through the suction tube 37a to determine the suitability of the pigment ink concentration.

  Specifically, when a pigment ink having a high solvent ratio (or only a separated solvent) is sucked, the flow rate detected by the flow rate detecting means 49 is increased. On the other hand, when a pigment ink having a high pigment ratio (or only separated pigment) is sucked, the detected flow rate becomes slow. If the detected result falls within the reference flow rate range (± 10% of the reference flow rate) stored in advance in the control unit 7, the control unit 7 determines that the pigment ink is not separated. On the other hand, if the ink does not fall within the reference flow velocity range, it is determined that the pigment ink is separated in the ink reservoir 60. In this case, although details will be described later, the stirring operation (separation improving operation) of the pigment ink is performed using the posture changing means 62.

  Instead of the flow velocity detection means 49, a sensor (such as an optical sensor) that detects pigment ink that passes through a specific position of the suction tube 37a may be provided. In this case, the control means 7 measures the time from the start of suction (when the suction valve 37b is opened) to the detection of the pigment ink, and this measured time is within a reference time range (reference time) stored in advance in the control means 7. If it is outside the reference time range, it is determined that the separation of the pigment ink has occurred. Of course, the flow velocity may be calculated using the time and the distance to the specific position.

  In addition, two sensors (such as an optical sensor) that detect pigment ink passing through two locations of the suction tube 37a may be provided. In this case, the time for passing between the two sensors is measured, and the flow rate of the pigment ink is calculated from the measured time and the distance between the two sensors stored in advance.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dot inspection unit 34 is for inspecting whether or not pigment ink droplets have been ejected from the inkjet head 27 (dot missing) and whether or not the pigment ink droplet has been bent. An inspection slider 38 that receives the discharge of the pigment ink, and an imaging means 39 that images the pigment ink landed on the inspection slider 38 and the like.
The inspection slider 38 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction by the X-axis table 21. The inspection slider 38 is provided with a roll sheet 38a on which pigment ink droplets land and a sheet winding mechanism 38b that winds the roll sheet 38a while feeding it while applying tension. The imaging means 39 is composed of a CCD camera or the like, and is supported by the Y-axis table 22 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. Image the results.

  The inspection by the dot inspection unit 34 is performed by moving the carriage 23 and the dot inspection unit 34 before performing drawing processing on the workpiece W, and the ink jet head 27 is rolled out by the sheet take-up mechanism 38b. 38a. Then, pigment ink is discharged from the inkjet head 27 and landed on the roll sheet 38a. Thereafter, the inkjet head 27 (carriage 23) is moved to the home position A2, and instead, the image pickup means 39 faces the roll sheet 38a, and the pigment ink landed on the roll sheet 38a is imaged. The imaging result is sent to the control means 7, where various image processing is performed in the control means 7 to determine the presence or absence of missing dots or flying curves. When dot missing or the like has occurred, forced suction is performed by the suction unit 33 and the nozzle surface is wiped by the wipe unit 32 (cleaning process).

  In addition, the actual landing position of the pigment ink imaged by the imaging unit 39 of the dot inspection unit 34 is compared with the ideal landing position stored in the control unit 7 by the control unit 7, and the inkjet head with respect to the workpiece W 27 (carriage 23) is used to adjust the position. Thereby, the landing position of the pigment ink with respect to the workpiece W is calibrated (ink landing position calibration).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the supply / discharge material means 4 includes a loader 51 that sends the workpiece W into the drawing apparatus 1, a feed mechanism 52 that transports the workpiece W sent from the loader 51, and a feed mechanism 52. An intermediary pre-processing mechanism 53, a material supply / removal robot 54 for supplying / removing material W to / from the work slider 24, and a material removal mechanism 55 for conveying the work W delivered from the material supply / discharge material robot 54. And a post-processing mechanism 56 interposed in the material removal mechanism 55 and an unloader 57 for sending the workpiece W to the outside of the drawing apparatus 1.

  The loader 51 and the unloader 57 are arranged in a line in the Y-axis direction. The loader 51 is adjacent to the material supply mechanism 52 and pushes the workpiece W against the material supply mechanism 52. On the other hand, the unloader 57 is adjacent to the material removal mechanism 55 and receives the workpiece W that has been subjected to the drawing process from the material removal mechanism 55.

  The material supply mechanism 52 and the material removal mechanism 55 are configured to convey the workpiece W in one direction by a roller (roller conveyor), and each extend in the X-axis direction and are arranged in parallel to each other. The material supply mechanism 52 is attached to the X-axis table 21, and conveys the workpiece W pushed out from the loader 51 to the workable range (supply / discharge material area A 3) of the supply / discharge material robot 54. On the other hand, the material removal mechanism 55 moves the workpiece W carried out by the material supply / removal material robot 54 in the material supply / discharge material area A3 in the Y-axis direction, then moves it in the X-axis direction, and conveys it to the unloader 57. To do.

  The preprocessing mechanism 53 is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path of the material supply mechanism 52, and temporarily arranges a plurality of semiconductor ICs and the like in a matrix. On the other hand, the post-processing mechanism 56 is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path of the material removal mechanism 55, and is used for irradiating the drawn workpiece W with ultraviolet rays to completely cure the pigment ink on the workpiece W. It is a main curing device.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the supply / discharge material robot 54 is disposed so as to face the X-axis table 21, grips the workpiece W from above, and supplies the workpiece W to the workpiece slider 24. It has a material supply arm 54a, a material removal arm 54b that removes the workpiece W from the work slider 24, and an elevation rotation mechanism 54c that raises and lowers the material supply arm 54a and the material removal arm 54b and rotates them by 90 °. . The material supply arm 54a and the material removal arm 54b are each cantilevered by the lifting / lowering rotation mechanism 54c, and the material removal arm 54b is arranged at a position rotated from the material supply arm 54a by 90 ° about the lifting / lowering rotation mechanism 54c. It is installed.

  In this material supply / removal material 54, the material supply arm 54a faces the workpiece W (before drawing) conveyed by the material supply mechanism 52, while the material removal arm 54b faces the drawing area A1. In the state of facing the work W (drawn) on the work slider 24 in the state of being, the material supply arm 54a and the material removal arm 54b are lowered by the up-and-down rotation mechanism 54c. The material supply arm 54a grips the workpiece W before drawing from above, and the material removal arm 54b grips the drawn workpiece W from above, and then the material rotation arm 54a and the material removal arm again by the lifting and rotating mechanism 54c. 54b is raised. Thereafter, the work slider 24 moves the X-axis table 21 so as to pass under the material supply / removal robot 54. At the same time, the up-and-down rotation mechanism 54c rotates the material supply arm 54a and the material removal arm 54b clockwise in FIG. 4 to set the workpiece W before drawing on the workpiece slider 24 and to draw the workpiece W already drawn. Is placed on the material removal mechanism 55. In other words, the material supply / removal robot 54 can simultaneously perform material supply and material removal for the work W in one operation.

  The ink supply device 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 6. The ink supply device 5 is disposed in the vicinity of the carrier 26 and on the home position A2 side (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ink supply device 5 supplies the pigment ink to the ink storage unit 60 that stores the pigment ink, and the inkjet head 27 that performs drawing by discharging the pigment ink from the ink storage unit 60. A supply tube 61, a posture changing unit 62 that changes the posture of the ink storage unit 60 in a state where the supply tube 61 is connected, and a weight measurement unit 63 that measures the weight of the ink storage unit 60.

  The ink reservoir 60 is a so-called ink pack, and includes a reservoir main body 60a that stores pigment ink, and an ink supply port 60b to which one end of the supply tube 61 is connected. The ink storage unit 60 is held by a storage unit holding mechanism 67 of a posture changing unit 62 described later.

  The reservoir main body 60a is formed as a bag-shaped ink pack having deformable flexibility by heat-welding two rectangular film sheets at the periphery thereof. The reservoir main body 60a filled with the pigment ink is deformed into a flat state by the supply and use of the pigment ink so that the two film sheets spaced apart from each other are in close contact with each other. Thereby, it is possible to prevent bubbles from entering the storage portion main body 60a (ink pack) due to a decrease in the storage amount of the pigment ink.

  The ink supply port 60b is made of a resin material, and is attached in a liquid-tight state at the center of one short side of the reservoir main body 60a. The ink supply port 60b is sealed with a rubber seal to prevent the pigment ink from flowing out.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the supply tube 61 (ink supply flow path) includes a tube connection portion 64 connected to the ink supply port 60 b and a supply flow path portion extending from the tube connection portion 64. 65, and a stirring channel portion 66 that extends from the supply channel portion 65 and is formed in a spiral shape so that the pigment ink flows up and down.

  The tube connection portion 64 is provided at a connection joint 64 a fixed to a storage portion holding mechanism 67 (the tube fixing portion 74 thereof) of the posture changing means 62 described later, and an end portion of the connection joint 64 a. And an ink supply needle 64b inserted into the supply port 60b. The supply tube 61 is fixed by screwing a connection joint 64a to a tube fixing portion 74 described later. Further, the supply tube 61 inserts the ink supply needle 64b into the ink supply port 60b to break the seal, and allows the ink storage unit 60 and the inkjet head 27 to communicate with each other.

The supply flow path portion 65 and the stirring flow path portion 66 are each made of a flexible light shielding material, like the suction tube 37a and the flushing tube 31b.
The supply flow path portion 65 constitutes a flow path for the pigment ink from the tube connection portion 64 to the carrier 26 of the drawing means 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the stirring flow path portion 66 extends from the supply flow path portion 65 and is configured by a spiral tube. The stirring channel portion 66 is accommodated substantially horizontally in the Y-axis direction while drawing a spiral in the carrier 26, and its downstream end is connected to the inkjet head 27 (see FIG. 1). The stirring channel portion 66 configured in a spiral shape freely expands and contracts in the carrier 26 as the carriage 23 (inkjet head 27) moves in the Y-axis direction. The stirring channel portion 66 expands and contracts like a coil spring, and the channel length itself does not expand and contract (change).

As described above, since the white pigment ink used in the present embodiment is easily separated into the pigment and the solvent, the pigment settles in the supply tube 61 when the pigment ink is not consumed during non-drawing or the like. There is.
However, even when the pigment of the pigment ink is settled, the stirring flow path portion 66 is formed in a spiral shape, so that the pigment ink flowing through the stirring flow path portion 66 flows while moving up and down. . Therefore, when a suction process is performed using the suction unit 33, the pigment and the solvent (supernatant portion) that have settled in the stirring flow path portion 66 flow while being stirred. Thereby, the separation of the pigment ink in the supply tube 61 (the stirring flow path portion 66) can be improved (separation improving operation). In addition, even when the pigment ink is consumed, such as a drawing process on the workpiece W, the stirring effect can be given to the pigment ink flowing through the stirring channel portion 66. Furthermore, the stirring flow path portion 66 is also expanded and contracted in the Y-axis direction as the carriage 23 moves, so that the stirring effect is given to the pigment ink that passes therethrough. As a result, it is not necessary to perform a suction process and flow the pigment ink to the agitation channel part 66 only for the pigment ink separation improving operation. The separation of the pigment ink can be prevented.

  By the way, in the landscape orientation P1 in which the ink storage unit 60 is vertically long in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, the ink supply port 60b is oriented sideways, so that the liquid level fluctuation in the ink storage unit 60 due to consumption of pigment ink (described later). (As compared to the case of the vertically placed posture P2), it becomes easier to maintain a stable supply pressure. In addition, it is possible to prevent the pigment ink from being settled near the ink supply port 60b when the pigment ink is not consumed during non-drawing or the like. However, in the horizontal position P1, if the liquid level of the pigment ink in the ink reservoir 60 is lower than the height of the ink supply port 60b due to consumption of the pigment ink, a lot of pigment ink cannot be used up.

  On the other hand, in the vertically placed posture P2 in which the ink storage unit 60 is vertically long, the ink supply port 60b is vertically downward, so that the pigment ink can be used up without waste, but compared with the horizontally placed posture P1. Then, since the liquid level fluctuation in the ink reservoir 60 is large, the supply pressure becomes unstable. In addition, the pigment that has settled near the ink supply port 60b flows into the supply tube 61 at the start of drawing, which causes clogging of the supply tube 61 or nozzles, poor drawing, or the like.

  Therefore, in the drawing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the posture changing unit 62 is used to change the posture of the ink storage unit 60 to which the supply tube 61 is connected between the vertical posture P2 and the horizontal posture P1. I do. The posture changing means 62 is also used as an agitation means for agitating the pigment ink separated into the pigment and the solvent in the ink reservoir 60.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, the posture changing means 62 holds the ink storage unit 60 in a vertical position via the storage unit holding mechanism 67 that detachably holds the ink storage unit 60 and the storage unit holding mechanism 67. A storage portion rotation mechanism 68 that rotates between P2 and the horizontal orientation P1 and a support frame 69 that supports the storage portion rotation mechanism 68 are provided.

  The reservoir holding mechanism 67 includes a frame portion 72 in which a rectangular holding opening 71 facing one side of the reservoir main body 60a is formed, a pair of holding members 73 for holding and fixing the ink reservoir 60, and a tube connecting portion 64. A tube fixing portion 74 to which the (connecting joint 64a) is connected, and a supply port fixing portion 75 which is attached to the tip portion of the ink supply needle 64b and fixes the ink supply port 60b.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the frame portion 72 is a rectangular plate-like member as a whole, and a holding opening 71 is opened at the center thereof. That is, the frame portion 72 is configured only by a rectangular edge portion. The pair of holding members 73 are fixed to the left and right sides of the frame portion 72 with a plurality of screws in a state where the frame portion 72 is in the vertically placed posture P2, and the heat-welded portions on the left and right sides of the storage portion main body 60a are attached to the frame portion 72. And the ink reservoir 60 is fixed. The tube fixing portion 74 is provided so as to protrude from the frame portion 72 below the center of the frame portion 72 in the vertically placed posture P2, and has a female screw hole (not shown) into which the connection joint 64a is screwed. .

  The ink storage unit 60 is attached to the storage unit holding mechanism 67 by loosening a plurality of screws of the pair of holding members 73 in the gaps between the holding members 73 and the frame unit 72 on both the left and right sides of the storage unit main body 60a. This is done by inserting the heat-welded part and tightening and fixing each screw again. At this time, since one side of the reservoir main body 60a swelled in the full state faces the holding opening 71, it is possible to prevent a force (pressure) from being applied to the reservoir main body 60a from the side surface, and to appropriately supply the stored pigment ink. Pressure can be secured. Thereafter, the ink supply port 60b is set in the supply port fixing unit 75, whereby the ink supply needle 64b is inserted into the ink supply port 60b, and the ink storage unit 60 and the supply tube 61 communicate with each other.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the storage unit rotation mechanism 68 is a servo motor capable of controlling the rotation angle, and is opposed to the storage unit holding mechanism 67 with the support frame 69 interposed therebetween. The rotating shaft of the storage unit turning mechanism 68 passes through the support frame 69 and is connected to the lower center portion of the frame unit 72 in the vertically placed posture P2. The control means 7 drives (controls) the storage section rotation mechanism 68 to rotate (or swing) the ink storage section 60 held by the storage section holding mechanism 67 while the supply tube 61 is connected. ). Thereby, the posture change of the ink storage unit 60 can be automatically controlled between the vertical placement posture P2 and the horizontal placement posture P1 according to various situations (for example, the remaining amount of pigment ink stored). Further, since the posture of the ink storage unit 60 can be changed in a state where the supply tube 61 is connected, the steps relating to the removal and reconnection of the supply tube 61 can be omitted.

  The support frame 69 faces the weight measuring means 63 provided horizontally, and a base portion 76 having a structure in which a plurality of (four) columns 76b are sandwiched between two rectangular plate-like members 76a. And a standing portion 77 standing in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the base portion 76. That is, the support frame 69 has an inverted “T” shape when viewed from the side. The support frame 69 is erected with the lower surface of the base portion 76 in contact with the weight measuring means 63. A suspension spring 78 is interposed between the upper end portion of the standing portion 77 and the frame (not shown) of the entire drawing apparatus 1, and the support frame 69 is suspended by the suspension spring 78. . The upper portion of the standing portion 77 faces the storage portion holding mechanism 67 and the storage portion rotation mechanism 68 and supports the storage portion rotation mechanism 68.

  The weight measuring unit 63 includes an electronic balance unit 63a that measures the actual remaining amount (weight) of the pigment ink in the ink storage unit 60, and a balance raising / lowering mechanism 63b that raises and lowers the electronic balance unit 63a.

  In order to measure the actual remaining amount of the pigment ink by the electronic balance unit 63a, the balance raising / lowering mechanism 63b is driven, and the base unit 76 of the support frame 69 is placed on the electronic balance unit 63a. Start the measurement after adjusting the height of. At this time, since the support frame 69 is suspended by the suspension spring 78, the suspension spring 78 is slackened even if the electronic balance portion 63a is raised too much. Therefore, the accurate weight of the ink storage section 60 in which the pigment ink is stored is measured. can do. The actual balance of the pigment ink by the electronic balance unit 63a is measured after the drawing apparatus 1 is started (before the operation is started), after the pigment ink is initially filled in the inkjet head 27, after the cleaning process of the inkjet head 27, or the drawing apparatus. 1 is performed at the time of re-operation after long-term shutdown. The measurement result by the electronic balance unit 63a is sent to the control means 7. The control means 7 subtracts the weight of the posture changing means 62 connected to the supply tube 61 and the weight of the empty ink storage section 60, which are stored in advance, from the measurement result, and supplies the pigment ink in the ink storage section 60. Calculate the actual remaining amount.

  Further, when the reservoir rotating mechanism 68 is rotated in order to stir the pigment ink separated into the pigment and the solvent in the ink reservoir 60 (details will be described later), the scale lifting mechanism 63b is driven. Then, the electronic balance part 63a is lowered so that the support frame 69 (the lower surface of the base part 76 thereof) and the electronic balance part 63a are separated from each other. Thereby, it can prevent that the vibration at the time of the drive of the storage part rotation mechanism 68 exerts a bad influence (failure etc.) on the electronic balance part 63a.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the attitude change of the ink storage unit 60 using the attitude change means 62 by the control means 7 will be described. As described above, when the ink storage unit 60 is set to the horizontal orientation P1, there are advantages that the liquid level fluctuation in the ink storage unit 60 is small and the supply pressure is easily stabilized. There is an advantage that the pigment ink in the reservoir 60 can be used up without waste.
Therefore, in the ink supply device 5 according to the present embodiment, when a newly filled ink reservoir 60 is newly introduced into the reservoir holding mechanism 67 (non-liquid-reduced state), first, the pigment is placed in the horizontal orientation P1. Ink supply is started (see FIG. 8A). After that, when the pigment ink is consumed and the liquid level of the pigment ink in the ink reservoir 60 has dropped to the vicinity of the ink supply port 60b (liquid reduction state), the reservoir rotating mechanism 68 is driven. Then, the ink storage unit 60 is set to the vertical posture P2 (see FIG. 8B). In this embodiment, as a result of measuring the weight of the electronic balance unit 63a, when 1/3 of the pigment ink is consumed from the full liquid state, the posture is changed from the horizontal posture P1 to the vertical posture P2. Thereby, when the liquid is not reduced, the change in the liquid level (change in the liquid level) can be suppressed. On the other hand, when the liquid is reduced, the pigment ink in the ink reservoir 60 is maintained while maintaining a predetermined supply pressure. Can be used up. For this reason, the fluctuation | variation of the supply pressure to the inkjet head 27 by a water head value change can be suppressed, and a highly accurate drawing process can be performed.

  In this embodiment, in order to prevent pigment sedimentation in the vicinity of the ink supply port 60b, the ink storage unit 60 is set to the horizontal orientation P1 when not drawing (when the drawing apparatus 1 is stopped). In the present embodiment, the ink reservoir 60 is set to the vertical orientation P2 or the horizontal orientation P1 by measuring the actual remaining amount of the pigment ink and detecting a predetermined liquid reduction state. However, the drawing process is performed. When the drawing process is stopped, the horizontal position P1 may be set.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the stirring operation (separation improving operation) of the pigment ink stored in the ink storage unit 60 using the posture changing unit 62 will be described. This stirring operation is controlled by the control means 7 and is performed when the drawing apparatus 1 is started. As described above, the white pigment ink used in the present embodiment is easily separated into a pigment and a solvent. Therefore, when the pigment ink is not consumed during non-drawing or the like, the ink is stored in the ink storage unit 60 over time. Settling of the pigment proceeds. The stirring operation depends on the length of time (resting time) from when the ink storage unit 60 is newly introduced (when the ink storage unit 60 is replaced) until the operation of the drawing apparatus 1 is started again. Is done appropriately.

  The specific agitation operation in the present embodiment drives the storage portion rotation mechanism 68 of the posture changing means 62 to cause the ink storage portion 60 (storage portion holding mechanism 67) to be placed in the vertical position P2 (0 °). The ink supply port 60b is swung between an inverted posture P3 (180 °) in which the ink supply port 60b is vertically upward. The control means 7 swings from the vertical posture P2 to the inverted posture P3, and then swings back and forth again to the vertical posture P2 (0 ° → 180 ° → 0 °) once. Count the number of times. The control means 7 measures a pause time, compares the measured pause time with a predetermined time stored in the control means 7 in advance, and if the pause time has passed the predetermined time, a predetermined agitation is performed. Perform the operation. The control means 7 stores a plurality of predetermined times as parameters, and also stores the number of swings (set number of swings) corresponding to each predetermined time as a parameter. That is, the stirring operation (posture changing means 62) is controlled by the control means 7 using the predetermined time (rest time) and the set number of swings as parameters. Note that the “swinging number detecting means” in the claims refers to the storage portion rotating mechanism 68 and the control means 7.

  The set number of swings may be set arbitrarily, but in this embodiment, when the pause time has passed a predetermined time of one day (24 hours), the stirring operation is performed with the set number of swings of 30 times. . Further, when the suspension time has exceeded a predetermined time of one month, the stirring operation is performed with the set number of swings of 120 times. When the ink storage unit 60 is replaced, the pause time is reset, and the stirring operation is performed 120 times of the set swing number. Accordingly, since the separation and improvement of the pigment ink separated in the ink storage unit 60 can be improved when the drawing apparatus 1 is stopped, the drawing process can be performed with the pigment ink having an appropriate concentration. Further, only when the pigment ink is separated after a predetermined time and agitation is required, the agitation operation can be carried out with the agitation intensity (set number of swings) according to the length of the downtime, which is unnecessary. Implementation of the stirring operation can be prevented. The ink storage unit 60 may be reciprocally swung (0 ° → 90 ° → 0 °) between the vertical posture P2 and the horizontal posture P1.

  Further, as described above, the stirring operation is also performed when the flow rate of the pigment ink detected during the suction process by the suction unit 33 is outside the reference flow rate range (reference time range). When it is determined from the detection result of the flow velocity detection means 49 during the suction process that the pigment ink has been separated (NG), the control means 7 performs the above-described stirring after the wiping process of the nozzle surface by the wipe unit 32. The operation is performed, and the suction process is executed again. Accordingly, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the stirring operation is necessary by using the flow rate of the pigment ink flowing in the suction tube 37a during the suction process as a reference. The stirring operation after the suction processing is performed up to twice, and if the detection result of the flow velocity detection means 49 at the time of the third suction processing is determined to be NG, the inside of the inkjet head 27 is separately cleaned. Work is done.

  According to the above configuration, a commercially available ink tank or ink pack can be used as the ink storage unit 60. Further, by using the ink supply device 5 that can easily perform the stirring operation (separation improving operation) with a simple configuration, the drawing device 1 can be configured in a simple manner, and Appropriate drawing processing can be performed.

(Second Embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 10A, in the drawing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the stirring flow path portion 66 is configured by an elliptical spiral tube having a long diameter in the top and bottom. In this way, by making the swirl state into an elliptical shape having a major axis at the top and bottom, a pigment with a heavy sedimentation moves greatly up and down while flowing. For this reason, it is possible to stir the pigment ink more efficiently. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

(Third embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 10 (b), in the drawing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment, the stirring flow path portion 66 is smaller than the large diameter portion 66a disposed in the upper half of the spiral and the large diameter portion 66a. The small-diameter portion 66b made of a tube having a diameter and disposed in the lower half of the spiral is disposed every three spirals. Note that the three spiral portions are tubes having the same diameter as that of the large-diameter portion 66a. In such a stirring flow path portion 66, the flow speed of the pigment ink changes greatly between the large diameter portion 66a and the small diameter portion 66b, resulting in turbulent flow. Also, the pigment settled in the lower half of the spiral can be extruded at a large (fast) flow rate. Thereby, stirring of the pigment ink in the stirring flow path part 66 can be performed more accurately. In addition, the arrangement | positioning position of the large diameter part 66a and the small diameter part 66b is not limited above, For example, you may arrange | position the large diameter part 66a and the small diameter part 66b every other. In addition, the spiral of the stirring channel portion 66 may be composed of the large diameter portion 66a and the small diameter portion 66b. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, in place of the storage portion rotation mechanism 68 of the posture changing means 62, power transmission for converting the reciprocating linear motion of the carriage 23 by the Y-axis table 22 into the forward / reverse rotation operation of the storage portion holding mechanism 67. A mechanism 81 is provided. Only the configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 11, the power transmission mechanism 81 is connected to a gear train 82 that converts the reciprocating linear motion of the Y-axis table 22 into a reciprocating rotational motion, and the center lower portion of the frame portion 72 in the vertical orientation P2 state. And a bearing 83 that penetrates the support frame 69 and is rotatably supported. The gear train 82 includes, on the ink supply device 5 side, a rack 82a that is attached to the carriage 23 and reciprocates with the carriage 23, and a pinion 82b that rotates forward and backward at a predetermined position by the reciprocation of the rack 82a (so-called). Rack and pinion). The pinion 82b has a rotation transmission shaft 82c that rotates coaxially with the pinion 82b and slides in the X-axis direction. The pinion 82b is rotatable on the frame (not shown) of the entire drawing apparatus 1 so as to be aligned with the bearing portion 83 in the X-axis direction. Is held in. The rotation transmission shaft 82c is fitted to the bearing portion 83 by sliding to the ink supply device 5 side, and transmits the rotational force to the storage portion holding mechanism 67 (frame portion 72).

In the stirring operation of the pigment ink using the posture changing means 62 of the fourth embodiment, after the rotation transmission shaft 82c is fitted to the bearing portion 83 at the home position A2, the Y-axis table 22 is driven and the carriage 23 is moved. Reciprocate by a predetermined distance. Thereby, the reciprocating linear motion of the rack 82a is converted into a forward / reverse rotational motion via the pinion 82b, and the storage portion holding mechanism 67 (ink storage portion 60) is placed between the vertical posture P2 and the inverted posture P3. Swing with. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a power source in the posture changing means 62, and the Y-axis table 22 provided in the drawing means 2 can be used effectively. The stirring operation is performed in a state where the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 27 is sealed by a stirring cap 84 (cap means) that reciprocates with the carriage 23. Thereby, the pigment ink is prevented from leaking from each nozzle of the inkjet head 27 due to the pressure fluctuation in the ink reservoir 60 accompanying the posture change.
In the fourth embodiment, the ink storage unit 60 is set to the vertical posture P2 when the drawing process is performed, and is set to the horizontal posture P1 when the drawing process is stopped. Further, the “rotation holding mechanism” in the claims refers to the storage section holding mechanism 67.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the drawing apparatus 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the ink supply device 5 is mounted on the carriage 23. Only the configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 12, the carriage 23 according to the fifth embodiment has an overhang portion 85 for suspending the ink supply device 5 with the carriage shaft 25 of the Y-axis table 22 interposed therebetween. The ink supply device 5 other than the weight measuring unit 63, that is, the ink storage unit 60, the supply tube 61, and the posture changing unit 62 are suspended from the overhang unit 85 via the suspension spring 78 described above. For this reason, when the drawing process is performed on the workpiece W, the ink reservoir 60 and the like move with the movement of the carriage 23 (inkjet head 27). As a result, the vibration during movement of the carriage 23 during the drawing process or the like gives a stirring effect to the pigment ink in the ink reservoir 60, thereby preventing separation of the pigment ink.
Further, in the fifth embodiment, the stirring flow path portion 66 of the supply tube 61 is omitted, and the supply flow path portion 65 is connected to the inkjet head 27. For this reason, the whole supply tube 61 (supply flow path part 65) which makes the ink storage part 60 and the inkjet head 27 communicate can be shortened, and the pigment which settles in the supply tube 61 can be decreased. Thereby, drawing defects due to separation of the pigment ink can be reduced.

(Sixth embodiment)
In the sixth embodiment, the storage portion rotation mechanism 68 of the posture changing means 62 is omitted, and a separate swing device 86 is provided. Further, the support frame 69 of the posture changing means 62 is also omitted, and the hook 92 provided on the upper portion of the storage portion holding mechanism 67 is suspended by engaging with the suspension spring 78. Only the configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 13, the swing device 86 according to the sixth embodiment includes a swing arm 87 that grips the storage unit holding mechanism 67, and a swing that swings and lifts the swing arm 87 and expands and contracts in the X-axis direction. A moving motor 88, a swing arm 87, and a swing frame 89 that supports the swing motor 88 are provided. The swing arm 87 is a three-finger robot arm, and is inserted into three gripping holes 91 provided in the storage unit holding mechanism 67 to grip the storage unit holding mechanism 67.

  In the pigment ink stirring operation using the posture changing means 62 according to the sixth embodiment, the swing motor 88 is driven to extend the swing arm 87 and grip the storage portion holding mechanism 67 at the home position A2. Thereafter, the swing arm 87 is raised, the hook 92 of the storage portion holding mechanism 67 is removed from the suspension spring 78, and the swing arm 87 is contracted. Then, the control means 7 drives the swing motor 88 to rotate the swing arm 87 forward and backward, and swings the gripped storage portion holding mechanism 67 between the vertical posture P2 and the inverted posture P3. .

  1: Drawing apparatus, 2: Drawing means, 5: Ink supply apparatus, 7: Control means, 22: Y axis table, 23: Carriage, 27: Inkjet head, 60: Ink storage section, 61: Supply tube, 67: Storage Part holding mechanism, 68: storage part turning mechanism, 81: power transmission mechanism, 84: stirring cap, W: work

Claims (17)

An ink reservoir for storing pigment ink;
A supply tube for supplying the pigment ink from the ink reservoir to an inkjet head that performs drawing by discharging the pigment ink;
Agitating means for agitating the pigment ink stored by swinging the ink reservoir with the supply tube connected;
An ink supply apparatus comprising: control means for controlling the agitation means to perform an agitation operation.   The ink supply device according to claim 1, wherein the ink storage unit is configured by a bag-shaped ink pack.   The ink supply device according to claim 1, wherein the ink storage unit is installed in a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted.   4. The ink supply device according to claim 1, wherein the pigment ink is a white ink. The stirring means includes
A reservoir holding mechanism for detachably holding the ink reservoir;
5. The ink supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit rotation mechanism that reciprocally rotates the ink storage unit via the storage unit holding mechanism.   The ink supply device according to claim 5, wherein the storage unit rotation mechanism reciprocally rotates the ink storage unit between an upright posture and an inverted posture. The stirring means uses a moving table that moves a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted in one direction as a power source,
The stirring means includes
A rotation holding mechanism for holding the ink storage section detachably and reciprocally,
The ink supply according to claim 1, further comprising: a power transmission mechanism that converts a reciprocating movement of the carriage by the moving table into a reciprocating rotation of the rotation holding mechanism. apparatus.   The ink supply device according to claim 7, wherein the power transmission mechanism reciprocates the ink storage unit between an upright posture and an inverted posture.   The ink supply device according to claim 7, further comprising a cap unit that is attached to the carriage and seals a nozzle surface of the inkjet head when not driven. The ink reservoir has an ink supply port at the longitudinal end of the ink reservoir,
The control means controls the stirring means,
The posture of the ink storage unit is changed between a vertically placed posture with the ink supply port facing downward and a horizontally placed posture with the ink supply port oriented horizontally between drawing and non-drawing with the inkjet head. The ink supply device according to claim 5, wherein the ink supply device is an ink supply device.   The ink supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the stirring operation to be performed at the start of operation of the apparatus.   12. The ink according to claim 11, wherein the control unit causes the agitation operation to be performed with an agitation intensity corresponding to the length of the apparatus downtime from the end of the previous apparatus operation to the start of the current apparatus operation. Feeding device.   13. The control device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit causes the stirring operation to be performed when a device pause time from the end of the previous device operation to the start of the current device operation exceeds a predetermined time. The ink supply device described. The ink reservoir is set in a state of storing the pigment ink,
The ink supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes a stirring operation to be performed during the setting. The stirring operation is controlled with the number of oscillations of the ink reservoir as a parameter,
A swing number detecting means for detecting the number of swings of the ink reservoir by the stirring means,
15. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit ends the stirring operation when the detected number of swings detected by the number of swings detection unit reaches a preset number of swings. The ink supply device according to any one of the above. Suction means for sucking the pigment ink from the ink jet head in close contact with the ink jet head so as to be detachable;
A flow rate detecting means for detecting a flow rate of the pigment ink at the time of suction by the suction means,
16. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the stirring operation when the detected flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit is out of a preset reference flow rate range. Feeding device. An ink supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
A drawing device, comprising: a drawing unit that draws the pigment ink from the ink jet head while moving the ink jet head relative to a work.

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