JP2012170889A - Chemical solution application method and chemical solution application apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique which, when a chemical solution is applied to a substrate by using a droplet jet system, can apply the chemical solution thereto in an amount just equal to the required amount.SOLUTION: The control unit 60 of a chemical solution application apparatus 1 relatively moves an application head 31 and a substrate sheet 90, while it applies a control signal to the laminated piezoelectric element of the application head 31 to jet a chemical solution from the nozzle of the application head 31 to the substrate sheet 90 to thereby practice an application treatment. Prior to the application treatment, the control unit 60 gains information on a change in the amount of droplets jetted from the nozzle, resulting from a change in the frequency of a control signal which drives the laminated piezoelectric element and determines according to the information on the change the relative movement speed at which the application head 31 and the substrate sheet 90 are relatively moved in the application treatment and the frequency of the control signal applied to the laminated piezoelectric element 320.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for applying a chemical solution to a medium to be applied.

  The patch used by being attached to the skin or the like is produced, for example, by applying a drug on a medium such as a nonwoven fabric or a resin sheet. The patch is manufactured by, for example, spreading and applying a medicine to a belt-shaped medium (so-called solid coating) using a bar coater, a die coater, etc., punching out a necessary part from it, and removing an unnecessary part. (For example, refer patent documents 1-3).

JP 2009-108006 A JP 2006-223611 A JP-A-3-85160

  In conventional patch manufacturing technology, expensive drugs applied to unnecessary parts are also removed, so there is a problem that the use efficiency of the drugs is poor and the manufacturing cost of the patch is increased accordingly. .

  Therefore, if the droplet jet method can be used as the medium application means and the coating liquid can be applied only to the necessary part, the amount of the medicine applied to the unnecessary part can be greatly reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the medicine can be reduced. It becomes possible to reduce.

  By the way, when the droplet jet method is used for patch production (ie, when a chemical solution is applied to a medium using the droplet jet method), when the droplet jet method is used for printing (ie, droplet jet). It is necessary to control the amount of applied droplets with much higher accuracy than in the case where an image is formed by applying ink to a medium such as paper using a method.

  That is, when the droplet jet method is used for printing, the amount of droplets ejected from the droplet jet head fluctuates slightly (for example, about 10% to 20%), and is thus applied onto the medium. Even if the amount of ink is slightly larger (or slightly smaller) than the target amount, there is almost no problem. This is because the influence of such minute fluctuations on the density of the printed matter is such that it cannot be visually recognized, and the influence on the print quality can be ignored.

  On the other hand, when the droplet jet method is used for manufacturing a patch, such an error is not allowed. This is because the chemical quality (for example, the efficacy of the patch) will be seriously affected if the chemical solution is not accurately applied on the medium by the target amount.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a chemical solution to be accurately applied in a required amount when a chemical solution is applied to a medium using a droplet jet method. And

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a liquid droplet of a chemical solution containing a drug is ejected from a coating head including a nozzle provided with a driving element toward a medium that moves relative to the coating head. A chemical liquid application method for applying the chemical liquid to the medium, wherein a) obtaining fluctuation information of a droplet amount ejected from the nozzle in accordance with a change in frequency of a control signal given to the drive element; b ) Determining a relative movement speed for relatively moving the coating head and the medium in the coating process and a frequency of a control signal to be given to the drive element in the coating process using the variation information; c ) While relatively moving the coating head and the medium at the relative movement speed determined in the step b), a control signal having the frequency determined in the step b) is given to the drive element before By ejecting droplets of the drug solution toward the medium from a nozzle, and a step of executing a coating process.

  Invention of Claim 2 is the chemical | medical solution application method of Claim 1, Comprising: The said fluctuation | variation information is each of the several representative value of a frequency, and the control signal which used the frequency as the said representative value is said drive element Is stored in the form of a table in which the amount of liquid droplets discharged from the nozzle is stored in association with each other, and in step b), for each of the plurality of representative values, the frequency is set to the representative value. As a parameter candidate by calculating a value of a relative movement speed at which a chemical solution of a target application amount can be applied to the medium based on the variation information, and pairing the calculated value with the representative value. Of the plurality of parameter candidates acquired and acquired based on the plurality of representative values, the calculation is performed with the representative value paired in one parameter candidate selected by an operator. And the value, determined respectively and the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process.

  Invention of Claim 3 is the chemical | medical solution coating method of Claim 1 or 2, Comprising: The said fluctuation | variation information is each of the some representative value of a frequency, and the control signal which made the frequency the said representative value is the said signal. When the driving element is applied, the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in the form of a corresponding table, and in the step b), the operator sets the frequency of the representative value among the plurality of representative values. For one representative value selected as a value, when performing a coating process using the frequency as the representative value, a value of a relative movement speed at which a chemical solution of a target application amount can be applied to the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and an operator The representative value selected by (1) and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.

  Invention of Claim 4 is the chemical | medical solution application | coating method in any one of Claim 1 to 3, Comprising: When an operator instruct | indicates the change of a target application quantity, a frequency is made into the present setting value. While calculating the value of the relative movement speed capable of applying the chemical solution of the new target application amount instructed to the medium, and re-determining the calculated value as a new relative movement speed in the application process, e) While discharging the liquid droplet of the chemical liquid from the nozzle toward the medium without changing the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element, the new relative movement speed re-determined in the step d) And a step of executing the coating process by relatively moving the coating head and the medium.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a chemical | medical solution application method of Claim 1 or 4, Comprising: The liquid discharged from the said nozzle with the change of the frequency of the control signal which the said fluctuation | variation information gives to the said drive element The value is stored in the form of a function representing the fluctuation of the drop amount, and the target application amount is applied to the medium when the application process is performed using the frequency as the input value in the step b). The value of the relative movement speed at which the chemical solution can be applied is calculated based on the variation information, and the input value and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed, respectively, in the application process.

  Invention of Claim 6 is a chemical | medical solution application | coating method in any one of Claim 1,4,5, Comprising: The said fluctuation information is the said nozzle accompanying the change of the frequency of the control signal given to the said drive element. Is stored in the form of a function representing the variation in the amount of liquid droplets discharged from the liquid, and the coating process is performed using the relative movement speed as the input value for the value input by the operator as the value of the relative movement speed in the step b). When performing, a frequency value of a control signal capable of applying a chemical solution of a target application amount to the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and the calculated value and the input value are calculated as the frequency in the application process. The relative movement speed is determined respectively.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating head that discharges a chemical solution containing a drug as droplets from a nozzle provided with a drive element toward a medium, and a relative movement of the coating head and the medium. A movement information, a fluctuation information storage unit that stores fluctuation information of a droplet amount discharged from the nozzle in accordance with a change in the frequency of a control signal applied to the driving element, and the application process prior to the application process, A parameter determining unit that determines a relative movement speed for relatively moving the coating head and the medium, and a frequency of a control signal to be applied to the drive element in the coating process, using the variation information; and the relative movement mechanism And the parameter determination unit determines the relative movement speed determined by the parameter determination unit while relatively moving the coating head and the medium. By ejecting droplets of the drug solution toward the medium from the nozzles to the control signal of the frequency applied to the driving element, and a coating processing control unit for executing the application process.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the chemical liquid coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the variation information includes a plurality of representative values of the frequency and a control signal having the frequency as the representative value. Is stored in the form of a table in which the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in association with each other, and the parameter determination unit sets the frequency for each of the plurality of representative values. As a parameter candidate by calculating a value of a relative movement speed at which a chemical solution of a target application amount can be applied to the medium based on the variation information, and pairing the calculated value with the representative value. Among the plurality of parameter candidates acquired and acquired based on the plurality of representative values, the representative value and the calculated value paired in one parameter candidate selected by an operator A value is determined respectively and the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process.

  Invention of Claim 9 is a chemical | medical solution coating device of Claim 7 or 8, Comprising: The said fluctuation | variation information is each of the several representative value of a frequency, and the control signal which used the frequency as the said representative value is said control signal. When it is given to the drive element, it is held in the form of a table that stores the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzles in association with each other, and the parameter determination unit sets the frequency of the representative value among the plurality of representative values. For one representative value selected as a value, when performing a coating process using the frequency as the representative value, a value of a relative movement speed at which a chemical solution of a target application amount can be applied to the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and an operator The representative value selected by (1) and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the chemical solution coating apparatus according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, wherein the parameter determining unit sets the frequency when the operator instructs to change the target coating amount. The relative movement speed value at which a new target application amount of the chemical solution instructed on the medium can be applied is calculated while the set value remains unchanged, and the calculated value is reset to the new relative movement speed in the application process. The parameter determination unit re-determined while discharging the chemical liquid droplets from the nozzle toward the medium without changing the frequency of the control signal given to the drive element. The coating process is executed by relatively moving the coating head and the medium at the new relative movement speed.

  Invention of Claim 11 is a chemical | medical solution coating device of Claim 7 or 10, Comprising: The liquid discharged from the said nozzle with the change of the frequency of the control signal which the said fluctuation | variation information gives to the said drive element The value is stored in the form of a function representing the variation of the drop amount, and the parameter determination unit applies the target application amount to the medium when the operator inputs the frequency as the frequency value and performs the application process using the frequency as the input value. The value of the relative movement speed at which the chemical solution can be applied is calculated based on the variation information, and the input value and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed, respectively, in the application process.

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the chemical solution coating apparatus according to any one of the seventh, tenth, and eleventh aspects, wherein the variation information is accompanied by a change in frequency of a control signal given to the drive element. Is stored in the form of a function that represents the variation in the amount of droplets discharged from the printer, and the parameter determination unit performs the coating process using the relative movement speed as the input value for the value input by the operator as the value of the relative movement speed. When performing, a frequency value of the control signal capable of a chemical solution with a target application amount on the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and the calculated value and the input value are calculated using the frequency in the application process and the frequency The relative movement speed is determined respectively.

  According to the first and seventh aspects of the present invention, in the coating process, the speed at which the coating head and the medium are moved relative to each other and the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element are set according to the change in the frequency of the control signal. Since the determination is made taking into account fluctuations in the amount of droplets, the chemical solution can be accurately applied to the medium in the required amount.

  According to the second and eighth aspects of the present invention, the parameter candidate selected by the operator among the plurality of parameter candidates is adopted. Therefore, the coating process can be performed in a manner desired by the operator (for example, a processing speed and resolution desired by the operator).

  According to the invention described in claims 3 and 9, since the value selected by the operator among the plurality of representative values of the frequency is adopted as the frequency of the control signal in the coating process, the coating process is performed in a manner desired by the operator. It can be carried out.

  According to the fourth and tenth aspects of the present invention, when the operator instructs to change the target application amount, the application head and the medium are relatively moved without changing the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element. The coating amount is changed by changing the relative movement speed. According to this configuration, since the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle per unit time does not change, the amount of chemical liquid to be applied can be changed to a new application amount simply and accurately.

  According to the fifth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, since the value input by the operator is used as the frequency of the control signal in the coating process, the coating process can be performed in a manner desired by the operator.

  According to the sixth and twelfth aspects of the present invention, since the value input by the operator is used as the relative movement speed in the coating process, the coating process can be performed in a manner desired by the operator.

It is a figure which shows a part of principal part structure of a chemical | medical solution coating device. It is a figure which shows typically the principal part structure of a chemical | medical solution coating device. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control part. It is sectional drawing of a coating head. It is sectional drawing of a coating head. It is a figure which shows typically an example of the waveform of a control signal. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing process of a patch. It is a figure which shows typically the mode of the fluctuation | variation of the drop mass accompanying the change of the drive frequency of a control signal. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a fluctuation | variation information table. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which determines the parameter of an application | coating process. It is a figure which shows the flow of a process which calculates the combination of the value of a parameter. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the screen which displays a parameter candidate list. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which determines the parameter of an application | coating process. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which re-decides a parameter. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which re-decides a parameter. It is a figure which illustrates a variation information function. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which determines the parameter of an application | coating process.

  Hereinafter, a chemical solution coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The chemical solution coating apparatus is an apparatus that manufactures a patch by applying a drug to a base sheet.

<1. Device configuration>
The configuration of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of the main configuration of the chemical liquid coating apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a main configuration of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1.

  The chemical solution coating apparatus 1 pastes an object to be coated (here, a circular base sheet) 90 on a belt-like support 92 previously coated with an adhesive at regular intervals, and the chemical solution is placed on the base sheet 90. Is a device for coating.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the chemical coating apparatus 1 is configured to determine the position of the transport mechanism 10 that transports the belt-shaped support body 92 along the horizontal direction, and the position of the base sheet 90 affixed on the transported support body 92. The position detection sensor 20 to be detected, the coating unit 30 that sprays and applies a chemical solution containing a drug to the base sheet 90, the chemical solution feeding unit 40 that feeds the chemical solution to the coating unit 30, and the base sheet 90. And a drying unit 50 for drying the chemical solution. Moreover, the chemical | medical solution coating device 1 is provided with the control part 60 which controls said each element provided in the apparatus.

<Transport mechanism 10>
The transport mechanism 10 includes a feed roller 11 around which a long belt-like support 92 is wound. The transport mechanism 10 is also provided with a tension roller and an auxiliary roller (not shown), and transports the support 92 sent out from the feed roller 11 along the horizontal direction. The support 92 plays a role of sequentially transporting and supplying the base sheet 90 to the coating unit 30 and can be formed of flannel cloth, woven cloth, knitted fabric, non-woven cloth, resin film, or the like. The width of the support 92 is 60 mm, for example. In this embodiment, the adhesive 91 is previously laminated on the entire surface of one side of the support 92 wound around the feed roller 11 (see FIG. 7), and the transport mechanism 10 has already formed a layer of the adhesive 91. The support 92 is fed from the feed roller 11 and conveyed so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer faces upward.

  Further, the chemical liquid coating apparatus 1 includes a sheet supply mechanism (not shown) in the vicinity of the feed roller 11, and a disk shape that is an object to be coated on the support 92 that is fed from the feed roller 11 by the sheet supply mechanism. The base material sheet 90 is supplied. The base sheet 90 that directly carries the drug is formed of a resin material that is impermeable to the drug (for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), etc.).

  Further, the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 includes an encoder 12. The encoder 12 outputs a pulse signal each time the support 92 is transported by a predetermined distance by the transport mechanism 10. As the encoder 12, for example, a rotary encoder that rotates according to the conveyance amount of the support 92 and outputs a pulse signal for each predetermined rotation amount can be used.

<Position detection sensor 20>
The position detection sensor 20 is provided on the upstream side of the coating unit 30 in the conveyance direction of the base sheet 90. The position detection sensor 20 detects the position of the base material sheet 90 on the support 92 before the liquid droplets of the chemical liquid are sprayed from the application head 31. Based on the position information of the base sheet 90 detected by the position detection sensor 20, the control unit 60 controls the chemical liquid discharge position of the coating head 31 so that the liquid droplets of the chemical liquid are accurately sprayed on the base sheet 90. . As the position detection sensor 20, various sensors such as a reflection type or transmission type optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor can be used. Further, an imaging camera may be provided in place of the position detection sensor 20, and the position of the base sheet 90 may be detected by processing image data obtained by imaging the upper surface of the support 92 with the imaging camera. .

<Coating unit 30>
The coating unit 30 is a functional unit that applies a chemical solution containing a drug to the base sheet 90 transported by the transport mechanism 10 and includes a coating head 31 that is mechanically fixed and contained.

  The coating head 31 atomizes the chemical liquid containing the medicine to generate fine droplets, and sprays the droplets onto the upper surface of the base sheet 90 conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 10. Specifically, the coating head 31 has a width equal to or greater than the entire width of the support body 92 along a direction (width direction of the support body 92) perpendicular to the transport direction TD. A plurality of nozzles 311 (see FIG. 4) are provided on the lower surface of the coating head 31. The plurality of nozzles 311 are arranged in a line at a predetermined pitch along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction TD. As will be described in detail later, the control unit 60 applies a voltage to the driving unit 321 of the multilayer piezoelectric element 320 to discharge the chemical solution from the nozzle 311. The arrangement pitch of the nozzles 311 in the width direction of the support 92 is preferably as small as possible because the smaller this is, the higher the accuracy of chemical application. A specific internal structure of the coating head 31 will be described later.

  The application unit 30 may be provided with a temperature adjustment unit (not shown) for adjusting the temperature of the chemical solution by heating or cooling the application head 31 provided in the application unit 30. As the temperature control unit, a temperature control pipe for introducing temperature-controlled water at a predetermined temperature or a heater can be used. The viscosity and surface tension of the chemical solution also depend on the temperature of the chemical solution. By adjusting the temperature of the chemical solution using the temperature control unit, the viscosity and surface tension of the chemical solution fall within the appropriate range that can be ejected from a droplet jet type nozzle. Can be adjusted as follows. In addition, when the viscosity and surface tension of the chemical solution change, the amount of meniscus of the chemical solution formed near the tip of the nozzle also changes, causing the problem that the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle also changes. By keeping the temperature of the chemical in the coating head 31 constant (for example, 20 ° C.), the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle can also be made constant. The temperature adjustment unit may be built in the coating head 31.

<Chemical liquid feeding unit 40>
The chemical liquid feeding unit 40 feeds the chemical liquid to the application unit 30. The chemical solution feeding unit 40 includes a chemical solution tank 41 that stores the chemical solution. The chemical tank 41 is connected to the application head 31 of the application unit 30 through a supply pipe 42. A foreign substance removal filter and a deaeration filter (both not shown) are inserted in the route of the supply pipe 42. The chemical liquid tank 41 always stores a certain amount of chemical liquid, and the chemical liquid tank 41 is appropriately replenished with chemical liquid from a preparation tank (not shown).

  Here, the chemical solution is a liquid containing a drug. Although the specific kind of the drug used for the patch is not particularly limited, a drug that can be administered through the skin, that is, a drug that can be absorbed through the skin is preferable. More specifically, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents such as indomethacin, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, viloxicam, methyl salicylate, glycol salicylate, l-menthol, dl-camphor, valinylyl nonylate, capsaicin, etc. can give. In addition, coronary vasodilators such as nitroglycerin, nifedipine and isosorbide nitrate, or asthma drugs such as procaterol and tulobuterol may be used as drugs. In addition to the above, the drugs include general anesthetics, hypnotics / sedatives, antiepileptics, antipruritics, psychiatric drugs, skeletal muscle relaxants, autonomic drugs, antispasmodics, antiparkinson drugs, Antihistamine, cardiotonic, arrhythmic, diuretic, antihypertensive, vasoconstrictor, peripheral vasodilator, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular, respiratory stimulant, antitussive expectorant, hormone, purulent disease Topical medicine, analgesic / antipruritic / astringent / anti-inflammatory medicine, parasitic skin disease medicine, hemostatic medicine, gout treatment medicine, diabetes medicine, anti-malignant tumor medicine, antibiotics, chemotherapeutic medicine, narcotic, anti Depressants, smoking cessation aids (nicotine), etc. can be used.

  Such a drug is dissolved in a solvent to form a drug solution. As the solvent, water or alcohol can be used depending on the properties of the drug. A chemical solution having a predetermined concentration in which a drug is dissolved in a solvent is prepared in a preparation tank, and the chemical solution is supplied from the preparation tank and stored in the chemical tank 41. The chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank 41 is fed to each nozzle by a capillary phenomenon generated in the nozzle when the coating head 31 ejects the chemical solution. In the process of supplying the chemical liquid, foreign substances and bubbles are removed from the chemical liquid flowing through the supply pipe 42 by the foreign substance removal filter and the degassing filter, respectively. In addition, the chemical | medical solution may further contain the binder and / or additive which improve the adhesiveness to the base material sheet 90. FIG. In addition, a chemical solvent may be added to the chemical solution in order to adjust the viscosity and surface tension of the chemical solution. In addition, a moisturizing agent may be added to the chemical solution in order to reduce the drying rate of the chemical solution.

  Further, the chemical liquid feeding unit 40 may include a negative pressure pump (not shown) that applies a negative pressure from the chemical liquid tank 41 to the coating head 31 of the coating unit 30 via the supply pipe 42. The chemical solution supplied to the nozzle itself is under its own weight and cannot form a meniscus suitable for the droplet jet method near the tip of the nozzle, but if a negative pressure opposite to the discharge direction is applied to the chemical solution by a negative pressure pump The chemical solution can be slightly pulled back into the nozzle to form an appropriate meniscus. Furthermore, a temperature controller (not shown) for adjusting the temperature of the chemical solution in the chemical solution tank 41 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 20 ° C.) may be provided below the chemical solution tank 41.

<Drying unit 50>
The drying unit 50 is provided on the downstream side of the coating unit 30 in the conveyance direction of the base sheet 90. The drying unit 50 dries the chemical applied to the base sheet 90 that passes through the inside of the drying unit 50. As the drying unit 50, various known drying devices such as one that blows normal temperature dry air or heated dry air (hot air) onto the surface of the base sheet 90 can be used. Further, as the drying unit 50, a hot air drying furnace that supplies mere hot air (without special dehumidification) or a drying furnace using a far infrared heater may be used.

<Control unit 60>
The control unit 60 controls the various operation mechanisms provided in the chemical solution coating apparatus 1. The configuration of the control unit 60 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the control unit 60.

  The configuration of the control unit 60 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 60 stores a CPU 61 that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM 62 that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM 63 that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a processing program P and data. The fixed disk 64 is connected to a bus line 69.

  Further, the encoder 12, the position detection sensor 20, and the coating head 31 described above are connected to the bus line 69 via an interface (I / F) 65. Various operation mechanisms of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 other than these are also connected to the bus line 69 through an interface (not shown). The CPU 61 of the control unit 60 executes the processing program P stored in the fixed disk 64, thereby controlling each operation mechanism such as the coating head 31 to advance the patch manufacturing process.

  A display device 66 and an input device 67 are electrically connected to the bus line 69. The display device 66 is configured using, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays various information such as processing results and messages. The input device 67 is configured using, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and receives input of commands, parameters, and the like. The operator of the device can input commands and parameters from the input device 67 while confirming the contents displayed on the display device 66. Note that the display device 66 and the input device 67 may be integrated into a touch panel.

  Further, a reading device 68 that reads the recorded content from a recording medium RM such as a DVD or a CD is connected to the bus line 69. The processing program P may be read from the recording medium RM by the reading device 68 and stored in the fixed disk 64.

  The above is the main component of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1. In addition to the above configuration, the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 includes various mechanisms that omit detailed description. For example, on the further downstream side of the drying unit 50, a mechanism for attaching a release liner to the base sheet 90 coated with a chemical solution and a mechanism for cutting the support 92 are provided.

<2. Application head 31>
Here, the coating head 31 will be described more specifically. The coating head 31 is a droplet jet head that ejects a chemical solution by a droplet jet method. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the coating head 31 is a multilayer piezo drop-on-demand ink jet head.

<2-1. Configuration>
The configuration of the coating head 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the coating head 31. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the coating head 31 as seen from the direction of the arrow K in FIG.

  The coating head 31 includes a base 310 and a laminated piezoelectric element 320 fixed to the base 310. The base 310 is made of, for example, a barium titanate ceramic, and laminated piezoelectric elements 320 are arranged in two rows on the upper surface thereof.

  The laminated piezoelectric element 320 includes, for example, a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric layer having a thickness of 10 to 50 μm / layer and an internal electrode layer made of silver / palladium (AgPd) having a thickness of several μm / layer alternately. It is formed by laminating. The internal electrode layer is connected to the external electrode at both ends.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the multilayer piezoelectric element 320 includes portions divided on comb teeth by half-cut dicing, and each portion is driven by a drive unit 321 or a support unit 322 (non-drive). Part). The length of the outside of the external electrode is limited by cutting or the like so as to be divided by half-cut dicing, and these become a plurality of individual electrodes. The other is not divided by dicing but is conductive and becomes a common electrode. An FPC 330 (see FIG. 4) is soldered to the individual electrodes of the drive unit 321. Further, the common electrode is provided with an electrode layer at the end of the laminated piezoelectric element, and is wound around to join the Gnd electrode of the FPC 330. A driver IC is mounted on the FPC 330, thereby controlling the voltage (drive voltage K) applied to the drive unit 321.

  A diaphragm 340 is joined to the laminated piezoelectric element 320. The diaphragm 340 includes a thin film diaphragm portion 341 and an island-shaped convex portion (island portion) 342 formed at the center of the diaphragm portion 341. The diaphragm 340 is formed with an inlet 343 that communicates with a common liquid chamber 351 of a frame 350 described later. The convex part 342 is joined to the driving part 321 of the laminated piezoelectric element 320. The diaphragm 340 is formed by, for example, stacking two Ni plating films by an electroforming method. The diaphragm portion 341 has a thickness of, for example, 3 μm and a width of, for example, 35 μm (one side). Further, the coupling between the vibration plate 340 (specifically, the convex portion 342) and the driving unit 321 of the laminated piezoelectric element 320 and the coupling between the vibration plate 340 and the frame 350 described later are an adhesive layer including a gap material. This can be done by patterning 344.

  A frame 350 is joined to the surface of the diaphragm 340 on the same side as the surface to which the laminated piezoelectric element 320 is joined. A common liquid chamber 351 is formed inside the frame 350 by engraving. The common liquid chamber 351 communicates with an inflow port 343 formed in the vibration plate 340. The frame 350 can be obtained by resin molding, for example.

  A flow path plate 360 is joined to the surface of the vibration plate 340 opposite to the surface to which the laminated piezoelectric element 320 and the frame 350 are joined. A pressurized liquid chamber 361 is formed in the flow path plate 360 by engraving. A fluid resistance unit 362 is disposed in the pressurized liquid chamber 361. In addition, a communication port 363 that allows the pressurized liquid chamber 361 to communicate with a nozzle 311 described later is formed inside the flow path plate 360. The flow path plate 360 is formed using, for example, a silicon single crystal substrate. Further, the engraving that becomes the fluid resistance portion 362 and the pressurized liquid chamber 361 and the through-hole that becomes the communication port 363 can be formed by patterning by an etching method. In this case, the portion left by etching becomes the partition wall 3611 of the pressurized liquid chamber 361. Further, a portion for narrowing the etching width can be provided, and this can be used as the fluid resistance portion 362.

  The nozzle plate 370 is bonded to the surface of the flow path plate 360 opposite to the surface bonded to the vibration plate 340. The nozzle plate 370 is formed of a metal material, for example, an Ni plating film formed by an electroforming method, and a large number of nozzles 311 that are fine discharge ports for causing droplets to fly are formed. The internal shape (inner shape) of the nozzle 311 is a horn shape (may be a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially frustum shape). The diameter of the nozzle 311 is, for example, 20 μm to 35 μm in the diameter on the outlet side of the droplet. The nozzle pitch of each row is set to 300 dpi, for example. Further, a water repellent layer 372 is provided on the discharge surface (nozzle surface side) of the nozzle plate 370, which has been subjected to a surface treatment having water repellency for the discharged chemical liquid. As the water repellent layer 372, for example, a resin layer such as a fluororesin or a silicon resin, a metal / resin composite film such as a Ni / PTFE eutectoid film, or the like can be used.

<2-2. Mode of operation>
Next, the operation mode of the coating head 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 in addition to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the waveform of the control signal Q. As shown in FIG.

  The coating head 31 ejects droplets when a control signal Q is given to the driving unit 321 of the multilayer piezoelectric element 320. That is, in the coating head 31, when the control signal Q is applied to the drive unit 321 of the multilayer piezoelectric element 320, displacement in the stacking direction occurs in the drive unit 321, and the pressurized liquid chamber 361 is applied via the vibration plate 340. Pressure increases. Accordingly, one droplet (one drop) is ejected from the nozzle 311.

  When the discharge of the liquid droplets is completed, the pressure in the pressurized liquid chamber 361 is reduced accordingly, and a negative pressure is generated in the pressurized liquid chamber 361 due to the inertia of the flow of the chemical liquid and the discharge process of the driving pulse. Then, the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid tank 41 and flowing into the common liquid chamber 351 is filled into the pressurized liquid chamber 361 from the common liquid chamber 351 through the inflow port 343 and the fluid resistance portion 362.

  The fluid resistance unit 362 has an effect on the attenuation of the residual pressure vibration after ejection, but becomes resistant to refilling (refill) due to surface tension. By appropriately selecting the fluid resistance portion, it is possible to balance the attenuation of the residual pressure and the refill time, and to shorten the time (drive cycle) until the transition to the next ink droplet ejection operation.

  As illustrated in FIG. 6, the control signal Q is a pulse signal transmitted at a constant period. Here, the number of droplets discharged from the nozzle 311 per unit time coincides with the frequency (hereinafter referred to as “driving frequency”) F of the control signal Q. That is, the weight of droplets discharged per unit time from one nozzle 311 (hereinafter referred to as “unit discharge amount”) R is the weight of one drop of droplets discharged from nozzle 311 (hereinafter referred to as “drop”). It is a value obtained by multiplying M by a driving frequency F (unit discharge amount R = drop mass M × driving frequency F).

  In the control signal Q, when the potential difference (drive voltage K) between the high potential and the low potential in the pulse wave is increased, the speed of the droplet when ejected from the nozzle 311 increases, and the drop mass M also increases. Here, in order to realize a stable coating performance, it is preferable that the speed of the liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle 311 is about 7 (m / s). Therefore, in the chemical solution applicator 1, the drive voltage K of the control signal Q is adjusted in advance to a value such that the speed of the droplet ejected from the nozzle 311 becomes a target speed (for example, 7 (m / s)). , The value is fixed.

<3. Manufacturing process of patch>
The flow of the manufacturing process of the patch performed in the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing process of the patch in the chemical solution coating apparatus 1.

  Note that the following processing proceeds when the CPU 61 of the control unit 60 executes the processing program P to control each operation mechanism of the chemical coating apparatus 1. That is, the control unit 60 realizes a function as an “application processing control unit 601” for executing the application process by controlling each operation mechanism provided in the chemical solution applying apparatus 1 (see FIG. 2).

  The coating processing control unit 601 causes the transport mechanism 10 to start transporting the support 92 along the horizontal direction at a predetermined transport speed V, and causes the sheet supply mechanism (not shown) to have a fixed interval on the upper surface of the support 92. Then, the supply of the disk-shaped base sheet 90 is started. A layer of adhesive 91 is formed in advance on the upper surface of the support 92 that is fed from the feed roller 11 and conveyed in the horizontal direction, and the supplied base sheet 90 is stuck on the support 92. That is, the base sheet 90 affixed on the support 92 moves relative to the coating head 31 at the transport speed V. The position of each base material sheet 90 affixed on the support 92 is detected by the position detection sensor 20 and transmitted to the coating processing control unit 601.

  The application processing control unit 601 controls the application head 31 based on the position information acquired from the position detection sensor 20, and directs droplets of the chemical liquid of the type specified in the recipe from the nozzle 311 toward the base sheet 90. To discharge. Specifically, the coating process control unit 601 gives a control signal Q having a predetermined driving frequency F to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 of the coating head 31. Then, according to the given control signal Q, the coating head 31 atomizes the chemical liquid containing the medicine to generate a fine droplet, and the generated droplet is transferred to the base sheet 90 conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 10. Dispense towards. As a result, the drug layer 95 is formed on the base sheet 90.

  However, what kind of application pattern is to be formed on the base sheet 90 is specified by a recipe, for example, and the application processing control unit 601 has a binary value describing the application pattern specified by the recipe. Image data is acquired by a series of processes described later. Then, on / off timing is controlled for all nozzles 311 provided in the coating head 31 based on the acquired image data. That is, when a chemical solution is sprayed onto a certain region (a region that is set to “1” in the image data), a control signal Q is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 of the nozzle 311 corresponding to that region, and the chemical solution from the nozzle 311 is applied. Let the drops spout out. Thereby, the application pattern of the chemical solution is formed on the base sheet 90 line by line. In addition, the discharge timing of the chemical | medical solution from the coating head 31 is specified based on the pulse signal from the encoder 12, for example. As a result, the drug layer 95 is formed on the base sheet 90 with the application pattern specified in the recipe.

  The base material sheet 90 on which the drug layer 95 is formed is conveyed to the drying unit 50 where the chemical solution is dried. Thereafter, a release liner is bonded to the base sheet 90, and the support 92 is cut into a predetermined size to obtain a patch. The patch is manufactured by the above processing.

<4. Determination of parameters>
As described above, the coating processing control unit 601 realized in the control unit 60 of the chemical liquid coating apparatus 1 moves the coating head 31 and the base sheet 90 relatively (specifically, based on the transport mechanism 10). While the material sheet 90 is being conveyed), the application process is executed by discharging droplets of the chemical solution from the application head 31 toward the base sheet 90. By the way, in this application process, it is necessary to apply the medicine on the substrate sheet 90 by the required amount accurately. Here, the amount of the chemical applied to the base sheet 90 is the amount of droplets discharged from each nozzle 311 per unit time (unit discharge amount R), and the relative movement between the coating head 31 and the base sheet 90. Speed (specifically, the conveyance speed V of the base sheet 90)) and the like. However, as described above, the unit discharge amount R is defined by the frequency (drive frequency F) of the control signal Q applied to the coating head 31 and the drop mass M of the droplets discharged from the nozzle 311. Therefore, in order to accurately apply the medicine on the base sheet 90 in the required amount, the parameters in the coating process (specifically, the drive frequency F of the control signal Q applied to the coating head 31 in the coating process) The value and the value of the conveyance speed V that causes the conveyance mechanism 10 to convey the base sheet 90 in the coating process) need to be determined to be appropriate values. In the control unit 60, a function as a “parameter determination unit 602” for determining these parameters is realized prior to the coating process (see FIG. 2). The parameter determination unit 602 is realized by the CPU 61 executing the program P on the ROM 62, for example.

<4-1. Relationship of variables>
Before specifically describing the parameter determination unit 602, the relationship between various variables related to parameter determination will be described. As described above, the coating head 31 discharges the liquid droplets of the chemical liquid while moving relative to the base sheet 90 at the transport speed V, thereby forming the drug layer 95 on the base sheet 90. Here, the weight (hereinafter referred to as “application amount”) A of the chemical solution applied per unit area on the base sheet 90 is expressed as follows using the conveyance speed V and the unit discharge amount R of the nozzle 311. It is represented by (Formula 1). However, in (Formula 1), “A” is the coating amount, “R” is the unit discharge amount R, and “V” is the conveyance speed V. “D” is an arrangement pitch of the nozzles 311 in the coating head 31 (hereinafter referred to as “nozzle pitch d”), and is a constant unique to the apparatus.

A = (1 / d) × (R / V) (Formula 1)
Here, as described above, the unit discharge amount R is a value obtained by multiplying the drop mass M by the drive frequency F of the control signal Q (R = M × F).

  Conventionally, the drop mass M is regarded as a value that depends only on the drive voltage K of the control signal Q applied to the coating head 31. Therefore, when the driving voltage K is fixed to a constant value, the drop mass M is considered to be constant even if the driving frequency F changes. In this way, the coating amount A is expressed by the following (formula 2), where “c” is a constant. However, in (Formula 2), “F” is the drive frequency F.

A = c × (F / V) (Formula 2)
In this case, when it is desired to increase the coating amount A by, for example, n times, the drive frequency F may be changed to n times without changing the conveyance speed V. However, in practice, if the driving frequency F is multiplied by n without changing the transport speed V, the coating amount A is slightly larger (or slightly smaller) than the original n times. The cause of this error is that the drop mass M fluctuates slightly as the drive frequency F changes.

  FIG. 8 schematically shows how the drop mass M fluctuates with changes in the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for each of the two types of chemicals A and B. However, here, the drive voltage K of the control signal Q is constant. As shown here, the drop mass M fluctuates irregularly according to changes in the driving frequency F. Moreover, the mode of this variation varies depending on the type of chemical solution. Further, this variation mode varies depending on the characteristics of the coating head 31.

For example, in the drug solution A illustrated in FIG. 8, the drop mass M when the drive frequency F is “2000 (Hz)” is “7.40 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / drop)”. In this case, the unit discharge amount R is “14.8 × 10 ⁻⁶ (g / sec)”. On the other hand, when the driving frequency F becomes “4000 (Hz)”, which is twice that, the drop mass M changes to “6.60 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / drop)”. In this case, the unit discharge amount R is “26.4 × 10 ⁻⁶ (g / sec)”. That is, even if the drive frequency F is doubled, the unit discharge amount R is only about 1.8 times. In this case, even if the driving frequency F is doubled without changing the transport speed V in order to double the coating amount A, only about 1.8 times the original coating amount is actually obtained. It will not be.

  In other words, in order to accurately apply the required amount of the chemical solution, application processing parameters (values of the conveyance speed V and values of the driving frequency F) are considered in consideration of fluctuations in the drop mass M accompanying changes in the driving frequency F. Need to be determined.

<4-2. Fluctuation information>
The storage device (for example, the fixed disk 64) provided in the control unit 60 holds information (variation information) indicating the variation of the drop mass M associated with the change in the drive frequency F, and the parameter determination unit 602 includes the variation information. Is used to determine the parameters of the coating process. However, as described above, the manner in which the drop mass M fluctuates with the change in the drive frequency F varies depending on the type of chemical and the characteristics of the coating head 31. Accordingly, the control unit 60 causes the drop mass M associated with the change in the driving frequency F when each of the various chemical solutions that can be used in the own device to be discharged from the coating head 31 provided in the own device. Fluctuation information is held.

  Note that the fluctuation information may be stored in the fixed disk 64 at the time of shipment of the apparatus. Further, it may be read from the recording medium RM by the reading device 68 and stored in the fixed disk 64. Further, the information input by the operator via the input device 67 may be received by the control unit 60 and stored in the fixed disk 64.

  FIG. 9 schematically shows variation information held in the fixed disk 64. In this embodiment, the variation information is held in the form of a table (variation information table T).

  The fixed disk 64 stores one or more variation information tables T, and each variation information table T describes variation information of different types of chemical solutions. Note that FIG. 9 shows that four variation information tables T (that is, variation information tables T for four types of chemical solutions) are held, but a larger number (or a smaller number) of variations. An information table T may be held.

In each variation information table T, a plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) And a plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...). ) And the corresponding value m (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Of the drop mass M are stored in association with each other. However, the value m (i) of the drop mass M corresponding to the representative value f (i) is obtained when the control signal Q having the driving frequency F as the representative value f (i) is given to the multilayer piezoelectric element 320. This is the value of the drop mass M of the liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle 311. For example, according to the variation information table T illustrated in FIG. 9, in the chemical solution A, when the control signal Q having the drive frequency F as the representative value f (1) = 2000 (Hz) is given to the laminated piezoelectric element 320, It can be seen that the value m (1) of the drop mass M of the droplet discharged from the nozzle 311 is “7.50 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / drop)”.

  In each variation information table T, the representative value f (i) of the drive frequency F may be held with a finer step size (or a coarser step size). Further, the step size need not be constant. Further, the representative value f (i) may be held in a wider numerical range (or a narrower numerical range). As will become clear later, as the number of representative values f (i) held in each table T increases, the number of parameter candidates that can be selected by the operator increases.

<4-3. Determination of parameters>
Prior to executing the coating process, the parameter determination unit 602 uses the variation information table T held on the fixed disk 64 to determine the parameters of the coating process (values of the driving frequency F and the conveyance speed V). . Hereinafter, the flow of processing in which the parameter determination unit 602 determines parameters will be specifically described. In the following, two types of processing modes for determining parameters will be described. In the chemical solution coating apparatus 1, the parameter may be determined by any one of the two modes described below. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can select in which aspect an operator determines a parameter.

<4-3-1. First Aspect>
The processing flow according to the first aspect will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

  The parameter determination unit 602 first determines the type of chemical solution (target chemical solution) to be applied to the base sheet 90 in the coating process based on the recipe (or based on the input from the operator) and the base sheet 90. The amount (target application amount) Ar of the chemical solution to be applied is specified (step S11).

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 obtains variation information of the target chemical solution (Step S12). Specifically, a fluctuation information table (target fluctuation information table) T describing fluctuation information of the target chemical solution is read from the fixed disk 64.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 uses the target variation information table T to calculate a combination of the value of the driving frequency F and the value of the conveyance speed V that can apply the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar to the base sheet 90. This is acquired as a parameter candidate (step S13).

  The process of step S13 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the processing.

  The parameter determination unit 602 reads out one of the representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Of the plurality of drive frequencies held in the target variation information table T and uses this as the target representative. As a value f (i), a transport speed value (hereinafter referred to as “transport speed v (i)”) that is paired with the target representative value f (i) is calculated. The “conveying speed v (i) paired with the target representative value f (i)” is the target application amount Ar when the application processing is performed with the drive frequency F of the control signal Q as the target representative value f (i). It is the value of the conveyance speed V which can apply | coat a chemical | medical solution. That is, when a droplet is ejected from the coating head 31 by giving a control signal Q such that the drive frequency F is the target representative value f (i), a chemical solution with a target coating amount Ar is applied to the base sheet 90. This is the value of the conveyance speed V required for this.

  A mode of calculating the conveyance speed v (i) that is paired with the target representative value f (i) will be specifically described. First, when the parameter determination unit 602 refers to the target variation information table T and gives a control signal Q such that the drive frequency F is the target representative value f (i), the droplets are ejected from the coating head 31. The unit discharge amount r (i) is calculated. However, the unit discharge amount r (i) corresponds to the target representative value f (i) and the value m (i) of the drop mass M corresponding thereto (that is, the target representative value f (i) in the target variation information table T). It is given by a value obtained by multiplying the value m (i)) of the associated drop mass M.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 calculates a conveyance speed v (i) that can achieve the target application amount Ar based on the calculated unit discharge amount r (i) and the above (Equation 1). That is, the conveyance speed v (i) that can achieve the target coating amount Ar is given by the following (formula 3).

v (i) = (1 / d) × (r (i) / Ar) (Formula 3)
The parameter determination unit 602 acquires the calculated transport speed v (i) as a single parameter candidate p (i) in a pair with the target representative value f (i). The parameter candidate p (i) is a combination of parameters capable of applying the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar.

For example, it is assumed that the target chemical solution is “chemical solution A” and the target application amount Ar is “8.55 × 10 ⁻⁶ (g / mm ² )”. Further, it is assumed that the nozzle pitch d is “0.08467 (mm)”. In this case, the conveyance speed v (2) paired with the representative value f (2) = 4000 (Hz) is calculated as follows. That is, the unit discharge amount r (2) in the case where droplets are discharged from the coating head 31 by giving a control signal Q such that the drive frequency F is the target representative value f (2) = 4000 (Hz) is the target By referring to the fluctuation information table T, “26.4 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / sec)” is calculated (4000 (drop / sec) × 6.60 × 10 ⁻⁶ (g / drop) = 26. 4 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / sec)). Based on the calculated unit discharge amount r (2), the conveyance speed v (2) that can achieve the target application amount Ar is calculated as “36.47 (mm / sec)” (v (i ) = (1 / 0.08467 (mm)) × (26.4 × 10 ⁻⁹ (g / sec) /8.55×10 ⁻⁶ (g / mm ² ))). The parameter determination unit 602 pairs the calculated transport speed v (2) value “36.47 (mm / sec)” with the target representative value f (2) value “4000 (Hz)” and sets 1 Two parameter candidates p (2) = (4000 (Hz), 36.47 (mm / sec)) are acquired. The parameter candidate p (2) is a combination of parameters capable of applying a chemical solution having a target application amount Ar = 8.55 × 10 ⁻⁶ (g / mm ² ).

  The parameter determination unit 602 makes a pair with each representative value f (i) for all of the plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Held in the target variation information table T. The conveyance speed v (i) is calculated to obtain the parameter candidate p (i). That is, the same number of parameter candidates p (i) (i = 1, 2,...) As the plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Held in the target variation information table T.・) Will be acquired.

  Refer to FIG. 10 again. When the processing in step S13 is completed, the parameter determination unit 602 subsequently causes the display device 66 to display a list of the plurality of parameter candidates p (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Acquired in step S13. (Step S14), the operator is allowed to select any parameter candidate. FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of this list display screen. Here, for each of a plurality of parameter candidates p (i) (i = 1, 2,...), The driving frequency combined with each parameter candidate p (i) (that is, any representative value f ( i)) and the conveyance speed v (i) are displayed in pairs.

  In the list display screen, in addition to the driving frequency f (i) and the conveyance speed v (i), the drop mass m (i) corresponding to the driving frequency f (i), the target application amount Ar, and the conveyance direction are displayed. The pitch (the transport direction of the base sheet 90 (the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the nozzles 311)) is the pitch of the applied droplets, and is obtained by dividing the transport speed v (i) by the frequency f (i). ), Transport direction resolution (the number of droplets applied per inch in the transport direction of the base sheet 90, and obtained by dividing 25.4 (mm / inch) by the transport direction pitch) .), Nozzle pitch d, number of nozzles (number of nozzles 311 per unit length), and the like are also preferably displayed. If these are displayed, the operator can select preferable parameters with reference to, for example, the resolution along the transport direction.

  Refer to FIG. 10 again. When the operator selects any of the parameter candidates p (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Displayed in a list via the input device 67 (YES in step S15), the parameter determination unit 602 In response to the selection operation, the driving frequency f (i) and the conveyance speed v (i) paired in the selected parameter candidate p (i) are determined as parameters relating to the coating process (step S16). That is, the conveyance speed v (i) of the selected parameter candidate p (i) is determined as the value of the conveyance speed V when driving the conveyance mechanism 10 in the coating process. Further, the drive frequency f (i) of the selected parameter candidate p (i) is determined as the value of the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for controlling the coating head 31 in the coating process.

<4-3-2. Second Aspect>
The processing flow according to the second aspect will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

  The parameter determination unit 602 first specifies the target chemical solution and the target application amount Ar based on the recipe (or based on the input from the operator) (step S21).

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 obtains variation information of the target chemical solution (Step S22). Specifically, a fluctuation information table (target fluctuation information table) T describing fluctuation information of the target chemical solution is read from the fixed disk 64.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 causes the display device 66 to display a list of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Of a plurality of drive frequencies held in the target variation information table T. The operator is allowed to select any representative value f (i) (step S23).

  When the operator selects any of the plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Displayed in a list via the input device 67 (YES in step S23), the parameter determination unit 602. Accepts the selection operation, and determines the representative value f (i) of the selected drive frequency as a parameter relating to the coating process (step S24). That is, the selected representative value f (i) is determined as the value of the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for controlling the coating head 31 in the coating process.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 calculates the value of the conveyance speed V (conveyance speed v (i)) that is paired with the selected representative value f (i) (step S25). That is, when the application process is performed using the drive frequency F of the control signal Q as the selected representative value f (i), the value of the conveyance speed V at which the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar can be applied is calculated. The mode of calculating the conveyance speed v (i) that is paired with the representative value f (i) is as described above.

  When the transport speed v (i) that is paired with the selected representative value f (i) is calculated, the parameter determination unit 602 determines the calculated transport speed v (i) as a parameter related to the coating process. (Step S26). That is, the calculated conveyance speed v (i) is determined as the value of the conveyance speed V when driving the conveyance mechanism 10 in the coating process.

<4-4. Redetermination of parameters>
When the parameter determining unit 602 determines the parameters of the coating process (the value of the driving frequency F and the value of the conveyance speed V), the coating process control unit 601 controls each part of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 to apply with the determined parameters. Processing begins. The specific mode of the coating process performed under the control of the coating process control unit 601 is as described above.

  By the way, when the parameter determination unit 602 receives an instruction to change the target application amount Ar (or an instruction to change the drive frequency F) from the operator while the application process is being executed, the parameter determination unit 602 determines the parameters again. Hereinafter, the flow of processing in which the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines parameters will be described in detail.

<4-4-1. When an instruction to change the target application amount is given>
The flow of processing in which the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines the parameter when the operator instructs to change the target application amount Ar will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

  When the operator inputs a new target application amount (hereinafter referred to as “new target application amount Ar ′”) via the input device 67, the parameter determination unit 602 receives the input (step S31).

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 keeps the drive frequency F at the current set value (that is, without changing the drive frequency F of the control signal Q), and adds a new target application amount Ar ′ to the base sheet 90. The value of the conveyance speed V at which the chemical solution can be applied (hereinafter referred to as “new conveyance speed v ′”) is calculated (step S32). When the drive frequency F of the control signal Q is not changed, the unit discharge amount R of the nozzle 311 does not change. Therefore, based on the above (Formula 1), a new transport speed v ′ at which a new target coating amount Ar ′ can be applied is given by the following (Formula 4). However, in (Equation 4), “v” represents the currently set conveyance speed V. “Ar” is the target application amount Ar before change, and “Ar ′” is the new target application amount Ar ′.

v ′ = (Ar / Ar ′) × v (Formula 4)
That is, if the new target application amount Ar ′ is x times the original target application amount Ar, a value obtained by multiplying the currently set transfer speed V by (1 / x) is set as the new transfer speed v ′. Will get.

  When the new transport speed v ′ is calculated, the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines the calculated new transport speed v ′ as a new parameter related to the coating process (step S33). That is, the transport speed V when driving the transport mechanism 10 in the coating process is re-determined to the calculated new transport speed v ′.

  When the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines the parameters of the coating process (here, the value of the conveyance speed V), the coating process control unit 601 controls each unit of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 to determine the new parameters that have been determined. The coating process is executed at. That is, the coating process control unit 601 does not change the drive frequency F of the control signal Q given to the multilayer piezoelectric element 320 (that is, the control signal Q of the drive frequency F with the current set value is supplied to the multilayer piezoelectric element 320. (Giving) While the liquid droplets of the chemical solution are ejected from the nozzle 311 toward the base sheet 90, the transport speed V for transporting the base sheet 90 to the transport mechanism 10 is changed to the newly determined transport speed v '. Then, the coating process is executed. After the change in the conveyance speed V, the amount of the chemical applied to the base sheet 90 in the application process is changed to a new target application amount Ar ′.

<4-4-2. When instructed to change drive frequency>
A process flow in which the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines the parameter when the operator instructs to change the drive frequency F will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

  When the operator inputs an instruction to change the driving frequency F, the parameter determining unit 602 responds to the instruction with the representative values f (i) (i = 1) of the plurality of driving frequencies held in the target variation information table T. , 2,... Are displayed as a list on the display device 66, and the operator is allowed to select any representative value f (i) (step S41).

  When the operator selects any of the plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Displayed in a list via the input device 67 (YES in step S41), the parameter determination unit 602 is selected. Accepts the selection operation, and re-determines the representative value f (i) of the selected drive frequency as a new parameter for the coating process (step S42). That is, the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for controlling the coating head 31 in the coating process is redetermined to the selected representative value f (i).

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 calculates a value of the conveyance speed V (conveyance speed v (i)) that is paired with the selected representative value f (i) (step S43). That is, when the application process is performed using the drive frequency F of the control signal Q as the selected representative value f (i), the value of the conveyance speed V at which the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar can be applied is calculated. The mode of calculating the conveyance speed v (i) that is paired with the representative value f (i) is as described above.

  When the transport speed v (i) that is paired with the selected representative value f (i) is calculated, the parameter determination unit 602 uses the calculated transport speed v (i) as a new parameter for the coating process. (Step S44). That is, the transport speed V when driving the transport mechanism 10 in the coating process is redetermined to the calculated new transport speed v (i).

  When the parameter determination unit 602 re-determines the parameters of the coating process (here, the values of the drive frequency F and the conveyance speed V), the coating process control unit 601 is determined by controlling each unit of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1. The coating process is executed under the new parameters. That is, the coating process control unit 601 changes the drive frequency F of the control signal Q given to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 to the new representative value f (i) determined again, and transports the base sheet 90 to the transport mechanism 10. The transfer speed V to be changed is changed to the newly determined new transfer speed v (i), and the coating process is executed. Even after the change of the conveyance speed V and the driving frequency F, the amount of the chemical applied to the base sheet 90 in the application process is maintained at the original target application amount Ar.

<5. Effect>
According to the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the parameter determining unit 602 relatively moves the coating head 31 and the base sheet 90 in the coating process (specifically, the base sheet 90). And the driving frequency F of the control signal Q given to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 are fluctuation information (that is, information describing the fluctuation of the drop mass M accompanying the change of the driving frequency F of the control signal Q). Therefore, the chemical solution can be accurately applied to the base sheet 90 by the required amount.

  Further, according to the first mode for determining the parameter, the parameter candidate p (i) selected by the operator among the plurality of parameter candidates p (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Is subjected to the coating process. Adopt as a parameter. Therefore, the coating process can be performed in a manner desired by the operator. For example, if the operator wants to complete the coating process within a predetermined time, the operator may select a parameter candidate p (i) having a value of the conveyance speed V that can realize this. Further, for example, when the operator wants to execute the coating process at a predetermined resolution, the operator may select a parameter candidate p (i) having a combination of the conveyance speed V and the driving frequency F that can realize the application process.

  Further, according to the second aspect for determining the parameter, the value selected by the operator among the plurality of representative values f (i) (i = 1, 2,...) Is driven by the control signal Q in the coating process. Since it is adopted as the frequency F, the coating process can be performed in a manner desired by the operator.

  Further, the parameter determination unit 602 does not change the drive frequency F of the control signal Q given to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 in the coating process when the operator instructs to change the target coating amount Ar, and the coating head 31 and the base material. The coating amount is changed by changing the speed at which the sheet 90 is moved relatively (specifically, the conveyance speed V). According to this configuration, since the unit discharge amount R of the nozzle 311 does not change, the amount of chemical liquid to be applied can be changed to a new application amount simply and accurately.

<6. Modified example of variation information holding mode>
In the above embodiment, the fluctuation information is held in the form of a table, but the fluctuation information does not necessarily have to be held in the form of a table.

  FIG. 16 schematically shows another configuration example of the variation information held on the fixed disk 64. Here, the variation information is held in the form of a function (variation information function H).

  One or more variation information functions H are stored in the fixed disk 64, and each variation information function H represents variation information of different types of chemical solutions. Note that FIG. 16 shows that four variation information functions H (that is, variation information functions H for four types of chemical solutions) are retained, but a larger number (or a small number) of variations. The information function H may be held.

  Each variation information function H represents a variation in the drop mass M ejected from the nozzle 311 in accordance with a change in the drive frequency F of the control signal Q given to the laminated piezoelectric element 320 provided in the nozzle 311. Note that the variation information function H may approximately represent the variation.

  When the fluctuation information is held in the form of the fluctuation information function H, the parameter determination unit 602 uses the fluctuation information function H held on the fixed disk 64 to apply the coating processing parameters (the value of the driving frequency F, the conveyance speed). V value) is determined. The processing flow will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

  First, the parameter determination unit 602 specifies the target chemical solution and the target application amount Ar based on the recipe (or based on the input from the operator) (step S51).

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 obtains the fluctuation information of the target chemical solution (Step S52). Specifically, the fluctuation information function (target fluctuation information function) H describing the fluctuation information of the target chemical solution is read from the fixed disk 64.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 accepts an input of one of the value of the conveyance speed V and the value of the drive frequency F from the operator (step S53). The operator can specify an arbitrary numerical value as the value of the conveyance speed V or the value of the driving frequency F.

  Now, in step S53, it is assumed that the operator inputs the value of the drive frequency F via the input device 67 (YES in step S54). In this case, the parameter determination unit 602 receives the input operation, and determines the input value (hereinafter referred to as “input value f (j)”) as a parameter related to the coating process (step S55). That is, the input value f (j) is determined as the value of the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for controlling the coating head 31 in the coating process.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 calculates a value of the conveyance speed V (hereinafter referred to as “conveyance speed v (j)”) that is paired with the input value f (j) (step S56). That is, when the application process is performed using the drive frequency F of the control signal Q as the input value f (j), the value of the conveyance speed V at which the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar can be applied is calculated.

  A mode in which the conveyance speed v (j) that is paired with the input value f (j) is calculated will be specifically described. First, the parameter determination unit 602 refers to the target variation information function H, gives a control signal Q such that the drive frequency F is the input value f (j), and ejects droplets from the coating head 31. A unit discharge amount r (j) is calculated. However, the unit discharge amount r (j) corresponds to the input value f (j) and the value m (j) of the drop mass M corresponding thereto (that is, the input value f (j) in the target variation information function H). It is given by a value obtained by multiplying the value m (j)) of the given drop mass M.

  Subsequently, the parameter determination unit 602 calculates a conveyance speed v (j) that can achieve the target application amount Ar based on the calculated unit discharge amount r (j) and the above (Equation 1). That is, the conveyance speed v (j) that can achieve the target application amount Ar is given by the following (formula 5).

v (j) = (1 / d) × (r (j) / Ar) (Formula 5)
When the conveyance speed v (j) that is paired with the input value f (j) is calculated, the parameter determination unit 602 determines the calculated conveyance speed v (j) as a parameter related to the coating process (Step S1). S57). That is, the calculated conveyance speed v (j) is determined as the value of the conveyance speed V when driving the conveyance mechanism 10 in the coating process. As a result, the parameters (the value of the conveyance speed V and the value of the driving frequency F) relating to the coating process are determined.

  On the other hand, in step S53, it is assumed that the operator inputs the value of the conveyance speed V via the input device 67 (NO in step S54). In this case, the parameter determining unit 602 receives the input operation, and determines the input value (hereinafter referred to as “input value v (j)”) as a parameter related to the coating process (step S58). That is, the input value v (j) is determined as the value of the conveyance speed V when driving the conveyance mechanism 10 in the coating process.

  Subsequently, the parameter determining unit 602 calculates a value of the driving frequency F (hereinafter, referred to as “driving frequency f (j)”) that is paired with the input value v (j) (step S59). Here, the “driving frequency f (j) paired with the input value v (j)” means that the chemical solution of the target application amount Ar is applied when the application process is performed with the conveyance speed V as the input value v (j). This is a possible drive frequency F value.

  A mode in which the drive frequency f (j) that is paired with the input value v (j) is calculated will be specifically described. First, the parameter determination unit 602 determines the unit discharge amount r (j) necessary to achieve the target application amount Ar when the conveyance speed V is the input value v (j) based on the above (Equation 1). Is calculated. That is, the unit discharge amount r (j) necessary to achieve the target application amount Ar is given by the following (formula 6).

r (j) = d × Ar × v (j) (Formula 6)
When the necessary unit discharge amount r (j) is calculated, the parameter determination unit 602 refers to the target variation information function H and specifies the value of the drive frequency F that gives the calculated unit discharge amount r (j). To do. That is, a value obtained by multiplying the value of the drive frequency F by the value of the drop mass M corresponding thereto (that is, the value of the drop mass M given to the value of the drive frequency F in the target variation information function H). Then, the value of the driving frequency that becomes the unit discharge amount r (j) is specified. Then, the specified value of the driving frequency F is acquired as the driving frequency f (j) paired with the input value v (j).

  When the driving frequency f (j) paired with the input value v (j) is acquired, the parameter determination unit 602 determines the acquired driving frequency f (j) as a parameter related to the coating process (step S60). That is, the obtained drive frequency f is determined as the value of the drive frequency F of the control signal Q for controlling the coating head 31 in the coating process. As a result, the parameters (the value of the conveyance speed V and the value of the driving frequency F) relating to the coating process are determined.

  In this case as well, when the parameter determination unit 602 determines the parameters for the coating process (the value of the driving frequency F and the value of the conveyance speed V), the coating process control unit 601 determines the parameters by controlling each unit of the chemical solution coating apparatus 1. The coating process is started with the set parameters. In addition, when the parameter determination unit 602 receives an instruction to change the drive frequency F or an instruction to change the conveyance speed V from the operator while the coating process is being executed, the parameter determination unit 602 executes the above steps S53 to S60. Re-determine parameters.

  According to the above aspect, since the value input by the operator is adopted as the drive frequency F of the control signal Q in the coating process, the coating process can be performed in a mode desired by the operator. Further, the value input by the operator is adopted as a relative movement speed (specifically, the conveyance speed V) for relatively moving the coating head 31 and the base sheet 90 in the coating process. The coating treatment can be carried out in the manner of

<7. Other variations>
Each component of the chemical | medical solution coating device 1 which concerns on said embodiment is not restricted to the aspect demonstrated above. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the control unit 60 includes the CPU 61, but this may be replaced with, for example, an FPGA.

  In the above-described embodiment, a multilayer piezo drop on-demand ink jet head is used as a method for ejecting droplets in the coating head 31, but the method for ejecting droplets is limited to this. Instead, any device that generates and ejects microdroplets by applying the control signal Q may be used.

  Moreover, in the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the base sheet 90 and the coating head 31 are moved relatively by moving the base sheet 90 relative to the coating head 31. However, the base sheet 90 and the coating head 31 may be moved relatively by moving the coating head 31 relative to the base sheet 90 without moving the base sheet 90. .

  In the chemical solution coating apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the coating unit 30 may include a plurality of coating heads 31. By providing a plurality of coating heads 31 in one coating unit 30, the resolution can be increased. For example, if the 300 dpi coating head 31 is arranged so that its nozzles are staggered, a resolution of 600 dpi can be realized. Further, in the chemical solution coating apparatus 1, a plurality of coating units 30 including one or more coating heads 31 may be provided.

  Moreover, although the chemical | medical solution coating device 1 which concerns on said embodiment was a structure which apply | coats a chemical | medical solution on the base material sheet 90 supplied on the support body 92 with which the adhesive 91 was laminated | stacked, the adhesive 91 Alternatively, the chemical solution may be directly applied to the adhesive 91 and impregnated with the chemical solution. In this case, the adhesive (adhesive layer) 91 is a rubber adhesive, a vinyl adhesive, an acrylic adhesive, or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chemical solution coating device 10 Conveyance mechanism 31 Coating head 311 Nozzle 320 Multilayer piezoelectric element 60 Control part 601 Application | coating process control part 602 Parameter determination part 90 Base material sheet 95 Drug layer

Claims (12)

A chemical solution for applying the chemical solution to the medium by discharging a liquid droplet of the chemical solution containing the drug from a coating head including a nozzle provided with a drive element toward a medium that moves relative to the coating head. Application method comprising:
a) obtaining fluctuation information of a droplet amount ejected from the nozzle in accordance with a change in frequency of a control signal applied to the drive element;
b) determining a relative movement speed for relatively moving the coating head and the medium in the coating process, and a frequency of a control signal to be given to the driving element in the coating process, using the variation information;
c) While relatively moving the coating head and the medium at the relative movement speed determined in the step b), the nozzle is supplied with a control signal having the frequency determined in the step b) to the driving element. A step of performing a coating process by discharging droplets of the chemical solution from the medium toward the medium; and
A chemical solution application method comprising: It is the chemical | medical solution application method of Claim 1, Comprising:
The variation information is
Each of the plurality of representative values of the frequency is held in the form of a table in which the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in association with each other when a control signal having the frequency as the representative value is given to the drive element. And
In the step b)
For each of the plurality of representative values, when performing a coating process using the frequency as the representative value, a value of a relative movement speed at which a target application amount of the chemical solution can be applied to the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and the calculation is performed. The obtained value is paired with the representative value to obtain as a parameter candidate,
Among the plurality of parameter candidates acquired based on the plurality of representative values, the representative value paired in one parameter candidate selected by the operator and the calculated value are used in the application process. The frequency and the relative movement speed are determined respectively.
Chemical solution application method. It is the chemical | medical solution application method of Claim 1 or 2,
The variation information is
Each of the plurality of representative values of the frequency is held in the form of a table in which the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in association with each other when a control signal having the frequency as the representative value is given to the drive element. And
In the step b)
Of the plurality of representative values, for one representative value selected by the operator as a frequency value, the relative movement speed at which the target application amount of the chemical can be applied to the medium when the application process is performed using the frequency as the representative value. A value is calculated based on the variation information,
The representative value selected by an operator and the calculated value are respectively determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process.
Chemical solution application method. It is a chemical | medical solution application method in any one of Claim 1 to 3,
d) When the operator instructs to change the target application amount,
Calculate the value of the relative movement speed at which the chemical solution of the new target application amount instructed to the medium can be applied while keeping the frequency at the current set value, and use the calculated value as the new relative movement in the application process. Re-determining the speed,
e) While discharging the liquid droplet of the chemical liquid from the nozzle toward the medium without changing the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element, the new relative movement speed re-determined in the step d) A step of performing the application process by relatively moving the application head and the medium; and
A chemical solution application method comprising: It is a chemical | medical solution application method of Claim 1 or 4,
The variation information is
Held in the form of a function representing the variation in the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle in accordance with the change in the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element,
In the step b)
For the value input by the operator as the frequency value, when performing the coating process using the frequency as the input value, the value of the relative movement speed capable of applying the target application amount of the chemical solution to the medium is calculated based on the variation information,
The input value and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.
Chemical solution application method. It is a chemical | medical solution application method in any one of Claims 1, 4, and 5,
The variation information is
Held in the form of a function representing the variation in the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle in accordance with the change in the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element,
In the step b)
With respect to the value input as the value of the relative movement speed by the operator, the value of the frequency of the control signal capable of applying the target application amount of the chemical solution to the medium is used as the variation information when the application process is performed using the relative movement speed as the input value. Based on
The calculated value and the input value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.
Chemical solution application method. An application head that discharges a chemical solution containing a drug as droplets from a nozzle provided with a drive element toward a medium;
A relative movement mechanism for relatively moving the coating head and the medium;
A variation information storage unit that stores variation information of the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle in accordance with a change in frequency of a control signal applied to the driving element;
Prior to the coating process, a relative movement speed for relatively moving the coating head and the medium in the coating process and a frequency of a control signal given to the drive element in the coating process are determined using the variation information. A parameter determining unit to determine;
The relative movement mechanism is controlled so that the coating head and the medium are relatively moved at the relative movement speed determined by the parameter determination unit, and the control signal having the frequency determined by the parameter determination unit is transmitted. An application process control unit configured to execute an application process by ejecting liquid droplets of the chemical solution from the nozzle toward the medium by being supplied to a drive element;
A chemical application device comprising: It is a chemical | medical solution coating device of Claim 7, Comprising:
The variation information is
Each of the plurality of representative values of the frequency is held in the form of a table in which the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in association with each other when a control signal having the frequency as the representative value is given to the drive element. And
The parameter determination unit
For each of the plurality of representative values, when performing a coating process using the frequency as the representative value, a value of a relative movement speed at which a target application amount of the chemical solution can be applied to the medium is calculated based on the variation information, and the calculation is performed. The obtained value is paired with the representative value to obtain as a parameter candidate,
Among the plurality of parameter candidates acquired based on the plurality of representative values, the representative value paired in one parameter candidate selected by the operator and the calculated value are used in the application process. The frequency and the relative movement speed are determined respectively.
Chemical solution applicator. It is a chemical | medical solution application apparatus of Claim 7 or 8,
The variation information is
Each of the plurality of representative values of the frequency is held in the form of a table in which the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzle is stored in association with each other when a control signal having the frequency as the representative value is given to the drive element. And
The parameter determination unit
Of the plurality of representative values, for one representative value selected by the operator as a frequency value, the relative movement speed at which the target application amount of the chemical can be applied to the medium when the application process is performed using the frequency as the representative value. A value is calculated based on the variation information,
The representative value selected by an operator and the calculated value are respectively determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process.
Chemical solution applicator. A chemical solution coating apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The parameter determination unit
When an operator instructs to change the target application amount,
Calculate the value of the relative movement speed at which the chemical solution of the new target application amount instructed to the medium can be applied while keeping the frequency at the current set value, and use the calculated value as the new relative movement in the application process. Redetermined to speed,
The coating process control unit
The application head at the new relative movement speed re-determined by the parameter determination unit while discharging the liquid droplet of the chemical liquid from the nozzle toward the medium without changing the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element. And moving the medium relative to each other to cause the coating process to be executed.
Chemical solution applicator. It is a chemical | medical solution application device of Claim 7 or 10,
The variation information is
Held in the form of a function representing the variation in the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle in accordance with the change in the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element,
The parameter determination unit
For the value input by the operator as the frequency value, when performing the coating process using the frequency as the input value, the value of the relative movement speed capable of applying the target application amount of the chemical solution to the medium is calculated based on the variation information,
The input value and the calculated value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.
Chemical solution applicator. It is a chemical | medical solution coating device in any one of Claims 7, 10, and 11,
The variation information is
Held in the form of a function representing the variation in the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle in accordance with the change in the frequency of the control signal applied to the drive element,
The parameter determination unit
Based on the variation information, the frequency value of the control signal that can be applied to the medium with the target application amount when the application process is performed using the relative movement speed as the input value for the value input by the operator as the value of the relative movement speed. To calculate
The calculated value and the input value are determined as the frequency and the relative movement speed in the coating process, respectively.
Chemical solution applicator.

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