JP2022061472A - Liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid ejection device that is able to prevent damage to a liquid ejection unit being moved relative to an object.SOLUTION: A liquid ejection device includes: a liquid ejection unit including a liquid ejection port for ejecting a liquid toward an object and movable in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction and a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction and parallel to a direction in which the liquid is ejected toward the object form the liquid ejection port; and a contact detection unit that detects contact of the liquid ejection unit with the object, the contact detection unit being provided so as to be freely attached to/detached from the liquid ejection unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid discharge device.

In Patent Document 1, in a device for ejecting liquid, the carriage 5 including a recording head 10 for ejecting liquid and a scanning means for scanning the carriage 5 in the main scanning direction, the carriage 5 is a recording medium. It has a jam detection sensor 16 that detects contact with P, and an elevating means that moves the recording head 10 to change the distance between the recording head 10 and the recording medium P, and the detecting means makes contact. A configuration is described in which, when detected, an operation of stopping the scanning of the carriage 5 by the scanning means and an operation of increasing the distance between the recording head 10 and the recording medium P by the elevating means are performed at the same time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid discharge device capable of preventing damage to a liquid discharge unit in motion with respect to an object.

The present invention includes a liquid discharge port for discharging a liquid toward an object, and at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first direction and the first direction. A liquid discharge unit that intersects the second direction and can move in a third direction parallel to the direction in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge port toward the object, and the liquid discharge to the object. A contact detection unit for detecting the contact of the unit is provided, and the contact detection unit is detachably provided on the liquid discharge unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid discharge device capable of preventing damage to a liquid discharge unit that is moving with respect to an object.

The whole schematic block diagram of the liquid discharge device of this invention. The perspective view which showed the state which the carriage is in the standby position on the Z axis. The perspective view which showed the state which the carriage is in the ink ejection position on the Z axis. The perspective view which showed the state which attached the contact detection unit to a carriage. Top view near the head of the carriage. Top view of the contact detection unit. Perspective view from the rear side of the contact detection unit. Explanatory drawing of the 1st detection member and the 2nd detection member of a contact detection unit. The perspective view of the 1st detection member and the 2nd detection member. An explanatory diagram of the electrical connection of the contact detection unit. The block diagram of the part related to the movement control of the carriage. An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the object to be drawn and the drawing area. Explanatory drawing of position measurement. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the electric connection state of a contact detection unit. Explanatory drawing when the coordinate information of the object to be drawn is automatically acquired. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the position measurement and the surface shape of an object to be drawn. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the detection surface of a contact detection unit and a liquid discharge surface. Explanatory drawing when the size of the detection surface of a contact detection unit is changed. Location information verification flow chart. An explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of the carriage between the time of verification and the time of ink ejection. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the case where a protrusion is detected in the verification. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the electric connection state of a series connection circuit. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the movement locus of a carriage. The detailed flow chart of the part A of the verification flow of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the display screen of the operation panel of a liquid discharge device. Explanatory drawing of the fall prevention member of the 2nd detection member of a contact detection unit. Explanatory drawing of the liquid discharge apparatus which concerns on the modification of this invention. An enlarged perspective view of the liquid discharge device in the same modification. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows application example of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of the liquid discharge device of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view of the liquid discharge device, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the device.

The liquid discharge device 1000 is installed facing the object to be drawn 100, which is an object. The liquid discharge device 1000 includes an X-axis rail 101, a Y-axis rail 102 that intersects the X-axis rail 101, and a Z-axis rail 103 that intersects the X-axis rail 101 and the Y-axis rail 102. The Y-axis rail 102 holds the X-axis rail 101 so that the X-axis rail 101 can move in the Y-axis direction. The X-axis rail 101 holds the Z-axis rail 103 so that the Z-axis rail 103 can move in the X-axis direction. The Z-axis rail 103 holds the carriage 70 so that the carriage 70 can move in the Z-axis direction.

Here, the X-axis is an example of the first direction. Further, the Y axis is an example of a second direction intersecting with the first direction. Further, the Z axis is an example of a first direction and a third direction intersecting the second direction. The carriage 70 is an example of a liquid ejection unit, and the carriage 70 includes a head 300 for ejecting ink, which is an example of liquid, toward an object to be drawn 100.

The carriage 70 includes a Z-direction drive unit 92 that drives the carriage 70 in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis rail 103. The Z-axis rail 103 includes an X-direction drive unit 72 that drives the Z-axis rail 103 in the X-axis direction along the X-axis rail 101. Further, the X-axis rail 101 includes a Y-direction drive unit 82 that drives the X-axis rail 101 in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis rail 102.

With the above configuration, the liquid ejection device 1000 ejects ink from the head 300 toward the object to be drawn 100 while moving the carriage 70 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions based on the drawing data, and the object to be drawn 100. Draw on.

The movement of the carriage 70 in the Z-axis direction does not have to be parallel to the Z-axis, and may be an oblique movement as long as it contains at least a component in the Z-axis direction.

Further, the object to be drawn 100 is not limited to a flat surface. The object to be drawn 100 may be a surface close to vertical such as a car body, a truck body, or an aircraft body, or a surface having a large radius of curvature.

Next, the configuration of the carriage 70 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is in the standby position on the Z axis.

The carriage 70 can move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis rail 103 by the power from the Z-direction drive unit 92.

The carriage 70 includes a head fixing plate 7 for mounting the head 300. FIG. 2 shows an example in which a yellow head 300Y, a magenta head 300M, a cyan head 300C, a black head 300K, a white head 300W, and a special color head 300S are mounted on the head fixing plate 7. Hereinafter, when these heads are generically referred to, they are referred to as a head 300.

Each head 300Y, 300M, 300C, 300K, 300W and 300S includes a nozzle surface 302a having a plurality of nozzles 302, respectively.

Here, the nozzle 302 is an example of a liquid discharge port, and the nozzle surface 302a is an example of a liquid discharge surface.

The type and number of ink colors used in the head 300 are not limited to the above. For example, the inks used in the head 300 may all have the same color.

The head 300 is fixed to the head fixing plate 7 in a state where the nozzle surface 302a intersects the horizontal plane (XZ surface) and the arrangement directions of the plurality of nozzles 302 are tilted with respect to the X axis. As a result, the nozzle 302 ejects ink in a direction (Z direction) that intersects the direction of gravity.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 4 is a cleaning unit for cleaning the head 300.

The cleaning unit 4 moves in a direction parallel to the X axis along the guide rail 9R fixed to the frame body 80.

Although not shown, in the frame 80, a motor for moving the cleaning unit 4 along the guide rail 9R, a position sensor for detecting the position (standby position, folded position) on the X axis of the cleaning unit 4, etc. Is placed.

As a result, the motor transmits power to the belt 14 shown in FIG. 2, and the cleaning unit 4 connected to the belt 14 moves to the positive side in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 9R.

Then, the cleaning unit 4 cleans the nozzle surface 302a and the nozzle 302. When the cleaning unit 4 further moves to the positive side in the X-axis direction and reaches the folding position, the moving direction switches to the negative side in the X-axis direction, and the cleaning unit 4 returns to the standby position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is in the ink ejection position on the Z axis.

The carriage 70 is different from FIG. 2 in that the carriage 70 is moved to the object to be drawn 100 side (positive side in the Z-axis direction).

The carriage 70 has an ink ejection position (FIG. 3) for ejecting ink from the head 300 toward the object to be drawn 100, and a standby position (FIG. 2) provided at a position away from the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the ink ejection position. Move on the Z axis between.

The ink ejection position of the carriage 70 is not constant, but is variable based on drawing data.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the contact detection unit is mounted on the carriage.

The contact detection unit 200 includes a first detection member 210 that can be attached to and detached from the carriage 70, and a second detection member 220 that can be attached to and detached from the first detection member 210.

Here, the first detection member 210 is an example of the first member, and the second detection member 220 is an example of the second member. Hereinafter, the configuration of the contact detection unit 200 will be described in detail.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the vicinity of the head of the carriage. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the contact detection unit is not attached, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the contact detection unit is attached to the carriage.

The contact detection unit 200 includes a first detection member 210 that can be attached to and detached from the carriage 70, and a second detection member 220 that can be attached to and detached from the first detection member 210.

The first detection member 210 includes lock members 211a and 211b, and the lock members 211a and 211b are detachable from a mounting portion (not shown) provided on the carriage 70. As a result, the contact detection unit 200 becomes removable with respect to the carriage 70.

Further, a head protection member 212 corresponding to the position of each nozzle 302 of the head 300 is provided on the portion of the first detection member 210 facing the head 300. The head protection member 212 covers each nozzle 302 while the contact detection unit 200 is attached to the carriage 70 to prevent the nozzle 302 from drying out and foreign matter from adhering to the nozzle 302.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the contact detection unit.

The members described with reference to FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The first detection member 210 includes push switches 213a, 213b, 213c, and 213d. Hereinafter, these push switches are collectively referred to as push switches 213. The push switch 213 is a switch that operates in response to the movement of the second detection member 220 mounted on the first detection member 210.

The push switch 213 is configured to operate by the push pressure received from the second detection member 220 when the second detection member 220 moves to the negative side in the Z-axis direction in the position measurement of the surface of the object to be drawn 100. .. The details of the position measurement will be described later.

Here, the push switch 213 is an example of the position detecting means.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the contact detection unit from the rear surface direction.

The members already described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The head protection member 212 provided on the first detection member 210 corresponds to the position of each nozzle 302 of the head 300 as shown in the figure, and is made of an elastic body such as sponge or rubber.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which 48 head protection members 212 corresponding to 48 (8 × 6) nozzles 302 are provided. During the period in which the contact detection unit 200 is mounted on the carriage 70, the head protection member 212 covers each nozzle 302 of the head 300 to prevent the nozzle 302 from drying out and foreign matter from adhering to the nozzle 302.

The number and arrangement of nozzles are not limited to the above. The nozzles may be a row of nozzles arranged vertically or horizontally instead of a vertically and horizontally two-dimensional array as shown in the figure. Further, the number of nozzles may be one instead of a plurality.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a first detection member and a second detection member of the contact detection unit. 8 (a) and 8 (b) show the first detection member, FIG. 8 (a) is a front view of the member, and FIG. 8 (b) is a perspective view of the member from the front direction. 8 (c) and 8 (d) show the second detection member, FIG. 8 (c) is a rear view of the member, and FIG. 8 (d) is a perspective view of the member from the rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the first detection member 210 includes magnets 214a, 214b, 214c, and 214d, which are examples of means for generating a magnetic force on the front surface portion. Further, the first detection member 210 is provided with detection plates 215a and 215b on the front surface thereof. Further, the first detection member 210 includes lock members 211a and 211b used when the first detection member 210 is mounted on the carriage 70. Hereinafter, when these magnets are generically referred to, they are referred to as magnet 214.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8 (c) and 8 (d), the second detection member 220 includes magnets 224a, 224b, 224c, and 224d, which are examples of means for generating a magnetic force on the back surface portion. Further, the second detection member 220 includes leaf springs 225a and 225b having conductivity on the back surface portion. Hereinafter, when these magnets are generically referred to, they are referred to as magnet 224.

Then, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are mounted so that the front portion of the first detection member 210 and the back portion of the second detection member 220 face each other. The second detection member 220 is attached to the first detection member 210 by the magnetic force of the magnet 214 and the magnet 224.

The surface of the magnet 214 of the first detection member 210 slightly protrudes from the surrounding surface (the surface on which the magnet 214 is not installed). On the other hand, the surface of the magnet 224 of the second detection member 220 is slightly lower than the surface around the magnet 224 (the surface on which the magnet 224 is not installed). As a result, the magnet 214 and the magnet 224 form irregularities, and when the second detection member 220 is attached to the first detection member 210, the relative positions of the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are in one place. It becomes easy to determine and position.

Further, when the second detection member 220 is attached to the first detection member 210, the leaf spring 225a of the second detection member 220 is in contact with the detection plate 215a of the first detection member 210. Further, the leaf spring 225b of the second detection member 220 is in contact with the detection plate 215b of the first detection member 210.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first detection member and the second detection member.

As described above, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are attached by the magnetic force of the magnets 214 and 224 provided on both of them. As shown in the figure, the magnetic force here enables relative movement between the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 when an external force F from the arrow direction is applied to the side surface of the second detection member 220. It is set to a strength that allows it to be used.

The above relative movement is used when the second detection member 220 detects a collision object such as a protrusion existing on the surface of the object to be drawn 100 in the verification of the position information of the object to be drawn 100 described later. When the second detection member 220 moves with respect to the first detection member 210, the leaf springs 225a and 225b of the second detection member 220 separate from the detection plates 215a and 215b of the first detection member 210 to output an electric signal. It is configured to do.

Here, the detection plates 215a and 215b are examples of the collision object detecting means.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical connection relationship of the contact detection unit. FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the contact detection unit in the plane direction, and FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the unit in the front direction. Is.

The first detection member 210 is attached to the carriage 70 provided with the head 300 by the lock members 211a and 211b (see FIG. 6). When the first detection member 210 is mounted on the carriage 70, the pin-shaped connection terminals 216a and 216b provided on the first detection member 210 are fitted into the jacks provided on the carriage 70, and the first detection member 210 and the carriage 70 are connected to each other. Connect electrically.

The second detection member 220 is attached to the first detection member 210 by the magnetic force of the magnet 214 and the magnet 224. When the second detection member 220 is attached to the first detection member 210, the detection plates 215a and 215b of the first detection member 210 and the leaf springs 225a and 225b of the second detection member 220 are in contact with each other, and both detection members 210 are in contact with each other. , 220 are electrically connected.

The detection plate 215a of the first detection member 210 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 216a via the push switch 213a and the push switch 213b. Further, the other detection plate 215b is electrically connected to the connection terminal 216b via the push switch 213d and the push switch 213c. Hereinafter, these push switches are collectively referred to as push switches 213.

As described above, the push switches 213 and the detection plates 215a and 215b provided on the first detection member 210 and the leaf springs 225a and 225b provided on the second detection member 220 are connected in series to form a series connection circuit. do.

In the series connection circuit, when the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are mounted at the correct positions with respect to the carriage 70, the carriage 70 is configured to be electrically connected. For example, the push switch 213 is turned on (conducting state) when not pressed, and turned off (non-conducting state) when pressed.

When the push switch 213 is in the conductive state, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are in the correct positions, and when the push switch 213 is in the non-conducting state, the first detection member 210 or the second detection member 220 is not in the correct position. Detect that.

The configuration of the detection means is not limited to the above. A non-contact detection means such as an optical sensor may be used instead of a contact-type detection means such as a push switch or a detection plate. Further, the number and arrangement of detection means are not limited to the above. It may be configured in an appropriate number and arrangement according to the size and the like of the carriage 70 and the head 300.

As described above, the present embodiment includes a nozzle 302 for ejecting ink toward the object to be drawn 100, and at least one direction in the direction of the X axis and the direction of the Y axis intersecting the X axis, and the X axis. Detects the contact between the carriage 70, which intersects the Y-axis and is movable in the direction of the Z-axis parallel to the direction in which ink is ejected from the nozzle 302 toward the object to be drawn 100, and the carriage 70 with respect to the object to be drawn 100. A contact detection unit 200 is provided, and the contact detection unit 200 is detachably provided on the carriage 70.

This makes it possible to prevent the carriage 70 being damaged with respect to the object to be drawn 100.

Here, when the object to be drawn 100 is a hard metal such as a car body, a truck body, or an aircraft body, an unexpected collision with the object to be drawn 100 destroys the carriage 70, so it is necessary to prevent the collision. In order to reliably prevent this collision, if the surface shape of the object to be drawn (presence or absence of a collision object, etc.) on the downstream side of the carriage in the moving direction is detected early, a carriage equipped with the detection mechanism is required. .. Therefore, the size of the carriage and the size of the liquid discharge device are increased. In the present embodiment, by making the contact detection unit 200 detachable from the carriage 70, it is possible to prevent the carriage from becoming large.

Further, as described above, the contact detection unit 200 includes a push switch 213 that detects the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70. Further, the contact detection unit 200 has detection plates 215a and 215b for detecting a collision object on the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70.

As a result, each detection can be realized with a simple configuration.

Further, as described above, the contact detection unit 200 includes a first detection member 210 detachable from the carriage 70 and a second detection member 220 detachable from the first detection member 210. 1 At least one of position detection and collision object detection is detected according to the movement of the detection member 210 and the second detection member 220.

Further, as described above, the second detection member 220 can move with respect to the first detection member 210 in a direction parallel to the movement direction of the carriage 70.

As a result, one contact detection unit 200 can realize different types of detection.

Further, as described above, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are mounted by magnets 214 and 224.

As a result, the second detection member 220 can be easily positioned on the first detection member 210.

Further, as described above, the push switch 213 operates when the second detection member 220 moves in the direction of the Z axis with respect to the first detection member 210, and the detection plates 215a and 215b are the first detection members. It operates when the second detection member 220 moves in at least one direction of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to 210, and when the second detection member 220 does not move in either direction of XYZ. , The push switch 213 and the detection plates 215a and 215b output a signal indicating that they are electrically connected.

As a result, it is possible to detect the attachment state of the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 to the carriage 70.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a portion related to movement control of the carriage.

The liquid discharge device 1000 includes a carriage 70, an X-direction drive unit 72, a Y-direction drive unit 82, a Z-direction drive unit 92, a contact detection unit 200, a control unit 500, a storage unit 501, a display unit 502, and an operation panel 503.

The carriage 70 is movable in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions with respect to the object to be drawn 100, and the carriage 70 includes a head 300 (see FIG. 1) that ejects ink toward the object to be drawn 100.

The X-direction drive unit 72 drives the carriage 70 in the X-axis direction based on an instruction from the control unit 500. The Y-direction drive unit 82 drives the carriage 70 in the Y-axis direction based on an instruction from the control unit 500. The Z-direction drive unit 92 drives the carriage 70 in the Z-axis direction based on an instruction from the control unit 500.

The contact detection unit 200 is a unit that is detachably provided with respect to the carriage 70. The contact detection unit 200 is attached to the carriage 70 when measuring the position of the object to be drawn 100 prior to executing ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100 and when verifying the position information in the position measurement. ..

The contact detection unit 200 constitutes the above-mentioned series connection circuit by being mounted on the carriage 70, and the signal output by the contact detection unit 200 is transmitted to the control unit 500 via the carriage 70.

The control unit 500 includes a CPU that controls the entire liquid discharge device 1000, and a ROM that stores a program for executing control such as drawing operation on the CPU and other fixed data. Further, the control unit 500 includes a RAM for temporarily storing drawing data and the like, and an I / F and the like for transmitting and receiving data and signals used when receiving drawing data and the like from a host such as a PC. The control unit 500 is an example of control means.

Further, the control unit 500 stores and reads out the detection result and the like of the contact detection unit 200 from the storage unit 501. Further, the control unit 50 controls the X-direction drive unit 72, the Y-direction drive unit 82, and the Z-direction drive unit 92 to drive the carriage 70 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. Further, the control unit 500 controls ink ejection from the head 300 provided on the carriage 70.

Further, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the carriage 70, the head 300, or the like, the control unit 500 displays the fact on the display unit 502 and notifies the user. Further, the control unit 500 receives an instruction from the operation panel 503 and performs processing.

The storage unit 501 stores position information (three-dimensional coordinate information) in position measurement from the contact detection unit 200, information in verification of the position information, and the like.

When an abnormality occurs in the liquid discharge device 1000, the display unit 502 displays the content and notifies the user.

The operation panel 503 can input a value (coordinates) for specifying the drawing area 100a with respect to the object to be drawn 100, a moving speed of the carriage 70, a distance between the head 300 and the object to be drawn 100, and the like. Further, on the operation panel 503, it is possible to specify three-dimensional coordinate information indicating the surface shape of the object to be drawn 100. The display unit 502 and the operation panel 503 may be operated on one screen by a touch panel or the like.

Next, the position measurement by the contact detection unit 200 will be described.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the object to be drawn and the drawing area.

The object to be drawn 100 has various sizes and shapes, and the positional relationship between the liquid discharge device 1000 and the object to be drawn 100 changes depending on the state of installation. Therefore, prior to executing ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100, the liquid ejection device 1000 needs to grasp the position information of the surface of the object to be drawn 100.

For example, when the drawing area is a rectangular drawing area 100a as shown in the drawing, the coordinate information of the drawing start position P1 and the drawing end position P2 is stored in the storage unit 501 of the liquid discharge device 1000. As a result, the drawing area 100a is determined.

The coordinate information in this example is XY coordinate information, but is not limited to the above. Depending on the state of installation of the liquid discharge device 1000 and the object to be drawn 100, the liquid discharge device 1000 may be tilted with respect to the object to be drawn 100, or a collision object such as a protrusion may be present on the surface of the object to be drawn 100. Therefore, it is desirable to capture the coordinate information as three-dimensional coordinate information including the Z-direction component.

The drawing area 100a is a range in which the carriage 70 provided in the liquid discharge device 1000 moves. Note that the drawing area 100a does not necessarily draw on the entire surface of the drawing area 100a just because the carriage 70 moves. Further, as long as the carriage 70 is movable, there may be a plurality of drawing areas in the same object 100.

Further, when a collision object such as a protrusion exists in the drawing area 100a, it is necessary to store the position information of the collision object in the storage unit 501. As an example of a collision object, when the object to be drawn 100 is a vehicle body of a truck, a rib for reinforcing the vehicle body is applicable.

Next, the position measurement operation of the drawing area 100a of the object to be drawn 100 by the contact detection unit 200 will be described.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of position measurement. FIG. 13A is a plan view of the contact detection unit away from the object to be drawn, and FIG. 13B is a plan view of the contact detection unit in contact with the object to be drawn.

Prior to executing ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100, the liquid ejection device 1000 obtains position information of the drawing area 100a of the object to be drawn 100 and performs position measurement in order to grasp the surface shape of the drawing area 100a. do.

In the position measurement, first, the carriage 70 in the standby position on the Z axis is moved toward the object to be drawn 100 on the positive side in the Z axis direction.

When the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 comes into contact with the object to be drawn 100, the second detection member 220 moves to the negative side in the Z-axis direction. By the operation of the second detection member 220 toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction, the second detection member 220 presses the first detection member 210 toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

Next, when the first detection member 210 moves to the negative side in the Z-axis direction, the first detection member 210 pushes the push switch 213 toward the carriage 70 side. As a result, the push switch 213 is activated, and the contact detection unit 200 detects the position of the surface of the object to be drawn 100.

Then, the position information of the carriage 70 at this time is stored in the storage unit 501 of the liquid discharge device 1000.

The above operation is performed a plurality of times from the drawing start position P1 of the drawing area 100a to the drawing end position P2 to obtain information indicating the surface shape of the drawing area 100a.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electrical connection state of the contact detection unit.

The push switch 213 and the detection plates 215a and 215b provided on the first detection member 210 and the leaf springs 225a and 225b provided on the second detection member 220 form a series connection circuit.

FIG. 14 shows a state in which the push switch 213d out of the four push switches detects the surface position of the object to be drawn 100. The position and number of operating push switches vary depending on the surface shape of the object to be drawn 100.

In the above configuration, the push switch 213 is turned off by the push pressure accompanying the detection of the surface position of the object to be drawn 100. When the push switch 213 is turned off, the series connection circuit becomes a non-conducting state, and the coordinate information at that time is stored in the storage unit 501 as the coordinate information indicating the surface position of the object to be drawn 100 at the position.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram when the coordinate information of the object to be drawn is automatically acquired.

After setting the drawing start position P1 and the drawing end position P2 from the operation panel 503, the user sets the X grid line 100b and the Y grid line 100c with arbitrary numerical values. The setting here includes the number of grid lines, the specification of the grid line spacing, and the like.

After setting the X grid line 100b and the Y grid line 100c, the liquid discharge device 1000 measures the position of the surface of the object to be drawn 100 at the intersection of the X grid line 100b and the Y grid line 100c, and coordinates information (XYZ). 3D coordinate information) is automatically acquired.

The user can acquire the coordinate information at fine intervals or at coarse intervals according to the grid line setting value set by the user. Further, the user may set only the drawing start position P1 and the grid line, and the drawing end position P2 may follow the grid. Further, when a colliding object such as a protrusion affecting drawing exists in the drawing area 100a of the object to be drawn 100, the user specifies the XY coordinates of the portion, measures the position, and adds it to the coordinate information. You may do it.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the position measurement and the surface shape of the object to be drawn. 16 (a) shows the case where the surface of the object to be drawn is inclined, and FIGS. 16 (b), (c) and 16 (d) show the case where protrusions are present on the surface of the object to be drawn.

As shown in FIG. 16A, when the object to be drawn 100 is tilted with respect to the liquid discharge device 1000, the coordinates between the coordinates (Xm, Ym, Zm) and the coordinates (Xn, Yn, Zn) are two points. Is calculated by proportional calculation. As a result, during the ink ejection operation, the carriage 70 moves along the inclination of the object to be drawn 100 so that the distance between the object to be drawn 100 and the head 300 becomes constant.

When calculated by the proportional calculation as described above, protrusions and steps existing between the coordinates (Xm, Ym, Zm) and the coordinates (Xn, Yn, Zn) are also recognized as slopes as shown in FIG. 16 (b). There is a possibility that it will be done.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17C, if a protrusion is exactly present between the coordinates of the two points, the protrusion may be overlooked. Further, as shown in FIG. 17D, even if the presence of the protrusion is recognized at the stage of position measurement, the carriage 70 may not be able to avoid the protrusion and may collide with the protrusion.

The reason why such a problem occurs is that the operation of the carriage 70 differs between the time of position measurement and the time of ink ejection.

The position measurement is performed by moving the carriage 70 in the XY direction, and after the carriage 70 is positioned at the measurement point, the carriage 70 is moved in the Z direction. On the other hand, the ink is ejected to the object to be drawn 100 by continuously moving the carriage 70 in the XYZ direction while keeping the distance between the object to be drawn 100 and the carriage 70 constant.

Therefore, in the present invention, there is provided a step of verifying the position information in the position measurement after the position measurement and before executing the ink ejection operation.

In this verification, the carriage 70 is moved with respect to the object to be drawn 100 along the coordinate information indicating the movement locus of the carriage 70 obtained based on the position information in the position measurement, and protrusions and the like overlooked in the position measurement do not appear. Make sure. The operation of the carriage 70 at the time of verification is the same as that at the time of ink ejection operation, except that ink ejection is not performed. Therefore, if new protrusions or the like do not appear in this verification, it is possible to prevent drawing failure in the actual ink ejection operation. Details of the verification will be described later.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the detection surface of the contact detection unit and the liquid discharge surface. FIG. 17A shows the detection surface of the contact detection unit, and FIG. 17B shows the liquid discharge surface of the carriage.

In FIG. 17A, the contact detection unit 200 mounted on the carriage 70 includes a first detection member 210 and a second detection member 220. The position of the object to be drawn 100 is measured by the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 coming into contact with the surface of the object to be drawn 100.

On the other hand, the carriage 70 includes a nozzle 302, which is an example of a liquid discharge port, at a portion where the contact detection unit 200 is located. In this example, the head 300 having a plurality of nozzles 302 is attached to the carriage 70.

Here, the surface formed by the nozzle 302 is referred to as a liquid discharge surface and is represented by reference numeral 302a.

FIG. 17B exemplifies a head 300 having eight nozzles 302 arranged in the X-axis direction and six heads arranged in the Y-axis direction and having 48 nozzles 302. In the case of this example, the surface formed by the 48 nozzles 302 is the liquid discharge surface 302a. Alternatively, a surface having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the head 300 may be used as the liquid discharge surface 302a.

The number and arrangement of the nozzles 302 are not limited to the above. The nozzle 302 may be a row of nozzles arranged vertically or horizontally instead of a vertically and horizontally two-dimensional array as shown in the figure. Further, the number of nozzles 302 may be one instead of a plurality.

Further, up to this point, the description has been made based on an example in which the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 has a larger area than the liquid discharge surface 302a of the carriage 70. However, the detection surface 220a has a height (Y-axis direction), a width (X-axis direction), and a thickness (Z-axis direction) of the detection surface 220a according to the surface shape and surface condition of the object 100 to be measured. ) May be changed as appropriate.

Here, the area of the detection surface 220a refers to the area of the projection surface on which the detection surface 220a is projected onto the liquid discharge surface 302a from the object to be drawn 100 side on the Z axis. For example, as shown in the figure, when the detection surface 220a has a larger area than the liquid discharge surface 302a, it can be paraphrased that the liquid discharge surface 302a exists in the projection surface of the detection surface 220a from the object to be drawn 100 side. can.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram when the size of the detection surface of the contact detection unit is changed. FIG. 18A shows a case where the detection surface of the second detection member is larger than the liquid discharge surface. FIG. 18B shows a case where the detection surface of the member is equivalent to the liquid discharge surface. FIG. 18C shows a case where the detection surface of the member is smaller than the liquid discharge surface.

When the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 is larger than the liquid discharge surface 302a as shown in FIG. 18A, it is possible to detect a wide range at once when measuring the position of the object to be drawn 100. It becomes. Therefore, it is possible to detect the position of an object to be drawn that is flat on the entire surface in a short time.

As shown in FIG. 18B, when the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 is equivalent to the liquid discharge surface 302a, the position can be detected at intervals corresponding to the width of the head 300.

When the detection surface 220a of the second detection member 220 is smaller than the liquid discharge surface 302a as shown in FIG. 18C, it is possible to finely detect the position of the object to be drawn 100. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the oversight of the colliding object with respect to the object to be drawn 100 in which the colliding object such as a protrusion exists at a narrow interval.

As described above, in the contact detection unit 200, the detection surface 220a used for detecting the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 has a larger area than the liquid discharge surface 302a of the nozzle 302.

As a result, it is possible to detect a wide range of objects at once, and it is possible to finish position detection for a flat object 100 in a short time.

Further, as described above, in the contact detection unit 200, the detection surface 220a used for detecting the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 has an area equivalent to the liquid discharge surface 302a of the nozzle 302.

As a result, position detection can be faithfully performed at intervals corresponding to the width of the head 300 used for actual ink ejection.

Further, as described above, in the contact detection unit 200, the detection surface 220a used for detecting the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 has a smaller area than the liquid discharge surface 302a of the nozzle 302.

As a result, it is possible to detect the position of the object to be drawn 100 in detail, and it is possible to reduce the oversight of the collision object on the object to be drawn 100.

Next, verification of location information will be described.

The liquid ejection device of the present invention has a step of verifying the position information in the position measurement after the position measurement and before executing the ink ejection operation.

In this verification, the carriage 70 is moved with respect to the object to be drawn 100 along the coordinate information indicating the movement locus of the carriage 70 obtained based on the position information in the position measurement, and protrusions and the like overlooked in the position measurement are found. Make sure it doesn't appear. The operation of the carriage 70 at the time of verification is the same as that at the time of ink ejection operation, except that ink ejection is not performed.

FIG. 19 is a verification flow diagram of location information.

First, the carriage 70 equipped with the contact detection unit 200 moves to the drawing start position P1 set by the user on the operation panel 503 (step S1).

Next, the carriage 70 starts moving from the drawing start position P1 under the control of the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 (step S2).

The control unit 500 determines three-dimensional (XYZ) coordinates indicating the movement locus of the carriage 70 based on the position information detected by the position detecting means (push switch 213) in the position measurement. Then, the control unit 500 moves the carriage 70 toward the drawing end position P2 set by the user on the operation panel 503 according to the three-dimensional coordinate information. While the carriage 70 is moving, the contact detection unit 200 mounted on the carriage 70 detects the protrusion of the object to be drawn 100 (step S3).

If the contact detection unit 200 does not detect the protrusion while the carriage 70 moves from the drawing start position P1 to the drawing end position P2, the carriage 70 ends the movement (step 4). Details of part A of this flow will be described later.

When the movement of the carriage 70 is completed, the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 displays on the display unit 502 that the verification is completed and notifies the user (step S5).

Then, the carriage 70 moves to the drawing start position P1 (step S6). The carriage 70 that has moved to the drawing start position P1 stands by in preparation for executing ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100.

On the other hand, if the contact detection unit 200 detects a protrusion while the carriage 70 moves from the drawing start position P1 to the drawing end position P2, the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 has position information indicating the position of the protrusion. Is recorded (step S7). The recording here is performed, for example, by storing in the storage unit 501 provided in the liquid discharge device 1000.

Next, the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 moves the carriage 70 to the negative side in the Z-axis direction by the Z-direction drive unit 92, and the carriage 70 moves to the standby position on the Z-axis (step S8). As a result, the carriage 70 is retracted from the protrusion.

Further, the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 stops the X-direction drive unit 72 and the Y-direction drive unit 82, and puts the carriage 70 in the stopped state (step S9).

Next, the control unit 500 of the liquid discharge device 1000 displays the position information of the protrusion on the display unit 502 and notifies the user (step S10).

Next, the display screen of the operation panel 503 shifts to the position measurement screen (step S11).

On the position measurement screen, the user adds the position information of the protrusion to the position information in the original position measurement, if necessary. The addition of the protrusion position information may be performed manually by the user after the user confirms the state of the object to be drawn 100 and determines whether or not the addition is necessary, or the liquid discharge device 1000. It may be done automatically on the side.

As described above, when the contact detection unit 200 detects the protrusion in step S3, the position information of the protrusion is added to the position information in the original position measurement, and the flow is performed again from step S1. If the contact detection unit 200 does not detect the protrusion while the carriage 70 moves from the drawing start position P1 to the drawing end position P2, the verification is completed and the ink is actually applied to the object to be drawn 100. Move to the process of discharging.

After the verification is completed, it is not always the case that the ink ejection is executed. After the first verification is completed, the position measurement may be performed again. By repeating the position measurement and verification of the object to be drawn 100, it is possible to obtain the three-dimensional coordinate information of the object to be drawn 100 more accurately, and it is possible to eject ink suitable for the shape.

Further, since the three-dimensional coordinate information once created by the position measurement and verification is stored in the storage unit 501 of the liquid ejection device 1000, when the ink is ejected to the object to be drawn 100 having the same shape, the three-dimensional coordinates are stored. Information is available.

Further, even when the relative positions of the liquid discharge device 1000 and the object to be drawn 100 change, the coordinate information regarding the shape of the object to be drawn 100 can be used. Therefore, if the object to be drawn 100 has the same shape, the user can omit at least a part of the verification step by using the position information in the position measurement.

Further, in the detection of the protrusion of the object to be drawn 100, when the protrusion of the object to be drawn 100 collides with the second detection member 220 of the contact detection unit 200, the protrusion is detected by the second detection member 220. (Details will be described later). However, the protrusion detection may not be a configuration for detecting physical contact as described above, but may be a configuration for optically detecting using a laser beam or a configuration for detecting by image processing.

Further, the target of detection is not limited to the protrusion of the object to be drawn 100. By configuring the detection method by optical or image processing as described above, it is possible to detect holes provided in the object to be drawn and places where drawing is intentionally avoided (for example, an image already drawn or a masking part). It is also possible to make it the target of.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of the carriage between the time of verification and the time of ink ejection execution.

At the time of verification of the position information, the carriage 70 is at the position shown by the solid line with respect to the object to be drawn 100. When the ink is ejected to the object to be drawn 100, the carriage 70 is in a position shifted to the positive side in the Z-axis direction by a distance L1 as shown by the broken line.

At the time of verification, since the carriage 70 is equipped with the contact detection unit 200, the distance L1 is set in consideration of the size of the contact detection unit 200 in the Z-axis direction and the like. Therefore, when the ink is ejected to the object to be drawn 100, the control unit 500 ejects the ink at a position corrected for the distance L1.

Further, the movement locus and the movement speed of the carriage 70 at the time of verifying the position information are the same as those at the time of executing ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100.

In the case of a liquid ejection device in which an object to be drawn is a vehicle body of a car or a truck, an aircraft body, or the like, and ink is ejected to the object to be drawn, the liquid ejection device is a large-scale system. Therefore, the rails and the device frame may bend due to the weight of the carriage 70 and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis rails 101, 102, and 103, and the inertial force due to the operation of the carriage 70.

Therefore, when verifying the position information, it is desirable to perform the operation according to the operation when actually executing the ink ejection to the object to be drawn 100. By making the movement locus and the movement speed of the carriage at the time of verifying the position information the same as when ink is ejected to the object to be drawn, the movement locus of the carriage 70 can be accurately verified.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example when a protrusion is detected in the verification. FIG. 21A shows a state before the protrusion is detected, and FIG. 21B shows a state where the protrusion is detected.

It is assumed that a protrusion 110 that was overlooked in the position measurement was present on the surface of the object to be drawn 100.

In the state of FIG. 21A, the second detection member 220 is mounted at the correct position with respect to the first detection member 210. Therefore, the detection plates 215a and 215b of the first detection member 210 and the leaf springs 225a and 225b of the second detection member 220 are in contact with each other, and the series connection circuit is in a conductive state.

When the protrusion 110 comes to the lower side of the carriage 70 due to the movement of the carriage 70 to the positive side in the X-axis direction, the second detection member 220 advances further to the positive side in the X-axis direction due to the collision with the protrusion 110. You will not be able to.

Since the second detection member 220 can move in a direction parallel to the movement direction of the carriage 70 with respect to the first detection member 210, the second detection member 220 collides with the protrusion 110 and causes the carriage 70 to move. Slide in the direction opposite to the direction of movement.

As a result, the detection plates 215a and 215b of the first detection member 210 and the leaf springs 225a and 225b of the second detection member 220 are separated from each other, and the series connection circuit is in a non-conducting state. Then, after the protrusion is detected, processing is performed based on the flow shown in FIG.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electrical connection state of the series connection circuit. FIG. 22A shows a state in which the contact detection unit is correctly mounted on the carriage, and FIG. 22B shows a state in which the second detection member of the contact detection unit is not correctly mounted.

The state when the protrusion shown in FIG. 21 (b) is detected is the state shown in FIG. 22 (b).

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the movement locus of the carriage.

The carriage 70 located at the drawing start position P1 moves to the positive side in the X-axis direction, and when it reaches the folding position, it moves (line feed) to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the amount of movement La.

After the line feed, the carriage 70 moves to the negative side in the X-axis direction, and when it reaches the folding position, the carriage 70 starts a new line again to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the movement amount La. While repeating this operation, the carriage 70 moves to the drawing end position P2 on the movement locus as shown by the arrow.

If the movement amount of the line feed of the carriage 70 is made constant by La, the carriage 70 may protrude outside the drawing area 100a in the final line.

When the carriage 70 goes out of the drawing area 100a, when the contact detection unit 200 detects a protrusion, it distinguishes whether it is a protrusion detected in the drawing area 100a or a protrusion detected outside the drawing area 100a. Can't be done.

Therefore, it is desirable that the carriage 70 moves from the drawing start position P1 to the drawing end position P2 so as not to go out of the drawing area 100a. Therefore, in this example, the movement amount Lb of the carriage 70 in the final line is made smaller than the movement amount La, and the locus of the carriage 70 is controlled so as to match the drawing end position P2.

It is desirable that this operation is the same when the position information is verified and when the ink is ejected to the object to be drawn. In addition, instead of changing only the movement amount of the last line as described above, the movement amount La and the movement amount Lb may be equalized so as to finally fit in the drawing area 100a.

FIG. 24 is a detailed flow chart of part A of the verification flow of FIG.

The number of movements and the amount of movement of the carriage 70 are determined while checking the remaining amount of the drawing area 100a in the Y-axis direction so that the carriage 70 does not come out of the drawing area 100a.

The carriage 70 located at the drawing start position P1 (see FIG. 22) moves to the positive side in the X-axis direction by the drive of the X-direction drive unit 72 (step S21).

As the carriage 70 moves to the positive side in the X-axis direction, the counter counting the number of movements in the X-axis direction adds a count value of 1 (step S22).

When the carriage 70 reaches the end point (folding position) on the positive side in the X-axis direction, the control unit 500 determines whether or not there is a remaining drawing area in the Y-axis direction of the drawing area 100a (step S23).

If there is no remaining drawing area, it means that the carriage 70 has reached the drawing end position P2, so that the X-axis movement count is reset (step S33). Then, the movement of the carriage 70 ends.

On the other hand, if there is a remaining drawing area in step S23, it is determined whether the remaining amount is La or more (step S24).

Here, the movement amount La corresponds to the length (height) of the carriage 70 (nozzle surface 302a) in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the fact that there is a remaining amount of La or more in the Y-axis direction of the drawing area 100a means that a line feed in the Y-axis direction is possible by the height of the carriage 70.

When the remaining amount is La or more in step S24, the carriage 70 is driven by the Y-direction drive unit 82 to move to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the amount of movement La (step S25).

If there is no remaining amount of La or more in step S24, the carriage 70 is driven by the Y-direction drive unit 82 to move to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the amount of movement Lb (step S26). As described with reference to FIG. 23, the movement amount Lb is a value smaller than the movement amount La, and the carriage 70 is set so as to coincide with the drawing end position P2.

The carriage 70 moved in the Y-axis direction by step S25 or step S26 is moved to the negative side in the X-axis direction by the drive of the X-direction drive unit 72 (step S27).

As the carriage 70 moves to the negative side in the X-axis direction, the counter counting the number of movements in the X-axis direction adds a count value of 1 (step S28).

When the carriage 70 reaches the end point (folding position) on the negative side in the X-axis direction, the control unit 500 determines whether or not there is a remaining drawing area in the Y-axis direction of the drawing area 100a (step S29).

If there is no remaining drawing area, it means that the carriage 70 has reached the drawing end position P2, so that the X-axis movement count is reset (step S33). Then, the movement of the carriage 70 ends.

On the other hand, if there is a remaining drawing area in step S29, it is determined whether the remaining amount is La or more (step S30).

When the remaining amount is La or more in step S30, the carriage 70 is driven by the Y-direction drive unit 82 to move to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the amount of movement La (step S31).

If there is no remaining amount of La or more in step S30, the carriage 70 is driven by the Y-direction drive unit 82 to move to the positive side in the Y-axis direction by the amount of movement Lb (step S32).

After the carriage 70 is moved in the Y-axis direction by step S31 or step S32, the process returns to step S21 and the above flow is repeated until the remaining amount of the drawing area is exhausted.

By moving the carriage 70 with respect to the drawing area 100a as described above, the carriage 70 does not protrude outside the drawing area 100a, and position measurement, verification, and positioning are performed for the determined drawing area. Ink ejection can be performed accurately.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen of the operation panel of the liquid discharge device.

On the operation panel 503, the user can input XY coordinate information for specifying the drawing start position P1 and the drawing end position P2 in the drawing area (print range) 100a, and specify the movement speed of the carriage 70. be. Further, the user may specify the three-dimensional coordinate information (body data) indicating the surface shape of the object to be drawn 100 and input the distance (setting gap) between the head and the object to be drawn on the operation panel 503. It is possible.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of a fall prevention member of the second detection member of the contact detection unit.

The first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 constituting the contact detection unit 200 are attached by the magnetic force of the magnet as described above.

Therefore, when the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 move relative to each other over the area of the magnet due to the detection of the protrusion, the second detection member 220 falls from the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220. The 220 may be damaged.

Therefore, in order to prevent the second detection member 220 from falling, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 may be connected by a string-shaped member 230. A string, a wire, a chain, or the like is used for the string-shaped member 230. The strings, wires, chains and the like are examples of fall prevention members.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a string-shaped member 230 is provided between the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 to prevent the second detection member 220 from falling from the first detection member 210.

As a result, even when the second detection member 220 is detached from the first detection member 210, it is possible to prevent damage or loss due to the fall of the second detection member 220.

27 is an explanatory view of the liquid discharge device according to the modified example of the present invention, and FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of the liquid discharge device according to the modified example.

The liquid discharge device 1000 includes a linear rail 404 in which the carriage 1 reciprocates linearly, and an articulated robot 405 that appropriately moves the linear rail 404 to a predetermined position and holds the linear rail 404 at that position.

The articulated robot 405 includes a robot arm 405a that enables free movement like a human arm by a plurality of joints, and the tip of the robot arm 405a can be freely moved and placed at an accurate position. Can be done.

As the articulated robot 405, for example, a 6-axis control type industrial robot having 6 axes, that is, 6 joints can be used. According to the 6-axis articulated robot, the linear rail 404 can be confronted with a predetermined position of the object to be drawn 702 (aircraft) extremely accurately and quickly by teaching information on the movement in advance. The robot 405 is not limited to 6 axes, and an articulated robot having an appropriate number of axes such as 5 axes and 7 axes can be used.

The robot arm 405a of the robot 405 includes a fork-shaped support member 424. A vertical linear rail 423a is attached to the tip of the left branch portion 424a of the support member 424, and a vertical linear rail 423b is attached to the tip of the right branch portion 424b so as to be parallel to each other.

Two vertical linear rails 423a and 423b support both ends of the linear rail 404 that holds the carriage 1 movably.

The carriage 1 includes a head 300 described with reference to FIG. 2 and the like, a plurality of heads 300 for ejecting inks of each color such as yellow, magenta, cyan, black, and white, or a head 300 having a plurality of nozzle rows. There is. Ink of each color is supplied from the ink tank 330 to each head 300 of the carriage 1 or each nozzle row of the head 300.

The liquid discharge device 1000 moves the linear rail 404 to the drawing area of the object to be drawn 702 by the robot 405, and drives the head 300 while moving the carriage 1 along the linear rail 404 according to the drawing data to perform drawing.

Then, when the drawing for one line is completed, the head 300 of the carriage 1 is moved from one line to the next by driving the vertical linear rails 423a and 423b.

By repeating this operation, it becomes possible to draw in the required drawing area of the object to be drawn 702. Even in the above modification, the above-mentioned effect according to the present invention can be obtained by mounting the contact detection unit on the carriage 1, performing position measurement and verification, and then executing ink ejection.

Next, an application example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 29 to 34. The present invention can also be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle 6000 such as the drone shown in FIG. The unmanned aerial vehicle 6000 controls the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 6000 based on the detection result of the detector 610 such as the distance measuring sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 6000. The unmanned aerial vehicle 6000 includes a liquid discharge unit 620 including a head that discharges a liquid such as ink, and supplies the liquid contained in the liquid tank 630 to the liquid discharge unit 620 via a cable 640. Then, based on the above position control, the unmanned aerial vehicle 6000 discharges the liquid from the head provided in the liquid discharge unit 620 toward the object (the wall surface of the building in the present embodiment) 100, and the painted portion P of the object 100 is discharged. Apply the liquid to the.

The present invention can also be applied to an unmanned vehicle 7000 such as the wall climbing robot shown in FIG. 30. The automatic guided vehicle 7000 can move by driving the roller 710 while sucking the object (the wall surface of the building in the present embodiment) 100 at the bottom of the automatic guided vehicle 7000. The automatic guided vehicle 7000 includes a liquid discharge unit 720 including a head that discharges a liquid such as ink, and supplies the liquid contained in the liquid tank 730 to the liquid discharge unit 720 via a cable 740. Then, the automatic guided vehicle 7000 discharges the liquid from the head provided in the liquid discharge unit 720 toward the object (the wall surface of the building in this embodiment) 100, and applies the liquid to the painted portion P of the object 100.

Further, the present invention can also be applied to, for example, the painting robot 8000 for painting the vehicle body of an automobile shown in FIG. 31. The painting robot 8000 includes a robot arm 810 that allows free movement like a human arm by a plurality of joints, and a liquid discharge unit 820 including a head that discharges liquid at the tip of the robot arm 810. Further, the robot arm 810 is provided with a 3D sensor 830 in the vicinity of the liquid discharge unit 820. As the painting robot 8000, an articulated robot having an appropriate number of axes such as 5 axes, 6 axes, and 7 axes can be used. The painting robot 8000 detects the position of the liquid discharge unit 820 with respect to the object (vehicle body in this embodiment) 100 by the 3D sensor 830, and moves the robot arm 810 based on the detection result to paint the object 100.

Further, the present invention can also be applied to, for example, the apparatus 9000 shown in FIG. 32 for manufacturing an electrode by discharging a liquid. FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode used for an electrochemical element such as a primary battery, a secondary battery, a capacitor, and a capacitor. This device includes a liquid discharge unit 920 including a head that discharges liquid, and discharges liquid to an object (negative electrode substrate for negative electrode in this embodiment) 100 on a stage 910 by using an inkjet method. The liquid tank 930 accommodates the liquid composition 900A for forming the negative electrode mixture layer 900, and supplies the liquid composition 900A from the liquid tank 930 to the liquid discharge unit 920 via the tube 940.

Further, as shown in FIG. 33, the liquid composition 900A may be configured to circulate in the apparatus 9000. In FIG. 33, the external tank 950 is connected to the liquid tank 930 via the valve 960A, and the liquid tank 930 is connected to the liquid discharge unit 920 via the valve 960B. Further, the liquid discharge unit 920 is connected to the pump 970 via the valve 960C, and the pump 970 is connected to the liquid tank 930. In the above configuration, by controlling the flow of the liquid composition 900A by using the pump 970 and the valves 960B and 960C, the liquid composition 900A contained in the liquid tank 930 can be circulated in the apparatus 9000.

Further, by providing the external tank 950 and controlling the valve 960A, it is possible to supply the liquid composition 900A from the external tank 950 to the liquid tank 930 of the apparatus 9000 when the liquid composition 900A that can be discharged decreases. Is. Then, in order to manufacture the negative electrode, as shown in FIG. 32, the object (negative electrode substrate) 100 is placed on a heatable stage 910, and the liquid composition 900A is discharged to the negative object 100. At this time, the stage 910 may be moved with respect to the object 100, or the liquid discharge unit 920 may be moved with respect to the object 100. The liquid composition 900A on the object 100 is dried by heating in the stage 910 to become a negative electrode mixture layer 900.

The drying is not limited to heating on the stage 910. For example, a drying device provided separately from the stage 910 may be used. The drying device is not particularly limited as long as it does not come into direct contact with the liquid composition 900A, and can be appropriately selected. For example, a resistance heater, an infrared heater, a fan heater, a blower, and the like can be mentioned. Further, a plurality of drying devices may be installed.

Further, the negative electrode used for the electrochemical element can also be manufactured by using the apparatus 9500 illustrated in FIG. 34. The apparatus 9500 winds a strip-shaped object (in this embodiment, an electrode substrate for a negative electrode) 100 made of stainless steel, copper, or the like around a tubular core, and sends out a roller 980A with the surface forming the negative electrode mixture layer 900 facing up. And load it on the take-up roller 980B. The delivery roller 980A and the take-up roller 980B rotate counterclockwise, and the object 100 moves from right to left in FIG. 34. The liquid tank 930 accommodates the liquid composition 900A for forming the negative electrode mixture layer 900, and supplies the liquid composition 900A from the liquid tank 930 to the liquid discharge unit 920 via the tube 940. The liquid discharge unit 920 is installed above the object 100 between the delivery roller 980A and the take-up roller 980B. Further, a plurality of liquid discharge units 920 may be installed in a direction substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the transport direction of the object 100.

The delivery roller 980A and the take-up roller 980B convey the object 100 on which the liquid composition 900A is placed to the drying device 990. As a result, the liquid composition 900A on the object 100 dries to form the negative electrode mixture layer 900, and the negative electrode 90 to which the negative electrode mixture layer 900 is bonded is formed on the electrode substrate for the negative electrode as the object 100. Then, the negative electrode 90 is cut to a desired size by punching or the like. The drying device 990 is not particularly limited as long as it does not come into direct contact with the liquid composition 900A, and can be appropriately selected. For example, a resistance heater, an infrared heater, a fan heater and the like can be mentioned. The drying device 990 may be installed on either the upper or lower side of the object 100. Further, a plurality of drying devices 990 may be installed.

In the devices 9000 and 9500 for manufacturing the negative electrode used for the electrochemical element as described above, the inkjet method is suitable in that the liquid can be applied to the target portion of the lower layer. Further, the inkjet method is suitable in that the surfaces in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the object (negative electrode substrate) 100 and the negative electrode mixture layer 900 can be bonded to each other. Further, the inkjet method is suitable in that the film thickness of the negative electrode mixture layer 900 can be made uniform.

Although the device for manufacturing the negative electrode used for the electrochemical element has been described above as an example, it can of course be applied to the device for manufacturing the positive electrode. In the case of producing a positive electrode, the object 100 is replaced with an electrode substrate for a positive electrode from a negative electrode substrate, and a liquid composition 900A for forming a negative electrode mixture layer 900 is used as a liquid composition for forming a positive electrode mixture layer 900. You can replace it with something.

The above description is an example, and the present invention exerts a peculiar effect in each of the following aspects.

[First aspect]
The first aspect is provided with a nozzle 302 (an example of a liquid ejection port) for ejecting ink (an example of a liquid) toward an object to be drawn 100 (an example of an object), and is provided with an X-axis direction (an example of a first direction). Example) and at least one direction of the Y-axis that intersects the X-axis (the second direction that intersects the first direction), intersects the X-axis and the Y-axis, and is directed from the nozzle 302 toward the object to be drawn 100. An example of a third direction parallel to the direction of ejecting the liquid (crossing the first direction and the second direction and ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejection port toward the object). ), A carriage 70 (an example of a liquid discharge unit) movable to and a contact detection unit 200 (an example of a contact detection unit) for detecting the contact of the carriage 70 with the object to be drawn 100 are provided, and the contact detection unit 200 is carried. It is characterized in that it is detachably provided on the 70.

According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a liquid discharge device 1000 capable of preventing damage to the carriage 70 during movement with respect to the object to be drawn 100.

[Second aspect]
The second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the contact detection unit 200 includes a push switch 213 (an example of a position detecting means) for detecting the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70.

[Third aspect]
In the third aspect, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the contact detection unit 200 includes detection plates 215a and 215b (an example of the collision object detecting means) for detecting a collision object on the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70. It is characterized by.

According to the second aspect and the third aspect, each detection can be realized with a simple configuration.

[Fourth aspect]
In the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the contact detection unit 200 has a first detection member 210 (an example of the first member) that can be attached to and detached from the carriage 70, and the first detection member. A second detection member 220 (an example of the second member) that can be attached to and detached from the 210 is provided, and at least one of position detection and collision object detection is performed according to the movement of the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220. It is characterized by detecting.

[Fifth aspect]
A fifth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the second detection member 220 is movable with respect to the first detection member 210 in a direction parallel to the movement direction of the carriage 70. It is something to do.

According to the fourth aspect and the fifth aspect, different types of detection can be realized by one contact detection unit 200.

[Sixth aspect]
The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 are mounted by magnets 214 and 224 (an example of magnetic force). ..

According to this aspect, the second detection member 220 can be easily positioned on the first detection member 210.

[7th aspect]
In the seventh aspect, in any of the first to sixth aspects, the push switch 213 operates and detects when the second detection member 220 moves in the direction of the Z axis with respect to the first detection member 210. The plates 215a and 215b operate when the second detection member 220 moves in at least one direction in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to the first detection member 210, and the second detection member 220 operates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The push switch 213 and the detection plates 215a and 215b output an on signal (an example of a signal indicating that they are electrically conducting) when they are not moving in any of the axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. It is characterized by.

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect the attachment state of the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 to the carriage 70.

[8th aspect]
In the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, in the contact detection unit 200, the detection surface 220a (an example of the detection surface) used for detecting the position of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 is the liquid of the nozzle 302. It is characterized by having a larger area than the discharge surface 302a (an example of a liquid discharge surface).

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect a wide range of objects at once, and it is possible to finish position detection for a flat object 100 in a short time.

[9th aspect]
In the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the detection surface 220a used for position detection of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 in the contact detection unit 200 is equivalent to the liquid discharge surface 302a of the nozzle 302. It is characterized by having an area.

According to this aspect, position detection can be faithfully performed at intervals corresponding to the width of the head 300 used for actual ink ejection.

[10th aspect]
In the tenth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the detection surface 220a used for position detection of the object to be drawn 100 with respect to the carriage 70 in the contact detection unit 200 is smaller than the liquid discharge surface 302a of the nozzle 302. It is characterized by having an area.

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect the position of the object to be drawn 100 in detail, and it is possible to reduce the oversight of the collision object on the object to be drawn 100.

[11th aspect]
The eleventh aspect is a string that prevents the second detection member 220 from falling from the first detection member 210 between the first detection member 210 and the second detection member 220 in any of the first to tenth aspects. It is characterized in that a shaped member 230 (an example of a fall prevention member) is provided.

According to this aspect, even when the second detection member 220 is detached from the first detection member 210, it is possible to prevent the second detection member 220 from being damaged or lost due to the fall.

70 Carriage (liquid discharge unit)
72 X-direction drive unit 82 Y-direction drive unit 92 Z-direction drive unit 100 Object to be drawn (object)
101 X-axis rail 102 Y-axis rail 103 Z-axis rail 200 Contact detection unit 210 First detection member (first member)
213 Push switch (position detection means)
214 Magnets 215a, 215b Detection plate (collision object detection means)
220 Second detection member (second member)
220a Detection surface 224 Magnet 225a, 225b Leaf spring 230 String-shaped member (fall prevention member)
300 Head 302 Nozzle (Liquid discharge port)
302a Nozzle surface (liquid discharge surface)
1000 Liquid discharge device

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-001715

Claims (11)

A liquid discharge port for discharging a liquid toward an object is provided, and at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction. A liquid discharge unit that intersects the direction and can move in a third direction parallel to the direction in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge port toward the object.
A contact detection unit that detects the contact of the liquid discharge unit with the object is provided.
A liquid discharge device characterized in that the contact detection unit is detachably provided on the liquid discharge unit. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the contact detection unit includes a position detecting means for detecting the position of the object with respect to the liquid discharge unit. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact detection unit includes a collision object detecting means for detecting a collision object on the object with respect to the liquid discharge unit. The contact detection unit includes a first member that can be attached to and detached from the liquid discharge unit and a second member that can be attached to and detached from the first member, and can move the first member and the second member. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the position detection and the collision object detection is detected accordingly. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second member can move in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the liquid discharge unit with respect to the first member. .. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first member and the second member are magnetically mounted. The position detecting means operates when the second member moves in the third direction with respect to the first member.
The collision object detecting means operates when the second member moves in at least one direction of the first direction and the second direction with respect to the first member.
Claim 1 is characterized in that, when the second member is not moving in any of the directions, the position detecting means and the collision object detecting means output a signal indicating that the second member is electrically connected. The liquid discharge device according to any one of 6 to 6. Any of claims 1 to 7, wherein in the contact detection unit, the detection surface used for detecting the position of the object with respect to the liquid discharge unit has a larger area than the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge port. The liquid discharge device according to one item. Any of claims 1 to 7, wherein in the contact detection unit, the detection surface used for detecting the position of the object with respect to the liquid discharge unit has an area equivalent to the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge port. The liquid discharge device according to one item. One of claims 1 to 7, wherein in the contact detection unit, the detection surface used for detecting the position of the object with respect to the liquid discharge unit has an area smaller than the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge port. The liquid discharge device according to one item. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a fall prevention member for preventing the second member from falling from the first member is provided between the first member and the second member. Liquid discharge device.

Images