JP4938528B2 - Droplet discharge head unit alignment apparatus and alignment adjustment method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an alignment apparatus and an alignment adjustment method for a droplet discharge head unit in a droplet applying apparatus used for manufacturing a color filter, an organic EL, and the like by an inkjet method, for example.

  2. Description of the Related Art Today, as printers that print characters or images on paper or the like, so-called ink jet printers that use a system in which fine ink droplets are sprayed onto paper for printing are widely used.

  In addition, the ink jet technology as described above is also used for the formation of fine patterns in color filters for liquid crystal display devices and the like, and the formation of conductor patterns on printed wiring boards, which were conventionally processed by photolithography technology. It has come to be applied.

  Therefore, by applying this ink jet technology, a droplet applying apparatus that can apply minute ink dots to a drawing target (for example, a color filter for liquid crystal display, a printed wiring board, etc.) and form a fine pattern with high accuracy. Development has become active.

  Such a droplet coating apparatus is required not only to stably eject ink onto a drawing target but also to have a high head position adjustment technology that enables ink dots to land at a desired position. The

  In recent years, a technique is known in which a plurality of heads are arranged so as to overlap each other and a pattern can be efficiently formed by applying a wide area at a time. Even for such a technique, a highly accurate head position adjustment technique is required.

  In a conventional alignment apparatus, an alignment mask (master plate) on which a pattern indicating a reference position for positioning a plurality of droplet discharge heads on a single carriage (base) is formed, and a head unit are moved. The pattern of the alignment mask set on the moving table is image-recognized while being replaced and set, and each droplet discharge head in the head unit set on the moving table is image-recognized (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-2003). No. 127391: see Patent Document 1).

  According to this configuration, the position coordinate of the alignment mark formed on the master plate and the position coordinate of the alignment mark formed on each droplet discharge head are acquired by image recognition, and the difference between the position coordinates of the two is compared. Thus, the head position adjustment amount is calculated and corrected.

In addition, the reference pattern formed on the alignment mask is formed with patterns corresponding to the two outermost nozzles in the nozzle row formed in the droplet discharge head.
JP 2003-127391 A

  However, in the above conventional alignment apparatus, the position coordinates of the alignment marks formed on the master plate and the position coordinates of the alignment marks formed on each droplet discharge head are obtained by image recognition, and the difference between the position coordinates of the two is obtained. Since the position adjustment amount of the head is calculated and corrected, the position coordinates need to be acquired with high accuracy.

  Normally, to obtain position coordinates, the scale readings arranged along the scanning axis of the stage are counted as encoder signals, and in order to obtain highly accurate position coordinates, the corresponding scale and Encoder specification accuracy is required. In addition, no matter how accurate the reading of the stage is, the further the distance between the observation camera and the non-observed object, the more the stage reading and the reading due to the angular motion error component (yawing, pitching, rolling) of the stage. The error from the actual position coordinates cannot be ignored. Therefore, in order to obtain highly accurate position coordinates, it is required that the operation accuracy of the stage is also highly accurate.

  In the case of the conventional method, since the alignment mask and the head unit are exchanged and set on the moving table, the pattern forming surface of the alignment mask and the position recognition surface of each droplet discharge head are flush with the moving table. Must be configured to be located within.

  Further, since the reference pattern formed on the alignment mask is a pattern corresponding to the two outermost nozzles in the nozzle array formed in the droplet discharge head, the X-axis direction and Y It is necessary to correct all the position and inclination angle (θ-axis direction) in the axial direction, which makes adjustment difficult.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an alignment apparatus and an alignment adjustment method that can accurately align a plurality of droplet discharge heads of a droplet discharge head unit and can be performed with a simpler apparatus configuration than conventional ones. There is to do.

In order to solve the above problems, the alignment apparatus of the present invention is:
An apparatus for aligning droplet discharge head units equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
A master plate on which a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head is formed;
A position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of each of the droplet discharge heads;
A two-stage optical camera unit that is disposed on a rotary stage and that selectively images the reference line of the master plate and the droplet discharge head;
In the two systems of optical camera units, the tilt in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage in the two systems of optical camera units is at least part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line). Is rotated by the rotary stage to match the inclination of
In the liquid droplet ejection head, the inclination of a nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row of the liquid droplet ejection head is such that at least part of the reference line (second reference line) of the master plate. The position is adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism so as to match the inclination of the two optical camera sections matched to the inclination,
The inclinations of the nozzle rows of all the droplet discharge heads are matched.

  According to the alignment apparatus of the present invention, in the two systems of optical camera units, the inclination of the two systems of optical camera units is set to at least a part of the reference line (second reference line) of the master plate. The droplet discharge head is rotated by the rotary stage so as to coincide with each other, and the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head is such that at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line). Since the position adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the nozzle rows of all the droplet discharge heads so as to match the inclinations of the two optical camera units that match the inclinations, By using the reference line of the master plate as a reference, the inclination of the two optical camera sections and the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head are matched, so Position without the need to read the high accuracy, it is possible to alignment with a simple apparatus structure than before.

In the alignment apparatus of one embodiment,
The rotary stage is disposed on an XY stage movable to a plane parallel to the rotary plane of the rotary stage,
The two optical camera units move together with the rotary stage directly below or directly above each droplet discharge head.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the two optical camera units move together with the rotary stage directly below or directly above the droplet discharge heads, so that the position adjustment of the droplet discharge heads is sequentially performed. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the apparatus.

  In addition, when temporarily mounting each of the droplet discharge heads on the carriage of the droplet discharge head unit, even if a position shift occurs due to the positioning to the positioning pin, the two systems of the above-described two systems are used according to the shift amount. The optical camera unit moves slightly, and it becomes possible to supplement the alignment marks of the respective droplet discharge heads.

In the alignment apparatus of one embodiment,
The two optical camera sections are arranged coaxially facing each other in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage,
At a middle position on the optical axis between the two optical camera units, a mirror that reflects the visual field direction of the two optical camera units,
The distance between the optical axes of the two optical camera portions reflected by the mirror is substantially equal to the distance between two alignment marks formed on the droplet discharge head.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the distance between the optical axes of the two optical camera portions reflected by the mirror is substantially equal to the distance between two alignment marks formed on the droplet discharge head. Therefore, the distance between the two spaced apart alignment marks formed on the droplet discharge head is short, and the two optical camera units for observing the alignment marks cannot be arranged in parallel. In addition, the two alignment marks that are close to each other can be observed.

  In one embodiment of the alignment apparatus, the master plate is disposed between the two optical camera units and the droplet discharge head in parallel with the nozzle surface on which the alignment mark is formed in the droplet discharge head. It is arranged.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the master plate is disposed between the two optical camera units and the droplet discharge head in parallel with the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head. The master plate is disposed in an offset state from the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, and the reference line of the master plate and the droplet are switched by switching the focus of the two optical camera units. Both the nozzle surface and the nozzle surface of the discharge head can be switched and observed.

  Accordingly, since the master plate and the droplet discharge head unit may always be mounted on the alignment apparatus, the master plate and the droplet discharge head unit are exchanged and set with respect to the moving table as in the conventional configuration. In addition, the step of positioning the pattern formation surface of the alignment mask and the position recognition surface of each droplet discharge head in the same plane is not necessary.

  In addition, it is possible to reduce the error between the reading value of the stage and the actual position coordinate caused by the angular motion error component (yawing, pitching, rolling) of the stage. Even if the operation accuracy of the mounted stage is poor, it is not easily affected.

  In one embodiment, the master plate has a size equal to or larger than a region where all the droplet discharge heads are arranged.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the master plate has the same size or larger than the area where all the droplet discharge heads are arranged. Since the reference line of the master plate is used as a reference, the error component is smaller than in the case where individual master plates are arranged, and more accurate alignment is possible.

  In one embodiment, the reference line of the master plate includes a plurality of first references formed in parallel to each other at a constant pitch interval in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction of the droplet discharge head unit. And a plurality of second reference lines formed at a certain angle with respect to the first reference line and parallel to each other at a constant pitch interval.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, since the reference line of the master plate is the first reference line and the second reference line, all the droplet discharge heads having the same inclination are used. Positioning in the sub-scanning direction is performed by moving each droplet discharge head in the nozzle row direction by the position adjusting mechanism. At this time, positioning in the sub-scanning direction can be performed with high accuracy by positioning with respect to the parallel reference line in the main scanning direction formed on the master plate.

  In the alignment apparatus of one embodiment, the reference line of the master plate is formed in a region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field region. Outside the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged, the pitch is formed at a pitch interval wider than the size of the optical visual field region.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the reference line of the master plate is formed in a region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical visual field region. Since the outside of the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged is formed at a pitch interval wider than the size of the optical visual field region, the two systems of optical cameras are outside the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged. When the rotation of the rotary stage on which the unit is mounted matches the tilt of the two optical camera units with the tilt of the second reference line formed on the master plate, it is more than the size of the optical field area. Therefore, when observing with the above-mentioned two systems of optical camera units, it can be prevented from being confused with another parallel reference line.

  In addition, after adjusting the inclination of the two optical camera units, the two optical camera units are generated by movement when the two optical camera units are moved directly below the droplet discharge head to be aligned. Although it is necessary to correct the deviation of the tilt of the optical camera unit, the first reference line is formed at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field region because the droplet discharge head is present in this case. Even if the position of the two optical camera units is at any position coordinate, the correction can be made based on the parallel reference line captured in the optical field of view.

  Moreover, in the alignment apparatus of one Embodiment, the reference line of the said master plate is formed with the repeating pattern which consists of multiple types of line types.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, since the reference line of the master plate is formed by a repetitive pattern composed of a plurality of types of line types, the droplets that are the alignment targets of the two optical camera units are used. In the step of correcting the deviation of the tilt of the two optical camera units generated by the movement when moving directly below or directly above the discharge head, without confusion with a plurality of reference lines displayed in the optical field of view, Tilt correction can be performed based on the same reference line.

  Moreover, in the alignment apparatus of one Embodiment, the said master plate is comprised with the material which consists of the same linear expansion coefficient as the base to which the said droplet discharge head is attached.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the master plate is made of a material having the same linear expansion coefficient as the base on which the droplet discharge head is mounted. It can be made less susceptible to errors and has no error as a reference for position reference. Further, when the reference line is formed, the reference line with high accuracy can be easily formed by using a photolithography method.

In the alignment apparatus of one embodiment,
A plate holder for holding the master plate;
The plate holder has an adjustment mechanism in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the rotation plane of the rotation stage.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, since the plate holder that holds the master plate has an adjustment mechanism in the Z-axis direction, the master plate is adjusted in the Z-axis direction, and the master plate is ejected from the droplets. It can be made close to the nozzle surface of the head. In other words, the closer the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is to the reference line of the master plate, the smaller the error component due to the optical axis misalignment of the two systems of optical camera units, and the more accurate alignment is possible. . When replacing the master plate, the plate holder is moved away from the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, so that the replacement operation can be performed safely without contacting the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head. Is possible.

In the alignment apparatus of one embodiment,
The position adjustment mechanism is
A moving mechanism for moving the droplet discharge head along the direction of the nozzle row;
The droplet discharge head includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the nozzle at one end of the plurality of nozzles forming the nozzle row as a fulcrum.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, since the position adjustment mechanism includes the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism, the inclination of the two systems of optical camera units and the inclination of the reference line of the master plate , And the position of the droplet discharge head is rotated by the position adjusting mechanism to match the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head with the inclination of the two optical camera units. It becomes possible.

  In addition, it is possible to perform positioning in the sub-scanning direction by moving the plurality of droplet discharge heads having the same inclination in the nozzle row direction by the position adjusting mechanism for each droplet discharge head.

  Thereby, the droplet discharge head can be positioned in the sub-scanning direction while maintaining a desired inclination angle.

  Moreover, in the alignment apparatus of one Embodiment, the display part of the image imaged with the said 2 systems optical camera part displays the image of each system in right and left parallel.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the display unit of the images captured by the two systems of optical camera units displays the images of each system side by side, so that the two systems of optical camera units are the rotation stage. When the tilts of the optical systems of the two systems and the tilt of the reference line of the master plate are made to coincide with each other, By adjusting the inclination so that the heights of the reference lines are the same and become a straight line, the inclinations of the two can be made coincident, coordinate reading is unnecessary, and simple and quick alignment is possible.

  Similarly, when the droplet discharge head is moved by the position adjusting mechanism so that the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head is matched with the inclination of the two optical camera units, it is similarly captured in the field of view. By adjusting the alignment marks of the droplet discharge heads to the same height, the inclinations of both can be matched.

  Moreover, in the alignment apparatus of one Embodiment, the display part of the image imaged with the said 2 systems optical camera part has a linear line drawing which can adjust a position on a monitor.

  According to the alignment apparatus of this embodiment, the display unit of the image captured by the two optical camera units has a linear line drawing whose position can be adjusted on the monitor. In the field-of-view image of each optical camera unit displayed side by side on the left and right, it is possible to confirm whether the alignment mark has been adjusted using the straight line drawing as the reference marker as a reference when adjusting to the same height. .

The alignment adjustment method of the present invention is
An alignment adjustment method for a droplet discharge head unit equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
Two optical camera units are rotated in the same plane, and the inclination of the two optical camera units in the plane of rotation is formed on a master plate and a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head. A step of matching at least a part of the inclination (second reference line);
A step of switching the focal points of the two optical camera units from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head;
For each of the droplet discharge heads, the inclination of the nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in one row of the droplet discharge head is made to coincide with the inclinations of the two optical camera units, and all the liquids And a step of matching the inclinations of the nozzle rows of the droplet discharge head.

  According to the alignment adjustment method of the present invention, the step of matching the inclinations of the two systems of optical camera units with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line (second reference line) of the master plate, The step of switching the focal point of the optical camera unit from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, and the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head for each droplet discharge head To match the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all of the liquid droplet ejection heads, so that the reference lines of the master plate are used as a reference. Since the inclination and the inclination of the nozzle row of the master plate are matched, there is no need to read the scanning position of the moving table, and the apparatus configuration is simpler than before. Raimento is possible.

  In one embodiment of the alignment adjustment method, each of the droplet ejection heads having the same nozzle row inclination is moved in the direction of the nozzle row of the droplet ejection head, and the droplet ejection head The step of positioning the liquid droplet ejection head in the sub-scanning direction by aligning the alignment mark formed on the nozzle surface with the other part (first reference line) of the reference line of the master plate Is provided.

  According to the alignment adjustment method of this embodiment, since all the droplet discharge heads in which the inclinations of the nozzle rows are matched are provided with a step of positioning the nozzle rows of the droplet discharge heads in the sub-scanning direction. All the droplet discharge heads can be accurately positioned in the sub-scanning direction.

In the alignment adjustment method of one embodiment,
The display unit for images taken by the two optical camera units displays the images of each system side by side,
In the step of matching the tilt of the two optical camera sections with the tilt of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line), at least the reference line of the master plate displayed on the display section While adjusting a portion (second reference line) to match the height in each image,
In the step of matching the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head with the inclination of the optical camera unit of the two systems, an alignment mark displayed on the display unit and formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, Adjustment is made so that the heights of the images match.

  According to the alignment adjustment method of this embodiment, in the step of matching the tilt of the two optical camera sections with the tilt of at least a part of the reference line (second reference line) of the master plate, the display section While adjusting at least a part (second reference line) of the displayed reference line of the master plate so that the heights coincide in each image, the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the two systems. In the step of matching the tilt of the optical camera unit, the alignment mark displayed on the display unit and formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is adjusted so that the heights match in each image. Coordinate reading is not required, and simple and quick alignment is possible.

  According to the alignment apparatus of the present invention, the two optical camera units rotate the rotation so that the inclinations of the two optical camera units coincide with at least a part of the reference line of the master plate. The droplet discharge head is rotated by a stage, and the tilt of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head is equal to the tilt of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate. Are aligned by the position adjustment mechanism so that the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all the droplet discharge heads are matched, so that the plurality of droplet discharge heads of the droplet discharge head unit are aligned. It was possible to carry out with high accuracy and with a simpler device configuration than before.

  According to the alignment adjustment method of the present invention, the step of matching the inclinations of the two optical camera units with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate, and the focal points of the two optical camera units, The step of switching from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, and the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head for each droplet discharge head is changed to the inclination of the two optical camera units. And aligning the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all of the droplet discharge heads with each other, so that the plurality of droplet discharge heads of the droplet discharge head unit can be aligned with high accuracy and easier than before. It was possible to do with the device configuration.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

  First, the structure of the droplet discharge head unit to be adjusted in the alignment apparatus of the present invention and the position adjustment mechanism attached to each droplet discharge head will be described, and then the alignment apparatus and alignment adjustment method of the present invention will be described. , Explain.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an inkjet head unit 1 as a droplet discharge head unit is disposed in a pattern forming apparatus for forming a color filter or organic EL pattern in a liquid crystal display on a substrate (application object). Ink containing three color pigments of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) can be ejected onto a light transmissive substrate by an ink jet method. .

  The ink jet head unit 1 includes a head mounting base (carriage) 2 and a head element 3. The head mounting base 2 is configured so that the head element 3 can be mounted on one surface 20 thereof.

  Hereinafter, specific configurations of the head mounting base 2 and the head element 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 2A.

  The head mounting base 2 can employ a conventionally known material in both material and size. However, the head mounting base 2 may be composed of a material having rigidity that does not deform due to the weight of each component of the head element 3 to be described later. preferable.

  The head mounting base 2 is provided with an opening 21. By disposing a discharge head (hereinafter referred to as a head) 31 in the opening 21, the nozzle surface of the head 31 can be protruded from the opening 21 toward the workpiece (substrate).

  The opening 21 is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the head 31 and the head mounting base 2 when the head position adjustment described later is performed. Further, the head mounting base 2 has three pins, a first pin 22a, a second pin 22b, and a third pin 22c, on one surface 20 thereof.

  The first pin 22 a is a fixed pin having a columnar structure protruding in the vertical direction from the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2, and is not displaced on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2.

  On the other hand, the second pin 22b and the third pin 22c are eccentric shafts. Here, the eccentric shaft is composed of a cam portion and a shaft portion, and the shaft portion has a shape penetrating the cam portion. The eccentric shaft can be rotated with the central axis of the shaft portion as a rotation axis, and the central axis of the cam portion is changed by rotation.

  The three first to third pins 22 a to 22 c are arranged in a line on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2. The functions of these three first to third pins 22a to 22c will be described later.

  The head element 3 is configured to eject ink, and is mounted on the head mounting base 2 as described above. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, six head elements 3 are mounted on the head mounting base 2, but the present invention is not limited to this number. It is possible to dispose more than six head elements 3 as long as they can be disposed so as not to hinder the adjustment during rotation adjustment and / or slide adjustment described later.

  The head element 3 includes a head 31, a head fixing angle 32 as a connecting portion, and a head fixing jig 33.

  The head 31 is configured to eject ink toward a substrate (not shown), and is provided with nozzle holes 34 for a plurality of nozzles. The head 31 can be of various types such as a piezo method and a thermal method, and ejects minute droplets from the nozzle by driving the piezo or applying instantaneous high heat.

  The plurality of nozzle holes 34 are aligned in a row, and the pitch is preferably about 100 to 300 dpi, for example. The number of nozzle holes 34 can be about 100 to 400. In this embodiment, a head having a nozzle pitch of 200 dpi and a nozzle number of 100 is used. The present invention is not limited to the nozzle pitch and number described above.

  The side surface of the head 31 is fixed to the side surface of the head fixing angle 32 by welding or the like.

  A slide groove (concave portion) 32 a is formed in the head fixing angle 32 so as to be parallel to the row direction of the nozzle holes 34. The slide groove 32a is configured so that the first to third pins 22a to 22c provided on the head mounting base 2 can be inserted. As will be described later, the first pin 22a and the third pin 22c are inserted into the slide groove 32a. It can be slid in the longitudinal direction (movable in one axial direction).

  The slide groove 32a preferably has a width slightly larger than the diameter of the first pin 22a. The reason is that, as will be described later, when the head fixing angle 32 is rotated with the first pin 22a as a fulcrum, the width of the slide groove 32a is slightly larger than the diameter of the first pin 22a. This is because the fulcrum is less displaced and can be rotated with high accuracy.

  Further, the head fixing angle 32 is provided with a first through hole 32b and a second through hole 32c as holes of the connecting portion.

  The first through hole 32b has a long side along the direction of the first pin 22a and the second and third pins 22b and 22c arranged in a row on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2. The elongated through hole is configured to allow the third pin 22c to pass therethrough. The third pin 22c is configured to abut on the long side.

  On the other hand, the second through hole 32c is perpendicular to the direction of the first pin 22a and the second and third pins 22b and 22c arranged in a row on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2. Is an elongated through hole having a long side, and is configured to allow the second pin 22b to pass therethrough. The second pin 22b is configured to abut on the long side. The functions of the first and second through holes 32b and 32c will be described later.

  The head fixing angle 32 can be placed on one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2 in the form in which the first to third pins 22a to 22c are inserted into the slide groove 32a. It has a sliding surface that is in surface contact with one surface 20.

  That is, the head fixing angle 32 can be moved and rotated in one axial direction on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2 using an eccentric mechanism described later. Specifically, the head fixing angle 32 can move in the uniaxial direction while sliding on the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2 in order to move the head 31 in the uniaxial direction along the row of nozzle holes 34. The head mounting base 2 is configured to rotate the head 31 so as to rotate the nozzle hole 34 at one end of the nozzle holes 34 arranged in a row with the fulcrum as a fulcrum. It is comprised so that it can rotate, sliding on the one surface 20 of.

  Here, regarding the surface contact between the head fixing angle 32 and the head mounting base 2, the head fixing angle 32 may be such that a part of the surface having a portion opened by the slide groove 32 a is in surface contact with the head mounting base 2. . As such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2B, a leg portion 36 is provided on the surface of the head fixing angle 32 that faces the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2, and is in surface contact with the head mounting base 2. .

  Although the slide groove 32a shown in FIG. 2A is formed up to the end of the head fixing angle 32, the first to third pins 22a to 22c can be inserted as described above, and the first pin 22a and If the 3rd pin 22c can be slid, the structure will not be restrict | limited.

  The head fixing jig 33 shown in FIG. 2A has a head fixing angle 32 with respect to the head mounting base 2 in order to prevent the head after being adjusted to a predetermined position from moving to an inconvenient position. It is configured so that it can be fixed.

  Below, the positioning adjustment method in the inkjet head unit 1 of the structure shown to FIG. 2A is demonstrated using FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a top view of the inkjet head unit 1 for explaining the positioning adjustment mechanism of the inkjet head unit 1. In FIG. 3, the head fixing jig 33 is omitted for convenience of explanation. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet head unit 1 shown in FIG. 3 taken along the cutting line A-A ′. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet head unit 1 shown in FIG. 3 taken along the cutting line B-B ′. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet head unit 1 shown in FIG. 3 taken along the cutting line C-C ′.

  As described above, the head fixing angle 32 is provided with the first through hole 32b into which the third pin 22c, which is an eccentric shaft, can be inserted. Further, as described above, the eccentric shaft can be rotated with the central axis of the shaft portion as the rotation axis, and the outer peripheral position of the cam portion is changed by rotating.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the third pin 22c is inserted into the first through hole 32b, and the third pin 22c is rotated in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. The long side wall of the first through hole 32b that is in contact with the cam portion is pushed in the short side direction of the first through hole 32b (that is, in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4). At this time, the head fixing angle 32 is displaced so as to rotate about the first pin 22a which is a fixing pin while sliding on the surface of the head mounting base 2, so that the displacement of the head fixing angle 32 is achieved. Accordingly, the inclination of the nozzle row of the nozzle hole 34 of the head 31 varies.

  As a method of rotating the third pin 22c in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 4, it is only necessary to connect it to the shaft portion from the opposite side of the head fixing angle 32 to the head mounting base 2 and rotate it. In this way, it can be executed by a device that can rotate the shaft portion.

  Here, the movement range in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4 corresponds to twice the distance P between the central axis K (FIG. 4) of the cam portion of the third pin 22c and the central axis O of the shaft portion. Therefore, by using an eccentric shaft with a small distance P, the amount of movement relative to the amount of rotation of the eccentric shaft can be reduced, and a more accurate angular resolution can be obtained.

The nozzle row angle adjustment range is
± tan ^-1 (P / R)
Here, P is the distance described above, and R is the distance between the central axis T (FIG. 5) of the first pin 22a, which is a fixed pin, and the central axis O of the shaft portion of the third pin 22c. Equivalent to.

  Therefore, by increasing the distance R shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to obtain a more accurate angle adjustment resolution.

  Further, the second through hole 32c provided in the head fixing angle 32 shown in FIG. 3 has an elongated shape having a long side along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slide groove 32a. It is comprised so that the 2nd pin 22b of the attachment base 2 can penetrate.

  Similarly to the third pin 22c, the second pin 22b is also an eccentric shaft. Therefore, the second pin 22b is an eccentric shaft from the top (that is, the side opposite to the head mounting base 2 facing side in the head fixing angle 32). By rotating the shaft portion of the pin 22b in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 5, the head fixing angle 32 can be displaced in the short side direction of the second through hole 32c (that is, in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5). Become.

  At this time, the first pin 22a and the third pin 22c, which are fixing pins, function as guide pins, and the head fixing angle 32 is slid in a state where the slide groove 32a of the head fixing angle 32 is in contact with the guide pin. It can be displaced by sliding (sliding) on the surface of the head mounting base 2 in the longitudinal direction of the groove 32a (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 6). Therefore, according to the displacement of the head fixing angle 32, the nozzle row of the nozzle holes 34 of the head 31 slides in the nozzle row direction.

  Here, the movement range in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5 corresponds to twice the distance Q between the central axis M (FIG. 5) of the cam portion of the second pin 22b and the central axis S of the rotating shaft. Therefore, by using an eccentric shaft with a small distance Q, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement relative to the amount of rotation of the eccentric shaft, and to obtain a more accurate angular resolution.

  The shaft portions of the second and third pins 22b and 22c can be manually rotated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a method of temporarily connecting a motor, an actuator or the like to adjust the rotation and removing it after the adjustment may be adopted.

  As described above, the angle adjustment of the nozzle row and / or the uniaxial movement of the slide groove 32a in the longitudinal direction can be performed, and after the nozzle row is positioned and adjusted to a predetermined position, the head fixing jig 33 is set. Is used to fix the head fixing angle 32 to the head mounting base 2.

  Here, the head fixing jig 33 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a side view of the inkjet head unit 1 for explaining the configuration of the head fixing jig 33, and shows the same side as FIG. In order to describe a specific configuration of the head fixing jig 33, a part thereof is a perspective view.

  In order to bring the slide groove 32a into contact with the guide pins (the first pin 22a and the third pin 22c) during slide adjustment, the central axes of the first to third pins 22a to 22c (for example, in the case of the third pin 22c) A pressing force is applied from one side in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O) shown in FIG. 4 (in the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 7). As a result, rattling between the guide pins (first pin 22a and third pin 22c) and the slide groove 32a is prevented, and highly accurate positioning is possible. Here, the spring plunger 33 a for applying the pressing pressure is built in the head fixing jig 33.

  When the total weight of the head 31 and the head fixing angle 32 is X kg, the pressing force of the spring plunger 33a is set to X'kgf or more, which is the sum of the maximum static frictional forces with respect to the heavy objects, to prevent rattling. Can do.

  Such a spring plunger 33a calculates the total weight of the head 31 and the head fixing angle 32 and the relative position between the spring plunger 33a and the head fixing angle 32 before assembling the inkjet head unit 1, and obtains a desired pressing pressure characteristic. What is necessary is just to select the spring plunger which satisfy | fills.

  After the position adjustment, the fixing screw 33c is inserted from the fixing screw through-hole 33b of the head fixing jig 33, and the head fixing angle 32 is screwed from above to fix the head fixing base 2 to the head mounting base 2. By screwing from above, space can be saved compared to the method using a clamp.

  The head fixing jig 33 has a leaf spring 33 d between the head fixing angle 32. By screwing through the leaf spring 33d, it is possible to fix the positioned head position without sliding.

  Thus, according to the ink jet head unit in the present embodiment, the head fixing angle 32 moves in the uniaxial direction in a state where the one surface 20 of the head mounting base 2 and the sliding surface of the head fixing angle 32 are in surface contact. And, position adjustment is performed by rotating.

  Further, the number of head elements 3 provided in one inkjet head unit 1 is not limited. Also, the ink color is not limited. For example, the same inkjet head unit 1 may be provided with a plurality of head elements 3 that eject ink of the same color.

  Further, a single inkjet head unit 1 is referred to as a head element 3 having an R (red) head (inkjet head), a head element 3 having a G (green) head, and a head element 3 having a B (blue) head. In this manner, three color head elements 3 may be provided.

  Next, the alignment apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  8A, 8B, and 8C are three-way plan views showing the configuration of the alignment apparatus in the present embodiment.

  First, the basic configuration of this apparatus will be described. This apparatus holds a mounting base 40 on which a head unit to be aligned is mounted, a housing part 41 that supports the mounting base 40, a master plate (not shown) that serves as a position reference for alignment, and the master plate. A plate holder 43, an optical camera unit 45 for observing the head unit 1 and a master plate (not shown), an automatic XY-θ stage 46 mounted and scanned with the optical camera unit 45, and the above components are supported. And a gantry 47.

  The mounting table 40 is provided with an opening 40a. The nozzle surface of the head can be projected to the observation side (optical camera side) through the opening 40a. Positioning pins 40 b for positioning when the head unit 1 is installed are attached to the mounting base 40. In addition, three micrometers 41 a for correcting the flatness of the mounting table 40 are installed at the connection portion between the mounting table 40 and the housing part 41.

  The mounting base 40 and the housing part 41 have a rigidity that can withstand the weight of the head unit 1 when it is installed. After the head position is adjusted, the head fixing jig 33 attaches the head to the head. Even when fixed to the base 2, the material strength is sufficient to maintain sufficient rigidity.

  Further, the automatic XY-θ stage 46 mounted with the optical camera unit 45 for scanning is composed of a stacked stage of an automatic X stage 46a, an automatic Y stage 46b, and an automatic θ stage 46c as a rotation stage. In this embodiment, the stacking stage is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a stage capable of scanning each axis in the same plane may be used. The automatic X stage 46a and the automatic Y stage 46b have strokes that can move in a region where the heads are arranged, and the moving resolution is about 1 μm. Details of the automatic θ stage 46c will be described later.

  FIG. 9 shows two optical camera units 45. The two optical camera units 45 include an L camera 45a, an R camera 45b, a mirror 45c, and a mirror installation base 45d. Two systems of LR cameras 45a and 45b are arranged opposite to each other on the automatic θ stage 46c. The LR cameras 45a and 45b are fixed on three stacked stages including a manual Y stage 45e, a manual Z stage 45f, and an automatic X stage 45g.

  The manual Y stage 45e adjusts the optical axes of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. The manual Z stage 45f adjusts the distance X between the optical axes of the LR cameras 45a and 45b reflected through the mirror 45c. In the present invention, the distance between the optical axes is adjusted to be equal to the distance of the alignment mark (the outermost nozzle in the nozzle row) formed on the head nozzle surface.

  The automatic X stage 45g is a focusing stage for the LR cameras 45a and 45b. In other words, the automatic X stage 45g is a stage that switches the focal position between the pattern forming surface of the master plate and the nozzle surface of the head, and together with the XY-θ stage 46 on which the optical camera unit 45 is mounted, a total of 5-axis microsteps. It is controlled by the driver control 60.

  The mirror 45c is installed so as to be positioned between the two systems of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. The LR cameras 45a and 45b are each provided with a converter lens, and the visual field size is preferably 100 to 500 μm, for example. In this embodiment, it is about 300 μm square.

  The automatic θ stage 46c only needs to rotate within an angle range up to an inclination angle α ° formed by the X stage scanning axis and the head array, and a limiter sensor 46d is attached so that the rotation angle does not become larger than necessary. This prevents the camera cable from being wrapped and disconnected. In addition, the angular resolution of the automatic θ stage 46c is preferably 0.01 ° or less. The angular resolution of the automatic θ stage 46c used in this apparatus is about 0.005 °.

  FIG. 10 shows the master plate 50. The master plate 50 is, for example, a glass scale made of quartz glass. The pattern of the master plate 50 is classified into two areas, that is, the A area 50a and the B area 50b, depending on the place to be formed, and the pitch interval is different. Details of the pattern of each region will be described later. The A region 50a is formed in a region where the heads are arranged, and the B region 50b is formed in a region where the heads are not arranged. The material of the pattern is a chromium two-layer film, and is formed by photolithography using mask patterning.

  FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of the A region 50a. This pattern is composed of a reference line Q parallel to the outer long side of the master plate and a reference line R having a desired angle with respect to the outer long side. The angle formed by the reference line Q and the reference line R corresponds to the ideal angle of the arranged heads.

  The reference line Q is a reference line for positioning the head unit in the sub-scanning direction. The reference lines Q and R are arranged at equal intervals, and the pitch may be an interval smaller than the size of the optical field area.

  In this embodiment, the pitch is 100 μm and the line width is 10 μm. Further, the line types of the reference lines Q and R are composed of a plurality of types, and are configured by repeated patterns. In the present embodiment, it is constituted by a repeating pattern of a solid line, a dotted line, and a one-dot chain line.

  Here, although an enlarged view is not shown, only the reference line R is formed in the B region 50b. The reference line R has the same inclination as the ideal inclination angle of the arranged head arrangement. The pitch interval of the reference line R in the B area 50b is sufficiently wider than the field area size of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. In this embodiment, the pitch is 10 mm and the line width is 10 μm. Further, the reference line R in the B region 50b may be a single line type, and in this embodiment, only the solid line is used.

  FIG. 12 shows a plate holder 43 on which the master plate 50 is installed. The plate holder 43 is dug down by a size slightly larger than the master plate 50, and determines two sides of the master plate 50 along the guide. The plate holder 43 is provided with a clasp 43a for pressing from above so that the master plate 50 is not displaced. The bottom surface of the plate holder 43 has an opening 43b, and the pattern forming surface of the master plate can be observed by the optical camera unit from below. The entire plate holder has a mechanism that can be manually adjusted in the Z-axis direction.

  FIG. 13 is a system configuration diagram of the alignment apparatus. A total of five axes of the XY-θ stage 46 (46a to 46c) and the focusing automatic X stage 45g of the LR cameras 45a and 45b are driven by the microstep driver control 60.

  The microstep driver control 60 is controlled by the control PC 61 via the RS-232C. Video signals from the LR cameras 45a and 45b are taken into the control PC 61 via the image input board and displayed on the monitor 62 as images.

  FIG. 14 shows a display image of the image display unit. This display unit includes an L camera image display unit 55 and an R camera image display unit 56. The images captured by the LR cameras 45a and 45b are divided and displayed on the monitor 62 in parallel on the left and right. Each of the image display units 55 and 56 can perform image enlargement / reduction by a scroll bar 57 and displays only a portion of the effective pixels of the camera. Further, it is possible to additionally display a line drawing 58 on each of the image display units 55 and 56, and the line drawing 58 has a function that can be freely translated and changed in angle.

  Next, the alignment adjustment method of the present invention will be described. First, the entire adjustment flow will be described, and then the contents of each step will be described in detail.

  FIG. 15 shows the overall flow of the alignment adjustment method. That is, the head unit is temporarily assembled (step S1), this head unit is mounted on the alignment apparatus (step S2), the optical camera unit is moved to the position of the alignment target head (step S3), and the LR camera and the master plate are moved. The inclination with the reference line is adjusted (step S4), the focus is switched from the master plate to the nozzle surface (step S5), the inclination between the head nozzle array and the LR camera is adjusted (step S6), and the head is aligned in the sub-scanning direction. (Step S7), the head is fastened to the base with a fixing jig (Step S8).

  In step S4 of FIG. 15, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, by rotating the automatic θ stage 46c in the X direction in the figure, the inclination of the two systems of optical camera units 45 (LR cameras 45a and 45b) is increased. The inclination of the parallel reference line R formed on the master plate is matched.

  In step S5 of FIG. 15, the focus of each optical camera (LR camera 45a, 45b) is switched from the pattern formation surface of the master plate 50 to the nozzle formation surface of the head 31 as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B.

  In step S6 of FIG. 15, as shown in FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B, a mechanism for rotating the nozzle row in the Y direction in the drawing with the nozzle hole at one end of the nozzle holes of the head 31 as a fulcrum is used. The tilts are matched with the tilts of the LR cameras 45a and 45b, and the tilts of the plurality of heads 31 are matched.

  In step S7 in FIG. 15, the parallel reference formed on the master plate 50 is adjusted by sliding in the nozzle row direction of the head 31 by a mechanism for moving the plurality of heads 31 having the same inclination in the nozzle row direction for each head. Positioning in the sub-scanning direction is performed with reference to the line Q.

  Here, the step of matching the tilt of the optical camera unit 45 with the tilt of the parallel reference line R formed on the master plate 50 (step S4), and the head tilt and optical by the adjustment mechanism that can be positioned for each head 31. In the step of matching with the tilt of the camera unit 45 (step S6), in the optical field of view divided and displayed in parallel on the left and right, the reference lines to be aligned displayed on the left and right and the alignment marks of the head 31 (that is, both ends) The nozzle is adjusted so that the heights coincide with each other in each field of view.

  Next, details of each step will be described. First, the optical camera unit 45 moves directly below the B area 50b of the master plate 50. In the B region 50b, there are parallel reference lines R with a pitch interval sufficiently wider than the optical field region. The rotary stage is rotated so that the same reference line R is captured in each field of view by the LR cameras 45a and 45b. At this time, the reference line R displayed on the LR cameras 45a and 45b should be displayed so that the left and right levels are different as shown in FIG. 19A. The rotary stage is slightly rotated so that the heights of the reference lines in the LR visual field are the same. As shown in FIG. 19B, when the heights in the LR field of view are the same, this means that the line connecting the centers of the LR cameras 45a and 45b and the reference line R are parallel.

  Next, after the focus of the camera is switched from the master plate 50 to the nozzle surface, the XY stages 46a and 46b are scanned to move the optical camera unit 45 directly below the head to be aligned. At this time, the θ stage 46c does not rotate, and only the XY stages 46a and 46b are scanned. Then, as shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the XY stages 46a and 46b are micro-scanned so that the alignment marks (that is, the nozzles at both ends) can be captured in both fields of view of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. Since the distance between the LR cameras 45a and 45b is set to the same distance as the pitch of the nozzles at both ends in advance, if either of the nozzles at both ends is captured by either of the LR cameras 45a and 45b, Is not captured, it means that the tilt angle of the head is greatly deviated from the tilt angles of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. That is, in this case, the head is rotated and the nozzles at both ends are captured in both visual fields. Further, at this stage, it is only necessary that the nozzles at both ends are in the field of view, and the heights of the nozzles do not have to match in the field of view.

  Next, the focus of the LR cameras 45 a and 45 b is switched from the nozzle surface to the pattern forming surface of the master plate 50. At this time, since the pattern formation surface of the master plate 50 observed by the camera is directly below the area where the heads are arranged, the pattern of the A area 50a is displayed in the field of view. Further, in the previous process, the inclination of the LR cameras 45a and 45b is adjusted to the inclination of the reference line R in the B region 50b, and the XY stages 46a and 46b are moved without moving the θ stage 46c when the optical camera unit 45 is moved. Therefore, the reference line of the A region 50a and the inclinations of the LR cameras 45a and 45b should almost coincide with each other. At this time, the cause of the tilt error between the two is due to the yawing components of the XY stages 46a and 46b. Next, correction is performed so that the inclinations of the LR cameras 45a and 45b completely coincide with the reference line. As shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, the θ stage 46c is slightly rotated so that the same type of reference lines are corrected to have the same height in the left and right visual fields. This means that the axis connecting the centers of the LR cameras 45a and 45b of the optical camera unit 45 and the reference line R of the master plate 50 are in a positional relationship immediately below the alignment target head.

  Next, the focus of the LR cameras 45a and 45b is switched from the master plate 50 to the nozzle surface. As shown in FIG. 22, since the nozzles at both ends are captured in the LR visual field in the previous step, the nozzles are captured in both visual fields when the focus is switched. At this time, since the nozzle inclination of the head 31 does not coincide with the inclination of the reference line (that is, the inclination of the LR cameras 45a and 45b), the heights of the nozzles at both ends in the LR camera 45a and 45b fields of view are shifted. Should be.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the inclination of the nozzle row of the head 31 is made to coincide with the inclination of the LR cameras 45a and 45b. By rotating the head 31 using a position adjusting mechanism that can be positioned for each head, the height of the nozzles at both ends in the field of view of the LR cameras 45a and 45b is adjusted. At this time, as shown in FIG. 24, a horizontal line is displayed on the display screen as an index when aligning the heights of the nozzles. This means that the inclination of the nozzle row, the inclination of the reference line R of the master plate 50, and the inclinations of the LR cameras 45a and 45b all coincide.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 25A, even if the inclinations θA to θD of the nozzle rows of the heads A to D are all different, as described above, as shown in FIG. All the inclinations θA to θD of the 31 nozzle rows are made to coincide.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 25C, the head 31 is aligned in the sub-scanning direction. The alignment in the sub-scanning direction is performed by sliding the head having the reference inclination in the previous process in the nozzle row direction and aligning the reference nozzle with the reference line Q of the A region 50a. I do. The reference nozzle corresponds to a redundant nozzle with an adjacent head, and is not limited to the nozzles at both ends as shown in FIG. 25C.

  In this step, only one of the LR cameras 45a and 45b is used for alignment. First, the camera is switched from the nozzle surface to the pattern forming surface of the master plate 50. Next, as shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B, a line drawing is created on the display screen with respect to the reference line Q serving as an alignment reference, and an overlapping line Q ′ is displayed. Further, the focus of the camera is switched from the master plate 50 to the nozzle surface.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 27A, the reference line Q disappears from the screen display, but the overlapping line Q 'of the line drawing remains displayed even after the focus is switched. Next, as shown in FIG. 27B, the head is slid in the nozzle row direction by an adjustment mechanism that can be positioned for each head. At this time, in the camera field of view, the nozzle row should move horizontally in the left-right direction on the display screen. The nozzle row is slid and adjusted so that the reference nozzle matches the overlapping line Q ′.

  Through the steps described above, the head inclination is adjusted to an ideal angle, and positioning in the sub-scanning direction is completed.

  Next, the optical camera unit 45 is scanned in the X direction and moved directly below the adjacent alignment target head. At this time, since the scanning axis of the X stage 46a and the reference line Q are in a parallel positional relationship, the display visual field should move along the reference line Q. The alignment in the sub-scanning direction is also performed on the adjacent head by aligning the redundant nozzle to be aligned with the reference line Q.

  By performing this operation for all the heads mounted, all the heads that have been tilt-adjusted are positioned in the sub-scanning direction to complete the alignment.

  After the alignment, each head is fixed to the head mounting base 2 with the head fixing jig 33, the adjustment of the head unit 1 is completed, and the head unit 1 is removed from the alignment apparatus.

  In short, it can be said that the alignment apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by the following configuration.

An alignment apparatus of the present invention is an alignment apparatus for a droplet discharge head unit equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
A master plate on which a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head is formed;
A position adjusting mechanism (that is, the base 2, the head fixing angle 32, and the head fixing jig 33) for adjusting the position of each droplet discharge head;
A two-stage optical camera unit that is disposed on a rotary stage (that is, the rotary stage 46c) and that selectively images the reference line of the master plate and the droplet discharge head;
In the two optical camera sections, the inclination of the two optical camera sections in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage is at least part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line ( Is rotated by the rotary stage so as to coincide with the inclination of the reference line R)),
In the droplet discharge head, an inclination of a nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row of the droplet discharge head is such that at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line (reference The position is adjusted by the position adjusting mechanism so as to coincide with the inclination of the two optical camera sections matched with the inclination of the line R)),
The inclinations of the nozzle rows of all the droplet discharge heads are matched.

  Therefore, the two optical camera units are rotated by the rotary stage so that the tilt of the two optical camera units matches the tilt of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate, and the liquid The droplet discharge head is configured so that the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head matches the inclination of the two systems of optical camera units matched with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate. Position adjustment is performed by the position adjustment mechanism, and the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all of the droplet discharge heads are matched, so that the reference lines of the master plate are used as a reference and the inclinations of the two optical camera sections and the above Since the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head is matched, it is not necessary to read the scanning position of the moving table, and it is accurate and simpler than the conventional apparatus. It is possible alignment in the configuration.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention, the rotary stage is disposed on an XY stage (that is, an automatic X stage 46a and an automatic Y stage 46b) that can move to a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage.
The two optical camera units move together with the rotary stage directly below or directly above each droplet discharge head.

  Therefore, since the two optical camera units move together with the rotary stage directly below or directly above each droplet discharge head, the position of each droplet discharge head can be adjusted sequentially, Miniaturization can be achieved.

  In addition, when each of the droplet discharge heads is temporarily mounted on the carriage (base 2) of the droplet discharge head unit, even if a position shift occurs due to the positioning to the positioning pin, the amount of shift depends on the amount of the shift. As a result, the two optical camera sections move slightly, and the alignment marks of the droplet discharge heads can be supplemented.

Further, in the alignment apparatus of the present invention, the two systems of optical camera sections are arranged coaxially facing each other in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotation stage,
At a middle position on the optical axis between the two optical camera units, a mirror that reflects the visual field direction of the two optical camera units,
The distance between the optical axes of the two optical camera portions reflected by the mirror is the distance between two alignment marks (that is, the nozzle holes 34 at both ends of the head 31) formed on the droplet discharge head. Almost equal.

  Accordingly, the distance between the optical axes of the two optical camera portions reflected by the mirror is substantially equal to the distance between the two alignment marks formed on the droplet discharge head. Even when the distance between the two spaced apart alignment marks formed is short and the two systems of optical camera parts for observing the alignment marks cannot be arranged in parallel, the two alignments that are close together It becomes possible to observe the mark.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The master plate is disposed between the two systems of optical camera units and the droplet discharge head in parallel with the nozzle surface on which the alignment mark in the droplet discharge head is formed.

  Therefore, the master plate is disposed between the two optical camera units and the droplet discharge head in parallel with the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, so that the master plate It is arranged in an offset state from the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, and by switching the focus of the two optical camera units, the reference line of the master plate and the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head Both can be switched and observed.

  That is, since the master plate and the droplet discharge head unit may always be mounted on the alignment apparatus, the master plate and the droplet discharge head unit are exchanged and set with respect to the moving table as in the conventional configuration. In addition, the step of positioning the pattern formation surface of the alignment mask and the position recognition surface of each droplet discharge head in the same plane is not necessary.

  In addition, it is possible to reduce the error between the reading value of the stage and the actual position coordinate caused by the angular motion error component (yawing, pitching, rolling) of the stage. Even if the operation accuracy of the mounted stage is poor, it is not easily affected.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The master plate has a size equal to or larger than a region where all the droplet discharge heads are arranged.

  Therefore, the master plate has a size equal to or larger than the area where all the droplet discharge heads are arranged. Therefore, in the position adjustment of all the droplet discharge heads, the reference line of the same master plate is used. Therefore, the error component is smaller than in the case where individual master plates are arranged, and more accurate alignment is possible.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The reference line of the master plate includes a plurality of first reference lines (reference lines Q) formed in parallel with each other at a constant pitch interval in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction of the droplet discharge head unit. And a plurality of second reference lines (reference lines R) formed at a constant angle with respect to one reference line and parallel to each other at a constant pitch interval.

  Therefore, since the reference line of the master plate is the first reference line and the second reference line, all of the droplet discharge heads having the same inclination are connected to each of the droplet discharge heads. Positioning in the sub-scanning direction is performed by moving in the nozzle row direction by the position adjusting mechanism. At this time, positioning in the sub-scanning direction can be performed with high accuracy by positioning with respect to the parallel reference line in the main scanning direction formed on the master plate.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The reference line of the master plate is formed in a region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field region, while the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged Outside, the pitch is wider than the size of the optical field of view.

  Therefore, the reference line of the master plate is formed in a region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field area, while immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are aligned. Is formed at a pitch interval wider than the size of the optical field of view, so that the rotary stage on which the two optical camera units are mounted outside the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged. When the pitch of the optical camera section of the two systems is made to coincide with the inclination of the second reference line formed on the master plate by rotation, the pitch interval is sufficiently wider than the size of the optical field of view, When observing with the above-mentioned two systems of optical camera units, it can be prevented from being confused with another parallel reference line.

  In addition, after adjusting the inclination of the two optical camera units, the two optical camera units are generated by movement when the two optical camera units are moved directly below the droplet discharge head to be aligned. Although it is necessary to correct the deviation of the tilt of the optical camera unit, the first reference line is formed at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field region because the droplet discharge head is present in this case. Even if the position of the two optical camera units is at any position coordinate, the correction can be made based on the parallel reference line captured in the optical field of view.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The reference line of the master plate is formed by a repetitive pattern (that is, a one-dot chain line, a dotted line, a solid line) composed of a plurality of types of line types.

  Therefore, since the reference line of the master plate is formed by a repetitive pattern composed of a plurality of types of line types, the two optical camera units are moved directly below or directly above the droplet discharge head to be aligned. In the process of correcting the tilt deviation of the two optical camera units caused by the movement, the tilt is based on the same reference line without confusing a plurality of reference lines displayed in the optical field of view. Correction is possible.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The master plate is made of a material having the same linear expansion coefficient as the base on which the droplet discharge head is mounted.

  Accordingly, since the master plate is made of a material having the same linear expansion coefficient as the base on which the droplet discharge head is mounted, the master plate is hardly affected by temperature or the like, and is a reference for position reference. It can be assumed that there is no error. Further, when the reference line is formed, the reference line with high accuracy can be easily formed by using a photolithography method.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
A plate holder for holding the master plate;
The plate holder has an adjustment mechanism in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the rotation plane of the rotation stage.

  Accordingly, since the plate holder for holding the master plate has an adjustment mechanism in the Z-axis direction, the master plate is adjusted in the Z-axis direction so that the master plate is brought close to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head. Can do. In other words, the closer the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is to the reference line of the master plate, the smaller the error component due to the optical axis misalignment of the two systems of optical camera units, and the more accurate alignment is possible. . When replacing the master plate, the plate holder is moved away from the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, so that the replacement operation can be performed safely without contacting the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head. Is possible.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The position adjustment mechanism is
A moving mechanism for moving the droplet discharge head along the direction of the nozzle row (that is, the second pin 22b and the second through hole 32c);
The droplet discharge head includes a rotation mechanism (that is, a third pin 22c and a second through hole 32b) that rotates the nozzle at one end of the plurality of nozzles forming the nozzle row as a fulcrum. .

  Therefore, since the position adjusting mechanism has the moving mechanism and the turning mechanism, after the inclination of the optical camera unit of the two systems and the inclination of the reference line of the master plate are matched, By rotating the position of each droplet discharge head by the position adjusting mechanism, the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head can be matched with the inclination of the two optical camera units.

  In addition, it is possible to perform positioning in the sub-scanning direction by moving the plurality of droplet discharge heads having the same inclination in the nozzle row direction by the position adjusting mechanism for each droplet discharge head.

  Thereby, the droplet discharge head can be positioned in the sub-scanning direction while maintaining a desired inclination angle.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The display unit for images captured by the two optical camera units displays the images of each system side by side in parallel.

  Therefore, the display unit of the images captured by the two optical camera units displays the images of the respective systems side by side in parallel, so that the two optical camera units are rotated by the rotary stage, so that the 2 When matching the tilt of the optical camera section of the system with the tilt of the reference line of the master plate, the height of the reference line in the field of view is the same in the field-of-view images of the optical camera sections of each system displayed side by side. By adjusting the inclination so that it becomes a straight line, the inclinations of the two can be made coincident, coordinate reading is unnecessary, and simple and quick alignment is possible.

  Similarly, when the droplet discharge head is moved by the position adjusting mechanism so that the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head is matched with the inclination of the two optical camera units, it is similarly captured in the field of view. By adjusting the alignment marks of the droplet discharge heads to the same height, the inclinations of both can be matched.

In the alignment apparatus of the present invention,
The display unit for images taken by the two optical camera units has a linear line drawing whose position can be adjusted on the monitor.

  Therefore, since the display unit of the image captured by the two optical camera units has a linear line drawing whose position can be adjusted on the monitor, each optical display in which the alignment marks of the droplet discharge heads are displayed in parallel on the left and right sides. When the field image of the camera unit is adjusted so as to have the same height, it can be confirmed whether or not the alignment mark can be adjusted using the straight line drawing as the reference marker as a reference.

The alignment adjustment method of the present invention is
An alignment adjustment method for a droplet discharge head unit equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
Two optical camera units are rotated in the same plane, and the inclination of the two optical camera units in the plane of rotation is formed on a master plate and a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head. A step of matching at least part of the inclination (second reference line (reference line R));
A step of switching the focal points of the two optical camera units from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head;
For each of the droplet discharge heads, the inclination of the nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in one row of the droplet discharge head is made to coincide with the inclinations of the two optical camera units, and all the liquids And a step of matching the inclinations of the nozzle rows of the droplet discharge head.

  Therefore, the step of matching the inclinations of the two optical camera units with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line (reference line R)), and the two optical camera units The focus of the master plate from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, and the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head for each droplet discharge head, the two systems of optical cameras And the step of matching the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all of the droplet discharge heads with the inclinations of the parts, so that the reference lines of the master plate are used as a reference and the inclinations of the two optical camera parts and the above Since the inclination of the nozzle row of the master plate matches, there is no need to read the scanning position of the moving table, and alignment is possible with a simpler device configuration than before. To become.

In the alignment adjustment method of the present invention,
Each of the droplet discharge heads having the same inclination of the nozzle row is moved in the direction of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head, and the alignment mark formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is It includes a step of positioning the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head in the sub-scanning direction by matching with the other part of the reference line of the master plate (first reference line (reference line Q)).

  Therefore, the method includes the step of positioning all the droplet discharge heads in which the inclinations of the nozzle rows coincide with each other in the sub-scanning direction of the nozzle rows. Positioning in the scanning direction can be performed with high accuracy.

In the alignment adjustment method of the present invention,
The display unit for images taken by the two optical camera units displays the images of each system side by side,
In the step of matching the inclinations of the two optical camera sections with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line (reference line R)), the master plate displayed on the display section While adjusting at least part of the reference line (second reference line (reference line R)) so that the heights match in each image,
In the step of matching the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head with the inclination of the optical camera unit of the two systems, an alignment mark displayed on the display unit and formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, Adjustment is made so that the heights of the images match.

  Therefore, in the step of matching the inclination of the two optical camera sections with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line (reference line R)), the display displayed on the display section At least a part of the reference line of the master plate (second reference line (reference line R)) is adjusted so that the heights coincide in each image, while the inclination of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head is adjusted to 2 described above. In the step of matching the inclination of the optical camera unit of the system, the alignment mark displayed on the display unit and formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is adjusted so that the heights match in each image. Coordinate reading is unnecessary, and simple and quick alignment is possible.

It is the perspective view which showed the structure of the inkjet head unit used as the adjustment object in the alignment apparatus of this invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a head element provided in the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. 1. It is the perspective view which showed an example of the head fixed angle provided in the head element. It is a top view of the inkjet head unit for demonstrating the positioning adjustment mechanism of the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. It is arrow sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. 3 by cutting line A-A '. It is arrow sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. 3 by cutting line B-B '. It is arrow sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. 3 by the cutting line C-C '. It is a side view of the inkjet head unit for demonstrating the structure of the head fixing jig provided in the inkjet head unit shown in FIG. It is a top view of the alignment apparatus in this embodiment. It is a front view of the alignment apparatus in this embodiment. It is a side view of the alignment apparatus in this embodiment. It is an optical camera part which is a structure part of the alignment apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view of a master plate. It is an enlarged view of the pattern formed in A area | region of the master plate shown in FIG. It is a top view of the master plate holder holding the master plate shown in FIG. It is arrow sectional drawing which showed the state cut | disconnected by cutting line AA of the master plate holder shown to FIG. 12A. It is a system block diagram of the alignment apparatus shown to FIG. 8A. It is an image figure of the display part of the alignment apparatus shown to FIG. 8A. It is an adjustment flowchart of the alignment apparatus in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows adjustment of 1 process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows adjustment of 1 process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows adjustment of 1 process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows before the adjustment of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows after the angle correction | amendment of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows after the nozzle row direction adjustment of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form before adjustment of the process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the form after adjustment of one process of the alignment adjustment method in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Inkjet head unit 2 Head mounting base (base)
3 Head Element 20 One Surface 21 Opening 22a First Pin 22b Second Pin 22c Third Pin 31 Head (Discharge Head)
32 Head fixing angle (connecting part)
32a Slide groove (concave)
32b First through hole (hole)
32c 2nd through hole (hole)
33 Head fixing jig 33a Spring plunger 33b Fixing screw through hole 33c Fixing screw 33d Leaf spring 34 Nozzle hole 36 Leg 40 Mounting base 40a Mounting base opening 40b Positioning pin 41 Housing part 41a Micrometer 43 Master plate holder 43a Stopper 43b Holder Aperture 45 Optical camera 45a L camera 45b R camera 45c Mirror 45d Mirror mounting table 45e Manual Y stage 45f Manual Z stage 45g Automatic X stage 46 XY-θ stage 46a Automatic X stage 46b Automatic Y stage 46c Automatic θ stage (rotation stage) )
46d Limiter sensor 47 Base 50 Master plate 50a A area 50b B area 55 L camera image display section 56 R camera image display section 57 Scroll bar 58 Line drawing 60 Microstep driver control 61 Control PC
62 Monitor

Claims (16)

An apparatus for aligning droplet discharge head units equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
A master plate on which a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head is formed;
A position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of each of the droplet discharge heads;
A two-stage optical camera unit that is disposed on a rotary stage and that selectively images the reference line of the master plate and the droplet discharge head;
In the two optical camera units, the inclination of the two optical camera units in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage matches the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate. , Rotated by the rotary stage,
In the droplet discharge head, the inclination of a nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row of the droplet discharge head is matched with the inclination of at least a part of the reference line of the master plate. The position is adjusted by the position adjusting mechanism so as to match the inclination of the optical camera part of the system,
An alignment apparatus characterized in that the inclinations of the nozzle rows of all the droplet discharge heads are matched. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The rotary stage is disposed on an XY stage movable to a plane parallel to the rotary plane of the rotary stage,
The alignment apparatus characterized in that the two systems of optical camera units move together with the rotary stage directly below or directly above each droplet discharge head. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The two optical camera sections are arranged coaxially facing each other in a plane parallel to the rotation plane of the rotary stage,
At a middle position on the optical axis between the two optical camera units, a mirror that reflects the visual field direction of the two optical camera units,
An alignment apparatus characterized in that the distance between the optical axes of the two systems of optical camera parts reflected by the mirror is substantially equal to the distance between two alignment marks formed on the droplet discharge head. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The master plate is disposed between the two optical camera units and the droplet discharge head in parallel with a nozzle surface on which an alignment mark is formed in the droplet discharge head. Alignment device. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The alignment apparatus, wherein the master plate has a size equal to or larger than a region where all the droplet discharge heads are arranged. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The reference line of the master plate includes a plurality of first reference lines formed in parallel to each other at a constant pitch interval in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction of the droplet discharge head unit, and the first reference line. An alignment apparatus comprising: a plurality of second reference lines that form a constant angle with each other and are formed in parallel to each other at a constant pitch interval. The alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
The reference line of the master plate is formed in a region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged at a pitch interval narrower than the size of the optical field region, while the region immediately below where the droplet discharge heads are arranged An alignment apparatus characterized in that the outside is formed at a pitch interval wider than the size of the optical field area. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
An alignment apparatus, wherein the reference line of the master plate is formed by a repetitive pattern composed of a plurality of types of line types. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The alignment apparatus, wherein the master plate is made of a material having the same linear expansion coefficient as a base on which the droplet discharge head is mounted. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
A plate holder for holding the master plate;
The plate holder has an adjustment mechanism in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the rotation plane of the rotary stage. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The position adjustment mechanism is
A moving mechanism for moving the droplet discharge head along the direction of the nozzle row;
An alignment apparatus comprising: a rotation mechanism for rotating the droplet discharge head with a nozzle at one end of the plurality of nozzles forming the nozzle row as a fulcrum. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
An alignment apparatus characterized in that the display unit for images taken by the two optical camera units displays the images of each system in a left-right parallel manner. The alignment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein
An alignment apparatus, wherein a display unit for an image captured by the two optical camera units has a linear line drawing whose position can be adjusted on a monitor. An alignment adjustment method for a droplet discharge head unit equipped with a plurality of droplet discharge heads,
Two optical camera units are rotated in the same plane, and the inclination of the two optical camera units in the plane of rotation is formed on a master plate and a reference line serving as a positioning reference for the droplet discharge head. Matching at least a portion of the slope;
A step of switching the focal points of the two optical camera units from the reference line of the master plate to the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head;
For each of the droplet discharge heads, the inclination of the nozzle row formed by a plurality of nozzles arranged in one row of the droplet discharge head is made to coincide with the inclinations of the two optical camera units, and all the liquids And a step of matching the inclinations of the nozzle rows of the droplet discharge head. The alignment adjustment method according to claim 14,
Each of the droplet discharge heads having the same inclination of the nozzle row is moved in the direction of the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head, and the alignment mark formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head is An alignment adjustment method comprising a step of positioning the nozzle row of the droplet discharge head in the sub-scanning direction by matching with the other part of the reference line of the master plate. The alignment adjustment method according to claim 14,
The display unit for images taken by the two optical camera units displays the images of each system side by side,
In the step of matching the inclinations of the two optical camera parts with the inclinations of at least part of the reference line of the master plate, at least part of the reference line of the master plate displayed on the display part is While adjusting the height to match,
In the step of matching the inclination of the nozzle array of the droplet discharge head with the inclination of the optical camera unit of the two systems, an alignment mark displayed on the display unit and formed on the nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head, An alignment adjustment method, wherein the adjustment is performed so that the heights of the images coincide with each other.

Images