Patent Application
20130027475
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to ink-jet devices and, particularly, to an ink jet device for printing on a workpiece.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, in the ink-jet printing process, a heater is used to dry the ink quickly in order to avoid having the ink run. However, the heater may also warm the ink jet head and cause the ink in the head to solidify. Therefore, the nozzle is easily clogged.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.
The elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring to
Each reflection assembly 40 includes a first reflection member 41 and a second reflection member 43 opposite to the first reflection member 41. The first reflection member 41 and the second reflection member 43 are positioned adjacent to opposite sides of each light source 30, and the second reflection member 43 is disposed adjacent to the fixing platform 20.
Referring also to
Each second reflection member 43 is substantially spherical, and includes a main body 431 and a second reflection surface 433 formed on an inner surface of the main body 431. A radius of the second reflection member 43 is less than the distance between the focal point F1 and the plane P or the focal point F2 relative to the plane P′. In the illustrated embodiment, the second reflection surfaces 433 are mirrored surfaces on the inner surfaces of the main bodies 431.
In assembly, first, the two reflection assemblies 40 are placed at the two opposite sides of the fixing platform 20. The second reflection member 43 of each reflection assembly 40 is positioned adjacent to the fixing platform 20. The first reflection surface 413 and the second reflection surface 433 are placed face to face to one another. The spherical centers of the second reflection members 43 overlap the corresponding focal points Fl and F2 of the first reflection members 41. Second, the nozzle of the head 10 is adjusted parallel to the major axis D of the first reflection member 41, above and clear of the first reflection surfaces 413, and aligned with the outer surface 21. Finally, the light sources 30 are placed at the focal points Fl and F2, respectively.
In use, the workpiece 200 is placed on the fixing platform 20 to allow the outer surface 21 to face the nozzle of the head 10. The nozzle of the head 10 jets ink to be printed on the outer surface 21. The light sources 30 emit infrared light to heat the workpiece 200. Because the light sources 30 are placed at the focal points F1 and F2, the light emitted by the light sources 30 is reflected by the first reflection surface 413, and the direction of the reflected light is parallel to the nozzle and the outer surface 21. Because the light sources 30 are also positioned at the respective center points of the second reflection members 43, the light emitted by the light sources 30 is reflected back by the second reflection surface 433 to pass through the center point of the second reflection member 43. The light reflected by the second reflection surface 433 is further reflected by the first reflection surface 413 and the reflected light is parallel to the nozzle and the outer surface 21. Thus, a heating area is formed near the fixing platform 20 and between the two first reflection surfaces 413. Because the ink on the outer surface 21 is heated in the heating area, the ink is dried faster and solidified more quickly. In other words, the flowability of the ink on the outer surface 21 is minimized to prevent the ink to be running from the edge of the workpiece 200. Because the ink is dried faster on the outer surface 21, a relatively thick layer is efficiently formed on the workpiece 200 by the ink-jet device 100.
In other embodiments, the first reflection surfaces 413 can be other portions of the ellipsoid S, and the heating area will change correspondingly. The main body 411 and the main body 431 may be in other shapes, such as substantially cuboid with a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the first reflection surface 413 and the second reflection surface 433.
Because the light sources 30 are placed at the focal points F1 and F2 of the first reflection members 41, and the center points of the second reflection members 43 overlap with the focal point F1 and F2, the light emitted by the light sources 30 are reflected by the first reflection surface 413 and the second reflection surface 433, and the reflected light is parallel to the outer surface 21. The reflected light forms the heating area near the outer surface 21. The ink on the outer surface 21 is dried faster and solidified quickly, and prevent the ink from running down the edges of the workpiece 200. Because the ink dried fast on the outer surface 201, a relatively thick layer is efficiently formed on the workpiece 200 by the ink-jet device 100. Furthermore, because the first reflection surface 413 is located below the head 10, the nozzle is not heated by the light, and thus avoids being clogged by solidified ink. Because the head 10 is away from the heating area, the head 10 also avoids being damaged by the light.
Referring to
The reflection assembly 80 is the same as the reflection assembly 40 in the first embodiment, and includes a first reflection member 81 and a second reflection member 83. The first reflection member 81 includes a main body 811 and a first reflection surface 813 formed on an inner surface of the main body 811. The first reflection surface 813 is located below the head 50. The second reflection member 83 includes a main body 831 and a second reflection surface 833 formed on an inner surface of the main body 831. The light source 70 is positioned at the focal point F1.
The planar reflection assembly 90 is substantially cuboid, and includes a main body 91 and a planar reflection surface 93 formed on a surface of the main body 91 near to the fixing platform 60. The planar reflection surface 93 is substantially rectangular and perpendicular to the major axis D of the first reflection member 81.
In use, the nozzle of the head 50 jets ink to the outer surface 51. The light source 70 emits infrared light. Because of the light source 70 being placed at the focal point of the first reflection member 81 and the center point of the second reflection member 83, the reflected light reflected by the first reflection surface 813 and the second reflection surface 833 is parallel to the nozzle and the outer surface 51. Because the planar reflection surface 93 is perpendicular to the nozzle, the outgoing light is perpendicular to the planar reflection surface 93, thus the reflected light is reflected back by the planar reflection surface 93 parallel to the nozzle.
Because the light source 70 is placed at the focus F1 of the ellipsoid P, and the center point of the second reflection member 83, the light emitted by the light source 70 is reflected by the first reflection surface 813 and the second reflection surface 833, thus the reflected light is parallel to the outer surface 51. The reflected light is further reflected back by the planar reflection surface 93. The ink is heated by the light, thus the ink is dried faster and solidified on the outer surface 51 more quickly, and the ink is prevented to be running from the edges of the workpiece 500. Because the ink dried faster on the outer surface 51, a relatively thick layer is efficiently formed on the workpiece 500 by the ink-jet device 400. Furthermore, because the first reflection surface 813 is below the head 50, the reflected light is parallel to the nozzle, and thus the nozzle is not heated by the reflected light to avoid being clogged by solidified ink. Because the head 50 is away from the heating area from the light, the head 50 is also avoided being damaged by the light.
It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100126288 | Jul 2011 | TW | national |
