The present application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-144896, filed on Aug. 1, 2018, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-136953, filed on Jul. 25, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge head, a head unit, an apparatus for discharging liquid, and a liquid discharging method.
As a liquid discharge head of a coating apparatus that performs coating or printing on a vehicle body or the like, for example, there is a liquid discharge head using a valve nozzle indicated in Patent Document 1. In this liquid discharge head, an electromagnetic driving mechanism is used as a driving means for opening and closing the valve, but in some cases, a piezo driving mechanism is used in order to increase the driving speed (opening and closing speed) of the valve.
As illustrated in
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4123897
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid discharge head for controlling discharging of liquid, the liquid discharge head including a valve body configured to be movable, and to be pressed towards a discharge port from which the liquid is discharged; and a recessed portion provided in the valve body at a position facing the discharge port.
The liquid discharge head of the related art described above has a problem in that the discharging speed of the ink dots is low, and, therefore, the distance of linear movement of the ink dots is short. Thus, it is difficult to use the liquid discharge head for purposes where it is desirable to have a certain distance between the liquid discharge head and the object to be coated.
A problem to be addressed by an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a liquid discharge head, a head unit, an apparatus for discharging liquid, and a liquid discharging method, by which the distance of linear movement of ink dots can be increased compared to the related art.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described by referring to the accompanying drawings.
In the present application, an “apparatus for discharging liquid” is an apparatus that includes a liquid discharge head or a head unit including the liquid discharge head, and that drives the liquid discharge head to discharge liquid. Examples of an apparatus for discharging liquid include not only an apparatus capable of discharging liquid to an object to which the liquid can adhere, but also an apparatus for discharging liquid toward gas or liquid.
The “apparatus for discharging liquid” may include a means for feeding and conveying an object to which liquid can adhere and discharging sheets, as well as a pre-processing device, a post-processing device, and the like.
Examples of the “apparatus for discharging liquid” include an image forming apparatus that is an apparatus that discharges ink to form an image on a sheet, and a stereoscopic shaping apparatus (three-dimensional shaping apparatus) that discharges shaping liquid onto a powder layer formed with powder in a layered form in order to shape a stereoscopic shaped object (three-dimensional shaped object).
The “apparatus for discharging liquid” is not limited to an apparatus by which a significant image such as a character or a figure, etc., is visualized by the discharged liquid. For example, a pattern or the like having no meaning may be formed or a three-dimensional image may be formed.
The “object to which liquid can adhere” refers to an object to which liquid can adhere at least temporarily, including an object to which the liquid is adhered and fixed, adhered and permeated, or the like. Specific examples include a recording-target medium such as paper, recording paper, a recording sheet, a film, cloth, and the like; an electronic component such as an electronic substrate, a piezoelectric element, and the like; and a medium such as a powder layer (powder layer), an organ model, an inspection cell, and the like, and all kinds of media to which liquid adheres are included unless otherwise specifically limited.
The material of the “object to which liquid can adhere” may be any material as long as liquid can adhere to the material at least temporarily, such as paper, yarn, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, or the like.
The “liquid” is not particularly limited as long as the liquid has viscosity and surface tension by which the liquid can be discharged from the head, but it is preferable that the viscosity is 30 mPa·s or less under normal temperature and normal pressure or by heating or cooling. More specifically, examples of the liquid are solutions, suspensions, emulsions, and the like including solvents such as water and organic solvents; colorants such as dyes and pigments; function imparting materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants; biocompatible materials such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), amino acids, proteins, and calcium; edible materials such as natural dyes, and the like, and these can be used, for example, in ink for inkjet printing, a surface treatment liquid, liquid for forming components of electronic elements and light emitting elements and electronic circuit resist patterns, three-dimensional shaping material liquid, and the like.
Examples of the “apparatus for discharging liquid” include an apparatus in which a liquid discharge head and an object to which liquid can adhere are relatively moved, but an embodiment of the present invention is not limited as such. Specific examples include a serial device having an element for moving the liquid discharge head (liquid discharge head moving mechanism), a line device in which the liquid discharge head is not moved, and the like.
Other examples of the “apparatus for discharging liquid” include a treatment liquid application apparatus for discharging a treatment liquid to a sheet in order to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the sheet for the purpose of modifying the surface of the sheet, and a spray granulation apparatus for spraying a composition liquid, in which a raw material is dispersed in a solution, through a nozzle, to granulate fine particles of the raw material.
In the present application, the “head unit” is an apparatus including at least one liquid discharge head, a liquid supply path through which liquid is supplied to the liquid discharge head, and a liquid supply port through which liquid is supplied to the liquid supply path.
First, with reference to
As illustrated in
The print head 202 includes a plurality of valve nozzles as liquid discharge heads, that discharges ink (liquid) toward the coating target surface of a coating target object M. Note that “ink” referred to herein also includes “a coating material”. Ink is discharged from each of the valve nozzles perpendicularly with respect to the print head 202. That is, the ink discharge surface of the print head 202 is parallel to an X-Y plane formed by the movement of the X-Y table 203, and the ink dots discharged from the valve nozzles are discharged in a direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane. The ink discharging directions of the ink discharged from the respective valve nozzles are in parallel to each other. Each valve nozzle is coupled to an ink tank of a predetermined color, and the ink tank is pressurized by a pressurizing device (not illustrated), so that ink dots can be discharged onto the print surface without any problem if the distance between each valve nozzle and the print surface of the coating target object M is approximately 20 cm.
The X-Y table 203 mainly includes an X shaft 205 formed with a linear movement mechanism, and a Y shaft 206 for moving the X shaft in the Y direction while holding the X shaft 205 by two arms, and the print head 202 and the camera 204 to be described later are attached to a slider (not illustrated) of the X shaft 205. A shaft 207 is provided on the Y shaft 206, and by holding the shaft 207 by a robot arm 208, the print head 202 can be freely arranged at a predetermined position where printing is to be performed on the coating target object M. For example, when the coating target object M is an automobile, the print head 202 can be arranged on an upper position as illustrated in
The camera 204 is disposed on a slider (not illustrated) of the X shaft 205 that is in the vicinity of the print head 202, and captures images of a predetermined range of the printing target surface of the coating target object M at fixed fine intervals while moving in the X-Y direction. The camera 204 is a so-called digital camera, and as described above, specifications of lenses and specifications of the resolution capable of capturing a plurality of sub-divided images in a predetermined range of the printing target surface, are appropriately selected. The camera 204 captures a plurality of sub-divided images on the printing target surface continuously and automatically in accordance with a program provided in advance in the control unit 209.
The control unit 209 includes a storage device for recording and saving various programs, data of a captured image, data of an image to be printed, and the like; a central processing unit for executing various processes according to programs; an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse; and a so-called microcomputer including a digital versatile disk (DVD) player and the like according to need; and further includes a monitor 210 to display information input to the control unit 209, processing results by the control unit 209, and the like. The control unit 209 performs image processing, by using image processing software, on a plurality of pieces of sub-divided image data captured by the camera 204; generates a composite print surface obtained by projecting the printing target surface, of the coating target object M that is not planar, onto a plane; superimposes, on the composite print surface, a drawing target image A, which is an image to be printed so as to be continuous with the image already printed on the printing target surface; and edits the drawing target image A so as to be continuous with the edge portion of the printed image, thereby generating a drawing target edit image B. For example, with respect to a print image 302b (corresponding to the drawing target image A) illustrated in
In
Hereinafter, a liquid discharge head 1 according to an embodiment will be described in detail.
As illustrated in
The nozzle body 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape or a slightly rectangular cylindrical shape as a whole, and is closed except for the discharge port 2 and the injection port 3. The discharge port 2 is a small opening drilled at the leading end of the nozzle body 4, such that ink dots are discharged from the discharge port 2. More specifically, one end of the nozzle body 4 in the extending direction is sealed by an end wall 4A (see
The actuator 5 is a piezoelectric element and is formed by using zirconia ceramic or the like. The shape, etc., of the actuator 5 is appropriately set according to the amount of ink dots to be discharged, and the like. The actuator 5 operates by continuously receiving a voltage of a predetermined waveform controlled by the control unit 209 (see
As illustrated in
A coating apparatus including the liquid discharge head 1 is configured by arranging, in parallel, a plurality of the liquid discharge heads 1 for discharging ink of different colors.
Next, the operation of the above-described liquid discharge head 1 will be described. In a state in which no voltage is applied to the actuator 5, the actuator 5 is in a regular state in which the actuator 5 is not deformed, and as illustrated in
Next, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the actuator 5, the actuator 5 deforms (extends) in the length direction (left-right direction in
The leading end portion 6A is made of an elastic resin, and, therefore, as illustrated in
The configuration of a head unit 11, to which the above-described liquid discharge head 1 is applied, will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The basic configuration of the plurality of liquid discharge heads 1 is the same as that described with reference to
In the head unit 11 illustrated in
The liquid supply path 12 is supplied so as to penetrate through the ink chambers 9 of the respective liquid discharge heads 1, so that the ink flows from one side (left side in
In the head unit 11 of
Next, the liquid supply system 21 for the liquid discharge heads 1 will be described with reference to
Here, each of the liquid tanks 23 (23A to 23C) is provided as a sealed container in which liquid 22 of each color, to be discharged from a corresponding one of the liquid discharge heads 1 (1A to 1C), is accommodated. The liquid tank 23 and the injection port 3 of the liquid discharge head 1 are connected to each other via a tube 24.
On the other hand, the liquid tank 23 is connected to a compressor 27 via a pipe 26 including an air regulator 25, and pressurized air from the compressor 27 is supplied to the liquid tank 23.
Accordingly, the pressurized liquid 22 of each color is supplied to the injection port 3 of the corresponding liquid discharge head 1, and the liquid 22 is discharged from the discharge port 2 according to the opening and closing of the valve body 6 as described above. The air regulator 25, the pipe 26, and the compressor 27 function as the pressurizing unit 28 for continuously supplying the liquid (ink) to the ink chamber 9 of each of the liquid discharge heads 1.
A method of discharging liquid (ink) will be described with reference to
When the ink discharging operation is started, basically, the operation starts in a state where ink is filled in the ink chamber 9, in both cases of the single liquid discharge head 1 illustrated in
From the above state, in step S1, a waveform (actually an ON/OFF rectangular wave) is applied to the actuator 5 as described above, and as the actuator 5 presses the valve body 6, the valve body 6 is driven, and the leading end portion 6A of the valve body 6 is moved until the leading end portion 6A contacts the discharge surface 2B. Accordingly, the valve body 6 presses the ink so that the ink is pressed toward the discharge port 2 and is discharged from the discharge port 2. At this time, ink is stored in the recessed portion 6B of the valve body 6 formed at the position facing the discharge port 2.
In step S2, the actuator 5 is further driven, and the valve body 6 is further pressed toward the discharge port 2 from the position where the valve body 6 contacts the discharge surface 2B. At this time, the valve body 6 is pressed by a force that causes the leading end portion 6A of the valve body 6 to be deformed so that the volume of the recessed portion 6B is reduced. Accordingly, the valve body 6 presses the ink inside the recessed portion 6B, and the ink in the recessed portion 6B is discharged from the discharge port 2.
Thereafter, the state in which the valve body 6 is in contact with the discharge surface 2B is maintained, whereby leakage of ink from the ink chamber 9 to the discharge port 2 is prevented, and the liquid discharging operation is completed.
The inventors of the present invention measured the flying distance of ink dots traveling linearly, with respect to the embodiment illustrated in
Gap g between the leading end surface of the leading end portion 6A and the inner surface of the nozzle body 4: 20 μm
Thickness t of the leading end portion 6A and inner diameter of the recessed portion 6B: 500 μm
Hole diameter of the discharge port 2: 100 μm Ink viscosity: 30 mPa·S
Pressure applied to the ink chamber 9: 0.45 MPa
Linear distance of ink dots from the liquid discharge head 1 according to the present embodiment: d1
Linear distance of ink dots from the liquid discharge head 100 of the related art: d2
According to the liquid discharge head 1 according to the present embodiment, the recessed portion 6B is formed in the valve body 6 at a position facing the discharge port 2, and, therefore, when the valve body 6 is pressed against the discharge port 2, the recessed portion 6B is deformed so as to be crushed and to decrease in volume, and accordingly, the ink dot is pressed out at a high speed, thereby achieving an effect that the distance at which the ink dot 10 travels linearly can be increased. Accordingly, the distance between the leading end of the liquid discharge head 1 and a coating target object 20 can be increased.
Further, the leading end portion 6A of the valve body 6 arranged facing the discharge port 2 is formed of an elastic resin, and the recessed portion 6B having an opening diameter larger than the opening diameter of the discharge port 2 is provided on the leading end surface of the leading end portion 6A. Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of ink that can be accommodated in the recessed portion 6B, and also, it is possible to promote the reduction of the volume of the recessed portion 6B when the valve body 6 is pressed, so that it is possible to increase the discharging amount. As a result, the discharging performance (the speed, the amount, the linear movement properties, etc.) can be further improved.
The liquid discharge head, the head unit, the apparatus for discharging liquid, and the liquid discharging method according to one embodiment of the present invention enables the distance of linear movement of ink dots to be increased.
The liquid discharge head, the head unit, the apparatus for discharging liquid, and the liquid discharging method are not limited to the specific embodiments described in the detailed description, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-144896 | Aug 2018 | JP | national |
2019-136953 | Jul 2019 | JP | national |