This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from an application earlier filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 16 Feb. 2010 and there duly assigned Serial No. 10-2010-0013843.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer and a printing method, and more particularly, to a printer and a printing method for reducing a deviation between nozzles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a display device converts data processed by a data processing device into an image. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, an organic electroluminescent (EL) display device, and a plasma display panel (PDP). Such display devices are flat display devices which have smaller volume and weight than cathode-ray tube display devices.
The flat display devices commonly have a pixel pattern for displaying an image. For example, the LCD device includes various pixel patterns, such as a thin film transistor (TFT), a gate signal line, a data signal line, a pixel electrode, a black matrix, a color filter, and a common electrode. For example, the organic EL display device includes various pixel patterns, such as an anode electrode, an electron injection layer (EIL), a hole injection layer (HIL), a cathode electrode, and an organic layer.
The present invention provides a printer and a printer method for reducing a deviation between nozzles during printing.
According to an aspect of the present invention when a printhead including a first end and a second end sequentially prints a first area and a second area which are adjacent to each other, the printing method comprises the step of performing printing by relatively moving locations of the printhead and a print object in such a way that a surface printed by the second end in the first area and a surface printed by the second end in the second area face each other.
When the location of the printhead with respect to the print object switches from the first area to the second area, the printhead may rotate with respect to the print object.
The printhead may rotate around at least one point on the printhead constituting a rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around one end of the printhead constituting the rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around the center of the printhead constituting the rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around both ends of the printhead constituting the rotation axis.
A method of adjusting the locations of the printhead and the print object may comprise moving the print object with respect to the printhead.
A method of adjusting the locations of the printhead and the print object may comprise moving the printhead in parallel with the print object.
The printing method may be an inkjet printing method.
The printing method may be a nozzle printing method.
The printhead may spray a light emitting material so as to form a light emitting unit. The printhead may spray a pigment of a color filter layer so as to form a color filter layer. The printing method may be performed by using a plurality of the printheads, each spraying a pigment of a single color.
The printhead may be formed so as to tilt at a predetermined angle with respect to a moving direction of the print object on a print surface.
With respect to the print object, the printing method may further include: performing printing while moving the printhead in a first direction; moving the printhead in a second direction; rotating the printhead; performing printing while moving the printhead in a direction opposite to the first direction; moving the printhead in the second direction; and rotating the printhead.
The printing method may further include: performing printing while moving the print object in a direction opposite to a first direction with respect to the printhead; moving the print object in a direction opposite to a second direction; rotating the printhead; performing printing while moving the print object in the first direction with respect to the printhead; moving the print object in the direction opposite to the second direction; and rotating the printhead.
When the location of the printhead with respect to the print object switches from the first area to the second area, the printing method may further include controlling a location of the printhead so as to start printing in the second area, wherein the controlling of the location comprises: receiving the location of the printhead with respect to the print object, the location being received by a vision camera; and compensating the location of the printhead.
According to another aspect of the present invention, when a printhead including a first end and a second end sequentially prints a first area and a second area which are adjacent to each other, the printer performs printing by relatively moving locations of the printhead and a print object in such a way that a surface printed by the second end in the first area and a surface printed by the second end in the second area face each other.
When the location of the printhead with respect to the print object switches from the first area to the second area, the printhead may rotate with respect to the print object.
The printhead may rotate around at least one point on the printhead constituting a rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around one end of the printhead constituting the rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around the center of the printhead constituting the rotation axis. The printhead may rotate around both ends of the printhead constituting the rotation axis.
The printhead may include a plurality of nozzles.
The printer may perform printing using an inkjet printing method.
The printer may perform printing using a nozzle printing method.
When the location of the printhead with respect to the print object switches from the first area to the second area, the printer may further include a control system for controlling a location of the printhead to start printing in the second area, wherein the control system may include: a vision camera for receiving the location of the printhead with respect to the print object; and a compensator for compensating the location of the printhead.
A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.
Referring to
The number and locations of the nozzles on the printhead H1 are not limited to the embodiment of
According to the current embodiment of the present invention, the first area is sequentially printed in the X-axis direction from the first nozzle N1 to the sixth nozzle N6, and the second area is also sequentially printed in the X-axis direction from the first nozzle N1 to the sixth nozzle N6. Accordingly, adjacent surfaces of the first and second areas are printed by using different nozzles.
In other words, referring to
At this point, since the printhead H1 includes the plurality of nozzles N1 through N6, there may be a deviation between nozzles due to different discharge rates, or the like. Such a deviation may occur irregularly or regularly, and if the deviation occurs gradually, a difference between accumulated discharge rates of the first and sixth nozzle N1 and N6, respectively, may be higher than a difference between discharge rates of the adjacent first and second nozzles N1 and N2, respectively. Such a discharge rate deviation between the first and sixth nozzles N1 and N6, respectively, eventually generates a light emitting deviation which is easily perceived.
In order to decrease a deviation between nozzles, when a printhead H2 including a first end and a second end sequentially prints a first area and a second area, locations of the printhead H2 and the print object 1 may be adjusted in such a way that a surface printed by the second end in the first area and a surface printed by the second end by the second area face each other.
Referring to
As shown in
The effect of printing adjacent surfaces by using the same nozzle as shown in
On the other hand, looking at the second straight line II, there is no difference between the discharge rates at each adjacent point B, and only a deviation Δn between adjacent nozzles gradually occurs. Accordingly, a printing method or a printer may use the printhead H2 having the deviation Δn to reduce a deviation between nozzles on adjacent surfaces by printing the adjacent surfaces by using the same nozzle.
When a printhead including a first end and a second end sequentially prints a first area and a second area, a printing method according to an embodiment of the invention includes performing printing by adjusting locations of the printhead and a print object in such a way that a surface printed by the second end in the first area and a surface printed by the second end in the second area face each other, and this method will now be described with reference to
Referring to
Next, operations S110 thru S160 of
A modified example of the printer 100 will now be described with reference to
The printer 200 of
The structure of the printer 100 or 200 and the printing method are not limited thereto. For example, the printer 100 may adjust a relative distance between the printhead H3 and the print object 1 by fixing the printhead H3 and moving the print object 1 in a straight line and rotating the print object 1 based on the central axis P1. Alternatively, the relative distance between the printhead H3 and the print object 1 may be adjusted by moving the printhead H3 and the print object 1 in a straight line and rotating the printhead H3 and the print object 1 based on the central axis P1. Alternatively, the printer 100 may adjust a relative distance between the printhead H3 and the print object 1 by fixing the printhead H3 and moving the print object 1 along a direction perpendicular to printhead.
A control system for compensating for the location of the printhead H3 by compensating a rotation angle θ of the printhead H3 may be used to precisely adjust a relative distance between the printhead H3 and the print object 1 while changing locations of the nozzles N1 thru N6 by rotating the printhead H3. Location compensation of the printhead H3 will now be described with reference to
When the location of the printhead H3 switches from a first area to a second area with respect to the print object 1, the control system controls a location of the printhead H3 so as to start printing on the second area. Here, the current embodiment of the present invention is described in the situation where the printhead H3 switches from the first area to the second area, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the printhead H3 may switch to any adjacent area. Referring to
In
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The print object 1 to be printed according to the printing methods and the printers 100 and 200 of
A method of printing the substrate 10 will now be described with reference to
The plurality of pixel regions PR may be formed in a matrix on the substrate 10. A pixel pattern may be formed in the pixel region PR so as to display an image. For example, when the resolution of the substrate 10 is 1024×768, about 1024×768×3 pixel regions PR may be formed on the substrate 10. Here, each pixel region PR may be filled with a light emitting material of R, G, or B. In addition, the printhead H8 may spray the light emitting material of R. Also, the printhead H9 may spray the light emitting material of G, and the printhead H10 may spray the light emitting material of B. Here, the printheads H8, H9, and H10 may form a color filter by respectively spraying an R color filter material, a G color filter material, and a B color filter material, wherein the R, G, and B color filter materials each emit a single color light by filtering a white light.
The printing method may be an inkjet printing method or a nozzle printing method.
According to the embodiments of the present invention, a light emitting deviation is reduced by reducing a deviation between nozzles during printing.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
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Entry |
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Korean Registration Determination Certificate issued on Jun. 25, 2012 in the corresponding Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0013843. |
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