Patent Grant
11001065
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-167631, filed on Sep. 7, 2018, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a roll device, a roll apparatus, a wiping device, a head maintenance device, and a liquid discharge device.
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head to discharge a liquid from nozzles and a maintenance mechanism (maintenance device) that includes a cap to cap a nozzle surface, in which the nozzles are formed, of the liquid discharge head, a wiper to wipe and clean the nozzle surface to maintain and recover discharge function of the nozzles in the nozzle surface.
In an aspect of this disclosure, a roll device includes a feeding roll in which a web is wound, a winding roll to wind the web fed from the feeding roll, and a partition disposed between an outermost winding portion of the web fed from the feeding roll and an inner winding portion of the web overlapped with the outermost winding portion.
The aforementioned and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that have the same function, operate in an analogous manner, and achieve similar results.
Although the embodiments are described with technical limitations with reference to the attached drawings, such description is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure and all the components or elements described in the embodiments of this disclosure are not necessarily indispensable. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.
A first embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to
A wiping cartridge 100 includes a web 2, a feeding roller 3, and a winding roller 6. The feeding roller 3 is a core member of a feeding roll 2A on which the web 2 as a wiping member (sheet member) is wound in a roll shape. The winding roller 6 is a core member of the winding roll 2B on which the web 2 delivered from the feeding roll 2A is wound. The web 2 is in wound in both of the feeding roll 2A and the winding roll 2B.
In an initial state, the web 2 is not wound around the winding roller 6. However, for clear explanation, the winding roll 2B is formed on the winding roller 6 as illustrated in
The web 2 is preferably made of a sheet-shaped member (material) having absorbency and liquid resistance to at least the liquid used, and preferably does not cause a shaggy surface or dust. Thus, the web 2 has a shape of a sheet. For example, the web 2 may be made of non-woven fabric, cloth, film, paper and the like.
The web 2 is drawn from the feeding roll 2A of the feeding roller 3, passes through guide rollers 8 and 9 and conveyance rollers 4 and 5, and is wound up by the winding roller 6 as the winding roll 2B. Here, a feeding side of the feeding roll 2A and the winding side of the winding roll 2B faces each other.
The feeding roller 3, the winding roller 6, the guide rollers 8 and 9, and the conveyance rollers 4 and 5 are rotatably held by the two dividable cartridge cases 101 (101A and 101B) of the wiping cartridge 100.
Then, the feeding roller 3 that is one of an axial core of the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 is movably held in a guide groove 102 formed in the cartridge case 101 so that the feeding roller 3 is movable relative to the winding roller 6 that is another axial core of the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6.
Here, the guide groove 102 is formed in a curved shape along which the feeding roller 3 as one of the axial core can move obliquely upward while separating from the winding roller 6 as another axial core.
Thus, the feeding roller 3 is initially moved to a lower end position of the guide groove 102 by a weight of the feeding roll 2A, and a distance between the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 becomes the closest.
Further, a pressing member 11 to press the web 2 against the object to be wiped is disposed between the two conveyance rollers 4 and 5. When the pressing member 11 brings the web 2 into contact with the object to be wiped, the spring 12 presses the web 2 against the object to be wiped with a predetermined pressing force.
A code wheel 14 is attached to the conveyance roller 4.
As illustrated in
A leading end 17a of the partition 17 is inserted between the outermost winding portion 2a and the inner winding portion 2b of the web 2 in a direction that is counter to the winding direction as indicated by arrow “WD” in
With the partition 17 in
Therefore, even when slack occurs in the web 2 of the feeding roll 2A, the feeding roll 2A rotates after only the outermost winding portion 2a is fed to eliminate the slack. Thus, the wiping cartridge 100 can prevent an increase of the slack of the web 2.
Here, the partition 17 is preferably formed of a flexible member such as a mylar sheet. Thus, the partition 17 can be displaced according to a change of a winding diameter of the feeding roll 2A.
Further, the partition 17 preferably has a coefficient of static friction with the web 2 smaller than the coefficient of static friction between the webs 2. Such a partition 17 may be made the mylar sheet as described above.
Further, the web 2 is fed upward from the feeding roll 2A, and a leading end 17a of the partition 17 is disposed lower than an axis “O” of the feeding roll 2A in a vertical direction indicated by arrow in
Thus, the outermost winding portion 2a does not directly contact the inner winding portion 2b by the partition when the web 2 is slack. Thus, a slack portion of the web 2 can be fed upward without rotating the feeding roll 2A until the slack disappears during feeding the outermost winding portion 2a.
Next, the wiping device as a roll device according to the present disclosure is described with reference to
The wiping device 1 wipes a nozzle surface 411a of a liquid discharge head 411 of a liquid discharge apparatus as a wiping target. Hereinafter, the liquid discharge head 411 is also referred to as the “head 411”.
The wiping cartridge 100 as a roll unit (here, the wiping device) is detachably mounted on a movable platform 30.
The movable platform 30 includes a transmission mechanism 37 and a winding motor 38. The transmission mechanism 37 engages with a gear 39 provided on the winding roller 6 when the wiping cartridge 100 is mounted to the movable platform 30. The winding motor 38 rotates the winding roller 6 via the transmission mechanism 37.
Further, the movable platform 30 includes an encoder sensor 15 using a transmission-type photo sensor to detect a pattern formed on a code wheel 14 of the wiping cartridge 100. The code wheel 14 and the encoder sensor 15 constitute an encoder 16 to detect a moving distance (feed amount) of the web 2.
The movable platform 30 is reciprocally movable in a direction indicated by arrow “Y” in
Further, the movable platform 30 is vertically movable in a direction in which the web 2 advances to and retracts from the nozzle surface 411a. The movable platform 30 includes an elevation mechanism that includes a cam 35 and a movable-platform elevation motor 36 to rotate the cam 35 or a rack and pinion to vertically move the movable platform 30.
Next, the wiping operation of the wiping device 1 is described below.
When the wiping device 1 wipes the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411, the movable platform 30 ascends, and the web 2 is pressed against at one end of the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 by the pressing member 11 at a predetermined pressing force. The one end of the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 is a wiping start position of the wiping operation of the wiping device 1.
Then, the movable platform 30 moves in the wiping direction (Y1 direction) to wipe or absorb to remove the liquid (waste liquid) remained on the nozzle surface 411a by the web 2.
The winding roller 6 is rotated to wind the web 2 on the winding roll 2B after the above-described wiping operation and before a next wiping operation. Then, unused portion of the web 2 contacts the nozzle surface 411a when the wiping device 1 wipes the nozzle surface 411a on the next wiping operation. Further, the wiping operation may also be performed while rotating the winding roller 6 and winding the web 2 on the winding roll 2B. That is, wiping operation may be performed while feeding the web 2 from the feeding roll 2A to the winding roll 2B.
As illustrated in
Thus, the surface 2f of the web 2 on which the adhered substance 300 adheres does not become the wiping surface 2e when dirt such as paper powder or dust, or foreign substance are adhered on the surface 2f of the feeding roll 2A. Hereinafter, the dirt such as paper powder or dust, or the foreign substance are referred to as “adhered substance 300”. Therefore, the adhered substance 300 are not transferred to the wiping surface 2e of the web 2 at the time of the wiping operation.
Conversely, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Thus, the web 2 is wound on the winding roll 2B so that the waste liquid 301 transferred to the web 2 by the wiping operation of the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 is wound on the winding roll 2B. Thus, the waste liquid 301 is not exposed on the surface 2g of the winding roll 2B.
Conversely, as illustrated in
A configuration in which the web 2 is wound from the feeding roll 2A to the winding roll 2B has a problem in which a winding diameter of the winding roll 2B increases with a progress of the winding process. Thus, the winding torque of the web 2 increases. Therefore, the wiping cartridge 100 rotatably holds the feeding roll 2A to prevent an increase in the winding torque that changes according to a winding amount of the web 2 on the feeding roll 2A.
The winding roll 2B is driven to rotate to wind the web 2 by a predetermined amount as illustrated in
As described above, the wiping cartridge 100 freely rotatably supports the feeding roll 2A so that the feeding roll 2A and winding roll 2B cannot be simultaneously stopped. Thus, a slack portion 2c of the web 2 is formed on the feeding roll 2A side as illustrated in
When the slack portion 2c is formed in the web 2, an overlapping portion 2d is formed as illustrated in
The slack portion 2c of the web 2 becomes large and contacts other portions to let the unwiped web 2 to be attached with dirt or ink. With adhering of the dirt on the unwiped (unused) web 2, instead of wiping the nozzle surface 411a with a clean web 2, the nozzle surface 411a is wiped by the web 2 on which the dirt is adhered.
As a result, the nozzle surface 411a that is a surface to be wiped becomes less clean. Further, the foreign substance (such as dried ink) adhered on the web 2 is pressed against the nozzle surface 411a by the wiping operation. Thus, the foreign substance on the web 2 may damage the nozzle surface 411a. Further, the foreign substance or dirt may be pushed into the nozzle to cause discharge failure. Further, the slacked web 2 may be entangled to hinder a normal winding operation of the web 2.
Whether the slack portion 2c can be wound and reduced is determined according to a next wiping operation when the slack portion 2c is formed in the web 2 due to a relative position between the feeding roll 2A and the member (guide roller 8) to which the web 2 fed from the feeding roll 2A first contacts.
That is, the slack portion 2c of the web 2 hangs vertically downward by gravity. Here, there are conditions of no wind, no operation of the wiping cartridge 100, and no contact with other members.
In a first example illustrated in
A feed position P at which the winding portion 2a of the web 2 is fed from the feeding roll 2A is disposed above the axis O of feeding roll 2A in the arrangement in the first example. A tangent line 8A is drawn vertically on a feeding side (right-side) of the guide roller 8 as illustrated in
Thus, the overlapping portion 2d between the outermost winding portion 2a and the inner winding portion 2b is formed at an initial stage of start using the web 2 as illustrated in
Thus, as illustrated in
Similarly, as illustrated in
Next, in the second example illustrated in
Also in the arrangement in the second example, the feed position P is disposed above the axis O of the feeding roll 2A in the vertical direction. The feed position P is a position at which the web 2 is fed from the feeding roll 2A. When a tangent line 8A is drawn on a feeding side (right-side in
Thus, the overlapping portion 2d between the outermost winding portion 2a and the inner winding portion 2b is formed at an initial stage of start using the web 2 as illustrated in
Therefore, as illustrated in
Similarly, as illustrated in
Next, in the third example illustrated in
In the arrangement in the third example, the feed position P (see
Therefore, as illustrated in
As a result, as illustrated in
Similarly, as illustrated in
Therefore, even the winding operation is performed as illustrated in
Therefore, as illustrated in
Parts (a) and (b) of
The arrangement in the first example (see
The web 2 of the wiping cartridge 100 wipes the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 from one end to another end of the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411. Thus, a minimum necessary movable space in the arrangement in the first example becomes a distance “La” in part (a) of
Conversely, in the arrangement in the third example (see
Therefore, the feeding roll 2A, the conveyance roller 4, and the pressing member 11 are arranged in series in the above-described order in the wiping direction Y1. Thus, the distance between the pressing member 11 and the axis O of the feeding roll 2A in the third example becomes longer than the arrangement in the first example.
The web 2 of the wiping cartridge 100 wipes the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 from one end to another end of the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411. The minimum necessary movable space in the arrangement in the third example becomes a distance Lb larger than the distance (Lb>La), and a size of the liquid discharge apparatus 400 increases.
Although the slack portion 2c of the web 2 may not be reduced in an arrangement in the first example (the same as the second example), the first example can reduce the size of the liquid discharge apparatus 400. Conversely, the arrangement configuration in the third example can reduce the slack portion 2c of the web 2 although the third example increases the size of the liquid discharge apparatus 400.
Next, a winding operation of the wiping cartridge according to the third embodiment is described with reference to
The wiping cartridge 100 according to the present disclosure as illustrated in
Thus, even when the overlapping portion 2d of the webs 2 is formed as in the arrangement in the first example (see
Therefore, even when the slack portion 2c of the web 2 is formed on the feeding roll 2A, the winding operation is performed to feed the slack portion 2c first to wind only the slack portion 2c to reduce the slack portion 2c as illustrated in
As described above, even if the slack portion 2c of the web 2 is formed in the feeding roll 2A due to the winding operation of the web 2, the wiping cartridge 100 according to the present disclosure can perform the next winding operation to wind the slack portion 2c. Thus, the wiping cartridge 100 can reduce the slack portion 2c of the web 2 in the feeding roll 2A.
Further, the wiping cartridge 100 has the arrangement similar to the first example to enable the pressing member 11 to be disposed close to the feeding roll 2A. The example illustrated in
Next, a transition state of the feeding roll 2A and the winding roll 2B accompanied with the wiping operation is described with reference to
First, an outer diameter of the feeding roll 2A is larger than an outer diameter of the winding roll 2B in an initial state as illustrated in above-described
An axial distance between the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 in the initial state becomes the shortest axial distance L1 as illustrated in
The web 2 is fed from the feeding roll 2A and wound on the winding roll 2B while the wiping operation is repeated from the initial state. The outer diameter of the feeding roll 2A decreases, and the outer diameter of the winding roll 2B increases with the progress of the wiping operation and the winding operation.
Then, the outer periphery of the winding roll 2B contacts the outer periphery of the feeding roll 2A as illustrated in
Further, the winding roll 2B pushes the feeding roll 2A with an increase of the outer diameter of the winding roll 2B as illustrated in
Then, the outer diameter of the winding roll 2B becomes substantially same as the diameter of the feeding roll 2A as illustrated in
Further, when all the webs 2 are used, the outer diameter of the feeding roll 2A becomes minimum and the outer diameter of the winding roll 2B becomes the maximum as illustrated in
As described above, the wiping cartridge 100 according to the present disclosure includes the axis O (feeding roller 3) of the feeding roll 2A relatively movable to an axis (winding roller 6) of the winding roll 2B. However, the axis (winding roller 6) of the winding roll 2B may be relatively movable to the axis O (feeding roller 3) of the feeding roll 2A.
If the wiping cartridge 100 has a configuration in which both of the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 do not move relative to each other, the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 have to be fixed to the cartridge case 101 at the longest axial distance L2 so that the feeding roll 2A and the winding roll 2B can have a state as illustrated in
Thus, if the length of the web 2 increases that increases the maximum outer diameter of the feeding roll 2A, the axial distance between the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 has to be increased accordingly. Thus, the size of the wiping cartridge 100 (roll device) and the wiping device 1 increases. Conversely, it is necessary to reduce the outer diameter of the feeding roll 2A to reduce the size of the wiping cartridge 100 (roll device) and the wiping device 1 (roll apparatus). Thus, an exchange frequency of the web 2 increases.
Conversely, the wiping cartridge 100 according to the present embodiment includes the feeding roller 3 relatively movable to the winding roller 6 so that the axial distance between the feeding roll 2A and the winding roll 2B is variable. Thus, the feeding roller 3 and the winding roller 6 can be arranged at a shorter distance than the longest axial distance L2.
Thus, it is possible to reduce a size of the wiping cartridge 100 (roll device) and the wiping device 1 (roll apparatus) while increasing the diameter and the length of the feeding roll 2A to reduce the exchange frequency of the wiping member (roll).
The wiping cartridge 100 according to the present embodiment includes the feeding roller 3 relatively movable to the winding roller 6 as described above. However, the winding roller 6 may be relatively movable to the feeding roller 3. It is simpler to relatively move the feeding roller 3 rotated with the winding roller 6 since the winding roller 6 is rotationally driven by the winding motor 38 (see
Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to
The wiping cartridge 100 according to the second embodiment includes a roller 19 as a guide to which the web 2 fed from the feeding roll 2A first contacts. The roller 19 is disposed so that the feed position P of the web 2 fed from the feeding roll 2A becomes vertically lower than the axis O of the feeding roll 2A as illustrated in
Thus, the configuration as illustrated in
The roller 19 (guide) is disposed closer to the winding roll 2B than the feeding roll 2A in the wiping direction Y1 (see
The guide is not limited to the roller as the roller 19 in
Next, an example of the liquid discharge apparatus 400 according to the present disclosure is described with reference to
The liquid discharge apparatus 400 according to the present disclosure is a serial-type liquid discharge apparatus and includes a guide assembly, such as a main guide 402 laterally bridged between left and right-side plates 401A and 401B and a sub-guide 403, to movably support a carriage 405 in a main scanning direction indicated by arrow MSD in
Further, three liquid discharge devices 410A to 410C each includes the head 411 are mounted on the carriage 405 as illustrated in
A cartridge holder 421 is disposed at an apparatus body of the liquid discharge apparatus 400. Main tanks 420 (liquid cartridges) to contain liquid of the respective colors are removably mounted to the cartridge holder 421. The cartridge holder 421 includes a liquid feed pump 422, etc., to supply liquid of the respective colors from the main tanks 420, mounted on the cartridge holder 421 to the heads 411 of the liquid discharge devices 410 via a supply path 423 including supply tubes of respective colors.
Further, the liquid discharge apparatus 400 includes a conveyor 440 to attract a sheet 430 and convey the sheet 430 opposite to the head 411 to convey the sheet 430 in a sub scanning direction indicated by arrow SSD in
The conveyor 440 includes a conveyance roller 441, a pressure roller 442, a platen 443, and a suction mechanism 444 (see
The liquid discharge apparatus 400 includes a maintenance mechanism 450 to maintain and recover a discharge function the head 411. The maintenance mechanism 450 is disposed on one side (right-side in
The maintenance mechanism 450 is an example of a head maintenance device according to the present disclosure. The maintenance mechanism 450 includes a cap 451 to cap the nozzle surface 411a of the head 411 and a wiping cartridge 100 of the wiping device 1 according to the present disclosure to wipe the nozzle surface 411a, for example.
The liquid discharge apparatus 400 conveys the sheet 430 along the platen 443 in a conveyance direction by the conveyance roller 441 and the pressure roller 442 while attracting the sheet 430 onto the platen 443. The conveyance direction of the sheet 430 is also referred to as “sub-scanning direction” indicated by “SSD” in
The head 411 is driven in response to print signals while the carriage 405 moves in the main scanning direction MSD, to discharge the liquid of a desired color to the sheet 430 stopped, thus printing one line of an image on the sheet 430. Then, the sheet 430 is fed by a predetermined distance to print next line of the image. The above-described operations of feeding and printing are repeated to form a desired image on the sheet 430, and then the sheet 430 is ejected.
The liquid discharge apparatus 400 includes the head maintenance device that includes the wiping device 1 according to the present disclosure as described above. Thus, the liquid discharge apparatus 400 can clean the nozzle surface 20a to enable the head 411 to perform stable liquid discharge. Further, the wiping cartridge 100 can reduce the size of the liquid discharge apparatus 400.
In the above embodiments, the wiping cartridge 100 as a roll unit using a wiping member such as the web 2 as the belt-like member, the wiping device 1 as the roll apparatus, the head maintenance device, and the liquid discharge apparatus 400 are described. However, the web 2 (belt-like member) is not limited to a wiping member. For example, the wiping cartridge 100 according to the present disclosure may be applied to a roll unit, a roll apparatus, for example, using a rolled sheet.
In other words, an object to be wound onto the feeding roll 2A and the winding roll 2B is not limited only to the web 2. The present disclosure may be applied the object as long as the object is generally wound in a roll shape (belt-like member) such as paper such as roll paper, label, tape, fabric for clothing, and the like.
Also, the thickness and the material of the web member are not limited. A feeding route (rolling arrangement) of the web 2 and an arrangement of the feeding roll 2A and a winding roll 2B may be appropriately changed according to the application of a roll device and a roll apparatus.
The wiping cartridge 100 according to the present disclosure is particularly effective for a product in which a total weight of the web 2 wound as the feeding roll 2A is small for an easier movement of a roll.
In the present disclosure, discharged liquid is not limited to a particular liquid as long as the liquid has a viscosity or surface tension to be discharged from a head (liquid discharge head). However, preferably, the viscosity of the liquid is not greater than 30 mPa·s under ordinary temperature and ordinary pressure or by heating or cooling. Examples of the liquid include a solution, a suspension, or an emulsion that contains, for example, a solvent, such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant, such as dye or pigment, a functional material, such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a biocompatible material, such as DNA, amino acid, protein, or calcium, or an edible material, such as a natural colorant. Such a solution, a suspension, or an emulsion can be used for, e.g., inkjet ink, surface treatment solution, a liquid for forming components of electronic element or light-emitting element or a resist pattern of electronic circuit, or a material solution for three-dimensional fabrication.
Examples of an energy source to generate energy to discharge liquid include a piezoelectric actuator (a laminated piezoelectric element or a thin-film piezoelectric element), a thermal actuator that employs a thermoelectric conversion element, such as a heating resistor, and an electrostatic actuator including a diaphragm and opposed electrodes.
The “liquid discharge device” is an assembly of parts relating to liquid discharge. The term “liquid discharge device” represents a structure including the head and a functional part(s) or mechanism combined to the head to form a single unit. For example, the “liquid discharge device” includes a combination of the head with at least one of a head tank, a carriage, a supply unit, a maintenance unit, and a main scan moving unit.
Here, examples of the single unit include a combination in which the head and a functional part(s) are secured to each other through, e.g., fastening, bonding, or engaging, and a combination in which one of the head and a functional part(s) is movably held by another. The head may be detachably attached to the functional part(s) or unit(s) s each other.
For example, the head and the head tank may form the liquid discharge device as a single unit. Alternatively, the head and the head tank coupled (connected) with a tube or the like may form the liquid discharge device as a single unit. A unit including a filter can be added at a position between the head tank and the head of the liquid discharge device.
In another example, a liquid discharge head and a carriage may form the liquid discharge device as a single unit.
In still another example, the liquid discharge device includes the head movably held by a guide that forms part of a main scan moving unit, so that the head and the main scan moving unit form a single unit. The liquid discharge device may include the head, the carriage, and the main scan moving unit that form a single unit.
In still another example, a cap that forms part of a maintenance unit may be secured to the carriage mounting the head so that the head, the carriage, and the maintenance unit form a single unit to form the liquid discharge device.
Further, in another example, the liquid discharge device includes tubes connected to the head tank or the channel member mounted on the head so that the head and a supply assembly form a single unit. Liquid is supplied from a liquid reservoir source to the head via the tube.
Examples of the main scan moving unit include a single guide member. The supply assembly may include only a tube(s) or a loading unit.
The term “liquid discharge apparatus” used herein also represents an apparatus including the head or the liquid discharge device to discharge liquid by driving the head. The liquid discharge apparatus may be, for example, an apparatus capable of discharging liquid to a material to which liquid can adhere or an apparatus to discharge liquid toward gas or into liquid.
The “liquid discharge apparatus” may include devices to feed, convey, and eject the material on which liquid can adhere. The liquid discharge apparatus may further include a pretreatment apparatus to coat a treatment liquid onto the material, and a post-treatment apparatus to coat a treatment liquid onto the material, onto which the liquid has been discharged.
The “liquid discharge apparatus” may be, for example, an image forming apparatus to form an image on a sheet by discharging ink, or a three-dimensional fabrication apparatus to discharge a fabrication liquid to a powder layer in which powder material is formed in layers to form a three-dimensional fabrication object.
The “liquid discharge apparatus” is not limited to an apparatus to discharge liquid to visualize meaningful images, such as letters or figures. For example, the liquid discharge apparatus may be an apparatus to form arbitrary images, such as arbitrary patterns, or fabricate three-dimensional images.
The above-described term “material on which liquid can be adhered” represents a material on which liquid is at least temporarily adhered, a material on which liquid is adhered and fixed, or a material into which liquid is adhered to permeate. Examples of the “material onto which liquid adheres” include recording media such as a paper sheet, recording paper, and a recording sheet of paper, film, and cloth, electronic components such as an electronic substrate and a piezoelectric element, and media such as a powder layer, an organ model, and a testing cell. The “material onto which liquid adheres” includes any material on which liquid adheres unless particularly limited.
Examples of the “material on which liquid can be adhered” include any materials on which liquid can be adhered even temporarily, such as paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, and ceramic.
The “liquid discharge apparatus” may be an apparatus to relatively move the head and a material on which liquid can be adhered. However, the liquid discharge apparatus is not limited to such an apparatus. For example, the liquid discharge apparatus may be a serial head apparatus that moves the head or a line head apparatus that does not move the head.
Examples of the “liquid discharge apparatus” further include a treatment liquid coating apparatus to discharge a treatment liquid to a sheet to coat the treatment liquid on the surface of the sheet to reform the sheet surface and an injection granulation apparatus in which a composition liquid including raw materials dispersed in a solution is injected through nozzles to granulate fine particles of the raw materials.
The terms “image formation”, “recording”, “printing”, “image printing”, and “fabricating” used herein may be used synonymously with each other.
Numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Such modifications and variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims.
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