System and method for pivoting a printhead in a direct-to-object printer during printing of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10226951-B1
Application number	US-201715812097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Nov 14, 2017
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A direct-to-object printer includes a printhead pivoting subsystem. The printhead pivoting subsystem includes an actuator that rotates a frame in which a plurality of printheads is mounted. This rotation pivots the printheads about a pivot position to enable the printheads to change orientation with reference to a surface of an object being printed to accommodate contours of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system comprising:
a frame having:
a pair of cross-members, each cross-member being parallel to a longitudinal axis of the at least one printhead;
a pair of parallel members that are perpendicular to the pair of cross-members to form the frame as a rectangle;
a rotating member operatively connected to at least one of the cross-members; and
a first actuator operatively connected to the rotating member;

at least one printhead, the at least one printhead being mounted to the frame and being configured to eject marking material;
a second actuator operatively connected to the frame, the second actuator being configured to rotate the frame about a pivot;
a holder configured to hold an object opposite the frame and the at least one printhead; and
a controller operatively connected to the first actuator, the second actuator, and the at least one printhead, the controller being configured to operate the first actuator to rotate the rotating member to move the frame and the at least one printhead in a plane that is parallel to the rectangular frame bidirectionally, to operate the second actuator to pivot the frame and the at least one printhead about the pivot, and to operate the at least one printhead to eject marking material onto the object held by the holder.

2. The printing system of claim 1 wherein the rotating member is a lead screw that extends through a threaded hole in the at least one of the cross-members.

3. The printing system of claim 2 , the frame further comprising:
a pair of channels for each printhead in the at least one printhead, each printhead in the at least one printhead being configured to slide bidirectionally in the pair of channels corresponding to the printhead;
a third actuator operatively connected to the at least one printhead; and
the controller being operatively connected to the third actuator, the controller being further configured to operate the third actuator to move each printhead in the at least one printhead within the channels corresponding to the printhead bidirectionally.

4. The printing system of claim 3 , the at least one printhead further comprising:
a plurality of printheads, each printhead being positioned within the one pair of channels corresponding to the printhead; and
the controller being further configured to operate the third actuator to move each printhead independently of the other printheads in the plurality of printheads.

5. The printing system of claim 4 further comprising:
a sensor configured to generate data indicative of a distance between the sensor and a portion of the object in the holder opposite the sensor; and
the controller being operatively connected to the sensor to receive the data generated by the sensor, the controller being configured to identify a distance between each printhead in the plurality of printheads and a portion of the object opposite each printhead with reference to the data generated by the sensor and to operate the third actuator to move each printhead in the plurality of printheads with reference to the identified distance for each printhead.

6. The printing system of claim 5 , the controller being further configured to operate the second actuator to pivot the frame and the plurality of printheads with reference to the identified distance for each printhead.

7. The printing system of claim 6 , the holder further comprising:
a cross-member;
a pair of members perpendicular to the cross-member to form a U-shaped frame, each member having an opening;
a pair of shafts, each shaft having a first end and a second end, the second end of each shaft terminating in a gripper and the first end of each shaft extending through the opening in one of the members in a mutually exclusive manner, each gripper being configured to hold a portion of the object to secure the object within the holder;
a fourth actuator operatively connected to the first end of one of the shafts, the fourth actuator being configured to rotate the one shaft; and
the controller being operatively connected to the fourth actuator, the controller being further configured to operate the fourth actuator to rotate the one shaft and the object held between the grippers.

8. The printing system of claim 7 , the fourth actuator being further configured to move the one shaft toward and away from the other shaft; and
the controller being further configured to operate the fourth actuator to move the shafts and the object bidirectionally along an axis aligned with the two shafts.

9. The printing system of claim 8 further comprising:
a user interface operatively connected to the controller, the user interface being configured to receive data identifying a shape and dimensions for the object between the grippers; and
the controller being further configured to operate the first actuator, the second actuator, the third actuator, and the fourth actuator with reference to the data identifying the shape and dimensions of the object in the holder received from the user interface.

10. The printing system of claim 9 , the user interface further comprising:
a reader of indicia associated with the object, the indicia corresponding to the data identifying the shape and dimensions of the object in the holder.

11. A method of operating a printing system comprising:
operating with a controller a first actuator operatively connected to a frame in which at least one printhead is mounted to pivot the frame and the at least one printhead about a pivot;
operating with the controller a second actuator operatively connected to a rotating member that is operatively connected to a cross-member of the frame to rotate the rotating member and move the frame and the at least one printhead in a plane that is parallel to the frame bidirectionally; and
operating the at least one printhead to eject marking material onto an object held by a holder at a position opposite the frame and the at least one printhead.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the operation of the second actuator rotates a lead screw that extends through a threaded hole in the cross-member.

13. The method of claim 12 , the frame further comprising:
operating with the controller a third actuator operatively connected to the at least one printhead to move each printhead in the at least one printhead bidirectionally within a pair of channels in the frame, each pair of channels corresponding to only one printhead in the at least one printhead.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
operating with the controller the third actuator to move each printhead in a plurality of printheads mounted within the frame independently of the other printheads in the plurality of printheads.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
generating with a sensor data indicative of a distance between the sensor and the portion of the object in the holder opposite the sensor;
identifying with the controller a distance between each printhead in the plurality of printheads and a portion of the object opposite each printhead with reference to the data generated by the sensor; and
operating the third actuator to move each printhead in the plurality of printheads with reference to the identified distance for each printhead.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
operating the first actuator with the controller to pivot the frame and the plurality of printheads with reference to the identified distance for each printhead.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
operate with the controller a fourth actuator operatively connected to

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Campbell Richard A

Classifications

• B41J3/40733

  Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles · CPC title

• B41J29/02

  Framework · CPC title

• B41J25/001 Primary

  Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title