Curved-surface screen-printing device, curved-surface screen-printing method, and production method for substrate having printing layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10675859-B2
Application number	US-201815982642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a curved surface screen printing apparatus performing printing on a surface to be printed of a base material having a curved surface, including: a screen plate formed with a pattern and arranged above the base material; a squeegee which is disposed above the screen plate and applies an ink to the surface to be printed of the base material through the screen plate; and a base material moving mechanism which moves the base material along a vertical plane and is capable of swinging the base material with respect to an axis orthogonal to the vertical plane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A screen printing apparatus for printing on a curved surface of a base material, comprising:
a screen plate formed with a pattern;
a squeegee fixed at a printing position and configured to apply an ink to a curved surface of a base material through the screen plate; and
a base material moving mechanism comprising a pedestal and configured such that the pedestal holds the base material and swings the curved surface of the base material in synchronization movement with the screen plate with respect to the squeegee fixed at the printing position,
wherein the base material moving mechanism comprises a horizontal moving table configured to move in a horizontal direction, a horizontal driving mechanism that drives the horizontal moving table to move in the horizontal direction, a vertical moving table positioned on the horizontal moving table and configured to move in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, a vertical driving mechanism that drives the vertical moving table to move in the vertical direction, a swinging table positioned on the vertical moving table and configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a swing driving mechanism that drives the swinging table to rotate about the axis.

2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a screen plate moving mechanism comprising an actuator which moves the screen plate horizontally in synchronization with movement of the base material on the pedestal.

3. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the horizontal driving mechanism, the vertical driving mechanism and the swing driving mechanism drive the base material in electrical synchronization with the screen plate moving mechanism.

4. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the base material moving mechanism is positioned on a lower side of the screen plate.

5. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pedestal has a surface shape which is substantially the same as a surface shape of the curved surface and is projected upwardly.

6. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pedestal has a front surface made of a resin.

7. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pedestal has a volume resistivity of 10 9 Ωm or less.

8. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pedestal comprises a suction mechanism that vacuum-sucks and holds the base material.

9. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base material moving mechanism is positioned on a lower side of the screen plate.

10. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pedestal has a surface shape which is substantially the same as a surface shape of the curved surface and is projected upwardly.

11. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pedestal has a front surface made of a resin.

12. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pedestal has a surface shape which is substantially the same as a surface shape of the curved surface and is projected upwardly.

13. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pedestal has a front surface made of a resin.

14. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pedestal has a volume resistivity of 10 9 Ωm or less.

15. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pedestal comprises a suction mechanism that vacuum-sucks and holds the base material.

16. A screen printing method for printing on a curved surface of a base material, comprising:
fixing a squeegee at a printing position such that the squeegee applies an ink to the curved surface of the base material through a screen plate;
holding the base material on a pedestal of a base material moving mechanism; and
swinging the curved surface of the base material held on the pedestal in synchronization movement with the screen plate with respect to the squeegee fixed at the printing position,
wherein the base material moving mechanism comprises a horizontal moving table configured to move in a horizontal direction, a horizontal driving mechanism that drives the horizontal moving table to move in the horizontal direction, a vertical moving table positioned on the horizontal moving table and configured to move in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, a vertical driving mechanism that drives the vertical moving table to move in the vertical direction, a swinging table positioned on the vertical moving table and configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a swing driving mechanism that drives the swinging table to rotate about the axis.

17. A method for manufacturing a print layer-attached base material, comprising:
providing a screen printing apparatus comprising a screen plate formed with a pattern, a squeegee fixed at a printing position and configured to apply an ink to a curved surface of a base material through the screen plate, and a base material moving mechanism comprising a pedestal and configured such that the pedestal holds the base material and swings the curved surface of the base material in synchronization movement with the screen plate with respect to the squeegee fixed at the printing position; and
holding the base material on the pedestal of the base material moving mechanism; and
swinging the curved surface of the base material held on the pedestal in synchronization movement with the screen plate with respect to the squeegee fixed at the printing position,
wherein the base material moving mechanism comprises a horizontal moving table configured to move in a horizontal direction, a horizontal driving mechanism that drives the horizontal moving table to move in the horizontal direction, a vertical moving table positioned on the horizontal moving table and configured to move in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, a vertical driving mechanism that drives the vertical moving table to move in the vertical direction, a swinging table positioned on the vertical moving table and configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a swing driving mechanism that drives the swinging table to rotate about the axis.

18. The method for manufacturing the print layer-attached base material according to claim 17 , wherein the screen plate is horizontally moved in synchronization with movement of the base material.

19. The method for manufacturing the print layer-attached base material according to claim 17 , wherein the base material is moved by the base material moving mechanism positioned on a lower side of the screen plate.

20. The method for manufacturing the print layer-attached base material according to claim 17 , wherein the pedestal has a surface shape which is substantially the same as a surface shape of the curved surface of the base material and is projected upwardly.

21. The method for manufacturing the print layer-attached base material according to claim 17 , wherein the pedestal has a volume resistivity of 10 9 Ωm or less.

Assignees

• Agc Inc

Inventors

• Ito Jun
• Watanabe Tomoya
• Watanabe Hidenobu

Classifications

• B41F15/423

  Driving means for reciprocating squeegees · CPC title

• B41F15/20

  with suction-operated elements · CPC title

• B41F15/0809 Primary

  with cylindrical or belt-like screens · CPC title

• B41M1/40

  Printing on bodies of particular shapes, e.g. golf balls, candles, wine corks {(sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design B41M5/035)} · CPC title

• B41M1/12 Primary

  Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing · CPC title