Printing apparatus and accommodation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11203198-B2
Application number	US-201616462340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

A printing apparatus of the present disclosure is for performing printing of a viscous fluid onto a print target using a screen mask, the printing apparatus including: a moving section configured to perform at least one of moving an exchangeable member to an exchange position or loading and unloading of the exchangeable member, for at least two types of the exchangeable member that, out of a cartridge configured to house the viscous fluid, a squeegee, a screen mask, a cleaning member used to clean the screen mask, and a support member configured to fix the print target, include at least one out of the cartridge, the squeegee, and the cleaning member; and an exchange control section configured to control the moving section to perform exchange processing of exchanging the exchangeable member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus for performing printing of a viscous fluid onto a print target using a screen mask, the printing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of exchangeable members including at least two of a cartridge configured to house the viscous fluid, a squeegee, a screen mask, a cleaning member used to clean the screen mask, and a support member configured to fix the print target the plurality of exchangeable members including at least one of the cartridge, the squeegee, and the cleaning member;
a moving section configured to perform at least one of loading and unloading one exchangeable member of the plurality of exchangeable members, the moving section including a printing head that is movable in a horizontal direction and a conveyance rod provided in the printing head and movable in a vertical direction;
a mask work section including a mask fixing section which positions the screen mask, and a conveyance rail which guides the screen mask, the mask work section being disposed below the moving section;
a board fixing section provided below the mask work section, the board fixing section configured to move the print target towards and away from the screen mask and including a support table on which the support member is arranged;
a cleaning section configured to clean a lower surface of the screen mask and provided between the mask work section and the board fixing section in the vertical direction, the cleaning section including a cleaning module including the cleaning member and capable of exchanging the cleaning member;
an accommodation apparatus including
an accommodation section configured to accommodate the plurality of exchangeable members, the accommodation section being provided with a plurality of conveyance conveyors provided at multiple levels in the vertical direction, each of the conveyance conveyors to perform loading and unloading of one of the plurality of exchangeable members to and from the accommodation section; and
a raising and lowering section configured to raise and lower the accommodation section; and

a controller configured to perform exchange processing of exchanging the one exchangeable member, the controller configured to
move the raising and lowering section such that one of the conveyance conveyors of the plurality of conveyance conveyors corresponding to the one exchangeable member is at an exchange height,
move the moving section to move the one exchangeable member to an exchange position, and perform the exchange of the one exchangeable member.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further including
a reading section configured to read identification information provided on each exchangeable member of the plurality of exchangeable members.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is configured to cause the reading section to read, during printing, the identification information of a target member for exchange accommodated in the accommodation apparatus.

4. The printing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the controller is configured to, when making the reading section read the identification information of the target member for exchange, output a command to the accommodation apparatus such that the target member for exchange accommodated in the accommodation apparatus is moved to a reading position.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the accommodation section is configured to accommodate one of the exchangeable members in a state attached to a holder.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein during the exchange of the one exchangeable member, the controller is configured to move the moving section such that the conveyance rod moves the one exchangeable member to the one of the conveyance conveyors of the plurality of conveyance conveyors.

Assignees

• Fuji Corp

Inventors

• Hirukawa Ritsuo
• Kondo Takeshi
• Kato Mitsuaki
• Torii Atsushi
• Iisaka Jun

Classifications

• B41F15/40 Primary

  Inking units · CPC title

• B41F15/0881

  for printing on polyhedral articles · CPC title

• B41P2235/246

  Pressing the cleaning cloth against the cylinder · CPC title

• B41F35/00

  Cleaning arrangements or devices {(in manifolding apparatus or the like B41L41/00)} · CPC title

• B41F35/005 Primary

  for flat screens · CPC title