Inkjet print apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370218-B2
Application number	US-202117150521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 27, 2020
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

An inkjet print apparatus includes a print head discharging ink onto a substrate, the print head including a first heater; a reservoir storing the ink; a first pipe supplying the ink to the reservoir; a second pipe collecting surplus ink; a mixing unit located on the first pipe and mixing the ink; a pump located on the second pipe and pressurizing and supplying the surplus ink to the reservoir; a temperature sensor located between the mixing unit and the print head and sensing a temperature of the ink; and a controller controlling a temperature of at least one of the first heater and the second heater in response to information received from the temperature sensor. The print head includes a heat insulator blocking heat emitted from the first heater between the substrate and the first heater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet print apparatus comprising:
a print head discharging ink onto a substrate, the print head including a first heater heating the ink;
a reservoir storing the ink;
a first pipe supplying the ink to the reservoir from the print head;
a second pipe collecting surplus ink to the reservoir from the print head;
a mixing unit located on the first pipe, the mixing unit including a second heater heating the ink, the mixing unit mixing the ink;
a pump located on the second pipe, the pump pressurizing the surplus ink and supplying the surplus ink to the reservoir;
a temperature sensor located on the first pipe between the mixing unit and the print head, the temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the ink; and
a controller controlling a temperature of at least one of the first heater and the second heater in response to information received from the temperature sensor,
wherein the print head comprises a heat insulator blocking heat emitted from the first heater between the substrate and the first heater.

2. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the print head comprises a nozzle discharging the ink, and
the heat insulator comprises an opening overlapping the nozzle in a thickness direction.

3. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling unit located on the second pipe between the pump and the reservoir, the cooling unit cooling the surplus ink.

4. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cooling unit comprises a thermoelement.

5. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cooling unit maintains a temperature of the surplus ink to be equal to a temperature of the ink initially supplied to the print head from the reservoir.

6. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller maintains a temperature of the print head to be equal to that of the ink heated by the second heater, through the first heater.

7. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second heater comprises a thermoelement or a silicon rubber heater.

8. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing unit comprises a static mixer or a mixer using a surface acoustic wave (SAW).

9. An inkjet print apparatus comprising:
a print head discharging ink onto a substrate, the print head including a first heater heating the ink;
a reservoir storing the ink;
a first pipe supplying the ink to the reservoir from the print head;
a second pipe collecting surplus ink to the reservoir from the print head;
a mixing unit located on the first pipe, the mixing unit including a second heater heating the ink, the mixing unit mixing the ink;
a pump located on the second pipe, the pump pressurizing the surplus ink and supplying the surplus ink to the reservoir;
a temperature sensor located on the first pipe between the mixing unit and the print head, the temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the ink;
a first pressure sensor located on the first pipe between the mixing unit and the print head, the first pressure sensor sensing a pressure of the ink; and
a controller controlling a temperature of at least one of the first heater and the second heater in response to information received from the temperature sensor,
wherein the print head comprises a heat insulator blocking heat emitted from the first heater between the substrate and the first heater.

10. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 9 , wherein, in case that the pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor is higher than a predetermined pressure, the controller heats the ink to a predetermined temperature corresponding to the sensed pressure, through the first heater.

11. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a second pressure sensor located on the second pipe between the print head and the pump, the second pressure sensor sensing a pressure of the surplus ink.

12. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, in case that a difference between the pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor and the pressure sensed by the second pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined range, the controller heats the ink in proportion to the difference between the pressures, through the first heater.

13. An inkjet print apparatus comprising:
a print head discharging ink;
a solvent circulating unit supplying a solvent comprised in the ink to the print head; and
a particle circulating unit supplying a particle-containing solution comprised in the ink to the print head,
wherein the solvent circulating unit comprises:
a first reservoir storing the solvent;
a first pipe supplying the solvent to the print head from the first reservoir; and
a second pipe collecting a surplus solvent comprised in surplus ink to the first reservoir from the print head,

wherein the particle circulating unit comprises:
a particle supply unit supplying the particle-containing solution to the first pipe;
a second reservoir located on the second pipe, the second reservoir storing the surplus ink;
a third pipe collecting a surplus particle-containing solution separated from the surplus solvent of the surplus ink to the particle supply unit from the second reservoir;
a concentration sensor located on the first pipe between the particle supply unit and the print head, the concentration sensor sensing a concentration of the ink; and
a supply controller controlling a supply amount of the particle-containing solution in response to information received from the concentration sensor.

14. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the particle supply unit comprises:
a third reservoir storing the collected surplus particle-containing solution; and
a first pump supplying the surplus particle-containing solution to the first pipe from the third reservoir.

15. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, in case that the concentration of the ink, which is sensed by the concentration sensor, is lower than a predetermined concentration, the supply controller increases the supply amount of the particle-containing solution through the first pump.

16. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a second pump located on the third pipe, the second pump pressurizing the surplus particle-containing solution and supplying the surplus particle-containing solution to the particle supply unit.

17. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second reservoir separates the surplus ink into the surplus solvent and the surplus particle-containing solution by using a surface acoustic wave (SAW).

18. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the print head comprises a first heater heating the ink.

19. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a mixing unit located on the first pipe between the particle supply unit and the concentration sensor,
wherein the mixing unit comprises a second heater heating the ink and mixes the solvent and the particle-containing solution.

20. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a temperature sensor located on the first pipe between the mixing unit and the print head, the temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the ink.

21. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 19 , comprising a controller controlling a temperature of the print head to be equal to that of the ink heated by the second heater, through the first heater.

22. The inkjet print apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the mixing unit comprises a static mixer or a mixer using a surface acoustic wave (SAW).

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Futoshi
• Min Cheong Wan
• Han Min A
• Pahk Jae Bum
• Yi Jeong Ho
• Jeong Heung Cheol
• Huh Myung Soo

Classifications

• B41J3/4073

  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

• B41J2/17566 Primary

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2/14088

  Structure of heating means · CPC title

• B41J2/04515 Primary

  preventing overheating · CPC title

• B41J2/072

  by thermal compensation · CPC title