Three-dimensional object printing apparatus and three-dimensional object printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043044-B2
Application number	US-202217689107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2022
Priority date	Mar 9, 2021
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle surface; a robot that has a base portion that supports the head, and changes a position of the head with respect to the base portion; and a cap portion having a fixed position to the base portion to cover the nozzle surface, in which the three-dimensional object printing apparatus is configured to execute: a capping operation of causing the robot to locate the head at a position at which the nozzle surface is covered with the cap portion, and a printing operation of causing the head to eject the liquid to a work with respect to the work, and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the capping operation and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the printing operation are different from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional object printing apparatus comprising:
a head having a nozzle surface provided with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid;
a robot that has a base portion and an arm portion that supports the head, is provided with a plurality of rotating portions from the base portion to the arm portion, and changes a position of the head with respect to the base portion by rotating one of the plurality of rotating portions;
a cap portion that covers the nozzle surface; and
a controller configured to execute:
a capping operation in which the controller causes the robot to locate the head at a first position at which the nozzle surface is covered with the cap portion; and
a printing operation in which the controller causes the robot to change a position of the head with respect to a work at a second position while the head ejects the liquid to the work, wherein

when a first axis is along a direction perpendicular to an installation surface of the base portion, a second axis is perpendicular to the first axis, a third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis, and a yaw angle of the head is an amount of rotation around the first axis from a reference posture of the head,
an amount of the yaw angle of the head during the execution of the capping operation and an amount of the yaw angle of the head during the execution of the printing operation are different from each other.

2. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when two positions through which the head passes during the execution of the printing operation are defined as third position and a fourth position and a pitch angle of the head is an amount of rotation around the second axis from the reference posture of the head,
an amount of the pitch angle of the head at the third position and an amount of the pitch angle of the head at the fourth position are different from each other.

3. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when a roll angle of the head is an amount of rotation around the third axis from the reference posture of the head,
the printing operation includes that the controller changes the position of the head with respect to the work while maintaining the amount of the yaw angle and the roll angle of the head to be constant.

4. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
|θ1-θ2|<θ3, in a plan view of the base portion,
when an arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles is defined as a nozzle row direction,
a virtual line segment coupling the head and the base portion during the execution of the printing operation is defined as a first line segment,
an angle formed by the first line segment and the nozzle row direction during the execution of the printing operation is defined as θ1,
a virtual line segment coupling the head and the base portion during the execution of the capping operation is defined as a second line segment,
an angle formed by the second line segment and the nozzle row direction during the execution of the capping operation is defined as θ2, and
an angle formed by the first line segment and the second line segment is θ3.

5. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to execute:
a first movement operation in which the controller causes the robot to move the head within a period from an execution end of the capping operation to an execution start of the printing operation, and

when among the plurality of rotating portions,
a rotating portion closest to the base portion is defined as a first rotating portion, and
a rotating portion farthest from the base portion is defined as a second rotating portion,
an amount of rotation of the second rotating portion over an execution period of the first movement operation is smaller than an amount of rotation of the first rotating portion over the execution period of the first movement operation.

6. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is further configured to execute:
a second movement operation in which the controller causes the robot to move the head within a period from an execution end of the printing operation to an execution start of the capping operation, and

an amount of rotation of the second rotating portion over an execution period of the second movement operation is smaller than an amount of rotation of the first rotating portion over the execution period of the second movement operation.

7. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
a change of the yaw angle of the head over the execution period of the first movement operation or the second movement operation is equal to or more than 45°.

8. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the change of the yaw angle of the head over the execution period of the first movement operation or the second movement operation is equal to or more than 90°.

9. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
at an execution end of the capping operation, the head is separated from the cap portion along a normal direction of the nozzle surface.

10. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
at an execution start of the capping operation, the head approaches the cap portion along a normal direction of the nozzle surface.

11. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the nozzle surface during the execution of the capping operation is horizontal.

12. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the cap portion is biased toward the nozzle surface during the execution of the capping operation.

13. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a suction mechanism that depressurizes a space formed between the cap portion and the nozzle surface during the execution of the capping operation.

14. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wiper portion that is disposed at a position adjacent to the cap portion, and wipes the nozzle surface.

15. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a supply pipe that supplies the liquid to the head, wherein
the supply pipe is provided outside the arm portion.

16. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive wiring that supplies an electrical signal for driving the head to the head, wherein
the drive wiring is provided outside the arm portion.

17. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when a pitch angle of the head is an amount of rotation around the second axis from the reference posture of the head and a roll angle of the head is an amount of rotation around the third axis from the reference posture of the head,
an amount of the pitch angle of the head at the first position is equal to an amount of the pitch angle of the head at the second position,
an amount of the roll angle of the head at the first position is equal to an amount of the roll angle at the second position.

18. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first axis is along a vertical axis, and
the nozzle surface during the execution of the capping op

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Shinichi
• Abe Yuta
• Matsuura Yuichiro
• Ishii Yuki

Classifications

• B05B13/002

  Machines or plants for applying coating liquids or other fluent materials by inkjet · CPC title

• B05B13/0431

  with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces · CPC title

• B05B15/52

  for removal of clogging particles · CPC title

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16514

  creating a distance between cap and printhead, e.g. for suction or pressurising · CPC title