Dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus and dyeing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12227018-B2
Application number	US-202117534901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2021
Priority date	Nov 25, 2020
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus manufactures a dye-deposited base body. The dye-deposited base body is used in a dyeing step of dyeing a resin body. A dye to be transferred to the resin body is deposited to a base body. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus is provided with a printing device, a conveyance device, and a base body movement device. The printing device prints a dye for dyeing the resin body on the base body. The conveyance device conveys a dyeing tray on which the dye-deposited resin body on which the dye is printed by the printing device is placed. The base body movement device moves the dye-deposited base body from a printing position by the printing device to a side of the conveyance device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus for the manufacture of a dye-deposited base body to which a dye to be transferred to a resin body is deposited for use in a dyeing step of dyeing the resin body, the dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a printing device that prints a dye on a printing surface of a base body having a sheet-shape;
a conveyance device that conveys a dyeing tray on which the resin body is placed;
a base body placing device that places the dye-deposited base body on which the dye is printed by the printing device at a predetermined position on the dyeing tray in the conveyance device; and
a base body movement device that moves the dye-deposited base body from a printing position by the printing device to a side of the conveyance device by delivering the dye-deposited base body from the printing position to the base body placing device;
wherein the base body placing device has a base body holding unit that holds the base body in a state where the base body holding unit is in contact with a reverse surface of the base body that is opposite to the printing surface; and
wherein a contact surface of the base body holding unit in contact with the reverse surface of the base body is a flat surface.

2. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the printing device includes a carriage that moves a head ejecting the dye in a main scanning direction with respect to the base body, and
the base body movement device also serves as a sub-scanning device that moves the base body in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction during printing of the dye by the printing device.

3. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the printing device includes an operation unit to which an operation instruction is input by an operation of an operator and which faces a front side of the printing device, and
the conveyance device is disposed on a side opposite to the front side of the printing device.

4. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the base body movement device includes:
a base body support unit having a support surface on which the base body is placed; and
a suction hole formed on the support surface of the base body support unit, and

the base body is adsorbed on the support surface of the base body support unit by sucking gas from the suction hole.

5. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein a plurality of the suction holes are provided at least along an outer peripheral portion of the support surface of the base body support unit.

6. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the base body includes a metal layer.

7. A dyeing system comprising:
the dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a transfer device that transfers a dye of a dye-deposited base body, to which the dye is deposited, manufactured by the dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus to a resin body; and
a dye fixing device that heats the resin body to which the dye is transferred by the transfer device to fix the dye deposited on a surface of the resin base body to the resin body.

Assignees

• Nidek Kk

Inventors

• Shibata Ryoji
• Inuzuka Minoru
• Abe Koji
• Tanaka Motoshi

Classifications

• B29D11/00903

  on the surface · CPC title

• B29D11/00009 Primary

  Production of simple or compound lenses · CPC title

• B41J3/40731

  Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects · 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

• B29D11/00259

  Plants for the production of contact lenses · CPC title