Apparatus for processing a substrate on a support body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701104-B2
Application number	US-201615341862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for processing a substrate on a support body. The apparatus comprises the support body, at least one registration member, a carriage unit and a controller. The support body is arranged for supporting the substrate. The at least one registration member is adapted for registering the substrate on the support body by engaging the substrate in contact to the at least one registration member, when the at least one registration member is arranged into a registering state. The carriage unit is movably arranged relative to the support body for processing the substrate. The control unit is arranged for executing the steps of: a) selecting a position of the substrate on the support body; b) selecting a first registering position on the support body of a first registration member for registering the substrate at the selected position on the support body in the registering state, when engaging the substrate in contact with the first registration member being arranged in the first registering position; and c) moving the carriage unit relative to the support body to a processing position for processing the substrate, when the substrate is registered at the selected position on the support body by engaging the substrate in contact with the first registration member, which is arranged in the registering state in the first registering position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate on a support body, the apparatus comprising the support body, at least one registration member, a carriage unit and a control unit; the support body being arranged for supporting the substrate; the at least one registration member being adapted for registering the substrate on the support body by engaging the substrate in contact to the at least one registration member, when the at least one registration member is arranged into a registering state; the carriage unit being movably arranged relative to the support body for processing the substrate; wherein the control unit is arranged for executing the steps of:
a) selecting a position of the substrate on the support body;
b) selecting a first registering position on the support body of a first registration member for registering the substrate at the selected position on the support body in the registering state, when engaging the substrate in contact with the first registration member being arranged in the first registering position; and
c) moving the carriage unit relative to the support body to a processing position for processing the substrate, when the substrate is registered at the selected position on the support body by engaging the substrate in contact with the first registration member, which is arranged in the registering state in the first registering position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further arranged for:
d) selecting a second registering position on the support body of a second registration member, the second registering position being selected for registering the substrate on the selected position on the support body in the registering state in cooperation with the first registration member, when engaging the substrate in contact with the first registration member and second registration member at the same time.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first registering position and the second registering position of the first and second registration member, respectively, are selected based on a shape of the substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further arranged for:
e) selecting a skew orientation of the substrate on the support body in the selected position; and
Wherein the first registering position and the second registering position of the first registration member and second registration member, respectively, are selected based on the selected skew orientation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a registration actuator mechanism for positioning each registration member on the support body in the registering state, and wherein the control unit is further arranged for:
f) controlling the registration actuator mechanism to arrange the first registration member in the registering state at the selected first registering position on the support body.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the registration actuator mechanism is movably arranging relative to the support body, and wherein step f) comprises further the step of moving the registration actuator mechanism relative to the support body towards the first registering position for arranging the first registration member at the selected first registering position in the registering state.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the registration actuator mechanism comprises a plurality of registration units distributed inside the support body, each registration unit comprising a registration member and an actuator for arranging the registration member into the registering state, the actuator being controllable by the control unit; wherein in step b) the control unit selects the first registering position based on the locations of the plurality of registration units in the support body; and in step f) the control unit controls the actuator of the registration unit at the selected first registering position to arrange its registration member, being the first registration member, into the registering state at the selected first registering position.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further arranged for:
g) indicating to an operator the first registering position on the support body for arranging the first registration member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein step g) comprises projecting a light mark on the support body at the first registering position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit further comprises a user interface for receiving instructions from an operator, and the control unit is further arranged for:
h) waiting for an instruction from the operator that the first registration member is arranged in the registering state at the first registering position on the support body; and
i) in response to said instruction, indicating to an operator a second registering position on the support body for arranging a second registration member in the registering state for registering the substrate at the selected position.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one registration member is connectable to the support body, each registration member comprising a positioning element for connecting the first registration member to the support body in the registering state; and an aligning edge for contacting the substrate and wherein in step b) the first registering position is selected further based on a predetermined distance between the positioning element and the aligning edge to register the substrate at the selected position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is arranged for:
j) selecting the first registration member from a set of registration members having differing distances between the positioning element and the aligning edge based on a distance between the position of the substrate selected in step a) and the first registering position selected in step b).

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is arranged for:
k) selecting the first registration member from a set of registration members having an aligning edge of differing shapes based on a shape of the substrate.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support body comprises a plurality of receiving elements distributed on positions over the support body for retaining a registration member in the registering state at the respective positions, and wherein in step b) the first registering position is selected from one of the positions of said plurality of receiving elements.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a printing apparatus, wherein the printing apparatus further comprises a print head assembly arranged for providing an image on the substrate, when the substrate is registered in the selected position, wherein the print head assembly is mounted to the carriage unit.

16. A method for processing a substrate on a support body of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprising the support body, a registration member, a carriage unit, and a control unit, wherein:
the support body is arranged for supporting the substrate and is provided with a plurality of spaced apart registering positions;
the registration member is adapted for registering the substrate on the support body by engaging the substrate in contact to the registration member, when the registration member is arranged into a registering state;
the carriage unit is movably arranged relative to the support body for processing the sub

Assignees

• Oce Holding Bv

Inventors

• Nijkamp Aart

Classifications

• B41F21/00 Primary

  Devices for conveying sheets through printing apparatus or machines (through platen presses B41F1/28) · CPC title

• B41J13/26

  Registering devices · CPC title

• B41J13/32

  Means for positioning sheets in two directions under one control, e.g. for format control or orthogonal sheet positioning · CPC title

• B65H9/04 Primary

  Fixed or adjustable stops or gauges (gauge pins B65H9/02) · CPC title

• B65H2406/351

  facing the surface of the handled material · CPC title