Roll-to-roll printing systems and methods for fabricating print roller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931664-B2
Application number	US-201314057320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A multiple degrees of freedom control apparatus for a roll-to-roll printing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roll-to-roll printing system, comprising:
a print roller configured to print on a web;
an impression roller configured to impress the web onto the print roller such that the web is printed by the print roller; and
a multiple degrees of freedom control apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a first set of activators; and
a first mechanism comprising:
two integral flexures configured to support opposite ends of the print roller, respectively, wherein the first set of activators are arranged to act on the two integral flexures, causing elastic deformation of the two integral flexures such that each of the opposite ends of the print roller supported by one of the two integral flexures independently moves in a first and a second directions perpendicular to each other, so as to control the print roller in respect of four degrees of freedom, and each of the integral flexures comprises:
a center stage for bearing one of the ends of the print roller;
a stationary frame;
an intermediate stage between the center stage and the stationary frame;
a single-piece leaf or single-beam structure for connecting the center stage with the intermediate stage of the integral flexure, wherein the single-piece leaf or single-beam structure is configured to deform so as to provide the four degrees of freedom of movement of the print roller.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second mechanism for controlling the web.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism is configured such that any of opposite ends of the print roller independently moves in a first and a second directions perpendicular to each other.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second mechanism is configured such that the web is capable of moving transversely to its running direction.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a third mechanism for controlling the print roller, wherein the third mechanism is configured to spin the print roller.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second mechanism comprises:
a web-guiding unit with at least two upper rollers and a lower rotary frame for supporting and rotating along with the upper rollers; and
a second set of activators arranged to be connected to the lower rotary frame for enabling rotation of the lower rotary frame and thus of the two upper rollers.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second mechanism comprises:
at least three guiding rollers on which the web is guided, at least one of the guiding rollers is configured to swing in an in-plane or out-of-plane manner such that the web can move transversely to its running direction; and
a second set of activators connected to the guide rollers and enable the swing.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the print roller is made of transparent materials.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the transparent materials comprise glass or quartz.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a contact pressure control apparatus,
wherein the apparatus comprises sensors configured to be connected to the impression roller so as to determine a contact pressure distribution between the impression roller and the web in a real time manner.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensors comprise two load cells which are affixed to opposite ends of the impression roller, respectively.

12. A method for fabricating the roll-to-roll printing system of claim 1 , comprising:
transferring patterns to be printed in the roll-to-roll printing system from a silicon wafer to a first layer of PDMS coated on the silicon wafer;
bonding the first layer of PDMS with a second layer of PDMS of the print roller so as to bond an elastomeric stamp onto the print roller;
locating the impression roller above the print roller; and
connecting the impression roller and the print roller to the apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises, before the transferring, dip-coating the print roller with a second layer of PDMS.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dip-coating comprises:
lowering the print roller within a body of PDMS; and
spinning the print roller and simultaneously moving the print roller apart from the body of PDMS such that the print roller is coated with the second layer of PDMS.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises, before the transferring:
spin-coating the first layer of PDMS on the silicon wafer having the patterns; and
curing the first layer of PDMS on the silicon wafer such that the patterns are transferred to the first layer of PDMS.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bonding comprises rolling the print roller coated with the second layer of PDMS along the silicon wafer coated with the first layer of PDMS such that the first and the second layers of PDMS are bonded tightly with each other.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method comprises, after the transferring and before the bonding,
treating, by means of plasma, the print roller coated with the second layer of PDMS and the silicon wafer coated with the first layer of PDMS so as to improve the adhesion between the first and second layers of PDMS.

Assignees

• Univ Hong Kong Chinese

Inventors

• Chen Shih-Chi
• Zhou Xi
• Cheng Jiyi

Classifications

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B41C1/18

  Curved printing formes or printing cylinders {(B41C1/10, B41C1/14 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C1/0808 Primary

  Details thereof, e.g. surface characteristics · CPC title

• B05C1/0834

  the coating roller co-operating with other rollers, e.g. dosing, transfer rollers · CPC title

• B41C1/184 Primary

  by transfer of the design to the cylinder, e.g. from a lithographic printing plate; by drawing the pattern on the cylinder; by direct cutting of the pattern on the cylinder · CPC title