PRINTING APPARATUS

• US 20090060696A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd., Wiztec Co., Ltd. (Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd., Wiztec Co., Ltd. (Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masahiro, ANDO, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/507
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/005 Supports for workpieces; Devices for securing the workpieces to the supports
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/06 Flat page-size platens or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens B41J11/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4078 Printing on textile

Abstract

A printing apparatus including a pallet configured to receive a print substrate, a conveyer system configured to convey the pallet, and a plurality of work mechanisms arranged along a pallet conveying direction of the conveyer system. The work mechanisms are configured to conduct processing operations to the print substrate. The conveyer system includes an upper conveyer mechanism configured to sequentially convey the pallet to respective working positions of the work mechanisms, and a lower conveyer mechanism arranged below and along the upper conveyer mechanism. The lower conveyer mechanism is configured to convey the pallet in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction of the upper conveyer mechanism so that the conveyer system is structured to have an upper stage and a lower stage.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a pallet configured to receive a print substrate;

a conveyer system configured to convey said pallet; and

a plurality of work mechanisms arranged along a pallet conveying direction of said conveyer system, said work mechanisms being configured to conduct processing operations to the print substrate,

wherein said conveyer system comprises;

an upper conveyer mechanism configured to sequentially convey said pallet to respective working positions of said work mechanisms, and

a lower conveyer mechanism arranged below and along said upper conveyer mechanism, said lower conveyer mechanism being configured to convey said pallet in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction of said upper conveyer mechanism so that said conveyer system is structured to have an upper stage and a lower stage.

2. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conveyer system is composed of a plurality of conveyer units each of which has said upper conveyer mechanism and said lower conveyer mechanism for each of said work mechanisms and which are abutted to allow delivery of said pallet between the conveyer units.

3. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising delivering mechanisms that are disposed on both ends of said conveyer system, said delivering mechanisms being configured to deliver said pallet between said upper conveyer mechanism and said lower conveyer mechanism.

4. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said conveyer system is composed of a plurality of conveyer units each of which has said upper conveyer mechanism and said lower conveyer mechanism for each of said work mechanisms and which are abutted to allow delivery of said pallet between the conveyer units.

5. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said delivering mechanisms are configured to move to a first position to receive said pallet from or discharge said pallet to said upper conveyer mechanism, and wherein said delivering mechanisms are configured to move to a second position to discharge said pallet to or receive said pallet from said lower conveyer mechanism.

6. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said delivering mechanisms each include a conveyer mechanism configured to convey said pallet in the pallet conveying direction and in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction.

7. A printing apparatus comprising:

a pallet configured to receive a print substrate;

means for conveying said pallet; and

means for conducting processing operations to the print substrate, said means for conducting processing operations being arranged along a pallet conveying direction of said means for conveying said pallet,

wherein said means for conveying said pallet comprises;

an upper means for conveying said pallet sequentially to respective working positions of said means for conducting processing operations, and

a lower means for conveying said pallet arranged below and along said upper means for conveying said pallet, said lower means for conveying said pallet being configured to convey said pallet in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction of said upper means for conveying said pallet.

8. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for conveying said pallet is composed of a plurality of conveyer units each of which has said upper means for conveying said pallet and said lower means for conveying said pallet for each unit of said means for conducting processing operations and which are abutted to allow delivery of said pallet between the conveyer units.

9. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for delivering said pallet between said upper means for conveying said pallet and said lower means for conveying said pallet, said means for delivering said pallet being disposed on both ends of said means for conveying said pallet.

10. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means for conveying said pallet is composed of a plurality of conveyer units each of which has said upper means for conveying said pallet and said lower means for conveying said pallet for each unit of said means for conducting processing operations and which are abutted to allow delivery of said pallet between the conveyer units.

11. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means for delivering said pallet are configured to move to a first position to receive said pallet from or discharge said pallet to said upper means for conveying said pallet, and wherein said means for delivering said pallet are configured to move to a second position to discharge said pallet to or receive said pallet from said lower means for conveying said pallet.

12. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for delivering said pallet each include a means for conveying said pallet in the pallet conveying direction and in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction.

13. A method of printing on a print substrate, said method comprising:

conveying a pallet having a print substrate received thereon;

using an upper conveyer mechanism to convey the pallet to working positions to sequentially conduct processing operations to the print substrate along a pallet conveying direction; and

using a lower conveyer mechanism to covey the pallet in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction of the upper conveyer mechanism,

wherein the lower conveyer mechanism is arranged below and along the upper conveyer mechanism.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the upper conveyer mechanism and the lower conveyer mechanism are each composed of a plurality of conveyer units and are abutted to allow delivery of the pallet between the conveyer units.

15. The method apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising delivering the pallet between the upper conveyer mechanism and the lower conveyer mechanism.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the upper conveyer mechanism and the lower conveyer mechanism are each composed of a plurality of conveyer units and are abutted to allow delivery of the pallet between the conveyer units.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pallet is delivered by a delivering mechanism that moves to a first position to receive the pallet from or discharge the pallet to the upper conveyer mechanism, and to move to a second position to discharge the pallet to or receive the pallet from the lower conveyer mechanism.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the delivering mechanism includes a conveyer mechanism that conveys the pallet in the pallet conveying direction and in a direction opposite to the pallet conveying direction.