APPARATUS FOR REPEATABLE STAGING AND HOLDING OBJECTS IN A DIRECT TO OBJECT PRINTER USING AN ARRAY OF PINS

• US 20180281464A1
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bradway, Jeffrey J., Ruiz, Erwin, Fromm, Paul M., Hoover, Linn C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/02 Platens
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 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 Class Codes: B41J 3/40731 Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects

Abstract

A universal staging platen for many types of objects in Direct to Object printing has a datum surface which is configured to represent the plane of optimal print head distance. The universal staging platen has an array of small pins protruding from it that conform under spring load to an object placed on the datum surface. Once in a conformed state, an operator can lock the pin position so that the object is precisely positioned for acquisition by a gripper mechanism. An added benefit of locking the pin position is that subsequent copies of the object may be loaded without any additional alignment or setup. The distance the contour pins protrude through the datum surface may be adjusted so that the pin ends are sufficiently far away from the gripper mechanism being used.

Claims

1. A universal apparatus for staging objects and precisely holding the objects prior to removal therefrom by a gripper, comprising:

a support structure;

a datum plate connected to said support structure;

an array of contour pins positioned to extend a predetermined distance above said datum plate;

biasing members for biasing said array of contour pins against the weight of objects placed upon said datum plate;

a clamping plate through which said array of contour pins extend; and

at least one clamping member adapted to slide said clamping plate horizontally with respect to said datum plate to apply a clamping force to all of said array of contour pins and lock all of said array of contour pins in their clamped position.

2. The universal apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing members comprise elastic bands.

3. The universal apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing members comprise extension springs.

4. The universal apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing members comprise compression springs.

5. The universal apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking plate includes multiple compliant fingers used to clamp said array of contour pins as they extend through said datum plate, and wherein localized deflection of said array of contour pins generates sufficient clamping force to said locking plate without forcing said locking plate to stop its horizontal movement at the first pin it touches, thereby leaving the remaining pins un-clamped.

6. The universal apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one clamping member includes toggle clamps.

7. The universal apparatus of claim 1, wherein said universal apparatus is incorporated into a Direct to Object Printer.

8. The universal apparatus of claim 7, including a lower guide plate and guide pins extending vertically through said lower guide, datum plate and support structure.

9. The universal apparatus of claim 8, wherein height of said array of contour pins above said datum plate can be adjusted by sliding said lower guide relative to said datum plate.

10. The universal apparatus of claim 8, wherein said biasing members force pinheads of said array of contour pins against a bottom surface of said lower guide plate.

11. The universal apparatus of claim 7, including integration members for attaching said universal apparatus to said Direct to Object Printer.

12. The universal apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one clamping member is adapted to slide said lower guide plate horizontally with respect to said datum plate to apply a clamping force thereto.

13. A staging platen for precisely presenting objected for pickup by a gripper device, comprising:

a datum frame;

a datum plate positioned within said datum frame;

a lower guide plate;

guide pins connecting said datum frame and said lower guide plate;

an array of contour pins protruding through said lower frame and said datum plate, said contour pins protruding a predetermined distance beyond a top surface of said datum plate;

biasing members connected to said array of contour pins and configured to conform under load to an object placed upon said datum plate; and

a locking plate for clamping said array of contour pins, said locking plate configured to move laterally to lock said array of contour pins against movement.

14. The staging platen of claim 13, wherein said locking plate includes compliant fingers that generate sufficient clamping force through localized deflection of said array of contour pins without forcing said locking plate to stop its lateral movement at the first pin it touches.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein adjustment of said lower guide plate relative to said datum plate determines how far said array of contour pins protrude above said datum plate.

16. The staging platen of claim 15, biasing pinheads of said array of contour pins against a bottom surface of said lower guide plate.

17. The staging platen of claim 13, wherein said biasing members include compression springs.

18. The staging platen of claim 13, wherein said biasing members include extension springs.

19. The staging platen of claim 13, including toggle clamps configured to move said locking plate laterally to lock said array of contour pins against movement.

20. A method for staging objects and precisely holding the objects prior to removal therefrom by a gripper, comprising:

providing an upper support structure;

providing a datum plate connected to said upper support structure;

providing an array of contour pins positioned to extend a predetermined distance above said datum plate;

biasing said array of contour pins against the weight of objects placed upon said datum plate;

providing a clamping plate through which said array of contour pins extend;

providing a lower guide plate;

providing a first set of clamping members for sliding said clamping plate and said lower guide plate horizontally with respect to said datum plate to apply a clamping force to all of said array of contour pins and lock all of said array of contour pins in their clamped position;

providing a lower support frame;

providing guide pins extending through said lower support frame and said upper support structure; and

providing a second set of clamping member for providing a clamping force between said lower support frame and said guide pins.