EJECTION-MATERIAL INJECTING METHOD, EJECTION-MATERIAL EJECTION APPARATUS, AND IMPRINTING APPARATUS

• US 20190315128A1
• Filed: 04/01/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mita, Yutaka, Arai, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,894,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/18 Ink recirculation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/44 using single radiation source per colour, e.g. lighting beams or shutter arrangements B41J2/475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/101 Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing

Abstract

An ejection material is injected into a container through a pipe. Thereafter, the pipe is blocked at a blocked part and then the pipe is cut off. The pipe is cut off such that the blocked part is included in a portion of the pipe connected to the container.

Claims

1. An ejection-material injecting method of injecting an ejection material into a container in an ejection apparatus capable of ejecting the ejection material in the container from an ejection head, comprising:

a connecting step of connecting the container and a tank configured to contain the ejection material to each other by using a pipe;

an injecting step of injecting the ejection material in the tank into the container through the pipe;

a blocking step of blocking the pipe in a state of being connected between the tank and the container after the injecting step; and

a cutting step of cutting off the pipe after the blocking step such that the pipe is separated into a first portion connected to the container and a second portion connected to the tank, and that a blocked part of the pipe blocked in the blocking step is included in the first portion.

2. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, wherein the pipe is cut off in the cutting step such that the blocked part is also included in the second portion.

3. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, wherein a blocked state of the pipe is stabilized by deforming the pipe in the blocking step.

4. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 3, wherein the pipe is deformed by application of external force in the blocking step.

5. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 3, wherein the pipe is deformed by heating in the blocking step.

6. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, wherein the blocking step includes a curing process to cure the ejection material in the pipe so as to block the pipe.

7. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the pipes include a first pipe to connect a first connecting port of the tank to a first connected port of the container, and a second pipe to connect a second connecting port of the tank to a second connected port of the container, and

the ejection material in the tank is introduced into the container through the first pipe and a gas in the container is withdrawn into the tank through the second pipe in the injecting step.

8. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 7, wherein the first pipe is blocked and then the second pipe is blocked in the blocking step.

9. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 7, further comprising:

a circulating step of circulating the ejection material between the tank and the container through the first pipe and the second pipe.

10. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting step of detecting an amount of foreign substances contained in at least one of the ejection material in the container and the ejection material in the pipe, and

the pipe is blocked in the blocking step on the condition that the amount of the foreign substances detected in the detecting step falls to or below a predetermined amount.

11. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of fitting a covering to cover the first portion after the cutting step.

12. The ejection-material injecting method according to claim 1, wherein

the ejection apparatus is an imprint-material ejection apparatus configured to eject an imprint material as the ejection material contained in the container from the ejection head, and

the imprint material as the ejection material contained in the tank is injected into the container through the pipe in the injecting step.

13. An ejection-material ejection apparatus comprising:

a container configured to contain an ejection material;

an ejection head capable of ejecting the ejection material in the container;

a pipe connected to the container so as to inject the ejection material into the container; and

a covering configured to cover the pipe, wherein

the pipe includes a blocked part blocked after injection of the ejection material into the container, and a cut-off part cut off in such a way as to retain the blocked part.

14. The ejection-material ejection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

a plurality of the pipes include a first pipe to supply the ejection material to the container, and a second pipe to discharge the ejection material from the container.

15. The ejection-material ejection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the container includes a passage provided separately from the pipe and connected to the container, and

the passage includes:

a first opening being open to the container so as to supply the ejection material contained in the container into the passage; and

a second opening being open to the container so as to discharge the ejection material, which is supplied from the first opening into the passage, to the container, and

the passage between the first opening and the second opening is provided with a pump and a filter configured to filtrate the ejection material.

16. The ejection-material ejection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

a plurality of the pipes include a first pipe to supply the ejection material to the container, and a second pipe to discharge the ejection material from the container, and

the second opening is connected to a connection port between the second pipe and the container.

17. The ejection-material ejection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the covering includes a control part to control a location of the pipe.

18. The ejection-material ejection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the container contains an imprint material as the ejection material, and

the ejection head is capable of ejecting the imprint material in the container.

19. An imprinting apparatus configured to process a substrate by transferring a pattern of a mold to an imprint material applied to the substrate, comprising:

an imprint-material ejection apparatus configured to eject the imprint material in a container from an ejection head so as to apply the imprint material onto the substrate, wherein

the imprint-material ejection apparatus includes a pipe connected to the container so as to inject the imprint material into the container, and a covering configured to cover the pipe, and

the pipe includes a blocked part blocked after injection of the imprint material into the container, and a cut-off part cut off in such a way as to retain the blocked part.