Liquid droplet discharging apparatus

• US 8,444,263 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kojima, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCMILLION, TRACEY M
• Application Number:
  US13/035,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/104
• 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 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16532 by applying vacuum only
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16535 using wiping constructions B41J2/16552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16579 Detection means therefor, e.g. for nozzle clogging
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16588 Print heads movable towards the cleaning unit
• 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

Abstract

The liquid droplet discharging apparatus has an image formation area, a workpiece exchange area, a set table that has a slider and is configured to support a workpiece thereon, and a guide section configured to guide a movement of the set table between the image formation area and the workpiece exchange area by guiding the slider. The guide section is divided into two sections corresponding to the image formation area and the workpiece exchange area.

Claims

1. A liquid droplet discharging apparatus comprising:

an image formation area in which an image is formed on a workpiece by driving an injection-type functional liquid droplet discharging head;

a workpiece exchange area in which supplying and removing of the workpiece is executed, the workpiece exchange area being separated from the image formation area;

a set table having a slider, and configured to support the workpiece thereon;

a first guide section configured to guide a movement of the set table in the image formation area by guiding the slider; and

a second guide section configured to guide the movement of the set table in the workpiece exchange area by guiding the slider, the second guide section being aligned with the first guide section,

the first guide section and the second guide section being separate members from each other, the movement of the set table being further guided between the image formation area and the workpiece exchange area.

2. The liquid droplet discharging apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising

a base body supporting the first and second guide sections across a region spanning through the image formation area and the workpiece exchange area, the base body being divided into two sections corresponding to the image formation area and the workpiece exchange area.

5. The liquid droplet discharging apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein

the first and second guide sections include a granite surface plate having a rectangular cross sectional shape, and

the slider is an air slider guided by a top surface and two side surfaces of each of the first and second guide sections.

3. A liquid droplet discharging apparatus comprising:

an image formation area in which an image is formed on a workpiece by driving an injection-type functional liquid droplet discharging head in synchronization with moving the workpiece;

a pair of workpiece exchange areas in which supplying and removing of the workpiece is executed, the workpiece exchange areas being arranged such that the image formation area lies between the workpiece exchange areas along a movement direction of the workpiece;

a pair of set tables each having a slider and configured to support the workpiece thereon; and

a guide section configured to guide movements of the set tables between the image formation area and the two workpiece exchange areas by guiding the sliders, the guide section being divided into three sections corresponding to the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas.

4. The liquid droplet discharging apparatus recited in claim 3, further comprising

a base body supporting the guide section across a region spanning through the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas, the base body being divided into three sections corresponding to the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas.

6. A liquid droplet discharging apparatus comprising:

an image formation area in which an image is formed on a workpiece by driving an injection-type functional liquid droplet discharging head in synchronization with moving the workpiece;

a pair of workpiece exchange areas in which supplying and removing of the workpiece is executed, the workpiece exchange areas being located on opposite sides of the image formation area in positions separated from the image formation area along a movement direction of the workpiece;

a pair of set tables each having a slider and configured to support the workpiece thereon; and

a guide section configured to guide movements of the set tables between the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas by guiding the sliders, the guide section being divided into three sections corresponding to the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas.