Printing apparatus

• US 8,528,717 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• 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: Ando, Yukio, Hayashi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dillon, Jr., Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US12/198,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20090060696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 198/345.3, 198/580, 198/463.3, 198/465.1, 198/346.3, 198/306
• US Class Current: 198/345.3
• 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;

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, said plurality of work mechanisms including at least a printing station having a printer configured to eject ink from a nozzle onto a surface of the print substrate; and

delivering mechanisms that are disposed on both ends of said conveyer system,

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,

wherein said delivering mechanisms are configured to deliver said pallet between said upper conveyer mechanism and said lower conveyer mechanism,

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,

wherein said conveyor units of said plurality of conveyer units are separate from one another, said delivering mechanisms being separate from said plurality of conveyer units,

wherein said plurality of conveyer units and said delivering mechanisms each include a frame provided on a plurality of wheels, and

wherein said plurality of wheels has locking mechanisms.

2. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 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.

3. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 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.

4. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of said lower conveyer mechanism is configured to convey said pallet in a direction opposite to a conveying direction of a portion of said upper conveyer mechanism that is provided directly above said portion of said lower conveyer mechanism.

5. The printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of work mechanisms further includes:

a preprocessing unit provided upstream of said printing station and configured to apply a base coating material to the surface of the print substrate;

a drying unit provided upstream of said printing station and downstream of said preprocessing unit, said drying station being configured to dry the base coating material;

an undercoating unit provided upstream of said printing station and configured to apply an undercoating material to a surface of the base coating material, and

a post-processing unit provided downstream of said printing station and configured to apply a protective coating material to a printed surface of the print substrate.