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EP2655074B9 - Tête imprimante à jet d'encre avec une surveillance integrée des buses - Google Patents

Tête imprimante à jet d'encre avec une surveillance integrée des buses Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2655074B9
EP2655074B9 EP10803055.2A EP10803055A EP2655074B9 EP 2655074 B9 EP2655074 B9 EP 2655074B9 EP 10803055 A EP10803055 A EP 10803055A EP 2655074 B9 EP2655074 B9 EP 2655074B9
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
light
print head
ink
nozzles
drop
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP10803055.2A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2655074A1 (fr
EP2655074B1 (fr
Inventor
Robert Massen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Baumer Innotec AG
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Baumer Innotec AG
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Publication date
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Publication of EP2655074A1 publication Critical patent/EP2655074A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2655074B1 publication Critical patent/EP2655074B1/fr
Publication of EP2655074B9 publication Critical patent/EP2655074B9/fr
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/07—Ink jet characterised by jet control
    • B41J2/125—Sensors, e.g. deflection sensors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/045—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers
    • B41J2/04501—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits
    • B41J2/0451—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/045—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers
    • B41J2/04501—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits
    • B41J2/04561—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits detecting presence or properties of a drop in flight
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/045—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers
    • B41J2/04501—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits
    • B41J2/04581—Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2/14201—Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements
    • B41J2/14209—Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements of finger type, chamber walls consisting integrally of piezoelectric material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16579—Detection means therefor, e.g. for nozzle clogging
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
    • B41J2/2132—Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding
    • B41J2/2142—Detection of malfunctioning nozzles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2002/14354—Sensor in each pressure chamber

Definitions

  • High-resolution industrial inkjet printers solve the classical printing processes such as offset in numerous industrial decorating tasks, such as the decoration printing of floors and furniture surfaces, in the production of classic print media, in packaging printing but also in the so-called functional printing such as the production of circuits, solar cells, biochips and gravure printing, screen printing off.
  • ink and "inkjet printing” is understood in the context of this document in the most general sense. While in the production of graphic end products such as posters, printed packaging, etc. actually ink in the narrower sense by the printheads in the form of very small droplets on the substrate to be printed such as paper, foil, cardboard, textiles, etc. is thrown and this color, are in the so-called “functional” inkjet printing with a basically same structure spun special liquids onto a substrate in the form of minute droplets to create a chemical / physical functionality on this substrate: silver-containing liquids for the production of printed conductors, molecular biologically active liquids for the production of so-called bio Chips, semiconductor liquids to "print” screens, etc. All these techniques are often referred to as the fuzzy term "digital printing”.
  • This so-called "digital printing” uses at least in the industrial sector predominantly piezo-ceramic so-called drop-on-demand print heads, in which by piezoelectrically generated shear and / or pressure forces smallest ink droplets of typ. 10 picoliter per drop with repetition frequencies up to 20 kHz be thrown by a large number of closely adjacent nozzles on the substrate to be printed.
  • Typical nozzle defects are nozzles that are clogged by ink contamination, sedimentation or air bubbles, nozzles that no longer close properly, or irregularly functioning nozzles.
  • Numerous new developments, such as the so-called “side-shooter” nozzle heads of the company Xaar (www.xaar.com) reduce the likelihood of such malfunctions, but they can not be completely ruled out.
  • the problem of nozzle failure will include in Chry Lynn: "Drops and Spots: Latest Trends in Inkjet Printheads and Printer Design”; SGIA Journal, 4rth quarter 2009, pp.14-17 described.
  • Hewlett-Packard's Hewlett-Packard industrial inkjet printer HPT300 Color Inkjet Web Press uses its own camera-based image processing system that captures a periodically printed test pattern to detect nozzle defects.
  • an ink jet printer for printing on a substrate with graphic and / or functional inks having at least one printhead, wherein the optical head or printheads incorporating an optical means for monitoring the correct operation of the ink jet nozzles, which by means of the light of a light source from the nozzles ejected drops from the direction of the nozzles through the print head through temporally constant or time-varying illumination signals illuminated, wherein the optical device has at least one photoconductive element through which the light emitted by the drops ejected from the nozzle backwards in the direction of the nozzle during the drop flight on photosensitive sensors, or light sensors can be conducted, and wherein an evaluation device is provided, which the correct timing and the correct ejection of the drops is checked closed the specific time course of the sensor signals.
  • the ink-jet printer according to the invention thus has integrated optical monitoring of the correct function of each of the nozzles hurling the ink onto the substrate.
  • the ejected from the nozzle drops from the direction of the ejifugden nozzles are illuminated and the light reflected backwards from the flying drop of light directed during the drop flight on the photosensitive sensors. From the specific time profile of these electrical sensor signals so that the correct nozzle function can be checked in principle, even with every single drop.
  • integrated optical monitoring of the droplet ejection of each individual nozzle is achieved by illuminating the ejected droplets through one or more transparent parts of the printhead by a light source in reflected light, with the one coming out of the nozzle reflected light is directed back over one or more transparent parts of the printhead to at least one light sensor.
  • Both the direction of the illuminating light toward the droplets flying away from the nozzle and the return of the light reflected back in the nozzle direction on the droplet during its flight are preferably taken over at least locally transparent and light-conducting parts in the print head.
  • a piezoceramic printhead which consists at least partially of licht organizingdem ceramic material, wherein the light source and the photosensitive sensors are arranged so that the forwarding of the light from the at least one light source or the return of the at The drops of reflected light emitted by the nozzles are passed through the photoconductive ceramic material.
  • the transparent parts of the print head can be formed by transparent and photoconductive piezoceramic material of the print head.
  • photoconductive elements may be incorporated in the printhead which direct the light through the printhead into the drop ejection space and from there back through the printhead to a sensor.
  • the reflection at the flying drop can furthermore be recorded at discrete and known points in time.
  • a clear improvement in the signal / noise ratio can also be achieved by synchronous readout of the image sensor.
  • the inkjet printer thus generally has a method for checking the function of the inkjet printer, the inkjet printer comprising a printhead having a plurality of nozzles, light sensors associated with the nozzles, and at least one light source, wherein during printing on a substrate during the ejection of an ink droplet
  • Light source passed through at least one photoconductive member through the print head to the droplet exit side of the printhead, which reflects light at a droplet generated and ejected by the printhead, re-coupled into a photoconductive member of the printhead, and through the photoconductive member to one of the nozzle which ejects the ink droplet , and the signal output by the light sensor is evaluated by comparing the signal with reference values and with a deviation of the signal from the reference values a faulty function of the nozzle is determined.
  • the reference values can also be reference ranges, or define reference ranges.
  • a view of a piezo-ceramic print head 1 according to the "side-shooter" principle is shown.
  • the printhead comprises an opaque piezo-ceramic base body 7, in which ink channels 3 are located with a rectangular cross-section.
  • the ink is supplied to each of the elongated channels 3 simultaneously from the side 4 to which the channels 3 are open.
  • the main body is still completed by a cover element 8, which in the in Fig. 1 shown design the side 4 closes.
  • the cover element is in Fig. 1 not shown for the sake of clarity.
  • the webs between the elongated channels are equipped with flat electrodes 2. These are subjected to the ejection of an ink droplet with a drive voltage which generates shear forces in the piezoelectric material and thus deforms the channel walls. This rapid deformation transmits a pressure pulse to the ink in the channel, so that it is thrown out on the front side 5 as the smallest droplet.
  • the sudden pressure surge expels a very small droplet of typically a few tens of picoliters, for example about 40 picoliters, from the nozzle on the face 5.
  • a diaphragm or nozzle plate 6 is fixed with a respective nozzle opening 61 per channel 3 for droplet formation, which for better illustration in FIG Fig.
  • the driver voltage, the nozzle size and the ink should be selected such that when the drive voltage is applied, a droplet of 10 to 100 picoliters is generated.
  • the in Fig. 1 shown printhead has twelve channels 3.
  • the number of nozzle channels 3 can be varied almost arbitrarily.
  • the piezo-ceramic base body is typically made of a PLZT ceramic. According to the invention, it is now provided to produce and / or use this piezoceramic base body at least partially made of transparent and light-conducting PLZT ceramic or a similar light-conducting piezoceramic material.
  • transparent optically conductive
  • light optically conductive
  • a light source is understood to mean both a time-constant and a switched light source.
  • This extended concept also relates to the propagation of light inside a so-called “transparent” piezo-ceramic material.
  • the "transparency” or “light conductivity” can also be broadband or narrow band, directional or diffuse.
  • Fig. 2 shows to an inventive embodiment of a printer head after Fig. 1
  • the base body 1 here comprises a transparent, photoconductive, piezoceramic material 21.
  • a light source 23 light is simultaneously coupled into each second transparent web 10 of the main body 1. The light is decoupled from the front 5 of the printhead.
  • a light source 23 which could not be arranged for reasons of space or even with great difficulty between the printhead and arranged opposite the front side 5, to be coated substrate.
  • the retransmission of the light reflected at the drop 22 can take place via the adjacent webs, which are not illuminated by the light source 23.
  • non-transposed webs 10 are associated with light sensors 24 at the back of the printer head 1 and detect the reflected and returned by the webs 10 light.
  • the webs 10 are used as part of the integrated optical device with which the light is passed through the print head. Accordingly, this embodiment of the invention is based on the printhead having ink channels defined by lands 10, the lands 10 being part of the optical device and being transparent to the light of the light source 23, and the light source 23 and light sensors being arranged in that the lands guide the light from the light source through the printhead to an ejected drop or the light reflected from an ejected drop through the printhead to a light sensor.
  • the course of the correct droplet formation for each nozzle by an integrated device and a suitable for this purpose is thus general, without restriction to those in Fig. 2 shown embodiment of the invention to produce the base body 1, at least in some parts for the light of a light source translucent piezoceramic material 21, or to use.
  • Such transparent piezoelectric materials are capable of directing the light from a light source 23 into the drop ejection space 20 for illumination and directing the light reflected from an ejected drop 22 back to one or more light sensors 24.
  • each second transparent web 10 for the illumination of the droplet ejection space 20.
  • This light is conducted along the ridge to the ejection space 20 and illuminates there the ejected drop 22 approximately in the direction of the droplet trajectory.
  • the light reflected back on the droplet is collected, for example, via the adjacent duct wall web which is not illuminated by the light source 23 and passed through the light-conducting web 10 to the rear side of the print head 1 and coupled into a 4-fold light sensor 24.
  • the generated by the light sensor as an example in Fig. 2 represented electrical signal S, reference numeral 25, thus forms in the form of a temporal voltage or current waveform, the amount of light reflected at the ejected drop over time t.
  • optics are preferably formed from diffractive optical elements, which are particularly easy to produce when using narrowband lighting.
  • Fig. 4 shows an alternative or additional design of the arrangement, in which the photoconductive formed ceramic bottom portion 100 of the printhead 1 for supplying illumination light into the droplet space is being used. This in turn coupled on the back light emerges, for example, in the lower part of the nozzle plate 6 slit-shaped.
  • all the channel webs 10 can be used via the corresponding nozzle slots as receptors for the light reflected by the ejected drops.
  • a light sensor 24 can be provided on the back for each channel web 10 accordingly.
  • lid member 8 is also shown, which closes the slot-shaped ink channels laterally.
  • the printhead has a piezoceramic base body 7, which is closed by a cover member 8, wherein the piezoceramic base body has a photoconductive formed ceramic bottom portion 100, wherein the light source 23 so is arranged so that the light is passed through the ceramic bottom portion 100 through to the side of the print head, which has the nozzles, so the front side 5.
  • Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of in Fig. 2 shown embodiment with basically the same structure, but with the difference that each of the illuminating webs 10 of the printhead 1 is lit by its own, in the rhythm of the drop ejection individually switchable light emitter 231 and thus selectively individual drop channels without possibly disturbing optical crosstalk through adjacent nozzles can be visually monitored.
  • the light source 23 here comprises a plurality of light emitters 231, which are arranged so that an emitter illuminates only one channel web 10, wherein a lighting control unit 84 is provided, which then turns on a light emitter 231, if belonging to the channel web 10, or from Channel web 10 more limited Ink channel 11 is driven to eject an ink droplet, so that the ejected ink droplet is illuminated by the light emitter 231 through the print head.
  • each of the illuminating webs is thus illuminated by its own light emitter 231 triggered in the rhythm of the ink ejection, so that only at the time of the droplet ejection or within a time window enclosing the droplet ejection a channel web illuminates the ejection space assigned to it.
  • preferably fast pulsed LEDs are used as a light emitter.
  • the light source 23 comprises a plurality of light emitters 231, each light emitter 231 is associated with a light-conducting element, in which the light of the light emitter can be coupled, and wherein the light emitters 231 are associated with different nozzles, and the light-conducting Elements are arranged so that light guided by a light guide each locally illuminates the area in front of the print head into which drops can be ejected from an associated nozzle, and wherein a lighting control unit 84 is provided which is adapted to the light emitters 231 individually turns on when a drop is ejected through an associated nozzle 61.
  • Fig. 6 exemplifies a particularly simple design of the illumination supply and the return of the light reflected by the droplet during its trajectory to the light sensors 24.
  • the drop ejection space 20 is slit-shaped, or fan-shaped through the transparent ceramic bottom portion 100 and illuminated in the ceramic cover element 8 recessed light-conducting zones or structures 80, such as recessed glass fibers, the light reflected from the drops is passed back to the light sensors 24 on the back of the ink jet head.
  • the droplet space ejection space 20 is thus illuminated slot-shaped over the entire width by a light-conducting zone 101 in the bottom part 100 of the base body 7 of the print head 1.
  • the light-conducting zone 101 can be formed by the bottom part 100 itself or a region of the bottom part 100 is light-conducting educated.
  • the reflected light can also be slit-shaped over the entire width of the cover element 8 and guided by the cover element 8 onto the rear side of the printhead 1.
  • the reflected light can also be slit-shaped over the entire width of the cover element 8 and guided by the cover element 8 onto the rear side of the printhead 1.
  • Fig. 7 illustrated by three diagrams, the voltage signals generated by the light sensor 24 as a function of time.
  • a pulsed light source is used, as exemplified by the in Fig. 5 embodiment shown was explained.
  • the voltage curve S0 (t) shown in the upper diagram represents the voltage pulse with which the illuminating light source 23 is driven; the frequency corresponds to the drop frequency, typically 5 to 10 kHz; the pulse duration is preferably chosen such that it is slightly shorter than the duration of flight of the ejected droplet.
  • the amount of light reflected on the light sensor 24 produces a signal S1 (t) shown in the middle diagram, which corresponds to the reflection of the backscattered illumination light at the drop moving away from the outlet nozzle 61.
  • This signal is usually superimposed on a background signal ho, which results from unwanted reflection of the light which is not generated by the flying drops.
  • unwanted background signals may also be due to unavoidable optical couplings between the channel walls, adjacent drops or the substrate to be printed. But since they are essentially constant, they can easily be measured and compensated continuously or at predetermined time intervals.
  • Fig. 8 shows a block diagram of a control and evaluation circuit for controlling the printhead according to the invention.
  • This control and evaluation circuit comprises means for controlling the illumination and for evaluating the received light signals from the light sensors 24, so the evaluation device according to the invention.
  • the control and evaluation circuit comprises a raster image processor (RIP) 81. This generates drive signals 82 for the nozzles of the print head 1 on the basis of a file 80 to be printed. With the aid of the signals derived from the same drive signals 82 or from these drive signals, the lighting control Unit 84 activated.
  • RIP raster image processor
  • the inkjet printer comprises a raster image processor 81, which is adapted to convert the data of a print file into drive signals for the nozzles of the print head 1, wherein the print head 1 is set up in response to the drive signals ejecting ink drops from the nozzles, and wherein the lighting control unit 84 is arranged to individually turn on the light emitters 231 associated with the nozzles for which the drive signals are determined in response to the drive signals.
  • the droplets emitted by the print head 1 print on a substrate 85, which is moved in a known manner during printing to produce a two-dimensional print image corresponding to the print file relative to the print head 1.
  • the lighting and checking of the nozzles by the test unit 86 can be determined according to a desired rule.
  • the result of the test is communicated via data lines 87 to a higher-order arithmetic unit 79.
  • the information on failed nozzles is passed back to the raster image processor 81 to generate there local changes in the print file 80, which are adapted to make the error generated by the faulty nozzle visually less conspicuous.
  • a print file which receives data of a printed image, in response to the detection that at least one of the nozzles of the print head is working incorrectly to change.
  • a pulsed lighting as in the Fig. 5 As shown in the example shown, corresponding illumination scenarios can be derived directly from the signal of the raster image processor 81, which activates the piezo elements of the individual nozzles. If only one nozzle 611, 612 is to be checked at each printing time, the lighting and the signal evaluation are only started when the printhead drive is effected from the raster image processor 81, in which case only one of the N nozzles is active.
  • the maximum N read reflection signals S1 (t), as shown in the middle and lower diagram of the Fig. 7 are exemplified are evaluated by the test unit 86. By comparison with reference or desired reflection signals, the quality and functionality of the respective nozzle 611 can then be assessed.
  • the sensor signals of the light sensors 241, 242 can also be recorded and evaluated at a plurality of discrete points in time.
  • K 6 light-receiving channels D2 to D3 of light sensors 242 adjacent to the light sensor 241 at the same time.
  • three channels on the left and three channels on the right of the nozzle 611 are evaluated on a total of 6 light sensors.
  • the two-dimensional location-time function S [ti, xj] shown in the diagram is generated.
  • the function values of the location-time function S [ti, xj] form a discrete mountain 94, from which much more precise information about the function of this nozzle and the generated droplet formation, such as the occurrence of interfering, so-called satellite droplets 93 are obtained , as in the detection of the backscattered light through only two light-receiving channels left and right of the receiving channel D0 of the active nozzle 611.
  • the embodiment of the invention also provides that the evaluation device is set up in addition to the signal of a light sensor, which is associated with a nozzle which is activated in response to a drive signal and ejects a drop, the signals of adjacent light sensors associated with the non-activated nozzles are evaluated, wherein the evaluation device is arranged to compare the signals of the light sensor, which is associated with the activated nozzle, as well as the signals of the adjacent light sensors with reference signals and makes an error classification based on a deviation from the reference signals.
  • the location-time function S [ti, xi] can be compared with a reference function or reference values for this purpose.
  • the signal will drop sharply as the distance of the light sensors 242 from the light sensor 241 associated with the nozzle 61 progresses.
  • a corresponding, for example, previously recorded location-time function S [ti, xi] can then be used as a reference function. If, for example, a one-sided broadening or even an additional peak occurs, this may indicate a satellite droplet.
  • This type of detection can always take place when the pattern to be printed does not activate at least one, preferably at least three, nozzles 612 to the left and right of the nozzle 611 to be tested.
  • Another inventive concept is to pass the result of the nozzle check back to the raster image processor 81 to cause there local changes of the printed image, which conceal the failure visually.
  • the wavelength range of the illumination of the light source 23, or its light emitter 231 is preferably chosen so that the light reflected at the ejected ink droplets (often with the colors CYMK) clearly stands out from the background.
  • This can e.g. by the use of light in the short-wave range (UV to blue), since the reflectance is greater by the very small color particles contained in the ink, the shortwave is the light (wavelength-dependent backscatter from a liquid with foreign parts). Accordingly, it is provided in a development of the invention that the light source emits light of a wavelength less than 500 nanometers.
  • the photoconductive property of the printhead is only for a narrow range of wavelengths in which conventional semiconducting light sensors and light emitters operate.
  • the light-conducting elements of the print head are preferably transparent in the range from 400 nm to 1000 nm.
  • narrow-band illumination is also advantageous, since narrow-band wavelength ranges can be used to produce simple diffractive imaging optics.
  • the light pipe within the ink liquid of the forming droplet as long as it is still connected to the nozzle and not yet detached by a located in the ejecting nozzle and / or in the ink channel of this nozzle light sensor or light guide to a light sensor guided and converted into an evaluable electrical signal.
  • the inventive idea not only relates to inkjet printers in the true sense for the production of printed products but also jet-based printing processes, which work with so-called functional inks such as e.g. electrically conductive inks for the production of printed conductors, biologically active inks for the production of so-called bio-chips, plastic inks for the production of 3-dimensional bodies by so-called layer processes, etc. All of these methods use similarly constructed print heads with very small dimensions and Similar drop ejection mechanisms, which can easily fail.
  • the real difference to inkjet printers for print media is the very different application in the production of novel products by applying minute amounts of a liquid phase to a substrate.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)

Claims (14)

  1. Imprimante à jet d'encre pour imprimer sur un substrat (85) avec des encres graphiques et/ou fonctionnelles, qui présente au moins une tête d'impression (1), une installation optique pour la surveillance du fonctionnement correct des buses à jet d'encre étant intégrée dans la ou les têtes d'impression et éclairant au moyen de la lumière d'une source lumineuse (23) les gouttes (22) éjectées des buses (61, 611, 612) depuis la direction des buses (61, 611, 612) à travers la tête d'impression (1) par des signaux d'éclairage constants dans le temps ou variant dans le temps, l'installation optique présentant au moins un élément photoconducteur, à travers lequel la lumière réfléchie par les gouttes (22) éjectées de la buse (61, 611, 612) en arrière dans la direction des buses (61, 611, 612) peut être conduite pendant le cheminement des gouttes sur des détecteurs sensibles à la lumière (24, 241, 242), et une installation d'évaluation étant prévue, laquelle vérifie à l'état fermé la formation correcte et la projection correcte des gouttes (22) à partir de l'évolution temporelle spécifique des signaux de détecteur.
  2. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'une tête d'impression piézocéramique, qui est composée au moins dans une région d'un matériau céramique photoconducteur (21), et la source lumineuse (23) et les détecteurs sensibles à la lumière (24, 241, 242) étant disposés de telle sorte que la conduction de la lumière de la au moins une source lumineuse (21) ou le retour de la lumière réfléchie sur les gouttes (22) éjectées par les buses (61, 611, 612) intervient à travers le matériau céramique photoconducteur (21).
  3. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que la tête d'impression (1) présente des canaux d'encre (3, 11), qui sont limités par des entretoises (10), les entretoises (10) faisant partie de l'installation optique et étant transparentes pour la lumière de la source lumineuse (23), et la source lumineuse (23) et les détecteurs sensibles à la lumière (24, 241, 242) étant disposés de telle sorte que les entretoises (10) conduisent la lumière de la source lumineuse (23) à travers la tête d'impression (1) sur une goutte éjectée (22) ou la lumière réfléchie par une goutte éjectée (22) à travers la tête d'impression (1) jusqu'à un détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242).
  4. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon la revendication précédente, dans laquelle la source lumineuse (23) et les détecteurs (24, 241, 242) sont disposés de telle sorte que les premières entretoises (10) conduisent la lumière de la source lumineuse (23) jusqu'au côté de sortie de gouttes de la tête d'impression (1) et les secondes entretoises (10) conduisent la lumière réfléchie par les gouttes (22) à travers la tête d'impression (1) jusqu'aux détecteurs de lumière (24, 241, 242), les premières et secondes entretoises (10) étant disposées en alternance.
  5. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la tête d'impression (1) présente un corps de base piézocéramique (7) qui est séparé d'un élément de recouvrement (8), le corps de base piézocéramique (7) présentant une partie inférieure céramique conçue de manière photoconductrice (100), la source lumineuse (23) étant disposée de sorte que sa lumière est conduite à travers la partie inférieure céramique (100) jusqu'au côté de la tête d'impression (1), qui présente les buses (61, 611,612).
  6. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que la tête d'impression (1) présente une plaque de buses (6), dans laquelle les buses (61, 611, 612) sont disposées pour l'éjection des gouttes, la plaque de buses (6) présentant des fenêtres ou des évidements, pour éjecter la lumière de la source lumineuse (23) conduite à travers la tête d'impression (1) ou la lumière réfléchie sur une gouttelette dans la tête d'impression (1).
  7. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon la revendication précédente, caractérisée en ce que des éléments optiques formant un faisceau, en particulier représentant une image ou focalisant sont disposés sur la plaque de buses (6).
  8. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la tête d'impression (1) présente une face avant (5), de laquelle peuvent être éjectées des gouttelettes d'encre, ainsi qu'une face arrière (7) opposée à la face avant (5), et la source lumineuse (23) étant disposée de telle sorte que sa lumière est injectée dans la face arrière (7) et conduite à travers la tête d'impression (1) jusqu'à la face avant (5) et les capteurs de lumière (24, 241, 242) étant disposés de telle sorte que la lumière réfléchie par des gouttes éjectées (22), entrant dans la face avant (5) et conduite à travers la tête d'impression (1) jusqu'à la face arrière (7) est détectable par les détecteurs de lumière (24, 241, 242).
  9. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la source lumineuse (23) comprend plusieurs émetteurs de lumière (231), à chaque émetteur de lumière (231) étant affecté un élément photoconducteur, dans lequel la lumière de l'émetteur de lumière (231) est injectable, et différentes buses (61, 611, 612) étant affectées aux émetteurs de lumière (231) et les éléments photoconducteurs étant disposés de telle sorte que la lumière conduite par les photoconducteurs éclaire localement la zone devant la tête d'impression (1), dans laquelle des gouttes (22) sont éjectables par une buse affectée (61, 611, 612), et une unité de commande d'éclairage (84) étant prévue, laquelle est conçue de telle sorte qu'elle active individuellement les émetteurs de lumière (231) lorsqu'une goutte (22) est éjectée par une buse affectée (61, 611, 612).
  10. Imprimante à jet d'encre selon la revendication précédente, caractérisée par un processeur de trame (81), lequel est conçu pour convertir les données d'un fichier d'impression (80) en signaux de commande (82) pour les buses (61, 611, 612) de la tête d'impression (1), la tête d'impression (1) étant conçue pour éjecter des gouttes d'encre (22) des buses (61, 611, 612) en réponse aux signaux de commande (82), l'unité de commande d'éclairage étant conçue activer individuellement les émetteurs de lumière (231) affectés aux buses (61, 611, 612), pour lesquelles les signaux de commande (82) sont déterminés, en réponse aux signaux de commande (82).
  11. Impression à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle l'installation d'évaluation est conçue pour modifier un fichier d'impression (80) qui reçoit les données d'une image d'impression, en réponse à la détection du dysfonctionnement d'au moins une des buses (61, 611, 612) de la tête d'impression (1).
  12. Impression à jet d'encre selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle l'installation d'évaluation est conçue pour évaluer, en plus du signal d'un détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242), qui est affecté à une buse (61, 611, 612), qui est activée en réponse à un signal de commande (82) et éjecte une goutte (22), les signaux des détecteurs de lumière adjacents (24, 241, 242), qui sont affectés à des buses non activées (612), l'installation d'évaluation étant conçue pour comparer les signaux du détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242), qui est affecté à la buse activée (611), ainsi que les signaux des détecteurs de lumière adjacents (24, 241, 242) avec des signaux de référence et procédant à une classification d'erreur en se basant sur un écart par rapport aux signaux de référence.
  13. Procédé permettant de vérifier le fonctionnement d'une imprimante à jet d'encre, qui présente une tête d'impression (1) avec plusieurs buses (61, 611, 612), des détecteurs de lumière (24, 241, 242) affectés aux buses (61, 611, 612) et au moins une source lumineuse (23), pendant l'impression sur un substrat (85) lors de l'éjection d'une goutte d'encre (22) la lumière d'une source lumineuse (23) étant conduite par au moins un élément photoconducteur à travers la tête d'impression (1) jusqu'au côté de sortie des gouttes de la tête d'impression (1), la lumière étant réfléchie sur une goutte (22) éjectée et générée par la tête d'impression (1), réinjectée dans un élément photoconducteur de la tête d'impression (1) et conduite par l'élément photoconducteur jusqu'à un détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242) affecté à la buse (61, 611, 612), qui éjecte les gouttes d'encre (22), et le signal émis par le détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242) étant évalué, en étant comparé avec des valeurs de référence et un dysfonctionnement de la buse (61, 611, 612) étant déterminé en cas d'écart du signal par rapport aux valeurs de référence.
  14. Procédé selon la revendication précédente, dans lequel pendant l'éjection d'une goutte (22), en plus du signal d'un détecteur de lumière (24, 241, 242), qui est affecté à une buse (61, 611, 612), qui est activée en réponse à un signal de commande (82) et éjecte une goutte (22), les signaux de détecteurs de lumière adjacents (24, 241, 242), qui sont affectés à des buses non activées (612), sont évalués, les signaux des détecteurs de lumière (24, 241, 242) étant enregistrés et évalués à plusieurs moments distincts, une fonction emplacement-temps S [ ti , xj ] étant créée et comparée avec une fonction de référence pour évaluation.
EP10803055.2A 2010-12-21 2010-12-21 Tête imprimante à jet d'encre avec une surveillance integrée des buses Not-in-force EP2655074B9 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2010/007811 WO2012083980A1 (fr) 2010-12-21 2010-12-21 Tête d'impression à jet d'encre à contrôle optique intégré de la fonction de buse

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EP2655074A1 EP2655074A1 (fr) 2013-10-30
EP2655074B1 EP2655074B1 (fr) 2014-04-09
EP2655074B9 true EP2655074B9 (fr) 2014-12-24

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US20130293625A1 (en) 2013-11-07
US9056465B2 (en) 2015-06-16
WO2012083980A1 (fr) 2012-06-28
EP2655074A1 (fr) 2013-10-30
EP2655074B1 (fr) 2014-04-09

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