公开(公告)号：US20240083112A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-14

申请号：US18461771

申请日：2023-09-06

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Hajime KOBAYASHI

IPC: B29C64/236 ,  B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/232 ,  B29C64/264 ,  B29C64/393

CPC classification number: B29C64/236 ,  B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/232 ,  B29C64/264 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B33Y30/00

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a head unit including a head that ejects a liquid toward a three-dimensional workpiece along a Z axis; a sensor unit including a sensor that detects a positional relationship with respect to the workpiece; and a movement mechanism that change positions of the head unit and the sensor unit with respect to the workpiece, in which the movement mechanism includes a first Z-axis movement mechanism that changes the position of the sensor unit with respect to the workpiece along the Z axis, and a second Z-axis movement mechanism that changes the position of the head unit with respect to the workpiece along the Z axis, and the first Z-axis movement mechanism and the second Z-axis movement mechanism move the sensor unit and the head unit independently of each other.

公开(公告)号：US20220288846A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17689107

申请日：2022-03-08

Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation

Inventor： Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Yuta ABE ,  Yuichiro MATSUURA ,  Yuki ISHII

IPC: B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/106 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y30/00

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle surface; a robot that has a base portion that supports the head, and changes a position of the head with respect to the base portion; and a cap portion having a fixed position to the base portion to cover the nozzle surface, in which the three-dimensional object printing apparatus is configured to execute: a capping operation of causing the robot to locate the head at a position at which the nozzle surface is covered with the cap portion, and a printing operation of causing the head to eject the liquid to a work with respect to the work, and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the capping operation and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the printing operation are different from each other.

公开(公告)号：US20190160810A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-30

申请号：US16201886

申请日：2018-11-27

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Takahiro KATAKURA ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Hirofumi SAKAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Junichi SANO

IPC: B41J2/045

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of pressure-generation-elements, a plurality of inflow channels, a first-channel-resistance-changing-section, and a control-unit. The control-unit repeats control of switching between a first state in which the control-unit controls the first-channel-resistance-changing-section to collectively increase channel resistance of the inflow channels and a second state in which the control-unit controls the first-channel-resistance-changing-section to collectively decrease the channel resistance of the inflow channels. The control-unit, with respect to a pressure-generation-element corresponding to an ejection nozzle, performs ejection control including extrusion control to reduce the volume of the pressure chamber in the first state, and with respect to a pressure-generation-element corresponding to a non-ejection nozzle, the control-unit performs non-ejection control including intake and exhaust control in which the volume of the pressure chamber is expanded in the first state and is reduced in the second state.

公开(公告)号：US20180345663A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-06

申请号：US15991243

申请日：2018-05-29

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Hirofumi SAKAI ,  Takahiro KATAKURA ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Junichi SANO

IPC: B41J2/045 ,  B41J29/38

Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a liquid compartment; a flowing-in passage that is in communication with the liquid compartment through a flowing-in opening, the liquid flowing through the flowing-in passage into the liquid compartment; a nozzle that is in communication with the liquid compartment through a communication opening; a capacity changer that causes the liquid contained in the liquid compartment to be discharged from the nozzle by causing a displacement of an inner wall surface of the liquid component and changing capacity of the liquid compartment; and a flowing-in passage resistance changer that changes capacity of the flowing-in passage to change flow resistance of the flowing-in passage. In the liquid compartment, as viewed from the flowing-in opening, the communication opening is located in front of a center-of-displacement portion, an amount of the displacement of which is largest in the inner wall surface displaced by the capacity changer.

公开(公告)号：US20230294410A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-21

申请号：US18183441

申请日：2023-03-14

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Masaru KUMAGAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Eiichiro WATANABE

IPC: B41J2/165

CPC classification number: B41J2/16538 ,  B41J2/16541

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a wiping member extending along a first axis; a head including a nozzle surface; and a movement mechanism configured to change a relative positional relationship between the wiping member and the head, and the printing apparatus executes a first wiping operation that changes a position of the head relative to the wiping member along a second axis intersecting the first axis, with the nozzle surface and a first wiping area of the wiping member in contact with each other, and a second wiping operation that changes the position of the head relative to the wiping member along the second axis, with the nozzle surface and a second wiping area of the wiping member in contact with each other, the second wiping area being located at a position different from a position of the first wiping area in a direction along the first axis.

公开(公告)号：US20200207081A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-02

申请号：US16722600

申请日：2019-12-20

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Takahiro KATAKURA ,  Hirofumi SAKAI ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA

IPC: B41J2/045 ,  B41J2/145 ,  B41J2/14

Abstract: A liquid-discharging-head includes a nozzle having a first-nozzle-portion having a first-sectional-area and a second-nozzle-portion having a second-sectional-area larger than the first-sectional-area, a liquid chamber which communicates with the nozzle, and a piezoelectric-element which changes a pressure inside the liquid chamber, in which the piezoelectric-element is driven from the control section, and the liquid-discharging-head executes a first control in which an apex of a liquid surface is drawn into the second-nozzle-portion in a state in which an inner wall surface of the first-nozzle-portion is covered by a liquid film by decreasing the pressure inside the liquid chamber, and a second control in which a shape of the apex of the liquid surface is inverted to a protruding shape towed the opening and the droplet is discharged from the nozzle by increasing the pressure inside the liquid chamber in a state in which the inner wall surface is covered by the liquid film.

公开(公告)号：US20180281411A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-04

申请号：US15919378

申请日：2018-03-13

Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation

Inventor： Takahiro KATAKURA ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Hirofumi SAKAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Junichi SANO

IPC: B41J2/14 ,  B41J2/16 ,  B41J2/175

CPC classification number: B41J2/14274 ,  B41J2/14072 ,  B41J2/1626 ,  B41J2/17593 ,  B41J2/18 ,  B41J2002/14306 ,  B41J2202/05 ,  B41J2202/12

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid chamber in communication with a nozzle, a volume changing unit configured to change a volume of the liquid chamber, an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the liquid chamber, an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the liquid chamber, a passage resistance changing unit configured to change a passage resistance of the outflow passage, and a controller configured to control the volume changing unit to reduce the volume of the liquid chamber so as to cause the liquid to be ejected through the nozzle. In filling the liquid chamber with the liquid for ejection of the liquid through the nozzle, the controller controls the passage resistance changing unit to change the passage resistance of the outflow passage to an increased passage resistance and controls the volume changing unit to increase the volume of the liquid chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20160214326A1

公开(公告)日：2016-07-28

申请号：US14995705

申请日：2016-01-14

Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Inventor： Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Hiroshi WADA

IPC: B29C67/00 ,  G05B19/4099

CPC classification number: B29C67/0088 ,  B29C64/112 ,  B29C64/386 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  G05B19/4099 ,  G05B2219/35134 ,  G05B2219/49007 ,  G05B2219/49031 ,  H04N1/4057 ,  Y02P90/265

Abstract: The color of object data that indicates the shape and the color of an object is reproduced faithfully when modeling an object. A model is formed by discharging droplets having the same color from droplet discharging units onto a medium, based on the same reference signal. Colorimetry is performed on the model, and a first-portion and a second-portion having a color with a higher density are specified. The liquid amount of droplets per unit area to be discharged from droplets discharging units that formed the first-portion and the liquid amount of droplets per unit area to be discharged from droplets discharging units that formed the second-portion are adjusted such that a difference in density of colors to be reproduced decreases. The object is modeled by repeating processing for discharging droplets from the droplet discharging units based on the object data.

Abstract translation: 在建模对象时，忠实地再现指示对象的形状和颜色的对象数据的颜色。 基于相同的参考信号，通过将具有相同颜色的液滴从液滴喷射单元喷射到介质上而形成模型。 在模型上执行比色法，并且具有具有较高密度的颜色的第一部分和第二部分。 从形成第一部分的液滴喷出单元排出的每单位面积的液滴的液滴量和从形成第二部分的液滴排出单元排出的每单位面积的液滴的液体量被调整为使得 要再现的颜色浓度降低。 基于对象数据，通过重复从液滴排出单元排出液滴的处理来建模对象。

公开(公告)号：US20220288863A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17689068

申请日：2022-03-08

Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation

Inventor： Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Yuta ABE ,  Yuichiro MATSUURA ,  Keigo SUGAI ,  Yuki ISHII

IPC: B29C64/393 ,  B29C64/379 ,  B29C64/135 ,  B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/112 ,  B29C64/35 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y40/00 ,  B33Y50/02

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle surface; and a robot that has a base portion and an arm portion that supports the head, and changes a position of the head with respect to the base portion, in which the three-dimensional object printing apparatus is configured to execute: a first printing operation of causing the head to print an image to a three-dimensional first medium, and a second printing operation of causing the head to print a test pattern while causing the robot to change a position of the head with respect to the second medium, and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the first printing operation and a yaw angle of the head during the execution of the second printing operation are different from each other.

公开(公告)号：US20220266530A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-25

申请号：US17676301

申请日：2022-02-21

Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation

Inventor： Masaru KUMAGAI ,  Shinichi NAKAMURA ,  Tomonaga HASEGAWA ,  Yuichiro MATSUURA ,  Yuki ISHII

IPC: B29C64/393 ,  B29C64/379 ,  B29C64/135 ,  B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/112 ,  B29C35/02 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y30/00 ,  B33Y50/02

Abstract: There is provided a three-dimensional object printing apparatus including a first robot supporting a head having a nozzle for discharging a liquid and changing a position and a posture of the head, a second robot supporting a three-dimensional workpiece and changing a position and a posture of the workpiece, a curing unit that emits energy to cure or solidify the liquid discharged from the head, and a maintenance unit that performs maintenance on the head. The first robot has a first base portion fixed to a base. The second robot has a second base portion fixed to the base. In a plan view of the base, a virtual line segment connecting the first base portion and the second base portion passes between the curing unit and the maintenance unit.