JP6512002B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs printing while changing the relative position between a printing medium and a print head using an articulated robot.

Conventionally, when printing is performed on a substrate, particularly a substrate having a curved surface shape, there is a technology that performs printing by changing the relative position between the substrate and the print head three-dimensionally using an articulated robot. Are known.
For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique in which a multi-joint robot is provided with a print head as a tool and printing is performed on a curved surface of an object.

JP 2011-514234 gazette

In a printing apparatus that performs printing on a flat surface such as printing paper, generally, the moving direction of the printing medium and the print head is one direction, so it is easy to grasp the positioning of printing and the state of sheet feeding.
On the other hand, in the printing apparatus using the articulated robot, although the amount of movement along each movement axis of the articulated robot is detected by the encoder to calculate the coordinates, what kind of movement is actually performed on the printing material It can not be identified if it is In this case, the operator confirms that the printing medium or print head has moved to the initial printing position and outputs a print start signal, and thereafter the articulated robot and the articulated robot are held at a constant (as set) moving speed. The printing operation of the print head is executed as the printing medium moves.
Therefore, errors may occur in the actual movement (position and movement speed) of the printing material and the calculated movement (position and movement speed) along the movement setting of the articulated robot, and the printing accuracy and reproducibility can be improved. There is room for
In particular, when printing a pattern in which the movement distance (feed direction) of the articulated robot is long, the error may become large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and it is an object of the present invention to improve the print quality when printing an image on a substrate using an articulated robot.

In order to solve the problems described above and achieve the object, a printing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 is a printing apparatus that performs printing while changing the relative position between a printing material and a print head using an articulated robot. Robot control means for controlling the movement direction and movement amount of the articulated robot, and a plurality of movement amounts provided for each movement axis of the articulated robot and measuring movement amounts along the respective movement axes Distance calculation means for calculating the movement distance of the work point of the multi-joint robot in a three-dimensional space based on the measurement means, the plurality of movement amounts measured by the plurality of movement amount measurement means, and the distance calculation Means for rotating the motor at a rotation amount corresponding to the movement distance of the work point, an encoder for outputting a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation amount of the motor, shape information of a printed figure, the subject A print instruction information including the print position information in Suritai, based on said pulse signal, characterized by and a print control means for controlling the printing operation by the printhead.
In the printing apparatus according to the invention of claim 2, the motor rotates a predetermined unit rotation amount each time the movement distance of the working point changes a predetermined unit distance, and the encoder rotates the motor a predetermined amount each time Outputting the pulse signal, and the print control unit detects the position of the printing medium relative to the print head based on the pulse signal.
The printing apparatus according to the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the distance calculating means is constituted by a dedicated integrated circuit.
In the printing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the print head includes an ink discharge port for discharging the ink forming the print pattern to the print target, and the print control unit is configured to execute the print head using the print head. It is characterized in that the discharge timing and discharge amount of the ink are controlled.
In the printing apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the print head is disposed immovably, and the articulated robot moves the working point while fixing and holding the printing medium to the working point. Thus, the relative position between the printing medium and the print head is changed.

According to the invention of claim 1, since the printing operation by the print head is controlled based on the actual movement amount of the working point after the start of printing, it is assumed that the articulated robot moves according to the setting simply. The timing of the printing operation which has been determined can be determined more accurately. Thus, the print quality can be improved, and the reproducibility of printing under the same conditions can be improved.
According to the invention of claim 2, since the pulse signal is output each time the position of the work point changes by a predetermined unit distance, it is possible to function as an encoder for detecting the movement distance of the work point moving in the three-dimensional space. it can.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the distance calculation means is constituted by a single dedicated integrated circuit, it is advantageous in preventing a delay due to an increase in processing load and improving printing accuracy.
According to the invention of claim 4, since the printing apparatus is an ink jet printer, it is possible to use a special material as the ink, for example, use for applications other than drawing printing such as forming a circuit on a substrate It becomes possible.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the print head is fixed and printing is performed while moving the printing medium, the discharge direction of the ink can be stabilized, and the printing quality can be improved.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a printing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the printing apparatus 10. 5 is an explanatory view showing a configuration example of an articulated robot 104. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a configuration example of an encoder 50. FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of calculating a movement path of the articulated robot 104. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view schematically showing control by a print head driver 124. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of print processing in the printing apparatus 10;

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In this embodiment, as an example of a printing apparatus that performs printing while changing the relative position between the printing medium and the print head using the articulated robot, the printing head is fixed and installed, and the printing medium is articulated robot A case where printing is performed while being moved at will be described.
Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the printing apparatus is an ink jet printer.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a printing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment.
The printing apparatus 10 prints a wiring pattern on the surface of a substrate 20 having a curved shape.
Generally, the wiring pattern is formed by etching a flat flexible substrate. However, in such a method, it is difficult to form a wiring pattern on the base material 20 having a curved shape.
On the other hand, the printing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment performs printing while changing the relative position between the printing material and the print head using an articulated robot, so the wiring pattern can be freely formed on the base material 20 having a curved shape. Can be placed.

  The printing apparatus 10 includes a print head 102, an articulated robot 104 as a printing medium moving means, an ink curing means 108, and various control means shown in FIG. 2, and prints an image on the surface of a printing medium having a curved shape. Do. In the present embodiment, a hemispherical base 20 is used as an example of a printing material (work).

  The print head 102 is supported by the first support member 22 and disposed immovably, and includes an ink ejection port 102A that ejects an ink for forming an image to the substrate 20. The print head 102 is supported downward so that, for example, the ink ejection direction from the ink ejection port 102A coincides with the gravity direction. A plurality of ink discharge ports 102A may be provided in the print head 102.

  In addition, the print head 102 may be provided with a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the ink discharge port 102A with respect to the substrate 20. As the position adjustment mechanism, for example, an articulated robot (an articulated robot as a print head moving unit provided separately from the articulated robot 104 as a printing medium moving unit) can be used. By providing such a position adjusting mechanism, the degree of freedom in relative position change between the printing medium and the print head 102 can be increased, and printing efficiency can be improved.

  The ink ejected from the print head 102 is, for example, a curable ink that is cured by energy irradiation. For example, a pattern of a frequency selective element (FSS) is drawn by a curable ink using a conductive material, and the ink is cured using an ink curing means 108 described later, whereby the frequency is applied to the surface of the substrate 20 having a curved shape. It becomes possible to form a selection element.

  The ink curing unit 108 is supported by the second support member 23 and performs energy irradiation on the substrate 20 from which the ink is discharged. The ink curing unit 108 cures the curable ink discharged on the surface of the substrate 20 by irradiating, for example, a laser, a heat source, flash light, UV light, or the like according to the type of the curable ink. The ink curing means 108 can improve safety by being installed on the second support member 23 as shown in FIG. 1 without having it as a tool for the articulated robot.

The articulated robot 104 changes the relative position between the substrate 20 and the print head 102 by moving the operation point while holding the substrate 20 fixed to the operation point.
In FIG. 1, a state in which the substrate 20 is held by the articulated robot 104 is illustrated. Specifically, the articulated robot 104 is a robot that can move in the axial direction, and is preferably a multi-axis robot that has four or more axes of movement.
In the present embodiment, a six-axis articulated robot is used as the articulated robot 104.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a configuration example of the articulated robot 104. As shown in FIG.
The articulated robot 104 shown in FIG. 3 is a six-axis articulated robot, and mainly includes a body 104A, an arm 104B, and a wrist 104C.
In the present embodiment, the base material 20 is supported by the wrist portion 104C via a jig, and is moved following the movement of the articulated robot 104.
In the present embodiment, the working point of the articulated robot 104 is the tip of a jig supported by the wrist 104C (the contact point between the articulated robot 104 and the base material 20).

The body portion 104A of the articulated robot 104 is rotatable around the S axis, and can be rocked back and forth around the L axis.
The arm portion 104B of the articulated robot 104 is rotatable about the R axis, and can be pivoted up and down about the U axis.
The wrist portion 104C of the articulated robot 104 is rotatable around the T axis, and can be swung up and down around the B axis.
More specifically, the moving axes (S-axis, L-axis, R-axis, U-axis, T-axis, B-axis) of each part (body part 104A, arm part 104B, wrist part 104C) of the articulated robot 104 The support shaft along with and the motor 105 (refer FIG. 2) which rotates each support shaft are provided. The amount of rotation of each motor 105 is controlled by a robot controller 106 described later.

As a coordinate system that defines the position and posture of the articulated robot 104, a base coordinate system (X, Y, Z) whose origin is the contact center of the body portion 104A and a jig supported by the work point (wrist portion 104C) There is a mechanical interface coordinate system (Xm, Ym, Zm) whose origin is at the tip end). Although the base coordinate system does not change as a reference of other coordinate systems, the mechanical interface coordinate system changes due to the angle change of each axis.
In order to change the position and orientation of the articulated robot 104, movement amounts (position deviation and rotation deviation) and displacement speeds are input to each coordinate system.

In addition, in the movement axes (S axis, L axis, R axis, U axis, T axis, B axis) of the articulated robot 104, each part (body 104A, arm 104B, wrist) along each movement axis A moving amount measuring means is provided to measure the moving amount of 104C).
Specifically, the movement amount measuring means is an encoder 50 as shown in FIG. The encoder 50 detects the moving direction, the moving amount, and the angle when the object rotationally moves or linearly moves.
FIG. 4A shows a schematic view of a general optical transmission encoder 50.
The encoder 50 includes an LED light emitting element 502, a lens 504, a code wheel 506, and a light receiving IC 508.
The LED light emitting element 502 and the lens 504 are installed to face one surface of the disk shaped code wheel 506. Also, the light receiving IC 508 is installed to face the other surface of the code wheel 506.

The code wheel 506 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 105 that rotates the moving shaft, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor 105. Further, the code wheel 506 is provided with a slit portion 506A in which a rectangular hole is opened and a flat plate portion 506B in which the hole is not opened. The slit portion 506A opens at equal intervals along one circumference along the outer periphery of the disk-shaped code wheel 506.
Light for detection is emitted from the LED light emitting element 502 to one surface of the code wheel 506. Since the irradiation light from the LED light emitting element 502 is a confusing light, it is condensed by the lens 504 to approach parallel light.
As described above, since the slit portion 506A and the flat portion 506B are provided in the code wheel 506, the light receiving IC 508 on the other surface side of the code wheel 506 is reached only at the timing when the slit portion 506A passes. .
A photodiode is disposed on the light receiving IC 508, and processed by the signal conversion circuit unit, a two-phase pulse train having a phase difference of 1⁄4 cycle as shown in FIG. 4B is an angular displacement of the output shaft of the motor 105. Output according to The phase relationship of this two-phase pulse train (A-phase and B-phase) is reversed correspondingly to the rotational direction.
By using such a pulse train, the rotational direction, rotational position and rotational speed of the motor 105 can be detected.

More specifically, it is possible to determine the rotation direction of the rotation shaft on which the code wheel 506 is attached, by detecting which of the A phase and the B phase first rises.
For example, when the code wheel 506 is rotating in the normal direction (clockwise direction), the B phase rises behind the A phase. When the code wheel 506 reversely rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise), the rotation direction of the physical rotating disk is reversed, so that the B phase rises earlier than the A phase. Moreover, such a configuration can be used not only to determine the direction of movement during horizontal (linear) drive, but also to detect the direction of rotation.

Further, in the code wheel 506, slit portions 506A are provided at equal intervals over one round. For example, assuming that 360 slits 506A are provided around one circumference of the code wheel 506, one pulse is output per slit 506A, so that one rotational position per pulse should be detected. Can. Similarly, if 3600 slits are provided on one circumference, the rotation angle can be detected in units of 0.1 degrees.
Furthermore, by counting the rising / falling positions of the A-phase and B-phase waveforms, it is possible to detect an angular position finer than the number of physically provided slit portions 506A.

The rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor 105 can be calculated by measuring the pulse time of one cycle output from the encoder 50 and the number of output pulses per cycle and applying the following equation (1). .
Rotational speed (r / min) = (1 / (time of one cycle (seconds) × number of pulses)) × 60 (1)

Next, a control system of the printing apparatus 10 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the printing apparatus 10.
The printing apparatus 10 includes a robot controller 106, a computer 120, a distance calculation chip 122, a pulse generation unit 123, and a print head driver 124.
The computer 120 has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a display, and the like, and functions as an interface for the operator to set print figures and give instructions to the articulated robot 104 and the print head 102.

The robot controller 106 controls the direction and amount of movement of the articulated robot 104 to move the substrate 20 to a desired position relative to the print head 102. The movement direction and movement amount of the articulated robot 104 are determined based on control information (such as the printing order of the area on the substrate 20) output from the computer 120.
More specifically, the robot controller 106 outputs a control signal to the motor 105 provided on each moving axis of the articulated robot 104 based on the control information from the computer 120. The articulated robot 104 executes the instructed movement by driving the motor 105 of each axis based on the control signal.
At this time, a pulse signal is output from the encoder 50 attached to the output shaft of each motor 105. The robot controller 106 processes this pulse signal with an encoder counter, performs differential comparison with the above control signal, and confirms whether each movement axis is executing the instructed motion.
Further, the robot controller 106 calculates the coordinates (X, Y, Z and Xm, Ym, Zm) of the articulated robot 104 using the pulse signal output from the encoder 50 of each moving axis. Then, the calculated coordinates are output to the distance calculation chip 122 via the computer 120.
The calculation of the coordinates of the articulated robot 104 may be performed by the tip for distance calculation 122. In this case, the robot controller 106 outputs the pulse signal output from the encoder 50 of each moving axis to the distance calculation chip 122 as it is.
In addition, since the installation state of the base 20 relative to the shape of the base 20 and the work point is known, if the position (coordinates) of the work point can be specified, the position (coordinates) of any point on the base 20 is also calculated. Can.

The distance calculation chip 122 is a dedicated chip for calculating the movement trajectory of the work point of the articulated robot 104, and in the present embodiment, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is used.
An FPGA is an implementation of a circuit generated using dedicated software on a chip, and the circuit is redefinable. Unlike the CPU of a computer, an FPGA does not go through an operating system (OS), so processing can be accelerated.
As described above, providing the distance calculation chip 122 separately from the CPU of the computer is advantageous in preventing a delay due to an increase in processing load and improving the printing accuracy of the printing apparatus 10.

The distance calculation chip 122 includes a distance calculation circuit 122A.
The distance calculation circuit 122A functions as distance calculation means, and calculates the movement locus and movement distance of the work point from the coordinates of the articulated robot 104. That is, the distance calculation circuit 122A calculates the position in the three-dimensional space of the work point of the articulated robot 104 based on the plurality of movement amounts measured by the plurality of encoders 50 (movement amount measurement means).
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view for explaining a method of calculating a movement path of the articulated robot 104. As shown in FIG.
In FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the X axis and the Z axis are taken on the paper surface, and the work point moves on the XZ plane.
As shown in FIG. 5A, coordinate information of the articulated robot 104 is input to the distance calculation circuit 122A at a predetermined sampling interval. For example, the coordinates of the articulated robot 104 at time T1 are (X1, Z1), and this position is P1. The coordinates of the articulated robot 104 at time T2 (after unit sampling time from time T1) are (X2, Z2), and this position is P2. Likewise, FIG. 5A shows coordinates at times T3 to T5.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the movement amount L1 of the articulated robot 104 between time T1 and time T2 can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem.
Further, the movement amount L1 in a more generalized form adapted to a three-dimensional space is given by the following equation (2).

  Further, by totaling the movement amounts for each time, the movement distance of the articulated robot 104 can be calculated. The movement path is a line connecting the positions (P1 to P5 in FIG. 5A) specified from the coordinates of each time.

Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the pulse generation unit 123 includes a motor 123A and an encoder 123B, and outputs a pulse signal according to the position of the work point calculated by the distance calculation circuit 122A.
The motor 123A rotates by an amount of rotation corresponding to the position of the work point calculated by the distance calculation circuit 122A.
For example, when the motor 123A is a pulse motor, a pulse generation circuit is provided between the motor 123A and the distance calculation circuit 122A for generating a pulse each time the working point moves a unit distance, and every time the working point moves a unit distance The motor 123A rotates at a unit angle.
Further, for example, a current generation circuit is provided between the motor 123A and the distance calculation circuit 122A, and a current is generated for a predetermined time each time the working point moves a unit distance, and the motor 123A is a unit each time the working point moves a unit distance The rotation of the angle may be performed.
Further, for example, a voltage generation circuit is provided between the motor 123A and the distance calculation circuit 122A, and a voltage is generated for a predetermined time each time the working point moves a unit distance, and the motor 123A is a unit each time the working point moves a unit distance The rotation of the angle may be performed.
The pulse generation circuit, the current generation circuit, and the voltage generation circuit are provided, for example, on the distance calculation chip 122.

The encoder 123B has the same configuration as the encoder 50 attached to the motor 105 of the articulated robot 104 described above, and outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the motor 123A to the print head driver 124.
The encoder 123B is configured to output a pulse signal each time the motor 123A rotates by a predetermined unit angle.
That is, the motor 123A and the encoder 123B output a pulse signal to the print head driver 124 each time the working point moves a unit distance.

The print head driver 124 functions as print control means, and prints based on the shape information of the print figure, the print instruction information including the print position information on the substrate 20, and the pulse signal generated by the pulse generation circuit 122B. The printing operation by the head 102 is controlled.
In the present embodiment, since the printing apparatus 10 is an ink jet printer, the print head driver 124 detects the position of the substrate 20 with respect to the print head 102 based on the pulse signal, while discharging ink by the print head 102. And control the discharge amount.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view schematically showing control by the print head driver 124. As shown in FIG.
A design F1 shown in FIG. 6A is an example of a print pattern in the printing apparatus 10, and is a stripe pattern of two colors drawn at equal intervals (distance Xi) on the substrate 20.
The pulse signal shown in the lower part of FIG. 6A indicates the moving speed of the substrate 20 by the articulated robot 104. The pulse signal at the bottom of FIG. 6A indicates that the base material 20 is moved by a distance Xi × 2 at time T = 4t (t is a unit time). That is, the moving distance per unit time (t) is 2Xi / 4, and this speed is a standard moving speed.
In this case, the print head driver 124 performs printing for a distance Xi × 2 minutes within a time 4t.

Here, it is assumed that the moving speed of the substrate 20 is increased for some reason, and the substrate 20 is moved by a distance Xi × 2 at time 3t. In this case, the movement distance per unit time (t), that is, the movement speed is 2Xi / 3 (> standard speed).
If printing is performed on the assumption that the moving speed of the substrate 20 is constant (standard speed) as in the prior art, printing will be performed within a time 4 t by a distance Xi × 2 minutes. The moving speed of is too fast, and the interval between stripes becomes wide as shown in the design F2 of FIG. 6B. In addition, although it is illustrated that the space | interval of a stripe pattern became wide only in the design F2, it is thought that the nonuniformity etc. of printing etc. arise in fact, for example.

On the other hand, since the print head driver 124 of the printing apparatus 10 controls the printing operation based on the pulse signal according to the movement distance of the working point, changing the printing range etc. according to the actual movement speed of the substrate 20 Can.
That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6C, when the moving speed of the substrate 20 is increased for some reason (moving speed 2Xi / 3), the print head driver 124 performs printing for a distance Xi × 2 minutes within the time 3t. . As a result, it is possible to print the print figure without an error as shown by the design F3 at the top of FIG. 6C.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process in the printing apparatus 10.
The flowchart of FIG. 7 is an example, and for example, the computer 120 may perform the processing performed by the robot controller 106 or the print head driver 124 in FIG. 7.
When printing instruction information is input from the operator (step S700), the computer 120 controls the robot controller 106 regarding the movement of the articulated robot 104, and the print head driver 124 determines the shape of the printing figure. Control information (print instruction information) including information and print position information on the base 20 is output (step S702).
When the control information is input (step S704), the robot controller 106 operates the articulated robot 104 to move the substrate 20 to the printing start position (step S706). When the movement to the print start position is completed, the robot controller 106 outputs a movement completion signal to the print head driver 124 (step S 708).

When the control information (step S709) and the movement completion signal from the computer 120 are input (step S710), the print head driver 124 outputs a print start signal to the robot controller 106 (step S712).
When the printing start signal is input (step S714), the robot controller 106 moves the articulated robot 104 along the control information input in step S704 (step S716). Then, base coordinates and mechanical interface coordinates are calculated based on the movement amount information output from the encoder 50 attached to the motor 105 of each movement axis, and the calculated coordinate information is output to the distance calculation chip 122 (step S718). ).

When coordinate information is input (step S 720), the distance calculation chip 122 calculates the movement distance of the working point, and generates any of pulse, current, or voltage corresponding to the movement distance of the working point. It is output to the pulse generation unit 123 (step S722).
The pulse generation unit 123 rotates the motor 123A by a unit angle each time the working point moves by a unit distance using any of the pulse, current, or voltage output from the distance calculation chip 122, and causes the encoder 123B to rotate the motor. The rotation angle is detected to generate a pulse signal according to the amount of rotation. That is, a pulse signal is generated based on the movement distance of the working point, and is output to the print head driver 124 (step S 724).
The print head driver 124 controls the ejection of the ink from the print head 102 based on the control information and the pulse signal input in step S709 (step S726). Since no pulse signal is input for a very short time after the start of printing, the print head 102 is controlled using only control information.

As described above, since the printing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment controls the printing operation by the print head 102 based on the actual movement amount of the work point after the start of printing, the printing device 10 according to the embodiment can The timing of the printing operation determined on the assumption that the articulated robot 104 moves can be determined more accurately. Thus, the print quality can be improved, and the reproducibility of printing under the same conditions can be improved.
In addition, since the printing apparatus 10 outputs a pulse signal each time the position of the work point changes by a predetermined unit distance, the printing device 10 can function as a pseudo encoder for the work point moving in the three-dimensional space.
Further, since the printing apparatus 10 includes the distance calculation circuit 122A and the pulse generation circuit 122B as a single dedicated integrated circuit, it is advantageous in preventing a delay due to an increase in processing load and improving printing accuracy.
Further, since the printing apparatus 10 is an ink jet printer, a special material can be used as the ink, and can be used for applications other than drawing printing, such as forming a circuit on a substrate, for example.
In addition, since the printing apparatus 10 fixes the print head 102 and performs printing while moving the substrate 20, the discharge direction of the ink can be stabilized, and the print quality can be improved.

The application of the present invention is not limited to the printing apparatus. That is, the present invention can be applied to any device that performs work while changing the relative position between the work subject and the work tool using an articulated robot.
Further, in the present embodiment, the print head 102 is disposed immovably, and printing is performed while moving the substrate 20 by the articulated robot 104. However, the invention is not limited to this, the substrate 20 is disposed immovably. The printing may be performed while moving the print head 102 by the articulated robot 104, or the printing may be performed while moving both the substrate 20 and the print head 102 by the articulated robot 104.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ...... printing apparatus, 20 ... base material, 22, 23 ... support member, 50 ... encoder, 502 ... light emitting element, 504 ... lens, 506 ... code wheel, 506A ... slit part, 506B ... ... Flat plate portion 508: Light receiving IC 102: Print head 102A: Ink discharge port 104: Articulated robot 104A: Body portion 104B: Arm portion 104C: Wrist portion 105: 105 ... Motor ... 106 ... Robot controller, 108 ... Ink curing means, 120 ... Computer, 122 ... Distance calculation chip, 122 A ... Distance calculation circuit, 122 B ... Pulse generation circuit, 124 ... Print head driver.

Claims (5)

A printing apparatus that performs printing while changing the relative position between a printing medium and a print head using an articulated robot,
Robot control means for controlling the moving direction and moving amount of the articulated robot;
A plurality of movement amount measuring means provided for each movement axis of the articulated robot and measuring movement amounts along the movement axes;
Distance calculation means for calculating the movement distance of the working point of the articulated robot in a three-dimensional space based on the plurality of movement amounts measured by the plurality of movement amount measurement means;
A motor that rotates at a rotation amount according to the movement distance of the work point calculated by the distance calculation means;
An encoder that outputs a pulse signal according to the amount of rotation of the motor;
Print control means for controlling the printing operation by the print head based on the shape information of the print figure, the print instruction information including the print position information on the printing material, and the pulse signal;
A printing apparatus comprising: The motor rotates by a predetermined unit rotation amount each time the movement distance of the work point changes by a predetermined unit distance.
The encoder outputs the pulse signal each time the motor rotates a predetermined amount,
The print control means detects the position of the printing medium relative to the print head based on the pulse signal.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, The distance calculating means is constituted by a dedicated integrated circuit,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The print head includes an ink discharge port that discharges an ink forming the print pattern to the print target.
The print control means controls the discharge timing and discharge amount of the ink by the print head.
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The print head is arranged immovably,
The articulated robot changes the relative position between the print medium and the print head by moving the work point while holding the print medium fixed to the work point.
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:

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