Inkjet printer head assembly and inkjet printer equipped with the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a head assembly for an inkjet printer, characterized by comprising: a head module including a head for discharging ink and a reservoir for storing the ink supplied to the head; a fixed portion including a pressure controller for controlling gas pressure by being connected to the reservoir and thereby maintaining the ink injected into the head in a meniscus state, and a control driver for controlling ink discharge of the head; and a stage frame on which the head module and the fixed portion are mounted and moved by being connected to a moving device; the head module is detachable on the stage frame, connection portions are respectively formed at portions where the head module and the stage frame are in contact, a pipe and a wire connected to the fixed portion and inserted into or through the stage frame are connected to pipes and wires formed on the head by virtue of the connection of the connection portions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a head assembly for an inkjet printer, and an inkjet printer equipped with the head assembly, and more particularly, to a head assembly for industrial use which is replaceable with ink, and an inkjet printer equipped with the head assembly. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, devices for discharging liquid for various purposes are being used in large quantities in the industrial field. For example, in order to project liquid to a desired position and form a pattern in order to draw a specific shape such as a circuit, in order to discharge liquid with a thin thickness in order to manufacture a thin fiber, or in order to discharge liquid to the surface of a coating object in order to coat a surface.

[0003] An inkjet method of ejecting liquid ink in the form of droplets to the surface of a medium according to a shape signal is not only used for printing of documents or advertising leaflets, but also used for solution engineering in the field of semiconductors or display screens.

[0004] The range of application of inkjet printing, which can form a pattern of a complex shape on a substrate or accurately discharge ink to a specific position, is becoming wider and wider. A small inkjet printer for printing a document adopts a form of storing ink in an inkjet head which discharges ink droplets, but because a large document printing printer or an industrial inkjet printer needs to use a large amount of ink, a structure in which a storage portion for storing ink is separated from an inkjet head is adopted.

[0005] In addition, in order to discharge an accurate amount of ink during inkjet printing, it is necessary to maintain a curved surface state, that is, a meniscus state, in which ink in an inkjet head in a discharge preparation state is recessed inwardly with reference to the inlet of a nozzle by means of a capillary phenomenon. To this end, generally, a negative pressure is formed in an ink supply storage portion by maintaining a vacuum inside the ink supply storage portion while the position at which the head is supplied with the storage portion is disposed at a higher position than the inkjet head, thereby preventing ink from flowing out of the inkjet head and thereby maintaining the meniscus state.

[0006] The head portion in which a nozzle for discharging liquid is installed in the industrial inkjet printing device as described above, including an inkjet head, a storage portion for supplying ink to the head, a pressure control device for maintaining the storage portion and the head in a negative pressure state, and a control portion for controlling the discharged droplets, is generally combined into one module.

[0007] Modularization of the head portion means that the constituent elements are fixed to a specific position of a specific form of a housing or a frame to constitute one module unit, and the convenience in the manufacturing process can be improved by constituting and assembling in a standardized module form.

[0008] Further, in the case of configuring the head part in a module form, it is also possible to improve the precision of work and manage the device in units of modules. However, in the case of temporarily separating the modularized head part in order to perform maintenance and management, or in the case of using other types of ink, problems can occur in the process of storing the head module having a large size.

[0009] In the past, the industrial environment was mainly focused on mass production of a small number of categories, but recently, the proportion of small production of a large number of categories, which can improve product diversity, is becoming higher, and thus in the field of industrial inkjet printers, a function of performing various different works by changing the ink used has begun to be required. Further, along with small production of a large number of categories, the demand for production of various prototype products has also become more frequent than in the past, and thus in order to achieve the production and test of prototype products, research activities related to an inkjet printer that can change the use of various inks have also been actively conducted. As described above, in the case of modularizing the entire head part, the above-described demand cannot be met.

[0010] Prior Art Documents

[0011] Patent Documents

[0012] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0070281 SUMMARY

[0013] The present application aims to solve the above-described problems of the prior art and provide an inkjet printer that can satisfy the demand for use of various inks while maintaining the advantages of modularization.

[0014] In order to achieve the above-described object, the inkjet printer head assembly of the present application is characterized by comprising:

[0015] a head module including a head for discharging ink and a reservoir for storing ink supplied to the head;

[0016] a fixed part including a pressure controller for controlling the pressure of gas by being connected to the reservoir and thereby maintaining the meniscus state of ink injected into the head, and a control driver for controlling the ink discharge of the head; and

[0017] a stage frame on which the head module and the fixed part are mounted and which is moved by being connected to a moving device;

[0018] the head module is detachable on the stage frame,

[0019] A connection portion is formed in a portion of the nozzle module and the stage frame which are in contact with each other, and a pipe and a wire which are connected to the fixing portion and inserted into or through the stage frame are connected to a pipe and a wire formed in the nozzle by means of the connection of the connection portions.

[0020] A linear motion member which can linearly move back and forth is installed in the stage frame, and the nozzle module can be installed on the linear motion member, and whether the connection portion of the nozzle module and the connection portion of the stage frame are connected is determined according to the position of the linear motion member on which the nozzle module is installed.

[0021] The linear motion member can be a linear motion guide.

[0022] The installation position is fixed by means of one or more pins which are protruded from one of the linear motion member and the nozzle module and one or more pin holes which are formed in the other of the linear motion member and the nozzle module and into which the pins are inserted.

[0023] A fixing assembly for fixing the linear motion member to prevent it from moving in a state in which the connection portion of the nozzle module and the connection portion of the stage frame are connected is provided.

[0024] The fixing assembly includes one or more pins which are protruded from one of the nozzle module and the stage frame and one or more pin holes which are formed in the other of the nozzle module and the stage frame and into which the pins are inserted, and is a zero-point positioning clamping system in which clamping is performed by means of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure.

[0025] The stage frame is divided into a weight dispersing portion which is located on a moving portion for moving a nozzle assembly in an inkjet printer and a nozzle mounting portion for mounting a nozzle module, and the fixing portion is mounted on the weight dispersing portion.

[0026] The weight dispersing portion is in the shape of a flat plate which is located above the moving portion and is connected to the nozzle mounting portion by means of a connection portion which extends from one side of the weight dispersing portion to the lower side.

[0027] Another aspect of the present invention is an inkjet printer which is a printer including a nozzle assembly for ejecting ink and a moving portion for moving the nozzle assembly to an ejection position,

[0028] The nozzle assembly includes:

[0029] A nozzle module which is modularized to include a nozzle for ejecting ink and a reservoir for storing ink which is supplied to the nozzle;

[0030] a fixed part including a pressure controller for controlling gas pressure by being connected to the reservoir and thereby maintaining the meniscus state of ink injected into the head, and a control driver for controlling the head; and

[0031] a stage frame for mounting the head module and the fixed part and moving by being connected to a moving means;

[0032] the head module is detachably mounted on the stage frame,

[0033] connection parts are formed on the head module and the stage frame, respectively, and pipes and wires connected to the fixed part and inserted into or through the stage frame are connected to pipes and wires formed on the head by being combined with the connection parts.

[0034] a linear motion member for linearly moving back and forth is mounted in the stage frame, the head module is mounted on the linear motion member, and whether the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined or not is determined according to the position of the linear motion member on which the head module is mounted.

[0035] The linear motion member can be a linear motion guide.

[0036] One or more pins are formed on one of the linear motion member and the head module, and one or more pin holes are formed on the other of the linear motion member and the head module and into which the pins are inserted, and the mounting position is fixed by the pins and the pin holes.

[0037] A fixing assembly for fixing the linear motion member to prevent it from moving in a state in which the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined is provided.

[0038] The fixing assembly includes one or more pins formed on one of the head module and the stage frame and one or more pin holes formed on the other of the head module and the stage frame and into which the pins are inserted, and is a zero-point positioning clamping system in which clamping is performed by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure.

[0039] The stage frame is divided into a weight dispersion part on a moving part for moving a head assembly in an inkjet printer and a head mounting part for mounting a head module, and the fixed part is mounted on the weight dispersion part.

[0040] The weight dispersion portion is in a flat plate shape above the moving portion and is connected to the nozzle mounting portion through a connecting portion extending downward from one side of the weight dispersion portion.

[0041] The present application configured as described above can reduce the components included in the replacement type nozzle module and thereby greatly save the overall manufacturing cost, by adopting a configuration in which the nozzle module including the nozzle and the reservoir and the fixed portion including the components not in contact with the ink are separated and the nozzle module alone can be replaced, compared to the existing product in which the components not related to the replacement of the ink are modularized and mass-produced.

[0042] In addition, by adopting a configuration in which the nozzle module is moved with respect to the stage frame in the horizontal direction during the replacement of the nozzle module, it is not necessary to separately connect or disconnect the connectors for the electrical wiring and the gas line during the replacement of the nozzle module, but it is possible to maintain the connection state of the electrical wiring and the gas line during the movement of the nozzle module and the dismounting or mounting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0044] Figure 2 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic view for illustrating a nozzle connecting portion and a frame connecting portion applied in a nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0046] Figure 4 is a schematic view for illustrating a frame connecting portion applied in a nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0047] Figure 5 is a sectional view for illustrating a nozzle connecting portion and a frame connecting portion applied in a nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic view for illustrating a state in which the connection of the nozzle module from the stage frame is released.

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic view for illustrating a state in which the nozzle module is separated from the stage frame.

[0050] Figure 8 is a schematic view for illustrating a state in which a new nozzle module is combined to the stage frame.

[0051] Figure 9 is a schematic view illustrating a device for storing and transferring a printhead module separated from a printhead assembly of an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0052]

Symbol Explanation

[0053] 100: printhead module

[0054] 110: printhead connection portion

[0055] 120: first line connector

[0056] 120: first line connector

[0057] 200: fixing portion

[0058] 300: stage frame

[0059] 310: weight dispersing portion

[0060] 320: printhead mounting portion

[0061] 330: connection portion

[0062] 340: sliding plate

[0063] 342: pin

[0064] 350: pin hole member

[0065] 352: pin member

[0066] 360: frame connection portion

[0067] 362: second line connector

[0068] 364: second line connector

[0069] 366: O-ring

[0070] 1000: printhead assembly

[0071] 2000: moving portion DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] Next, an embodiment to which the present application is applied will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0073] However, the embodiment of the present application can be modified into various other embodiments, and the scope of the present application is not limited to the embodiment explained in the following description. The shapes and sizes of the elements in the drawings can be exaggerated for the purpose of explanation and the elements represented by the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same elements.

[0074] Further, throughout the specification, when described that a certain part is "connected" with other parts, not only a case of "directly connected" is included, but also a case of "electrically connected" with other elements interposed therebetween is included. Further, when described that a certain part "includes" or "is equipped with" a certain constituent element, unless explicitly described otherwise, it does not mean that other constituent elements are excluded, but it means that other constituent elements can also be included or equipped.

[0075] Further, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one constituent element from other constituent elements, and the scope of the claims is not limited by the terms. For example, a first constituent element can be named as a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element can be named as a first constituent element.

[0076] Figure 1 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a head assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied, and Figure 2 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a head assembly for an inkjet printer to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

[0077] A head assembly 1000 for an inkjet printer according to the present application includes a head module 100, a fixing part 200, and a stage frame 300.

[0078] The head module 100 includes a head in which a nozzle for discharging ink is formed, and a reservoir for storing ink supplied to the head, and is modularized so that the head module 100 itself can be easily attached to and detached from the stage frame 300.

[0079] Unlike the case in which the entire electronic device including a pressure control device for maintaining a meniscus and a driver for controlling the head are modularized in the existing inkjet printer, the present application includes only the minimum components necessary during ink replacement into the head module 100.

[0080] The reservoir is a part for storing ink supplied to the head, and when ink needs to be replaced in the same reservoir, it is necessary to completely empty the reservoir and complete cleaning of the inside before refilling new ink. Therefore, it is preferable to replace it in a state in which it is filled with ink. Further, ink remains in the head, and in order to replace it with other ink, the head needs to be completely washed, and thus it is also preferable to replace it. The present application is characterized in that the constituent elements related to the storage and circulation of ink are separated into a separate head module 100 so that they can be easily replaced.

[0081] An inkjet printer to which the present application is applied is configured for industrial use, and thus the head is displaced in a configuration in which a plurality of nozzles are equipped and the head is separated from the reservoir.

[0082] In the range that does not impair the characteristics of the present application, all the technical configurations of the inkjet head used in the past can be applied, and can be applied in various ways.

[0083] The reservoir is connected to the head by a pipe and supplies ink to the head, and in this case, it is preferable to provide both a supply pipe for supplying ink to the head and a recovery pipe for recovering ink from the head to the reservoir, compared to a one-way structure that supplies only ink to the head.

[0084] In a structure that provides only a supply pipe for supplying ink from the reservoir to the head, it can be difficult to maintain the meniscus state due to a large change in the air pressure inside the reservoir during the protrusion of ink from the head. In addition, since ink moves to the side of the head corresponding to the amount of ink ejected, the time during which the ink does not move, i.e., stagnates, becomes longer, and thus problems such as separation of components of the ink due to a difference in weight or precipitation of particles contained in the ink can occur.

[0085] In the case where both a supply pipe for supplying ink from the reservoir to the head and a recovery pipe for recovering ink from the head to the reservoir are provided, in addition to the ejected ink, the ink can be circulated by movement in the recovery pipe, and thus the possibility of problems as described above can be reduced.

[0086] If no particular problems occur even in the case where only a supply pipe is provided, only a supply pipe can be provided, and in the range that does not impair the characteristics of the present application, all the technical configurations related to the connection of the inkjet head and the reservoir used in the past can be applied, and can be applied in various ways.

[0087] For example, a circulation structure such as a pump for forcibly circulating ink can be provided in one or more of the supply pipe or the recovery pipe, or a configuration in which ink is moved in a detour by adding a bypass pipe in a specific condition can be adopted.

[0088] In addition, the reservoir can apply all the technical configurations of the reservoir used in the past in the range that does not impair the characteristics of the present application in which the head and the reservoir are modularized, and can be applied in various ways.

[0089] For example, a configuration for stirring the ink to prevent separation of components of the ink stored in the reservoir or precipitation of particles contained in the humor can be added. In addition, a configuration for removing fine bubbles generated in a process of injecting the ink into the reservoir or in a process of supplying or circulating the ink to the head can be applied. Furthermore, in order to prevent a change in internal gas pressure occurring in a process of injecting the ink into the reservoir, a buffer reservoir for temporarily storing the ink injected into the reservoir can also be provided. In addition, because it is difficult to maintain a meniscus state in a case where the size of the reservoir is excessively large, a configuration for reducing the size of the reservoir and continuously supplementing the ink stored in a separate ink storage tank to the reservoir can be employed. At this time, the ink storage tank can be located in the inkjet head, or a structure for supplying the ink to the reservoir or the buffer reservoir through a pipe while being located outside the inkjet head can be employed.

[0090] The head module 100 of the head assembly for the inkjet printer according to the present application is modularized to be detachable and attachable by itself on the stage frame 300, and includes a head connection part 110 connected to the fixed part 200 through a pipe and a wire only in a case where the head module 100 is mounted on the stage frame 300. Details regarding the head connection part 110 will be described in a subsequent section.

[0091] The fixed part 200 includes all constituent elements not included in the head module 100, which are constituted of a minimum number of parts necessary in an ink replacement process according to the present application. Most typically, the fixed part 200 includes electronic devices such as a pressure control device for controlling a gas pressure inside the reservoir in order to maintain a meniscus state of the head, and a head driver for controlling an operation of the head.

[0092] As described above, in order to replace the ink, constituent elements in contact with or movable by the ink are desirably replaced in a state of containing the ink, but the application of other constituent elements is not related to the replacement of the ink.

[0093] At this time, if a configuration of a single module including, for example, a pressure control device for controlling a gas pressure and a head driver device is employed as in a conventional manner, because the pressure control device and the head driver device are included in each of a plurality of modules used in order to replace the ink, a problem of an increase in manufacturing and operating costs can occur. In addition, because the volume and the weight of the module detached from the inkjet printer in order to replace the ink are increased, a problem of a process of storing and moving the module becoming more difficult and expensive can occur.

[0094] Therefore, the present application includes all of the components irrelevant to the replacement of ink in the fixed part 200 and mounts them on the stage frame 300. At this time, the components included in the fixed part 200 are different from the head module 100 and do not need to be replaced during the ink replacement process, and thus are not necessarily modularized. In addition, all of the components irrelevant to the replacement of ink, except for the pressure control device and the head driver device, can be included in the fixed part 200 without special limitations.

[0095] In addition, the pressure control device for controlling the gas pressure needs to be connected to the reservoir through a gas line, and the head driver device needs to be connected to the head through a wire line. At this time, if the line between the reservoir and the pressure control device and the wire between the head and the head driver device are directly connected, even in the case where the head module 100 is modularized, the process of separating and recombining the line and the wire during the replacement of the head module 100 becomes complicated. Therefore, the present application applies the connection part corresponding to the head connection part 110 described above for the convenience of connection and separation of the line and the wire, but the connection part is formed on the stage frame 300, not on the fixed part 200, and will be described in more detail in the following.

[0096] The pressure control device, the head driver device, and the like included in the fixed part 200 can be applied to all of the technical components used in the past without impairing the characteristics of the present application, and can be deformed in various ways.

[0097] The stage frame 300 is a component for mounting the head module 100 and the fixed part 200 and thereby constituting a head assembly 1000.

[0098] The purpose of the past modularization of the head-related components was to prevent problems from occurring due to various liquid lines and wire lines connected to the head in the case where only the head is moved during inkjet printing. At this time, the present application separates the components into the head module 100 that can be replaced as a whole for ink replacement and the fixed part 200 that is not included in the head module 100, but in order to bundle them into one and move them together, a head assembly 1000 is constituted by mounting the head module 100 and the fixed part 200 on the stage frame 300.

[0099] Although the stage frame 300 is a constituent element for mounting the fixed part 200 and the head module 100, the fixed part 200 belongs to a part which is not replaced during the ink replacement process, and thus is not particularly limited, and the fixed part 200 can be mounted and fixed in various ways. In contrast, the head module 100 needs a constituent element for mounting and dismounting itself on the stage frame 300.

[0100] In the present embodiment, the process of mounting and dismounting the head module 100 on the stage frame 300 is performed by a linear motion guide which performs linear reciprocating motion. As described above, the head and the reservoir included in the head module 100 are connected to the head driver device and the pressure control device included in the fixed part 200 through a wire and a pipe, and a connection part is provided in order to easily separate and connect the wire and the pipe during the replacement of the head module 100 for ink replacement. A frame connection part 360 corresponding to the head connection part 110 formed on the head module 100 is formed on the stage frame 300 at a position corresponding to the head connection part 110 when the head module 100 is attached to the stage frame 300. At this time, the present invention enables smooth connection or separation of the head connection part 110 and the frame connection part 360 when the head module 100 is mounted and dismounted, and thus makes the head module 100 perform linear reciprocating motion when the head module 100 is mounted and dismounted on the stage frame 300, and in the present embodiment, a linear motion guide is applied as a constituent element for mounting and dismounting the head module 100 on the stage frame 300.

[0101] The head connection part 110 and the frame connection part 360 include a pipe connector for connecting a gas pipe and a wire connector for connecting an electric wire, and the pipe connector and the wire connector can be in various forms, but in general, linear motion is required in order to ensure proper connection or separation of the connectors. For example, the wire connector applies a structure in which a male connector consisting of a plurality of protruding pins and a female connector consisting of pin holes into which the pins are inserted are combined with each other to connect the wire, and linear movement of the connectors is required when the pins of the male connector are inserted into the pin holes of the female connector. In the present embodiment, the head module 100 is a constituent element which can be mounted and dismounted on the stage frame 300, and by applying a linear motion guide which enables linear reciprocating motion of the head module 100, the pipe connector and the wire connector are combined with each other when the head module 100 performs linear motion and moves to a mounting position, and the pipe connector and the wire connector are separated from each other when the head module 100 performs linear motion and moves away from the mounting position, thereby simultaneously performing the mounting and dismounting process of the head module 100 and the connection and separation process of the connectors.

[0102] Especially, by installing a plurality of pins 342 on the sliding plate 340 which performs linear reciprocating motion on the linear sliding guide and forming pin holes (not shown) corresponding to the plurality of pins 342 in the position of the head module 100, the head module 100 can be installed at the position where the head connecting portion 110 and the frame connecting portion 360 are accurately combined on the sliding plate 340. In addition, by forming a through hole on the sliding plate 340 which is aligned with the nozzle position of the head module 100, the nozzle can be exposed to the lower portion. Further, by forming a through hole on the stage frame 300 which is aligned with the through hole of the sliding plate 340 and the nozzle position of the head module 100 when the sliding plate 340 is located at the position where the head module 100 is combined, the nozzle can be exposed to the lower portion.

[0103] Further, in the present embodiment, as a fixing member for fixing the head module 100 which performs linear reciprocating motion on the linear sliding guide to the position where the line connector and the pipe connector are completely combined, a zero-point positioning clamping system which performs clamping by means of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is applied. The zero-point positioning clamping system is a device which is composed of a pin member 352 and a pin hole member 350, and can fix the pin member 352 by using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure to prevent it from being detached in the state where the pin member 352 is inserted into the pin hole member 350.

[0104] In addition, although the frame connecting portion 360 corresponding to the head connecting portion 110 is located on the stage frame 300, the line and the pipe connected by the connector are connected to the head driver device and the pressure control device included in the fixing portion 200. At this time, the line and the pipe connected to the frame connecting portion 360 can be buried inside the stage frame 300, or can pass through the stage frame 300 and be connected to the frame connecting portion 360.

[0105] In addition, as described above, the stage frame 300 is a structure for moving together with the head assembly 1000, and is combined to the moving portion 2000 which moves the position of the head assembly 1000 in order to change the ink ejection position in the process of inkjet printing.

[0106] At this time, in order to disperse the weight in the present embodiment, the stage frame 300 is divided into a weight dispersion portion 310, a head mounting portion 320, and a connecting portion 330. The head of the inkjet printer cannot be located on the upper side of the moving portion 2000 due to the head characteristic of discharging ink downward, and it is preferable to be located beside the moving portion 2000 in order to prevent the moving portion 2000 from obstructing the discharge of ink. Therefore, in the past case of modularizing all head constituent elements, the module was usually attached to the side of the moving portion, but this caused the problem of the weight of the module being concentrated on one side of the moving portion, and in the case of changing the module form in order to solve the above problem, the problem of the manufacture and management of the module becoming difficult also occurred.

[0107] In contrast, in the present invention, the constituent elements are divided into the head module 100 and the fixed portion 200 and are mounted on the stage frame 300, respectively, so that the weight can be dispersed by the structure of the stage frame 300. Specifically, the stage frame 300 is configured in a form in which the weight dispersion portion 310 in which the fixed portion 200 is mounted is located on the upper side of the moving portion 2000, the head mounting portion 320 in which the head module 100 is mounted is located on the side of the moving portion 2000, and the weight dispersion portion 310 and the head mounting portion 320 are connected by the connecting portion 330. In the present embodiment, a form in which the connecting portion 330 connecting the weight dispersion portion 310 and the head mounting portion 320 is disposed in the vertical direction is adopted, but it is not limited thereto, and various changes can be made within a range not impairing the characteristics of the present invention as long as the structure in which the weight can be dispersed by the head mounting portion 320 and the weight dispersion portion 310 and connected.

[0108] Next, the structure of the head connecting portion and the frame connecting portion will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0109] Figure 3 is a schematic view illustrating the head connecting portion and the frame connecting portion applied to the head assembly for an inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic view illustrating the frame connecting portion applied to the head assembly for an inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the head connecting portion and the frame connecting portion applied to the head assembly for an inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] The head connecting portion 110 is formed on the head module 100 and is equipped with a first line connector 112 and a first pipe connector 114, so that the electrical line and the gas pipe of the fixed portion 200 and the head module 100 are connected only in the case in which the head module 100 is attached to the stage frame 300.

[0111] The first line connector 112 can be various connectors for connecting an electric line for transmitting electric power without limitation, and can be a male connector structure commonly used. The electric line connector using a male connector and a female connector has an advantage that the electric line can be connected by stable coupling, but has a disadvantage that it can be fastened to each other only when it is moved linearly in a specific direction and coupled. The disadvantage as described above does not cause a great problem in the case of manually inserting and connecting a separate connector connected to a flexible electric wire, but causes a significant coupling difficulty problem in the case of using a connector formed on one side of the head module 100 without using a separate connector as described in the present embodiment. Therefore, although the connector directly formed on the main body surface of the entire moving body is configured in a special form, the simply contacted connector can easily cause poor contact, and a structure specially developed to achieve stable coupling regardless of a coupling direction has a problem of increased manufacturing cost. However, since the present embodiment uses a linear slide rail that can move the head module 100 in a linear direction during installation of the head module 100 to the stage frame 300, various structures using a male connector and a female connector commonly used in connection of an electric line can be used. The present embodiment uses a male connector structure in the head connection part 110 formed on the head module 100, but is not limited thereto, and a male connector can be provided on the frame connection part 360.

[0112] The first line connector 112 can be various connectors for connecting an electric line for transmitting electric power without limitation, and can be a male connector structure commonly used. The electric line connector using a male connector and a female connector has an advantage that the electric line can be connected by stable coupling, but has a disadvantage that it can be fastened to each other only when it is moved linearly in a specific direction and coupled. The disadvantage as described above does not cause a great problem in the case of manually inserting and connecting a separate connector connected to a flexible electric wire, but causes a significant coupling difficulty problem in the case of using a connector formed on one side of the head module 100 without using a separate connector as described in the present embodiment. Therefore, although the connector directly formed on the main body surface of the entire moving body is configured in a special form, the simply contacted connector can easily cause poor contact, and a structure specially developed to achieve stable coupling regardless of a coupling direction has a problem of increased manufacturing cost. However, since the present embodiment uses a linear slide rail that can move the head module 100 in a linear direction during installation of the head module 100 to the stage frame 300, various structures using a male connector and a female connector commonly used in connection of an electric line can be used. The present embodiment uses a male connector structure in the head connection part 110 formed on the head module 100, but is not limited thereto, and a male connector can be provided on the frame connection part 360.

[0113] The frame connection part 360 is formed on the stage frame 100 and is provided with a second line connector 362 and a second line connector 364, so that the electric line and the gas line of the head module 100 and the fixing part 200 are connected only when the head module 100 is attached to the stage frame 300.

[0114] The second line connector 362 and the second line connector 364 of the frame connection part 360 are formed at positions corresponding to the first line connector 112 and the first line connector 114 formed on the head module 100. In addition, the second line connector 362 and the second line connector 364 adopt structures corresponding to the first line connector 112 and the first line connector 114.

[0115] The second wiring connector 362 can be applied to a general electric wiring structure as described for the first wiring connector 112. Specifically, the first wiring connector 112 of the present embodiment employs a male connector, and the second wiring connector 362 employs a female connector corresponding thereto.

[0116] The second piping connector 364 can be applied to a general gas piping connection structure as described for the first piping connector 114. In the second piping connector 364 of the present embodiment, an O-ring 366 for improving the gas-tightness of the gas piping connection portion is applied. The installation position of the O-ring 366 is not limited to the second piping connector 364, but can be formed on the first piping connector 114. Furthermore, as a configuration for improving the gas-tightness of the gas piping connection portion, a structure other than the O-ring can be applied within a range not impairing the characteristics of the present application.

[0117] With the structure of the shower head connecting portion 110 and the frame connecting portion 360 as described above, during the installation of the shower head module 100 to the stage frame 300, the electric wiring and the gas piping of the shower head module 100 are connected to the electric wiring and the gas piping of the fixed portion 200. This means that during the disassembly of the shower head module 100, the electric wiring and the gas piping do not need to be separately separated or connected. As a result, unlike the past method of forming a single module by integrating all the components of the inkjet head, although the fixed portion 200 and the shower head module 100 are separated and the configuration of disassembling only the shower head module 100 is employed, the present application does not cause the inconvenience of separately connecting and separating the electric wiring and the gas piping during the disassembly of the shower head module 100, and thus can achieve the best effect in an environment requiring the replacement of a plurality of inks.

[0118] Furthermore, as described above, the present application includes a fixing member for fixing the state in which the showerhead module 100 is coupled to the stage frame 300, i.e., the state in which the first line connector 112 is coupled to the second line connector 362 and the first pipe connector 114 is coupled to the second pipe connector 364, and in the present embodiment, a zero-point positioning chuck system that performs chucking by means of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is applied as the fixing member. The zero-point positioning chuck system is a device that is composed of a pin member 352 and a pin hole member 350, can fix the pin member 352 to prevent it from being detached by means of pneumatic or hydraulic pressure in a state in which the pin member 352 is inserted into the pin hole member 350, and as shown in the drawing, the pin member 352 is disposed at the periphery of the first line connector 112 and the first pipe connector 114 of the showerhead module 100, and the pin hole 350 is disposed at the periphery of the second line connector 362 and the second pipe connector 364 of the stage frame 300 corresponding thereto. By disposing the pin member 352 and the pin hole member 350 of the zero-point positioning chuck system at the periphery of the connectors, the first line connector 112 and the second line connector and the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector can be more stably coupled, and by applying the zero-point positioning chuck system, a strong coupling force can be easily maintained.

[0119] Next, the process of replacing the showerhead module on the stage frame will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0120] Figure 6 the state in which the showerhead module is decoupled from the stage frame is illustrated, Figure 7 the state in which the showerhead module is separated from the stage frame is illustrated, and Figure 8 the state in which the new showerhead module is coupled to the stage frame is illustrated.

[0121] First, in order to release the state in which the showerhead module 100 and the stage frame 300 are coupled by means of the line and the pipe, the zero-point positioning chuck system is released from locking so as to be separable. Next, the showerhead module 100 is moved in the horizontal direction by moving the linear slide guide on which the showerhead module 100 is mounted, so as to separate the line connector and the pipe connector. At this time, as described above, even in the case of a general structure in which the line connector is composed of a female connector and a male connector that are connected to the electrical line, since the showerhead module 100 is moved in the horizontal direction, the male connector that is inserted into the female connector can be simply and safely separated. Similarly, the pipe connector can also be safely separated by means of the movement of the showerhead module 100 in the horizontal direction.

[0122] Next, in order to separate the nozzle module 100 from the stage frame 300, the nozzle module 100 is moved upward in the vertical direction. As described above, the present embodiment employs linear slide rails for horizontal movement of the nozzle module 100, and in order to stably position the nozzle module 100 in the correct position, pins are formed on the slide plate and pin holes formed on the lower side of the nozzle module 100 are aligned and coupled to the pins of the slide plate, so separation is required by lifting the nozzle module 100 upward in the vertical direction.

[0123] After separating and removing the previously used nozzle module 100, a new nozzle module 100A is aligned with the pins formed on the slide plate of the linear slide rail, and the nozzle module 100 is moved horizontally by moving the linear slide rail, thereby coupling the line connectors and the pipe connectors. At this time, because the nozzle module 100 is moved horizontally, even in the case of using line connectors composed of female connectors and male connectors, which are normally used to connect electrical lines, the male connectors can be inserted into the correct positions of the female connectors and connected. In the process, the pin members of the zero-point positioning chuck system will be inserted into the pin hole members, and next, by locking the zero-point positioning chuck system, the pin members can be fixed by means of air pressure or hydraulic pressure, thereby fixing the nozzle module 100 on the stage frame 300 to prevent separation.

[0124] As a result, a process for connecting the connectors of the lines and pipes is not separately performed, but only by the operation of horizontally moving the nozzle module 100 along the linear slide rail, the lines and pipes are connected, thereby achieving the effect that the operation of replacing the nozzle module 100 for ink replacement becomes very simple.

[0125] Further, one of the reasons why it is difficult to replace the ink in the conventional system in which all the components including the inkjet head and the reservoir, and the gas pressure control device and the head driver are modularized is that it is difficult to handle the module separated from the inkjet printer, such as storage and management, in the process of replacing the modularized components with different ink. Since all the components including the inkjet head and the reservoir, and the gas pressure control device and the head driver are modularized, the size of the modularized components must be large, resulting in a problem that a place for storing the same must be provided when the same is separated from the inkjet printer, and the more the number of the modularized components, the more the space for storing the same is required. In the case of moving and storing the modularized components separated from the inkjet printer for space utilization, not only is it difficult to move the same because of the large size of the modularized components, but also there is a problem that the sensitive components such as the gas pressure control device can be damaged during the movement. Further, the modularized components separated from the inkjet printer must be managed, but it is difficult to manage the same because of the large size of the modularized components.

[0126] In particular, in the process of storing and moving the modularized components after separating the same in the past, it is difficult to apply a separate management or moving device because of the large size of the device, and there is a problem that the head located at the lower portion can be damaged during the process. In the case of storing and moving the same after laying down the head to prevent the damage of the same, there is a problem that the gas pressure control device can be damaged because of the backflow of the ink to the gas pressure control device. Further, there is a problem that the ink remaining in the inkjet head of the separated modularized components can flow to the outside, resulting in the contamination of the inkjet printer and the surrounding, and when the flowed ink is vaporized, the device and the surrounding components can be corroded, and even the human body can be damaged.

[0127] In contrast, the present application is configured to separate the head module consisting of only the minimum components necessary to replace the ink from the fixed portion, so that only the head module is replaced, the size of the replaced head module is very small, and all the processes of storing and moving the same after the separation are facilitated compared to the past.

[0128] In particular, since the size of the head module is small, a separate device for storing and moving the same in the state of being separated from the head module can be provided, and the damage of the head located at the lower portion and the problems caused by the flow of the ink remaining in the head can be prevented.

[0129] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a device for storing and transferring a nozzle module separated from a nozzle assembly of an inkjet printer to which embodiments of the present application are applied.

[0130] The illustrated nozzle module housing device is composed of an upper housing portion and a lower device portion, and a moving device.

[0131] The housing portion is a portion for housing a nozzle module, and is formed with a space for housing a nozzle module and a constitution for managing a nozzle module. A device for managing a nozzle module is installed in the device portion, and manages a nozzle module by being connected to the housing portion. The moving portion is a portion for moving the position of the nozzle module housing device.

[0132] The housing portion includes a housing table and a cover as a case. In the inside of the housing table, a nozzle suction portion, a gas suction portion, and a gas injection portion are formed as a constitution for managing a nozzle module. A constitution having airtightness is adopted in order to prevent gas in the inside of the cover from leaking to the outside, and in particular, a constitution maintaining airtightness between the cover and the housing table is adopted in order to prevent gas in the inside from leaking to the outside in a state in which the cover is installed on the housing table or closed.

[0133] The device portion includes a compressor, an ejector, a gas filter, and a waste liquid tank. The compressor discharges ink remaining on a nozzle by compressing gas and supplying the gas to the gas injection portion of the housing portion. The ejector discharges ink and gas vaporized from the ink to the outside of the housing portion through the nozzle suction portion and the gas input portion of the housing portion. The gas filter removes substances harmful to the human body from gas sucked through the gas suction portion and gas sucked through the nozzle suction portion and separated in a gas-liquid separator. The waste liquid tank collects liquid sucked and separated through the nozzle suction portion.

[0134] The moving device includes a wheel or the like installed at the lower portion of the device, and is used for moving the position of the nozzle module housing device.

[0135] An inkjet printer having a replaceable nozzle module to which other aspects of the present application are applied can apply all constitutions of a general inkjet printer within a range not impairing the features of the present application, in addition to applying the nozzle assembly structure as described above.

[0136] Although the inkjet printer of the above-described structure is suitable for a structure in which the head module is replaced for the purpose of replacing the ink, unlike the past in which all the components of the inkjet head were replaced, only the minimum components such as the head and the reservoir, which must be replaced together with the ink at the time of replacing the ink because of contact with the ink, are replaced, and components such as the gas pressure control device and the head driver, which do not need to be replaced, can continue to be used, so the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced compared to the method in which the gas pressure controller and the control section are mounted on all the head modules.

[0137] The application has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, but the embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical idea of the application, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the application can be variously changed without departing from the technical idea thereof. Therefore, the scope of the application should be construed by the matters recited in the claims rather than the specific embodiments, and should be construed as including all the technical ideas within the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A printhead assembly for an inkjet printer, characterized in that, Comprising: a head module modularized to include a head for discharging ink and a reservoir for storing ink supplied to the head; a fixed part including a pressure controller for controlling gas pressure by being connected to the reservoir and thereby maintaining a meniscus state of ink injected into the head, and a control driver for controlling the head; and, a stage frame to which the head module and the fixed part are mounted and moved by being connected to a moving means; the head module is detachable on the stage frame, connection parts are formed on parts of the head module and the stage frame which are in contact with each other, and by the combination of the connection parts, a pipe and a wire connected to the fixed part and inserted into or through the stage frame are connected to pipes and wires formed on the head; a linear motion member which can move linearly back and forth is installed in the stage frame, the head module can be mounted on the linear motion member, whether the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined or not is determined according to the position of the linear motion member on which the head module is mounted; the stage frame is divided into a weight dispersing part located on a moving part for moving a head assembly in an inkjet printer and a head mounting part for mounting a head module, the fixed part is mounted on the weight dispersing part, the weight dispersing part is in the shape of a flat plate located above the moving part and is connected to the head mounting part through a connection part extending from one side of the weight dispersing part to the lower side.

2. The head assembly for an inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: the linear motion member is a linear slide guide.

3. The head assembly for an inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: one or more pins are formed protruding on one of the linear motion member and the head module, and one or more pin holes are formed on the other of the linear motion member and the head module and into which the pins are inserted, to fix the mounting position.

4. The head assembly for an inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: a fixing assembly for fixing the linear motion member to prevent it from moving in a state in which the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined is provided.

5. The head assembly for an inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein: the fixing assembly includes: one or more pins formed protruding on one of the head module and the stage frame, and one or more pin holes formed on the other of the head module and the stage frame and into which the pins are inserted; a zero-point positioning clamping system which performs clamping by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is fixed.

6. An inkjet printer, comprising: a head assembly including a head for discharging ink and a moving part for moving the head assembly to a discharging position, and the head assembly includes: a head module modularized to include a head for discharging ink and a reservoir for storing ink supplied to the head. ​ a fixed part including a pressure controller for controlling gas pressure by being connected to the reservoir and thereby maintaining the meniscus state of ink injected into the head, and a control driver for controlling the head; and a stage frame for mounting the head module and the fixed part and moving by being connected to a moving device; the head module is detachably mounted on the stage frame, connection parts are formed in portions of the head module and the stage frame which are in contact with each other, and by the combination of the connection parts, pipes and lines connected to the fixed part and inserted into or through the stage frame are connected to pipes and lines formed on the head; a linear motion part for linearly reciprocating is mounted in the stage frame, the head module is mounted on the linear motion part, whether the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined or not is determined according to the position of the linear motion part on which the head module is mounted; the stage frame is divided into a weight dispersion part located on a moving part for moving a head assembly in an inkjet printer and a head mounting part for mounting a head module, the fixed part is mounted on the weight dispersion part, the weight dispersion part is in the shape of a flat plate located above the moving part and is connected to the head mounting part through a connection part extending downward from one side of the weight dispersion part.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein: the linear motion part is a linear slide guide.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein: one or more pins are formed protruding on one of the linear motion part and the head module, and one or more pin holes into which the pins are inserted are formed on the other of the linear motion part and the head module, and the mounting position is fixed by the pins and the pin holes.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein: a fixing assembly for fixing the linear motion part to prevent it from moving in a state in which the connection parts of the head module and the stage frame are combined is provided.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 9, wherein: the fixing assembly includes: one or more pins formed protruding on one of the head module and the stage frame, and one or more pin holes formed on the other of the head module and the stage frame into which the pins are inserted; a zero-point positioning chucking system for performing chucking by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is fixed.

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