Auxiliary Printhead Support

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for increased precision and scale in manufacturing using industrial inkjet printing. [Solution] An inkjet printer is provided, comprising: a substrate support; a printing assembly disposed at a first height across the substrate support, the printing support and a printhead assembly coupled to the printing support; and a supply assembly disposed at a second height, the supply assembly being spaced apart from the printing assembly and connected to the printing assembly, the second height being the same as the first height or differing from the first height by a difference selected to suit pump performance of the supply assembly.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 265,866, filed December 22, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Industrial inkjet printers are used to apply materials to large substrates to form various devices. The substrates can be hard or soft, thick or thin, and made of a variety of materials. The most typical types of substrates used in this way include substrates made of various types of glass, which are processed to produce electronic displays such as televisions and displays for smartphones.

[0003] Manufacturing using industrial inkjet printing offers many advantages, particularly in terms of flexibility, speed and accuracy. Increasing demands for precision and scale have necessitated new printer designs that can meet these demands. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to embodiments described herein, there is provided an inkjet printer comprising a substrate support, a printing assembly disposed across the substrate support, and a feed assembly disposed at a second height, the feed assembly being spaced apart from the printing assembly and connected to the printing assembly, the second height being the same as the first height or differing from the first height by a difference selected to suit pump performance of the feed assembly.

[0005] According to another embodiment described herein, there is provided an inkjet printer comprising a substrate support having an input zone and a print zone, and a processing unit, the processing unit comprising a support structure, a deposition section disposed proximate to the print zone of the substrate support, and a feed section disposed spaced from the deposition section in a direction towards the input zone of the substrate support, the processing unit further comprising a processing head extending from the deposition section to the feed section, the processing head having a printhead assembly disposed in the deposition section, a feed unit disposed in the feed section, and a conduit support connecting the printhead assembly to the feed assembly.

[0006] According to another embodiment described herein, there is provided an inkjet printer including a substrate support, a printing assembly disposed across the substrate support, a feed assembly disposed spaced apart from the printing assembly, the feed assembly configured together with the printing assembly to minimize a height difference between the feed assembly and the printing assembly, and a conduit support between the printing assembly and the feed assembly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1A] 1 is a plan view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment;

[0008] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is an elevational view of the inkjet printer of FIG. 1A.

[0009] [Figure 2A] FIG. 13 is a side view of a portion of a feeding assembly according to one embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a support plate according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an inkjet printer according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] FIG. 1A is a plan view of an inkjet printer 100 according to one embodiment. The inkjet printer 100 has a substrate support 102 that supports a substrate to be processed by the inkjet printer 100. A print assembly 104 is disposed across the substrate support 102. The print assembly 104 includes a print support 106 and a printhead assembly 108 movably coupled to the print support 106. The substrate support 102 supports the substrate such that the printhead assembly can eject droplets of one or more printing materials onto the substrate. The substrate support 102 may be a gas support that floats the substrate on a gas cushion. A substrate holder assembly 109 is disposed to the side of the substrate support 102 and engages an edge of a substrate disposed on the substrate support 102. The substrate holder assembly 109 includes a substrate holder 110 movably disposed on a substrate holder support 112. The substrate holder 110 can pick up the substrate floating on the substrate support 102 and move along the substrate holder support 112 to move the substrate to position an area of ​​the substrate to be printed. The substrate support 102 has a longitudinal axis extending generally in a first direction. The first direction is the direction in which the substrate is transported by the substrate holder 110 during processing. The substrate holder 110 can be supported by the substrate holder support 112 using a gas cushion such that the substrate holder 110 moves along the substrate holder support 112 in a generally frictionless manner in the longitudinal direction of the substrate support 102.

[0013] The printing support 106 has two stands 114, one on each side of the substrate support 102, and a beam 116 that runs along the transverse axis of the substrate support 102, between the two stands 114, generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The printhead assembly 108 moves transversely along the beam 116, while the substrate moves longitudinally. This "two-axis" system allows the printhead assembly 108 and the substrate to be positioned relative to one another to deposit printing material at any desired location on the substrate.

[0014] The substrate support 102 and the two stands 114 are supported on a base 118 made of a heavy material to absorb environmental vibrations and prevent transmission of such vibrations to the substrate or printhead assembly 108. The base 118 can be supported on one or more isolators 120 that form a gas cushion that supports the base 118 to further isolate the substrate and printhead assembly 108 from environmental vibrations. The stands 114 and the beam 116 can also be made of a heavy material to absorb vibrations. The printhead assembly 108 is coupled to the beam 116 by a carriage 119. The carriage 119 can be a gas cushion carriage that moves the printhead assembly 108 along the beam 116 substantially frictionlessly.

[0015] As described above, it is useful to maximize the printing accuracy of the inkjet printer 100 by configuring the substrate and printhead assembly 108 to be free from environmental vibrations and / or other undesirable motion. To further reduce the transmission of undesirable motion to the printhead assembly 108, the feed assembly 122 is spaced apart from the print assembly 104. This prevents the printhead assembly 108 from being subjected to undesirable motion by the equipment within the feed assembly 122. The feed assembly 122 includes a feed support 124 having a support structure 126 of an irregular polyhedral shape selected to minimize vibration. In this example, the support structure 126 includes a number of stands 128 that rest on the floor surface rather than on the base 118. Because the feed assembly 122 is spaced apart from the print assembly 104, the feed assembly 122 is more tolerant of vibrations that may be imparted by the equipment within the feed assembly 122 (e.g., pumps and compressors). Selecting the polyhedral shape of the stands 128 and the number of stands 128 to minimize ambient vibrations transmitted to the supply assembly 122 is further effective in reducing the effects of ambient vibrations transmitted through the support structure 126.

[0016] The support structure 126 has a beam 130 that extends generally parallel to the beam 116 of the print assembly 104. The supply assembly 122 has a supply unit 132 that includes a fluid unit 133 and an electrical unit 135. The supply unit 132 is movably coupled to the beam 130 and is movable in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the printhead assembly 108. The printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 are not fixedly connected and are movable relative to each other in three dimensions. A controller 134 is configured to monitor the position and control the movement of the printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 such that the distance between the printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 is maintained within a predetermined tolerance. Thus, variations in the distance between the printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 are maintained within a predetermined tolerance. The controller 134 can also be configured to synchronize the movement of the printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 to minimize application of sudden forces to the printhead assembly 108. For example, known timing of the control loops of the components of the motion systems of printhead assembly 108 (i.e., carriage 119) and supply unit 132 (described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2A and 2B) can be provided to controller 134 to adjust the timing of control signals to the motion systems so that the acceleration of printhead assembly 108 and the acceleration of supply unit 132 are as close to simultaneous as possible.

[0017] The supply unit 132 is connected to the printhead assembly 108 by a number of conduits 136 supported by a bridge 138. The bridge 138 may be connected to the supply assembly 122 and further to the supply unit 132. Alternatively, the bridge 138 may be connected to the printhead assembly 108. The bridge 138 supports the conduits 136 connecting the supply unit 132 to the printhead assembly 108 in a manner that minimizes movement of the conduits 136 relative to the printhead assembly 108. As a result, movement of the conduits 136 does not impart undesirable forces to the printhead assembly 108 that could degrade printhead positioning accuracy.

[0018] As mentioned above, the feed assembly 122 is disposed in a spaced apart relationship to the print assembly 104. FIG. 1B is an elevational view of the inkjet printer 100 of FIG. 1A. The printhead assembly 108 is disposed on a side of the beam 116 that faces the input end 150 of the substrate support 102. The substrate holder 110 is movable to the input end 150 of the substrate support 102 to engage a substrate disposed at the input end 150 by a substrate handler (not shown). The feed assembly 122 is positioned on the input side of the substrate support 102 such that the bridge 138 spans from the feed assembly 122 to the printhead assembly 108. As mentioned above, the stand 128 has an irregular polyhedral shape to suppress transmission of ambient vibrations to the feed unit 132. The feed unit 132 is disposed on a side of the beam 130 that faces the printhead assembly 108 such that the distance between the two feed units is minimized. Generally, the supply unit 132 is limited by the location of other components of the inkjet printer 100, but by locating it as close as possible to the printhead assembly 108, the complexity of the interlocking of the two supply units and the complexity of the fluid flow between the two supply units can be minimized.

[0019] The bridge 138 extends over the beam 130 toward the input end 150 of the substrate support 102 and interfaces with one or more service bundles 152 disposed on a service bundle support 154 located on the side of the beam 130 closest to the input end 150 of the substrate support 102 and facing away from the print assembly 104. The service bundle support 154 is attached to the beam 130 and extends away from the beam 130 toward the input end 150 to provide a support surface for one or more service bundles 152. The service bundles 152 couple the supply unit 132 and conduits 136 to the fluid and electrical systems that operate the inkjet printer 100.

[0020] Flexible conduit 142 may be used to connect conduit 136 to printhead assembly 108 and / or carriage 119. A first flexible conduit 142A is shown fluidly connecting conduit 136 (or the specific conduit, as appropriate) to printhead assembly 108, and a second flexible conduit 142B is shown fluidly connecting conduit 136 to carriage 119. First flexible conduit 142A may be a flexible conduit bundle (i.e., a group of multiple flexible conduits), and second flexible conduit 142B may likewise be a flexible conduit bundle. For ease of illustration, flexible conduit 142 is omitted from the plan view of FIG. 1A, although such flexible conduits may or may not be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The flexible conduit 142 can further insulate the printhead assembly 108 and / or carriage 119 from undesirable forces resulting from movement of the supply unit 132, conduit support 318, and conduit 136 to the extent that such movement is not perfectly synchronized with the movement of the printhead assembly 108.

[0021] As mentioned above, the base 118 can be disposed on a floating isolator, such as the isolator 120. In this example, the substrate support 102 is divided into three sections: an input section 102A, a printing section 102B, and a deposit section 102C. The printing section 102B is between the input section 102A and the deposit section 102C. The deposit section 102C can be an unloading zone where the substrate is retrieved from the inkjet printer 100, or in an embodiment, the deposit section 102C can be a substrate turntable for redirecting the substrate. The printing section 102B supports the substrate while the printing material is deposited from the printhead assembly 108 onto the substrate. Thus, the printing section 102B is directly supported by the base 118, thereby minimizing disturbances in the substrate floating and deposition process. Side supports 158, e.g., steel beams, extend from the base 118 in the longitudinal direction of the substrate support 102 and support the input section 102A and the loading section 102C. End supports 160 are located at the ends of the side supports 158 and help support the substrate support 102. The end supports 160 can rest on the floor and the base 118 can rest on a thin gas cushion generated by the isolator 120. Ambient vibrations that may be transmitted from the end supports 160 through the side supports 158, the input section 102A, and the loading section 102C to the base 118 and the print section 102B are substantially damped by the gas cushion supporting the base 118 on the isolator 120 and the gas cushion supporting the substrate in the print section 102B. It should be noted that the gas cushion function may also be coupled to the input section 102A and the loading section 102C such that a gas cushion is provided that continuously supports the substrate throughout the substrate support 102.

[0022] The supply assembly 122 is configured to minimize or keep low the height variation between the supply unit 132 and the printhead assembly 108, thereby reducing the head pressure of the dense fluid transferred between the supply unit 132 and the printhead assembly 108. Keeping the head pressure of the fluid low in this way reduces the pumping power required to transfer the fluid. In general, it is advantageous to provide a height difference between the supply assembly and the printing assembly that is consistent with the pumping power of the supply assembly. The printing material transferred from the supply assembly to the printing assembly, and optionally looped back to the supply assembly, may be dense and viscous and require relatively high pumping power to transfer. For this reason, it is advantageous to minimize or not overly amplify the head pressure in the printing material circuit between the supply assembly and the printing assembly. Thus, the printing assembly, i.e., the printhead assembly, is located at a first height and the supply assembly is located at a second height. The second height may be the same as the first height or may differ from the first height by a difference selected to match the pumping power of the supply assembly. In this manner, the pumping capacity of the supply assembly required to transfer the printing material to the print head assembly and optionally loop back to the supply assembly is not excessive, and the size and energy usage of the pumps located in the supply assembly can be minimized or effectively selected. Although operation is possible with a large height difference, a larger pumping capacity and energy consumption is required to transfer fluids at a large height difference. Also, a large height difference increases the vertical dimension of the inkjet printer 100, requiring more space for the printer to operate. The height difference can be measured using any convenient feature or marker of the supply assembly and the printing assembly. For example, the height difference can be relative to the top or bottom of the printing material reservoir of the supply assembly and the printing assembly. Alternatively, the height difference can be relative to the height of one or more pumps of the supply assembly and the top or bottom of the printing material reservoir of the printing assembly that is fluidly coupled to one or more pumps of the supply assembly.Any other convenient height of the feed assembly and print assembly may be used.

[0023] FIG. 2A is a side view of a portion of the feed assembly 122. The feed unit 132 is coupled to a linear motion system 202 attached to the beam 130 on the side of the beam 130 facing the printhead assembly 108 (not shown in FIG. 2A). The feed unit 132 is thus attached to the side of the beam 130 facing the printhead assembly 108. A track 206 is attached to this side of the beam 130, and the feed unit 132 is coupled to the track 206 by a carriage unit 204. The carriage unit 204 includes a bearing plate 208 coupled to the track 206, and an actuator 210 (see FIG. 2B) coupled to the bearing plate 208 and / or the track 206. FIG. 2B is a plan view of the bearing plate 208. In this example, the actuator 210 is an inductive actuator, and the actuator 210 is inductively coupled to a magnet structure 212 (see FIG. 2A) that is mechanically coupled to the track 206. The track 206 has two rails 214 that extend along the length of the track 206 , and the magnet structure 212 is disposed between the two rails 214 and is attached to the track 206 .

[0024] The bearing plate 208 has at least two bearing blocks 216 coupled to the rails 214, with at least one bearing block 216 coupled to each rail 214. In this example, three bearing blocks 216 are coupled to each rail 214, for a total of six bearing blocks 216. Any suitable number of bearing blocks 216 may be used. Each bearing block 216 is disposed within a housing 218 that controls particles generated by the bearing block 216 moving relative to the rails 214. The bearing plate 208 has a first side 220 that faces the track 206 when the bearing plate 208 is mounted on the track 206, and a second side 222 opposite the first side 220, to which the supply unit 132 is mounted. The bearing blocks 216 and the housing 218 are disposed on the first side 220 of the bearing plate 208, and the second side 222 of the bearing plate 208 is shown in FIG. 2A. Therefore, the bearing block 216 and the housing 218 are shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2B. The bearing plate 208 has openings 221 extending from the first side 220 to the second side 222 of the bearing plate 208 at the location of each housing 218. These openings 221 provide an exhaust path for particles generated in each housing 218 by the movement of the bearing plate 208. The openings 221 are formed in grooves 223 formed in the surface of the second side 222. A cover (not shown) is placed on the groove 223 to form an exhaust plenum 224. An exhaust conduit 226 is attached to the exhaust plenum 224 on the second side 222 of the bearing plate 208. Particles generated when the bearing block 216 moves on the rail 214 are captured in the housing 218. These particles are exhausted from the openings 221, i.e., through the bearing plate 208, to the exhaust plenum 224, and are removed by the exhaust conduit 226. An exhaust handler (not shown) is fluidly coupled to the exhaust conduit 226 to direct particles away from the carriage unit 204. The exhaust handler may be located on the feed assembly 122 or in a service unit adjacent to the inkjet printer 100. Particles generated by the movement of the bearing block 216 along the rail 214 are captured by the housing 218 and exhausted through the bearing plate 208 to the exhaust conduit 226.

[0025] The exhaust plenum 224 extends around the periphery of the support plate 208. The actuator 210 is located at a substantially central position of the support plate 208 so that it can be appropriately coupled to the track 206. The actuator 210 may be located in a recess or opening formed in the support plate 208 to flatten the second side 222 of the support plate 208 so that the supply unit 132 can be mounted on the second side 222 of the support plate 208. In this example, the actuator 210 is positioned to magnetically couple to a magnet structure 212 mounted between the rails 214 of the track 206. In this example, the exhaust plenum 224 extends around three sides of the rectangular induction actuator 210.

[0026] The linear motion system 202 may have one or more position sensors 230 that sense the position of the carriage unit 204. In this example, the position sensor 230 is attached to the bearing plate 208. Herein, the position sensor 230 is an encoder with an encoder strip 232 located on the track 206 coupled to the encoder 230 to signal the position as the carriage unit 204 moves along the track 206. Other position sensors, such as optical position sensors, may be used in addition to or instead of the encoder. The linear motion system 202 may also have one or more stops 234 that limit the movement of the carriage unit 204 along the track 206. Herein, end stop stops are used at the ends of the track 206.

[0027] 1A , the fluidic unit 133 is generally located at a first end 161 of the supply unit 132, and the electrical unit 135 is generally located at a second end 162 laterally offset from the first end 161 along the beam 130. In general, the supply unit 132 is configured such that the fluidic unit 133 is disposed adjacent to a fluidic unit (not shown) of the printhead assembly 108, and the electrical unit 135 is disposed adjacent to an electrical unit (not shown) of the printhead assembly 108. The fluidic unit of the printhead assembly 108 is disposed at a first end of the printhead assembly 108, and the electrical unit of the printhead assembly 108 is disposed opposite the first end of the printhead assembly 108 as a second end of the printhead assembly 108. The fluidic and electrical units of the printhead assembly 108 and the supply unit 132 are adjacent to each other to facilitate maintenance of the various units. For example, for maintenance of the two fluid units, the printhead assembly 108 may be moved to the end of the beam 116 and the supply unit 132 may be moved to the end of the beam 130, allowing each fluid unit to be located on one side of the inkjet printer 100 for easier access by a maintenance technician. Similarly, for maintenance of the electrical unit, the printhead assembly 108 may be moved to the opposite end of the beam 116 and the supply unit 132 may be moved to the opposite end of the beam 130, allowing the electrical unit to be located on the opposite side of the inkjet printer 100 for easier access.

[0028] The print assembly 104 may include a ventilation unit 170 coupled to the print support 106 for venting the printhead assembly. The ventilation unit 170 includes a plenum 172 attached to the print support 106 and fluidly connected to the interior of the printhead assembly 108. The ventilation unit 170 also includes an exhaust handler 174 fluidly coupled to the plenum 172 for flowing gas through the plenum 172 and the printhead assembly 108 to remove particles generated by movement of the printhead assembly 108 and operation of the equipment within the printhead assembly 108. In the inkjet printer 100, the supply unit 132 and the printhead assembly 108 are ventilated separately.

[0029] The inkjet printer 100 may include a maintenance platform 180. The maintenance platform 180 is located to the side of the substrate support 102 and allows access to the printhead assembly 108 by moving the printhead assembly 108 along the print support 106 to the side of the substrate support 102. In this example, the maintenance platform 180 is located on the side of the substrate support 102 opposite the substrate holder assembly 109 so as not to interfere with the operation of the substrate holder assembly 109. The maintenance platform 180 may include a motion system 182 for positioning the maintenance platform 180 for optimal access to the printhead assembly 108, and one or more pieces of equipment 184 for performing maintenance and / or calibration operations on the printhead assembly 108. Such operations may include diagnostic and cleaning operations.

[0030] Figure 3 is an elevational view of an inkjet printer 300 according to another embodiment. The inkjet printer 100 of Figure 1A is an example of an inkjet printer 300, and elements that are identical between the two printers are numbered the same in Figure 3 as in Figure 1A. The inkjet printer 300 has a processing assembly 302 disposed across the substrate support 102. The processing assembly 302 includes processing units 304 supported on either side of the substrate support 102 by support structures 306. The support structure 306 is generally adjacent to the print zone 102B, and depending on the dimensions of the support structure 306, may also be adjacent to the input zone 102A.

[0031] The processing unit 304 includes a deposition section 308 and a supply section 310. The supply section 310 is spaced apart from the deposition section 308 to keep vibrations associated with the supply section 310 away from the deposition section 308. The support structure 306 may be located on the base 118, on a separate gas cushion isolator adjacent to the base 118, or on a foundation supported by a gas cushion isolator. In this example, the support structure 306 is shown with one component located on the base 118 and the other component located on the floor. Components of the support structure 306 proximate to or that generally directly support the printhead assembly 108 or deposition section 308 may be further isolated from environmental vibrations and forces by being on a base or by providing a separate gas cushion or other insulating support. In some cases, it may also be useful to isolate the entire processing unit 304 from ambient vibrations by resting the entire support structure on a base or partially or completely on a separate isolation support such as a gas cushion support.

[0032] The processing unit 304 has a processing head 312 including a printhead assembly 314 and a supply unit 316 coupled by a conduit support 318. The processing head 312 is movably supported on components of the support structure 306 by independent motion systems, a first motion system 320A for the deposition portion 308 and a second motion system 320B for the supply portion 310. A controller 322 is operatively connected to the first motion system 320A and the second motion system 320B and coordinates the motion by the first motion system 320A with the motion by the second motion system 320B. The controller 322 is configured to monitor the position of the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 and maintain the positions of the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 such that the distance between the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 is within a predetermined tolerance. The controller 322 may also be configured to maintain the speed of the printhead assembly 314 and the speed of the feed unit 316 such that the difference between the speed of the printhead assembly 314 and the speed of the feed unit 316 is within a predetermined tolerance.

[0033] A conduit support 318 spans the support structure 306 from the supply portion 310 to the deposition portion 308 and supports various conduits connecting the supply unit 316 to the printhead assembly 314. These conduits may be connected to the supply unit 316 and the printhead assembly 314 using suitable connections, for example, connections that mitigate the transmission of vibrations or motion from the supply unit 316 or the conduit support 318 to the printhead assembly 314.

[0034] The processing head 312 can be configured to have any degree of mechanical stiffness. Depending on the momentum characteristics of the various units of the processing head 312, the processing head 312 can be more or less stiff to optimize the effects of motion and vibration on the printhead assembly 314. The supply unit 316 includes one or more pumps and one or more compressors to supply fluids and gases to the printhead assembly 314. The processing head 312, such as the conduit support 318, can be configured to damp vibrations generated by the pumps and compressors. One approach to damping vibration transmission from the supply unit 316 or supply section 310 to the printhead assembly 314 or deposition section 308 includes the use of flexible connections as described above with reference to FIG. 1B.

[0035] In some cases, the print head assembly 314 may be located adjacent a component of the support structure 306 and movably supported on rails located on a component of the support structure 306 by any suitable type of movable support, e.g., gas cushion supports, and moved along the rails by linear actuators (physical or inductive). The supply unit 316 may likewise be located adjacent a component of the support structure 306 and actuated separately to avoid moments and vibrations resulting from actuating only one end of the processing head 312. Alternatively, a dual actuator may be used to move the entire processing head 312 along both rails simultaneously. In another alternative, a third rail may be located between the two rails 320 to act as a drive rail for use, e.g., with a screw drive, linear induction drive, or other high precision linear positioning drive, with the print head assembly 314 and supply unit 316 ends of the processing head 312 passively supported on the rails by sliding supports, such as gas cushion supports. If the printhead assembly 314 or deposition section 308 and the supply unit 316 or supply section 310, which are components of the processing head 312, are operated separately, the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 may be provided with position sensors. The controller may be configured to monitor the positions of the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 and dynamically adjust the positions of the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 to maintain the distance between the position sensors in the direction of movement within a predetermined tolerance. The controller may also be configured to monitor the speed of the printhead assembly 314 and the speed of the supply unit 316 and dynamically adjust the speed of the printhead assembly 314 and the supply unit 316 to maintain the difference between the two speeds within a predetermined tolerance.

[0036] Advantageously, actuating the printhead assembly 314 and the feeder unit 316 individually using high precision linear actuators, position sensors, and controls configured to control the linear actuators as described above eliminates inertia and moment effects that may occur when distributing units with a single point load. The drive rails as described above also allow actuation of the process head 312 with a single point load at approximately the balance point of the process head 312, with similar results. The rigid structure of such a process head 312 reduces vibrations transmitted to the end of the process head 312 where the feeder unit 316 and the printhead assembly 314 are mounted, and applying a force near the balance point of the process head 312 minimizes torque on the process head 312.

[0037] The process head 312 is generally configured to provide a height differential between the printing material in the supply section 310 and the printing material in the deposition section 308 within a predetermined tolerance. By controlling the height differential, the head pressure resulting from fluctuations in the level of the printing material is kept below a maximum value, thereby avoiding excessive pumping. Head pressure may be at a minimum when there is substantially no height differential between the printing material in the supply section 310 and the printing material in the deposition section 308 other than the level difference resulting from differences in the remaining material in the two units.

[0038] The supply unit 316, the printhead assembly 314, and the conduit support 318 can be ventilated in series. A stack ventilation structure 330 for the stack 308 can be positioned adjacent the stack 308 of the support structure 306 components. The stack ventilation structure 330 can be fully fixed to the support structure 306 to provide a path for exhaust gases to be removed from the stack 308, or can be partially or completely movable with the stack 308. For example, a first portion of the ventilation structure 330 can surround the stack 308 and move with the stack 308, while a second portion of the ventilation structure 330 is fixed to the support structure 306 to convey and remove the exhaust gases. In some cases, the printhead assembly 314 can have an exhaust system that ventilates the space around the printhead and other devices in the printhead assembly 314 (e.g., localized supply and collection of print material, printhead actuators, etc.). The exhaust system exhausts to the stack ventilation structure 330. A portion of the ventilation structure 330 may also house conduits, conduit bundles, and / or service bundles that feed the deposition portion 308 and contain particles generated by operation of those elements. For example, service bundles may be located within the ventilation structure 330 or portions thereof, with exhaust gases routed such that the flow of exhaust gases through the ventilation structure 330 removes particles generated from the service bundles.

[0039] A supply ventilation structure 332 similar to ventilation structure 330 may also be provided in supply section 310 and may house conduits, conduit bundles, and / or service bundles that supply supply section 310.

[0040] The process head 312 may also have a process head ventilation structure 334. The process head ventilation structure 334 may include the housing of the process head 312. Particles generated by the movement of the conduits within the conduit support 318 may be captured and ventilated by continuously directing a gas flow through the conduit support 318. If more than one ventilation structure 330 and 332 are used, the process head ventilation structure 334 may exhaust from one of the ventilation structures 330 and 332. Alternatively, the process head ventilation structure 334 may exhaust from a separate path from the other ventilation structures.

[0041] The support structure 306 can also be used to support the imaging components 340. Two imaging components 340 are shown here. The imaging components 340 can be any combination of light sources, motion or positioning systems, optical systems such as focusing and filtering mechanisms, and image acquisition components such as cameras or photodiode arrays. The imaging components 340 can be inspection or calibration devices, or both, used to determine and correct some or all of the following: substrate or feature positioning, substrate holder positioning or performance, and process head positioning or performance. The imaging components 340 can also be used to monitor the results of maintenance operations performed by the maintenance platform 180. One or all of the imaging components 340 can be mounted to an available location on the support structure 306, such as the bottom of a rail supporting the print head assembly 314, and the imaging components 340 can be provided with a movement system that moves the imaging components 340 along the support structure 306 to the required position. If more than one imaging component 340 is provided, separate mountings and movement systems may be provided to allow individual positioning of the imaging components 340, space permitting.

[0042] While embodiments in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention have been described above, other embodiments not specifically described in this disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure, which scope is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. An inkjet printer, comprising: A substrate support; a printing assembly disposed at a first height across the substrate support, the printing assembly including a printing support and a printhead assembly coupled to the printing support; a feed assembly disposed at a second height, the feed assembly being spaced apart from the print assembly and connected to the print assembly, the second height being the same as the first height or differing from the first height by a difference selected to match pump performance of the feed assembly; The feed assembly includes a feed support and a feed unit coupled to the feed support.

2. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the feed assembly is positioned across the substrate support.

3. 10. The inkjet printer of claim 1, wherein the feed assembly further comprises a support structure of irregular polyhedral shape selected to minimize vibration.

4. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the supply assembly is connected to the print assembly by a plurality of conduits supported by a bridge.

5. the print substrate comprises a beam; the printhead assembly is movably coupled to the beam, and the supply unit is movably coupled to the supply support; the printhead assembly and the supply unit are not fixedly connected and are movable in a direction parallel to each other; 5. The inkjet printer of claim 4, further comprising a controller configured to control movement of the printhead assembly and the supply unit such that variation in distance between the printhead assembly and the supply unit is within a predetermined tolerance.

6. The ink jet printer of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of conduits includes a printing material supply conduit and a printing material return conduit.

7. The inkjet printer of claim 4 , wherein the supply assembly includes an exhaust handler coupled to the supply unit.

8. The inkjet printer of claim 5 , wherein the bridge is connected to the supply unit and moves with the supply unit.

9. The ink jet printer of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of conduits includes a power supply conduit, a gas supply conduit, a printing material supply conduit, and a printing material return conduit.

10. The inkjet printer of claim 6 , wherein the printing material supply conduit and the printing material return conduit connect a printing material supply system of the supply unit to a printing material supply system of the printhead assembly.

11. 1. An inkjet printer, comprising: a substrate support having an input zone and a print zone; a processing unit including a support structure, a stacking section arranged adjacent to the print section of the substrate support, and a supply section arranged at a distance from the stacking section in a direction towards the input section of the substrate support, the processing unit further includes a processing head extending from the deposition portion to the supply portion, the processing head having a printhead assembly disposed in the deposition portion, a supply unit disposed in the supply portion, and a conduit support connecting the printhead assembly to the supply assembly.

12. The inkjet printer of claim 11, further comprising one or more of a stack section ventilation structure, a supply section ventilation structure, and a process head ventilation structure.

13. 12. The inkjet printer of claim 11, wherein the process head has a stiffness selected to minimize the transmission of vibrations to the printhead assembly.

14. The processing head includes: a first movement system for the deposition section; a second movement system for the supply section; 12. The inkjet printer of claim 11, further comprising: a control operatively coupled to the first and second movement systems to coordinate movement by the first and second movement systems.

15. 15. The inkjet printer of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to maintain a position of the printhead assembly and a position of the supply unit such that a distance between the printhead assembly and the supply unit is within a predetermined tolerance.

16. The inkjet printer of claim 11 further comprising an imaging component mounted to the support structure.

17. 14. The inkjet printer of claim 13, wherein the process head includes a flexible connection that isolates the printhead assembly from vibration.

18. A substrate support; a printing assembly disposed across the substrate support; a feed assembly spaced apart from the printing assembly and configured to cooperate with the printing assembly to minimize a height difference between the feed assembly and the printing assembly; a conduit support between the printing assembly and the feed assembly; An inkjet printer comprising:

19. 20. The inkjet printer of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of conduits disposed on the conduit support and connected to the printing assembly with a flexible connection that attenuates the transmission of forces from the feed assembly to the printing assembly.

20. The ink jet printer of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of conduits includes a printing material supply conduit and a printing material return conduit.

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