Processing system

Abstract

To reduce human cost related to carry-in and carry-out of a medium.SOLUTION: A processing system 1 has: a printer 3 for performing printing processing of discharging ink to a medium M mounted on a table 31; a belt conveyor 5 for carrying in the medium M before printing processing and carrying out the medium M after the processing; and a robot 7 which acquires the medium M before the printing processing from the belt conveyor 5, mounts the medium M on the table 31, recovers the medium M after the processing from the table 31 and mounts the medium M on the belt conveyor 5. The robot 7 is arranged between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5, in an X direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing system.

Background Art

[0002] The processing system has, for example, a droplet ejection device (e.g., a printer). The droplet ejection device performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table. In order to perform a process with the droplet ejection device, it is necessary to supply the medium to the table and also collect the processed medium from the table. When arranging workers to supply and collect the medium, the labor cost increases. In order to reduce the labor cost, it has been proposed to introduce a robot for supplying and collecting the medium into the processing system (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The robot can, for example, acquire the medium from a stocker or the like provided at the supply position and place it on the table of the droplet ejection device, and accommodate the processed medium in a stocker or the like at the collection position. However, since the storage capacity of the stocker is limited, it is necessary for workers to regularly carry the medium into the stocker and carry out the processed medium from the stocker. Further, when performing a process of the next step on the processed medium, the worker needs to transport the medium to the location of the next step.

[0005] In the processing system, it is required to reduce the labor cost related to the loading and unloading of the medium.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A processing system according to an aspect of the present invention includes (1) a droplet discharge device that performs a process of discharging droplets onto a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing into the system and conveys the medium after processing out of the system, a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor, and the robot is disposed between the droplet discharge device and the belt conveyor.

[0007] A processing system according to an aspect of the present invention includes (2) a droplet discharge device that performs a process of discharging droplets onto a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing into the system and conveys the medium after processing out of the system, a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor, and the belt conveyor has a portion disposed between the droplet discharge device and the robot.

[0008] In the processing system of (1) or (2) above, (3) the robot is a scalar robot.

[0009] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (3) above, (4) the droplet discharge device includes a discharge unit that discharges the droplets onto the medium, a guide bar that supports the discharge unit at a position facing the table and extends along a first direction in which the table extends, a moving mechanism that moves the guide bar along a second direction that is the direction in which the table extends and is orthogonal to the first direction; The belt conveyor has a portion arranged along the first direction on an end side of the table in the second direction.

[0010] In any one of the processing systems of (1) to (3) above, (5) The droplet ejecting device has a discharging portion that discharges the droplets onto the medium, a guide bar that supports the discharging portion at a position facing the table and extends along the first direction in which the table extends, and a moving mechanism that moves the mounting portion of the medium on the table along a second direction that is the direction in which the table extends and is orthogonal to the first direction; The belt conveyor has a portion arranged along the second direction, which is the moving direction of the mounting portion, on an end side of the table in the first direction.

[0011] A processing system according to an aspect of the present invention (6) a droplet ejecting device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table; a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing into the system and conveys the medium after processing out of the system; and a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The robot has an arm that acquires the medium, and a base that supports the arm. The base is attached to a wall portion above or on a side of the droplet ejecting device.

[0012] In the processing system of (6) above, (7) The table of the droplet ejecting device extends along a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. When viewed from a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, the base of the robot is provided at a position overlapping the table.

[0013] In the processing system of (6) or (7) above, (8) The belt conveyor has a portion disposed on an end side in the first direction or the second direction of the table, When viewed from the third direction, the base of the robot is located closer to the belt conveyor side than the center in the second direction or the first direction of the table.

[0014] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (8) above, (9) The belt conveyor includes a first belt conveyor for carrying in the medium before processing, and a second belt conveyor for carrying out the medium after processing, and the robot is disposed between an end portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor and an end portion on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the second belt conveyor.

[0015] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (9) above, (10) The table of the droplet discharge device extends along a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and when viewed from the second direction or the first direction of the belt conveyor, the height of the portion overlapping the table is lower than the height of the table.

[0016] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (10) above, (11) It has an unloading robot disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the medium in the belt conveyor for unloading the processed medium from the belt conveyor.

[0017] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (11) above, (12) The droplet ejection device includes a plurality of droplet ejection devices each capable of processing media. The belt conveyor conveys the media processed by each of the plurality of droplet ejection devices.

[0018] In any of the processing systems of (1) to (12) above, (13) On the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the media on the belt conveyor, there is a sorting unit that sorts the processed media and distributes it to a plurality of unloading positions.

[0019] The processing system in one aspect of the present invention is (14) a cutting device that performs a process of cutting the media placed on the table, a belt conveyor that conveys the media before processing and unloads the media after processing, a robot that acquires the media before processing from the belt conveyor and places it on the table, and recovers the media after processing from the table and places it on the belt conveyor, and the robot is disposed between the cutting device and the belt conveyor.

[0020] The processing system in one aspect of the present invention is (15) a cutting device that performs a process of cutting the media placed on the table, a belt conveyor that conveys the media before processing and unloads the media after processing, a robot that acquires the media before processing from the belt conveyor and places it on the table, and recovers the media after processing from the table and places it on the belt conveyor, and the belt conveyor has a portion disposed between the cutting device and the robot.

[0021] The processing system in one aspect of the present invention is (16) a cutting device that performs a process of cutting the media placed on the table, A belt conveyor for carrying in the media before processing and carrying out the media after processing, a robot for obtaining the media before processing from the belt conveyor and placing it on the table, and collecting the media after processing from the table and placing it on the belt conveyor, and having, the robot, an arm for obtaining the media, and a base for supporting the arm, wherein the base is attached to a wall portion above or on the side of the cutting device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the labor cost related to the loading and unloading of media can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 1, for clarity, the medium M is cross-hatched, and the moving mechanisms 37, 37 of the printer 3 are hatched. In the following description, the positional relationship will be described with reference to the X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 1. The Z direction is a direction along the vertical line direction (up and down direction), and is a direction from the front side to the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 1. The X direction and the Y direction are directions orthogonal to the Z direction. The X direction is a direction along the up and down direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1. The Y direction is orthogonal to the X direction and is a direction along the left and right directions of the paper surface. The upper side of the paper surface in the X direction is the X1 side, and the lower side of the paper surface is the X2 side. The left side of the paper surface in the Y direction is the Y1 side, and the right side of the paper surface is the Y2 side.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing system 1 includes, for example, a printer 3 which is an example of a droplet ejection device, a belt conveyor 5, a robot 7, and a control device 9. The printer 3 ejects droplets onto the medium M placed on the table 31 to perform printing processing. The belt conveyor 5 carries in the medium M before the printing process and carries out the medium M after the printing process. The robot 7 acquires the medium M before the printing process from the belt conveyor 5 and places it on the table 31. The robot 7 also collects the medium M after the printing process from the table 31 and places it on the belt conveyor 5. Thus, the processing system 1 of the present embodiment can automate a series of processes of carrying in, printing, and carrying out the medium M without the intervention of human hands.

[0026] The control device 9 comprehensively controls the operations of the printer 3, the belt conveyor 5, and the robot 7. The control device 9 is communicably connected to the controllers (not shown) of the printer 3, the belt conveyor 5, and the robot 7, for example, via a LAN cable, a wireless network, or the like. Although not shown in the drawings, the control device 9 can be composed of an electronic device including, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and a display device such as a display.

[0027] The medium M only needs to be capable of discharging droplets and being transported by the robot 7 and the conveyor, and is not limited to a specific shape or material. In FIG. 1, as an example of the medium M, a rectangular thin plate-shaped panel is shown. The panel can be composed of, for example, plastic such as acrylic resin, paper, wood, metal, or the like.

[0028] The printer 3 is an example of a droplet discharge device, and performs a printing process by discharging droplets such as ink onto the medium M. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 3 includes a table 31 for placing the medium M. The upper surface of the table 31 in the Z direction serves as the placement surface 31a of the medium M. The table 31 can be, for example, rectangular when viewed from the Z direction and extending along the Y direction (the first direction) and the X direction (the second direction). The table 31 can be sized to accommodate, for example, a plurality of media M.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the printer 3 viewed from the X direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the table 31 is supported by legs 33 on the lower surface side. The placement surface 31a of the table 31 is located at a height H1 in the Z direction from the floor surface F where the printer 3 is installed. The printer 3 includes a carriage 34 disposed above the table 31 and facing the placement surface 31a, and a guide bar 36 that supports the carriage 34. The guide bar 36 extends horizontally along the Y direction above the table 31. When viewed from the Z direction, the guide bar 36 crosses the table 31 in the Y direction. The width W2 of the guide bar 36 in the Y direction is longer than the width W1 of the table 31 in the Y direction. Therefore, the end portions 36a and 36b of the guide bar 36 in the Y direction protrude beyond the table 31 on the Y1 side and the Y2 side, respectively. A guide rail (not shown) is provided along the Y direction on the guide bar 36, and the carriage 34 is movable in the Y direction along the guide rail by being driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). The carriage 34 is equipped with a head 35 (discharge portion) that discharges ink. By moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction, the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 also moves in the Y direction.

[0030] Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are provided on the lower surface of the head 35. The lower surface of the head 35 faces the placement surface 31a of the table 31 with a slight gap in the Z direction. Thereby, the ink discharged from the nozzles on the lower surface of the head 35 can land on the medium M placed on the placement surface 31a of the table 31. Note that the ink used in the printer 3 is not limited to a specific type. For example, ultraviolet curable ink that cures by ultraviolet rays or thermosetting ink that cures by heat can be used. In this case, although not shown in the figure, the carriage 34 of the printer 3 can be equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation device or a heating device for curing the ink discharged onto the medium M. Also, the droplets discharged by the printer 3 are not limited to ink, and droplets having a viscosity that can adhere to the medium M can be appropriately used.

[0031] On the end portion 36a on the Y1 side that protrudes from the table 31 of the guide bar 36, a maintenance station 41 is provided. Although illustration is omitted, the maintenance station 41 incorporates a device for performing operations such as flushing and cleaning the nozzles of the head 35. When the carriage 34 moves to the end portion 36a on the Y1 side of the guide bar 36, the head 35 is flushed and cleaned at the maintenance station 41.

[0032] On the end portion 36b on the Y2 side that protrudes from the table 31 of the guide bar 36, an ink supply device 42 is provided. Although illustration is omitted, the ink supply device 42 incorporates an ink tank. The ink tank and the head 35 are connected via an ink tube (not shown), and ink is supplied from the ink tank to the head 35.

[0033] On the end portions 32a and 32b on the Y1 side and the Y2 side in the Y direction of the table 31, movement mechanisms 37, 37 are provided. The movement mechanisms 37, 37 integrally move the guide bar 36, the maintenance station 41, and the ink supply device 42 along the X direction. When the guide bar 36 moves along the X direction, the carriage 34 supported by the guide bar 36 and the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 also move in the X direction.

[0034] When performing printing processing, the printer 3 discharges ink from the head 35 onto the medium M while moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction. When one round trip (one pass) of the head 35 in the Y direction is completed, the printer 3 moves the guide bar 36 a predetermined distance in the X direction, and then discharges ink from the head 35 while moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction again. That is, the printer 3 can perform printing on the medium M by alternately repeating one round trip (one pass) of the head 35 in the Y direction and the operation of feeding the medium M a predetermined distance in the X direction.

[0035] Although illustration is omitted, the printer 3 includes a controller that controls the operations of each part. The controller is communicably connected to a control device 9 that comprehensively controls the processing system 1. The controller performs printing processing by controlling the operations of each part of the printer 3 based on the print data input from the control device 9.

[0036] The robot 7 only needs to be able to acquire and transport the medium M and is not limited to a specific type. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an articulated robot (so-called scalar robot) can be used. The scalar robot is configured by combining a plurality of arms that rotate in the horizontal direction.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 7 includes a base 71, an arm 73 supported by the base 71, and an arm 75 supported by the arm 73. The arms 73 and 75 each extend in the horizontal direction. The base 71 is disposed, for example, on the floor surface F between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5. The proximal end of the arm 73 is supported on the upper surface of the base 71 so as to be rotatable about an axis Z1 along the Z direction. The proximal end of the arm 75 is supported at the distal end of the arm 73 so as to be rotatable about an axis Z2 parallel to the axis Z1. A shaft 77 extending in the Z direction penetrates the distal end of the arm 75. The shaft 77 is movable up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0038] Although illustration is omitted, a mechanism for acquiring the medium M is provided at the lower end of the shaft 77. The mechanism for acquiring the medium M can be, for example, a suction pad. By bringing the suction pad into contact with the surface of the medium M and applying a negative pressure, the suction pad adsorbs the medium M. Also, by applying a positive pressure to the suction pad in the state where the medium M is adsorbed, the suction pad releases the medium M. Note that the mechanism for acquiring the medium M of the robot 7 is not limited to a suction pad, and other configurations can also be adopted as appropriate.

[0039] By combining the respective rotations of the arms 73 and 75, the robot 7 can move the shaft 77 at the tip of the arm 75 in the X and Y directions. Then, by moving the shaft 77 up and down at a desired position, the medium M can be acquired or released.

[0040] Although illustration is omitted, the robot 7 includes a controller communicably connected to the control device 92. The controller controls the operation of the robot 7 based on the teaching data set in a prior teaching operation and the operation command input from the control device 9.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the belt conveyor 5 has a pair of frames 51, 51 extending in parallel along the Y direction, and a conveyor belt 53 disposed between the pair of frames 51, 51. In FIG. 1, at the end 5a on the Y1 side of the belt conveyor 5, the conveyor belt 53 is shown broken. Pulleys 55 are respectively disposed at the end 5a on the Y1 side and the end 5b on the Y2 side of the belt conveyor 5. The pulleys 55 are supported by the pair of frames 51, 51 at both ends in the X direction. The conveyor belt 53 forms a loop by being wound around the two pulleys 55. A plurality of carrier rollers 57 are arranged side by side in the Y direction between the two pulleys 55. In FIG. 1, only some of the carrier rollers 57 are illustrated, but the carrier rollers 57 are provided horizontally continuously from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. The carrier rollers 57 are supported by the pair of frames 51, 51 at both ends in the X direction. The plurality of carrier rollers 57 support the upper surface 53a of the loop-shaped conveyor belt 53. The upper surface 53a of the conveyor belt 53 forms a horizontal plane extending in the Y direction by being supported by the carrier rollers 57.

[0042] Although illustration is omitted, the belt conveyor 5 is provided with a drive mechanism that rotates the pulley 55 on the Y2 side. When the pulley 55 on the Y2 side is rotated by the drive mechanism, the conveyor belt 53 wound around the pulley 55 rotates. Specifically, the conveyor belt 53 rotates in such a manner that the portion passing above the roller 57 moves to one side in the Y direction, and the portion passing below the conveyor belt 53 and the roller 57 moves to the other side in the Y direction.

[0043] In the illustrated example, when the pulley 55 on the Y2 side is rotated clockwise, the upper surface 53a of the conveyor belt 53 moves from the Y1 side toward the Y2 side (in the direction of the white arrow in the figure). By placing the medium M on the upper surface 53a of the conveyor belt 53, the medium M is conveyed from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. Hereinafter, the direction from the Y1 side to the Y2 side in the Y direction is also referred to as the conveyance direction of the medium M.

[0044] Although illustration is omitted, the belt conveyor 5 is provided with a controller communicably connected to the control device 92. The controller controls the operation of the belt conveyor 5 in the conveyance direction, the reverse direction, and the stop based on the operation command input from the control device 9.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 9 can be arranged, for example, in the area A2 where the operator is stationed. The printer 3 and the robot 7 can be arranged, for example, in the area A1 where printing processing is performed, which is separate from the area A2. The area A1 may be partitioned by a wall or the like, or may be an open area.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, for the belt conveyor 5, for example, the end 5a on the Y1 side is located in the media M loading area A3, and the end 5b on the Y2 side is located in the media M unloading area A4. And the intermediate part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 in the Y direction can be arranged to be located within the area A1. Thus, in this embodiment, by the belt conveyor 5 transporting the media M in the transport direction, seamless movement can be achieved among the loading area A3, the area A1 where printing processing is performed, and the unloading area A4.

[0047] In the loading area A3, the media M before printing processing is placed on the end 5a on the Y1 side of the belt conveyor 5. The belt conveyor 5 transports the media M to the intermediate part 5c within the area A1. The robot 7 acquires the media M transported to the intermediate part 5c, places it on the table 31 of the printer 3, and the printer 3 performs printing processing on the media M. After the printing processing, the robot 7 retrieves the media M after printing processing from the table 31 and places it on the belt conveyor 5 again. Note that the belt conveyor 5 can be stopped until the supply and recovery of the media M by the robot 7 are completed. When the printed media M is placed on the belt conveyor 5, the belt conveyor 5 starts operating again and transports the media M in the Y direction from the area A1 toward the end 5b of the unloading area A4. In the unloading area A4, the printed media M is unloaded from the end 5b on the Y2 side of the belt conveyor 5.

[0048] In the area A1, the intermediate part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 can be arranged within the reach of the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7. The intermediate part 5c is arranged to cross the area A1 in the Y direction and to overlap the printer 3 when viewed from the X direction. The middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end 32d side in the X direction of the table 31 and extends in the Y direction. In FIG. 1, a center line CLa passing through the center in the Y direction of the table 31 and along the X direction is shown. The middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged along the direction (Y direction) intersecting this center line CLa.

[0049] As described above, on the end 32a, 32b sides in the Y direction of the table 31 of the printer 3, the ends 36a, 36b of the guide bar 36 project, and a maintenance station 41 and an ink supply device 42 are provided. And the guide bar 36 is provided to be movable in the X direction by the moving mechanisms 37, 37 together with the maintenance station 41 and the ink supply device 42. Therefore, when arranging the belt conveyor 5 on the end 32a side or the end 32b side in the Y direction of the table 31, it is necessary to leave a large gap between the belt conveyor 5 and the table 31 so as not to interfere with the movement of the guide bar 36 in the X direction. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end 32d side in the X direction of the table 31 where the guide bar 36 does not project. Thereby, the belt conveyor 5 can be arranged close to the table 31 at a position that does not interfere with the movement of the guide bar 36.

[0050] The robot 7 can be arranged, for example, in the X direction between the table 31 and the belt conveyor 5. That is, the table 31 is arranged on one side (X1 side) in the X direction with respect to the robot 7, and the middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the opposite side (X2 side). The position of the robot 7 in the Y direction is not limited, but it can be arranged, for example, on the center CLa in the Y direction of the table 31. By arranging the printer 3, the belt conveyor 5 and the robot 7 in such a positional relationship, the robot 7 can transport the medium M with a simple operation and reduce the movement distance of the arms 73, 75.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the robot 7. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot 7 includes a plurality of arms 73 and 75 and can perform complex movements according to the turning of each of the arms 73 and 75. However, in FIG. 3, the operation of the robot 7 is simplified to show the operation of a single arm that turns around the axis Z1. In the example of FIG. 3, media M1 and M2 are located at positions P1 and P2 on the left and right sides of the center line CLa on the belt conveyor 5. The robot 7 acquires the media M1 and M2 from the positions P1 and P2 on the belt conveyor 5 and places them at positions P3 and P4 on the left and right sides of the center line CLa of the table 31. After the printing process by the printer 3, the robot 7 acquires the media M1 and M2 from the positions P3 and P4 on the table 31 and places them again at the positions P1 and P2 on the belt conveyor 5.

[0052] When the robot 7 transports the media M1, the robot 7 first arranges the arm at a position along the line segment L1 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P1 on the belt conveyor 5 to acquire the media M1 at the position P1. Next, the robot 7 moves the arm from the position along the line segment L1 to a position along the line segment L2 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P3 on the table 31 and releases the media M1 at the position P3. With respect to the robot 7, the position P1 on the belt conveyor 5 is located on the opposite side in the X direction of the position P3 on the table 31. Therefore, the robot 7 can change its orientation from the belt conveyor 5 to the table 31 with a small turning angle. In the illustrated example, the turning angle α from the line segment L1 to the line segment L2 of the robot 7 is suppressed within 180°.

[0053] When the robot 7 transports the media M2, the robot 7 first arranges the arm at a position along the line segment L3 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P2 on the belt conveyor 5 to acquire the media M2 at the position P2. Next, the robot 7 moves the arm from the position along the line segment L3 to a position along the line segment L4 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P4 on the table 31 and releases the media M2 at the position P4. Similar to the case of the medium M1, the turning angle α of the robot 7 from the line segment L3 to the line segment L4 is suppressed within 180°. As described above, when the robot 7 is provided with two arms 73 and 75 (see FIG. 1), after turning the arm 73 at an angle smaller than the illustrated turning angle α, the arm 75 can be turned to reach the media M1 and M2 at the positions P3 and P4. The robot 7 can carry the media M1 and M2 after the printing process from the positions P3 and P4 to the positions P1 and P2 by turning in the direction opposite to the thick arrow shown in the figure. That is, the robot 7 can perform both the supply and recovery of the media M1 and M2 at a small turning angle.

[0054] In this way, in the present embodiment, by arranging the robot 7 between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3, the robot 7 is positioned at a close distance to both, and the turning range of the arm can be reduced. When the turning range of the arm increases, the centrifugal force applied to the arm increases. As a result, there is a possibility that a slight misalignment may occur in the position where the arm acquires the medium M and the position where the medium M is placed. In the present embodiment, since the turning range of the arm is reduced, such misalignment can be reduced. When the misalignment when the robot 7 places the medium M on the table 31 of the printer 3 is reduced, the misalignment when the printer 3 discharges ink is also reduced, so that the printing quality of the printer 3 can be improved. Also, by reducing the turning range of the arm of the robot 7, the power consumption of the robot 7 can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, since the robot 7 is positioned at a close distance to the printer 3, the arm length of the robot 7 can be utilized to the maximum extent, and the medium M can be transported even to a printer 3 provided with a large table 31. By introducing a printer 3 provided with a large table 31 on which a large number of media M can be placed, the processing efficiency of the media M can be improved. Also, when the robot 7 is disposed between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3, the robot 7 can change its orientation between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3 by a simple horizontal turning operation. That is, in the present embodiment, a scalar robot with simple operation and easy teaching work can be effectively used.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, in the carry-out area A4 where the end 5a on the Y1 side of the belt conveyor 5 is located, a carry-in robot 58 for the medium M can be disposed. Also, in the carry-out area A4 where the end 5b on the Y2 side of the belt conveyor 5 is located, a carry-out robot 59 for the medium M can be disposed. The carry-in robot 58 and the carry-out robot 59 may be, for example, the same type of robot 7 as the robot 7 in the area A1, or may be other types of robot 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 7 in the area A1 is disposed between the carry-in robot 58 and the carry-out robot 59 in the Y direction. In this way, by disposing the robot 7, the carry-in robot 58, and the carry-out robot 59 on a line along the Y direction, the carry-in, printing process, and carry-out of the medium M can be smoothly performed.

[0057] The carry-in area A3 can be, for example, a storage location for the medium M before the printing process. In this case, the carry-in robot 58 can, for example, acquire the medium M from a stocker (not shown) or the like and place it on the belt conveyor 5. The carry-in area A3 may alternatively be an area for performing a pre-process of the printing process on the medium M. In this case, the carry-in robot 58 can acquire the medium M from the device that has performed the pre-process and place it on the belt conveyor 5. The carry-in area A3 may alternatively be an area where another belt conveyor for conveying the medium M before the printing process is disposed. In this case, the carry-in robot 58 can acquire the medium M from the other belt conveyor and place it on the belt conveyor 5.

[0058] The unloading area A4 can be, for example, a storage location for the medium M after printing processing. In this case, the unloading robot 59 places the medium M obtained from the belt conveyor 5 on a stocker or the like, for example. The unloading area A4 can alternatively be an area for performing post-processing of the printing process on the medium M. In this case, the unloading robot 59 can supply the medium M obtained from the belt conveyor 5 to a device that performs post-processing. The unloading area A4 can alternatively be an area where another belt conveyor 5 for conveying the medium M after printing processing is arranged. In this case, the loading robot 58 can obtain the medium M from the belt conveyor 5 and place it on another belt conveyor.

[0059] Note that the loading and unloading of the medium M to and from the belt conveyor 5 may be performed by means other than the robot 7. For example, in the loading area A3, another belt conveyor may be arranged at a position higher than the belt conveyor 5, and the medium M that has slipped off the end of the other belt conveyor may be placed on the end 5a of the belt conveyor 5. Also, in the unloading area A4, a stocker (not shown) may be arranged at the end 5b on the Y2 side of the belt conveyor 5, and the medium M that has slipped off the end 5b may be made to enter the stocker.

[0060] Also, in the illustrated example, the ends 5a and 5b on the Y1 side and Y2 side of the belt conveyor 5 located outside the area A1 are also along the Y direction, but the ends 5a and 5b on the Y1 side and Y2 side may be provided to bend with respect to the intermediate portion 5c, for example. The shape of the belt conveyor 5 can be appropriately changed according to the positional relationship between the area A1 and the loading area A3 and the unloading area A4.

[0061] In FIG. 2, the height H2 of the intermediate portion 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is indicated by a virtual line. The height H2 can be set as appropriate, but as an example, it can be made lower than the height H1 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31 of the printer 3. Printer 3 having a large table 31 is often installed on the back side of area A1. That is, when an operator enters area A1, the operator will view area A1 from the side of belt conveyor 5. Here, if belt conveyor 5 is higher than table 31, it becomes difficult to overlook the entire area A1. As in the present embodiment, by making belt conveyor 5 lower than table 31, it becomes easier for the operator to overlook the entire area A1. As a result, when there are defects or wear in each device within area A1, it becomes easier to detect them.

[0062] As described above, the processing system 1 described in the embodiment has, for example, the following configuration. (1) The processing system 1 includes a printer 3 (droplet ejection device) that performs a printing process of ejecting ink (droplets) onto a medium M placed on table 31, a belt conveyor 5 that conveys the medium M before the printing process into the printer 3 and conveys the medium M after the printing process out of the printer 3, and a robot 7 that acquires the medium M before the printing process from the belt conveyor 5, places it on table 31, and recovers the medium M after the printing process from table 31 and places it on the belt conveyor 5. The robot 7 is arranged between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5 in the X direction.

[0063] In the processing system 1, the robot 7 supplies and recovers the medium M to and from the printer 3 (droplet ejection device), thereby automating the printing process and reducing the labor cost. Here, in order to accommodate the medium M before and after the printing process, it is conceivable to arrange a stocker near the robot 7. However, since the storage capacity of the stocker is limited, it is necessary for an operator to regularly enter the area A1 where the printer 3 and the robot 7 are arranged to carry in and carry out the medium M. This may affect the effective reduction of the labor cost. In this embodiment, the conveyance of the medium M is automated using the belt conveyor 5. As a result, it is not necessary for an operator to regularly enter area A1 to carry in and out the medium M, and the labor cost can be reduced. In addition, since the printer 3 can perform the printing process without being restricted by the storage capacity of the stocker, the efficiency of the printing process can be improved.

[0064] The robot 7 can be arranged, for example, between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5 in the X direction. The robot 7 is arranged at a relatively short distance from both the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5. As a result, when transporting the medium M between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5, the moving distance of the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 can be shortened. By shortening the moving distance of the robot 7, the misalignment when the robot 7 places the medium M on the table 31 is reduced. As a result, the alignment accuracy when the printer 3 prints on the medium M can also be improved. Since the printer 3 can eject ink at the exact position of the medium M, the printing quality of the medium M can be improved. In particular, when using a large-sized printer 3, the moving distance of the robot 7 tends to be long, but by applying the configuration of this embodiment, the moving distance of the robot 7 can be reduced.

[0065] Note that in the embodiment, the printer 3 is exemplified as the droplet ejection device, but the droplet ejection device is not limited to the printer 3. The droplet ejection device may be, for example, a dispenser capable of quantitatively ejecting a liquid agent, a coating device capable of ejecting a coating agent, or the like. Further, the processing system 1 may be provided with a cutting plotter (cutting device) that cuts the medium M instead of the droplet ejection device. The cutting plotter can form a cut line on the medium M, form a V-groove on the medium M, etc. by pressing a cutting tool (blade) against the medium M and relatively moving the cutting tool with respect to the medium M. That is, the printer shown in the drawings referred to in the present embodiment and each of the following modification examples can be replaced with other droplet ejection devices or cutting plotters.

[0066] (3) The robot 7 can be, for example, a scalar robot.

[0067] The scalar robot includes a plurality of arms 73 and 75 that rotate in the horizontal direction, and its operation is simpler compared to a vertical articulated robot. Therefore, the teaching work performed on the robot 7 in advance is easy. Also, when the robot 7 is arranged between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5 as in the present embodiment, the robot 7 can change its orientation between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5 with a relatively small turning operation. That is, in the present embodiment, since the operation required of the robot 7 is simple, a scalar robot can be preferably used.

[0068] (4) The printer 3 includes a head 35 (ejection unit) that ejects droplets onto the medium M, a guide bar 36 that supports the carriage 34 on which the head 35 is mounted at a position facing the table 31 and extends along the Y direction (first direction) in which the table 31 extends, and moving mechanisms 37, 37 that move the guide bar 36 along the X direction (second direction) that is orthogonal to the Y direction and is the direction in which the table 31 extends. The belt conveyor 5 has an intermediate portion 5c. The intermediate portion 5c is a portion arranged along the Y direction on the end 32d side of the table 31 in the X direction.

[0069] The printer 3 can be configured such that, for example, the table 31 is fixed and the guide bar 36 (discharge unit) that supports the head 35 moves along the X direction with respect to the table 31. Also, the end portions 36a and 36b of the guide bar 36 in the Y direction may be provided so as to protrude from the table 31. In this case, it is desirable to arrange the belt conveyor 5 at a position as close as possible to the table 31 without interfering with the movement of the guide bar 36 in the X direction. In the present embodiment, the intermediate portion 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged along the Y direction on the end portion 32d side of the table 31 in the X direction. As a result, the belt conveyor 5 can be brought closer to the table 31 without interfering with the movement of the guide bar 36. The moving distance when the robot 7 transports the medium M between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3 can be reduced. Also, by bringing the belt conveyor 5 closer to the printer 3, the space in area A1 can be saved. Furthermore, since a wide range of the belt conveyor 5 can be made to face the table 31, the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 can easily reach a plurality of media M on the belt conveyor 5. As a result, the medium M can be transported by making use of the arm length of the robot 7, and the efficiency of the printing process can be improved.

[0070] (10) The table 31 of the printer 3 extends along the Y direction and the X direction. The height H2 of the intermediate portion 5c of the belt conveyor 5 (the portion overlapping the table 31 when viewed from the X direction or the Y direction) can be made lower than the height H1 of the mounting surface 31a of the table 31.

[0071] Normally, a printer 3 having a large table 31 is often installed on the back side of area A1. Therefore, when an operator enters area A1, if the belt conveyor 5 is higher than the table 31, it becomes difficult to see the printer 3. By making the belt conveyor 5 lower than the table 31, it becomes easier for the operator to overlook the entire area A1 when entering area A1, and it becomes easier to check whether there are any defects or wear in the printer 3 or the robot 7.

[0072] (11) The processing system 1 can include an unloading robot 59. The unloading robot 59 is disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium M on the belt conveyor 5, and unloads the medium M after printing processing from the belt conveyor 5.

[0073] By providing the unloading robot 59 for unloading the medium M from the belt conveyor 5, the labor cost can be further reduced. For example, a stocker can be arranged at the end 5b of the belt conveyor 5 to accommodate the medium M that has fallen from the end 5b. However, when the medium M is made of a flexible material such as paper or film, or a fragile material, damage may occur due to the fall. By having the unloading robot 59 unload the medium M, the medium M that is prone to falling damage can also be safely unloaded.

[0074] (i) The processing system 1 can include a loading robot 58. The loading robot 58 is disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium M on the belt conveyor 5, and loads the medium M before printing processing onto the belt conveyor 5.

[0075] Similar to the unloading robot 59, by providing the loading robot 58, the labor cost can be further reduced.

[0076] (Modification Example 1) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing system 1A according to Modification Example 1. In FIG. 4, only the area A1 where the intermediate portion 5c of the printer 3, the robot 7, and the belt conveyor 5 is located is shown. Since the other areas can have the same configuration as in the embodiment, the illustration is omitted. Also, the robot 7 is shown in a simplified manner. In the following modification examples, if the basic configuration of each device is the same as in the embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the embodiment are given, and detailed descriptions are omitted. In Modification 1, in area A1, the middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is located between the printer 3 and the robot 7 in the X direction. The middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged in area A1 so as to cross between the printer 3 and the robot 7 in the Y direction. The middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged along the Y direction at the end 32d side on the X2 side in the X direction of the table 31 of the printer 3 in area A1. In Modification 1, since the robot 7 is not interposed between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3, the middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 directly faces the end 32d on the X2 side of the table 31.

[0077] In Modification 1, with respect to the robot 7, the middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 and the table 31 of the printer 3 are arranged on the same side (X1 side) in the X direction. The robot 7 can be arranged, for example, on the center line CLa passing through the center in the Y direction of the table 31, similar to the embodiment. The robot 7 may be a scalar robot as in the embodiment, or may be a vertical articulated robot.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation example of the robot 7 according to Modification 1. Similar to FIG. 3, FIG. 5 shows the operation of the robot 7 simplified as the operation of a single arm that pivots about the axis Z1. In FIG. 5, similar to FIG. 3, an example is shown in which the robot 7 transports the media M1, M2 between the positions P1, P2 on the belt conveyor 5 and the positions P3, P4 on the table 31.

[0079] When the robot 7 transports the media M1, first, the arm is arranged at a position along the line segment L5 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P1 on the belt conveyor 5 to acquire the media M1 at the position P1. Next, the robot 7 moves the arm from the position along the line segment L5 to a position along the line segment L6 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P3 on the table 31, and releases the media M1 at the position P3. In Modification 1, for the robot 7, the belt conveyor 5 and the table 31 of the printer 3 are arranged on the same side (X1 side) in the X direction. That is, when viewed from the robot 7, the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3 are located on a straight movement path toward the X1 side in the X direction. Therefore, in Modification 1, after the robot 7 acquires the medium M1 on the belt conveyor 5, a large turning operation such as changing the direction to the opposite side is not required. Therefore, the turning angle β from the line segment L5 to the line segment L6 becomes small, and as shown by the thick arrow in the figure, the movement path of the medium M1 from the position P1 to P3 is linear. When the robot 7 transports the medium M2, first, the arm is arranged at a position along the line segment L7 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P2 on the belt conveyor 5 to acquire the medium M1 at the position P2. Next, the robot 7 moves the arm from the position along the line segment L7 to a position along the line segment L8 connecting the axis Z1 of the robot 7 and the position P4 on the table 31, and releases the medium M1 at the position P4. The turning angle β from the line segment L7 to the line segment L8 becomes small, and as shown by the thick arrow in the figure, the movement path of the medium M2 is linear. Note that the robot 7 can transport the media M1 and M2 after the printing process from the positions P3 and P4 to the positions P1 and P2 by moving in the direction opposite to the thick arrow shown in the figure.

[0080] In this way, in the arrangement example of Modification 1, the robot 7 can reduce the turning angle and transport the medium M along a linear movement path. As described above, by reducing the turning angle of the robot 7, the positional deviation due to the centrifugal force can be reduced, and the printing quality of the printer 3 can be improved. Also, the power consumption of the robot 7 can be reduced.

[0081] In addition, in Modification 1, since the belt conveyor 5 is interposed between the robot 7 and the printer 3, the distance between the robot 7 and the table 31 of the printer 3 becomes longer than that in the embodiment. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, by adopting a printer 3 provided with a relatively small table 31, the table 31 can be installed within the reach of the arm of the robot 7. In addition, when applying a printer 3 having a large table 31 as in the embodiment, it is possible to cope with this by lengthening the arm provided in the robot 7 or increasing the number of arms.

[0082] As described above, the processing system 1A according to Modification 1 has, for example, the following configuration. (2) The processing system 1A includes a printer 3 that performs a process of discharging ink onto a medium M placed on a table 31, a belt conveyor 5 that conveys the medium M before the printing process and discharges the medium M after the printing process, and a robot 7 that acquires the medium M before the printing process from the belt conveyor 5, places it on the table 31, collects the medium M after the printing process from the table 31, and places it on the belt conveyor 5. The belt conveyor 5 has an intermediate portion 5c. The intermediate portion 5c is a portion disposed between the printer 3 and the robot 7.

[0083] In Modification 1, the belt conveyor 5 is disposed between the printer 3 and the robot 7. That is, the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3 are located on the linear movement path of the robot 7. Thereby, the robot 7 can move the medium M between the belt conveyor 5 and the printer 3 by a linear operation with reduced turning operation. The greater the turning operation of the robot 7, the greater the centrifugal force, resulting in a greater positional deviation and an increase in power consumption. However, such an arrangement reduces the turning operation. Thereby, the positional deviation of the medium M can be reduced, the power consumption of the robot 5 can be reduced, and the print quality of the printer 3 can be improved.

[0084] (Modification Example 2) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing system 1B according to Modification Example 2. In the embodiment, the printer 3 that performs printing by moving the guide bar 36 in the X direction by the moving mechanisms 38 and 38 with respect to the fixed table 31 was exemplified. As shown in FIG. 6, in Modification Example 2, the printer 3 that performs printing by moving the table 31 in the X direction with respect to the fixed guide bar 36 is exemplified. The printer 3 includes moving mechanisms 38 and 38 that move the table 31 along the X direction. The moving mechanisms 38 and 38 are provided, for example, at the end portions 32a and 32b on the Y1 side and the Y2 side in the Y direction of the table 31. The table 31 can move, for example, in the range from the initial position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the virtual line along the X direction. Note that the moving mechanisms 38 and 38 only need to move the mounting surface 31a of the medium M on the table 31 along the X direction, and do not necessarily need to move the entire table 31. For example, when the table 31 has a structure in which a top plate and a bottom plate are stacked, the moving mechanisms 38 and 38 may move only the top plate having the mounting surface 31a of the medium M. Note that also in Modification Example 2, the carriage 34 supported by the guide bar 36 is movable in the Y direction in the same manner as in the embodiment.

[0085] In Modification Example 2, the intermediate portion 5c of the belt conveyor 5 can be arranged along the X direction (the second direction), which is the moving direction of the table 31, on the end portion 32b side in the Y direction (the first direction) of the table 31. In the example of FIG. 6, the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end portion 32b side of the table 31, but it may be arranged on the end portion 32a side. In Modification 2, when the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the sides of the end portions 32c and 32d of the table 31 in the X direction, it may interfere with the movement of the table 31 in the X direction. Therefore, in Modification 2, the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the side of the end portion 32b of the table 31 in the Y direction. As a result, the belt conveyor 5 can be arranged close to the table 31 without interfering with the movement of the table 31. Further, by arranging the belt conveyor 5 along the X direction, a plurality of media M conveyed by the belt conveyor 5 can be placed facing the table 31.

[0086] As shown by the solid line in the figure, the robot 7 may be arranged between the table 31 and the belt conveyor 5 in the Y direction. In this case, similar to the embodiment, the robot 7 can be brought closer to both the table 31 and the belt conveyor 5. Since the robot 7 can reduce the moving distance and convey the media M with a simple turning operation, it is a suitable arrangement for a scalar robot. Further, since the end portion 36b of the guide bar 36 protrudes from the table 31 of the printer 3 in the Y direction, a space is created between the table 31 and the belt conveyor 5, but the robot 7 can be arranged by making use of this space.

[0087] Alternatively, similar to Modification 1, the belt conveyor 5 may be arranged between the table 31 of the printer 3 and the robot 7 in the Y direction. In this case, the robot 7 can be arranged, for example, at the position shown by the dashed line in the figure. The table 31 of the printer 3 and the robot 7 are arranged side by side on the Y1 side in the Y direction with respect to the robot 7. In this case, similar to Modification 1, the robot 7 can convey the media M from the belt conveyor 5 to the table 31 along a linear movement path.

[0088] Further, the robot 7 can be arranged at a position overlapping the table 31 at the initial position shown by the solid line when viewed from the Y direction. Thereby, the robot 7 can reduce the moving distance and convey the media M from the belt conveyor 5 to the printer 3.

[0089] In Modification 2, with the table 31 of the printer 3 in the initial position, the robot 7 acquires the medium M from the belt conveyor 5 and places it on the table 31. The printer 3 moves the table 31 by a predetermined distance toward the X1 side by the moving mechanisms 38, 38, so that the medium M passes under the carriage 34 supported by the guide bar 36. The printer 3 ejects ink from the head 35 while moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction with respect to the medium M positioned under the carriage 34 to perform printing.

[0090] When the table 31 moves to the position of the virtual line and printing is completed, the printer 3 moves the table 31 toward the X2 side to return it to the initial position of the solid line. The robot 7 acquires the printed medium M from the table 31 and places it again on the belt conveyor 5.

[0091] In the embodiment, the guide bar 36 is movable in the X direction. In Modification 2, an example in which the table is movable in the X direction has been described. However, both the table 31 and the guide bar 36 may be movable in the X direction.

[0092] As described above, the processing system 1B of Modification 2 has, for example, the following configuration. (5) The printer 3 includes a head 35 (ejection unit) that ejects ink (droplets) onto the medium M, a guide bar 36 that supports the head 35 at a position facing the table 31 and extends along the Y direction in which the table 31 extends, and moving mechanisms 38, 38 that move the placement surface 31a (placement unit) of the medium M on the table 31 along the X direction, which is the direction in which the table 31 extends and is orthogonal to the Y direction. The belt conveyor 5 has an intermediate portion 5c. The intermediate portion 5c is a portion arranged along the X direction, which is the moving direction of the placement surface 31a of the table 31, on the 32b side of the table 31 in the Y direction.

[0093] The printer 3 can be configured to include a movable table 31. In this configuration, it is desirable that the belt conveyor 5 be arranged at a position as close as possible to the table 31 without interfering with the movement of the table 31. When the table 31 moves along, for example, the X direction, the belt conveyor 5 can be arranged along the X direction on the end 32b side of the table 31 in the Y direction. Thereby, the belt conveyor 5 can be brought close to the table 31 without interfering with the movement of the table 31 in the X direction. Also, by arranging the belt conveyor 5 close to the table 31, the space in area A1 can be saved. Further, since a wide range of the belt conveyor 5 can be made to face the table 31, the arms 73, 75 (see FIG. 1) of the robot 7 can easily reach the medium M conveyed by the belt conveyor 5. Thereby, the medium M can be conveyed by making use of the arm length of the robot 7, and the efficiency of the printing process can be improved.

[0094] (Modification 3) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing system 1C according to Modification 3. As shown in FIG. 7, in Modification 3, an example will be described in which the base 71 of the robot 7 is attached to the upper wall portion (ceiling R) or the side wall portion (side wall SW) above the table 31 of the printer 3. In FIG. 7, the printer 3 is illustrated in a simplified manner, and only the table 31 and the leg portion 33 are illustrated. In FIG. 7, the robot 7 attached to the ceiling R is illustrated by a solid line, and the robot 7 attached to the side wall SW is illustrated by a dashed line. Note that, for the robot 7 attached to the side wall SW, only the base 71 is illustrated, and the illustration of the arm 73, the arm 75, and the shaft 77 is omitted. When the base 71 of the robot 7 is attached to the ceiling R or the side wall SW, the space for arranging the base 71 on the floor surface F (see FIG. 1) becomes unnecessary. Due to the unnecessary space, the belt conveyor 5 and the table 31 of the printer 3 can be arranged closer to each other.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 7, when attaching the base 71 of the robot 7 to the side wall SW, the base 71 can be attached at a position higher in the Z direction than the table 31 of the printer 3. The number, length, attachment position, etc. of the arms of the robot 7 can be appropriately adjusted so that the robot 7 can acquire the medium M located below the base 71. Although FIG. 7 shows a scalar robot as an example of the robot 7, other robots such as a vertical articulated robot may also be used.

[0096] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of the robot 7 when viewed from the Z direction. In FIG. 8, the position of the base 71 of the robot is shown by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the table 31 of the printer 3 extends along the Y direction and the X direction. FIG. 8(a) shows an example in which the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end 32d side in the X direction of the printer 3, similar to the embodiment. By attaching the base 71 of the robot 7 to the ceiling R or the side wall SW (see FIG. 7), the base 71 of the robot 7 can be provided at a position overlapping the table 31 when viewed from the Z direction, for example. Although the drawing shows an example where the entire base 71 of the robot 7 overlaps the table 31, it may be arranged such that at least a part of the base 71 overlaps the table 31. For example, when the base 71 is attached to the side wall SW, the base 71 can be arranged to project from the side wall SW above the table 31. By arranging in this way, the robot 7 can be brought closer to the printer 3, so that the moving distance when the arms 73, 75 (see FIG. 7) of the robot 7 carry the medium M can be reduced. The base 71 of the robot 7 can also be arranged on the belt conveyor 5 side rather than on the virtual line (hereinafter referred to as "center line CLb") passing through the center in the X direction of the table 31 when viewed from the Z direction. By arranging it in this way, the robot 7 can be brought closer to the belt conveyor 5, so that the moving distance when the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 carry the medium M can be further reduced.

[0097] In FIG. 8(b), similarly to the second modification, an example in which the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end portion 32b side in the Y direction of the printer 3 is shown. Also in the arrangement example of FIG. 8(b), by attaching the base 71 of the robot 7 to the ceiling R or the side wall SW (see FIG. 7), the base 71 of the robot 7 can be provided at a position overlapping the table 31, for example, when viewed from the Z direction. Although the example in which the entire base 71 of the robot 7 overlaps the table 31 is shown in the drawing, the base 71 may be arranged so that at least a part thereof overlaps the table 31. By arranging it in this way, the arms 73 and 75 (see FIG. 7) of the robot 7 can be brought closer to the printer 3, so that the moving distance when the arms 73 and 75 carry the medium M can be reduced. The base 71 of the robot 7 can also be arranged on the belt conveyor 5 side with respect to the center line CLa in the Y direction of the table 31 when viewed from the Z direction. By arranging it in this way, the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 can be brought closer to the belt conveyor 5, so that the moving distance when the arms 73 and 75 carry the medium M can be further reduced.

[0098] As described above, the processing system 1C according to the third modification has, for example, the following configuration. (6) The processing system 1C A printer 3 that performs a printing process of discharging ink onto the medium M placed on the table 31, A belt conveyor 5 that conveys the medium M before the printing process and discharges the medium M after the printing process, A robot 7 that acquires the medium M before the printing process from the belt conveyor 5 and places it on the table 31, and recovers the medium M after the printing process from the table 31 and places it on the belt conveyor 5. The robot 7 arms 73 and 75 for acquiring the medium M, and a base 71 that supports the arms 73 and 75. The base 71 can be attached to the ceiling R or the side wall SW (upper or side wall portion) of the printer 3.

[0099] By attaching the robot 7 to the ceiling R or the side wall SW, it is not necessary to provide a placement space for the robot 7 on the floor surface, so that the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5 can be placed closer to each other, which makes it easier to arrange them. As a result, the movement distance of the robot 7 can be reduced to reduce misalignment, and space can be saved. In addition, by effectively using the arm length of the robot 7, it becomes easier to handle large printers 3. Also, since the placement space for the robot 7 on the floor surface F is no longer required, it becomes possible to increase the number of printers 3 or arrange a plurality of belt conveyors 5, improving the degree of freedom in layout design.

[0100] (7) The table 31 of the printer 3 extends along the Y direction and the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. When viewed from the Z direction (third direction) orthogonal to the Y direction and the X direction, the base 71 of the robot 7 can be provided at a position overlapping the table 31.

[0101] By positioning the table 31 and the base 71 of the robot 7, the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 can be brought closer to the printer 3. As a result, the movement distance required when the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 carry the medium M can be reduced to reduce misalignment. In addition, since the arm length of the robot 7 can be effectively utilized, it becomes easier to handle printers 3 having large tables 31.

[0102] (8) The intermediate portion 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged, for example, on the end 32b side in the Y direction of the table 31. In this case, when viewed from the Z direction, the base 71 of the robot 7 can be positioned closer to the belt conveyor 5 than the center of the table 31 in the X direction or the Y direction. Alternatively, The middle part 5c of the belt conveyor 5 is arranged on the end 32d side of the table 31 in the X direction. In this case, when viewed from the Z direction, the base 71 of the robot 7 can be located closer to the belt conveyor 5 than the center of the table 31 in the Y direction.

[0103] By arranging in this way, the arms 73 and 75 of the robot 7 can be brought closer to both the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 5. Therefore, the moving distance required for the arms 73 and 75 can be reduced, and the positional deviation can be reduced. Also, by effectively utilizing the arm length of the robot 7, it becomes easier to handle large printers 3.

[0104] (Modification Example 4) FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing system 1D according to Modification Example 4. In the embodiment, an example in which the belt conveyor 5 is used for both the loading and unloading of the medium M has been described. In Modification Example 4, an example in which the loading and unloading are performed by separate belt conveyors 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the processing system 1D of Modification Example 4 includes a belt conveyor 50A (first belt conveyor) for loading the medium M before the printing process and a belt conveyor 50B (second belt conveyor) for unloading the medium M after the printing process. The belt conveyors 50A and 50B can each have the same configuration as the belt conveyor 5 described in the embodiment. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the belt conveyors 50A and 50B are arranged on the end 32d side of the table 31 in the X direction, similar to the embodiment. Both the belt conveyor 50A and the belt conveyor 50B extend along the Y direction, and as indicated by the arrows in the figure, the conveyance direction of the medium M is from the Y1 side to the Y2 side in the Y direction. For the belt conveyor 50A, the end 5a on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is located in the loading area A3 (see FIG. 1), and the end 5b on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is located within the area A1. For the belt conveyor 50B, the end 5a on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is located within the area A1, and the end 5b on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is located in the unloading area A4 (see FIG. 1).

[0105] The robot 7 can be arranged in a range where the arms 73 and 75 (see FIG. 1) can reach both the belt conveyor 50A and the belt conveyor 50B. The robot 7 can be arranged, for example, in the Y direction between the downstream end 5b of the belt conveyor 50A in the conveying direction and the upstream end 5a of the belt conveyor 50B in the conveying direction. When viewed from the Y direction, the robot 7 can be arranged so as to overlap the belt conveyor 50A and the belt conveyor 50B. By arranging in this way, even when the belt conveyor 5 is divided into two, the robot 7 can carry the medium M. The robot 7 acquires the medium M conveyed to the downstream end 5b of the belt conveyor 50A in the conveying direction and places it on the table 31 of the printer 3. When the printing process is completed by the printer 3, the robot 7 acquires the medium M from the table 31 and places it on the upstream end 5a of the belt conveyor 50B in the conveying direction.

[0106] In Modification 4, by providing the belt conveyors for loading and unloading respectively, it is not necessary to control the operation in consideration of both the start and completion timings of printing. Therefore, the operations required for the belt conveyors 50A and 50B become simple. As a result, it is possible to reduce the replacement frequency due to wear of the components constituting the belt conveyors 50A and 50B.

[0107] Note that FIG. 9 is merely an example, and the arrangements of the belt conveyors 50A and 50B can be changed as appropriate. For example, similar to Modification 2 (see FIG. 6), the belt conveyors 50A and 50B can be arranged along the X direction on the end 32b side in the Y direction of the table 31 of the printer 3. Also, for example, the belt conveyor 50B may be arranged side by side with the belt conveyor 50A in the X direction or the Y direction. In this case, the medium M carried in by the belt conveyor 50A is carried out by the belt conveyor 50B in a folded manner after the printing process. For example, when the loading area A3 and the unloading area A4 of the medium M are provided at the same location, such an arrangement can be adopted.

[0108] Also, for example, the belt conveyors 50A and 50B may be arranged along different directions from each other. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the processing system 1D according to the fourth modification. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the belt conveyor 50A can be arranged along the Y direction on the end portion 32d side in the X direction of the table 31. The belt conveyor 50B can be arranged along the X direction on the end portion 32b side in the Y direction of the table 31. In this case, when viewed from the Y direction, the end portion 5a on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50B is arranged so as to overlap the belt conveyor 50A. Also, the robot 7 can be arranged between the end portion 5b on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50A and the end portion 5a on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50B. The robot 7 can be arranged, for example, in the vicinity of the corner where the end portion 32d in the X direction and the end portion 32b in the Y direction of the table 31 are connected. For example, due to layout constraints or the like, there may be a case where the loading area A3 and the unloading area A4 (see FIG. 1) cannot be arranged along one direction. In such a case, the layout shown in FIG. 10 can be adopted. In this way, when the belt conveyors 50A and 50B for loading and unloading are provided, it is also possible to cope with various layouts.

[0109] As described above, the processing system 1D according to the fourth modification has, for example, the following configuration. (9) The belt conveyor 5 is a belt conveyor 50A (first belt conveyor) for loading the medium M before the printing process, and It includes a belt conveyor 50B (second belt conveyor) for carrying out the medium M after printing processing. The robot 7 can be arranged between the end 5b on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50A and the end 5a on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50B.

[0110] In this way, by providing the belt conveyor 5 for loading the medium M and the belt conveyor 5 for unloading, the operation of each belt conveyor 5 becomes simple, so that the consumption of the parts of the belt conveyor 5 can be suppressed, and the frequency of part replacement and the occurrence of operation failures can be reduced. Also, by arranging the robot 7 between the end 5b on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50A and the end 5a on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 50B, the unprocessed medium M can be obtained from the belt conveyor 50A by one robot 7, and the processed medium M can be placed on the belt conveyor 50B. Also, by providing the belt conveyors 50A and 50B for loading and unloading, it is possible to flexibly respond to various layouts of the loading area A3 and the unloading area A4.

[0111] (Modification Example 5) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing system 1E according to Modification Example 5. As shown in FIG. 11, the processing system 1E according to Modification Example 5 can include a plurality of printers 3A, 3B (droplet ejection devices) that perform printing processing on the medium M respectively. The plurality of printers 3A, 3B can be arranged side by side in the Y direction, for example. The plurality of printers 3A, 3B can be arranged such that their respective tables 31 extend along the X direction and the Y direction. The belt conveyor 5 can be arranged along the Y direction, for example, on the end 32d side in the X direction of the tables 31 of the printers 3A, 3B. As shown by the solid line in the figure, the robot 7 can be arranged between a plurality of printers 3A and 3B and the belt conveyor 5 in the X direction. Alternatively, the belt conveyor 5 may be arranged between a plurality of printers 3A and 3B and the robot 7 in the X direction. In this case, the robot 7 can be arranged on the X2 side with respect to the plurality of printers 3A and 3B and the belt conveyor 5, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. When viewed from the X direction, the robot 7 can be arranged so as to be located between the printers 3A and 3B. In FIG. 11, two printers 3A and 3B are illustrated, but the number of printers is not limited, and three or more printers may be arranged. In that case, the length or the number of the arms of the robot 7 may be adjusted accordingly, or the number of robots 7 may be increased accordingly.

[0112] The belt conveyor 5 conveys the medium M on which the printing process is performed by each of the printers 3A and 3B. The printers 3A and 3B may perform processing on the same type of medium M, or may perform processing on different types of medium M. When supplying different types of medium M to the printers 3A and 3B, the belt conveyor 5 can convey the medium M to be supplied to each of them. In this case, the robot 7 may determine and transport the medium M to be supplied to each of the printers 3A and 3B by a sensor such as a camera. Alternatively, the belt conveyor 5 may convey the medium M to be supplied to each of the printer 3A and the printer 3B in a preset order. In this case, the robot 7 can be set in a pre-teaching operation so as to supply the medium M to each of the printers 3A and 3B according to the preset transport order.

[0113] The printers 3A and 3B may perform the same printing process on the medium M, or may perform different printing processes. Alternatively, the printer 3B may perform another printing process on the medium M that has been processed by the printer 3A. In that case, the robot 7 acquires the medium M that has been processed by the printer 3A and places it on the printer 3B. For example, after performing a printing process with color ink in printer 3A, printer 3B may perform a printing process using special ink such as clear ink.

[0114] As described above, the processing system 1E according to Modification 5 includes, for example, the following configuration. (12) The printers include a plurality of printers 3A and 3B (droplet ejection devices) each capable of processing a medium M. The belt conveyor 5 conveys the medium M processed by each of the plurality of printers 3A and 3B.

[0115] When it takes time to perform a printing process on the medium M with one printer, by arranging a plurality of printers 3A and 3B, the processing efficiency of the medium M can be increased. Also, by having one belt conveyor 5 convey the medium M to each printer 3A and 3B, an increase in equipment costs when increasing the number of printers can be reduced. Note that, as described above, the droplet ejection device is not limited to a printer. Therefore, at least one of the plurality of droplet ejection devices may be a droplet ejection device other than printer 3 (for example, a dispenser, a coating device, etc.). Alternatively, at least one of the plurality of droplet ejection devices may be replaced with a cutting plotter (cutting device).

[0116] (Modification 6) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing system 1G according to Modification 6. As shown in FIG. 12, the processing system 1G according to Modification 6 includes a sorting unit 8 on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 5. The sorting unit 8 classifies, for example, the medium M printed by the printer 3 and distributes it to a plurality of unloading positions. The sorting unit 8 can be provided between the area A1 where the printer 3 is provided and the unloading area A4 (see FIG. 1) in the Y direction, which is the extending direction of the belt conveyor 5.

[0117] The classification criteria for the media M in the sorting unit 8 are not limited. For example, the sorting unit 8 can classify the media M into good products or defective products. Alternatively, as exemplified in Modification 5, when a plurality of printers 3 are printing different images on the media M, the sorting unit 8 can classify the media M for each printed image. Alternatively, when the printer 3 performs printing processes on different types of media M, the sorting unit 8 can classify the media M by type. Alternatively, when different types of post-processing are performed on the media M after the printing process, it can be classified for each type of post-processing. In the following example, an example in which the sorting unit 8 classifies the media M into good products and defective products will be described. The media M classified as defective in the sorting unit 8 can be discharged from the belt conveyor 5 and sorted into the discharge stocker 85, for example. The good media M is conveyed as it is on the belt conveyor 5 and sorted into the unloading area A4 (see FIG. 1).

[0118] As shown in FIG. 12, the sorting unit 8 can include, for example, an inspection device 81 that inspects the media M after the printing process to determine defective products, and a discharge mechanism 82 that discharges the media M determined to be defective from the belt conveyor 5. The inspection device 81 can be composed of, for example, a camera 83 that photographs the appearance of the media M, a processor (not shown) that determines defective products of the media M from the photographed image of the camera 83, and the like. The processor can perform analysis processing on the image of the media M photographed by the camera 83, for example, to determine whether printing processing has been performed on an appropriate media M, whether there is dirt or scratches on the media M, whether there is printing defect, and the like. The discharge mechanism 82 can be, for example, an arm that discharges the media M by pushing the media M determined to be defective in the X direction and causing it to fall off the belt conveyor 5. The discharge mechanism 82 can alternatively be a robot 7 similar to the robot 7 provided in the area A1. The media M discharged from the belt conveyor 5 is accommodated in the discharge stocker 85, for example. Alternatively, another belt conveyor branching from the belt conveyor 5 may be provided so that the medium M discharged by the discharge mechanism 82 is conveyed to a predetermined position by the other belt conveyor.

[0119] The sorting unit 8 may sort the medium M regardless of the inspection device 81. For example, as described in Modification 5, the belt conveyor 5 can convey different types of media M in a preset order. In this case, the sorting unit 8 can sort the media M according to the preset conveyance order of the media M.

[0120] The sorting unit 8 may be provided on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the belt conveyor 5. In this case, the sorting unit 8 can be provided between the area A1 where the printer 3 is provided and the loading area A3 (see FIG. 1) in the Y direction, which is the extending direction of the belt conveyor 5. The sorting unit 8 can classify and sort the medium M before the printing process based on criteria such as defective products. The inspection device 81 of the sorting unit 8 can determine whether the medium M is suitable as a printing target, whether it is dirty or scratched, and whether the previous process has been properly performed. The sorting unit 8 can discharge the medium M determined to be a defective product to a stocker 85 for discharge or the like by the discharge mechanism 82, and convey only the non-defective medium M to the area A1 where the printing process is performed.

[0121] (13) The processing system 1G has a sorting unit 8 that classifies the processed medium M on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium M on the belt conveyor 5 and sorts it into the unloading area A4, which is a plurality of unloading positions, and the stocker 85 for discharge.

[0122] Thereby, the sorting process of the medium M after printing can be automated, so that the labor cost can be further reduced and the processing efficiency can be improved.

[0123] (ii) The processing system 1G On the upstream side of the conveyance direction of the medium M in the belt conveyor 5, there is a sorting unit 8 that sorts the medium M before processing and distributes it to an area A1, which is a plurality of discharge positions, and a stocker 85 for discharging.

[0124] As a result, the sorting process of the medium M before printing can be automated, further reducing the labor cost and improving the processing efficiency.

[0125] (iii) The sorting unit 8 can include an inspection device 81 that inspects the medium M, and a discharge mechanism 82 that can discharge the medium M from the belt conveyor 5 according to the inspection result.

[0126] As a result, for example, the medium M determined to be a defective product based on the inspection result of the inspection device 81 can be discharged from the belt conveyor 5 by the discharge mechanism 82, so that the belt conveyor 5 can convey only the non-defective medium M.

[0127] The above-described modified examples can be applied not only to the embodiments but also combined with each other.

[0128] The present invention is not limited to the aspects of the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0129] 1, 1A to 1G Processing System 3 Printer (Droplet Discharge Device) 5 Belt Conveyor 5a, 5b Ends 5c Intermediate Portion 7 Robot 31 Table 31b, 32d Ends 31a Mounting Surface (Mounting Portion) 34 Carriage 35 Head (Discharge Portion) 36 Guide Bar 37 Moving Mechanism 38 Moving Mechanism 50A Belt Conveyor (First Belt Conveyor) 50B Belt Conveyor (Second Belt Conveyor) 59 Unloading Robot 71 Base 73, 75 Arms 8 Sorting Section 81 Inspection Device 82 Discharge Mechanism

Claims

1. A droplet ejection device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before the process into the device and conveys the medium after the process out of the device, and a robot that acquires the medium before the process from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, collects the medium after the process from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The processing system is characterized in that the robot is disposed between the droplet ejection device and the belt conveyor.

2. A droplet ejection device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before the process into the device and conveys the medium after the process out of the device, and a robot that acquires the medium before the process from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, collects the medium after the process from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The processing system is characterized in that the belt conveyor has a portion disposed between the droplet ejection device and the robot.

3. In Claim 1, the robot is a scalar robot. The processing system is characterized by this.

4. In Claim 1 or Claim 2, the droplet ejection device includes a discharge unit that discharges the droplets onto the medium, a guide bar that supports the discharge unit at a position facing the table and extends along a first direction in which the table extends, and a moving mechanism that moves the guide bar along a second direction that is the direction in which the table extends and is orthogonal to the first direction. The processing system is characterized in that the belt conveyor has a portion disposed along the first direction on an end side of the table in the second direction.

5. In Claim 1 or Claim 2, the droplet ejection device includes a discharge unit that discharges the droplets onto the medium, a guide bar that supports the discharge unit at a position facing the table and extends along a first direction in which the table extends, and a moving mechanism that moves a placement portion of the medium on the table along a second direction that is the direction in which the table extends and is orthogonal to the first direction. The processing system is characterized in that the belt conveyor has a portion disposed along the second direction, which is the moving direction of the placement portion, on an end side of the table in the first direction.

6. A droplet ejection device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing into the device and conveys the medium after processing out of the device, and a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor and places it on the table, and recovers the medium after processing from the table and places it on the belt conveyor. The robot has an arm for acquiring the medium and a base for supporting the arm. The base is attached to a wall portion above or to the side of the droplet ejection device. A processing system characterized by this. **Claim 7** In claim 6, the table of the droplet ejection device extends along a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and when viewed from a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, the base of the robot is provided at a position overlapping the table. A processing system characterized by this. **Claim 8** In claim 7, the belt conveyor has a portion disposed on an end side in the first direction or the second direction of the table, and when viewed from the third direction, the base of the robot is located closer to the belt conveyor side than the center in the second direction or the first direction of the table. A processing system characterized by this. **Claim 9** In any one of claims 1, 2, and 6, the belt conveyor includes a first belt conveyor for conveying the medium before processing into the device, and a second belt conveyor for conveying the medium after processing out of the device, and the robot is disposed between an end portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor and an end portion on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the second belt conveyor. A processing system characterized by this. **Claim 10** In any one of claims 1, 2, and 6, the table of the droplet ejection device extends along a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and when viewed from the second direction or the first direction of the belt conveyor, the height of the portion of the belt conveyor overlapping the table is lower than the height of the table. A processing system characterized by this. **Claim 11** In any one of claims 1, 2, and 6, A processing system, characterized by having a carry-out robot that is arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium in the belt conveyor and carries out the processed medium out from the belt conveyor.

12. In any one of Claim 1, Claim 2, and Claim 6, the droplet discharge device includes a plurality of droplet discharge devices each capable of processing a medium, and the belt conveyor conveys the medium processed by each of the plurality of droplet discharge devices, the processing system being characterized thereby.

13. In any one of Claim 1, Claim 2, and Claim 6, a sorting unit that sorts the processed medium and distributes it to a plurality of carry-out positions is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium in the belt conveyor, the processing system being characterized thereby.

14. A cutting device that performs a process of cutting a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing and conveys out the medium after processing, and a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The robot is arranged between the cutting device and the belt conveyor, the processing system being characterized thereby.

15. A cutting device that performs a process of cutting a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing and conveys out the medium after processing, and a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The belt conveyor has a portion arranged between the cutting device and the robot, the processing system being characterized thereby.

16. A cutting device that performs a process of cutting a medium placed on a table, a belt conveyor that conveys the medium before processing and conveys out the medium after processing, and a robot that acquires the medium before processing from the belt conveyor, places it on the table, recovers the medium after processing from the table, and places it on the belt conveyor. The robot includes an arm for acquiring the medium, and a base for supporting the arm. The processing system is characterized in that the base is attached to a wall portion above or on the side of the cutting device.

Images